"She has lots of things, although she seldom has much use for them."
-The Song of Orpheus, by Neil Gaiman

Somewhere in her wanderings, Viki had missed the birth of Tara?s newest child. She couldn?t help it! What with hiring Ayreg to kill Travanix, the reappearance of Kain Gray and Decker, chasing after ghosts and mirror images of herself, plus juggling one lover and pursuing another, the poor girl didn?t even know what day of the week it was, never mind how much time had passed. What was a vampire?s gestation period anyway? The child was here! Truth be told, she knew he was special. Everything was singing his name.

Marius...

The trip from Longden Castle to the Forsaken Blades Clubhouse always seemed longer than it was, especially now that she was filled with excitement! When would she get to see the little bundle of joy?

The carriage stopped short, just at the road. Viki hopped out with a small bundle in her arms.

Yes, she had a present too.

?Marius. It means manly, yano?? She spoke plainly to the trees at the perimeter. ?Of course, it also means sailor. I?m nuh sure exactly how I know tha?.?

The trees rustled in the wind. Viki listened, and then, squeaked.

?Jewelsie! Cousin!?

Skipping over, she extended her bundle to the glowing new mother. Peeling away the strangely sewn fabrics ? which functioned as wrapping paper - would reveal a small blue spherical orb.

?It?s a special thing,? she grinned, her eyes filled with secrets. ?Some day he?ll really like it.?

She?ll think its dangerous..

?Oh. Dun worry. It won?t blow him up or nuthin? like that.?

Off in the corner of the clubhouse's great room stood a cardboard castle. The dull brown exterior had been brightened with crayon scribbles in a rainbow spectrum of hues, glittery glue, and tinsel. The structure stood just a hair or so taller than Tara at the highest point, which was just as well since behind the drawn up bridge one green-haired nymph was deep in contemplation. Her legs were stretched out in a 'v' before her and her skirt hitched to her knees. On top of her mop of flippy green hair was her 'thinking cap,' which, in this case, was a conical shaped princess hat with a long trailing veil in 'omigod-I'm-blind' pink.

Unfortunately, she just didn't have enough fingers and toes to finish her homework. Trapping her pencil between her upper lip and nose, she counted all those little digits again just to be sure. Her cheeks puffed out and one eye squint. Still just twenty. There was just no helping it. This was one assignment she just wouldn't be able to complete. The teacher, she was sure, would understand.

"Why would I get presents for you? You weren't just born, were yah?"

Presents? Amthy's head popped out over the side of the castle like one of those gopher smacking games at the arcade. A greedy gleam entered emerald green eyes. Someone was getting presents, and by the looks of things, it was her beloved tiny terror of an idol, Tara. Green was a suitable color for the nymph considering she was now completely eaten alive with envy. She could feel it already nibbling away at her bare lil toes.

Belly crawling out of the castle, after she dropped the draw bridge, she toddled over to the other members of the Harpy Clan of Wayward Girls with the veil from her hat swishing and swaying behind her. The attention, it appeared, was on the door, so it was easy to just pop her head over Tara's shoulder. "Whucha looking at?" Curiosity laced through her lilting voice.

She was happy that Tara was happy with the present. She had actually laughed herself silly over it when in the store, imagining her friend would hate it. If she loved it, all the better. The pigtail thing had totally been a last minute thought of her part and it was quite genius.

"Scissors? Gah!" Blade forward, she carefully took the scissors from Tara. She began to snip a little "x" into both sides of the hat. When Amthy emerged, crawling from the castle with that darling princess crown on, she smiled and waved the scissors at her, "Pix! We're giving Tara baby presents." From the "x" she made a circle, cutting out an arc between each of the tips of the letter.

That's when all hell broke loose as Viki bounced that pretty shiny orb all over the place. It smacked Jewell in the back of the head and she got the tiniest little cut on her finger for her troubles, "Oh mother of nature.." She stuck the offended finger in her mouth so she wouldn't get blood on the precious hat.