26. Campaign 4- Party Morning

Julieta came down the stairs to the sound of music.

Of course that wasn't TOO unusual. Everyone in the Madrigal family loved to sing and dance. It was common when they all worked to give casita a good cleaning for them to break into song, turning the chore into a large dance as they darted about each other, dusting shelves and polishing banisters. They would move the beat of their hearts and the music of life, finding job in the small tasks that normally would be so tedious.

But what was odd was that the music was occurring so early. Normally she was the very first member of the family up, needing to get breakfast started. She would be dressed and moving out the door before Agustin fully awoke, though he did make sure to check in on her before he went to tend the hives. Then would be Mirabel and Luisa, the two heading out for their morning run and then their joint bath, which still was odd to think about even after Julieta had experienced one herself. The rest of the family would get up over the next hour and finally make their way to the dinner room to eat.

That morning though Julieta had pulled herself from her bed, utterly tired after the quinceañera and the chaos that had come from Bruno and Mirabel's party suddenly showing up at casita. Agustin hadn't even managed to crack his eyes open and when she'd shaken him awake and told him the bees needed him he grunted, 'they can sleep in' and burrowed back into the covers. Julieta had gotten the bad feeling everyone was going to be sleeping in… or attempting to… and that her hurrying to make breakfast would only end up being her wasting her time as it all got cold. At least until her mama came down and demanded everyone get up and then they'd be forcing the food down their throats without actually eating it.

A lovely way to start the day.

But instead of being by herself she heard the music and hew brow furrowed at that.

Walking into the kitchen caused her curiosity to instantly morph into shock.

Mirabel stood at the stove, happily flipping bacon while her free hand lightly tinged a glass with a spoon. Anton was handling the frying of potatoes next to her, occasionally leaning over to blow on an empty bottle to go with the rhythmic music that played about them. Saharah was playing her lute but only so a group of metal soldiers could march outside to load up the table out there with dishes while Ulika was crushing oranges with her bare hands, occasionally thumping her fist against the table. Prince Dryft was happily tapping his hooves against the ground as he danced about the room, Ernesto cheering him on, as he waved his hands about, causing the water in the sink to rise up, lifting dishes and scrubbing them before depositing them in the drying rack without ever needing to touch them. Bruno and Fibonacci were dancing about each other as the tossed fresh bread between the two of them to be placed out on the table while Gahoole sliced strawberries by throwing them in the air and cut them as they fell so they landed perfectly in a bowl.

The clinks and clangs and clatter created not just music but a perfect rhythm that gave their actions true life.

"Julieta!" Bruno called out, spinning over to her and grabbing her hand, pulling her towards him. She let out a yelp only to laugh as Bruno pulled her close and waggled his eyebrows before doing a quick tango with her. "We were hoping you'd sleep in a bit more!"

"We wanted to surprise you!" Mirabel told her as she removed some bacon from the fry pan and put it on some towels to get rid of the extra grease. "You worked so hard on my party-I thanked you for that, right?"

"Many times," Julieta assured her.

"Well, you worked so hard on it and then the party kind of invaded casita-"

"I. Thought. It. Was. Our. Kitchen." Olika shot Mirabel a look who merely waved her off and the green woman ('Orc, Mirabel said she was an orc') sighed before going back to making the orange juice.

"-that we figured we'd let you all sleep in and we'd make breakfast!"

"Aren't you tired?" Julieta asked as Bruno spun her over to her daughter, only for Anton to catch her and begin to dance with her. "You were woken up too."

Ernesto shrugged at that. "Against the advice of our healer we are using potions."

"Which is not good for your bowel movements," Dryft informed him, his hands still waving in the air as he formed a water tendril to grab Mirabel's now empty pan and move it to the sink to be washed in the rippling water.

"You're awake too," Anton pointed out as he released Julieta so he could begin dishing up the potatoes.

"I go 56 hours before I need to sleep," the large capricorn informed the human simply, still dancing about the room as he worked, lightly tapping his hooves as he whirled around Julieta, far too nimble for someone so bulky and big.

"I do not need sleep," Fibonacci commented, removing the final loaf of sweet bread from the oven and judging it for a moment before tossing it to Bruno. "I find it rather wasteful."

"Yes yes, you are utterly amazing," Julieta's hermano teased as he placed the last loaf of bread on the table. "Mind doing something to ensure the bugs don't bother us?" Fibonacci nodded and removed his staff from where it had been placed on his back, twirling it (and causing Dryft to duck before he was hit) before heading out to cast some sort of bug-repelling spell. "Go and relax, Julieta, we have this."

"And if I would prefer to watch you work and spend time with you all?" she asked.

"I would believe that would be relaxing except I know you and you won't be able to resist the urge to join in and help us finish up. Ernesto, the butter?"

"On it," he called out, moving to the fridge.

"This is very nice, Mirabel, thank you. All of you, thank you."

"No trouble at all," Gahoole told her as she finished slicing the fruit. "You all deserve a rest. Spend some time with Mira and Bruno that doesn't involve doing chores."

"Oh… well I suppose an hour or two-"

Anton scoffed at that. "Fuck that-"

"Language!" Bruno snapped. "That's my hermana!"

"And I know that she's fucked at least three times!" Anton shot back with a smirk before looking over at the startled Julieta. "And plenty more unless your husband is a fool." She blushed at that.

"Don't let your husband hear you talking about that," Ernesto warned.

"Ha! He loves it when I flirt!" He finished getting the last of the food. "Take the entire day off, dear lady." He walked over and kissed her hand. "I and my merry band will handle everything."

"Your merry band?" Ernesto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Everyone knows you put the prettiest member of a group as the leader and spokesman."

"So Saharah?" Dryft asked.

"Thank you Dryft," the brass dragonborn said with a smile, patting him on the cheek.

Anton gave another bow to Julieta who couldn't help but smile at the man's antics. "We will handle your chores today."

"Well, that is-"

"Out of the question," mama said, stepping into the kitchen and glaring at all those gathered. "Julieta, why are you allowing Mirabel and her-"

"Ahem," Gahoole said, clearing her throat, and mama looked to her right to find Dryft looming over her, leaning down so his hot breath struck her right in the face. She swallowed before turning again… only to find Saharah had moved closer, lightly playing a tune that could only be called 'war-like' in terms of tone even as she smiled, showing off all her pretty white sharp teeth.

"-friends to make so much noise and wake everyone up?" She frowned, looking around. "And why are you so late getting up? Breakfast should have already been made. Not left to our… guests."

"Can't have it both ways now, my dear," Gahoole said politely. "Are you mad at us waking everyone up or them not being up already? You really must pick one." She looked over at Ulika. "That's the problem with us old biddies… we lose track of things so easily. It's why I rely upon you all to show me the way."

The party all smirked at that and Julieta knew just from her limited interactions with the party that the owl woman was not some forgetful old granny who needed to be guided about.

"Now, I. Am. Ga-hoole." She said the words slowly, patronizingly, and Julieta grimaced as she saw her mama glower at her. "This is your granddaughter, your son, and their friends. We are here to visit for a bit, help your valley, and told you that you are going to get to spend time with your family. We will handle the chores."

Mama merely stared the owl woman down. "You can not merely go into the village. You will cause a fright. We are lucky none of you nine have wandered off on your own."

"Seven, mama," Bruno said with a false smile. "Unless you MEANT to include Mirabel and I in that little grouping of yours of terrors."

Before mama could chide him for thinking that… even though Julieta was sure he was right… Ernesto spoke up. "if that's the problem then we'll just match up with everyone. Pairs. It will allow everyone to get to know our family-" he gestured at himself, Bruno, and Mirabel, "-all the better. If you don't mind I think I'll go with Agustin… it's been far too long since my hermano and I had some time together."

Mama looked like she'd bitten into a pie she thought was filled with cream but in reality had a lemon center. "I do not think-"

"There will be a problem with that?" Gahoole asked sweetly. "I quite agree. It is a grand idea."

"Now see here-" Mama began again only for Gahoole to wrap an arm around her (wing?) and move her towards the breakfast table.

"Now now… I get wanting to ensure everything goes well but sometimes we old gals need to let the young ones try their hand at leading. After all, what will they do when we are gone?"

Saharah, surprisingly enough, was the next to raise her hand. "I'd like to go with Luisa, if that's okay." The others looked at her and she smiled shyly, ducking her head. "She had a lot of questions about our adventures and I figured I would be the best to answer them."

"I'll go with the boy, Camilo," Anton said.

Ernesto frowned. "Is it wise to put you two pranksters together?"

"You need someone that can deal with kids. We're going to get enough screams from the adults…"

"…point accepted," Ernesto stated and Julieta could understand his reasoing; Camilo always babysat the local kids and Anton was the only one of the newly arrived party that wouldn't scare them. "Anyone else have a Madrigal they are interested in?"

The orc nodded. "I'll take Mirabel's sister. Isabella."

That made even Julieta blink as she stared at Ulika.

"You sure about that?" Mirabel asked.

"Call it a hunch."

"Okay… just don't kill each other," Mirabel warned, trying to sound playful and failing. "So that leaves Nocci and Dryft."

"I wish to assist the weather witch, Pepa," Fibonacci stated. "I believe it safest for me to go. Dryft would be… fried."

"She also thinks he's Satan," Bruno said, looking over the capricorn. "Speaking of that… Dryft, why don't you stick with Julieta? You are both healers so you can swap stories."

She blinked at that but the capricorn quickly bobbed his head in agreement, smiling. "Yes… I think I'd like that."

That settled Bruno said, "I'll go with Dolores… I haven't chatted with her in a while. Mirabel, you good with Felix then?"

"Yup!" she said with a grin. "I'll help him and then he can help me! And Gahoole can also check in on Antonio… she'll like that."

"Then let's wake everyone up and get breakfast started!" Anton declared.

Julieta wondered just what they had set themselves up for.