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The Fat Lady Sings
Thursday
November 15, 2001
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Day 15: Julie's NaNoWriMo novel without a title.
Day 15, and I made the half-way count! I'm not as far ahead as I would've liked, but those couple of days sick got me a bit behind. I'm also finding the new setting for Rae and Aaron to be more difficult to write about. Bear with me.
(Heh! I made a pun!)
Today's word count:
26,712
(approx)
Goal: 50,000
Mileposts: Mon., Nov. 5: 8,333 words. Sat., Nov. 10:16,666 words.
Thur., Nov. 15: 25,000 words. Tue., Nov. 20: 33,333 words. Sun., Nov. 25:
41,666 words. Fri., Nov. 30: 50,000 words.
In due time Rae discovered that bathrooms hadn’t changed much since her day, although she did have to give points for the comfortable toilet seat. The automatic bidet and warm air startled her, but when she thought about what sorts of luxuries humanoid bears would prefer, it made sense.
Bears!
She felt like she was a character in a Tales of the Tai-Pan story. This was outrageous! If Rae hadn’t seen and touched Meg herself, there was no way Rae would believe this account from anyone else, even Aaron.
This is no simple furry space opera, Rae reminded herself. You need to stop thinking of it as a furry thing and instead focus on the fact that you’ve merely traveled through time. Merely! These aren’t people in big, fur-covered suits. Just try to think of them as regular people. Rae shook her head, looking at herself in the mirror. She smoothed down her hair as best she could without using the brush that laid nearby, thinking that she wouldn’t want a guest using her hairbrush. She used the spacious and multi-jetted shower. Curious fiddling with the knobs provided her with a warm flow of air, as well, which she guessed would work well toward drying a full pelt of fur.
Just imagine the hair care product industry!
She dressed in the borrowed clothes and her own shoes and socks. Note to self: get more socks. I hate wearing used socks. She always talked to herself more when she was nervous. The pants, which she guessed would fall to knee-length on Meg, were just the right length for Rae, and all in all, the clothes didn’t look too much different from some fashions she’d seen at home.
Terra. Rae had gotten herself to a different planet. Where that might have frightened some people, she found herself grinning. Not only off Earth, I’m also in the future! This is absolutely unbelievable and fantastic! She realized that now the shock had worn off a little, she was excited to be here. It was still hard to believe, but she was going to enjoy herself while she had the chance. How often did a person get to travel through time and off planet, after all?
She walked down the hall to left, as Meg had directed, and found herself in a large foyer. In a room off to the right she could see the bruin sitting at a table, and she joined her, sitting in a chair across from Meg. Rae smiled. “Good morning!”
“You seem more at ease. I’m so glad,” Meg said. “As soon as we’ve eaten, I can take you to Parksdon and Aaron, if you like, and in the meantime we can talk some more.” She poured what smelled like black tea for both of them, then put what Rae assumed was sugar, honey, and milk within reach. She handed her guest a large platter what looked remarkably like scrambled eggs and bacon.
Rae chuckled, noting that Meg used a generous amount of honey in her tea. “I take it that you already know if any of your foods will effect me?” she asked “Since I’m guessing that Aaron has eaten since he’s been here.”
“Oh yes. Did you eat eggs and soy in… your day? Those are chicken eggs. Somewhat genetically altered chickens than you had, I imagine, but chickens all the same. Aaron ate our eggs with no ill effect. Soy grows quite well on many parts of Tatum, and I believe it is native to Terra.”
Rae slid a generous portion of eggs onto her plate. “This is soy, and not bacon? It’s definitely the best smelling soy I’ll ever had the pleasure to eat.” She took several slices of pseudo-bacon.
Meg smiled wryly. “There are many porcine species living on Tatum, most of which would probably rather be sitting on a chair at the table eating soy instead of being served as part of the meal.”
“Oh!” Trust me to insult my host suggesting cannibalism to start off our day. “I’m so sorry! I’m… not used to this, yet. Are most… beings on Tatum vegetarian?”
“No, I often eat meat of non-sentient animals.” Meg grinned. “I’m apologize. I’m teasing you! Pork is just one of those meats which I have chosen to forego in deference to my porcine friends. I also do not eat mutton, lamb, or venison.”
“I have to admit I’m relieved you’re not vegetarian. I eat a lot of meat,” Rae said. She took a large bite of eggs, then soy-bacon. “These are very good!”
“I’m glad to hear it,” said another tall bruin who was walking into the room. “Meg, you didn’t tell me we were having a guest over last night.” Smiling, he turned to Rae. “I’m Meg’s father, Edward. I hope you two slept well?”
“I’m Raelynn Rowland, it’s nice to meet you. Meg… your father? I’m sorry, I guess I have no idea how old you are.”
“Meg is seventeen years old.” Edward turned a puzzled look toward his daughter. “Are you two not well acquainted?”
Quite a good vocabulary for a teenager! Rae thought. I really do need to be careful about making assumptions.
“Father, it seems that Rae followed Aaron here.”
The older bruins eyes widened, and he pulled out a chair to sit at the table. “I asked you not to continue with your… experiments.” He turned to Rae. “I’m sorry if you were brought here against your will.”
“Oh, no. I came here on purpose, to come after Aaron. He, well, we had thought he had,” she paused, swallowing, a bit embarrassed. “We thought he had wished himself here.” Here goes nothing. “With magic.”
“See, Father? Like Aaron, she believes, too! I told you it wasn’t nonsense,” Meg said excitedly. “I study the kabbalah, Rae, and scholars of the kabbalah believe that time is a relative concept, an illusion of our senses. Your own Einstein believed the same.”
Edward impatiently tapped his fingers on the tabletop. Thick, strong nails, Rae noticed. “Meg, please.“
Rae nodded at Meg. “Aaron studied the kabbalah, too. He used it with his wish magic when he disappeared to come here.” She turned to Edward. “It might seem contrary to logic and reality, I know. I’m just beginning to understand it myself. But I can say that, in my experience, magic does exist. Aaron and I are really not from here. If the dates Meg gave me are accurate, I grew up on Terra a very, very long time ago.” She paused, considering. “Did you believe Aaron when he told you he wasn’t from here?”
“After much discussion and a gene match, yes,” he admitted reluctantly. “I can’t explain it, but he does seem to be Aaron Holwell.”
“You have records of Aaron’s DNA?” Rae asked, puzzled.
“Raelynn, when earlier I said he was a founding father of our species, I meant more than symbolically.” Meg said. “Aaron and his wife gave birth to their son Grant, and it was Grant who began developing the bruins. He used his own genetic material in the process. His daughter, Jill, later continued in his footsteps. We have tissue samples of many in our family.”
“Wife? Oh… you’re really related to him,” Rae said, chuckling. “I don’t know why that pleases me so much, but it does! I always used to tease him about being a bear!”
Meg and her father looked at each other, then at Rae. “He doesn’t resemble us in the least,” Edward said, finally.
Rae just laughed.