The Daily Grind....
20th Cylus, 720
When she walked in to the room they shared in Desnind, Perdita was covered in fine flakes of snow. She'd worn her cloak and pulled her hood up, but mostly that had been something she'd forgotten about. In her hands she was clutching a basket - which she'd made - in which were flowers and berries and all sorts of strange things which she'd foraged. "It's cold!" The declaration was probably not needed, her cheeks were red as was the tip of her nose, but she had a smile on her face which told of how pleased she was. "Look, Eli," she held out the basket to show him and her eyes shone in delight. "So many colours!" There was a twig in her hair and other detritus attached to her here and there, but she neither knew nor cared. She'd gone out hunting and found things.
Perdita had gone out foraging to collect things which she could make into ink. She wanted to get better at it, and so she had to practice. Besides, she'd told him (in short sentences), she couldn't buy exactly the colour she wanted, and so, she needed to make it. She'd put out her things on the desk that morning in preparation and glanced at him with a slight smile. "Still no pipettes," she'd said, softly. There was no accusation there, no nagging - but there was a very slight tone of teasing him which rather surprised her. Still, she'd gone out to do some shopping, and then she was back with a basket of foraged goods. Perdita hadn't told him she was off rummaging in the woods, because she knew that Eli would insist on going with her, and she wanted to be by herself. She liked Eli ~ possibly more than any other mortal being she'd met thus far ~ but the lack of personal space was irritating her. She never showed it, but two trials ago they had spoken, albeit very briefly, about buying a house. Perdita had said that she was thinking of staying here and Eli had charged right on in with putting their money together, buying a house together, living together.
At the time, they'd been rather busy, but in the aftermath she had considered it and then looked at it from all angles, and it unnerved her. Surely, living together was a big step? But that said, if she had to live in this small room with another person always there for too much longer, she might start to rock back and forth and develop an eye-twitch. And yet, looking at Eli she knew that her response to him suggesting that they pool their money and get a home together had been a simple one; delight. "I want to sleep in a double bed," she said, suddenly. Gesturing to the small, yet entirely comfortable bed she had here, she explained in what she believed were very simple and clear terms. "I like to sprawl," she did. She very much did. She liked to sprawl and toss and turn in her sleep and not worry that she was somehow about to fall out of the small cot-type thing she was sleeping on, or sticking her behind in the air in her sleep. "I need space," Perdita explained, looking at him and forcing herself to meet his eyes. "My own space." He understood that, surely? He must do. He must feel the same.
Yet, she liked him, and she liked being with him. So, while she was out foraging, she had taken the time to think. "If we buy a house together, I want my own space." Motioning to the desk, she added in what seemed to make most sense to her for that to be. "A workshop, maybe?" He could have the same, of course, they both needed it. But if he wanted something that was up to him to express, not her. Frankly, she was having enough trouble sorting herself out, without worrying about him. So, instead, she stated her needs clearly (she believed) - a double bed and a workshop. "Is that acceptable?"
It was all very clear to Perdita, they just needed to make the decision - if they were able to live together, then it would be her preference. Putting the items she had collected out on to the desk, she organised them into groups, by colour. "I have to grind these," she motioned to the things she had put on the left. "And dry these out," those were items on the right. She tried to grind things as quickly as she could because it kept the vibrancy of the colours, but sometimes, things had to be dried in order to be able to be added. And so, Perdita began the long, slow, and rather painful process of grinding foraged items in a mortar and pestle. It wasn't a part of the work that she enjoyed, but it needed to be done. Looking up at him as she started, she smiled slightly. "It's noisy. Sorry." It was. But then, it was what she needed to do. Glancing over at the notebook he had put down as they spoke, she asked, "What's that?"
He was designing something, that was for sure. What it was, she could not tell.
Perdita had gone out foraging to collect things which she could make into ink. She wanted to get better at it, and so she had to practice. Besides, she'd told him (in short sentences), she couldn't buy exactly the colour she wanted, and so, she needed to make it. She'd put out her things on the desk that morning in preparation and glanced at him with a slight smile. "Still no pipettes," she'd said, softly. There was no accusation there, no nagging - but there was a very slight tone of teasing him which rather surprised her. Still, she'd gone out to do some shopping, and then she was back with a basket of foraged goods. Perdita hadn't told him she was off rummaging in the woods, because she knew that Eli would insist on going with her, and she wanted to be by herself. She liked Eli ~ possibly more than any other mortal being she'd met thus far ~ but the lack of personal space was irritating her. She never showed it, but two trials ago they had spoken, albeit very briefly, about buying a house. Perdita had said that she was thinking of staying here and Eli had charged right on in with putting their money together, buying a house together, living together.
At the time, they'd been rather busy, but in the aftermath she had considered it and then looked at it from all angles, and it unnerved her. Surely, living together was a big step? But that said, if she had to live in this small room with another person always there for too much longer, she might start to rock back and forth and develop an eye-twitch. And yet, looking at Eli she knew that her response to him suggesting that they pool their money and get a home together had been a simple one; delight. "I want to sleep in a double bed," she said, suddenly. Gesturing to the small, yet entirely comfortable bed she had here, she explained in what she believed were very simple and clear terms. "I like to sprawl," she did. She very much did. She liked to sprawl and toss and turn in her sleep and not worry that she was somehow about to fall out of the small cot-type thing she was sleeping on, or sticking her behind in the air in her sleep. "I need space," Perdita explained, looking at him and forcing herself to meet his eyes. "My own space." He understood that, surely? He must do. He must feel the same.
Yet, she liked him, and she liked being with him. So, while she was out foraging, she had taken the time to think. "If we buy a house together, I want my own space." Motioning to the desk, she added in what seemed to make most sense to her for that to be. "A workshop, maybe?" He could have the same, of course, they both needed it. But if he wanted something that was up to him to express, not her. Frankly, she was having enough trouble sorting herself out, without worrying about him. So, instead, she stated her needs clearly (she believed) - a double bed and a workshop. "Is that acceptable?"
It was all very clear to Perdita, they just needed to make the decision - if they were able to live together, then it would be her preference. Putting the items she had collected out on to the desk, she organised them into groups, by colour. "I have to grind these," she motioned to the things she had put on the left. "And dry these out," those were items on the right. She tried to grind things as quickly as she could because it kept the vibrancy of the colours, but sometimes, things had to be dried in order to be able to be added. And so, Perdita began the long, slow, and rather painful process of grinding foraged items in a mortar and pestle. It wasn't a part of the work that she enjoyed, but it needed to be done. Looking up at him as she started, she smiled slightly. "It's noisy. Sorry." It was. But then, it was what she needed to do. Glancing over at the notebook he had put down as they spoke, she asked, "What's that?"
He was designing something, that was for sure. What it was, she could not tell.