Sorry for the late post today... Life had other plans for my morning... Anyway, my word for the week is: Parched have at it!

The sun blasted down on the parched, dry landscape, its unrelenting heat searing through their uniforms and causing them to sweat profusely. Joe shifted uncomfortably, his bodysuit sticking to him in ways he didn't want to think about. Why did he have such a dark colored Birdstyle? Ken and Jun must surely have it easier in their white. Yet they too appeared as uncomfortable as he felt, perspiration dripping off of their faces. "I can't believe that bastard Katse stole all of California's water!" Jinpei scowled. "Can you believe this used to be farmland?" "We'll find that water, and return it to the state." Ken declared. "But first, we need to find Galactor's base." Inspired by all of the 'drought-mongering' on our local news....

So Katse stole the entire turkey baster-ful of water from the state, huh? What a scumbag. Sorry, I just couldn't resist!

That's very intense, TJ! Unfortunately, CA really does sound like it's running out of water, so I'm not sure the concern is so overblown. It's not like this is a new issue.

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TJ - sounds like things are pretty rough in California right now, hope things work out ok for everyone. Chris - Yay for contributing, it's certainly been a while. Now, I wonder what Jinpei imagined "parched" eggs to be?

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KT: She really just keeps digging, doesn't she? Acts like she was within her rights to do what she did, when she should have just walked and found someone else if she wasn't happy, and seems to think that they'll be one big happy family done day after all this. Idjit. (Having given my initial thoughts to you in chat I know that you're not gonna be mad at me for saying this. )

**Apologies to William Shakespeare!** Take the Ides of March (March 15), a little of this, a bit of that, a dash of something else, put it in my brain, and..... ========== (A street in Rome.) (Enter the conspirators, 7 Commanders of the Week. They are dressed as a puke-green squid, an orange hummingbird, a pink poodle, a rotten tooth, a blue anchovy, a prt scrn button from a computer keyboard, and an....well, let's just say this guy looks like a purple personal massager with orange paisleys. They wear togas over their uniforms.) Squid: Marry, comrades, and yea verily. Hummingbird: Odds bodkins. Poodle: Forsooth. Tooth: Nay, vouchsafe. Anchovy: Fain, fie, and foo. Button: Foo, fie, and fain. Massager: Dilly-dally. Squid: Yea, varlets. Hummingbird; How now, ill met, methinks. Poodle: Methinks also, prithee. (Exeunt all, having just agreed to assassinate Zoltar for his constant failures. However, due to the strange way Shakespearian English was slaughtered, the audience doesn't know it yet. Come to think of it, neither do the conspirators. Enter Zoltar and his entourage as a sudden storm hits the city.) Zoltar: What evil weather befouls the city? Methinks it is snowing. (Enter Zark Anthony.) Zark: Hail, Zoltar! Zoltar: Oh, methought it was snow. Zark: No, when I say, "Hail, Zoltar," I doth mean...oh, never mind. Zoltar: A pox on the weather. It hath spoiled my toga. Zark: The Roman Cleaning Emporium hath a one-day toga service, my lord. "In at IX, out by IV." Zoltar: Good. I shall take the street north to the cleaners. (Enter a man in a cowl) Man in cowl: Sooth...sooth... Zoltar: Who sayeth sooth when I sayeth north?! Zark: Tis a soothsayer, my lord. Zoltar: Fie on soothsayers. I go north to the cleaners! Man in cowl: Beware the Ides of March! (He exeunts.) Zoltar: What hath he said this time? Zark: Methinks he said, "Beware the dyes and starch." Zoltar: Tis sound advice. (Enter the conspirators, concealing knives in their tunics.) Zoltar: Behold, my loyal subjects join me! Yea, though it is snowing, tis my lucky day. Man in cowl (Off stage) : Wanna bet? Conspirators (In unison): Hail, Zoltar! Zoltar: Tis snow, you fools! Snow! But no matter, tis still a glorious day. Yea, we should visit yon tavern and have some fuzzy navels to quench our parched gullets! Oh, I can already taste the libations! Oh -- (All draw knives.) Zoltar: Uh oh. (All raise their knives and attack Zoltar. Zark, being his usual helpful self, stands off to the side, just out of the conspirators' way.) Squid: Marry, comrades, and yea verily. Hummingbird: Odds bodkins. Poodle: Forsooth. Tooth: Nay, vouchsafe. Anchovy: Fain, fie, and foo. Button: Foo, fie, and fain. Massager: Dilly-dally. (All stab Zoltar, but because of the language, they still don't know why. Zoltar falls and dies.) Zark: Oh my! What a foul morning! What dark deeds! (Enter Mala and citizens of Rome, who gasp at the sight of Zoltar.) 1st citizen: Speak, Zark Anthony! Thou must speakest at Zoltar's funeral! 2nd citizen: Ay, thou art the greatest orator in Rome. 3rd citizen: We await thy words as the meadow awaits the precious rain. Zark: Ay, I shall speak... (Makes a "clearing throat" sound.) Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.... (Zark is pelted in a flurry of detached ears.) Mala: That's disgusting! 4th citizen: Get used to it! With leprosy and the plague running amuck, what did you expect?! Zoltar awoke to find Mala gripping his shoulders and violently shaking him. "Zoltar!" she hissed, "your screams could be heard on Earth!" He shoved her away and sat up. He then noticed a book -- Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare -- beside him. He angrily threw it across the room. "One of Earth's greatest writers?" he spat, "Bah!"

EW: LOL that was painful but in a good way

Ouch EW! (but yeah, very funny)

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msann- Water....water...oh, sorry. I just imagined myself crawling along in the desert sands. Strong imagery, there. KT -- I'm surprised Julia hasn't hit sewer lines yet! Chris -- I'm glad you were able to contribute! I hope things will soon calm down enough for you to do more.

Chris, I remember that series we had where Jinpei couldn't read anything right... now we're going to have a series where he can't hear anything right? Poor kid! He must be swimming in disorders! KT, I certainly don't agree with how Julia went about this, but I could sort of see her point of view in wanting a baby but not necessarily expecting anything from the father, Now she seems like she's making demands, and I'm feeling less in her corner. If Nambu can't be there for the child (and for its own safety, I suspect that's the best thing) then she should just quietly bow out. Although I do respect her for telling him, but she shouldn't have done it in so confrontational a fashion. BTW, how long has it been? It's been 13 years since I was pregnant, but IIRC, those stick tests don't work for at least 3 weeks? Certainly not after a couple of days... EW, you've reminded me of why I hated all of that assigned Shakespeare in high school. REading that made my head hurt. Poor Zoltar, having to out up with that!

TJ: Yeah, I was thinking about those mis-read ones and chuckling when I did this one. Though they're exposed to so many explosions that I'd expect the occasional temporary hearing loss at least! msann: Ooh this prompt is bringing out all kinds of intense scenes! EW: I was pleased to have an idea at least. Hopefully when I'm down there (I leave Tues morning) I'll be able to write a bit.

Originally posted by Transmute Jun BTW, how long has it been? It's been 13 years since I was pregnant, but IIRC, those stick tests don't work for at least 3 weeks? Certainly not after a couple of days...

They have developed a home test that can work in less time -- about a week and a half, if I'm not mistaken. Still, it's more time than seen here. (However, I'm open to the possibility that, in the Gatch universe, there's a home pregnancy test that works within a couple of hours of doing The Deed ...)

EW, you've reminded me of why I hated all of that assigned Shakespeare in high school. REading that made my head hurt.

I must admit that my high school killed that pain -- the advanced acting classes performed an abridged version of an Shakespearian play each semester. (Shakespeare's plays were meant to be seen, not read, after all.)

TJ & EW - from what I've seen advertised, home kits can accurately detect pregnancy from the first day of a missed period. However, I was thinking that this scene was about a month after Nambu last saw her. Maybe I could have clarified that a bit better in the piece?

KT -- I think that would be a good idea. (The beauty of Bradbury's Jar reveals itself -- we have a bunch of friendly, supportive Beta-readers who don't make a big deal out of imperfection.)

It's easy to make mistakes when posting them on the fly.

MsAnnOMalley, I inadvertently missed yours! You've really conveyed a lot in a couple of sentences. But what is in those buildings?

KT: ouch! I don't know how she thinks this is going to work! Miss Ann: I had to get a drink after reading yours! Parched indeed!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun MsAnnOMalley, I inadvertently missed yours! You've really conveyed a lot in a couple of sentences. But what is in those buildings?

Water j/k

Miss Ann: I had to get a drink after reading yours! Parched indeed!

Thanks.

TJ -- better Galactor than climate change! CW -- maybe the Swallow should stop playing the drums so loudly, it's starting to affect his hearing KT -- at least Nambu called her his "girlfriend", even if it was for lack of something better. Maybe he's getting used to Julia, despite her scheming? MsAnn -- somehow, I have an image of Tatooine, and Obi-wan walking across a desert...powerful piece! EW -- oh what to say...methinks Zoltar shall require a soothsayer before long... brilliant!