Pillsbury + 1 year:

[DinkyInky]

"Senorita Sterling, how are you feeling?" asked Rosalita, concern etched on her face.

"A bit foolish. I should have known one of them was going to prank me sooner or later. At least I'm wearing trousers so I didn't flash anyone. That would have been embarrassing. My thanks dear Lady. This Lapsang blend is lovely. I didn't think anyone other than my crazy self would enjoy drinking liquid campfire. If it's all the same, I think I'm going to sit here and clear my mind a bit."

"Over here in the corner is clear and out of the way. I will go and tell Senor Al, and let them know to not touch you I think, yes?"

"Yes, please, thank you."

With that, Rosalita left to speak to Al and Daisy, Sterling meditating in the corner, shoes off and sitting in the lotus position, clearing her mind.

[Sgt. Howard]

"Oh my," Annie commented, "and here I thought mine were a handful when they could walk,"
"Yea, well... on the other hand, she can get her kite out of a tree when she gets to that age." Greg observed.
"Why would she bother with a kite when she can fly herself?"
Greg pondered this- "There is that... will Sterling be alright? That certainly caught her unawares."
"Rosalita has her in tow," Buck observed, "she is in good hands."

[jwhouk]

---

"Okay, she seems to be calmed down," Sarah said quietly as she handed Aeternia back to Phix. "She gave us all a shock when she came flying out like that!"

"Yes, she takes after her mother in that regard," Phix said, taking her daughter and lowering her into the crib - which had a hemispherical lid atop it. "My mother always reminded me that I nearly destroyed the ceiling of our home when I was her age."

"Joe never really told me how long sphinxes live," Sarah asked. "Is she still alive?"

Phix bit her lip. "No, she died a very long time ago." Aeternia covered her head with her wings, and started to purr quietly. "There, I think she's down for the while. Let's go see if there's anything left for dinner."

"I'm sorry if I brought something up," Sarah replied once they were out of the nursery.

"No, no, it's quite alright. It happened an incredibly long time ago. It's... hard to explain what happened." She paused for a moment, making sure she was presentable for company. "But - I had some wonderful times with my parents."

"I don't think she did any major damage, thankfully," Neil said, coming down the main stairway. "She did a few loops of the upstairs, then flew out into the dining room before I corralled her back in the nursery." He blew out a huge breath. "Damn, lady, you didn't TELL me she'd be like this when she hit the terrible twos."

"You didn't ask, dear," Phix replied. "Perhaps we should retire to the kitchen and see if Rosalita still has anything left for us to munch on before everyone leaves."

Sarah needed a moment to process everything she'd just seen and heard before heading off behind the pair to the kitchen.

[FreeFlier]

. . . "Yea, well... on the other hand, she can get her kite out of a tree when she gets to that age." Greg observed.
"Why would she bother with a kite when she can fly herself?". . .

Hold an anchored rope and be a kite herself?

--FreeFlier

[GlytchMeister]

. . . "Yea, well... on the other hand, she can get her kite out of a tree when she gets to that age." Greg observed.
"Why would she bother with a kite when she can fly herself?". . .

Hold an anchored rope and be a kite herself?

--FreeFlier

That would probably be a useful flying practice exercise... If you can keep the rope slack in high winds, you can probably navigate a storm.

[jwhouk]

---
(With a big assist from the DinkyInky one...)

Sarah had been dispatched back to the dining room (relievedly) to inform the others that things had been taken care of. Phix and Neil, meanwhile, continued their conversation as they entered the kitchen.

"...But where are we going to find an aviary big enough for her?" Neil said as they entered the kitchen. "It's bad enough we have to put that cover on top of her... oh, uh, hello - that's Sterling, correct?"

Phix noticed Sterling serenely meditating, her eyes went wide.

"Neil, let's ask Rosalita to cobble together... something. Let's leave her alone, as reaching Zen is not something you disturb..."

"...okay, I'll bite."

"Not. Now."

Neil understood not to get his Sphinx angry, and beat a hasty retreat.

Walking outside - and praying the girl was indeed in Zen - Phix drew out her phone and dialed a number.

"You've reached the Brighton residence. You know the drill."

"Tal, it's me. I've just seen your daughter... I don't believe she saw me, as she was meditating. Call me back... please."

Ending the call, she dialed another number.

"Nudge. Tal's daughter is at Club Alexander. Tread carefully until we hear from her."

"Roger Dodger. I'll keep trying all channels of contact until I hear from her. Jesus! Who'd we piss off?"

"...thanks."

"...anytime."

She took several calming breaths before walking inside.

"Which Gods have I pissed off now?"

Smoothing her hair, she regained her composure before rejoining everyone inside.

Sterling was still in the corner, a look of placid contentment on her face.

[DinkyInky]

PM sent.

[Warrl]

...iessin?

[GlytchMeister]

...iessin?

Huh?

[GlytchMeister]

Glytch suddenly stopped mid-sentence while chatting with Atsali and slowly turned to look at Jet. "Hey... Jet?"
"Hmm?"
"Didn't we plan on the whole test thing happening earlier this afternoon?"
Jet cocked her head slightly to one side. "Nnnooo...?"
Glytch was silent for a long moment. "So why did I come over today?"
"I thought you just popped by to say hello, and conveniently ended up in the middle of the moving effort."
"I coulda sworn..." Glytch looked at his phone. "I set my calendar for today..."
"Musta just misheard me. That's all tomorrow. No point in doing a live video feed to an empty classroom, right?"
Glytch scratched his head, still baffled. "I guess so..."

[Dave]

...iessin?

Huh?

I think the question may have been "Taliessin?" But, Taliessin has always been described as being a man. Could be different in the Wapsiverse, I suppose.

If so I wonder whether there another battle of the trees coming up?

(I have a lovely-and-terrible Pun to go along with this possibility, but as the cat's got my tongue I won't subject you to it except by hinting)

Glytch was silent for a long moment. "So why did I come over today?"

Somebody pulling mystical strings again?

[DinkyInky]

...iessin?

Nope.

And before you ask, no, not Talia either. She's a mage, not a Bard.

Not a poncy pony rider either.

*Hides from stampede of angry Companions*

[DinkyInky]

Meanwhile, lounging on a sandy beach...

"Beloved, do you get the feeling that we've..."

"Kay, do shut up. Sterling wanted us out of the way. Probably a custom design and tailoring job for her lovely friend Jet. Sterling wanted us out of the way...probably to set up the scholarship at that design school she's been twitting on about."

"Yes Tal, but isn't it a little odd that she sent us to Cancun of all places?"

"Oh, I don't know...perhaps the piles of travel pamphlets for Cancun all over the house might have given her a clue?"

"There were pamphlets in the house?"

"Have another Stone Sour, Luv."

"Shutting up now."

"That's my love."

[jwhouk]

"Al, why is there a blue police box sitting outside in the driveway?"

"Oh, bloody hell, not HIM again..."

[FreeFlier]

"Al, why is there a blue police box sitting outside in the driveway?"

"Oh, bloody hell, not HIM again..."

Who?

/flrrd/

--FreeFlier

[Just Old Al]

Al grimaced." Yes, him. OF COURSE. I haven't had a bad enough day - HE needs to show up."

The dinner guests, a bit puzzled, looked on as Al visibly controlled his building temper and stood.

"Folks, you'll have to excuse me for a minute or two - I need to deal with an unwelcome guest." With that, he disappeared, and a minute later was striding toward the box, Ruger Security Six in black under arm, and fedora on head. The cursing started long before he reached the box, but with the trained volume he could exhibit the distance was no detriment to communication.

"LOOK, you miserable two-hearted PRAT, I told you and I told that randy git Lethbridge-Stewart that I had had ENOUGH of you lot - and that the next time I was coming out shooting. I guess this is next time, then! I am going to shove that scarf of yours SO far up your arse you'll be able to floss with it!

You damn near got me killed at Gallipoli, then you just had to stop in the Netherlands. 'Lovely place - tulips - good chocolate" RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE OF MARKET GARDEN - AND OF COURSE THIS JUNKPILE BROKE DOWN! What the Ottoman Turks didn't damn-near kill the sodding Nazis almost got! What next - POMPEII?

Open the damn door - I'm coming IN!" The door clicked and Al, in full dudgeon, strode in, drawing his Ruger. A minute passed, the door stayed open, and the shouting could still be heard - such was the power of Al's lungs when propelled by a full head of ire.

"If I told you ONCE, I told you a hundred times. I AM RETIRED! NO MORE TRAVELING! OOOO....Biscuits!" The shouting stopped, and a minute later the light on the top of the call box blinked on, accompanied by a groaning whining sound - and several gunshots.

Al dove out the door, fedora falling off his head, and rolled. Clambering back to his feet, he faced the fading box and screamed "AND STAY OUT!".

With that, Al picked up his hat, put it on, and walked back to the house. Dropping the fedora on the hall table, he returned to his place at the dinner table, still wearing the still-smoking Ruger. He picked up his coffee, sipped a bit, and said. "That should keep him busy. I aimed him at Andromeda about 3000 years from now, and blew the knackers off his control panel with a few well-placed shots. He won't be back for a while."

A stunned silence filled the room, and conversation slowly resumed.

[Dave]

Pompeii. "Excuse me, sir, there's some lava here to see you."

[Warrl]

...iessin?

Huh?

If I'm right, the meaning will become apparent. If I'm wrong, it won't matter.

[Warrl]

...iessin?

Nope.

And before you ask, no, not Talia either. She's a mage, not a Bard.

No, Elspeth is the mage. Talia is Queen's Own Herald.

[FreeFlier]

Pompeii. "Excuse me, sir, there's some lava here to see you."

. . .

I think you have the wrong volcano . . .

Pompeii and Herculaneum were destroyed by pyroclastic flow.

--FreeFlier