Sharing Quarters

Writers: Ainsley1, Jane
Date Posted: 15th May 2007

Characters: Evaleine, Rikka
Description: New living arrangements for Evaleine and Rikka leads to interesting conversation
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 3, day 15 of Turn 4

For a while the other room that shared the small living area with her own had been empty. Rikka didn't like to think it was because the former occupant had run screaming to the Headwoman asking to be moved away from the bad influence of the craftswoman...but it might have been that. Certainly the other woman hadn't been particularly welcoming or friendly but -

Rikka was honest enough to acknowledge that she hadn't been very happy about the accommodation arrangements herself. When she had arrived at the Hold she had expected to be accommodated in the crafter area, preferably with the other technicians. Instead the local conservatism had meant that she couldn't share apartments with the men - and crafter apparently implied maleness at Amber Hills - she needed to have rooms in the part of the wing of the main Hold building that was suitable for a young woman living away from her parents.

After a while, though, she had become resigned to the arrangement. It was inconvenient and alienated her from the peers in an environment where that was the worst thing possible, but she was determined to make the best of it. No amount of whining would change the attitudes of the place. She settled in and got used to the other sleeping room being empty.

So it was with surprise that she arrived home in the evening to find signs of occupancy in the communal living room. Surprise and a determination to be as good neighbour as possible it was possible to be with the perceived disadvantage of her journeywoman's knots.

Hearing movement out in the main living area, Evaleine brushed at her wrinkled gown which had gather some dust as she'd been working. With a swift check of her pinned up hair, she didn't even bother to grab a scarf for around her neck as was her habit. She was quick to seek out the woman with whom she was to share this apartment.

Evaleine had felt rather bad about just moving in without so much as an introduction, but the Headwoman had assured her that it would be fine. She had to admit to a certain curiosity about the other woman, having met so few female crafters and no female technicians.

"Hello," she offered with a bright smile, noting the average sized young woman with brown hair. "I am sorry to just barge right in, but Zelanka said that your duties might keep you late and I was rather excited to get settled. My name is Evaleine."

"No need to apologise. I'm Rikka." The journeywoman extended her hand in greeting and envied the other woman's elegant slimness. "I'm a technician here at the Hold."

Reaching to shake the other woman's hand, Evaleine had to wonder about the blue-eyed young woman. Though she hadn't been here long, it had been long enough to become aware of the strong bias against female crafters. "How very nice to meet you. I've never had the opportunity to befriend a technician before. You must have the most interesting stories to tell."

"Nobody's ever said they were interesting, before,"
Rikka admitted with a smile. This woman didn't seem to have any objection to her craft, or at least she was too polite to make a point of it. "Where were you living before here?"

"I was staying with my aunt at Amethyst Cliff at the time of the earthquake, but had only recently arrived there. I grew up at Coral Bay Hold and lived close to there all of my life, but after my husband died I decided I needed some time away," she explained.
"And yourself? How long have you been here?"

"Nearly four months," Rikka said after a moment of silent calculation. She was surprised that it had been that long already. "I come from the coast too - at least, I studied there. This is my first posting since my promotion." She shrugged, knowing she had very little to say in favour of the move.

Rikka's expression and body language spoke louder than her words. This had obviously been a difficult posting for her, as one could well expect. Evaleine decided to take the candid approach in her response, "What a challenging first assignment! So tell me what's worse for you, the looks, the whispers, or the outright rudeness of people too narrow-minded to accept change?"

A laugh burst out from the journeywoman. "All of those! I think the worst _is_ the rudeness. I was raised to be well-mannered, regardless of what I thought about the person. That was how people got along in groups, was what my mother said. But apparently some people didn't have mother's like mine!" She smiled at the other woman, feeling like she had found a new friend and in the rush of feeling realising how lonely she had become at Amber Hills.

Evaleine laughed as well, quite certain that this new living arrangement was going to prove itself extremely fun. "Well, in my experience there are also those whose mother's taught them that the best way to get ahead and build your own status is to put others down.
Interestingly enough, it seldom seems to work that way for them. Those with mothers like ours were far more blessed I'd say. Do you like wine?" Evaleine asked with a seemingly abrupt conversational change.

"Not very much," Rikka admitted. "My father says I have an incurably sweet tooth. Do you?"

"Oh, indeed! I swear I could eat a dozen bubblies on my own. I've a bottle of sparkling white I was going to suggest opening to celebrate, but Wienarta sent me with some nice pastries, freshly baked. How about those instead? A few sweets while we get to know one another?"

Rikka's rather ordinary features came alight with pleasure. "That would be lovely. I don't have anything to contribute though - but perhaps it could be my treat another evening?"

"Absolutely, and mind you I won't forget," Evaleine teased moving to get the treats from her room.
Returning into the living area, she set them on a table between two rather comfortable looking chairs. "These are much better served fresh anyways."

"Do you have family?" Evaleine queried as she picked up one of the treats and took a seat.

"Oh yes. Father and mother at the Hall, harper brother out journeying. I suppose you have two families - yours and your husband's?"

"In a manner of speaking," Evaleine answered not liking to think about her dead husband's closest living relative. "My father is a Sea Captain based out of Coral Bay and my brother a seacrafter aboard his ship. My sister-in-law Zabrionya lives at the Hold with three of the most adorable and charming children you could ever hope to meet, in my unbiased opinion as an aunt of course," she said with a laugh. She took another bite of the pastry before continuing.

"My husband was a nephew of the Lord Holder, and actually my sister-in-law is the youngest sister to the Lady Holder so I've a few relations there at Coral Bay. My husband did have a brother," Evaleine paused not wanting to say that she utterly despised the man, "but we were not close," she finally finished with a tightening to her lips.

"I'd be closer to my family if I was nearer to them,"
Rikka said with a sigh. "I never really expected to get a posting anywhere but a Weyr, to be honest, and from there I could have expected to get around to see my family."

"Well, certainly there must be some arrangement that can be made. When you are given an assignment, are such things not provided for?" Evaleine realized that she actually knew very little about crafters and how their assignments worked for all that her own mother had been one before she had married.

"No. Pretty much we're away until we apply for _and_
get a posting somewhere else or back at the Hall."
Rikka munched on a pastry. "There are letters, of course. We write long letters."

"I suppose I've never considered a journeyman's plight overly much," Evaleine said shaking her head. "My mother was a harper before moving South, but she never spoke of it," Evaleine pondered out loud. "Well," she finally added with a smile, "Between the two of us, we'll be using up a fair portion of the Hold's ink and paper. I write to family often as well. They'll be pleased to hear that I've a new friend."

"They might not be - with the crafting and all."

Evaleine chuckled, "My brother and father both think the ban absurd at this point. Zabrionya shall think it deliciously exciting to be friends with someone who thwarts social convention. The Lady Holder will be appropriately scandalized and insist that I find other living arrangements, more befitting my station. She is a dear woman and has helped me in so many ways, but she IS obsessed with silly things. It shall be fodder for the ongoing debate because in all reality I _have_
no station."

"Are both of your parents crafters?"

"Yes, my father's a smith and my mother's a technician like me. What do you mean you have no station?"

"Well, I'm not born to the bloodline so I can't truly be termed a 'Lady'. I was married to a Holder of the blood, but I left when he died. My father is a Sea Captain and I've no position of my own. So _my_
argument has been that I don't truly _have_ what some would call a station," Evaleine explained, enjoying sharing the ongoing debate with an unbiased outsider.

"Wouldn't you keep it from your late husband?" Rikka suggested, knowing very little about such things.

"You've keenly noted the opposing argument and I'll admit I have been outnumbered in the past. Where there were no children and the Hold passed to Flylonn's brother, I really don't see that it truly leaves me with any position. Others don't agree with me. But the debate has been of no consequence just yet," Evaleine responded, thinking that as she began considering another marriage it could well become of greater consequence.

"Well it's all foreign to me," Rikka admitted. "My station comes from my rank-in-craft and that won't change for a few Turns yet." She found herself at the end of another pastry. "I seemed to have eaten more than enough for one evening," she said. "I'll bring something in for tomorrow."

"That sounds wonderful," Evaleine answered. "I've just a few more things to put away, so I really should get back to unpacking. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat," Evaleine said getting up from the chair.

"It's been a pleasure to meet you, Evaleine," Rikka said, meaning the words for almost the first time since she came to the Hold.

"The pleasure has been mine, Rikka. I think we shall have great fun!"

Last updated on the May 19th 2007

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Sharing Quarters