Coatacopia

	Sanura A few short days before the wedding Sanura is carefully pressing a longish coat, the shop is quiet for the time being. The seamstresses are doing their work and there is the pleasant hum of quiet conversation broken now and again by a laugh or groan at some family story being shared. Susan had been spending more time at home lately and so more time around the shop when it wasn’t busy with patrons. The staff at the shop had grown more used to the godling’s presence than most of the town. Sanura hangs the coat up a little near to the oven to make sure the steam doesn’t linger in the fabric. She brushes her hair back from her brow with her wrist and steps out back for a little fresh air. Her cheeks warm and pink from the heat of the kitchen area with the stove on. She’d pause at the door and call back to ask Susan to watch the front for her while she takes a short break. The affirmative is a relief as she leans back against the building and fans herself.
	Ken As usual, there’s no noticable sign of Ken’s presence until he’s actually in the shop’s yard. He politely scuffs mud off his boots at the doormat before entering the gate - not that his boots were the only muddy thing about him. Ken has the typical signs of his work all over him; pine sap and dirt cling to his hands and clothes, wood chips and leaves to his hair, and the dark stains on his tattered sleeves look suspiciously like blood. In his arms is yet another towering stack of vinyl records.
	Sanura Sanura blinks softly at the sight of him, the forestry scent of him pleasing save for the edge of copper. She smiles a little as she straightens and holds the door open for him and his armload of records. “Good Day, Sir” she makes a fancy bow as she holds the door. A little teasing smile on her features.
	Ken “Sir? I must have gotten classier without noticing. Does this mean I have to use the right fork and wear a necktie now?” He teases, giving her a nod of thanks as he ducks inside with his cargo. Although he is outwardly as cheerful and energetic as ever, there is a muffled hollowness to it.
	Sanura She giggles softly and nods “and no more spoons on the seats either” she warns as she walks behind him. Getting the door down to the basement rooms. She notices the lack of depth in his emotions and the empty space that is more than Ken being there but not there. “So, seems you’re becoming quite a collector? or… a hoarder?” she questions with part tease part concern.
	Ken Ken hops downstairs and sets the latest aquisitions next to the other growing piles of records and tapes. He gives a dry chuckle at her question. “Sanura min, I cannot hoard things if I try. No, no, these will be out of your way soon enough, I promise. They are for Bjorn.” One corner of his mouth quirks up in a wry smile. “I am repaying a debt, you see.”
	Sanura She quirks a brow “oh they’re not in my way..” she folds one arm under her bust and rests her elbow in her hand. “What debt is that?” she questions curiously. “Did you break his favorite record?” her brow furrowing slightly.
	Ken “In a way, I suppose. Or, well,” Ken eyes the piles appraisingly, “about five hundred of his favorite records. Back while we were near the sea of tears. It was… ah… not accidental.” He heads back upstairs, outside, to where there is more air and space and growing things.
	Sanura She hmms softly and her brows furrow as she trails along after his swift escape. “what do you mean?”
	Ken Ken perches on a low branch of the neighbor’s avocado tree that overhangs their backyard. He lets out a slow breath and rubs his thumb and finger across his forehead. “His cell phone. I threw it in the ocean.” Although there’s something unhappy in his voice, Ken does not say this like someone who actually regrets their actions.
	Sanura She pauses “umn .. I remember you had a problem with cell phones I think.. is that why or.. was it something personal?” She glances up towards him with some concern.
	Ken He shakes his head with a small smile. “I had no grudge against him, if that is what you mean. But there are things more important to me than Bjorn’s happiness, or his music, and that… device… put them in jepordy.”
	Sanura She nods a little and her brow furrows “Weren’t you sort of afraid of the thing.. and radio waves and so on.. thought it had something to do with the rendering of myth from the minds of man?” she scratches her cheek lightly.
	Ken “Yes. I suppose you could put it that way.” But he clearly finds this description incomplete. Ken tucks his feet up on the branch and pulls his harmonica out of his pocket, turning it back and forth. “I care about ‘myths’ and ‘stories,’ you know. They are…” he shrugs. “They are important. But I admit some selfishness in this, Sanura. I care more about the memory of people I have lost. I am the only one left who remembers them, and who will carry those memories if I do not?” He holds his hands out palms-up in a kind of helpless gesture. “I cannot bear the thought of forgetting the names of my friends, my lovers, my family. Myself.”
	Sanura She tilts her head softly to one side. “So you were worried just as much that the machinery might affect you.. and make you loose so much” she sighs a little and nods slowly. “That is terrifying .. though how did you even wrest the items from him?”
	Ken Ken smiles a sly smile, mischief obscuring some of the melancholy. “Carefully.”
	Sanura She snorts softly and has this horrible comical image of a royally pissed off Bjorn chasing Ken. She coughs softly to hide her faint laugh. “Hmmn well.. so.. out of several fears you did something.. unkind and harmful, though not for reasons of being such. Now you’re seeking to make amends with .. music?”
	Ken Ken bristles at her description of it as ‘fear,’ but given that it’s a fair description he keeps the anger out of his voice. “The music is what he cares about. He wants to know it is not lost. So then, I must find it for him.”
	Sanura Sanura hmms softly and considers that and then smiles faintly in approval. “well at least you’re making a sincere attempt to right the loss” she nods “as one cannot turn back the clock I think your actions are the best choice, if that means anything” She brushes her hair back with her hands and glances over. “Fear is the only way one can ever be brave” she notes quietly before taking a breath “If I can help you set things to rights do let me know” She straightens and stretches her arms up over her head with a faint groan. “For now though.. if you’ve got a minute I have something to address with you”
	Ken “Yes, of course.” Ken perks up at the change in topic. “What is it you would like to talk about?”
	Sanura She grins softly and shakes her head “nothing to talk about really.” She holds her hand out as she stands by the door to head back in. “Come over her and close your eyes” she’s smiling broadly now.
	Ken Ken hesitates for a moment, trying to figure out what Sanura is up to. But he plays along, dropping to the ground and following her with closed eyes.
	Sanura She takes a moment to enjoy having put Ken off his game a moment and then leads him into the warm kitchen where the coat is hanging up. She guides him to face the coat and then takes a breath. “OK open up” she keeps her hands on his shoulders and holds her breath.
	Ken He does as bid. Ken looks at the coat for a moment, and then says, “It looks like a very good coat, Sanura, but… well, I do not know much about fancy clothing but I am not sure it will be fancy enough for a wedding.” He says this very gently, like he’s trying to break some bad news to her without being too upsetting.
	Sanura She chuckles softly “Well it’s good then that it isn’t for the wedding and is in fact for every day” she tugs the coat from where it’s hung and gives it a slight shake. “here see how it fits.”
	Ken Ken is much relieved at the news that this was not, in fact, intended to be ‘fancy clothes.’ He smiles, and pulls the coat on. “Sanura min, it is wonderful. And very warm!” Naturally, it fits great. Sanura made it after all. Ken grips her shoulder affectionately. “But you do not need to give me such things - I have more than I need already.”
	Sanura She smiles happily at the great fit and his words of thanks. She laughs softly "well I had a feeling you might say something like that.. but.. this coat has a secret you see.. " she still smiles “next time you find a soul in need.. reach in the pocket and I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised.”
	Sanura [[brb I need to go get some food fixed up, if you can get meg to explain the mechanics of the coat? but she might be busy not sure]]
	Ken [she’s busy at the moment, but yum food!]
	Sanura kay see I’m not totally sure what the coat will do.. cause I was thinking like bread and fruit and stuff out of the pockets but cornucopia is sort of different]
	Ken Ken raises an eyebrow at her enigmatic description, and sticks a cautious hand in his pocket. Then he stops, as curiosity turns to confusion. When he pulls his hand out of his pocket, Ken stares at it in disbelief. He sets the apple down on a table and sticks his hand back into the pocket. In quick succession, he pulls out a handful of almonds, a large piece of flat cornbread, a baked potato, and several figs. He stares at the food on the table. Then he looks up at Sanura. Then he grins. Ken grabs her in a hug, laughing.
	Sanura Sanura watches his expression and bites her lips, then grins, then giggles softly and is finally laughing as well when he grabs her in the hug. She returns the embrace and asked a bit muffled. “I take it you like the tricks eh?” She’s a fount of pleased artist at the moment, her creation worked and she was proud, and the receiving audience liked it which was even better!
	Ken Finally he lets her go. “Like it? Like it? I….” he shakes his head, at a loss for words. “How did you do it?” He is as full of admiration as he is baffled by her achievement.
	Sanura She steps back and automatically starts neatening her skirts. “Oh well it’s a magic hide.. and Dovile got that for me.. and then Bear attuned it to you, so don’t you go giving it away you hear?” she warns before she picks up an almond and crunches on it. oh yum! She smiles “So then Lady Mokosh helped me find some enchanted fruits to treat and dye the material, her presence was quite inspiring.” She nods some and happily looks over the fit. “No worries for feeding your friends now or your enemies even” she chuckles a little.
	Ken Ken once again looks from Sanura to the pile of newly-minted food and back to Sanura, seemingly speechless. Finally just settles for laughing again and giving her another hug.
	Sanura She watches his expression and laughs a little bit as she’s hugged again, this time her arms caught against her sides. “I knew you’d love it” she enthuses.
	Ken “Of course I love it! Ah, kettlingur min, you make the most wonderful things!” Ken lets her go again with a thump on the back, and then pulls a sprig of sage out of his pocket just for the heck of it. He grins again. “If you do not mind, I am going to go and share this wonderful making of yours.” He nods to the door.
	Sanura She smiles happily and then nods and shoos him off “yes yes go share that’s the point!” hoping this new gift will give him some way to assuage his waning spirits. “I want descriptions of the surprised faces when you make way more food than your pockets can hold.” she calls after him.

Campaign of the Month: February 2017

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