A Birthday for Gertrude

"I didn't volunteer." Yazeba cuts Parish short as she lights another one of her last cigarettes. She pauses for a just a little too long moment before she puffs the smoke out and continuing.

"I hate surprises. But I hate the mess you're making even more. So I better keep an eye on what you're up to".

Yazeba counts the cigarettes left before putting the pack back into her pocket. "I'm going to need some more of these if I have to handle this for too long. Well, if you're in the mood for surprises, why don't you surprise me and get me another pack of these?" she orders no one in particular.

"What do you mean gift? Isn't putting up with this non-sense good enough?" Yazeba quickly asks annoyed with the idea. "You also expect me to give her a gift?"

"My magic is too precious for something like that" Yazeba immediately retorts. "Should be it enough I'm already letting you the... Ah! Whatever, there's probably enough junk around I can find something." The witch turns to leave, but she freezes by the door. "And don't get any ideas about inviting those bachelors again." she leaves the room to prepare the B&B for the surprise.

"Amelie! Where are you?"

---

"The state of my emergency? Really? Have you looked around at all this mess?" Yazeba moves her hand to show a perfectly clean and organized corner of the B&B, but all standards and measure, excepts hers. "Well, I guess I can help you do your job, since some of the guest are planning a party, maybe you can start by sorting out the mess in the..."

Yazeba gives very specific orders on how Amelie should clean up the B&B.

"Ok, Now that one is sorted. Frog afire! What was that gift non-sense Parish was talking about?"

Yazeba runs to the library and searches through the books. And searches some more. And keeps on searching...

"Where is that damned book when you need it!"

She has no time for this non-sense and impatiently casts a minor spell that constantly changes the location of the rooms in the B&B. After all, why would someone like her have to go anywhere to find that little spell, when the little spell can come to her instead.

She opens the door, looks around. "Not here" Closes the door and re-opens into a new room.

Yazeba keeps opening doors until she finds looking her herself from the door on the other side of the library. She also finds Yola dumping just about every book on the floor. She turns back into the library, stepping through the two doors simultaneously. "Hey! Put those back on the shelf! Shouldn't you be preparing the cake or something? Didn't Parish need some vegetables for it? Shoo shoo, go do your little parties instead of messing up my library. These books are precious" She stops to look at the book at her feet Yazeba's Book of Useless Spell-casting "Why is this even here?" She looks around suspiciously at every guest in the library who, by now, are mostly cowering, trying to disappear behind their own books.

Suddenly, she notices Parish rushing through one of the doors towards the burning flames of the boiler! "Burning amphibians! What is that frog doing? Hey! What are you doing to the boiler?" Yazeba steps into the other room to check what is happening. "One day! Just one day of peace to focus on my own business. It's not asking much, is it?"

As Parish tries to explain the nonsense that just happened, Yazeba realizes she doesn't need to keep the spell anymore. "Have you hit your head, Parish? That's how things have always worked. And Niviana is probably by the lake or something. Maybe the shower. I don't know. She likes water." Refusing any responsibility for it, Yazeba does notdispels the magic. The B&B is not completely stable yet, but most of the chaos is at least under control.

Yazeba stands really tall and wizardly scary as Gertrude interrupts her thoughts. "That's what I maintain Amelie for, isn't it?" she replies annoyed reaching for one of her cigars. She really needs one now. "What I told you to do? What did I tell you to do?" Yazeba lights the cigar and takes a big puff. "The only thing I told you to do was to not be in the way..." She takes some time to savor the taste of the cigar. "... Maybe get a job or something. I don't know what..."
Yazeba is interrupted by Yola's storming in with... the cake! She thought this was supposed to be a surprise, what is that old shrub doing? "Ah yes! Finally Parish managed to get the breakfast done. I was just on my way to check on him!" The witch turns to point to where Parish stood just a moment ago.

"Good then, I can get back to my witchy business then". Yazeba does some minor spell when she mentions business, and suddenly fireflies start raining from the ceiling and burying themselves deep into the cake. "Flies afire! Where did... Don't you just like the flavor of crunchy light?" She takes another extra long puff. "Just take it to my office. And a cup of herbal tea. I have work to do"

Yazeba makes sure to follow Yola and that the cake is delivered, when she sees Amelie with the tea. "Ah right the tea!" she grabs the cake and put it in a hidden dimension but the cake is a bit too larger and she damages one corner that falls on the cloths Parish had forced her to wear for the party.

She grabs them and shrugs, not being particularly interested in this birthday theme thing. After all, she has tea waiting for her!

---

As she sits in her chair, sipping the herbal tea that Amelie delivered, and not really working much on anything she should be, an idea hits her! She saw something clear that she hadn’t seen before. And maybe everyone is too busy with this party non sense to see. Gertrude, she is trying to be helpful. She is probably bored and wants something to do!

She drops all the preparations for the party "Amelie, go tell Parish to finish whatever non-sense he is up to. I have to get back to work soon and.." she takes a particular long puff "…once you’re done. Call Gestrudre. I have to talk to her"

A little annoyed with the party thing she had been dragged into, Yazeba opens the drawer and pulls out the cake from the hidden… drawer dimension. Yola has eyed her enough times by now for her to get the clue…

"Yes yes, here is cake, you can slice it with…" she looks around, unsure where a knife would be under all the paperwork mess of the office, but Amelie quickly pulls one and offer it to Gertrude. Once that business is sorted, the witch slides an unwrapped book over the desk.

"I think we’re supposed to give some reward for making it another year no? "Yazeba's Book of Useless Spell-casting" Gertrude can read on the cover.

"Well, if you’re going to spend it in the laundry room, at least you can make yourself useful. There’s a spell somewhere there to find the room you need. "