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 Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2022 9:53 am
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Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2022 9:57 am
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 6:16 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:33 pm
A Calm Presencewith Elias
Somewhere in Matori | Prentice----------------------------------------
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 6:04 pm
Rude Introductionswith Auli'i
Somewhere in Matori | Prentice----------------------------------------
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2023 4:37 pm
Deep Divewith Auli'i
Somewhere in Matori | Prentice----------------------------------------
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2023 4:36 pm
Class Solo - Treasure Hunter
Somewhere in Matori | Prentice
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The day started with a letter.
Minke was loitering around in the yard, doing the stray random chore to pass the time. As he always did when he was alone in the house. Or, rather, outside the house. Not that there was anyone inside the house, either. For the moment, every member of his family was elsewhere. His mother had taken off on one of her many adventures, this time heading all the way towards Jauhar to explore the tall jungle there, with its giant insects. The very thought making Minke's skin crawl as if with tons of tiny legs. He barely liked the bugs of Matori, the only escape from them being the water. Not that he could complain about that. There was nowhere more enjoyable than in the ocean. He didn't even need an excuse to jump in.
Than there was his sister, gone on a visit to their uncle in Belrea. It felt like she'd been gone their entire life, when it had only been for six months so far. The boy had hardly been parted from his twin ever since they had been born. Meine was the social one, while he was the quiet one. She always spoke up for him in really stressful situations, like crowds, when his tongue felt tied to the roof of his mouth. Or she'd push him to try on his own with their friends. Unfortunately, even that was difficult. Talking to others just didn't come as easily to him as it did his sister. He missed her presence for that. And just in general. He felt lonely. Auli'i was there most days, now, and he found he was enjoying her company. Her bossiness reminded him of Meine, filling that hole left in his chest with the absence of his twin. Somewhat. Nothing but Meine's full return could do that. And it didn't seem like she would return anytime soon. Every time she wrote back to him, as often as she said she could, it was to tell him about all the new people she had met and all the new skills she was learning. She seemed so much happier in Belrea than she had in Matori.
But before Minke could indulge in the self-pity that was threatening the surface, he shut it down. Of course it seemed that way, he told himself. That was just Meine. She always found something to do. Something new to learn. He envied her that ability. She was always so comfortable in her environment, no matter where she was or who she was with. He only found comfort with the ocean. With the sound of the waves on the shore. The sea birds overhead. Even from the back of the house, where he currently was, he could still hear the ocean. He kept his window open at night, facing the water, so he could fall asleep and wake up to those same sounds. He wished his father would be quicker in town so that he could go down to it. But also for another reason. The last member of his family had gone to buy some more supplies in town for the small farm they kept in planters in the backyard, as well as to check for any new mail. Minke was very excited about one of those things. It had been a few weeks since his sister's last letter, far longer than usual for her. He was expecting to receive word about some amazing adventure she had been on or some fascinating new skill she had recently discovered she was good at. Of course she was good at everything. She was Meine.
After checking the same plants for the fifth time in a half hour, the hybrid impatiently looked at the trail leading towards the back of the house. It curled around both sides to meet back up at the front door, with a nice border of loose stones that he and his sister had picked up slowly while exploring their new home when they were younger. A man was walking towards the house, his broad shoulders swinging under the weight of a bag. Something smaller was clenched in his other hand. Minke let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding when he'd turned his head and sprang forward, the long hem of his light shirt bellowing behind him, almost sliding off his own shoulders. The man held up a hand to stop him as he drew nearer, so the boy slowed down and eventually stopped, blocking the path for his father, who had also stopped in his tracks. He held out what was in his hand without a smile. Which wasn't uncommon for him to do. Ballas only smiled for events or people who truly deserved it. And a letter to his son was not one of those very rare occasions.
A smile covered Minke's face as he took the flimsy piece of paper, tearing into the envelope right away with no hesitation. His father looked at him, arching his eyebrows. Minke was still blocking the path, but he hardly noticed in his excitement to hear from his twin.
"So, what does she say, boy?" the older Geian man asked, feeling more impatient to get moving and put down his heavy bag than anything else. News from his daughter could wait. It wasn't like she was going anywhere.
"Huh?" Minke had hardly noticed his father standing there, quickly becoming entranced with his prize.
"The letter," Ballas continued impatiently, finally putting down the bag and waving his hand at his son. "What does she say, than? What new things is she getting into this time?"
"She's, um...." Minke paused, reading through the rest of the letter, his eyes slowly going over the words since he wasn't as accustomed to reading as his sister was. "Doing good..."
Ballas sighed, picking up his bag once more. It wasn't always easy to get information out of Minke. Or much conversation to begin with. Whatever was in that letter was enthralling the boy too much to really pay attention to anyone or anything around him. The older man knew when to give up for the moment. Walking around him, he left his son there to his quiet.
Minke was indeed enthralled in the letter, rereading it over and over, again. It left him feeling a bit melancholy. Meine told him about all the new people she had met in the town she and their uncle had recently visited on his travels. Each day, she would go out to find someone new to talk to, ask them about their story, what they did as a trade. She would enter shops and watch people at work, sometimes even managing to convince them to teach her a little of what they did. She always had that easy way of her. She was pushy and bossy, but also charismatic. People seemed to easily like her and she them. Minke, on the other hand, felt like such a mess. As if she had received all the positive traits that blended in well with her flaws, while he had the opposite. A mess of insecurities and self-esteem issues. He needed someone with him at all times just so he could hide behind them and function normally even a little bit. Sometimes he wondered if he even enjoyed having anyone around him or if they existed only as his crutch.
The self-pity of before washed over him, making him drop the arm that was holding the letter. He sighed, looking up to see his father had left him. All the better. Ballas wasn't the most supportive of parents. Minke was never strong enough, physically or mentally. He really did need his sister with him all the time.
But there was more than his sister, now. Auli'i was here almost every day, now. The hybrid didn't understand why. He was hardly good company. Yet she continued to show up. Sometimes they would search the beach for shells or pretty rocks. Sometimes they would just sit on the sand and watch the waves, hardly even talking. Lately, she had started taking him into the water, pulling him along as she used her superior swimming skills to dive with him. He had dived before. Loads of time. Being with a Hapuna who could carry you out farther faster was a whole different experience. He'd always stayed near the shallows, where he could easily get back to the surface if he needed to. He had felt content doing that. Maybe he wasn't so content anymore.
Minke held up the letter, slightly crumbled in his fist. He smoothed it out and put it back inside its envelop, to be added to the box of other letters from Meine. A new sensation spread through his body, starting at his toes and fingers and ending in his head. It took him a while to realize it was determination. He didn't want to sit around and let Meine do everything. He didn't want to be a burden on everyone. He wanted more independence. He was almost a man fully grown. What was he even going to do with his life? He had no skills of his own,
Or that wasn't entirely true, was it? He was a good swimmer. Auli'i had often complimented him on it. He had knowledge of the ocean from all his experience being in it. If he read any books, it was about the ocean and its creatures. He'd taught himself how to harvest from it in a sustainable way. If he practiced his diving skills and holding his breath, he could feel better about himself. Like he had finally accomplished something in his life.
And, besides....Who knew what else was down there to discover. Whole new species. Wrecks to explore. Lost things to find. Yes. Maybe his calling had been right under his nose this whole time.
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Wordcount: 1652
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 10:23 am
Distractionswith Auli'i
Somewhere in Matori | Prentice----------------------------------------
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Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 9:26 pm
After the Rainwith Auli'i
Somewhere in Matori | Prentice----------------------------------------
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Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2024 12:09 pm
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