"Lyrical"
Disclamer: I am not Misters Mitchell or Van Sickle, I am also not Lynn Ahrens or Stephen Flaherty. I just really like their work.
D.G.'s head felt like it was going to explode, for the last few weeks Tutor and Glitch had been trying to catch her up on fifteen years of history and deportment lessons.
“You were born in a palace by the sea.” Tutor said.
“A palace by the sea.” D.G. echoed him, “Can it be?”
Oh it was official. She was rhyming, exploding head was the next step.
Tutor raised an eyebrow, “Yes, that's right.” He went on to the next step in her timeline, “You rode horseback when you were only three.”
“Horseback riding?” Did the man not remember any of that ride from the Gray Gale to the Witch's Tower? “Me?”
“The horse, he was... um... um... white!” Glitch stood up and shook his head for a second. “You made faces and terrorized the cook!” He said proud of two recalled memories in a row.
D.G. put a look of mock horror on her face, “Was I wild?”
Glitch knocked her on the chin, “You wrote the book, doll.”
Tutor was quick to cut in, “But you'd behave when your father gave that look!”
D.G. took a deep breath, every day for the past week Tutor and Glitch, mostly Tutor, had been telling her facts about her life. “But I don't remember what that look looks like. Other then the time right before the witch, I don't remember any of it.”
Glitch knelt down next to her, “The mind is a tricky thing. Sometimes if I can't remember something, I'll try to guess.”
“Guess?”
“Imagine how it was, D.G.” Glitch smiled widely, “Your long-forgotten past!”
Tutor cleared his throat and pulled out a chart with a long list of names printed on it. Next, you must memorize the names of the royalty.” Pointing to a name on a side branch he said, “Now here we have Kropotkin.”
Glitch leaned in and whispered, “ Shot Potemkin, in the buttkin.”
D.G. choked back the laugh that was swelling up in her.
“And dear old uncle Vanya.” Tutor continued.
“The man loved his vodka.”
“Now then.” Tutor poked Glitch with the pointer. “The Baron Pushkin...” He looked at D.G.
Not a quiz! “He was...?” Crap!
Beside her Glitch piped up, “Short! Ow!”
Tutor poked him with the pointer again. “Count Anatoly.”
“Had a... ?” She knew this one.
“Wart! Ow!” This time it was D.G. who poked Glitch
“Count Sergei?”
D.G. didn't even had a chance to open her mouth before Glitch said, “Wore a feathered hat.”
“I hear he's gotten very fat.” It was Tutors laughing response that let D.G. know that the lesson was over for the morning. She stood up and brushed her pants off. As she walked away from the two men she yelled over her shoulder, “And I recall his yellow cat!”
A smile spread over Tutors face. “I don't believe we told her that.”
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The next day found D.G. in the dinning room going over table manners. Word had come that an envoy from I. X. would be coming next week. So Tutor was forgoing the history for a more, practical, subject matter.
“Now, elbows in and sit up straight.”
D.G. felt like a doll at a tea party, being poked and prodded into the proper form.
“And never slurp the stroganoff.”
D.G. could feel her nose scrunch, “I never cared for stroganoff.”
“Well, it's the national dish of the Inner Xerotes, so you'll have to eat it.”
D.G. scrunched her nose again, “And what's up with the name? Xerotes?”
Tutor let out a sigh, “Xerotes means not being covered by a liquid.”
“Wait, they're islands?” D.G. let her head fall into her hand. “Why does everything have to be so wordy. It can't be a projector, it's a trans-dimensional time loop. It's not an island, it's a xerote!” She took a deep breath and looked up at Tutor. “And then you wonder why I'm having sure a hard time.”
Tutor brushed off her rant, “The Samovar will come out after the main course, but before the caviar.”
“Then dessert and goodnight?” D.G. asked, there was hope after all!
“Not until you get this right.” D.G. let out a groan.
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After that lovely day trapped in the dinning room with Tutor D.G. thought that having Glitch teach her would be a blast. God was she wrong.
“All right...I'm ready.” She said as she came out of her room wearing the fluffiest dress she had ever seen.
Glitch eyed her critically, “Now, shoulders back and stand up tall.”
D.G. took a deep breath, then walked down the stairs for the hundredth time that day.
“Again.” Glitch said and sent her back up.
“Stupid dress, stupid envoy, stupid stairs.” She was so lost in her grumbling she almost walked into the man standing at the top.
“Hey there princess.” Cain started to cough and brought a fist up to his mouth. “That's some dress.”
“Shove it.”
“And this time do not walk, but try to float!” Glitch's voice yelled up to her.
D.G. turned to start down the stairs, again, when she was surprised by Cain offering her his arm. Blushing she placed her hand on his forearm and they started the trek down.
“I feel a little foolish.” D.G. admitted after a few steps. “You'll do fine.” Cain replied.
“Am I floating?” She asked as she glanced to the side so she could see Cain's face. The tips of his ears were pink. “Like a little boat.”
They reached the bottom and D.G. was waiting for Glitch to tell her to go back up. But instead Glitch poked Cain, “You give a bow.”
Cain bent from the waist as he flipped his arm so he was holding D.G.'s hand. D.G.'s mind went blank. She turned to Glitch,“What happens now?” she asked.
“Your hand receives a kiss!” Glitch said and D.G. looked back at Cain. She caught his eyes, and right before his lips touched her hand, he winked at her and whispered. “If I can learn to do it, you can learn to do it too.”
Comments are love!!! Really!
D.G.'s head felt like it was going to explode, for the last few weeks Tutor and Glitch had been trying to catch her up on fifteen years of history and deportment lessons.
“You were born in a palace by the sea.” Tutor said.
“A palace by the sea.” D.G. echoed him, “Can it be?”
Oh it was official. She was rhyming, exploding head was the next step.
Tutor raised an eyebrow, “Yes, that's right.” He went on to the next step in her timeline, “You rode horseback when you were only three.”
“Horseback riding?” Did the man not remember any of that ride from the Gray Gale to the Witch's Tower? “Me?”
“The horse, he was... um... um... white!” Glitch stood up and shook his head for a second. “You made faces and terrorized the cook!” He said proud of two recalled memories in a row.
D.G. put a look of mock horror on her face, “Was I wild?”
Glitch knocked her on the chin, “You wrote the book, doll.”
Tutor was quick to cut in, “But you'd behave when your father gave that look!”
D.G. took a deep breath, every day for the past week Tutor and Glitch, mostly Tutor, had been telling her facts about her life. “But I don't remember what that look looks like. Other then the time right before the witch, I don't remember any of it.”
Glitch knelt down next to her, “The mind is a tricky thing. Sometimes if I can't remember something, I'll try to guess.”
“Guess?”
“Imagine how it was, D.G.” Glitch smiled widely, “Your long-forgotten past!”
Tutor cleared his throat and pulled out a chart with a long list of names printed on it. Next, you must memorize the names of the royalty.” Pointing to a name on a side branch he said, “Now here we have Kropotkin.”
Glitch leaned in and whispered, “ Shot Potemkin, in the buttkin.”
D.G. choked back the laugh that was swelling up in her.
“And dear old uncle Vanya.” Tutor continued.
“The man loved his vodka.”
“Now then.” Tutor poked Glitch with the pointer. “The Baron Pushkin...” He looked at D.G.
Not a quiz! “He was...?” Crap!
Beside her Glitch piped up, “Short! Ow!”
Tutor poked him with the pointer again. “Count Anatoly.”
“Had a... ?” She knew this one.
“Wart! Ow!” This time it was D.G. who poked Glitch
“Count Sergei?”
D.G. didn't even had a chance to open her mouth before Glitch said, “Wore a feathered hat.”
“I hear he's gotten very fat.” It was Tutors laughing response that let D.G. know that the lesson was over for the morning. She stood up and brushed her pants off. As she walked away from the two men she yelled over her shoulder, “And I recall his yellow cat!”
A smile spread over Tutors face. “I don't believe we told her that.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next day found D.G. in the dinning room going over table manners. Word had come that an envoy from I. X. would be coming next week. So Tutor was forgoing the history for a more, practical, subject matter.
“Now, elbows in and sit up straight.”
D.G. felt like a doll at a tea party, being poked and prodded into the proper form.
“And never slurp the stroganoff.”
D.G. could feel her nose scrunch, “I never cared for stroganoff.”
“Well, it's the national dish of the Inner Xerotes, so you'll have to eat it.”
D.G. scrunched her nose again, “And what's up with the name? Xerotes?”
Tutor let out a sigh, “Xerotes means not being covered by a liquid.”
“Wait, they're islands?” D.G. let her head fall into her hand. “Why does everything have to be so wordy. It can't be a projector, it's a trans-dimensional time loop. It's not an island, it's a xerote!” She took a deep breath and looked up at Tutor. “And then you wonder why I'm having sure a hard time.”
Tutor brushed off her rant, “The Samovar will come out after the main course, but before the caviar.”
“Then dessert and goodnight?” D.G. asked, there was hope after all!
“Not until you get this right.” D.G. let out a groan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After that lovely day trapped in the dinning room with Tutor D.G. thought that having Glitch teach her would be a blast. God was she wrong.
“All right...I'm ready.” She said as she came out of her room wearing the fluffiest dress she had ever seen.
Glitch eyed her critically, “Now, shoulders back and stand up tall.”
D.G. took a deep breath, then walked down the stairs for the hundredth time that day.
“Again.” Glitch said and sent her back up.
“Stupid dress, stupid envoy, stupid stairs.” She was so lost in her grumbling she almost walked into the man standing at the top.
“Hey there princess.” Cain started to cough and brought a fist up to his mouth. “That's some dress.”
“Shove it.”
“And this time do not walk, but try to float!” Glitch's voice yelled up to her.
D.G. turned to start down the stairs, again, when she was surprised by Cain offering her his arm. Blushing she placed her hand on his forearm and they started the trek down.
“I feel a little foolish.” D.G. admitted after a few steps. “You'll do fine.” Cain replied.
“Am I floating?” She asked as she glanced to the side so she could see Cain's face. The tips of his ears were pink. “Like a little boat.”
They reached the bottom and D.G. was waiting for Glitch to tell her to go back up. But instead Glitch poked Cain, “You give a bow.”
Cain bent from the waist as he flipped his arm so he was holding D.G.'s hand. D.G.'s mind went blank. She turned to Glitch,“What happens now?” she asked.
“Your hand receives a kiss!” Glitch said and D.G. looked back at Cain. She caught his eyes, and right before his lips touched her hand, he winked at her and whispered. “If I can learn to do it, you can learn to do it too.”
Comments are love!!! Really!