#earthrunes

Zara fusses - stale cookies, soggy cucumber sandwiches... much haste to get this together!

"And what a lovely spread" he says "Miss Zara, I love tragedy, but I see no tragedy in this display, more how you say, class and decorum. And I like that very much" Gluminksi praises

"You are too kind, sir. Please, it is only the hospitality my guests are due."

A slim small pale hand reaches up to steal a cookie from under the table Jacob is here.

Hands on her hips. "Manners."

If the others had any doubts, there is nothing like that tone to reveal her relation to the cookie snatcher.

The hand withdraws, and a soft voice goes 'drat'

"Be glad she did not have ruler on hand mm?" Mr. Gluminski says in his slavic drawl.

"My brother, Jacob. And methinks Frisby is likely with him..." She takes a cookie to place beneath the table. For the rat.

Happy Squeek

"Ladies and gentlemen, your pardon, it's my honor to introduce Madame Gray" Squire Velvet steps aside after whispering the introduction

Zara sweeps into a low bow, hand on her chest. Madame Gray might be the oldest crone Zara knows.

And all the others like wise bow. Gray's age, her withered existence, brings her great respect.

Zara draws a chair for the crone.

she takes it, and looks about the library, at the lay out, at zara's books. At the meal provided. At Zara herself. Eyes taking it in. Judging.

Even others seem to not dare to breathe.

No, there is a dance of manners which must be followed. Zara waits.

Finally, in a rusty voice that is at the same time elegant , the crone whispers "one might die happily enough in such a place. I thank you for the invitation, miss schwartz"

"You honor us, Madame Gray."

The old woman nods and yet waves it off at the same time "Kindly said , and I am honored in turn , but it is not honor that brings us together today, but rather i think a grave threat."

Zara nods. "Aye. I would not call with such haste, otherwise."

"Indeed, you are too well bred for that. You are.. perhaps a touch chatty, but never impatient" Madame Gray nods and motions others to take seats as well "Still, you are our hostess. Where is the boy who brought the news to you?"

"He should be returning soon."

As though it was fated, the door cracks open and Symon steps in, holding up a bag. "I got the st- " He stops, mid announcement, and freezes. Maybe he can use Chronos now to undo that entrance. Alas. He just bows, and whispers, "Madame, Mistress Zara, cousins."

"awkwarrd" A soft child voice says behind Symon in a sing song whisper

was Lily invited?

Regardless, she too is here

No respect... a sigh as he straightens up and shoves his greasy hair aside. "Apologies. Didn't mean to interrupt like that."

"Clearly" Madame Gray says "Have a seat, Mister Lee. Miss Schwartz and you have done our kith a service today, though it is a grim tiding"

"Aye. Symon was most instrumental."

Lily scoots in and joins Jacob under the table.

Lily and Jacob are seated beside each other - childlings perhaps, but still kithmates. The others are sorted, and tea is served.

He slides into a chair and offers to pour tea for those he can reach. "Did you find out any more about that chain?"

"I have. It is part of a set of treasures - thirteen of them - which were commissioned in ancient times by House Varich."

"Figured if it was made to hold sl- sluagh, then it would be weird to not have some knowledge of it amongst us. Unless anyone who got caught never escaped, maybe." He muses, gloomily.

"Great. Thirteen."

"Fewer, now. But..." And she tells of Семён the Profane, who managed to destroy six.

"Семён the Profane was a noted Unseelie, not quite gracious at all sluagh sensibilities , quite the disaster at Tea it is said by some, but his title, the profane, became one of pride. Had it not been for him, well, the sun would have burned us all the brighter." Madame Gray said "It was profane' that he would challenge them with such audicity, nd even work with one to take down another"

"he died horribly, of course" Mr Gluminski said "But I did not know of the chains"

"He worked with one... what? He worked with a Varich? Is that how he ended up offed?"

"That is most dangerous. My experiences with the Varich have been... unpleasant..."

"hence the term profane" she says "But he served his kith well. As for the details of his death.. well, stories vary"

"It was in ancient times. Many past lives ago" Marzanna nods "I too did not know of these chains."

"Would be better if no one did. Wipe out any of them and any memories of them. Because if someone could make them once, even if we smashed them, anyone who knew of them could reverse engineer them again." He ponders. "Unless there was something special about the maker."

Zara nods. "They are a threat to all our kind."

"The Maker was a dougal... and.. ah.. he spent thirteen years without sleep..."

"Now, the trick of the chain is not that they are rigid - but that they, as we, squirm. As tough to break as steel, but as flexible as mercury. It is possible they might be defeated by some kind of freezing... but I digress."

"they squirm? one wonders if they are alive" Madame Gray ponders

"If is alive, we can scare it" Jaccob pipes up from below, sounding a bit like Ahrnold

"ow" Jacob says after that, as if some girl at his level has poked him