The three geckos remain sitting around the old brick house. The empress on her conjured throne, her daughter on the conjured stool, and her mother, the wizard, on her molded dirt chair.
"So, what happened next?" asks Dalini, "What did Gank do?"
Ling tips the brim of her violet wizard hat up to eye her daughter. "Yeah," she asks in a mock tone, "Who can continue the yarn?"
Jevoi rolls her eyes, "Oh, that would be-"
"ME!" yells a specter bursting out of Jevoi's body. The ghost of a four-armed lizard woman leaps into Dalini's face.
"A GHOST!" shrieks Dalini, running out of the room, crying.
"Gank!" yells Jevoi, "You said you were going to do something cool."
"That was cool," says Gank, floating back to Jevoi, "Look."
The adults peer over to Dalini hiding behind the doorframe. The young gecko is shivering in her tattered brown dress.
"No, Gank," says Jevoi, "What would have been cool was you saying, 'Hey,' from the doorway or while sitting next to her. Walking up from the wrong angle. We've been over this."
"I saw an opportunity and I took it," says Gank, crossing all of her arms smugly.
"Gank?" asks Dalini, slowly sneaking back to the group, "You're her friend?" Dalini looks the ghastly charda up and down. "Are you dead? ...Are you my other mother?"
"Yes. Yes," Gank says with a nod, "And NO." Firm head shake. "Your mom's already told you where she is. D'ya forget?"
"Why were you in my mum?" ask Dalini.
"That's where she lives now," says Ling. She waves to Gank, "How's unlife in my daughter treating ya? Speaking of, how's the missus feel 'bout it? Sharing her wife's a**e?"
"This is not an appropriate topic," says Jevoi, raising her hands in offense, "For several reasons, Mum."
"Same old, same old, Doc. Ling," says Gank, "And that's not a problem since-"
"STOP!" says Jevoi, clamping Gank's ghost mouth shut, "We're not talking about this!" She points at Ling. "You are the worst."
"So, what happened when you beat up my mum?" asks Dalini, now on the stool again.
"Yes, continue the story," says Jevoi, sitting down, "Please, anything else, right now."