Welcome to Gaia! ::

((Oooo. Silver's tag is GORGEOUS!))

After waving farewell to her good friend, Foenix looked up and smiled in welcome at the handsome young man approaching them. "Orian. It's good to see you." She patted the tree trunk beside her. "Come sit down; it's such a lovely afternoon."

Nehanda, waved as well to Pueblo, and peered out around her tree trunk at Orian, her little brown furrowed. Didn't she remember him from somewhere? The sunlight trickling through the trees glistened off of his arm, and she smiled suddenly in rememberance. He was the nice man from the Centre who had fallen asleep! With a giggle, she whipped out and twirled her ghostly self around his figure.

Nehanda giggled again, softly, and wrapped herself around Orian's arm, stretching herself out until she resembled nothing more than a length of see-through ribbon. She imagined that the metal had been warmed by the afternoon heat, and wished that she could feel it.

Foenix nodded. "Yup! She changed a few days ago. It's all been a very exciting couple of days." She reached her hand out and trailed a finger through Nehanda's ghostly form. "i think she looks very lovely, but that's just the mother in me."

Nehanda giggled again, and the sound was a musical peal that traveled through the air. She reached out to grab Orian's finger. Of course, her little hands passed right through his, and her face fell. How annoying! She wanted to feel again.

Foenix managed to keep her smile, despite Nehanda's frown. "Yes, she should remain a wisp for about a week. She and I have to gather up certain objects, and bring them to Alyosha. I think he's going to use them to help in her transformation to the Child stage."

Foenix followed his gaze, looking up at the sky. "That's very true. And it's very lovely. I go to sleep listening to the echo of the ocean. Sometimes I think the sound is rising up over the trees, just to sooth me to sleep." She leaned back, and was silent for a few minutes.

"Nehanda and I still need a chrysanthemum blossom, two ribbons, and a few more beads. She and I are currently making several herbal potions and salves. Or, at least, I'm making them, and Nehanda is carefully supervising."

Nehanda's face transformed into a smile at Orian's offer. He'd tell her about his arm? Oh, that would be very exciting! Now she wanted to be a real child more then anything.

Foenix sat forward, and checked her watch. "Goodness, I hadn't realized how late it was getting. I'm afraid the rest of my crew will be waiting for dinner, as they're not allwed to touch the stove if I'm not there."

((Yup, it's getting late, and I've got work tomorrow.))

((Thanks a lot, David! I really appreciate it!))

As he stood, Nehanda allowed his arm to pass through her. She waved goodbye and called after him with quiet, unintelligable murmurs.

Foenix waved and smiled after her friend. He cut quite the dashing figure as he wandered along the night path, a gentle breeze whipping up the untucked shirt. She wondered, vaguely, what had left him with so many scars, and whether or not it was the same event that had resulted in the metal arm. but those were questions for another day, and she could see that Nehanda was blinking sleepily.

Standing, she picked up the sack of betony, and twisted the end closed. these leaves and blossoms, once dried, would replace the ones she used in Aly's bruise salve.

The small steps in front of the house had been swept and a small, straggly path of beaten grass led to her door. Although the door was closed, the windows were all open to let in a breeze and help the ceiling fans she had installed circulate the air. The hum of the generator that was next to the house was heard in the quiet that surrounded the humble home.

The shed's door was ajar, and if there was any doubt left that anyone lived there after seeing the generator, the paint cans, brushes, timber, and small toolbox left indicated that indeed, someone had moved in. Considering the trail of white and blue paint smears up to the shed in the shape of a shoe, it was a healthy guess this place was Syren's.

After a few minutes the door opened, Syrenrei standing there in her usual pleated blue skirt and pristinely-white cutoff shirt, looking at Fae a bit surprised. She hadn't really had visitors since she had moved in, and the cottage almost never had visitors, so having them was something she'd have to get used to. "Please come in," she greeted them after a moment's observation.

Delta came prancing to the door but didn't leave the house because her mother had just helped her clean her hooves, and she wasn't quite ready to get them quite so dirty again. "Kee-aa?" She peered at Pueblo, perhaps also a bit surprised to have guests.

Syrenrei motioned for Fae to sit down on her padded bench, which was just as soft as a sofa, just lacking the back and armrests that most couches had. Taking the painting carefully from Fae, she crouched down next to her daughter so that she could see it without craning her neck. At first, Delta was confused as to why she was being shown this odd picture.

"This is yours, dear. Pueblo made you a painting." Delta peered first at her mother, then Fae and Pueblo, then at the picture. After a moment she fluffed out her feathers, looking quite content, and letting out a rather shrill "Keeee-aaaa!" Prancing over to Pueblo, she nuzzled her friend who thought of her so highly to paint her.

It would have to be hung on the wall, of course. Every proper lady had her portrait painted by an artisan, after all.