Tracy's Reaction

Iris is in the kitchen. Lilly is sitting in the high chair with a little 
thing to brace her head, if she needs it. Iris is sitting in front of her 
with a little bowl of EXTREMELY mushy mashed potatos and she is coaxing 
Lilly to eat them. They are almost liquid, they are so mushy. Iris is 
watching her affectionately, and talking to her softly.

Melody mindsends to (Tracy): <>

Tracy has stepped out of the kitchen as you feed Lilly to pack a few more 
things. Suddenly youhear the sound of metal object hitting the floor.

You mindsend to (Melody) with: <> 

Iris jerks her head up. Lilly is securely strapped in the high chair so 
Iris doesn't worry about leaving her a few moments. She scrambles out of 
her own chair and starts toward the door, "Tracy?" she calls.

Tracy has dropped his Ether goggles upon the floor, he's standing next to 
the bed, his fingers twitching. His eyes stare straight ahead at the wall, 
but they do not see the wall.

Iris runs over to you and grabs your arms, trying to turn you toward her, 
"Tracy!" she cries in sudden panic.

You mindsend to (Melody) with: <> 

Melody mindsends to (Tracy): <>

Tracy's eyes focus on you, you ground him, you can call him back by being 
who you are. By being whom he so loves "My GOD no...nooooo...." tears 
stream down Tracy's face..."They've killed her!! Who would...WHY!?!??!!! 
Noo...noooooo!!!!!"

Iris stiffens slightly and she tries to draw you close. She whispers 
hoarsely, "Why? Be... Because she was Nephandi." She tries to hold you. 
Tries to do something for you.

Tracy's too-wide eyes stare at you almost like a corpses' for a moment and 
he shrieks to the point where hsi voice breaks in the tearing scream. He 
clings to you like a lifeline amidst the anguish. Did he hear what you 
named her as? Does it matter at this moment? Maybe...but he slums against 
youlike a dead weight, horror shaking his entire form.

Iris wraps her arms around you, clinging to you, though your weight, 
sleight as it is, bares her to the floor with you. Lilly starts crying, 
startled by the scream, and the instinct to mother and the need to be 
with you tear at Iris. She begins crying. Not for Melody, but for you and 
her child.

Tracy is lost a moment, reeeling from the rawness of this..."My sister...
my sister is dead..." he murmurs shivering in your arms.

Iris raises a trembling hand to her necklace, and concentrates on your 
face. 

Within moments you feel her mind, a soothing, cool touch on your fevered, 
hurting mind, feelings. No words, only soothing, oh so soothing touches.

Tracys' mind is a raging tempest, a vortex-like torrent. As it was before, 
you have a place there amidst it that is liek the eye of the storm, the 
only thing that keeps him from going over the edge. Helody's dying love 
still permeats his mind, her death and the balck haze that came with it 
still rippling throughout...your mind makes the spot of calm fgrow within 
him, you are the key to him. He is your soul's mate, you are his. The 
outrage, the horror, the maning behind MElody's love, they part for you.

Iris makes a very faint strangled noise when she finds your mind like this. 
She continues trying to soothe you, pouring all of her strength, all of her 
energy into the task at hand. Lilly still cries. The poor child. Mommy and 
daddy aren't answering her and it is scaring her. Iris can't answer her. 
She sinks herself so deep into your mind, trying to sooth, emitting love 
constantly, unconditional. Trying to drive away the hurt.

Tracy finally murmurs as his daughter's cries pierce the tummult which is 
calming, "Go to her love..." He needs more, he needs alot more, but he 
loves hsi family. They are all that sustains him now...especially with the 
loss of someone he did consider family. It has nto registered what she 
was...he must not have heard you.

Iris does not stir. She remains a presence within your mind, strong, 
controlled frantic. Soothing, loving, trying to calm the tumult. Perhaps 
she did not hear you. Her eyes are closed now, face lined with 
concentration and effort.

Tracy is wracked with sobs, his head finally buried in your lap. You widen 
the bubble of calm in his mind, but it is only because of you that you 
widen it. Grief exists within that bubble while rage boils on the outside. 
How could it have happened? How could his sisterhave been dead? She loved 
him...more than he could have imagined. He had always thought of her as 
'Sister' but she had thought of him as more...

Something flickers in Iris' mind when she finds that. Something not very 
pleasant, but it's tamped down immediately, and the soothing continues, 
the love pouring into your mind, the unconditional, burning love that 
cleanses and soothes. She strokes your hair with one hand, the other 
wrapped around the coin. The color steadily, slowly drains from her face 
as she continues to exert herself beyond any point she's ever went before. 
Lilly screams on, frightened, wanting mommy or daddy.

Tracy's mind is finally a calm sea of lapping waves. All that can be done 
has ben. His rational thought is there...the waves enfolding you like his 
embrace. You have done all you can for the immediate...but te grief and 
sorrow are amidst the waves as well. The anguish is spent but the mounring 
has begun.

Iris's mind retreats and as soon as she's safely out of your mind, her hand 
drops and she seems to melt backward, all but unconscious. There is no 
color left in her vace and when her hand brushes your cheek as it flutters 
down, it is as cold as ice.

Tracy weakly, reaches out and keeps your head from hitting the floor..."Oh 
no...Iris...damnit...damn me..."

Iris's eyelids flutter but don't open. She tries to stir. Her screaming 
baby is reaching wherever her consciousness has tried to retreat to, but 
it's just so, so hard.

Tracy pushes himself to his feet...grabbing a blanket to place beneath 
your head. He then walks into the kitchen, stumbling numbly against the 
door and "Murmurs hoarsely, hsi voice nearly gone "Lilly...sweetie...
daddy's here..." 

Iris lays where you leave her in the floor, unmoving, drained beyond her 
limits both emotionally and magickally and physically. Lilly sees you and 
quiets, sniffling with tear filled eyes, and little arms extend toward 
you. 
Iris settles down from her weak efforts to move when Lilly quiets.

Tracy graps a cleenex and dabs at his daughter's cheeks, not daring to get 
too close to her eyes. He then manages to pull a chair closer and 
collapses in it, then pulls her high-chlose to himself.

Iris is a crumpled doll on the floor in the other room. With a great, 
draining effort she sits up, though a wave of dizziness hits her 
immediately and she winds up sagging against the bed, eyes closed.

Lilly still sniffles, little hands reaching out still to you. Her little 
lower lip puffs as she sniffles.

Tracy murmurs hoarsely, "Iris..I'm in here with Lilly...just lay back and 
relax..." He sounds truely drained, almost apathetic. If it were anyone 
else, or any other child, he probably would not care. But you KNOW he 
cares about you.

Iris barely has a voice, "I... need.... to go.... to her." She tries. Oh 
she is trying again to get up. She keeps falling though, sitting down with 
a thump, and chilled shivers.

Tracy says "Stay there....I'll bring...bring her to you." 

Iris sinks into a heap on the floor. She nods ever so slightly, eyes 
closed against the room spinning. She shivers slightly, head to toe.

Tracy focuses himself, this is his daughter. Nothing can make him drop 
her. 

Nothing will sap his strength as he pulls the child into hsi arms lovingly 
and carresses her forehead with a kiss that is sweet from his lips but 
embittered by the almost constant flow of tears from his own eyes which he 
ignores. He strides to you, Lilly in arms, with his natural grace as his 
savior from clumsyness and delivers her into your arms where you lay much 
te way he did the day she was born. Then...he lets himself go. His legs 
won't hold him..e collapses and only half makes it on the bed.

Iris's instincts kick in, and she holds her daughter, though she can't 
open her eyes to look at her, for the room spinning on her. She holds 
Lilly as best she can. The baby seems to know something is wrong, so 
doesn't squirm around much. Iris whispers hoarsely, "There's my... there's 
my girl." Her voice sounds as bad as she looks.

Tracy's tears are silent. He lays there, squirming into place on the bed 
slowly. He lays there as his ears dampen the pillow. But he does nto make 
a single sound.

Iris stirs after a while, and she lifts her head. The room spins a lot, 
but she tries to ignore it. With an effort she lifts Lilly to the bed, 
and then she begins the struggle to stand up. The crib is just right 
there. If she can just get Lilly to the crib. But first she must get on 
her feet. She can't be weak right now. It doesn't matter how far she 
tapped herself. She has to be the strong and reslient one. With more 
effort than mere standing should ever be, she manages it, and then, with 
another monumental effort she lifts Lilly and she stumbles the two steps 
to the crib.

Tracy must have gotten up amidst your struggle, as you finally get Lilly 
into the crib you feel his shaking hands behind your back, his arms 
wrapping around you warmly, his hot tears on yoru shoulder, but hsi 
strength lending to hold you up.

Iris gets Lilly laid down gently, and she sags, her legs buckling. She 
would hit the floor hard if not for grabbing the crib, and your support. 
It's amazing she ever got up, you realize, as low as she is drained. In 
fact, it's amazing she's conscious.

Tracy has nto much strength himself, but he wordlessly half-carries you 
backwards and gets you onto the bed. He helps setle youin as best he is 
able and just lays there with you...stroking your hair., his teas still 
falling.

Iris, in a moment of weakness, lets you half carry her to the bed, but 
after she has laid there a moment, rallying, she stirs and whispers 
hoarsely, 'I need to help you. I.... I...." she tries to sit up, moaning 
when the dizziness hits again, but she is persistent. She's making herself 
sick, all because of the sense of duty that drives her.

Tracy sharply whispers, "You need to rest. I love you more than life 
itself and I won't loose you" there is a very wild look in his eyes as he 
sees you contnuing to struggle against your weariness to a point that 
might hurt you.

Irismanages to get to a sitting up position, and then her head drops so 
that her chin rests on her chest. She says, her voice tiny, "You need me. 
I need.... need to help you.'

Tracy says "I need you...yes. I just need youhere...net to me...put your 
arms around me...rest with me."
Tracy says "Tomorrow we will be back in Asheville...then I will find out 
what heppened."

Iris falls back slowly, almost as if in slow motion, "I... I know what 
happened." she whispers, hoarsely.

Tracys' eyes shoot to you, glossy in the coating of tears, "What...how..." 

Iris says nothing for several moments. Slowly her eyes open, but it makes 
her queasy, the spinning room does. She tries to look into your eyes 
though, and she says hoarsely, 'She was Nephandi." 

Tracyblanches white, "NEphandi?" f it came from anyone else they would be 
disbelieved immediately, as it is he seems not to have believed is own 
ears, "No...not my sister...nooo...she couldn't have been Nephandi...
what...what are you saying?"

Iris takes several deep breaths as she reaches for the coin again, and her 
eyes drift closed. She plans to try to cast again. It's easier to show 
than to try to explain what she knows, despite her weakness. This probably 
isn't a good idea though. She whispers faintly, "I tell you the truth, my 
love." 

Tracy says "STOP! Don't do it...you can't concentrate..." he wails lowly, 
"Stop..."

Iris barely even manages to think about it, before she gasps, a faint 
whimper as a massive headache hits her, 'I... I don't know how to 
explain..." she whispers hoarsely. "I... I can just... show..." 

Tracy murmurs, "I couldn't face it now anyway..." eh sobs, "Just stop...
lie back and rest. Just lie back and rest....." 

Iris's eyes almost flutter open and they close again. She sags completely 
back, little more than a waif. She has no color, and she is so cold to the 
touch, face lined with pain. With an effort, a difficult effort, she turns 
on her side, and her arm drapes over you, weakly.

Tracy entangles with you. HE is cold as well...hsi face hot, limbs like 
ice. HE shivers and draws closer still. You are everything to him, there 
is no mistaking

Iris holds you. She whispers, anguished by your anguish, "You were 
threatened. I... I had to get you safe." 

Tracy murmurs "She was my sister...."

Iris forces her eyes open, and tries to focus on you though you waver. 
There is pain lining her face, physical and emotional. "She had... had a 
lock of your hair. You... You know what power that can have. Over someone. 
Things were found in her apartment, or house, or wherever she lived. 
Things dirty, things evil. Things tainted. She was caught. Tracy. Love. 
She was Nephandi." 

Tracy bares hsi teeth, his throat flashing with hsi breath as his neck 
muscles stand out in stark relief, "I could have accepted he rbeing 
Technocracy...but Nephandi!? Nephandi...my sister...Nephandi..." 

Iris's eyes fill with tears, tears for you, and tears of physical pain. 
Melody lost her love when she found out what she knows. Melody gained 
pity but lost love. A bad bargain from most any perspective. Very softly 
she says, "I wish it weren't so. I.... I didn't believe Tracy. Not until 
I was allowed to find the proof myself."

Tracy says "I just...cannot...face it...noooo..." he shakes his head, 
"No..." his tears sain the pillows once more."

Iris has to close her eyes. She breaths harshly, "Love. Please. Don't 
think about it right now. Just... Just rest. Just rest, ok?" 

Tracy's shoulders are wracked with sobs, his soft tenor as pitiful as a 
crying angel's as he weeps heartwrenchingly.

Iris holds tight to you, crying softly. Part of her is driven to try to 
help you more, another part of her warns her that she doesn't have the 
strength, that she's already used her strength and then some. And she 
feels so sick...

Tracy cannot even lift hsi head to face you right now, but so needs your 
touch. Just your simple touch.

Iris holds you weakly, trying to relax enough to go to sleep, hoping you 
will go to sleep soon.

Tracy finally, slowly, cries himself to sleep. His body shivering until a 
dreamless, almost unconsious, sleep claims him. He will need the rest, for 
tomorrow is the drive back to Asheville.

Iris is soon asleep,exhausted. She is drained below her limits. Even 
tomorrow, she will be weak, most likely. It is a good thing you are 
driving She remains close though, close and comforting.
HOME FIRES MISTS LIFEBLOOD SPOKES
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