The Ballad of Adler Young, Canto 2.5

>Adler: Oh, uh. It's not that you aren't flattered or anything, it just that she's kind of... A freakish mutant. She is probably reacting to a sudden change from her, uh, sudden change. Imbalanced hormones and whatnot. Gently inform her that she is much more needed in the field than in your bed.
>Adler: Not to mention that Ethel would most certainly disapprove.You've only just started getting into her good graces, you can't afford anything that would endanger that. *sigh* Wistfully imagine how elegant she will be when she picks out her uniform. There will be absolutely no way the sculptors for the archives will be able to do her justice.
>Angela: Snap your fingers and wave your hands in front of Adler's face. He's got a super-dopey grin and a far-away look in his eyes. Oh well... Back to work...

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Spoiler>Ixies: Right: monocles, secret phrases, and battle cries. Let's go make some antgladers cry and make some trees bleed.
>Ethel and PJ: It's impractical and too far away for you to trek to Percysthorpe. Take a page from Adler's book and supervise from a distance. The ixies have their orders and they know what to do.
>Ethel: "So you're okay with being shanghaied into this out of the blue?"
>PJ: "If it means wealth, fame, and power, then yes."
>Duchess: Bah! Them Vulpey-Vulpes think they can fool you with all these shoddy and obviously fake ixie costumes they got flying around. They're wearing monocles and they all talk funny. That one with the floppy arms and fox tail is pretty convincing, but all the rest is a dead give away! Just who do they think they are, asking you for 12 cases of Persoc-Itoome. You already gave it to them! Once this is over, you're going to have some stern words with those fascist foxes...
>Shrubs and trees: Things start to get really itchy.
>Adler: Ethel was right, conventionally steaming the powder renders it useless. Steaming it with elven ingredients alows the powder to still lightly fizzle, but it's hardly useful. Maybe if you add something into the powder directly. Just a drop of this should be fine- !!!
>Adler: . . . Too much. . .