2.18 The Empty Nest

Marcus and Casey were restless, they spent most evenings dining out, at late night karaoke, or bowling, and while they enjoyed each others company immensely, eventually it dawned on them both, it was travel that they were craving for.

Lilli had organized for Natalie to meet one of the most powerful psychics in existence. The main problem was that he was hidden somewhere in Al Simhara. The other problem was that Lilli had asked her to keep it a secret from the rest of the family. Natalie made up some excuse about visiting old uni friends and grabbed the first available plane. She made her way from the airport to the bus station, the heat was staggering, and the air was dry, then she discovered the bus she needed was two hours away. Natalie grabbed a wide brimmed hat and a light weight long sleeved shirt from her travel bag. Natalie double checked the map Lil had drawn for her, rented a car and set out into the blistering inferno.

Natalie arrived at the oasis marked on the map and spotted a gypsy van, she parked the old lemon, and packing the clingy shirt and annoying hat back in the bag went to investigate. A frail old lady with blue skin painstakingly made her way out of the caravan to greet her.

"Greetings Hanfendi!", Natalie noticed how the old ladies quickly examined her boots, clothes, jewellery, face and eyes, and immediately thought scam artist", Natalie was about to say something when the frail old lady turned back to the van, leaning heavily on the rail, hoisted herself back up on to the step, before beckoning Natalie with a hand motion, "Come, come!", crooned the old crone soothingly. "Such skin as your will not last long under this sun!"

As Natalie stepped inside the cool interior, the old psychic was squeezing herself into an old chair behind a desk. "You are here for Madam Sands to tell you your future yes? You desire to know of wealth or health, loved ones or maybe of little ones to come, no?". The old lady, waved her hands over tarot cards, a crystal ball, and a cloth covered in assorted crystals as she rolled out her spiel.

"No, I'm here to find Samual Sands, Lil Jettstar sent me!", Natalie explained patiently. The expression on the old woman's twisted up in disgust. "Never speak the name of my good for nothing trouble making son again, he disappeared months ago, without so much as a goodbye, just up and left his mother to cavorting with some floozy, probably that Lil friend of yours, no doubt he owes her money, well I don't know where he is and don't much care!", Madam Sands fumed. "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest his underwear!", she added venomously.

Natalie thought the old gypsy was about to explode, but she wasn't about to give up. "Lilliana. Camilla. Jasmine. Primrose. Poppy. Rosebloom!", Natalie said. "Well, maker above, why didn'ya say so!", the old woman boomed in a far less than an old and frail voice as she reached into a desk draw.

Madam Sands used the mobile phone that she had removed from the draw, "Sammy, sweetheart, come to the van quickly, you have a very important guest!". "So, how do you know our Lilliana?", Madam Sands asked politely. "I'm one of her grandchildren.", Natalie explained. "Ah!", said the Madam, "So she finally found a good fella to settle down with did she?", asked Madam Sands probing for more details. "Yeah not exactly.", Nat replied as a young man, also with blue skin, trotted up to greet her.
 

"I'll just duck down to the market while you two conduct your business in the van then shall I?", suggested Madam Sands. "No Mother, you are about to have several customers arrive in a few minutes, you won't have time. We will go to the house.", Sam advised. "Well, Well, the Minya-Asut tourist bus on time two weeks in a row, wonders never cease!", chuckled Madam Sands as she jumped on the van step and vanished inside.

"So you are the real deal, but your mother is a fraud?", Natalie asked brazenly. "Oh maker no, my mother is one of the greatest seers of the last few centuries, am not just saying that because she is my mother and would skin me if I didn't!", "Why would you think that?", Sam inquired.

"The moment I got here, she was inspecting my clothes, my jewellery, and my eyes. Standard procedure for a psychic scammer on a cold customer. She didn't actually know a thing about me, She was just trying to get a feel for me, so she knew which of the generic 'things that almost everyone want to hear.' to use on me."

"Its true Nat, do you mind if I call you Nat?", Sam asked, Nat nodded assent. "My mother has an obsession with theatrics, and she did cold read you, every good psychic, both true and scammer needs to be able to cold read, it doesn't matter if you are a Seer, a Reader. a Blocker, or a Pusher.", Sam announced, "In most cases, if you cant understand someone, your gift will not be as effective."

"Then why didn't she know who I was, or why I was here?", asked Natalie trying to absorb as much as she could, "That's what I don't get, and whats a pusher, or a blocker?"

"My Mother hadn't triggered her gift yet, she focuses through the cars, the ball or the crystal on the table, and you hadn't touched any of them, and a Pusher is..", Sam tried to explain as Nat interrupted again.. "Then what is a trigger?"

"Slow down with the questions, I'll make us coffee, and we'll start again, I talk, you listed, I ask you if you gave any questions, then you ask if you do, okay?", said Sam, The words came out a lot more calmly than his expression implied.

"Yes, I'd love a coffee, thank you!", responded Nat, realizing the last Coffee that she had was in Elba.

As Sam starting making the coffees, he started explaining again. "So all psychics fall into one of two categories, either fakes or truly gifted.", Natalie nodded. Sam continued again. "All true Psychic's are one of four types, Seers, Readers, Blockers, and Pushers. Understood?".

Natalie nodded again as Sam carried the two cups to the table. Sam forged on, "Seers see visions in the minds, like watching TV, Readers detect information from a colored aura or residual energy around people or objects or both, depending on the gift, still following?"

Natalie had the cup under her nose, inhaling the sweet scent, so she nodded affirmation again. "Seers, Readers and Scammers are what most people think of when they think of Psychics, but there are two other 'classes' if you will, Blockers and Pushers, a Pusher can put thoughts, feelings and concepts into other peoples minds, the success of that depends on both the strength of the Pusher, and the will power of the target.", Sam explained.

He waited for her nod before adding "The ability to Block is the rarest gift of all, a Blocker, can essentially smother, shield or hide another Psychics Gift. A Block that can do all three effectively is a Brick.", Sam stopped for a moment and added "Furthermore, a Switch is extremely rare, and they are someone who fits into more than one of the four main categories."

Sam stopped to sample his own coffee, and Nat took the opportunity to ask "Question time?".  Sam lowered his cup gently to the table, "Okay, which bit do you need me to go over again?",  Natalie smiled, "None, I understood all that, but what's a trigger, and what is a focus?". Sam raised his cup and took a sip before continuing.

 Sam thought for a moment before explaining, "A trigger is essentially what it sounds like, something that triggers a gift, for most Readers or Seers it is the only way they can understand.. correctly comprehend or interpret, what they see?", said Sam fishing for the right words. "Blockers and Pushers don't need triggers, they need proximity or to touch their target."

"And before you ask, a focus is an object or tool that a Seer or Reader uses to either magnify or concentrate their gift or block out surrounding distractions or satelite visions so they can focus their attention on something specific."

"Oh wow, did you just read my mind or what?", Natalie giggled. Sam smiled, "No no, but you asked before and I hadn't explained it so I knew you were going to ask. I am a Seer and a Block, My trigger is skin contact, yeah, I'm a touchy-feely guy!", he said, making a face, "And my focus is coffee, would you like another one?"

'Oh Maker, if I wasn't a married woman', Natalie thought, "Yes I'd love another, please!", Nat said, sliding her cup gently across the table.

Sam crossed the kitchen with two fresh cup, "So.. I got a very cryptic message from Lady Lilliana before you arrived telling me that you were an untrained Seer, and with the war coming, that I would need to train you as best as I could in a short amount of time, so, how long do I have you for?"

"Wait, Lil wants you to train me as some sort of weapon to be used to fight in this war? What makes you so sure I'm interested in that?", Natalie asked, the irritation clear in her tone. "Not at all." Responded her tutor gently, "Lil wants me to forge you into a weapon that can defend herself and her family, should the war take an interest in you. You may not be Fae flesh and blood, but you are near and dear to one who is. Should the Fae Nation fail to hold back Nikolai, he will come for all of us that royalty have affection for."

The days passed rapidly as Natalie learned to control her gifts, Sam discovered that not only was Natalie a Seer, but a very competent Brick as well. In less than a week Natalie had learned to 'control' her visions, and under Sam's tutelage she had learned to fast forward, rewind and pause her visions similar to watching a DVD movie in her head, but even better was the fact that she could 'zoom' in on details, concentrate on specific sound sources, and move the 'camera' in her head around to view things from different angles.

Sam had brought a Vampire Pusher friend in to test her Brick Gift when Nat's mobile phone rang.
"Oh hi Lil, whats happening? Mum and Dad are coming to Al Simhara for a holiday? Thanks for the heads up, yeah, my tourist visa is just about up, so I'll be back home in five days, I'll keep my head down, thanks for the warning!"

"Hello Skitty, I missed you!  Mwuuaah!", she attack-smooched the cat, "Oh my, you are getting old, aren't you grumble puss!", Natalie exclaimed as she gently placed him back on the ground. She had remained faithful to Eric during her time away, but it had been hard work, even with Sam the Genie being a perfect gentleman. It was good to be home, Natalie slipped up to her room ,and quietly emptied the books that Sam had given her into the desk. She had learned a lot from Sam, but there was still more.

Hearing her parents talk in the kitchen, it dawned in her that she had missed their age up days. Natalie slipped the half empty travel bag back onto her shoulder and headed for the kitchen. "Hi Mum, Hi Dad, I'm home! Oh my lord, Mother, what have you done to your hair, you've had it straightened! Why would you do such a thing!", Natalie wailed in her best drama queen voice.

"You are not too old to get yourself grounded, little cub!", Casey grumbled. "And you look as handsome as ever Father!", Natalie chirped, leaning in to kiss her father on the cheek. "And why would you dye your hair grey Mum, with all the colors in the rainbow to chose from?", Natalie added cheekily. "Excuse me young lady, I can attribute each and every one of these grey hairs to either you or you brothers!", Casey whipped back with a grin!.

"Did you know insanity is hereditary?", yelled Lilli from the next room, "You get it from your children, and your grandchildren!", she added.

 "No, no way! get out of here with that!", Nat yelled back to Lil.

Marcus, Casey and Natalie spend a few minutes talking about her great adventures with her uni friends, and Marcus slid a packet of photos across the table top to Natalie. "We spend three days in Al Simhara while you were gone, and loved every minute of it, here take a look!"

Then Marcus called Lilly into the kitchen and announced, "And speaking of get out of here, your mother and I have discovered we have the travel bug real bad, all of our children are grown up and married, and old enough to give us grand kids, hint, hint, and we want to travel the world with what time is left to us."

"A poster on the travel forum, Nocriel, told us about 'Spaghetti Ice Cream' in Germany, and Marcus is keen to try it, plus we want to go back and spend more time in Simstralia.", provided Casey.

"We want to go diving in Isla Paradiso, and hang gliding and bungee jumping in Sim Zealand!", Marcus added enthusiastically.

Lil pulled Marcus and Casey to her tightly and hugged them like there was no tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in the basement, someone was getting used to the idea of getting blood

from a box, instead of tearing enemies to pieces in a rage induced frenzy.

Authors Note:
I'm pretty sure I covered everything I need to finish this generation, and prepared Natalie for her career. I feel I aged Marcus and Casey up early compared to their children, but both of Casey's sister have been elders for a long time, and I need space in the house for Natalie's children (and any temporary house guests for story purposes).


Dylan, Jazz, Dom and Maggie, moved into the eco-box, hopefully I have time for them.
Marcus and Casey have been moved into a small house, hopefully I'll have time for 'holiday snaps.'
Astrid got deleted..Sorry! Because there weren't enough beds she couldn't go with Marcus and Casey, and then I discovered that Astrid couldn't move out on her own, despite my rant about being a free spirit....
I had absolutely no plot for Astrid as anything other than a surrogate child for Lil... Because Lil is returning for another generation, I need to come up with a plausible excuse, story wise.


The Next Post -> will be a more organised roll reveal for Founding Gen, Gen. 1, and partial Gen.2