Posted by Civilian Karilan Massat (Owner, Quill and Parchment Books) in Eela’s Apartment- Processing (TMODJ)

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Eela’s Apartment- Processing (TMODJ)

Posted by Civilian Karilan Massat (Owner, Quill and Parchment Books) in Eela’s Apartment- Processing (TMODJ)
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Alais was swept up into Cairdee’s arms and set on her hip while she finished putting together a light breakfast. Eela moved carefully using her cane and Karilan for support.

In her bedroom, she veered to the closet and touched the button, the door sliding open. Everything inside was arranged neatly, with many of Eela’s colourful garments grouped by type on hangers, while others were folded on shelves. Shoes and accessories were all within easy reach There was a padded bench in the centre where she could sit and dress, and a full size mirror.

In the back corner on an upper shelf above her coats was a medium grey fabric box with a black line circle on the front. She pointed to the box. “That one, please. It contains my lamai, traditional Haliian mourning clothes. We wear them constantly until whatever service is conducted beginning from the first time we’re seen by those outside our inner circle. For me that basically means once I leave my apartment. Had I been in a better way yesterday I would have worn them after Ren called my the second time.” She shook her head, mystified by the strangeness that had been the Kuskaaritz.

Karilan dutifully reached for the box and took it down, setting it near Eela and taking the lid off and setting it aside.

“The top garment should be the tunic. There’s pants and a hooded scarf as well.” Inside the zippered case was a folded pile of grey fabric. It was lightweight and flowy, but opaque and perfectly grey. Eela sat on the bench and removed her shorts, wincing only once, but it was a reminder to take something soon.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“Let me help.” Karilan said, and began to slowly and gently help Eela undress. They then pulled out the clothes and helped her get into them so she didn’t have to strain. “Are there particular shoes you want?” they asked.

Karilan

Eela let Karilan help without a fuss but there was an underlying unease that she knew far too well and was having trouble stamping out. “Umm, yes, there should be some grey flats,” she said as she slipped the hood over her head and wrapped the scarf around her neck. Eela stood in front of the mirror and studied her appearance. “I need to pin the hood to my hair to keep it in place, but there we go. I haven’t worn this since my paternal grandmother died a few years ago. Before that was for my maternal grandmother. I got special dispensation to wear the hood on duty the first few days after my parents were killed, but I think there was only one day where I made use of that. I couldn’t even function after I found out about them. It’s all a blur, even now, even after I’ve heard recollections from others, like Roger, about that time.”

She turned to face Karilan, gratitude etched deeply into her features and through her emotions. “If at anytime in this next while I get… testy about the help, know that it’s not you. It’s a holdover from my accident, from to being able to do very simple things on my own. It’s one thing to accept help from people, but day in and day out, it wears on you Lan. It robs you of your dignity. Yes, this is temporary, but it’s also not. My back is not something I can ignore or put off for too long. We’ll deal with it later certainly not today or this week, but there are decisions to be made, and if I do what I’m pretty sure I should, well, needing help getting dressed is going to be the least of it. It won’t be easy for me, or anyone around me.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Karilan set their hands on her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. “I never asked you for easy, now did I?” and they leaned and kissed her very gently. “We will deal with all of that as we can, taking it as it comes. That is all we can do. For now… concern yourself with today. Get through today and we will deal with tomorrow then.”

Karilan

Eela hooked her cane on her wrist and wrapped her arms around Karilan, giving as big an embrace as she dared without aggravating her body. It wasn’t much but she hoped it conveyed everything. There were a lot of complicated feelings surrounding her mobility that also were about relationships that she was going to have to unpack with Séan later. “De anah ko sialo,” she whispered.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

They held her close but gently and said “I’m not sure I know what you said, but I think I understand the sentiment.” A brief, uninterrupted embrace, and then they stepped back. “Time to face the world, Captain Dasca. But I will be here when you come back. And I am just a call away if you need me. Alright?”

Karilan

Eela could have tried to translate the words (though there was no direct translation), but the warm acceptance of the heartfelt declaration by Karilan was perfect. She nodded.

She was mostly going to keep to the apartment to appease Jal’na, but in her heart of hearts she knew she should see the Mathises in person, as a fellow griever. There was something about being an empath and communing with others experiencing the same thing that was essential to the processing. “Go, go check on your shop and see Torres. Caridee is here with me and Cort will be by in a bit before going into the office. My foray into the public will be brief, so I expect I will be home before lunch. But if you should happen to be earlier than me, security will be instructed to let you in.” Which was no small matter either. There were few people that were allowed to come and go from her place without her presence and it felt right that Karilan was one of them.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Karilan set their fingers against her cheek and smiled at her. Then they leaned in and kissed her gently, tenderly, and said “Be safe. Be careful. And always keep in mind that you are loved, Eela. No matter what.” and they turned and walked out of the closet to get dressed.

Karilan

Heart full (which was more or less what she had said to Karilan in her native tongue), Eela moved to the bathroom to pin her hood and then moved back to the kitchen where Caridee insisted she have a small amount to eat to help her body repair. It wasn’t that she didn’t like breakfast, but too much food first thing sat heavy in her stomach and made her feel unwell. Caridee knew this, however, and thus the toast and fruit salad. Alais sat on Caridee’s lap smushing chunks of soft fruit into her mouth with glee, making Eela laugh. More tiny releases of tension that would help keep her level.

After awhile, there was a knock at the door and someone entered. Eela knew in an instant it was Cort. “In the kitchen,” she called out.

Cort came around the corner, jacket draped over his arm, assessing the trio intently. His eyes lingered on Eela, on the presence of the cane, her grey garments.

“Coffee?” Caridee asked. “There’s some there you can help yourself to.”

He had had quite a bit at breakfast already, but given his night and the day ahead, what was another cup? “Coffee would be great, thanks,” he said, setting his jacket on the clean side of island and moving to the cupboard where he knew the mugs were. He pulled out one of the colourful handcrafted pottery mugs that Eela seemed to gravitate towards and poured a cup.

In Caridee’s lap, Alais clapped her hands and squealed over her cubed fruit and Cort grinned. “Well good morning to you too, Miss Alais. How’s our favourite new assistant?”

“Geeeeeee!” she said, wide-eyed and smiling.
Cort laughed. “Well then, duly noted,” he said, reaching out to ruffle her fine curls.
“She likes you,” Caridee said warmly.
“Well, she seems to generally like people, but I’ll accept the compliment.”
“Careful. Next thing you know you’ll be babysitting,” Eela said, rather amused but enjoying this moment of happiness.

Cort shrugged. “There are worse things.” He bent forward to look Alais in her deep brown eyes. “Rather spend time with you than fend off naughty Admirals. Mhmm, that’s right.”
“Hell, I don’t know many that wouldn’t prefer that,” Eela said with a laugh before she turned more serious. “Shall we go chat? I was thinking I’d like to go to the patio.”

Cort nodded. “Sounds good.”

Eela grabbed her cane, and usually she just used it to give herself extra stability. Today though, she used it to bear her whole weight until she was up enough to brace her hand on the table and help, hre brace doing the rest of the work. Cort stepped over and simply caught her under the elbow, letting Eela dictate where she was going and how quickly. She could have shrugged him off, but it was clear that long periods sitting led to stiffness just now and she internally grumbled about probably needing to find a way to heed Jal’na’s recommendation for keeping weight off her spine. But first there were things to take care of.

She made her way down the back hallway that followed along the patio and stepped through the doors at the dining room. Her garden was filling in and becoming lush. Every seed, every transplant, had been cared for, nurtured. Some were green, lending texture and shades of colour. Others bore blooms, or fruit. Vegetables were not plentiful yet but starting to contribute to her meals. But most of all it was a sanctuary. Her sanctuary. She moved with Cort still supporting her.

Cort understood just how serious everything was right now. Eela hadn’t even flinched or pulled away as he stepped in to help. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t accept help, but when it came to her physical issues she was fiercely independent and rarely let others intervene unless it was truly necessary. Not only was it clearly necessary today but there was a heaviness in her step that spoke to so many weights carried.

They sat on the far side under the pergola where the couches provided a cozy sitting area. He helped situate her with extra pillows propping her up to support her back and sat facing her, one foot tucked under his leg. “What do you need right now?”

Eela cast her gaze over the garden and beyond to the landscape of Oed. “I’m not exactly sure yet. It’s all very confusing and overwhelming.” She looked back at him and took a deep breath. “Cort, I was telepathically connected to Dash when he died. Not mentally, but physically.”

His surprise was palpable and his mind was whirling trying to understand what that meant. “Can you explain more? If not, that’s okay.”

She nodded and proceeded to explain how everything went down. She left out the details of who helped break through the wall between her mind and body and what that exactly looked like, but she let him in on what happened for her.

Cort listened intently with the same compassion and care he always showed people. Eela reached out and held his hand. “I don’t know what the next days are going to look like. But know that I am so grateful for everything you do. I know it’s a lot right now for all of us, and we can’t predict how things might change.” She squeezed his hand. “And please take care of yourself as well, as best you can. That is how you can help me. That’s what I need.”

He smiled warmly at her and rested his hand over hers that still held his. “I will do my best. I’m not always so good at it, as you know, but we do have that in common.”

She laughed and nodded. “We do. You’re still a terrible mother hen.”

“Do as I say, not as I do?”

Eela laughed again and Cort joined her. It was so lovely. She kept having these tiny moments and Eela knew she had to hold on to each and every one of them.

Cort stayed a little longer and finished his coffee. He left Eela sitting amongst her plants and headed to the office.

When she felt ready to move back inside to head out herself, Eela passed by a container with a blank spot. Or rather, it had been blank. Now tiny green pieces of life had pushed through the surface. Tears sprang from her eyes and for a moment she could barely catch her breath.

These were the seeds Dash gave her on their first date.

The cycle of life continued.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.