Anxiety

[Art Williams]

Art stood stiffly, with wide eyes, taking deep, deep breaths.

It was only out of necessity he left his house in the slums, and he never quite got used to doing something as mindbogglingly simple as shopping for groceries.

Art was used to having a more feline form, lived for those nights spent wandering around the city, free to do as he wished. But to his dismay, he could not stay that way.

Art found that he could not stay in either form for an extended period of time, eventually becoming irritated in the form he was trying to keep and reverting. Anger and affection were strictly human emotions, he found, at least for himself. The moment he was overcome by either...his case was lost.

And the small morsels, the rats, voles, frogs, and other things he hunted - they were not enough.

The last time Art tried to live off of what he foraged alone, he became very sick. Often too weak to leave his bed, it was only when he lost the ability to transition that he gave in to duality, nursing himself back to health with the peach slices left in his stores. Art still felt weak, not quite recovered. Perhaps mice and peach slices were not enough.

Now, here he was, suffering at the hands of anxiety again. Crowds unnerved him, the noise unnerved him, the shopkeeps he was forced to converse with unnerved him. Every so often, he had to get away...as he was now, crouching in an alley, trying his best to recover himself enough to finish shopping and to finally leave.

[Sonnet d'Avila]

Sonnet walked through the streets of the slums, a faint smile on her face. She was in a fantastic mood (something necromancers weren't exactly known for) and it showed on the normally expressionless young woman. Some of the color had returned to her skin and her eyes had returned to their normal brightness. Her renewed attitude and appearance was due to the fact Xander had returned home, and that fact made everything better.

She was on her way home from the market, a basket of fruits, vegetables, other food items and a bouquet of fresh lilies was carefully held in her arms. She stopped for a moment to shift the basket when she noticed a familiar face. "Art" she said softly, walking over to the man and resting a hand on his shoulder. "How are you Art?" she asked softly, her lips still spread in the warm smile.

[Art Williams]

Art jumped back, startled at the woman's approach, and began shaking and stammering almost immediately.

"Muh-Miss D'Alvia! I-I...Uhgh" with every word, his eyes became more frenzied, spasms deepened.

It then occured to Art that Sonnet had asked him a question.

"No, not very well at all I'm afraid. Please excuse me. I should g-"

"No, I shouldn't go but I can'tI'msorry"

Pale as a sheet, Art slumped against the wall.

[Sonnet d'Avila]

Sonnet knelt before the man, setting her basket to the side. She reached out and gently took hold of the man's shoulders in an attempt to calm him and hold him steady. "Art? Art are you alright? What's wrong?" she asked, concern in her voice. The young woman had never seen him like this before....Sonnet allowed one of her hands to leave Art's shoulder and brought it to his forehead, checking to see if he was fevered.

[Art Williams]

Art winced at the contact, but Sonnet was a friend. Acquaintance. Whatever. Did he need acquaintances? His usual answer would be absolutely not, but now, in the face of another person, he didn't feel quite brave enough to answer that question.

"I'm merely very very very very tired." he said, his voice raspy and weak. With a just barely distinguishable murmur, he added "or perhaps I have not left my house in four months, and have been living off of rats and things."

[Sonnet d'Avila]

Sonnet furrowed her brown in concern. "Tell me where you've been living, I'm taking you home and making you a decent meal" she said simply, leaving no room for the man to object. She helped Art to his feet and grabbed her basket as she supported the shaky man next to her.

[Art Williams]

Art's first instinct was to deny her, but that he couldn't fight back meant that there was probably something worse wrong with him than he had initially suspected.

"4...3 3...Baker Street. In the older part of town." he said, slowly. Taking a step forward with the lady's help, he said, "And it's not as bad as it looks, really", in direct denial of the horrible thought that had occurred to him.

[Sonnet d'Avila]

Sonnet led the shaken man back to his home, walking at a slow pace to ensure he would be able to keep up with her.

It didn't take long to find the building. Sonnet stopped before the front door of the home and opened it carefully, still holding on to Art and a rather full basket of groceries. The first thing she noticed is that it was rather dark and dreary, but other than that it was beautiful. A little run down in a few areas but still it was lovely. "Nice place" she breathed, helping the man inside and moving him to sit on one of the sofas.

"Why don't you rest while I make you some dinner" she suggested, offering the man another warm smile.

[Art Williams]

Art did not appreciate the sentiment the way he would in the past. "It's home, more or less." he acknowledged. He wondered if he should open the curtains, possibly clean up the couches, something - but the notion was rather silly, he thought. It wasn't as if she was here to stay.

"I think I can walk about well enough.." Art said, making a futile effort to sit himself up.

It only took him a half-minute to give in. "Ah, maybe for a minute."

"Sonnet, if you could...If you ever see any...cats, please do tell me." Art wasn't quite sure why his old feline companion had left him, and he hoped she had not left for good...he wasn't about to take any chances on that issue.

"I'm afraid I may have made this place rather boring for her...I've eaten all the rats, you see." Art joked rather weakly, settling onto the sofa.

[Sonnet d'Avila]

Sonnet smiled. "will do, Art" she said with a smile. she turned, making a face to herself when he mentioned eating rats, and walked into the kitchen.

The kitchen was huge, plenty of room for her to spread out and get cooking. Sonnet set the basket of food on the counter and began to unload it, setting several items off to the side so she could use it. She walked to the fire place and the oven, heating them, then got to work at cooking.

Today's menu: Homemade vegetable soup with fresh baked bread, with boiled potatoes and roasted chicken.

___________

a bout an hour passed till dinner was finally finished. Sonnet set the table for Art and set out the food. "Hope you're hungry" she said as she walked back into the living room to get the man and help him to the table. Her face was streaked with flower and her hair had been pulled back, the evidence of her baking and hard work easy to find.