Rachyl had been lumping herself around the house, doing things that her pregnancy class had termed "nesting duties." She'd washed clothes. Rearranged things in the bathrooms (much to Meegan's dismay.) She found herself fluffing the pillows in the living room and den every single time she went through them. She was, however, forbidden to light candles for the moment: she had, in the midst of her nesting, lit a five-wick candle on the dining room table, which had gotten so hot its sides collapsed and virtually vomitted liquid wax over the table and just barely stopping at the edge before spilling onto the floor. It was the first time Meegan had gotten cross with her in quite some time.
She found herself outside in the mid-February chill, wrapped in blankets (because they hadn't been able to find a jacket that fit both her diminutive stature and pregnant belly that didn't make her look like a walking tent) checking things off on a clipboard. She'd made a list of things to clear up around the yard, in preparation for little crawling toddlers, and decided she needed to check it twice.
The redhead had avoided going outside to peek in the window of the room intended for her daughters. It wouldn't be fair to Nyra to spy on things early, though she had admitted at the dinner table a few times that she was extremely tempted. She had, however, impressed upon Nyra the absolute need for her to have adequate ventilation in the room. It would not do to have her artist, best friend, and auntie to her children found catatonic or dead from paint fume inhalation.
The sudden vibration of her phone against her belly was a bit of a shock, causing her to squeak in surprise. She'd taken to walking outside at least once a day, wrapped as she was, so had come up with a little system for tying it and hanging it from her neck, and snaking the earpiece to her head. Clicking the earpiece's mute button she answered it, heard a simple "It's done" from a familiar voice, and looked up at the house, eyes wide in anticipation.
The phone vibrated again. Glancing at it, she saw a text message from Meegan. "Wait 4 me" it said. Theatrically pouting to no one but herself, she ambled around the garage to the front porch. Leaning her tired tushy on the hammock there, she waited for her partner to come home.
(( terribly sorry about the whoa nelly nine day delay. R just has not been cooperative in my head. ))
Dragons and castles and fish, oh my!
Nyra had worked quite hard at getting the nursery and adjoining bath ready for the girl's arrival. She had spent the first day preping the walls and ceiling. The crystals were hung next on 200 pound fishing line to catch the sunrise and sunset. None were placed to catch the noon sun just in case the girls would be napping then. The artist did not want to make it so distracting they wouldn't take naps when they were supposed too. Waking up and going to bed to rainbows were perfect though in her eyes.
After borrowing a scaffold from Bertrand she then painted the ceiling, getting more paint on herself than she ever had before somehow. The skies above the cribs were full of colorful if small dragons, playing amongst the clouds and rainbows that would be thrown there. While she was not a mural painter she now had a greater appreciation for them. Her days up on the board stretched between two pole ladders could not pass fast enough for her. Luckily, they did due to her expertise with painting skies and the lack of minute detail in the beasties she painted.
Tackling the castle next, Nyra enjoyed herself making it intricate with detail and hidden treats. In one tower you could see through a window a beautiful little blonde girl playing on a rug with a doll. The other tower showed an auburn girl playing dress up with a feather boa and full length mirror. These tiny details were hidden amongst the detailed bricks and landscape which depicted a big hill and sea in the background. Of course upon the water was a pirate ship with a raven haired woman at the helm. Should Meegan and Rachyl look closely they would even see themselves on a balcony, arms around each other, looking up at the towers to their children. Nyra even went so far as to insert herself into the scene by putting an artist at an easel in the lush grass between the castle and sea.
Finally it was time to start painting dragons. Each one took her over a day to complete but the amount of detail demanded that much attention. Scales shimmered, claws gleamed and wings even had veining visible when extended. Nyra's favorite was the silver dragon with rainbow iridescent glitter scales that was protecting the castle. Though each of the dragons next to the crib area were just as detailed and lovely.
Signing a spot near the door with a paint pen, Nyra smiled and wiped off her hands. The walls needed to be sealed so that little hands could touch without fear of damaging and sponges could wash without fear of fading. But that was a chore for tomorrow. Today she looked around the space, proud and enraptured by the concept of the two little princesses living inside a fairytale. Perhaps today was the day she would allow her friends to see the room since she had barred them from viewing it since she started.
A happy humming started as she cleaned up quickly and neatly. The bath still needed its base of gradient blues but that was a chore for a specialized painter she had hired. Spraying it on would go so much easier than trying to blend it by hand. She still needed to work on the acrylic wall hangings but so far she had been exhausted upon returning home each night. Connie had barely even had a chance to talk to her before she had passed out last night. Glancing at her cell phone she noted the time and began to make phone calls.
"Its done." She told each one before hanging up before answering any further questions. There could be a stampede to the door any moment but she felt no rush to rise from her spot, next to her canvas tote bag and box of items, on the floor. Smiling she looked around with pride.
Rachyl
17 years ago
Connie
17 years ago
Connie had given Nyra the number direct to her desk some months ago, knowing her cell phone would not get reception in the office. So when the phone rang and she heard the confident statement from her lover's lips, she nearly jumped out of her seat in exclamation. Keeping herself calm, she shut down her computer, locked up her ledgers, and was nearly out the department when someone tried to catch her attention.
Leaning around Mildred's cube entry, she apologized profusely. "Sorry Mildred dear, but I can't stay. I've been waiting for these maintenance men for over a week. I want my shower back."
Leaving her with that strange bold-faced lie of an admission, she moved as quickly as unvampiricly possible to the elevators, with her destinations headed through the parking garage, a liquor store (for sparkling cider of course) and then Casa Del Gothic-Ah.
Leaning around Mildred's cube entry, she apologized profusely. "Sorry Mildred dear, but I can't stay. I've been waiting for these maintenance men for over a week. I want my shower back."
Leaving her with that strange bold-faced lie of an admission, she moved as quickly as unvampiricly possible to the elevators, with her destinations headed through the parking garage, a liquor store (for sparkling cider of course) and then Casa Del Gothic-Ah.
Montana
17 years ago
Russ rubbed up against her leg, almost like a cat, while she fiddled with his collar to take him on his afternoon walk. Waving to Bob, exercising to Richard Simmons in his living room, she headed for a nearby field. The sign said "new homes construction, starting in the 370s." Just thinking about purchasing a home for three hundred seventy thousand dollars made her feel like someone kicked her in the belly. But then, on her salary, she was lucky to be able to afford her little cottage.
Her phone rang. Nyra? "What's Nyra calling me for," she wondered as she answered it.
"It's done," was all that her voice said, and Ana replied, "Well that's great, Nyra, but what..." The line went dead.
Wracking her brain she tried to remember if Nyra had told her about doing any work, and she vaguely recalled her mentioning doing a full room for her friends, but not much else. She'd simply have to ask the artist what she'd been working on and ask for a tour later.
(( couldn't resist. In and out! ))
Her phone rang. Nyra? "What's Nyra calling me for," she wondered as she answered it.
"It's done," was all that her voice said, and Ana replied, "Well that's great, Nyra, but what..." The line went dead.
Wracking her brain she tried to remember if Nyra had told her about doing any work, and she vaguely recalled her mentioning doing a full room for her friends, but not much else. She'd simply have to ask the artist what she'd been working on and ask for a tour later.
(( couldn't resist. In and out! ))
Meegan
17 years ago
It wasn't the first time her cellphone had rung that afternoon. But it was the first time a welcome phone number had displayed on the caller ID since Rachyl had called her first thing that morning to say Nyra had arrived. The poor woman seemed to have driven herself ragged over the past few weeks. Connie had mentioned the artist had barely done anything at home but shower and sleep, and even then the raven-haired accountant had claimed the showers weren't all that frequent either.
She hoped Rachyl had been letting her take care of that before leaving. No sense dirtying her car.
Flipping the lid of her phone she didn't even have a chance to get the "Nyra, hellooo!" out of her mouth when she heard that woman's voice say simply, "It's done," then hang up. Blinking at the phone and its lack of connection, she quickly pulled up Rachyl's number and sent a simple text message: "Wait 4 me."
Shuffling all of the sketches she'd labored over that day, Meegan shut down her computer and turned off her drafting lamp before hoisting her portfolio over her shoulder and practically skipped from the office. "I'll finish up from home, Nicole," she said to the well-dressed blonde at Rachyl's old desk.
She'd found her - yet another temp, of course - from the agency. She remembered her conversation with Connie and Amberelle and how she hadn't wanted a female assistant, but her qualifications were hard to dismiss and well, she needed a body in that seat.
As she slid her own body into her front seat, she scratched absently at an itch at her ear and giggled as a text response came in on her phone. "Taking 2long as usual."
She hoped Rachyl had been letting her take care of that before leaving. No sense dirtying her car.
Flipping the lid of her phone she didn't even have a chance to get the "Nyra, hellooo!" out of her mouth when she heard that woman's voice say simply, "It's done," then hang up. Blinking at the phone and its lack of connection, she quickly pulled up Rachyl's number and sent a simple text message: "Wait 4 me."
Shuffling all of the sketches she'd labored over that day, Meegan shut down her computer and turned off her drafting lamp before hoisting her portfolio over her shoulder and practically skipped from the office. "I'll finish up from home, Nicole," she said to the well-dressed blonde at Rachyl's old desk.
She'd found her - yet another temp, of course - from the agency. She remembered her conversation with Connie and Amberelle and how she hadn't wanted a female assistant, but her qualifications were hard to dismiss and well, she needed a body in that seat.
As she slid her own body into her front seat, she scratched absently at an itch at her ear and giggled as a text response came in on her phone. "Taking 2long as usual."
Rachyl
17 years ago
Dusty blue Saturn pulled into the driveway not a heartbeat after silver Lexus. The two beautiful women got out, almost a mirror of each other, one carrying a large leather portfolio, the other a brown bag with a sparkly bottleneck jutting from it. Giving each other airkisses, they turned and made symmetrical steps towards the porch. The redhead waiting on the hammock nearly flopped out, then stood to hug her raven-haired accountant friend before kissing her wife in greeting.
The front door swung open. Were a camera to film the next moment, any director or editor would likely give it a slow motion effect, to show the two taller women flanking the shorter, pregnant one, marching nearly in step. You would see the slow zoom from the opening door, back to tilt and catch the first step, panning as all three entering. Right, left, right. Perhaps the fanfare of "Battle without Honor or Humanity" might play, or something befitting the entrance to greatness, as the three women seemed to almost scriptedly repeat the slow trio walk seen in so many movies.
Up the stairs they climbed, arm in arm, and paused outside the doorway into the forthcoming twins' room. "Nyra, we're outside... Are you ready for us?"
A muffled "uh huh" was all they could hear. Taking each others' hands tightly, they closed their eyes and carefully stepped around each other to enter the bedroom. "Ow, my shoulder," Connie complained, and Nyra apologized, "Sorry I left a bit of scaffolding there."
Sighing, the raven-haired vampire squeezed the hand of the redhead next to her. "On the count of three."
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
Simultaneously, two pairs of emerald and one set of stormy gray orbs opened, each taking in the splendor Nyra McGurn had created in the Nursery at 821 White Ash.
The collected gasp seemed unanimous, as did the words each woman uttered: "Ho. Lee. Wow."
The front door swung open. Were a camera to film the next moment, any director or editor would likely give it a slow motion effect, to show the two taller women flanking the shorter, pregnant one, marching nearly in step. You would see the slow zoom from the opening door, back to tilt and catch the first step, panning as all three entering. Right, left, right. Perhaps the fanfare of "Battle without Honor or Humanity" might play, or something befitting the entrance to greatness, as the three women seemed to almost scriptedly repeat the slow trio walk seen in so many movies.
Up the stairs they climbed, arm in arm, and paused outside the doorway into the forthcoming twins' room. "Nyra, we're outside... Are you ready for us?"
A muffled "uh huh" was all they could hear. Taking each others' hands tightly, they closed their eyes and carefully stepped around each other to enter the bedroom. "Ow, my shoulder," Connie complained, and Nyra apologized, "Sorry I left a bit of scaffolding there."
Sighing, the raven-haired vampire squeezed the hand of the redhead next to her. "On the count of three."
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
Simultaneously, two pairs of emerald and one set of stormy gray orbs opened, each taking in the splendor Nyra McGurn had created in the Nursery at 821 White Ash.
The collected gasp seemed unanimous, as did the words each woman uttered: "Ho. Lee. Wow."