In which...waiting for snow

For the record, I think "Ember" is a really counterintuitive name for a winter storm. But I'm not the one who names them; I just complain about them.... 

 

"That looks somewhat - phallic."

"I think it's finally going to grow again." The bedroom doubles as a convalescent room for sad plants as well as a home for sun lovers, This philo has been looking much the worse for no discernable wear, but might be making a comeback. 

I also think Beth is a bad influence on Lenore and Fawn. They asked her for a sweet potato to plant and she brought one home. It's currently in a pot. We have no idea what this thing is going to do. 

"Miss Beth?"

"Oh, hey Lenore!" Neither of us had heard her come in. "Be careful on that box fan. It's wobbly."

She got up on the window shelf. "Jamie keeps wanting to ask you something, but he's too nervous to, so I decided I'd ask for him."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Can his sister come stay with us after this semester is over? She's like my and Fawn's age. And his parents sound pretty - well, rotten. She's studying ballet - or she was - at their mother's insistence, but she isn't sure she wants to be a professional ballet dancer and their mother - isn't happy about it at all."

"Of course she can. Do you know when the semester is over?"

"I think maybe March. I'm not sure. Oh, and I think I found out who Hawthorne has been hanging out with."

"Who?"

"I didn't think pixies and fairies had much to do with each other, but she's been hanging out with them, apparently. Which is why she suddenly thinks she's soo good for us."

"Figures. Is that where she is now?"

"Yeah. She was lording it over Daisy and Lily that *she* got an invite to the Light Court for the winter and *they* didn't. I wanted to tell her that the Light Court isn't anything special and she could just shove it, but I didn't want to start anything more than she already was."

I will say for the record that's more restraint than I would have shown. 

"Well, it keeps her out of our hair," I said. 

"I'll do a ward so she can't come back without us knowing," Beth said after a moment's thought. "I don't trust her right now. She's  - well, you know her. She's gullible and doesn't realize it. Although I think that if you do realize it, than you're not."

"I think I know who they are, but I don't want to say for sure," Lenore said, using the fan to climb over to the bed. "Because if I'm right, it's not good. I think one of them is Princess Maribel's daughter. And she's as much of a - well, bitch - as her mother."

Beth didn't scold Lenore for her choice of language. We've heard the stories. You can't scold a young person for telling the unvarnished truth. 

"Wonderful." I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm. "But yeah, tell Jamie I said it's fine. And to let me know if she needs anything."

In which - Happy 2024?

 Beth: Hawthorne! What are you doing? Don't push my stuff off the printer! Leave Aziraphale and Crowley alone.

Hawthorne: They're in the way.

Beth: In the way for *what?* What do you think you're doing?

Hawthorne: TRYING to work on my San Tropez tan, thank you very much. Your tanning light sucks, by the way, I'm not getting tan.

Beth: That's because it's a grow light for the plants, not a tanning light. They don't need UV radiation and neither do you. 

Hawthorne: How am I supposed to get a tan, then?

Beth: You're not.  Now off my printer. Off off off....

Hawthorne, grumbling: She doesn't have to be such a stupid bitch about it...

Lily: Okay, one - language. Two - I told you to leave that alone and three - freaking get dressed, okay? No one wants to see that!

'Pixies! Right, Spot?"

Fawn: But you're a pixie.

Lily: Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like them. Or all of them, anyway. And what are you guys doing?

Lenore: Looking for a cage for Hawthorne.

Fawn: We are *not.* Not yet, anyway. 

Lily: Restraints and a ball gag, then?

Fawn: Again, not yet.

Beth, from the kitchen washing dishes: Don't give me ideas...

Me (Caroline): she doesn't need to. I've seen the kind of fanfiction you read. 

Beth: Hey!

Lenore: TMI, Miss Caroline. T.M.I. (Lowers her voice.) I don't know about Hawthorne. I think she's been hanging around with the wrong fae. She was always kind of hyper, but she didn't used to be mean. She's been hanging around with some other fae and she's starting to act like this girl I used to know.

Fawn: Was that back at the Academy?

Lenore: Yeah. We were friends for a long time, but they turned really mean, One of them was really dumb and mean. Hawthorne is starting to act like them. 

Lily: Yeah, well, your average rock is smarter than Hawthorne, so...

Fawn: Lily, be nice. 

Hawthorne: I wish she'd move her stupid garbage off this thing. And turn the heat up! It's freezing in here!

Me: Or you could, I don't know, get off the printer like you were asked to, stop being an idiot and put some clothes on?

Yeah, anyway, Happy New Year - more or less.....