The Gift- Burke's Date

Here is a little something from Santa to Burke...Merry Christmas chere

The Gift

The tall blond emerged steaming from the shower. His usually pale, cool skin was warm and pink as he stepped on the thick copper colored rug. He grabbed a towel and began to dry his lean, muscular form, savoring the sensations of the Egyptian cotton on his skin. He simply dropped the towel on the floor. The house keeper would pick it up later when she came just before he went to his rest with the dawn. He brushed his hair straight back and looked at himself in the mirror. Still steamy, he ran his palm over the steamy glass, sending rivulets of water down the mirror. His lips parted and his fangs ran out with a snick. He smiled at his reflection and with a wrinkle of his lip, they retracted.

He walked naked from the bathroom and directly into his bedroom with its ornately carved bed, something out of a Norse fantasy with entangled animals, vines and lovers carved in careful detail. Across the bottom of his bed was the silk burgundy robe and black pajama bottoms. He slid on the bottoms and then the robe, leaving it open. He padded animal like across the room and walked into the living room.

She was coming to see him, his first visit with her since the trip to Baton Rouge and the Myrtles plantation. He thought about how she was with him, as they walked in the cool damp air of the night, among the overhanging oaks of the drive and the Spanish moss swaying like the silver hair of a Valkyrie. She had shivered in the cool air and he put his leather jacket over her shoulders and then, later, he made her shiver in a more basic way. She was so sweet.

She had presented him with a beautiful poem she'd written him. His eyes had examined the framed piece, carefully hand illuminated by an artist friend of hers. The art was more Celtic in flavoring than Norse, but it was hand drawn and painted and the lettering was beautifully rendered. It looked very like a piece of sacred writ, and because she penned the poem for him, he treated it as such and put in on his mantle with a dark red candle before it. He lit that candle now, so she would see the place of honor he had placed her gift.

“Want thou mine swan song?
Though it means my death, Odin…
For thine kiss, I yield.”

He loved the sentiment, but he would not take her quite that far. He loved her life spark, but he would taste her, a thousand times and each kiss a little deeper. He would make her dizzy, first with the wine he had for her, then.... He turned to the fire and started it with ease and soon the house was warm and fragrant with the wood he was burning. He was thought of as a savage man, a hard man, but there something of the romantic in him as well, not a soft romance, but a fiery one that made demands. Lusty and robust.

She was fiery too, his darling skald, passionate, a little wild, with a wicked, earthy humor he enjoyed. He loved all his lady friends and each was unique. This little darling of his silent heart was a lot like the women he'd known when he was not as he is now. While the sheriff was never one to be playful, she forced him to play, experience the world of total enjoyment. During one of their little counseling sessions, she'd gotten a little drunk and made him teach her vulgar words in his native tongue. And then she used the words in whispers in his ear when they were a little further along, growling the words, making the syllables vibrate against his skin. She nipped and bit him and beat upon his hard chest with her hands as he pulled her down, onto the deer hide rug in front of his fire. She played at resisting him, making herself breathless for him, her heart beating fast, so fast he was as dizzy as if he had been drinking the whiskey himself. He was lost in those pleasurable memories when he heard the knock on the door. He stood up to answer it, walking quickly for the door. He opened the door.

"Dearest...." he said in his thick, throaty voice.

Yule at the Myrtles Part Three

We woke late in the afternoon. I turned my head and felt the twinges of discomfort that bespoke of dehydration, also known as the great American hangover. I looked over and Eric Lover was still asleep. I got up and went to the loo and peed for what seemed forever. (Is the phrase ‘Like a Russian Race Horse’ familiar to everyone?) I washed my face and took a couple of Excedrin and b12, (the vitamin of chug-a-lug champions and Vampires everywhere) and drank my weight in tap water.

I came out, moving quietly, setting a glass of water with Excedrin and b12 on Eric Lover’s bedside table and I went to my bag and picked out a white silk blouse and red twill leggings. I dressed quickly and quietly, brushed my hair and put it in a pony tail and went down stairs in search of a cup of Joseph.

Westexan was up reading the local paper, having a glass of the house wine of the South, the ubiquitous sweet iced tea and rubbing the baby bump. The hostess brought me a cup of coffee. I sipped it and savoured the taste.

“Hung over?” she asked.
“The wrath of grapes,” I said nodding. The fire was going and I heard the clock strike three. “I don’t know about this sleep all day, stay up all night thing.” I mumbled to no one in particular. Westexan laughed at me. “They will be up in three hours or so.”

“Well, they are used to it,” she said. “What are you wearing tonight? This is our last night together.”

“I brought something in basic black,” I said. “The food has been incredible. I can’t wait to find out what we are having tonight.”

“I think the lady said we were having barbecue,” said Westexan. Liz and Mel came down and sat down by me on the couch.

“You feeling alright?” I asked Liz. At the bar, Liz was feeling real fine, dancing with a gorgeous young man with coal black hair and pecs to knock on. Liz was a happily married woman, as so many of our ladies were, but that didn’t mean that any of us were dead.

“My head,” she said. About that time, the hostess brought Liz and Mel and coffee. I got up to smoke a cigarette and found God Speed, Hoyt and Dude and Mrs. GS outside on the veranda. “So, what did you boys do last night?”
“Played poker with the counselors,” said GS.
“Win any money?” I asked.
“Are you kidding?” asked Dude. “The lead counselor racked up.”
“Ummm, why doesn’t that surprise me?” I said, lighting up my sin.
“I think he was cheating somehow,” said Hoyt, sullenly.
“He could probably hear your heart beating faster when you got a good hand,” I said.
“See, that is one reason I will never play cards with him again…you work for years, learning to hold your poker face, killing off any nervous ticks and the only thing left is your internal excitement and now, with these people, you have no way of hiding anything,” complained Dude.
“Those are the disadvantages,” I said, agreeing with him.

By five the day was disappearing and we began to drift up to change into our more formal attire for our final dinner together. I took a bath and shampooed my hair and got out and Eric Lover did the same. I dressed in the simple black dress and put on my few gold accessories (I am a silver girl, but out of deference to the counselors, I did not wear my silver jewelry). Eric Lover was wearing a snazzy red dress, cut low and raised high, showing her dancer’s legs.

We went down together and found the others looking great in their dress clothes. The lady counselors were sitting by the fire, the young one wearing a pretty blouse Liz had bought her in baby blue. The lady counselor was wearing black, an expensive cashmere sweater and black silk blend slacks. Dude was wearing a medium blue sweater, a gift from the lady counselor and darker blue pants. Lina was wearing the steel blue dress I’d seen her unwrapping from the lead counselor and Linzy was wearing her gold hoop earrings to compliment the cloth of gold dress she was wearing. Burke was sitting and chatting wearing the oatmeal colored sweater that the southern counselor had bought her and playing with the long gold necklace with the representation of the Celtic goddess Brigid on a heavy medallion the lead counselor had given her. Apparently, he liked giving jewelry to his favorites. I looked in the mirror at the lovely heavy gold earrings my counselor had given me. Renee was wearing her gold watch our counselor had gotten her.

We were all just waiting for the other counselors to come in. The hostess and her staff moved between us, bringing us glasses of wine and bottles of beer and other refreshments and circulated with trays of munchables. I found my appetite returning as I could smell the wonderful smells of barbecue wafting through the house.
Finally they came in, looking lovely as ever. The lead counselor was wearing the blue sweater he had received and I noticed the lovely Thor’s Hammer necklace I had helped Burke select for the lead counselor. My counselor was wearing black and he reached into his pocket and took out the pewter pocket watch I had bought him, demonstrating to me that he was using my gift.

“Are we late?” asked the lead Counselor. We demurred that they were right on time and we were escorted into the dining room. This time, I was sitting with the lady counselor with Eric lover and Nia and Westexan and Mel. Like last night, platters of sides were set out, but the wait staff came around asked which would we like, ribs or pulled beef, or steak. I chose the steak, rare, and carefully tucked my napkin into my dress and prepared for messy eating. I watched the wait staff pour the lady counselor’s drink and I leaned forward to her. She leaned forward.

“Does it bother you to watch us eat?” I asked.
“Some of our kind may be a little uncomfortable, but I enjoy having meals with those like you. I love the smells of food,” she said. I nodded. Another little tid bit to tuck away.

We ate largely of the food. And it was good. The beef was done to perfection and the sides of potato salad and fresh green beans and cole slaw were perfect. Dinner was topped off by pecan and fruit pies. I shared a large slab of apple pie with Nia.

After supper, we retired to the front room and chatted while the wait staff hurriedly cleaned up the dining room to get it ready for the rest of the evening’s goings on. I know that Lina was looking forward to dancing with the lead counselor; her mouth fairly watered looking at him. And God Speed was looking forward to dancing with his counselor as well. She was standing very close to him, showing him all the songs she had downloaded on her ipod and God Speed was looking down over her shoulder at the tiny digital screen. Hoyt was showing off the cell phone the young counselor had bought him. I suppose she wanted a more direct link to him. God Speed was not amused.

Finally we were invited back into the large dining room. The chairs had been put against the walls and the tables removed. Vi and our counselor were the first to hit the floor. The lead counselor and Lina joined them, he holding her very closely, her arms reaching up to encircle his neck. God Speed took the wife out but I knew that when she was distracted by the lead counselor, he would grab a dance from the young counselor, dressed in her pretty pale blue blouse , her red hair long and silky on her shoulders. Dude claimed me for a dance.

“Well, Aslinn, we are what, 24 weeks before the new adventures, will we make it?” he asked.
“I think we will. We have the counselors and we have the forum and we have each other. This has been the bestest Yule ever,” I said.
“I think so too,” he said.
I don’t think the counselors got to stop dancing the whole evening. We drank and danced and talked about what we were hoping for the New Year, joked about our mild rivalries and crushes and the coming excitement with new adventures. I found myself at one point dancing with the lead counselor.

“Have you had a nice time Aslinn?” he asked.
“I have, the accommodations are wonderful,” I said. “Thank you so much.”
“I was our pleasure,” he said. “You know, Aslinn, you never answered my question.”

I looked up at him. I didn’t like seeing his face so clearly without the solace of the shadows. I liked looking into my counselor’s heart shaped face and into his lovely blue eyes, but the lead counselor was a cipher. He was lovely, of course, and he had those strange pale eyes that at one moment seemed blue, then sometimes they were grey and others they seemed green. I had once joked he had mood ring eyes, becoming whatever color he was wearing or perhaps even his mood. Tonight they were green and sparkly.
“I’ll be your friend as much as I can,” I said.
“I suppose that is as good as I am going to get from you, head strong, obstinate,” he said, not really disproving.
“Sort of like you…see, you need to think opposites attract. Take Nia, for example, she is totally devoted,” I said. We looked at her dancing with our counselor, her gaze only on him, and her fingers in his dark hair.
“Too devoted,” he shook his head slightly.

I sat down by GS while Mrs. GS was dancing with the lead counselor, he was spinning her in his arms and drawing her in very tightly to his body, pressing her against him. Eric Lover and the young counselor were dancing.

“Eric Lover is some fantastic dancer, “God Speed.
“She is, and so is the young counselor. How come you don’t dance fast?” I asked, watching the Lady counselor cutting a rug with Dude.
“I’m good with the slow dancing, but I can’t fast dance,” he said. I was watching my counselor dancing with Renee, who was well matched. The rest of the girls were either resting or dancing with each other in that unselfconscious way girls dance with each other. Hoyt was standing there as well.
“No fast dancing Hoyt?” I asked.
“Nah,” he said.
“You know, if I had a lady counselor like her, I would figure out how to fast dance a little,” I said.

After the music ended, I noticed Renee and my counselor stepping away for a private moment and the lead counselor was joined by Linzy. He took a glass of wine from a tray began walking her toward the front door and the porch, handing her the glass, encouraging her to taste it.

There was a great dynamic between us, the junkies and the objects of our addiction. I knew that at the night wore on, this being the longest night, Liz and Mel, Burke and Lina, Hoyt and Dude, Vi and Minnie, we would all spend some special time with our counselors. It seemed important to them as much as it was for us. They craved us, just how, that remained to be seen. I for one had not seen any tell tale marks on my person…perhaps that is not precisely what they wanted us from us. I know we craved them and these little moments with them were fleeting, precious times for us. They would all make it just right, the moon perfect in the sky, the music of there be any, memorable, the sentiments sincere.

I suspected our seduction was complete, but who was the seduced and who was the seducer. Sometimes it was us and sometimes it was them. Lina told me about one episode when she drove like the hounds of hell were behind her to get to her one on one and she practically burst through the front door of the lead counselor’s house and wrapped herself around him. Nia whispered about a night that she was met by our counselor in the front yard and he picked her up and carried her away, making her breathless before they even reached the door. God Speed was always too much of a gentleman to say anything about his one on one meetings, but I know that when he held the young counselor he sometimes seemed to be straining against some other desire. I was trapped in those reveries, so much so I did not notice my counselor standing in front of me.

“Aslinn, the sun is coming, won’t have the last dance with me?” he asked.
“I would be delighted,” I said.

After the last dance, we hugged and kissed and were hugged and kissed by the counselors. They were going to their day time rest and so were we. We would be leaving tomorrow but we would never forget our wonderful Yule together in this lovely haunted plantation. As I took the stairs to go to my room, I looked back down. I saw a young black woman in a long skirt and blouse had walked into the room. She crossed the room and passed through a solid wall. There, I had seen the ghost of the Myrtles. My visit was complete.

Merry Yule everyone.

Yule at the Myrtles Part Two

We woke sometime after noon. I slid out of bed and took a shower and dressed. Eric Lover was sitting up. “What time is it?”

“Just after one,” I said. “Keeping these sort of hours will throw us off our day schedules,” I said absently.

“How long til dark?” she asked. I looked at the clock.

“About six ,” I said. I dressed in a soft moss green sweater and jeans and slid into my loafers. I left the room and went downstairs and got a cup of coffee and croissant and went outside. It was a bit cool but I found Westexan and the God Speeds and Liz and Mel having coffee. I sat down with them.

“Did you sleep good Aslinn?”asked Liz.
“I did,” I said. “Anyone see any ghosts?”
“Not that I am aware of,” said God Speed.” We thought we would go and look around at the grounds, see the rest of the plantation.”
“Well,” said Westexan, “This is a beautiful place. And I don’t think I have had a better night’s sleep.”
“I think I am just going to relax,” said Mel. “I can’t wait to eat that roast pig they started cooking last night.”
“Did you see the size of those hogs?” asked Mrs. GS. “They were monsters.”
“Well, that just means they will be yummy for supper,” I said. “I think I will go on line and check the forum.”

I was in the main parlor, my lap top on the coffee table, checking my email and the forum. The forum was a beautiful thing now that we were back though we had to start from scratch with the threads. I posted a few comments and then set out to work on a few siggies.

By the time I quit, the rest of us were up. Linzy was watching me make a really nice siggy for the Eric Girls and answered a couple of emails. When I looked up from my screen, I was looking into the face of the lead counselor.
“Still hard at it Aslinn?” he asked.
“What time is it?” I asked. He looked at the grandfather clock behind me.
“Six-twenty,” he said. “Come on, turn off your laptop and come and join us, your supper is ready,” he said. I turned off my computer and put it in my bag and set it to the side. He took my hand in his cool one and led me into the dining room. He sat me at his table this evening.

When we were all seated, plates of pig and bowls and platters of sides were set before us. More wine and other sustenance were put on our tables. This was better, more intimate, like eating at a family table. We were a bit more rowdy with this family like atmosphere. I looked at my counselor and he lifted his glass and I lifted mine back to him.

After supper, we went into the parlor and the guys who had helped us with our luggage came in lugging packages with them. Lina snugged a Santa hat on the head of the lead counselor who was a good sport and accepted the hat. He looked strange, as though he was rediscovering some part of himself who was long gone. I can’t say the lady counselor was too pleased with this sort of casual treatment of her boss, but the young counselor was all grins. My counselor was talking to Nia who was smiling up at him.

“Alright, settle,” said the lead counselor. “We are handing out gifts, small tokens of our friendship and appreciation and then the ladies are required to join the lady counselor on a little excursion.”

I was sitting cross legged on the floor, my small pile of gifts around me. I had gotten a lovely first edition copy of Gone with the Wind from the lead counselor, as he had a real laugh over the essay I wrote about the Connection’s world and the world of Scarlett O’Hara and her two suitors. He’d written on a card “Aslinn, thank you for your friendship. I hope our affection will not be gone with the wind”

I looked over at the young counselor as she ooed and ahhed over the Ipod Hoyt had gotten her and the 100 song card God Speed had bought her. She raced over to me.

“Aslinn, can I use your laptop later?” she asked. I nodded. I noticed the lady counselor trying on the vintage pill box hat, pressing the pins into the back of the hat. Mel and Renee were nodding over it, admiring the way it matched the mahogany brown dress and blouse she was wearing. My counselor was looking at the pewter pocket watch I had bought him. I knew he wore a wrist watch, but I thought he would appreciate a pocket watch. He winked subtly at me. I reached for the package the younger counselor had for me and opened it. Inside were a set of journals bound in leather with celtic knots all over them. I loved them and the heavy pen that came with them. The lady counselor had bought me a blouse, improbably sheer and a lovely crème with a shell underneath it.

Finally, after we had opened all our gifts and made our thank yous and accepted thank yous, we girls ran upstairs quickly and changed into going out clothes and came back down. We went out and piled into our cars, the young counselor getting in my car with Eric Lover, Vi and Minnie and we took off, following the lady counselor who was bringing Liz and Mel and Linzy with her.

We drove for about twenty minutes when we finally pulled into the parking lot of a club. Hooligans was rocking this Friday night. I walked up to the lady counselor.

“Did you bring us to a strip club?” I asked,
“Well, let’s just say I thought we could use a ladies night out,” she said.
“What are the boys doing while we are here?” I asked.
“I am sure they are occupied with the other counselors,” she said. “Come on, I think you will enjoy yourself immensely.”

The club was loud and there seemed to be an all female audience til I noticed a few stray males in the. There was a large stage and small DJ stand with turn tables and a run way with a smaller circular stage. There was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen gyrating on the stage.

Around six feet tall, dark skinned with long black hair in impossible, envy inducing curls, the nearly naked man on the stage was strutting his stuff. A sea of outstretched arms was reaching for this tasty male but he was just out of reach. I looked at the lady counselor.

“You brought us to a male strip bar,” I asked.
“Yes, I thought you ladies would enjoy the sights and sounds,” she said. “I reserved a very nice spot for us, premium spot in the front.”
Burke, also known as Naughty McNasty, her alter ego, was whistling and stomping. Even the very pregger Westexan was showing her approval, waving a dollar bill in front of the sexy beast, thrusting his hips out to her as he took her hand and “helped” her slip the dollar bill in his….ehem…pouch. I began to wonder what the boys were doing.

The dining room was empty except for the center table. Hoyt, God Speed, Dude and the counselors were sitting around the table, looking over their cards. Dude was drinking bourbon and coke and Hoyt and God Speed were drinking beers. The counselors were having beverage as well. Poker night with the counselors. God Speed was oblivious to the fact that his wife was transforming into a sex maniac in the strip bar. There were just some things he didn’t need to know.

The lead counselor had a small but impressive pile of chips in front of him. Dude was a regular poker player and enjoyed the competition with the lead counselor. If the lead counselor seemed flustered at the fact Dude was about equally matched to him by way of skill, you would never know it. His face was placid and his body relaxed. He didn’t seem to worry about winning or losing.

“So, how do your wives feel about you boys being so interested in our adventures?” asked the southern counselor.
“Well, you know Jen, she is a junkie like me,” said God Speed.
“Yes she is, quite a little junkie,” said the lead counselor. “Tell me, how do you feel God Speed, about the fact that I meet with Jen on Thursday nights and spend one on one time with her.”
“Okay, so long as I get to spend time with our other counselor’s protégé,” he said. “How is your protégé?”
“Well, things are still up in the air about her as far as the adventures go, “said my counselor.
“How about you Hoyt? Your friend here enjoys his little visits with the youngest of our kind. How are you dealing with you jealousy?” asked the lead counselor.
“I’m alright, I guess. I don’t care for it much,” said the aggrieved Hoyt.
“That is so fascinating,” said the lead counselor. “The ladies with whom we counsel don’t seem to mind.”
“Yeah, but….” said Dude.
“Yes?” asked the southern drawl of my counselor.
“I don’t think you guys would like it very much if you began counseling each other’s ladies,” he finished.

My counselor shifted uneasily. He did not care for the attention the lead counselor sometimes paid to the ones he considered his. And he knew the lead counselor did not care for any measure of deference he paid to the ones who were devoted to him.
“See what I mean?” said Dude.

Between shows, we settled at a table and had a round of drinks brought to us, heavy on the beer and a club soda for Westexan and Iluvtheviking. We sat back and chatted with the lady counselors. We noticed that all the dancers came down to visit with our table and chat with us and even take one of us out to dance. Burke was dancing with a beautiful blond who was tall and muscular and looked an awful lot like the lead counselor. But the beautiful man with the long black hair in their lazy ringlets was nowhere to be seen.

“So, how come that pretty guy with all the black hair doesn’t come out and join us?” asked Lina.
“Oh, the owner of the bar?” asked the lady counselor. “Well, he knows that we would eat him alive.”
“He is very yummy,” I said, though I got the impression the lady counselor was a little more literal minded.
“He sure is,” said the young counselor. A handsome dancer came up and claimed the young counselor for a dance and she fairly leapt from her seat. God Speed and Hoyt would have rubbed all the cute off that boy if they were here. They would not have appreciated the attention he was paying to the lovely young red head.

We girls fairly sped home to beat the dawn to get back to the plantation. I was tired, but in a good way. Eric Lover was in the bathroom, washing her face and brushing her teeth and I was waiting for my turn in the loo.

“Did you have a good time tonight?” I asked her.
“Oh yeah, I like a good time with the girls. I wonder if the boys enjoyed their night with the counselors?” she said, coming out. I went into the loo and changed into my pajamas and washed my face and brushed my teeth and came back out.
“I am sure they did,” I said. “I wonder what we will be doing tomorrow night.”
“The young counselor said something about dressing up a little and having dinner and dancing right here at the plantation,” she said.
“More dancing,” I said. “What did the lead counselor get you?”
“He got me a bracelet,” she said, showing me the gold cuff bracelet.
“Very nice,” I said. “What did you get him again?”
“I got him that blue sweater,” she said. “I hope he liked it. What did he get you?”
“A copy of the first edition Gone with the Wind,” I said. “My counselor bought me a pair of gold earrings.”
“Well, I am tired tonight. Good night Aslinn,” she said, as dawn began to creep through the curtains.
“Good night,” I said.

Yule at the Myrtles

Yule at the Myrtles

We arrived at the beautiful plantation at eight in the morning. It figures the counselors would select a haunted plantation to host a Yule celebration. It was said to be haunted by a young black woman who had been a slave at the plantation. She, according to legend, was the mistress to the master and when she thought she was losing favor with him, she planned to poison his wife and children and bring them back to health. The wife and children died and she was killed on the spot. I was excited as I got out of my car. I had dressed in jeans and my Tru:Blood tee shirt and tennis shoes to travel in, but I had packed nicer clothes to wear to supper and party clothes for the little all girl outing the lady counselors had arranged for the second night. I assumed that the male counselors had planned something similar for the men.

Eric Lover got out of the passenger side and stretched, her fall of wine colored hair swinging over her shoulders. Vi and Minnie climbed out of the back seat of my car and stretched themselves, feeling every mile of the road on their bodies. Liz and Mel and Iluvtheviking and Renee pulled up. I walked up to the dusty car.

“Well, we made it,” said Liz. I opened her door and she climbed out, sliding her sunglasses over her forehead and settling them on her head. Mel got out next, shading her eyes with her hand, looking at the gracious elegance of the plantation.
“Are we all staying in the main house?” she asked.

“No, but we have to check in to find out where we belong,” I said. “My counselor said that everything was ready for us, that we are the only ones here.”

“Just how much money do they have?” asked Vi.

“I haven’t the foggiest notion,” I said. “Enough to treat us to three days at the plantation."

“God Speed should be showing up pretty soon,” said Liz.

“Yeah, if he hasn’t stopped alongside the road to get rid of the body,” said Eric Lover. We laughed. We had dubious feelings about the possibility that GS could travel in the same car as Hoyt. We were prepared to thank Jesus, Hare Krishna, and Santa Claus if they all made it in one piece.

“I wonder if they are here yet?” asked Renee. I nodded.

“Yeah, they are here, the lead counselor said they would join us when the sun went down,” I said. “They arrived last night.”

About that time, GS, Dude, Hoyt and Mrs. GS arrived. We all gave Hoyt the hairy eyeball to see if he had a fat lip or black eyes or if he walked funny and were relieved to see he was unmarked. I knew who to thank in this instance: The Missus. Dude was all smiles. He came over and hugged me.

“Hey Gorgeous,” he said
“Hey Handsome,” I said back. “Everything calm in there with the two combatants?”
“They hissed and spat a bit but not much,” he said. I watched the two being stiffly friendly to one another.
“Ashes and switches to the both of them if they don’t behave,” I said. “Shall we wait for the others?”
“Yeah, we better,” said God Speed. I went and opened the trunk of my car. Inside were suit cases, gift bags and hanging suit bags lying carefully on top.

“Gee whiz, Aslinn, did you think of moving in?” said Hoyt.
“What did you pack? A pair of socks and your toothbrush?” I asked. The rest were opening their trucks and hatches to reveal bags and luggage. We had all agreed to forego gifts for each other to buy gifts for the counselors. Some of us were planning an excursion for the little town of St. Francisville for that afternoon to finish off any shopping we might need to do in the charming shops I had discovered in the quaint little parish website. Linzy, Burke, Lina and Nia finally pulled in and got out to join us. Westexan pulled up right behind them.

“Well, let’s go check in so we can unload and go to town,” said Liz.
We all filed in, the seventeen of us, and stood around the counter to check in. It is a beautiful and fascinating place. Over 200 years old, it was built by General David Bradford. Like all southern homes, there was the long veranda in front festooned with flowers and graced with rocking chairs and tea tables ready for iced tea and mint juleps in the afternoon. There were eleven guestrooms open to the public (though I wondered about our counselor’s accommodations) and two guest houses.

“We are sorry honey,” said a pleasant looking woman. “We are all booked up,”
“Yes, we are your guests,” I said.
“Ah, the Shreveport Yule party,” she said. “Of course,” she opened her registration book for all of us to sign.
“Are our hosts here?” asked GS.
“Yes, they are resting in our special accommodations rooms in the upstairs portion of the gift shop, what used to be the carriage house. Those are rooms we usually reserve for dignitaries, it is a suite apartment,” she explained.
“And their special needs?” I asked, looking at GS.
“All of their special requirements are cared for,” she assured me. “Okay, we have the downstairs suite reserved for Ms. Westexan, as she is in a delicate condition. “ “Thank the Lord,” she said. “The kid is busy today.” She rubbed the lump I nicknamed the Kaiser roll.

I looked around at the reception area. It was obvious that we were standing in the grand foyer but I could see into the main and side parlors and see them decorated with Christmas trees and poinsettia plants and fresh roses and lilies. There were comfortable couches and chairs all around and fire places in both parlors. There were lovely aubusson rugs on the floors and bright tapestries and portraits I supposed were pictures of the former owners. Some were oil paintings but others were deurrograph pictures. The main parlor was dressed in light colors but the side parlor was dressed in darker colors.

Behind the reception area was a beautiful dining room with round tables around the room and a huge fire place topped with a painting of the man who built the house. The tables were covered in red and green and gold linen and the place setting were exquisite Dresden china and Waterford crystal goblets and heavy silver flatware.

“Here you are. Miz Aslinn, you and your friend will be staying together in the Judge Clark Woodruff suite, it is on the second floor and opens to the main staircase,” she said, handing us keys to the suite. “You and your wife will be in the John W. Suite,” she said to the God Speeds, handing them keys to the suite.
“Mr. Hoyt, you and your friend will be staying in the William Winters Suite,” she said, handing them keys. “Miz Liz, you and your friend will be in the Fanny Williams Suite,” she continued. “Miz Vi, you and your companion will be sharing the Ruffin Sterling Suite.”

She looked over her roster and an email. Apparently our counselors had chosen our rooms for us. “Miz Renee, you and your friend will be staying in the Oleander Garden Room, “she said. “And finally, Miz Linzy, you and your three friends will be put up in the Caretaker’s Cottage,” she said. Keys having been distributed, she picked up the house phone and ordered up what sounded like help to come and help us unload our cars. Three big fellahs came, each pulling a luggage cart and followed us out to our cars. The notion that the counselors would spring for such a lovely trip for us was beyond me.

“Where abouts are you’uns from?” asked one the men helping us.
“We’re from all over,” I said.
“Are you all like family?” he asked. We looked nothing like one another but I could not imagine being closer to any other group of people.
“Yeah, we are family in a way, we certainly have a true blood link among us,” I said. GS stifled a snicker and I grinned at Eric Lover. “How far away is town?” I asked.
“Not far,” said one of the men, hefting out my suit case. “About twenty minutes from downtown.”
“Great,” I said. “We were hoping to get in a bit of shopping.”
“Oh they got some nice things in town. You ever been to Louisiana before?” he asked.
I smiled a smile that spoke silently of secrets and places we have been only we knew of and people that could only be imagined.
“We have, many times,” I said. “Mostly to Shreveport and environs.” This time God Speed laughed out loud.
“Good one Aslinn,” he said.

When we each opened the doors of our suites, we were greeted by fresh flowers and a note from the lead counselor.

Our Friends,
I am so happy you have all arrived safely. Please help yourself to all of the amenities. Do not hesitate to ask for anything by the way of creature comforts. I understand an afternoon of shopping is planned. I have taken the liberty of making reservations for you at the Wine Parlor for lunch. Please go there and leave your money in your pockets. Everything has been taken care of. Enjoy the wine and food they will have waiting for you.

Be back at the plantation in time for supper, at 7:00 pm. We will meet you then.

E.

Enclosed was a map of the town and a large X marking the place he spoke of. Eric Lover was looking over my shoulder.

“My goodness,” said Eric Lover. “They are pulling out the stops.”
“Who knew they would be so excited about Yule?” I said.

After a quick mulling over, I decided to change into a light sweater the color of my counselor’s eyes and Eric Lover did the same, a pale grey silk blouse. We grabbed our jackets and went downstairs where the others were waiting for us. They had changed as well too and the drivers were holding their maps in their hands. After a short conference, we departed for our cars and headed out to town.

St. Francisville, located near Baton Rouge, was a town in the midst of renewal. The streets were neat and clean and the shops had a fresh look about them. Garlands of evergreens were strung between the ornamental lamp posts with large wreaths hanging from the poles themselves, graced with large red velvet bows. It was cool, just cool enough for jackets and the town, while not bustling, was busy enough to add to the excitement. The wide main street was a mcadams road, paved with heavy red bricks. We parked in a parking lot situated behind town hall on Ferdinand Street and stepped out into the town. We looked at our street maps and saw likely places we would want to visit and made our meeting place the Wine Parlor at twelve noon.

Renee, Eric Lover, Nia and I went down the street to St. Francis Arts and Antiques. The shop was straight out of a story of the south, with its red brick façade and oak double doors with brass fixtures, dressed up properly for the season. We stepped in and was met with a “Why hello there,” as friendly a greeting by a little man who could well have passed for the jolly old elf himself.

“Hello,” we chimed. “How are you?” I said.
“Oh, I can’t complain too terrible much,” he said in a pleasantly thick southern accent. “You folks visitin’?” he asked.
“Yeah, we are at the Myrtles for the three day weekend,” I said.
“Well, Emma Jean did mention that she was havin’ Cox’s army out at her place for the weekend. Would you ladies mind to sign our guest book?” he asked. We nodded our assent and walked to the small podium where there was a book and ornate feathered pen in a holder. We all took turns signing the book.
“Well, now, are you ladies shopping for anything in particular or are you just lookin’ around?” I had bought the gifts I had planned to give to the counselors, but I had an open enough mind to keep an eye out for any other little thing I might spy that would appeal to the counselors. It was really difficult to find things for them, they were all so different, especially the lead counselor with his long history. How does one shop for a man who seemed to have lived millennia? I tell you, it can be done, but you have to be inventive.

“Ooo, Aslinn, what do you think of this?” said Nia, showing me a set of ivory and coral bracelets.
“Those are lovely,” I said, nodding at the set. “And if you had to you could split them up, give the ivory bracelets to one and the coral to the other.”
“I could, couldn’t I?” she said, happily. She put the items in the little wicker basket she had picked up at the door to hold her purchases. I spied something I thought the lady counselor would enjoy, with her eccentric tastes.
“May I see that?” I asked, pointing at the leopard skin pill box hat. St. Nick smiled and grabbed an oak hand pole and carefully hooked the hat and handed it to me. I carefully examined it, holding it up to the light to see if there were any thin spots which would indicate dry rot. The silk lining was in good shape as well. “You don’t happen to have a pretty hat box for it do you?”
“I do indeed,” he said.

Renee and Nia and Eric Lover had all made purchases. Eric Lover showed me a lovely item made of ivory she bought for the lead counselor and I nodded my approval. Renee was busily looking into her bag, as she had chosen quite a few small treasures for the counselors. She brooded over them a last time before I locked them in the trunk of my car.

Hoyt’s group had been to Classic Cars. I peeked at the gift Hoyt and Dude had gone in together to buy, a model of a blood red Corvette. I smiled at the unique gift, and quite costly. Liz and Mel and the rest had gone to Birdman’s Café and Books and had racked up, but half their large group had stopped off at the St Francis Art and Antiques. They loaded their goodies in Liz’s car and we all waited for Burke and the other girls to come out to the cars.

Swag secured, we ended up heading for the Wine Parlor together. The proprietor came around the counter. “Excuse me, are you the Shreveport party?”
“Yes we are,” said Dude in his wonderfully smooth “radio” voice.
“We have been expecting you. Won’t you come into our private parlor? Your buffet is ready and we have some lovely wines for you to try,” she said.
After the wine and light lunch we headed back to the Myrtles for a rest and to get ready for supper.

We got back around two o’clock and we all decided to have a nap. Eric Lover and I were on our backs in the dim light of the room. I could tell she was thinking about something, but I waited for her to say something. Finally I heard a sigh and then she began.

“Aslinn, do you ever think about what it must be like to be one of them?” she asked. “You know, a “counselor”?”
“I have,” I said. “Sometimes I think it must be the loneliest thing to be. They get along okay, but they don’t really seem to be friends, know what I mean?”
“I think that is why they like us so much,” she said. “They can be around their own kind, but they don’t have to mix with one another unless they want to and they have us to interact with.”
“But there are some days that I wonder what it would be like,” I said. “The freedom, the strength, the immortality, I mean, unless someone stops them, they will go on for…. a very long time.”
“But everyone you know would go on and finally…” she said.
“Yes, there is that,” I said.

Around 5:00, there was a scurrying around as we showered and got ready for dinner. Eric Lover and I were the first down stairs, with our gift bags. We placed them under the tree and stood before the fire. It was a bit chilly as darkness settled and wondered what the counselors were doing. Were they getting ready, too? God Speed and Mrs. GS came down together. They may be fascinated with a couple of the counselors, but they were in the spring of love. They too set their gift bags down under the tree.

Westexan came out from her downstairs suite in a pair of soft dove colored pants and a matching silk blouse. She had her gift bag with her. I helped her set down her bag under the tree with Hoyt’s and Dude’s bags.

“The counselors are raking it all in,” she said.
“They are indeed, “ I said. Lina and Linzy and Nia and Burke came in and Liz and Mel came down with Vi and Minnie.
“We look so wonderful, “ I gushed.

“Yes,” said our counselor. “You are a very attractive group.” We turned and saw them, looking at us, we looking at them. The lead counselor was wearing grey pants with a wine colored sweater, making his fair skin nearly blushed. My counselor was dressed in dark brown slacks and a matching sweater. The lady counselor was wearing suede pants and a matching lamb’s wool sweater of sky blue, which made her even paler, but very lovely, like a snow queen. The young counselor had opted for a brown leather skirt and a jade green silk blouse.

“And you look lovely as well,” I said.
“Tell me you did not go through the trouble and expense of all those lovely gifts,” said my counselor, in his soft southern drawl.
“They are just a few things,” I said, looking at the haul.
“We have gifts as well, but they will be brought in while you have your supper,” said the lead counselor. He took Eric Lovers hand and placed in the crook of his elbow and Lina on the other arm. My counselor took my arm and Violet’s and we walked in together. Dude made a courtly bow and offered his arm to the smiling lady counselor and Liz and Hoyt, with a sly smile at GS as he offered his arm to the young lady counselor and to Minnie. God Speed was not amused.

The room was lit with candles and the chandelier in the ceiling was lit low. The flattering light made the room festive and kept the counselors in light shadow, where I liked them….well, where I liked one of them.
“Did you have an easy trip?” asked my counselor to the both of us.
“Yes, and yourself?” I asked.
“Very easy, and you had lunch where we arranged for you?” he asked.
“It was really nice and the wine was lovely,” I said. We were seated at our tables and the maitre d’ came around and gave us the card menus. My counselor took a wine list and indicated the Château Haut Beausejour, St. Estephe to begin with.
“I hope you don’t mind, the lead counselor suggested it before we came down that we should order this bottle for all the tables so we could toast together,” explained the Southern gentleman at my right.

As we examined the menu, appetizers began to arrive to the tables and finally the wine and a warmed carafe of what we assumed was TB was set on the tables near each of the counselors, wrapped in a thick terry cloth towel to keep it warm. The southern counselor poured himself a glass as the waitresses poured our wine. We waited for the lead counselor to stand and give us his toast.

“I want to thank all of you for coming to share this weekend with us. You are all such wonderful friends and we thank you all for your affections and your adventurous spirits. May we continue to enjoy one another’s companionship,” said the handsome blonde counselor, raising his glass to us all. We touched our glasses and drank the wine, which tasted sweet and woody at the same time.

I ordered the Cajun shrimp and wild rice and mixed vegetables. If the counselors were uncomfortable with us eating in front of them, they did not show it. If we were discomfited by their diet, we certainly did not give them a clue. The wait staff seemed indifferent to our counselors and their special meals, and went about their work, filling the carafes when empty along with the bread baskets and wine glasses.

After supper and rich desserts, during which Vi and I shared a thick slice of red velvet cake with icing so creamy and deep on the cake that it looked like sugared silk, the lead counselor stood again. We gave him our attention.

“After coffee, we will be going outside. It was a tradition among my people to burn a Yule log. If the wait staff would please pass out the pens and pieces of paper, I would like for you to write down your wishes and dreams for the New Year to place with our Yule log to send to the heavens,” he said. With our coffee, the waiters brought pens and paper to the tables and we took a few minutes to write down our wishes. I looked up from my paper to see the endlessly blue eyes of my counselor looking at me. I folded the paper and slid it into my pocket. He smiled shyly at me.

We went up and got our jackets. It was not as cold as in the north, but Baton Rouge was cool and the leather jacket was welcome. I came back down stairs and met the other Truebies in the foyer. We went outside and found our counselors around an open fire pit with a single large pine log surrounded by kindling. I could smell the unmistakable scent of slowly roasting pig about ten yards away. When we were all assembled, the lead counselor brought out a heavy rattan chair for Westexan. He helped her sit in the chair and seemed to hover there around her for a second and then she handed him her slip of paper and he slid it under the log. One by one, we came forward and slipped our papers under the log.

The Big Viking took a long stemmed fire lighter and lit the kindling in several places. As we chatted, the wait staff brought us some warm cider. I was standing there watching the fire and watching the lead counselor. He was squatted from his considerable height in front of Westexan. She was looking at him intently as he spoke to her. She made a come on motion with her fingers and he seemed to resist her a moment and she took his hand and pressed his fingers onto her belly, moving it to the right side of her belly where she seemed to have the most activity. He then lay his ear to her belly and even from a distance I could see his eyes close as he listened presumably to the second heart beating under her own. The lead counselor’s face was strangely amazed and beautiful almost content.

“Those of our kind who have been as we are for a long time do not know how to feel about pregnant people. We would never willingly harm a pregnant woman, but we are extremely aware of her and the life inside her and all life intrigues us,” explained my counselor.

“You may be as you are, but you are still men. Some men find pregnant women very beautiful, very sexually appealing,” I said, watching the intimate scene between Westexan and the lead counselor. “I suspect the lead counselor is one of those men.”

I could see Hoyt and the young counselor and Dude standing there talking. They were making the young counselor laugh aloud and she put her hand up to cover her mouth and what I suspected was a fairly toothy grin. The Lady counselor was chatting with Liz and Mel and Linzy. The others were in little groups around the fire.

“Would you like to take a walk with me?” asked my counselor.
“Sure,” I said. I slid my hand into his elbow and walked with him, heading around the annexed buildings, what would have been slave quarters and workshops were now gift shops and cabins. “So, why did you all select a haunted plantation for our Yule get away?” I asked.
“Well, we like it here, and we have special accommodations, and we don’t have to explain ourselves because a friend of ours actually has a small interest in the plantation,” he said. “You aren’t afraid of ghosts are you Aslinn?”
“No, not really,” I said. “I just wondered about that.” We walked on down further past the buildings and we saw an enclosed gazebo. He gently guided me to the gazebo. We stepped into it and I let go of my counselor’s arm and went around the inside of the perimeter.

“So, what did you wish for Aslinn,” asked the lovely southern counselor.
“Oh, I wished for the well being of my family and friends. I wished for a great summer of adventure and love,” I said. He smiled and walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders, drawing me close to him. He bent close to me, his lips almost brushing mine.

“Is that all you wished for?” he whispered. “Was there nothing for yourself?”
“Well, there was this one wish,” I said.

By the time we returned to the fire, there were the sounds of Cajun fiddle music and laughter and frolic. I could see the lead counselor leaving the fire with someone who looked suspiciously like Iluvtheviking, his arm slid around her waist. I sat down next to Westexan and took the offered mug of warm cider. I could see the southern counselor, taking Violet in his arms and spinning with her into the circle of dancing people which included Hoyt and the young counselor and GS and the Missus and Dude and the lady counselor. Eric Lover came and sat down next me and we lit a cigarette and passed it between us.

“So what was the lead counselor doing all squatted down in front of you?” asked Eric Lover to Westexan who was sporting the lead counselor’s leather jacket on her lap and belly.
“He was just asking after my condition, and then he took his jacket off and gave it to me. I asked him if he would get cold and he just smiled at me,” she said.
“Well, the weather doesn’t affect them like us. Did he like feeling your stomach?” I asked.
“That was so weird..most people are like so pushy about rubbing the bump but he hesitated. He wanted to but he hesitated so I put his hand on my belly and the Kaiser decided to kick a goal around my right kidney so I moved his hand,” she said. “He had the strangest look on his face.”
“Well, there are a lot of things he hasn’t experienced in a very long time, and that I am sure is one of them,” I said. About that time, I saw Violet walking away from the party with our counselor. He is going to be a busy man tonight with all his little junkies floating around vying for his attention.

As the night wore on, I noticed all the counselors pairing off with a group member to have a little private time with them. Suddenly, without warning it seemed, the dawn was close upon us and we imitated our counselors and went to our daytime rest.

To be continued

December 16 Meeting

Meeting of the TBA Group

Like little mice, we opened the door of the newly refurbished meeting place of the True Blood Anonymous group. Gone were the metal folding chairs and the plain walls. The room had been transformed into something that looked like a corporate meeting room with long countertops and a new coffee machine with different selections of coffee. On a tray nearby were bottles of coffee friendly liquors, including a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Crème and a big bottle of Jameson’s whisky. Under the countertops were paper napkins, little treat plates and plastic silverware (my favorite oxymoron) and cups. There was a small fridge, looking new and spangly, as though it had never been used.

I stood there with God Speed and the Mrs. and Westexan and Eric Lover and surveyed the room. Westexan immediately sat down in one of the comfortable chairs and sighed with relief with the lumbar support and gentle recline. On the floor was a wonderful heavy red rug. If we so chose, we could push back the seats and sit on the rug, it was that lovely and thick. I took off my coat and saw the hooks on the walls on either side of the doors and hung up both my coat and my big bag of crazy.

I came back and began to help Westexan start the coffee and set out her large container of candy. I had never eaten such wonderful candy and it was wonderful to see the mouth watering sugary goodness laid out in front of us. GS and Mrs. GS had brought some of their famous mini cheese burgers. Nia brought some baklava, for which I would have willingly sold our lead counselor into slavery for and Vi brought us not only Kleenexes but little chicken quesadillas for snacking.

Dude came in with some chips. We were sort of having a party, returning to our beloved space. As the room began to fill up with our members, we chattered loudly about the trip to Baton Rouge and spending time with the counselors and the gifts I had brought for other members who had ordered things out of the pile catalogues I had brought to the lead counselor’s bar for them to peruse. You don’t know how hard it is to buy gifts until you try to buy things for someone like them. I went out to my car and came back with the bags of goodies and gave them to the prospective gift givers. I was bent over a bag when I heard a deep voice behind me and felt the presence of a very large someone leaning over me.

“What have you here Aslinn?” asked the lead counselor, as the lights went out except for the middle track lights that replaced the ugly fluorescent lighting from before.

“ Ah, some packages from the National Organization of the United Brotherhood of keep your long Viking Nose out of it,” I said, straightening up and turning. He laughed and turned away, walking over to his usual place. I hurried over to the seat I had staked out. I noticed that Mel and Liz had taken their place and Linzy and Lina and Raki were there and Burke and Renee had made it. Hoyt and Dude were there as well, whispering about the things we had been discussing in the speculations thread, things I hoped we would be able to get to this meeting. Minnie and Vi were whispering over something Minnie was showing Vi in one of the bags I had brought in.

“How do you like our newly remodeled meeting place?” asked the southern counselor. I pressed my hand to my chest. I cherished all the meetings I had one on one with my counselor and even thought I didn’t remember everything, there were wonderful things I did remember. I suspected we all had memories of our one on one meetings.

“Oh it is so beautiful,” said Raki. “Did you guys do this?”

“Well, actually, we just made a few suggestions but Mel did it. Thank you so much dearest,” said the lead counselor to Mel, who blushed like a school girl. I knew her night was Thursdays with the lead counselor and I was sure he was going to demonstrate just how much he appreciated everything. I was waiting for us to begin the meeting. I resisted the urge to make a come on motion.

“Shall we begin?” asked the lady counselor in the back.
“Yes, let us now begin our first meeting in our new space,” said the southern counselor in his soft cool voice.

“We want to talk about Alcide,” said Westexan.

“They found him, I thought they would never find him and he is so important to the adventure next summer,” said Vi, who had dutifully posted about the “Alcide Sighting” on the forum.

“So, do you think he will be introduced to Sookie the way he was in the books, as a contact through Eric to escort her to Josephine’s so Sookie can listen?” asked Dude.

“Oh, my poor Bill,” said Nia, miserably. “The people who have Bill will be thinking about what they have been doing to him and Sookie will read their minds and see it…. Poor, poor, Bill!!!”

Iluvtheviking patted her on the shoulder. Nia was distraught. I could see that our counselor would have his hands full on Thursday night when he met with her for their regular counseling session.

“And do you think they will show the stuff they have been alluding to in all the spoilers? Are we really going to see…ehem…more of the Sheriff of Area Five?” asked Burke.

“I think you are going to see a lot of the Big Viking by the time the first episode is over,” said Lina, practically leering over the opportunity to slobber over the yummy blond goodness of the Viking Vampire. I had to admit to myself, as dedicated as I was to Bill and his yumminess that I would not be disgusted or turn my head away when Eric modeled the hide the good Lord gave him. I sometimes felt like a bad, inconstant woman, but what was I supposed to do when all that lovely flesh presented itself? Devoted I may be, blind, not so much. I was such a junkie….Dude’s voice interrupted my immoral dilemma.

“And what about Steve Newlin? We haven’t seen the last of him yet,” he said. We stiffened at the name of the man who was going to force our Sheriff to greet the sun, pointed a gun at our Sookie’s head and caused Godric to become so downhearted that he greeted the sun voluntarily.

“It says we shall see Godric again in Eric’s memories perhaps,” I mentioned. “Well, it says it will show Eric hunting as a team with someone, I hope it is Godric.”

“I think it might be Pam. The rumours are that she will play a more active part in our adventures this summer,” said GS.

“That would be okay too, because I really like Pam,” said Liz.

“Still no news on our little red headed girl?” asked GS.

“No news yet,” said Mel. GS was unsettled and unamused. It had been all this time and no news of yet about what was going to happen to our little red headed girl. I heard the lady counselor say something to her protégé.

“Let’s call it a night,” said the lady counselor. I was aware that the young counselor was upset and this was the likely reason for the end of the meeting. “Very good work, everyone.”

24 1/2 weeks to June

December 9 Meeting

The rain and the wind was blowing hard against the large windows of our meeting place. The room where we were refugeeing was chilly and I shivered a bit in my leather jacket. I went and got myself a hot cup of coffee, wishing that the room were a little warmer or I was at least sitting in front of my counselor's fire as I had been last night as Vi had been the night before. That caused another little shiver I could not blame on the temperature of the room as I sat down beside Eric Lover, huddling around the cup of coffee like one would a camp fire, but getting little heat from it.

One of the things I noticed tonight, 25 1/2 weeks til June, was that none of the men of our group were here. I glanced all around me looking for God Speed and Hoyt and Dude but they were MIA.

"Where are the men?" I asked.
"I don't know," said Eric Lover. Liz and Mel came in.
"Hey Liz, where are the guys?" I asked.
"Didn't you get an email from GS? He said he got a little email from the counselors that they wanted to just speak to the women tonight," she said, putting down her bag. Poor Liz looked a little beat from moving, but she had checked in at our temporary home at the AS.org forum.
"Why do they just want to speak to us?" I asked. Liz shrugged. Eric Lover checked her little phone.
"I got a message from GS," she said. "I bet that you had already left for the meeting and just didn't get it, is all."

I shrugged and slumped down in my chair. We had done some hard core speculating and I thought for sure that we would all be together to discuss the things we had talked about but this situation had me a little nervous. It reminded me of the time in the sixth grade when they took all us little girls into the gym and told us about "growing up" and becoming "women" and the embarrassing little books they gave us from the Kotex company. Surely it was not going to be that sort of talk.

On the other hand, there were a lot of hormones on the forum floor yesterday. Perhaps the counselors were going on a fact finding mission. Would the lady counselor be the only one here? Or would the other counselors be there as well. This change in the routine was going to be interesting.

After everyone was seated, I could see Nia was there and Iluvtheviking and Linzy and Sweetandwild and Lina and Westexan and Vi and Minnie and Raki and Renee, all sitting in our circle, the spaces in our circle where the fellahs usually sit looking like places where teeth had dropped out of our little smile.

Suddenly, the lights went out except for the center panel and I could see the lead counselor leaning against the door in his accustomed place and the southern counselor sitting in his chair beside him and without turning I could sense the presence of the lady counselor. Her young protege was not there.

"Welcome ladies," said the lead counselor. "How are you doing tonight?"
We responded in the positive for the most part. Of course Westexan with her time coming round was a little less able to be comfortable. The lead counselor began to walk around the circle and casually removed his leather jacket and spread it gallantly over her lap and stomach and then made his way back around to take his place at the door.
"So, where are the guys?" I asked.
"We decided we wanted to talk to you ladies about some things that have been said on the forum," he said obliquely.
"Can you be a bit more specific?"asked Iluvtheviking.
"Don't be shy dearest, you were quite plain about what you were talking about in the forum," he said. "I thought you ladies would feel more comfortable speaking without the sighing and moaning of your male counterparts on the forum when speaking of things about love, passion..."
"Sex?" I said. "You want to have a sex talk with us?"
"In a manner of speaking," said my counselor.
"What would you like to know?" asked Liz, who suddenly realized just how wrong that came out. The lead counselor laughed, that deep laugh that made a girl, regardless of her loyalties close her eyes for a second and press her heart as she felt his laugh vibrate all over her body.

"The question is, what would you like to know?" the lead counselor said.

What wouldn't I like to know...what wouldn't any of us like to know. I knew that somewhere deep down in those foggy memories of our one on one counseling sessions that we knew alright, we knew very well the answers of our questions about what it was like to be with one of them. But the memory was just outside our reach, like a name that escapes you and you desperately wanted to remember it. You saw the face of the thing, but not the name of the thing. It was frustrating to remember so many little details, like the curve of a spine, the veins on the arms or hands, the slightly dry but not unpleasant personal scent, the feel of someone's chest against yours, perhaps the pressure of their legs against yours. The coolest touch on the hottest night. Suddenly the room was no longer chilly and I opened my jacket a little to invite the cooler air into my clothes.

"What do you think those of us can do for you?" asked the female counselor.

"Well, there is the fact of plain old experience," said Raki. "Bill and Eric and Pam and any older Vampire would be well versed in the art...." her voice trailed off.
"And though Eric feigns indifference, I think he would be very interested in a relationship with a human who intrigues him," said Lina.

"Plus, I think that as interested as we are in them, they are interested in us," said Nia. "After all, the Connection wrote about it in book one. She said: 'Bill was lying beside me, looking at me. I realized that he liked to do this. Perhaps it was because he could hear my heart pounding because he could hear things I couldn't hear. Perhaps he was watching the pulse in my neck because he could see things I couldn't see,' I think that is true of all of them."

"But could you imagine how inadequate you might feel since you didn't have their experience. It would always be good for you, but what about them?" asked Linzy.
"But if you paid attention and let them teach you, you would really learn a lot from them," said Vi, blushing a little.
"I like to learn new things," I said, grinning ruefully at my forwardness but illiciting a round of rowdy laughter. "But seriously, why would you go back to a regular guy. I mean, come on, say you made love with Bill or Eric or Pam, would you really find human guys or gals all that appealing? I think that is what pissed Jason off so much about Dawn and Maudette being with Vampires...it wasn't some sort of species pride he was feeling, he was feeling that whole manhood pride being challenged."

"Do you think just any Vampire could teach you things?" asked my counselor.

"No," was the adamant reply around the room. We had seen Liam in action and it was obvious he was a selfish a-hole.
"I imagine there are Vampires who are less interested in the pleasure of their partner," said Minnie, who was our quietest member. We all perked up when she spoke. "But I imagine that a Vampire like Eric would like the intensity of an enthusiastic partner who would not be opposed to exploring his...ehem...treasures and not opposed to allowing themselves to be explored. Sort of like sex on the dark side. And since they don't really hunt anymore, I imagine that sex is the closest they can come to feeling the physical excitement they felt when they pounced on their prey."

The lead counselor and the southern counselor looked at each other. Bingo, that was it. All the excitement building up to turn the corner have that golden moment before they strike was what what was the best thing for them. All that blood and their hearts racing. If Bill and Eric were in the room now, they would be dizzy with the sounds of our hearts pounding, our pulses racing with the mere contemplation of of our more carnal desires.

"So, you would not merely go with a man because they were Vampire?" asked the lady counselor.

"No, I am no fangbanger. I may be a junkie, but I am a Bill head," I said, adamantly. (Though I do confess to looking at Eric when he is on before me, drinking in the golden Viking paleness, all 6 1/2 feet of him.) I love you Bill, I thought, but I knew if Eric were before me....he would be hard to resist. Perhaps I could claim he glamoured me...that is as good an excuse as any. "But I do wonder something."

"And what would that be Aslinn?" asked the lead counselor.
"What is sex really like between Vampires, and not that craziness we saw with Bill and Lorena, that was more about blood lust than lust. I'm talking about hot, passionate, sex between two Vampires," I said.
"Well, perhaps you will find out," said the lead counselor.

TBA Meeting December 2

The True Blood Anonymous group was still refugeeing in their little spot while our forum was undergoing a major overhaul and so far everything in the home page was beautiful. We could only hope the forum was going to look just as beautiful. That did not stop the news of new friends joining the adventures of next summer. I gloated over the precious new news and felt a rush of excitement when I thought of the things we might be seeing. This opened the door for more speculations, and as I sat down with a cup of coffee and a piece of pumpkin pie I could fairly taste the anticipation with the pumpkin pie spice. Eric Lover was having a lively discussion with Renee who was chattering happily about the possibility of finally meeting Alcide Herveaux.

God Speed was sitting down beside Westexan and she was rubbing her belly. “I don’t know Aslinn, I am almost afraid to take the trip to the Myrtles. I don’t think the counselors would be equipped to deliver a baby,” she said, putting her hand in the small of her back.

“Think stopper thoughts, like huge corks and drain covers and dams, the power of positive thinking will keep the Kaiser in there and give you a good Yule with the counselors,” I said, finishing up the pie and sipping my coffee. “I have been packing already, I have bought two new outfits. Did you get the email I sent you with the itinerary for the weekend?”

“I did, “ she said.

“Hey, guys, did you get the email I forwarded to you all about the big weekend in December?” I asked the group.

“Yeah, I got it,” said Iluvtheviking. “Did you get the stuff I sent you about what I was getting the counselors?”

“Yep,” I said. “And listen, we are meeting at the lead counselor’s bar this Friday so I can give you the things I ordered on your behalf. Anyone who doesn’t meet us gets to give the counselors granny panties and tube socks, I shiatsu you not.”
We were loudly discussing the gift selections and talking about the upcoming trip when the lights suddenly dimmed and we heard the voice of our lead counselor.

“I hope you all saying nice things about me,” he said, a hint of mirth in his voice. We all laughed a little. “How are all our friends today, did you have a good holiday?”

Voices around the circle indicated that we all had a good holiday. We did not ask them about the holidays. The holidays meant feasting for us and their idea of a feast was somewhat different. They finally settled us to talk about the things that had been going on in the two worlds.

Here we were, 26 ½ weeks until the end of the hiatus was a bit nerve wracking but with the new things we were hearing, we were excited all over again.

“Well, we have been speculating,” said Iluvtheviking. “We were wondering how closely the summer would reflect what we know from the Connection.”
“Especially where it has to do with Alcide,” said Nia. “And our poor Bill.”
“Yes, poor Bill,” said the lead counselor, eyeing my counselor.
“Well, we do worry about Bill,” said Nia, confident that we were as worried about Bill as any of the other people in the upcoming adventure. “And just how far will they show Eric and Sookie.”

“I hear that Eric has a love interest this year, with another Vampire,” said Renee. “I think that would be kind of interesting, we have never seen Vampires in a relationship before.”

“Yeah we have, Bill and Lorena,” said Eric Lover. Everyone groaned. We may bicker and fight over Bill, Sookie and Eric, but we were all adamantly very much in deep seated hate for the woman who made Bill Vampire. Bill Girl, Eric Girl, Jessica Boy, Pam Boy it didn’t matter, we were mostly interested in shooting a little sunlight into that evil woman.

“A real relationship,” quantified Vi. “That was a forced thing.”

“And Sam is going to meet his family,” I said. “You know, that sort of thing works out sometimes and sometimes it doesn’t.”

“I have a feeling that this time is going to be one of these times that meeting the family is not going to work out,” said Minnie.

“Of course, you have all been warned the Source sometimes puts out questionable news about the way things are going to work out in our summer adventures,” reminded our southern counselor.

“I personally don’t care,” said Raki. There was a gasp around the circle. We had never heard a Truebie say they didn’t care. “Let me rephrase that: I don’t care what adventures we have so long we have them and we can see Eric.”

“Nekkid,” said Iluvtheviking, adding her own specifications.

“Any word on Jessica?” asked God Speed.
“None so far GS,” said Liz. “I still worry about our red headed girl.” Behind my shoulder, I heard the young counselor say ‘Ah how sweet God Speed!’ and the terse shushing of the lady counselor with her.

“I hope we see more of Pam and we find out about Pussylover. Who the hell is that anyway?” said Mel.

“Have you heard about Lafayette? I heard he was getting a love interest,” said Hoyt.

“Yeah, but is it a love interest or is it a business arrangement?” asked GS.

“I don’t know,” I said. “But there was a little whispering that Eric would be involved with all sorts of people in the next season, but I think some of that will be dreaming that Lafayette is having because of that blood tie he has with Eric. Perhaps that is the thing that opens Lafayette up to the idea of a regular relationship, perhaps he thinks that if he gets in a relationship, he will not have so many dreams about the Big Viking.”

“And Sookie, too, I bet we see more of those Eric dreams she had begun having. This will of course make her more miserable with Bill apparently gone. I wonder if they will have the scene where Pam, Chow and Eric goes to see her to get her help getting Bill back?” said Lina.

“And do you think we will see that very important scene where Eric heals her?” asked Linzy. “That is what I really want to see.”

“I just wonder how they are going to have Eric motivated to rescue Bill. It is obvious that they aren’t going to have him doing a special project for the Queen,” added Westexan. Nia and I beamed. Of all the plots from the Connection, that was the one that troubled us the most. The unfaithfulness we could handle, but the sin of omission the Connection burdens Bill with then marginalized him with was something we had trouble coping with. I said nothing. Of all the conflicts we had, the Bill Girls and the Eric Girls, the question of the Mission is a tender spot we skirted around or dealt with as delicately as possible.

“I think Eric will be motivated by Sookie,” I said. “She finally has to know what is going on and that is when Eric does some snooping and finds out Bill has been taken and he comes to Sookie to tell her the deal. That will work out nearly like the book. And it gives Eric an excuse to be around Sookie.”

“And that is where it will really begin,” said Hoyt.

Meeting November 25, 2009

November 25, 2009

It was 27 ½ weeks into our wait. It had been a long time since the end of the second season and we were feeling the effects of our separation. Some of us, like me, were watching the first season. Others were contenting themselves with the second season, in various forms and in various ways. Others were doing “B” and still others were simply waiting. News was thin on the ground and we felt pretty wrung out.

As I walked into the meeting room we’d used as refugees with Rene (yes, our forum was off line temporarily again, and hopefully it would not be that long again)I felt somewhat better. When you are a junkie, you feel as though you are not alone, a little less freakish, when you could be with others like you. Still, I sometimes wondered what the aims of the group were, were we supposed to be getting better? Somehow I got the impression that none of us were being cured of our addictions. The room was as we had left it that last time, and just as I had done when we returned to our old familiar space, I picked up bits of paper and straightened our circle of chairs. A quick call to the lead counselor assured us that we would be welcome in the old refugee space.

Iluvtheviking was bringing the coffee and I had whipped up a gingerbread cake with rum nut sugar drizzle to pour over it. I busily cut the cake into slices and began setting it out on plates, drizzling some, leaving others. Eric Lover and Dude were waiting for the coffee to be ready and God Speed was setting out big fat cinnamon rolls, still warm and fragrant.

Minnie, Nia, and Vi came into the room, the smell of the cold air on their clothes. Westexan came in, her belly before her, her hand at the small of her back. She looked a little tired as she sat down. I brought her a slice of gingerbread cake and a hot cup of decaf.

“Thank you Aslinn,” she said, putting down her purse and settling in the chair as comfortably as she could.
“Is it getting colder?” I asked.
“It is,” she said. “Any colder and you could have snow.” I loved cold weather. I was one of those strange people who liked summer and spring well enough, but really perked up with fall and winter. I was looking forward to the cold blustery weather that made you huddle in closer, drink hot cider, and sing Christmas carols under your breath.

Hoyt and Burke and Lina and Linzy hurried in, excitedly talking about the Yule trip to the Myrtles with the counselors. I was still shopping for the counselors, and I had ordered some things and I was waiting anxiously for the things to come in. I hoped I had chosen well, that they would like. I knew that many of the folks in the group were having trouble finding things.

Liz, Mel and Raki came in, and finally, as they were getting seated, the lights went out except for the panel lights in the center, and our discussions came to a halt.
“I think we should discuss how each of you is doing over the hiatus. We still have quite a ways to go before summer and our adventures begin again,” said the lead counselor.

Liz began. Our poor Liz, so many things happening at once, her world far too busy for the number of hours in her day began to speak. She looked tired, but she was there with us, a sign of true junkie-dom.

“Well, I have been very busy, as some of you know. But there is something about knowing this place is always here for me, a place of refuge. Our forum and our refugee places when we need them, and the things we talk about keep my spirits up and makes me want to go on,” she said. “I listen to the soundtrack when I am in my car, going to work or running errands or just when I have a few minutes to myself in the bathroom while I take a hot soak at the end of the day,” she looked a little sad. “But I miss the adventures and the chatter about it and the activity.”

“Mel, dearest, what about you?” asked the lead counselor.
“I am so busy that I never have time to miss the adventures, but there are times when I find myself thinking about something I have seen and read. Then, there are the technical aspects of the forum to deal with,” she said, mumbling what thought was her mantra ‘computers are our friends, computers are our friends’ as she rubbed her tired eyes. “But hopefully this will be short lived, shorter lived than the last time we had to refugee.”

“Nia, how about you, are you hanging there?” asked the southern counselor in his low voice.
“I am not doing so well, I miss our forum so much,” she said.
“You do not refugee with the others?” asked the lead counselor.
“No, not really, it isn’t like the other place, with its lovely places devoted to my most favorite Vampire in the whole world,” she said, that look of fervent devotion on her face. Eric Lover gave me a sly look. You could tell Nia had been indulging in her drug of choice and was a little spaced out.
“There is no place for you to express your devotion?” asked the southern counselor.
“There is,” said Rene. "Aslinn and I were just in there this morning for our morning admiration time,” she said.
“There you are Sweet heart, a safe place for you to go and be with other devotees,” said the soft voice of our counselor.

“What have you been doing Linzy, to ease your hunger?” asked the lead counselor.
“I just indulge myself. GK, True Blood, any bit of news and gossip going on, “B”, anything to get my fix of hard Viking,” she said. Eric Lover was nodding at the observations Linzy was making, as was Lina. All of them are Viking users, and they are known to be reckless in their mixing of substances.

“And you Aslinn, what do you do to stave off your desires?” asked the lead counselor.
I was in trouble. Though I was devoted to Bill, I found myself like Sookie, sometimes turning my gaze in the direction of the handsome sheriff of area five. There was everything to like about him, his ruthlessness was even attractive. But I did not want to confess that here on the forum floor. The only one I could truly confess this to was my counselor, which I did during my personal counseling session with him on his couch, in front of his fire, whispering into his ear as he held me….and then, later…but I jarred myself awake from my reveries.

“Well, I have of course been working on the forum, both our forum and the place where we are refugees, then I have been doing crossword puzzles and search word puzzles…” I said.
“But you have finished the puzzles for all the books,” said Eric Lover.
“Now I am doing them for each of the episodes. You know, I thought the puzzles would be quite small, but they are actually bigger than the puzzles I did for the books,” I said. “And I have been hosting Thorsday Nights and trawling for news and posting things just for interest’s sake.”
“You are busy,” said my counselor.
“No one works harder than a junkie,” I said. “But as always, I miss our forum, and all our lovely friends who gather there everyday.”
“Don’t worry, dearest, you will be back there soon,” said the lead counselor.

Meeting November 18

It was November 18th and the True Blood Anonymous group was abuzz with excitement. We had our first Thorsday meeting at our former refugee shelter at AS.org and we had a wonderful time, getting a bit silly towards the end. But that was okay, whatever happened on Thorsdays stayed at the AS.org forum. I know that I was anticipating the next meeting with a small batch of new topics for discussion and anticipating further fun.

Nia brought fudge made of white and dark chocolate, a choco-holic’s wet dream and Renee made the coffee. I brought a new bottle of Bailey’s (our last bottle gave up the last of its milk of cheer during the last meeting) and I cracked it open and poured a healthy shot of it in God Speed’s cup then mine. Hoyt sailed by, grabbing a slab of Nia’s Sin (what I like to call it) and headed to his usual place, far away from God Speed, who settled down by Westexan who was relaxing with her legs stretched out in front of her, rubbing her growing bun (The Kaiser Roll).

“How’s the soccer player?” I asked the mum to be.
“Bending it like Beckham around my right kidney,” she said, squirming a little, trying to find a comfortable position. Give it up Westexan, you won’t be comfortable til the little dictator has his triumphal entry into the world.

Iluvtheviking came in all aglow. She was pretty and in the pink, a wide grin on her face. She passed up the coffee and never mind and had just a small square of Sin and sat down. I got up and squatted in front of her.

“Congratulations Iluvtheviking, I am tickled pink for you,” I said.
“Thank you,” she said. “I am so excited when I am not barfing my head off,” she said.
“Good for you,” I said. Eric Lover came in and sat down her big bag of crazy and went and got a cuppa and fudge and sat down. I went and sat back down and sipped my coffee. Linzy and Lina and Liz and Mel came in and hurriedly got their candy and coffee and plopped down. Dude, Minnie and Vi and Karalee and Burke filled in the empty places around our circle.

Soon the lights went out and we were aware of the counselors at the doors, the lead counselor and the southern counselor at one door, the lady counselor and her protégé at the other.

“I sense a great deal of excitement in the room,” said the lead counselor. “Tell us what has happened.”
“Go ahead Iluvtheviking, tell him,” said Hoyt.
“Okay…I’m going to have a baby,” she said, squeeing excitedly.
“Congratulations. First our Westexan is having a little teacup and now you,” said the lead counselor.
“And let’s not forget Dracodarling being engaged,” said the southern voice of my favorite counselor. Draco had not been with us for some time….but then again, she is in love….

“What shall we discuss tonight?” asked the lead counselor
“Well, this is something I have been thinking about,” I began. “I know we have to take notices from the Source with a grain of salt, the Source is so tricky, but there were two things that I found intriguing.”
“Tell us Aslinn,” said my counselor.
“Well, one of the notices said that Bill meets a woman who thinks Bill is her son and another notice said that there was going to be a situation where we see Bill’s wife,” I said. “What do you think that will be about?”
“That is intriguing,” said Liz. “Well, you know that the Connection talks about a certain family connection of Bill’s. I think this may be a way to bring that piece of the story into the next season. We were originally supposed to learn this last season.”
“One of the things that is troubling to me is that Bill’s wife sees him after she thinks Bill is dead in the war,” I said. “Imagine, going along thinking your husband is dead and then you see him again.”
“And of course he is Vampire; imagine having to tell someone you love that you can never come home because you are…different….” I said. I sniffed a little and Vi handed me tissues. It had been a while since we had needed tissues in group.

“And watching the adventures of the first summer isn’t helping,” said Nia weakly. “Next Saturday they show the whole thing with Liam, Diane and Malcolm and how angry everyone was with them and with Sookie for loving…who she loves…” said Nia, smoothing her hand over her favorite Vampire’s face.
“Everyone suffers so much because of love,” said Hoyt. “Look at Jessica.” This remark of course elicited an angry glare from GS.
“Not just Jessica,” said Liz. “Sam, Jason, Bill, Eric and his love for his maker, Lorena.” Everyone grumbled at the mention of the most evil woman in the world.
“Fair is fair guys, she may be evil but she is in love with Bill,” said Mel. “Or at least a reasonable facsimile”
“And don’t forget Tara and Sookie. Poor Tara is going to be suffering so much she doesn’t even see danger when it comes her way and Sookie…this is going to be a tough season for her,” said Burke.

“True,” said Lina. She sighed heavily and shook her head. “I don’t know if I can make it…it is still so far away, next June.”
“Twenty-eight and a half weeks,” I said, sadly.

Veteran's Day

In a Warrior

In Flander's Fields
The poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row- Lt. Col. John McCrae

"The Patriot's Dream"- Gordon Lightfoot

The songs of the wars are as old as the hills
They cling like the rust on the cold steel that kills
They tell of the boys who went down to the tracks
In a patriotic manner with the cold steel on their backs

The patriot's dream is as old as the sky
It lives in the lust of a cold callous lie
Let's drink to the men who got caught by the chill
Of the patriotic fever and the cold steel that kills

The train pulled away on that glorious night
The drummer got drunk and the bugler got tight
While the boys in the back sang a song of good cheer
While riding off to glory in the spring of their years

The patriot's dream still lives on today
It makes mothers weep and it makes lovers pray
Let's drink to the men who got caught by the chill
Of the patriotic fever and the cold steel that kills

Well there was a sad, sad lady
Weeping all night long
She received a sad, sad message
From a voice on the telephone
Her children were all sleeping
As she waited out the dawn
How could she tell those children
That their father was shot down
So she took them to her side that day
And she told them one by one
Your father was a good man ten thousand miles from home
He tried to do his duty and it took him straight to hell
He might be in some prison, I hope he's treated well

Well there was a young girl watching in the early afternoon
When she heard the name of someone who said he'd be home soon
And she wondered how they got him, but the papers did not tell
There would be no sweet reunion, there would be no wedding bells
So she took herself into her room and she turned the bed sheets down
And she cried into the silken folds of her new wedding gown
He tried to do his duty and it took him straight to hell
He might be in some prison, I hope he's treated well

Well there was an old man sitting in his mansion on the hill
And he thought of his good fortune and the time he'd yet o kill
Well he called to his wife one day, "Come sit with me awhile"
Then turning toward the sunset, he smiled a wicked smile
"Well I'd like to say I'm sorry for the sinful deeds I've done
But let me first remind you, I'm a patriotic son"
They tried to do their duty and it took 'em straight to hell
They might be in some prison, I hope they're treated well

The songs of the wars are as old as the hills
They cling like the rust on the cold steel that kills
They tell of the boys who went down to the tracks
In a patriotic manner with the cold steel on their backs

The train pulled away on that glorious night
The drummer got drunk and the bugler got tight
While the boys in the back sang a song of good cheer
While riding off to glory in the spring of their years

The patriot's dream still lives on today
It makes mothers weep and it makes lovers pray
Let's drink to the men who got caught by the chill
Of the patriotic fever and the cold steel that kills

The sun was going down now, over the West Virginia Capital Building. The old joke is the capital building with it's neo-classical design, reminiscent of the US capital, was the best little whore house in West Virginia. I walked between the old oaks and took my place where I told the counselors we would meet.

I had never been a real patriot, not that flag waving type of patriotism, that Lee Greenwood "I'm Proud to be an American" sort of patriot. I never had much use for that Fourth of July, Veteran's Day sort of patriotism that some folks trot out with Old Glory a couple of times a year. No, my sort of patriotism was more in the social activist type. I had worked for many years, many of them my teen years, in the roll of agent for change. I worked for some years as a veteran's advocate, fighting for benefits in the intricate red tape world of the VA system, often for troubled men, often for dying men. That is how I had met my late husband. He was a client and then my first lover and I was his til the day he died almost 12 years ago. Then I went to work for the Veteran's Memorial Foundation and was involved in the building of the archives and the memorial itself, the edifice in front of which I was standing, awaiting two of the most unusual veterans I had ever met.

As the sun was behind the black West Virginia mountains, I saw the head lights of a red corvette splash over the road and the sidewalk, illuminating me in their glare. I put my hand out, shielding my eyes. I looked back at the monument that my family and I had overseen being built. I remember....but I digress. I walked down the gentle slope of the lawn. My counselor came and took my hands and leaned forward and kissed my cheek briefly, his lips light and cool. The lead counselor did the same, he stooping from his considerable height to kiss my cheek with a touch as light as a butterfly.

"I'm so glad you came," I said.
"Tell us about this place, dearest," said the lead counselor.
"It is our memorial to the over ten thousand who died in the wars of the last century from our state. Per capita, our state has more veterans than any state in the nation," I said, leading both men slowly to the large black marble blocks which precede the monument itself. I had my counselor by the hand. I could feel the hand of the lead counselor at the small of my back and he shortened his stride to match mine. I pointed to the names of my parents on the black marble. "These are my parents, my dad was the executive director and my mom was the head archivist."
"Where is your name sweetheart?" asked my counselor.
"Oh, I was just the office help, but I am proud of my parent's work, that is what I want you to see," I said, pulling his hand gently up the walk to the monument.

The monument itself looked something like stone henge. Four large monoliths in curved oval shape, surrounded by a reflecting pool lined in black Italian Terazzo marble, separated by four bridges. The center was illuminated by huge light with a magnifying lens cut by Bausch and Lomb created a pillar of light that went twenty stories into the dark sky.

"Earth, fire, water," said the lead counselor. The heavy wind from the river blew, blowing his silvery blond hair back away from his Viking's face added the final element. "Air." he said finally.
"Rather pagan, wouldn't you say?" I said, smiling at the Big Pagan himself. The large beacon light went out as we stepped into the Sanctuary proper. As it did, the little foot lights came on, illuminating the over 10,000 names carved into the curved black walls there. My counselor reached up and hesitated. I put my warm hands on his finger tips and gently pressed them onto the cold marble where you could feel the names of the men and women who died in the wars of the last century. He stroked the smooth stone and I saw his eyes widen. I didn't know what to say to this. You would think after his long history the representation of so much loss would not effect him, but there was a sad, shocked look on his face. The lead counselor was standing in front of the monolith dedicated to World War II.

"Ah, these are my boys," I said. "I spent an entire summer compiling the histories of these boys, writing to the records people in Washington, DC, getting their files." I pointed to a name I knew well. "This fellow was on the ship the Paul B. Hamilton. He and eleven other West Virginia sailors were bombed into the other world by the Japanese off the coast of Africa."
"Do you know them all Aslinn?" asked the lead counselor.
"No, not all, but enough to tell you that I loved them all," I said. I walked back to my counselor, who was looking at the plaque for the Congressional Medal of Honor Winners.
"I knew about this boy, he was from my hometown. He was pinned down when the Vietnamese started throwing hand grenades at his position. He saw a hand grenade fall on the ground near a group of his men and with a rebel yell, he threw himself on the grenade and shielded his friends from the blast," I said.
"A rebel yell?" he asked.
"Uh huh," I said. "We wanted to put out a special plaque to remember those who died of disease and mental illness after the wars but we were told that would be too controversial. But just as many died of those things as there were battlefield dead." I shrugged.
"Did you know anyone like that Aslinn?" asked the lead counselor, his tall shadow walking slowly over to me.
"Yeah, I knew a lot of them: Frank and Vernon and Homer and Norman and my husband, Jimmy, they died of mental illness, or suicide or cancer...war changed a whole lot from the times you served or fought in wars," I said. "I wonder, did war make more sense to you during your time?" I asked the lead counselor.
"War was more intimate, about simpler things, mostly about food or hunting grounds, I suppose it does make more sense than the war of isms your people of your time seem to fight about. Now I see war as a waste, in a different context of course, but you shouldn't be troubled about that," said the lead counselor.
"Well, you obviously know something about my war," said my counselor, "And as you well know, it was about isms as well, though we ordinary soldiers did not understand the details, it was just the cause."

"It is a beautiful monument, Aslinn," said the lead counselor. "Thank you for sharing it with us."
"Thank you for sharing it with me," I said. "I hope we don't have to build anymore like it."
"For your sake, I hope you get your wish sweet heart," said my counselor.

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served, who are serving or paid the ultimate price for freedom. Brightest Blessings Be.