The Villa Is Open

[shipwreck_light]

Zephyr had a plan. "We are gonna make you the best electric milkshake that ever was!"

"Or will be!" Pip joined in, clapping her hands over her head as she danced along before him and Roa and generally got in the way of where they were trying to walk.

This gave Zephyr plenty of excuse to pause at the end of the hall and make himself a sweeping gesture. "In the historya... ah..." one that should have ended with him banging his hand on the wall.

Except for the part where the applicable wall had disappeared and not in the usual behold the busted drywall kind of way. It was just gone. Likewise, the hallway and the entirety of Sky Plaza.

Zephyr stood on some low, sweeping stone steps. That happened to be outside, while just a moment before been /inside/ and headed to the kitchen. "OK, what the hell?"

Roa took in the sudden sky all golden up the flanks of the villa before them and held her finger to her lips in curiosity. "I don't know, actually." Then, she attempted to walk down the way they had come. This got her over the steps and almost to the spray from the fountain in the drive before it became quite apparent merely turning around wasn't going to accomplish much besides dampening her shoes. Back up she went. "This *looks* like where they held the last Court of the Manor."

"You dunno?" his next sound was an odd one, not a moan and not a laugh, and awfully feline besides. "Yeah, that's not freakin me out or nothin. Dun you know everythin?"

"Zephyyyr. Same to you."

"You guys," interjected Pip, her bare toes rapping on the stone. "Think this's kinda the same thing happened to Seb."

"Hm?" Zephyr craned himself her way, and their hands tangled together, wires all a-flash.

"Mm!"

"Mnhn."

"Nnn~."

"Well, I like your theory so far," Roa nodded. Mostly, she wasn't being silly right back at their latest ridiculous display. Mostly. "Happened to Siebenkas...?"

"Yeah, he had this dream," the elder of the two evokers almost began to explain, digits working.

Whatever he meant to coax out of the recollections between them, Pip took over, swaying as she did. "He thinks was a dream, but is totally notta dream. I know. I touched him thinkin about it an it was all wrong fora dream. Still didn't make any sense, but not the same kinda way dreams do."

"Also, Seb never dreams he's nekkid. Fun fact."

("So useful, too," Roa remarked, quite to herself.)

"But, he walked outta his bathroom an alla a sudden, he was in this bar in Old New York an there were all these other people an he was almost kinda sorta mebbe flirtin with this mob boss lady over gin an tonic and then there was this real cute muddy guy. Seb didn't think he was so cute, but I did. He got way more distracted by the other lady evoked with her eyes and the booze was good an there were pretty blond polyamourous peeps bonkin in the restroom an... an... an..."

Her not so little description might have gone on another few hours, except that Zephyr reached around with his unoccupied hand and tickled her. The way they'd tangled up together, she must have known it was coming.

Which left Roa to conclude Pip wanted tickled more than she wanted to discuss any washroom adventures. "On one hand, that sounds very much like a dream to me. On the other, if there's some sort of precedent for people in our manor suddenly disobeying all known laws of physics. And you're not playing some sort of elaborate prank."

"Hey! I had my heart set on givin you your first electric milkshake an that's not somethin I'd go back on for any money." Next thing she did know with any certainty, Zephyr had play staggered over, clutching at his shirt, "'m so disappointed it /huuurts/."

"Well, you can make it up to me when the universe goes back to normal."

Grin for the time being, too.

"It is going to go back to normal?"

"Did last time. 's why we still gotta Seb an notta portal to someplace called Dan's," said Pip.

"Alright, so why don't we...?"

"Make the besta it?"

"Yes!" Roa swung from Zephyr's grasp. He only then reached for her, trying to find that place in her moments where the best meant [concrete] he could play after and with her. As it was, he missed her as she skipped the villa steps instead, swirling her skirt in her hands and calling back after: "We're going to get company, right?"

"Woul, that'd be nice, but if not," he shrugged. "We get blitzed an watch the stars come out." A quick little sigh and a pop of his shoulder after, he followed.

Pip watched the space in the sky where the clouds should have been. The end of her nose twitched. "We're so gettin company. Can smell it, almost. Somethin's zactly not right out there." Laughing then, she blew past them both and straight through the doors.



Stuff you actually need to know available in this direction:
http://rainbowlounge.dreamwidth.org/18653.html

Have fun!

ETA: This post has not been up thirty-six hours and we officially have more than 500 comments. SO I SUPPOSE THIS ISN'T FUN AT ALL AMMIRITE? XD

ETA II: I am really, really touched that everyone wants to take care of the deceased fellow in the pool. I'm sure he appreciates it (he didn't even have a name in the story where he first appeared ;_;). But, alas, there was only one of him and he's currently being handled. He may be installed in a bedroom shortly, and should that happen, I will give him his own thread for poking purposes.

Comments

[bookblather]

"Incredibly," Gina agreed, and sighed. "I don't know, it just... my head hurts a little bit. Tell me about your little girl instead?"

She always loved to hear about little girls, when her own would be born so soon now.

[sarcasticsra]

Jeremy smiled. "The baby, the two-year-old, the five-year-old, or the almost nine-year-old?" he asked. "Nicola is proving to be roughly as stubborn as her namesake," he said. "She's the baby. Then there's Anna, who is two and a half, and a handful. Nora is five, and takes a lot after Keith, rather quiet. And then there's Emma, Amadeo's oldest, from his first marriage. She's got never-ending energy." His smile couldn't possibly be any goofier. "They're perfect."

[bookblather]

"Any of them," Gina said, smiling. "All of them. I'm having a little girl. I just... I like to hear about them. You love them so much, huh." It wasn't a question.

[sarcasticsra]

"I do," he said. "Family is the cornerstone of our religion, our society. It's...everything. When you're younger, you'll hear the Matron in church talking about it, and you'll nod along, but then when you have a family of your own, it all kind of falls into place." He smiled. "Is this your first child?"

[bookblather]

She shook her head. "Second. Our first is a boy, Andy. We adopted him two years ago, and he's such a joy, but he's my wife's son, you know? In that way that... that people have children. This baby--" she ran her hand down the curve of her belly. "She's mine."

[sarcasticsra]

Jeremy nodded. "Of course," he said, smiling in understanding. "Have you and your wife chosen a name yet?"

[bookblather]

"Leah," Gina said, and couldn't stop the smile. "Leah Andrea. Andy picked her middle name."

[sarcasticsra]

"A beautiful name," he said, smiling. "You know, I actually have a sister-in-law named Lea."

[bookblather]

She giggled. "I've always liked the name," she said. "Ever since I first heard... well, it's a Biblical story, you probably wouldn't know it, but there's a woman named Leah in the Bible, and when I was very young my mother told me her story. I've loved the name ever since, so... Leah."

[sarcasticsra]

"That sounds wonderful," Jeremy said, sincerely. "I have to admit, the few Christians I've met, well...they weren't like you, unfortunately."

[bookblather]

Gina rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. Judgmental and condeming, and if you don't do exactly as they say, you're going to hell. Unfortunately that isn't restricted to your universe."

[sarcasticsra]

"Yes," Jeremy admitted reluctantly. "And that is unfortunate."

[bookblather]

"Very," she said, and sighed. "I can at least assure you that we're not all like that. God is love, and He made you as you are, and He loves you as you are. Period, end of story."

[sarcasticsra]

"See, that...I like that. It doesn't sound too dissimilar from what I believe," Jeremy said, warmly. "Beyond the number of Gods involved, of course."

[bookblather]

"I feel..." She stopped, and gathered her thoughts before continuing. "I feel all religions are essentially the same, at heart. A higher power created you, and that higher power loves you. If you are a good person, that power will see you safe. I..." She paused again. "Whatever that higher power is. I call Him God, and the Holy Trinity. Other people call Him different things. I think He is pure love. I don't think He's petty enough to condemn someone for calling Him by a different name."

[sarcasticsra]

"I can agree with that," Jeremy said quietly. "It's about being loved, protected, and nurtured, not condemned."

[bookblather]

"Yes," Gina said. "No matter who or what you are."

Her nails bit into her palm, and she looked down, surprised, then consciously unclenched her fist.

[sarcasticsra]

"Are you all right?" he asked her, slightly concerned.

[bookblather]

"I..." she said, and then, "Yes. Sorry. I just... homophobia."

[sarcasticsra]

"Oh, I'm sorry," Jeremy said, sincerely. "I take it with a Christian majority, that's a serious problem?"

[bookblather]

"Yes," she said. "My own family even. They didn't... it wasn't outright, but for years they treated Ivy like my roommate instead of my girlfriend. It made me furious. And other people..." She shook her head, deliberately cutting herself off. "I take it you don't have that problem."

[sarcasticsra]

"That's terrible," he said, and it was hard to comprehend, treating a family member like that. "And, ah, no," he said, almost apologetically. "Marriage and family are about love, not gender. Our Gods...well, there's Fajra and Stelara, or Koralo and Fiero, both couples bound together, just as two examples."

[bookblather]

"Lucky," she said, wholeheartedly. "We only got the right to marry about three years ago in my state."

[sarcasticsra]

Jeremy frowned. "But that's ridiculous," he said. "Why would anyone--what possible reason could there be for denying you the right to marry?"

[bookblather]

"I have no idea," Gina said. "God wouldn't like it, presumably, but I can find nothing in the Bible that would suggest that God would even care." Except that one bit in Leviticus, but that only applied to men, and as of the New Testament was superceded anyway.