Tiny Log Cabin Housewarming

So, I DIDN'T get invited to the housewarming.

Rotten pixies.

I didn't know it was even going on until, as the sun was setting, I suddenly noticed every single pixie had just VANISHED from around my desk (they tend to hang around my desk. It's where the pool table is). I wandered downstairs and heard sounds of little pixie laughter, and when I turned the corner into the kitchen, this is what I saw.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

I hope that Andi and Saoirse have a very happy home, even if I wasn't invited to their housewarming. (harumph)

Too Many Fairy Folk!

Wendy: Hey, Miri. What's up? Where is everyone?

Miranda: Just surfing the web, waiting for you. I sent everyone away so we could have a little talk.

Wendy: Um... that doesn't sound good. How have you been, anyway?

Miranda: Yeah, see... that's exactly what we're going to talk about. Did you know I had to schedule an APPOINTMENT to talk to you?

Wendy: Yeah, with Emi. She's really great. But... I don't remember her telling me that I had an appointment with you this morning.

Miranda: She didn't. I hacked into her computer and cleared all of your appointments and sent her off on "errands" until about 3 this afternoon. I don't really DO appointments.

Wendy: But Miri....

Miranda: Look! This is exactly the problem. Appointments to see you! For crying out loud! There are TOO MANY FAE IN THIS HOUSE!!!

Wendy: Well, now... how many are too many, really? And I just hired Emi because I'm so disorganized.

Miranda: You HAD to hire Emi because there are too many of us for you to keep track of by yourself! Here, let me show you.

Miranda: I'll just show you on your computer. My monitor is really too small for this... If you don't mind.

Wendy: Um, go ahead.

Wendy: Uh... is that my Yahoo Photos page?

Miranda: Why yes, yes it is. There are 54 creatures on this page, Wendy. FIFTY FOUR!!!

Wendy: I knew I shouldn't have given you internet access...

Miranda: TOO MANY FAE!

Miranda: And that's not even all of them! I've seen creatures around this house that you haven't gotten around to putting on the web yet!

Miranda: What happened to those halcyon days, when it was just you and me.

Wendy: "Halcyon"? You've been doing crossword puzzles again, and there was also RABBIT if you'll remember.

Miranda: Yes, but she didn't really count back then. Those days when you were buying stuff for ME. When _I_ was the one who got to go places. What happened to those days?

Wendy: Your friends moved in and then...

Miranda: And then you started running Wendy's Home for Wayward Fae! Well, it has to stop. Something must be done!

Wendy: Oh really? And what did you have in mind, Miri?

Miranda: Some of them have GOT to go.

Wendy: Oh REALLY? And who did you have in mind to go first, may I ask?

Miranda: Hmm.... let me think.... oh, I know... ARIEL!

Miranda: And then everyone else over 8 inches tall.

Wendy: Eight inches tall?

Miranda: Okay, fine. 12 inches. Then the centaurs can stay. They're pretty nice and really cute.

Wendy: And none of the fae over 12 inches tall are nice or cute?

Miranda: Well, I guess Lenore and Nessa can stay. They're pretty nice. And Rabbit is really cute. Well, and maybe ...

Wendy: So you see my problem. There are many Fae here, but I love them all. And I don't want any of them to leave.

Miranda: How about just Ariel? I could keep her house to make moving easier on her.

Wendy: No, Miri. Ariel isn't moving out. No one is. Though, you do bring up a good point. Perhaps there needs to be a family meeting about this. I'll have Emi schedule one.

Miri: Yeah, when she gets back from her "errands" (snicker).

Wendy: Oh, Miri.

Little Log Cabin In My Kitchen

I apologize for the lack of updates to Miranda Wandering lately.

I caught a cold, and two of my pixies have been making me crazy trying to figure out where they wanted their newly built house to go.

C. Pender, of Pixelated Builders, built a beautiful home for Andara and Saoirse. And they promptly moved it right into my garden - outside. And realized, it's really, really COLD outside. So they decided that their house could be inside my house, like all the rest of the pixies. But it needed just the right location.

We've been carting around their little log cabin for what feels like forever. And, finally, they settled on just the right spot - right by the indoor outdoor tree, as Saoirse put it.

They've been working diligently on getting their garden put in, and Saoirse is quite the gardener. She's very proud of her little garden, which is essentially their kitchen.

It is my understanding that there will be a housewarming party held soon. Photos to follow, I promise.

Assuming I'm invited. :)

- Wendy

The Thorne Interviews #1 - Emi

Thorne: Hello, Gentle Readers. As many of you already know, my name is Thorne. And I'd like to welcome you to the first in my series of "Interviews of the Treehouse".

Thorne: I thought I would begin my series of interviews with a person you haven't seen on either Miranda Wandering, or the blog of Gage the Bunny, but one that neither of those blogs could exist without. You see, managing everything here at the Treehouse takes an incredible level of creativity, resourcefulness, exceptional time management skills, as well as impeccable organizational ability.

Wendy (behind camera): Aww, thanks Thorne.

Thorne: None of which being traits that Wendy possesses...

Wendy (behind camera): HEY!

Thorne: ...and so, Wendy hired one of the most important people in the entire Treehouse, her own personal assistant. May I introduce to you now, Ms. Emi Aurelian.

Emi: Hi.

Thorne: Hi Emi. Thanks for joining us.

Emi: Thank you, It's great to be here.

Thorne: So Emi, you're not originally from Colorado. Can you tell us a little bit about where you're from and your background?

Emi: Sure, Thorne. Um... I'm originally from Japan, though I don't really remember much about that time. I then moved to Florida, where I lived with a lovely family. When Wendy put out on the internet that she was looking to hire a personal assistant, I applied for the job and got it. And here I am.

Thorne: And how do you like Colorado so far?

Emi: It's okay. I've never seen snow before, and there's been an awful lot of it.

Thorne: Indeed.

Thorne: Have you had any specialized training that would have prepared you to have the unlimited patience that it would take to work for someone as completely disorganized as Wendy?

Wendy (behind camera): HEY!!!!

Emi: (laugh) Well, I had a kid sister in Florida that taught me a lot about patience. Good kid though. And Wendy's a great boss, so it hasn't been difficult working for her at all. She's a very "hands off" kind of boss, which I really appreciate. It's much harder to work for someone who is constantly double checking you and doubting your skill.

Thorne: Well, you seem to handle things very well, Emi. How do you like working with all the various denizens of the Treehouse? Are they a strange bunch?

Emi: They're not so bad. Each and every person here at the Treehouse is individual and has their own "things". So far I haven't met anyone I didn't like. It's an interesting situation, having such a varied group of individuals all coming together and getting along as well as they do.

Thorne: Do you have much to do with the "hiring" process?

Emi: Well, Wendy and Trygve have final say, of course, on anyone's entrance to the Treehouse. I get to review the applications, and I do the preliminary interviews. If I don't feel someone would fit in here, Wendy will listen and so far we've never disagreed.

Thorne: And you're also the one who handles any personal problems between members of the Treehouse crew?

Emi: I tend to be the one people come to with their problems, and I do tend to step in as a mediator when necessary. But it's very rare that it comes down to that.

Thorne: How much do you help Wendy with the day to day activities of the Treehouse?

Emi: I try as much as I can, but it's a huge house, and it's a lot to keep track of. Wendy is very busy, and it can sometimes be difficult for her to get to everything. You know?

Thorne: Like the laundry pile that's rumored to have a lost village of tinies living in it?

Wendy (behind camera): What? Why you!

Emi: (smile) Um... I feel that we have no comment on that at this time. I have to say, though, that Trygve has been incredibly helpful, and I've found him to be very easy going and great to work with. I'm very fortunate to have the great employers that I do.

Thorne: Okay Emi, questions stolen directly from "In the Actors' Studio". Ready?

Emi: Sure thing.

Thorne: What is your favorite word?

Emi: Love.

Thorne: What is your least favorite word?

Emi: Goodbye.

Thorne: What turns you on (creatively, spiritually or emotionally)?

Emi: The dawning of a new day, all that potential. I love mornings.

Thorne: What turns you off?

Emi: Bias, hatred and preconceived notions.

Thorne: What sound do you love?

Emi: Birds chirping and running water.

Thorne: What sound do you hate?

Emi: Heavy traffic with honking horns.

Thorne: When do you think Wendy will actually get around do doing any laundry?

Wendy (behind camera): THORNE! Oh you are....

Emi: (laughing)

Thorne: Well, that appears to be all the time we have tonight.

Wendy (behind camera): (muttering) Oh you are definitely out of time, Mister!

Thorne: I would like to thank my guest, the lovely Emi Aurelian. And I would like to thank you, Gentle Readers for joining us. Please join us next time for our National Geographic special edition, where I take an armed expedition into the dangerous territory of Wendy's closet, searching for the lost tribe of Laudricus.

Wendy (behind camera): Oh, that is IT!

Thorne: Farewell, Gentle Readers! Be Well!

********************

Thorne and Guest: Emi Aurelian

Taelyn's Snow Removal Business

(strange whirring noise coming from outside)

Wendy: Hey Trygve?

Wendy: Do you hear that?

Trygve: Hmm?

Wendy: That little "whirring" noise outside. Do you hear it? What is that?

Trygve: Hmm, dunno.

Wendy: I'm going to go see.

Wendy: (to self) What the... these are little pixie tracks!

Wendy: But where on earth are they going? And they're... dragging something?

(loud whirring noise)

Wendy: Taelyn! TAELYN!!

(whirring noise stops)

Taelyn: Oh! Hi Wendy!

Wendy: What on earth are you DOING? It's freezing out here!!

Taelyn: Well, I told Mr. Trygve that since it snows all the time, and I got this cool snow blower, I was going start my own snow removal business!

Wendy: Oh really?

Taelyn: And he said he'd give me a whole QUARTER if I cleared the driveway!!

Wendy: Oh, DID he now?

Taelyn: I've only been at it for half an hour so far, but I think I'm making good progress!

Wendy: Um... okay, well... good luck with that! Come in if you get too cold, okay?

Taelyn: Okay! Thanks!

Wendy: I need to go inside and talk to Trygve about how we treat pixies....

Taelyn: Okay! Bye!!

(whirring noise resumes)

Flight of the Hawk

(sounds of Baxter barking inside Ariel's house)

Ariel: (from inside house) Baxter! For pity's sake, dog! Do you think you're some kind of fuzzy ROOSTER? What is it? Oh hang on, rotten dog, I'm comin.

*****************

(Spot makes quiet foxy woofing noise)

Lenore: Spot! What is it sweetie? Are you okay?

(Spot continues quietly woofing)

Lenore: (yawn) It isn't even daylight yet, Spot. Hang on, I'll get the light.

Lenore: (gasp) Hawk!

Marius: Shhhh, I'm sorry I startled you...

Lenore: (whispering) It's okay. Are you all right? Why are you in my room? Not that it isn't nice to see you or anything, but still ...

Marius: I came to tell you "goodbye", Wren. I have to go.

Lenore: It's the something bad, isn't it? I told you I thought something bad was happening. What was it?

Marius: It doesn't matter, Wren...

Lenore: It matters to ME. Please tell me what happened, what's making you leave. Please? I won't tell. I promise!

Marius: I did a favor for someone I shouldn't have done a favor for, and I think I did it wrong. And I hurt someone doing it. The person I did the favor for, I think is just going to keep asking me for favors, Wren, forever. And I don't want to do any more favors for her. She's going to be very, VERY angry, and she could hurt everyone here if I stay. I don't know what she'll do, and I don't want everyone to be in danger because of me...

Lenore: (nodding slightly) It's the little yellow worm I dreamed about... and of course you don't. You're not like that. But I understand, Hawk... you sheltered in the tree for a while, and now you have to leave, so all the little songbirds will be safe again...

Marius: Um..., what?

Lenore: Will you tell me where you're going?

Marius: No... well, I honestly don't know. But I will send you a message when I'm safe. Promise. But you can't tell ANYONE, Wren. It might put you in a great deal of danger if anyone thought you knew where I was.

Lenore: Promise. I will miss you, my Hawk.

Marius: I will miss you too, Little Wren. Goodbye.

Lenore: (sigh) Well, I think we shall not see him again, Spot. And I think that makes me very, very sad.

Lenore: For a boy, you're really rather reasonable, Spot. I love you. (sigh)

Lenore: I suppose he came in with the snow, in a way it seems only fitting he should leave with it.

Lenore: Good night, Spot... again.
Marius: (sigh) Snow... oh good.