92nd of Zi'da, 718
*Speaking Rakahi
*Speaking Common
The pieces sat on her bed where she’d kept them for days, near a season. They’d been a comfort for things she’d rather not name, things Korva would have liked to name. For every night she spent on the boat she’d stay cuddled up with the wooden dolls, hard and uncomfortable but bringing an ease to sleep she hadn’t had in arcs. But every day that suns rose it looking at them made her feel guilty, pathetic, and tired. They would never be real. The thought was a bitter poked as much as it was comfort. But like all childish comforts it wouldn't last forever. Its why she did what she’d meant to do all those trials ago, and got ready to sell them. At least, she would try to before she inevitably changed her mind again or had no takers for novice scrap work. Such was also the way of childish comforts.
Still it took some time before she was able to to finally carry them out without turning right back around to lie on her bed a little longer. Not to mention trying to find any way but carry them as if they were actual infants but they kept slipping when she tried. It wasn’t embarrassment that made her wary to carry them like so, it was the fact that it sent little twinges that demanded she put them back on her bed.
“Not gonna bring ‘em back today.” She vowed to herself as she set off on the dock, waving to a few other workers who asked if she’d fish with them that day, “Nah, ain’t gonna fish, gonna sell my bab—works.”
“What in the name of the Immortals are they ‘sposed to be?!”
“Babies who swam up from U’freks depths to bring good luck on ships. Without one ya may end up sinking or worse, ya would offend U'frek, wouldn't want that, now would ya?”
“Ha! Nice try, Kal!”
"I thought it were." Korva said with a shrug, not expecting them to take the bait but it gave her a chance to test her pitches. The sailors were always her best subjects for testing how far she could lie, without them to sort through what was what so cavalierly she may hit the wrong note with people and that was not her intention today.
With a wave she wandered towards the taverns & shops, drunks & harried parents were always best for selling wares that were not of the best quality. Or at least that was what she hoped, Korva was a lot of things but merchant wasn’t one of them. All of this was guess work, guess work and the desire to actually sell them this time. If she could do this she could do it anywhere, selling goods couldn't be harder than selling fish on island and that was smooth sailing, especially when she could join a ship and not worry about anything but getting paid for being a set of hands and eyes.
Stil there was no reason for her to worry though, not that she had been worried enough for it to matter, more of a passing thought, kids always came through. Today was no different as she passed a hat shop today and found herself latched onto almost immediately. Dark painted nails dug into her pants as she was tugged down impatiently, curious blue eyes staring at the pieces beneath a mop of hair that at one point had probably been brushed attractively. Now it was more a match to Korvas own, a wind swept disaster barely held at bay.
“They aren’t real!”
“Nah, ‘course not, what sorta babies is wood?”
“Tree babies. Thought they were real and wanted to hold them, momma is gonna have another babe soon."
“Didn’t think that.” She said succinctly in regards to both statements as the girl continued as though she hadn't said a word, as was the way of children. It brought a pleased smile to the woman lips, remembering and wishing for that to be hers.
“Ellie! Ellie, don’t go tugging on people, what have I told you?”
“S’all right.” The look she was given, clearly said it was not alright and that she was being the opposite of helpful, which was perfect because that is what she needed to be for a sale.
“Can I have them?”
“Ellie—“
“If yer ma wants buy ‘em.” Korva smiled slyly, rushing into the opening before the woman could stop her, squatting till she was eye level, “Or ya wanna buy ‘em, can let ya hold ‘em?”
“Momma! Momma! I want to hold it.”
With a sigh the woman let her, annoyed eyes focusing on Korva, “How much for one?”
“Six gol—“
“Six?! They don’t even have faces!”
“That’s for ‘em to draw ‘em on.”
"Or it's because you're just a no--"
“I can draw on them?! Momma please I can make her look just like me!” The shrill words cut off any more of the mothers tirade, her voice softening only for the ears of the little girl who was clearly winning this debate.
“Honey, really, they aren’t very good why don’t you—“
“Momma, please! I want them! Cassidy can’t break them if they’re made of wood, oh please! I’ll weed the—“ the girl shoved the doll back at Korva then held out her arms as wide as they would go, the word elongating dramatically, “whole garden.”
“The whole garden, hm?” The mother asked with indulgent exasperation, making Korva look away with a grin because she knew that tone intimately. A tone that said they knew the promise would not be kept but the child was getting whatever they wanted anyway. It also meant her sale was going to happen. "The garden you were meant to day several trials ago? That very same one, was it?"
“Ya hear? She gonna clean all. Worth two dolls for good girl.” Korva spoke with sly meaning on the word two, the woman narrowed her eyes but finally let out a sigh. Two was cheaper than the six she had started with and where Korva had hoped to get her down too. Best trick of the trade was to always start at the maximum, so regular price or slightly above seemed like a deal. Always worked with fish, and it could work for this too it looked like.
“I guess it is,” she held out the coin while the girl squealed, dolls in her arms already as the deal completed, “Now what are you going to name them?”
The words froze Korva, in a way she hadn’t thought would happen, her wide eyes lingering on the thoughtful child, “Mm, whats your name?”
“Kalivene.”
“Then, this one is name after you and this one is Cassidy cause he’s a big baby!” The girl giggled gleefully as they finally walked away, leaving a stunned Korva. So easy it had been for her but the imperfect names suited the imperfect pieces. Maybe they would have been great names for imperfect children too.
The last bit of the knot that’d sat in her stomach for so long began to untwist itself, bit by bit. She could let it go, it would be as easy as gifting parts of her sorrow to those who would share the burden and wouldn’t that have been a lesson for years ago. The thought made a smile, at true smile not a smarmy deal making one, twitch at the corners of her mouth. As easy as giving a burden away, Korva thought, gears turning as she watched the family walk away hand in hand. People gave away all sorts of burdens, wooden ones or real ones. Those same real ones may even hold her back.
The thought wiggled its way in, latching on like a starfish. If she didn’t want this burden she could always take on someones else much happier burden. An exchange of sorts, an exchange the Biqaj would have to see through. Somewhere on this island was an orphanage, and Korva was going to find it and get what she hadn’t been able to and damn her body. It the most buoyant thought she’d had in what seemed like forever and it didn’t rupture like all the other bubbles of brief happiness, this one was ringed with silver that was molten. This one would be what—who she could take back home because she couldn’t stay here forever without a family, maybe she could even convince Kes to come with her. A brother for—the thoughts halted, a laugh bubbling passed her lips in the streets that made people avoid her like a common drunkard but she didn’t care. She had a plan, for once!
**Borrowed this template from free to use*Speaking Rakahi
*Speaking Common
The pieces sat on her bed where she’d kept them for days, near a season. They’d been a comfort for things she’d rather not name, things Korva would have liked to name. For every night she spent on the boat she’d stay cuddled up with the wooden dolls, hard and uncomfortable but bringing an ease to sleep she hadn’t had in arcs. But every day that suns rose it looking at them made her feel guilty, pathetic, and tired. They would never be real. The thought was a bitter poked as much as it was comfort. But like all childish comforts it wouldn't last forever. Its why she did what she’d meant to do all those trials ago, and got ready to sell them. At least, she would try to before she inevitably changed her mind again or had no takers for novice scrap work. Such was also the way of childish comforts.
Still it took some time before she was able to to finally carry them out without turning right back around to lie on her bed a little longer. Not to mention trying to find any way but carry them as if they were actual infants but they kept slipping when she tried. It wasn’t embarrassment that made her wary to carry them like so, it was the fact that it sent little twinges that demanded she put them back on her bed.
“Not gonna bring ‘em back today.” She vowed to herself as she set off on the dock, waving to a few other workers who asked if she’d fish with them that day, “Nah, ain’t gonna fish, gonna sell my bab—works.”
“What in the name of the Immortals are they ‘sposed to be?!”
“Babies who swam up from U’freks depths to bring good luck on ships. Without one ya may end up sinking or worse, ya would offend U'frek, wouldn't want that, now would ya?”
“Ha! Nice try, Kal!”
"I thought it were." Korva said with a shrug, not expecting them to take the bait but it gave her a chance to test her pitches. The sailors were always her best subjects for testing how far she could lie, without them to sort through what was what so cavalierly she may hit the wrong note with people and that was not her intention today.
With a wave she wandered towards the taverns & shops, drunks & harried parents were always best for selling wares that were not of the best quality. Or at least that was what she hoped, Korva was a lot of things but merchant wasn’t one of them. All of this was guess work, guess work and the desire to actually sell them this time. If she could do this she could do it anywhere, selling goods couldn't be harder than selling fish on island and that was smooth sailing, especially when she could join a ship and not worry about anything but getting paid for being a set of hands and eyes.
Stil there was no reason for her to worry though, not that she had been worried enough for it to matter, more of a passing thought, kids always came through. Today was no different as she passed a hat shop today and found herself latched onto almost immediately. Dark painted nails dug into her pants as she was tugged down impatiently, curious blue eyes staring at the pieces beneath a mop of hair that at one point had probably been brushed attractively. Now it was more a match to Korvas own, a wind swept disaster barely held at bay.
“They aren’t real!”
“Nah, ‘course not, what sorta babies is wood?”
“Tree babies. Thought they were real and wanted to hold them, momma is gonna have another babe soon."
“Didn’t think that.” She said succinctly in regards to both statements as the girl continued as though she hadn't said a word, as was the way of children. It brought a pleased smile to the woman lips, remembering and wishing for that to be hers.
“Ellie! Ellie, don’t go tugging on people, what have I told you?”
“S’all right.” The look she was given, clearly said it was not alright and that she was being the opposite of helpful, which was perfect because that is what she needed to be for a sale.
“Can I have them?”
“Ellie—“
“If yer ma wants buy ‘em.” Korva smiled slyly, rushing into the opening before the woman could stop her, squatting till she was eye level, “Or ya wanna buy ‘em, can let ya hold ‘em?”
“Momma! Momma! I want to hold it.”
With a sigh the woman let her, annoyed eyes focusing on Korva, “How much for one?”
“Six gol—“
“Six?! They don’t even have faces!”
“That’s for ‘em to draw ‘em on.”
"Or it's because you're just a no--"
“I can draw on them?! Momma please I can make her look just like me!” The shrill words cut off any more of the mothers tirade, her voice softening only for the ears of the little girl who was clearly winning this debate.
“Honey, really, they aren’t very good why don’t you—“
“Momma, please! I want them! Cassidy can’t break them if they’re made of wood, oh please! I’ll weed the—“ the girl shoved the doll back at Korva then held out her arms as wide as they would go, the word elongating dramatically, “whole garden.”
“The whole garden, hm?” The mother asked with indulgent exasperation, making Korva look away with a grin because she knew that tone intimately. A tone that said they knew the promise would not be kept but the child was getting whatever they wanted anyway. It also meant her sale was going to happen. "The garden you were meant to day several trials ago? That very same one, was it?"
“Ya hear? She gonna clean all. Worth two dolls for good girl.” Korva spoke with sly meaning on the word two, the woman narrowed her eyes but finally let out a sigh. Two was cheaper than the six she had started with and where Korva had hoped to get her down too. Best trick of the trade was to always start at the maximum, so regular price or slightly above seemed like a deal. Always worked with fish, and it could work for this too it looked like.
“I guess it is,” she held out the coin while the girl squealed, dolls in her arms already as the deal completed, “Now what are you going to name them?”
The words froze Korva, in a way she hadn’t thought would happen, her wide eyes lingering on the thoughtful child, “Mm, whats your name?”
“Kalivene.”
“Then, this one is name after you and this one is Cassidy cause he’s a big baby!” The girl giggled gleefully as they finally walked away, leaving a stunned Korva. So easy it had been for her but the imperfect names suited the imperfect pieces. Maybe they would have been great names for imperfect children too.
The last bit of the knot that’d sat in her stomach for so long began to untwist itself, bit by bit. She could let it go, it would be as easy as gifting parts of her sorrow to those who would share the burden and wouldn’t that have been a lesson for years ago. The thought made a smile, at true smile not a smarmy deal making one, twitch at the corners of her mouth. As easy as giving a burden away, Korva thought, gears turning as she watched the family walk away hand in hand. People gave away all sorts of burdens, wooden ones or real ones. Those same real ones may even hold her back.
The thought wiggled its way in, latching on like a starfish. If she didn’t want this burden she could always take on someones else much happier burden. An exchange of sorts, an exchange the Biqaj would have to see through. Somewhere on this island was an orphanage, and Korva was going to find it and get what she hadn’t been able to and damn her body. It the most buoyant thought she’d had in what seemed like forever and it didn’t rupture like all the other bubbles of brief happiness, this one was ringed with silver that was molten. This one would be what—who she could take back home because she couldn’t stay here forever without a family, maybe she could even convince Kes to come with her. A brother for—the thoughts halted, a laugh bubbling passed her lips in the streets that made people avoid her like a common drunkard but she didn’t care. She had a plan, for once!
