Open Frustration

[Aeliris]

Aeliris loitered around the workplace for a moment, staring across at the tools hung on the walls, arrayed before her. She knew what some of them were for, but she lacked the necessary co-ordination to use them with any degree of success. So here she was, cleaning out the leftover volcanic ash and charcoal. A sign of the life she had aspired too. Sweeping the remnants into the sack she was to use to collect them. She sighed, that was the easy part. "Why can't these artisans try to minimise the mess they make." she whispered to herself. I was never this bad when I practiced. Was I?

She moved over to retrieve the tools kept in the back of the workplace; a brush, and a composition of steel threads for removing the rest of the grime. She passed over to the first furnace, hesitantly touching her finger to its exterior to make sure it had cooled down sufficiently for her purposes. She then began to scrub the surfaces with as much force as she could muster, attempting to dislodge the most heavily set intrusions before the attempt to collect the remaining dirt.

Her sense of time seemed to warp as she worked, and it felt like she was making little progress. Nevertheless, she eventually finished with the first furnace before turning to the second. Only two more to go, and then...and then what? I'll be drafted out to do some other job until I literally collapse from exhaustion. what little enthusiasm she gained from the completed step dropped, she was nowhere near done, and it felt that she never would be.

[Astreia]

Astreia glided into the workshop, feeling slightly bitter. Knowing that she would never be truly happy in Wind Reach society, she had asked, or rather begged, her father to be allowed to travel to Zeltiva and enlist at the university. She might have been touched if he had responded with anger or worry and It's possible that she would have been relieved if he had advised her not to go - told her it was too dangerous, and she could go in a few years, or at the very earliest, late Spring where it would be safer and Wind Reach was less cut off. Instead, he responded with a derision that sickened her and made her temper flare, told her she was too childish and a fool... said that she should be concentrating on making herself a place within Inarta society instead of seeking to wander the land like a damn Svefra.
Since Astreia's caste had been lowered, her father had been quite cold to her. Tough Love, he said.

After this confrontation he had asked her to make herself useful and sent her off to the workshop to find him some steel thread.

Astreia had not payed much attention to her surroundings, knowing where the thread was kept and almost completely missed the young girl bent over one of the furnaces. Astreia quickly analysed the situation. A Young girl, no more than eighteen, taller than herself, dark hair, dirty and a shade out of the ordinary... a dek. Astreia felt a stab of pity, something she always felt when seeing a dek struggling with their labours.

With the thread in her hand, she turned around and was about to leave when she stopped. Should she say something to the dek?

[Aeliris]

With the entrance of the newcomer, Aeliris looked up from her 'work', which at that moment appeared to be sitting contemplating the leftover ashes. A look of panic spread over her face, and she lifted a hand to rest upon the snake wrapped around her waist beneath her lontev for comfort as she tried to keep calm. I can always make up an excuse. she thought. As Aeliris regained some degree of composure, she studied her visitor. She doesn't look like she has a temper. I might be able to get away with this after all.

"Easy Gerome" she whispered before addressing the newcomer properly.

The dislike of idleness was one thing that was almost universally shared, and as such, Aeliris intentionally tried to draw attention away from that. She casually swept her hair back, exposing an empty eye socket, and waved, offering a verbal greeting at the same time. "Good day miss. Is there anything I can do for you?" The girl looked young, almost as much as herself. Aeliris could only hope that she was still getting used to protocol and would focus on the decoys instead of the real crime.

Inarta law often tended to be linked to the crime, and while showing laziness would likely result in not getting fed, to Aeliris' mind not showing proper respect for caste posed an interesting conundrum with how far down she already was. It surely couldn't be worse than the prospect of losing what little sustenance she could get.

[Astreia]

"Good day miss. Is there anything I can do for you?" The question took Astreia by surprise though, in all honesty, what else could she expect? She wasn't used to being referred to as Miss, that as much went without saying, but then again, she did not usually have much contact with Deks. She did not usually have much contact with anyone.

"No, thank you." she said with a small smile, slightly apologetically for disturbing the girl, but without any verbal apology. One did not apologise to those of lower castes.

Astreia turned back, knowing she shouldn't dawdle, then - also being rather sharp and quick-witted - in the easy knowledge that her father only wanted her out of the house, she relaxed and smiled at the dek. There was no one around and it wouldn't matter.

"I am Astreia."

[Aeliris]

Aeliris was caught off guard by the politeness granted to her. A pause. She opened her mouth to reply though whatever sound she intended to make failed to fit through, she closed her eye for a moment and took a breath. "Ae..Aeliris. I'm Aeliris" she stammered, gaining confidence as she continued. The woman had smiled at her, it had been so long since anyone had done so; Astreia seemed nice enough. Still young, and far from completely accepting of things, Aeliris decided to test the waters in a streak of rebelliousness and longing.

"H, how are you? Are you alright?"

Though she may have decided to act against her instincts, she still felt fear, and that quiet panic, combined with an awkwardness born from not directing a conversation with any but Gerome in almost a year kept her tone soft and timid. Aeliris knew that she shouldn't be a hassle, but she wanted to talk to someone normally, and this young woman seemed nice. It had been so long since she'd had anyone smile at her.