Doing it right...

[GlytchMeister]

Glytch awoke early the next morning with something sharp and hard poking into his underarm.
"Nnngarh... Whuh? Wah'z zat?" Eyes barely open, he rolled away from the sharp thing and grabbed it, recognized the feel of an arrow... With paper? "Emerauld..." He sighed and forced his eyes to open a bit more to read.

"...there's more? Jeeze, how big is it in th-"
*thunk thunk thunk thunk*
Glytch rolled his eyes at the door. "What?"
"Your services are required, young man." Sarge's voice came through... Glytch, remembering the last time he was awoken by Sarge, was suddenly very glad he had convinced Edward to let him borrow some of his pajamas. He found his glasses, bounded out of bed, and threw the door open, back straight and eyes wide open.
Sarge chuckled wickedly. "Looks like you learned your lesson... Your mission is to replace me in the kitchen. The ladies are throwing a bridal shower."
Glytch stared, jaw slightly agape, at Sarge as he walked away, still chuckling to himself. "Aw, come on, man! ... Rrrrg. I'll have to go through that friggin' bag later... YOU KNOW, PEELING POTATOES ISN'T ALL THAT BAD!"
Sarge turned a corner and disappeared.
"Razzum Frazzum Frickum Frackum..." Glytch turned and threw on a hoodie and slippers before going to the kitchen.

[DinkyInky]

*giggles impishly*

I am helping!

[jwhouk]

---

I'm putting a placeholder here. The night before the little bridal shower is going to involve Cricket & Cave meeting back up with the Drows.

Also, Joe's going to stop by the Library for something.

[AmriloJim]

I'm putting a placeholder here.

What we have here is testament to something that never works in real life... a productive project by committee.

[Hansontoons]

I'm putting a placeholder here.

What we have here is testament to something that never works in real life... a productive project by committee.

Que the intermission/elevator music, perhaps Girl From Ipanema?

[Dave]

Que the intermission/elevator music, perhaps Girl From Ipanema?

More like the "intermission" music from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Cut away from an almost-literal cliffhanger, put up the Intermission graphic, play calliope music for just long enough for people to get started on their way to the restroom, and then cut back to King Arthur clinging desperately to a rickety bridge over the windswept gorge of death.

Agree that this piece of fan-fiction is an amazing piece of "shared world" cooperative work. I've never seen anything quite like it.

[Hansontoons]

Que the intermission/elevator music, perhaps Girl From Ipanema?

More like the "intermission" music from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Cut away from an almost-literal cliffhanger, put up the Intermission graphic, play calliope music for just long enough for people to get started on their way to the restroom, and then cut back to King Arthur clinging desperately to a rickety bridge over the windswept gorge of death.

Agree that this piece of fan-fiction is an amazing piece of "shared world" cooperative work. I've never seen anything quite like it.

I agree! I agree! Just don't say that word again!

[Sgt. Howard]

Que the intermission/elevator music, perhaps Girl From Ipanema?

Tall and green and lank and wheezy the girl with empyema goes walking and as she's walking each step she takes makes her go "gasp"
We all feel that there's no hope for her she looks like death and sounds tubercular and as she's walking each step she takes makes her go "gasp"
She.... knows she has the infection- she.... knows someday it will kill her... she... also knows we can cure her...
but when we try to give her PennVK- she gets up and she walks AMA...
Tall and green and lank and wheezy the girl with empyema goes walking and as she's walking each step she takes makes her go "gasp"

[Just Old Al]

---

I'm putting a placeholder here. The night before the little bridal shower is going to involve Cricket & Cave meeting back up with the Drows.

Hurry back - i can feel myself going into with-drow-l....

Alan

[Hansontoons]

---

I'm putting a placeholder here. The night before the little bridal shower is going to involve Cricket & Cave meeting back up with the Drows.

Edited with respects.

This has been a fantastic journey, thank you to all that are contributing. Imagination is a wonderful ability!

[jwhouk]

Okay, okay, this is what I have so far...

---

Calista and Cavin stood outside the door to Atsali's home on the Alexander Estate. After knocking once, Katherine opened the door.

"Calista! Good to see you hon! And this must be Cavin, glad to meet you finally!"

Cavin put his hand out in greeting. "Calista's told me a lot about you, Ma'am – all good."

"Come on in, we're just about ready to go over to the main house," she said. They stepped into the vestibule. Cavin immediately realized it was larger than some of the cells he'd be in over the last few years.

"You can close yer mouth now, Cave," Cricket chided him. Castela came bounding down the stairs with Atsali and Buck behind them.

"I see what you mean," he said to Cricket out of the side of his mouth. Calista gave him a questioning look; Cavin just looked wide-eyed at Atsali, who seemed a bit oblivious to his stare.

Castela stood behind Kath, even as she introduced Cavin to everyone. Atsali was oblivious to Cavin's stares at her "features", but Cricket wasn't – and nudged him with an elbow.

"C'mon, my mom doesn't like being kept waiting," Buck said as he put on his hat, and they headed out into the Minnesota winter.

[DinkyInky]

---

I'm putting a placeholder here. The night before the little bridal shower is going to involve Cricket & Cave meeting back up with the Drows.

Hurry back - i can feel myself going into with-drow-l....

Deposits several ampoules of methadone into the pun jar.

Alan

*charges up one not quite lethal Harm Touch and gives a feral grin of warning*

[jwhouk]

...Not cool, Allan, considering what Cavin was hooked on.

[Just Old Al]

...Not cool, Allan, considering what Cavin was hooked on.

SIncere apologies - that did not occur to me. i deleted it.

[jwhouk]

The sheer number of people that were at the dinner party nearly overwhelmed Cavin. He wasn't used to that many other beings in one place – and there were about 30 people all congregating around this dinner table.

Neil had introduced himself, explaining that not only was he the unofficial "leader" of the group, he was also going to be in one of his classes. "Phix insisted, as she contends I have much to learn."

"You're the 'Centurion of the Library'?" he asked. Neil nodded, chuckling.

"I told you they'd given you that moniker," Phix said, carrying her child in a sling carrier around her neck and torso. "This is little Aeternia, our daughter."

Cavin blanched a bit. "I'm… uh, not too good with babies…"

Aeternia turned her head, looking at Cavin – with a look that almost said, Well, I'm not too sure about you, either. She turned and buried her head back in her mother's chest.

"This is Daisy Alexander," Neil continued with the introductions. "She's opened up her wonderful estate here for us – and those are her two children, Rowdy and Cinnamon. You already met her eldest, Buck…"

"Yeah, of Alexander Harvesters. Read all about it in Para Econ 101. Company's a model of what paras can do in the world of 'norms'. Also read about your Great-great-grandpa's escapades during the Civil War. Neat stuff," Cavin rattled off, eyebrow raised at Neil.

"I forget, Joe talked to you," Neil replied with a hint of irritation.

"Speaking of – is he gonna be here at all?"

"I believe he was intent on it, but his schedule has been erratic as of late…"

As if on cue, the door to the main parlor opened from the side, and out stepped Joe and his wife.

≡≡≡

"Cavin!" I said as we stepped into the Alexander home. I motioned to Sarah that I was going to go talk to Neil; she went over to see Phix and Aeternia. "I'd heard you had gotten an early release. How are things?"

Cavin shrugged. "They're all right, I guess. Gotta finish school at Gryphon as part of my release plan. Gonna stay 'smoove', as they say."

"Yeah, well, you have one thing that a lot of the others I see don't have – a family who's really pulling for you." I think I saw Calista blush a bit when I said that. "Neil introducing you to the members of Club Alexander?"

"Is that what you've called yourself, since that list came out?" I nodded in response.

"Some of these people see it more as a badge of honor." I smirked. "Neil, I can introduce him to the Wapsi clan, if you want?" Neil nodded in acknowledgement.

"Wapsi clan?" Cavin raised an eyebrow – and twitched his antenna at me.

"It's a long story," I replied. I introduced him to Jin and Alan – he recognized "the Timekeeper's Daughter" – and to Bud and Kevin, who were sitting next to them by the bay window.

When we got over to Shelly and Justin, he immediately recognized Cavin. "We had your picture all over the place at the station. Nothing personal, of course, but the 'do not engage' order was pretty unnerving," he explained.

"Yeah, sorry about being at the center of all this mess," Cavin apologized immediately to the couple. "Tempelhoffer'd been looking for a way to get back at the MPD for a long time…"

"You've done more than make up for it with the information you've provided," Shelly remarked. "And you put yourself in as much danger as we've been in."

"Yeah, well, I got used to it over the last few years," he shrugged. "Did I see the Director here?"

"I think Brandi had managed to find her way over… Yeah, there she is, with Stanley and Tina! Hey guys! Over here!" Brandi wandered over with a none-the-worse-for-wear Stanley – and an upbeat Tina.

"Miss Shelly!" Her eyes twirled silver briefly. "Miss Brandi tells me I should be good to reopen my shop back here in Minneapolis, starting Monday!"

"That'll be a relief for a lot of people," Stanley added. "I hear her coffee stand in the Library has been a huge hit – but Becky's espresso making skills have been slightly lacking."

"She's a baker, not a barista," Brandi said with a smirk. "Hello, Cavin, how's life on the outs going for you?"

"It's going," Cavin said. "I haven't heard anything new through the channels about what that Bolethius guy is doing. It's like everyone underground's been told to shut up about stuff."

"That's what I've been hearing, too." Glytch came over to the throng. "Name's Glytch. You must be '1nTen98'."

"So you're that hacker I was getting annoyed with," Cavin replied. "Gotta say you've got some style to your coding."

"Wait – I thought your internet access was limited at Rochester?" I interjected.

"If you believe that, Mr. Houk, you prolly also believe in Santa Claus." Cavin looked at Glytch for a moment. "Hey, where'd ya get that bag?"

"This?" Glytch tugged at the leather satchel he had slung around him. "Oh, a friend of ours gave it to me. She's helping us out with our siege here."

"That… looks like a bag I saw a young elf carrying around, once upon a time." He raised an eyebrow – and antennae – towards Glytch. "Went by the name of Emerauld?"

"You know her too?" Glytch blurted out.

"So she is here," Cavin replied. "Uh, Joe, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to step outside for a moment."

[jwhouk]

WARNING: BOMBSHELL ALERT!

---

Calista broke away from her conversation with Atsali and Cinnamon to follow her brother out the door.

"Where ya goin'?" she said, chasing after him as he threw his coat on hastily before heading out in the cold. "You know that wanderin' away from where you're s'pos'ta be is gonna get you in trouble!"

"Emerauld's out there," he told her. "I gotta talk to her." Calista hastily grabbed her coat as he made for the door, and she followed.

Just then, Monica poited in with Georgette at the front doorstep – barely managing to avoid getting run over by the young fae. Georgette, though, wasn't as lucky. She bounced off of Cavin, then found herself planted in the snow bank just to the side of the main entrance.

Since she wasn't exactly dressed for the cold, she yelped as the exposed parts of her skin hit the half-frozen clumps of snow.

"This isn't exactly how I planned to run into you two," Monica said as Cavin managed to bring himself to his knees. "Jet! You all right?"

"I'm frakkin' COLD!" She managed to extricate herself from the snowbank, but stood like a scarecrow, shivering from the shock of landing in the snow.

"What's all this about?" Monica inquired, looking at both fae children – and trying not to make her Jaguar markings come out.

"Cavin heard that two drow we know are camped out here," Calista explained.

Just then, Brandi emerged from the door.

"Is everything… Oh! Monica! GEORGETTE! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Monica said. "Jet, why don't you go in to the house with Brandi and get warmed up? I've got to talk with Calista and her brother about something – alone?"

Brandi got the hint and helped a shivering Georgette into the Alexander household.

"Okay, you two, what's really going on here?" Monica helped Cavin to his feet.

Just then, a dark shadow covered the threesome, and a breeze blew around them in a circle.

"I see you are in much better condition that whence I last saw you, fae Cavin," a voice spoke. Safyr emerged from the darkness. "Greetings, Jaguar Girl. My sister and I mean no harm to your charges."

"You're that drow that Glytch and Stanley have been talking about," Monica said. Despite the statement of non-harm, her Jaguar markings had instinctually emerged under her clothes.

"Yes," Safyr nodded. "My sister and I, indebted to your lady Phix, are providing protection for your friends. And though I did not realize it at the time, fae Cavin, I was protecting you as well."

"Ji – nindel zhahus dos Usstan kyor, lu'naut Emerauld? (So - that was you I saw, and not Emerauld?)" Cavin replied – in perfect elvish.

This threw Safyr for a moment. "Yes," she replied simply. "He was intent on destroying that entire grove, and the chemicals in his system – and yours – was a vile abomination."

"Ol zhahus serin uns'aa sane kitrye l'draeval (It was keeping me sane half the time)," Cavin replied – again, in elvish.

Safyr said nothing.

"I picked up a little elvish tongue over the years," he explained to Monica. "I'm sure Safyr here would realize how easy it is to pick up, when your clan and theirs had similar enemies."

"Amusing as that may be, it does not diminish the impending peril that you and your friends face," she explained, turning to Monica. "I have reason to believe that you may be the ultimate target for this man of clay they call Bolethius."

"Wait, what?" Monica was dumbstruck.

"It never crossed your mind how you, of all people, ended up in the role you play now?" Safyr came dangerously close to a smirk. "The woman of clay known as Mayahuel chose you on purpose. Your lifeblood is the final ingredient in his completion into immortality."

Cavin realized immediately what Safyr meant.

"Phoenix blood. What makes you the Jaguar Girl."

"Her lifeblood does not make her what she is, young fae," Safyr corrected. "She was gifted that through another."

"Bia," Calista uttered – reminding them all of her presence.

"Yes. The blade prevents her soul from leaving the body, while her lifeblood regenerates the body to whence the blade entered her."

"Wait," Cavin interjected. "If Bolethius wants her blood to finish his transformation, then what happens to her?"

Safyr took a long time before answering simply:

"I do not know."

[Just Old Al]

Somehow I am not seeing her having a lot left when he gets done with her...not so good.

[GlytchMeister]

On an unrelated note:

Al, ever since you changed your avatar to Alan Quartermain, I can't help but read everything you type here in Sean Connery's akshent... I mean accent.

...that is AQ, right? From the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie?

[Just Old Al]

On an unrelated note:

Al, ever since you changed your avatar to Alan Quartermain, I can't help but read everything you type here in Sean Connery's akshent... I mean accent.

...that is AQ, right? From the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie?

Oh, yes, most definitely. I will change it back soon, I just thought having Sean Connery there for a while would be a good bonding experience....

Drops 3 tubes of SikaFlex into the pun jar.

[GlytchMeister]

On an unrelated note:

Al, ever since you changed your avatar to Alan Quartermain, I can't help but read everything you type here in Sean Connery's akshent... I mean accent.

...that is AQ, right? From the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie?

Oh, yes, most definitely. I will change it back soon, I just thought having Sean Connery there for a while would be a good bonding experience....

Drops 3 tubes of SikaFlex into the pun jar.

Dave, I think we have a pandemic on our hands...