The door rattled, she looked at her mother. Her mother glanced at the clock. 

"Oh" her mother exclaimed, "it's Linka!" 

She paused, "Linka?"

Her mother nodded and gestured as Linka entered. Linka was her mother's maid, but next to her stood a younger woman. She stared at the pair, she vaguely remembered Linka. 

Linka gave her a broad smile and a bigger hug, like a Russia beat engulfing her in his warm arms. She laughed and hugged Linka back.

Linka gestured, "my daughter, she is going to university next semester, but needs to save for tuition, I offer her to work with me." 

Linka's daughter curtsied then laughed at herself. "I'm Ingrid, though you can call me The Quick!"

She looked at Ingrid. Her father appeared at her shoulder as a parrot, albeit a translucent one that was only blue. "She's an orb carrier, like you." He whispered in her ear, "spare a cracker?" She waved him off her shoulder and he disappeared in an unnoticed puff. 

"A pleasure, Quick. What are you planning to study?" 

Ingrid smiled and looked bashful, "I'm interested in science, especially physics and space and time." She laughed at herself. "Mother says that won't land me a husband though."

"Do you want a husband?" 

"No, I'm more into learning. They would just slow me down."

"Which would be bad being named The Quick," she smiled at Ingrid. "Does that mean you're fleet footed?"

Ingrid nodded. "The fastest!"

"Do you drink a lot of coffee?"

"Nope," Ingrid held up her hand, an orb, bright yellow like looking into the moon day sun appeared in her hand.

She smiled at Ingrid. "Very cool, where did you get it?"

Ingrid laughed "Gumball machine." 

Her father appeared as a tri-corner hat on Ingrid's head. "That's unusual," the hat said.