#scarsdale

Whoever put this holiday so close to Thanksgiving is clearly trying to kill me Earl jogs along the streets of Scarsdale , doing his loop back to the House where the Schartzes Cohens etc are

He is wearing a blazingly colorful jogging outfit that Hirim pushed on him, and to be fair, it's keeping him warm

"Isn't it nice to have Hanukkah so close to Thanksgiving? Very convenient, at least."

"I was thinking," He tells her "Maybe I need to cut down on portions a bit?"

"Ohhh... it can be tricky, aye."

"I think I've gained a few pounds, not I try not to be vain but.." He pats his belly, "All the best artists are starving"

"One mustn't leave aught on the plate, nor must one underfill... mayhaps you can sneak a smaller sized plate?"

"Fret not. I shall lock thee in the tower and bar thee from all but myself, and thus may you pine away to be but a rail...."

"Sweet talker," he kisses her , just a peck, but then says "A smaller plate. Might work. I suppose it would be wrong to flicker flash food to.. no that would be insulting"

One does not just 'banish' Hannahs' food

"Aye. T'would. So - smaller plate!"

"And tonight is donuts."

"Oooo" he says "I need to do another 15 minutes I think" He says, but he says "Ah, you might want to check on Tizzy"

He looks troubled there

"Aye?"

"She's putting on a brave front for Hannah especially, but I think she's not as happy as she seems. Caught her humming a sad song and shooting looks to where her family used to live"

"Ah."

"She loves it here, and oddly that might make her feel worse. I know when I found out I didn't like the guy I used to think was my dad, I felt like a lousy human being. Not the same, but.. even Eshu have a sense of duty and loyalty to family I bet and that can get jumbled"

"Survivor's guilt... but of course, though they would wish for her to be happy, one must also allow room for sadness and grief. Mayhaps I shall give her permission." A peck on Earl's cheek, and she goes to seek the younger wilder.

Tziporah is inside the house, but she's also..everywhere. Fetching drinks for the uncles, then getting Aaron his newspaper. She even joins in with Miriam complaining about a poor textile choice on a TV show that's playing in the background..totally wrong material for the supposed climate of the show. And she puts on a smile for everyone as she keeps moving moving...

because moving is what Eshu do when they're not telling stories

Zara moves, too - though sluagh tend to be a quiet breeze compared to the flash and whirl of an eshu.

And Tzip feels a cool hand touch her wrist.

She nearly jumps "Gah... wow, Zara, I know you'll take it as a compliment but you almost gave me a heart attack" she resumes her smile but is now pinned by the gentle hand "What can I do for you ? Am I walking too loud up the stairs when I fetch things? That third step down really creaks huh?"

Not for Zara mind you. She mastered the creaky third step long ago

"Tis bright and loud in here. Nockers, nu? I thought, perhaps, a walk? It snowed."

"Well," she looks out the window, then says, not too loudly "Hannah, do you need anything?"

A call from the kitchen that she's good.

Tizzy loks about, but sees the uncles are now trying to take the remote from Miriam to improve it since she complained about it. Aaron is happy with his newspaper. No excuses

And Jacob is probably in the walls somewhere

"Uhm sure' She says "let me get my coat"

Or Zara's old favorite, the dryer vent...

Zara gets her own coat - grey wool, with old-fashioned tailoring and lace trim.

Tziporah's own coat is a bit flashier, at least on the underside, and she loves it. One can guess who gifted her it when her old clothes were lost in the fire

She moves along with Zara outside

"Sometimes, you just need a bit of cold and quiet."

The snow crunches under their feet, more Tizzy's than hers, though the eshu is light of foot, she is no Sluagh, "Really? Because I was thinking of asking Earl for a trip to the bahamas" A jest, but her eyes dance "I do love the snow though."

"I have not been to the Bahamas, but I could see the appeal. But still - a'times, we put so much on the bright and the warm, and forget that the world is made of diverse feelings." She stretches out her hand to catch a snowflake.

"yeah" Tziporah inhales, her breath already starting to steam. She gazes, not at the snowflake, but down the street where a house once stood strong. A house with a family

Zara walks... in that direction! She does so casually.

Tizzy stiffens for a moment, then lowers her eyes and follows. Oh yes, no hiding that guilt now.

"And. a'times, we worry if we have the so-called right feelings...."

"Well, don't want to bring people down" Mutter

"As if we should only feel but one thing at a time! Feh."

"There is space for you, Tziporah. For all of you. And your pain and grief? They are yours, and they are important."

"I just... I worry I love your family more than I did most of mine... that's horrible right? I mean..I loved my family but I didn't always like some and that's such a bitchy horrible thing to think"

"And then I remember what I did like about my family and it hurts again.." She begins to ramble

"So I feel guilty I'm not hurting enough , or that I maybe forgetting them... it's like betraying them"

"And then it DOES hurt, but that's no good because you all took me in and I don't need to be all ... gloom"