Calibrations Spill-Over Post

[thespaceopera]

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Asteffiel

[dancingmd]

{from here}

[His nature isn't what causes the wariness, just that he's a stranger in her mind and instinctively, she doesn't want him to see anything. But now that he's crossed the threshold, it's triggered a memory, though that will not be immediately obvious to Asteffiel , since he is in fact in the arboretum. It's bursting with light and color and even a holographic blue sky. Winding stone paths twist through the grass, and a few children play by the pond. Beverly is there too, only she's not wearing her uniform - instead, it's a utilitarian green jumpsuit, not entirely unlike what Drift Fleet provides - and her hair is up in a messy ponytail. Another woman is with her. Somehow, without being told, Asteffiel will know that her name is Keiko - Keiko O'Brien and that she's a friend. Keiko is also very clearly pregnant, five or six months along by the looks of it. Both women kneel in the grass, tending to the plants.]

You really didn't have to do this, Beverly.

Nonsense! It feels good to feel some dirt under my fingernails every now and then, bring a little life into the world. [She straightens up and wipes her forehead with the back of her hand, unknowingly leaving a streak of dirt behind.] Speaking of bringing life into the world, how are you feeling?

[Keiko sits back as well, hands resting comfortable on her tummy, and grins at Beverly.] Performing a little covert check-up are we? I'm fine. It's Miles you should be worried about. He frets all the time, hovering over me like I'm some fragile thing, liable to break at any second! [She huffs.] I sure has hell don't feel very fragile! I feel like an elephant!

[Beverly chuckles.] I know what you mean. Jack was the exact same way with me. [She pauses, thoughtful.] Though I must say the nightly foot massages were very nice.

Foot massages! Now that I could go for.

Just tell him it's doctor's orders. And also tell him that I can assure you as both a doctor and a mother, that neither you nor baby are in any danger of breaking. In fact, it's good for you to keep working and moving as long as possible.

I've already- [She stops mid-sentence and her face lights up. She grabs Beverly by the wrist and brings the doctor's hand to her stomach.] Do you feel that? She's kicking!

[Beverly's smile grows almost as wide as Keiko's. No matter how many mothers and babies she's cared for, moments like this never cease to be a source of wonder.] This is the first time, right?

[Keiko nods excitedly, then suddenly noticing the streak of dirt on Beverly's forehead, she laughs.]

What?

[Keiko pulls a rag out of one of her pockets and cleans the dirt off.]

See? Those motherly instincts already kicking in. [Beverly smiles and takes Keiko's hands.] You're going to be a wonderful mother, and Miles is going to be a great father. Even if he does worry too much.

Thank you, Beverly. That means a lot, really.

[Beverly squeezes Keiko's hands before letting go and getting back to work, pulling weeds and watering seeds. The scene fades away, and Asteffiel will find himself still standing in the corridor, as if he had never gone anywhere.]

[innercactus]

[ Things Asteffiel had never really seen - that humans really do come from other humans. He knows that they start out small and get quite a bit larger - otherwise why else would they call them both babies and children, but he didn't realize they came so small they would.. fit inside other humans.

So he's rather confused in the hallway. ]

.. Don't humans have.. organs and things? Where do they go, if there's a little human inside...?

[ Well, it couldn't be... terribly bad, neither seemed worried in that, but. He's so confused.

Fruit pods make more sense. How would Mother look if they were in the tree like ... babies were in human mothers? ]

[dancingmd]

It's... not a very comfortable experience, I can assure you. Sometimes it was downright painful. Our internal organs are moved around and squeezed to make room for baby, and our hearts have to work harder and we eat more than usual to help baby grow. But the human body is amazingly resilient when it comes to this sort of thing, especially with the help of modern medicine.

[Her brow furrows thoughtfully.]

Would it help you, to see a diagram on the computer?