Under the hot sun, the village had grown as still as every seen in the light. The heat was more than most cared to bare, and without a cloud in sight the stones were radiating their own heat at this point. Shade was only a minor respite. The villages keep inside, in the conditioned air, entertaining themselves as distraction from the oppression of light. Even under the venting cold, they stared tiredly from their windows fanning themselves, barely turning their eyes as an Academy Student jogged down the street.
A flat-brimmed straw hat, tied beneath her chin, Shiori moved with her own shade, her normally conservative attired replaced by shorts and happi coat with the sleeve rolled high. She was not the palest kid on the block, but though she had tired, her skin was starting to pink from the light bouncing across the light colored stones. The messenger bag over her shoulder had definitely shrunk since she began delivered documents across the village, but it felt much heavier now. Two packages left, both in the same building. It must have been her lucky hour, too, since the administrative complex had a powerful air-conditioning system and a place to refill her drained canteen.
Towards the Spire, ending her mission where it began, the young girl - dark eyes, dark hair, and timid demeanor - slowed at the gates tilting back the brim of her straw kasa. Mousing passed the first set of guards. Set of doors ahead sealed the heat of the noonday sun from the chilled interior, and as she passed through the first set and let them close the cooler air sank across her shoulders. Opening the second set, the fully controlled environment gave her the tiniest chill. The mist on her skin grew sticky and uncomfortable, and so as she removed her hat, she dabbed herself with a cloth from her waistband. Walking up to the central desk, she wait patiently for the clerk to address her as the sweat stopped leaking from her forehead.
”I have two deliveries...” The spoke softly, holding out the small clipboard with the receipts for delivery. She knew which direction to go, but made sure to politely heed the man’s direction, thanking him before she followed the hallway on the right. It took a minute to adjust to the air here, but perhaps she was suffering from a bit of heat exhaustion by this point, and so the girl stopped off and retrieved some water, sipping it down as quickly as the caution allowed. Her grandmother called it “getting a stitch”, but it was not good to gulp cold water after running around in that heat. With embarrassment, it reminded her of last summer when she guzzled a big glass and shortly after threw-up. Now revitalized, Shiori wandered on, with her back feeling lighter, her spirits rising back. It had not been that bad, really. Had it? Perspectives change with mood.
To the accounting office with a renewed bounce in her step, she offered the clerk there sight of her receipt in lieu of trying to speak over the cacophony of noise within. Multiple conversations, papers shuffling, phone calls and a number of sounds that she could not distinguish or identify. It was a busy day, and to spite the chill of the air, the people here seemed a bit like scrambled eggs. It took a few minutes of waiting before the recipient came around from his desk and hastily scribbled his name in the empty box of the courier’s notepad. A grunt and nod, the man rushed back to his seat and the girl left the bustling office with one less package.
The last delivery was less of a package and more like a packet. What she would only assume was a series of related civilian documents, based on the return-stamp over the bundle, Shiori climbed a flight of stairs to the second floor and knocked before entering the office the oversaw civil affairs in the village. As she lifted the bundle and the notepad to the front clerk, the young woman sighed wearily, looking none too pleased to see the stack, but then smiled gently to the delivery-girl with the large eyes. She placed the letters aside with a growing stack of similar packets in a box label “In” and signed the box where Shiori directed.
”Thank you young lady. I hope that you wont need to carry so many letters to me next time.” The little joke made the girl cast an awkward smile, knowing it was expected. The woman was being nice. It was a mission, and there was really no need for others to thank her for completing these tasks. However, it did feel pretty good. Shiori bowed to the woman, her small fingers clasping together in front of her waist. ”Sorry about that... Have a good day.” And with that, the little violet shrunk back and headed for the exit. While her deliveries were done, there was still the matter of returning to the Post Office to drop off the messenger bag and the signed receipts, then she would be free to wallow in the blistering conditions of the day. Joy.{/i]
[WC: 878]
A flat-brimmed straw hat, tied beneath her chin, Shiori moved with her own shade, her normally conservative attired replaced by shorts and happi coat with the sleeve rolled high. She was not the palest kid on the block, but though she had tired, her skin was starting to pink from the light bouncing across the light colored stones. The messenger bag over her shoulder had definitely shrunk since she began delivered documents across the village, but it felt much heavier now. Two packages left, both in the same building. It must have been her lucky hour, too, since the administrative complex had a powerful air-conditioning system and a place to refill her drained canteen.
Towards the Spire, ending her mission where it began, the young girl - dark eyes, dark hair, and timid demeanor - slowed at the gates tilting back the brim of her straw kasa. Mousing passed the first set of guards. Set of doors ahead sealed the heat of the noonday sun from the chilled interior, and as she passed through the first set and let them close the cooler air sank across her shoulders. Opening the second set, the fully controlled environment gave her the tiniest chill. The mist on her skin grew sticky and uncomfortable, and so as she removed her hat, she dabbed herself with a cloth from her waistband. Walking up to the central desk, she wait patiently for the clerk to address her as the sweat stopped leaking from her forehead.
”I have two deliveries...” The spoke softly, holding out the small clipboard with the receipts for delivery. She knew which direction to go, but made sure to politely heed the man’s direction, thanking him before she followed the hallway on the right. It took a minute to adjust to the air here, but perhaps she was suffering from a bit of heat exhaustion by this point, and so the girl stopped off and retrieved some water, sipping it down as quickly as the caution allowed. Her grandmother called it “getting a stitch”, but it was not good to gulp cold water after running around in that heat. With embarrassment, it reminded her of last summer when she guzzled a big glass and shortly after threw-up. Now revitalized, Shiori wandered on, with her back feeling lighter, her spirits rising back. It had not been that bad, really. Had it? Perspectives change with mood.
To the accounting office with a renewed bounce in her step, she offered the clerk there sight of her receipt in lieu of trying to speak over the cacophony of noise within. Multiple conversations, papers shuffling, phone calls and a number of sounds that she could not distinguish or identify. It was a busy day, and to spite the chill of the air, the people here seemed a bit like scrambled eggs. It took a few minutes of waiting before the recipient came around from his desk and hastily scribbled his name in the empty box of the courier’s notepad. A grunt and nod, the man rushed back to his seat and the girl left the bustling office with one less package.
The last delivery was less of a package and more like a packet. What she would only assume was a series of related civilian documents, based on the return-stamp over the bundle, Shiori climbed a flight of stairs to the second floor and knocked before entering the office the oversaw civil affairs in the village. As she lifted the bundle and the notepad to the front clerk, the young woman sighed wearily, looking none too pleased to see the stack, but then smiled gently to the delivery-girl with the large eyes. She placed the letters aside with a growing stack of similar packets in a box label “In” and signed the box where Shiori directed.
”Thank you young lady. I hope that you wont need to carry so many letters to me next time.” The little joke made the girl cast an awkward smile, knowing it was expected. The woman was being nice. It was a mission, and there was really no need for others to thank her for completing these tasks. However, it did feel pretty good. Shiori bowed to the woman, her small fingers clasping together in front of her waist. ”Sorry about that... Have a good day.” And with that, the little violet shrunk back and headed for the exit. While her deliveries were done, there was still the matter of returning to the Post Office to drop off the messenger bag and the signed receipts, then she would be free to wallow in the blistering conditions of the day. Joy.{/i]
[WC: 878]