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 Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:55 am
Rewi: Post 1
"He's lagging."
Rewi could only just barely hear the grumbled words from his father's mouth, but hear them he did. At the older Menehune's side, Joena, Rewi's eldest sibling, turned to peer over her shoulder back at him. Her gaze wasn't one full of annoyance (as Rewi expected his father's might be), but more one of concern. Joena was a straight-laced girl who liked everything to work to its fullest potential, and her youngest sibling... Rewi didn't 'work' at much of anything.
He'd been too pampered in his youngest years by his parents and five older siblings. They hadn't needed any extra hands when he was small, and it had been easier to have a cute youngster who just wanted to play and give affection when others had spare time. But now that he was older, every single one of them realized that they'd made a mistake.Rewi disagreed, of course. If they hadn't needed help then, he didn't know why his family thought they needed more hands now. Not much had changed in terms of what they needed to accomplish. And in fact, all Rewi could see as a difference now was that he'd grown taller and less lean, but he was still young and cute and playful! A perfect distraction from chores.
But today he'd been tasked with helping his father and older sister cart a load of the thick reeds they farmed to market. It was heavier lifting than he was used to, and not exactly anything Rewi considered fun. Still, now that he was out here, he felt almost obligated...
Once they'd made it to town, Rewi's father called back, "I'm going on ahead," clearly meant for him more than his sister. "Try not to keep Joena behind too long. We want to be fully set up before too many others rise for the day." With that, the old man skimmed ahead, a pack of reeds on his back, leaving Joena to sigh and stall her pace as she waited for Rewi to catch up.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:56 am
Balhira: Post 1
It was a new experience, being so close to the border and knowing how easy it was to travel across. Already, she had seen the flashing scales of the silver river neighbors, chattering away about the sights and amazement of the working Menehune. Balhira wasn't too impressed, believing like most that the river fish were keen to dance around instead of getting to work and making a living. The thought alone was exhausting, and so she brushed it away and turned back to her task at hand.
It was recommend that she travel to the market to find some new grasses for glass. It would be a good task for her to improve on her skill, since she had all but mastered the local grasses and how to burn and mix them. The trip was tedious, and cut into her normal routine so she overall felt standoffish and desired to get what she needed and get out. Yet, there was a little bit of a challenge involved, and she was curious to see what she could find and experiment with to further improve her skill.
As she drifted into the village, most of her body covered by the murky water, she glanced about with amber eyes to try and identify where she needed to go. The sun caused her skin to dry up from the trip, and eventually she dipped below the water to collect herself and prepare for what crowd she might find.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:57 am
Rewi: Post 2
What an absolute chore, Rewi thought with a resigned huff as he hefted his pack and dragged after his elder sister. Joena wasn't impatient yet, but Rewi didn't expect that to last forever. In fact, he imagined her leniency with him would probably start to wane more noticably the closer they actually came to the market where they would need to set up. But for now, she was understanding enough.
"It really isn't as bad as you make it out to be," Joena reasoned, raising an arm to give his hair a friendly tousle. "And if we hurry along now, it means we'll be set up earlier and maybe have a spare moment to relax before anyone comes in to shop. That sounds nice, doesn't it?"
A single moment to relax wasn't exactly Rewi's idea of 'nice.' If it were up to him, he would spend the whole day sunbathing, or maybe almost fully submerged into a nice, soft and squishy mudpit. Peddling the family's wares at market was hardly a top priority for him, and as much as he didn't want to seem ungrateful or contrary to his father's and sister's mission, it still felt like they ought to at least be aware of his preferences. "I think I would rather be at home," he admitted.
He could see it then, the slight strain to Joena's patience as she glanced back at him. "Well, you're here now, and no one else is around to finish the task. Who else if not you?"
That was, unfortunately, the truth of it. If he'd put up more resistance before they'd left, maybe he could have avoided work altogether, but he hadn't, and so here he was. The thought no sooner crossed his mind than something caught his sights. Another Menehune- a girl, perhaps righ around the same age as him and more notably muscled than Rewi expected he would ever be- dipped down into the water. She was alone and unburdened, and as soon as he spotted her, he flashed a smile his sister's way. "Well, what about her?" He asked Joena, pointing to the girl. "She looks like she wouldn't mind helping someone out."
Before his sister could say something to stop him (and Rewi could see quite plainly that she wanted to, if the jolt of surprise and sudden alarm in her expression was any indication), he called to the other teen. "Heeeey! You! Excuse me, hello? Yes, you. Would you mind giving my sister and I a hand?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:58 am
Balhira: Post 2
She didn't notice the others just yet, focused on her task and the discomfort she had for traveling so far, and so she was surprised to hear the soft hum of a voice under the water. Balhira emerged from the depths, pulling a hand through her short hair. Her face seemed brighter and refreshed after submerging, and her eyes were curious as they looked around and who was making so much noise. Eventually, she saw two Menehune carrying large sacks of reeds, with one looking directly at her. Yes, they were calling her name. Lowering herself again so half of her face was under water, she let out a little sigh and relaxed her shoulders, before slowly floating over to where they were working.
"It doesn't look like you need help..." She responded slowly, eyeing both warily and especially looking at the face of Rewi's sister, who seemed a bit startled that the conversation was even happening. Interesting.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 6:59 am
Rewi: Post 3
"Well, you know what they say," Rewi replied with a shrug. "Looks can be deceiving." But perhaps that was something he ought to have taken into consideration before calling her over. Even though the stranger's body did indeed look strong and fit, now that she'd drifted nearer, Rewi couldn't help but think she might not be as interested in camaraderie as he'd hoped. Still, there didn't seem much to lose at this point. Even if the girl refused to help them (or rather, Rewi specifically), the most he'd done was wasted a bit of time.
With Joena looking as though she might still be trying to piece together exactly how this situation had come to fruition, Rewi turned the full of his focus onto the other Menehune girl.
"My name's Rewi," he started, extending a hand to her. "My sister and I live way, way along the outskirts of the Naele. My family is all farmers, as you might've guessed," He added, hefting his pack. "And we've got all this stuff we need to bring in to market. I don't usually come along because I don't really want to, but as fate would have it, I got suckered into the chore today. Thing is, I'm not very strong and not very fast." He gave his bicep a rough prod with a finger, helpful displaying a lack of muscle and a growing development of pudge. "So I'm not really the best man for the job."
He flashed her a grin. "But you look nice and strong, and if you're out here, I bet you're heading the same way we are... Could I feel your muscles? I've got to judge if you can manage or not, and if you can, we'll pay you with some of our supply-"
Joena's face had gone from flabbergasted to outright alight with shame and humiliation. She jjabbed an elbow hard into Rewi's shoulder and shoved him a full pace away from the other girl. "Please excuse my little brother. We don't mean to trouble you."
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 7:00 am
Balhira: Post 3
Balhira found herself something to prop on, and as he spoke she rested her chin on her arm in a very bored and relaxed manner. It was a long trip, and she wasn't feeling the social type. Her eyes drifted away from the sister who seemed to be confused, to the brother who seemed all to pleased to find something else to do than work. Which was strange, considering all they ever did was work. Maybe he had a reason why he was slacking off, but Balhira wasn't blunt enough to ask that out loud.
"Balhira," she responded, glancing at his hand but ignoring it. He seemed so keen to converse, and she decided just this once to indulge for a few minutes. Beside, maybe he could direct her to where she needed to go, considering the wares he was clearly transporting.
"It would be a trouble..." she responded slowly, before tilting her head, "Why not simply wade them in the water? Surely you could find a way to keep them afloat?" She didn't bother letting him touch her muscles, but she did push up on the rock prop she had found to get a view of the area, "I admit, I'm not as familiar of this area...I don't tend to leave my home..."
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 7:01 am
Rewi: Post 4
"Right, of course it would." That was Joena's voice, finally piping up with a little more clarity and certainty than she'd previously been able to muster. The situation hadn't been one she'd bargained for, and if it was up to her, they wouldn't even be in it. The longer they spent here, idly chatting with this girl, the longer they'd keep their father waiting in the market, and the more irate he'd be once they got there. "Sorry for disturbing you," Joena added with a dip of her head.
She snatched up Rewi's arm, who released a huff of protest and swatted at his sister's fingers, to no avail. It was clear that she was ready to go about things her own way now, without her little brother's added distractions. "We'll be on our way, so please forgive us." It had taken a matter of moment's for her gaze to harden to that no-nonsense glare Rewi was more familiar with, and she didn't sound especially apologetic at all.
Which suited Rewi just fine. He didn't think they needed to apologize for anything anyway. "We're heading into the market now," he told Balhira. "It's not very far, and there really isn't much else in this area, anyway."
Naele was much smaller than Salicora, as far as Rewi remembered it. The slightly more northern settlement was the only other he'd ever had a chance to go to outside his own home, but he hadn't minded getting lost on his trip there. It was a bit inconvenient, but he'd always been sure the currents would carry him wherever he needed to go, regardless of whether he tried or not. And so it had. "I wouldn't worry about not knowing your way around. Soon enough, you won't need any help."
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 12:02 pm
Balhira: Post 4
Finally, she perked up a bit at the mention of a market. It seemed that underneath all of this idle chatter, there was some benefit for speaking with these two siblings. Balhira's teeth began to appear in a slow smile, before she slid back in to the water and waded a bit, "Then you must not mind if I follow along, as I'm also going to the market..."
She nodded, eyeing the bags for a moment but not offering any assistance yet again. It had only been a few minutes, but she already was confident she had some sort of read on Rewi, and that read was he was a bit of a slacker.
"I'm not worried at all, I'm only here to shop and then I'll be back on my way home..." Nodding, she glanced at the sister again as if nodding for her to lead the way, before she eyed Rewi and hoped he didn't try to pawn off the sacks on her once again.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 12:04 pm
Rewi: Post 5
If Rewi were the especially bitter type, he might think it a little rude that someone would ignore almost all of everything he said, call him troublesome, and then expect he would want to be followed by someone who needed help locating where she was going, but wasn't really prepared to offer anything in return. He wasn't the especially bitter type, but he was the type who didn't want to waste effort on anyone who wasn't willing to offer him the courtesy of basic response.
There weren't a great many things Rewi expressly didn't like, but waste was among them, particularly wasted effort.
But neither did he consider himself rude, and his dutiful elder sister wouldn't turn down a young girl traveling on her own. So with a nod of her own, Joena set off at brisk glide through the waters. "If there is a particular item you're after, I may be able to direct you to the appropriate merchant," Joena offered. "And if I can't do that, I should at least be able to tell you if the goods you're looking for are even something we carry in these parts. Our village is small, and we don't have as great and diverse a selection as some other markets."
From just behind his sister, Rewi tried not to huff. Why did Joena have to make it sound like she was missing out on something by living in a small village? True, there perhaps wasn't as much excitement as larger communities, but Rewi liked his home, and didn't especially enjoy the calamity of larger markets.
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Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 6:47 pm
Balhira: Post 5
Balhira didn't notice, or bother to notice, the vibes that Rewi was sending her way. Instead, she showed a slow and lazy smile in a flash of white teeth and began to follow the siblings in the direction of the market. This meant she was be quickly done with her task, and possibly on her way home before the day was done. Oh how nice that would be. She checked while she swam her bag of glass, a bargaining chip for the grasses she needed to continue her work.
"Salicora may be big, but it's not varied much. Most of the wares are common, and I am looking for something more. With everyone working on glass, it's hard to stand out if you don't spread out..." She shrugged, "I'm really interested in any foreign merchants..."
She was not interested in the people, the way she said foreigners clearly showed how much she simply saw them as a means to an end. Unlike most of the others who were excited about crossing the border, all she wanted to do was focus on her skill and improve, back in the murky waters of her home.
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Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 6:48 pm
Rewi: Post 6
From the corner of her eye, Joena glanced back at the girl trailing behind them, as the other checked her bag. She didn't want to seem nosy, but she couldn't help but be curious, and for all her little brother's chatter of moment's prior, he seemed entirely disinterested in their proceedings now. It fell to her to discover what else was going on. Unfortunately, she could hardly get a peek at what Balhira was carrying, though that wasn't much an issue in the next second.
Glass. So she was a glass crafter, though maybe hat wasn't especially uncommon if she was from Salicora. Joena turned her focus forward and frowned slightly. "I suppose I understand what you mean, but that's not really something we specialize in or even regularly practice here. It might be difficult to find something useful in these parts, unless you hunt for it through the reeds yourself. I wouldn't promise that any of our market merchants would be able to help you out." She had complaints about Salicora not being varied, but Naele was a smaller market. She supposed maybe they had a few wares from their Kaha'iko neighbors, but her Menehune comrades hadn't done that much exploring to the east... Joena couldn't be for sure, and since she wasn't positive, best not to say anything inaccurate.
Rewi had already decided he was quite finished with the day's adventures. He hadn't wanted to leave home to begin with, only to work in the market, doing things that his father and sister were plenty capable of doing without him. He didn't want to mingle with people who were unpleasant, and it was just as much a hassle to him as everyone made Rewi out to be. What an unfortunate morning...
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Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 12:49 pm
Balhira: Post 6
Balhira was very aware of Rewi's lack of interest now, and became a bit concerned she insulted the poor boy. He seemed so keep to speak up earlier, but as soon as she brushed off his request for assistance, he shut down and the sister began to speak up. Narrowing her eyes at the thought, she knew she wasn't out of bounds. It wasn't her job to carry the items, and it wasn't like he needed her help. Now, if he was struggling that was something else, but she was almost insulted that he acted in such a way just because he was a little bit lazy.
Had Balhira been anyone else, she might have talked him down, but instead she sent him a very unimpressed look at his sulking.
"I'm simply interested in what the Kaha'iko have, as rumors have it that they seem to frequent this market lately..."
Finally, she shook her head and looked toward Joena, "It must be exhausting to have someone so unwilling to work."
Simple, blunt, and not aggressive. An observation. She lived every day in her work, and she almost was angry at the boy for behaving so ungratefully that he had a task, a role, and he was unwilling to do it.
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2018 6:43 am
Rewi: Post 7
Rewi's eyes narrowed and he shot a look toward the other girl. He had done nothing to her except try to be conversational. When she'd ignored everything he'd had to say, he'd decided it would be easier on both of them to leave her alone. So he had. He hadn't said anything more to her, hadn't done anything more to her, but she felt the unprompted need to blatantly insult him. And in front of his sister. Joena dealt with Rewi every day, so he couldn't imagine she woldn't agree that it might be nice if he would work with a little more vigor-
"Excuse you," Joena's voice was sharp as she shot a frown toward Balhira. Whatever camaraderie and pleasantness she'd felt toward the other girl a moment ago was now dashed. "It is no less exhausting than having someone rude make presumptuous comments about my family."
Rewi was briefly startled from his concerns, blinking in befuddlement as Joeana spoke up.
"You know next to nothing about my little brother. You've walked alongside him for all of a moment, ignored any pleasantries he offered you, asked us for help since you were having trouble finding your way, and now have the audacity to speak as though you have any idea what kind of person he is? Regardless of his or anyone else's willingness to work, Rewi is here now, helping me regardless of his wants. He is still a child, as you are, and as far as I'm concerned, it makes sense to want to do something more personally enjoyable in these precious years. The family business is one that was forced upon him, and I don't expect anyone to go into anything whole-heartedly when it isn't what interests him. He will find his way one day, and you will not insult him again."
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2018 12:23 pm
Balhira: Post 7
Balhira blinked at the sudden defense that the other girl made, narrowing her eyes to hide the startled nature she had shown. Calculating the last moments of the conversation, she tried to understand why suddenly she was being snapped at by the girl, before her eyes narrowed at being called a child. Raising her chin, she took a moment to wait and ensure the girl was finished, before glancing over to see what Rewi had to say about it.
"I am merely making an observation about one who wished to have me do his work for him. By no means did I mean to insult your family ways..." She pursed her lips before shaking her head, then turned fully toward the boy and ignored his sister.
"I do apologize for my frankness. While I may have become exhausted, it is by no means my way to speak up like that." Her eyes lowered a bit, before looking back up, "I often forget outside of my own village that others live different lives, and it is not my place to push my life upon your own..."
She then turned back to glance at the sister, before adding, "Let me correct my statement. It must be exhausting to have so many people misunderstand as I have just done. And he must be exhausted from having to do something that...disrupts him from finding his own way."
Nodding, she turned back to Rewi and in an effort to offer an olive branch, she added, "When I make a mistake, my parents request I re-do the task to correct it a second time. Allow me to restart. You said you needed a hand, will you allow me to offer one?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2018 6:32 am
Rewi: Post 8
Rewi couldn't explain why he felt so suddenly startled - almost alarmed even, by his older sister's snappish behavior. Joena was a fairly understanding woman, as far as he was concerned. There were times when she may seem strict, maybe even very infrequently annoyed at him, but Rewi couldn't remember a time when she'd ever sounded so aggressive to someone else, someone outside the comfort of their familial circle. Rewi's emerald gaze flicked briefly from Joena to Balhira, then back again. The other girl seemed just as startled, though that may have been more warranted than Rewi's own confusion.
Joena was his sister after all, who he'd known all his life... It felt as though there shouldn't be much she could do that would make his heart stutter in alarm. He opened his mouth to assure her- both of them?- that he didn't mind. It was alright, what either of them needed to say about him.
"You were offered payment," Joena retorted first in response to Balhira's reply, as a justification for Rewi's attempt to have a stranger carry his bags.
It was suddenly more attention on him than he really wanted. Rewi considered himself a simple boy who wanted little more than good times and happy faces. And now everyone was anything but. Still, he tried a hesitant smile at Balhira. "Well, no, I guess it really isn't anyone's place to push their life onto anyone else, but I..." He found himself glancing away, smiling more as if he had learned a secret. "I suppose you are not the only one who misunderstood someone. I really wouldn't have thought you'd feel the need to apologize, when any slight was only words and nothing actually harmful..."
"But, yes, I thank you for your assistance. It is very appreciated." He slid the pack from his shoulders and began to untie the smaller sacks attached near the top to hand to Balhira. "Even if it isn't exactly what you came for, I would still like to offer some of the grasses my family grows as payment for your help. I'm not sure what good they are in glass making, but at very least they should make for a strong fire once dried out a little."
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