WK Embassy, Settling In (Reise, Chyril 27, Early TT)

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise Silverskye eventually found her way back to the Western Kingdom Embassy, where she was to be working for the foreseeable future. After the events of the morning, she was simply hoping for the rest of the day to be quiet and uneventful. She needed to get settled in, perhaps get some sleep. And she could really use a bath.

She approached the coach house of the Embassy, where the quarters were located. At the back of the coach house a set of wide steps led to the upper floor, where a wide hallway ran the length of the building, the only illumination provided by four lamps hanging from the ceiling, as well as the tall and narrow window on the far end. Six doors were spaced evenly along either side of the hallway, with a large stone pot between each pair of doors. Flowers were planted in the pots, different color in each, and it was obvious great care was being taken to keep them fresh and healthy.

Each of the doors lead into a simple two bed room, with a pair of large windows opening into the courtyard or offering view over the Embassy wall. Beds were set in the corner, and each person was afforded a small bed side table. With the room divided into symmetric halves, free corners were taken over by large wardrobes, and at the foot of each bed sat a locker that doubled as a bench, its top padded and covered in cloth. A sturdy padlock made out of brass was meant to keep prying out from whatever it was the locked contained, and it was screwed into the floor to prevent anyone from moving it easily.

A moderately sized round table, surrounded with two chairs was the last bit of furniture in the room, if one did not count the railing that ran along the middle of the room from which a heavy curtain hung. It was meant to serve as a wall of sorts between two halves of the room and give its tenants a sense of privacy is such was needed. It could be drawn almost all the way to the door and reached to about a foot above the floor. The table would of course need to be moved for the curtain to be put in place.

Reise stepped inside and closed the door behind her. As she did, she looked around the room to see if her roommate was in. She knew she had one, she just hadn't had a chance to meet them earlier. Now, she wanted to know who she was going to be spending her nights with.

[Meridiuz]

OOC: Hey there! I'm joining the Citadel team as a mod and I'll be handling your thread. Looking forward to playing with you!

IC:
As Reise looked around the room, she noticed that both of the beds were perfectly made. someone kneeling in front of the bedside table next to the right bed. On the table a white candle was burning with a bright flame. The person kneeling in front of it was wearing a grey habit, tied around the waist with a white cloth. A scapula hid any features of the head and from the look of the posture, the apparent acolyte had a tall and slim upper body.

With a soft voice, she could hear the acolyte recite a part of a prayer.

"To show mercy to our ancestors,
and to remember his holy covenant."

The acolyte bowed, staying in that position for a flicker before moving up again.

"This was the oath God swore to our forefathers:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life."

Again the acolyte bowed, waited a flicker, and moved up again, apparently completely unaware of Reise's presence. She could hear from the voice that the acolyte was young, probably at least 3 or 4 yahren younger than herself.

"In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace..."

The acolyte bowed one last time and then remained silent. The only thing Reise heard was deep, calm breathing.

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise was a little surprised to see the person that was apparently her roommate kneeling on the floor praying, but she did not interrupt. She was not a religious person herself in the least, and in her opinion, praying was a complete waste of time. But there was no need to be rude in this case, so she quietly shut the door behind her and moved over to her side of the room.

She sat on the edge of her bed and listened as the acolyte said her prayer, and then, when it seemed the girl might finally be done, Reise waited a few moments longer, then softly cleared her throat. "Hello," she murmured, hoping not to startle the other person.

[Meridiuz]

The acolyte was surprised to hear somebody greeting her as she finished her prayer. She gasped softly and held her hand in front of her mouth as she turned around. As Justine was now facing Reise, she could now see more of the acolyte. She was a young girl with a pale skin. Her green eyes were bright, but the hesitation clearly showed in them. It was immediately clear that this girl hadn't had a lot of social experience. At least not with any other people than other acolytes.

With a sheepish smile she stood up and gave Reise a slight bow. "Oh, I'm sorry. I...eh..didn't hear you come in. You must be my new roommate." She paused, making her feel even more awkward than she already had. It was one thing to be praying with other acolytes, but to be praying while some stranger was watching was something that the acolyte wasn't used to. She quickly extender her hand. "Welcome to the Western Kingdom Embassy. My name is Justine, I am an acolyte here.

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise smiled a bit as she sized the girl up, but not in an unfriendly way. She took her hand as she introduced herself. "I'm Reise," she said. "And yes, I am your new room mate. I just got here, I'll be working as a secretary."

She took a seat on the edge of her bed, leaning back and relaxing a bit. "You say you're an acolyte," she went on. "I'm curious; what is an acolyte doing at an embassy?"

[Meridiuz]

Justine smiled. "Glad to meet you, Reise. A secretary! We can always use more of those! So much things to be arranged and kept track of! I would never be able to keep track of all that." She giggled nervously and took a seat on the opposite bed of Reise.

"Yes, I'm an acolyte. We have a Chapel of Dominicus on the Embassy grounds, for all the Oneist in the Citadel. I assist the priests in the services they hold. It's part of my education, I'm still in training you see." The love for her work was clearly visible in the look in her eyes. Yet Justine quickly looked down to the floor as she realized how quickly she was babbling. "So...you just arrived from Kings Court?"


OOC: Write up of the Chapel isn't in the wiki yet, but will be there soon.

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise watched Justine carefully as the girl talked a bit about herself, and she didn't make any effort to hide her scrutinizing gaze. She doubted the girl would have recognized such a look anyway. Listening to her, and seeing the look her her eyes, Reise gathered that Justine was an optimistic, dedicated, and possibly very idealistic person. She also seemed to enjoy talking, at least a bit. There were many, many things that Reise could do with a person like Justine - many uses that she could put her to. But she said nothing of that right now. There would be time to work in the hooks later.

Instead, she just smiled back at Justine, trying to adapt the same shy, slightly nervous mannerism, acting like a young woman who was in a new place, with a new job, and who wasn't entirely confident of herself. The first two parts were easy enough - since they were, in fact, true - but the reality was, she was entirely confident in herself, and had to try to hide it.

"Yes, I did just come from King's Court," she lied. She shrugged, and smiled. "And I hope that I can arrange and keep track of everything well enough. I've never been a Secretary before. It's not exactly first on my list of most exciting jobs ever, but," she shrugged again, "I need to make a living, and most of my other options weren't very palatable to me."

She leaned forward where she sat, feigning interest in Justine's position as an acolyte. "So you're in training? For what? Are you going to be a Priestess?"

[Meridiuz]

Justine arched a brow. "I uhm..don't know how long you have lived in Kings Court, or how much attention you have been paying during the masses in church...., but there are no priestesses in our religion. I'm studying to become a nun in His service."

Her new roommate seemed to be very nice and friendly in first glance, but apparently she wasn't a very religious at all. For a flicker, Justine was really disappointed by this, but then she realized that this could also be a challenge. Maybe they were roommates for a reason. Maybe Reise could learn something from Justine and maybe she would be able to get to know Dominicus better. She knew that she would learn things from Reise. Her philosophy was that there was something valuable to learn from each and every person in Tazlure. Thank you Dominicus, for giving me this opportunity.

She laughed. "I have a long way to go though. Guess we both will be learning a lot here! Is this the first time for you outside of Kings Court?"

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise winced and inwardly cursed herself for her ignorant blunder. No, she wasn't very religious at all, and she supposed that it was too late to hide that fact now. She knew that her sad lack of knowledge in the area of religion could be deadly these days, in certain parts of the world, but to be honest, she'd been too busy trying to save her skin from other threats to stop and take time to do research on it.

"To be honest, I don't really go to Church," Reise said softly, offering what she hoped was a penitent smile. In truth, she was anything but. She belived religion to be the crutch of people too cowardly to face the real world on their own, or too foolish to decipher myth from reality. On the other hand, now that she was relatively safe, now might be a good time to learn a bit about Justine's faith. Crutch it might be, but Reise was also well aware that religion could be a powerful tool, if wielded by a skillful person. "Perhaps I'll have the chance to go while I'm here. Maybe you could teach me a bit about it."

She hesitated a bit on Justine's latest question though. She had to be careful with this one. The girl was curious about her, and that was a good thing to a certain extent. It gave her the chance to paint the picture of herself that Reise wanted her to see. But if she colored it wrong, it might have the wrong effect. "No, it's not my first time," she said. "I have traveled a few places, but not much. It seems like everytime I started to get settled in to some place, it was time to move on again." She smiled wistfully, remembering Rhoddin and the times they'd spent together. She wondered where he was; he'd been a good lover, if nothing else...

[Meridiuz]

The expression on the young acolyte's face was a mixture of disappointment and..maybe even pity. Justine couldn't imagine a life without Dominicus. She felt his presence all around her, wherever she went. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the people who hadn't felt that same glorious feeling in their lives.

Her expression completely changed when Reise offered the option of Justine teaching her about Dominicus. She smiled enthusiastically. "Oh, it would be my honor to show you the ways of the One! We can go to the mass together, I will teach you the prayers beforehand." She nodded and gave Reise a genuine understanding look, although the girl really had not traveled a lot her self, so she actually had no idea what it was like to get settled in one place and then having to move again. "Yeah, I can only imagine what it is like to have to move out of a place when you just have gotten used to it." She glanced around the room, smiling as she remembered all the things she had learned at the Embassy. "I've been here for almost a yahren now and I would have so much trouble to leave!"
Her gaze returned back to Reise and she looked straight into her pale blue eyes. "Fortunately that won't be for at least two yahren, I'd think!"

"Oh..wait!"She suddenly said after a pause. "Do you need to report somewhere? Or are you hungry? Must have been quite the trip.."

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise winced again - this time at the girl's enthusiasm in being willing to take her to mass - but she did her best to keep the expression and inward one so the girl wouldn't see it. She forced another smile and nodded agreeably. "That would be great," she said. "Just let me know when it is, and I will do my best to be there." And that was a promise she did intend to keep. She was serious about learning of the ways of the One, just not for the reasons that Justine was hoping for. For Reise, people's belief in the One would simply be another tool for her... or a weapon.

"I hope that I won't be leaving here for awhile, either," she went on. "I'm not sure that I'll be here for two whole yahren, but who knows; I could be here even longer." She shrugged, as if she didn't care. In reality, she supposed, how long she wanted to stay here would depend on her success in her new employment, and the rewards of such success.

She pondered the acolyte's last question for a moment. She supposed she did need to report in somewhere, to the man she'd be working for. But on the other hand, she also realized she hadn't eaten in quite some time. Lately, she'd gotten used to not eating for long periods of time, and she imagined that her figure was showing it. And, come to think of it, she was pretty hungry. Reporting in could wait.

"I am hungry," she admitted. "Let's find something to eat, then I can report in."

[Meridiuz]

Justine's eyes twinkled as Reise showed real interest in joining her for the mass. "Tomorrow at Morningtide there will be one. I do not have any tasks for that morning, so we could go together and I could sit with you."

The acolyte stood up and exhaled deeply. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders as she looked at Reise. She had known she was getting a roommate, but it was always a surprise what kind of person she would be. Reise seemed to be genuinely interested in Dominicus. It remained to be seen how determined she would be with that interest, but Justine was at least glad that everything seemed to be working out great for now. Thank you Dominicus, for showing my faith is true.
Opening the door, she gestured Reise to follow her. "Come, I'll take you to the Noshery."

Originally the Noshery was decorated like a lounge or a Western club of some reputation. It had been patterned after the infamous Kinsington in World's Mouth. But after Worlds Mouth split off, they redecorated the Noshery to look like the Dragon's Den in Kings Court. Ligh brown wood paneled the walls, and round tables filled the room, each one flanked by sturdy, high chairs. A narrow bar brass and oak was always manned by a picturesque bartender, the kitchens directly behind him available to guests at all marks of the day. As Justine and Reise walked in, Justine looked at her expectingly. "They redecorated the Noshery after Worlds Mouth separated itself. Now it's decorated after a famous tavern in Kings Court. Do you see the resemblance?"

[Reise Silverskye]

"Morningtide tomorrow," Reise echoed, apparently thinking it over. "Well, assuming I am not given any tasks for tomorrow, then I don't see why I can't come along. But I'll know more by this evening, and I'll be able to give you a more definite answer."

She followed Justine closely, and as she went, she found that she was eagerly looking forward to some good food. It really had been a long time since she'd eaten, she realized.

As they walked into the Noshery, Reise instantly recognized the decor, or at least, its general appearance. "The Dragon's Den," she breathed as she paused and took a long look around the room. She had spent a few days at the inn, back before she'd been forced to flee King's Court because of the impending battle. She'd made her first efforts at gaining powerful contacts there, and she'd made good progress, before everything had begun to fail spectacularly around her. First, her contacts had run off and left her hanging while they went about a hasty and ill concieved plan that failed, and then they'd abandoned her. Shortly after, the fighting had begun in earnest, and she'd been forced to flee for Roque d'Ancourt. But that was a long time ago. She shook herself, returning to the present. "Yes, I see it," she said to Justine with a wistful smile. "I remember it well." She also remembered how optimistic and idealistic she'd felt at the time - both were feelings that were long gone, now.

She nodded toward a table that was off to one side, against a wall. "Let's sit over there," she said. "It looks quiet and out of the way."

[Meridiuz]

Justine's eyes twinkled as she saw that Reise recognized the place. "Isn't it amazing? I think they did a wonderful job. It's much better than the old Worlds Mouth setting." The acolyte nodded in agreement as the young woman pointed out a table. "Yes, that one looks good."

Seating themselves at the table, Justine continued to babble on. "Oh! You know, it is not just the design that they took over from the Den. They also serve pancakes now. Can you believe it?" She giggled and leaned towards Reise as if she was about to say something secret. "They aren't as good as the ones at the real Den, but they are still so very tasty, it's almost a sin!" She leaned back again. "Of course, you have to be a fan of pancakes. Do you like them, or do you want to eat something else? I'd recommend the pancakes with syrup. They are the best."

On the other side of the room four girls were sitting at a table. They were all smiling and laughing as one of them was apparently telling quite an amusing story. Since they were wearing normal clothes it was obvious that they weren't acolytes like Justine was. The laughter was pretty hard and caught Justine's attention. She glanced at the table and sighed. It was hard to tell if she was sighing out of disgust or out of jealousy. Maybe it was a mixture of both. "They are all working as assistants and secretaries too. I'm sure you will run in to them sooner or later with your work. I think there is quite some social politics going on in the Embassy...but as an acolyte I don't hear much about it." She looked at Reise and then quickly looked down at the table. "Do you...do you have a...a..boyfriend?"

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise sat down across from Justine, amused at how much the girl was chattering. Ordinarily, she might have been annoyed by all the idle talk, but she realized that for once, she found it refreshing. She'd spent so much of the last couple months either running for her life, or playing deadly games with dangerous people where the wrong word could mean death. It was nice to just talk for once. Or rather, let someone else talk.

"Pancakes?" she echoed, feigning surprise. She'd never had the chance to try them at the Dragon's Den herself. Had never actually had them at all, really. But that wouldn't do to admit. "I love pancakes," she assured Justine enthusiastically. "If it is a sin to eat them, them I'm very unrepentant," she added with a sly wink.

Together with the acolyte, she glanced over at the other four girls and studied them surreptitiously. They didn't appear to be anyone of any great importantce, but as secretaries, they no doubt had access to various types of information. Some of it could be useful to Reise. She'd have to make a point to get to know them over the course of the next few days. But for now, she was still sinking her hooks into Justine, and she focused back on the girl across from her again. "A boyfriend... ah... well..." She trailed off, again remembered Rhoddin with no small amount of regret. Where was he, anyway? Was he even still alive? She hoped so. "Um... yes... well, that is, I used to. We ah... we were lovers... He was very good at making love," she added with a conspiriatorial smile at the other girl. "But," she went on, shrugging, "we got seperated some time ago. We were each going to meet friends at different locations, and we were going to meet back up. But... I never saw him again. I don't know what happened to him."

She glanced back up at Justine, and asked a question she knew she probably shouldn't. But she wanted to try a little experiment "I would suppose as an acolyte, you're not allowed to have a boyfriend, are you?" She leaned closer and lowered her voice even more, again winking mischievously, but in a friendly manner. "What about a girl friend? Do they say anything about not being able to have a girl friend?"

[Meridiuz]

The acolyte couldn't suppress quite a loud giggle when Reise confessed she was very unrepentant about the pancakes. Justine felt exactly the same way.

When Bernadette, the waitress came to take their order, Justine gave her a warm smile, making it obvious that she ate here quite often. The acolyte ordered two pancakes for them both. She ordered a glass of milk for herself, but let Reise order her own drink.

The girls eyes widened as Reise talked about her boyfriend..or rather..lover. A red color quickly appeared on her cheeks as the love making was mentioned. She turned her gaze away from Reise to stare at the table, not quite knowing how to handle the talk about love making. She had joined the church on a very young age and had never been introduced into the social world of teenagers. Of course she had played with boys when she had just been a child, but that was just play, never anything serious. The red on her cheeks became even more apparent when Reise asked about her.

"Eh..no..we're not allowed to have boyfriends. We are in essence, married to the One." Which unfortunately didn't stop the hormones from raging through her body from time to time. She was glad for the joke at the end. Returning her gaze to Reise, she smiled. "Oh, of course. We are definitely allowed to have girl friends." She paused for a flicker before continuing. "You seem like a nice person and we're going to be roommates for quite a while, so ..I'm kinda hoping that we could be girl friends.."

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise's mischievous grin turned into a smirk for a very brief moment before she managed to smooth it back out into an innocent look again. Poor Justine obviously didn't know what she'd meant by "girl friends." Reise had been talking about the physically intimate kind, while the acolyte was apparently thinking of simply the friendly kind. For a moment, Reise allowed herself to daydream about what it would be like to seduce an innocent young acolyte. Probably a lot of fun. But no, she wouldn't worry about that just yet. She'd certainly keep it as a future option, but for now, Justine was too valuable as a possible tool and contact to risk damaging the rapport she was building up with her. For now, she'd play things straight forward and keep it appropriate... for now.

"Oh, I'm sure we will become quite good girl friends," she assured Justine aloud. "I've only known you for a little bit and I already like you." She smiled openly. "You can tell me all about the One, and I can tell you all about what you're missing without a boyfriend." She laughed softly, simply teasing the other girl.

As the waitress showed up, Reise ordered herself a glass of juice. She didn't really care what kind showed up. All she'd had to drink for the longest time was water, and practically anything would be a nice change of pace.

"So tell me," she went on after a moment of silence, "once you're accepted as a Nun - however that process works - what do you want to do with yourself? Do you plan on staying here, or do you want to try to go someplace else, try to spread the word of the One? I mean, what's your deepest, most heartfelt apsiration?" A serious question, but an innocent enough one on the surface. But, Reise knew, the answer could be very valuable to her in the future. A person's aspirations were often buttons that could be pushed, valuable tools in manipulation - epsecially when they were motivated and driven by faith. Aside from that, though, she was also curious. What exactly did a girl who knew practically nothing but the Church of the One want to do with her life? What could she do?

[Meridiuz]

The acolyte just radiated with happiness. This was all turning out so much better than she could have ever imagined! Reise turned out to be such a nice girl! Thank you Dominicus, for blessing me with such a rich life.

She looked at Reise without having to think about her answer for even a flicker. "In time, when I have learned enough about faith and Dominicus, I would like to lead my own covenant. I would become a Mother." Her gaze went distant as she imagined herself standing on the steps of her own monastery, teaching the young acolytes all about the greatness of the One. "I feel that it is my destiny to teach the future young acolytes in the service of the One. It is something that has been with me all my life." She blinked as her gaze returned to the present and she smiled. Suddenly she didn't seem that young and naive at all. She seemed really wise and determined. "I don't know exactly where it will be in the world, but I have faith that I will find the place where my work will be needed the most. And I will help them."

She paused for a flicker, looking at her newfound friend, estimating if she should be telling her the thing that was now on the tip of her tongue. Inhaling deeply, she decided to continue. "I...I've had visions of this place, of my future. I can see myself standing on the steps of a monastery. My monastery. I am teaching a group of young acolytes and I can feel that they feel save. It is a good place, not touched in any way by the nether. I don't exactly know how...but I know it is a vision of the future, not just a dream. I just..don't know where the place is. But I will find it. It will be the end of a journey." She nodded. "Yes..the end of a journey and the beginning of another."

As the pancakes and the drinks were served, Justine gave a small prayer to the One and then quickly attacked the food with her fork and knife. Before she actually put the first piece into her mouth, she returned the question. "But, what about you Reise. What is your ultimate ambition?"

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise listened carefully to Justine's response, considering her words thoughtfully. She didn't necessarily believe that the acolyte did, in fact, have visions; she knew from experience that young girls were capable of making themselves believe almost anything, often simply because they wanted it to be true so badly. However, she didn't discount the possibility out of hand. Someone who had visions, or at least thought they had visions, could always be useful. She just had to figure out how.

The return quesiton that Justine posed to her sent a variety of answers running through Reise's head, none of which she could answer with. To control the fate of those around me. To be the one with with the most power. To remake the world in my own image... She forced the small dark voice inside her to be silent, and allowed herself an uncertain sounding sigh.

"Well, I want to be a politician," she said, which was true, to a degree. "I want to be able to represent the people, to make laws and ensure that they're followed, to try to build a strong community and nation." She didn't add that ultimately, she wanted that nation to be hers and hers alone. She shrugged. "A big ambition, I know, but I figure if I start out small, say, by being a secretary at an embassy," she went on with a wink, "I can work my way into it one step at a time."

She started to eat her own food, and though she tried to go slow and be polite, that didn't last long. She soon found herself eating as fast as she could without choking, and was soon done. She sat back with a contented sigh and grinned sheepishly at the other girl. "I guess I was hungrier than I realized."

[Meridiuz]

Justine nodded as Reise told her about her goals. She was truly captivated by the girl's stories and completely believed them to be true. "Ambitions are good to have and I really believe that every person can make a difference, even in the smallest things." She smiled. "We as people, will change the world together. I'm sure you will get there one day Reise. You'll be an amazing politician!"

Their shifted from the conversation to the food and as the acolyte was saviouring every little bite of the pancake, eating it piece by piece, she wasn't even halfway when Reise already finished hers. Justine bursted out in loud giggling, something that was quite rare for her, especially in a public place like this. The girls at the other table even looked up for a flicker before returning to their highly important gossip. "Wow, you must have been really hungry indeed!" She looked down at her own plate and leaned back. "I'm actually pretty full, so you can take some of mine, if you want?"

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise smiled in gratitude at Justine's offer, and needed no second bidding. She slid her plate over to the other girl's, acquired most of what was left, and then pulled it back. She set into it with a fervor that was no less than when she had begun. She didn't bother talking, she just worried about getting food into her stomach. She probably thinks I'm a pig, she thought to herself, but at the moment she didn't care.

Finally though, she'd finished the second helping, and while she was sure she could have eaten more, at least the clawing hunger had subsided and she was more comfortable now. She wiped her lips with a napkin thoroughly, trying to regain some of her manners.

"Well, that's a bit better, I think," she murmured with a satisfied sigh. She looked back up at Justine, cheeks flushing a bit with embarassment as she realized she'd completely abandoned their conversation while she ate. "So... now I know where to go get some good food. What about fun? Where do you go around here to have some fun?"

[Meridiuz]

"Fun?" Justine held a puzzled look for a flicker as she tried to think on what sorts of things a secretary might think of as fun. This was especially difficult considering the vast differences between herself and Reise. "Well, mostly I pray and read from the Book when I'm not working as an acolyte," she said and picked up both their plates. She carried them with poise and though she was young, Justine had an aire about her that suggested she was well practiced in being mild mannered as well as in servicing those around her. "I sew - I made these." Here, she referenced her robes which were simple with no fancy stitchery or embroidery but well made and strong to easily handle her lifestyle.

The acolyte placed the dishes in the proper bin. The kitchen was community style and the sisters and acolytes took turns working in them. Today, luckily for Reise's touring, Justine had the afternoon off as she'd worked the morning shift, but she'd be needed later in the evening for other preparations for the next day's meals. "Some of the other girls," she tilted her chin and motioned toward the table of gossip. "Have plenty of time for hobbies, but I have so many other things." She shrugged. "I need to be ready for when the One calls me." Justine's face held placid awareness as her eyes flickered off beyond their conversation to her memories of visions of her greatness and of a time long ago that she could only vaguely remember, but that Dominicus wanted her to focus on - or, that's what she believed anyway.

"Oh! You know what I do, sometimes? I like the gardens - do you like gardens, Reise? Sometimes I'll help with he herbal beds, or just walk through the flower gardens... I don't know much about flowers really, and the sisters mostly have us around to pick up their piles of weeds so we don't disturb anything, but it's very peaceful." There was a tone to her voice that urged acceptance in a subtle way.

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise did her best not to make a face at Justine's enthusiasm about gardens. She didn't much care for gardens, or even nature itself, really. Dirt was something she preferred to stay out of as much as possible. She offered a shrug, and what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

"I honestly don't have much experience with gardens," she said. "They're pretty, I suppose. I've never had a chance to spend time in one, so I don't know how peaceful they'd be." She made sure to leave her tone of voice open and accepting, carefully hiding the distaste she felt for the topic. Please don't make me go to a garden, she thought. Going to church I can handle because it'll be valuable information to know, but gardens don't figure into my plans at all right now...

Nevertheless, she knew she couldn't risk giving Justine a cold shoulder on anything right now. So she just kept smiling...

[Meridiuz]

"They are pretty - part of the One's great design. In the Book it speaks of the first Island of Man and the garden that was created for the first man." Justine smiled and sighed. She very much wanted to see that place - to be in that garden. Justine wouldn't have made the same mistake as her namesake - she wouldn't have drank the water. Atleast, that's what she believed.

Sadly, Reise didn't understand the importance of gardens. They were especially important in the Citadel as a place where people would gather in the spring and summer months to chat and even have secret conversations. The gardens of the palace had cloisters of space that gave the impression of solitude. All one had to do was be there at the right time to overhear tidbits of people's personal lives.

Walking through the halls of the embassy it wasn't long before they reached their room again. Justine knew the building very well. She had all the networks of passages mapped out in her mind. "I have prayers that I must go do in the church. It's closed for only the acolytes and sisters, so I can't take you with me, but I'll see you later this evening? We could have dinner together in the dining hall." She grinned broadly. Justine was really enjoying her new friend.

[Reise Silverskye]

Reise smiled back, though she wasn't quite able to muster the same broad, enthusiastic grin that Justine had. Although she thought that the acolyte would be a valuable contact - and even a likable girl to some extent - she was starting to tire of the religious rhetoric that was constantly being thrown at her. Justine was practically brainwashed, and it was grating on her nerves. She needed a break. She was glad when Justine mentioned they'd have to separate for awhile.

"That's no problem," she said. "I'm sure I can find other things to do with my time. Like check in and see if I should start working today or wait until tomorrow. If I'm free, I'd be happy to join you for dinner, but I can't make any promises. You know how it is."