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deemelody - Sunday, February 21, 1999, 11:47 AM ----------------------------------------------- Melody wanders in late, yawning. Iris sits at The booth near the stage. Iris is curled up in a booth, glass of milk at her elbow, and she's reading a book. She literally is curled up, turned sideways in the booth with her knees drawn up to her chin. Melody glances around at the sparse crowd, then spots Iris. Her eyes widen and she heads toward the younger woman. Iris doesn't look up. It's almost as if she doesn't hear the approach. When you get closer you realize she probably doesn't. She's got headphones on, and is singing along with some music. It sounds like an old Madonna song. And hey, she's a _good_ singer. Melody pauses and listens for a few minutes, leaning on a nearby table. Her eyes flicker with something...respect? Iris sings very softly, "Substitute for love, the substitute for love...." But something isn't right. She looks up slowly, and as soon as she sees Melody, she stops singing. The headphones are pushed back off her ears and she gazes at the woman, and bites her lip. Melody doesn't move. "Hey, Iris. can we talk for a second?" Iris takes a deep breath, and lays the book down, after marking her place. She then fetches the CD walkman out of her lap, that's why you couldn't see it, and turns it off, "Sure." Melody stands and gestures to the seat across from you inquiringly. The pentacle is back inside her shirt. She's not really anyone to stand out in a crowd, looking at her more closely. Iris nods once slightly and unfolds those amazingly long legs. Once done she drops them to the floor, turning to face the other side of the booth. Melody sits at The booth near the stage. At your table, Melody says "Look, I....hell, there's no way to say this nicely. I wanted to apologize for giving you the wrong idea yesterday." At your table, Iris nods slightly, and studies your face though without looking at you directly. She looks at you instead through thick, dark eyelashes. The way she tilts her head leaves her eyes in shadows, eerily so, though she doesn't seem to realize this. Very quietly she says, "It just... really hurt when I see people flirtin' with him." Melody leans forward earnestly. At your table, Melody says "But that's just it. I wasn't." At your table, Iris mumbles a simply sentence, "Looked like it." At your table, Melody says "Only on the surface." At your table, Iris shoots back immediately, 'First impressions." At your table, Melody nods ruefully. "Granted. Look..give me a chance, OK? What's really going on is, I'm looking for local pagans, and like- minded folk. Tracy and I met..here, as a matter of fact. I thought maybe he'd know some people I could hook up with. I don't know who's openly pagan around here, and when you don't know, it's best to be cagey. That's the whole if it. At your table, Iris nods again slightly, and says quietly, "I do apologize. It's just... I get jealous over him easy. He's the only family I got. It... it looked like you was flirting and it scared me." At your table, Melody says "I really wasn't. I mean, he's cute, but I like 'em a bit more clearly masculine. He's not my type. And well, I'm a witch. We're earthy. It's easy to get misunderstood, and that's my fault." At your table, Iris tilts her head slightly to the side, considering your words, but she lets it go, for now. She nods. "Maybe I overreacted too. I been doin' that some lately." At your table, Melody half-smiles. "Hormones? Pregnancy does weird shit to your emotions. Remind me to tell you about one of my covenmates." At your table, Iris flushes faintly, "I'm lucky Tracy understands, or at least tolerates." She bows her head, her hand going to her tummy briefly, and long, dark chocolate colored hair flutters down around her face. At your table, Melody says "Hey, don't argue with it. You're incarnating the Mother Goddess right now. Don't be ashamed." At your table, Iris looks at you again through those incredible eyelashes. Really, together her and Tracy make a breathtaking couple, even if they are both very feminine in appearance. "You said you was a witch?" Melody nods. At your table, Melody says "Initiate third. Capable of running my own circle without anyone looking over my shoulder. Why? Are you curious?" At your table, Iris half shrugs, "I don't know. I don't know what ta believe most of the time. Can you do weird shit?" . At your table, Melody grins. "Sometimes. I'm mostly psychic. But I prefer to work in Circle. I'm taking students, if you want to check it out." At your table, Iris says vaguely, 'Maybe." She is silent a few moments, then says quietly, 'You ever see ghosts?" At your table, Melody shakes her head. "I'm not a medium. Are you?" She's hooked, you can see it in her eyes. You've really interested her. At your table, Iris nods slightly, slowly, "Yeah. Been lookin' for someone else who has the same pr.... ability." Well, she almost said problem, but didn't. At your table, Melody catches the slip. "It's giving you a hassle? Are they bothering you?" At your table, Iris half shrugs, "Just one wantin' to kill me. No big deal. You ever have somethin' you couldn't turn off like that?" Melody frowns. At your table, Melody says "Yeah, but not a spirit. You have anyone else..." Melody breaks off and looks around. At your table, Melody says "Look, we shouldn't talk about this stuff here." At your table, Iris reaches for her glass of milk, "Then where?" At your table, Melody says "Wherever you feel safe." Melody waves off Louise with a smile. At your table, Iris gives that some thought and after a while she says, "The garage." At your table, Melody says "OK. Lead on, I don't know where that is." Iris nods once, and with a deft swipe gathers both walkman and book and slides out of the booth. She is a tall one. Melody grins, standing and looking over you..admiringly? Melody gets up from The booth near the stage. Iris gets up from The booth near the stage. Iris doesn't notice the look. She stretches upward slightly, which serves to bare more of her tummy. Some of the men in the place don't seem to mind that either. But then she is headed for the door with long strides. Ah if only she hadn't chosen the lifestyle of a gothling. She could be a model. She glances back once she is at the door to see if Melody is following. Melody follows amiably. Iris pushes the door open and slips out though holds it open from the outside for Melody. At the apartment.. Melody looks around, whistling softly. The place seems to be in the midst of being redecorated. There's a large rug rolled off to one side of the room, and the furniture is askew, "Um.... sorry 'bout the mess. We kinda had an early christmas present an' we're not done rearranging...." Melody grins. "That's all right. It's...electronic." Iris hehs faintly, shedding her coat and hanging it by the door. Yes, she was wearing her coat in the middle of summer, "The guy who had th' place loved gadgets, an' Tracy loves gadgets. Long as I have a good stereo I'm happy. Want somethin' ta drink?" You say, "Sure thing. Milk, if you have it, or water." Iris starts for the kitchenette, "Doctor said I needed ta drink lots of milk. We got milk." She pulls a couple of glasses from the cabinet and goes to the fridge. Melody nods. "Milk, and if you can eat yogurt. It'll keep you form getting yeast infections." Iris nods slightly, and pours a couple of glasses of milk full. The carton goes back into the fridge, and she brings both glasses to the living room, "Now. Where were we?" You say, "Can you do other things besides see spirits?" Iris hehs, "Talk to 'em." She takes a drink of her milk and wanders to a couch and folds up on it, knees going under her chin again. You say, "What about candles or wind? can you make them move?" Iris blinks "Um. No. Guess bein' kinda telepathic would be weird though. Guess it comes with seeing ghosties and stuff." Melody chuckles. "Yes. Can you hear my thoughts?" Iris takes a deep breath, "Surface impressions. Emotions. Strong thoughts. If I try. I.... I try not to try though. It's rude." You say, "It's not if you're invited. I'm inviting. Try." You mindsend to (Iris) with: <> Iris stares at you a moment, and then she raises her hand to the coin pendant at her throat. She fiddles with it for a few moments and seems to focus inward. When she blinks back into focus she says simply, "Curious." Another drink of milk and she regards you over the glass. Melody nods. "Good." She points to your necklace. "Does that help you?" Iris drops the pendant, and wraps her hand around the glass with her other one. "What if it does?" she asks defensively. Melody shrugs, and pulls out her two necklaces. One is a lovely rutilated quartz, the other is a pentacle. Melody stares at the pentacle. You mindsend to (Iris) with: < > Iris blinks and jerks back slightly. Her eyes widen slightly and she simply stares at you. Melody drops the necklaces to lie on her chest and smiles at you warmly. You say, "Sorry. I thought you needed to know in a way you couldn't mistake." Iris nods once slightly, "Who are you?" Her voice is low thsi time. You say, "Who's asking?" Melody's voice isn't confrontational, more matter-of-fact. Iris half shrugs, 'Me." She gazes at you intently. You say, "But who is that? Iris, wife of Tracy, mother-to-be, Goddess incarnate? Or is there more?" Iris says very quietly, "Lost soul." Melody nods slowly. "Without a teacher, without a beaten path?" Iris nods once slightly. Her gaze is very sharp and intent. You say, "My students and covenmates know me as Vine." Iris does a different variation of her question, "And what are you?" Melody shrugs. "What are you? Did something strike your life like a bolt of lightning, and change you as surely as the coming birth will? No one comes to these talents painlessly." Iris takes another sip of milk while she collects her thoughts, then says, "I asked first." Melody laughs softly. "What someone hears depends on who's asking. You know that by now, if you are psychic." Iris rephrases her question to be a little more accurate, "What path are you on." You say, "I am a witch. Have you heard of us before?" Iris begins to look frustrated. She nods once and again takes a drink of milk. That was not the answer she wanted, clearly. You say, "What do you want me to say? Secrets that are only divulged in Circle or consecrated land? I won't do that, Iris. Not without a trade of secrets in kind." Melody leans forward intently. "*Never Again The Burning.* Understand that." Iris says simply, "I already told you everything I know about myself, except how I came to have these abilities. You have told me little but what you told me at Alexandria's." Melody nods. "So you are an orphan." Iris blinks slowly, and continues to gaze at you, "So I have been called." Melody's gaze sharpens. "By?" Iris says vaguely, 'Others. Whom I will not reveal at this time out of politeness. They extend same courtesies to me." Melody chuckles. "So you know about secrecy too." Iris lifts her chin slightly, 'I have talked about myself and you have said little." You say, "Fair enough. Do you know what the Rule of Shade is?" Iris has to think about that, putting together things she's been told, and has heard, "Don't tell people not like you what you are." Melody nods. "Are you like me? I think you are. What do you think?" Iris returns her gaze to you, and says simply, 'You mindspeak. I have not heard of others who are not.... different... who can do that, using..." she glances where your necklaces are hidden, then back up at you, "Foci." Melody smiles. This was apparently what she was waiting for. "I am Vine, mundanely known as Melody Savon. I had a Vision of the green Man, and was subsequently initiated into the Verbena Tradition." Iris relaxes noticeably, and a faint smirky smile touches her lips, which seems to be normal for her so nothing is meant by it. She says quietly, 'I'm Iris Black. No Tradition, no path. I watched my parents die. I watched their spirits pull from their bodies and knew I should be dieing with them, but I didn't." Melody says sincerely "I'm sorry." Iris says quietly, "I'm not any more. I discovered the reason I was meant to go on. I had to find Tracy." Melody's eyebrow quirks. "Soul mates?" Iris nods slowly, "I think so. We've.... we've shared past lives. We keep finding each other." Melody nods. "Not unheard of, if rare." Iris asks very softly, 'Have you heard of dreaming of each other at the same time, same night, same life?" Melody nods definitely. "Especially when one or both have mastery of the mind, and unconsciously twines the dreams together." Iris shakes her head slightly, "Tracy has no mind control. I... I can read surface emotions an' sometimes simple thoughts an' make people feel emotions sometimes. That's all." Melody thinks for a moment. "It might be enough to trigger..." she says slowly. Iris echoes, "Trigger?" Melody nods. "If you are both together, it might be enough to trigger the twinned dream." Iris nods slightly, and drops her knees so that she sits on the couch cross legged, "We've dreamed of more than one past life. It's... it's always the sad things, or frightening, or violent things .... Melody says gently, and you can hear the priestess in her voice, "It must be very hard for you." Iris looks down at the glass, still clutched in both hands, "The hardest was when.... when I killed our daughter for power, an' him for interfering." Melody frowns. Deeply. Iris whispers very faintly, 'It's different this time. I would die for him, and I would die for Lilly." You say, "Lilly? Is that her name?" Melody indicates your slightly swollen belly. Iris glances up, then looks back down. A slight nod is the answer, and then she elaborates "We named her when... when we saw her an' heard her heartbeat th' other day." Melody smiles. "At the doctor, or by the Arts? Iris hehs weakly, 'The doctor. Ultrasound. We knew she was a she a while back, but until I heard her little heart beating... it changed then." she looks at you again. When she looks up again she has that special quality about her that expectant mothers often get. "An.... an' I just touched her mind to see if she was conscious. Her soul is there. Simple emotions, but she's still there." Melody chuckles softly. "Would you like a gift? Would you like to hear and feel more? Iris rubs her tummy protectively, "It wouldn't hurt her, would it? I won't let anything happen to her." You say, "The Verbena were always the midwives." Iris leans over to set her milk on an in-table, "What do you want to do?" Her other hand goes to her tummy. She is protective, isn't she? You say, "Join our minds, so you can sense what I do...then I'll go in and sense her, mind and body. Show you just how she's growing." Melody doesn't seem offended by the protectiveness. Iris wants to, oh you can see it in her eyes, but she's afraid too. Very softly she whispers, "It better not hurt her. I swear, if she's hurt...." She bites her lip, and there is the impression that though she may be fragile and fine as a porcelain doll, if she ever thought her child were harmed she would be uncontrollable. You say, "I swear to you on my blood, it won't hurt her." You say, "She won't even know we're there." Iris nods very slightly, and takes a deep breath, "Then... then I would love to feel her more." Melody nods, and draws a pocketknife from her boot. She doesn't move toward you, instead gazing into the pentacle. You feel her reach out her hand mentally to you, as if she doesn't even need to move from her seat. All you have to do is take it. Iris watches you, in silence, but after some hesitation she takes the offered 'hand'. One fragile hand remains on her tummy protectively. Melody still doesn't move toward you. The connection established, she opens the knife one-handed, then slices shallowly across one finger. Blood wells, and she lifts her shirt and draws a rune upon her own belly. You/she seem to funnel inward..but not into her. Into you. It's a passive thing, in some ways, like watching a movie..but this is three-d THX sensurround smell-o-vision. Iris sucks in a shallow breath, and her eyes close. She's along for the ride, but it still is a startling sensation. Heartbeats...two. One slower, but speeding up in wonder as you notice it. Yours. The other...a tiny, so-fast whow-whow-whow-whow. Fast as a good dance song's beat, it's strong and steady. Iris lets out the shallow breath in a soft, wonderous "ahh..." You can feel her striving to feel more, hear more and the surge of love that hearing that fast little heartbeat causes leaves no doubt just how wanted this child is. Deeper. You can feel the cells dividing, but they go on their merry way unaware of you there. No attempt is made to influence them. Brain cells multiply rapidly...and you realize in wonder that Lilly is asleep! She already has sleep and wake cycles, though no dreams yet. A foot twitches lazily in her slumber. You mindsend to (Iris) with: < > Melody draws your attention to the tail, almost gone..and the eyes forming. You are able to sense their future color, if you want. Iris trembles slightly, emotions within her own self clashing wildly. The longing to touch the little sleeping form's foot is so strong. She tries to sense the eye color, yes. She is hungry for more knowledge of the little one she carries. You can tell she wants to make sure she is healthy, developing perfectly. Melody seems to be satisfied with the tiny girl's progress. She shows you the spine, closing right on schedule...you must be getting enough folic acid. No neural-tube defects here. And the tiny toes and fingers, turning from little paddles into distinct appendages. Ten of them. There is a surge of joy when the realization hits Iris that indeed, her little one is developing perfectly, and pride. Oh she is very proud of the little girl. Back in the physical world, tears slide down Iris' cheeks, tears of pure joy. Melody turns her attention to the placenta, checking it. You skim with her along blood vessels, rooted into the wall of the womb firmly, and you can trace the milk you drank bringing calcium and protein and vitamins to the soft bones of the fetus. It's a little low, but you can feel Melody's reassurance that as the womb expands, it will move up and away from the cervix, giving the child the space she needs to make her way into the world. Iris does flash worry until you reassure her. Her attention keeps returning to the little one though in amazement, examining the little bundle repeatedly. The protective instincts already taken root in Iris can almost be felt growing stronger and stronger. But each thing you show her she pays attention to, knowing it is important. Melody finally, after what seems like hours, withdraws gently, letting you give a mental kiss to the baby within. Lilly floats, safe and secure and dreamless, perfect. Iris finally surfaces with you, and her eyes flutter open, filled with tears. She whispers very softly, "Thank you." Melody stretches cramped shoulders, and drinks the milk before answering. "You're welcome. I need to go crash now!" Her smile is warm, though. Melody stands slowly, arching her back. You say, "YOU need sleep too, young Goddess. I can tell you're not getting enough." Melody grins. Melody waves and makes her way out to the street, catching the bus.
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