Gertrude blinked at Vivian's appearance. [i]So he's her... but that would mean... oh, gods![/i] She couldn't help it, it was simply too much by half. After a good few seconds of cheerful laughter at the awkwardness of the whole situation, she recovered enough to introduce herself. "Well, this is going to be an uncomfortable year. Saint Gertrude at your service." She gave Vivian a friendly glance. "You know, they say forgiveness is divine, Vivian. You might want to watch yourself. The doors of heaven might not be as closed to you as you think."

Sarah had managed to wrap her head around the dog talking, somewhat. Sitting down on what passed for a bed in this dump, she started putting her thoughts in order. "Time magic? That's... incredible stuff, Parr. My parents were always yelling at me to make more time for school, so maybe you can help with that. And Mala, you told me earlier that you're an apple that becomes human? How does that work, exactly? Magic fertilizer?"