Lissie & Lilly: A Most Wondrous and Terrible Bird (Photostory)
I am long overdue for a photostory, but school has been insanely busy.
The second semester of medical school is picking up pace, with a new body
system every other week so I have much fewer free weekends. All excuses aside,
please enjoy the story!
Lissie: Come on everyone! Hurry up!
Lilly: Oh it’ll be so nice to go out finally.
Sam: Absolutely! It seemed as if the rain would never stop.
Lissie: Alright troops! Head out!
Cecile: Wait! Ou est Marie-Grace? I don’t see her!
MG: I am here! Don’t leave me behind! I was only trying to better hear
that beautiful sound.
Sam: What sound Marie-Grace? I don’t hear anything.
MG: Come closer to the open window. You can hear this beautiful melody,
filled with such feeling!
Lissie: Very well men, change of plans! Bring forth… the Pedestal of Glory!
Cecile: Did you name everything Lissie?
Sam: Of course she did, or else this world would be too dull for her to
bear. You can do it Sawako Lilly!
Lilly: Yes, hoomph! But this Pedestal of Glory is awfully high, oomph!
Lissie: No excuses soldier! Hiyah!
MG: Shhhhhh! Can you hear it now?
Lilly: I can hear it and see it now.
Cecile: But what is it? It is too far away for me to see clearly.
Sam: Oh but you’re right Marie-Grace. I have never heard anything so
lovely before! It makes me glad and fills me with this sorrowful ache all at
once.
MG: What do you think it is?
Cecile: It could be another person.
Lilly: Yes, but how did they get over the fence into our yard?
Sam: A cat then?
Lissie: Listen listen! Do you all remember when our Big Person said
that there were talented birds around the world who can sing and who can imitate
speech?
Lilly: Do you mean a nightingale? Or a parrot?
Sam: But I think it is too big to be a bird Lissie.
Lissie: That’s because it’s a SUPER bird. Think about it. Have you ever
heard a bird sing so nicely? If this one makes the ultimate music then it has
to be the ultimate bird! The granddaddy of all birds!!!
Cecile: Lissie, I don’t know if it actually makes sense, or if it only
sounds like it makes sense because you are the one saying it.
Lissie: There’s only one thing to do. We have to catch it! Cecile,
Lilly, grab the Cage of Destiny!
Lilly: Oomph! Lissie, just what do you plan to do with it once you catch
it?
Lissie: PLUCK IT! ROAST IT! AND EAT IT!
Sam, Lilly, MG, Cecile: LISSIE!!!
Lissie: I’m kidding! Of course I wouldn't eat the granddaddy of all
birds! We can give it to our Big Person to help relax her when she’s tired from
studying.
Cecile: That idea is tres bon Lissie, but please help us with your Cage
of Destiny. It is very heavy.
Lissie: Be prepared my faithful soldiers! Today is the day where we
defy the standards! Today is the day we unveil the secret of the universe!
Today is the day… we catch a bird!
MG: If you keep yelling so passionately Lissie, you will scare your granddaddy
of all birds away.
Sam: Marie-Grace is right, it would be a shame if you frightened such a
wondrous creature.
Lissie: Auch! Tis a mutiny! Fine then, 1 – 2 – 3! Push!!!
Lilly: Did you catch it? Is it in the cage?
Cecile: The music stopped. Did it fly away?
Sam: No! Look, it is still in the basket!
Lilly: Good aim Lissie! What will you do now?
Lissie: Brace yourselves comrades… The time has come… to meet the bird.
MG: Will – Will it be dangerous?
Lissie: Oh yes, terribly. It’ll probably rip out our spleens and devour
our essence.
Sam: It wouldn't really would it?
Lissie: Absolutely! That’s what all terrible and wondrous creatures are
supposed to do, and don’t forget this is the granddaddy of them all! I’ll have
to go down and apprehend it.
Lilly: Surely you can’t go alone Lissie! You need your essence!
Lissie: It’s a risk I’m willing to take. Cecile, will you pull out your
courage from your liver and go with me?
Cecile: Aye General Washington!
Lissie: Sam, Lilly, Marie-Grace, the three of you stay here and watch
us. If we've not returned by sundown, summon our Big Person. Mourn us, weep,
and place chocolates at our graves!
Lilly: Lissie, Cecile, please please please be careful. We don’t have
any chocolates for graves.
Cecile: There it is! Are you ready Lissie?
Lissie: I’m always ready!
Cecile: It has been an honor serving in your army.
Lissie: It has been an honor leading you, brave warrior! Now… CHARGE!!!
Lissie: Slowly now…
?: Help! Please help!
Cecile: I think the bird is speaking Lissie!
Lissie: It must be a parrot then, not a nightingale. Softly Cecile!
?: Bird? What do you mean? Oh do help me and get me out!
Cecile: Actually, I do not think it is a bird at all Lissie.
Lissie: Are you sure? Such a clever bird as the granddaddy of all birds
must be able to imitate voices.
?: I’m really not a bird at all! Please help me!
Lissie: Hmmmm, very suspicious. I suppose there’s no way to know until
we lift the Cage of Destiny and see if it rips out our spleens and drains our essences. Ready Cecile?
Cecile: Ready General!
Cecile: Ready General!
Lissie: Lift!
?: Oh thank you! I don’t know who you are but thank you very much!
Cecile: Je m’appelle Cecile, and this is Lissie next to me. Excuze moi,
mais who are you?
?: My name is Lydia Charlotte. I was walking around and decided to take
a rest in this grassy field.
Lissie: But how did you get in if you’re not the granddaddy of all
birds?
Lydia: Granddaddy? Why I’m hardly older than either of you! The gate
was open so I thought it was safe to come in. I was just playing my cello,
enjoying the beautiful day when out of nowhere this giant basket flew over me!
Cecile: Pardon Lydia! We mean no harm. You see, we heard the music from
our window and we did not know it was you making it.
Lissie: Yes, we thought it was the granddaddy of all birds, most
wondrous and most terrible, and that’s why we were trying to capture it.
Lydia: My word! You must be awfully brave to do that, if you thought I
was so wondrous and terrible as all that! Weren't you frightened?
Lissie: General Washington and his men know no fear!
Cecile: Please come meet the rest of us and show us your cello! We have
never heard anything like it before!
Lydia: I shall gladly come only if you promise to refrain from throwing
more baskets over me.
Lissie: I promise! And General Washington tells no lies! Now come on
Lydia!
Lydia: Goodness gracious! Your home certainly is grand!
Lissie: Oh this is our Big Person’s home! And it’s not so much a home
as a Dungeon of Despair.
Lydia: Dungeon? Surely not such a lovely place.
Cecile: Our Big Person said she must stay here and study until her guts
explode, then implode, then vanish into nothingness.
Lissie: She’s infiltrated this evil organization called Medical School,
but it’s slowly sucking her organs out one by one. We’re trying to help her
stay strong until she can complete her mission but it’s hard.
Cecile: Here we are, this is our room that we share with her.
Lilly: Lissie! Cecile! I’m so glad you made it safely back!
Sam: We were watching you but we could not see what was happening.
Lissie: Gather around my merry band! Let me introduce you to the granddaddy
of all birds!
Cecile: This is Lydia Charlotte. She was
the one making the music we heard on her cello.
MG: A cello? Qu’est que c’est? What
is that?
Lydia: This is my cello. It is a
stringed instrument like a very large violin. This is the bow, you can see the
stick on one side and the hairs on the other side. When I pull the hairs across
the strings on the cello, it makes a noise like this.
Sam: What a marvelous sound! Won’t
you play a little for us Lydia Charlotte?
Lilly: Oh yes please do play for us!
We’re sorry we interrupted you earlier.
Lydia: Why of course I will!
Lydia: Now what shall I play?
MG: Play anything you like Lydia Charlotte, and we will enjoy it.
Lydia: Very well, I shall play what I was playing earlier before Lissie’s
Cage of Destiny fell on me.
Sam: Now mind you take care not to attack her this time Lissie.
Lissie: *sigh* A hero’s journey is always one of misunderstanding!
Lilly: Shhhh, everyone. Let Lydia Charlotte play.
Cecile: Ooooo, c’est tres jolie Sawako Lilly!
Lilly: Yes! I could listen to the music all day. It’s so beautiful and
enchanting.
Cecile: I wish Lydia Charlotte could stay with us.
Lilly: I do too! We have more than enough room, and just think of how
happy our Big Person will be!
Lissie: You’re both being silly, wishing and hoping! Of course Lydia is
staying with us! She’s our most wondrous, most terrible, granddaddy of all
birds! Isn't that right Lydia?
Lydia: Oh Lissie, I would be so thrilled to stay if you all will have
me.
MG: Welcome to our family Lydia Charlotte!
Cecile: Oui! Merci for the music.
Lydia: *smiles and keeps playing*
Thank you to everyone who reads and enjoys L&L! Despite my crazy
schedule, I still wanted to quickly integrate my beautiful new girl given to me
by my precious friend into my doll family. For some reason, I don’t really feel
like a doll is a part of my doll family until I have a character for her and she
has featured in one of my photostories! :D
At first I wasn't quite sure what kind of girl Lydia Charlotte was
supposed to be. I didn't relate to her original character, but this is still my
first time changing an original AG character into one of my own and it was a
bit nerve-wracking! :D But because she was a gift, and my first AG doll gift as
an adult from a most precious friend, I decided to give her the qualities our
friendship reminds me of, which is a constant sense of peace and serenity. I
gave her one of my favorite traits, musical ability. Since I play the violin
and piano myself, music has always been an integral part of my life. Therefore
this one of a kind special doll must have a skill to match. ^_^ She is most
definitely British and reminds me of how much I love that country.
Just a side note, I had a heck of a time trying to get her to pose with the cello correctly! It irritated my musician sensibilities that her arms couldn't come close enough to bow properly, and her fingers couldn't flex to hold the bow in the correct grip! I had to remind myself she was a doll! :D
I don’t know when I’ll have another free weekend to make another
photostory (so many ideas so little time!) but thank you to everyone for your
patience and support! ^_^
Bonus extra photos of Lydia Charlotte playing the cello:
