#scarsdale

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A short, wiry figure limps off the trods at Alabaster Hollow.

After a brief discussion with a much-put-out boggan, a small cottage is secured, and the figure disappears inside.

Later, a female nocker dressed "Like a Virgin" Madonna meets "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" Cyndi Lauper emerges, and makes her way out of the Freehold to the streets of Scarsdale.

At the Schwartz household, the scrawny teenager has retreated to her room to mope.

Even in the depths of her funk, she can hear the phone ring and Hannah answer it. Her mama calls (not too loudly) "Zara! Your uncle wants to talk to you."

SIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. "Coming, Mama."

Zara tromps (softly) down the stairs to get the phone from Hannah.

"Zara?" Hirim.

"Yes, Onkl?"

"Miriam's here, come say hi."

She straightens, eyes lighting up. "She made it? She... I'll be right over!"

Off-phone "She's com...." The thunk of disconnection.

"Mama, I'm going to the Uncles'. " A quick hug and a cheek peck before she flies upstairs.

The sounds of rummaging, before the teenager is right back down - a full bag pulled over one bony shoulder. She doesn't stop to put on her coat.

"Zara! Coat!"

Too late!

The very upholstered car sits in the driveway, the house lights are on.

Zara, by default, goes round to the kitchen door rather than the front one - opening without knocking.

Even from outside, she can hear the Uncle yelling at each other. Not angry, just.... needling each other.

"Onkl Ratchet? Hehe? M-... " Her whisper catches in her throat. "...I'm here..."

"TAKE THAT YULE LOG AND SHOVE IT RIGHT oh hi Zara. She's in the living room." Ratchet modulates his voice when she comes in. Hirim is apparently in the living room too. Ratchet is making coffee.

Ratchet gets a quick hug, en-route.

"Zara?" Miriam stands as the sluagh enters. Back in the kitchen, Ratchet is making a pot of tea, too.

And her haste grinds to a stop, as she lurks in the doorway of the living room. Her mouth moves, but nothing comes out.

A second try. "---h-hi."

She's had a haircut; shaved half her head, in fact. The remaining hair is dressed over the bare skin. Otherwise, she looks much the same.

She grins. "Hi, Zara." She stomps over and hugs the sluagh.

She swallows, dark eyes flicking to the hair. Then - yes! Hugs! She can do this! A hug back.

"H-h-hi. I brought your gifts. I... Happy yule, aye?... Mmm.. Ma ...M-Miriam...."

"Aw, hey, take it easy kiddo!"

Hirim makes himself busy helping Ratchet with the coffee and tea tray.

"No, not like that you putz, she doesn't like it like that, what are you doing...."

Her heart beats like a hummingbird, but she smiles at the lady nocker.

"You get all eight at once, nu? No waiting! I'm so glad you made it in, I know you're very busy, I know you are..."

"Said I'd be back." She grins, a bit gruff. "Yeah, I got you some stuff too."

"Okay, socks are first, that's tradition.... " she rummages in the bag, pressing a brightly colored package into Miriam's hands.

"Socks and books. Did the Cohens do that? That's always how it... book, yes." ANOTHER package, on top of the first.

She accepts the packages as they stack up, and laughs. "Hey, easy there Kiddo! I'll be around for a week, or so. Resupply an' all. Come on, let's sit, ok?" She leads Zara to the Couch (one of Hirim's....) and makes her sit.

Miriam might struggle to keep up with the whispering as shortly all eight packages are pressed into the nocker's arms. "A whole week? Resupply? I can help. Can I help?"

"Socks, books, of course... Doesn't matter what the Cohens did, you do what the Schwartzs do."

"But I'm a Cohen, too, a little..."

"Yeah." She leans over and kisses Zara's forehead while the Uncles clean up spilled coffee.

Her face lights up - moon and stars, not sunshine, but still...

"Ok, ok, ok, so socks first, nu? Here." She puts the packages down and finds the first one. "This one?"

"Aye! It's tradition."

"Right." She rips into the packaging, scattering scraps. Hirim and Ratchet argue about whether or not those are the -right- kind of cookies....

Zara draws her legs up in a lotus, leaning forward to watch Miriam open - it doesn't take a boggan to detect the enthusiasm radiating off of her. Said socks are knee-high, striped, AND an eye-blinding rainbow.

"Holy shit, they're -great- Zara!!"

She quietly beams, ducking her head.