[PRP] Seeing Red (Shakuntala/Rennati) [FIN]

[radish]

Cherries were one of Sita's, Shakuntala's sister, greatest loves. The youngest Tischendorf could recall how her sister graciously ate the fruit like a queen before she wedded Roland and would beg their father to bring home more whenever the chance arose. Admittedly, Shakuntala wasn't fond of the fruit; the large pit in the center was an annoyance to swallow with each bite lest she forget to eat around it. Yet, when her eyes came upon a flyer looking for helpers to assist in picking the bright red fruit, she was quick to jump on the offer.

It wasn't that she lacked work; mucking the stalls and giving the horses at the encampment a decent scrubbing was enough to keep her busy throughout her days there. Shakuntala had the idea of bringing her sister a basket of the cherries as a gift in gratitude; a simple expression of thanks for her sister and her encouragement to keep on with her duty in the military. When she came upon the main farmhand dishing out duties, she hardly had a chance to mutter a word after handing him the taken flyer. It seems the slice of paper alone was enough evidence to explain her interest and get her out into the fields.

Fixed with a basket and a pair of gloves (despite her informing them she already had a pair and was willing to use it to leave the other for another), Shakuntala was thrust out into the fields with a mumbled set of orders and set to work. Glancing up to the canopies above, the girl let out a breath at the bountiful harvest before her. Fat, scarlet orbs hung above in pairs from the dipping branches just waiting to be plucked. Allowing herself a small smile as she imagined her sister's face when she saw her own share of the fruits, Shakuntala raised a hand and began picking. It might take all day to fill the basket at her side, but with the pleasant gales and sun filtering through the leaves, it'd be a wonderful one.  

[Nilah44]

Rennati could never have too much to do. The trainee had told herself when she had joined that she would do as much as she could in order to try and learn as much as she could, and hopefully along the way, conquer her klutziness. Unfortunately in the small amount of time that she had been there, she was still as much of a klutz as she was before.

When she found the flyer, it was yet another thing she could do and hopefully not make a fool of herself. It took her a little bit to walk to the farm that was doing the cherry picking, Rennati went to where the guy who seemed to be the head hancho was. Like the girl before her, she didn't even have a chance to say why she was there before she was given a basket and a pair of gloves.

Not being sure of where to start, she followed the girl in front of her, who seemed to know just what she was doing. When the girl started picking cherries, Ren stopped next to her. "Hey there, mind if I pick along side you? The job normally gets done quicker if you have company." She offered, though, more for herself.  

[radish]

Shakuntala found herself lost to her own little world as her gestures began to cyclical motion of rise, pluck, drop, and repeat. This daze overcame her with any activity she enjoyed, like horseback riding -- or any activity, for that matter -- and pulled her out of the stresses of reality to her own little bubble of contentment. Thus, when Rennati spoke to her, the girl's words went unanswered for a few awkward seconds as the copper-skinned girl wound herself back to the real world. Sliding maroon eyes over to the platinum blond, she nodded her head slowly in affirmation.

"S-sure," she added with the motion; her tone soft, but dashed with a hint of bashfulness. While her time in the military had opened her up a bit, the bud of how shy she was had yet to close.

Her hand gleaned the edges of the tree's underside and she popped a few cherries from it, dropping them down into the weaved container beside her hip. She had fallen quiet again; a curse of hers when she was at a loss of how to interact with a person. Despite focusing on her task, her brain was pulsating with mindfulness of the girl beside her.

In the barest hint of a voice, Shakuntala said, "I'm Shakuntala," in a passive tone that could easily go unnoticed like a mundane "excuse me." Her only attempt to reconcile with this introduction was to look at Rennati and see if her words registered or not. She even stopped walking along the tree to emphasize this. If her words went unnoticed, maybe her body language won't.  

[Nilah44]

At first, Rennati was afraid that the other girl hadn't heard her. She was going to wait one more moment before asking again, or maybe she was just being ignored. Biting her cheek, an internal battle waged on trying to ask her again or just walking away. Thankfully, the other had heard her and nodded to her with a verbal confirmation as well. All she could do was smile at her as she tried to get into the same easy rhythm as the other trainee kept but was always a little off.

They walked down the trees together, Rennati picking any cherries she could reach and whichever few that got missed in eyesight by her companion. Should she introduce herself? Leave her alone to her own thoughts? Talk about something? But what would she talk about? Millions of questions flew through her mind as she tried to figure out something, anything to say. Had she not been paying so much attention to her surroundings, as always, she may have missed the soft voice that came from the other.

"It's nice to meet you, Shakuntala. I'm..." While she had been listening, she belatedly noticed that Shakuntala had stopped walking. Halting her forward momentum, she felt herself falling backwards, but with her free arm, grasped the tree for dear life. She fell, but only landed on her butt. Looking rather embarrassed, she motioned towards her basket, which she had kept from spilling. "I'm Rennati." She said finally, as she stood and dusted herself off.  

[radish]

"Ah-"

Shakuntala eyes widened to the whites at the girl's ungraceful tumble. She shot out a hand to assist her, but her attempt came to no avail and the she landed rump-first to the ground with a heavy thump. The seventeen year old thinned her lips at this; not out of annoyance or to rebuke, but from repressing a desire to laugh. Rennati's fall was almost comical in its display and had the trainee riding the lines between chuckling in amusement or keeping a straight face in empathy. She reasoned with the latter; first impressions matter and immediately laughing at the girl may cause her opinion to sway in disfavor.

Bending at the waist, Shakuntala offered a gloved hand to the blond after placing down her own basket of cherries by her heel. "N-nice to meet you, Rennati," she said, "are... a-are you okay?"  

[Nilah44]

The other girl seemed so shocked at her sudden falling. She supposed it would alarm other people she hadn't really met before. To try and dispel some of the awkwardness and shock, Rennati let out a few laughs. "Yes. Sorry about that...that probably was hilarious, wasn't it?" She said, trying to make Shakuntala feel better. "I'm kind of a klutz so I'm pretty used to it. I'm sorry if it startled you!" She really did feel bad if she had made Shakuntala scared.

NaomiNaomi

Sorry for taking so long and sorry its a short reply! D:  

[radish]

Shakuntala bit her bottom lip during her smile. "I-it was... sorta," she replied, a small tumble of chuckles following Rennati's few laughs over their predicament. "I'm, um, I-I'm not much of a klutz myself... B-but I can relate. And i-it's okay, I'm, um, a bit jumpy, is all." A small gale crested the branches above and shook the canopies wildly. A cherry fell to her left, causing Shakuntala to snap her attention to it, and without looking to Rennati, she asked, "Are, um, a-are you sure you're... okay? I could get someone i-if you need help..."

Nilah44]

It's alright, don't worry about it~

 

[Nilah44]

Rennati continued to laugh a little after she was up and moving again. "I've been a klutz for most of my life so I've kind of built up a high pain tolerance...so really, I'm fine." She said with a smile as Shakuntala got back to collecting cherries. "Do you like cherries? I personally like them, though they're not my favorite. I prefer when they're baked into things!" Her mom could make some amazing desserts with cherries and Rennati half wished she had learned some of her mother's recipes. Maybe, if after being in training for awhile and she's not so much of a klutz, she can go back home and learn to cook from her mom! Yeah! That sounded like a good plan. She glanced at the other girl out of the corner of her eye wondering if Shakuntala thought she was weird or not.

NaomiNaomi

 

[radish]

Shakuntala exchanged the same smile with her as she gently slipped back into her required duties. Again, she found herself falling into the concentrated trance she always found herself in when she got into the rhythm of things, but when Rennati talked of sugary delights featuring cherries, she stopped again and nodded her head vigorously. "T-they're not my favorite either, but, um, b-but I do like sweets. Only some though... L-like pies and stuff..." She released a handful of cherries into the basket and followed sidestepped over to another branch. "Cherries... C-cherries are my sister's favorite f-fruit... That's actually why, um, I'm here. I want to b-bring some for her as thanks." Shakuntala smiled as a flash of her sibling's face floated through her mind. "A-are you just w-working for money?" she asked to carry the conversation along. "Or to, um, h-help out?"

Nilah44]

 

[Nilah44]

Desserts were definitely something Rennati enjoyed thoroughly. Any kind of surgery treat was good with her! Rennati wouldn't discriminate between pies or cakes or cookies or cherry or apple or chocolate or vanilla, she liked it all! After her little mishap, they had gotten back into a rhythm and Rennati was getting the sense that Shakuntala didn't often talk while she worked as she would go quiet for periods of time. Ah, so its her sister who liked cherries. That's so sweet of her. Rennati thought to herself as they continued on. "That's so nice of you!" She exclaimed. It was a little bit later when the other woman's next question came. "Well. I guess if they wanted to pay me I wouldn't object. But just helping out is fine with me. It also gives me something to do other than regular chores so its a nice relief. What about you?" Ren was trying to do multiple things at once. Pick cherries. Talk. Watch her step. The third was more important to her however, since she didn't want to look like a fool for a second time.

NaomiNaomi

 

[radish]

A few cherries slipped from her hand and into the basket beside her hip as she considered Rennati's inquiry. In truth, the money was a good prospect, but then again, she didn't spend much during break days from the compound. Most of her fare went into her travels from the training ground to her sister's home to even any orphans she came upon there in the city begging for loose change. In all honesty, all of this was for her sister. Sita did mean much to her, after all.

"Mm, i-it is a good break f-from training," Shakuntala admitted, stepping to the side. "An e-easy afternoon, though I p-prefer being... b-being amongst the horses."

Nilah44x

Short response is short. Sorry about that!

 

[Nilah44]

Rennati was glad that the other agreed with her and she knew that there were some that just enjoyed all that hard training. It was fun for her most days and she felt herself growing stronger but sometimes she just needed a break to rest her tired body. Even though this was still work, it was fun work, just like the peace gardens had been. Plus, just like then, it let her meet new people which was always nice for her. She didn't have many "friends" per say, but she was getting the opportunity to meet lots of other people!

"You like horses?" Ren said excitedly. She had really only been able to be around them during survival training but she enjoyed it so much. It was such an easier way to get around and horses weren't as klutzy as she was. "I've only gotten the chance so far to be around horses during survival training but I really want to learn how to ride better. Its...a uh...far better alternative to my own walking. Plus horses are so cool!" The riding had been one of her highlights since joining and was honestly one of the things she had been most excited about.

NaomiNaomi

No worries. <3

 

[radish]

The basket at her hip almost tumbled to the floor. The words "horses" was like a trigger; her excitement bloomed at just its mention, especially from another mouth. Holding her composure, Shakuntala tried her best to withhold her desire to gush about the amazing creatures. She had a lot to say on the subject on the hoofed quadrupeds -- especially how exciting, wonderful, gorgeous, refined, elegant, splendid, calm, wonderful, gentle, cool, amazingly wonderful -- they were. Turning to Rennati, she presented her a gentle smile, and nodded her head.

"I... I-I love them," she replied, cool and composed. Don't you dare go into one of your fits, Shakuntala! As she raised her hand to pluck a few more cherries, she added, "If, um, i-if you'd like, I could show you a f-few pointers? I mean, w-with riding. If you want..."  

[Nilah44]

The excitement when their conversation turned to horses was apparent immediately in Shakuntala and that excitement was contagious. It was being reigned in by both girls, though as they tried to keep a focus on the job at hand. What Rennati wasn't expecting was the other to offer her help. Ren smiled shyly. "I would really like that! I haven't had the chance to try riding again...but I would definitely like to. Especially if you know a lot about horses! They're just amazing animals. If..if you wouldn't mind teaching me some more I would really like that." She paused in her cherry picking to smile at the other.

Her inner excitement was interrupted by the sound of a bell and then other people moving away from the trees. "Is that all?" She asked suddenly. She hadn't thought they had been there for very long.

Feeling a hand rest on her shoulder her brows creased and looked to find the owner of the hand. A large man had come up behind both she and Tala and clapped them each on the shoulder. "Aye it is. Good work ladies." The man said simply and took both their baskets from them and placed a small back in each of their hands. "Thanks fer your hard work." He said, nodded at them, and then left.

Rennati smiled with her money in hand, maybe she'd go buy a cake. "Well it was nice to meet you, Tala, and perhaps next week after classes we can meet at the stables?" She smiled once more after Tala's smile and nod before heading back to the training compound, giving Tala one last wave, as she did so she face planted but got up quickly and laughed as she walked away.  

[radish]

Shakuntala exchanged a timid smile with the blonde before her chin snapped over her shoulder at the tingling of a bell. Hefting up the basket she held that was brimming with the ripe, red fruit, she nodded and followed Rennati to the source of the sound. She jumped slightly when she felt the touch of a foreign hand upon her shoulder. Dipping her head at the man, she accepted her payment and was quick to scuttle away from him before he could talk more of their good work.

Offering one last nod to the blonde, Shakuntala said, "It... I-it was nice to meet y-you, as well..." Wringing her hands together, she took that as a means to depart, but when Rennati brought up the opportunity to meet up in the stables, she turned back on her heel and smiled vividly. It brightened her spirits then that the talk of meeting up again wasn't just a possibility, it was actually an offer. With her bashful features brightening excitedly, she returned, "Y-yes...! At the stables, y-yes, that sounds... f-fun. See you... then!."