Thud!
I closed the wooden door and exited the hallway in a hurry, as it was already 10:30.
I was able to dress myself decent, the hair was the toughest part, and was still loose. Clothing was pretty easy except for fastening the clasp of the bra.
I pushed open the main door, which surprisingly didn't creak, and took a step into the street, praying to myself that I wouldn't die again
Come to think about it, the chance of me dying here is pretty low. There are no vehicles and no pavements, so I am not going to trip from uneven blocks.
I started to walk since carriages were a luxury that only kings and aethers could go in.
"Ugh, why does this strap feel like it's cutting my shoulder?" I said, adjusting the strap once more, and crossed a noticeboard that read
"Sunflower City Welcomes You"
"Tch, so she lives in the outskirts, huh? Thank goodness her office is somewhere close."
skeek!
"Whoa, whoa," I exclaimed as I tried to gain my balance without falling backward, and I managed to somehow.
What the hell was that?
I looked at my feet and realized I stepped on a rock in my heels, which made me trip.
"Walking with these is hell. Why is women's wear so complicated?"
"Not this again," I said once again, adjusting the bra strap, and walked, my chest heaving.
Urghh this chest won't it stop bouncing? It feels like someone is repeatedly punching me, and it's disturbing a lot. I am not even able to run without them hitting me.
I walked through the streets as I couldn't run. The trees were flourishing, and the side of the path was full of flowers, all blossomed with many colors, from common red to rare blue. Houses were mostly made of wood, the beams darkened by age and rain, the dried paint falling off. Vines crawled along walls, holding marigolds, asters, and fading roses. The air had a palpable smell of the flowers, sharp enough to prickle my nose, and had a high concentration of oxygen that might make me dizzy if it weren't for this mask. This kingdom was also an extreme, not Evercold, not Everheat, but in its own scale there were a lot of insects. Agriculture is quite the challenge since blossoming around the year doesn't give produce, so meat becomes their primary source of energy. Pollen drifts constantly, and streets were filled with leaves and petals.
Achoo!
Swish!
"Not again," I frowned, tying back up the loose hair.
Being a woman is hard, isn't it? I hope that if I die, I become a man next time, not a woman. I don't want to tie my hair again, feel the bra strap cutting my shoulders, or feel a slight jiggle when I run.
Pant! Pant!
That took far too long to reach Beatriz's office...why can't she just live close?
I took a glance to my right and saw a family of four walking on the side, and the moment my gaze landed on them, they crossed to the other side. The kid's head bowed down as the adults looked away as they crossed me.
*****
"You look like you've seen a ghost, Roza" Correria said with a sneer, brushing a strand of her viridian-colored hair, which was beautifully braided, unlike the one I managed.
"And you are late by two hours," Joana said, her hand resting on my shoulders.
"Something happened, Roza?" Maria joined in, her eyes still focused on the bulky terminal, sipping milk.
"Just woke up late," I said, brushing the topic away.
Gosh...this feels awkward surrounded by these women.
"Oh, come on, don't lie to us, bit*h," Joana said, flicking my forehead.
"We all know you are like clockwork, Roza," Correria said, turning her focus back to the draft before her.
"She even came to a revel at 19:30 when it started at 20:00." Maria laughed, her mouth stretching ear to ear.
"It was a one-time thing."
"Is that so, Roza? New hairstyle? Looks unkempt," Joana said, fiddling with the hair.
Yes, it is, and stop meddling with it, please. It took me a lot of time to tie it up.
Swish!
"Oops, guess you have to tie it again." Joana said, dropping the hair and heading back to her desk.
You mor*n
"This marks the last day of the project. Who is ready for a revel this evening?" Correria asked the group.
"Count me in," Maria said, followed by Joana's "me."
"What about you, Roza?" Correria asked, spinning a pen.
Damn, she is cool...What would Beatriz do in this situation? Will she accept or decline?
"Of course she would. Else why wear fishnet? She is plainly trying to find a bedmate or mayhap already tangled up with Adrian. Shame, really. This is an all-girls revel, paid from our own pockets. The chief will host one for all of us, so save your energy till then," Maria said, releasing the elastic bra strap, and it hit my skin, giving it a sting.
"Ouch!" I exclaimed, rubbing my shoulders.
"And bedding with strangers makes you a wench, though you were one already," Joana said with a dry laugh.
Why am I able to understand what they are saying even though the terms were foreign to me moments ago?
"Get to work. We should have it wrapped up soon enough. Go through one final run, Roza," Joana said, passing some documents to me.
I flipped through pages quietly, trying to blend in with them and read through it. The language of Suncarnia were all boxy and was stiff instead of like Alchelnics, which was cohesive.
This looks like some blueprint of a ship? Did Roza and friends make this?
"Roza, you are unusually quiet today. Is it a mood swing, or are you on your courses?" Corarria asked, adjusting her glasses.
"Nah, she is merely pent up." Maria chuckled.
"It isn't like that," I blurted out, trying to hide the blush on my face.
Great, Alyss, you almost did it. See, you didn't give yourself out. You can do it, Alyss.
"You're quite late today, Roza, aren't you?" I heard the rugged tone of a man in his mid-sixties.
He must be the chief they talked about, and damn, his head is shiny.
"Reasons."
"Vague today, are we? Very well then, let us head to the laboratory and make one final run of the arc, shall we?"
"Very well," I said, grabbing my bags and heading downstairs.
"Good luck," the women cheered as I descended with the chief.
Wait...Beatriz works as a hydrodynamic engineer in a shipbuilding industry, and I had read the documents about the blueprint with some complex stuff and designs on it. The chief was now telling me to run a final test....
Am I going to test a goddamn ship?