#earthrunes

"All I know is she's trying sleep her way to the top"

"Don't judge" Another boggan says

"But you know the source..."

"Well, yes, but we don't know this Nadeen so well...." a smile "Does sound juicy though"

***********

Zara and Earl snuggle in the privacy of Earl's room, it was , after two ODIOUS folks left, a nice night. Someone spiked the tea and Zara might have gottten a wee tipsy, but only a bit.

It is morning and.. well, they stir and cuddle and Earl ..now out of his Poe outfit (Except, oddly, the tie) says "Do you want to talk about godzilla and Kong?"

"mmm. Vile, dreadful brats."

"Sounds like you knew them from before? " He frowns 'Come to think of it, they looked famliiar." A blink "the hollow?"

"Aye. Some of the schtunker squad."

"I thought August settled their..." He scowls "Vile, Dreadful brats indeed"

"August is going to need to talk about this. Maybe over tea" Earl says

"Maybe? Hopefully, they will go back to being nonentities."

"Zara... they got a drubbing, but what they did, breaking the doors down to treat Coradel like that in front of August? I'm worried he might be tempted to break the law of Carnival"

"August?"

"I know it sounds crazy but men in love can ..." He looks a her and smiles at the Raven he visulizes perching on her shoulder "be very rash"

"Aye... but they are unworthy of him. They were unworthy of him then, and even less so now."

"I hope he remembers that, but yeah" He nods "Were you the one who veiled Coradel from the 'majesties'?"

She shakes her head. "Pooka taste to it. Probably Shalimar."

"that sneaky skunk" He realizes "Sometimes sometimes, I see why Vashti likes him"

A soft laugh.

"You know, King Rock? I liked his style. He had an earthy sense of justice"

"Aye. It seems August is a yenta."

He snerks "You're going to call him that sometime while he drinks just to see his reaction, aren't you?"

Another rattly giggle.

"Let me know how it goes if I miss it" A smile

"But they were his picks - the couple."

"Yes, he deserves a lot of praise for that. they weree good. I think he patched their marriage well if that was part of the goal"

"yenta." she reiterates.

"proof in the pudding" He agrees

"Honestly, I haven't wasted a thought on them in some time."

"Seems they're thinking about August. I refuse to believe that was all coincidence"

"Mayhaps..."

"Mmm" He gets a thoughtful look

"Were it not for my family, I would not return to Scarsdale at all..."

He tucks a finger under her delicate chin and gazes in eyes "My home is here.. I see it in your eyes, home. Wherever you stand, your cool lips are my true hearthfire"

She pinks.

And the Raven? It croaks secret songs to the both of them.

He glows with pleasure at the songs, "We'll visit of course. Family matters to you" A kiss, then .. "Besides, they're probably ready to explode if we put off the post oath get together at the farm any longer"

siiiiigh.

"I know"

a resigned chuckle

"Well, if we point them all at each other, we may slip away unscathed."

A beat "or sell tickets"

Snerk

"Oh who are we kidding? If they ended up really resenting each other we'll get stressed out. We'll have to play diplomats or at least buffer for them" A look "You up for it?"

"Depends on how feisty the nockers are feeling that day."

"I love them dearly, but sometimes they can be... a lot..."

"I noticed" He ponders "Good news, I don't think there are any cousins aunts or uncles I have that are Yankee fans"

"Small mercies."