Well, originally Joan was going to be Vizh's bodyguard for his ambassadorial missions, but that whole spin on Vizh was pushed off a bit. Once things settle, then I may take it up again, but in the meantime this gives Joan something to do without forcing her into other stories.




I'm afraid he didn't much faze Camellia on their last encounter, after she originally snatched Naari in the assault when the Willow was destroyed. I figure he's got something to prove now.



We've heard mention of the Gabbo before. His origins, like many such things, can be traced back to a chartroom session. In that one Al was waxing on about something called "cricket". It seemed to be mostly gibberish, but I think I got the gist...




"Ugh... men and baseball statistics" the holographic woman moaned, ruffling her son's already mussed up hair. "Honey, I'm made out of numbers, and even I find baseball stats boring."

"Oh. Well, I also know some cricket ones" he offered. "The Great Wooly Gabbo is teaching me the game."

"Um..." she blinked. "The great what now?"

"He's the bunyip who lives in the linen closet on the second floor." Griffin explained.

Hallie raised an eyebrow. "There's a bunyip in our second floor linen closet?"

"Sometimes" the boy confirmed. "Ms. Ebony says his lair is only there on the 12th weekend of every Derleth lunar month, according to the Pamaelian calendar. Dad was going to complain, but apparently he has a lease."

"There's a cricket-playing bunyip who timeshares the Lighthouse's second floor linen closet?"

"It's okay" Griffin ensured her. "Ms. Ebony says he's a fine sort, provided you don't lend him money on account of his gambling problem."

"I... That's..." She paused then sighed. "Right. I wasn't planning on it anyway. Did this bunyip have anything else to say?"

"He says we shouldn't use fabric softener on the towels" Griffin advised. "It makes them less absorbent."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "The man couldn't just hire a real-estate agent to get him a new condo, oh no..." she sighed to herself.