melo_annechen (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
melo_annechen) wrote2007-09-30 06:53 pm
melo_annechen) wrote2007-09-30 06:53 pm
Entry tags:
Betwixt The Planes, Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
The rest of the workday was a typical Monday, with most of the day taken up with tasks related to reporting what progress had been made in spite of having to process the reports. Augustus was remarkably quiet, as Marta only peripherally registered the vacuum through the closed door.
She called Chloe at the end of the shift. “Is there anything else that came up while I was out today?”
“No, I ate lunch and quit seeing naked people, so it was pretty much normal,” Chloe joked.
“That’s good. I’ll be back online tomorrow morning at the same time. I should have the national queue sorted out by the time the rest of the unit gets in.”
“Okay, I’m almost done here, just have a few more things to archive. Did you get the memo about the new honcho coming in tomorrow? Wanda is supposed to let us know if we need to meet.”
“Darnit, I hate not being there. Hopefully there will not be a problem with them. Ah, well - have a good evening, Chloe.”
The younger woman chuckled, “Good dreams, boss.”
Marta disconnected, wondering at the new dismissal. She shook her head, and shut down the business link. Once the system was down, she rebooted in her personal section. She logged into the IM, checking to see if any of the others in the circle were online.
Yrjänä pinged her immediately, [Hello, Hummingbird]
[Evening, Madame]
[Sebo is picking me up at work, is there anything you need us to bring?]
[Let me check, BRB] Marta got up from the desk stiffly, and headed to the living room. Augustus was adjusting the curtains in the window overlooking the back garden. She asked him, “Did the delivery arrive? Do you need Yrjänä to pick up anything on her way over?”
Augustus shrugged, “The delivery arrived without a problem. I don’t think we will need anything this soon. Thank her for asking, though.”
Marta clicked her tongue at him, “Tcha, as if I’d forget that.”
She returned to the office, and saw that Helen had chimed in with [I can drop over a free kitten, if you need one]
Marta responded to Yrjänä [just bring yourself, thanks] and to Helen [No such thing as a “free” kitten]
[She said she’s house-trained already, and she hasn’t had any accidents here.] Marta waited a few moments more and Helen continued, [I really don’t want to leave her here too much longer.]
[You know I can’t take on a permanent responsibility like that, and right now is not a good time.]
[All right, I’ll drop by on my way home, but I can’t stay for long, because she really needs to be off the shelter rolls this week. I can help out for an hour or so.]
[It’s a good thing you live on a farm, because it’s easier to hide how many animals you have. I‘ll make sure we have enough dinner for everybody.] Marta logged off, shut down the computer and headed for the living room. She took a closer look at the drapes Augustus had been futzing with when she left the office before. Did he clean the curtains? “Augustus?”
“Yes, Marta?” he called from the kitchen.
“You don’t need to clean the entire house at once, you know.”
Augustus chuckled, and commented, “It has been a while since it was done. With just over a month until the next high holy days, I will have just enough time to finish, with your permission.”
Marta slowly walked to the kitchen, saying, “I am sorry I haven’t kept the place pristine….”
Augustus immediately placed the spoon in the cradle and helped her to the stool beside the counter. “No, Marta! That is not it - you have been unable to do a full house-cleaning, and I am able, and wish to do this for you.”
She had a momentary lapse of equilibrium, remembering Chloe’s exclamation from the morning. Did she really want to tell him no? Her response seemed inadequate to her, but she lacked the words otherwise. “Thank you, Augustus.”
>>>>
Helen arrived shortly after the others had finished the torte Sebo and Yrjänä had brought to compliment dinner. “Sorry I’m late, we had a bit of an argument at the store,” she said, indicating the little charcoal-colored ball of fur on her shoulder. The not-quite full-grown cat had curled around the side of Helen’s neck from her seat in the woman’s hoodie. While the cat wore a harness, it was for appearance’s sake, for the leash was under the cat’s paws.
Marta carefully approached, and greeted the newcomer, “Welcome to my home, O cat.” She nodded her head to the cat before her more casual, “Hey, girlfriend,” directed at Helen. Marta then turned her attention to the feline, “May I skritch?”
The cat stretched forward, before Marta brought up her hand, and said, “Now!”, as if issuing a command. A few moments of Marta’s caresses, and she settled her haunches to leap to the homeowner’s arms.
“Whoop, can’t have that, little one.” Helen reached up and pulled the cat into her arms, cradling her against her chest. “Marta has enough balance problems without you glomping her.” She released the cat to the floor and removed the harness when the protest began.
“Let’s move to the living room for now,” Augustus said, and bowed to the cat on the floor, “This way, if you will, Daughter of Bastet.” He walked in the indicated direction, with the cat twining his legs - and neither of them missed a step.
Once Marta was seated, though, the cat ignored Augustus and leapt up in her lap, demanding to be petted, “Now!”
She giggled, and asked as she skritched the feline behind the ears, “What may I call you, o cat?” Helen perked up, Marta noticed, and was curious as to why.
“Now!” the cat commented, leaning into the caress.
“Then I shall call you Nao, if that pleases you,” Marta said, continuing to skritch. She continued over the cat’s purring, “Sebo, is there anything we need to know before heading into the circle?”
>>>>
Naorrrmi woke from her nap, noting that the others had left her alone in the room. She had been nestled in Helen’s jacket; it smelled of green things and salt, a comforting combination. She was about to settle back to sleep again, when she heard/felt the thing that had woken her. There was a high-pitched keening coming from beneath the floor.
She who was called Nao by the householder swiveled her ears, locating the source of the sound/feeling. The one that gave nice skritches and spoke respectfully to her was in pain. The kitten hopped off the chair and cast about for the way to the lady.
>>>>
Marta tried to keep from distracting Sebo, but the pain was much worse than before. Even with the warning from Augustus, she was not prepared for it. With Helen there, Sebo had someone to link to for additional energy, and he needed it. This stone had not only set hooks in her neurological system, but as feared, had also linked into her lymphatic and endocrine systems. Every twinge of pain from moving it was accompanied by waves of nausea, hot or cold flashes, dizziness, heartbeat fluctuations or a combination of any of them. The slow pull of the stone on her body condensed her world to the roaring in her ears and spinning black and red fractals.
Sebo muttered under his breath, something in Portuguese that was fairly dire and definitely derogatory about the maker of the stone. Augusts murmured, “Slow and steady, remove the hooks as gently as possible….” He had Marta’s head cradled in his lap, and was pouring as much energy into her as possible without hurting her, but the pain was overloading his ability to transmute without further skin contact. Yrjänä did what she could without disturbing the balance across the healing circle.
Suddenly the balance shifted, and stabilized. Marta felt a soft touch on her cheek, and opened her eyes fractionally. She found herself staring into deep blue-green eyes. The pain had lessened to the point she had experienced in the previous session, and then it was over. Marta shakily reached up to skritch Nao behind the ear, and said, “Thank you.”
The cat head-butted Marta, and thought, I am Naorrrmi . I will stay here. You need me.
Marta blinked, and responded, “Oh - Okay.”
Helen asked, “Did she talk to you?”
“She didn’t broadcast?” Marta murmured, leaning into the nose-to-nose stroke by Nao.
“No,” Helen and Yrjänä answered at the same time Augustus said “Yes.”
Sebo, Augustus, Yrjänä and Helen regarded each other bemusedly over Marta and Nao. Madame spoke first, clearing her throat. “We should get that thing taken care of now. Helen, you take the west position opposite Sebo. Gus, you can support Marta in the south,” and at Nao’s protest, she added, “Well, yes - of course I expected you to help support her as well, Miss Nao.” She raised her aspect as priestess, took the north point, and closed the wards of the circle.
>>>>
Marta and Nao were installed on the sofa while Yrjänä and Sebo cleared the circle and Helen brought supplies for Nao from the car and Augustus finished the midnight tea set-up for all involved. Marta tentatively spoke in thought to the small feline curled by her shoulder, I am not sure I will be able to properly care for you, dear; are you sure you want to stay?
Nao purred, and thought back, I take care of you. You are my partner. I will stay with you and your mate.
Marta startled, and regretted it due to the twinge in her back. Nao, I am not mated.
The cat licked her paw and washed her ear, Plenty of time.
She thought over the cat’s response as the others gathered in the living room. Sebo took Marta’s pulse again and checked her eyes. He commented, “Normally, I would tell you to stay home from work and away from the computer after such an ordeal, but I think you’ll fight me.” He then turned to the cat, and asked, “What say you, Miss Nao? Do you think she can make it through a day of working from home, or should she stay in bed?”
“Meh,” Nao commented, shaking her paw.
“What does that mean?” he asked Helen.
“She prolly means you worry too much,” Helen chuckled. “Marta is smart enough to know when to stop, if she’s not being stubborn,” she said with a significant look to the cat.
Nao winked back.
>>>>
Marta woke unwillingly to her alarm clock’s insistence. Her back was sore, and she ached all over, afflicted with a general malaise that echoed the agony of last night. She tried not to think of the sangzemestân, if only because she did not want to influence their actions, but they were making their presences known.
Nao sleepily raised her head from the pillow, s’okay?
Just sore from last night, you go back to sleep, Marta responded.
Nao stretched and yawned, Na, I make your mate feed me.
Not my mate, Marta said as she slowly got out of bed.
Yet, the cat shot back as she lightly hopped from the bed and headed for the kitchen, threading easily through the wards. Marta watched, filing the method away in the back of her mind for later study. An incautious move brought her attention back to her current problem.
In distracting herself from the pain, she remembered wisps of her dreams last night. She had not attended May Faire in years, as the fairgrounds were rough and uneven, and difficult to navigate on crutches. She had never danced there, as she had not been old enough to attend the Grand Pavanne before the accident, and after… well, the progression of dances was difficult enough for the able-bodied, and the choreography did not lend itself to wheelchair translations.
Her dream-self had been blithely unconcerned that her partner and the others in the dance were faceless, and on occasion formless. This troubled her conscious mind as she made her way to the shower. There was a moment of dream-memory that stood out sharply, that while her partner tossed her about in the Duchess’s Bransle, she trusted him to catch her – without question, without doubt. In the dream, her trust was rewarded with perfect support.
Sitting in the shower, letting the water pour over her head and back, she thought about what the dream could mean. Was it an instruction to trust the void, or that she would be aided by those she did not know? There was a feeling of partnership she held close from the dream, and Marta remembered the poem from sixth grade. She realized this was not the first time she had this type of dream, but it was the first time since the accident. The formless nature of her companion was a new twist.
She sighed, and filed the dream away in the puzzle-box, to rattle around with the other pieces she did not know what to do with yet. Sooner or later, periodic shaking of the box would allow the pieces to match up and maybe give her an idea of how they fit in the larger picture. For now, it hurt to think and do anything else at the same time, so she concentrated on her hygienic routine.
The rest of the workday was a typical Monday, with most of the day taken up with tasks related to reporting what progress had been made in spite of having to process the reports. Augustus was remarkably quiet, as Marta only peripherally registered the vacuum through the closed door.
She called Chloe at the end of the shift. “Is there anything else that came up while I was out today?”
“No, I ate lunch and quit seeing naked people, so it was pretty much normal,” Chloe joked.
“That’s good. I’ll be back online tomorrow morning at the same time. I should have the national queue sorted out by the time the rest of the unit gets in.”
“Okay, I’m almost done here, just have a few more things to archive. Did you get the memo about the new honcho coming in tomorrow? Wanda is supposed to let us know if we need to meet.”
“Darnit, I hate not being there. Hopefully there will not be a problem with them. Ah, well - have a good evening, Chloe.”
The younger woman chuckled, “Good dreams, boss.”
Marta disconnected, wondering at the new dismissal. She shook her head, and shut down the business link. Once the system was down, she rebooted in her personal section. She logged into the IM, checking to see if any of the others in the circle were online.
Yrjänä pinged her immediately, [Hello, Hummingbird]
[Evening, Madame]
[Sebo is picking me up at work, is there anything you need us to bring?]
[Let me check, BRB] Marta got up from the desk stiffly, and headed to the living room. Augustus was adjusting the curtains in the window overlooking the back garden. She asked him, “Did the delivery arrive? Do you need Yrjänä to pick up anything on her way over?”
Augustus shrugged, “The delivery arrived without a problem. I don’t think we will need anything this soon. Thank her for asking, though.”
Marta clicked her tongue at him, “Tcha, as if I’d forget that.”
She returned to the office, and saw that Helen had chimed in with [I can drop over a free kitten, if you need one]
Marta responded to Yrjänä [just bring yourself, thanks] and to Helen [No such thing as a “free” kitten]
[She said she’s house-trained already, and she hasn’t had any accidents here.] Marta waited a few moments more and Helen continued, [I really don’t want to leave her here too much longer.]
[You know I can’t take on a permanent responsibility like that, and right now is not a good time.]
[All right, I’ll drop by on my way home, but I can’t stay for long, because she really needs to be off the shelter rolls this week. I can help out for an hour or so.]
[It’s a good thing you live on a farm, because it’s easier to hide how many animals you have. I‘ll make sure we have enough dinner for everybody.] Marta logged off, shut down the computer and headed for the living room. She took a closer look at the drapes Augustus had been futzing with when she left the office before. Did he clean the curtains? “Augustus?”
“Yes, Marta?” he called from the kitchen.
“You don’t need to clean the entire house at once, you know.”
Augustus chuckled, and commented, “It has been a while since it was done. With just over a month until the next high holy days, I will have just enough time to finish, with your permission.”
Marta slowly walked to the kitchen, saying, “I am sorry I haven’t kept the place pristine….”
Augustus immediately placed the spoon in the cradle and helped her to the stool beside the counter. “No, Marta! That is not it - you have been unable to do a full house-cleaning, and I am able, and wish to do this for you.”
She had a momentary lapse of equilibrium, remembering Chloe’s exclamation from the morning. Did she really want to tell him no? Her response seemed inadequate to her, but she lacked the words otherwise. “Thank you, Augustus.”
>>>>
Helen arrived shortly after the others had finished the torte Sebo and Yrjänä had brought to compliment dinner. “Sorry I’m late, we had a bit of an argument at the store,” she said, indicating the little charcoal-colored ball of fur on her shoulder. The not-quite full-grown cat had curled around the side of Helen’s neck from her seat in the woman’s hoodie. While the cat wore a harness, it was for appearance’s sake, for the leash was under the cat’s paws.
Marta carefully approached, and greeted the newcomer, “Welcome to my home, O cat.” She nodded her head to the cat before her more casual, “Hey, girlfriend,” directed at Helen. Marta then turned her attention to the feline, “May I skritch?”
The cat stretched forward, before Marta brought up her hand, and said, “Now!”, as if issuing a command. A few moments of Marta’s caresses, and she settled her haunches to leap to the homeowner’s arms.
“Whoop, can’t have that, little one.” Helen reached up and pulled the cat into her arms, cradling her against her chest. “Marta has enough balance problems without you glomping her.” She released the cat to the floor and removed the harness when the protest began.
“Let’s move to the living room for now,” Augustus said, and bowed to the cat on the floor, “This way, if you will, Daughter of Bastet.” He walked in the indicated direction, with the cat twining his legs - and neither of them missed a step.
Once Marta was seated, though, the cat ignored Augustus and leapt up in her lap, demanding to be petted, “Now!”
She giggled, and asked as she skritched the feline behind the ears, “What may I call you, o cat?” Helen perked up, Marta noticed, and was curious as to why.
“Now!” the cat commented, leaning into the caress.
“Then I shall call you Nao, if that pleases you,” Marta said, continuing to skritch. She continued over the cat’s purring, “Sebo, is there anything we need to know before heading into the circle?”
>>>>
Naorrrmi woke from her nap, noting that the others had left her alone in the room. She had been nestled in Helen’s jacket; it smelled of green things and salt, a comforting combination. She was about to settle back to sleep again, when she heard/felt the thing that had woken her. There was a high-pitched keening coming from beneath the floor.
She who was called Nao by the householder swiveled her ears, locating the source of the sound/feeling. The one that gave nice skritches and spoke respectfully to her was in pain. The kitten hopped off the chair and cast about for the way to the lady.
>>>>
Marta tried to keep from distracting Sebo, but the pain was much worse than before. Even with the warning from Augustus, she was not prepared for it. With Helen there, Sebo had someone to link to for additional energy, and he needed it. This stone had not only set hooks in her neurological system, but as feared, had also linked into her lymphatic and endocrine systems. Every twinge of pain from moving it was accompanied by waves of nausea, hot or cold flashes, dizziness, heartbeat fluctuations or a combination of any of them. The slow pull of the stone on her body condensed her world to the roaring in her ears and spinning black and red fractals.
Sebo muttered under his breath, something in Portuguese that was fairly dire and definitely derogatory about the maker of the stone. Augusts murmured, “Slow and steady, remove the hooks as gently as possible….” He had Marta’s head cradled in his lap, and was pouring as much energy into her as possible without hurting her, but the pain was overloading his ability to transmute without further skin contact. Yrjänä did what she could without disturbing the balance across the healing circle.
Suddenly the balance shifted, and stabilized. Marta felt a soft touch on her cheek, and opened her eyes fractionally. She found herself staring into deep blue-green eyes. The pain had lessened to the point she had experienced in the previous session, and then it was over. Marta shakily reached up to skritch Nao behind the ear, and said, “Thank you.”
The cat head-butted Marta, and thought, I am Naorrrmi . I will stay here. You need me.
Marta blinked, and responded, “Oh - Okay.”
Helen asked, “Did she talk to you?”
“She didn’t broadcast?” Marta murmured, leaning into the nose-to-nose stroke by Nao.
“No,” Helen and Yrjänä answered at the same time Augustus said “Yes.”
Sebo, Augustus, Yrjänä and Helen regarded each other bemusedly over Marta and Nao. Madame spoke first, clearing her throat. “We should get that thing taken care of now. Helen, you take the west position opposite Sebo. Gus, you can support Marta in the south,” and at Nao’s protest, she added, “Well, yes - of course I expected you to help support her as well, Miss Nao.” She raised her aspect as priestess, took the north point, and closed the wards of the circle.
>>>>
Marta and Nao were installed on the sofa while Yrjänä and Sebo cleared the circle and Helen brought supplies for Nao from the car and Augustus finished the midnight tea set-up for all involved. Marta tentatively spoke in thought to the small feline curled by her shoulder, I am not sure I will be able to properly care for you, dear; are you sure you want to stay?
Nao purred, and thought back, I take care of you. You are my partner. I will stay with you and your mate.
Marta startled, and regretted it due to the twinge in her back. Nao, I am not mated.
The cat licked her paw and washed her ear, Plenty of time.
She thought over the cat’s response as the others gathered in the living room. Sebo took Marta’s pulse again and checked her eyes. He commented, “Normally, I would tell you to stay home from work and away from the computer after such an ordeal, but I think you’ll fight me.” He then turned to the cat, and asked, “What say you, Miss Nao? Do you think she can make it through a day of working from home, or should she stay in bed?”
“Meh,” Nao commented, shaking her paw.
“What does that mean?” he asked Helen.
“She prolly means you worry too much,” Helen chuckled. “Marta is smart enough to know when to stop, if she’s not being stubborn,” she said with a significant look to the cat.
Nao winked back.
>>>>
Marta woke unwillingly to her alarm clock’s insistence. Her back was sore, and she ached all over, afflicted with a general malaise that echoed the agony of last night. She tried not to think of the sangzemestân, if only because she did not want to influence their actions, but they were making their presences known.
Nao sleepily raised her head from the pillow, s’okay?
Just sore from last night, you go back to sleep, Marta responded.
Nao stretched and yawned, Na, I make your mate feed me.
Not my mate, Marta said as she slowly got out of bed.
Yet, the cat shot back as she lightly hopped from the bed and headed for the kitchen, threading easily through the wards. Marta watched, filing the method away in the back of her mind for later study. An incautious move brought her attention back to her current problem.
In distracting herself from the pain, she remembered wisps of her dreams last night. She had not attended May Faire in years, as the fairgrounds were rough and uneven, and difficult to navigate on crutches. She had never danced there, as she had not been old enough to attend the Grand Pavanne before the accident, and after… well, the progression of dances was difficult enough for the able-bodied, and the choreography did not lend itself to wheelchair translations.
Her dream-self had been blithely unconcerned that her partner and the others in the dance were faceless, and on occasion formless. This troubled her conscious mind as she made her way to the shower. There was a moment of dream-memory that stood out sharply, that while her partner tossed her about in the Duchess’s Bransle, she trusted him to catch her – without question, without doubt. In the dream, her trust was rewarded with perfect support.
Sitting in the shower, letting the water pour over her head and back, she thought about what the dream could mean. Was it an instruction to trust the void, or that she would be aided by those she did not know? There was a feeling of partnership she held close from the dream, and Marta remembered the poem from sixth grade. She realized this was not the first time she had this type of dream, but it was the first time since the accident. The formless nature of her companion was a new twist.
She sighed, and filed the dream away in the puzzle-box, to rattle around with the other pieces she did not know what to do with yet. Sooner or later, periodic shaking of the box would allow the pieces to match up and maybe give her an idea of how they fit in the larger picture. For now, it hurt to think and do anything else at the same time, so she concentrated on her hygienic routine.