when the seams start wearing thin

hey mr. trailblazer, spare you a joint paper
it's strange how the days layer, and weigh on you years later

Dark brows rise in response to the conspiracy her father poses, a huff of a laugh slipping from his lips in another small plume of smoke. He drags from it before pulling it from his lips again to discard some ash into the ashtray on the table set up he has, keeping it there as he considers the words. “Way things are going, suppose it makes sense they’d try some shit like that.” This whole lockdown has been terrible for his business, not that he really gets much to begin with. “I’d rather stay down here than see what they wanna offer us.” He agrees, flashing a small smile her way as she asks him a follow up question.

“Wasn’t bad there. I’m from Undunli. Just got tired of being told I had to go into the mines and wanted to prove I could be as good of a gem dealer as I thought I could be. Grew up around them all my life, after all. Realized people here don’t know a whole lot about stones.” Which allowed for him to take advantage of Platers and benefit the Drench; the exact opposite of what he had originally wanted to do when he moved here. But it’s been a few years now and things have continued to change and shift for him. “Have you lived here your whole life?” He asks, lifting the cigarette back to his lips.

Uldren

She does not want to believe that something is being planned on purpose, but having people from both sides meet in a crowded festival seemed like a recipe for something to happen. "Guess we'll know the day after what happened." Ira gives another small, awkward kind of smile and hangs the bag on her back again. The grocery bags get to stay by her feet for now since she started the conversation and is not hurrying home.

Instead of thinking of the festival, she tries to imagine how the mines look like. The idea of moving through dark tunnels in the ground or in a mountain, searching for treasure sounds exciting. Scary too, but exciting. When he comments on the city's lack of knowledge about gemstones, she lets out a small huff with a smile. "I might be one of those, but... Sometimes pretty pieces of glass can hold value as well." She shrugs.

"Yeah, born down here in the Drench. Not been anywhere else. Barely been up to the Plates even... Except a few times to the Edge." She makes a brief sweeping gesture at their surroundings. "It is not too bad when one is used to living here. Just can't see why anyone would choose to move here, unless it is to the top. Bet it is nice and cozy up there." All cozy with their sunlight and dry shoes.

IRA

hey mr. trailblazer, spare you a joint paper
it's strange how the days layer, and weigh on you years later

A soft laugh leaves Uldren in another small plume of smoke, a nod offered in agreement. They’d watch from down here, listen to the stories and the news of what occurs later. And from there, decide whether they were right or wrong.

So he puts out his cigarette and clears his throat, flashing her a softer smile that isn’t aimed like he has earlier for potential buyers and he leans across his booth a bit closer to Ira. “Luckily for you, the Drenchers here get the good stones at a good price.” His voice has dropped as the secret is told, before he withdraws with an amused smile.

He saved the fake and worst stones for the Platers that dropped to the Neon Alley, too unaware that they were fake with how well he’d made the clasps and the surrounding, cheaper material. “I thought about moving topside when I moved here with my sister. People are too… Haughty up there. Didn’t wanna deal with it. At least it’s more affordable for me down here.” He snorts. But he did miss the sun on the few occasions, hanging around the shops with the fake sunlight lamps just to soak up a bit more.

Uldren

Ira leans forward with an amused smile of her own. "Oh, very lucky me then." The smile turns into a small smirk when she stands straight again. To be honest, she would not have minded if she had only gotten a piece of coloured glass in a pretty shape. No one at the bar would notice anything more than her wearing a piece of jewellery. As long as she isn't wearing anything crazy like a bone necklace or something like that it will be approved of.

She takes a look around while they talk. Spotting some people dressed way too fancy for being from the Drench. At least the Plate tourists brought some of their money down. Be it to the stores or the bars. She might not have much of a work at the bar if it wasn't for the Platers coming down. Sure, they had a lot of local costumers as well, but the Platers seemed to be the ones being more eager to tip extra, having the spare money to spend.

"Yeah... If you can manage to get hold of a place not too far down it is not too bad. When I was a child, we lived in an apartment that got flooded every year but we later managed to get hold of one just out of range of the water. For the most parts. When it is not a bad enough flood.." She shrugs one shoulder. "I would like to be able to move into a place here in the Alley one day, but I don't think I would ever be able to live anywhere up to." She may have a weird kind of pride over living in the Drench and refusing the seemingly easier life up top. As if one did not know how to actually live if you were gliding around up on the Plates without a worry in the world.

IRA

hey mr. trailblazer, spare you a joint paper
it's strange how the days layer, and weigh on you years later

A brighter amused smile leaves him as she claims her luck, his head nodding in agreement, sending the fringe of black and red hair slipping across his face. He reaches up to push it back, shifting to half sit on the table on his side, to listen to her as if they were old friends catching up. They weren’t, but that didn’t mean he didn’t find her interesting, wanting to learn more about what she has to say.

His clicks his tongue as she mentions the apartments that flood, some deep understanding lying there. “Yeah, I just got one half in the flood zone, half not. Hopefully it won’t be too bad this Drenak.” There’s a slight wince that leaves him before he snorts, breaking it into a laugh. “Made the mistake of not really knowin’ too much better before getting here.” A mistake most strangers to Ok’Koroll would make.

“Whattya do for work?” He asks, his green gaze focused on her, wondering how long it might take her to save up to afford a spot closer to the alley.

Uldren

His smiling made it difficult for her to keep her face straight and she briefly hides behind her hair again. "Not everyone is honest about the floods when renting or selling to people not from here. It's not nice, but can't blame them either. Guess few people would want to buy a place they know gets damaged once a year. Though there are few dry options around here."

It makes her think back of her early childhood and all the times she had been sick. Either with a cold or from mold growing in everything from the wall to her pillow. Uldren's half and half deal did not sound too bad for Drench standard in her ears.

She looks down at the grocery bags at her feet when the question about her work comes up and is reminded that her father is probably waiting. 'He can wait.' It was no where near dinner time anyway and she was still grumpy over being woken up too early. So instead of coming up with a quick excuse to leave, she drops her backpack at her feet as well, but keeps a tight grip on one strap just in case someone tries to do a run-by and take it.

"During the day I work at a diner further down in the Gasp Alleys and at night at one of the bars here." She makes a small waving gesture with her hand as if to specify that she means Light's Edge. "Sometimes it can be one after the other in one day, but most times I can have a day or two between each job. Depends on how busy things are. So there is time for a minute of sleep here and there." She adds the last part with a small chuckle.

IRA

hey mr. trailblazer, spare you a joint paper
it's strange how the days layer, and weigh on you years later

A low hum slips from Uldren’s throat, an agreement before he huffs a soft laugh. “Everyone’s just trying to make money. I get it.” Even if it meant he had to ensure that during the flood season he was available to make repairs. He supposes it helps he’s a bit of a handyman. “I’d prolly do the same.” If the roles were reversed, that is.

He already sort of is by charging those not from around her (Platers) top lasti for his cheapest materials. But that’s neither here nor there. At least they have the money to blow on it.

She gets a bit more comfortable before telling him what she does and he leans a bit more onto the table, drawing a leg up he can rest his arm against to watch her as she explains. “Just one.” He comments with a soft laugh, that amused smile returning to his face. “I tend to frequent the bars closer to home but maybe I’ll make an exception one of these days and come see ya.” He pauses, letting his green gaze focus on her before he glances back down the street momentarily, as if awaiting the presence of Enforcers. When none come, his attention focuses on her again. “If you didn’t mind, that is.”

Uldren

She raises a brow while keeping the smile on her lips - a bit of a mix of shy and on the edge of smirking. As if she cannot make up her mind about his suggestion. She certainly had not expected it and remains silent in thought while he looks away. When he looks back, her smile has turned more towards a small smirk. "Nah, I don't mind... If you bring good tip." She gives him a wink and kneels down to dig through her backpack. Soon enough, she has a pen and a piece of paper to write down the name of the bar on.

"There is a small lamp in the shape of a sun hanging in the window. If it is on, it means there's extra many Platers there that night. Decide for yourself if that's company you can stand." She holds out the piece of paper to him to take. "Sometimes we get locals coming in just to be as bothering as possible to make them leave. Sometimes it work, sometimes it just starts a lot of arguments." It feels fair for her to at least warn him that it wasn't a calm lounge. Fights were not too common, but they happened. Especially in a place where Drenchers and Platers got together with alcohol involved.

Ira had not gotten herself involved often. A few times, she had shouted at people to take it outside, but the times things got a bit too out of hand, she often just slipped out the backdoor for a break until things calmed down. Even if the bar did have a bouncer most nights, it was still expected of the other workers to help keep the peace when they could. Which was amusing to her, when they at the same time got paid to get people to buy as many drinks as possible.

IRA

hey mr. trailblazer, spare you a joint paper
it's strange how the days layer, and weigh on you years later

Her smirk ignites a more amused and mischievous one on his own face, before it melts into something of pure dramatics, a hand rising and flattening against his chest. “What kind of gentleman wouldn’t?” He asks her before he breaks out of the dramatic character with a brighter bark of laughter. It fades once she produces the paper and the pen, writing out the details for him, of which he leans closer toward her to view.

“Sounds like unique sort’ve entertainment.” He hums, taking the paper and tucks it into his back pocket, before he regards her more fully with a brighter intensity (excitement is what it truly is) for getting around a few more places here and the depths of drama in regards to Platers versus Drenchers. “When’re ya working next?” He asks, a look of curiosity crossing his face, as if he’s trying to plan just how the rest of his day was going to go.

It’s been slow here today anyway, aside from her, and he still doesn’t even know her name.

Uldren

His dramatic acting brings out a laugh from Ira and she slowly shakes her head with a smile. She regards his expression closer now while she is squatting down in front of the table, enjoying the interaction. Not sure if she should think of it as fun flirting or just joking fun. Fun joking flirting? Ira could go with either. Between her work and work and the minute of sleep, she can slot in 'just having fun' in the schedule as well.

The comment about the arguments sounding like entertainment made her laugh again. "It can be amusing sometimes, sure. The battles of verbal insults can become very creative." Watching people throwing insults back and forth, waiting to see who lost their temper first. Often it was the one that went swinging first that became the first one being thrown out. Sometimes her fellow workers took bets on who would make the first move.

She quickly goes through her mental notes when asked about her next shift. Working past midnight and sleeping at odd hours sometimes made it tricky to keep track on what day it is. "I don't work tonight, but should tomorrow night. Usually from eight to... Sometime whenever they decide to close. Never before midnight. Today I came home in time for sunrise, so I am glad I do not have the day job today." How she is not constantly yawning at this point is beyond her own understanding. Though thinking of it almost triggers her to, but she manages to keep it back.

IRA