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 Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2014 2:41 pm
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Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:14 am
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Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:47 pm
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2014 2:17 pm
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Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2014 5:10 pm
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Posted: Wed May 14, 2014 4:43 pm
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:36 pm
Spectrum of Aggression
There wasn't much to do today, again, much to Kennet's dismay. It was always the same routine, getting up, tying his loincloth around his waist, grabbing a cloth bag of food before dashing out the door, only to find the same old crap as the day before standing in his way. How was he supposed to become anything more than he was with his stupid twin meddling with every part of his life? Samoset was such a pain, really, he was, even if Kennet couldn't bear the thought of being born without him. He was, supposedly, his other half, not his better half, but his other half. He mocked him and restricted him and got him in unnecessary situations with elders, as if it were his job to keep him in line. He often pretended that his kills were pieces of his brother's extensive ego that moved around. The resulting meal made from these kills lead to a mild and wavering feeling of satisfaction, like he had made a tiny dent in the very root of his brother's issues. But, every morning as he rose to greet the day, Samoset was still the same annoying, pretentious, egomaniac that Aisha had crafted him to be, and his comforting symbolism from the night before had been just what it would always be, a flimsy, fallible, coping skill.
He liked to think that Samoset would one day stumble out into the living room and apologize for how overbearing and unreasonable he was. He liked to think his brother was capable of empathy and sympathy, even while he was busy towering over him during one of his manic episodes. But, try as he may, Kennet couldn't find it within himself to believe what he would like himself to believe. Yes, he could paint Samoset as the ideal brother. Affectionate, cooperative, supportive, and, above all, reliable. He could dress him in the best attire and associate him with every matriarch and patriarch that he had ever heard of from his father and the elders in class. But, at the end of the day, Samoset would still be the controlling, bipolar, snob that he always was, and all of the mental adornments would peel away like bandages upon a gnarly wound. It was nauseating to think about at times and it would leave him frustrated. Hell, it would even lead him straight into a rampage. No tree, shrub, or animal was safe during these fits, his mind too clouded by the rage that boiled out of him like a waterfall. It pulsed through his veins and shined violently in his eyes, only to be coursed out of his hands and weapon like a raging tornado.
Sometimes he wondered if his brother was even sane when they argued. It was always something about how Kennet wasn't participating enough in class or using the right weapon, before it would turn into a throng of gibberish about how their father wanted them to be the same and to get along perfectly. It was a complete and total mind warp that left him with questions that never lead to answers. Sure, they were twins, but they were different, and that was perfectly okay. Their dad loved them just the same and treated them differently from the day they were born, so why was Samoset so wrapped up about them being the same? Was he really so insecure that he needed a double in order to cope with himself? Why was he so hard to handle? And the idea, the ridiculous idea, that Kennet would dare to leave the tribe or dishonor Aisha, had about as much truth to it as the belief that the sky would start raining Radaku and Kinfa. It was simply never going to happen. Still, no matter how much time was spent asserting this logic, or how many times this logic was asserted, Samoset's mind appeared to be transfixed upon this disjointed impossible scenario. It was going to happen as long as Kennet wasn't going to use arrows and be a carbon copy of his brother, and nothing Kennet said in opposition could change it. It was like talking to a brick wall that launched loose bricks at you whenever you tried to scale it. There wasn't a way around him, there wasn't a way to go above him, and trying to dig underneath was futile. He was thoroughly impossible.
Avoiding Samoset worked, though staying too close to the village proved vulnerable. Thus, Kennet took to the habit of stealing away into the deeper parts of the forest to dangle from the treetops until it was time for dinner. He would spear his own lunch, talk to anyone who passed him by, and keep himself company, though it proved boring from time to time. Eventually, avoiding Samoset became searching for his father, which in it's own time, turned desperate. Samoset was becoming too much for Kennet to tolerate on his own and he longed to speak with the man who had pleaded for them both. He understood that their father had retreated to cope with the loss of his lover, but being gone for four months was something to be alarmed about. Why wouldn't he check in with grandpa or Pahana in Yera? Was he safe? Did he have food? Was he injured? It was hard to cope with the idea that Yaholo might have been subdued somehow, rendering his promised return late or impossible to accomplish, but the thought was there, like a poisonous whisper in the back of his mind.
But, before he could think of searching beyond Jauhar's boarder, he had to become a Blade, which meant overcoming the adversity that was his brother's very being. He hated training with the other Prentices, mainly because the elders blatantly ignored him and never gave him any sort of constructive criticism. He was always doing something wrong, but he was never given a reason why or way to fix it. Why was it so hard for his elders to be helpful instead of vindictive? Being a hybrid was hard enough and a proper class and weapon would certainly make it easier, but without supportive teachers, what was he supposed to do? Training on his own was pretty ineffective in terms of actual combat training and working with his brother was like being dragged through a field of broken glass by his teeth, so a proper education seemed like a beautiful dream instead of something real and tangible.
However, while he swung his legs around a tree and waited for his tribe and brother to realize how impossible they were being, he would muse on how many things he had already killed while he was angry. Combat training was important and all, but his precision when hunting was something to be proud of. A smile would branch across his face as he mulled through the memories of each successful kill and meal he had made for himself. He was okay in these moments of pride and self-recognition, until it was time to head back home. Samoset would have his third meltdown before sunset and his elders would be in his face about missing practice for the tenth time in a month, just like every day before the last. They weren't going to change, no matter how much he argued with them, a fact that he held just inches from acceptance at all angles. He couldn't change them, they wouldn't change for him, and it was so incredibly frustrating.
Perhaps, one day, they would change. Samoset would act like a brother should. His elders would respect him, or at least appreciate his efforts, and everyone would be allowed to be who Aisha meant them to be without causing rifts in the status quo. But that day wouldn't be coming soon, maybe not even in his lifetime or in the lifetime of his future children. All he could do was grit his teeth and cling to the waves as they thrashed against his opposition. Falling into a sea of despair would never be an option. His father had made it this far against the currents, and so would he. He just had to hold on and make his way on his own.
(Word count: 1374)
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:51 pm
Inflamed
"What an ignorant prat, thinking such... Idiotic things." Kennet grumbled underneath his breath as he emerged from the current of the stream he was bathing in. He parted his hair from his eyes as they blinked and peered forward idly, an unfamiliar distance wavering through the glint from the glowing crystals that surrounded the water's edge. He waded effortlessly backwards and leaned his back against the earth, before plunging himself back under again. Something wasn't right, something was... Burning through his chest, like a fire. But, nothing seemed to be working to soothe it. It wasn't going out, no matter how hard he tried. It only continued to rise.
He burst up through the water again with a thrash and a growl. Why? Why did his chest flutter like this? Why was he so sweaty every time... Every time... Every time he thought about him? It was infuriating! Was he sick? It would be a kick in the pants if he were, but the more he thought about it, the illness began to resemble something his father had explained long ago.
No... No... No...
He plunged under the water again, desperate to distract himself from the thoughts that were going through his mind. How could he think of Xilarn this way? He had only met him a few weeks ago, and ever since then, his mind felt cloudy whenever he thought of the other male. His dark skin, his dreads, the sound of his voice... No! He had to distract himself, he had to...
He found himself leaning against the edge of the stream again, breathing heavily. It wasn't exactly painful to feel the way he felt, was it? It felt warm but unnerving, to think of Xilarn, and go as far as mentally undress him. What would he look like wearing Kennet's clothes? No... NO...
But what if? What if he were to let down his walls and fall in love? His father was in love with an Earthling man... Why not him? Why couldn't he just give in? His heart pleaded with his mind as he curled into a ball and sighed. Was he really in love? Everything about Xilarn sent him into a spiral of emotions. Anxiety, hopelessness, attraction, frustration, lust, and adoration... He could barely breathe! Just the thought of pressing his lips against his... Even for a moment... But that lead to so much more, so. much. more.
It was forbidden, but that made it all the more appealing. He wanted to bury his face in the crook of Xilarn's neck and nibble along his beautiful skin, before whispering further temptations into his ear. He wanted so much too soon that it felt as if it would kill him. He thrashed against the water and groaned, tears forming in his eyes. This was so frustrating! He had fallen for someone with an ego almost as big as his brother's, and that wasn't even the worst of it! He was an Oban, and if they were caught together, provided Xilarn even wanted him in the same manner to begin with, Kennet would be excommunicated from the village! He grit his teeth and screeched.
"Damn you, damn you!" He cried, slamming his fist against the Earth. "Of all the people in this world, I had to fall for the one who could cause me the most trouble! AUGH! You... YOU... YOUUU UGH!"
He leaped from the water, grabbed his loincloth and spear, and raced into the forest. He needed to spear something and mutilate it in order to calm down from this. The blush and tears upon his face stained his dignity and brought him shame as he darted through the trees. But, what was worse, was the fact that the fire had calmed. Accepting his love for this... This... Foolhardy foreigner, had quelled the flames. His heart had twisted itself inside and out all this time and began to relax, even as he drove his spear into the side of a Radaku and ripped back and forth.
"...Stupid..." He mumbled, turning a blind eye to the blood now splattered against his skin and loin cloth. "I'm in love with you and it's so stupid. Just... Frigging stupid."
(Word count: 701)
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Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:56 pm
Class Affinity: You've Got A Lot of Nerve!
It was just after noon in Andile and those who had been hunting all day were filtering back in with their groups to break for lunch. Kennet, to no surprise, had skipped class again and retreated to the forest instead, only to remember that his grandmother had plans to make a large lunch to celebrate his father's safe return from Tale. Thus, he shuffled his way into the village, his eyes keeping a close watch out for his brother who had, no doubt, been out working with one of these groups. He felt he was home free when he got to the center of the village and saw the top of his house appear, until he noticed a trio of elders staring at him. The hybrid paused, cocked his head to the side, and frowned when they began to shake their heads at him.
"It's impolite to stare, Sisters." He stated, biting back the innate urge to be more snarky than he needed to be.
The women seemed shocked that he had paused to speak to them, much less tell them off for looking at him, and echoed his frown. Kennet watched with veiled interest as they continued to whisper and reference to his spear, as if they were making some sort of joke about it, and coughed to get their attention. It was this action that made the younger of the trio step forward.
"Oh, are you still here?" She said, her eyes squinting. "I thought you would've vanished by now, but, I suppose you're not that adept at telling when you aren't wanted."
"Oh, no, believe me, Sister. I know that." Kennet sneered, crossing his arms. "But I am confused as to why you're pointing at my spear and whispering like the younglings do. Are you trying to make an innuendo of some sort? I didn't think elders were so crass."
The elder shrunk back at Kennet's words and a look of disgust washed over her face. Kennet found himself smirking at her and felt a brief glimmer of pride flow through him, until another elder seemed to pounce forward to defend the other.
"You hybrids are filled with such disrespect!" She shouted. "In my day, there were no hybrids! Aisha was never used in such a manner-"
"Listen, if you're looking to make me feel bad about my existence, you're wasting your breath." Kennet growled. "However, if we're on the subject of disrespect, please find yourselves a mirror, because by whispering and singling me out, you're being disrespectful. We learn it from you, you are our elders, after all."
Again, his words caused the women to pause and regroup, as if it was of the utmost importance to them to ruin Kennet's day. He sighed and leaned against his spear, his interest piqued just enough to wait and see what else they could toss at him. Would they claim that he was an abomination? Would they blame his father, or worse, his grandmother? Hell, what was stopping them from ranting about his grandmother's mother, a woman he'd never even met? They'd covered everything else before! He watched them whisper and wave their hands about a while and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. The third elder noticed this noise and turned towards him.
"I don't understand, Kennet." She said, her voice laced with resentment. "You've never brought home a kill and you constantly skip your classes. How are we supposed to gauge your competence if you're never around to display it? Honestly, I'd like to see if you actually plan on using that spear we've given you."
Kennet's antennae twitched at this elder's words and his body relaxed. Hm, she had a point, he never really brought anything he caught home to show the elders. He didn't think it was that important to show off his skill and thought of those who did as pompous, but, now that he thought about it, not bringing something home left him with nothing to his name. He blinked and eventually chuckled, he was the one being an idiot here, wasn't he?
"Alright, I understand that." He replied, giving the obviously more open elder a nod. "I'm not the sort to wave my accomplishments about like a banner, so, I've never considered that not bringing something home would make me look lesser than the other prentices." He paused, pursed his lips, and referenced to the forest. "If you want, I could show you how I hunt after lunch. I do know that there will be some Radaku moving up from the beach soon, it's just the hour that I've seen them at their peak. How's that sound?"
"No, you'll show us now, not later, Kennet." The first elder snapped. "And you'll catch what we tell you to catch. Is that clear?"
Kennet nodded and avoided the urge to make a bitter comment. He made a quick spin on his heel and lead them through the forest. The elders were fairly quiet for the first few minutes, allowing Kennet enough time to find his favored hunting spot and adjust himself. However, it wasn't long until he was given his first command.
"Find me a Maglardilla." The first elder said.
"With pleasure." Kennet replied, swinging himself up into the nearest tree. He scurried along the branches and kicked at the bark until he heard the familiar scuttle. He lowered himself against the large branch he was on and crawled forward, his sights set on the large hole in the corner of a neighboring tree. There, among a pile of food, was a bright pink Maglardilla, blissfully unaware to the hunter just outside it's door. Kennet gripped his spear and took aim at the proper angle, before making a quick, harsh jab into the hole. Then, he hopped down from the tree.
"One Maglardilla, straight through the chest." He said, handing it's body to the elder that had requested it.
The elder took her time inspecting the Maglardilla and eventually nodded to the others, as if confirming that it was okay for them to request.
"Good technique, though sloppy." She said. "But you're young, so, it's expected."
"Yeeaaah, I need to work on not breaking it's stomach, you know?" Kennet agreed. "The juices get everywhere and completely ruins the flavor, but spearing it through the head is just... Yuueeegh."
The next elder took a step forward and gazed towards the tree tops. Kennet bit his lip as she smirked and locked gazes with him, knowing all too well what she was going to request.
"Nondwa." She said, pointing up into the trees. "Preferably one of a purple hue."
Kennet fought back the urge to groan. He hated hunting those giant fluttering things! They always fluttered just out of his reach and made him fall over and UGH! But, as he looked into the eyes of his elder, he knew he wouldn't hear the end of it if he refused. He climbed up in the trees and swung around until he found a few Nondwi fluttering in the distance. This elder wanted one that was purple, though, which could easily take all day to find. He couldn't comprehend why she'd want one of that color anyway, they all tasted the same no matter what color they were. Still, if she wanted purple, there were two flying around after each other that he could see, and he would shoot down one of them if it killed him.
"Menzuri!" The third elder suddenly screamed.
"One thing at a time for the love of Aisha!" Kennet cried, waving his hand at the ground. "I'm still hunting these stupid flying things!"
"NO! Kennet! MENZURI ARE ATTACKING THE TREE YOU'RE ON!" The elder screamed. "Get out of there! Run!"
Menzuri? Kennet found himself pausing. What were those things again? Were they the underground bugs? The hanging bugs? Honestly, he couldn't remember. They sounded familiar, though. He shrugged and hopped down from the tree. If the elders were so worked up about these Menzuri things, they were probably worth getting away from. Maybe the elder who wanted a Nondwa would want something el-
Why couldn't he move his legs?
"The hell is this?" He barked, wriggling his legs against the web-like material secured against his feet. What was this white stuff? It was like glue! He snarled and tore his feet free, only to trip over a large crystal-like object that had been behind him. "Where did that come fro-"
Suddenly, there were three large creatures in front of him, all covered in crystals. Menzuri... MENZURI, OH. These things. His father had told him all about them when he was little! They looked like the crystals on the ground and made some sort of poison that caused people to go crazy, or something. Kennet snarled at them and scurried to his feet, just as one of the bugs spun a web towards his arms. He climbed up into a tree and shimmied above his attackers, before swooping down upon one of them with his spear. The resulting cracking sound that the bug's backside made caused Kennet to grin wildly, and he quickly went after the remaining pair. They proved very hard to see after a few minutes of wandering, though, and eventually, Kennet grew bored. And hungry. However, he turned his head back towards where he had been with the elders and sighed. He had made an agreement with his elders, and he had to uphold his part of the deal.
------
"Ugh, stupid Nondwa..." He grumbled, after he finally caught the purple bug that the elder had wanted. "If those damn bugs hadn't interrupted, I would've been done hours ago..."
He wandered back to the village covered in dirt, the juices from several different creatures, and presented the Nondwa to the elder as the trio came running towards him.
"We were about to start a search party for you!" She gasped, nearly dropping the Nondwa. "Your life is far more important than getting me this Nondwa! You could've been killed, Kennet! How could you be so careless?"
Kennet's mouth pursed and stretched into the largest grin he could muster, before he burst out laughing.
"Wow! Earlier you were telling me just how worthless I was and now you act as if I'm your long lost Sister or something!" He shouted. "Thank you for the concern, Sister, I'm humbled!"
(Word count: 1731)
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2014 8:57 pm
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 2:38 pm
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 2:39 pm
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Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 4:19 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 9:33 pm
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 5:50 pm
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