Stone and water [Graded]

[Damal]

It seemed a crowd had begun to appear and so did hat girl Damal met at the bath house. It was a bit odd that he'd ecounter both the girls from the bathhouse on the same day but "Oh well a mere coincedence" thought the symenestra. "I don't honestly believe that your sister would be so kind." He looked to the crowd of people which were now chanting "Fight!" over and over again " I don't think this drudge deserves to be spoiled either I think she should be given her normal 2 meals like all drudges get." he looked at Sairque's eyes wishing he could simply set her on fire on the spot. He grabbed a pastry off a plate and shoved it at Iris "So why don't you let her return to her usual duties, she's not some sort of slave for you to push around" wiuth that Damal turned his back on the twins and started walking down the corridor in the other direction.

[Iris]

Iris didn’t see the plate and roll coming, and even if she could have caught it she wouldn’t have touched it. It was not her place, not her privilege, Damal seemed not to understand that. She thought about what Sairque had said, it wasn’t as if she had refused to do her duty, food or no food she would have helped her sister. But she wouldn’t say thank you because it wouldn’t be altogether true: she was thankful for the bread but not of the current situation and a small part of her wouldn’t give the satisfaction o the Endal.

Iris could only chew her lip as she always did when troubled, a small bead of blood forming beside her mouth, she did nothing about it though. The crowd wanted some action, the so called street theatre and by the look on the sisters face they would get it. There was no option but stay put, she couldn’t even try to mingle with the crowd and disappear, not with her whiteness.

"So why don't you let her return to her usual duties, she's not some sort of slave for you to push around" Damal had said and Iris answered in barley a whisper only audible to him “I am exactly that”
Damal had started to walk away, Iris watched his back marvelling at his courage, or defiance or was it fear?

She looked around at the mass of red heads her eyes only giving detail enough to barley set them apart.
She looked at Sairque and asked “What now?” She gathered up the fallen role and held it out.

[Sairque]

Sai's amused glance turned to the healer, one hand coming up to wave off the protest about forgetting food and such. Before she answered though, eyes swept disapprovingly over the crowd that had abruptly sprung up and she barked "If you don't have something to do right now, I know of a few mining teams that need extra hands. Get moving!" The majority of people followed the advice, being Avora or Chiet, while a few Endal hung around inconspicuously. Bloodshed, as Addy had mentioned, was such a normal part of their lives it was amazing that they would still find some spectacles interesting. And Sai had no inclination to do anything remotely like it, frankly, she was worried his blood would be all gooey and she'd have to subject some poor Drudge to scrubbing up after the likes of him. Funny that, Damal was less than a Drudge.

"I was in the middle of getting your meal when he somehow got it into his head that I would actually do something more than vaguely watch the motions his lips were making before forgetting that he exists," she posited, amused at the little bugs gumption; a light bulb suddenly sprang on. "You know, Addy, you need a helper. Let's use him," she suggested as he was mumbling nonsense about treating the Dek like they were supposed to be treated even while he fed her outside of the two allotted meals. Iris' quiet response wasn't heard by the flight leader, and her own orders to the Sym carried on its heels.

"Come back here," it wasn't a request, and if the pasty bug didn't stop she would go get him. He scribbled on paper while bathing, and she fought off grizzly bears; it was no contest. "We now have need of two helpers, and since you obviously aren't contributing to Wind Reach in any useful manner, you better come with me before I toss you out on your arse for not having a job." Which is exactly what happened to people who refused to work. Granted, she was bluffing her knowledge that he was indeed without occupation, but the threat wasn't an idle one. They would march down to the Valintar's office and after verifying his length of stay in the city as well as status of employment, he would be dealt with accordingly.

Winter was coming up quick and they hadn't nearly enough food stored up for the hardworking people of the city, much less the idle. Sai would slit the throat of any lazy outsider long before she let a single Dek starve this upcoming season. Especially if that lazy outsider was working against the cogs of their city.

Iris had asked her question at this point, but Sai knew that Addy would respond while her sister was otherwise engaged. Probably take her off to get that meal. Oh man, Sai's stomach grumbled loudly.

[Aidara]

"What now?" Green eyes flickered to the pale Dek as she spoke, not moving from her spot but watching her sister as she moved after Damal. Ah well, this was awkward, wasn't it? All Addy wanted was her food and her helper. Said helper stood to her right, so at least the errands were half done. Delicious smells wafted around the kitchen, and Addy took a deep, lingering breath as her eyes slid closed. A sigh and she peered back at the woman. "Well, I'm Aidara. Addy, if you please?" It wasn't really a question, though, so she continued on, "If you'll follow me, we'll get some breakfast. I assume you were completed with whatever task my sister drug you away from? If not, I'll find someone to finish it up for you, as to not suffer any consequences." Addy spoke with a slight formality that wasn't usually present in her tone. A pause as she waited for her words to sink in before slinking off through the crowd, the Dek woman in tow. "I don't know how much Sairque informed you, but you're going to have a lucky day today. What is your name, by the way? I did want us to break our fast in peace, in return for your help. But...Well, that's ruined, so hopefully you'll at least still enjoy your meal. I give you explicit orders to enjoy yourself." Addy wasn't particularly fond of the caste system, but she understood that is was what it took to make things work on Skyinarta, and therefore respected the way things were. But that didn't mean she couldn't treat those she encountered with kindness and respect. Well aware that she was most likely going to make the woman feel awkward and out of place, she tried to keep an air of formality in place. Most of those Dek's she dealt with felt more comfortable with such an attitude. "If Sairque did not tell you what I had requested of her, we wanted a training dummy for unarmed combat practice. However, I don't really know what she was thinking, grabbing an actual person. I simply wanted a bale of hay. Now that I have you....I have a better idea." They had moved away from the crowd and Addy grabbed two plates, putting one of absolutely everything onto each. Carefully, she maneuvered back with a heavily ladened meal in each hand, sliding onto a partially empty bench. One plate was placed in front of herself, while the other was set on the seat across from her. A hand indicated for the woman to sit and without further delay, Addy tucked into her breakfast.

[Silwyn]

Silwyn had watched from the front of the crowd that had gathered just outside the kitchen as some strange man had chosen to stand up for an albino dek. Or at least, that was what everyone who was outside gossiping was saying. Silwyn couldn't make out all the words, to either the conversation going on in the kitchen or the several going on around her, but even so, she could tell that, as usual, Sai was being all full of herself, and was telling somebody off given her stiff and angry-looking stance. Which, she could unfortunately get away with because she was an eagle rider, which, to this day, annoyed Silwyn almost as much as not knowing who had killed her mentor Anhasha.

Silwyn could also tell that since she and just about all of mt. skyinarta's hungry inhabitants were huddled outside the kitchen instead of inside them stocking up on food, that whatever was happening was not good. It was getting rather heated, and if she knew Sai in the way that she was pretty sure she knew the young eagle rider, you could pretty much count on it only getting worse and that there being a blood bath. Yet, to Silwyn's surprise, no one died.

In fact, the whole thing broke up after a little while, and Silwyn found herself able to enter the kitchen and grab something to eat. First, she grabbed a plate, before walking over to a display of food, where she picked up a role and a bright red apple.

Figuring that would be more than enough for her, she walked over to a row of benches, one of which held a girl she recognized to be Addy, and the albino from before. Happy to have found someone she actually recognized, she walked over to the two of them and motioned towards the empty space next to Addy. Smiling, she said, "mind if I sit here?"

[Damal]

"Contributing to the city?" He thought and turned to face her but just shrugged and turned back
around. While not looking her in the face he said "I have a job as a Cartographer." He sighed
and said this loud so she and others could here him. "Perhaps you didn't know but there is a
whole island that noone does travel to but I make maps of." He reached in his jacket pocket
gripped a magnifying glass but noone would notice that was it they only see a old wooden handle.
He wanted to appear threatening as if he had a knife but still he was a pacifist so he'd be
bum out of luck if she challenged him to a duel or something. "I've been here over 100 Days and still
know little of these people but o'well." He thought and then let go of the handle. He adjusted
his scarf and headed into the cafeteria to eat.

Filling his plate with healthy fruits and vegetables he sat down at a empty table and begun eating.
Hoping he'd managed to get lost in the crowd from Sairque. It wasn't that phsyically unable to help her
it was simply he wouldn't help anyone who treated Drudges like dirt. After taking a bite out of
a juicy apple and turned his gaze to the back of Silwyn's head.

[Araeki]

Grabbing one of the gleaming glass plates they had stacked in the kitchen was the easy part. Suprisingly, filling it with food was pretty easy too. The real hard part Araeki was going to have to face was eating, without getting caught.
Still being, officially, in the youth village, Rae was supposed to be working every day. In reality, Rae had been sneeking off to different places and practicing her archery, meeting birds, or just thinking. But today Rae had bigger plans. She was sneeking around, following the working Deks, and deciding to eat with them.
Araeki piled her plate with lots of Wind Reaches fresh oranges, and some meat the Endal had broughten back. She straightened her purple Vinati anxiously, and stood in the back looking for a table. Rae fussed over her cuffs, then with a sudden atrial of bravery walked over to the nearest table. "hello. I'm Rae" she said not-so-warmly to three Inarta girls and one of another race entirely.

[Iris]

ooc: sorry it took all this time I was sick and couldn’t look at the computer screen because my eyes would water like crazy!


“No, I finished” She said almost truthfully but then nobody would notice a patch of not scrubbed floor, they seldom noticed anything they out under their feet. She decided she liked Aider and she smiled when she said her name “My name is Iris”

Iris was surprised when she was invited to sit with the Endal even more so when two other Inarta joined in. She just smiled and nodded wondering what was in store for her after the meal. Unarmed combat, she shivered biting her lip, didn’t sound good, not good at all. She smiled at Rae and introduced herself “Hi, I’m Iris” She looked at her plate, her stomach would enjoy itself whether she liked it or not she smiled.
Seemed Dermal would be put to good use Sairque would not let him leave without…well a bang.

[Sairque]

OOCNo worries Iris, sorry about bugging you in the PM. It's good to hear that you're feeling better now!

Sai briefly glanced over to watch the various people she knew leave the halls to finally grab a bite to eat, and then her eyes turned to the one man left from the situation. Damal.

Had the declaration of work as a cartographer come from any other land-bound person, Sai might have found it funny. A good joke. However, by the way Damal said it like offhand fact, and the point of proof, the island, he brought up, the Endal could tell he was completely serious.

Damal wasn't covered in bat guano and wasn't glowing from spore, nor had he been that day in the bath. So the one place he could have legitimately been mapping was crossed off the list. This 'island' had to be out in the ocean, and if it was possible for Damal to get there on foot, it was most likely already mapped, and had been for several hundred years, by an Eagle rider. Not only did they have the right perspective, as most travel was done by Eagle in their case, but the sharp eyes of the raptor and intelligence to pick out the right things to relay for recording negated eighty percent of the need to traverse the area on foot. Now, with an Endal or Avora, or even Yasi, Sai would have pointed these things out. And if she had been in a good mood, might have even given them a second chance.

Sairque closed the distance between them as he grabbed at the handle of a knife, or, at least, that's what Sai thought it was because who was stupid enough to bluff an Inarta with a magnifying glass? A people that regularly engaged in knife-fights and were about as afraid of the subsequent gruesome wounds as they were of heights? Sai had been planning on dragging his idealistic butt down to the Valintar, because Kaden had made it clear to the flight leader as a younger rider that outsiders were vital to trade, among other things, so shouldn't be physically accosted without proper provocation. They had to be given a bit of leeway until they understood the way of life here. However, causing problems with the caste system was a serious offense, more so than pulling a weapon on a flight leader. But it was the latter that cemented him in her ire, Kaden would handle the former.

Map Boy wasn't turned quite square up to her, having been indulging his lily-liver and unable to bring himself to face her staunchly, like a man. Had he been, he might have been able to figure out what she was doing; her approach was relaxed, the woman traipsing over to him to engage him further about this cartography work he spoke of. Once within arms reach, however, her hand snaked out to clamp down on the wrist holding that handle. It was a basic move, carefully keeping all aggressive body language restrained and maintaining an air of casualness, as though she had realized that he was willing to pull that knife on her and didn't want that to happen. If the move landed, she would jerk the knife out from his coat to snatch the blade from his weak pacifist grasp with her other hand.

"You," a pathetic commoner, a coward, a freeloader, a leech, a dunce incapable of grasping the most basic concepts of Inartian society, "do not refuse a request made of you by your betters." Her yellow eyes glinted coldly on his, fingers wrapped around his wrist like bands of steel, every muscle in her lean body dancing under the taut sheath of her creamy white skin.

And when she found out that he had threatened her with a magnifying glass, in the time it took her synapses to fire, she had cocked that hand back, grasping the tool by the handle, and, backhand style, whipped the heavy lens across the slack face staring down at her. The blow carried all the way through, she had a full wind up, body twisting to get the momentum of her full weight, to whip it back across his face, the thin metal frame aimed to crack against his temple.

Once the first blow landed it was hard to stop. All the hatred she had for useless people skimming off the blood and sweat her people poured into everything they did flared to life and took the form of this piece of bat dung Sym. All the Dek that starved to death, all the hunters that fell to monsters, all the glassblowers that suffered injuries and were relegated back to the Dek class, every single bit of misery her people suffered were laid at this slimy scum's feet. He was eating the food that should be stored up, his presence required numerous Dek to take time from tasks to help the hard working Inartians to help him, he didn't have one redeeming quality to justify one more minute among them.

[Aidara]

Oblivious to the justice that her sister was laying upon the Symenestra outside of the kitchens, Aidara continued to happily inhale her food. It was something both she and her twin enjoyed immensely; though Sairque held a much higher respect for food, Addy being too picky for her own good. Still, she enjoyed the array in front of her with the same delighted oblivious attitude to those that joined in around her and Iris at first. Addy looked up, taking a huge bite of a breakfast roll and intending to talk to Iris around the mouthful, continuing their conversation as if food hadn't completely distracted her. However, the small woman paused, blinked and searched the faces of each of their new companions before chewing slowly and swallowing. Aidara recognized Silwyn immediately, and gave her a friendly smile and a nod. Her eyes only wandered from her face to the dyers hands for a moment, idly checking what the color of her skin would be today. "Silwyn, nice of you to join us. But you..." Green eyes slid to the strange Inarta who had joined them, her head cocking to the side as she inspected the girl. "I don't know you. I am Aidara. Who might you be, pretty?" This was said with a smile and another nod of welcome. Addy gave the newcomer a moment or two to answer before she turned her attentions back to Iris. Resting her elbows on the table, and steepling her fingers in front of her, Addy quietly regarded the albino woman before dropping her hands flat against the table with a sudden smack. "I've got it!" Standing, pushing her chair back from the table she grabbed both hers and Iris' plates, moving them to the cleaning bin before returning to the table. "...But we've got to go talk to my sister first. Run it by her and all that good stuff. Lets go." With a smile to soften her commanding tone, Addy began to lead Iris from the kitchen before turning back to Silwyn and Araeki. "You girls are welcomed to join." That was all she said before resuming her path from the kitchen. Free from the frenzied mob of hungry mountain top citizens, Addy straightened her outfit, patting here and there as she generally just held up their progression for appearances sake. Satisfied, the Sai-thread was touched upon, and caused her to blurt out a little "oh!" before running off down the hallways towards where he sister was thwacking people around with scientific instruments. "What did you do to her!?" Addy rounded the corner in a fiery red blaze of suspicion and anger, her cheeks flushed a dull red while her hair swung about her face. Those green eyes were hard, and pinned on the pale man as he stagged back from the blow. She felt the anger rising in her sister from their slight touch on their bond. Addy knew that Sai would never strike anyone just for fun; even an outsider. Obviously, in Addys mind at least, Damal had done something to her sister and she was ripped and riled, ready to go. He didn't have to know that her gnosis actually prevented her from hurting anyone. Had she tried to inflict physical pain upon him, or anyone else, without hitting in an attempt to kill...not only would she suffer pain herself, but she would be driven to heal her target back up, brandy-spankin new. Cause everyone knows getting the crap beat out of you and then healed back to better than you were prior to said beating was the real way to teach someone a lesson. Either way, he didn't have to know she was bluffing. She was a rabid five foot bundle of raw energy, fed by the anger from her sister. They were complete opposites now though. Addy practically danced in her spot, while Sai stood with a cool, calm and collected posture and facial expression. It was obvious who was used to dealing with these situations. "Sai, what did he do?"