Shmolies
Nannaras X
June 25th YC 120
“So how do you become a Wayist?”
“The same way any other becomes one, when we see meaning in the philosophy.”
Suha was sitting across from Monden, the two were currently in a moving monorail. They were on a straight narrow track towards the main building of the Hoiyori administrative capital. The monorails were indoors, there were two tracks with cars that moved at the same time, one at each end to ferry passengers back and forth. A glass ceiling hanged over them that crept down to become the walls with a small divider of concrete at the bottom for a foundation. Running alongside the walls were railed off sidewalks for maintenance or for those that want the exercise, it was more common than not to see someone using the sidewalk for jogging.
Monden folds his arms “I meant how does someone growing up in a Guristas colony become a Wayist?” Monden was slouched back in his seat. His back was aimed towards the sidewalk on their right.
Suha was sitting upright with her hands passively in her lap, she tilts her head “Is my background a unlikely factor towards becoming one?”. Suha never felt offended by Monden’s line of questions regarding where she grew up. She wasn’t naive about who the Guristas really were, but felt no shame in refusing to see them as the demons the empires made them out to be. As such she maintained a neutral disposition with Monden, she was aware of the type of man she was dealing with.
“N-No just-” Monden leans forward “-how do you find teachings for a faith that’s popular in the Caldari State - In the borders of an organization that hates them?”
Suha straightens out her neck “The Guristas made no efforts to eradicate Caldari traditions from those that flocked to their space. As such, I learned about Wayism though those who came over holding such knowledge.”
Monden sits up straight “Ain’t Wayism to a degree pro-state? The uh…” Monden tilts his head and scratches the right side of it. He shoots his head back up after a brief second “Winds? I think they’re called?” Suha silently nods towards him “Right, these Winds supposively-" Monden raises his his hands over his shoulder and curves them as if holding a imaginary sphere “- watched over and protected the Caldari people.” Monden drops his hands back down “Sounds like the sorta stuff that gets talked about in secret out there.”
“Not when you realize the State is…” Suha’s eyes trail off as she looks for the right word. A smile cracks on her face as she gets a glimpse of the passing trees outside with purple and pink leaves. She turns her eyes back to Monden “Irrelevant.” Only after saying it does she doubt the accuracy of that word. As per reflex, a corner of her mouth folds inside for her to gently bite.
Monden leans back into his seat with his arms crossed and his left eyebrow raised “Irrelevant?”
With her hands clasp together in her lap, Suha begins fidgeting with her fingers “I-It may have been a inaccurate word to use but…When you talk about Wayism outside the State, you start to see how unnecessary it is to even mention them.”
Monden tosses his right arm up across the back of his seat “How so?”
Suha doesn’t hesitate or stumble on beginning her answer “It’s said that the Winds favor that which grows strong. After all, strength is what proves we are worthy to survive in the Maker’s world. Its It’s clear you have your gripes with the Guristas, Monden, but would you agree the Guristas have proven their strength?”
A scoff erupts from Monden who grins at Suha “They’ve certainly proved they’re hard to get rid of.”
Suha smiles “Yes, that’s one way of putting it. Despite having to deal with the zealous hatred of the State and the horde of Capsuleers being sent at them by the Empires, the Guristas have remained strong. Not only to they maintain a formidable military, but have secured an entire region of space for themselves and have developed technology that rivals what the mega-corporations put out.”
Monden shrugs then scratches his chin with one finger from his left hand “Well I know from experience those Caldari imports aren’t as g-”
Suha cuts him off “I-I-It’s laughable really." her composure was off kilter at this moment. She interrupted Monden to fume on the subject. It’s passion that provokes her to start a rant. “The State boasts about how Cold Wind would strike us down for being traitors. Yet, as I spent my childhood working fields to feed the Guristas, not once did Cold Wind come to demolish our shelter or bury our crops.”
Monden, slightly startled by the sudden outburst, tries to reason with her “…Well, maybe-"
Once again, cut off by Suha “Then, countless times over had Storm Wind honored us with an appearance during the funeral of our deceased relatives who were slain in combat against the Caldari or Capsuleers.”
“Weather can be convenient like tha-"
Suha stands up “Then, out in the wilderness we can see Heart-of-the-forest maintaining with utmost effort. Well fed game and plant life surrounded us and-"
“Suha!” Monden shouts putting his hands out in front. She stops and looks down at him, while she was speaking she wasn’t looking at him, just speaking as if she was to a crowd. Monden begins to speak calmly and slowly “…I understand you’re passionate about your belief.” He slowly bends the fingers of his hands to aim at him “But I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about…”
Suha remained silent for a second, it was a careless mistake to lose her cool, to lose it like that. At the same time, Monden clearly wasn’t someone who knew the material like she did. She lets out a sigh “…Apologies, Monden.”
Monden slowly lowers his hands “It’s fine…”
The ride comes to an end as it makes contact with the station. Already there were several staff members waiting to get on. Suha assumed the nicely suited Gallenteans worked for Monden, while the other robed individuals were clearly Ohrions. After all, this tram went one way. to a hybrid administrative bloc for the two organizations. Monden gets up from his seat and moves to the door, Suha follows. As soon as the door opens, Suha and Monden are given the courtesy to step out first. As Monden greets his people while stepping out, Suha shakes the hands of the three Ohrions present before moving on.
Monden stopped and looked up at the sign suspended above them saying which dock this was and giving directions. Straight ahead, though the wide opened hallway littered with activity would be where you go for the main lobby and cafeteria. To the right would lead you to other ports to other administrative blocks and lastly to the left you could find the comms rooms and security office.
Suha walks up next to Monden “Well, I guess this is where we go our separate ways for now.” Suha was looking for the Ohrion Matron, Tuilina, who was currently in one of the comms room talking to someone.
“Yep…” Monden lazily replies. He turns and face Suha “Pleasure to meet you at least.” he extends a hand for her to shake
Suha eyed the hand before smiling and accepting it with her own. “As was it to meet you, Monden.” She let’s go and starts to walk backwards towards the left “Give Akels my regards!” She then turns around. Monden doesn’t respond back, just carries on his way.
Suha finds herself walking down a narrow hallway, alone. She wasn’t afraid of the scenario, just never liked the silence and would always prefer to have someone to speak to. She was a talkative person, if there was nobody around yo talk to, she would just talk to herself. Something she’s had to refrain from doing in public to avoid coming off as a quack.
…
Did Monden think she was a quack after that outburst?
…
Pointless to worry about now, what’s done was done. She couldn’t hope to make a perfect first impression every time. She just had to shrug it off and let it be what it is.
Large solid wood doors were on both sides of the hallway, each labeled after a common callsign like alpha, beta and so forth. These were individual comms rooms for privileged staff to use to make FTL communications. The label she was looking for was “Foxtrot”. As she darted her head back forth between the labels, humming an aimless tune to herself, she catches someone sitting down on a bench outside of the doors smoking a cigarette. To the left, as if conveniently placed there for the set up for a joke, was a sign informing the reader that this was a no smoking area. Tobacco products have been stuck in a gray area for the Ohrion board of health. They clearly want to outright ban the substance for how destructive it was to ingest and to people around them. But, many refugees grandfathered into the population came with pre-existing addictions to nicotine. As such, Ohrions had to oblige these needs as best as they could by creating bland, beardless cigarettes that were scarcely rationed out. It also carries heavy penalties far anyone distributing these rations.
Suha, approaches the man who was nodding of as he sat there taking hits. It wasn’t hard for Suha to smell the disgusting odor it was giving off. She begins to speak once approaching him at a distance to speak calmly “Excuse me, sir?” The man looks over to her out the corner of his eye, only turning his head slightly. He doesn’t say anything at first. Suha pivots her body slightly to give the man a glance at the sign behind her, which she points to.
The man takes the cigarette out of his mouth and taps off the burnt ash at the end “Look lady, I’m having a long day.” He says, void of energy.
“I’m sorry to hear that, but the rule is there not to make your day any harder, just to keep the buildings air clean for everyone’s health.”
Without looking at her, the man shoots up a hand “Just piss off, alright?”
Suha was one to never like those responses but was capable of absorbing them. “Apologies then sir…” It was best for her to leave, she was only going to annoy the man further if she continued to urge the man to follow the rules. But just as her back is to the man, he calls out to her.
“Hey!” Suha turns around to the man who was now looking up to her. She could get a clear look at the man’s face, Sebiestor, early 30s, black hair. “I’m sorry, that was…Out of line. Again, long day.”
Suha smiles at him “No offense was taken, sir. Sorry for disturbing you.”
The man sighs and takes another drag. He exhales and starts speaking “Hell, any distraction is worth something.” He leans back, all the way into the wall “I got to go in there in about ten minutes and speak to some Regiment police chief about this fight that broke out between two shmolies that ended up ■■■■■■■ everything up and setting construction back another week.”
Suha could determine that this man most likely was employed by Salvaged Fortunes for being involved with construction at all. But a question still remained “Shmolies?” she asks.
“Yeah, ■■■■■■■ shmolies is what they were. First shmoly picks a fight with second shmoly and start creating a scene and end up knocking over the ■■■■■■■ rafters, which crash and tear down the wall we were building for a week now.”
Shmoly something about the word sounded right to her, based off the answer the context made it sound fitting to call someone of “poor quality”. Although wanting to know more, she cuts it short and carries on with what she was looking for. “Well, I hope your day gets better sir.”
“Me too…”