Welcome to Gaia! ::

i heard that says a familiar voice as lyssan comes into view, but she is grinning from ear to ear... she sees the sacks and grins even wider... but her face truly lights up when she sees talesian and shia...

heavens! she cries throwing up her hands... what's the celebration.... we really should be having a party... all of us here at home for a change... she gives kerobian a hug then holds out her arms to shia...

tam helps her down and joins her at lyssan's side... miss me, ma....

lyssan starts to hug him as well, then wrinkles up her nose in surprise... what the... she starts to exclaim... then falls silent... she touches tam's cheek and smiles... so yer not quite a s clueless as ye once were, are ye now... and still ye call me ma...

tam laughs merrily... to everyone's amazement... ye'll always be me ma... ye took me in and raised me and for that i will ever call ye so... so are we going to stand out here in the court for half a day or shall we go in....

his words have everyone whispering and talking behind their hands... and shia is staring at him in wonderment... but lyssan saves the moment by ushering them all insde, sending the servants to open their rooms and discussing the care of the quets with rhea, so animately and loudly that no one has time or the inclination to question either of them further....

fine... she says grumpily, but ye can see she struggling to hide a smile... ye handle the entrees while i work on the desserts.... she hands ye her spoon and shoves ye gently towards the main table... while she herself goes to raid the stores for something to whip up to impress the young and old alike....

she rolls her eyes and continues to instruct her crew... whipping up egg cremes, puddings, and a variety of cakes, including talesian's favorite... apple cake.... for shia she oversees the making of a small batch of pomegranate ice cream (sans seeds)... then she personally makes lyssans favorite... spice cake with cream cheese icing.... finishing it all with a variety of fruits dippe in a dark rich chocolate...

so that everyone can enjoy the feast, lyssan constructs a crew of invisible servants to wait on people and to keep the food coming and the drinks full... onced everyone is feeling so full they could not eat another bite... she summons them all outside to the courtyard where she has had an enormous bonfire constructed... but there is no planned entertainment... instead she begins passing out instruments... mostly percussion orientated... but to those who can play she gives according to their talents... and they have one night long jam sessions... with amestru leading the sing along.....

tam joins him, singing in a voice so clear and so sweet it brings tears to the listeners eyes, though they have no reason to cry for their hearts are fill with such peace, that the music kerkobian plays fulfills it's mission well before it's over...

and when they are done... tam turns to him, his own cheeks wet and he whispers... thank ye, kerobian... i... i haven't sung that particular piece for so long.......

then tam looks around and does a comic exaggerated headsmack... help me find blankets for them all... i'm not about to start carrying them all in....

funny... very very funnny.....

tam shakes his head and begins to pick up the courtyard... storing away the instruments and enjoying the peaceful quiet, the snap and pop of the fire and the play of hot and cold on his skin... he pauses in his task and lifts his face to the night breeze... simply drinking in the sensations... feeling it all almost as if for the first time... reveling in the sensation of being alive...

hmmm... ye know... the people in this palace sure don't know how to leave ye alone do they.... rofl **


whe ye finally get to the door ye see a guard standing there with a worried look on his face... master kerobian... the missus asks to see ye sir... iffin ye please... talesian seems to have gone missing, sirra... and she's beside herself with worry.....