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 Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 6:55 pm
Odina’s arms trembled, her fingers digging sharply into her palms to the point that it stung. “Don’t worry about me.” The Vandrea scoffed as she tried to process everything. It was hard to piece together the words, her anger already making everything a blur when she hated conversation and preferred action more as it was. “I won’t burn out, I refuse.” She was strong, that was the whole point of training! How could she burn out when she thrived protecting her homelands and accepted her responsibilities to her mother tree? She would stay true and do what others in her family failed to do. “Our world suffered because of reckless attitudes, not because we stayed true to our roots. We should have kept staying strong, not greeding for more but keeping what was ours away from others. If we keep wandering about without dedicating ourselves to our duties then we’ll weaken and open ourselves up to dangers, risking our future.” She argued, denying that their prejudices had been the sole cause of such an awful past with those damned Extremists. Was it so bad to want to claim your territory and kick out those who had started to get closer? Sometimes Odina wondered how much the earthlings had taken from them over the decades, the Extremists perhaps having some truth in wanting to take back land for their kind. As soon as any weakness was shown then it was over for their kind, earthlings would just keep coming in and making themselves comfortable until their bloodlines just mingled together all over the place. They would probably just waltz up to their mother trees as well, doing as they pleased. Odina’s lips pressed tightly together at the very thought, revulsion making her stomach twist into painful knots. Would they forever be tainted by the Extremists, their mistakes always portraying them as evil in comparison to earthlings? Their movements judged while earthlings just waltzed around everything without any care?
[Odina 8]
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 6:55 pm
“I really wish you wouldn’t do that.” Briallen replied quietly, her gaze focused on the scarf that she was holding like some lifeline at this point. “You always pin outsiders as enemies without ever giving them a chance, holding this bias that we must always be the best.” She couldn’t completely blame Odina, even on Chiume there were those who continued such thoughts from their ancestors. “Can’t we just try to work together with the world? Isn’t that the purpose of peace?” The Alkidike asked, her gaze slowly lifting away from the scarf to look towards Odina’ pleadingly. “You should learn to trust others more, so that you don’t become some recluse who just wants to train and fight all day. Being strong is nice and all, but you aren’t even seeing the world that you’re so desperate to protect against. You don’t even trust other sisters to guard Chiume, that’s another reason you have to be the very best warrior even to the point of wearing yourself down with all this training.” She would burn out at this rate! How many times had Briallen found the Vandrea nearly passed out on the ground as a teen from working too hard? It was worrisome!
[Briallen 9]
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 6:55 pm
“I don’t need anything outside of Chiume.” Replied Odina, her gaze narrowing even as her sister pleaded with her. What right did she have to lecture her or to look worried like that? It was infuriating! She was the one left behind, the one who decided to stay dedicated to their home while others just did as they pleased! “I won't make the same mistakes as others, I’m going to prove myself and keep working hard, I’m not going to be gone again if a disaster strikes…” A slip on her part since she hadn’t wanted to admit it, but it was true. Odina had beat herself up for days after coming back from that natural disaster to hear that some sisters had been hurt in Chiume while she had been helping dig out some earthlings from the landslide. She should have been here instead of shopping with Briallen! “Even if it is a peaceful time, it’s always better to be prepared. And I’ll trust others when they actually stay and prove themselves.”
[Odina 9]
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 6:55 pm
Briallen froze, her expression shifting with confusion as she pondered her sister’s words. Disaster? “Oh, Odina.” The Alkidike let out a sigh as she went to place the scarf back on the table. “No one expected that landslide. You helped out those that you could, even if they were just earthlings and not sisters.” If only she could get her sister to understand that! Helping earthlings in need was just as heroic in Briallen’s opinion, even if it wasn’t their own kind. Still, even Briallen didn’t want to keep arguing with their different views on things always clashing and so she relented for the moment and gave up her trip idea. “Look, I won’t try to pressure you into a longer trip. I will ask you though to take some time to relax, even if it’s just for a day here and there, so that you don’t hurt yourself. I’m sorry to have disappointed you, I never meant to make you feel like you had to shoulder so much alone. We have our differences, I can’t express to you how suffocating it feels for me to live on the isles where you hate the very idea of leaving them. I have to travel so that I can be myself, not hiding under some mask to avoid disgracing the family to those who see life differently. We fight enough as it is, right?” Briallen forced a laugh, the sound more painful than amused. “I can only imagine how other warriors take to my open views.” There were others like Briallen who embraced the foreign cultures, but many still held onto that damn pride that kept them isolated from earthlings and even the newly introduced Kahi. And for an Aishan warrior to want to dedicate her life exploring those lands and finding relics about outsider histories instead of strengthening her own home? What a complete shame in their community. The best that Briallen could do was this, traveling around so that no one within the isles truly knew her desires and thoughts, the Alkidike only opening up to her family like this with her various gifts before disappearing again before being dragged into anything unpleasant.
[Briallen 10]
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2024 6:55 pm
“Dammit, Briallen.” Odina let out a huff, the Vandrea crossing her arms as she opted to leave the bracelet on her wrist. “I didn’t want to fight like this.” She hated fighting with her sister, but her frustrations always seemed to come out the most around Briallen since she didn’t hide her feelings when alone like this either. They truly had their differences, didn’t they? It was just so frustrating to not understand why Briallen thought it was so bad to be dedicated to their homeland like Odina was. But Odina also didn’t understand the fascination with earthlings, they were okay to trade with as necessary but nothing impressive especially when it came to sparring. Most just gave her space when she went shopping anyways, the only time she felt somewhat softer was after a few interactions but the landslide had somehow put her back with guilt from not helping her sisters because she was in earthling lands making her want to stay home more. And then for both of her older sisters to constantly wander away through earthling lands? Well, it left a bitter taste in her mouth as she felt distant from them now. “Just don’t expect me to want to travel like you, I’ll try to respect that you have your views which keep you away from home too. I’ll see about resting a bit more, no promises though.” She shrugged, glanced at the pile of gifts again and reached out for the scarf so that she could toss it over her shoulders. It was a subtle sign that she had somewhat regained her senses, accepting the gift even as she denied the request to travel together. Either way Odina was done with this conversation and was ready to wash off the dirt and sweat from her training. Even her desire to eat something had been forgotten, she was just tired at this point from the explosion. “You should rest, I’m going to clean up before dinner if you’re still here then I’ll see you there.” And just like that she was gone, leaving Briallen alone to mull over things once more.
[Odina 10]
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