[Closed] The Arrow and the Song

[Aurelie Steerpike]

"Ah."

Aurelie wasn't quite sure what to say to that. The use of the phrase "in particular" implied to Aurelie that it could be one of many options. Matron had said something about being a "steadying" influence; so a troublemaker then. Briefly Aurelie thought of a different former roommate. She'd never liked her. Alethea wasn't much like this roommate, really. After all, she hadn't immediately said anything cruel to her.

Stitches... oh! For... wounds? This was also strange. Her new roommate was puzzling on many levels. Aurelie glanced at Alethea more contemplatively than before. Hers was not a manner she would have associated with the dressing of wounds.

"No, er, not... not quite." Again she fell silent, awkward and unsure of what to do. "Is that. Er. Does that... come up often...?"

[Alethea Fairburn]

“It’s a useful skill to have that I would like to learn.” Alethea said simply, flopping back onto her mattress. She rolled onto her side after a moment so she could still face Aurelie, “I’m good at tending to wounds, if you’re ever need that kind of assistance.”

In this moment, she was resisting making a comment about Aurelie’s ankle situation, curious how she would respond to Alethea revealing this skillset of hers. She wasn’t a braggart, but she was, she believed, justifiably confident in her skills, given how many terrible bandages she had rewrapped for people and her own injuries she’d tended to.

She wasn’t sure that Aurelie would take her up on that ever. Perhaps she would find out about Alethea’s reputation and become skittish like everyone else did, or maybe they would get into a fight. She honestly wasn’t concerned about the latter, if only because she felt quite confident she could take Aurelie in a fight and win.

Regardless though, it seemed worth mentioning. It was better if Aurelie did come to her if necessary rather than leaving something unattended or poorly dressed.

[Aurelie Steerpike]

Aurelie resisted the urge to frown at her new roommate as she spoke. Not a frown of concern or of anger, but one of concentration. Rarely did she meet someone who so consistently surprised her. Sewing was indeed a practical skill, and it pleased her to hear Alethea agree. Aurelie valued practicality, and more so valued the recognition of it in others. That wasn't the interesting thing to hear. To declare herself good at tending to wounds indicated a certain familiarity with doing so. Aurelie tried to picture the bedside manner of a girl like Alethea; her imagination failed her. She could neither project a sort of maternal tenderness nor a doctor's brisk efficiency on to her puzzle of a roommate.

They could learn together. That was entirely a possibility, especially if Aurelie suggested it. The words were there on the tip of her tongue--"I could teach you, if you'd like." She simply couldn't find the voice to shape them, afraid she would sound arrogant. Or desperate. Such an offer sounded perilously close like trying to make a friend, an activity Aurelie had never found to be her strong suit. Better to not try, usually.

The thing of that was, of course, that she simply didn't have any friends. Excepting, she supposed, she could tentatively call Fionn a friend--but even she wasn't naive enough to think that her interests there weren't distinctly different than what the term traditionally described. Besides, they were barely friends at all. Something in her chafed at the idea of her only friend being someone she hadn't seen in several weeks, that she couldn't really be seen with. (Ignoring, of course, the various other complications to her feelings about the entire subject.) Making friends was not something she was good at, but neither was, well, sewing. Perhaps she needed practice. Perhaps this was as good a time as any. She should--be bold, maybe. A little bit. If it didn't work well--well. She could worry about that when it happened, couldn't she?

"I could, er--I could, ah, perhaps... show you? Sometime? If, uhm, you'd like. Not--you don't have to, I don't want to assume but-- well." Aurelie's face was slightly warm from the effort. She shrugged her shoulders, a vain attempt to appear nonchalant about her offer.

Immediately she was seized by embarrassment. Aurelie rose to her feet, intending to prepare for the escape of sleep. That she was now standing on her supposedly injured ankle escaped her notice--her lie was so transparent she had managed to forget she even told it. Instead she resolutely turned away from Alethea to shed her uniform and change into the cotton shift she so often slept in. She'd made her offer and Alethea could take it or not.

She did keep her body carefully angled towards her own bed. This had very little to do with modesty, and everything to do with the shame she felt when someone saw the scar that spanned the width of her chest, just below her collarbones. Comfortable as she was now changing in front of others (there being little other option), she did not know Alethea. There were plenty of other scars to see--it was only this one she kept so private.

"A-anyway, I er. I should get to bed it's--I have to be in the kitchen at dawn and... uhm. Well. Yes."

[Alethea Fairburn]

Alethea sat up, looking over at Aurelie’s form on the bed curiously. It was surprisingly forward of her new roommate to make such an offer—people generally did not. It was a good offer too, after all, binding together two pieces of fabric and two pieces of flesh weren’t be that different. Besides that, it was maybe a good chance to not make an enemy out of her roommate, which was always frustrating to deal with.

“I wouldn’t mind that.” She said after a moment before quickly changing into her own sleeping clothes. She did have to be up early to deliver things, heavens forbid that some galdori had to wait for things.

Free of her dress and in the much more comfortable shift, Alethea got back into bed, sliding under the covers and sprawling out on her stomach. This was comfortable enough, this situation was workable enough. She was unsure about the other roommate, but having one roommate that was fine was good enough.