#earthrunes

"Adorable. Your promise to wait until she finds it on her bed?" He repeats , this time more to the spider.

Can spiders sigh in resignation?

He waits for the 'yes' tap to be sure.

........one tap.

He nods, and shows them, the progression is thus... the outer russian doll starts out wholesome, almost boggany... but the more you open, the next doll gets spookier, more macabre, more gothic and sinister.. until you get to the last level which resembles and eldritch almost lovecraftian goddess of madness and fear... just very tiny. There are THIRTEEN dolls in all, exactly.

Lily does not know how Zara will respond, but some part of her immediately adds this tender effort to her list of future things she shall look for in a beau, should the madness of romance ever claim her in her wilder years.

Earl, unaware he is a good role model, asks both spider and childling, "You think she'll like it?"

Tap!

"Well she should, it's marvelous," the little girl beams. In truth, she is pretty sure Zara would like things just because they were from earl. And impractical way to think but that is true love for you. It turns parts of the brain to mush. Still, she gives a rare gummy smile, "She will adore it, yes." There, she humored this silly pursuit of romantic suiting. Then she asks "It is not her birthday, nor a 13th. I do not think you are in trrouble? Why did you get this for her? Is there a special event?"

"No event," Earl smiles a bit, "I just like making her happy. When you're in love, it makes you feel good to make your loved one feels good."

Lily shudders a bit at that. Gadzooks... romantic love sounds like a tapeworm but less attractive

"Now, let me put this on her bed and I'll escort you both back across the river," Earl puts all the dolls back, and making sure it is clean, rises to go into his house, "You can have some tea if you want. I'm sure Zara would insist."

"Tea? oh yes. And some blood for Novem." She says "I shall provide that."

"Of course," Earl say and leads them inside.

And yes, Zara will later find the increasingly frightful nesting dolls in her bed later on her pillow.

(End Scene)