Stories

“The approved list for the flower arrangements reads as follows: lilacs, French lavender, and water lilies," Lily announced, excited. "Aren't we lucky Sys can make this stuff up at the last minute? Who asks for lilacs in an equatorial climate?" sister Novis mumbled, slightly annoyed. "They fit into the lavender theme," Lily tried to explain. "Yes, I got that from the draping, the light show and the purple bunnies sister Josep...

“Where are the feeding schedules for the dragons?" sister Joseph boomed through the interlink. "I thought you were going to draw them up, you said you didn't trust us to do them properly," sister Felix defended herself. "What do we need you for, then, if I have to do everything myself?" sister Joseph said. "Sister, please tone it down," Seth intervened. "At least I can do my job!" sister Joseph snapped back. "Since when is pu...

“What are you doing?" Seth asked Sarah, startling her. "Recording the atmospheric readings," the redhead replied, without turning her head. "Really?" Seth asked, and Sarah could feel the smile that came with the question, without seeing it. "Why is this surprising? You know I always record the atmospheric readings at this time of day?" Sarah asked, finally turning around. "I don't know, I thought you'd have delegated this to ...

“What are you doing?" Seth asked, staring in disbelief at sister Felix, who apparently spent several hours trying to put together a puzzle of sorts from left over pieces of gauze featuring every shade of purple, from lavender to violet. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were putting together a quilt!" "I am," sister Felix replied, concentrating on the floral pattern she was working on. It featured several mixed posi...

“Sister Therese, can we count on you to perform at the joyous celebration? The wisps seem to be fascinated with music, especially vocal music. I often wonder if this isn’t the only reason they agreed to communicate with us. That and the immortals’ nagging, those Purple chatter boxes can talk you to death when they want something,” Lily asked, skipping the introductory chit-chat. “I was planning on it, ...

“Where are we going to host the science symposium? It has come to my attention that the wisps expect to spend some of their time here discussing multiverse physics with Purple."

Sarah lifted her head from her research to find herself face to face with Roberta. She didn't hear her come in, but that wasn't an unusual occurrence: her private office, the spacious one with its own VR room, covered lanai and garden was anything but...

“Sister, did you finish the table placement cards?" sister Jesse asked sister Benedict. "I thought you said you needed them Wednesday," sister Benedict replied. "Today is Wednesday." "Today is Monday." "I'm pretty sure it's Wednesday." Sister Benedict looked at her calendar. It said Monday. Sister Jesse looked at hers. It said Wednesday. "One of us must be losing her mind," sister Benedict mumbled. "And it surely isn't me," s...

“Sister Novis," Lelia whispered, so softly that Novis, who had just returned from a rock climbing expedition and was struggling to put away her gear on a high shelf, almost didn't hear her. "Oh, sweetie, I didn't expect to see you here, I thought your mother kept you busy with the preparations for the ceremony, your input is very important, you know!" the sister said, cheerfully. "Not as much as you think. Bonding ceremonies ...

“Places, please!" Lily spoke, a little sharper than she wished. She had shouted directions to staff, friends and caterers all day, and her voice was giving out a little. "Sister Joseph, you will lead the procession, followed by sister Novis and Sarah, then Seth will bring the rest of the group from the left side of the podium. Sys, queue music," she instructed. A soothing melody poured on the beach, making Purple hum, delight...

"We are going to wear our ceremonial robes, I assume?" Seth entered Sarah's apothecary. Sarah was mixing perfumes, she and Sys had come up with the idea of creating a scent to match the lavender gauze and flower arrangements, even though the plant decorations were still in question on account of the dragons' appetite. The small shed was saturated with a clamor of floral scents, which shouted at each other so loudly one could no lon...

“Who is waiting for Jimmy and Jenna?" sister Novis poked her head through the door that sister Roberta had left ajar. The sister was revising a last minute idea for the festivities, secretly offended that Lily was so adamant about not having anything happen that wasn't already approved. What a bore! "I thought you were," she stopped from her work to look intently at sister Novis. "Nobody told me anything, you worked with Jimm...

“Did you see my notes?" Humon asked, shuffling the pads on Lily's desk. Lily lifted her eyes from the mound of packages, reminders, and party decorations that had been slowly accumulating around her ever since they got the blessed news the Bonding Ceremony was going to be celebrated on Terra Two. Her maternal desire to be of assistance to her eldest daughter was fighting an older, more personality specific urge to dump everyt...

“Who is in charge of the hors d'oeuvres?" Seth asked. "Sister Abigail," Roberta replied, focused on a delicate piece of machinery that needed soldering under the microscope. "You're not serious!" Seth yelled, making Roberta's hand shake for a second. The pen slid over the board, covering it with a slobber of molten metal. "Thanks!" Roberta snapped, snatched the slide from the microscope and threw it on the growing pile of sim...

"What exactly are you doing?" sister Roberta asked Sarah, who was fumbling with a knotted bunch of ribbons, growing more frustrated by the minute.

"I can't believe I'm wasting my time with this! Where is Sys? Why can't we just remake this?" the redhead abandoned the struggle, her cheeks flushed and her eyes gleaming furiously. "Can you take this to your lab and bring me back a fresh spool of non-knotted ribbon? You have no idea how...

Vlor Consular Mission in Airydew, Terra Two, July 2nd, 3245

Beloved Lelia,

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