Tau picks a fight with much more than he can handle. [Finished]
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2014 8:36 pm
An Empty Victory
It had been a time of war for so long now that Tau had forgotten how carefree he used to feel most of the time. Being so close to Jauhar they had gotten all sorts of refugees flooding through the village. Most of the families that showed up were on their way further west, hoping to ride out the war as far away from it as they could; others just wanted to be out of the jungle and felt safe enough staying in Yera. A lot of the leaf earthlings in his village had decided to get out while the getting was good, too, leaving their homes vacant and hollow feeling. It left the village feeling empty and crowded all at once. And Tau didn't like it.
His parents had refused to let him go off and fight. Their mother had stayed behind while their father signed up and left. It had had Tau sulking for weeks, but eventually the sight of his brother and how he missed their father was enough for him to feel like he was right to stay. And before long, he had convinced himself that it was his idea to stay all along. By the time the Battle of Neued was over, he was strutting around the village like he was leading the people through these tough times.
It was almost as if the world had started to go about its business again, his father was back, and even though there were nearly double the amount of people there should have been in Yera, the people were going along with their lives. Tau did his usual in his life. He woke up and painted himself, preening like his dumb bird did, sauntered about the village and tried to make sure the ladies were alright. It was one of the few good things around Yera during the war that there were so many ladies around Tau had a better chance of getting one of them to fall for him.
And then the news came for the final battle. The elders had asked for anybody that could be spared. Again, his father refused to let him go, and again he left and fought the battle while Tau stayed behind. But this time he hadn't come back.
The news of the war ending came with relief to the village, and soon enough all of the men and women that had left were slowly coming back through. They settled in with their families again, the families that had left returned, some of those that had sought peace in Tale stayed, leaving some shifters among the leaf members. Tau had hoped that it was just until their villages were fixed up and they would be off, it was still too crowded. But even with all of the movement of people through the village, their father hadn't come back.
The days passed, and people were still straggling through, so they waited. Eventually he would come, he was just held back. A week passed and they started to worry. A few more days passed and it was more than his mother could take. She spent the days weeping for what she was certain was the truth. And then they came with the news. He was gone. He fought, but he was crushed by the enemy and lost in battle.
Tau's mother hugged his younger brother tightly and cried into his hair. His brother didn't seem to know what was really going on, like it hadn't sunk in. And Tau felt a part of something inside of him close off. his face wiped any emotion from it and he thanked the men and let them be on their way. Life would go on. He couldn't strut anymore. His mother needed him, his brother needed him. He would be his father. He would be compassionate and understanding and most of all he would be there for them.
Later that night he remembered watching his mother tuck his still crying brother into bed, and made sure she went to bed herself before turning out the lights and sitting in the family room. In the quiet he could think. He rubbed the paint off of his face and felt the silent ball of sorrow work its way up his throat before he swallowed it back down. If he could keep busy enough, eventually this would pass. Tau stood from where he had sat in the room and moved in the darkness to his own bed, where his scorra had learned to sleep on the rug by the foot of the bed. He brushed his fingers across its head before laying over the sheets and falling into a dreamless sleep. The gods hadn't been kind to him, but nothing he could do would change what was.
The next few weeks were hard, but he made it through them. Keeping himself busy with getting food for the family, making sure his mother was eating and his brother was alright. After those initial weeks he found his brother was smiling again and Tau would joke and play with him and it almost felt like normal.
After a couple of months he had fully accepted his role of provider for the family. He was cocky and proud, but any part of him that was flaky was gone. He didn't need to boast outright anymore, and didn't feel the need to embellish. What he was doing for his family was good enough for him. His mother had started working again, which was good. She knew Tau couldn't be there forever, and she tried her best to let her son ruin whatever was left of his boyishness. The house moved on, and the family grew closer.
Tau puts his best game face on for dealing with the stubborn Liira again. But after a surprising afternoon and some months later, he finds her at his door - pregnant. [Finished]
Tau follows Liira to Zena where he joins in a snowball fight. [Finished]
kaname423 Crew
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kaname423 Crew
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Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 2:56 pm
Tis the Season World Event
Tis the Season Prompt 2
Solo or RP Format Can be used toward Solo or RP req
The air was ripe with cheer in all of Tendaji. The Oban's King had been defeated and a new and compassionate one put in his place, the slaves were released, and it was time for the Winter Solstice. Friendly faces abounded as the havoc of the war was nearly wiped away and the villages restored.
It would seem as if everyone was enjoying the season, and it was very clear to see why. Almost every land in Tendaji were hosting their own winter celebrations, partying and feasting until the early hours of the morning before settling in to sleep for the night. It wasn't a time for work anymore, but a momentary reprieve for play.
Tau put on an actual shirt and a coat and bundled up for the air outside. It was getting unsually chilly for Tale, but he didn’t really think much of it. All he knew was that he was going into town today. He smirked and rubbed his hands together, plotting the entire treck to the market. It really wasn’t that far, but with the war over and people celebrating, the village was crowded and it was hard to get anywhere quickly.
Tau grabbed a mug of some drink a girl was offering from a stand and put the coins down on her table. It was good. Some sort of sweet drink, hot, and perfect for the weather. Tau downed it, leaving a frothy foam on his lip before wiping it off with his sleeve, staining his coat. She would be coming back to Tale soon. Liira had said it last time she had dragged him to Tale. She was going to be back for more trading in just a month. And Tau would be ready.
He passed some of the stalls selling trinkets, weapons, toys for the younglings. It wasn’t until he reached a jewelry stand that he knew what he was looking for. He had had no idea what he was going to get Liira, but knew that with the holiday season, he was going to get her a present. And women loved jewelry, right? He bent over and eyed at every piece of jewelry in the stall, almost glaring at them like they should reveal to him which Liira would want. ”Hey. What do you recommend getting for a mean, bitter ice earthling woman?” He looked up to the stall keeper. Surely she would know. She was a woman too, although a much older, much more wrinkled woman.
She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed up at Tau. ”Trying to win her back with an apology I take it?” She eyed him. No way he could be talking about someone he liked with that attitude. ”Or trying to make her feel bad for being so bitter?”
Tau laughed and pulled up a necklace, inspecting the stones. ”A holiday gift. I’m not looking for an apology present. Why would I do that?”
”Making her feel bad then, I see.” She grabbed the necklace out of Tau’s hands while he stood there looking stupid. ”What? – No! She’s coming to visit soon and I wanted to surprise her. You old hag.” He snatched the necklace back and eyed her down. ”You got a problem with customers trying to buy normal presents for people?”
The woman blinked in surprise before slamming her hands down on the counter. ”Now you listen to me and you listen good. You better be looking to get a hit to the jaw with that attitude of yours. Give me the necklace and walk away.” She glared at Tau, her face turning red.
Tau couldn’t understand it; she had started it after all. He didn’t even know what he did to set her off. Probably just crotchety by nature. He huffed and nearly threw the necklace at the woman. ”Fine. I’ll get help somewhere else.” He stomped off, moving clear across the market and trying to find another jewelry stall. Surely someone would have something.
Tau looked all over the stalls and finally found something that caught his eye. It was a necklace. He knew he would get her a necklace. It had a hand tarnished looking dull gold colored chain with three layers to it. Each layer decorated and accented with a single color. It was good looking. Like himself. And he was almost sure Liira would like it. It would make her think of him. He grinned at the thought and asked how much. ”Not for sale.” A younger woman replied. ”Oh you have got to be kidding me. And why not?”
The young woman – couldn’t have been more than two years older than Tau – looked him up and down before putting her hand over the necklace. ”It’s called for already.” Tau deflated in front of her eyes. ”Isn’t there something I can pay you to make you change your mind? It’s for someone special…” He trailed off, already expecting the answer.
She paused a long time, longer than Tau thought was normal for someone to turn him down before sighing. ”Alright. 75 coins.” Tau instantly cheered up, his face alight in a grin and handed the money over, taking the necklace gingerly.
”Make sure you wrap it nice for her.” The young woman winked at Tau. He grinned at her and trotted away, necklace in hand.
Summer was always much too hot in Tale, and without wind it made the walk through the forest stifling. The sun felt like it was just bearing down, and the coverage from the trees wasn’t complete enough to give anyone a break from the rays beating down on their heads. Tau couldn’t wait until it was the rainy season and they could expect a little bit of a reprieve from this ungodly heat.
But it was that time again, and Tau felt the need to take this familiar path with the soft sand under his feet twisting through the forest, until it sloped up and the trees slowly started to fall away. Tau brushed his hair out of his face and after coming to a stop he sat on the warm ground in front of the small plot of earth. It was quiet, like it usually was there. Not very many people came out to this spot much, he guessed most just didn't want to remember what had happened. He looked down at the little marker in front of him and with a sigh rested back on his hands. All those that had died in the Oban war were buried in this little garden of sorts. The battle was vicious and more bodies came back every day during that time. His father was among them. And Tau felt the need for some silent guidance that only visiting him could bring.
It had been almost five years now since he had died. He had left that day to go to war, and weeks later, when the others started returning, his father wasn't among them. He had forced Tau to stay home; their fight was terrible. Tau thought he had known better, he thought he knew he could defend their home and their people. He just had to go off and fight, to prove himself as a man. He felt foolish now. Such a terrible fight and for all he knew his father could have saved his life. And now his father wasn't with him, and the last things he had said to him were angry and argumentative. He rubbed his hand over his face. What an idiot he was.
He remembered what it was like that day when they brought him back. At first the victors had returned. More and more people came through the village, some just passing through and others returning to their families. They had waited for so long, just wishing to see his face again. But then nothing happened, and after a while they started to bring in the dead. They still held out hope, wanting more than anything to believe that he was just helping with the clean up. Maybe he was helping cart the bodies and they started with Jauhar? It could happen, right? But then their answer came. It broke his mother’s heart to see that blanket being carted up to their home. They all knew what was underneath it. It had taken them a while to adjust to life without their father.
And then adjusting wasn’t the end of it, things had to move on. Life had to continue. So much had changed in five years. Taye wasn’t a child anymore, he was already training to use a sword and much to Tau’s dismay he was much more sought after by the ladies than he had ever been at his age. It didn’t help that Tau was tall and gangly growing up, nothing like his younger brother apparently. Their father would have been proud of Taye, that was for sure. He had chosen to use a sword in honor of their father, something that Taye had wanted to do for so long. It made Tau proud, knowing that he had turned out alright. He had had a rough patch for a while. The gods knew that he was only eleven when their father had been taken from them. He didn’t know how to handle it. He lashed out, he rebelled, he caused trouble and made scenes. But as with everything, that had passed. Tau tried to help with that. He knew that some of his brother’s behavior was from his own behavior at the time. He was selfish, he was loud and obnoxious, and though he wasn’t doing it with anger, he could see how Taye would use that when he didn’t know what else to do. Tau had had to talk to him, calm him down during his fits, reassure him that this wasn’t how it was meant to be. Looking back on it, he knew that it was just as much Tau’s fault as it was Taye’s for his behavior. But that was the old him he thought.
Not to mention that his life was nothing like it had been when his father had been alive. He had a wife now, and a baby. She was so sweet and beautiful and Tau hadn’t thought he could ever love something as much as he loved his daughter. Liira was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him. Not that he would have thought that at first. She was a spitfire, and he was pretty certain she had hated him their first encounter during the tournament all those years ago. Time had worked its magic on Liira and - like he knew it would - it had turned hate to tolerance and then eventually to wife.
He shook his head thinking about her and the baby. It was a good feeling to have something there he felt he needed to provide for and look after. Something he had made and now nurtured. His mother was happy. With the baby there she was just as much in love as he was. She spoiled her granddaughter and cooed and doted on her whenever Liira went out hunting. She was something good in the world to help his mother keep her mind off of things like her empty bed, or the extra seat at the table. He spoke into the still air, ”You would have loved to meet her.” Not that his father could answer, but he liked to think that he was aware still of how they were doing, what was going on in their lives and the additions that were made.
He spoke to his father then, filled him in on his life and how he and his ever extending family was doing. He spoke like his father had never left, knowing that there was nothing he could expect in response, but he liked his visits. He dropped by to pay him a visit at least once a month, it was the least he could do for all that his father had done for him. If only he had asked his father to stay behind with him. All the things he could have done in hindsight, and none of them were things that he had actually done.
After he had said all he had to say he sat there in silence for a few minutes, finally sighing and then standing. He brushed the sand off of him and nodded his head to himself. ”Well that’s all.” He trailed off. He would be back soon of course. The months went by faster than ever. ”And before you know it, I’ll be bringing little Tyyn by to visit you as well.” Even with all of his visits to this place, it never hurt worse than to think of little Tyyn and the idea that she would never know him. He said his goodbyes and with a final wave to the grave marker he headed off back through the forest and toward home.
He really did miss his father. And every time he went to visit didn’t make it any easier or better for him. Five years and he still felt the emptiness of it all. It didn’t get any better, just more bearable with time. And now that he had his own little ones the ache was even harder to bear. His father would never know Tau’s children. They would never know him. They wouldn’t be able to talk with him, and be spoiled by him like Tau thought they should have been. His father should have been there to meet Tyyn. He should have been there to watch her take her first steps. He should have been there for the news that there would be more coming. And there would be more children, that he was sure of. He wanted more little wonders like his precious daughter. Even though he still thought of his brother as a kid, eventually he would also have his own family and it was just more things that his father wouldn’t be able to see or enjoy with the rest of them.
It wasn’t fair, that he was sure of.
He was already almost home, his thoughts carrying him away. Soon he would be home with his family, and he would see his wife and his daughter, his mother and his brother, and then he would be back next month.
(Word count: 1,516)
[After his life has finally settled down, Tau has to accept the outcomes of losing his father in the Oban war, and come to terms that he won't be there to see his own children grow.]
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