#earthrunes

Vashti has started early on halloween, samhain, and just plain autumn garbs...... the elegant pale moth pooka once did horrible things for an uncaring father . Now she does horror abled things for a hold where she is accepted and loved. She even has her own suitor who looks decent in stripes.

Currently, he's also her dressing dummy.

"I feel slatternly" he says as she continues to dress him up

"Thou art slatternly, love. All the better to make me looks chaste and demure" She arches her eyelashes as if daring him to challenge. To be fair, the dress is a touch revealing.

"Mmm too Fiona?" She notes and fusses, "Mayhaps a teasing underlayer of transparent material akin to a deathly parlor..."

Shallimar grins "If this is for Zara, if she looks any more deathly she'll have ghosts asking if she's feeling well"

A light poke for mocking her sister, even though she does smile a bit

"Bah, I make not one outfit, but dozens... and my sister knows what she likes and shall yell loudly for what adjustments must be needed to suit her. " Vashti tuts, "Wretched week for her, so this may cheer her up. I mean, whoever heard of the 13th on a WEDNESDAY, she must be quite put out"

"Like a cat feeling musical at the witching hour" Shallimar agrees "Has she something against Odin?"

"Odin stole women's magics, learning secrets for witches they say, but did he give credit to them? NAY," Vashti tuts, "It is why Hecate hatches a plan with Freya and the Morrigan to teach him a lessons about I.P. rights..."

"Yes, yes, I've read your archives" He says sagely.

Vashti blushes, for her mythological fan fiction isn't something everyone knows about.

Still, she's curious "Thou likest it? And not just because I entrap you within my wings?"

Shallimar can't help but lie, but it's HOW you lie that matters, and he loves her... also.. she has pins and needles very close to his skin now so... "Your sagas are the legends as they should have been had but Homer had someone to show him how it were done. I particularly liked the part where Jupiter had his lightning bolts set to boomerrang on him." Not quite how it went in the fan fic, but it shows he did read

"Hmmph! Homer always seems to forget Hephestusus loves his mother best, and twas about time Hera got a bit of her own back," Vashti hurumphs primly.

"I noticed Hera always seems to be in a better mood when she comes back from visiting Slavic lands. Perun at least appreciates her I imagine." Shalimar nods as more work is done on the dress about him

"Why love, what ever do you mean? Tis just for the purposes of diplomacy" Vashti protests

"Oh yes, I noticed the 'dipping' in Chapter 16" He grins wickedly.

"Tosh! She's the goddess of marriage" Vashti says ... then mutters "in greek lands. Outside of that, all bets are off."

"Oh gooses taking a gander" he nods knowingly "Has your sister read it?"

"SHE is a great writer. " Mortified the moth pooka goes on "You know her action adventures are best sellers" The lies twist the basics a great deal but Vashti goes on "She must never know that I write on that website."

"Bah, she is your sister and loves you. I mean, she doesn't just threaten my life because she has no sense of humor, she does it because she is protective of thee. I blame her troll paramour, clearly the blue rubs off on her" Shallimar tuts

Vashti huffs and pokes him "That's just poor circulation." Though it is nice to know Zara threatens for her sake. Very sweet. Her sister wouldn't hurt a fly, but she might curse one.

Still, Shalimar can see Vashti is torn. Wanting to share her fan fic with her sister, yet fearing it will be laughable to a professional. The latter seems silly to Shalimar. Making a fool of yourself isn't a danger, it's a career opportunity! But he also realizes by her look that Vashti will be offended if he flat out tells her.

"I shall say not a word of it to your sister, though she may figure it out her own one day and I think THOU should scream it in her ear" Shallimar mmmphs.

Vashti relaxes "Thank thee, my lover. I will not pin thee to the inside of a book along with my dead flowers now."

Shalimar sighs "I feel jealous of those flowers some days" But mentally he makes a note to leave a few indirect clues that will lead zara to that website and her sister's pen named works. It's clearly been approved that if ZARA figures it out, it's not telling. And clues need not be said words.

(End Scene)

Elsewhere, on Thursday, Zara has invaded Delores' kitchen.

She is dressed with surprising practicality - white hair neatly up, sleeves rolled, apron.

Delores is not the main cook of the place. She started as a maid, but has become an excellent steward and keeps things orderly with her cooks.

The mission? Apple cakes.

As if that makes it any less her kitchen, nu?

So she's a bit surprised to hear of Zara in there "Zara?" Delores inquires "Are you..lost?"

"Nay?" She looks up from the cutting board.

"Well, Hershey was a bit surprised to find you here... he was about to work on the ham and thought he might have offended your religion"

A little wrinkle. "Oh.. oh, I mustn't be in here when that happens." Tiny frown.

She sighs as she surveys the half-done pile of apples.

"It's no worry, Zara... I told him to postpone. "

"And do continue... looks like" A sniff "Apple pie in the works?"

"Nay, apple cake. I have Mama's recipe. Of course mine has aged beautifully, but I thought twould be nice to share something for less refined palates this weekend..."

"A day, that is still fearfully fresh is it not?"

A chuckle "How kind of you, and yes, yes it is"

"Mama always makes mine the Sunday or Monday after Rosh Hashanah, and saves it til the next."

"I hath upped the recipe, but mayhaps did not well calculate the extra time needed to cut so many apples."

"Turn your back a bit to me, dear" SHe advises

"Oh, I... oh!" A bit of pink rises to her cheeks, but she nods and turns away.

Another knife is pulled out, and ...well, a boggan can do the work of 3 by herself if she's not supervised. So Zara does her share, but it's not hard to guess than behind her, humming happily, Delores is tending to apples as well

Soon enough, there are bowls of cubed apples!

Zara considers.