Completed Putting Down Roots Pt. II

[Naadiya]

Putting Down Roots Pt. II 60th of Spring 522 AV Naadiya had been weaving mosquito netting for days now. She had gotten rough estimates of the dimensions she would need to cover with the material and got started as soon as she could. Time was something the woman did not have an excess of these days and weaving such wide panels of fabric was slow work. For a few days now, her routine was waking up, referencing her journal, getting a cup of steaming coffee and sitting at the loom to get as much done as she could before going over to help Dawn in the store. The length of fabric she was now taking off the loom that she’d set up at the Protea was very large. Naadiya had pushed the boundaries of her loom to get the widest panel she could manage and even that seemed too narrow. There was a single loom at the Tropical Fever boutique that had larger dimension and lately she had been keeping that loom set up with her work product. It was one of the ways she had been able to juggle her weaving and new shop-assistant duties. So far she had yet to be fully burned out and having something to focus on also gave her a reprieve from the biological nightmare she was experiencing in her own body. It had been a little while since Naadiya had narrowed down the specifics of her own curse and like many of the other affected inhabitants of Syka, she’d made adjustments to her daily life. Her days were a good bit more inconvenient, but she was making the best of it. Another change she’d made had been to pray. Since arriving in Syka and being so quickly inundated with time-consuming work and then plagued with a penis that came and went, Naadiya had let not paid as much attention to the gods as she maybe should have. Had I been a more holy person, this curse may not have stuck for so long. As far as she knew, no one had been able to truly mute or remove their curses which gave her no relief. Naadiya wished someone would do something effective. Her short time among the Svefra had her thoughts quietly lingering near the idea of sacrifice. But what, or who? She wasn’t ready to make such a decision, especially when the outcomes weren’t even guaranteed. “Wasn’t Michaela sacrifice enough?” she was standing by her window, looking up at the sun, voicing her question but receiving no answer. Folding up the yards of mosquito netting, Naadiya placed it on top of the other panels. She had planned on having a small greenhouse built in her new home but glass was not easily come by in the settlement. It had to be shipped in from far away which made it a luxury few people spent their money on, especially when it could so easily be shattered by the wildlife and then a replacement would be another troublesome task. Originally she was just going to have the builders wrap the fabric around the structural columns on the lower level of her workspace but then Naadiya reasoned that if she framed the mosquito netting the way artists did their canvases, she would be able to use those in place of window panes. 549

[Naadiya]

Sorian had made adjustments to his plans the day prior but strangely he’d also asked Naadiya about Talivindra. Confused at the time, Naadiya told him that last time she’d seen the Verusk had been when the three of them had met to talk. The builder had given Naadiya look she couldn’t define but said nothing, nodding and letting her go about her day. She had not thought of it much but now, looking at the sky, Naadiya found herself thinking of the red-scaled lady with the flashy make up. Naadiya got dressed quickly and only packed a small bag to take to the boutique, not needing to carry woven fabric this time. She wore light billowy garments, long sleeves and skirts all in white isuas. Over her head she wrapped a red headscarf to protect her from sudden rains but she brought an umbrella as well. She gotten the thing from Juli, who told her the waxed paper would be goo enough for rain or sun, but not so durable to be tossed around. Naadiya hadn’t asked were the object had been imported from and now she wished she had. Naadiya looked at the plain white paper of the umbrella and wondered if she could use a similar treatment over fabric, particularly isuas. At the shop, Naadiya saw Dawn had been writing down notes in her ledger and waved a ‘hello’ while heading for the back space where the looms were kept. Near the center, was the largest loom the Swiftwaters had and around it were a variety of other sizes and models. Out of habit, Naadiya usually left the back-strap looms available in case Gracelin ever felt well enough to something but the woman had not found even an impermanent solution for her shaking hands and so both had stayed empty for some time. Naadiya had left two projects partially woven and still on their perspective looms. One had a pattern, a simple check but with so many colors that its weaving was clearly not as simple to do as it was to look at. The other was a just solid yellow, for when her eyes started getting unfocused after staring too long at the check. The yellow was also good for when the sun began to set. Less bright light made thin threads hard to see and the darker colors even more so. Even that had been something she had started doing to make more efficient use of the limited hours she had in a day. Bright Syna, I would not despair if I had to look at you a few hours longer each day.… At least not this far from the desert. She sat at the stool in front of the loom with the checked fabric and referenced her journal before continuing the weave. As Naadiya had so many concurring weaving projects, she’d had to start taking down notes of exactly where she had stopped and exactly what she would have to do on the next several steps. She took down these notes when her mind was focused on the task which eased the transition when she was trying to get back in the same headspace whenever she picked up that weave again. The first time Dawn had noticed how many things were left half-way done in the back she had broached the topic with Naadiya, trying to coat her words with honey this time. Naadiya had given her questions in return. Are you ready to start sewing again? Have you already gone through the sitting supplies of woven isuas we’ve had since last season? Or maybe there was a new large supplies of imported cotton yarn that needed weaving? No? Alright, let me know when there is. Thanks, Dawn! With the aid of precise notes, Naadiya got back to weaving the check in no time. 642

[Naadiya]

The hours were passing by and she had already gotten a few more rows of colored little boxes than she’d hoped to. Naadiya picked up her journal again and updated her notes, before gathering a few of her things to go grab something to eat before continuing. On her way out she noticed Dawn was munching on a salad that seemed to have appeared out of thin air, Naadiya hadn’t even heard the woman leave to get something, but she only waved goodbye, telling her she’d be back soon. Walking to the Communal Kitchen Naadiya took out her knife. She had her eye on a head of cauliflower and used the knife to saw the vegetable free from the ground it had grown in. While still kneeling on the oyster shell ground cover by the raised plant beds, She trimmed off a couple of dying leaves from nearby plants, collecting the refuse for the compost heap. Naadiya also cut a small handful of lemongrass and chives and then watered the whole bed before rinsing her tiny harvest and hands. Her cooking skills had been very limited but her grandmother used to say all you have to do to be a good cook was balance salt, fat and acidity. It was easy to remember that much, but what in oblivion did that translate into? Her solution had been to have a single preparation for everything. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not so much, but it was almost always edible. Garlic and onions were a given. If she didn’t start there she would be lost and inevitably disappointed. Unfortunately the garlic bulbs in the little community fueled garden was not looking too abundant so she’d left them alone. The chives had an oniony smell when she’d crumbled a tiny bit in her fingertips so she had take plenty of those as a substitute. Locally, avocado and sesame oils were the most widely used due to the wide availability of their source plants. At first Naadiya had no been a fan of the flavors each had, having been so used to the taste of olive oil or sun cow butter. Now she did not mind the differences as much, so with a drizzle in a pan she’d taken from the kitchen’s storage and with the available oil in the pantry. Roughing she used her knife to chop the chives and lemongrass as much as possible. The lemongrass might not be as acidic as a lemon or lime but it still had that zesty flavor so Naadiya figured that was the ‘acidity’ element taken care of. Lighting a fire with her flint took a little longer than she had thought and now Naadiya was wondering how long this lunch break of hers was going to be. She chopped the cauliflower with quick motions and only slowed down when she’d nearly skinned the tip of her index in her hurry. Tossing the white vegetable into the hot fragrant oil made a sizzling sound. Naadiya tried to manage the pan without getting splashed by the oil while also ladling it over the cauliflower trying to get all the crevices to touch the burning liquid. 527

[Naadiya]

If I get burns they will blend in with the dye stains, she thought but still took the pan off the fire, afraid the bubbling oil would get het before she could get her little white florets. She fished the chunks out of the pan and onto a wooden plate, the scent was wonderful and herby but she would still have to wait before taking a bite or risk burning her tongue. As quickly as she could, Naadiya cleaned the areas she had used, dumping all the compostable trash in the heap where it would become fertilizer for the next small batch crops. Naadiya took her plate back to the clothing shop, where even Dawn commented on the aroma. Dawn had already finished her meal and was working on something else, so Naadiya did not suggest they sit down to eat together and went straight to the back. She took one overly crunchy bite and immediately grimaced. This was not good. The vegetable was definitely not cooked thoroughly enough, having gotten only slightly softer from the pan frying. The herbs were a nice combination but they weren’t good enough to carry a dish on their own and somehow Naadiya had forgotten salt. Salt! The meal could not be considered delicious by any but the starving, but most would still call it edible. At the very least, the ingredients had been fresh and decently ripened. The plate was emptied, slowly and with little pleasure but it emptied. Waste not, want not, and all that. And soon she was back to her weaving. A hum had escaped her lips and soon it had grown a voice and Naadiya was singing, not even paying attention to the words as she hands worked the shuttle and heddle of the loom. It was only when she had reached a certain lyric that she caught herself. If Shade was my lover, I don’t think I’d recover. Wish he was my lover We’d go undercover! With Shade as my lover! Giggling she remembered Shire’s song and hoped Dawn had not heard much before she changed to a less lascivious tune about sailing the sea in the summer time. It was already getting dark and Naadiya had decided to switch over to the yellow weave when she heard a knock on the door that divide the shop from the workroom. Instead of the face she had expected, Dawn with some mocking but curious grin, Naadiya was met with a red-scaled face, this time made-up with hues of blue that stood out all the more against the red. Unsure of how to react, Naadiya greeted the Verusk as if she’d come in as a customer. “Hello… was there something I could help you with?” “I brought you something, I just wanted you to take a look. If you still want me nowhere near your building site, fine.” Pulling out a rolled up parchment from her own hollowed out bamboo trunk, Talivindra walked over to Naadiya and unfurled it, holding the scroll open for the Benshira to look at. 511

[Naadiya]

What Naadiya saw was a beautifully rendered illustration. There were areas with such detail, she wondered how much time was put into it, then other areas that had been left vague but almost in an artistically purposeful way. She leaned in to take in all the features big and small. It wasn’t missing anything. It was perfect. It was exactly the home she was envisioned but also much better. Talivindra had clearly looked at Naadiya’s messy sketches and made the idea come to life with color and character. In her drawing, stilts had been carved, plants that now been in the area were growing wildly but not out of control, the walls had gone from only paneled wood to the addition of woven raffia in an almost mosaic looking pattern. There had even been tiny design details that reminded Naadiya of the desert and Wadrass. “This is my house.” The look on Talivindra’s face when Naadiya finally found a voice was of both relief and pride, almost as if she was relieved at being able to convince the simple peasant that her approach was in fact the best one available. “Yes!” She replied. “Wow….” Naadiya was still looking around the parchment, focusing in on different areas. It was obvious that Talivindra had impressive drawing skills on top of a clear understanding of architecture and then the unteachable quality of having good taste. “Has Sorian seen this?” “I came to you first” Talivindra said, but she was still smiling, already thinking of what she would say to Sorian. Probably something along the lines of ‘never doubt me again, little man.’ Naadiya glanced out the window, checking the sun’s dropping placement. “Let’s see if we can still catch him!” Lexi had come in at some point during Naadiya and Talivindra’s conversation and had started talking to Dawn who was telling her where to hang certain garments so that they would look better against each other. “I don’t like it when you put the pinks next to the reds like that.. they look like they are competing with each other, they should be helping each other!” Was all Naadiya heard as she waved her goodbyes to the two and walked along side the Verusk on their way to the build site. When they got there, torches had already been put up and there were men working on the frame work but Sorian had already left before the fires were lit. “I will show him tomorrow.” Talivindra suggested but Naadiya did not want to let go of the scroll. “Actually would you mind if I held onto it? I don’t know how you did it, looking at this is like looking at my imagination, except it makes even that look a little simple in comparison.” For a second Talivindra almost hesitated. It would be another change for her work to be altered without her expressed approval, but she gave in and let the girl have the scroll for as long as she needed. People who did not draw very well were often impressed by a skilled hand but for her, it was only one of many and she could do more and better sketches at any time. 533

[Cleon]

Grade Award!

Naadiya:

Skills:

Cooking: 1
Design: 2
Logic: 1
Observation: 1
Gardening: 1
Singing: 1


Lores:

Weaving: How to make insect netting
Cooking: Chopping up herbs coarsely
Cooking: Frying Cauliflower
Cooking: Hot oil jumps out of the pan.
Cooking: Adding flavor with lemon grass and chives
Cooking: Cauliflower needs to fry longer.
Design: Taking inspiration from the desert.

Feel free to pm me with questions or concerns about your grade, and don’t forget to edit your grade request!