Things have been hectic for Anisa in the past few weeks, as Landing Day quickly approaches. With the business courses that her father got her into taking up many of her evenings, and every other morning devoted to training with Aaron, the Lapi doe hardly seems to have any time left to herself.

The loss of an airship bringing in critical ingredients for Cold Shower has also led to a shortage of the popular calmative. As a result there has been a general increase in stress among the unmarried Lapi population, leading to the occasional fight between bucks and general nervousness among does. Even some of Anisa's party-loving friends have admitted to staying home rather than risk getting harassed or attacked after dark.

At home, however, the shortage has meant a change in patronage. Does arrive in large groups and keep to themselves, and Anisa has had to break up a few scuffles between Lapi bucks that have broken out over apparently trivial things. Benjamin is the most affected though, having gotten into an argument with his girlfriend that has led to his being generally sulky and defensive, much like Tyson was at that age. Tyson and Royce don't seem to be affected at all, but then they never used the Cold Shower potion to begin with.

Even Aaron has become more stressed out; mainly from having to come up with alternate stress remedies for his customers. Just to be safe, he's switched from sparring practice to weight-training, once Royce got the weightlifting equipment set up in the back bedroom of the apothecary's house.

This morning's training session is running a bit short, since the Lapi quickly exhausts himself on the weight-bench while Anisa spots him.

"You're taking that pretty fast," the doe suggests to Aaron. "Be careful, or you'll end up tearing a muscle. Feel tired yet?"

Racking the barbell back into place, Aaron gasps, "Tired… yeah." The rabbit sits up and gropes for a towel to wipe away the perspiration from his fur. "I guess I was pushing a little too fast there after all."

Anisa picks up a bottle of water, and hands it to the buck. "At least it'll get all that aggression out of you hopefully." The doe leans forward on the bar of the weights, scratching her leg with a toe. "But you don't want to go too fast, or you can really hurt yourself. I wish they'd get another shipment of that stuff in, so we could get back to the training."

"I haven't heard anything yet, but I hope so too," Aaron says, taking the water gratefully. "I'm nearly out of all the calming teas I carry as it is. Pretty soon I'll have to go right to the sedatives, if I don't end up using them all myself. I think I've already gotten Spring Meadow angry at me for using up her bubble-bath too."

The snow colored doe smirks. "Hey, if it works, it works. She can always get more. At least you don't have to break up the fights." The rabbit rolls her eyes. "The fact that I'm a woman doesn't make it any easier; I think it just makes them even crazier. I'll be glad when all of this is over."

Aaron looks over his shoulder to Anisa. "Ah, things getting tough at work? What do you do to relax?"

"Very little, recently." Anisa sighs, taking a seat on the bench besides the buck. "Between work, training, and class, I don't get much free time anymore. When I do, I usually either curl up on the couch or take a bath, and read a good book. It lets my mind unwind for a while, although I doubt you'd like the kind of books I read." She smirks.

Right ear perking up, Aaron asks, "Oh? What sort of books do you read?"

The smirk stays plastered on Anisa's face. "Mostly action adventure romance novels, when I can find them. They're not exactly high-literary works, but they're fun. Royce thinks they rot my brain."

The buck laughs. "Heh, even Jasmine reads those, when she isn't knitting! I mean, really … she's a grandmother for First Ones' sake, and has traveled all over the place on business, and she still enjoys those stories."

"Must be a woman thing then." The doe grins, and gets up from the bench, stretching with a yawn. "So, how do you feel? Are the workouts helping any?"

Aaron hops up and strikes a heroic (for a Lapi) pose. "I think so! Think I'm ready to model for the cover of one your books?" He flexes his muscles, then twists his face into a grimace and hops around yelling, "OOwwww! Cramp! Cramp!"

Anisa lets out a quick burst of laughter, then stifles it with a paw. "You forgot to do your cool down stretching! Here, lay down. Where's the cramp at?"

Aaron does as he's told. "Right shoulder, where that stupid snake bit me," he says. "Stretching … how could I forget that?"

"Ouch, old wound flaring up? That sounds like it's more than a cramp." The doe helps the buck to sit back onto the bench, then starts to massage his shoulders roughly with her fingers. "You gotta relax. The more you tense up, the more it'll hurt. Even in the middle of the fight, it's good to stay limber. How does that feel?"

The bucks sighs. "Good. But I think I'd better take a bath after this. Would you mind sticking around for a bit? Spring Meadow is supposed to come by and work on her garden." The Earth Mage has effectively claimed Aaron's back yard as her own personal property, and is growing who-knows-what in it.

Anisa works her thumbs into the buck's shoulders, putting on the finishing touches. "Sure, I can stick around for a bit, but what for? I figure Meadow'll be too busy to talk, and I don't want to get in her way."

"I haven't had a key made for her yet, and I don't want to have to get out of the bath to let her in," Aaron explains. "Besides, you sound like you could use some time to just sit around and relax yourself."

The doe rubs Aaron's shoulder a last couple of times, then gives them a quick pat, followed by wiping the sweat off on her pants. "I guess I could do that, sure. And you're right, a bit of a rest and a quick chat with Meadow will do me some good. I wish she had more free time – or me for that matter." The Lapi walks over to the wall, and picks her own water bottle up, taking a drink.

Aaron gets up and finishes his stretches. "I really appreciate you taking time to help me and all, Anisa. Maybe I'll throw a party on Landing Day where we can all get together and have some fun for a change!"

Grinning, Anisa pulls out her trusty brush and starts in on her own ears. "That'd be a blast! There haven't been many parties lately, with everything that's been going on and all." The doe grimaces. "Even then, I probably wouldn't have time for them. Ah well, it'll make it all the more sweet! Just make sure you wait 'til the shipments get flowing again." The smaller rabbit blinks.

Aaron grins and heads out of the room. "I'll have something to take the edge off, don't worry!" The door to the bathroom opens and closes, and Anisa can hear the tub filling up.

"Let's hope so," the white Lapi mutters under her breath. Finishing up her own stretches, the rabbit towels off her equipment, and makes her way towards the stairs to wait for Spring Meadow – and to check out Aaron's pantry. The doe is famished.

Downstairs, the house is beginning to look more like a home. The dining room and living have been furnished, and the kitchen stocked with cooking utensils and food. Still, it doesn't give the impression of being lived in much, aside from the study, which is full of odd books and strange items hung from the walls. The icebox and pantry are filled with juices and fruits and breads, and a variety of jams as well. Aaron apparently likes jam.

There is even a bowl of spiced and flavored gnawing sticks set out on the bar, which itself is only partially stocked – and mostly with herbal teas at that.

Anisa roots around inside the icebox, pulling out one of the juice bottles and a couple random fruits, placing them on the counter. Sniffing at the bottle, she tries to determine its contents before she starts into guzzling. For all she knows, its one of Aaron's magic potions, but it turns out to contain apple juice, or at least a weak apple cider.

Relaxing, the doe takes a large swig, gathering up her assorted snacks and heading into the living room. Taking a seat, she takes another gulp of the juice and starts in on an orange, displaying the Snowshoe family's famous appetite.

The snack is interrupted by a rapping on the front door, unfortunately.

Placing her tidbits aside, Anisa leaps up from the couch and runs to the door, wiping orange juice from her mouth with the back of one hand. Turning the knob, she swings the door open, smiling widely.

"Eeep!" says the uniformed Kavi standing on landing, apparently shocked at the exuberant answer. "Oh, hello! Isthis the home of one Aaron Xavier Lightfoot, ma'am?" the Kavi asks, checking a clipboard. Behind him on the street is parked a wagon full of crates and packages, with a bored-looking Rhian leaning against one side.

The rabbit frowns, visibly disappointed that it's not Spring Meadow. "Yes, this is his place, but he's taking a bath at the moment. Is there any way I can help you out?"

"Well, yes, there is!" the Kavi chirps, smiling. "If you could just sign here," he says, holding out a pen and clipboard, "then I can deliver this package for him."

Anisa takes the pen, signing her name on the place indicated. "Can I ask what it is, or is it a secret?" The doe hands the clipboard back to the Kavi. Peering at the cart.

The Rhian picks up a large wooden crate from the back of the wagon, and starts carrying it up the walkway. It's large enough that Anisa needs to unlatch and open the second door to make room. "It's a package from Abu Dhabi," the Kavi explains, stepping out of the way.

"Abu Dhabi?" The doe swings the second door wide. "You can place it right here in the entry way. I'll show it to Aaron when he gets done. Does it say what's inside?"

The Rhian sets the crate down where indicated. "'S heavy, s'what it is," he complains, and steps back outside. The Kavi hands Anisa a receipt, and says, "No idea, but it's passed through customs already." Indeed, the crate is covered by all sorts of shipping and customs stamps, as if it's passed through quite a few ports. "G'day ma'am!" the Kavi says, tipping his cap and dashing off – and nearly colliding with the gray-furred Lapi doe coming up the walk.

The white doe studies the receipt for a bit, looking up just in time to see Spring Meadow appear. "Thank you," she says to the Kavi, then turns to the other Lapi with a smile. "Meadow! I thought you'd never arrive. But then again, I'm impatient."

"Hey, I'm actually early today!" Meadow says, grinning. She comes in and gives the white-furred doe a hug, then asks, "What's in the box? And where's Aaron? Did you finally knock him out?"

Anisa returns the hug, then closes the doors behind the gray doe. "He's upstairs taking a bath. With the shortage of the blue stuff, I don't dare try and have him spar. He'd probably go nuts and tear me apart, so I have him lifting weights instead; that's enough to wear him out. Better stock up on the bubble bath, though. He might use it all up." The Lapi places the receipt on top of the crate, experimentally sniffing at it. Maybe it's some exotic fruit he got for the Apothecary.

"What?!" Meadow says in apparent alarm. "He'd better not be using my bubble-bath!" she declares, and then dashes up the stairs, intent on finding out.

The crate, for the most part, smells like glue, which is what holds the top on, after all. There is also a hint of mustiness, as of blankets that haven't been aired out in awhile.

The white doe chuckles at the other's antics, then turns her attention back to the crate. "Why would he order old blankets?" the rabbit muses to herself. Looking over her shoulder at the stairs to make sure nobody's watching, she pulls out her brush and jabs the handle underneath the lid, giving it a little nudge. Her curiosity is piqued. And besides, she thinks to herself, a little glimpse never hurt anyone.

The top of crate gives a little, the glue being the tacky sort that can be reused. From the all of the customs labels, it's a good bet that the box has been opened and closed several times already. There's the sound of the bathroom door being thrown open upstairs, followed by silence, and then a door being closed a bit more gently a few moments later.

Anisa swivels her ears at the stairs, keeping them tuned for anyone returning, and to try and figure out what's going on up there. Her eyes creep up to the small opening however, and on her tiptoes, attempts a small peek inside.

"You must have really worn him out, Anisa," Meadow says as she comes down the stairs. "He's asleep in the tub. At least he isn't using any of my bath powder though." Spotting the doe trying peek into the crate, she says, "Why not just open it up? We can always stick the lid back on later."

The rabbit slams the lid shut, and swivels around, giving the other doe an embarrassed look. "Just open it up?" She stops, and scratches her ears. "Well, I guess we could always do that." The doe shrugs with a grin, and motions Spring Meadow over. "Asleep, huh? Well, this is what he gets. Maybe it's some more Cold Shower." The Lapine puts her brush back under the lid, and pries it open once more.

"That would be handy!" Meadow agrees, and pulls a garden spade from the pocket of her robe to help pry up the next corner. With a squelch of sticky-glue coming undone, the lid is finally off of the three-foot tall crate, revealing a mass of apparently leftover carpet strips with a piece of parchment laying on top.

Anisa places the lid to one side, then picks up the parchment. "Rugs? What in the First Ones' names does he need with a bunch of old rugs?" The doe straightens up the parchment, dusts it off, and peruses the writing.

"What's it say?" Meadow asks, trying to read over Anisa's shoulder.

The white doe blinks at the writing, her brow furrowing in confusion. "It's a letter from his brother Alexander," she says, handing the parchment over to her partner in crime. "It's kinda creepy. It talks about his family … then some kind of family curse?" Bending over and inside the crate, the rabbit sifts through the assorted fabrics. "Has he ever told you about anything like that?"

The doe's hand comes across something smooth and metallic under the bits of packing.

"Family Curse?" Meadow echoes. "None that I've heard of. How can you send a curse through the post, though?"

Anisa is startled briefly by the sudden change in textures, then, with ears canted forward in extreme puzzlement, pushes the cloth out of the way to get a better look. "Beats me. Maybe it's his little brother. They can be a curse sometimes."

Pushing aside the scraps of cloth reveals a large bronze helmet, complete with horns coming out of the sides and a nose-guard that looks about right for a Lapi muzzle. There appears to be even more underneath it.

"What are these, more family heirlooms?" The doe almost falls into the crate as she reaches inside, pulling the helmet out to examine it closer.

"Oh, I've seen one of those before!" Meadow says, as she looks at the helmet. Leaning into the crate herself, she pulls out a large bronze breast-plate. Both items look ancient, with obvious patches and repairs having been made over the years.

Anisa pulls herself out of the crate, and examines the helmet closer. "I didn't know they made Lapi armor, or that there were many Lapi warriors for that matter. Where do you think it comes from?"

Pulling out some arm and leg guards, Meadows says, "They must be from Amazonia, which used to be part of Olympia until the Amazonians came and conquered it. This is Amazonian armor, probably even Black Linnea's!"

"So it's women's armor?" Anisa's ears perk up as she examines the various bits and pieces. "Neat! Although if it is, I don't see how it'd fit Aaron all that well." The doe grins, then after a few more glances, places the helmet on her head. "Well, how do I look? All Amazonian?" She strikes a pose, her face taking on the appearance of exaggerated seriousness.

The helmet is several sizes too large for Anisa. It probably wouldn't even fit well on her father. "You look silly, Anisa!" Meadow giggles, then grunts as she tries to lift out something else. "Come help me with this sword! It must weigh thirty pounds."

"His mom must be huge, then!" Placing the helmet aside, the white doe leans back over the crate, helping Spring Meadow heft the sword from its resting place. "Sheesh! This thing's a monster. Still sure that it's made for Lapi?"

Like the other parts, the sword is made of bronze and shows signs of use and care. A pair of unmistakably Lapi incisors are engraved at the base of the blade, near the hilt, and one edge is wickedly serrated.

Anisa does a double take at the huge weapon, placing it gently to the floor with Meadow's help. "Holy Dagh, this thing looks mean! How on Sinai could you even use this thing?" The doe taps one of the serrated tips with her finger. "What did they use it to kill, a friggin dragon?"

"Other Amazonians mostly," a bathrobe-clad Aaron comments from the base of the stairs. "And Vykarins too. It takes a lot to knock down an Amazonian and her mount."

Anisa leaps into the air, fur frazzling as she spins about to face the buck. "Oh! Uh, it's you. This package came," she says, gesturing to the crate. "We thought we'd, er, help you unpack it."

Aaron grins. "That's why I didn't say anything once I got down here. Saved myself a lot of work. Can I see the note?"

Picking the parchment up, the snow colored doe hands it to Aaron. "It's from your brother; he sends his regards." Picking the helmet back up, she replaces it to her head. "I don't see how you could ever use this, though. It's huge! If this was your mom's, she must be the size of a Rhian!"

The buck smirks, and says, "Only women are allowed to wear that armor." He reads the note, his ears bobbing and drooping with various degrees of emotion. "I suppose you'll want to know what the Curse is?"

"Xander never mentioned anything about a curse," Meadow notes. "And I didn't hear about one when I tagged along with him to your reunion either."

Anisa plays with various bits of the armor, trying out the arm guards, and seeing if the breastplate fits her. "Yeah, what's the deal with that? Do you turn into a Jupani when the moon is full or something? Or is it more like skin rash?"

The breastplate could probably be better used as a shield by Anisa. She may be a mature Lapi doe, but isn't anywhere close to filling out the armored chest piece.

"It's nothing so … supernatural as that," Aaron says, twitching his whiskers in amusement as Anisa tries the fit of the armor. "It's just that my mother didn't have any daughters, and armor is always passed down to a daughter among the Amazonians. So the curse is that if she didn't get a suitable daughter – either by birth or by marriage – my mother was going to take up the armor again herself. So we've been hiding it from her for years."

The white doe flops an ear, setting the breastplate aside. "You mean she'd have to fight again? Dagh, she's how old?" Taking the helmet off, the rabbit sets it in her lap. "I guess this way she can't though, can she? But I still don't see how she could fit into this stuff – is she really that big?"

Aaron nods. "And even at 60, she's still the head of her clan. Amazonian men are smaller, but still probably as big as or bigger than your brother Gibson. They fight too, but mainly in defense of the household. Only the males can actually own property."

"Poor Aaron is the runt of the family," Meadow says with a grin. "And I can vouch for the size of the Amazonians … they hardly seem like Lapis at all."

Anisa looks at the other two in amazement, and with puzzlement at Aaron in particular. "I can see why you never go back to Olympia then, although it sounds a little bit intriguing." The doe smirks, putting the items back into the crate. "Does your mom actually come looking for this stuff, though? I imagine she wouldn't be happy if she found out you were hiding it from her."

"She doesn't like to fly," Aaron says, grinning. "And I enjoy seeing my family every so often, although not always at the estate down there. There are lot of Olympian and Amazonian customs that will seem … immodest to someone from Rephidim."

"Yeah, like the baths!" Meadow pipes up. "Or how we all had to use that one giant bed. Although I think Xander had a ball."

Anisa laughs, placing the helmet back into the crate followed by the lid. "I guess that makes you the perfect keeper for it then. Still, I'd like to go there one of these days. Lapis that give Rhians a run for their money – I'd pay to see that."

"It's worth it, Anisa," Meadow says, nodding. "It was awkward at first, but the vineyards and Dianus are beautiful, much more so than old touristy Parthos. No ruins in Dianus; it's all still kept up and working. No tourists at all."

Aaron rubs the edge of the letter between his fingers, and re-reads the end. "Well, the next reunion is at New Year's. If either of you want to come along as my guests, I'll … uh … consider it. Meadow already knows what to expect, after all."

Pressing the lid back down onto the glue, the white doe then leaps up to sit on the crate. She perks her ears up at Aaron, eyes wide. "Really? I'd love to come!" The coney's face explodes into a huge grin. "It'd mean missing a couple of classes, but it'd be nice to have a break. Count me in!"

Aaron's ears fold back down, and he says, "Well … you should probably ask Meadow about it some more before really deciding." With a twitch of his whiskers, he then turns on the Earth Mage and says, "And don't think I didn't notice you sneaking into the bathroom, Meadow! This isn't Dianus, and I wouldn't do that to you!" He ends by wagging a finger at the doe.

Spring Meadow just giggles and waves it off. "I just checked that you weren't using my bubble bath, nothing more! No need to get flustered."

Anisa's own ears cant sideways at the buck's sudden change in demeanor, but she doesn't take too much from it. "Yeah, she only sneaked a little peak." The doe grins. "All that weightlifting has to account for something! Anyway, if you want anyone to go with you, I'd be delighted. Meadow seems to have had fun."

Aaron stands up once more, and says, "Well, okay Anisa, if you really want to. I'd love to have you along, to be honest. It might deflect some of my mother's constant nagging about not getting married for once!" With a grin,he heads back upstairs to get dressed.

Watching the buck ascend the stairs, the white doe turns her attention back to Spring Meadow after he disappears. "So, what else about it should I ask you?" The rabbit smirks as she heads back into the living room, and her forgotten snacks. "He seemed pretty insistent that you tell me more about it."

Meadow hops onto the couch next to Anisa. "Oh, I guess he's just worried that you'll be embarrassed or something. I always had a roommate and was used to sharing baths and stuff, so it wasn't that big a leap for me. It's just that they take it really seriously down there and have it practically ritualized."

"I can't say as I've ever taken a bath with others before," Anisa says, handing an apple to the other doe. "It's always been my private way of unwinding, plus growing up with brothers always kept me separate. I could probably get used to it for a couple of days though, if I even have to do it." The Lapi starts back in on her orange. "Besides, my family got to embarrass me, now it's his turn." The doe grins.

Meadow laughs. "Well, Aaron will get plenty embarrassed, I imagine. He spent a lot of time trying to apologize for his family before, but really it was all pretty neat. His mother would arrive on the back of this huge Vykarin with about half a dozen other warriors, all with their own consorts or slaves. There'd be feasting and lots of physical competitions. There's always this big wrestling match before they go to the baths. I didn't get to see all of the rituals though, since only the warriors are allowed into the shrine to make sacrifices before going into the baths."

"But it's really, really decadent after that," the gray doe says. "I mean, I'm not pro-slavery or anything, but having someone there to rub scented oil into your fur and massage you before you get into the water was pretty nice. Then the consorts all wash their warriors, who mostly talk and drink wine. Oh, and there's this potion they give you to drink that makes you so relaxed nothing could bother you."

The white doe listens to the description intently, placing the orange rind on the table. "Wow, that sounds amazing. The warrior part sounds a bit strange, but I'd still kill to see it! And I don't think I've ever gotten a good massage." The Lapi sinks down on the couch, popping a few grapes into her buck-toothed mouth. "A bit of deep relaxing could probably do me some good. If Aaron thought talking to you was gonna drive me away," she grins, "he was sorely mistaken."

"And instead of towels there's heated room you walk through," Meadow says. "Oh, he's probably worried about the other stuff, like having to sleep together in one big bed, and the stuff that the warriors and their consorts do after the bath."

"What they do after the bath?" Anisa arches a brow, popping another grape into her mouth. "In other words, they engage in an old Lapi stereotype, is that what you mean?"

Meadow giggles and nods. "They even have special rooms for it. Aaron always managed to sneak off though, and poor Xander got passed around like a salt-lick because he could do magic."

The white doe laughs, a look of amazement on her face. "And you didn't mind? That'd drive me nuts! You didn't participate, I hope!"

"Are you kidding?" Meadow says, putting a hand to her chest. "I didn't count, 'cuz I wasn't a warrior. I mostly went and looked at the sights," she giggles.

"Magic is better than sex anyway, for me at least," the Earth Mage says.

Anisa shakes her head, giggling up a storm. "Well, I'll be sure to avoid that little detail of the meet then, though I guess I wouldn't qualify either. Gives me time to take the sights in as well." She winks, then looks out the window. "Dagh, it's getting close to noon! My shift starts soon."

"Eep, I'd forgotten the time!" Meadow says, and jumps to her feet. "I have to go shade my pooka melons before they grow legs! Seeya, Anisa!" With that, the mage dashes out the back door, into the garden.

"Bye! Talk to you later!" Gathering up the last of the uneaten fruit, and dropping the rubbish into the trash, the white doe makes her own way out the front door. "Something new every day. Looks like this curse worked out good for me!"