Sila and Agnit were separated by their school when they first entered Core1, a common practice to help children integrate into larger society. They had their mornings and evenings together, so they never had a day when they were truly apart. In those mornings, they were woken up by one of their fathers, though usually Bakeen, and asked to “wake the house up”. It was a silly ritual that Trivini-mother had taught the girls. They would open all the windows, water all the plants, and put food out for the family cat, PurPur (named by Agnit), all while singing their rhythmically bouncy “Good Morning” song. If Bakeen woke them, he also had them warm-up with him before he went for his morning run.
After breakfast, as all the adults left for their jobs and routines, their mother Sovia would walk them to school. It was the only time she saw them, since she worked evenings at the hospital, and always made sure to take them the long way. Thought it wasn't technically allowed, she would take them through a Humar park near them, making the time that much more special. As children, they envied the wide and wondrous parks that Humar children were provided, forgetting at the moment they enjoyed things that pillarfolk2, the lower castes, didn't get to enjoy. These feelings of envy always faded by the time they arrived to core, replaced with the dread of schoolwork and thrill of friends.
School was fascinating with all the different castes and exceptions, but terrifying for the social pressures and expectations of being there. It was here that Sila began to realize how wonderfully diverse the world was, or at least alnisia. It was also how she quickly learned about the cruelty of children. As the only child with unique ears, the double tips, she never thought of before, and was often called names. She learned early about racial prejudices, being called "elfy" due to her ears. As much as it hurt her, it also helped shape her, giving her early insight into how the few non-vegetian children felt. It was Sila's first steps into self-shame. She formed a habit of taking extra time in the mirror to try to hide her ears behind her hair or simply stare in embarrassment at her own features. These were the first cracks of her preteen ego, her childishly high confidence crumbling to whispers and laughs. Her shame aside, Sila did enjoy going to school. Even with the few snickers in the halls, she loved seeing her new friends and learning new things.
Class was mixed, with every caste present and purposely assigned for maximum inter-caste exposure. Core schooling was the same for childen of each caste. It was considered important for all the kids to understand that every vegetian was important, no matter where they belonged on the hierarchy. With this diverse range of kids, Sila found new bonds. Agnit remained her best friend, but she began to find more kids she connected with through hobbies and their sense of humor. Among the top of her new friends was a Humar boy named Buvik, and a Luvis3 girl named Shantavika.
Sila felt closer to Shantavika than her other friends, even in those early years. The caste difference between the girls was strained at times, sometimes even ending an otherwise enjoyable moment, but they found that they could confide in one another in ways that Sila couldn't do even with Agnit. The biggest hurdle between the girls was the distance between their homes and that Shantavika's, as a Luvis, lived in a gated and secured district. They even ran into barriers, where Sila was grounded from the phone when she was found to have made too many calls outside her caste. This brought uncomfortable legal attention into the sereta.
Buvik lived on the next street over, both seretas on the edge of their districts and a short walk away. Both families felt secure in letting their children walk to the other's home. Sila would often go over to play with him, Agnit joining most of the time as well. Since he was a Humar, his caste parks were two to three times larger and more enriching than the local Inma one that Sila and Agnit played at. With a large playfield, expansive equipment, and a diverse array of collaborative structures that only worked with lots of children at once, it quickly became one of their favorite places to visit, despite how busy it usually was. They would often play until the sun was going down, returning only when one of their parents began yelling for them.
It was common for Sila to have dinner at Buvik’s during their play dates, and each time it felt like a party with his massive family there. Not unusual for Humar, he had 13 parents and 14 siblings. Between family and friend coming and going, there was never the same set of faces in the house when Sila visited. It was loud and fantastic. Buvik’s blood-father played a guitar, one mother sang, one played piano, and one played the flute well enough to stand in for a professional korviant4 musician once. As dinner was being prepped, anyone not directly helping, or too young, would play music or sing to entertain the rest. An old tradition, and one that left Sila feeling like every visit was a classic bookshelf fairytale.
Shantavika lived far from pillarfolk like the Inma. Sovia-mother said that Shantavika was the daughter of a Civic Director, but Sila didn’t know what that meant. Shantavika’s blood-father was someone important in the military and travelled often. Sila never saw him, nor Shantavika, from what she said. Their home was equally entrancing as Buvik’s, but in a vastly different way. Shantavika only had her blood-parents5 in her sereta, though she seemed to thrive in her privacy instead of feel alone. It was a quiet home, but a gorgeous one with its many statues and decorations. She also had toys that Sila had only seen on the television, her own anidoll6, an animate doll, and the largest house-cat Sila had ever seen. Sila was only able to visit occasionally. Her parents explained that the permits to see the Luvis were hard to get, but even Sila could see they didn't like going to such a high-caste location.
Even with all her new friends, Sila still preferred Agnit during lunch and social hour. Agnit had made fast friends with another Inma girl named Leeva, both being energized talkers. Sila was instantly jealous of her sister's friend. She struggled to see Leeva's personality past her shimmering silver hair, piercing blue eyes, and enchanting pale blue dots on her arms and hands. It crossed her mind that Leeva might just be the prettiest girl in the school. Even through the jealousy, she too was drawn to her. It helped that Leeva's popularity softened the teasing that Sila experienced.
For the first year of school, Trivini and Nina picked them up when school ended and walked to a nearby Inma park to play. They often saw some of the other Inma children from school there. Teasing happened to Sila, but if it ever got too rough, Agnit stepped in, the parent's none-the-wiser. Leeva would be there about once a week, and every once in a great while, she saw Buvik there with his siblings, a caste-exception that wasn't uncommon for young children. They played games of chase and tease like tag and Ruivik’s Castle. After the first year of school, Sila and Agnit's parent's believed them trustworthy enough to begin walking to the park after school with their friends instead of their parents.
With this new responsibility and freedom came obligations that the girls did not enjoy. They were given a rotation of chores they were expected to complete without being asked, and free to divide and complete them together as they will. Their bond made the dividing of chores easier, but they still tried to get out of the chores they hated the most. Sila often tried to get out of taking care of the trash and the girl's laundry, while Agnit was loath to care for PurPur's litter box and cleaning her trays. To their parent's relief, they rarely fought against these chores, only grumbling, a testament to their growing maturity.
Before Sila’s eighth birthday, she and Agnit were jubilant to learn that they had another sibling coming along. It was going to be Agnit’s blood sibling, but they were excited to be older sisters together. That was their brother Meelka. Less than a year later, another brother, Nivak, was born, and six months after that, Sila’s blood-brother Reekar came too, and their sereta was finally feeling whole and warm. The addition of new siblings meant the undivided attention they had grown use to was soon to fade, but with so many parents and their budding social life, this was not a bad thing for the girls. They grew to love spending some of their family time with the new siblings, and were overjoyed to help in caring for their brothers.
The Bucket Kitten
Snapshot: Age 8
Sila ran through the tunnel, looking for the fastest way to reach Buvik. The playground tubes were complex and twisty on the inside. She could see him through the windows, hiding behind one of the walls of the lower towers. He was the "knight" and she was the "ghoul". He had the foil wrapped stick and cloth hat to signify his status. It was like a game of tag, but everyone tried to get the knight before he got the treasure. In this case, it was a watch in one of the towers with the cartoon character Porvogo the Blue Vrass.
Unfortunately another one of the kids found him and began the chase. He dashed down a tunnel and Sila lost sight of them. She wasn't about to give up though, her palms and knees scrapped as she crawled forward. She hadn't caught a single night yet, and she was determined to get Buvik before anyone. His shouts of giddy glee blew in with a warm wind, letting her know he was still free as she pushed her damp hair from her head and pushed on.
Two turns in the tunnel, and she found herself emerging into the autumn air, a chill cooling her brow as she emerged from the heat that radiated off the sun-soaked plastic. She saw plenty of other children running around, but none were Buvik. Bridge to tower, to landing, her eyes sought him, but all she did found was Agnit across the landing Sila was on, dangling upside down from the rafters. Gravity tried to pull her shirt to match her dancing hair, but held it in place with some effort as she twisted around, her free hand posed as a spyglass.
"I'm so hungry!" Sila shouted as she ran to her sister, clawing the air. Finding an exposed side, she mocked taking a bite. Agnit's twisted suddenly, a fit of laughter coming from her then she lost her balance. Luckily Sila broke the fall, and they both began to laugh as a small tussle began. Agnit won with a hard shove of her legs, sliding Sila to the edge of their landing as she stood.
"Raisva found him. I lost him when he went into the purple tunnel," Sila said between pants and a smile.
"He's so predictable. He's going to take the slide to the moat and jump it!" The kids dug a giant ditch around the playground. The "moat" was a fence for the ghouls. Only the knight was allowed to pass it, but it was generally agreed that it was only to be jumped as a last-ditch effort.
"Race to the bottom?" Sila didn't wait to confirm, she ran across the bridge and almost lost her footing as she tried to take a hard turn towards the rope bridge. A fast glance over her shoulder gave witness to Agnit bravely dropping onto the top of the netting below them. She climbed over the edge like the cheat Sila knew she was.
"Cheater!" Sila yelled as she jumped down onto the ropes the proper way. In her haste, she nearly tangled herself, but managed to only look a little like a dork as she gracelessly lowered herself. She didn't see what face her sister made, but caught the vague motion in her direction from the side, and felt perturbed by it regardless. A moment later when she was able to spare a longer glance, she spotted Agnit dangling above the ground, about to drop.
Sila gave in. Her pace slowed in defeat.
A few glum seconds later, Sila was next to Agnit. Her sister's mouth was twisted into a frown as she pointed toward the elevated boat on the far side of the playground. "I was wrong. I guess"
"Uhhh, okay. Let's just wait for him. The treasure is on this side anyway." Sila kicked the sand a few times before wandering to one of the "dungeons". The base of a tower where only a single door allowed entrance. It was dark and often smelled like urine, but park crews had cleaned that morning. Agnit joined her, plopping in the entrance and watching Buvik as he dipped under walls to avoid the other kids.
The kids all continued to run around and chase on the far side of the playground as the sisters watched. Annoyance set in as they waited for their chance, then boredom as Buvik refused to get any closer.
"Pretend this is a persons leg," Sila lifted a piece of hard plastic from the ground and began to gnaw at it playfully. Agnit gave a laugh and lifted some sand and pretended to eat her own. They went back and forth for a few minutes, keeping their eye on Buvik as he dodged each attempt by the other children to grab him. The momentary play only entertained them for a breath, and they were back to the boredom of waiting their turn.
A sudden but slight mewing whispered from behind them. Their attention caught, they spun on their butts to see what it was.
In a bucket abandon beneath the playground's sands, a tiny kitten struggled to escape as it called out for help. It was young, its eyes barely open as it searched around from within the trap under the play tubes. Despite a few careful steps, it couldn't climb up and kept sliding down, mewing each time.
"Agnit! By. The. Spirits. That is so cute!"
"I know!" They both dashed over and fell to their knees before the tiny creature, pulling it out of the bucket and setting it on their laps. The fur was roughed with sand but still soft beneath the debris. Despite being alone, it seems to be in good health. It nuzzled, kneaded, and continued to call out as a gentle purr came from its chest.
"We should name her Lady Ruby, because her nose is so red." Agnit touched her nose to the kittens as she offered her suggestion, a small squeal coming from her.
"No, he looks more like a gentleman. We should call him Glovriu."
"From your cruuuuuush" Agnit teased, knowing that Sila would turn deep red from it being pointed out. It was her favorite actor, and she always made sure to never miss one of his shows.
"Come on, let's take him home!"
"Yeah. We should show Nina-mother."
They stood up and ran back to their parents, seemingly forgetting the game they were playing, as Buvik dropped to the ground and dashed past the tower they once guarded.
fin
Within a couple of years of attending school, Sila, Agnit, Shantavika, and Leeva had become one of the class cliques that would go everywhere together during free time. The older they got, the closer they became. Sleepovers at each other's homes became routine and they each convinced their parents to let them go to concerts, plays, movies, and even joining a girls Skyball league together, rarely supervised. Whenever one girl began a new fashion trend or tried their hand at a hobby, the others were quick to adopt it as well.
Sila and Agnit’s parents wanted their children as well-rounded as possible while they had the opportunities to, with a growing family. They were enrolled with tutors to learn other languages, both choosing Viguel, spurred by Sovia-mother. It was a natural choice given how dominant Vigrent was in Alnisia's international trade, but Sila simply enjoyed having a shared language with Agnit. Both girls also began musical lessons. Sila choose to take up the flute, enjoying the light-hearted sounds, reminding her of the birds in the spring and summer breezes. Agnit wanted the challenge of the zither, the complex string instrument that proved to be a source of love and hate for her, and to a lesser extent her family. By the time they were officially teens, they began to adopt the Humar tradition of playing regularly for their family, even performing with their friends, Buvik included.
A Sweet Lie
Snapshot: Age 12
Sila and Shantavika sat facing one another on one of the post-school lounges. The winter sun shone strong through the window, keeping them warm despite the ever-present chill that wafted in from the window. Their fingers took turns idly flipping pages in separate editions of teen magazines, pausing to showcase some of the styles they wanted to try.
"This one looks like it was made for Agnit!" Shantavika smirked playfully, showing an image of a Humar-caste girl in a utility dress that had numerous zipped pockets. It was vaguely Kithrish in style, with its sparse, angular cuts and subtle geometric patterns, that took its own direction with its function over form.
"And I bet she'd still leave things behind despite all that storage!" Sila laughed, knowing full well that her sister's lack of any organization was her greatest enemy in life. They knew Agnit had a sense of style, but their group had joked before she was trying to make utility-chic a new fashion.
"Oh! This shirt would be so perfect on you!" Shantavika had flipped several pages at once and was looking at an ad for backpacks, but Vika's focus was on a girl in an elegant bronze shirt with a deep back dip under her backpack. The shirt looked like the fashion aimed at higher caste girls than Sila, but there was no law against her wearing it if she found a way.
"I like it, but no way I could wear that!" a pink flush crossed her face at the thought of showing off her back, her scars on full display. She still got teased for her ears by the worst of the kids, they didn't need to know she was born with vestigial wings. She could already hear the jeers that would be flung her way if they saw wing-removal scars. A chill of shame pricked at her neck and flowed down, but she smiled at her friend, ignoring it.
"You should wear more ruddy browns and bronze colors. It would match your patterns so well!" Shantavika had set the magazine down and was dressing Sila up in her mind. Sila's patterns were a light, shimmering red that ran along her hair line down her neck. They did match the colors Shantavika mentioned, but also drew attention to them. It unnerved Sila to be dolled up in her friends mind. The urge to pull her knees-up and shield herself made her physically squirm, but she was rescued by her phone's aura illuminating, a green glow that released swirling motes outward. It was her chauffeur-alarm, letting her know it was time to e picked up.
"Duty calls Vika," Sila snatched the chance to redirect her friend's attention. "Call later?"
"How about this proposal," Shantavika smiled as she pressed a couple buttons on her phone to respond to her alarm. Sila watched out the window as Shantavika's governess stepped out of a car at the guard shed for entrance. Shantavika continued, collecting her things. "You join me for a stop at Sweet Foam for some drinks while we 'study'. Governess Uliya wouldn't mind."
"Yes please!" Sila had never been to the milk-shop, it was in a Korviant zone and out of the way for anywhere her family would go. She had always wanted to go though. The Luvis and Korviant caste kids often mentioned it as a weekend stop. She would need permission from her parents first though. "I just have to call home real quick."
She collected her bags and ran to the guidance advisor's desk in the center of the lounge, returning the magazines and asking to use the phone. A few moments later, Agnit picked up the phone. "The Shantus home, it'll cost a cookie."
"Don't be a dork Agnit, what if I was the police?" Sila's tone couldn't hide her grin as she spoke to her sister.
"Hey Sila, are you the police?"
"No."
"Bring a cookie tonight, or I'm going to pour water on your pillow."
"Clamp down sis," fun as her sister's banter was, she didn't want to waste her time when she could be at Sweet Foam, "Can I speak to one of our lorders?"
"Ruhg omrin," Agnit slipped into Viguel to tell her to hold a moment as she disappeared from the line. Sila looked at the time on the wall and a feeling of dread suddenly washed over her, sending a coldness across her body. She would be expected home in an hour for dinner. Her parents were strict about snacks and spoiling family meals. She didn't doubt that the moment she mentioned Sweet Foam, he'd tell her no.
Thoughts raced and sweat dotted her brow in the few seconds she had before one of her parent's picked up the phone. Shantavika could easily ask her governess to drop her off. The drive couldn't be more than 10 minutes away. If she could get an hour, that was more than enough time to drive there, enjoy a treat, and drive back. Her parent's wouldn't suspect a thing.
She heard her dad take the phone and greet her, she made her decision.
"Hi dad," Her voice sounded strained. She covered the mic to clear her throat. "Can I stay here with Shantavika for a while longer to study for the Biology test?"
"Of course. Do you want me to ask Bakeen to pick you up later?"
"No, I can get a ride with Shantavika."
"Just be home for dinner. 18, on the mark, okay? No later."
"I swear on the moon!" Sila hung up, excited, and dashed with a giddy skip to Shantavika, eager to go and try her first steamed milk.
Vika had already gotten her governess' agreement to take Sila on the condition of her parent's approval, that she just secured. Thankfully, she took Sila's word for it, too preoccupied with her book of schedules and ushering them to the car.
A few minutes of excited chatting in the car, and they had arrived at Sweet Foam. Sila jumped out, wasting no time as she ran up to the door ahead of the others. Inside, she immediately smelled the warm and sweet frothed milk. It overpowered the crisp, cold, urban air outside, and she paused to take a deep breath of it. Vika came up behind Sila and looked over the menu for only a moment before stepping up to order, but Sila found herself overwhelmed by the options. Different styles, sauces, and add-ons, she couldn't decide. Not wanting to waste time, she decided to get the same one Shantavika got, a triple-nut, honey froth, and rush over to join her friend.
As they took their seats, she absorbed the sight of the store as she let the smell of warmed honey and milk wrap around her. It was a cute shop, with curly half-walls dividing the seats and displays that embraced the latest commercial styles that favored cheap simplicity over design. As Sila saddled against Shantavika, it struck her that it wasn't too different in design from many Inma shops she'd be in. The extra money didn't seem to go into the shop's look.
The moment passed quickly as the server brought their drinks. Her excitement overrode her faint disappointment she felt over the shop's mundane design. A rebel's thrill over breaking family rules helped. Inma like herself were allowed to shop in higher caste commercial zones, but the costs usually dissuaded them, and more so, they wouldn't be allowed to linger, so she rarely went to any. Being with Shantavika and Uliya gave her a pass at this moment, and she felt almost dizzy with the combination of new senses from the store and drink, as well as excitement over being where she shouldn't.
Shantavika scooted shoulder-to-shoulder with Sila, and they began flipping through a modern-travels magazine filled with young teens in cultural hot spots around the country and scenic spots to visit. Uliya sat upright with her own book, she always had one when she was around and not otherwise preoccupied, while the girls talked. The experience was surreal, Sila felt like she was in a dream from the combination of closeness with her friend, the joy of the moment, and her own stomach knot from her little white lie to her parents. As they bonded over their love and disdain of various tourist activities, the time ticked on.
As Sila was finishing her drink, her belly full from the rich milk, Uliya received a call and stepped away to take it. The large mobile phone's ring felt ominous as Uliya moved to answer more discretely. Sila had noted her absence but ignored it until Uliya returned, placing her hands on each girl, her face looking sternly at Sila.
"We have to go now. Sila, your parents have been worried about you," her words and tone were mild, but her face made it clear that Sila was in trouble. Just beyond the governess was a clock on the far wall, and Sila felt her stomach make a queasy drop as she saw the time: a quarter past 18.
They quickly gathered their things. Sila rushed to the car, a cold sweat on her brow, turned icy in the winter air. The governess didn't say anything as she got in and drove straight to Sila's home. Sila's stomach felt like it was falling ever lower as she watched the sun set below the horizon in the short drive. As they pulled up, Sila felt her heart hammered in her chest at Trivini, Sovia, Vorix, Likar, and Agnit at the door.
Their faces shifted quickly from relief to anger, their expressions hardening as they watched Sila through the window of the car. Uliya told Shantavika to stay as she got out and opened the door for Sila. They marched forward as if Sila were a prisoner, her feet feeling heavy and slow to respond, like they were shackled by her guilt.
"Thank you," Trivini gave a gentle, double-clasped hand to Uliya in thanks before she turned back to take Sila inside. They moved together to the doorway, keeping their icy composure. As soon as they crossed the threshold to the house, Sila felt the tension begin to vibrate off her parents.
"Agnit, get Meelka, we are going to your room for a bit," Likar said, a firmness in his voice that sounded strained. Sila shared one look with Agnit, a final act of pleading, but her sister could do nothing as her face fell in sympathy, turned around, and took Meelka's hand to walk to her room.
"Couch, Sila," Trivini said, walking ahead of Sila. Distraught, she shuffled slowly to the couch and sat down just offset from the center. With her head lowered, she felt the shadow of her parents fall on her as they gathered around Trivini, across from her, to interrogate. Sila looked up and felt Trivini bore into her eyes. Her face was stern, began to soften for a moment, went hard again. "You had told Likar that you would be staying with Shantavika at the school to study before coming home. While you did say you didn't want Bakeen to pick you up, he wanted to since it's a cold walk. When he stopped by, you were not there. You were also not on the path home, here at home, or at any of the nearby parks. You were not at Shantavika's either. We were panicked, we did not know what happened to you. Do you understand?"
"Yes," the words were barely audible, a tremor threatening to form. She saw Bakeen tense, his shoulder's clenching to her response. He hated quite answers. With a swallow, she cleared her throat and repeated it. "Yes."
"Now tell us what you did wrong," her face all sharp stone, but Sila saw in her eyes, she was softening. It was not enough to make her feel relief.
"I lied about where I was and came home late," she hated how meek she sounded, but didn't have the strength to put in her voice.
"Do you know why what you did is wrong?"
"I don't know," Sila's eyes were tearing up, and she felt her chest begin to shake. Her mind was getting fuzzy with the whirlpool of emotions that were swirling in her chest and heart.
"Sila. What could happen if we don't know where you are?" Trivini's voice was more gentle, Sila could feel the fear in it, which only deepened her own guilt.
"You can't find me if you need me?" she trembled her answer out, a quick breath punctuating the end.
"Yes, but more than just that," Bakeen's voice was firm, edging to a shout, as he stepped forward. There was concern on his face, but his mask of anger made Sila pull back into the couch as he continued with a raised voice, "If you need our help and we don't know how to find you, you could end up in greater trouble or, star's don't will it, actual harm. You could be hurt, and we wouldn't be able to help you. You could get abducted, and we wouldn't know. Twist our souls, Sila, you could even put your brothers or sisters in danger, because we’re out searching for you and miss something happening to them!"
"I'm sorry," tears began streaming down Sila's face. She shrunk into the couch as she broke down to Bakeen's words.
"Thank you for your apology," Nina spoke now, her voice soft but her own fears giving it an edge Sila rarely heard, "But you need to redeem your actions, you need to atone to the family, and yourself."
"I know..." Her words were weak and verged on the edge of incoherent with her tears.
"You are under isolation for a week," Trivini voice lost any softness it had as she issued the punishment. "No friends. no siblings. School, then your room. That is it. You will dine with one of us only. After that week, you are grounded for two more weeks. No parks, no friends."
Another outburst of tears came from Sila as she folded forward, her face collapsed into her hands as she pressed it into her knees. "I didn't mean to."
"You did, Sila," Likar stepped forward and bent down to Sila's level. His voice was soft and low, any anger he had withheld. It made the punishment hurt even more. "You choose to lie. These are the consequences. When we choose to take bad actions, we must redeem ourselves. Once you paid your dues, you can go back to your normal routine."
Sila nodded between her sobs, standing as Likar helped her up by the soft support at her elbow.
"Let's go, your isolation begins now. Use the time to consider how your choices affected the family and the ones that love you."
Crossing the threshold, Sila turned around and received a kiss from Likar on her head, the love a sting to her heart for what she did. His hand rested on the door handle, the last winding of the clock before her punishment began, as he bent lower to her level. She looked up at him, her tear-blurred eyes able to make out the sadness his own had.
"We are upset, but we love you. If you need us, even just to talk, you can call us., This week is for you to think about what you did, but know that you are never truly alone while you have us. We are family."
A final kiss on her soaked cheek left her sniffling again as he closed the door. She touched where the kiss lingered on her cheek, feeling the sting of her parent's disappointment. In the loud silence of her room, she fell down against the door and started crying again. Her arms wrapped around her knees as she made herself small, her breath stuttering. All the fun her hour of rebellion gave her was washed away in her punishment, and the feeling of guilt wound tight inside of her. Regret roiled inside her chest, her sobs faltering with her chest heaves.
Her mind was a storm of emotions, chaotic flashes of regret, shame, guilt, and sadness. What little coherent thoughts she could muster, she used to vow to never step out of line again. Her rebellion wasn't worth the shame she felt, the joy the sweet milk gave her soured over by her pain. Between her stuttering sobs, she whispered the vows to herself over and over until she finally succumbed to exhaustion, crawling to her bed and letting her erratic mind finally rest.
fin
Footnotes
Core. Primary education, that generally ranges from childhood to early puberty for most. It promotes a broad and diverse education, with an emphasis on social development and caste integration.
Pillarfolk. A reference to people of lower caste than oneself. It is generally considered neutral or mildly positive. Contrasted with "spanfolk".
Luvis. The top tier of the "Core Castes" in alnisian society. They are akin to royalty in other nations, though more numerous. They have extreme wealth and influence but have highly restricted and structured lives, with many aspects dominated by democratic processes.
Korviant. The second top tier of the "Core Castes". They have high financial mobility and large influence in their industries but live restricted lives with many aspects controlled though bureaucracy and government approval.
Blood-parents (As related to Luvis). All Luvis have sereta's that consist only of two adults and their children. Parents are paired through Luvis sponsoring and regional all-caste democratic votes with minor input from the individuals.
anidoll. A toy that is animated via magical means to exhibit life-like idol animations and responde to limited inputs. Equivalent to robotic dolls, but utilizing arcanery instead of electronics.
