We Don't Talk About Naadiyo Pt II 11th of Spring, 522 AV Secret :
Please let me know if there are chronological issues as there were many timestamp changes due to plots and misunderstandings. Changes were made after many threads were already started/finished/even graded. Originally dated for the 8th of Spring.
Naadiya was still bed and it was reaching midday. She had agreed to go with Artik to find a site for her new home but now she wasn’t so sure she wanted to see him at all. Last season had been so unexpected. Soon after landing in the jungle town, Naadiya had found a place to stay and a job to support her stay there. But the Inn had brought more than just shelter and food, though the food was certainly not last on the list of pros. She had made a personal connection with the inn’s owner and was even warming up to the only other habitant, a Kelvic named Oralie. A house of only women had turned out to be free of drama, despite what her mother used to say. Looking around, Naadiya saw the multitude of objects and clothing all stuffed into the small space of her room. Winter had certainly been prolific for her. Never before had Naadiya made so much money in such a sort amount of time. Dawn, her boss, had warmed up to Naadiya in such an unexpected but welcomed way, that Naadiya had started to think kindly of her as well. Well, if I made that much money last winter… she probably got her own fair and hefty share from it as well. I wonder what she’s doing with the money… She was trying to distract herself but it was barely working. Winter had also brought Artik into her life. Though at first she had seen their joining as a purely physical connection, it felt like it was beginning to develop into something more. The thought had already been frightening her before this whole new inner turmoil decided to join the party. And now her mind was still on the one thing that it kept being pulled back to as if by a magnetic force. Would it happen again? Would he see me if it does? Would it change anything? Sadly Naadiya's mysterious malady was not one where her hair changed colors in the sun or any such thing so easily overlooked. This was a little harder to overlook. Naadiya raised herself up on her elbow and scanned her laying body even as it stayed shrouded by her bedsheet. The thin white fabric did little to hide the shapes that hid beneath and with a deeply relieved sigh, Naadiya sat up and swung her feet off of the bed. The wooden floor felt cool and she took a moment to breathe and ground herself before standing up. Today will be fine. It was warm, but lacked the heavy humidity she was expecting. Naadiya donned on a light dress in red. but then looking at herself in the mirror, decided to go with a pair of pants instead. Even if she would be with Artik, better to go fully prepared for the jungle, the damsel in distress thing had a fairly short self-life and she was starting to feel it creeping closer. In the desert, Naadiya felt much more comfortable fending for herself, but here, almost everything felt new. Even the familiar things had their differences. The apples and melons in Eyktol not only had different hues but entirely different flavors to the ones she found here. If there was such a large divide when it came to something so small as fruit, Naadiya could only image the endless information that was still hidden from her. She needed to familiarize herself with life in the jungle and so far she had really only gotten familiar with life in the settlement. But without true walls or any natural barrier from the jungle itself, there was nothing keeping nature from encroaching on the small speck of civilization among the wild. She slipped one smooth leg into a pair stockings before the tan isuas pants, a few straps and pockets for added convenience in carrying the variety of items Naadiya preferred to keep on her person whenever leaving a ‘safe zone’. After filling her pockets and securing her knife, Naadiya pulled a white long-sleeved blouse over her head. The heat that might be held in by having her limbs covered did not compare to the discomfort she might have from brushing up on the wrong plant accidentally. It might even prevent an insect sting, she thought. Not a snake bite though… Naadiya remembered Tazrae saying something about an enchanted charm that allowed her to see or sense snakes in her vicinity. How had that escaped Naadiya’s own mind?! How had this not been the very first thing she had gone after as soon as she had money to spent?! Her dye mottled hands tucked the blouse’s hem into the pants' waistband and as they did so, Naadiya went into that part of her mind where she would make permanent notes. Not the fleeting thoughts and fancies that come and go, but the stone tablets that once etched into, remained forever. I need a snake detection charm. No way around it. If nothing else then for peace of mind alone. How much would one of those things cost anyway? It was true that her pockets were considerably heavier this season than they were the last, but Naadiya had plans of getting a house built and still wasn’t entirely sure how much it would end up costing with furniture and all. She was determined to not end the spring sitting in new home with a newly emptied purse. The new leather boots she had bought were not yet broken in, but they were in much better condition than her old pair so Naadiya wore the unmarred black leather. The stockings kept her feet from rubbing inside the boots and Naadiya crouched a couple of times to testing the boots' flexibility. Taking all the work-related things out of her bag, Naadiya filled it with what she thought she might need in the jungle and slung the bag over her shoulder. She was about to walk out of her room but her eyes caught the reflection in the mirror she’d hung in the room. Naadiya studied her own face, uncertainty building in her stomach. It’s stupid to try and put on a face with any type of make up to go into the wild, right? But what if...? A delicate hand with stained fingers ran along her jaw, her chin, her neck. Smooth. She relaxed. Maybe she could see Artik and go the day without scandal. Swallowing the nothingness that clung to the back of her throat, Naadiya left the inn.
Word Count: 1096 |