Swooping down into the clubhouse, her arms filled with presents for the girls, she looks to Jewel and her "friend".

"Jewelsie, why is there a big-person dollie in Amthy's chair?"

All of a sudden there is music, loud and deafening, filling up the room to which a lone figure drops into and lands in a crouch. One hand was reaching out to touch to the floor, fingers splayed with the other hand wrapped around to rest on the small of his back. The right leg was fully stretched out to the side, the foot resting on its edge. The finished product had the look of some wildman stalking his prey from above in the trees, settled and ready to strike.

The clothing he wore were cheap and heady, nothing more than a burlap sack and a black mask that was pretty much a blindfold with holes cut out for the eyes. It served the purpose of keeping his identity hidden. Safe. Whatever. Staying in the crouch he swayed seductively to the music, soothing and elegant were the movements, attempting to draw them in. Then without warning, as the music jumped up a notch, so did he, springing forward and ripping off the sack of clothing in the process. Beneath was nothing more than a loincloth and it moved with him as he danced the strippers dance. He was pretty new to the job(second job) but was getting damn good at it. Besides, it paid the bills. Say its a livin, we all gotta eat.

He was working it with his back to them for a moment, then started the slow turn forward and was almost at the pulling the string of loincloth part when it all came to a crashing halt. This was about the same time he recognized the faces and exactly where he was. "Oh......shite." Crossing his arms over his chest to cover and feeling rather awkward. "So eh...hows it goin? Spot of tea?" Sheepish smile offered along with a shrug as he lifted the mask to show his face.

It was a glorious day for a trip to the clubhouse. She had taken the carriage from Longden Castle and road all the way there singing some ridiculous song about a rabbit and a duck. The driver, who had tried to plug his ears after the first two miles, seemed impatient to deliver her.

"Kid, what can I give you to stop singing?"

Viki blinked, poking her head out of the carriage window.

"Uhm, how's about that thing on yer head?"

"Anything!" The driver tugged on the reins and leaned back, tossing his top-hat to her. Completely fascinated, she stuck her face into the opening, delighted she could fit her whole head this way.

They rode the rest of the way at lightning speed. Viki placed the top-hat upon her head accordingly.

Arden seemed delighted to see her, though grumbled his apologies about not sending her trunk on time. She had requested it in a letter, her first letter in ages, and she stressed that fact. Apparently, the trunk was lost with some of the other luggage from Lanrette, and he was having a time of it trying to sort it all out.

A rope was lowered, and Victoria was lifted to the roof. Then, clinging to Arden's back, the two descended the ladder.

"You have excellent timing, Miss Chylde. I believe the ladies are gathered for a tea party."

"Oh!" Viki exclaimed, hopping from his back to join in the festivities. "I have come dressed for such an occasion!"

Viki spun into the room then, the only room, and adjusted her hat over one eye.

Her other eye was trying to absorb the scene in front of her: the half-naked dancing Chris, her dear cousin Tara, the lovely Amthy, and beloved Jewellsie, and of course, the mannequin.

"Did you know those peoples come to life when yer nuh looking?" The girl eyed the plastic person suspiciously. It was the only thing that seemed quite wrong.

Mr. Cale of course, taking one look at Chris, immediately returned to the roof. It was way too much for him to take.

Once upon a time, Koy would have taken extreme pleasure in making fun of anyone who chose high heels as their footwear of choice for an afternoon in the wilderness. Of course, this same Koy also valued oversized tunics and leggings made from hemp and coarse wool because they were practical.

The very notion of wearing something simply because it was practical gave the Koy of today the willies.

Koy considered herself a walking billboard for her wares. This explained why she labored to climb up into the Clubhouse in peridot green alligator-skin pumps and a short off-white tulle dress. Was it practical? No. Fabulous? Yes.

While Koy had no experience working with films, her friend Gerard did. Although he preferred not to mention it, his artistry was put to the test when he clothed a one-eyed, twenty-two feet tall giant for the film Cyclops: The Trials and Tribulations of a Near-Sighted Pimp. Gerard imparted the one main tenet for anyone working in production: Always keep your receipts. Koy returned to the Clubhouse to find Maz?s production accountant so she could start properly documenting what fees she needed reimbursed.

Dusting off her dress once she found herself inside, it took Koy a moment to process the scene before her. She had never seen a stripper provide entertainment at tea time but her mind quickly glazed over that oddity as she started to mentally calculate additional fees that she would charge the production for. Maz made the mistake of telling Koy she had a limitless budget, a fact that soothed the businesswoman inside of her at seeing parts of her display in shambles. The red light of a camera in the background taping the extravaganza tipped her off to a much more important fact.

?So ye must be my movie stars!? She smiled brightly at the lot of them, even the stripper. ?Sorry ta crash yer party like this, but I was hopin? ta catch a moment with ye ta see how I could be of service. Maz asked me ta come by and provide ye ladies with new wardrobes, ?specially fer a weddin??? She hoped she had gotten some of that straight anyway.

?Name?s Koy.? She started her way around the table, shaking hands with each of them and Gerard?s mannequin for good measure.

?I see some of ye have found my clothin? already.? She looked over at Jewel and Amthy. ?Iffn I may give a bit of advice,? she continued smiling, not waiting for permission to carry on, ?I?ve got a beautiful pair of embossed metallic sandals in the other room tha will go much better with tha blue dress than those black spikes ye got on.? Turning her attention now from Jewel to Amthy, she could only imagine what type of disarray her display in the confession room was in, ?I can also alter tha dress yer wearin? so tha it...flatters yer figure even more.? She chose her words carefully, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot with her future models but unable to aid and abet the minor fashion crimes occurring with her own clothes.

She turned her attention to the half-dressed man next. ?I?m ?fraid I?m not much of an ?xpert with men?s clothin? but I?d probably advise ye ta put somethin? with a lil more coverin? on, bub. It?s pretty drafty in here.?

Viki looked absolutely distraught. Did they not hear her about the mannequins coming to life? One would think that such news required action, or at least, a reaction.

"Hullo," she smiled at Koy because it was the polite thing to do and Tara seemed thrilled by her wardrobe options. But Victoria wasn't changing a damn thing! She had been dragged to the dressmaker - twice - and after the awful experience with mirror girl, she refused to go back, ever. But she did go back, didn't she? LaTisha made her go back!

"Wait. Okay. I refuse it again." The girl blinked and bit her lip. Sometimes her thoughts had a way of pouring from her mouth.

"I-mean-I-don't-want-any-shoes-because-they-look -like-you-could-kill-a-whole-person-just-by-whacki ng-them-on-the-head." She gestured to the spikes. It seemed obvious to her.

Adjusting her top-hat so that her vision was completely unobstructed, the girl watched the mannequin carefully, waiting for him to make a false move, or any move at all.

He said her name, like five times, in a row.

Was that bad?

She put her finger to her lips, blinked a few times and shrugged.

"I was hungry, Mason," she said to Maz with her sweet little smile stuck in place.

The movie star comment from Koy was definitely getting them off on the right foot- who liked being flattered more then these girls?

Jewell considered the offer for the metallic sandals after shaking hands with Koy, looking down at her feet. They would match much better! Oh, she just couldn't wait to go out in this outfit, she would stop men's hearts with just one look. That was always her goal.

She opened her mouth to suggest that Koy go get her the shoes and maybe show her some other fantabulous outfits when the tea party, that hadn't even started yet, was interrupted yet again. Hadn't something similar happened last time they tried to have tea?

As Maz eyed her mannequin, for she fully considered it hers now, she stood and placed a controlling hand on its shoulder. She thought better of this quickly as she recalled something just being said about it coming to life and the last time a doll came to life it tried to eat her.

Rather then blushing and being embarrassed over her little flash of skin in front of the camera-really, she hadn't been technically naked-her usual smile widened. Yeah, she seemed absolutely thrilled at the prospect of fans! "Sure, I'll sign some autographs. Do interns make good money?" This was essential, of course. If they did, she would have to ask Tara to stop eating them before they could buy her presents.

Tara's eyes clouded over listening to Amthy speak. The Pix had a way of lulling the little hellcat, sometimes.

Eventually she snapped out of it and looked to Viki.

"Who's Maz?"

Then she snapped her fingers at Maz, himself.

"Yo, Marco, can you move out of the way? You're blocking muh view of the strippin RPS dude."

Then she whistled low and considered stuffing Amthy's monopoly money down his loincloth thingie.

As she was not currently showing off her underthings, Amthy plucked at the neckline of the dress to look at the pale, gauzy undershirt she wore beneath it. The color was only off from the flowers by a tint or two. "Wha' do you call whucha wear under your clothes?" She asked with a note of curiosity.

Her cheeks puffed out and her brow hooded briefly over her bright emerald green eyes. She had it on her lips to say something, and before she could get her thought fully formed she heard Tara. It was an automatic thing. She heard 'marco,' and immediately her hand popped up as she chirped, "polo!" Finger point the tiny terror, Tara. "Hey! You can't play with your eyes open! You have ta keep'm closed or it's cheatin."

Count Talomar Longden discovered that he suddenly had some time available when there were no meetings, no trade negotiations, no one to damage or otherwise harm, and in general, nothing to do. This would be a perfect time for him to finally visit his fianc?e?s club house. She had spoken of it so often and he felt badly that he never had the time to visit where she and her friends lived.

Now, you must understand, when Talomar thinks of a ?club? he thinks of things like yacht clubs and men?s clubs and sports clubs ? all places of opulence and fine architecture. They are places where one might go for a lovely dinner, a little socializing in fine evening wear, a place to relax in the company of those who enjoy the finer things in life. So when Tara told him that she lived at the Club House, he naturally assumed that he?d find one of the more elegant establishments in Rhydin.

He asked for directions to the Forsaken Blades Club House (an excellent name that definitely spoke of lofty goals and high ideals), and received a paper with a map drawn upon it, for it seemed that everyone had either been to the club house or at least heard of it and knew exactly where it was located.

The journey there didn?t take long, and soon he emerged into a clearing. It was the clearing that was indicated on the map, but there must be some mistake. There was nothing in the clearing but a windowless shack, a smaller shack further back (the Shroom Shack), and a pen of animals.

?Dammit to hell,? he mumbled to himself, ?I must have taken a wrong turn. I?m in the midst of a damn squatter camp, a Tinker village, a land of architecturally challenged societal misfits!?

He would have left the premises immediately, but he thought he heard some sounds coming from the main building and it wouldn?t hurt to ask where Tara?s ?Forsaken Blades Club? was located. These Tinkers probably were continually robbing from the Club and more than likely had a path beaten to it, upon which they carried off anything of value that wasn?t nailed down and sold it for drugs.

He came to the main building and stood there with his hands on his hips looking for the damn door. He took a once-around the building, narrowly missing stepping on tea sets and toys. There was no way to go but up on the roof, and a vampire lord such as himself had no problem ascending to the roof in an effortless jump.

?I?ll be damned,? he mused as he stood on the thatched roof, ?an entrance.?

He jumped down through the trap door and landed right in the middle of the tea party. The room was a sight to behold. He didn?t want to touch anything. The floor (if one could find it) was cluttered and filthy, and the walls had been splattered with graffiti in a way which could only have been the work of a mental midget with far too much time on his little hands.

He was about to pardon his intrusion and ask the squatters where the Forsaken Blades Club was, when he saw. . .

?Viki??

?Amthy???

?Jewells????

?TARA!!? His eyes widened. ?Don?t tell me! The squatters have kidnapped all of you!! Don?t you worry ladies, I?ll free you and have you back to your Club in no time!?

"A heel is a heel of a husband."

Talomar appeared, as if on cue. She was a creature of prophecy, but no one could really decipher the riddles from her ramblings.

"Viki?"

She lifted her head, knowing full well who addressed her. She'd seen it, in her head, but didn't realize it. And you thought she was talking about shoes! The fragmented mind's eye: all those pieces sparkled brilliantly.

"Don?t tell me! The squatters have kidnapped all of you!! Don?t you worry ladies, I?ll free you and have you back to your Club in no time!"

Squatters? Was that what the plastic people were called these days? Her eyes found the ceiling. The answers were always up there - one just had to pluck them from between the cracks.

"Yes. I would kill him immediately." She extended a finger to Jewell's inanimate party guest.

Talomar?s brow furled when he saw Tara dancing and he cursed the Fates that he had arrived too late to save her.

He was sure she that nothing could possibly explain her crazed and demented maneuvers around the room (what he come to determine as nothing more than the cluttered interior of a collection receptacle for Goodwill Industries) except that she had been tortured by Tinkers and was now exhibiting some severe symptoms of post-torture stress syndrome.

He was about to tear the place to the ground looking for the villainous vagabonds who violated their violet-eyed victim when she said, ?Talomar, we wasn?t kidnapped. This is my clubhouse, sweetheart.?

His first response was to break into laughter at the absurdity of the thought that this shambles could possibly be the Club that she lived in, but then he nearly cried in grief that his adorable fianc?e could still crack a joke even while in the midst of the severe pain of Tinker Terrorism and Torture.

He hugged her to himself. ?What have they done to you, my love? From the condition of this place I can see you all exhibited valiant resistance against your perverted abductors, but let me help you out of here and we can all go to your real Club House.?

Errr..would it help that the cold, sugarless tea was definitely of the imaginary kind?

Probably not.

Jewell had become more and more amused with each passing add-on to their little party. They should really do this more often. From strip-tease Chris to fashion talent Koy, Talomar had been the icing on the cake. Especially when Chris called him cheese. The big cheese? The stinky cheese? Did Talomar cut the cheese?

It was starting to smell a bit in here.

With all these thoughts running through her mind, the only help she could offer Tara was to throw back her head and laugh out loud. Lol.

She also through a protective arm around the mannequin. It was going to be her date to the wedding!

The dolphin pool threat seemed to make her laugh harder into tears streaked down her face. She managed to get out a rebuttal between gasps of breath, "Oo, but he's not," giggle, "my future husband."

She thought the dolphin pool was actually an impressive display of her magical abilities, even if she had almost flooded them out of house and clubhouse.

Amthy caused her back into character. Ah yes, it was supposed to be a charming day for tea! She relinquished her death grip on the mannequin, crossed one leg over the other all proper like, and took up a tea cup again.

It was empty so she had to refill it with imaginary tea.

"Why thank you, m'dear. It's a bit expensive but well worth the taste, I should think. Just something I picked up in the market," dainty sip. "And did you not hear, m'love, that our dear Count who has just stopped by for a spot of tea with us, is to wed our darling Tara."

"I think a bit of air would all do us just nicely, though Christopher may want to put on a cover before we take a turn outside." She didn't even know if Chris' full name was Christopher. Maybe it was Christine, or Christopherous.

And finally, a response to all of Tara's looks, "Tara, is the tea not to your liking? It looks as though you have tasted something sour. Maybe a bit more sugar?"

As he took the macaroon, she lowered the bare saucer and replaced it to the table primly. "They are especially good. I am glad someone else had a chance at one before I ate them all myself."

Her strap had started to travel back down her arm giving a glimpse of the pale purple undershirt she wore beneath it. Head tipped to one side, the fringe of her pale milky olive green hair fell from her brow, and she squint one eye. "'s our one great joy, this club house. It did take some work, but work is wha' has kept us happy." Sure, whatever! Like the Blades ever worked. "I think the space speaks to people." What it was saying, the nymph-y pix couldn't say. But then, she paused half way into launching into her inspiration of why she'd created the leaning tower of puzzle pieces. "Are you saying mah crate looks cheap?" She looked quickly to Jewell for assistance on interpretating Talomar's words.

"Mayhap, 's too stuffy in here. How 'bout a tour of the ravine?" She looked from Jewell back to Talomar. "Have you seen our decommissioned shroom shack?"

Fine. No one was going to pay any attention to her warnings of impending doom at the hands of the mannequin.

"You. I'm watching you." She whispered in the place where its ear should have been - for it wasn't entirely anatomically correct. She shook her head at Jewell. Poor girl. She didn't know what she was getting herself into - involving herself with the likes of inanimate-soon-to-be-animate people.

She approached Amthy then, taking a seat on the floor in front of her. Yes, it was true, she was taller than all the other girlies. At five-foot-eight, Viki was taller than most human women. Those itty bitty chairs just weren't working for her.

"I'd like a macaroni-thing too." She smiled and vied for her attention. Talomar was getting it all and Victoria was not happy.

Talomar would just love the dolphin show the girls put on. They usually ended with the dolphin melting into purple goo and it only cost $5 plus the $17 surcharge through Ticketmaster. Such a bargain, darlin'.

She sipped her tea as the Count went on about how lovely the clubhouse was and wondered if they were looking at the same room. The clubhouse held a certain charm for the girls, with all their stuff lying everywhere and that glitter stuck to the floor. That was a nice added touch. For other people? She could see where it may look like a house of horrors. In a way, it kind of was.

She took a break from munching on her macaroon to clarify Talomar's statement for Amthy, insulting the Pix was just not done, "No no, my doll. He meant that its beautiful and that you're very thrifty in a good way."

She nodded for emphasis, that sounded good- right? Either way, she grabbed two more macaroons handing one off to Viki, "They're coconut cookies, Viki. Very tasty!" She made a mmmmm sound to go along with here bite of the imaginary cookie.

And it really was a shame that Tara was not to be baited by her comments, the last cat-fight they had was quite enjoyable! The thought was quickly from her mind, though, as a tour of the grounds at night in the rain was particularly pleasing to the water fae.

Field trips had such potential!

"Oh yes, my pink rose-bud parasol will suit nicely for lack of a rain slicker!" She bounced out of her seat, eager to put on her blue coat and boots. Splashing in puddles was her speciality.

"They're coconut cookies, Viki. Very tasty."

"I dunno if I like coconut." She wrinkled her nose. It was plastic food, and there was a plastic person in their presence - obviously, a conspiracy.

But then a field trip was announced, and it quickly diverted her attention. She had a short attention span to begin with anyway.

"Oo! Wait for me!"

She grabbed the pink raincoat and galoshes from the hook and started after Taramar.

"Dunn like coconuts?" Amthy gave Viki a wide eyed look. "We'll have to bring some jam prints, wha' sorta jam do you fancy? I like a nice red plum or red currant, my own self."

She templed her hands loosely together, and giggled. Bright emerald eyes narrowed in delight, and her nose scrunched happily as she leaned in Talomar's general direction as he started up the ladder. "Ah, you say such lovely things...all true I might add. I have a way with making something absolutely di-vine."

She stood, after all it had been her idea to go outside, and hippity-hopped over to the hooks. Amthy tugged on her green slicker and then her matching gloshes and bucket-style hat, and she was ready to go. The ensemble had just the right amount of girlish backwoods-waif charm when paired with her tea-length chartreus and purple dress. She was at the end of the line to go up the ladder to the roof, so she only heard bits and pieces of what Tara had to say to Talomar.

"'sn't there a petting zoo? I wanna hold a bunny. Do we have bunnies? Can I have a bunny, Tara?" The green-clad (and haired) nymph was mostly talking to herself. "'m hungry. I wanna cake...an' ice cream. When's Tara's birthday? She should have a Crim themed birthday like I did. Tha' was ever so much fun." Amthy quickly faded out into background noise, her rambling an indication of her good mood.

She had followed along, humming a tune she'd heard in the days of yore, watching everyone with wide eyes.

"Why me, Lord! I'm supposed to be evil an' bad! An' you give me her!"

Viki's eyes flickered heavenward now, awaiting an answer.

"Yes, dear, we have bunnies and you can hold them all day long. Muh birfday isn't until August thirty-the first. So we's got time for tha!"

"My birthday is next Wednesday," she replied, nonchalantly, still watching the sky.

"Wha' sorta colors do bunnies come in?" Amthy asked as she struggled out onto the roof with a low huffling grunt of exertion. Mopping the back of her wrist to her brow, she brushed the fringe of her olive green hair uselessly to the side. The rebellious strands only threw themselves back across her brow, the ends teasing against her eye lashes.

"Oh, yay!" She squealed hearing Viki. "Are you going to have a party?" She inquired with a smile so bright and warm it could melt snow.

Lantern-like emerald green eyes went first to the ground, and then up to the sky. Jewell was right. It was a very lovely evening. "It might rain," the nymph said in a vague sort of way. It was Rhy'Din, anything could fall out of the sky at any moment! "Jus' the other day, it was raining Grems in the Dragon. Water is ever so much easier for the sky to produce, duncha think?"

Toddling toward the edge of the roof, Amthy splayed her arms open wide. "Tara, catch me!" She giggled, though, she hadn't jumped yet. She might be reckless, but she wasn't super stupid.

"Raining Grems?" She considered this, hands set on her hips, "Well, I like water very much but raining Grems does sound rather exciting. Though, you're right- it must be very hard for the sky to produce."

She cast a glance up skywards just in case. Rain slickers were good for water and all but if it started raining Grem's someone could get hurt. Besides Grem, of course. Just imagining having a Grem, that fell from several thousand feet in the sky, land on your head! It would be worse then a penny thrown off the RhyDin clock tower.

"Enough bustling around- On with the tour!" Tara's way of getting from here (the roof) to there (the ground) looked quite acceptable to Jewell. She dove to the ground in a flurry of silvery blue dust that heralded the appearance of her wings before she hit the ground to steady her form.

When her feet touched down there was another such sprinkling of dust as her wings immediately went back to that other place they were when she wasn't "wearing" them.

White Castle franchise?

She looked confused, very confused in fact, and blinked a few times without stopping.

As is often said about the violet-eyed redheaded pigtailed wonder of the katrillion worlds and beyond, she was as medieval as they came, adopting every ounce of its ridiculous idealisms but absolutely none of its morality.

Given that she was unlike Talomar in that he had traveled extensively and was up on modern things, her response was, well, to be expected.

"Oh nuh honey, we can't do tha! Then all the little people will think that they are as special as us rich people who do live in white castles an' that's jus' revoltin!"

Her nose scrunched up in disgust as her eyes swept over the Shroom Shack picturing every peon and peasant having one of their own along with increased social status.

The very idea that there would be the elimination of the lesser class frightened the hell out of her even if she could make money off of it.

Who, then, would they prey upon?

Tara looked from The Pix to her soon-to-be husband and smiled sweetly.

"Can she live with us at the castle, honey? She doesn't make much of a mess," she lied, "and she's real quiet!."

Another lie.

That was two lies in the space of two seconds. What a way to start a marriage.

She then embraced the Pix and held her tight to await Talomar's answer.

There was something about Amthy that made it so damn difficult to refuse her. Maybe it was her innocent enthusiasm. Maybe it was just that anyone who actually wanted to live in a White Castle hamburger joint was either a true fan of that culinary delight or was dangerously insane and shouldn't be messed with.

Since his soon-to-be wife said that Amthy would not create a mess and was really quiet, he could see no reasonable objection to the request. (Did he really understand that it was HIS castle that was being offered and not a White Castle hamburger joint? I don't think so!)

"Tara dearest, how can I possibly refuse any request you make of me. Yes, the pix can stay at the castle. But no dragons!"

This was the best thing since bottled blood! Not only did Talomar allow Victoria to stay at the castle but he was going to let the Pix! She was just about to start dancing crazy again when it occured to her that the Harpie Clan of Wayward Girls (a working title still) consisted of four females, not three, and she looked to Jewel.

Then to Talomar again.

"Honey, the Empress hasta come to or it won't feel right."

And she pouted.

As for the dragons, he didn't have to worry, aside from being alone, Tara's greatest fear were dragons.

Tara's mouth opened at Jewel's statement.

"You have a penguin! That's nuh fair! I want a penguin!"

And she looks to Talomar with her famous pouty-I-am-going-to-cost-you-money-now look.

"No, if she has one, I hafta have two!"

She planted her bare foot firmly into the ground but because the dolphin pool was prone to leaking, it just so happened that where her foot found purchase was a big ole dolphin-pool puddle and water sprayed everywhere.

She gasped not knowing what she had done and thinking the sky was opening up. "It's rainin! Umbrellas, girls! UMBRELLAS!"

Up went her red umbrella.

This was going to be some tour.

"See. You can predict the weather," said Victoria as she fumbled with her very pink umbrella. It opened in a snap, shielding her from the imaginary storm. She let it rest against her shoulder and began to twirl the handle. It spun prettily, 'round and 'round, creating the most delightful shadow on the grass below her feet.

Several hundred blades of grass gasped in amazement. No one else seemed to notice, no one but Viki that is. She was now squatting on the ground, staring, the pink golashes and raincoat and umbella nearly hiding her from view.

She squealed when he said Jewel come come live with them too and soon, if she had her way, more of her friends would come. They would be one big happy family: Talomar, Tara, Viki, Amthy, Jewel, the baby (when he arrived), the Wonder Llama, the snakes, the talking Venus Fly Traps, and anyone else she could dream up. She couldn't wait!

But for now, there was the Tour. So, stepping over Amthy's Big Wheels, Jewel's game of Candyland, and Victoria's wax sculpture of some guy she picked up at a bar on time....Tara headed for the ravine.

"This over here is the big hole," she said and pointed into the ravine as if it were fascinating when it really was just a, uhh, big hole. "I spoke to some geologists and they's said that there wasn't supposed to be one here for at least a million years an' then I remembered that the Giant Stork came an' shat all over Amthy's second tea-set and...well....," she took a deep breath and looked to the love of her life, "she cried."

"Now you see why I say it is imperative that the Pix be kept upbeat at all times, sweetheart."

Jewell did have a penguin and his name was Ralph. He had been deported from Earth and ended up in RhyDin where he had been living with a girl name Sue who didn't have money to sustain his expensive living habits anymore. Fortunately for Ralph, Jewell loved all water dwelling creatures and had never seen a penguin before. Quickly enamored by him, she brought him to her house and didn't much care that he had expensive living habits or sometimes tried to eat the daisies on the front lawn.

She had really found him, a little baby penguin, at the pet store. A girl named Cassandra, who worked there, sold him to her. Sue didn't exist.

She listened to Amthy with a silly little smile, she loved it when the girl went on. "I think it would be pack-of-penguins," which is what they would soon have it Tara got two penguins.

At the impromptu rain shower, which was impossible because she would just -know- if it were going to rain before it happened, Jewell just stepped back. A nice plop! of muddy water landed where she had been standing. "We're gonna have to clear that dolphin pool out one of these days," she muttered to herself. Of course, that was totally out of the question since none of them were inclined to work. Ever.

And she was allowed to live with everyone! Hurrah! Who cared about penguin footballs, this called for a very happy grin from Jewell, "Oh thank you ever-so-much! I swear, we won't be any trouble at all. Except for the twins cause they're teething and like to chew on furniture sometimes," which wasn't true since they had all their teeth in and didn't like the taste of wood. "Is there a pool for my mer-children to practice swimming in? They are ever so fond of it!"

She was following after Tara and Talomar, questioning away. The heel of her boot leaving a muddy footprint in the Candy Cane Forest of Candyland as she went.

"A pack of peng'ns?" She looked aside to Jewell as her cheeks puffed out further and her lips pursed. "Should we put a sign up warning visitors?" It seemed sensible to her. Who knew what a pack of penguins might to with an unsuspecting stranger. Amthy's mind was supplying the very worst of scenarios. "Talomar should take a care," she said to Jewell as she hurried to catch up to the water fae. Winding an arm about one of hers, Amthy tipped her green bucket hat covered head toward her fellow Blade. "I mean we didn't even know the badgers tha' got Lucarius. Imagine how embarrassin' it would be iffin it was something we were all well acquainted with, 'cause when people asked we'd have to tell'm tha' he was done in by our very own pack o' peng'ns."