The Golden Rule

You could say something rude, but she might be the first one to put you in your place. Best to watch your tongue... Member of Wellspring Skies Blog Art Not Sourced

[moraurelia]

A Learned Skill || Iluka & Aurelia

[moraurelia]

hibiscusandchaitea:

The day was busier than usual and Iluka was tiring herself running back and forth through the café. She would never let her customers know though, they were just as important to her as the money they brought in. If they stopped coming due to bad service, then her business would slow down and that would eventually lead to her having to close it for good. And that was not an option.

A woman called out to her, one that in mind she found to be rather rude calling her like that while with another customer. However, she still approached her with a smile.

“Coconut, matcha tea, strawberry, and pineapple are the flavors of the day.”

Oh ho... impressive. Still that same smile, even as she had to move quickly from table to table. Aurelia wondered if she was being the problematic one. Well... maybe she ought to order something, since she grabbed the girl’s attention for her own selfish interest.

“Thank you,” She tried to be sincere, but with such a stone cold face, it didn’t come across very well. Actually, the look on her face was more of an inquisitive one, but she wasn’t sure if it would be a strange question to ask. How do you do that so well? Who trained you? Is it instinct or talent? No, that all sounded weird. She sighed, giving up, and simply asked, “Could I have the coconut?”

Even as she ended the interaction, her mind was still spinning with questions. Aurelia would ask when she came back... she just needed to process how she was going to ask. She was far too distracted by that brilliant demeanor.

[moraurelia]

Sight Seeing || Aurelia & Mark

[moraurelia]

smilelikesunshine:

The pain dulled, but was still present. It might bruise. Aurelia was strong enough to cause those without really thinking about it, and Mark never forgot that fact about her. He sighed and stood up straighter, “Whatever ignore that. But it is a little funny to me that some chubby kid was a godsend apparently.” 

Mark snorted at the thought. He was just some fat dork who clung to Aurelia’s side because she’d chase off the bullies when things got rough for him. She was definitely the bigger godsend to him. 

“Well. Now I know why I hadn’t seen you yet. Either way, when you get settled in this place just immediately becomes home. I’ve only been in the abyss few times, usually to just get a feel for it. The place is amazing.” 

“Hmm. You need more confidence in yourself.” Aurelia’s eyes wandered, looking over her friend’s farm, if only to distract herself from the jarring reality that was setting in. He was here. It was unusual. She had a lot of feelings she didn’t quite understand. Still, she knew one thing, and she said it bluntly, “You were just as fine then as you are now.”

Well, she would admit she was impressed by all of the change. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t, and she wasn’t prone to lying at this point in her life. All the same, Aurelia wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t really expect the answer to be yes when she mentioned the abyss. Maybe there was some confidence there now that she hadn’t quite picked up on. “Oh. I guess I’ll bring you with me then.”

It didn’t really sound so much like a request as it did like a side comment that he wasn’t allowed to have a vote on. It was kind of like her saying she wanted to spend more time with him, but without actually having to say it. She also wanted to satiate her curiosity at the same time. “Anyway... you have animals here, right..?”

Well, if someone like Mark was going to be working the land, there was no doubt in her mind that he would be great at taking care of animals.

[quicksilverzen]

Afternoon Tidying

[moraurelia]

quicksilverzen:

“Oh, Goddess no, I’m not concerned about swears. As long as it’s not in front of the children, please feel free to curse like a sailor. But be mindful, the Goddess is always watching, Aurelia.” Gerard teased, though he knew the Goddess would be forgiving. After all, he hadn’t been smited yet. “And yes, it’s far better than carrying multiple bags- when we only had ten orphans living here, we did that. But the number of supplies grew as more of our occupants arrived.”

He locked the pantry door, and pocketed the key. “Come, I’ll show you the dining hall.”

His mind wandered to what she said. It was very true, the children might have done it just to spend time with him- he wasn’t always available to each of them individually. He usually ended up giving them a glass of milk, chatted with them and then sent them back to bed. How wise Aurelia was to connect the two; it explained quite a bit about what was going on. And such a thoughtful way to look at it.

Gerard usually took awhile to warm up to someone, but at Aurelia’s comment, he decided he liked her.

As they turned a corner, he motioned inside a small room with a long bench table in the middle. It was tidy, but dark. “There aren’t any windows in here so it’s rather dreary. When the weather is good we have picnics outside.”  

“Yes, yes...” Aurelia responded offhandedly, brushing off the teasing easily. Of course the Goddess was watching... but at least the Goddess knew she was trying her best... and that was all she could really ask for. Anything more would be greedy, if not selfish. Still, she wasn’t about to curse in front of a child-- not intentionally. She wasn’t that bad!

Aurelia had looked around enough in this room, and she fixed her eyes firmly on Gerard as he locked up and began showing her to the next location. The way he sashayed through the halls was only exaggerated by his flowing hair. Despite the way he spoke, his eyes appeared to be brimming with knowledge and wisdom. It was as though he had attained something through time that she had yet to comprehend. He seemed like he could answer any of her questions, should she choose to ask him.

But wasn’t that what made him perfect for his position?

“It’s... quaint.” Aurelia muttered as they entered the dining hall, speaking her emotions as she processed them. It was dark and boring... the children must have certainly gotten antsy being cooped up in a room like this. She knew she would have as a child, that was for certain.

[moraurelia]

A Learned Skill || Iluka & Aurelia

Aurelia didn’t go out of her way to show off certain assets of herself. Her stomach or her arms-- those were fine because she lifted. She could show them off unabashed because she had earned that right. Now-- it was important to keep in mind that she didn’t really think about this very often. It was mostly since she had tried to force herself to dress more appropriately of her standing at the church that she had even noticed she dressed rather sloppily on her days off. She had had a thought wander through her mind, however, that the concept of beach bodies might be a real thing. She had never thought that before, but as she sat perched on her bar stool watching the girl waiting tables, she couldn’t help but have that thought.

Maybe this was what envy felt like? Aurelia rarely felt such complex bundles of emotions about things that didn’t really matter. This was one of those occasions, though, where she wondered what she would have looked like had she actually taken to being more feminine. Aurelia was certain she would never have quite the same curves as this stranger, but if she didn’t have such a toned body she would be soft, if not plump. She could have grown her hair out and worn it in braids or pulled up into a bun. If she stayed out in the sun enough, she would definitely get a tan, but she was more of the type to get a farmer’s tan rather than one that seemed a little more balanced.

No, not matter what she did, she didn’t think she could pull off the tropical aura that this girl was giving. Maybe it had something to do with the atmosphere. Or maybe it was her attitude. She was so cheerful and welcoming. A smile made a hell of a difference is customer service, didn’t it? Chomping on the straw to her hibiscus tea, she mulled it over as she swirled the ice around in the cup. Should she ask her? No, maybe this wasn’t the right place or time. But she was at work, so she would probably humor her as a customer. Well, even if she didn’t ask, it was obvious she wanted something, since she was staring for far too long.

“Miss,” she called, releasing the straw back into its drink. The white chiffon cover up that did little to actually cover her up dragged behind her as she threw her hand up in the air in a vague gesture for attention. She could at least test the waters, she supposed, “What flavor shaved ice do you offer?”

[moraurelia]

Homebound || Aurelia & Dia

[lilyoftheabyss-blog]

moraurelia:

“I guess I almost earned some points then.” Aurelia’s voice held a bit of a sarcastic tone, and she had to catch herself mid sentence. She said these things jokingly, but she knew nothing about Dia except for her attitude with the children, and something told her those kinds of comments would go right over her head. Or maybe she was completely misinterpreting the new acquaintance.

“The research guild…” Aurelia could feel questions forming on the tip of her tongue, but she wasn’t sure if she should ask them. Maybe she would wait until later. It would be impolite to pry or interrogate at a time like this. Then again, she didn’t want the entire walk filled with silence… which was more often what happened when Aurelia got a bit too self-conscious about her social skills. Luckily, Dia seemed to know how to fill in the gaps between the ambient noise.

“A few weeks…” Aurelia’s eyes followed the streetlights and quietly wondered if the lamps were powered through cable lines or open flames. Was there enough stability this close to the abyss? Perhaps they had built support beneath the ground closer to the abyss… or maybe they just had luck and faith. There didn’t seem to be a whole lot of major companies here to take over intense construction like that. Still, it was an atmosphere she quite liked. “I came to support Father Gerard.”

She looked back to Dia as she responded, only to be startled by that polite smile. She had a hard time smiling, so it always impressed her when people smiled in such an inviting way. Well, most of the people around here were rather good at that. She wondered if it was legitimate happiness to have company or just her putting up with Aurelia… …it didn’t matter that much. She was over-thinking it. “I would be lying if I said that was all there was though. This place has its own attraction, too.”

“There’s a phenomenon surrounding the attraction you know.” Dia met Aurelia’s gaze for a moment, “The call of the abyss. It might not be what you’re going through, but it’s something that’s commonly observed in those who move here. I could… go on about it but I wouldn’t want to bore you with the details.” 

She was aware that she had a tendency to go overboard when explaining her interests. Overwhelming conversations with a fountain of information that her partner usually didn’t ask for. 

Dia was lucky enough to have Lillian and Charles sit through her rambles and her excitement over mundane information. Hell Jin was polite enough to listen to her just go on and on about the inner workings of Pomme Pommes and how she swears up and down she saw a king wooly once. 

She folded her hands, deciding to not linger in her own head, “I’m assuming you knew father Gerard before coming here? Because he’s a little… much to handle if you didn’t know him before.”

[moraurelia]

“A phenomenon...” Aurelia paused, thinking as she stared at her boots. She could hear the thick heels press down against the cobblestone with a dull thud, although she wasn’t listening intently to it. She supposed it was background noise that only because more noticeable in the evening, after all of the chatter had washed away into silent darkness. Her thoughts wandered as she listened, wondering what kind of social cue she was trying to give. She wanted to talk about it, didn’t she? “I wouldn’t mind diving in there, but I guess there are people who are trained for that.”

“I’m not that reckless...” She almost added ‘I don’t think’ at the end of that sentence, but she thought if she made a claim she would stick to it. She had done her fair share of throwing herself into dangerous situations, she didn’t need to keep that up at her age. She should know better.

“Father..?” Aurelia was a bit confused by the comment. Was he really that bad? He wasn’t bothering her with some strange concept of co-dependence, he was thoroughly his own person. She respected him for that. “Oh no. I met him recently. He isn’t a bad guy though. He’s much easier to handle than the idiot at my old church.”

Aurelia frowned at the thought of Chester. Well, he wasn’t bad either, they just had different pros and cons. “Besides, he’s been taking care of the kids on his own for a long while. It’s hard to hold any kind of disrespect for someone with such good intentions.”

Well, she respected Chester, too... but she wouldn’t say that out loud.

[moraurelia]

Homebound || Aurelia & Dia

[lilyoftheabyss-blog]

moraurelia:

“Dae-Hyun…” Aurelia felt the unusual name on her lips and decided rather quickly that she must have pronounced it wrong. It sounded different when she said it. Oh well, “… Dia, then.”

Aurelia wasn’t about to involve herself in wrangling up the children and shuffling them off to bed. Not if Dia was here to solve that little bit of trouble. She watched as her savior walked off, silently thanking her for her sacrifice. She really did have a gentle tone to her voice, and the kids must have loved her because of it. Well, Aurelia was pretty okay with playing bad cop, especially if it meant the kids would behave. She had been doing a pretty good job of sticking around after hours to keep an eye on things, but she assumed she wouldn’t have to tonight, since they all looked pretty tired.

Well, with the orphanage settled, Aurelia just needed to clean up a little bit on her end. It was rather easy to fold up the ladder and set it aside in a separate room. If there were people coming in for tomorrow’s sermon, she wouldn’t want it out in the open. Still, she needed easy access– it wasn’t like she was going to be done this project any time soon. After that, it was just a matter of walking the building and making sure everything was locked up tight. She was certain there were some sticky fingers around these parts. It came with the atmosphere of a city. By the time she reached the entrance and had it locked up tight, she noticed Dia was already waiting with her purse.

“I didn’t keep you too long, did I?” Aurelia blinked, surprised at how quickly Dia had set the children to bed. She was definitely better at this than Aurelia was. Well, it didn’t matter. Everybody had their own talents, and she respected the ones Dia had. Stepping on to the walk-way, she shoved her hands into her pockets to put away her keys and was about to set off before realizing she had no idea where she was going. “Do you live around here?”

“You almost got it right by the way.” Dia broke the flow of conversation to mention that Aurelia almost pronounced her name correctly, “It’s pronounced more like ‘day’ but you were almost there.” 

“But uh. No. You didn’t keep me long.” She adjusted her bag and paused, taking a moment to register that she needs to be the one to lead them. Considering that her new companion met her today and didn’t know where she lived. 

“Not too far from here. I just live a bit closer to the research guild.” Dia nodded in a direction down the street, starting her way down the familiar cobblestone road. The world was winding down and what few of the trolleys that were still running at this hour were clattering down the rails not too far from where they were. 

Store fronts were closing and the gentle glow of lamp lights flickered. And even from the city the sounds of cicadas still settled in. Dia smiled, “How long have you been here by the way?” 

[moraurelia]

“I guess I almost earned some points then.” Aurelia’s voice held a bit of a sarcastic tone, and she had to catch herself mid sentence. She said these things jokingly, but she knew nothing about Dia except for her attitude with the children, and something told her those kinds of comments would go right over her head. Or maybe she was completely misinterpreting the new acquaintance.

“The research guild...” Aurelia could feel questions forming on the tip of her tongue, but she wasn’t sure if she should ask them. Maybe she would wait until later. It would be impolite to pry or interrogate at a time like this. Then again, she didn’t want the entire walk filled with silence... which was more often what happened when Aurelia got a bit too self-conscious about her social skills. Luckily, Dia seemed to know how to fill in the gaps between the ambient noise.

“A few weeks...” Aurelia’s eyes followed the streetlights and quietly wondered if the lamps were powered through cable lines or open flames. Was there enough stability this close to the abyss? Perhaps they had built support beneath the ground closer to the abyss... or maybe they just had luck and faith. There didn’t seem to be a whole lot of major companies here to take over intense construction like that. Still, it was an atmosphere she quite liked. “I came to support Father Gerard.”

She looked back to Dia as she responded, only to be startled by that polite smile. She had a hard time smiling, so it always impressed her when people smiled in such an inviting way. Well, most of the people around here were rather good at that. She wondered if it was legitimate happiness to have company or just her putting up with Aurelia... ...it didn’t matter that much. She was over-thinking it. “I would be lying if I said that was all there was though. This place has its own attraction, too.”

[moraurelia]

“It’s getting hot out... There better not be a storm...”

Ready for the summer fair. =v=;;;

[moraurelia]

urban-champagne:

@moraurelia

Alice tapped her pen against the folder, staring up at the large doors of the church. She was never one for religion–honestly, it was easier to blame yourself and move on than constantly as some higher power why they bothered, or why they couldn’t grant what you asked for. Too many people had been disappointed, yet even more still believed in some…witch living in a pond. Yeah right. 

Trying not to laugh at that thought, Alice shook her head and opened the doors. She looked around a bit. It was…dreary for her. Honestly, it gave her a pang of loneliness in her stomach. The old wood, the windows…all of it.

She took a deep breath in, held it, then slowly released. “Hello? Is anybody available?” she called.

“One minute...” Aurelia bellowed from behind one of the doors behind the church altar. She had been setting up for the next day when she heard the church doors open. The echo of her voice as it tapered off sounded a bit too busy for this time of day. Well, she was trying to rush, she wasn’t going to lie, but it wasn’t like she was about to do her job poorly. No, she had been through enough scoldings in her days to learn that it was a waste of everybody’s time to rush things. Which meant she should walk into this conversation with a patient heart.

“Do you need something?” Aurelia had attempted to hone her service skills with very impressive thoughts, but they all fell short as she appeared from the hallway, brushing her hands on her apron. Her tone of voice sounded a bit like she wasn’t really concerned with the silver haired woman that walked through the door. Well, she looked impressive, but Aurelia was never one to be set on edge by something like someone’s appearance. Not until she found a reason to be, at least. “I’ll try to keep a little quieter if you’re here to pray, but Father has stepped out already if you’re looking for a confession.”

Aurelia stared at the stranger for a long moment, her eyes reading the woman as though she had reason to confess. Her mind didn’t really process that this might be insulting.

[moraurelia]

Activity Check 6/9

Passed!

Earnings:

For your full time job: +2,400G  For passing the Activity Check: +2,000G Every new open thread you make on Tumblr (Up to 3): +1,000G

Expenses:

Rent; All That Glitters Apartments: - 500G Food: - 2,000G

Total: + 2,900G

Current Finances: 7,900G

[moraurelia]

Homebound || Aurelia & Dia

[lilyoftheabyss-blog]

moraurelia:

“Really? Well, it’s good to hear they’re not too much trouble.” Aurelia hadn’t expected to see her smile. She wasn’t sure why, but the girl looked like she would typically keep a more stoic demeanor. It was… actually kind of cute. It would be weird to compliment her, though, so Aurelia decided it would be best to simply continue the conversation. It was bad to get enamored by a stranger. For all she knew, this person could be incredibly rude or dangerous.

“The name’s Aurelia. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’ll be helping Father Gerard for a while.” Combing her hair back with her fingers, she wondered if a while might be forever at this rate. Well, it wasn’t like she was dissatisfied being here. While she wouldn’t admit that it was important to her, she liked having the opportunity to meet and connect with new people.

“Are you heading back soon?” Aurelia blinked, realizing night had fallen before she even noticed. It might be smart to keeps an arms length with someone new, but she would kick her awful sense of justice if something were to happen to this girl out in the city at night. “Give me a moment to lock up the church. I’ll walk you home.”

It wasn’t really an offer. It was a demand.

“Dae-Hyun. Though most call me Dia.” Dia nodded her head as they were introduced to one another and noticed how the night was starting to settle in, lamp lights starting to flicker to life just outside the window and the kids were still barely staying awake. Most children having already gone off to sleep or they were nodding off in the common room. 

She couldn’t help but smile again at the sight of the children, she scooped one of the younger ones up and started heading towards the bedrooms. Dia ushered a few of them with her, but Aurelia’s blunt demand gave her pause, “Ah…” 

Well. It’d be rude to just tell her that she can handle herself. So she was going to have an escort back to her home. 

“Alright. I’ll put the last of the children to bed and I’ll be right back.” She blinked a few times, settling the rest down. Dia slipped out of the room as quietly as she could, returning to her new acquaintance. 

Grabbing her purse she stepped outside the church doors and waited for her escort to join up. 

[moraurelia]

“Dae-Hyun...” Aurelia felt the unusual name on her lips and decided rather quickly that she must have pronounced it wrong. It sounded different when she said it. Oh well, “... Dia, then.”

Aurelia wasn’t about to involve herself in wrangling up the children and shuffling them off to bed. Not if Dia was here to solve that little bit of trouble. She watched as her savior walked off, silently thanking her for her sacrifice. She really did have a gentle tone to her voice, and the kids must have loved her because of it. Well, Aurelia was pretty okay with playing bad cop, especially if it meant the kids would behave. She had been doing a pretty good job of sticking around after hours to keep an eye on things, but she assumed she wouldn’t have to tonight, since they all looked pretty tired.

Well, with the orphanage settled, Aurelia just needed to clean up a little bit on her end. It was rather easy to fold up the ladder and set it aside in a separate room. If there were people coming in for tomorrow’s sermon, she wouldn’t want it out in the open. Still, she needed easy access-- it wasn’t like she was going to be done this project any time soon. After that, it was just a matter of walking the building and making sure everything was locked up tight. She was certain there were some sticky fingers around these parts. It came with the atmosphere of a city. By the time she reached the entrance and had it locked up tight, she noticed Dia was already waiting with her purse.

“I didn’t keep you too long, did I?” Aurelia blinked, surprised at how quickly Dia had set the children to bed. She was definitely better at this than Aurelia was. Well, it didn’t matter. Everybody had their own talents, and she respected the ones Dia had. Stepping on to the walk-way, she shoved her hands into her pockets to put away her keys and was about to set off before realizing she had no idea where she was going. “Do you live around here?”

[moraurelia]

Homebound || Aurelia & Dia

[lilyoftheabyss-blog]

moraurelia:

Aurelia very rarely lost the chance for introductions. Or rather, she never really cared if something was poorly timed. However, being six feet off the ground working on fixing the roof made it very difficult to talk to the volunteer she had spotted a while back. She wasn’t sure how many volunteers they got here, but it was nice to see a little help. With the black haired beauty entertaining the children, Aurelia had time to get other things done. Gerard had gone home for some much needed respite, and she was more than intent on leaving as soon as she finished this patch job. It was really something temporary to get by, she would have to get on the rooftop to replace the shingles, and that wouldn’t be happening tonight. She didn’t even have the material for it. Thinking about how much more work she had to put into this project alone, she let out a deep sigh.

At the very least, she found the city around the abyss had a lot of interesting materials that could be used in replace of other things. The liquid she had now– which she was applying to the ceiling– was a glue from a mammal that resided only in the abyss. She didn’t really know how it was extracted, but she wasn’t interested in that. As long as it got the job done and held up to it’s water-proof standards, that was all she cared about. As she stepped down the ladder and sealed the container, she noticed that all of the children were shuffling around, either heading towards their sleeping quarters or running around in the recreational room. Aurelia knew the exhaustion would kick in soon and they would be fast asleep. She wondered if she should stick around and keep an eye on them.

“I appreciate the distraction.” Aurelia commented as she walked towards the volunteer. She looked over the girl carefully, taking in the sight of someone who looked far more elegant than she did. Aurelia might be able to dress the part, but she couldn’t play the part. Not like the stranger in front of her, anyway. Did she have some sort of higher-up position within the city? Well, volunteering at a church always left a good impression. “I hardly get anything done when Father Gerard leaves.”

Children were always fairly easy to manage, at least to Dia they were. She loved kids, even when they would be difficult and fussy. Though the kids at the orphanage were generally very sweet, if a little depressed. 

She would come here off and on when she had the time to, when work didn’t call her in for this or that. The children knew her well by this point, and they were always quick to greet her when she arrived. She’d read them stories, and play with them. She also usually brought something with her. It made her a favorite. 

And today was no different. 

Though Dia had noticed the previous few times she’s been there that there was someone new. Someone working with Gerard. Her hair was pink and her face was like stone. She was definitely more physically capable than Dia was, given the work she’d get done while Dia would distract the children. 

She perked up as she was spoken to and she gave a small smile, “It’s no problem. I love being around the kids, and they seem to like me too.”

[moraurelia]

“Really? Well, it’s good to hear they’re not too much trouble.” Aurelia hadn’t expected to see her smile. She wasn’t sure why, but the girl looked like she would typically keep a more stoic demeanor. It was... actually kind of cute. It would be weird to compliment her, though, so Aurelia decided it would be best to simply continue the conversation. It was bad to get enamored by a stranger. For all she knew, this person could be incredibly rude or dangerous.

“The name’s Aurelia. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’ll be helping Father Gerard for a while.” Combing her hair back with her fingers, she wondered if a while might be forever at this rate. Well, it wasn’t like she was dissatisfied being here. While she wouldn’t admit that it was important to her, she liked having the opportunity to meet and connect with new people.

“Are you heading back soon?” Aurelia blinked, realizing night had fallen before she even noticed. It might be smart to keeps an arms length with someone new, but she would kick her awful sense of justice if something were to happen to this girl out in the city at night. “Give me a moment to lock up the church. I’ll walk you home.”

It wasn’t really an offer. It was a demand.

[moraurelia]

Homebound || Aurelia & Dia

Aurelia very rarely lost the chance for introductions. Or rather, she never really cared if something was poorly timed. However, being six feet off the ground working on fixing the roof made it very difficult to talk to the volunteer she had spotted a while back. She wasn’t sure how many volunteers they got here, but it was nice to see a little help. With the black haired beauty entertaining the children, Aurelia had time to get other things done. Gerard had gone home for some much needed respite, and she was more than intent on leaving as soon as she finished this patch job. It was really something temporary to get by, she would have to get on the rooftop to replace the shingles, and that wouldn’t be happening tonight. She didn’t even have the material for it. Thinking about how much more work she had to put into this project alone, she let out a deep sigh.

At the very least, she found the city around the abyss had a lot of interesting materials that could be used in replace of other things. The liquid she had now-- which she was applying to the ceiling-- was a glue from a mammal that resided only in the abyss. She didn’t really know how it was extracted, but she wasn’t interested in that. As long as it got the job done and held up to it’s water-proof standards, that was all she cared about. As she stepped down the ladder and sealed the container, she noticed that all of the children were shuffling around, either heading towards their sleeping quarters or running around in the recreational room. Aurelia knew the exhaustion would kick in soon and they would be fast asleep. She wondered if she should stick around and keep an eye on them.

“I appreciate the distraction.” Aurelia commented as she walked towards the volunteer. She looked over the girl carefully, taking in the sight of someone who looked far more elegant than she did. Aurelia might be able to dress the part, but she couldn’t play the part. Not like the stranger in front of her, anyway. Did she have some sort of higher-up position within the city? Well, volunteering at a church always left a good impression. “I hardly get anything done when Father Gerard leaves.”

[moraurelia]

Sight Seeing || Aurelia & Mark

[moraurelia]

smilelikesunshine:

Mark felt his cheeks heat up as she looked him up and down, not saying a single word. He knew he changed a lot since he left but it was embarrassing to be looked over like this. Though the embarrassment didn’t last long as he felt a hit connect with his stomach. 

Air wooshed out of his lungs and he coughed, thrown off guard by the sudden hit. Aurelia still hit about as hard as he remembered, even if this was the first time she actually hit him. Though after leaving without a word he can’t really blame her for doing that. 

“Ow.” He muttered, pressing a hand to where he was punched and tried to will away some of the pain. And she moved on to the next subject without a second thought, “Just gonna punch and talk about life then eh?” 

Mark sighed, standing up straighter, “Chester’s not that bad. But yeah the churches in Central aren’t the best. It’s kinda been focused on industry and the abyss itself.”

“But hey. You don’t let shit slip past. The church is probably a lot better since you showed up and started knocking heads.”

“Well, why not?” Aurelia growled, her anger escaping her for a short moment. Okay, simmer down, she mentally reprimanded herself, convincing herself that she could exercise later as a release. Otherwise, she might not let Mark off the hook with just one fist. Her attention turned as he mentioned Chester, and she frowned, “You didn’t have to live with him. Besides, as far as he was concerned, you were a godsend.”

Taking a thin strand of pink hair between her fingers, she spun it around, if only to keep herself occupied. Had he thought she had been here for a while? She was easy to spot, so if that had been the case, she would have had to have been avoiding him. She definitely didn’t want him to assume something troublesome like that. “I haven’t been here long enough to get things sorted out. The next couple months are going to be busy.”

“The abyss seems interesting, though. I wouldn’t mind checking it out some time.” Aurelia wondered if she needed to be part of the adventurer’s guild to sneak down there. Well, it would be idiotic to do something like that anyway, there was too much danger to warrant being rash. “Have you been down there?”

[quicksilverzen]

Afternoon Tidying

[moraurelia]

quicksilverzen:

Of course, Gerard heard what Aurelia said and he deeply inhaled, turning to look at her with a single brow raised and a hand on his chest. “Oh my,” He said with a bemused grin, “Well I do hope we don’t have a hell of a lot of damage, that would be so very blasphemous.”

He chuckled, evidently finding her slip amusing. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to condemn you for one swear. It just startled me a little, usually people are worried to swear in my presence.”

The priest picked up a pot from the dry rack, and then hung it as he passed by the hook dangling by one of the cupboards. It barely swung as it went into its usual stationary place. “I do dishes as I have time, sometimes passing by is the only time I have. And I prepare all the meals with groceries I fetch once a week from town, we have a cart that I use. It’s more of an elaborate wheelbarrow. I know, it’s not glamorous here but we make do.”

The tall man hesitated in front of a door, then moved his hand to reach into his pocket and fetch a key. He put it into the lock and it clicked as he turned the handle. “This is the storage closet, I keep it locked because some of the children sleep walk, supposedly,” His words were very skeptical sounding as he gave Aurelia a look that conveyed the same skepticism, “And I’ve found quite a few in here after hours. Children will be children, though.”

Aurelia didn’t want to admit that she had picked up the habit years ago and that she had to make a conscious effort not to swear. It seemed like Gerard took it all in good fun, though, and Aurelia exhaled softly, a small ghost of laughter passing between her lips before she looked away. This guy might not be so bad. “As long as you’re not worried about it. I could do without long-winded lectures while I’m here.”

“... And a wheelbarrow is better than carrying everything by hand.” Aurelia commented-- it sounded like she was trying to find the bright side of things. She looked around the kitchen, quietly taking in the atmosphere. The whole building needed some TLC, but that didn’t mean she didn’t like it. It was quaint, which was rather nice compared to everything surrounding the church. As Gerard unlocked the storage closet, Aurelia let her eyes rest on his hand. It looked like he had been hard at work for many years. She wondered if he had been at this church for a long time. Well, that was probably a question for another day. Besides, she wasn’t one to pry. Turning her attention back to the conversation, she added, “It’s a win-win as far as the kids are concerned. If they don’t get food out of it, at least they get attention. Repercussions are the least of their worries.”

Aurelia didn’t really say that she could fix that, but she certainly thought it. Kids were easy. Scare them a little, and most of them won’t cause any more trouble. They just needed to understand that it wasn’t in their best interest to try and sneak food.

[opiax]

Tell my wife I love her

[quicksilverzen]

Afternoon Tidying

[moraurelia]

quicksilverzen:

“Hmmm,” He crossed his arms over his chest, then put a finger to his lips as a crafty grin formed upon them. “Now, now. I might look meek and mild in these robes but I’m rather good with a hammer. I’m just afraid I have run out of time after all of my responsibilities…rainy days seem to never happen around here, if you know what I mean.”

He sighed, though a bit dramatically, as he shook his head. “No, I’m rather certain I’ve reached my breaking point. Juggling chores between the church and the orphanage has made me drop a ball or two here and there. You’re absolutely right in your observation. The floors need to be refinished, boards replaced…and if it did rain, which it does more often in the summer- you may want to forgo the superstition that umbrellas indoors bring bad luck, because you’ll need an umbrella to stay dry inside. I must say, the sound of water hitting pans sometimes plays a magical sounding melody.”

Gerard gazed towards the statue, noticing the dust. Ah, he had really let the place turn into a heap of disrepair. Dust mites were having a field day as they spoke. “I’m so grateful you’re here now. Come, let me give you a grand tour.” Even his movement seemed oddly graceful as he almost sashayed away, motioning for her to come with him. “The first spot on our tour will be the laundry room, kitchen and storage, then we can make our way to the bedrooms, and the small study where we keep our books for the children. The church itself is rather small compared to the orphanage.”

“... Yeah, sure.” For some odd reason, it sounded like Aurelia didn’t believe him. Well, Gerard did look rather weak, all things considered. She wasn’t almost sure that sly grin was a bluff... but that was fine. She wasn’t going to start an argument, especially when she could just as easily keep her thoughts to herself. Looking towards the roof and listening quietly, she wondered what the rain did sound like inside the building. She hoped she didn’t have to hear it and that it was fixed before long, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t necessarily like rain-- it was a hassle-- rather, she liked white noise and quiet atmospheres. Still, “One thunderstorm and we’ll be taking a hell of a lot more damage than that.”

Aurelia cleared her throat, almost apologetically, momentarily forgetting her manners. By this point, Chester would have made her well aware of her mistakes, but she wondered if Gerard would do the same. Well, she could pretend it never happened and smoothly transition into the next topic with no problem... right?

“The kitchen-- do you make the food here?” She asked as she followed his steps. Sometimes, there were donations, sometimes, the employees and volunteers made food. Aurelia had to wonder if he was a cook of sorts. She imagined he must be a man of many trades to be working here on his own for such a while. Hopefully, he had some volunteers around the city every now and again.

[quicksilverzen]

Afternoon Tidying

[moraurelia]

quicksilverzen:

“Oh, you must be Aurelia! It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Gerard said with a joyous tone, and he clapped his hands together when he witnessed the young woman enter. He was donning his usual priestly robes, which he quickly dusted the remaining particles of dirt off his hands before he brushed his robes gently to make sure nothing else remained to ruin his appearance. Cleanliness was of utmost importance when creating the finest first impression.

And to have help around the church- by Goddess, Aurelia was a blessing! He was by far a fast and diligent cleaner, but the ratio of children to adults in the orphanage was overwhelming him. The cleaning and the upkeep alone seemed to never end, and if he didn’t allow himself some down time, he would surely burn out. And when the children fell ill or some disastrous event hit the residence, Goddess help them all. He had many sleepless nights during those weeks. Gerard wasn’t a stranger to sacrifice, and often it was his sleep being forwent.

“I heard I was getting help, and your name- Aurelia, I’m pronouncing it correctly, yes? It’s beautiful. I’m Father Gerard, you may call me Father if you prefer.”

He had an interesting tone to his voice... Aurelia couldn’t help but wonder if all members of the church were strangely eccentric. He probably wasn’t a half bad guy though. Then again, anyone who worked in a church couldn’t be all that bad. Her concentration, which had been previously fixed on the church itself, returned to the man, not at all displeased by his introduction. She wasn’t one for compliments, really, but at least he was being straightforward.

“Father Gerard.” Aurelia mulled over the title, wondering if she should just call him Father. She could always call him Gerard, but maybe that was rude? She just called Chester by his name, after all. Oh well, no use thinking too hard over it. She could stick to formalities for the time being. Besides, wasn’t that the proper thing to do? “The pronunciation is fine. It’s just a name, though.”

“You can’t expect me to give any sermons, but I can at least keep the children behaved.” Aurelia pressed on a floorboard near one of the stone statues and felt it give out from under her, creaking and shifting haphazardly. “Besides, it looks like you could use someone a bit handier around here. It can’t be any more work than it was with Chester, anyway.”