[Dust Quarter] Everybody's Job

[Faith Augustin]

32nd Vhalar, 718

The current Order of the Adunih in Rharne was in the Earth Quarter and, whilst that was good it wasn't good enough for Faith. Since she'd taken over as head of the Order here in Rharne, she'd had the opportunity to look at a lot of things and one of them was just how much poverty there was here. The Dust Quarter, especially, was rife with disease and Faith knew that she was going to have to undertake a targeted and high impact plan in order to make things better.

But make things better the young woman was determined she would.

So, Faith had decided that the first thing to do was to set up a satellite clinic, with a soup kitchen and a community center. A place where people could come and share resources, work together and so on. That was the first thing to do, Faith knew, and so she went to the Real Estate offices. She needed three buildings, one large enough to be a medical center, a soup kitchen and community center next to or near it. If she could get the soup kitchen and community center in one, actually, that would be better, Faith considered. Yes, two buildings, large for the satellite clinic and as close to the center of the Dust Quarter as possible, and as close to next door to it as possible, a soup kitchen, gathering place, community center.

"And who's going to be working here?" Alissa asked and Faith glanced at her. "I am. Other volunteers.. Community members." Alissa raised an eyebrow. "The Dust Quarter is the most violent area in Rharne" Alissa knew she may as well not bother, but she had to try.

"I know that," Faith replied. "But that's because it's the most impoverished.The people here are living in squalor while their peers live in luxury. They're frustrated and need to be able to feel like they have a genuine opportunity to change their situation if they want to." Faith had that look on her face that Alissa knew far, far too well for her to doubt in any way. This was happening. Alissa sighed and Faith glanced at her friend and self-imposed bodyguard questioningly.

"I don't doubt things need to be done," she said, with a careful smile. "But why is it your job, Faith?"

Faith chuckled and shook her head. "It isn't," she said, honestly. Alissa looked doubtful, but Faith continued. "It's everyone's. Absolutely everyone's. But I can't be responsible for what other people do. Only me." She smiled at her friend and shrugged slightly. "It's everybody's job and if everybody did it, it would be a lot easier. But I can't change that any more than I try to already. And I can't do better than my best. But I can't do less than it, either."

[Faith Augustin]

It was two trials later that they got there in the morning and the first of the incidents had happened. This one, at least, was overnight. People had broken in and ruined the building which was going to be the clinic. Faith came in that morning, looked around and sighed, slightly. Alissa kept an eye on the human woman, but Faith simply rolled up her sleeves and got on with tidying up. She had an inventory of what had been here and therefore, knew exactly what was missing. The conclusion she came to was simple and she shared it with Alissa as they worked. "I think they were expecting there to be items of value in here, grew irritated when there were not and took that irritation out on the place before they left." Alissa nodded her head. It made sense, certainly. Faith, after all, was very careful about what was left in there, what was kept securely and, of course, in ordering everything logically. That Faith knew what had been damaged, gone missing and so on did not surprise her at all. Yet, there was one thing which utterly confounded the biqaj woman who had taken it upon herself to be Faith's bodyguard.

"So, they've vandalised the place and your answer is to tidy up and carry on?" Alissa's level of irritation was clear and Faith simply nodded her head and gave a slight smile. "Of course it is," she replied softly. "What do you think we're going to do here? We're going to get ourselves sorted. Put everything in place and then, when people kick back at us because they don't believe it, because we seem too good to be true, then we're going to prove to them that we are different." There was no doubt in Faith's mind that the people in the Dust Quarter had been let down by more than enough so-called do-gooders. She would not be one of the ones who stood around until things got difficult and then left.

It simply was not her way.

So, Faith got on with clearing up, tidying up and she started the job of repairing things which had been broken. As she did, with Alissa's help and others from the Order and Isonomia, Faith became aware of a small child, maybe eight arcs old, sitting across the cramped and dirty street, watching. A young girl, dressed poorly for the weather, was observing them and Faith knew enough about people and how they worked to know that, this child was more than casual. So, Faith carried on doing what she was doing, crafting some shelves currently. The young healer had once been the slave of an undertaker and had made a lot of coffins in her time ~ that had been the start of her skills of woodwork and she had enjoyed it since. So, she sat and carried on with what she was doing for a while, just keeping an eye out and doing so without being obvious. When it happened that there were no other workers in the room with her, Faith held two bits of wood together, lifted her head and looked around. With no one in the room, she glanced out of the open door and caught the gaze of the young girl.

"Hello! Would you help me with this, please?" Faith asked. The child looked at her suspiciously and narrowed her eyes.

"Why?" Her voice sounded suspicious, as her gaze looked it. Ignoring that, Faith simply smiled slightly.

"I only have two hands. The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can eat a hot meal. Would you like to join me? "

A frown marred the child's forehead, but Faith saw what she needed to see ~ a flash of interest. "You're Faith?"

No matter that she knew that people knew of her, Faith never really got used to it. "Yes, I am." There was no point lying after all and it wasn't in her nature to do so anyhow. "And the meal I'm offering to share is a soup I made." The child stood, unmoving and Faith raised an eyebrow. "With home made bread," she added. The child nodded and walked in. "So, you know my name," she said with a smile. "What's yours?"

"Lou," the child said and Faith nodded. Then, she started to give directions, working together to get these shelves made.

[Faith Augustin]

"It's very nice to meet you, Lou," she said and the grubby child looked at her with a fair amount of suspicion still in her eyes. Faith didn't pay any notice to that, it was Lou's way and it had been her experience that people could not be trusted. So, words were not going to cut it for her, of that Faith was sure. It would take actions, time and effort.

Quietly, Faith started showing Lou what she was doing, and why. Nothing complicated but, as the shelves got built, she made sure that the young girl knew why she was doing what she was. As they worked, Lou was quiet, sometimes not answering Faith at all. That didn't bother Faith, she just carried on doing what she was doing, and she certainly didn't push or question. After a few breaks, they ate together and Faith noted that the young girl with her devoured her food, rather like she hadn't eaten for a long time. Again, Faith said nothing, simply sat and ate her own. As always, Faith's appetite was tiny, but she ate slowly and savored every mouthful. Lou had a bowl and then another, both times with chunks of bread, thick with butter.

"Were you really a slave?" The young girl asked, and Faith smiled. "Yes," she replied. She said no more than that, because she felt that there was a lot to be gained from simply answering the question she was asked. Lou took this in and nodded. Silence sat between them for a few moments. "Did you escape?" Faith shook her head this time. "No. My owner freed me." Lou frowned and nodded, obviously wondering a few things about that, but deciding to not ask. Yet.

"You've shown that you're a good worker," Faith said with a nod to the young woman. "If you'd like to help for the rest of the afternoon, I could pay you. We pay the people who work here." That was true, Lou could ask and find out from anyone and Faith would offer her the same. "A hot meal while you're working and a token for four meals, either for you or a friend or family member." Lou looked at her and seemed to consider, then nodded her head.

So, they worked together for the rest of the afternoon. Faith taught the young girl the basic types of joinery, the role of sanding to smooth edges, the way to make sure that shelves were secure and, in her turn, Lou worked hard. Of course, being an undernourished eight-arc old meant that there were a lot of things that she couldn't do. Equally, though, Faith had lived her life in a state of under-fed and she knew where not to push.

It was mid afternoon when Lou asked, "Can I use that token to take some food home?" Faith looked up and frowned thoughtfully. "Can they not come here?" Lou shook her head. "My Mama's sick, see, but she likes soup." Faith nodded and smiled. "If you'd like, we can take her some food together, and I can have a look at her? I'm a doctor in my spare time," she smiled and Lou grinned. "I heard about you. Yeah, that'd be good." Faith nodded. "Thanks," Lou added and Faith's lips lifted slightly, but she said nothing more.

At the end of the trial, she collected together her things, including her medical bag and she made her way with Lou to the small house. It was something of a stretch, calling it that, but Faith's face showed nothing as she looked. She simply made her way in there and, as she did, the small chalk-drawn bunny which she was always aware of spoke. "It's not lookin' good for Ma, Faith," he said and she nodded, just once. "Lou," Faith said softly. "Does anyone else live here with you?" Lou shook her head and Faith sighed.

[Faith Augustin]

"I don't know what killed her," Faith said, chatting to the other doctor who had just performed the autopsy with her. That the woman had died of a dreadful, wasting disease was not in doubt and Faith was more than sure that they would be seeing more of it. However, what disease it actually was, she could not rightly say and that worried the young woman more than she had words to fully express. But she did her best in her usual manner. "I don't like it," she said and the much elder human man ~ the one she had assisted many arcs ago, now, when she and Padraig had solved the mystery of the Strangler ~ nodded his head.

"I'd like every case reported and autopsied until we know," Faith said and the doctor with her frowned. He looked like he was about to argue with her and Faith lifted her head to watch him. Milky silver eyes regarded him impassively. "If the concern is that it's impacting the poor and no one wishes to spend money on finding out what killed them," she said, not prepared to sugar coat the truth. After all, if the woman they had just examined was a resident of the Glass Quarter, things would be very different indeed. "Then you don't need to worry. Isonomia will fund what is needed. I want each person autopsied. Also, details need to be collected. Here, here's a list." From her bag she pulled the list of information she had insisted on being collected for each death on Scalvoris and which she had implemented in Rharne since becoming the head of the Order of the Adunih here.

"In the meantime," she said, closing up her bag. "Where's Lou?" The doctor looked at her blankly. "This little girl?" Faith asked and the doctor's face cleared in comprehension. The relief which Faith felt was, however, short lived. "The urchin? We sent her away. Why?" The callousness in that question hit Faith like a blow and she frowned. "That's her mother," she said, in a low voice. Glancing at the body, she smiled slightly to the ghost of the woman who stood, looking at her own physical form. "I presume you can understand how this situation is not in any way acceptable? She's a child." The doctor began to speak and Faith shook her head. "There is no time for pontificating," she said, with certainty and downright irritation in her voice.

Her gaze did not waver as she saw the strange fluttering light which signified the twins and their brother had arrived to ferry the soul of the woman. She watched as the familiar became the unfamiliar and, although there was the usual fluttering light, the ghost of the woman seemed not to notice. Faith had seen souls refuse to cross, she had seen them confused, delighted and everything in between. But she had not once seen them indifferent and she watched with interest. The fluttering light of the Immortals remained for a short while, then faded. the ghost of the woman was still there.

But then, she considered that there was a little girl who needed her help and Faith nodded to the doctor. "Is that acceptable?" Faith asked, in a tone which brooked no argument. When he nodded, she did the same; a curt gesture. "Then, let's begin finding out what's going on." And so, she made her way to find Lou. Because this wasn't the first person to have died from this, and now, Faith recognized, this was a pattern.

And that meant trouble. Of course, what she didn't realise was just how much trouble, but then... she rarely did.

Off Topic

This thread is used to record the cost for this endeavor.
Community Center : 4000gn
Satellite Clinic : 1500GN
Soup Kitchen : 2000GN
Equipment : 1000GN
8500GN total - 50% = 4250GN Final Price.
Deducted from ledger.

[Yrmellyn Cole]

Thread Rewards

FAITH

Overview

Exellent writing as always. The dialogue with the child was believable and little Lou really spoke as children that age do. Faiths unselfish, enduring and conscientous personality really shines in this thread. The topic of the thread interests me, both the parts about Isonomia’s general work for social welfare and health care to the poor and the more acute crisis with the unknown illness in Dust Quarters. I’m looking forward to see how this will continue!

Points

10

Loot, Renown, Injuries

+20 for a)setting up a satellite clinic and soup kitchen for the poor b) resolutely taking action in Dust Quarters in order to find out more about the illness c) dressing down a doctor for lack of compassion and d) defending the rights of an orphaned child

Knowledge

Logistics: Setting up in a new city.
Logistics: Identifying what's needed where.
Teaching: Considering all the factors in an individual's performance.
Woodworking: Demonstrating to a beginner.
Woodworking: Making shelves

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