Friends Old and New P1

All three sylphs turned to face the window as the car drove up.

“They’re here!” Electra cried. Cher turned off the television and stood uncomfortably on the counter.

Delli waved and went to sit in the set. Conrad wouldn’t let her be naked in front of guests with small children, but still wouldn’t force her to wear clothes.

She’d watch TV during the visit.

Conrad opened the door and welcomed Chip, Xander, Chrissy and cooed over the baby, Raven.

Xander, the five-year-old, was instantly bored with the host and looking around the room.

“XANDER!” Electra screamed through her bullhorn. “Come over here, kid!”

“Aunt Lectra!” he cheered, running into the living room.

“How’s my favorite godson!” she asked, putting the horn down when he approached.

He stood by the counter with his head turned to the side, just like she’d trained him to do. “I’m good!” he told her. She glommed onto his cheek and hugged him. “Who’s that?”

“That’s Cher,” Electra said. “He’s my favorite hairdresser.”

“For the show?”

“Exactly!” Electra said. “You’re pretty smart.”

“Mom says I get that from Dad. Dad says I get it from Mom.”

“You know they’re both pretty smart, right?” she asked. He nodded. “So, what’s it like, having a sister?”

“All she does it poop,” he complained.

“No, she doesn’t,” Electra replied.

“Yes, she does!” he insisted.

“No, she doesn’t,” Electra replied.

“Yes, she does!” he insisted.

“I haven’t been five for a long time,” Cher said. “Is this going to go on for long?” “No,” Electra said. She turned to Xander. “I’ll bet she also pees.”

“Oh. Yeah. All she does is poop and pee.”

“Xander?” Electra asked, as if letting him know a big secret.

“What?”

“Do you know what YOU did five years ago?”

“Noooo?”

“You pooped and you peed.”

“No, I didn’t,” Xander replied.

“Yes, you did,” she insisted.

“No, I didn’t,” Xander replied.

“Yes, you did,” she insisted.

“I STILL haven’t been five for a long time,” Cher said. Everyone laughed at that.

The giants came into the living room and sat at the couch and easy-chair. “Who’s this?” Chip asked.

“Never mind me,” Cher said, “introduce the baby before Electa explodes.”

Chrissy leaned over and pulled a corner of the blanket back.

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE,” Electra said. “She looks JUST LIKE you, Chip!”

“The poor thing,” Chip said, but with a proud smile.

“I look like my Mom,” Xander had to point out.

“Yes, you do,” Electra said, “and you have since the day we met.” He beamed at that and started looking at the television.

Conrad glanced at the parents and waved the TV remote. They approved and he turned on kids programming. Xander watched that as the adults discussed Raven.

After she’d been properly introduced and fawned over, Electra introduced Cher. He explained how he’d chosen that name and why. Then Chrissy looked around the room curiously.

“Don’t you have…three sylphs?”

“Yes,” Conrad said, “but Ghirardelli would rather not wear clothes, so she’ll be sitting out the visit.”

“Really?” Chip asked. “Because we were going to take everyone to Marie Calendar’s for dinner.”

Conrad slapped his hands to his cheeks and mouthed, ‘Marie Calendar’s?!’ Then he pantomimed running, grabbed something off of an invisble hanger, pretended to throw a dress or tunic on over his shoulders, ran some more, and dramatically pointed his hand at the front door of the set.

At the very instant he pointed, Delli stepped onto the porch, wearing a bright blue dashiki dress. “Oh, are the guests here already?” she asked innocently.

“He’s never been inside the set,” Cher said softly to Electra, “but he knows exactly how many steps she just took.”

“He’s smart about people,” Electra smiled. “His brain isn’t filled up with facts or numbers.”

“Or history, law, politics… the name of the current president,” Cher agreed.

Conrad introduced Ghirardelli to the Obriens as his reputation was being savaged by the other sylphs.

“That’s such a pretty dress,” Chrissy said. “Did you make it?”

“I did! I’m Electra’s dress maker.”

“She always looks beautiful on the show.”

“Thank you very much!” Delli turned to Conrad. “Your friends have good taste.”

“Well, there’s a reason they’re our friends,” he replied.

Xander turned from the TV to see the brightly colored sylph. He turned to Chrissy. “Mom, can I hold the pretty sylph?”

“What did we say about that, Xander?” Chrissy asked.

“Ask the sylph,” Xander replied. They stared at each other for a moment. “OH!” He stood and walked to the counter. “Aunt Lectra, can I hold the pretty sylph?”

“You haven’t held ME yet!” Electra protested.

Xander immediately raised his hands and cupped them around Electra. Then he paused. “Aunt Lectra, can I hold you?”

“If you’re careful,” she said, stepping into his hand. He held her carefully, not moving, hardly daring to breathe. He stared closely at her, one thumb brushing her hair.

She stroked his hand and smiled. He put her back down where he got her and smiled. “Can I hold the pretty sylph?”

“Ask Ghirardelli if you can pick her up,” Electra said.

“What’s a gear hard elly?” he asked.

“I am,” Delli said.

“Okay,” he stepped over. He took after Chrissy, so he was tall for being five. He loomed over the sylph. She didn’t look thrilled at his proximity. “Can I pick you up?”

“Would you rather pick me up, or not have to call me Ghirardelli?” she asked.

“What would I call you?” he asked.

“He’s quick,” Conrad said. “Don’t sign a contract until you’ve read it.”

“That he gets from Chrissy,” Chip said. “You should hear him debate bedtime.”

Xander chose the simpler nickname over the privilege of holding the other sylphs. Cher and Delli relaxed.

-----

The guests had driven all the way from Coeur d’Alene, so Conrad offered to drive to the restaurant.

Electra rode in the cupholder next to Xander’s seat. The other sylphs rode in the sylph mount on the dashboard of the Tantive IV-C.

At Marie Calendar’s, they asked for a sylph-friendly table. Since Xander was holding Electra in cupped hands, the waitress didn’t bother to ask if they were having Passion Pie.

Chip lifted his son over the table so he could gently lower the sylph into the conversation pit in the center. Conrad moved Cher and Delli over while Chrissy set the baby’s car seat in the chair next to her.

Electra helped Xander decide on the perfect choice from the kids’ menu, trusting the other sylphs to order a plate for the three of them.

After the waitress left, they let Xander make his announcement. “Mom and Dad say that I can get a sylph!”

“Oh! Really?” Conrad asked.

“If Aunt Lectra says it’s okay,” he added.

“I… What?” Electra asked in a stunned tone.

“We figure,” Chip explained, “that owning a sylph would be good for Xander. I mean, look what it’s done to Conrad.”

“FOR,” Conrad corrected him. “What it’s done FOR Conrad.” Chip stared at him for a moment, blinking.

“Anyway, he’ll have responsibility, and he has to be careful, but we have to wonder what you think?” he asked Electra.

Chrissy leaned over to pet Electra where she stood. “We were thinking of getting a Rescued sylph. Some of the stories on your show are so sad, we want to help.”

“Um…” Electra said. “Xander’s been very gentle…”

“Ahem.” Everyone turned to see Cher climbing up out of the pit. “Could… Would you mind? Can I…?”

“Please,” Chrissy invited.

“Rescue sylphs are a lot of work, really,” he said. He held hands up to Chip and Chrissy. “Not that I don’t think you’re up to the task, or generous enough, or good people.

“Conrad and Electra spend a lot of time talking you up, and Electra couldn’t be any more proud of her little buddy, there.

“But… Well, it’s not like the movies, where they beat up a bad guy and tell the sylph ‘bad people stopped, now you get loving family.’ There are lasting issues. Some weird minefields in their emotions.

“Imagine raising two beautiful children AND having a recovering meth addict in the house.”

Everyone winced.

“You might consider something else,” Delli said. She stepped up beside Cher and came around him.

“What’s that?” Chip asked.

“Some sylphs get a really bad reputation they don’t deserve,” she explained. “Like Passion Cake sylphs? No one wants one after they’ve worked… that job. They think that all the sylph wants to do after that is… that.” “I would think they were all… Thated out,” Conrad said.

“Not a word,” Electra said, but softly.

“We’ll allow it,” Chrissy said. “I, uh… Maybe we could do that?” She looked to Chip.

“We could look into it,” Chip agreed with a smile.

“There’s a sylph place at the mall,” Conrad suggested. “We could see if they have some sylphs who need a loving home and won’t be more stressed than benefit from the experience.”

“And I get a sylph?” Xander asked.

“Well, you get a friend,” Electra told him. “Someone to take care of, who probably has lots of stories.”

She turned to his parents. “And, he’s super conscientious as a sylph handler. I would approve of him.”

“Thanks,” Chrissy told all of the sylphs.

-----

After a wonderful dinner, and an interactive, if nudity free, dessert, they returned to the condo and spoke of plans for the visit.

“Well,” Conrad said. “I happen to know a pair of professional babysitters who might want to spend the day with your children. If happy couple wants to go do adult things like a movie or something.”

“Didn’t we offer that on their first visit?” Electra asked. “They turned us down.”

“First kid,” Conrad replied. “They were kind of overprotective about first kids.”

“What do you know about it?” Chip laughed.

“I’m Mormon. I’m related to about seven hundred people in Idaho and Utah. I don’t have to have my own to be experienced at diapers and babysitting and kicking parents out of the house before they lose all sanity.”

“He does,” Electra said. “I’ve seen it. It’s not pretty.”

“I’d stay with you?” Xander asked Conrad cautiously.

“You’d stay with us!” Electra told him. “ME and whatshisface would spend the day with you.”

Xander found that much more satisfactory. He threw himself on Chip’s legs and begged for them to abandon him the next day.

“Well, if it won’t interfere with work,” Chip said cautiously.

“No problems there,” Conrad assured them both. “We’re actually between seasons.”



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Index