thorn vanished behind them.
After a short forever, the flow slowed.
Remember this and this and this, Vati whispered to Rimi.
Yes, yes, yes, oh so wide a yes , Rimi thought, and thanks thanks love thanks.
Release , thought Vati and Kachik, and Rimi and Maya untwined from the interweave/fusion with them, last touches stroking a promise of connection in the future.
TEN
Maya took a deep breath and opened her eyes to where she was. She blinked, turned her head.
Noona stood near her, hand resting on Maya’s shoulder, but mostly Maya was aware of Kachik, his hand tentacles meshing with her fingers and several of his arms wrapped around her so that she was pressed to his soft, fuzzy, nutmeg-smelling chest, his warmth and the sound of something like hearts beating inside him, a rhythm not human, with bumps bumping into each other, perhaps two things thumping simultaneously, and slightly out of sync with each other. “Are you in good condition, sib?” he asked, his voice a buzz against her cheek and a rumble in the air.
“Mm,” she said, blinking. She wasn’t sure. “I think.”
The dry, snaky embrace of his tentacle-hands loosened, supporting her, but easing her away from him. She swayed, then found her feet. She rubbed her cheek, still warm from being pressed against Kachik’s fur.
“Stable?” he asked. “I don’t know how, when you only have two points touched down, but it seems to work for many. Have you found the ground, small sib?”
She nodded. “Yes. Thank you. You?”
“My base corners. The ground is solid.”
He retracted his arms, releasing her. Rimi and Vati lingered, connected still, and then Vati’s arm sagged and Rimi’s shadow-self moved back to stand beside Maya. Maya felt the loss of contact.
“There was something,” Kachik said. “Did you see it?”
“Yes,” said Maya, trying to think of what the thorny thing had looked like. She remembered it as a snag sticking up out of a river of color and music. Or was it a many-tipped spike, like a fork gone mad? It had had a different taste to it, too, like licking a penny. “What was that?”
“A puzzle. A disturbance. Something I have not sensed in any fusion before. Something we must explore, but not just now, I think.” He swayed. “This was a lovely fusion, and I need rest.”
“Me, too,” Maya said.
“Are you all right?” Noona asked Maya. “What happened?”
Maya’s mouth tasted like milk and cinnamon. She swallowed and realized she was thirsty and hungry. “A lot,” she said. “I’m not sure what.” Her stomach growled and her mouth felt like cotton had soaked up all the water in it. We’re hungry again ? she asked Rimi.
Fusion takes a lot of energy , Rimi thought. Kachik-Vati is hungry, too.
“Nola, could we please get something to eat?” Maya asked Noona.
Noona stroked Maya’s back. “Surely,” she said. “Kachik-Vati, will you join us for food?”
“I do have need,” said Kachik. Vati’s arm curled and gestured in a way that looked like Yes! to Maya.
Noona took out a communicator, tapped its side, and spoke into it.
“Honored traveler. If you will allow us to restore the table,” Noona said.
“A yes yes,” said Kachik. He moved the table back into place.
“Maya, please sit,” said Noona.
Maya sagged to the floor. She propped her elbows on the table and cupped her cheeks in her hands.
Noona went to the wall and tapped a pattern on it. A panel opened and she brought out another table, smaller, with telescoping legs. She set it on top of the round table. It came halfway up Kachik-Vati’s side. Kachik smoothed two of his tentacle hands over its surface, and then Vati stroked it.
A couple of Janus House cousins came in, carrying trays. One set a tray in front of Maya: a wooden bowl of steaming soup, a mug of hot milk sprinkled with cinnamon, and a cut apple on its own small orange plate. The other cousin set the second tray on the taller table. The tray held a big pottery bowl of something
After a short forever, the flow slowed.
Remember this and this and this, Vati whispered to Rimi.
Yes, yes, yes, oh so wide a yes , Rimi thought, and thanks thanks love thanks.
Release , thought Vati and Kachik, and Rimi and Maya untwined from the interweave/fusion with them, last touches stroking a promise of connection in the future.
TEN
Maya took a deep breath and opened her eyes to where she was. She blinked, turned her head.
Noona stood near her, hand resting on Maya’s shoulder, but mostly Maya was aware of Kachik, his hand tentacles meshing with her fingers and several of his arms wrapped around her so that she was pressed to his soft, fuzzy, nutmeg-smelling chest, his warmth and the sound of something like hearts beating inside him, a rhythm not human, with bumps bumping into each other, perhaps two things thumping simultaneously, and slightly out of sync with each other. “Are you in good condition, sib?” he asked, his voice a buzz against her cheek and a rumble in the air.
“Mm,” she said, blinking. She wasn’t sure. “I think.”
The dry, snaky embrace of his tentacle-hands loosened, supporting her, but easing her away from him. She swayed, then found her feet. She rubbed her cheek, still warm from being pressed against Kachik’s fur.
“Stable?” he asked. “I don’t know how, when you only have two points touched down, but it seems to work for many. Have you found the ground, small sib?”
She nodded. “Yes. Thank you. You?”
“My base corners. The ground is solid.”
He retracted his arms, releasing her. Rimi and Vati lingered, connected still, and then Vati’s arm sagged and Rimi’s shadow-self moved back to stand beside Maya. Maya felt the loss of contact.
“There was something,” Kachik said. “Did you see it?”
“Yes,” said Maya, trying to think of what the thorny thing had looked like. She remembered it as a snag sticking up out of a river of color and music. Or was it a many-tipped spike, like a fork gone mad? It had had a different taste to it, too, like licking a penny. “What was that?”
“A puzzle. A disturbance. Something I have not sensed in any fusion before. Something we must explore, but not just now, I think.” He swayed. “This was a lovely fusion, and I need rest.”
“Me, too,” Maya said.
“Are you all right?” Noona asked Maya. “What happened?”
Maya’s mouth tasted like milk and cinnamon. She swallowed and realized she was thirsty and hungry. “A lot,” she said. “I’m not sure what.” Her stomach growled and her mouth felt like cotton had soaked up all the water in it. We’re hungry again ? she asked Rimi.
Fusion takes a lot of energy , Rimi thought. Kachik-Vati is hungry, too.
“Nola, could we please get something to eat?” Maya asked Noona.
Noona stroked Maya’s back. “Surely,” she said. “Kachik-Vati, will you join us for food?”
“I do have need,” said Kachik. Vati’s arm curled and gestured in a way that looked like Yes! to Maya.
Noona took out a communicator, tapped its side, and spoke into it.
“Honored traveler. If you will allow us to restore the table,” Noona said.
“A yes yes,” said Kachik. He moved the table back into place.
“Maya, please sit,” said Noona.
Maya sagged to the floor. She propped her elbows on the table and cupped her cheeks in her hands.
Noona went to the wall and tapped a pattern on it. A panel opened and she brought out another table, smaller, with telescoping legs. She set it on top of the round table. It came halfway up Kachik-Vati’s side. Kachik smoothed two of his tentacle hands over its surface, and then Vati stroked it.
A couple of Janus House cousins came in, carrying trays. One set a tray in front of Maya: a wooden bowl of steaming soup, a mug of hot milk sprinkled with cinnamon, and a cut apple on its own small orange plate. The other cousin set the second tray on the taller table. The tray held a big pottery bowl of something
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