Winter home. (Dar and Nornir)

Annie followed Jemmy and Marleigh to the instructor, using her ski poles to push herself along. Kasha stayed in Annie's pocket as he helped her pick up the concepts he taught. Between the two of them they picked up the basics pretty fast. Then came the bunny slope, the part where she actually had to put to use what she was taught. Jemmy went first, doing well to demonstrate the right way to ski. Then came Annie's turn. "Okay...here I go!" She started down the hill, and had to stop once to keep from running into a flag, but other than that did really well.

Kasha's mindset had gone back into cute-mode, and he we mentally squealing as they glided down the hill. ("OMYGOSH THIS IS LIKE FLYING ON THE GROUND!!!" ) Annie laughed at his excitement as she came to the bottom, bumping into the instructor (she was still working on how to stop) and smiling at him and Jemmy. "That was so much fun!! Can we do that again after Marleigh goes too?" She had pretty much made up her mind after that she liked skiing. It was easily 10 times better than sledding. She looked up the hill at Marliegh and called out to her. "Your turn Marleigh!" Sensing that Marleigh had some experience with skiing, she watched to see how well she could ski, and maybe learn from her movements.

Truthfully, Marleigh was already beyond the level of the beginner's hill, but in the spirit of having a good time with the little ones, she decided to take the same course. She listened as the instructor gave his lecture. It was a good experience. She was certain she would not have been able to give the same instructions as well as he did. It was the right choice to have sought him out.

She watched as the lesson moved on to actual practice. Jemmy did very well for someone skiing for the first time. She moved at constant speed and turned at just the right moments. It was times like this that reminded Marleigh that they were not ordinary little girls. Annie went next. Although her run was not as smooth as Jemmy's, having needed to stop avoid a flag, she completed the rest with no further interruptions. Marleigh clapped at the end of each of their runs for a job well done.

Finally it was Marleigh's turn. Not wanting to overdo things, she decided to take it easy and go at a slower pace than what she was capable of. Her run was just a little bit faster than Jemmy's, weaving through the flags with ease.

"Not a first timer huh?" The instructor commented at the end of her run. "You should move to the intermediate hill. I can watch the kids for you."

"No sir, it is my duty to look after them. And it would defeat the purpose of going together on this trip if we went skiing separately." She replied politely. "Besides, this is technically my first time as well skiing on a snowless hill."

Annie passed the test, only needing to slow down once. Annie expressed how much fun she was having, and said she was excited to go again. Jemmy patted Annie on the shoulder. "You did it, Annie! You skied. Yeah, we can do this as long as you want."

Jemmy watched Marleigh ski down the hill. As always, the maid was perfect, and went around the flags flawlessly. The instructor suggested that she move on to the intermediate hill, but Marleigh decided to stay with the girls. That made Jemmy happy. "Then we'll just have to get good enough to move up," she said. "Come on, Annie, let's go again."

As she rushed back up the hill, Jemmy sent a telepathic message to Kasha. 'I'm sorry about earlier. I promise that I won't ever hurt Annie.'

She looked over at Annie and smiled widely. "You're like my sister, Annie. I'm really glad I met you, and that we're friends."

When she reached the top of the hill, Jemmy skied down it again, going around the flags one more time. This time she missed one of the flags, but she didn't care. She had already proven herself. The rush of moving so fast down the hill was exhilarating.

Annie smiled at Jemmy's encouragement, and taking Marleigh's hand started up the hill with them. She was glad Marleigh wanted to stay together, and tugged her along excitedly. "Come on Marleigh! I wanna get as good as you and Jemmy are!"

As they went back up and Kasha received the message from Jemmy, he responded back; still in the cute mindset, yet meaning his words. ("I forgive you; and I'm sorry too for making you angry. I promise that just like you won't hurt her, I won't hurt you." ) Kasha blinked, then thought for a moment. ("Unless we end up sparring for some reason..." ) Kasha thought this because he wondered if he and Jemmy would ever fight to test each other's abilities or for practice. If they did, they would have nothing to worry about. Jemmy could regenerate pretty much endlessly, and Kasha could likewise reform from any damage he took. So as long as Annie and Jemmy's balloon stayed well away from it there should be no problem if they had a friendly fight.

Jemmy said that Annie was like a sister to her, and she looked at Jemmy in slight surprise. She'd never had a sister before...or anything very close to one. She smiled at what Jemmy said, taking it to heart. "I'm glad I met you too Jemmy. Thank you for being my friend." She took Jemmy's hand, and looked up to Marleigh. "And thank you too Marleigh." Annie was happy...happy to be under the care of two people that loved her, even if she HAD just met Marleigh. She would go down the bunny hill at least two more times before she decided she was ready to try something a little harder.

Marleigh smiled to acknowledge their enthusiasm. Meanwhile the instructor had a neutral "suit yourself" expression on his face before continuing to watch over the kids. To his surprise though, they were really quick learners. He occasionally gave tips here and there which the two picked up without much trouble. At the rate they were going, they might just be ready for the bigger hill in the next hour.

Marleigh of course noticed this as well. She was quite happy to see that they were progressing nicely with the lessons. But even as they had fun, Marleigh also paid attention to their condition. While Jemmy was a cosmic being, as far as Marleigh knew, Annie was your typical human girl. If the bowling they did earlier tired her out, then it was only right to think that skiing was even more physically taxing for her. It would be bad if she got hurt from overdoing it. In Marleigh's opinion, the instructor should have taken this into consideration as well, but then again he might have been too distracted by how great the girls were doing.

As Jemmy and Annie completed one more run, Marleigh clapped her hands to get their attention.

"You two were great out there, but I think it is about time we had a little break."

Marleigh's words snapped the instructor back to reality. The expression on his face showed that he too just realized they had been at it for a while without stopping.

"There is a rest house just over there where you can get food and drinks. I'll let my buddy on the intermediate hill know that you girls are clear to give it a try but with close supervision. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay today."

When the man left to attend to other visitors, Marleigh helped the girls take off their skis for now so that they could walk over to the rest house.

'Sparring?' Jemmy asked Kasha telepathically. 'What is that? Why would we fight each other for no reason?'

Annie said that she was happy to be Jemmy's friend, and Jemmy had a sudden realization. When they had first met, Jemmy had threatened Annie into being friends with her. But she wasn't doing that any more. At least, she wasn't intending to do that any more. She wondered if Annie was still just being her friend because she didn't want to die?

No. She could read Annie's mind, and no such thought had crossed it. Annie was actually here because she wanted to be. Just like Rain, Annie simply liked Jemmy for no particular reason. That made Jemmy feel warm inside. She was actually a likeable person! She knew it would be difficult, but she was willing to try to be good for the sake of her friends.

The two girls kept improving, becoming more and more competent on the bunny hill. Eventually, Marleigh clapped her hands and suggested they take a break. That was probably a good idea. Annie had been tired after bowling, and this was a lot more work than bowling.

The instructor said that they were ready for the intermediate hill. Jemmy was almost bouncing with energy. "Did you hear that, Annie? After the break we get to go on the big hill."

Marleigh helped get their skis off, and they headed towards the rest house. "I think this is the most fun I've ever had."

Going inside, Jemmy ordered a hot cocoa. She wasn't worried about spoiling her dinner. She could eat gallons of ice cream in a single day without any ill effects. Sitting down at a table, she looked at Marleigh. "Hey Marleigh, why do you just want to take care of other people? Don't you want to do things for yourself? Do you ever get tired of being a maid?"

Kasha blinked and wasn't really sure how to respond to Jemmy. ("I dunno. Fun? Practice? Settle a dispute? I dunno why we would spar, but it might happen someday. I won't fight you if you're not okay with it though.")

Marleigh and Jemmy were right in that after a while Annie did start to get tired, though the bowling had only worn out her arms. At this point she was ready for a break and smiled to Marleigh. "Thanks Marleigh...you're really great at this too." She walked in with them, and thanked Marleigh for the help getting her skis off. Annie had to agree that this was a lot of fun. She was certainly glad to be here, and with Jemmy and Marleigh here to have fun with her, it was that much better.

Once inside she decided Jemmy had a good idea ordering hot cocoa and did likewise. It would be tasty and help her warm up at the same time. When they sat down, Jemmy had asked Marleigh a question. Actually...it was a question that Annie had wanted to know too, and she looked and listened to what her response would be. Marleigh seemed to do a lot of things without much consideration for herself. She didn't know much about Marleigh, but she knew she wanted to. They were going to be living together after all.

The trio made their way to the rest house to take a break. The two girls decided to get some hot cocoa and so Marleigh followed suit. She took a sip of her drink, unconsciously evaluating it. It was not bad at all, though perhaps a little simple. As they were sitting down talking, Jemmy shot her a question that she did not expect. Not from the princess anyway. It was a query Marleigh had not heard in a long time. Being around godly beings for most of her life, it was very rare for any of them to show interest in the personal affairs of a mortal turned saint.

"Well, the simple straight answer would be that it is fulfilling. You see, for me, the greatest enemies of immortality and everlasting existence are boredom and loneliness. As a maid, I will always find chances to do and experience new things, and I will always be in the company and service of others."

"The latter point is important. Company on its own may not necessarily be good. But by being in the service of others, I make them happy and thus have good company. As they say, what goes around, comes around."

She took another sip of her drink before continuing.

"I do not think I will ever grow tired of it. A long time ago, being a maid was the only thing I knew how to do. But after years and years, I realized that being a maid was actually my gateway to the world. There will always be different masters with different tastes, different needs, and different circumstances. And so there will always be opportunities for me to try out different things. It is a job yes, but it is also a way of life."

She did not mean to get all philosophical about it but when it came to talking about maids, Marleigh could not help but speak highly of the profession.

Jemmy took a sip of her hot cocoa. Marleigh liked making other people happy. That was most of what Jemmy got out of it. She also said that it was always interesting being a maid to gods. She had experienced and learned a lot over the years. Jemmy wondered how old Marleigh actually was, but thought it would be rude to ask.

They had a grand time skiing that day. The girls went sliding down many hills side by side, laughing the whole time. Eventually, even Jemmy got tired, and they returned their gear before heading back to the car. Now it was time to go to the restaurant.

Upon entering the restaurant, they were taken to their seats by a waiter in a fancy outfit. Come to think of it, everything here was fancy. Jemmy hadn't been in a place this fancy since...well, it had been at least a century. She kinda liked being here, though. It made her feel special.

Jemmy looked at the menu. It had a lot of big words that she didn't understand. She started asking Marleigh what some of the Italian words meant. Staring at the menu, she started looking desperately for macaroni and cheese. Not finding it, she looked to Marleigh again and whispered. "Are any of these things gross? I don't want to order something icky."

Annie and Kasha listened to Marleigh's explanation, and it made sense to them. It was her job; a job that served to give her something to do, as well as giving her a purpose for living. It was a task that was not unpleasant, and allowed her to remain on the company of others in order to aid them and to give her someone to converse and socialize with and give her a form of companionship.

Kasha could relate to this almost perfectly. Just as it was Marleigh's duty to be a maid to whomever employed her, it was Kasha's duty to protect and care for his own mistress, Annie. She gave him a purpose for living, was someone to keep her company as well as keep him company, gave him a sense of accomplishment as well as someone to love and be loved by. After hearing Marleigh explain all this, Kasha's respect for her strengthened.

Annie had a lot of fun throughout the rest of the ski trip, and was happy that everyone else did too. She was so glad Marleigh suggested this; it was such and enjoyable day. Now they were starting to settle down, finding a nice restaurant to relax and enjoy dinner at. Annie didn't recognize a lot of the words, and Kasha poked his head out of Annie's front pocket to look at the menu and help her figure out what's what.

Meanwhile...three new costumers happened to enter the restaurant. But these weren't any ordinary costumers. One man may have been recognizable as The Dog, a big-time, meta-human mafia boss. With his were his two favored bodyguards. This just happened to be his favorite Italian restaurant. He looked over, and seeing Annie, Jemmy, and Marleigh in his favorite seating booth, whispered to his body guards. Annie blinked and looked up, having felt them glare at her and her friends. Kasha also looked, feeling that the three were deciding on how to handle this....intrusion.

As soon as they finished their break, they went back to the slopes. If anyone saw the two girls skiing, they probably would not believe that it was their first time doing so that day. The rest of the afternoon went by like a blur. Before long they were returning their gear and were back in the car, heading towards their next destination. Unlike the last two places, Marleigh actually knew the fine dining district of the city fairly well. Thinking they should end the day in grand style, they decided to go to a fancy Italian restaurant. They had more than enough to afford it.

Upon entering, a waiter showed them to their seats and presented them with menus. Jemmy requested Marleigh's help in understanding it. As expected of a fancy Italian restaurant, everything on the menu was in Italian. Normally, even Marleigh would not call herself learned in the language, but in this situation, they were talking about food. And that was something she knew quite a lot about. Most of the dishes were quite familiar and standard for a real Italian restaurant. Marleigh described to Jemmy each dish she pointed out, including what the name meant.

The Princess then asked if any of the dishes were gross. In all honesty, Marleigh was not the type to call fancy food gross, but it dawned on her that aside from sweet things, there was not much she knew about Jemmy's tastes. Perhaps she could use tonight to get a little more insight about it.

"Most of these dishes are good. Though if you are not sure, I recommend to go with the classic spaghetti and meatballs. They seem to have the option to have it with the traditional sour source or sweet sauce."

Marleigh pointed out the item in the menu and then looked over to Annie's side if she needed help with ordering as well. But before she could offer assistance, she quickly noticed two intimidating-looking men clearly walking in their direction. She made eye-contact with the thugs, making it clear they were their "targets". Not wanting to have their evening ruined, Marleigh stood up to intercept them just as they stopped near their table. Standing between them and the girls, she spoke.

"What can I do for you gentlemen?"

Behind her, a couple of waiters had panicked looks on their faces. Marleigh did not know who she was speaking to, but clearly the waiters did.

Marleigh explained to Jemmy what all the things on the menu were, and assured her that at least most of them were really tasty. The maid suggested spaghetti and meatballs, and noted that there was a choice of both sour and sweet sauce. That would be an easy choice. Sweet, of course. Jemmy thought back, but she couldn't remember ever having spaghetti before. Tonight would be the first time.

Jemmy was so focused on the menu that she noticed the sense of fear filling the room before looking up to see The Dog and his two bodyguards. The waiters sure seemed afraid of him, and Jemmy read their minds to find out why. Apparently, he was a ruthless mob boss with superpowers of his own. Jemmy, Annie, and Marleigh were sitting in his favorite seat, and The Dog wasn't happy about that.

The obvious and simple answer would be for Jemmy and her friends to move to another table. But nobody told Jemmy what to do or where to sit. All the waiters may have thought The Dog was the most dangerous person in the building, but that was not the case. Jemmy was the only one they should have been concerned about.

"We're in his table," Jemmy explained, grabbing a knife off the table and standing up on her seat. Her familiar had once again taken the form of a balloon upon entering the restaurant, and it rested safely against the ceiling, staying out of danger. Jemmy looked The Dog in the eye. "But it's my table now, and I'm not giving it up. Can I kill them, Annie?" Jemmy wasn't about to let these mobsters ruin their wonderful day. Metahuman or not, The Dog was no threat to her, and she would prove it with blood.

Annie and Kasha watched as Marleigh moved to intercept the bodyguards and asked what they wanted; but before they could even reply, Jemmy answered the question for them. Annie set down the menu, picking Kasha up instead and holding to him tightly while he remained ready to put up a shield to protect Annie at any time. The tall and bald of the two bodygaurds narrowed his eyes at Jemmy, while the shorter, well built man responded to Jemmy, giving her a look. "Just who do ya think you are, huh? All's we did was walk ovah' and here ya come at us wif a knife ask'n ta kill us?" He then looked to Marleigh. "Listen miss; if you know what's good for ya you'll take ya kids and beat it. Boss's havin a rough enough day as it is and we ain't in the mood to be dealin with some little brat that don't know when ta keep her yap shut. Now if you will kindly be on your way...they'll be no trouble; kapeish?"

Annie didn't know how to respond to what Jemmy said... She was asking her for permission to kill them? Annie found herself unable to respond...so instead Kasha looked to Jemmy and responded for her telepathically. ("You do what you will, Jemmy. I understand it is your responsibility to enact chaos, and I will not try to stop you. I ask that you go fully either one way or the other; either kill them all or do not start a fight. But understand this little Lord Of Chaos; you have the option to walk away from this, and so will be fully responsible for any damage that comes to Annie should you fight. I will protect her from physical harm, but I am not always as good at protecting her from psychological harm. Witnessing the death of at least three people, innocent or not, will not be pleasant to say the least; especially for a telepath. Also the mob family may be angered by this and attempt to retaliate; so I ask you to consider the outcomes before you take a course of action. However, this is your choice, and again I say; do what you will, Jemmy.")

Annie didn't really like what Kasha said, but didn't argue with him. She knew Kasha was wise and would go with whatever he said. She hoped Jemmy didn't start a fight, but she understood from Kasha that Jemmy had to do chaotic things sometimes. In the end, she made up her mind that she would trust Jemmy, Marleigh, and Kasha to protect her and do what was best.

"Oh dear..."

That reaction accurately summed up Marleigh's feelings about the situation. Was there any chance of salvaging the situation? The princess was holding a knife and asking for permission to kill. So in all likelihood, probably not, unless maybe Annie said something. But she did not, causing Marleigh to sigh. The antagonizing tone of the man who spoke did not help the situation either. Marleigh could already sense the apologies she would have to make once this was all over.

She cleared her throat. "Yes, well I am sorry to hear your boss had a rough day. And unfortunately, it may get even rougher. Please try to understand and heed my words when I say that for your own good, you should find another table. A little 'trouble' is the least of your problems at this point."

She figured it was only fair that she gave them a warning. They did no know who they were dealing with after all. She bowed and walked over to Annie's side, holding her hand. While Marleigh was sure Jemmy was someone to be taken seriously, she did not know anything about Annie or if she was special in any way. So at the moment, Marleigh felt she needed to stand by her the most. She was not expecting the men to actually back off from her warning, though it would be a welcome miracle if it did. In anything but the best case scenario, she was certain she would end up having to clean up a mess.

'Don't worry,' Jemmy said telepathically to both Kasha and Annie. 'I will protect my little sister. Close your eyes, Annie.' Even with the girl's eyes shut, Jemmy realized she would still be able to hear the fighting. She would try to take care of that.

Marleigh warned the mobsters to just leave now, while they still had a chance to live. Jemmy smiled. It was worth employing Marleigh to simply have her say stuff like that before a fight. It made Jemmy feel important, like a force to be feared, and she liked that.

Of course, the mobsters were not backing off. Foolishly, they were ignoring Marleigh's words of warning, and it would be their deaths.

Jemmy's smile grew impossibly wide and revealed sharp, pointy teeth. "Let's take this outside." Her eyes glowed a brilliant orange, and then she disappeared from sight. She had teleported behind The Dog, and was now reaching out to touch him. She could have tried stabbing him in the back with the knife, but she chose not to. Instead, she would lightly tough The Dog's back and teleport both of them onto the street, just outside the building. She would immediately teleport back inside, touch both of his bodyguards, and teleport them outside with her. Finally, she would teleport about thirty feet away from the three mobsters, still grinning with evil intent. She held the knife in one hand, ready for action. Her balloon had also teleported outside with her, and was hovering perfectly still about thirty feet in the air.

"You see, I wasn't in your seat. You were in my world." Jemmy would teleport again, behind The Dog. She would stab the small knife at his thigh, hoping to make the big man bleed as well as cripple him.