[X] TurtleDucks:
Georgia's Job:
[X] Gather up the stray branches that have fallen in the yard. Also get the one's that fell over the pool, since Honey and water don't mix well.
Honey's Job:
[X] Gather up the stray branches that have fallen in the yard.
Clyde's Job:
[X] Carving duty. Cut the tree up small enough for everyone to carry.
Zophar's Job:
[X] Deal with the not-quite broken branches that are still hanging from the trees.
Your Job:
[X] Make some calls and figure out where you can go to properly dispose of the debris.
As there was no strong consensus on music, that portion will be skipped.
"Alright, here's the plan. Georgia, you and Honey go around the yard and pick up all the debris that fell during the storm. Because Honey and water don't mix well, you're going to have to fish out all the stuff the fell into the pool."
"Um, okay..." the lamia responds, eyes sweeping over the grass doubtfully.
"Debris?" Honey bubbles, sliding her head to hang at an angle.
"Yes. Georgia will show you want to look for. Now..." You reach back into the shed and come out with a pair of trimmers. "Zophar, these are for you. I'll need you to go up into the trees and cut off anything dead that looks like its about ready to fall."
The small arachne takes the tool gleefully, snapping it open and closed with a manic smile on his face.
"Oh, I'm gonna have fun with this. Spider-man, spider-man, does what-ever, a spider can..." he sings, eyeing the highest branches menacingly.
"Clyde, the saw's all yours. I know it will be extra work, but try to cut the pieces small enough so any of us can lift them. Once we get done with our jobs, we'll come pick up what you've cut and stack it over here by the shed." You point to the almost empty wood pile that had gotten you through the most recent winter.
"No problem. Mind if I ask what you're gonna be doing, doc?" he mentions, pressing the flat tip of the saw experimentally while gazing at the fallen tree.
"I'm going to be inside, making some calls and trying to find someone who will take all those branches off our hands," you explain, waving an arm at the tangled mess of leaves currently taking up a decent portion of the lawn. "We can't keep them where they are, and I'd rather not just chuck them into the back where they'll be an eyesore."
"Figures she gets the job that lets her go inside where it's nice and cool," mutters Zophar, shielding his eyes against burning sun with a bitter expression.
"If you've got any leads on people around here who are in the market for a bunch of dead branches, you're welcome to trade with me," you answer with a smile and a shrug. "I've got a ladder, I can climb up trim the branches while you make the calls."
"Yeah right!" he objects, clutching his trimmers possessively. "I've got the cool job, like I'd trade it for making some boring phone calls!"
"In that case, I'll leave you all to it. I'll be in sun room, so I should be able to see you all. Just wave or something if you need me, okay?"
"Okay. I'll be fine, probably..."
"Need."
"Muhahahahaha...snippy snippy snippy!"
You glance from Georgia, who seems more and more overwhelmed as she stares at the grass, to Honey, whose head has spun on an unnatural angle to focus dangerously on you, to Zophar, who is cackling like a madman as he works his sharp trimmers like scissors. You gulp. You had a bad feeling about this...
"Don't worry about it, doc," mutters Clyde, thudding forward to whisper to you quietly. Considering his horse-half was almost as tall as you were, it was the least subtle thing you'd seen in a while, but the others were so absorbed in their own issues they didn't seem to notice. "I'll keep an eye on 'em 'till you get back."
Strangely enough, that did make you feel better. Clyde was actually a pretty responsible guy: he repaired the damage from last night just like he said he would. From his talk he'd actually done this kind of thing more times than you had, so leaving him in charge wouldn't be a bad idea at all. While the entire group was growing on you, you had to admit that compared to Zophar's manic energy, Georgia's anxity, and Honey's...everything, the stoic centaur was a real relief to deal with.
"Thanks," you reply, and mean it. "I'll be using the land line, so if you can't get my attention by waving, just call my cell. I always keep it on."
"Got it." He spins, almost knocking you over as his hindquarters slide your way, but you jump back just in time as he bellows at Zophar. "HEY! That's a tool, not a toy! You're gonna cut your nose off!"
"Whatever,
dad! Even without a nose, I'd still be more attractive than you!"
"
You wish! Ahem. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, Georgia, I think there's a pole over by the pool with a skimmer net on it," Clyde explains, bending to address her as you walk away. "You can probably use that to get most of the branches, but try
to use the edge and not the net itself. It's pretty thin, so it will probably tear if..."
Your broad smile continues all the way back up to the house, but unfortunately fades once you close the door. For all your earlier optimism, you weren't actually sure if you knew anyone who would be able to take the debris off your hands. You didn't actually have many friends in the area. The demands of your practice didn't exactly leave you much time to be social. Still, you had a few people who might be able to help.
First, Curt. He was a big part of a local animal rescue group, and apparently did manual labor of some type for a living. He had the personality of a muddy stick and you doubted he even graduated high school, but he loved animals and was almost totally fearless. Whenever the rescue had to bring an abused or feral animal to you for treatment, Curt was always the handler. The two of you aren't exactly close, but you respected one another and he was the most likely to have access to some sort of burn area or dumping ground.
"Curt? This is Doctor Takai. You know, from Athens Exotic Animal Care? ...right, glad you remember... No, thankfully this isn't about business. Last night, the storm knocked down a descent-sized oak in my backyard. I've got some new friends helping me take care of the tree itself, but I don't have any way to get rid of the branches and other scraps.... Well, yes, normally that's what I'd do, but unfortunately I live in Tanglebrook, and you know how they can get about this kind of stuff... You know, sometimes I wonder myself... Drat. Well, do you know anyone else who might be able to take them? I'm not charging, I just need to get rid of them... I'm sorry, did you say 'Jim-Bob'? ...no, that's fine. What's his number? ...okay, got it. Thanks for your help... I will, thank you. Goodbye."
Well, that was a bust. Apparently someone named 'Jim-Bob' in the trailer park off Old Epps Bridge Road would probably be willing to take them to use in some huge bonfire thing he and his 'beer buddies' held every couple of weeks behind one of their homes. You doubt the bonfire is strictly legal, and you have even bigger doubts about the character of Jim-Bob himself, so you decide to try a few other options.
As you dial the number for one of your practice's technicians, you glance out the window to see Georgia extending herself dangerously over the pool to swipe at what you first thought was a stick, but now realize is nothing but a shadow. She doesn't seem to be at any risk off falling in, those stomach muscles of hers must be freakishly powerful, but it seems she can't really tell the difference between the various dark shapes on the surface without getting within an arms length of them.
That wasn't good. Were her eyes really that bad? You knew she needed glasses and there were quite a few species of snakes whose eyesight wasn't great (mostly the ones that burrowed), but... That explained why she was so nervous about helping pick up the sticks, you realize. Anything outside of three or four feet was probably just going to be a dark blur to her. She'd only be able to reliable spot the bigger ones. You glance over at Honey and sigh again.
Her technique was surprisingly good, oozing over the ground and using some kind of internal capillary action to suck debris from her lower body into her upper body. Unfortunately, because Georgia was too busy stabbing at shadows to directly supervise, she was wandering blindly all over the yard, absorbing and regurgitating objects almost at random. At this rate, there would likely be swaths cleaner than they'd ever been, and whole other areas that hadn't been touched. Well, hopefully Georgia would finish soon and redirect her...once she got close enough to see the problem areas, anyway.
On the plus side, Zophar seemed to be having a blast. He was scampering and jumping around the tops of your trees like an overgrown, multi-legged squirrel. After a particularly daring leap, you worry that he might find a weak branch or misjudge the distance and fall, but on closer inspection you see that he has strung an anchor line to the trunk behind him, just in case he misses. Judging by the streams of fallen web on the ground below, he'd been cutting them off once he no longer needed them, which was convenient. He also had a very good eye for spotting dangerous branches, though you suspected he might be being a bit more enthusiastic about it than was strictly necessary.
Clyde also seemed to be doing well. Even with the hand saw you'd given him, he was making good progress, and every time he paused in his work he glanced toward the others to make sure they weren't having problems. As you watched, he pointed toward Georgia and gestured, causing her to slide back somewhat so she wasn't stretching so far over the pool. He then called something to Honey, directing her to a large patch she'd been ignoring, and bellowed up to Zophar, who reluctantly moved away from the thin branches he'd been about to try scaling.
You return to your own task, and unfortunately continue to have no luck. The only people you knew either didn't have an area to dispose of a large amount of leaves, branches, and other refuse, or weren't interested in suddenly being dumped with the mess now cluttering up your property. Well, no help for it then.
"Yo!"
"Hello, is this...Jim-Bob?"
"Who's askin'?"
"My name is Doctor Takai. I was given your number by a friend of mine. You recall Curt?"
"'Takey'? What kinda name is that? Oh wait, you're one of them Chinese broads, ain't ya? Why'd that old stick in the mud give you my number?"
"I had a tree fall in my yard last night. While I've been able to dispose of most of it, I don't have anyplace to put the branches. I can't burn them or dump them where I live," you explain, resisting the urge to correct his statement regarding your heritage. "I was told you might be able to help."
"Eh, sure, I guess. Bonfire's next weekend, and with the amount of gas Dave always puts on that sucker shouldn't matter how green the stuff is."
"Excellent. Will you need me to drop it off, or would you prefer to pick it up yourself?"
You hear some form of noise in the background, and Jim-Bob sniffs loudly into the receiver.
"Sorry, hon, yer gonna have to speak up. Ya caught me on the shitter, so I've got a bit a...background noise, ya hear?"
"...yes," you state, frowning deeply. "I asked if you wanted me to deliver it to you, or if you would prefer to pick it up yourself."
"Nah, you probably just got one o' them little Asian jobs that runs on sunshine or some shit. Them things 're useless 'fer hauling. I'll be by latter today wit mah truck."
"Thank you. My address is 1010 Laurel Place, it shouldn't be far from you. What time should I expect you?"
You hear another noise in the background, and try very hard not to think about what it might have been.
"Well, hot damn. Tha's in Tanglebrook! No wonder y'all 're using the fancy words. My apologies, didn't realize I was talkin' to the
royalty. Imagine, someone from Tanglebrook needin' help from little ol' me."
"I'm not exactly what you might call a typical member of the community," you admit, trying to bring the converstation to as swift an end as possible. "What time did you say you'd be stopping by?"
"Eh, maybe 'round eight or so? Kinda depends."
"I'll see you then, Jim-Bob. Thank you for your help. I appreciate it."
"Honor's all mine, princess."
He laughs at his little joke, but you're already hanging up. You shudder as you put down the phone. For some reason talking with that person made you want to take a shower almost as much as the time you went shoulder-deep into an elephant's rear end. Washing your hands for no particular reason, you glance out the window. Your job was done, so it was time to get back out there. Maybe you could stop long enough to whip up some lemonaide or something? Zophar at least would probably appreciate it.
A series of sharp knocks at the door cuts that idea short. You towel off your hands and walk briskly toward the door. Excluding last night, you couldn't remember the last time you got unannounced visitors. All things considered, you wouldn't be very upset if that trend were to resume, people suddenly showing up at your doorstep was starting to get old.
"Hello, can I-" you begin, pasting on a friendly smile and pulling open the door, only for your voice to die in your throat. "...help...you."
"Yes, Ms. Takai, I rather think you can," replies a very prim woman in a pantsuit so pressed you could have probably sliced a finger open on the seams. Behind her was a half-dozen other men and women, all dressed in either expensive suits or professional-looking dresses. You become extremely aware of the fact that you're only wearing a stained old t-shirt and a set of ratty jean shorts with holes in them. "We at the Tanglebrook Homeowner's Associate have been hearing a stream of extremely alarming stories all morning, and we have reason to believe you might be able to shed some light on them. May we come in?"
Crap.
[ ] Send them away! This is your home, and they need to learn you are not at their disposal. If they want to talk to you, they can make a damn appointment like everyone else!
[ ] Let them in, but keep them away from any rooms that have a view of the backyard. Better that they get used to the idea of your guests before actually meeting them.
[ ] Let them in, and put them in the sunroom. Seeing is believing, and this way they can 'meet' your friends without Zophar or Honey getting the chance to cause problems.
[ ] Take them around back and introduce them! This is gonna be priceless...