@All: Aren't they just? That said, I'm hoping for at least one of Aster's genes to die out at some point, just to get some variety in...If gen 4 is a blue-eyed, black-and-tawny girl, I may have to get hair dye involved.
Chapter 29: Gazing Into the Abyss
"Woah, woah, woah -- what's all this?""I was thinking...About the future.""And this made you want to reorganize the yard in the middle of a party.""I'm sorry, Uriel..."But in the end, Uriel can't be mad at Mom. Not when Daddy and I are sharing a worried glance that, if he had visible eyes, I think he'd be sharing, too.
Because we understand Mom's personal language enough to know...that...'Thinking about the future' is her way of... Making herself smaller, pushing herself aside to spare herself a little pain. Bracing for impact.
"No, no, don't be. It looks fine...Heck, maybe we can use this space for horses one day. Horses are good.""That is what I had in mind..." She says in a small, sad little voice.
Dad pulls her into a hug, but I have my own worries to deal with.
I've got a daughter to raise. To raise to understand the world.
"You want to keep your memories in a box so that aliens won't be able to rip them out of your skull, OK?"
"Bok!""...Maybe Reed should do this..."And Evanthe likewise, though her lessons aren't as good.
"You need to remember to give a girl flowers. Can you say flowers?"Silence.
"It's ok, sweetie. Neither can your father."I swear I hear dramatic music swelling -- a chill spreads through the air, and mom rushes up the stairs. I hear her gasp,
"Elaine!"After all, apparently the reaper is a party maniac. And Elaine is at least 90 by now.
But no, it's just June Shallow, our neighbor and perpetual party crasher.
Mom sighs in relief. I stare. He's... He's not real. That's the way I can describe him, the 5th dimensional air around him breaking into fractal darkness, darkness which contains only darkness, cold which contains only cold: cold with a color and a scent and a taste, but the color is deathfish and the scent is black and the taste is rot.
He is bigger than the world, behind it all, and the world just has little holes that we can see him through.
"Be gone from this world, mortal – be gone and count yourself blessed for having lived, you wretched thing -- do you not know it? Do you deny it to one like me?!"
"...Azrael. Be reasonable. She hasn't said anything yet."Mom stands in front of death itself like a proud queen. Like an angel whose words are a fiery sword, and I want to cling to her. Because Azrael, the Grim Reaper, sounds... Insane.
That's what I sound like to people who aren't me, isn't it?
He swivels his head and spots her, and suddenly the power and the madness drains a little.
"Ariel. Ariel. And Uriel, too, of course. Of course, this is. Where I am. Yes. I'm sorry.""You're not...well, are you, Azrael?" So Mom hears it too.
"I am fine."She shakes her head as if she doesn't believe him, but lets him pretend.
"Of course. How have you been?""Busy. As always busy, as always will be, busy." Sometimes Reed tightens his guitar strings too much, and the tightening makes a noise, a sort of quavering, auditory breaking before a real break occurs. It rushes to my mind in a flurry of images in the darkness of his face.
Mom steers the conversation, and the two talk about music for a little while.
"I need to go. I should not have lingered here, when I have Duty to do. I am sorry.""Azrael...""I am sorry that I will see you again."Mom watches him fade into a clutch of smoke. She turns to me, and as her figure blurs I realize that her eyes, too, are filled with tears.
"I already knew that, Azrael..."She whispers as she hugs me.
Mom's the one to take June's grave to the cemetery, while the party finishes.
And Reed finishes teaching Orchid to talk. It was something ordinary, like bicycles...
...But maybe it's better if she learns about that sort of thing...
When Linden’s not with his mother, he’s working on his playing with blocks. I’m not sure I see the appeal – I’d much rather melt the blocks so they’ll fit through any hole, maybe with some sort of liquidizing device.
"We need you to find gems, Ok, Gabriel? And rocks bigger than your head.""...Yeah, because those are just lying around.""We'll send the hound to hunt, and we'll see who's right."
Gabriel goes on the hunt!
“Aww, look! He found a really big space rock, bigger than his whole body!”
”…Well, I’ll be…”
And Reed starts teaching Orchid to walk. He's really a responsible father.
Not that I'm slouching! This painting of my daughter is my 30th, so that's another challenge down.
Linden's still fussy about that swing, waking up the whole house, practically.
Evanthe decides to take the opportunity to potty train him.
And, since I'm up, I decide to visit the recently-bereaved Shallow family, in hopes of getting a remodeling job from them. But, snobs that they are, they say things like,
"We don't want a madwoman redecorating our home."...I guess that clinches things, doesn’t it?
Mom, at least, is settled a bit - she's happy to be a grandma, anyway.
She takes Orchid out to the lawn where apparently everyone's having a training party
Gabriel learns to sit! Good boy, Gabriel!
And we finish up Orchid's toddler skills.
"Honey, is something wrong? You've been...really quiet.""Oh, Reed. I... I dunno. Maybe I'm death."
"What?""Not him exactly, but like him. Like... There was something of a broken mirror in him, you know? Glinting off his bones, he was a blackened mirror. All pretty, shiny pieces and sharp edges and... And broken. Dangerously so.
Like me."
"Aster. Look at me."I don't want to.
"Look at me."He takes me and holds me for a moment, however counter-active to looking at him that may be.
"There's nothing broken about you. The way you shine to me isn't a broken mirror -- it's a star. A dazzling, shining star that watches the world from somewhere outside of its orbit.""You...you think so?"
"I love you. Of course I do. Evanthe, get in here and tell Aster she's fine.""Fine? She's better than fine! Aster, you're the single best person I know, alright? I owe you my life because you... Are an unstoppable force of belief, of creative will, of... Oh, if I find the person who made you feel bad, I am going to make him regret it!"Maybe there are parts of this crisis I maybe shouldn't mention.
Maybe I should just let this become a group hug of my best friends.
"Hey, guess what, guys? I finally found a kitten that would suit us!"
"Her name is Echo."---
Aster's RequirementsLifetime Wish: Living in the Lap of LuxuryCareer: Architect (9/10)
Supermax Skill: Painting (2/3)
Building, Property: Hogan's Deep-Fried Diner, Romper Recreational ParkLTR: Observant, Artisan Crafter, Extra CreativeBest Friends: Ariel Seraphim, Billy (Caspian) Seraphim, Reed (Joy) Seraphim, Evanthe Seraphim, Lindsay Coulter, Helmut Roderickson, Jacob Roderickson, Ross Dorman, Orchid SeraphimBlack Ops: When Dream Come True, Scavenger Hunt: Rare Elements, A fishy science project, Outside Reading, Larger than Necessary Doorstop, Local Artists' GalleryPortraits: Toddler, Child, Teenager, YA
Sculptures/Photos: Child (sculp), Teen (sculp), YA (sculpt and Photo)
Orchid's Requirements:Lifetime Wish: Career:Supermax Skill: Martial Arts (unless travelling glitch, then athletics)
Building/Property:LTR:Best Friends: Aster Seraphim, Reed Seraphim
Black Ops:Portraits: Toddler
Sculptures/Photographs Toddler (sculp), Not sure about photo
