Work work

[Rista]

Timestamp: 21st of Fall, 511 AV Status: Closed, Solo. The Avora pursed her mouth and grunted audibly, not even trying to conceal her discontent as she stared down a powerful nose, eying the yasi before her. She was an imposing woman, tall for being Inarta and with almost pinkish red hair and thin lips that seemed too small for the rest of her face. A monocle was pressed in front of the womans right eye, the gold and glass-inlaid chain dangling over her cheek for every movement of the head. Right now, the expensive piece swayed slowly as the woman shook her head, scrutinizing her temporary assistant with hard eyes. Rista pretended that she didn't notice the contempt that was hidden within the cloudy gray gaze and waited quietly just inside the door to the Avora's workshop, not sure if she actually wanted for the woman to speak. It was never pleasant to deal with the artisans and jewelers, and this was likely to follow a very familiar pattern that the short girl was all too familiar with... "I asked for Apola. How come she isn't here?" The question was expected, but even so it still made the girl cringe and make a faint grimace, her own distaste upon hearing the name of the younger yasi was as ill concealed as the artisan's. She disliked the girl, for some reason that she couldn't quite pinpoint herself; perhaps it was because the little brat was so petching perfect in everything she did. Adorable face, deep crimson hair, icy blue eyes and a good singing voice, she was gifted in both archery and glassblowing and had an artistic talent that made all the adults teary-eyed and excited. Personally, Rista felt more like driving her fist into that pretty little innocent-looking face every time she saw the girl. if only the kid could give her a reason... But Apola never got into fights, never stepped out of line. It stung even more to realize that the Avora was right in being displeased by this unexpected change in assistant; Rista was infamous for he clumsy fingers when it came to the finer details in crafting, and there was always a lot to do. "Apola was requested at the Cedar Amphitheater today, Avora" the mongrel said, trying her best to keep the voice clear from both irritation and jealousy as she spoke. She was rarely requested by anyone.. "I was told to come here instead; I apologize for the inconvenience." It was an inconvenience for her too. Rightfully she should be having her day off now, but the Youth-master had looked tired and haunted when he came and knocked on her door, looking for a stand in to fill the need of the Avora. It was hard to resist that kind, hopeful look he had given her; many of the yasi had been sent off to Thunder Bay to assist with the harvest and preparations for winter, leaving only a few left to attend lessons or make themselves useful with bendi. Rista had stayed behind, hoping for more time with Kovac at the Ranges; sadly it also meant that she got stuck doing all those things she normally was able to avoid. Like assembling jewelry, the task she might be put on today if only the Avora would decide whether she was worth the trouble or not. The woman thought over the news with a disappointed look that made the copper-skinned mongrel grit her teeth and shift her weight from foot to foot in annoyance. If she only had managed to escape the city, going down to the Lakes to hunt for falcon fledglings or something similar. It was always a bad idea to sleep in, and not only for the fact that she missed breakfast because of it. Rista almost hoped that she would be sent away, so she could go back to doing something more useful instead... She was both surprised and a little disappointed when the tall Avora sighed and waved for her to come inside; it took a moment of hesitation before the mongrel let the door close behind her and stepped further into the room, looking around curiously in the large space. The room was middle-sized and box-like, rectangular in shape with long walls extending on either side of the door. On both sides, heavy stone benches had been carved out to serve as work spaces, with shelves covering the walls; they were over-filled with rolls of metal wire in different thickness and quality, cords made from sinew and horsehair, ribbons in various shapes and colors, carefully selected feathers from songbirds and raptors, even some Eagle feathers. There were glass containers filled with beads made of glass and bone, wood and stone and clay and everything in between. Tools hung from hooks under each of the shelves; pliers and heavy scissors, saws and hammers and other objects that Rista didn't have name for, and who's purpose completely eluded her imagination. In a way the room was a treasure chest, filled with anything one could possibly need when designing jewelry, from rings to hair decorations, necklaces and ear-rings, creative piercings and whatever else one might be able to think of. It was definitely interesting to look at all the assembled objects, but Rista already knew that she didn't have any talent in the area. At best she could imitate something that had already been made; the attempts at creating something on her own generally turned out clumsy and unflattering, almost as awkward as her feelings were when it came to creating. It was with a faint feeling of unease in her stomach that she climbed onto the high chair she was assigned, eyes darting around the edge of the bench that she had before her. She would gladly have traded the glittering copper threads, shimmering glass-beads and soft ribbons for a chance to go on a hunt, climb the steep rocks in pursuit of a stray goat or strained her muscles and thoughts in attempt to learn the complicated patterns of Talon swordplay... Her black eyes were wary as she glanced up at the Avora, waiting for instructions or restrictions, something that specified what she was supposed to do. But the woman only looked back steadily at the young half-breed, hands resting at the hips with fingers drumming thoughtfully against the torso. She didn't say anything, and as a few chimes passed Rista began to gnaw on her lower lip, wondering if she had missed something important.. "What do you want me to do, Avora?" she asked carefully, awkwardly fingering the edge of the table with her feet dangling a good few inches above the smooth stone floor. The woman raised an eyebrow, pressed a tired sigh between her lips and finally made a gesture with a hand toward the shelves. "Anything. Do something, use whatever you want within this room, to make whatever suits your fancy. I want to see what you are capable of. I haven't heard many good things about you from the other artisans, but I'd rather see for myself if you are useless or not." With that she stepped away, muttering something inaudible to herself as she crossed the room and slipped onto a chair of her own; it didn't take long before she was immersed in her own work, and it appeared that she had managed to forget about the presence of the girl.

[Rista]

Left alone with a stunned expression, the girl glanced around her uneasily. Suddenly the glittering objects seemed far less appealing. Gathered like this, jumbled up and overflowing in abundance of wealth everything was beautiful. Every piece had worth and purpose in themselves, but when it came to picking out a select few and then trying to do something about them, Rista just didn't know what to do. Or how to do it. Moments passed as she looked around, confusion and indecision apparent with her awkward movements on the chair. She had to do something... Sitting there wouldn't help, and it seemed like a bad idea to make the large woman angry. She just had to do something, anything at all that could be excused as jewelry. Hesitantly she reached out towards the first thing that caught her eye on the shelf right in front of her - a roll of thin copper thread - and placed it on the bench. Her black eyes trailing around the room, it soon landed on a container filled with faceted glass-beads, both translucent and colored ones; slipping down from the chair, the girl moved quietly over the floor to collect it and bring it back. The process was repeated, until she had a decent collection of jars, boxes and rolls of material gathered in front of her on the bench. Every now and then she threw glances towards the monocle-wearing woman, just to make sure she wasn't watching. It felt strange to be allowed to move so freely in the room; normally she was set on doing one task, only using the things she had been provided. This... This was unusual. And with the intent on proving herself capable very distant, Rista couldn't quite seem to enjoy herself and the freedom she had been given. She didn't actually have a plan when she started the task. Her mind was blank as she cut a piece of copper thread from the roll, nothing came to mind as she tried to bend it and twist it into something, anything... She wasn't inspired, the colorful beads she thread onto the wire held no meaning to her. It was just something she was supposed to do, and so she did it. To Rista, this wasn't her idea of fun; the closed in feeling of the room was uncomfortable, she longed for the feeling of sun and wind on her face, the sensation of using her muscles to climb and walk, and stretch out into a run across a field... "What are you doing?" a coarse voice suddenly asked behind her back. Rista startled and spun around, her small project still in her hands. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the woman and saw a stern, disliking expression on the powerful face; the gray eyes were fixed on the objects in her hand, and with a questioning look on her face the mongrel followed the stare down to her fingers. "Oh.." she said weakly, a sinking feeling in her stomach making her feel ill as she stared at the supposed to be jewelry. It resembled.. nothing at all. It was just a thread that had been clustered with beads, twisted back and forth until the metal weakened and threatened to break. Even if one was to remove the beads, the copper thread was ruined and wouldn't be usable in anything. "Oh? That is all you have to say?" The voice of the Avora was way too calm, but the look she gave Rista could have made lightning strike. "I wasn't expecting much, but even from you I do demand a certain amount of enthusiasm. Or at the very least focus! Do you think that these materials are for free? Do you honestly think that you have a right to sit here and waste my time and pinions, simply because you rather would be somewhere else?" The girl flinched, and the face of the artisan darkened considerably as if a suspicion had just been proven right. "So I was right then. You ungrateful brat. Not only are you wasting my materials, you are trying to mock me too by using it like that..." "That is not true!" The angry voice interrupted the woman and she quieted abruptly, staring down at the short girl as if it was the chair that had started to speak. It might as well have; Rista was horrified over herself, unable to keep her mouth shut as the Avora threw accusations at her. "I'm not mocking anyone, I just can't do what you want me to. As if I know anything about jewelry, I never wear anything myself! Just because I'd rather be somewhere else it doesn't give you the right to.." "I have every right!" The girl was cut off in turn, the eyes of the artisan blazing as she glared down at the bickering little half-breed. The audacity to speak back! "You, little yasi, are mine to do whatever I want with for this entire day. There is absolutely nothing you can do about that, so shut your trap and sit down. I am talking!" The voice snapped like the crack of a whip and all but pushed the girl back onto the chair; she fumed, the cheeks red from anger and indignation - but her mouth was closed, tightly, so that no more words would be able to escape. It was infuriating, but the woman was very correct... "You say you can't do what I'm asking you to do" the Avora continued and placed herself wide legged in front of the girl, keeping her attention focused by holding the black gaze firmly with her own; of looks could be vice-like, Rista would be squirming. "I can't see that you have even tried. I want to see you create, half-blood, not destroy. I want you to take these objects, metal and glass, leather and bone, wood and stone, and make something that someone would like to wear. I see perfectly well that you don't carry anything on you, but that is besides the point. Even you should be able to come up with something worth looking at, if you only give it a little effort..." "But I don't even know where to start!" Rista managed to squeeze in, only to be silenced by a quick slap of a hand over her cheek. The strike wasn't too hard and dealt with an open palm, but more than enough to hammer down the point; with a dark glare the mongrel endured the stinging pain and grew quiet again. They were all the same, always so quick to take to the fists.. and she was no different herself. "You must be more daft than I thought" the red-haired woman growled, apparently having trouble controlling herself and not deal yet another strike - Rista could see her hand twitch where it was pressed down upon a meaty hip, trembling from the intensity of the womans emotions. "Even the smallest child knows..!" The gray eyes swept over the girl, took in the dark hair, the black eyes, her foreign skin... The cheek reddened slowly from her strike, but was insufficient in hiding a fading bruise on the cheek, so yellow that it disappeared against the darker skin. And the girl hadn't flinched when struck. Maybe she was used to it, perhaps it happened all the time... The Avora wasn't a cruel woman. She wasn't even actually mean, and she had a fondness for children. More than once she had visited the nurseries to play with the younger kids, wishing she had time to raise one of her own. She wasn't stupid either. She knew what it was like to grow up among yasi, how they decided the pecking order and stuck to it, giving no pardon. Someone like this half-blooded girl was a natural target. Different, unusual. She stood out whether she wanted or not, and it was very unlikely that she would have been given a chance to live quietly. Judging by the defiant look on her face now too, it was clear that the Black-eye wasn't one to bend easily. Probably picked on, ending up in fights... Her things taken away, pretty hair-doe's ruined, clothes dirtied. Not a way to develop a lot of artistic skill on. Survival was probably the key, and difficult enough to manage for someone with so many odds against them. The woman took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. Rista watched warily, prepared for anything as she waited for the next reaction. She didn't like this woman. Not only was she ugly, she was unreasonable and confusing and the yasi didn't want anything more than to be kicked out from the room, even if it meant that her reputation would worsen even more. Her surprise knew no limits when her temporary employer opened the eyes again and almost seemed calm. There was steel remaining in the eyes, the chain to the delicate lens if front of the eye trembling from the struggle of arranging the features... Why was she collecting herself? "You actually don't know, do you." It was a statement rather than a question, but even so Rista shook her head, confirming the words with a heavy frown hovering on her forehead. "Well, then... Huh. How to explain..." It was confusing to see the powerful woman so stumped. The way she searched for words, waving a hand in a slight circle through the air as she tried to explain something that came natural to most people. "Think of something you like" she finally said, and let the gaze focus upon the girl once more, now determined to have her understand what was being said. "Doesn't matter what it is; it can be a flower, a scenery, an object, something you do. Or think of a person, someone you are familiar with. Try to picture them, what they might like, what they would look like in, say.. a necklace, or a pair of earrings, a hair-piece. Use your senses, sight and touch and hearing, sometimes even scent. Make use of those, to create that thing that is special to just that person, or suitable to that event, or symbolizes this feeling... I think that is sufficient for now." The look she was given this time was regarding, almost thoughtful. Rista couldn't say that she completely understood what the woman tried to say, but just the effort of trying to explain was enough to shock her. Nodding slowly, she glanced back at the items on the bench. What had she been thinking when she picked them out? That part in itself hadn't been bothersome, and perhaps now that she had some better tools for thought... "I'll try again" she said, the voice absent-minded as her thoughts already began to process the information provided. The Avora watched her for a while as the mongrel began to rummage through the collected items once more, discontent and surprised at the same time. Who would have thought that the concept would be accepted so easily? A few more chimes passed, but then she slowly turned around and began to head back to her own projects, deciding to give the brat one more chance. If this turned out to be a complete waste of time... It was as if something had been released within the mongrel. At first her thoughts were jumbled and erratic, moving from topic to topic as her eyes moved over the things, fingers touching and sifting through pearls and beads, feeling soft feathers and cool rock under her fingertips. A container filled with red-orange stones made her think of solid fire, a roll of golden shimmering ribbons turned into a headband for someone with crimson hair. A roll of leather string next to beads of deeply colored glass made her blink and smile; that looked almost exactly like Eoin's eyes, a shade of green she hadn't seen anywhere else. And those red and black feathers, with the silver; Kovac. Definitely her archery teacher, just like that deep blue piece of cloth would suit Aidara perfectly. She didn't even notice when she started turning the ideas into actual items. It was like the time when she held the paint brush in her hand, the same tingling sensation, the itch to do something with it. It was egging, begging her to do something, and blindly the girl followed along with the urge. Her creations were clumsy and disappointing for the most part, nothing at all like she had imagined them in her head. That ribbon, the earring.. Nah. Not good enough, she couldn't say that she liked any of them. Eager to try again with the next idea, Rista reached for the leather string and measured out a proper length with her hands, roughly guessing what might be enough. Then the beads; green glass, black stone, she mixed them and thread them onto it to form a necklace. The result was dull though, and she frowned as she stared at it. Too boring, it wasn't like she pictured it at all... Something glimmered in the corner of her eyes and made her look up, gaze falling onto a roll of metal string, where two threads had been twisted together into one. Perfect. Reaching for it, she took to cutting small pieces of it and bending it into circles with a plier and her fingers; it took several tries before she was satisfied, but once she was the beads were removed from the necklace again, and the tiny hoops fitted in between the green and black beads... Better. A smile actually nudged on her lips, the girl had to rest the piece in her palm for a bit with a content feeling in her gut before she could complete it, fitting the ends with a lock that made it easier to put on. It continued like that for bells, with Rista deeply sunken into what she was doing. In fact, the Avora had to speak to her thrice before she woke up from the trance, pale and dizzy as a pang of hunger fell over her. Right. She hadn't eaten breakfast, and now it was almost past lunchtime... "Go and eat" the artisan barked gruffly, chasing Rista through the room with dark glances. "I won't have you fainting on me in here. And when you come back, knock before you come in!"

[Rista]

Half a bell later, the girl returned with a full belly and a slightly woozy feeling in the head. She had been so consumed by the things she had done, and frankly she couldn't remember what half the objects looked like anymore. It felt like she had been hit in the head with a club; the cheek was sore after the blow, but compared to other beatings this one had been surprisingly mild. Remembering to knock before she went back in, there was a moment of silence before she heard a grunting reply and carefully pushed open the door. Looking around curiously to see what was going on, she quickly spotted the Avora and stepped inside in heed of a waved hand; what was going on? Something had happened over at her work-space, the tools and materials had been removed, and in their place were... Rista stared at the items that lay on the bench, each and every piece neatly displayed over a piece of dark cloth. Her eyes moved over them, tried to recognize her own poor creations; her head slowly turned towards the Avora who stood next to her, arms folded under the chest and with a wry smile perched on the thin lips. Her annoyance towards the dark-haired half-breed was still clearly visible, but it was hard to not laugh at someone that looked so disbelieving when seeing the things they themselves had made; a rough chuckle even escaped the woman, something that seemed to surprise herself as much as it surprised the girl. "Indeed, don't look so shocked. Those are the things you have made today, I simply arranged them in a satisfactory way. It appears that you are not as daft as some would like to believe, yasi. While not a great artist, you are still more than capable of creating interesting things." There was reluctance within the voice as the woman spoke, as if she rather wouldn't say anything at all - or indeed, would have wanted to scold the girl silly for being useless. As it wasn't the case however, the Avora grudgingly stepped up to the table and looked down at the pieces, pointing at them with a surprisingly nimble finger as she made a few comments on each of them. Rista listened and nodded, her mind still in shock over the transformation her efforts had taken. They... they actually looked good. At least some of them... ".. and here, this is actually interesting. You combined live and dead materials, which normally isn't something I'd recommend; jewelry like those tend to break with use. For something as simple as a bracelet however, it works quite well; I'm sure this would be appreciated by a Chiet if sold on Market Day..." It took a while to go through the items, and as they finished it was well past dinner time for the both of them. Rista felt hunger gnaw through her stomach, as if the organs tried to tie themselves into a knot around her spine. It was with a strange mixture of relief and reluctance that she began to walk towards the door after being dismissed, almost - though with a great deal of reservation - able to admit that she had been having a bit of fun during the day. Even though she had been struck over the mouth, and yelled at, and called a half-breed... As she placed a hand on the door, the Avora called out to her from behind. Rista turned around only to see something come slithering through the air towards her; on pure reflex she held up a hand and caught it, blinking a bit as she looked at the hand only to see one of the items she had made lying in the palm. It was one of the necklaces; a leather strap, tread with beads of green and brown glass, mixed with rings of twisted silver thread and black obsidian pearls. The girl looked back across the room, a smile tugging at her lips even though the face was questioning as she gazed at the woman; the Avora didn't look back, busying herself with gathering up the item harvest of the day; some of them might very well end up in her stall the next Market Day. At least a few. The others might go to the nursery, for the children to play with or maybe to the Cedar, as props in some rare play, or lent out to the performers. The yasi pursed her lips thoughtfully, peering between the woman and the necklace. Was there some thought behind this, some kind of hidden meaning? If there was then she certainly couldn't find it... She shrugged and turned around once more to push the door open, quite ready to leave the room. "Job well done, yasi" she heard a voice mutter from behind just as she passed through the opening. "Come back when you need something to do; there's always work to be done here." Then the door closed behind her, and Rista found herself standing in the brightly lit corridor with a wide grin on her face. So maybe the woman wasn't so bad after all... They definitely didn't like one another, that much was clear. It only made her respect increase; Rista wasn't sure that she would have been able to be so generous towards a person she disliked, or so honest. Maybe she would have to give that Apola a chance... But.. Eh. Well, preferably not. When it came down to it, the brat probably deserved a fist in her face, for some reason or another. The smile of the mongrel twisted into a smirk as she carefully clutched the necklace into her hand and started walking, heading off towards the kitchens to try and find something to eat. Maybe, just maybe she'd be able to find someone else too... A small chuckle slipped from her lips as the pace increased, legs bringing her faster along the pathway.

[Indigo]

Character: Rista Skills: +1 Insubordination, +1 Concentration Lore: Learning your place, Having a crush put in jewelry form, Notes: Overall good thread, but I would've like to see a little more detail about the process of making the jewelry. If you have any questions or comments about your grade, please don't hesitate to PM me.