(Untitled)

[octavia_minor]

In her time back home, Octavia had seen a fair number of deaths, but illness was a subject with which she wasn't well acquainted, and so the news of Isabel in the clinic hit her harder than she might have expected. They hadn't known each other an especially long time, true, but she still cared about the other girl; knowing that there was little she

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[five_hours]

I had seen the trampoline before, but I hadn't paid any attention to it. I wasn't likely to go jumping on it after all, but still it was interesting that it was there.

I was walking by it when I noticed a woman who was praying. I was quiet and edged just a bit away so as not to disturb her, but I was curious about the language she was speaking.

[octavia_minor]

It took a while for Octavia to realise that she was no longer alone, still muttering the prayers that came so easily, even after months away from home. When she did notice another's presence, though, she finished quickly, and turned so she was sitting on the ground.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. It was a good-natured question, not a challenge, but still she wondered how much the boy had seen.

[five_hours]

"I didn't mean to disturb you. I just...well I heard you as I was walking by. I didn't mean to intrude." I sort of shuffled my feet trying to deal with that caught feeling.

[octavia_minor]

"Oh, no, you didn't disturb me," Octavia cut in quickly, waving a hand in front of her. "It's nothing to worry about, really." What there was to worry about was her friend's illness, which remained foremost in her mind despite the prayers she'd offered up.

[bitchofthejulii]

Atia smiled slightly as she watched her daughter praying in front of such an inappropriate altar. The first of Aprilis was almost upon them, she must be making an offering for Veneralia. Her eyebrow quirked at the words she heard, leaning in against thing her daughter used as an altar. "Odd prayers to catch yourself a man. Who is he?"

[octavia_minor]

Octavia turned suddenly at the sound of her mother's voice, her slightly smudged skirt up around her knees as she adjusted her position on the ground. "A friend of mine," she explained slowly, "is in the clinic. Isabel; I believe you've met her." She was in no mood to deal with her mother's antics, and it showed; her forehead was creased with lines of worry, her mouth turned down at the corners. She could only hope that Atia would have some decency at a time like this.

[bitchofthejulii]

Not Veneralia then, in fact, nothing like it. Atia would have been shocked by her daughter's thoughts, for whatever their disagreement, this was still her child. When one of her children hurt, even if it was a hurt of her own making, it bothered her.

"I have. Upon my arrival." Her face softened into a smile, her hand lifting to brush a loose piece of hair from Octavia's forehead. Yet it was not a gesture she was sure Octavia would appreciate, or desire, and her hand froze. "I could pray with you."

[octavia_minor]

The gesture surprised her, and it was apparent, but after a pause, she nodded slowly. "Would you?" she asked, her voice light, almost younger-sounding. "That...I would truly appreciate it." If her mother wasn't going to argue, Octavia wasn't going to push her away. Not now, when Isabel was so ill.

[peeledfreckles]

Sometimes Paige just wanted to pretend that she was eight years old. Sure, when she was eight years old she didn't have a trampoline, and only had a vague idea that they could be bigger than two feet across, but when you wanted to do something, you want to want to do something. No real questions asked.

Which was why, when she stumbled upon a girl who was either having a fit or praying in at the trampoline, she was bit thrown off. She didn't really have any idea what she was saying, but well, it was the location was what threw her. "Um...are you okay?"

[octavia_minor]

The sound of a voice interrupted Octavia's prayers and she turned, mouth slightly open in surprise. "Yes," she said quickly, sounding nearly flustered. She hadn't expected to be interrupted, but then, she supposed, she was the one who'd chosen to pray in such a public location. "Well, it's - I've a friend who's sick," she explained. "In the clinic. But I'm all right."

She paused. "I'm not in your way, am I?"

[peeledfreckles]

"Oh." Suddenly all Paige had was guilt at the fact that she wanted to do something as silly and childish as jump up and down for no reason. That sort of thing didn't hold a candle next to the categories of sickness and praying of health.

Typical Guthrie, always doing the wrong thing. "I'm sorry," she said. "Erm..no? I don't need to do what I was going to do."

[octavia_minor]

"Oh, no," Octavia said quickly, tousled hair tossing over her shoulders as she shook her head. "Don't be sorry, it's...well, it's not nothing, but it's not as if you could have known." Despite herself, she managed a faint smile. "I'm Octavia."

[adamant_command]

While he'd never asked into the purpose of the strange, flat-topped object set up outside the Compound, Lord Asriel found himself developing a sudden interest in the thing when he came upon the girl on her knees before it.

Between her words and her posture, the ritual's significance was obvious. It was a prayer.

Folding his arms over his chest, he observed the scene silently from the shade of a tree, his dæmon equally placid at his feet.

[octavia_minor]

Octavia continued for a few moments until she caught sight of another presence -- the animal, more than anything, as it was completely foreign to her. "Excuse me," she said quickly as she turned, looking almost flustered, and brushed a loose piece of hair away from her face. "I'm not in your way, am I?"

[adamant_command]

"You're quite out of the way," Lord Asriel promised with a smug twitch of the lips. Unfortunately, he'd caught on to the glance she'd first reserved for his dæmon, and a small trickle of dread ran through him at the prospect of explaining her presence yet again.

"I didn't mean to disturb you," he added gruffly. "Please, don't mind me."

[octavia_minor]

"Oh, no," Octavia cut in, shaking her head. "You've done nothing to disturb me. I wasn't expecting anyone, is all." She exhaled slowly, an attempt to compose herself after she'd been so worked up in her prayers, but found her gaze drawn again to the animal.

"If you don't mind," she continued, seeming already apologetic, "what sort of animal is that? I don't believe I've ever seen one before."

[poison_pearl]

I have some Latin; enough to identify what is that Octavia is doing, if not the specifics.

I may not share her faith-or any other, for that matter-but I see no reason to interrupt, and so I dust off a spot on the ground and sit and wait for her to be done.

[octavia_minor]

Maud's presence, when Octavia noticed it, came almost unexpectedly as a comfort, and she did finish before turning to the other woman. "A friend of mine," she explained moments later, thinking it best, "she's in the clinic. I thought it best to pray for her." It seemed almost foolish, in retrospect, but there was nothing more for her to do for Isabel.

[poison_pearl]

"Is her illness so very bad?" I ask; I had not thought on it previously, but I've not often heard of people falling sick, in this place.

[octavia_minor]

Swallowing, Octavia nodded slowly. "Yes, actually," she replied. It was still surprising, in a way, with how rarely she'd seen people become ill, especially here. "I - I couldn't tell you what it is, but from what I know, it's very serious."