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 Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:44 pm
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 2:25 pm
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Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 8:20 am
Jim realized that he'd read the same line three times and closed the book with a sigh. "Dad... can I do something for you?" The teen was fairly surprised that his father hadn't left trenches in the carpet where he'd been pacing restlessly for the last ten minutes. Before that Jen had been sitting at the desk riffling through paperwork, and before that he'd rearranged the books on the bookshelf several times.
"Hrm?" Jen turned to his son absently and thought for a second, before collapsing onto the sofa with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to interupt you. Whatcha reading?"
"Sci fi novel. What's wrong? You've been pacing and restless for days now." Jim set the book aside, deftly using the motion to also put aside any attempts his father might make at avoiding conversation. "Is it the island?"
Jen frowned and regarded the teenager before him with a stony eye. "Partially. And it's partially your sisters getting into all kinds of things as little kids do, and the fact that Gran is worried about Gus and Satou, and now there's Rusty and Booker living here too... It's just a lot." He stood and ruffled Jim's hair like only a father could, something that he knew only iritated Jim on a social level, and he walked to the door. "I'll leave you be and go find something else to keep me occupied."
Jim sighed to himself as his father left the room, but it wasn't long before he realized that he wasn't going to be able to concentrate... so he took himself off to the library of the house too look at other books.
~~~~~~
Several hours later, Jen was up on the roof of the building sitting with his back against the wall while watching the trees sway in the breeze. Beside him on the moderately flat stretch of roof lay a hammer, nails, and several asphalt shingles which were meant for fixing the gap around the chimney on the back of the house. Once Jen had gotten to the roof, however, he realized that this was just another pointless activity to help take his mind off all his worries. He wasn't a roofer, hell he wasn't even a handyman, and he had no idea what he was doing. Rather than wreck good shingles and make a somewhat simple job even harder for someone else later, he'd put the tools down and taken a seat... letting the breeze try and blow away his tension.
But try as the breeze might, every noise sounded suspiscious to him... the flapping thwacks of a flag on a nearby house sounded like car tires on the gravel drive... the whipping of screen doors sounded like gunshots in the wind... the giddy laughing screams of his own children in the backyard reminded him of threats made on his family and loved ones. He rubbed his hands against his face and eyes in frusteration and turned his attentions to the four in the backyard. Two little girls with ungainly balance on stiff legs who were unbearbly adorable, and two jivvins sprites, one of which had recently witnessed something that no one should even have to see...
Keppit had brought Booker and Rusty to the Skull Monkey HQ two days ago, accompanied by an account about finding the torn and defeated body of shade (another sprite) with Rusty standing over it shouting something about how Gus had done it. Now Gus was nowhere to be found, and Keppit thought that he was dead because of all the blood, and all of this on top of Nivvan's threats and the fact that Satou never showed up here in the future again as far as anyone could tell... Jen feared that he may have truely lost both his brother and sister... he'd never felt so close to all the tragedy and yet so far away and not a part of it at the same time.
He watched as the girls tumbled and played with Booker. The little sprite seemed to be having a great time, as did the girls... but Rusty was holding back. Sure he played a little and leapt out of the way if a metal leg came crashing down in his direction... but he still had a reservedness about him, and it made Jen sad.
It all made Jen sad.
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:02 pm
(( Jen and Banda :: Feb 27 2007 ))
Skull Monkey HQ was no longer safe. The old building wasn't, anyway... Since he and Delia had returned following the end of the plague, Banda hadn't ever quite felt safe around the building. Something was...off. There was no other word for it. In everything he did, there was a subconscious, looming feeling of dread for what was undoubtably coming in the future. But nothing ever happened, which only made it that much worse. He couldn't stand it anymore.
But he had, because they really hadn't anywhere else to go...And then Venoch had come home. Things had gone well for all of two days, and with the first bit of a disturbance father and daughter had fled, wandering aimlessly for the better part of a night and a day before settling on the relative safety of the Jivvin Center. Wegs was rarely home, it wasn't much different from the SM HQ all and all, and it would be somewhere odds said Venoch wouldn't remember to look. After hours of anxiously bustling about the house, still driven on by the nervous energy from the previous building, Banda finally sighed and relaxed, slumping down to sit on the couch while Delia rested upstairs.
Jen strolled up the path to the center and gently pushed open the door. The newly white haired Sm was in a chipper mood and smiled slightly at the sight of a basin of wild flowers on a hall table. Upon closer inspection he saw that they must have been picked too soon since they were under developed and slight wilty. "Ah well." He clucked to himself. "Soon it will be full spring."
He was here to see if he might locate his little brother, Gus. "Guuus?" Jen wasn't even sure the blue Jivvin fourther would be here... all Jen really knew was that Gus wasn't at the house. He'd just have to find someone and ask if they'd seen him...
So it was that Jen walked through a door and found Banda relaxing... sort of... on a sofa. He smiled and waved. "Banda."
Jen's appearance went unnoticed until the other skullmonkey appeared before him, and then the initial shock made him jump. He stared up at Jen as if trying to process exactly who he was, then relaxed a touch once more, managing a smile. "Jen...sorry...long day. How're you? What brings you here?"
He laughed. "Good to see you too. I might ask you the same thing... I'm looking for Gus, my brother... blue earred, about yay tall, black hair, goofy grin on his face?" Jen shook his head a little and smiled as he talked fondly of Gus. "I've got to ask him a question about the Island expedition going out soon.... I think he wants to go."
"A Jivvin." Banda nodded understandably, slumping back in his seat with a halfhearted smile. "I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone around today, but that doesn't mean they aren't here. I've been all over the place since arriving..." He hesitated, then chuckled softly, nodding in the general direction of the center. "Ven came home again, and, um... Well, he's taller. Again. And he and Dee don't exactly get along, so we came here... But what's this about an Island expedition?"
Jen laughed and shook his head at Banda. "I can't imagine Ven much taller... or bigger for that matter." He walked over and dropped into a chair. "The sole ship owner from Origin Island is leaving for the island in a week, and has opened ten passenger slots for island visitation blah blah blah..." Jen circled his hand in a etcera motion... "He's only taking ten becuase the ship is small... and it's a long trip."
"Neither could I." Banda grimaced, rising to his feet and lifting a hand to a couple of inches above his own head. "He's about there. Fifth now. He must've grown some time while we were away during the plague... He's rather scary," Banda admitted, forcing a sheepish grin as if joking. He paused, eyeing Jen curiously, not entirely sure he had caught the words right. "Origin Island? They're actually bringing SkullMonkeys back there? But the spaces are probably full already, hmm? With so few?"
"No not really... that's why I was coming to find Gus. I know his forte is kind of culture-ey... if that even makes any sense." He grinned and pulled at the fringe on one of the pillows. "Nice fringe. Might get some of this for the Hq pillows. brighten the place up a bit." He waved his hand again. "The owner of the boat... Brick somethingorother... he says it's a two month trip there and back... two weeks each way on the boat and then the time it'll take him to restock the boat in between... So far there's still spaces left." He shrugged. "I'm not going. I'm actually looking forward to kicking back and enjoying the comforts of home... now that I know I have one."
"Oh." Few enough were going that a Jivvin would be allowed to go as well? Banda glanced down to the fringed pillow, nodding absently in agreement. A two month voyage to Origin Island, with space left and limitations on who could go and how to get there... Dee would probably be excited about it, if he told her. It seemed the kind of thing she would enjoy. "I can understand the need to relax for a bit. You're not staying at the HQ anymore? I can understand the need for privacy, especially after the Smog thing, but where? If you don't mind me asking."
"ah... no... I am still living at the Hq, but it's the first time it's starting to feel like home." He smiled. "It's a house where I feel welcome, with people and Sms and Smos that are happy to see me... a place where my son is safe and I can invite my boyfriend without embarasment or worry... and it's my home." he smiled ear to ear.
"I always felt at home at my Mum's house, but I couldn't stay there forever... especially not with the new baby there and all."
"I see. I'm happy for you." His smile was tired, but genuine. He returned to his seat on the couch, floping down with a sigh, though his smile soon returned. "It's good to have a place like that, where you can really be yourself and all. I've been considering asking Moo if Dee and I could move into the House... I think it would be the best for everyone, and I know she wasn't exactly herself when she kicked us out." He paused, then hesitantly asked, "Do you think this Brick guy would mind if Dee and I come along for the trip?"
Jen perked up a little and surveyed the other Skull Monkey out of the corner of his vision. "I would certainly run it by Brick if that's what you wanted. From what I hear the Island is really peaceful... they're mostly farmers..." He paused... "You know, Banda.... in light of all this new information that's come to us about Skull Monkeys, I really think that it's a good possibility that Delia's of Island Origin..."
From what little I've, ah, heard of it, it sounds like an excellent place," Banda agreed, nodding brightly. "Very different from here, but that's half the charm I think. And, honestly, I had the same idea." He glanced back towards the staircase, checking to be sure the little girl wasn't eavesdropping before returning his attention to Jen. "I don't know where else she would have come from, fifth stage at so young. It makes sense, doesn't it? And you just found her. I don't know how she would have gotten off the island, but that's half the reason I want to go... I want to see if anyone knows about her parents, or if she had parents, or if they're there, or...all that sort of thing," he finished, waving a hand absently.
Jen snorted... "I think Luna knows why we were finding Smos in that cave... I just haven't been able to get it out of her... there's also something about us older Skull Monkeys... the ones that Quietsnooze found homes for..." He rubbed his goatee in thought... "There's something strange about us that Luna knows and won't tell us... that's part of the reason I'm hoping that Gus will want to go. He could find out things for me and I won't have to go.... " he eyed Banda... "You'd be just as capable too in case they didn't want to tell Gus anything.... this Brick guy... he seems a little predudice against Gaians." Jen shrugged.
"Ah, but I'm not a SMO," he pointed out, grinning faintly. "They may not tell me anything, though I hope they will. I'll try to talk some things out of them. If I can't, Dee probably can. She's a tricky little thing." He smiled fondly at the thought of the little girl, chuckling. "Can try, anyway. If she was removed from the island for a reason, I'm not sure how much they'll tell her either. Poor kid."
"Well" Jen picked up a pillow and dropped it mindlessly. "the only way to find out would be to go there... Brick's asking for letters of admission for passage." Jen shrugged "It's what it is, really. There's been a few letters already, but I'll put in a good word for you... ... .. it should be a really good experience."
Banda nodded, considering the possibility. "I'll have to write up a letter, then. Would I have to write a second one for Delia? I won't go if she can't come, and I won't send her alone, young as she is. I'd certainly like to grab onto this opportunity while it's available. It doesn't seem like something that'll be happening all too often."
Jen smiled and picked at the fringe on the pillow. "No, I wonnae make you write more than one letter... just be sure to mention that it's for both of you. I get the impression that this Brick fellow doesn't really pay close attention to the things he reads. And I don't suspect that this will happen again soon. As far as I kin tell there's only the one ship that travels back and forth, and then only when Brick says so... it's his ship after all." Jen shrugged. "It's a long trip, Banda... but I expect that it's worth it."
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Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:19 pm
(( Brothers:: ))
Alexander Edward's face frowned even deeper that usual as he recognized the sports car pulling into the drive. The man who stepped out of the driver's seat glanced up at Alex, muttered a hello and then calmly walked around to the passneger seat and unbuckled two little girls. It ocured to Alexander that Jen knew him well enough not to ask for help, and on the same theme, Alexander had no intention of offering it. He sighed. The arrival of Jen and his daughters, cute as they were, meant that the house was going to be over run with two small skull monkey girls, Keppit's two youngest sons who were mid teen, and the newest bundle of joy to the house.... Amahli... Alexander snuffed his disgust and glared at Jen as the man led his daughters in through the front door. As they passed, Keera pointed at Alex and said "Alex doggy" with a grin. Alexander promptly stood and paced off into the woods. Anything was better than his mother's house today.
~~~~~
Rusty shook his head at Luke. "I can't believe what you're saying to me." And he meant it. He never lied to Luke because he and his brother shared a minimal bond, making feelings stronger between them... Luke would have been able to tell if Rusty was lying. "you honestly think that you might want to move away from Lily and Calvin?" And me, his statement unfinished outloud, rang painfully in his head.
"Of course." Luke wasn't trying to hurt Rusty's feelings, he honestly thought that this was something they needed to think about... they were both adults after all, and Lily had been a loner all her life. It was good to think about striking out on thier own... kind of. "What do you think will happen when you fall in love? There's got to be a pretty jivvin out there who thinks you're the only Rusted out Green man for her." He stiffled a laugh and prepared to fend off Rusty's objections.
Rusty didn't object however, since he knew how Luke worked. Instead, he just frowned at what he considered to be the handsome pink version of himself and walked from the room. They'd be having this conversation again, later when Luke was feeling less funny.
~~~~~
Kamin grinned up at his older brother from the stool where he sat. "What happened to this stool? Wasn't it about a foot taller when I was here last?" He kicked his feet out in front of him comically as if to show the height difference.
"That's the one that broke. I told you about it two weeks ago." Fluff was a wonderful example of everlasting patience, especially when it came to Kamin, and he just kept chopping the vegetables on the counter in front of him.
"Oh" Kamin kicked his legs back and forth a few times, more because he could than for any other reason, and then he spun quickly in a circle on the stool twice before bringing his attention back to his brother. He grabbed a peice of bell pepper off the cutting board and popped it in his mouth, talking around the vegetable. "I would have thought you'd have thrown it out."
Fluff reached out and and picked up a second chunk of pepper that Kamin had knocked to the counter. "It was only one leg, and I can't see throwing out a chair if I can fix it by making it smaller." He chucked the peice of pepper into a bowl. "And you shouldn't talk with your mouth full, it won't get you many friends."
"I have all kinds of friends." Kamin grabbed at another peice of pepper but was fended away by a quick and precise hand slap from Fluff. The younger jivvin grinned at his brother... this was the way it was supposed to be. "Did you see that new recruit in Gal's ranks? She's goregeous."
Fluff just smiled.
~~~~~
Satou leaned against the railing of the arena and smiled to herself as she watched the newer members of an Uuthli rank sparring under careful watch. Gus shifted beside her and gasped as one of the larger young men dealt a particulalry harsh blow on his opponent, knocking the other male to the dirt floor. Satou grinned again, remembering her first sparring matches.
As if he could read her mind, Gus turned to her. "You actually used to do that? Stand in the arena and hit each other with dull swords?" He just couldn't wrap his head around it... he didn't even like playing with swords back when he and Jen were kids... of course, playing swords with Jen meant getting smacked in the tail alot with sticks. "It seems... harsh?"
Satou laughed and shifted her weight onto her other leg. "Would you rather they go out into the woodlands with the Ssan without having any practice at all? They'd all be eaten right off."
"I suppose..." He let the thought sink in. Of course it made sense to let them practice, make them practice even... but it still wasn't something he thought back fondly on. "You remember when Jen used to make up play swords with him?"
Satou sighed... "Jen never made me do anything. I don't think he even ever asked me to play swords with him." She didn't blame Jen of course... she'd been remarkably hateful towards both Jen and Gus when they were all little.
"You didn't miss much." Gus grinned over at his sister, and laughed when she grinned back.
~~~~~
Meiser had known the jivvin was approaching long before the other jivvin even knew he was there. He also knew from an almost maplike sense, that the other jivvin's name was Elayeth... So he was waiting quietly in the bushes.
Elayeth wasn't making an effort to hide his approach, in fact he was doing exactly the opposite, making sure to step on each and every stick as he walked. He was finding more and more lately that he had to get away from his house, and his family. He was remarkably lost in his thoughts when Meis' voice startled him.
"Elayeth, is it?" recently he had discovered that he liked being able to startle others with his knowledge. They usually seemed to think that when he knew their name he also knew everything about them. He didn't, but they almost always gave themselves away very soon after. "What brings you out here tonight?"
Elayeth frowned at the black jivvin in front of him and forced himself not to ask the obvious question. "I'm getting away from my family. Not that it's any of your business... creepy black jivvin in the dark, was it?"
Meiser smiled, and then laughed at Elayeth's face. There was somthing about this red jivvin that he liked imiediately... maybe it was his attitude. "I'm Meis." He shrugged as if that explained everything. Really though, it did explain everything... Meis kind of deffined who he was, but noting who he was not... that left a lot to choose from. "I only wish that I had an excuse like that... I don't really have any family." He said it almost wistfully... like he regreted that fact.
"Oh really? You're lucky then. I have a brother who treats me like dirt, and a woman who doesn't really love me but wants me to call her mom.... oh, and a stupid little sister who hates me." Elayeth's words were bitter, and strangely cultivated.
"Oh I have brothers... they just have no idea who I am. We grew up in different families."
"Lucky you."
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