Once More Into The Breach (3/3) Bree, Cousine Celeste, and Cousin Tok following more or less shortly after part 2 * * * * * "Ring ... ring." "Oh go away!" Ring..ring. "Agh, can't you just go away?" Sleepily, I reach for the phone to pick it up, only to fall from my bed. Owe, that will leave a bruise. I picked up the phone. "Hi, this is Bree.." I listen to the voice on the other end of the line, "Yes." :Sigh: I understand." Groaning I hang up the phone and for a minute lie there in the dark, than pick up the phone and dial the phone number for the airport . "Yes I would like the soonest,possible flight for Toronto from San Diego. How much will it be?" Agst, there goes the rest of my graduation money! Silly Newbie at Large, Bree * * * * * The irritating boom-bada-boom-bada-boom of the fireworks of the night before nothing more than a bad memory in the post-Independence-Day light, Celeste limped out of her bedroom in mis-matched Birkenstocks, into her kitchen. She rooted 'round in her refrigerator until her hand collided with the jar of hazelnut coffee she kept there, pre-ground in small amounts, grabbed it, and withdrew regretfully from the refreshing cool breeze that emanated from the open fridge door. The Cousine was so adept at making coffee that at no time did she find it necessary to open her eyes as she tossed two scoops into the wire mesh basket and four cups of water into the reservoir of the coffee maker. "Yaaaaaawn-*erg*! OUCH!" yelped the Cousine in mid-yawn, tripping over a cat as she turned to the cup cupboard. "GO-zer! You impatient little creep! I promise I will feed you, all in good time!" *Good time?* thought Gozer. *Now, now, now, NOW is a 'good time'! Stupid human!* He wound around and around the Cousine's ankles. *And anyways, the adrenaline woke you up, admit it!* *Riiiiiing! Riiiiiing!* For a moment, the Cousine considered letting the telemarketer -- for telemarketer it must be given their talent for calling at the wrong moment -- ring through to the answering machine, but she was just annoyed enough at the cat to enjoy the thought of ripping some stranger a new one, so she picked up the phone. "Ghost-bustas, whaddaya want?" was her opening gambit. The familiar voice at the other end had an edge of hysteria to it, but was succinct and powerful in its message. The Cousine listened in horrified fascination, then spoke. "LaCroix is *what*? Turning into ... Screed????" she said, aghast. "Now, that's ... well, that's Just Not Right! But, but, but how can it be War? I don't have time for War, I'm too damned busy! Are you *sure* it's War?" The voice at the other end confirmed the Cousine's worst nightmare. It was War. It was NOW. *Toronto rats!* thought the Everett-cat, licking his chops. He'd been hungering for a certain special something for days and days, and the mention of War and Screed had suggested what it was that would hit his sweet spot. He wanted, no, he *needed* to sink his fangs into a nice, juicy, non-vampiric, non-fluorescent-pink Toronto rat. Yum! Gozer began licking his chest fur in an effort to calm himself down. He had to be calm to transport himself, and he found his kitty-mantra working as his heart-rate slowed. Bit-by-bit his tail disappeared from the tip to the rump, then his haunches, then his snowy white chest and front paws, and up and over his neck to the tip of his pink and black-dotted nose, until only his pink-lipped smile remained, hanging in the air. The smile bobbed in an ironic salute, then vanished, even as Celeste hung up the phone. Her trip to Toronto would be somewhat less instantaneous than Gozer's this time around, and she had a bag to pack, airline reservations to make, plus she had to stop at Shaw's for a new bag of hazelnut coffee, as well as (first things first!) find the mates to the mis-matched Birkies on her feet before she fell over and broke her neck. "Bob! Honey! Could you feed the cats, I gotta jump in the shower!" She raced from the room, a thousand plans and possible explanations for the weirdness that was Uncle turning into Screed all vying for attention in her cerebellum, post-celebratory fireworks hangover banished from her mind. All this happened under the watchful eye of a large, fluffy Calico cat with a black diamond-shaped D'argo-nose, unnoticed as she was up on top of the kitchen cabinets. This was Scully-wully-woo, Gozer's girlfriend and the love of his life, if Gozer could be said to love anything or anyone. She could flip him into his back with an "OOF!" with one swoop of her paw, and often did, especially those times when he tried to grab her by the back of the neck to discipline her. Her Calico Queenship blinked slowly, then sighed and closed her eyes. *Idiots!* she thought. And perhaps she had a point. * * * * * Tok looked in her listing and called Scottie, Czarine and Will, telling them War was in the air and to get to CERK as soon as possible. Hoping she hadn't forgotten anybody, she massaged her temples as she wandered off to check the state of the Cousinly Treasure-trove of Analgesics. The way this War was already shaping up, Cerberus would need to keep it fully stocked. Cousin Tok and the Cousinly kitties tokaara@mindspring.com / AIM Tokaara / ICQ 46441308