Completed [Flashback] All in a days work... (Krysanthe)

[Reila]

AV 512, 3rd of Spring

“Reila... I swear, if you put half the effort into your projects you would be the greatest glassblower in all of Wind Reach...”

Her father was a tall man (as far as Inartan’s went) with a broad chest, his flaming red hair was tied back in a tail as not to obscure his vision whilst working. He turned Reila’s piece between two strong hands and frowned. “The design is beautiful, very skillfully done and the delicacy... this has soo much potential, just like everything else you make... why do you never finish any of them?” He looked more hurt than angry when Reila shrugged her shoulders. “I grow bored of them quickly...” She had never wanted to be a glassblower, they had all prophesied that she would be a great and powerful Endal. That prophecy was smashed like a wave against a rock as soon as the headaches began.

Her father placed the piece of glass carefully to the side and made an unexpected grab for her shoulders. “Reila... you are both the bane of my existence and the reason I keep on living...” Her father was the only person in the world that could make her feel this awkward and uncomfortable. “Father... I...” He placed a slender finger on her lips. “No need to say anything... gods you look so much like your mother...” His emerald eyes bore into hers and for the slightest moment she thought she could see a glimpse of sorrow reflecting in them. Ever since her mother passed away from a hunting accident a part of him had died with her. He suddenly became obsessed with his work and had grown strangely affectionate toward his only child, Reila.

“How's your head?” He seemed genuinely worried. “No better than usual... there hasn't been any spikes today at least...” The renowned Avora removed his hands from her shoulders, looked around cautiously, then pulled a water skin from out of a pouch on his belt. They both knew it was not actually full of water. “Be careful where you consume this, you could get us both into a great deal of trouble... go take an hour break.” Reila blinked innocently. “Oh father you know I’m better than that!” With a smirk she took the water skin from his hands and began to wonder off.

This was her favourite time of the day. She would usually do one of two things depending on her mood. Sometimes she would walk over to the veteran’s section of the great hall and drink away as she watched the older men craft their marvels. Other times she liked to walk over to the ‘prentices side of the hall and flirt and tease with the younger, less experienced glassblowers. She decided to go with the latter today. Walking through the long hall toward the apprentice’s section It wasn’t long before she found her first target. A woman perhaps a little younger than herself with rich red hair and attractive yellow eyes sat in a corner working on her latest project. Her eyes were full of concentration yet she seemed to be frustrating over something. With a wicked grin Reila pulled the stopper off her water skin and took a long drink of strong liquor.

“Working hard are we? Well about as hard as a Chiet could work I suppose aye?” Reila stood beside Krysanthe, a mocking smirk spread across her features.

[Krysanthe]

Krysanthe was in the zone. She was in her own little world, sitting in her own little corner working on her own little project. Despite the fact that the young woman was only a Chiet, she felt as though she had nearly mastered the art of making glass beads. It is what she spent most of her time doing in the hot shop. That’s not to say she doesn’t create other projects or use other techniques, but rather she really enjoys making beads. It’s simply her favorite activity. Luckily for her, glass beads always seemed to be in short supply at their mountainous home. They were quite the fashion statement, so naturally everyone wanted some. Krys was quite happy to oblige. She had coated her mandrel, secured her reimancy-powered fire torch, cleaned her glass rod, lit up her torch, heated the mandrel, warmed the rod without it popping, rotated it until a blob formed that was the consistency of what almost looked like really thick honey, touched it to the coated part of the mandrel, rotated it, separated the beginning of her bead from the melting glass rod, and was just now rotating it to try to even out any irregularities, occasionally rubbing it against a marver, trying to shape it just perfectly to her liking. So far, the bead was looking quite fantastic. She then used a little stringer she made previously and began adding very small details, making almost bubble-like shapes to a few parts of her bead. She beginning to get frustrated because her stringers were not exactly cooperating. It was as though gravity was not on her side, for they just did not want to reduce to bubbles, keeping obnoxious little tails. She continued rotating the bead, touching the very thin glass rod to her bead once again, when suddenly a voice threw her out of her zone. Krysanthe had been startled, so her hand jerked, causing her to miss her target and add a very inglorious blob of misplaced color on her previously perfect little bead. The mistake was so elementary that it made the bead go from looking expert made to looking as though someone just learning the trick had done it. Such a ruined piece set Krysanthe in such a terrible state of mind that it was a wonder she heard what Reila had stated at all. Unluckily for the other woman, she heard every word, which did not help her attitude at all. “Reila!” She exclaimed. Krysanthe attempted to rescue her bead, but the best she could make it look at this point was mediocre. She set it up to cool anyways, and turned off her torch, not wanting to get anyone hurt. She looked up at the woman who had distracted her, incredibly put off, especially with that inconsiderate little smirk playing over her features. “For god’s sake, Reila! Drop the act! Everyone knows that you’re a Chiet even if you act like you’re better than everyone else. I’m sick and tired of you walking around here like you own the place just because your daddy is an Avora. Everyone knows of his talent, but you have no right to use what is his as a way to stick your nose in the air and look down on everyone. And, as a matter of fact, I was working hard. I have been working hard. I work hard nearly every day of my life while you walk around here taking breaks that are too long and drinking out of that ‘water’ skin that everyone knows doesn’t have water in it but everyone is just too ashamed or embarrassed to say anything.” The Inartan race was known for their fiery tempers, and Krysanthe was certainly no exception. Normally she was a shy little girl who sat in her corner and hardly said hello to anyone else. She didn’t doubt that one of the new apprentices had never even heard her speak before, and now she stood yelling at one of her coworkers. Still, when she got angry, there was very little holding her back. Sure, she would be incredibly ashamed for days to come about her outburst, but that did not cross her mind right now. All that she could focus on was that this cocky, over confident, selfish, inconsiderate alcoholic had just ruined a perfectly good bead. Naturally, one bead wasn’t the biggest of deals. It was just one mistake after all, and she was sure there would be plenty of others after today. It was just that Reila had really been getting on her nerves lately, and this was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. “Why can’t you just work like the rest of us? You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t good at what you do, but you are just so insistent in bothering everyone else. I don’t know if anyone else cares, but I do. I’m tired of the teasing. I’m tired of the mocking. I’m tired of your ignorance. I am tired of your selfishness. So please Reila.” Finally, by the end of her phrase, her voice quieted down. She figured anyone who wasn’t too busy was staring at them, and anyone who was working was listening. She hated causing such a disruption. She felt like a hypocrite, distracting others while yelling at someone who distracted her. She sighed, finally down to a regular speaking tone, finally giving Reila a chance to speak when she was finally finished ranting. “Just leave me alone.”

[Reila]

“Reila!”

The younger Inartan screamed her name perhaps louder than she had intended to whilst trying to recover her rapidly failing glass bead. It is lost... It didn’t take an Avora to realize the work was ruined, the glass bead may pass off as amateur work perhaps, but no more than that. Reila felt slightly sympathetic for the fellow glassblower, it was not her intention to ruin Krysanthe’s work. What does it matter? she’ll probably make a hundred more just like it within the week...
As their golden eyes met one another the tension suddenly rose to a point where, if you really tried to, you could probably taste it in the air.

“For god’s sake, Reila! Drop the act! Everyone knows that you’re a Chiet even if you act like you’re better than everyone else. I’m sick and tired of you walking around here like you own the place just because your daddy is an Avora. Everyone knows of his talent, but you have no right to use what is his as a way to stick your nose in the air and look down on everyone. And, as a matter of fact, I was working hard. I have been working hard. I work hard nearly every day of my life while you walk around here taking breaks that are too long and drinking out of that ‘water’ skin that everyone knows doesn’t have water in it but everyone is just too ashamed or embarrassed to say anything.”

...Finally someone who can stand up for themselves... She had to be honest with herself, she was not expecting this sudden outburst of emotion. For a while there was only silence. Every eye in the apprentice section of the hall was on them, whispering and muttering to themselves as the two women stared each other down in mental combat. Reila was the first to break the silence, turning toward the others she said: “My friend here is just having a bad day, come now get back to work, there is nothing else to be seen here!” After a few shrugs and mutters from the glass workers Reila turned her attention back toward Krysanthe. She did not feel anger nor even embarrassment for that matter, only a growing curiosity seemed to fill her.

“Why can’t you just work like the rest of us? You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t good at what you do, but you are just so insistent in bothering everyone else. I don’t know if anyone else cares, but I do. I’m tired of the teasing. I’m tired of the mocking. I’m tired of your ignorance. I am tired of your selfishness. So please Reila. Just leave me alone.”

She's defeated... Reila realized with a frown. Just when things were starting to get interesting... Nothing beat a passionate battle of words from time to time. “Relax, I’m sorry...” Whether she was really sorry or not the smirk on her lips seemed to say otherwise. Reila placed her hands gently on the red heads shoulders and started to massage the knots out of them. “I’ve decided I like you, here take a sip, trust me you’ll feel a lot better afterwards.” Reila forced the ‘water skin’ into Krysanthe’s arms with a free hand whilst the other worked carefully down her co-workers spine. “Well, I don’t really have much to say in my defense...” Reila pushed down strong and hard onto Kyrsanthe’s back muscles with a thumb. “Yes, my Father spoils me... yes, I tend to look down on others... yes I’m an alcoholic and yes I am selfish and ignorant...” Reila’s slender fingers made their way up Krysanthe’s neck, placing pressure on the muscles within. “So what, I’m guilty! If being bad is so wrong then why does it feel so good?” A wicked grin formed on the corner of her lips as she twisted Krysanthe’s head with a satisfying ‘CRACK’. “Now you’ve gotten me curious who are you? I’m sure the ‘prentice boys have told you all about me but who is this silent rose that sits quietly to herself in the corner?” Reila turned Krysanthe’s head slowly to face her. “Tell me...”

[Krysanthe]

Krysanthe eyed Reila when she apologized. Was nothing that came out of Reila’s mouth genuine? She sighed, trying to block the woman out of her focus, hoping she would go away. That hope was quickly diminished when she put her hands on Krys’s shoulders. Krys tried to squirm out of her grasp, although she soon stopped struggling. The shoulder rub did feel good. She fumbled with the water skin as it was shoved into her hands, quickly setting it down on her work table as if it was some kind of venomous snake. Krys never drank. She has seen the effects of alcohol on others, and the prospects of what alcohol could do to her were frightening. She really did not want to go there. Reila’s hands worked their way down Krys’s spine, massaging away tension. Reila was certainly no expert, but giving a back rub wasn’t an exact science as far as Krys was concerned, and despite the fact that she really wasn’t one for being touched, she wasn’t going to turn away a free back rub. She listened dully as Reila went on, agreeing with everything Krysanthe had accused her of. A new tension filled Krys in place of what Reila had rubbed away, this one from irritation at the pride she detected in Reila’s ever confident tone. When the alcoholic young woman massaged her neck with her surprisingly strong hands, Krys began to get suspicious. Her golden eyes flicked up to the woman about being bad feeling good, and she caught sight of that wicked grin and raised her eyebrows, when suddenly she had her head twisted and cracked. Her first instinct was to raise a hand to her neck to ease the pain. She was surprised to find the relief that came afterwards. Krys wanted to look away when Reila asked her about herself, but she didn’t have much of an option. Reila was pretty much in control of her head and neck, and Krysanthe didn’t like that. She squirmed away from the young woman’s grasp, more successfully this time than the last. With a sigh, she stated, “There is nothing to tell.” She looked away for a moment, fidgeting unconsciously. It was hard for her to think of anything to say. Krysanthe didn’t consider her life to be incredibly exciting. The parts of her life that might actually be worth listening to are the moments she keeps locked away, unwilling to reveal them to anyone. “Not all of us have a story worth telling.” She looked back up. “Some of us are just here to stand in the background. That’s who I am.”

[Reila]

“There is nothing to tell.”

The younger Inartan looked away and Reila released her grip on the woman’s head. ...Nothing to tell? That seemed to irritate Reila. As the redhead fidgeted uncomfortably Reila’s eyes began to scan the woman, pale skin, piercing golden eyes and full lips. ...She’s a pretty little thing that’s for sure... She wondered why such a beautiful young woman hadn’t been common talk among the apprentice boys. She felt the foundations of jealousy begin to build within her yet shunned it away as quickly as it had come. Once Krysanthe had found the courage to look back up at her co-worker, she mumbled something about being in the background. That seemed to irritate Reila further. “Oh come now! You expect me to believe that!?” She exclaimed, perhaps a little too loudly. Reila glanced around for her wine skin and found it placed on a work desk. With one, quick swoop of a hand she grasped the wine skin, pulled off the stopper and took a quick swallow before placing it back in to her waist pouch.

“...a pretty little flower like you?” Reila reached out again but this time she grabbed on to Krysanthe’s thighs and squeezed. “Surely not... not someone like you...” She brought herself closer to Krysanthe, their faces a mere breaths width apart. “I bet every apprentice boy in here knows you well... very well...” She brought her lips to the glassblower’s ear and whispered, “...every... single... one of them...” Reila pulled her head back to stare Krysanthe in the eyes, molten gold against eagle yellow. Her whole face a scene of mockery.

[Krysanthe]

At Reila’s exclamation, Krys leaned back, as if trying to separate herself from this increasingly psychotic woman as much as she could without entirely backing down to her. What was this chick’s problem? Why was she so insistent in finding out about her? Why wouldn’t she just leave her alone? Couldn’t she catch a hint? Krys didn’t want to talk. It really wasn’t that difficult to understand. And yet Reila wasn’t getting the message. The woman took another swig of her wine, and then what happened next froze Krys so quickly it was as though she turned to stone. Her breath got caught in her throat. Her cheeks grew hot. Her thoughts grew clouded. Krysanthe was furious. Her golden eyes were indeed molten, reflecting the fire that Reila had been feeding from inside her. They were like lava, ready to burst forth and burn the skin right off of the yellow eyed nuisance. Krysanthe put her hands on Reila’s shoulders and gave a mighty shove, desperately trying to get her away. She touched her. Reila had the nerve to lay her hands on her, taunt her, mock her. Krysanthe stood, and she looked so angry it was unreal, like a cartoon character, as though any moment steam was going to start shooting from her ears. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her knuckles white, and certainly anyone who had looked away before were staring at them now. Krysanthe wasn’t one to say anything. No one ever really instigated her into being so angry, so naturally it was assumed that she didn’t have much of a temper. She was always just the quiet girl in the corner who didn’t say a word, didn’t react, didn’t feel, just sat and worked. This was a side of her that no one had ever seen. Not allowing a moment to pass from when she shoved Reila away to when she stood to when she spoke, Krys shouted out “They don’t! I make a point of that! They don’t know me. No one knows me. You don’t know me. I don’t want you to know me. I want peace and quiet. I want to work. I want you to leave me alone. So go bother someone else! Go drink somewhere else! Just… Go! Enjoy a long walk, why don’t you!” There were a few gasps at the insult. For those who aren’t familiar with that one, telling someone to ‘enjoy a long walk’ is basically saying ‘I wish you would go insane and die in the deep warrens’. In short, Krysanthe was anything but happy, and if Reila tried anything else to play with her nerves, this could roll down hill even more quickly, snowballing into a potentially dangerous situation.

[Reila]

Reila watched in amusement as a dark red flush crept up the side of Krysanthe’s neck. Her eyes were pits of lava that seemed ready to erupt at any moment. Oops... I pushed the wrong button She thought wickedly to herself as she was shoved back by the shoulders from angry force. The younger Inartan stood still for a while, her fury so clearly present that Reila could almost taste the bitterness of it. They were not alone. Half the reverie had put down whatever they were doing to watch what could quite possibly turn out into a ‘cat fight`.

“They don’t! I make a point of that! They don’t know me. No one knows me. You don’t know me. I don’t want you to know me. I want peace and quiet. I want to work. I want you to leave me alone. So go bother someone else! Go drink somewhere else! Just… Go! Enjoy a long walk, why don’t you!”

...and there it is... Reila began to clap, slowly at first and then louder, faster. Two boys behind them started to clap, then others joined in. Within moments the whole apprentice section of the reverie was filled from the sound of clapping. Reila could do naught but laugh at her blatantly confused coworker. When the clapping eventually began to die down Reila turned toward the others and gave them a playful curtsey. “Don’t worry yourself sweetheart...” a stout, freckled boy called out from his workspace. “She’s done it to us all!” A lanky young man with a hooked nose and ponytail stood up from his workbench to make himself noticed. “Aye... It’s her way of getting to know you... most of us here have had to suffer a similar humiliation from her and-” Reila shot him a cold stare, cutting him off mid-sentence. The lanky Inartan scratched his head, shrugged and continued on with his work. Reila turned her attention back to Krysanthe. “You passed the test! Don’t take too much to heart. I believe that you don’t truly know someone until you’ve seen their angry side.” She said, smiling her usual wicked smile.

Reila’s head was beginning to pound, she would have to finish this up quickly. “I like you Krysanthe, if ever these lads give you any trouble... let me know.” A snort of laughter was heard from one of the apprentice boys but when Reila turned her head to peer over her shoulder everyone had ‘innocently’ gotten back to their work. “If ever you need me I can be found over in the Avora section of the Reverie.” Reila patted Krysanthe on the shoulder twice, turned and started to make her way back. After a few feet of walking she turned slightly and winked whilst blowing a kiss to the younger woman. “See you around...”

[Krysanthe]

What the what? Krys’s angry expression melted into one of utter confusion when she started a slow clap. When the others joined in, she looked around, flustered, suddenly very aware of how much of a scene she had just made. What Reila had just made. How much attention they drew. Her cheeks flushed and her hands clenched and unclenched nervously. Why was Reila laughing Why were all the apprentices clapping? What… Done it to them all? Krys’s eyes landed on a boy with a ponytail who made a point of standing, trying to make an explanation, but a glare from Reila sent him into his seat. Krys looked back to Reila, more confused than angry, although the anger was still there. A test? You have got to be kidding me. Krys thought, squinting her eyes. She didn’t move as Reila patted her on the shoulder, her words acting as a thorn in Krys’s side. She was just so petching snarky! ‘I can be found in the Avora section of the Reverie.’ As if. That petty little egomaniac. That little… Krys watched her walk away, thinking a thousand obscenities in her direction. She was a little startled when the yellow eyed lady turned and offered a kiss and a wink, offering a final goodbye, if you could call it that. Krys only glared, sitting back down. She heard one of the apprentice boys make some comment, and, not really paying much attention to what he actually said, she shot him a glare. He shut up. You wish. Krys thought, relighting her fire torch. If it were up to her, she would never have to interact with Reila ever again. If she could control the universe, she would make it so she would never have to see Reila again. Never have to talk to her. Never have to hear her shrill, obnoxious, loud voice taunting in her ear. No, better than that. If she could control the universe, she’d make Reila change. She’d make her put down the alcohol, work for her own living, experience some real character-building loss, and give her a different outlook. Yeah, that would be nice. Change her for the better. Make her personality a polar opposite. Maybe then Krys would be able to stand to be near her. Maybe then they could be friends. If she could only change Reila’s fate. Or just never talking to her again. That would be nice. If only fate would allow. But that’s the funny thing about fate, it never really does what you want it to, but it always does what you need it to, even if it’s a pain in your neck and a headache waiting to happen. Krysanthe returned her attention to making a new bead, realigning her little glass rods, and heating her mandrel. Nothing like a little busy work to keep your mind off of the eyes that were still burrowing into the back of your head.

[Sphinx]

Thread Award! Character Name: Reila Skills: Socialising +2, Persuasion +1, Unarmed Combat +1, Intimidation +1 Lore: A Father's Love Is Sometimes Awkward, Krysanthe: Chiet, Causing a Scene, Character Name: Krysanthe Skills: Glassworking +2, Socialising +2, Intimidation +1, Brawling +1, Lore: Reila: Mocking and Cruel, Glassworking: Making Beads, Standing Up for Yourself in the Face of Bullying, This thread was fun, but short sadly. I enjoyed the read greatly and found Reila to be incredibly abrasive, but I liked her technique to get Krysanthe to open up. Wow, lol. If you have questions, concerns, or comments about my grading, please don't be afraid to PM me.