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She was finally finding her way around Mordhaus. No longer requiring Toki to escort her to and fro, Kari explored the building on her own time. She needed to stretch her legs after drawing all evening. The hopeful hymns of Norway sang out from her heart and echoed off the high ceilings. Now that she was developing her style, Kari felt more comfortable in her own skin and more sociable with strangers. While she didn’t visit Vivi’s bar often, she would run into some patrons leaving or seeking its location. Even able to direct people accordingly. But what she did not expect to find was a balled up woman on the ground two hallways from Iskällare.
Sobs muffled into her hands and her red hair trembled with the sorrow. Picturesque cards were scattered around her. Kari spotted an angel with the word ‘temperance’ written in beautiful calligraphy. It spoke to her as she gazed upon the distressed.
“Hellos?” she greeted, “Ams you okay?”
The woman picked up her head to lock eyes with Kari. Lid margins inflamed enough to match her hair and stained with wet eyeliner. Her shoulders hunched into a defensive curl.
“Go away!” she snapped, “Fuck off to your nunnery or whatever.”
“Oh, you ams mistaken. I’m not a nun. I’m Kari.”
“And I am nothing to you.” A shadow was cast over her by Kari’s tall structure. She couldn’t escape it. So Kari lowered herself to let the light in.
“Yous must have a name,” Kari pestered, “And by the looks of how upsets you are, a heart too.”
“Sunday,” the woman mumbled and turned away.
Her long skirt fanned out, but Kari was careful to make sure no fabric would cause a slip in the immediate walk way.
“Ah, Sunday. That ams a holy day.”
“I thought you said you weren’t a nun.”
“Das right. I amsn’t. But Is still has my faith and choose modesty.”
Sunday scoffed, “Whatever, just leave me be.”
“But you dropped these.” Kari held out the temperance card upright in front of Sunday. And then, like the sudden unplugging of an amplifier, all the buzzing in her head ceased. Patience her inner voice commanded. Needed to help the clouds in her mind clear. Necessary to reflect on what she has done and what has yet to be done. Patience. Kindness. Items that were not in her arsenal. But this woman, this odd, demure woman, was her reminder? Sunday knew better than to go against her instincts. So she let the fates unwind.
“Thank you,” she accepted the card, “I suppose I did make a mess.”
“Lets me helps you.” Kari scooped up more face down cards. Sunday set aside her moping to gather her own pieces. And her hand brushed up against Kari’s fingers. Like coming across a warm patch of fur, they were soft and tempting to touch again. But Kari pulled back. Clutching her hand to her collected cards, they faced each other again. Sparkles twinkled in her brown eyes, a welcomed sight compared to the blazing fire of Vivi’s.
“Sorry, I…”
“Dons’t worry,” Kari stopped Sunday, “just hand warm fuzzies. I gets those when Toki holds my hand too.” The rest of the cards were handed over to their rightful owner.
“That was really nice of you, Kari. You didn’t have to do that. I don’t deserve it.”
Kari sat back on her heels, “Everyone deserves a little kindness no matter what. But it ams hard, I gets it. You seemed like you needed it. Does you want to talks about it?”
“I just…looked somewhere I shouldn’t have and hurt someone.” Sunday was about to curl back into herself until Kari placed a firm hand on her upper arm.
“It amsn’t too late to say sorry. Are you?”
Too long of a pause was taken. She hadn’t apologized for anything since she was six years old and she was forced to by her mother. Even so, there was no guarantee Vivi would accept it and give her another chance. Futile today, but maybe not so tomorrow. Patience . She would have to keep that word in a cage for it to stay in her head.
“I’ll have to see where I’m at in the morning,” Sunday dismissed.
“Okay…Hey! I know what might make yous feel betters. Come wit me.” The two women got to their feet. Kari got a full look at Sunday and felt her cheeks go hot. Like a rose with too many thorns, enchanting yet risky, the woman was beautiful. And she didn’t want her to leave just yet. So she guided Sunday to her room where she had a more involved designer set up. The small podium once awkwardly in the middle of the lounge now had a perfect spot in front of a tall mirror.
“I has a perfect dress for you if you’d like to trys it. I might have to helps you.” Kari unraveled a long sleeve, high neckline black underdress. Very plain, very boring and definitely not Sunday’s style. But she was charmed and wanted to not screw up another potential friendship. Stripping down to her undergarments, Kari watched hypnotized by Sunday’s delicious pale skin and perfect curves. Her hands yearned to touch delicate skin, but refrained. It was not what Sunday needed at this moment. What she did need was the second part to the dress. The main event. Another black base dress, but this time the ends of the garment dazzled with ruby red sequence. On the chest piece lined a row of long red diamonds similar to a bib necklace. Sunday slipped on the piece and saw the complete ensemble.
“This ams from my geode collection. Do yous likes it?” Kari asked. Her excitement barely contained from behind her model.
“I confess I did not think this would be a look for me. But this is stunning,” Sunday complimented, “Is it weird to feel sexy when most of me is covered up?” She swung her hips to have the red reflect in the vanity.
“No! Not at all. That ams what I’m going for.”
“Well you definitely succeeded.”
“Then this ams yours.”
Sunday whipped around, some sequence flying off in different directions, “What?”
“Yeah, yous can has it. You look beautiful in it. I insist.”
“Kari, sweetheart, no. I can’t just take this. Please lemme pay you for it at least.”
She waved her hands to dismiss, “I shall not. Enjoy it and hopefully yous finds the peace you ams lookings for.”
Sunday went home that day with her head and her heart swirling. A bizarre flip between emptiness and fulfillment between two women she never would have interacted with before. And as she dragged herself through meeting after meeting, show after show, she made attempts to recenter herself. One day, she would apologize and make amends. Maybe on the same day she becomes a better person. Small steps forward. Small steps would get her there.