Topic: House Call

Mira Cigargirl

Date: 2009-06-22 18:03 EST
(The house call took place June 20, 2009)

Mira expected Shariane to arrive shortly and because she had nothing else to do - there was only so much cleaning one could do in a generally well kept apartment - peered out the window to perhaps see her arriving.

Shariane made her way unescorted through the streets of the West End. Very few would have the lack of sense to mess with a mage and she was projecting that confidence as she continued onward. The part of West End Mira's apartment was located in had next to no traffic or pedestrians, probably because the business buildings around, while appearing new, were all vacant and in the apartment complex Mira was the only resident so far.

Having indeed spotted Shariane from the window, Mira was nearly at the door by the time Shariane knocked. She promptly unlocked and opened the door to welcome Shariane with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Shariane. Please come in. I'm glad to see you found this place without any trouble."

She smiled at Mira, "The directions made it easy." Shariane returned the smile and slipped inside.

"Would you care for something to drink?" Mira carefully closed the door again once Shariane was inside.

"Water will be fine." Shariane smiled gently, "This place is lovely."

"Thank you. Why don't you go ahead and sit down. I'll be along with the water in just a minute." Mira gestured toward the archway into the living room before she turned to move through the archway opposite into the kitchen.

Shariane settled comfortably onto the chair and glanced around. She took in the little touches that bespoke of Mira making this her home. Everything in the apartment looked fairly new, though the pillow decorating the soft blue couch had the look of a personal touch, as did the wood carvings on the book shelf and the glass of daisies on the low table.

True to her word, Mira joined Shariane just a moment later. She set the water glass on the low table within easy reach for Shariane before she took a seat on the couch, picking up one of the deep blue pillows there in the process. She kept that pillow in her lap, hugging it loosely.

"How are you doing, Mira?" Shariane took a sip while watched Mira's movements.

"I'm nearly back to normal." Physically that was true. A little ache now and then and tiring easily wasn't anything to complain about and would be gone soon enough. Her skin didn't even show any scars. The healers had all done marvelous work. Mentally that statement could not have been more wrong.

"It's that "nearly' that has Darius concerned." Shariane said kindly.

"A couple more days of taking things easy should take care of that, right?" Mira wondered why that should make Darius concerned. Everyone else seemed to be surprised that she recovered as quickly as she did. Just as soon as she had thought that far she blocked her mind from thinking along those lines any further.

"Physically, I tend to agree. But there are other issues that tend to appear after such a trauma." Shariane was sharper than people would take her for.

Mira nodded slightly and swallowed any question that might form, knowing that she wouldn't like the answer, whatever it was.

"I'm to be celebrating all the good news of late." There had been a multitude of good news lately.

"It certainly takes the weight off ones mind to know that some things are working out for the best." Shariane sipped the water, "But not all things, sweetling?"

"Not all things." But Mira pushed away any thoughts that wanted to surface with Shariane's last question and she doused the brief spark of fear as well. Instead she held on to that well practiced smile. "There are three weddings to look forward to and Sivanna and Aja both are now living with the people they love. And Prue is going to have another baby."

"Several reasons to be joyful, Darius seems to be smitten as well." Shariane nodded thoughtfully. Her tone was that of a mother happy for her child. Yet, her concern could not be kept from her voice, "But these things, outside of being friends and family....They do not pertain to your happiness, do they?"

"Of course they do. I enjoy seeing everyone happy." Mira protested promptly.

"But what about you, Mira, are you happy?" She was rather pointed about it.

"No." Mira looked guilty with the admission having slipped out. There was so much that she was happy about and thankful for, and she was very happy for her friends and for Prue. It just didn't add up to her being happy, no matter how much she wanted it to be otherwise or tried to tell herself to just be happy. Just the same and with a stubborn push she wrapped her mind about a couple of the positive thoughts, much like someone drowning grasps desperately for every straw within reach.

"I would be more worried if you told me you were. Mira, I have seen plenty of victims of attacks, accidents, etc....All are either afraid or blaming themselves."

"What are they afraid of?" She asked with something akin to curiosity.

"Their attackers returning, people abandoning them as broken or unclean."

"Sensible." But she didn't want to explore that information any further. Anyway, all the broken bones were healed, she reminded herself. "I took a bath this morning."

Shariane arched a brow at the evasion, but let it go for now, "No increased pains?"

"Just when walking around too much." Mira shook her head and hugged the pillow a little tighter for the moment it took for her to get her mind off any instances when walking became painful and to stop her heart from feeling like it was about to explode. The smile on her lips never wavered, though for that one moment she had gone pale.

"Tell me what is plaguing you, Mira." There was a soothing, coaxing note to her voice. The look from those amethyst eyes of hers softened. She knew the pain within was greater.

"I don't know." There was nothing to be afraid of, Mira told herself, and desperately held on to that thought to the exclusion of all others. She wanted to give Shariane a better answer, but she sensed that to find that answer she'd have to explore that horrible darkness and possibly drown in it. That she couldn't risk.

Shariane arched a brow, "Mira, I am here if you wish to talk. I won't judge you or call you fears silly. You have been through a very traumatic time and you need to know that you can confide in someone."

Mira nodded to that offer and considered the promise. So far she had not fared so well with similar offers. Shariane's reaction couldn't possibly hurt as much as that of her friends had the other evening, she told herself.

"I was scared of silly string and water the other evening, of it ruining my new silk dress and making me break something by falling off my chair." Scared was probably too mild a word. Panicked would come closer to how she had felt at the time. Mira watched Shariane for her reaction with curiosity, nearly holding her breath as she waited for a response.

"Now, when you saw the silly string and water, what did you feel?"

"Nothing at first, when it was just innocent cans." Mira thought of that evening. "When it was flying through the air though, scared. I couldn't dodge it and some got on my dress. The floor looked too close and too hard. Then there was water by magic spell, a battle of sticky string and water." She paused again while trying to find the words to express what she had felt at the time while avoiding to remember anything past her glance to the floor. "Scared, surprised, and maybe helpless."

"Too close to the memory of the attack, I would think?"

"I wasn't attacked with silly string and water." Mira said in all seriousness as she fought the word's pull in the direction of Terra. She had been told later that she had not been the intended target of silly string or water. "Silly string is kind of pretty looking."

She smiling, "But?"

"I don't know." Mira shrugged slightly. "I wanted to run away, but I couldn't, and my tummy hurt." Odd, she had forgotten until just now about that last part.

"Anxiety. Last night, Vincent got so anxious he had to leave the charity event."

"Why would he do that?" What a powerful mage would have to get anxious about, Mira couldn't imagine.

"I don't know, but it had something to do with the crowd and I wasn't of a mind to press him on it."

That was probably best." If something scared a powerful mage, she was probably better off not knowing, too. Mira gave the pillow she was holding another little squeeze, because now she didn't have that little straw to hold onto anymore and needed to find another one.

"That and he wasn't a patient." Shariane had an inkling of what Vincent could do and knew what she herself could do. She was certain that people would start taking notice if she unleashed her abilities. Except, that flew in the face of what she was.

Mira nodded, suddenly feeling very tired. She wondered why that should be so. She had not anything more strenuous than sitting on the couch, talking with Shariane.

"Do you need to rest?" She was chalking a lot up to stress.

"Perhaps." Mira agreed but she did not want to appear impolite.

"Then, I shall bid you farewell." Shariane stood gracefully and smiled, "And leave you with this little note. Just because other people are blind to it, does not mean the fear isn't real."

"Thank you, Shariane." Mira was slower to get to her feet and to surrender her pillow back to the couch. But she was going to walk Shariane as far as the door. She gave Shariane a warm smile, thankful for her parting note. "Safe travels and thanks you for coming to see me."

Shariane nodded and slipped out of the apartment. So much to do and think on.

Mira gently closed the door behind Shariane. She stood there a moment before she moved again, this time to get that nap that Shariane had suggested that she needed.