3rd Zi'da, 716
Faith was at work and it was, all things considered, rather strange. It had been only a few trials since she had been freed, right at the end of Vhalar, and it was taking some adjustment. It was a slow and difficult task in which progress was stilted and, sometimes, in the wrong direction. It was hard, tricky to manouvere and without doubt something that was going to take time to adjust to. The irony was that this 'adjustment time' was for the people that she worked with ~ far more (in this particular context) than for her. Faith was rather amazed at the range of reactions from the others that she worked with, from shock and horror to pleasure for her. One of the girls had cried, apparently in pleasure, another had wandered away in utter disgust.
People, Faith concluded, were as individual as ever and she could do nothing about it.
However, what this meant, for her and the only bit of it that was relevant to this particular scenario was that it meant that she was now working in her own right and for the benefit of her and Padraig. It was complicated, it was frustrating and she spent one bit thinking that he thought of her as a sister, the next one thinking that he was as in love with her, as she was with him. But there was a bottom line; she loved him, he loved her and that was that in whatever form it ended up taking. Immortals, she thought suddenly, maybe they'd live their lives together like this. Looking down at the dress she was working on she let out a deep sigh and considered that she was going to go insane. But that notwithstanding, she was free and had responsibilities; add in to that the simple fact that they were living together and had bills and she needed to work. Because she needed to be useful, to provide for the two of them. She knew that Padraig felt the same and so Faith went to work and she put up with the strangeness.
And what strangeness there was.
On this particular trial, Faith was working on a beautiful gown which they were making for a noble's party. It was one of a number of them, but she was sewing the intricate shimmering embroidery on this black gown. It was a beautiful thing, there was no doubting it and Faith held it in her hands and looked at it with a critical eye, measuring her work agasinst her own standards. Every stitch had to be the best it could be, in the name of the Immortal she so adored, as she worked she whispered a prayer to Famula that she might serve the ideals which Famula upholds, that respect and reverence for her place in this world should be in her every step, every move thought and stitch.
"Faith! Customer!" Alfonse, her manager called and Faith put down her work with care to ensure that she, or whoever picked it up next, did not hurt themselves. She then made her way out and into the shop itself. There was Alfonse, an overweight and friendly-seeming man who she knew to be manipulative and cruel and a woman. Or, more precisely, what could pass for two women standing on top of each other. Big, muscular woman. By Famula's blessed light, but the woman in the shop was huge. She was tall and broad and it was, or it seemed to be, all muscle.
"Ah! Faith. This is Lady Sapphire De'mont" Alfonse said and Faith resisted the urge to ask him if he was having a laugh. Sapphire? But, Faith was many things and more and more of them these trials, but first and foremost she was aware of who she was and what her place was in this role. So, she dropped a curtsy and spoke in a quiet and respectful voice.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady De'mont" Alfonse smiled, please with his choice. She had been a good slave and, although he disliked having to pay her more, he had been worried that she might leave when she was granted her freedom and, as such, he was in a good mood.
"I'l leave you two ladies to it", he said and Faith moved to get a piece of parchment, a pencil and looked at Lady De'mont expectantly.
"How may we help you, Lady De'mont?" Faith asked, wondering why the enormous and muscular woman was at a seamstress and tailors shop rather than the armourer down the road.
People, Faith concluded, were as individual as ever and she could do nothing about it.
However, what this meant, for her and the only bit of it that was relevant to this particular scenario was that it meant that she was now working in her own right and for the benefit of her and Padraig. It was complicated, it was frustrating and she spent one bit thinking that he thought of her as a sister, the next one thinking that he was as in love with her, as she was with him. But there was a bottom line; she loved him, he loved her and that was that in whatever form it ended up taking. Immortals, she thought suddenly, maybe they'd live their lives together like this. Looking down at the dress she was working on she let out a deep sigh and considered that she was going to go insane. But that notwithstanding, she was free and had responsibilities; add in to that the simple fact that they were living together and had bills and she needed to work. Because she needed to be useful, to provide for the two of them. She knew that Padraig felt the same and so Faith went to work and she put up with the strangeness.
And what strangeness there was.
On this particular trial, Faith was working on a beautiful gown which they were making for a noble's party. It was one of a number of them, but she was sewing the intricate shimmering embroidery on this black gown. It was a beautiful thing, there was no doubting it and Faith held it in her hands and looked at it with a critical eye, measuring her work agasinst her own standards. Every stitch had to be the best it could be, in the name of the Immortal she so adored, as she worked she whispered a prayer to Famula that she might serve the ideals which Famula upholds, that respect and reverence for her place in this world should be in her every step, every move thought and stitch.
"Faith! Customer!" Alfonse, her manager called and Faith put down her work with care to ensure that she, or whoever picked it up next, did not hurt themselves. She then made her way out and into the shop itself. There was Alfonse, an overweight and friendly-seeming man who she knew to be manipulative and cruel and a woman. Or, more precisely, what could pass for two women standing on top of each other. Big, muscular woman. By Famula's blessed light, but the woman in the shop was huge. She was tall and broad and it was, or it seemed to be, all muscle.
"Ah! Faith. This is Lady Sapphire De'mont" Alfonse said and Faith resisted the urge to ask him if he was having a laugh. Sapphire? But, Faith was many things and more and more of them these trials, but first and foremost she was aware of who she was and what her place was in this role. So, she dropped a curtsy and spoke in a quiet and respectful voice.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady De'mont" Alfonse smiled, please with his choice. She had been a good slave and, although he disliked having to pay her more, he had been worried that she might leave when she was granted her freedom and, as such, he was in a good mood.
"I'l leave you two ladies to it", he said and Faith moved to get a piece of parchment, a pencil and looked at Lady De'mont expectantly.
"How may we help you, Lady De'mont?" Faith asked, wondering why the enormous and muscular woman was at a seamstress and tailors shop rather than the armourer down the road.
