#scarsdale

"Well, what?" She sighs. "The horse is out of the barn already, yes? To use a farm-phrase? So where should you go? Motels are tacky. This farm out there, has growing magic and you don't want that yet. So where?" Matter-of-factly.

"Just... be careful, and considerate, hm?"

A VERY teenaged huff. "I have been."

"Yes, you have." Comforting.

Inaudible grumbling from behind her hair.

"What??"

"Yes, Mama."

"....can we be done talking about this, please?"

Exasperated, not angry... then comforting again. "Of course! Unless you have any questions?"

A vehement shake of her head.

"Ok then." She stands, putting a hand on that head. It feels like a mother's blessing. "Let me know if we're running low on cleaners, hm?" (As if she needed to be told, but it's a way out.) And Hannah heads back to the kitchen.

Zara nods, and slips away.

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

A text comes on her phone : BZZT "Zara? Are you okay?" it's Earl

"<3!"

"You're up!"

"I am! 😄 "

"Thanku! Loveu! You ok?"

"Love you too! Am ok. In only a little trouble for going off without telling. Hirim in hospital. Flu. 😞 "

"Hospital? Can I help? Bring soup, or something?"

"He has IVs, no food yet"

"Where are you? House?"

"Yes. Catching up on homework. You okay to travel?"

"Yes. May I come over?"

"Yes!"

"Can make food"

"U don't have to, but sure if you want"

"Don't hitchhike!"

"Won't."

"<3"

"<3 !!"

And Zara is cooking - well, heating. Hannah has several mason jars of soup to choose from.

There is a knock at the door, polite rap

Zara opens it. "That was fast... were you in KC?"

dark gloves and blue surcoat. His horns have a slight deformation, a crack that has healed but now seems to have almost serpentine zag of scar tissue "I was. I uhm.." A blush "May have flown part of the way"

She reaches up, touching the scarred horn. "How wonderful."

"Mayhaps you could fly me, some day. What other witch has a troll instead of a broomstick?"

"Well, I started at Firnost so it was kindof cheating" he takes her hand and kisses it

She beams.

Then a smile, "I can actually affect a broomstick if you want to fly one sometime."

She rasps. "Oh, I bet the newt would like that...."

"In, in, in. You'll catch your death." She shoos Earl towards the table.

He moves in towards the table AFTER wiping his feet, and he takes a whiff "That smells wonderful."

"Soup is good for healing."

"How has Clem been?"

"Bossy" He says 'And then gone"

"Sounds about right."

A bit of a worried look, "She's out to Sea. Should be interesting to hear her tales whne she gets back"

She drifts away from the stove, touching his temple again. "I'm so sorry..."

"Sea?"