Welcome to Gaia! ::

Foenix sat back in her comfortable seat with a small sigh. Well, it wasn't as if she had advertized this party before hand, the way Nyxa had with the V-Day Bash. But it was a bit depressing to sit here, alone, in a room draped with party decorations.

"Nehanda, Nahda, get away from those sandwiches," she ordered absently. "If anyone else shows up, you're going to look like a real couple of pigs for eating all of the food.."

She pulled a book from her bag and patted her lap. "Why don't you come over here, and we'll finish up our story."

The eyes of gryphon and Tahnee lit up, and they fluttered quickly to sit in Foenix's lap. They were almost to the end of "Daughter of the Forest," and the last few chapters were very intense. Each night it was a real struggle to put the book down and go to bed.

Foenix smiled, and opened the book.

" . . . My garden was still a mess of tumbled stones and mounded earth, but the seasons had been kind since my departure. Mosses clothed shattered path and weathered stone wall. Creepers rioted over the remains of a trellis; in spring it would be blanketed in blossoms of pure white. There were brace spikes of lavender among the weeds, a faint haze of blue-gray, and I could smell the healing scent of thyme. The stillroom door stood ajar. The old bench was almost overgrown with soft feathery fronds of wormwood and chamomile, and there my father sat, wrapped in a dark cloak, staring in front of him with vacant eyes. His once stern, strong face seemed somehow blurred, as if someone had smudged a wet brush across the features of some painted king. Of his two wolfhounds, who had once shadowed his every footstep, there was not a sign. . . "

foenix and her group looked up from the book, and an enormous smile grew upon their faces. "Aly! Hi! Happy birthday!"

Nahda jumped up to run around the room, giggling "Birthday! Cake! Yay!" at the top of her little lungs, while Nehanda jumped down from Foenix's lap. she trotted over to Alyosha to merp up at him in greeting.

It was pretty hard to miss Alyosha's hungry looks, and Foenix grinned as she rose. "Well, Birthday Boy, help youself. I've got the kettle on if you'd prefer that instead of juice . . . or I brought a bottle of wine with me."

She winced as she looked over at Nahda, who was now flying in circles around the ceiling. "Nahda, could you quiet down, please?" She flushed a bit as she looked over. "i'm afraid we're still working on the concept of 'indoor voices,' " she apologized.

Foenix bit back a giggle of her own as she watched Alyosha inhale his slice of cake. So much for blowing out candles, she thought to herself. she reached over and filled a small plate of her own with some stuffed mushrooms and a sandwich half. "I like to cook," she mentioned calmly. "Parties are a great excuse. Is Acia around by the way? Nehanda's been wanting to see her again."

At the mention of her name, Nehanda trotted over and tugged softly on foenix's jeans. she looked up at the woman demandingly.

"Oh, right," Foenix remembered. she walked over to a side table and picked up a small vase. "This is Nehanda's present for you," she said as she put it down beside Alyosha. "It's the very first blossom from one of her rose clippings. Without you and Acia, it would never have grown."

Foenix nodded in understanding. "So Dfly gave you a Valentine's "gift" as well? Nahda and Nehanda get along very well, thankfully, although Nahda can be quite a handful. I'm just glad I took the precaution of adding a few extra rooms when I moved into my house here in the village."

Nahda finally came down from the ceiling. She skipped over to Alyosha and tuggd on his shirt. "Are you gonna blow out candles and eat cake and open presents and everything?" she asked excitedly.

Nehanda, in the meanwhile, merped happily up at Alyosha. The rose was a pretty soft peach color, and she'd been so proud when it had bloomed that morning. Just in time!

Nehanda looked up in startlement as Pueble descended silently beside her. however, she recovered quickly and merped happily to see her friend. she snaked her bill out to give the owl/wolf a quick nuzzle behind the ears.

Upon seeing Pueblo, Foenix turned toward the door with a smile. "Fae! Good to see you. come have some cake." She took a second look at her friend, and frowned a bit. 'Don't take this the wrong way, but you look exhausted.

Alyosha nodded "Yeah... she's been great company for Acia" Alyosha looked up as Fae entered "Hey" he called, grinning to see another of the owners who he hadn't had much time to speak to, last time having been randomly interrupted by the appearance of Syrenrei.

Suddenly, something at the door caught his attention. He wandered over, recognising one of the older archaeo team behind it, one who was also the team medic. His face looked grave. Alyosha nodded at his words and turned to the others.

"I uh... sorry, Foenix, I have to n** out for a short bi, i'll be back as soon as I can!" he practically ran out of the centre, a concerned look on his face.