#elsewhere

The holiday was wonderful, everyone had their picture taken with a bee hive hat

..................

"But she's got to be somewhere..." Jacob says to the girl.

Chaldea, the Eshu, answers "I have told you the story I know, every year around this time, some chimera just...vanish."

"Not this one, she's.. she's special. My sister loves her..." Jacob says "And she'd never leave my sister for long. Otherwise she'd have done it when they were at the..." He clamps down and whispers "it's a secret."

"I have my own quest and you agreed to help me..." Chaldea says "Remember?"

"I will I will... but you are Eshu... you guys do by dumb luck what most do by thinking and hard work."

"Dumb.. Luck?" SHe bristles

"Oh.. fortune's blessing" He corrects.

"Better" she says.

"My sister could be back at anytime. When she finds Bronte is missing, she'll go into a panic, and not the fun kind." The boy says "Please please please please help me find her?"

"I don't..."

"Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease..."

"Stop that... argh that's annoyi.."

"...pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease..." the boy continues

"FINE.. how can such a soft voice be so irritating" The girl says "Come, let's go..."

"Great, where first?" He follows.

"First I step with one foot, then the other...the story will reveal itself. The quest for Bronte!" She declares

"It's an adventure" the young sluagh says as if repeating something he's heard before, and the two childlings race off.

Zara enters downstairs. "Mother, I'm home!" She swings by to visit miriam before going upstairs.

After the visit with Miriam, Zara heads up the steps. Careful, her brother likes traps. and snares

"Love, I'm home." A whisper, of course. She checks on him - painting, most likely?

Earl is indeed painting, focused on an artwork that is both morbid and romantic

She watches for a bit, but lets him work. Hm. A book would be nice...

She looks to the bookshelf nearest... though she has so many thanks to Gabby's expanding options. Something feels.. off today

A slight frown, and she fusses. Is something missing? Surely nobody dusted...

No.. no... little spider prints here and there... and of course, sometimes one finds where a tail dragged or a wing brushed from Bronte.

A soft smile at the marks. "Darling, what are you reading now?"

Instead of the usual piping response from the very book she is reading, Bronte gives no answer. Indeed... she's not sure where Bronte is.

Earl notices Zara, "oh sorry. I didn't hear..almost done."

"Earl, have you seen Bronte?" She checks her usual spots.

"...1122?"

"No I just got home an hour ago.. but now that you mentioned she didn't greet me."

Zara frowns, and searches more intently. "Darling?"

1122 hops up and brushes himself off !

"My clever friend, where is Bronte?"

Zara's senses are keen. She adores her little 1122, the dashing cavalier... but where is... yes, where is Bronte?

Tapping goes quickly Not here, but don't worry, Jacob is on it

"...Not here?"

Earl is also looking now, having put his brushes away

Zara's breath quickens, and she searches with less dignity and increasing panic.... shoving furniture aside, tearing open cupboards and cabinets...

Earl helps her, even offering a portal passage through areas but no... there's no sign of Bronte

"Could she be at Earth Runes?" Earl says

"She wouldn't just leave...." She snags a mirror and a candle.

1122 says The Childlings are on an adventure to find her as if that will make her feel better

"That... I wish to make sure she is safe." She sits down in the middle of the floor, setting up the candle and the mirror for scrying.

Earl makes sure she has any other supplies she might wish.

Mist gathers around her huddled form, swirling, as she summons an image to the mirror...