Kitchens, Brunnhold
So the young woman was thinking about Dorhaven although she didn’t like to think about the bombing because of all the senseless death and destruction, the talk of the Resistance and the thought of all those poor, poor families with their lives torn apart - not that there were that many to mourn such things from what she understood. It was dreadfully distressing and there was a definite sombre air in the university, least of all because things involving the Resistance spelled trouble for the galdori, even if some deemed it as little more than a nuisance. Thoughts of what had happened were there although Niamh did her utmost to keep them buried, dwelling on the matter making her want to cry. It kept simmering away in the background though, wearing away at her.
She worried about her engagement and how if she was going to make her move, she’d have to do it before graduation or else she was certain that her father would entrap her at home, sure that if she had no reason to go outside then she could while away the intervening days between her graduation and Caleb’s own learning how to be a good, obedient wife. There was no way in hell, no way in the names of every deity in the Circle that she was going to marry Caleb Darcy! But the young man didn’t seem to realise that or else was unwilling to accept that she might not want him. Other women were interested in him, some shooting envious or even contemptuous looks her way when they were in a gaggle in his vicinity. To their minds, Niamh wasn’t anything special and that she should have inflamed his passions so and have the cheek to be utterly disinterested seemed to piss them off. It wasn’t just looks she’d caught but whispers too so she knew what they said about her, Mr Darcy’s jealous admirers. She was inclined to agree with them on one matter — she was nothing special. That he was so obsessive about her was beyond comprehension, the man actually seeming possessive of her.
She wondered if it was her coolness towards him when they’d been near each other — he was one of Oísin’s little pals — that had so enamoured him in the first place. The youth definitely had an ego big enough to support his need to break something in her, make her burn for him and then he’d probably be happy to ignore her. That wasn’t going to happen though and so his interest was still there and she was left to worry and be irritated with the entire situation. One more reason to regard her impending graduation with approaching dread, the months between then and now not seeming all that long. And hanging over it all was indecision and Harper. Harper who was a source of worry and doubt, but also one of the true joys in her life. She had no idea what to do about the professor. She couldn’t expect him to- It wasn’t like he actually wanted some deluded schoolgirl-
No, today wasn’t the day to worry about Harper Moore. The student could concern herself with his research and the passives who helped them along with it. Which was going to include Aurelie Steerpike apparently. It was Aurelie who had risen to the top of the redhead’s mind as the day’s chief concern. A pressing concern and one that needed to be addressed with greater immediacy because of Fionn.
The passive girl had shown up at Keyes’ office all flustered and bearing what had looked like a handkerchief and her brother had also become flustered and shy, more irritable with Niamh as a result as if she was intruding. In many ways, she supposed that she had although that hadn’t been her intention. Still, she’d felt somewhat… sorry for them both. Passives should be allowed to be friends with each other, even if they were of opposing sexes. The only problem was that she wasn’t certain that friendship was what was going on. Well, it had seemed more like friendship, a nervous, uncertain thing that Niamh could relate to quite well — she could be so very awkward with other people. So she had left them but she had worried afterwards.
The Living Conversationalist thought that she might have been correct to worry. Whatever had happened — really happened — it had had an effect on Fionn. An effect that made him extremely waspish when she tried to pry afterwards when he came down to the lab. Her gently probing questions had made him snap that no, he hadn’t had sex with her if that was what she wanted to know. It wasn’t. Not really although she had had all sorts of thoughts flashing through her mind up to that point, namely because the things that her brother came out with, the things that were crass and thrown out to shock weren’t exactly born out of inexperience.
But she’d fielded his grumpiness, managing to get him to admit rather grudgingly that she’d come to repay a kindness and that they had talked, Aurelie being informed about Harper’s work and expressing interest from what her brother said. He’d muttered something about finding her in the Kitchens if she wanted to secure her cooperation because — as he snapped out — he wasn’t actually meant to interact with her.
However, the galdor had kept an eye on him, lips kept carefully sealed so that she wouldn’t raise his ire — or his suspicions — as she observed him, as she had done every day since. While he suggested that the encounter had been innocent, Niamh couldn’t help seeing the creaminess about him, the distraction. Furthermore, he had let things about her slip out, casual comments about innocent things but he also seemed to have some awareness that he was doing it and would stop himself. It reminded her of how he’d spoken about Lars, except this time he was more guarded, better aware of himself or of her and so he was being careful on the topic of the Steerpike girl.
Caution and secrecy from Fionn were very concerning because he was usually so open, saying and doing things that he shouldn’t so disinterested in potential consequences. It was maddening and anxiety inducing but it turned out that his silence was worse. Furthermore, it was persisting. She’d seen him the day before and-
Yes, it was a definite problem.
Not that she blamed the girl, no. In truth, she wanted to get to the bottom of things if she could but she also wanted the chance to… vet her. If the servant was going to work with Moore then she wanted to ensure that she was serious and that she wasn’t well… interested for other reasons. Her brother could scheme but the diminutive passive had seemed genuine and far less guileless than Fionn.
So she found herself at the Kitchens, feeling unimaginably nervous to step into the midst of the frantic activity of passives. She’d already tried the other large kitchen but the passive she’d been looking for hadn’t been present and she had no guarantee that she’d be in here either but she had to try.
Stepping through the door, even in a cautious and tentative fashion, caused a noticeable ripple. Galdori probably didn’t come in here often and the appearance of one was obviously noteworthy. It was her field more than the green uniform that caught attention, the feel of it in a space that they thought empty of any presence meant that those who would have been too absorbed in their work to spot her ended up glancing up in shock before their gazes skittered away. Niamh dampened her field, making it smaller and less obtrusive but the damage was already done.
A woman approached her while she was gazing a little helplessly about herself, the passive carrying a certain bearing of competent authority that turned to something more demure as she approached the golly. The woman could only be a Matron, one of the overseers of the passive population. The Matron gave a little bow of the head to show respect.
"Afternoon, ma’am. Can I help you with something?" the passive questioned politely, hands clasped neatly in front of her and resting against her apron.
"I uh… yes! I’m sorry to bother you but I was looking for Aurelie Steerpike. She’s um… small and she does a fair bit of work here as I understand it. She’s got sort of short hair, down to her chin and um…" she trailed off, trying to think of further details.
"Yes, she’s here, ma’am. Would you like me to fetch her?"
”Why yes, please! And if she asks, you can tell her that it’s to do with Professor Moore’s work.”
She saw the flash of incredulity on the woman’s features before she managed to bury it behind impassive features once more. Was it the fact that she’s mentioned Harper’s work or the fact that she’d said about telling her if she asked? In truth, passives tended to be very quiet and they didn’t speak out of turn, especially to their superiors. Unless they were troubled in some way or had never properly adjusted to this way of life, like Fionn. Shocking as it was to believe, apparently he talked back less these days, although she struggled to believe it.
”She may be gone for quite some time but I’ll try to get her back as soon as I can. I know you’re very busy. I’ll uh… I’ll be waiting outside,” Niamh adder timidly, seeing a flash of confusion in green eyes before she did as she said she would, turning away just as the other woman nodded.
Out in the corridor, she clasped her hands before her, trying to project an air of calm, soothing the little ripples in her field. The student was nervous, ridiculously so perhaps but nervous all the same. This meeting felt as if it would be an important one, significant for multiple reasons. For one thing, if the girl was truly interested in helping Harper then it would be wonderful! And perhaps other passives would follow her example and stop believing those ridiculous rumours!
When Aurelie did appear, Niamh smiled a little self-consciously, but she hoped brightly, and smoothed hands over the front of her uniform.
“Hello again, Miss Steerpike — Aurelie. It’s good to see you again. I was wondering would you um… would you accompany me to Laboratory Beta please? I have some things I want to discuss and it’s probably best if we don’t speak out in the hallway. It’s hardly comfortable,” she explained. If the passive agreed then she’d begin leading the way.
The galdor knew that Harper was out of the laboratory — for an unknown length of time — because she’d gotten rid of him. It hadn’t done it on purpose, she’d just chided him because he needed to go outside sometimes, need fresh air and a change of scene from the lab. He couldn’t live in there, keen as he was to try. She’d actually only thought of doing this after she’d convinced the monic theorist to leave so while it hadn’t been purposely planned, his absence was convenient. It meant that she wouldn’t have another reason to make a fool of herself in front of him.