Sub-City Slums

[Kaijin]

Rosinder. What a place. It was an absolute dump. And then you get to Daeor. No, not Daeor; not the pretty, sparkling palisades and castles, perfectly constructed homes full of perfectly dressed people with equally perfect speech. No, no. The subcity, the slums. And no, not the slums in the daylight; not the vendors passing meat and vegetables to the few with some money. No, she was stuck in the slums at night, in silence, with who knows what insane and starving person with a knife that could be lurking in the shadows around her.

Oh, but it was beautiful.

This is what makes the rich, rich. It's what makes the world go 'round, isn't it? The poorer the peasants, the richer the upper class; and they don't even have to smell what they left down here, they just built their own city looming precariously over this little shell. You wouldn't know it in the day, though; how hopeless and empty the people here were, because it swarmed like a nest of ants from dusk until dawn. But you could see it in their faces; no, not those vendors, nor their customers, but in those who slink in darkness waiting for scraps.

And this is where Sunniva decided to be. Oh, no, not in a beautiful and dazzling temple with white limestone walls, accepting donations from those loaded with gold, but in a dumpy little pit full of the hopeless, the helpless, and the unsavory. This was her life's calling. Kai couldn't fault her for it, no doubt. Sunniva had a big heart, much bigger than hers would ever be. Maybe she was just being cynical. But, really? It was bitter cold and smelled like skunk weed out here.

Two pairs of footsteps crushed the dirty ground, the eroded cobble walkways that criss-crossed through the deserted market place. All was quiet, the stands were empty, but you could smell the vegetables and fruits that had been tossed, not sold that day and near-rotting, into a pile. They definitely stretched their goods as long as they could-- the stink told you that much.

"I will never understand you and poor people, Syn," a delicate but somehow powerful, certain-of-herself voice erupted from the darkness.

"Somebody has to help them, Kai, you know that. I wasn't put on this earth to prosper from suffering."

"I sort of was," she responded with a slick smirk.

"Well, we can't help our callings, dear."

"I guess not."

[Beautiful.Story]

“Darla, honey, you need to find some blankets.” Her voice was motherly, soft, almost worried.

“I know, Annabel, but these people aren’t gunna share. You know that.” A small voice whispered.

It had been nearly a year since she had taken a meal. Darla was used to eating scraps and whatever fell from the shelves of the market place. It was all she could really remember, the cold dark streets, an empty stomach, naked shivering arms and legs. Some nights she cowered fearing for her life. It was a scary life style but it was all she had.

She was hidden under the canopy of a venders hut, sheltered from the rain, if it were to come. Darla held Annabel snug against her underdeveloped body, and the doll tried to lull her to sleep. She had every night for the past thirteen months. It was her duty. This child was all alone in the world, cold and dirty from weeks without bathing. Hunkering down Darla closed those big ruby orbs, curled around Annabel. The humming from the doll was helping sub side the pain of hunger and Darla kissed the cheek of her friend.

“Tank you, Annabel.”
“Tank you for being my friend.” Her small voice quivered.

If a doll could cry, she would have…

[Kaijin]

Suddenly the footsteps stopped near the corner of the street, next to the abandoned vendor tables. A cloth sack hit the ground and a clinking of metal against metal cracked over the chirping crickets.

"So what are we doing?" the more confident voice inquired. "Let me guess, you're going to feed them?"

"They have to eat something fresh. You can smell what they eat out here, it isn't right."

"All you're doing is prolonging the suffering, Syn. This sort of condition is, unfortunately, necessary for the sake of balance . . ."

"We can all dream."

The softer spoken woman waved her hand in front of a glass lantern, whose handle creaked almost intolerably from rust. A light broke through the shadows and dispersed them, as if running frightened from the purity of the glimmering flame. Or was it a flame? No, it was more an ambient light that engulfed the glass, no fire to be seen. Trapped energy, perhaps? Was the woman magic?

"Alright, everyone!" her voice suddenly more verbose, Sunniva called to attention all those who were awake-- or sleeping and starving. "You know how it goes. Make a small, neat group. I don't have a whole lot but at least your stomachs won't rumble tonight."

Kaijin rolled her eyes a little, glad the motion was hidden by the few slivers of gloom that still clung to her face beneath her hood. She kicked the cloth sack a little. Syn bent down and untied the top, pulling out a large head of lettuce, slick with wetness in the radiance of the lamp. She handed the ancient metal contraption to Kai, and cracked the lettuce in half, releasing a smooth and invigorating scent of garden onion and tomato that it had been grown beside.

Groups of people began clambering over to them from behind the stalls, or from right off the dirty street as this happened, reaching out weakly for food, moaning with hunger. There were no less than seven, but no more than ten adults congregating before them as she handed out bread, onions, and salted meat.

It was very stunning to see how kind not only Sunniva was to the poor, but how patient the starving were in waiting for food. They could have knifed her and taken it, or roughed her up, but they knew that it was better she came back every few days than never again; for some, she was the only reason they were still breathing.

[Beautiful.Story]

Pale ears hidden be hide her thick blanket of silver lock, had picked up the sound of two women. The exchanging of their words made this young child wonder what the commotion was about. Annabel nudged that she raise and basks in the food. The young girl sighed and buried her head into the shoulder of the doll.

“But, Ann—“

“No, you need to eat. Don’t but me.” The dolls voice suddenly became stern.

With yet another sigh she shifter her small frame into a sitting position. Holding Annabel tight, Darla stood. Her head stood barley above the teller stand. Small steps carried her to the opening in front of the vending stand. She lifted her head and saw the women talking, and people crowded.

“Go on, they have enough for you too.”

Reluctantly Darla walked up to them. Pulling Annabel close yet again she hid behind her. Her thick wavy blanket of hair shifted around her petite shoulders. Less than a foot from the woman that held the lettuce and whimpered. To afraid to form words. The doll hummed for her, trying to sooth her. This was hard for the girl with almost no energy. It had been two days since she had had anything worthwhile in her belly.

Her bright red orbs looked up to Syn, curious to her kindness. Darla was a shy girl. It was hard for her to trust anyone. She had Annabel and that was all she thought she needed. She was fearful of others and thus it showed.

“Hi.” Her child like voice chimed.

“Go on. Tell them you are hungry.”

Hiding behind Annabel she spoke. “May I please have some food?”

[Kaijin]

When the adults dispersed their separate ways, enjoying the small bounty of nourishment they had obtained for themselves, and left only a little girl in their shadows, the pleasant expression that was so soothing on Sunniva's face quickly contorted in confusion, perhaps even a fury. She grabbed as much as she could hold in her hands, but hesitated handing it over immediately. She didn't want the girl to scamper off with the rest.

"You don't belong here. The street is not a place for kids. What are you doing out here?" she sternly demanded.

It was a weird sight. Kai had never seen Sunniva genuinely upset. In fact, the girl dealt with orphaned children all the time. But she had never seen one here, in these disgusting slums eating rotten food. The child must have been here a while; Kai and Syn both knew that all orphans were brought straight to her as a high priestess, to find appropriate shelter for. She had demanded it be this way for children because she did not believe any child deserved to fight for survival. That meant the girl had had to have been out here for longer than Sunniva had been in town. It occurred to Kaijin in that moment that the emotion Sunniva was trying to convey was anger-- angry she had not seen this girl months ago when she first arrived. Not anger at the girl, but anger for the girl.

"What she's trying to say, is how long have you been begging for food?" Kai interjected to prevent Syn from weeping uncontrollably. She had an incredible soft spot for children, one Kaijin herself did not have, but it was admirable on some level.

Meanwhile, Sunniva's expression softened with worry as she began tearing pieces of bread and handing them to the girl one by one, as if she intended to make her stand there and eat to make sure she didn't have it taken from her when she went back to her cubby hole.

[Beautiful.Story]

She winced when the woman spoke. She was used to being yelled at by the town’s people. Her eyes closed as she ducked her head for a moment. The food the woman held looked inviting, and it made her mouth water. Darla lowered her doll holding it close from fear. Adults had never been reliable, it was a wonder she even made it out of her burning home at all, and evens a bigger wonder she wasn’t murdered in the savaging of the church.

The other woman spoke and Darla shifted her eyes. “Bout’a year, I tink.”

“Yes, its been a year, I’ve been with you for—two years.” The doll hesitated.

Darla stepped back as the food almost flew at her. Releasing a hand from Annabel she took the bread and gave into her hunger. It had tasted too good, clean and filling. Her small tummy rumbled hungry for more. She wouldn’t let go of Annabel for anything, for a fear of losing the only one that had always been there.

She continued to stand and take the food, she could feel the sadness pour from the woman that offered the food. As a result her heart too was soft, this woman felt for her and she could tell. Her fear sub sided and she spoke.

“My name is Darla….” She spoke mid-chew.

[Kaijin]

"Well, Darla. . ." the woman hesitated and held the rest of the bread whole. "I can't feed you too much right now because it can hurt you, to suddenly go from hungry to stuffed. But . . . how would you like to get off the street tonight?"

The woman's anger had subsided. She knew that she could not save every child from the horrors this world waved in their faces. But she would go down saving as many as she could, that was for sure. Kai shot her a glance from beneath her hood. It became evident in the glimmer of the lantern that the two women both had long, black hair and haunting golden eyes, a peculiar asset.

"Where are we going to keep her, Syn? Are you going to take every starving person we pass home with you like stray dogs?" she spit out. It was not out of anger at the girl-- she could not help her situation. It was annoyance that Sunniva would strive for no self worth in any material sense in this world; she would give the cloak off her back---

"And there you go, just as I was saying 'You couldn't possibly do any more for them!'" she hissed with irritation as Sunniva unbuckled the cloth from her neck and swung her cloak around the girl's frail arms to shield her from the cold.

"There's a lesson in here for you somewhere, Kai. It's called dignity in sacrifice. I'll survive the wind, but I think she's dealt with enough cold nights for such a young lady. Isn't that right, Darling?" Sunniva smiled down at her as Kai anchored the light near their faces, so she could get a better look at the small thing. Already with the affections, Syn had pet named her in moments.

[Beautiful.Story]

She had offered a roof over their heads, and it was a kind offer. Darla was unsure and soon turned to Annabel for the answer. Being a child, it made these types of decisions hard to determine. Not having anyone there to teach her made judgment difficult. Having Annabel to be rational for them was what had kept her alive this long. Darla loved this doll, her only true friend.

“This woman seems to be nice.” Annabel spoke, her voice soft and caring.

“Mmmm.” She sounded.

“She is going to offer you more food. Go.”

“But, I dunno them. How can I trust them?”

“Darla my dear, I can protect you. Have you forgotten?”

Shrugging she coveted her friend, and soon nodded.

“Okay… We will go with you.” Fear rang in her voice.

She froze, the woman wrapped the cloak around her and her eyes followed her. This woman was providing warmth, comfort. Darla let a smile soften her face, before she glared at the woman behind Syn. She was a mean lady. Darla stuck her tongue out and stepped beside Syn. She trusted Annabel and thus she would accept their help.

“So, where are we going?” She asked, her voice wasn’t cowering in this instance…

[Kaijin]

Syn smiled down at the little girl and led her up the dark walkway, guided by the light of Kaijin's lantern.

"We're going to go to where I live. I don't know what we'll do after that, but I will arrange something so that you don't have to wander around alone anymore."

The woman was a high priestess. Her robes, revealed by her now absent cloak, were bright white and nearly gleaming in the warmth of the beams that trickled back to them from Kaijin, who was mostly shrouded in darkness. It seemed a funny contrast; they looked similar, but Sunniva seemed to emit her own light from around her, an aura or halo of absolute purity and good sense. Kaijin seemed to cast shadows even where the lantern's rays tried desperately to reach. The dark woman was a mystery.

"Don't mind her," Sunniva ushered the girl along. "She's a good person, she just doesn't know it yet."

They walked for what seemed like forever, until they came upon a quiet street out of the dirty marketplace. It wasn't a rich neighborhood, but it was a normal neighborhood. Lantern lights gleamed in the windows, met by the gentle humming of the breeze against the glass. Kaijin paused at the door as it opened, allowing the others in first. She then closed the door, locked it, and set her own lantern near the window on a table.

It was clean but small. There was enough furniture for everyone, though, and a small shelf filled with field journals on herbal medicine and plants. Kai made a late meal of rice and bread, and fresh milk cooled with ice in wooden bowls and cups. Then they sent her off to bed in a small room with a fresh blanket and a sewn linen pillow stuffed with down. Kai opted to sleep across a cushioned bench in the larger front room.

"Just rest. We will have breakfast in the morning and decide where you're going then," Syn bid the girl before blowing out the candle in her room and shutting the door but for a crack, to avoid shrouding her in complete darkness.

"Well, interesting day," Kai remarked to Sunniva as she came back. "You went to feed the poor and came home with an orphan. Did you do that often as a kid?"

Syn smiled, shook her head, and went to her own room. "You are such a cynic. Goodnight."

"Night," she replied, waving her hand absently in front of the lantern. It flickered and went out, and the silence returned, without even the crickets this time.

[Beautiful.Story]

Holding her doll close she lifted the cloak as the woman ushered her. After a year of cruelty and being shunned someone was actually taking heed to her, helping her. Darla clung close to Syn. Going to a home? She hadn’t had a home in two years, Darla had been at the orphanage for a year but it never really felt like home. However, it was significantly better then the streets.

Paying a attention to the woman’s words she nodded, and she saw the house come into view. Annabel remained quiet at the moment, ready to spring into action at any moment. Her shield would be instantly around them, not a soul could touch them. The priest brought this doll back from the rubble of there once home. Darla wasn’t sure where this doll had come from and yet it had found its way to her, clean as a whistle.

Entering the house she made way for the couch and sat. Darla’s thick hair ruffled around her as she buried her nose into the dolls hair. Annabel was her comfort, her security. Once Syn had brought the food she would scarf the bread and rice. It was delicious.

“Mmm, tank you, Miss!” An innocent smile covered her lips.

Making headway for the bedroom she was then tucked in and Darla smiled. Holding her Annabel close she would close her eyes. The light snuffed and the room then remained dark.

“Darla, if you want her in here to hold you, you should call for her.”

It was almost as if she knew what Darla was thinking. Darla nuzzled her dearest friend.

“I know.”

With that Darla sat up and whimpered some. Her small voice echoed through the house. It was far to dark for her to venture out of bed.

“Syn--- Syn? I don’t want to be alone.” Her voice almost quivered. Darla didn’t want to cause any trouble for them…

[Kaijin]

From the other bedroom, Sunniva heard the scared child call out for her. Kaijin had already fallen asleep on the bench, sprawled out shamelessly and lightly snoring from her awkward position. Syn glided to the rescue of the frightened little one and laid in bed with her, distracting her from the anxiety of a new environment by talking her to sleep.

When the sun rose, the sound of carts pulling goods into the town marketplace rumbled over the cobblestone, jarring all those still asleep instantly awake. Sunniva had slid out of bed early and joined Kaijin in the kitchen area, where the smell of a hot breakfast seeped through the cracks of every door.

"Good morning," Syn would greet her, empty seat pulled open, when the little girl decided to join them and eat.

"How did you sleep?" she added, gesturing to the plate filled with eggs cooked on a flat piece of iron heated by a fire, flat bread, and more milk.

[Beautiful.Story]

Darla awoke to the sounds of dishes clanking in the kitchen. The day was bright and she couldn’t believe that she was given the gift of a warm bead for the night. She didn’t want to be greedy, but she wondered if she would be able to bath as well. Her body was covered in the travesties of the outside, dirt, garbage and the very cold that lingered. Darla sat up and pulled Annabel by the arm, she lifted her to her chest.

“Good morning, my darling.” She hummed to Darla.

“Mornin’ Annabel.” She spoke while a hand lifted to rub her eyes.

With a wide yawn she pushed the covers aside and tossed her small legs over the bed side. They hung about a foot from the floor. The calmness that emitted from Annabel soon soothed the child, and with a small swift action and her feet touched the ground. She clung to her doll and stepped forth moving for the bathroom.

With her quick adventure to the restroom she would soon seek out the women that brought her here. Small steps took her to them, and Syn greeted her. Darla hummed some moving for Syn as her bright red rubies watched Kaijin. She couldn’t help but to cling to her some. After all, the woman had helped this small juvenile.

“I slept okay.”

With her gesture, Darla stood on her toes to see the plate. Her eyes instantly lit up and she moved forth. Placing Annabel on the table, her hand never moving from her, she pulled herself onto the chair. She folded her petite legs under her bottom, and sat. A gentle innocent smile graced her lips. A single hand grabbed an egg and stuffed it whole in her mouth.

She chewed greedily at the feast she Syn and Kaijin had provided. It was so delicious, she couldn’t help herself. She swiftly grabbed another as the first hit the bottom of her belly. Stuffing her cheeks once again, chewing hungrily.

[Kaijin]

"Gracious, well don't eat too fast," Sunniva reminded in a motherly tone. "You can still make yourself ill." She smiled regardless and cleaned the used iron slate and the wooden bowls in a smooth basin.

When the piles of food became small, Sunniva nudged Kai with her hip. "Go take her to the bathroom and show her where she can clean up. I am going to finish altering that dress you gave me this morning, so she will have something clean to wear."

Sunniva sat on a rickety wooden chair by her shelf of field journals and sewed a few pieces of cloth together seemingly haphazardly, but the material she was sewing was not peasant material; it was very expensive looking, almost like blue velvet, and even some white satin and lace.

Kaijin led the little one back to the bathroom, "Come on, you heard her. Take this piece of cloth and scrub yourself down, then cover yourself with this blanket when you're all clean. I will pass you some clothes when you're done."

There was a large ceramic basin in the bathroom which ran hot and cold water like a tub. Slung over it was a small cotton cloth and a bar of transparent soap resting on top of that, and a small knitted blanket about the size of a towel hanging by the door.

Whenever the girl knocked to let Kaijin know she was done and dry, Sunniva would pass her the finished outfit, which consisted of a cotton blouse with short, aristocratically fluffed sleeves, a blue velvet lined vest, a skirt whose under-layers consisted mostly of the satin and lace layers, and a pair of shoes for which the size had been estimated.

Luckily Sunniva was used to taking in orphans, so she always had clothes laying around for various ages of kids. And lucky Kaijin was considered an upper class woman, because she had the money to fetch materials to finish it in a tasteful fashion.

"Kai bought the materials I used to tailor that to your size. You shouldn't be confused for a street-urchin anymore," she remarked whenever the girl decided to emerge from the bathroom.

[Beautiful.Story]

When Sunniva spoke, Darla would pause. The food was so fresh and clean, and it smelled so good. She couldn’t help herself. Before she had cleaned off the counters, she would move for one more egg. Her tummy was so full that she just had to grip her belly. It pouched slightly with engorgement. Darla smiled and she looked to Kai and then back to Syn.

“A bath?” Darla questioned.

To bathe with clean water and soap was something she hadn’t known in this year of loneliness. Darla had become used to bathing in the creeks outside the city, and even then it was used for waste run off. She had begun to love the rain; it was a shower of sorts. It cleaned her body enough to get by. It was a wonder she hadn’t received any infections or died of an illness.

Syn had told her friend to guild her to the bathroom. Darla whimpered before agreeing. It was no secret that she wasn’t fond of that woman, Kaijin. She moved from the table and headed for the bathroom. Darla continued to hold Annabel close, almost as if her life depended on it.

Once inside the restroom she was given a tour and instructions and Darla hid behind her doll. She nodded slightly as the door closed and she turned to face the bathtub. Holding Annabel out with both arms she couldn’t help but ask. Darla didn’t know how to work the tub. It was all Chinese to her.

“Annabel, help me.” Darla’s was voice soft and sweet.

“It’s actually rather easy. See those knobs on the tub? Well—“

Annabel walked her through how to wash herself and it proved to work. This tub was clean and even though she hadn’t run the tub fool the few inches of water proved to be enough. After removing her rugged clothe she would take the wash cloth, she ran it over all her cracks and her underdeveloped chest. As the dirt ran off she felt so much lighter. Not only had the dirt been lifted but so had the weight of being on the streets.

Washing her hair had been a challenge. Sitting on the closed toilet seat, Annabel would again guild her through this. Her hair was tattered and looked faded with a grayish brown color from all the impurities. Once clean it was a beautiful full silver hue, slick with water. Climbing out of the tub she wrapped the towel around her flat frame and retied the thick black bow in her hair.

She grabbed Annabel and approached the door, knocking twice. Once the door had opened she would look to the woman that held the cloths and she just stood there. She didn’t know how to dress herself to that degree, Darla had never learned.

“Umm—“

“Darla, don’t hesitate to ask for help. It’s okay my dear.” The silent voice would encourage.

Taking a deep breath she would whimper slightly.

“Would you help me? I don’t know how.”

She spoke softly, holding the towel around her with the doll as close as can be.

[Kaijin]

Kaijin shot a look to Sunniva from across the room in response to the request for help. Kaijin didn't deal very well with children, but Sunniva had never been an aristocrat and had never dressed in anything lacey in her life. She shook her head at poor Kai, who seemed utterly helpless in silent pleas for Sunniva to do this too.

"I can sew them to size but I have no idea what order you're putting all of those things on. You're going to have to go in and show her how a lady does it, Kai," this time, Sunniva adopted the snide expression and shooed her away dismissively. All Kaijin could do was roll her eyes.

"Good lord, really?" she sneered and glared into the bathroom. "Fine."

"Good luck!"

-----

"Alright, so it's pretty simple," the woman began, picking up a lacey blouse. "You put this on first. I will show you how to lace it into place. Next, your undergarments that you just slide on," she directed, pointing to where they went. "They go this way."

She did much more supervising than physical helping, but she would bend to help if absolutely needed, and also for any tying because she understood that could be tedious and overwhelming.

"Your skirt. This has a lot of layers and is very flowy, so mind when you wear it that it doesn't get caught on anything." Yes, yes, and on they went. She laced up her blue vest in the back, which was studded with black decorative buttons. It was tight, not as much so as a corset but much more so than a typical vest. "This keeps everything in place and accentuates your silhouette. I don't go anywhere without a corset or bustier." Was she making a joke? Perhaps even conversation?

Lastly, she showed the girl how to lace her gloves and buckle her shoes. Kaijin also wore a pair of gloves, all black with fine silk along the cuffs. There really wasn't a hint of color or white anywhere on her clothing or her own buckled ankle length heeled boots. Even in the light of the day filtering through the house, she was still a shadow. She did indeed wear a corset over a blouse, but even the blouse was colorless. Kaijin too wore a skirt, still black, and with slightly less layers frilling the bottom. Without the robe and hood, her long locks fell softly in tousled bunches down her shoulders, and framed two extremely piercing golden eyes. She herself could have passed for a porcelain doll. In a sad way, she dressed as if she were always going to a funeral.

When they emerged, then, they could have passed for inverted versions of one another. Sunniva rushed up with a horse hair brush and began sweeping it over the back of the silver tresses behind the large bow, fluffing it out and detangling anything remaining from it.

"How do you feel? Did she do a good job showing you how to dress?" Syn inquired as she brushed eagerly and fluffed the hair around her shoulders with her fingers in between so many strokes.