Rhubarb #3, Kumquat #24 Dark Chocolate #22
Why exactly does the internet feel the need to go down just when I'm about to make myself useful?
Author: Saya
Universe: Standalone
Rating: Everyone
Flavor: Rhubarb #3 (easy for you to say)
Toppings/Extras: Pocky, Malt (Limerick Day Challenge)
Wordcount: 32
Warnings: Hard truths and self-confidence bashing.
Notes: I fudged the meter a little. Whoops.
If you've been fooled into thinking
That you can rhyme as easy as blinking
Than I'll tell you a tale
Of how easy you'll fail
When it comes to rhyming and linking!
Author: Saya
Title: Oxymoron
Universe: The Shadows Within
Rating: Everyone
Flavor: Kumquat #24 (that's how the cookie crumbles), Dark Chocolate #22 (scrutiny)
Toppings/Extras: N/A
Wordcount: 1,167
Warnings: Minor (fictitious) religious conflict
Notes: Takes place shortly after Falling into Step (first piece in post)
Cinawi watched her friend as the maid placed the last of her bags in her new (temporary) room.
"Thank you, Iairt. That will be all," Aiay said, offering the young lady a smile as she curtsied and excused herself.
They both set to helping Cinawi unpack in a comfortable silence; shaking out clothes, arranging knick-knacks, and other fiddly things. It didn't escape Aiay's notice that Cinawi kept tossing glances in her direction. She thought they'd gotten over the morning's awkwardness? Obviously not.
As the silence in the room started to become oppressive, Aiay finally gave up. Tossing her hands on her hip she turned to her friend and demanded the reasoning behind all of the staring.
"It's just you..." Cinawi started, then seemed to think the better of whatever she was going to say and rephrased it. "It's still a bit weird, you know?"
"No, I don't. What reason would I possess to ask if I already knew?" Irritation flared irrationally in her chest. It wouldn't do to upset her friend on the first day of her stay. Especially after going to all the work of unpacking. "What's 'still a bit weird'?"
She seemed to struggled a bit, weighing her options before deciding upon frankness. "You."
"Me? How, specifically?"
"I just never took you to be a Vessel," Cinawi said with a shrug. "I mean, I know they can be anyone, in theory, but the Hinsust are always so... particular."
"Are you implying I'm somehow undeserving of the honor they've bestowed upon me? I assure you that my patroness does not agree with you." Aiay couldn't help the defensiveness that crept into her tone, why must all of this be drudged up now? First Lokuto, now this? Maybe her irritation wasn't quite as unfounded as she thought.
But Cinawi backpedaled quickly. "No, no! I never meant to imply..." She waved her hands in obscure gestures, imparting little meaning. "I just never thought you were the kind of person to want to sit on a pedestal, that's all. You used to be so free spirited, I wouldn't think you'd like others to have that kind of influence over you and your life."
Aiay felt as if she'd been struck. The wind flew from her lungs and her back tensed painfully. Somewhere behind the chaos of her mind she could hear the detached part of herself chastising her for her emotional displays. She really ought to be more careful about wearing her heart on her sleeve, it was bad in this business.
Not that she particularly liked listening to that part of herself.
Cinawi didn't seem to realize that she'd had any effect at all on Aiay, lost in her reminiscence of what once was. Brow furrowed as she tried to solve the puzzle set before her. "I don't pretend to know a whole lot about Vessels, but I know that they have to be very careful with their image and such. Aren't there some kind of rules about what you can and can't do as a Vessel?"
Aiay tried to settle her rapidly beating heart, focusing on Cinawi's innocent curiosity. It made sense that she would be concerned for her friend's welfare, right? She hadn't know for very long at all that Aiay had become a Vessel. She hadn't know until that morning she and Lokuto had never gotten married, as was planned. Her life had changed dramatically since Cinawi had left the city. Questions were normal.
Right?
"There are no set rules for Vessels as a whole," she congratulated herself on the evenness of her voice. She could do this, she answered questions about being a Vessel all the time. "There are certain rules of conduct demanded of the Hinsust which Vessels are expected to follow--although not required--but otherwise, it is up to each patron how the Vessel, or Vessels, under their patronage should behave. The Suine are unpredictable, their likes and dislikes vary as much as their tempers. What one might require in a Vessel, another might not be able to stand in the slightest. That is why there is also similar variety in Vessels."
If Cinawi noticed it was a practiced, impersonal speech, she didn't comment upon it. "I never noticed, I guess it shows how much attention I pay to the church." Her eyes widened, realizing too late what she'd said might be construed as an insult. "No offense intended, of course."
"None taken," Aiay replied with far more ease than she felt. "I can't begrudge the way you choose to worship."
Cinawi's smile was sheepish and after a moment, she made some inane comment about the situation of the room in an attempt to divert the conversation; her quest for answers regarding Aiay's character forgotten.
Both of them were well aware of what Aiay had not-said. Cinawi didn't worship at all, she'd said as much many years ago, when they were both young and foolish enough to talk about such things openly. For while non-believers were unlikely to be lynched in this day in age, they were certainly not open about it. As an official representative of the church, Aiay should be forcibly pressing her into faithful service, not excusing her.
But in reality, Aiay couldn't blame Cinawi's reluctance or skepticism. And she was a Vessel, she'd not only met the Suine, she'd shared a body with one. To her surprise, Aenthi, her Suine, didn't care in the slightest. Aiay was even beginning to wonder if Aenthi enjoyed it. The Suine were impossible to understand at the most basic of levels, let alone the complexities of their emotions and motivations. This, of course, was ignoring her relationship with Safuri altogether.
Niqua had often scolded her for trying to understand. "It's not our place to understand, or even comprehend, ours is merely to obey," she would say. Often as a precursor to a more specific lecture. It had taken a long time to become accustomed to Niqua's scolding and lectures. To humble herself enough to accept Niqua's instructions and advice with equanimity.
Perhaps the reason Aiay had reacted so strongly to Cinawi's musing was because she knew it to be true. Being told how to talk, how to dress, how to live in every sense of the word, really rankled. She had a hard time keeping her head down and letting all of their comments wash over her. She respected Niqua, she really did. She wouldn't have done this if she couldn't respect her patroness, but that didn't mean she appreciated the intrusion into her life.
Although it wasn't as though she had a choice in the matter, all things considered. It certainly wasn't the choice she would have made.
As it was, she was just incredibly grateful that Cinawi knew her well enough to humor her in an inane conversation (about drapes of all things) while she regained her center. Maybe it was a good thing that Cinawi had come by, she needed to work all of these things out eventually.
Author: Saya
Universe: Standalone
Rating: Everyone
Flavor: Rhubarb #3 (easy for you to say)
Toppings/Extras: Pocky, Malt (Limerick Day Challenge)
Wordcount: 32
Warnings: Hard truths and self-confidence bashing.
Notes: I fudged the meter a little. Whoops.
If you've been fooled into thinking
That you can rhyme as easy as blinking
Than I'll tell you a tale
Of how easy you'll fail
When it comes to rhyming and linking!
Author: Saya
Title: Oxymoron
Universe: The Shadows Within
Rating: Everyone
Flavor: Kumquat #24 (that's how the cookie crumbles), Dark Chocolate #22 (scrutiny)
Toppings/Extras: N/A
Wordcount: 1,167
Warnings: Minor (fictitious) religious conflict
Notes: Takes place shortly after Falling into Step (first piece in post)
Cinawi watched her friend as the maid placed the last of her bags in her new (temporary) room.
"Thank you, Iairt. That will be all," Aiay said, offering the young lady a smile as she curtsied and excused herself.
They both set to helping Cinawi unpack in a comfortable silence; shaking out clothes, arranging knick-knacks, and other fiddly things. It didn't escape Aiay's notice that Cinawi kept tossing glances in her direction. She thought they'd gotten over the morning's awkwardness? Obviously not.
As the silence in the room started to become oppressive, Aiay finally gave up. Tossing her hands on her hip she turned to her friend and demanded the reasoning behind all of the staring.
"It's just you..." Cinawi started, then seemed to think the better of whatever she was going to say and rephrased it. "It's still a bit weird, you know?"
"No, I don't. What reason would I possess to ask if I already knew?" Irritation flared irrationally in her chest. It wouldn't do to upset her friend on the first day of her stay. Especially after going to all the work of unpacking. "What's 'still a bit weird'?"
She seemed to struggled a bit, weighing her options before deciding upon frankness. "You."
"Me? How, specifically?"
"I just never took you to be a Vessel," Cinawi said with a shrug. "I mean, I know they can be anyone, in theory, but the Hinsust are always so... particular."
"Are you implying I'm somehow undeserving of the honor they've bestowed upon me? I assure you that my patroness does not agree with you." Aiay couldn't help the defensiveness that crept into her tone, why must all of this be drudged up now? First Lokuto, now this? Maybe her irritation wasn't quite as unfounded as she thought.
But Cinawi backpedaled quickly. "No, no! I never meant to imply..." She waved her hands in obscure gestures, imparting little meaning. "I just never thought you were the kind of person to want to sit on a pedestal, that's all. You used to be so free spirited, I wouldn't think you'd like others to have that kind of influence over you and your life."
Aiay felt as if she'd been struck. The wind flew from her lungs and her back tensed painfully. Somewhere behind the chaos of her mind she could hear the detached part of herself chastising her for her emotional displays. She really ought to be more careful about wearing her heart on her sleeve, it was bad in this business.
Not that she particularly liked listening to that part of herself.
Cinawi didn't seem to realize that she'd had any effect at all on Aiay, lost in her reminiscence of what once was. Brow furrowed as she tried to solve the puzzle set before her. "I don't pretend to know a whole lot about Vessels, but I know that they have to be very careful with their image and such. Aren't there some kind of rules about what you can and can't do as a Vessel?"
Aiay tried to settle her rapidly beating heart, focusing on Cinawi's innocent curiosity. It made sense that she would be concerned for her friend's welfare, right? She hadn't know for very long at all that Aiay had become a Vessel. She hadn't know until that morning she and Lokuto had never gotten married, as was planned. Her life had changed dramatically since Cinawi had left the city. Questions were normal.
Right?
"There are no set rules for Vessels as a whole," she congratulated herself on the evenness of her voice. She could do this, she answered questions about being a Vessel all the time. "There are certain rules of conduct demanded of the Hinsust which Vessels are expected to follow--although not required--but otherwise, it is up to each patron how the Vessel, or Vessels, under their patronage should behave. The Suine are unpredictable, their likes and dislikes vary as much as their tempers. What one might require in a Vessel, another might not be able to stand in the slightest. That is why there is also similar variety in Vessels."
If Cinawi noticed it was a practiced, impersonal speech, she didn't comment upon it. "I never noticed, I guess it shows how much attention I pay to the church." Her eyes widened, realizing too late what she'd said might be construed as an insult. "No offense intended, of course."
"None taken," Aiay replied with far more ease than she felt. "I can't begrudge the way you choose to worship."
Cinawi's smile was sheepish and after a moment, she made some inane comment about the situation of the room in an attempt to divert the conversation; her quest for answers regarding Aiay's character forgotten.
Both of them were well aware of what Aiay had not-said. Cinawi didn't worship at all, she'd said as much many years ago, when they were both young and foolish enough to talk about such things openly. For while non-believers were unlikely to be lynched in this day in age, they were certainly not open about it. As an official representative of the church, Aiay should be forcibly pressing her into faithful service, not excusing her.
But in reality, Aiay couldn't blame Cinawi's reluctance or skepticism. And she was a Vessel, she'd not only met the Suine, she'd shared a body with one. To her surprise, Aenthi, her Suine, didn't care in the slightest. Aiay was even beginning to wonder if Aenthi enjoyed it. The Suine were impossible to understand at the most basic of levels, let alone the complexities of their emotions and motivations. This, of course, was ignoring her relationship with Safuri altogether.
Niqua had often scolded her for trying to understand. "It's not our place to understand, or even comprehend, ours is merely to obey," she would say. Often as a precursor to a more specific lecture. It had taken a long time to become accustomed to Niqua's scolding and lectures. To humble herself enough to accept Niqua's instructions and advice with equanimity.
Perhaps the reason Aiay had reacted so strongly to Cinawi's musing was because she knew it to be true. Being told how to talk, how to dress, how to live in every sense of the word, really rankled. She had a hard time keeping her head down and letting all of their comments wash over her. She respected Niqua, she really did. She wouldn't have done this if she couldn't respect her patroness, but that didn't mean she appreciated the intrusion into her life.
Although it wasn't as though she had a choice in the matter, all things considered. It certainly wasn't the choice she would have made.
As it was, she was just incredibly grateful that Cinawi knew her well enough to humor her in an inane conversation (about drapes of all things) while she regained her center. Maybe it was a good thing that Cinawi had come by, she needed to work all of these things out eventually.