School Daze (closed)

[The Floor Kippers]

"I don't think anyone would object to that," Carol said.

[Warhaven]

"It's your choice Nyx." King howard prodded.

"Women are expected to make their own decisions, some are discussed with spouses, yes. But this decision is all yours." Jezeel said.

"I don't want to carry a constant reminder of my past. So if you don't mind, I'd rather just be Nyx Miller." Nyx said.

"Very well then, if you ever desire a name change, the appropriate forms are available." King Howard said.

He stopped to think.

"No, that's all from me." King Howard said, and vanished.

"Care to stick around for lunch? I promised Charlie and the boys a difficult brain-busting question today, and it involves past experiences from this week." Jezeel hinted.

"Oh, you've got to try her cooking, it's phenomenal." Sam enthused.

[The Floor Kippers]

"It's listed in the Hitchiker's guide as one of the 300,000 wonders of the Multiverse," Charlie said enthusiastically.

"Only because he wrote the article," Dexal chuckled.

[Warhaven]

"Well, I guess I have to try it then, don't I?" Nyx asked.

"You won't regret it." Sam promised.

Jezeel, Ziella, and Jezebel disappeared into the kitchen, then closed and locked the doors, preventing all entry. They'd been doing it all week long.

"She doesn't normally lock the door." Sam said, confused.

"Wonder what their up to." Nyx said.

But no one, not one person would know, except for of course, the trio in the kitchen, and they weren't talking.

[The Floor Kippers]

"If I didn't know them better I'd say something fatal," Charlie said, "But it's probably something deliciously devious."

[Warhaven]

Soon enough, everyone had a four meat Calzone for lunch.

"Such delicious food!" Nyx enthused between bites. Jezeel simply smiled.

Soon enough, Lunch was done.

"Wow, I didn't know cooking could be so good, what's your secret?" Nyx asked.

"Practice." Everyone but Jezeel answered, echoing her normal answer.

"WRONG!" She said enthusiastically.

"Finally, after all these years, I can reveal my secret, I, Jezeel Whiteshadow, am a Culinary Goddess!" She said grinning.

"I've got that on recorded Charlie she can't take it back." Pondera grinned.

"And that brings me to my question. What have I cooked this week?" Jezeel asked, eyes twinkling merrily.

[The Floor Kippers]

"Oh yes!" Charlie exclaimed, leaping up and doing a victory dance, "I called it!"

"I can't remember," Dexal admitted, his mind having been on other things, like girls, well, a girl "But it was good."

"There was a Beef Stew, Lasagne, Those delicious little meat pie thingies," Charlie said, counting the days off on his finger, "I cooked on tuesday, that romantic meal for two we had while the kids went elsewhere. Meat crumble, roast chicken and Pizza."

[Warhaven]

"And here's the answer. Charlie, you are wrong. I have cooked nothing this week. NOTHING! And that's why I can finally claim my title. For not only am I The Iron Chef, but I have taught Jezebel and Ziella all my secrets, trained them to be my equals in the kitchen. They have taken my skill, added their own unique style, and thus made it their own. Everything this family has had this week, was made by them exclusively." Jezeel grinned.

"By gods, she's telling the truth. She actually managed to teach Jezebel and Ziella how to cook like she does." Pondera said, amazed.

"Oh, I'm jealous now." Sam said, looking at Dexal and Aspari.

[The Floor Kippers]

"Suddenly my future life is looking even better than before," Dexal said, "If that's possible."

"That's amazing," Charlie said, "I was upset when I thought that skill would not be passed down."

[Warhaven]

"So, The Burning Sands, generally speaking, what is it like?" Jezeel asked.

"Harsh. My father lived in a marble palace in the center of a never ending sandstorm. The people lived in dwellings made from animal hides stretched over poles. Nothing I have seen today, exists in The Burning Sands. The herds are followed. Water is scarce. Men would play games, but I never got to find out what. The rest of us were too afraid to cross the men to find something entertaining to do." Nyx said.

"Oh, we'll have to play a few games then, help you learn to have fun." Jezeel grinned.

"Like what?" Nyx asked.

[The Floor Kippers]

"Calvinball," Charlie said.

"Or the equally confusing cricket," Carol added.

[Warhaven]

"What's Calvinball?" Nyx asked.

Sam grinned, and Jezeel stood.

"Outside." She ordered.

As that was going on....

Diella flew through the air. She'd warned Telos she was coming to see him today, she hoped he was ready. She carried a small velvet box containing a surprise she'd worked extra hard on. She felt it only right to give him something as a sign of interest, she was ready to be more than friends.

She sparkled and shimmered as she made her way to see him, landing at the cave mouth and knocking politely.

"Telos?" she called, setting the box down afterwards.

[The Floor Kippers]

Telos appeared at the cavern entrance, cleaned and polished.
"Hello Diella," He said with a smile.

[Warhaven]

"I, I've been practicing at making things out of jewels and precious metals. I made you a present." She said, tapping the box.

It opened itself to reveal an exquisite diamond dragoness, a very familiar one at that, kissing an equally exquisite and familiar Green Jade Dragon. Diella had even gotten Red Jade to give the dragon an appropriate blush on his cheeks. Their tails were intertwinedm and they stood upon an emerald that symbolized a grassy plain.

"I, was wondering, if maybe, you'd like to go out sometime. With me I mean." Diella asked, bringing up the possibility of a date.

[The Floor Kippers]

Telos stood and stared at the two kissing jewelled dragons, astounded by the skill of the craft work. He was silent for quite a while as a blush began to creep into his face.

"Diella," He said eventually, "I would really like to go out with you."

[Warhaven]

"This Saturday? I know some really amazing sights on the planes." She said.

[The Floor Kippers]

"This Saturday," Telos replied with a nod, "Are we meeting here or at yours or some place else?"

[Warhaven]

Diella thought for a moment.

"Mine. I know the path to take then." Diella said.

She grinned, looking at the statues.

"My father says I have a natural inborn talent. He said, no one out forges a dwarf, but neither does anyone out craft a Dragon. He thinks I'm a natural born Crafting Dragon. I don't know, all I know is, I saw that in the patch of Diamond, and block of Jade I had, and very carefully carved it out. I've been practicing on other things for awhile now." Diella said.

[The Floor Kippers]

"It's very," Telos started, words failing him temporarily, "Beautiful. He's right, no-one out crafts a dragon, especially a pretty Diamond Dragon."

[Warhaven]

"Well, until Saturday, boyfriend." Diella said coyly, then disappeared in a dazzling flash of light simply to show off her growing powers.

Meanwhile, back in Amazonia...

"Through the palace Nyx? Seriously?" Jezeel asked.

"The rule was to bounce the red ball, and the green ball off the wall and into the bucket. I was far away, I had to throw my hardest." Nyx said defensively.

"Yes, but they didn't say knock a hole through my entire palace length wise from one end to the other." Jezeel said.

On the far side, the balls in question were firmly embedded in a tree, both balls were smoking from heat, and the tree subsequently caught on fire. Sam grinned.

[The Floor Kippers]

"Hmm, we're going to need to call someone in to fix that," Charlie said.

"I'm glad we didn't decide on cricket," Carol said.

"Oh no," Victoria said, "Not the climbing tree,"

[Warhaven]

"Yes the climbing tree. Time for Mother Nature to intervene." Sarah Angel said, and stepped round to the tree. She put a hand to the tree, and the flames ate it all away, save for one seed. The flames gone, she worked the soil over, with some water and fertilizer, then planted the lone seed. It grew rapidly into a brand new climbing tree, twice as tall, twice as wide, twice as exhilarating as the old one.

"Sorry." Nyx apologized.

Pondera put a hand to Jezeel's palace, and repaired it.

"Mistakes happen. How about some cards?" Pondera suggested.

"Sounds interesting." Nyx agreed.

"I do these things and more all night long. I don't sleep." Sam said.

"You too? I thought I was the only one." Nyx said.

"Well, you'll be under the same rules as Sam. You may wander the castle, but stay out of other people's rooms. And stay quiet, so you don't wake us up." Pondera said.

"It'll give us plenty of time to talk and figure out where to start this whole marriage off at." Sam said, optimistically.

"I think you need a solid round of advice on that, so you two know what to discuss." Sara said firmly. Of course, she was the expert. But she was also hinting at the adults and others to add their wisdom to this newest discussion too, as they went in for card games.

[The Floor Kippers]

"Well, a good place to start is to tell the other about your problems, any problems," Carol said, "I always find when I have a problem, a good talk with my loved one can do the world of good."

"I'd highly advise exercising perspective when having a debate, or even a heated too," Charlie said, "Always think how the other person must feel."

[Warhaven]

"The point being, you aren't married. You are on paper, but in every other way, no your not. Look how closely the rest of us naturally gravitate towards our special someone. Yet you two sit apart and away from each other like strangers. If you're going to do this, then you're going to do it right, and friendship is where it starts at. Start off with working on becoming each other's friends first. All successful married couples are each other's best friend. They trust each other, they support each other, they share secrets they never share with anyone else, and each can trust the other to not betray their confidence. Their there for each other, and they always know how to have a great time together. That's where you're at. The beginning, the friendship stage. Don't worry about the rest, it'll come later. But it'll never happen if you aren't first friends." Sara said.

"So, if that's where we're at, where are the rest of you at?" Sam asked.

"We're at the couplization point. It's falling in love, growing closer together, where me, becomes us. Simple to say, complex and hard to carry out. Infact, in a year or two, we'll even begin discussing long term future plans together." Sara said.

[The Floor Kippers]

"Sara is right," Charlie said, "And there are key aspects of freindship, loyalty, honesty, generosity, kindness, laughter and respect."