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 Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2017 3:04 pm
The island was in quite the upheaval. Though the tribe of warriors seemed calm on the outside, Vermina could see it plainly. Everyone was working hard to keep order, keep their concern and confusion under control. Things were changing.
After the incident and the loss of the sister, most of the efforts went to strengthening the island. Nothing felt like it would be enough until every scrap of information their ancestors had left on the Dretch was found. Shifts were taken on sorting through the old scrolls, and Vermina was in the old hall on her own shift. Many had volunteered their time to examine the scrolls, but information on the Dretch was either hidden or limited.
Stifling a yawn, Vermina rolled up another scroll, labeled it, and tucked it away. No information on this one either...
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Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:07 pm
Mnyiri hadn't slept in two days and it was starting to show. It was as normal to her to go through these long periods of restlessness; once her mind latched onto something it just wouldn't let go, no matter how much her body needed the rest.
Somedays she could focus on the brighter aspects of life without spiraling into a mad search for information on the dretch. She offered to teach younglings, babysit her roommate's kids, even spend relaxing evenings with her girlfriend, and yet....it always inevitably came back to the dretch.
Shifts meant little to Mnyiri; no one had tried kicking her out after her first refusal, mainly because of how loud it had been, and for the most part most were happy just leaving her alone. It was known well enough that Mnyiri was talented in research, so it wasn't as if her presence wasn't wanted. Currently she was almost buried until a stack of tomes and scrolls, not even bothering to lift her head before speaking, "I've already looked at that section; there's nothing there."
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Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:01 pm
Starting to unroll another scroll, Vermina looked up with surprise. Who..? Oh, the hybrid she'd heard about. Apparently, she was supposed to leave the older woman alone, and that had been fine with her.
Biting her tongue a moment, she sighed and closed the scroll again. "The search would be more efficient if you would note down what areas you have searched through already," she huffed, tucking the scroll back into place. "Where have you not looked yet, so that my own search will not.. be stepping on your toes." .
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 12:49 pm
Mnyiri raised her arms high above her head, arching her back just enough to give a satisfying 'pop' before crouching down once more. She didn't normally like to sit in one place for long, but her pacing had unnerved the others so here she was, hunched over like an old woman among her texts.
She did, however, turn to the younger girl with a scowl. "I just told you where I searched. All of that," She gestured vaguely to the vast majority of space around them, "has been looked through. "There's nothing there but base material and the same stories the elders tell when we're small."
Pondering a moment, Mnyiri motioned to the stacks she had piled up around her, "These, however, haven't been looked at yet so if you want to help me out you might find something new."
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 2:55 pm
Standing to get a better view, Mina bit back a heavy sigh that wanted to sound. It must be the hybrid in the woman... Straightening her back, she made her way carefully over to the fort Mnyiri had created and took a seat on the opposite side.
Grabbing a tome from the top, she took a moment to look Mnyiri over. Tall like the Alk, with the eyes and skin.. but what was up with that hair? The hybrid was willing to put her time into the research to protect Chibale, and had returned when the summons came... Perhaps Vermina could give the woman a little more credit. "If I may," she started, opening her book, "what sort of hybrid are you? What species is your breeder?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 5:35 pm
Mnyiri reached for an older scroll, momentarily forgetting it's age in her zest for simply grasping it. As soon as her fingers brushed against the delicate papyrus she still, easing it open with a gentility that may have been lost with some of their elders. They could get a little rough with the materials; mostly because far too many believed words solved nothing, and records were far less 'superior' than just rushing into things. Mnyiri, however, liked to take her time when she could.
She was content enough to just focus on her work, but then....Mnyiri arched her brow, her long, visibly earthling brow and passed the teenager a droll stare. Really? "Does it matter what species my breeder was? "
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 6:54 pm
Mina's brow rose innocently. "It certainly does. The earthling species each have their own unique traits and quirks. Depending on the breeder type, you might have certain traits that require certain care around. Besides, I am curious" She pursed her lips slightly. "Do you feel that your other species does not matter?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:04 pm
Mnyiri slowly lowered the scroll onto her lap, looking at the teen as if she'd grown a third eye. Was this really appropriate conversation, considering now only had they just met but she was also trying to find any scrap of information she could on the Dretch? It wasn't as if Mnyiri hadn't grown to expect it, but here, of all places....
"Would you stop calling them a breeder type? You're making them sound like cattle." She curled her nose, disgusted by the comparison. Sure, there were a lot of things about earthlings that she didn't like, but Mnyiri had too many friends in the category to shun them like that. "My species matters a great deal to me, but so far you've given me absolutely no reason to disclose that information with you. In the span of time that we've known each other you've insulted my methods, my heritage, and what exactly do you mean by 'certain care'?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 7:25 pm
Mina cocked her head the other way. Well, they were like cattle... Brow knitting, she closed the book again and shook her head. "No insult was intended. I do apologize if that is how you feel." So, hybrids were sensitive about it? They knew they were different. "Each species has its own environment of land and traits of living, do they not? I have heard that it is a balance that keeps them alive. I do not know much about the differing species myself, but I hear they prefer their environments a certain way. Being at least half an Alkidike, I felt the desire to know if your other half needed things a certain way."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 8:25 pm
"Ya got a funny way of showing it." Even if she wasn't intentionally insulting the way this teenager talked had a way of rubbing Mnyiri raw. It was that sense of superiority that was practically bred into the pure bloods around here; the one that made them ignorant to the reality of their own words.
"Are you asking if I'm as finicky as I am because of my earthling blood?" Mnyiri asked passively, choosing to focus on the text in front of her instead of the annoyance. "I take it after my mother; the pure one." It was a bold faced lie, but one this girl wouldn't be able to see through. Neither of her mother's had even been so driven in study, nor was her sisters, but Mnyiri didn't want to make a stronger case for 'hybrids are weird' than there already was.
"Take a guess and tell me what my earthling side is. It should be easy; I don't know why you would have to ask."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 9:17 pm
Finicky? She wasn't sure that was the word she had been thinking. Perhaps it was fitting though. The pure one.. "I suppose that pures do have a tendency to require things a certain way," she admitted. "Not to speak ill of the elders, but they have their 'finicky' moments as well."
Guess? Dark eyes narrowing, she took a more detailed look at the hybrid. "Is it those who share Jauhar with us? The shifters? I believe it is they who have the white hair.." Dare she say..? "I ask.. because I have guessed wrong on another before, and it seemed to upset them greatly. Those of Zena and Matori have the same eyes, but they are apparently able to see a difference... while I could not."
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:46 pm
Not to speak ill of the elders.... Mnyiri mentally rolled her eyes. She spoke ill of those old biddies every day without any semblance of regret. Very few valued anything she had to say, and those she could count on one hand. The others had their heads shoved far too far up their own-
"Yes, my grandfather is a shifter." Granted, very few of a shifter's traits were shared with other earthling races, so it hadn't been a particularly hard question. Using the tip of her index finger, she hovered over the words on the scroll, scanning each section as she read. "Pupils and ears; those are always pretty good to tell them apart. Don't rely on eye color. Ice folk have long, pointed ears and round pupils. Matori have finned ears and flat, horizontal pupils."
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 4:32 pm
"I do not recall the ears on her,":she said idly. The ears she should be able to remember for the future, but pupils? A little shiver went through Vermina. "I have heard that pupils get larger and smaller throughout the day on earthlings. Is this true?" Bad enough that pupils were a thing at all, but the idea of them changing size without notice.. It just sounded creepy!
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 7:33 pm
As old as the scroll was there wasn't anything more relevant on it concerning the dretch than the documents she'd personally written that afternoon. It was frustrating, to straighten her posture, roll it up and put it away. Maybe there wasn't anything more they could do, but to pray?
"I think it has to do with the amount of light they see. Their eyes have to adjust to it, so that's why it changes." She really wasn't entirely sure why it happened, and without looking at one up close she couldn't tell. When she was younger it wouldn't have bothered her to hold one hostage and look, but now....now it just seemed unnecessarily cruel.
"Have you found anything?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2017 8:35 pm
Mina's eyes widened. "Based on the light?" she asked with awe. How strange! What was the benefit to that?
A question for another time though.
She looked down at the book in her hands and closed it gently. "Nothing in this one," she murmured. With that book set aside, she determinedly picked up the second from the stack. "One would think that our ancestors would have made the information on such a severe threat easier to find." Opening the book, she sighed slowly. "I suppose they hoped the information would never be needed again."
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