83rd Fall, 515 AV
Ivana examined the small amount of clothes in her closet and sighed wistfully. At home, in Ahnatep, she had had four wardrobes, each overflowing with clothes. She had had skirts and tops and dresses and trousers and robes, in a near endless assortment of colours. Now the closet was nearly bare, and the clothes all blatantly Eypharian to any who knew to look. The only splash of colour was her scarf, and as much as Ivana wanted to look good she didn't think wearing it to work at a philtering shop was particularly sensible.
Makeup, at least, she had, and in spades. Ivana sighed and, still in only her underwear, walked over to the table, sat down, her cosmetics already laid out for her. She unscrewed a pot of kohl and dipped a tiny brush into it, then drew a thick line over her upper lashline. She dipped again and drew another, this time lengthening it past her eye and up, just a little, into a short flick. She examined it carefully, tilting her head this way and that to see whether it was long enough, wide enough, thin enough. Satisfied, she continued. The next line she drew was below her eye, as close to the lashes as possible. She joined it to the elongated line at the end and then carefully painted the skin between it and her eye in.
First eye done, Ivana turned her attention to the much harder task of mirroring it on the other side. One eye, flawless the first time, the second she knew would take ages to perfect. She had deliberately woken with several bells to spare before work to ensure she had enough time to finish getting ready. The first line above the eye went on perfectly in several careful strokes. As she moved onto the next, however, her elbow banged the table and she yelped, the brush drawing a thick line up to her brow as her arm jerked.
She set the kohl brush down and carefully unscrewed her bottle of cold cream, dipped a finger in and painted over the line. It smelled, just a little, of something strong and sharp and unpleasant, but it did the job - the black mark smeared her finger first, but that was easily wiped off. After dabbing her forehead clean to ensure there was no cream remaining - trying to paint over that stuff was just messy - she tried the line again, this time successfully.
Eyeing the two together, she spent a few moments sharpening her left and lengthening her right, until they were as equal as her critical examination needed them to be. She screwed the lid of the kohl back on and wiped her brush clean, then picked up a tub of colouring for her lips. Ivana wanted a natural colour, and that meant she only had one option, a shade a little darker and redder than natural. This was just a job, she reminded herself as she carefully painted over her lips, there was no need to go all out with her cosmetics - especially as she wanted to get there early, and doubly so given the chemicals in the philtering rooms might make her makeup run.
Once her lips were done she blotted them, applied a layer of salve to keep the colour from staining anything her lips touched, and set about quickly dressing. She still had a bell and a half left before she really had to go, and Ivana spent that time doing her hair. She brushed it, then combed out any remaining lugs or knots before twisted it into a high ponytail which she coiled atop her head and secured in place. As she examined - and admired - herself in the mirror, Ivana was pleased. It was a good style for the first day of her job, keeping her hair out of the way in a seemingly easy way, although there were some days it took her multiple goes to get it in place. She pulled on her clothes and examined herself again. It would have to do.
Ivana dropped into the other room briefly to kiss her goodbyes to Myra and Ky, then slipped outside into the crisp air. With a shiver, Ivana wrapped her cloak tightly around her shoulders and hurried down the street to the market and the Starry Chalice. She had walked down to the shop the night before with Ky to make sure she knew where it was, and was glad she had bothered to do so; Ivana still didn't really understand when it was that Lhavit was busy and when it was not, but then it had been quiet, and now the streets were filled with a lively throng of people. Had she not already familiarised herself with the way, Ivana would not have arrived as she did - a chime early and eager to start.
Ivana examined the small amount of clothes in her closet and sighed wistfully. At home, in Ahnatep, she had had four wardrobes, each overflowing with clothes. She had had skirts and tops and dresses and trousers and robes, in a near endless assortment of colours. Now the closet was nearly bare, and the clothes all blatantly Eypharian to any who knew to look. The only splash of colour was her scarf, and as much as Ivana wanted to look good she didn't think wearing it to work at a philtering shop was particularly sensible.
Makeup, at least, she had, and in spades. Ivana sighed and, still in only her underwear, walked over to the table, sat down, her cosmetics already laid out for her. She unscrewed a pot of kohl and dipped a tiny brush into it, then drew a thick line over her upper lashline. She dipped again and drew another, this time lengthening it past her eye and up, just a little, into a short flick. She examined it carefully, tilting her head this way and that to see whether it was long enough, wide enough, thin enough. Satisfied, she continued. The next line she drew was below her eye, as close to the lashes as possible. She joined it to the elongated line at the end and then carefully painted the skin between it and her eye in.
First eye done, Ivana turned her attention to the much harder task of mirroring it on the other side. One eye, flawless the first time, the second she knew would take ages to perfect. She had deliberately woken with several bells to spare before work to ensure she had enough time to finish getting ready. The first line above the eye went on perfectly in several careful strokes. As she moved onto the next, however, her elbow banged the table and she yelped, the brush drawing a thick line up to her brow as her arm jerked.
She set the kohl brush down and carefully unscrewed her bottle of cold cream, dipped a finger in and painted over the line. It smelled, just a little, of something strong and sharp and unpleasant, but it did the job - the black mark smeared her finger first, but that was easily wiped off. After dabbing her forehead clean to ensure there was no cream remaining - trying to paint over that stuff was just messy - she tried the line again, this time successfully.
Eyeing the two together, she spent a few moments sharpening her left and lengthening her right, until they were as equal as her critical examination needed them to be. She screwed the lid of the kohl back on and wiped her brush clean, then picked up a tub of colouring for her lips. Ivana wanted a natural colour, and that meant she only had one option, a shade a little darker and redder than natural. This was just a job, she reminded herself as she carefully painted over her lips, there was no need to go all out with her cosmetics - especially as she wanted to get there early, and doubly so given the chemicals in the philtering rooms might make her makeup run.
Once her lips were done she blotted them, applied a layer of salve to keep the colour from staining anything her lips touched, and set about quickly dressing. She still had a bell and a half left before she really had to go, and Ivana spent that time doing her hair. She brushed it, then combed out any remaining lugs or knots before twisted it into a high ponytail which she coiled atop her head and secured in place. As she examined - and admired - herself in the mirror, Ivana was pleased. It was a good style for the first day of her job, keeping her hair out of the way in a seemingly easy way, although there were some days it took her multiple goes to get it in place. She pulled on her clothes and examined herself again. It would have to do.
Ivana dropped into the other room briefly to kiss her goodbyes to Myra and Ky, then slipped outside into the crisp air. With a shiver, Ivana wrapped her cloak tightly around her shoulders and hurried down the street to the market and the Starry Chalice. She had walked down to the shop the night before with Ky to make sure she knew where it was, and was glad she had bothered to do so; Ivana still didn't really understand when it was that Lhavit was busy and when it was not, but then it had been quiet, and now the streets were filled with a lively throng of people. Had she not already familiarised herself with the way, Ivana would not have arrived as she did - a chime early and eager to start.
