Tuesday 31 December 2019

The Year of the Ancient Groyne Coven Awards



 Good evening, and welcome to the 2019 Coven Awards, with me, your host - but not The Host - Inexplicable DeVice.
 And me, your other host, and Witchface's actual Host.
And us, the oft ignored- 
And unfairly maligned! 
Yes.  Exactly.  Yes.  And us, the unfairly maligned SubConsciousnesses.
 A bit like the title image up there, what little we can remember of 2019 pokes above the surface of muddled confusion, only to be slowly subsumed by the tides of disremembrance.
 So, before it all drowns under the tides of forgetfulness, here are the bits we can remember - i.e.this year's Coven Awards!
Cor, that was a bit purple, wasn't it?
I'll say.  Hey!  We haven't argued yet!
Don't worry, this thing has only just cranked into being.  We've got plenty of time for squabbling.

 Before we begin proper, I would just like to bring your attention to a slight change with some of the awards: Like great ships being launched, some of these increasingly bizarre awards have been sponsored by Ladies of Significant Note (and other creatures) in Blogorati Circles, so watch out for airborne alcohol (what a waste) and flying glass.  Oh, and there's a quiz at the end, so pay attention!
 Hang on a minute.  Remember what I said last year: "And what about the Weirdest Crush, and Most Mesmerising Monster awards?  Not to mention Peenee's Muscle Pussy and those Corgi's that Norma lets shit everywhere."?
 Calm down.  They're all included in some fashion somewhere along the line.  I think...
 Spendid.  On with the show!  Oh, and strap yourselves in as it's going to be a long and bumpy ride...



January: 2019 began with fireworks, and a rediscovery of airborne whales; He of the impossible umlaut was less than flattered by the publication of an unauthorised and unofficial biography; we took our first walk on the beach of the year, and the end of the month saw us in the bloody Midlands(!) which was only saved by a visit to Chatsworth.

February: My take on the #NotADecadeAgo meme lacklustrely launched February.  Two weeks later saw the first of the year's Star Trek fan art posts, followed by some bathroom spying, and getting the keys to my very own gingerbread house!

March: Not much going on here, except: Corduroy covered tubular steel - you'll be green with envy!  A catch-up of things I didn't blog about, and an introduction to Hexenhäusli deVice, aka the DeVice Mansion.

 Thank you for the reminder of the first quarter of the year here, Witchface.  Now, here are the first few awards:
Crikey!  This is all very cordial.
I'm sure it won't last... 


I made some delightful and diverse discoveries this year,
from books - Witch Hat Atelier and
Exploring Calvin and Hobbes: An Exhibition Catalogue
to TV - Fringe and Steven Universe
and Men: of Muscles - Loponder7;
& Allotments - Rob's Allotment;
 & Music - 2Cellos (thanks Jon).

Saturday 21 December 2019

Pre-Christmas Shag

 You know it's going to be a Wonderful Winterval when you get a pre-Christmas shag!

 Shags for everyone!!



 OK.  So its a Cormorant...

The pre-Christmas shag seems an awfully long way off.  Cormorant, I mean.  Le sigh...

Vos Endurance (because Vos Gorgeous is still living it up near Trinidad & Tobago)



Thursday 19 December 2019

A Dislocated Groyne and Other Issues

 Before we get to the dislocated groyne, I feel I must explain my protracted absence: I have been revelling in how my 'Ms Scarlet Approach to Blogging' has freed up loads of time for other things.  However, it has backfired somewhat in that I've had so much spare time that I haven't known what to do with it all.  Consequently, the "I'll just watch one episode of Steven Universe before I Get On With Things" turned into a massive binge-watch then, before I knew it, it's suddenly tea time and nothing's been done!  Every day!!
 So now I'm in a bit of a flap about:
  • Jack Frost Winterval jumper - Why haven't I made it yet?!?
  • Christmas cards - as in: I haven't bought/made any, never mind sent the non-existent things
  • My next blog post* (now that it's so close to the end of the year, this could be the Coven Awards or the Panto?) and catching up with you, the marvellous Blogorati.
  • The Blogorati Christmas Panto.  I haven't seen hide-nor-hair of a script; the minuscule budget has been used to stock up on chocolate & sour cherry crumble mince pies (by Heston [Blumenthal, not Charlton], fom Waitrose); and the casting couch is covered in a thick layer of dust, so clearly hasn't been used (which is probably a good thing, actually...).
  • The Coven Awards.  Eeeeek!
  • The export from Norfolk of sea trash to Devon - Should it be the filling of a corrugated cardboard sandwich (with bubblewrap spread)?
  • Sundogs.
  • Witchface.  The silly old witch has buggered off and left me to sort all this stuff out on my own!

* False alarm.  My next post turned out to be this one.


~o~

 Anyway, back to the dislocated groyne (which may or may not be responsible for the lack of pre-Christmas shags. Sorry, Jon) in these photos from 7th December:

First, a look beyond the End-of-the-Line.
Hiding near the foot of the cliffs and in the glare of the sun, is the dislocated groyne

Saturday 30 November 2019

The Ms Scarlet Approach

 OK.  So "another few days" turned into almost three weeks.  And I'm not going to apologise for our absence again as it appears that you've been getting along perfectly well without us.
Hooray!  We don't have to blog that often anymore!
"Hooray"?  You lazy little git.
Oh, shush.  You're just miffed because nobody missed you.
[grumble]
 Actually, I rather like this less regular 'Ms Scarlet Approach to Blogging' as it frees up time for other things.
Mainly watching telly...
Do Netflix and BBC iPlayer count as telly?
[shrug]
 Creative things, actually!  Although, the fact that I haven't actually created anything of note yet is neither here nor there...
Oh, get on with it!
 Right.  Yes.  Getting on with it.  Here are some photos from this morning's perambulation along the promenade to be going along with:

The view east from the Coast Road-end slipway

White Horses

Sunday 10 November 2019

Sleeping With the Enemy


  Oof!  Here I am!

  Apologies for taking off without leaving a note.  I thought I had, but by the time I realised I hadn't it was too late to go back in time to ensure that I had because there isn't one now.  And there would be one if there had been time.  Which there wasn't, otherwise I wouldn't be telling you this.

  Anyway...  Back to the post at hand.

  Despite what the title implies-
I think the Host came up with it?
  Don't look at me!
Well, your irritating little SubC, then.
How very dare y-  Oh.  Actually, it was me.

  Anyway...  Despite what the title implies - whoever came up with it - I was not sleeping with the enemy.  I was sleeping with the Monster Under the Bed.*  Well, not in that sense - I was on top. 
  Which makes it sound like I was sleeping with it in that way.  I wasn't.  By "on top" I mean I was on the bed, while the monster was under it, as is traditional in these matters.
  Anyway, its gone now.  I managed to get it on the NightShip a couple of evenings ago.  I've been clearing up the drool and half-eaten carcasses from under my bed ever since, which is partly why I haven't been around lately.

The Monster Under the Bed
Awwww... Just look at its cute little chitinous claws, and those adorable, puppy-dog-eating eyes!

::

  Plus, I have been caught in a downpour of ideas, so it may be another a few days before I shake them all off and pin them down.  They're mostly Star Trek ideas, so nothing you'd be interested in, I'm sure.
  Although, there is that Panto to see to...


* A refugee from Hallowe'en...

Wednesday 23 October 2019

Shags, Knobs, and Groynes

 It's a good job I renewed my subscription to wwwWOW!'s blogorati calendar, as it tells me that it's Dinahmow's birthday today!  Happy birthday, Dinah!




 Oh, and it'll be Mistress Maddie's in a couple of days, then only a week until All Hallows Eve...

Saturday 19 October 2019

"But Where Are The Knockers?"

 Where indeed, Ms Scarlet?  While there may not be any knockers, amongst this slog of photos from the beach (yes, I was down there again on Thursday - as well as this morning!), there are some ships, cormorants, evolving galaxies, and lashings of sea glass.

 Oh, and that stone spiral mutation on the right, there.

Right.  First up, Thursday's photos - starting with this tired/grumpy (I can't decide which) little turnstone (Arenaria interpres).


Sunday 13 October 2019

Galaxy

 You probably won't be surprised to learn that I ended up down on the beach again yesterday, mucking about with pebbles and the like.  On the right, there, is my latest creation, "Galaxy".
Poncey, eh?
 Quiet, you!
 Anyway, two days is all it took to scatter my previous spirals, so I put them back together in different configurations, then collected some orange/tan pebbles, and some worn amd broken roof tiles, and created Galaxy and a Tower of Tiles.

Scattered spirals


Tower of Tiles


Saturday 12 October 2019

Penetration of Plunge Pools and Other Key Holes

 In the comments of the previous post, on Thursday I said to Dinahmow that I was going down to the beach again, and these are the photos I took while I was down there.

 It was a really nice, bright, sunny morning - relatively warm when sheltered from the cool breeze - so I spent far more time down there than I intended.  And, because it was low tide, I ventured beyond the End-of-the-Line!


Canyons and river valleys in miniature!


Here's an old groyne penetrating someone's plunge pool (not The Very Mistress's this time)


Sunday 6 October 2019

End-of-the-Line Updates #2.5, #3 & #4 (with a touch of Glamour)

 I thought it was about time we had another End-of-the-Line update, considering that the last one was nearly two months ago (plus, this will get rid of another draft post that's been languishing since 18th August).  Aside from the rapidly disappearing End-of-the-Line, the local geography/geology seems to be getting back to normal thanks to the high tides and rough seas scouring away the fallen cliff detritus.

 This is a photo-heavy post so, like the last one, I'm not going to be doing much talking.

From 10th August:





Thursday 3 October 2019

Surges of Spume-laden Surf


 These photos are from this morning's brief perambulation along the promenade.  Surprisingly, I didn't get too wet!

This shot is from the slipway at the foot of the Pauls Lane access slope to the beach


I'd walked east along the prom then turned back to take this photo


Heading east again


Monday 30 September 2019

September Has Spiralled Away


I know!  I'm just as shocked as you are,
broken-stone-Cyberman-mask-in-the-sand.
Time is certainly flying by...

 I popped down to the beach for a swim on the 22nd, but the sea was too choppy, so I mooched about on the shoreline, picking up pretty stones and the like, instead.  As the sundials I'd previously created* had been washed away (or swiped aside by seagulls/children/Chronosfear/League Against Time-telling Equipment et al), I thought about making more, but stopped in my tracks when I realised that in sorting the stones, I'd created a rather pleasing spiral.
 So I carried on until the groyne post was packed with stones!

Saturday 28 September 2019

Not the DeVice Mansion Gardens


 I visited Urban Jungle near Norwich on Thursday (last seen two years ago, here), and the Old Vicarage gardens at East Ruston yesterday.  Four plants came home with me on Thursday, and just one yesterday.  However, I also acquired a pocket full of various seeds!  Unlike Thursday at Urban Jungle where I took photos of the plants that I liked (and that were suitable for the DeVice Mansion gardens) along with their labels (so I wouldn't have to try and remember/guess what they were later), only by chance did a couple of photos from East Ruston match up to some of the seeds I appropriated.
 The seeds were all stuffed into a pocket of my bag, and when I got home, I spent an age racking my brain to remember which plants they came from, and then another eternity scouring the internet trying to find out the plants' names.  I've done quite well, I think.  Only one seed pod is completely unknown, and another (the one that looks like a bottom) I have a general idea of.



 I began by separating and sorting the seeds, then writing a brief description of the plant they came from (if I remembered). Then, after much some research, I wrote the actual plant name with seed propagation info (if found).  Spiralling inwards (clockwise) from top left:
  1. The completely unreal looking fruits of Dianella caerulea
    No description because the bright blue fruit was very memorable - discovered to be Dianella caerulea, aka flax lily. 
  2. Again, no description because of its uniqueness.  This is the one I only have a general idea of - I think its from some sort of Crinum, or other similar lily-like bulb.  
  3. "Peanutbutter plant" is the description, but I can't remember the proper name.  I used to have one in the gardens of Castle DeVice which, when the leaves were lightly crushed/bruised, would smell of peanut butter, hence my description.
  4. "Popping seed plant.  About 1m tall, leggy, in shade, white and purple 'bonnet'-like flowers." - This, I discovered, is an invasive species, Impatiens glandulifera 'Himalayan balsam'. I've written "Don't grow!"
  5. "Unknown" - Except, I remembered what plant these seeds came from soon after writing that: The dried flower head of an Allium.
  6. "Grass - wispy seed heads about 50cm tall" - I'm not buggering about trying to find out what sort of grass as its grass.  It'll grow.
  7. No description as I knew what plant these were from: Echium!
  8. Camera has done its usual sterling job of focusing
    everywhere but at the ruddy great thing in the foreground
    that was the obvious subject of the bloody, buggery photo!
    "Column of blackberries"  These attractive, edible-looking black berries (so therefore they must be highly poisonous) yielded small, bean-shaped, shiny black seeds.  It took some research, but I eventually found out that these are from Phytolacca acinosa, aka Indian pokeweed.  And, yes, it's poisonous.
  9. "Unknown plant - about 1m tall, leggy, in shade." - Yep, this is the completely unknown one.  It came from near the entrance to the gardens, but I can't for the life of me remember anything about the plant.  The seed pod does look a little like an Aquilegia seed pod, but with only three lobes.


Monday 23 September 2019

Ye Olde TV

 I am somewhat exhausted after chronicling our recent escapades over the Cusp (see previous six posts), as well as dealing with various family issues (medical emergencies, transportation, and taking on the 'School Run Mum' role, amongst other things - and all seem to have occurred on the hot, sunny days, leaving me with the overcast, windy and rainy days) so I have been watching TV in between the fetching and carrying.
 Mostly, I have been rewatching old things, or old things made new.  It's been a bit like comfort eating.  Which I have also been doing a lot of...

 Anyway, on with the shows!

Smack the Pony - a comedy sketch show from 1999 to 2003 performed by Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan, and Sally Phillips.  It also featured Sarah Alexander, Darren Boyd, and Cavan Clerkin.

(Three of my favourite sketches can be found at 8:19 "Competitive singing", 10:40 "Window Cleaner", and 22:50 "Competitive make-up")

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - selected episodes from 1993 to 1994, including the first season finale In the Hands of the Prophets, and the season two opening trilogy The Homecoming, The Circle, and The Seige.  A couple of Cardassian-centric episodes Cardassians and Tribunal, and the shocking season two finale, The Jem'Hadar.


Sunday 15 September 2019

The I.T. Wizard of Oz

Continued from... Visiting the Viridian Village

 "Look!" said Maddie as she hovered just below the clouds above the Viridian Village.  "There's the old Scarecrone outside the palace."
 "Where?" Jon burst out of the cloud, wings outstretched as he scoured the ground below.
 "There.  Heading towards the gates with the others."
 "Oh, yes, I see.  Come on" Jon beckoned Maddie and a couple of her nubile, young flying monkey houseboys, "let's go get her!"

~o~

 "I'm not sure how I feel about this?" Mago pondered.
 "About what, Mr Mags?"
 "About stealing IDV's broom for the wizard.  I just don't think it's right."
 "But that was the deal" Ms Scarlet said.  "The broom in exchange for wi-fi & satnav for me, courage for Beast, and the surgery required to get that tin foil hat off your head!  I don't think Mr Devine will give it up voluntarily, so we'll just have to take it."
 "Oh, nein.  It's not the stealing that concerns me.  I mean: I'm worried that that old broom will never get the Wizard all the way to south-east Texas!"
I think we probably should have featured Broom earlier, hmm?
Oh!  We could have used it to fly off on when The Very Mistress first turned up in Loompaland!
Bugger!  A missed opportunity.
Hang on a minute.  The wizard doesn't escape Oz on a broom, he uses a hot air bal-
 "Quiet, you two!"
 "Who are you berating, Very Mistress?  No one said anything?"
 "Oh, just IVD's and the Host's meddlesome, irritating SubConsciousnesses.  I've been able to hear them since their birthday last year.  I don't know how he puts up with them?"
 Thank you!
 "Wha-?  Who said that??"
Oh, shit.
Shhhh!  You're not the narrator.
Well, who is?  The writing's all in white, so it appears to be Witchface,
but it's all over the shop, so who can tell?
Anyway!  Back to the gates...

 In a flurry of feathers fit for the most fabulous of drag queens, Maddie, Jon, and a couple of minor flying monkeys carrying some sort of wooden contraption, swooped down upon the Blogorati.
 "Aaaaaiiieeeee!!!  They're in my hair!  They're in my hair!!" Beast shrieked like a little girl and ran around waving his hands above his head ineffectually.
 "Shut up, Baldilocks" The Very Mistress said scornfully, rolling her eyes "they're not here for you."  The flying monkeys set down and beckoned her to the sedan chair.
 "Ms Mistress!" Ms Scarlet piped up.  "Where are you going?"
 "The same place as you - to IVD's castle."
 "But...?" Ms Scarlet waved her arm towards the sedan chair and the waiting monkeys.
 "The thought of being stuck in a car for another journey with Beast and his flatulent arse was too much, so while you were seeing the wizard, I called for a lift" The Very Mistress explained as she got in the chair and the flying monkeys prepared for take off.  "Fortunately, there's only enough room for one.  Byeeeee!"

~o~

Friday 13 September 2019

Visiting the Viridian Village

Continued from... Feather Brained

 "I can't believe what happened to me!!!" Ms Scarlet shrieked after her treatment at the gate.  "How.  Why?  Why would you do that to me???  I am going to have to go and shower now, and I will probably have nightmares tonight."
 "Woof!" said Sid.
 "What?" said a rather confused looking Hound.
 "I need a good dry cleaner's and a therapist after being subject to your disgusting... thing!"
 "What are you talking about, bab?  It's not disgusting.  It might be breaking the laws of nature, but it's not disgusting.  It's perfectly unnatural."  Fearing an international incident at the amount of huffing and foot-stamping going on, Hound opened the gates to the Viridian Village to let the strange party in.
 "Oh, I don't want to see" Ms Scarlet pouted.  Beast poked his head around the gate, his smirk at Ms Scarlet's earlier treatment disappeared.
 "Oh" he said.  "Well, that's unexpected."
 Mago was next to go through. "Ja" he agreed, and beckoned Ms Scarlet and The Very Mistress through.
 There, behind the gate in Hound's little alcove, was an array of complicated looking contraptions, including what looked like pieces of a Whimshurst machine or Van de Graaf generator, and a tin foil Tik-Tok man.
 "What's this?" Ms Scarlet asked as Sid raised his hackles and growled.  "What is all this stuff?"
 "If you must know" Hound began, trying to ignore the vibrating, growling Sid, "I have constructed a full-body, tin foil, tik-tok armour, but it needs electricity to power some of the components.  Electricity which can be harvested from the static shocks created by fondling those enchanted, emerald, polyester elf shorts you're wearing!"
 Ms Scarlet managed to look both confused and relieved.  "Well" she said, eventually.  "I suppose that's all right, then.  Carry on."
 "Now you've all had a good gawp at my little fetish, I shall repeat my original question: What do you want!?"

Sunday 8 September 2019

Feather Brained


 Goading each other on, and sniggering over smutty innuendos, two flying monkeys swooped down towards a fast-moving, pink car...

~o~

A little while later back at Castle DeVice...

 "What in the Christing Hells is this?!"
 Before me, my highest ranking flying monkeys, Head Gardener Nikko Jon, and Head Fancier Chistery Maddie, presented a radio-controlled, miniature FAB 1, complete with little puppet passengers inside.
 "You don't want it?"
 "Is this not what you asked for?"
 One of them sniggered amongst a ruffling of feathers.
 "Look at it!" I screeched.  "They're bloody puppets!"
 "Marionettes, actually" Jon said.
 "Aaaaaaaarrrrrgh!"
 "This is what you showed us in the crystal ball, Tootes" said Maddie.
 "Yes.  It's not our fault you hadn't put your reading glasses on."
 "You showed us a small, radio-controlled car.  How were we supposed to know you wanted the real thing?"
 Someone sniggered again, this time without bothering to mask it with a wing shake.
 "Christ!  Would you give me just a small break?  Why in all Hells would I want you to fetch me a toy car?" I hissed while pinching the bridge of my nose, which - to be fair - was bereft of reading glasses.  "You wouldn't be like this to The Very Mistress, would you?"
 The two flying monkeys gave each other smirking 'looks'.
 "I might" said Jon
 "Yeah, me too" Maddie agreed.
 "Really?" I countered, a plan forming.  I affected my best stern Very Mistress pose and pulled out my crystal ball complete with a fully formed image of The Very Mistress herself.  Without make-up!
 "Aaiieeee!!!"
 "Eeeeeeeeeeek!!!"
 They both screamed like Ned Flanders and flew away in a flurry of feathers.
 "How does she do it?"  I muttered, willing my blood pressure to drop. "How does the Very Mistress put up with such nincompoopery?  I need a gin.
 "Or twelve."
~o~

Thursday 5 September 2019

The Pink Carriage of No Horse Drawn

Continued from The Emerald Elf Shorts...

 "Oof!  Sorry I'm late", I muttered after I'd reincorporated myself from a cloud of black smoke.  "I had to change the story as it was flailing around in a most unnerving manner.  Right.  We can start now.  I think I've gathered myselves together properly."
 "It's already started!" Dinahmow hissed.
 "Yes.  We couldn't wait for you" Ms Scarlet added as she smoothed down the Freakin' Green Elf Shorts that were clinging rather suggestively to her derrière.  "And your story change wave-front ruined my hair!"
 "It's started?"  I was rather taken aback.  "Without me?"
 "Yes!"
 "Oh.  Well.  Um..." I looked around trying to orientate myselves, but without much luck.  "So.  Um.  What's going on?  C3-Peenee and Norma-D2 over there in the Great Glass Elevator have thrown me, somewhat."
 "Ohhh...  The Great Glass Elevator!  That's what it is!"  The penny dropped for Ms Scarlet.  "Yes, I'm not sure what to make of them being here either, but it might explain why there's a crowd of Oompa Loompas instead of Munchkins.  Aside from them, this all smacks of The Wizard of Oz.  Especially now you've arrived dressed like that."
 I looked down at my long black dress (with puffy shoulders!) and cloak, and raised a hand to my head where Hat was perched.
 "Oh, dear.  This isn't right.  The Very Mistress should be me, I mean, the Wicked Witch of the West.  She's always the evil one."  I started to panic.  "You haven't seen her have you?  Is she here?"
 "No, not yet.  I... Oh!"  Ms Scarlet stopped as Dinah nudged her.
 "Look who it is" Dinah whispered and pointed with her wand to a trio of approaching 'people'.
 Ms Scarlet squinted at them.  "A tin foil hatted man?  Ah, Mr Mags.  A cowardly codswallop?  Good grief!  It's Mr Beastie!  And a scarecrone?"  She gasped in shock.
 "Yikes!  The Very Mistress!"  I blurted, evaporating into smoke.  "I'm out of here!"

 Just as the last vestiges of black smoke dissipated, a very pink Mazda 626 minicab pulled up at the green, with a blue satin clad something-or-other nodding its head vigorously on the parcel shelf.
 "Ooh, good!" Ms Scarlet exclaimed.  "We can get to the Viridian Village in that."
 "Not without usss, you won't!"

Sunday 1 September 2019

The Emerald Elf Shorts


* C L U M P *

 "Oof!"  I said.  Which was qute restrained really considering that a sizeable house had landed on me.
 After some wriggling and a lot of splinters, I managed to free my right arm from broken joists, floorboards and the like, and reach up under Hat's brim and into its hammerspace.  On only the seventeenth attempt, I felt the sturdy handle of a drill in my grip and - wasting no time - switched it on while driving it upwards.
 After what felt like hours - but was probably only six years - hot, sticky, covered in sawdust and grit, I burst through the bottom of a bathtub.
 Reality dawned...
 "Oh, no" I said to no one in particular as I clocked what I was wearing and realised what what was transpiring.  "No.  I'm sorry.  No.  This cannot happen.  I don't want this."
STAND BY FOR INSERTION INTO STORYLINE the disembodied voice of the enchanted mirror intoned.
What?  What mirror?
 "What?"
What mirror?  Where did it come from?
 "I don't kn-"
STAND BY...
 "What?  No.  I'm sorry, no.  I'm not having it.  We can do better than this."  
STAND BY...
 I couldn't believe the bloody mirror, or whatever it was, wasn't listening to me.  Me!  A witch!  There was only one thing for it.  I had to bamboozle it.  A spell came to mind, so I vomited it out of my mouth before it bamboozled me, too.
 "The fact is" I said, quoting Nana Rampton's Discombobulator "this is about identifying what we do most of best, and finding fewer ways of doing more of it less."
...?  The mirror managed to convey an uncomfortable silence before clicking and whirring rather disconcertingly.  REINITIALISING it finally declared.
 "At last" I muttered.
 "G'day, DeVice!  We're good to go" the mirror said in a non-bogan Aussie accent.
 "What?"
 "Don't say what, say pardon" the mirror said, this time attempting a middle class English accent that would take offence at being told one's gravy needed sieving, but failing to completely mask the Aussieness.  I narrowed my eyes as comprehension dawned.
 "T-Bird?  Is that you?"
 "None other" the one-time teeterer atop the Hag Pillar confirmed amidst more whirring, clicking background noise.  She'd dropped the posh Home Counties accent, thankfully.  "OK, mate.  We're pretty much good to go.  Again."
What?!  We're accepting cameos from the Days of Coven Past now?
Just go with it, or this will take even longer.  The end is already beyond our second and third sight, and the crystal ball's given up trying to extrapolate where and when this "adventure" will end up.
Yes, but, Miss SmuggershamT-Bird?!  We haven't seen her in years!
I don't see why not?  She was a major player back in the day.  Besides, Beast turns up here later.
WHAT?!?
REINITIALISATION COMPLETE.  STORY CHANGE IN THREE...
 "Right" said T-Bird, leaving the mirror to get on with the technical stuff.  "Now to see how Tim's getting on in those Big Bang Pants!"
TWO...
 "Sexily, I'll bet!" I said not even bothering to hide the lasciviousness.
ONE...
 "Rawr!"

Hang on.  This isn't going to involve more time travel is it?  You know I'm not thrilled abou-

* C L U M P *

"Ow!"

And so it begins

Again...