We had just arrived at Nanny's for Sunday dinner, and I was unloading the car when I noticed something moving in the front lawn.


"Um... Nori?" I gaped for a moment while my brain struggled to catch up.
"Hey!" she chirped back. She was gently patting the stone bunny, but stopped when she saw my staring.


I struggled for a moment, unable to decide where to start.
"Why are you petting the concrete bunny?" I said it before I could stop, but it was out, and her reaction was instant.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Nori asked coldly.
"Well, it just seemed a bit odd, seeing as it's, you know, concrete..." I stammered.
She looked at me with unblinking, plasticine eyes. "Your point?"
I hung my head as I said, "Never mind.."


"Oh, hey there!" Matilda said, as she sauntered over. 
"Hey, Matil..." I stopped. "OK, OK, what are you guys doing and how did you even get here?? I do not remember packing you."
"Well, that's probably because... ya didn't." Matilda pointed out. "Look, it was a gorgeous day, yesterday was good old Saint Paddy's and you did nothing with us, we decided to take matters into our own hands. We're even wearing green. Even Saffron."
I jerked around, peering over my shoulder.
"Wait, Saffron's here? Where is she?"
They shrugged. "Around."

I massaged my temples for a moment. "Guys, you can't just be out here in the front yard! People can see you! People can see me talking to you, for that matter!"
They exchanged glances. "Look, you should have thought about that when you decided to start collecting something with legs. Books are one thing, but we do not like just 'chilling' on the shelf all the time!" Matilda asserted.
"Yeah! And sometimes we like to pick out our own clothes!" chimed Nori.
"Amen to that," came a voice from somewhere.


It took me a few moments searching the yard but once spotted, Saffron was actually surprisingly nearby.
"You know you basically blend into the foliage," I grumbled. "And I didn't even get to finish that shirt yet."
She shrugged. "Eh, what do I care? It fits, it was green. I'm happy." She glanced back to the others still clustered around the bunny. "Hey, you guys should come check out the clouds. I keep finding awesome shapes; I just saw a scorpion one a few minutes ago."
Matilda called back, "No way am I rolling around down there. Can you say centipede??"
Saffron gave me a concerned glance, and I shook my head. "You're fine," I whispered.
"Well, I'll come look," Nori volunteered.


"Ooh, you are right, Saffron. I see one that looks like a chubby hippo!" she giggled.
"I think all hippos are chubby, Nori," Saffron said, but she smiled as she said it.


I turned to Matilda. "That is awfully close to the dirt, Matilda. What about the centipedes?"
"I figured at least this way I would see them coming. You've got pretty good reflexes, right?" She eyed me skeptically.
"Actually, no."
"Well, then, I think I am ready to head on inside. Did I hear you say there was going to be chicken and dumplings?"
I nodded. "But you have to call them chicken 'n' dumplins. Or else we're just going to call you a damn yankee and spit on your dessert."
"I don't really believe you, but it doesn't seem worth the risk."

She scampered off, and Nori took her place. 
"Hey, you! What happened to your cloud buddy?"
"She saw a centipede."
I stared. "Really?"
She thought for a moment. "Well, I don't know if it was a centipede, but it was a bug, and it looked pretty gross. Apparently when all hell breaks loose, Saffron is more of a 'flight' girl."
"And you?" I asked.
She smiled sheepishly. "It would seem 'fight'."
"Atta girl," I said with a pat on her head. "I'm going in to get some food. You?"

Nori glanced around for a moment, and realized it was just her, the bugs and the concrete bunny.
"Chicken 'n' dumplins, you say?"
I waggled my eyebrows enticingly. "Oh yeah."




Fin.

Things seemed to be settling into a rhythm of sorts at the house over the next few weeks. I had only broken up two or three fights, with the violence being minimal. Currently, there seemed to be a tentative kind of peace that bordered on politeness to an extreme. I preferred it to rounding up chunks of nylon hair; one of my many bouncer's duties.

So it was with mingled curiosity and nerves that I decided to peek into my bedroom upon hearing voices while walking through the hall.

"Oh, hey, Matilda," I said with a nod as I spotted Nori at the other end of the bed.

"Sup," she returned my nod with one of her own, and turned back to the card in hand. "Nori, your question is.."
I interrupted. "Hey, why is Saffron not playing? I thought Harry Potter was in her list of acceptables."

They looked at each other uncomfortably a moment before Nori cleared her throat.
"Well, she memorized all the cards one night, so..."
"We had to ban her. Flagrant rule-flouting is not acceptable," Matilda finished for her. She started reading the trivia card again.
"Kay. Your question is, 'In which Harry Potter film do we first see pixies?'."

Nori squinted her eyes and thought hard for a moment.
"Is it, 'Chamber of Secrets'?"

Matilda checked the card, opened her mouth to say, "no," and caught me looking over her shoulder. Her shoulders sagged minutely. "Yes."
"Oooh! I am doing good! And that was a steal on your turn!" her gloating ended quickly when she saw Matilda's gloom. "But... I'm not that far ahead. I'll probably blow my question anyway."

She shook the dice out, quietly muttering "come on, big money!" to herself.
"Ooh... six spaces! And it's an all-play. The plot thickens!" She turned to me. "Can you push play on the laptop? You're closer."
"Sure."

"All right, guys, all eyes toward me," I announced as I pushed the start button.

Matilda's eyes gleamed a bit frantically as she studied the screen. It was a word scramble; one of the harder ones that even I had trouble with.

"Hogwarts Express!" She crowed, triumphant,just as Nori leapt to her feet to say the same.  
Her answer was seconds behind Matilda's. You could see the competitiveness starting to spark between them, and I prepared to intervene. It would be the first time Saffron wasn't involved, but by this time, I was not sure of anything. So I tried to distract them.
"Do you guys not ever want to go outside? Matilda, there is all kinds of stuff to see!"

She gave me a withering stare.
"I just spent the last four months re-enacting life in a gypsy caravan in the late fourteenth century. I have had enough of the outdoors. This place has central heating, indoor plumbing and a well stocked fridge. I am not going anywhere!" She paused. "Except for my six spaces! Boom!" she thumped her game piece down eagerly.

Matilda cautiously slid onto the bench-box next to Nori.
"It's getting pretty close, huh?"
Nori gave her a wary glance, unsure if this was a diversionary tactic or not.
"I guess. It's your turn now."
This was followed by several lightning rounds were I was mostly preoccupied with taking control of DVD operation responsibilities.
Before I knew what was happening, the bed was a riot of noise- some more triumphant than the rest.

"It's me! I am the winner!" Nori crowed as she took a moment to celebrate.
Matilda was hastily studying the rule page. "There has to be something.... There has to..."
Nori glanced at Matilda, who seemed to be taking the loss pretty hard.
"Well," she said slowly, "As Triumphant Victorious, I believe I should win a prize!" 
Matilda looked even more grim as she continued. "And that prize is... Mani-pedi's for everyone!!"

Before anyone could even blink, she had whipped out several nail polishes and turned to me expectantly.
"Yes?" I said with a raised eyebrow.
Nori gave me a look. "Well, who else is going to do our nails?"
"You are both limited editions. Your nails are already painted," I insisted.
"But not our toenails!" She smiled broadly. 
"Oh, fine. But just one color each. I am not doing anything crazy, like polka dots or whatever," I grumbled as I started settling into my job.
"But I expect you both to tip well."


Fin.

Somehow being off work for two weeks seemed to keep me even busier than usual. We all had an excellent Christmas, and two in particular seemed to really rack in the loot this year.
I present to you: Christmas- Before & After.

(Christmas Eve Morning)

Saffron's whining broke the early quiet of Christmas Eve morning.
"Do we really have to do this??"
"Yes, Saffron," I said patiently. "I want to get a couple pictures of you all in the elf costumes I made you."
"They're itchy," she said with a squirm. "And you did something funny to one of the legs."
"There is nothing wrong with them!" I snapped. I didn't feel like mentioning that I had almost sewed one leg hole shut, and hadn't felt like fixing it.
"Well, they are a little itchy," Nori said. "But I think they're pretty."
"Thank you, Nori. I'm glad you like them." I waved with my hand. "Now lean towards the tree and smile!"

"I can't wait till this is over," Saffron said through a tight grin.
"Just smile and it will be done a lot faster," Nori said, giving Saffron a little pinch to stop her from slouching.
"That looks great guys," I said. "Aren't you getting excited for all your presents?"
"I thought the couch was our Christmas present," Nori said, giving a little bounce.
"Well, it is, sort of," I explained. "See, my in-laws got it for me, for you. And we exchanged presents yesterday, so I thought I'd just let you go ahead and use it."
"It doesn't match my outfit," Saffron pointed out.
"I know, I'm sorry! I didn't think that one through," I admitted. "C'mon you guys. We're burning daylight."


"Ok, Nori. That's perfect." I said. 
"Great. I'm going to go ride my bike while it's still pretty," she said, hopping up.
"...Ok! Have fun!" I had no idea what she was talking about.


"Saffron, look at me!" I fussed.
"Nori is on my bike!" she insisted.
I put down my camera. "Ok, I give up. What bike are you all talking about?" 
She pointed. "That one!"


"...Oh yeah. I had completely forgotten about that old thing..."
"Hey! Get off my bike, Nori!" 
"No! I found it first, and it's still my turn!" 
Saffron stewed a moment before getting a better idea.


"I want you to pull me in the basket!" Saffron said, chasing Nori down.
"No way! That is not happening!" Nori called over her shoulder as she peddled faster.
I sat down on the porch step and watched them go in circles a bit before calling them back inside. It was Christmas, after all.

____________________________________________________________________________________

The Day after Christmas
Christmas Day we weren't at home very much. Just long enough for us to all exchange presents, and then we were off, spending the rest of the day traveling and visiting.

"What has happened to this place!!" I cried out, seeing the wreck that was the doll's shelf.
"It's just a little... full," Saffron said, trying to act casual.
I stared at her. "It's a bomb."


"I know," Nori said with a sigh. "This place is a wreck. I can't even put my feet down without stepping on something,"
"So pick it up," I replied. "That's the easiest thing."
"No, I think the easiest thing is just to stay on the couch," she said, raising her hand to brush her brow wearily.

"Ok, firstly, Nori: lazy. That's you. You are being lazy." I scolded. "And secondly, you are looking pretty smoking. Where'd you get that top?"
"I traded with Saffron."
"Huh?" I was still confused.


"See?" Nori said, sitting up. "I traded my skirt to Saffron. She said she didn't have any skirts like that, and she didn't want the blue jeans. I needed some blue jeans, so we just swapped!" She waved her hand at Saffron, who did a quick twirl to demonstrate.
"Oh!" I said, understanding. "I thought that was a dress. I didn't realize the shirt was separate!" 
"Yep!" they said in unison.


"Guys... you didn't think you distracted me from this mess, did you?" I questioned.
Their faces told me that they did, but tried to cover.
"No, no, we hadn't forgotten about it," they said.
"Well, why don't you go ahead and clean up," I started giving instructions. "Nori, you can start putting up Christmas decorations. Saffron, why don't you sort and fold all the clothes you have out that aren't being worn?"
"Fine," Saffron stepped down with a grumble and they began cleaning.


"Saffron, you have to fold everything, not just wad it up in a big ball," Nori fussed. 
"I am folding it! It's just difficult, is all!" Saffron said in a frustrated tone. Finally, she handed everything to me to put away, and I placed her on present sorting duty.


"Nori, are you still putting away Christmas things?" I checked in on her.
"Yes, but they don't want to be put away!" She gestured to the swarm of tiny kitties surrounding her.
"They know the drill," I insisted. "They've done this for years now."

"I guess you're right," Nori sighed. "But I still feel bad about it."
"Well, let me take over from here, then. Go see what Saffron is up to." 

Saffron seemed like she was up to something (imagine that), so I turned my attention her way.
"I thought you were supposed to be putting things away, Saffron," I reminded her.
"Well, I am. I'm just...organizing them a bit, first." she said in a low voice, glancing back at Nori furtively. "You know, figuring out where all my Christmas presents go and all."


"Did you say 'your' Christmas presents?" Nori was over in a dash. "Are you sorting my presents out, too?"
"Uhhh.... Saffron said, giving me a panicked look.


"You've got ALL the presents in your pile! That's not fair! Some of that stuff is specifically mine, Saffron!" Nori bellowed. 
Saffron gave a cool shrug, pretending disinterest. "Oh, I suppose so... Oops!"
"Well give it back!" 
"I'm not sure whose is whose."


"Ok, guys. Let's just go ahead and I'll divide everything," I said, stepping in. "You can each have one hair bow in each color..."
"Don't break up the pairs!" Nori wailed. "They're supposed to be worn in pairs!"
"OK," I said calmly. "Then you're going to have to divide according to color, or just agree to share."
"We'll share," they said in glum harmony.
"All right. Then you've already split up the clothes; there's not a whole lot more stuff, just the food that Auntie J got you." 
"DIBS ON CORN!" Saffron screeched.
Nori shrugged. "I like eggs. Especially hard boiled ones."
"Then you are in luck. Ok you two. I think that pretty much covers everything." I said, pleased with how everything had turned out.


Nori coughed. "Well, everything except the baby blue cowgirl boots."


Saffron had them out of her hand and on her feet before Nori and I even knew what had happened.
"Thanks! These fit me perfectly."
Nori turned to me, her face a mask of shock and rage.


"I want those boots," she hissed at me. 
My reaction was a bit more delayed, this being the first time I had seen Nori's 'Mr. Hyde' side. "Umm..." I stammered.
Saffron completely ignored us, prancing gleefully in her boots, no doubt well aware at the mayhem she was causing.
Then Nori's eyes brightened with a slightly manic gleam.


"SAFFRON CAN HAVE THE BOOTS! I CLAIM THE COUCH!!!!" she shrieked, throwing herself across it in a feeble attempt to claim her rightful property.


Saffron was at her side in an instant.
"No, no, no. The couch is ours to share. You can't just claim it all for yourself."
"I'm not sharing until you promise the boots are half mine!" Nori cried.
"Fine, fine. I promise that the boots are both of ours to wear." Saffron said begrudgingly.
"Swear it! Swear it on your spirit guide!" insisted Nori.
"I haven't even seen mine since we went to Florida!" Saffron said, somewhat bewildered.
"Swear it, anyway!"
"FINE! I swear it on my spirit guide! Geez!"

All the excitement seemed to have worn them down, so they both settled in for a little snack.
"Oooh, this is good," Saffron said, snacking on her ear of corn.
"Yep!" Nori agreed.
"I'm just glad you two have calmed down. Maybe now I can get a little peace," I chipped in.
"Oh, by the way..." Nori said hesistantly.
"Yes, Nori?"
"My cousin's coming to visit for a little while, if that's ok. She'll probably get here some time next week." she peeked up at me. "If that's all right."
I closed my eyes for a moment, picturing a third tiny tornado in my home.
"Sure, Nori. That sounds nice."
"Oh, it will be. Matilda always makes things so exciting when she's around."
"....I bet she does."




Fin.

It was the sound of tiny feet scuttling through my kitchen that first caught my attention. I gave it a few minutes, but the noise persisted. So peering cautiously around the door frame, I discovered....


...this.

"So much for hoping for mutant mice.." I sighed. "What exactly are you two doing?"


"Um, making our Christmas lists!" Saffron said with a trademark eye roll. 
"I'm picking out a new outfit!" Nori peeped up excitedly.
"That's great!" I said. Then I noticed the catalogues. "Ohh... where did you two find those?"
"In your room," Saffron replied nonchalantly.
"Those are not for you!" I spluttered, but they ignored me.


"What do you think, Nori? The princess castle, or the Malibu dream house?" Saffron said, turning to the Toys R Us ad. 
Nori furrowed her brow and thought. "The Malibu dream house. It has a swimming pool."
"Excellent point. But look how beautiful the castle is! I'll just circle both," Saffron decided.
"You guys are going to be really disappointed in a couple weeks," I said. They continued to tune me out, and turned to the next magazine.

"I love these," Nori said, gazing longingly at a woolly scarf & sweater set.
"They are really nice," agreed Saffron. She seemed interested, but kept her sharpie capped. 


"All right, let's see what else there is," Saffron said as she got up to turn the page.


"Sweet horns of Gondor, what is that??" she breathed as the page fell back and the next outfits were revealed.
For a moment things were a blur as she reached down and snatched up the catalogue.


"It's beautiful!" She crooned as she held it next to her for comparison. "This is what I want! Get it for me right now! Order it, order it!!!" She was practically dancing in her excitement.
"Saffron, no," I shook my head. "First of all, that outfit is over 70 bucks."
"Because there's only 1000 of them in existence! We have to move on this before it is too late!!" she interrupted.
I held up my hand. "And secondly, if you had read closer, those dolls are seventeen inch dolls, Saffron. That is five inches taller than you. Maybe more, since most of your height is in your head."
She glared at me. "How dare you!"
"I dare because there is no point in you being mad at me for not buying you a dress that doesn't even fit. I am sorry." I looked around. "Where did Nori go? She needs to hear this too."
Then I noticed the paper rustling.


Nori burst out from behind the magazine with an indignant splutter. "I did hear you! I could hear everything! It's not fair," she pouted her lips out in disappointment.
"Look guys," I said, trying to make them feel better. "After Christmas, maybe I'll take some of my Christmas money and see if I can find something nice that's actually your size. Would that be ok?" 
Nori bobbed her head, happy again, but Saffron had already spotted something else.


"Look at this kitty!" She purred. "I want her! She won't be the wrong size! And she can bend her arms! I need her, I want her, please please please!"
I looked at the price. "Saffron! She is two times as much as that dress! I'm not spending that much money! You don't even like the different pets I bring you as it is. What have you even done with all your little pets?"
She looked at me from hooded eyelids. "I turned them loose on the savannah."
I just shook my head and turned to Nori.


"That cat isn't even cute," she whispered to me. "It looks like it would eat your face while you were sleeping."
"Amen to that, sister," I agreed.
"I can hear you," Saffron spit out. "But I'm still getting Valentine de Pompadour. I know where you keep the credit cards."
Nori and I looked at each other.


"You better stop talking about that cat, missy, before that pretty little face gets marked up pretty bad. If you know what I mean," Nori said, waving the sharpie threateningly. 
"Whoa, Nori! Turning on the mobster, huh?" I said, somewhere between amused and weirded out.
"I saw it on Star Trek this week," she said casually. 
"That is a pretty funny episode," I agreed.
"Ok, shut up, nerds," snapped Saffron. 
"Hey, you heard Nori," I said. "You'd better watch yourself before she messes you up."
Saffron gave us both the stink eye for a moment. "Whatever. I'm going to go see if there's any presents for me under the tree." With that, she hopped down and took off.
Nori and I looked at each other.
"There's not." I said simply. 
"That's cool. We didn't get you anything either."
"Sounds good to me."


Fin.

01/365- Saffron discovers Christmas Village, a photo by DollObsession on Flickr.

She would be a benevolent god, she mused. At first....

I was dragging Christmas lights out of my shed this weekend when I spotted some unusual activity close to the house.


"I don't know, Nori. What about over here?" Saffron was saying as I walked by.
"Uh, guys... what are you doing?" I said, trailing bulbs and wire.
Nori beamed at me as she squealed, "We're camping!"
"Camping?" I frowned. "Isn't a little chilly for that?"

"Nah," Saffron said with a wave of her hand. "We don't feel stuff like that. Besides, I've got a jacket, and we brought a blanket."
"What blanke..." I trailed off as she whipped one out and shook it before setting it down.


"This is where we make camp." she said with authority.

"Wouldn't you guys rather put some festive little dresses on and help me put ornaments on the tree?" I wheedled.

"That does sound nice.." Nori hesitated.
Saffron put her foot down. "NO. We are camping out. We can play in the tree all winter long, Nori. It's going to be dark, and rainy and gross. Right now it is sunny and we need to use this time to its fullest." she turned to me. "Now shoo so we can get our camp on!"

"Ok, ok, I'm out." (I have to confess that I did peek back every once in awhile to make sure they behaved.)


"Let's get everything set up, then." 
Now that they had established a location, Nori and Saffron began to drag their equipment over, piece by piece.


"I'm glad we had that bag to help pack all the food in," Saffron said as she wiped her forehead. 
"And a nice, full canteen, too!" Nori added.
"Yeah, I bet that was really difficult to carry," Saffron rolled her eyes. "I'm going to start dinner."


She began to add ingredients to the simmering pot while Nori sat down for a moment with a cold glass of water.
"Almost ready," she said, poking around and taking the occasional taste.
"I'm starving!" Nori piped up. 
"Well, I just said 'almost ready'! Keep your pantaloons on!"

"This is the life!" Nori sighed.
"Way better than helping put up lights," Saffron agreed. "And then when they're all done, we can just sit back and enjoy!" 
"That is very smart," Nori said.
Saffron looked pleased. "I know."


"Would you like for me to play my guitar for a little bit? I think that's what you're supposed to do when you camp," Saffron said as she pulled it from behind her back.
"Um, sure," replied Nori.

Saffron strummed a few practice cords, and then began in earnest. 
"Born on a mountain top in Tennessee, greenest state in the land of the free, 
Raised in the woods so's he knew ev'ry tree, kilt him a b'ar when he was only three! 
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier!"


Saffron stopped for a moment to re-tune her guitar, and Nori chose that time to jump up.
"Well, I think the canteen is empty, Saffron. I thought I'd go refill it before it gets too dark."
"Where are you going to get water?" Saffron pointed. "The house is that way."
"Well, I thought I heard a stream running nearby, and that's where I was planning on going. I'll be back in just a few minutes." 


As she began to walk away, Saffron shouted, "Watch out for cats and wild possums!"
Nori nodded her head, and continued on.


Saffron watched her go for a few moments, and then picked her guitar back up and began to play quietly. I almost stepped out from behind the fence to keep her company, when I realized the tune she played sounded disturbingly similar to "Oh my darling Clementine". I decided to keep to my hiding spot.


"I'm back!" Nori said triumphantly a few minutes later. She looked from Saffron to the empty food bags, but didn't say anything. "Hey, why don't we take turns telling some ghost stories, and call it a night?"
"Deal," Saffron agreed.



So they spooked themselves out thoroughly, and then settled in. Nori fell asleep almost immediately, but Saffron seemed to have a bit more of a difficult time. I caught her clinging to Nori's hand for moral support when I checked back on them, and chuckling under my breath, brought them both back inside. Nori slept through the whole thing.
"Don't you ever breath a word," Saffron quietly hissed.
"I won't," I said with a grin, and left them both to sleep until morning.


Fin.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but that hasn't stopped some from continuing to celebrate. I was using the last day or so of my extra long weekend to just enjoy bumming around the house. The Christmas decorations had all been put up for about a week, and all my shopping was done. Time to relax! Then I walked by the kitchen.


I stopped and took a few steps back to confirm my first peripheral glance.  


"What are you guys doing exactly?" I asked.

"It's Thanksgiving! We're having turkey and all the trimmings! What does it look like?" Saffron said as she wiped some coke off her lip.

"But Thanksgiving was three days ago! Why didn't you do this then?"

They both glared at me, but it was gentle Nori who answered.
"It's kind of hard to get to anything when you're shut up in a room with a door knob three times taller than you."

Now I was starting to feel a little bad. I had been pretty busy the last few days, and I do like to keep them tucked away when I'm not home. You just never know when a cat will decide that candy colored plastic hair looks tastier than what is in their bowl.


"Well, then guys, let's have a Turkey Day Feast!" I peered down at Nori again.
"Whatcha cookin'?" 

"Green beans! Everyone knows you have green beans with your turkey," she said as she proudly dumped them into the pot. 

"Do you two even like green beans?" 
"NOT ME!" Saffron bellowed from the other side of the chest.
Nori smoothed her apron skirt a little (a gift from my awesome mom who made it herself!) and said bravely, "I thought I would give them a try at least."

Not being a fan myself, I said nothing and attempted to change the subject.


"So, Saffron, are you helping cook, or are you just kicking back with some brewskis before the game?"

She gave me a face and said, "This is coke, idiot. And I am not watching 'the game', I am helping..." she glanced around for a moment "...helping organize the desserts. And whatever that gross thing in the pot is."

"It's homemade Imoni soup!" Nori hollered. Saffron and I just stared at each other. "You eat it in the fall!" she added. We both shrugged our shoulders and Saffron continued sneaking bits of crust and berry from the desserts to pop in her mouth.

"Ok, guys. The turkey is ready and I think everything else is too," Nori said with a clap of her hands. 


"Now before we dive in, I think we should say a little prayer," she continued. "Do you want to do it, Saffron?"
She shook her head no, so Nori just jumped right in. "Our Father who art in Heaven..."

I had my head bowed, but then I thought I heard a "slllurrpp".


"Saffron!" I hissed. "You can't just pull your hat over your face! That is very disrespectful!"
"Well, you are talking. That's got to be even worse."
"I am not 'talking', I am correcting. There is a big difference." I snapped.

Then we were both SHUSHED very firmly, so I suppose there really isn't much of a difference after all.


"Ok, let's dig in!" Nori said, grabbing her serving spoon and digging in. Saffron had her plate ready and waiting to be piled up and the next few moments were blessed with silence as both of them became preoccupied with stuffing their faces.


"Saffron, stop trying to hog the strawberry pie," I scolded.
She frowned, but quit pulling it behind her back. 

"Ok, well, this has been really nice, but I think I'm going to go do something a little more productive. You two have a nice dinner." I said, standing up and stretching a bit.

"Ok! Bye! Happy Thanksgiving!" they called, not quite able to tear themselves away from their feast just yet.


As I walked away, I heard Saffron whisper softly over to Nori, "Psst, hey. That angel is creeping me out. Kick her off the table or something before I freak."
"Um... Ok."



Fin.

It was fairly early on Halloween afternoon when I got home from work. I tossed my purse down, grabbed some Sunny D from the fridge and turned to get a glass. That was when I noticed that I was being watched. 


"Trick or Treat!!" they chorused.

"Whoa! You guys startled me; I didn't realize you were... going somewhere." I spluttered. 

"It's Halloween!" Saffron said with a roll of her eyes. "Did you think we were just going to sit quietly on the shelf all night?"

"I was kind of hoping, yeah," 
They glared at me.
"Fine, fine." I raised my hands in surrender. "You can go trick or treating. What are your costumes supposed to be?"

"I'm a mermaid! Egads, are you seriously telling me you couldn't figure this out?!" Saffron said, gesturing to her tail and shells.

"Oh, how lovely!" I said loudly, then added in a whisper, "Of course I can tell! But I have no idea what Nori is, and I couldn't just ask 'Great costume, Saffron. And what in Voldemort's name is Nori wearing?' now could I?"

"Whatever." 


I casually turned to Nori.
"And what are you, sweetie?"

"I'm a Totoro! It's one of my favorite movies!" came her muffled but enthusiastic reply.

"That's one of my favorites, too! You look just like one!" I said, giving her a little pat.

She beamed. "Thanks! I worked on it all night long!"

"Well, guys," I said, looking them both over. "You look awesome, but where exactly are you planning on going? I'm staying home, and I didn't really buy candy this year. You know I can't control myself with those little "fun" sizes. After I realize that I've eaten about 12 of them, they're not so fun anymore."

They gave me blank stares for a moment, then got back on track.
"We're going out into the neighborhood. If all the little ghetto kids can do it, so can we!" Saffron said.

"Ummm... no."

"Well, we're at least going around to the other side of the fence. I bet they'll have candy."


So they trekked out into the back yard, and prepared to go... around the fence.

I waited for them a little while- Saffron had insisted on walking like a real mermaid, which boiled down to... not walking at all, just scooting. It was somewhat slow going. 

Then I heard some muffled voices and a door slam shut, and a few moments later, they came scampering back.


"How'd it go?" I asked. 

"Amazing!" Nori replied. Saffron grunted her agreement as she helped carry their basket of loot.


"We told them we were dwarf children so that they wouldn't get freaked out," Saffron volunteered as they showed me what they had. 

"Well... I'm going to bet that they were still pretty freaked out," I guessed.

They just shrugged as if it really didn't matter either way. I suppose it didn't.
"Be careful with your basket, you guys. It looks heavy."

"We've got it; we're doing fine!" Nori said, giving the basket a little shake to show me.


"Nori, what is wrong with you?" Saffron hissed as she watched all their candy hit the pavement.

Nori hung her head. "Sorry..."

"It's fine, guys," I said. "We can pick it right back up. I'll set it on the stoop so you can get it inside more easily."

I stared at the pair. "So are you guys done then?"

"No, we're not done. We haven't trick or treated here yet," Saffron insisted.

"Saffron, I really don't think I have any candy!"

"Just check, ok? You go look, and we'll knock and you can answer the door."

"Ok, Ok."


"Trick or Treat!!" 


"Well, did you find anything??" barked Saffron.

"What a beautiful costume!" I cried, ignoring her.


"And who is this adorable Totoro I see?" I added, smiling down at Nori.

She blushed and said softly, "Trick or treat!" 

"Ok, guys," I said, giving in at last. "I did find something for you. And it's actually pretty good."


I dropped the candy into their basket. 
"Pixie sticks! Now there's one for each of you... you're going to have to decide who gets what flavor. If you can't do it without fighting, you can't have any of it."

"Fine.." came their reply.

"What was that?" I asked.

I received a loud "THANK YOU!" in the face, and then they marched in right past me.

 
"Now it's time for the real party," Saffron said, as she and Nori shared a drink.

"What is that, you guys?" I asked. "It looks really... thick."


They looked at each other, and then Nori spoke up.
"It's just a little cherry drink that Saff...I mean we found..."

I dipped a pinky finger in and tasted it.
"GUYS! This is nyquil! What are you drinking it for??"

Saffron refused to look at me as she mumbled.. "We couldn't reach the liquor cabinet."

"You knew what you're drinking?" My mind was working to keep up. "You are drinking nyquil to get drunk??? "

"It is a holiday," Nori piped up. "We used to drink sake all the time back home."

"This is not the same thing as a glass of sake!" I insisted. 
They ignored me; turning back to their drink, and I decided to leave this one alone. I kept a watchful eye, though, in case things got carried away. Which they did.


After drinking who knows how many glasses of cough syrup, they moved on to their loot. I don't know if it was the alcohol or the sugar rush, but Nori really loosened up and showed off some of her more interesting dance moves. Saffron seemed pretty content to lie back and suck down pixie sticks and cheer Nori on.


"You go girl!!" she slurred, waving her stick in the air.

And go Nori did, whirling, and twirling and doing some strange kick that I've never seen before. She could only go for so long, though, and eventually even the best highs wear down. 


Nori came down with a thud, jarring the table and giggling off her head.
"Did you see that, Saffron? Did you see that??" 

Saffron had tears rolling down her face as she howled. "That was awesome, Nori. I have never seen anything like tha.. whoa!" she said as she too fell over.


"This is the bes' Halloween evurr!" Nori slurred as she finished off a sucker.

"Yep..." Saffron agreed. She was stuffed full of candy and the nyquil was starting to do it's real job- putting her to sleep.
"I'm glad you're here, Nori."

"Me, too!" They started to reach for each other's hands, and that's when I decided it was probably time to call this Halloween finished. I packed them off to their shelf and got them settled in.


"Good night, you two," I said softly, pulling the blanket up over them.

"Mmmphh..." was the only reply I received, but in a moment or two I heard delicate snores faintly through the bedding. I tiptoed away, grinning to myself as I thought about the headaches they would have in the morning. 
"Trick or treat indeed!" I chuckled.


Fin.