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 Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 7:06 am
Just breathe, Rewi tried to remind himself once he was walking through town and toward the border once more. He'd initially set off relatively early in the day, when the sun was still low on the horizon and the murky waters still cool from the night. But before he'd made it fully past the settlement of Naele, he'd decided that it didn't mean nothing that he was to set out on his own, on a not-so-short journey, with a responsibility to his family to gather whatever knowledge he could from the elders at Noelani regarding the future of their race.
This could be something important to him, as a person. Even before he'd left his own territory, it felt as though it could be treacherous enough to merit some kind of personal strength...
So he had stopped in town and met with a woman who'd inscribed the curls of waves and the spirals of currents in black ink on his skin. He'd always thought that so long as he followed where the currents led him and didn't strain too hard against the waters that he would end up where he needed to go. It seemed at least somewhat relevant in this case, when he hoped the guides would guide him safely to his destination, even if their were detours along the way.
But now Rewi was out of time to dally. There were no more excuses for him to not be on his way, nothing he needed to accomplish before he set out. All that was left to do was take those first steps out of Elehun and into something entirely unfamiliar... He'd readied himself beforehand, so why was this so hard now?
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Posted: Mon Jun 25, 2018 2:32 pm
Kaimi had left home early with a few of his gems tucked into the pouch that he always had at his side, a list of things in mind that he wanted to see about trading for. He wanted some materials so he could see about repairing some holes in his pants. He wanted to see about also finding a new, bigger pack, some supplies so he had some stuff to eat while he was at work, and a new basket if he could afford it. If not the basket could wait but it was one of those things that would be nice because it was something that he could use when it came to keeping his room neatly arranged. He was looking around, taking in those that were already out and about, and swam forward as he watched them. There were a lot of groups out, both friend groups, family groups, and romantic couples, all of which he found himself watching with a touch of envy. Those sorts of relationships, he felt that he wanted to go after them once he was able to move out on his own. Having someone to come home to would be nice but even better would be to have someone that would go out salvaging with him. It was yet another reason to put his all into his work he thought to himself, a bit of a smile appearing on his lips. As he turned away from the people he was doing his best not to gawk at he found his gaze locking on a familiar face. Ah! Wasn't that Rewi the reed farmer that he'd met not that long ago? Giving a happy sound he decided to put off his shopping for just a little bit so he could go and say hello!
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 10:47 am
"Hm... Mm." Though there was supposedly no one around who would bother to listen to his noises, Rewi found himself unable to stifle a few pitiful groans of complaint as he moved through the water in the direction that would lead him from town and toward Pale'iko. It shouldn't even been as frightening as it was. From his experience with the single Kaha'iko he'd met and from the stories of them he'd been told, they weren't an aggressive race, and he was sure they wouldn't mind helping him out if he ran into trouble during his trip... He rubbed his hand against the fresh, new dark ink at the side of his temple and frowned.
But the actual process of getting underway to his destination still proved to be harder than he'd initially believed. Even after all that build-up of 'he could do it,' and 'no one else will go,' and 'this momentous occasion,' it was still difficult.
He puffed out a last distraught noise and tried to will himself not to be frightened, or more importantly distracted, until- Until a familiar face swam toward him. A grin brightened Rewi's demeanor immediately as Kaimi glided through the water toward him. "Kaimi!" Rewi greeted eagerly as he moved to meet the other boy. There probably weren't many other times when he'd been so pleased to see anyone else, and Kaimi looked just as pleased. What a wonderful distrac- coincidence.
"Hello, comrade!" Rewi practically chirped as he drew near. "I didn't imagine I would see anyone familiar out in the village this morning, but am I ever glad I did! What brings you out so early, friend?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 4:19 pm
"I didn't expect to see you either." This really was a wonderful thing, wasn't it? Getting to meet with Rewi again even though it hadn't been long since their first meeting. On top of that it was here in the village instead of at Rewi's reed farm. Something that made the meeting all that much more special and lucky if you asked Kaimi. Giving a smile as he was asked what brought him out so early Kaimi said, "The usual, work mostly. I was seeing about doing a bit in the way of trading before I headed out to do some early morning digging. Less foot traffic in the mornings." It also meant that the merchants were just setting up and had things on hand that would otherwise be sold out later in the day. He was lucky to get here as early as this and hoped it would help him to find everything that he was looking for. A curious look appeared on his face as he asked, "What brings you to town? Selling some of those reeds that you told me about?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2018 5:20 pm
Kaimi really was so diligent, as compared to Rewi. He had been working at their meeting, and even now, he was bustling about in the morning to make sure he had the materials needed to complete the day's duties. Rewi didn't even think he would personally be out of bed yet on a day like today, usually. This was an especially special occasion, though, and he had been given a task set upon him to complete alone.
It was unusual for him to be trusted enough to handle anything at all, let alone without the aid of his elder siblings. All pieces of this journey were daunting already. The travel, the unknown, the foreign, the loneliness...
At Kaimi's question about Rewi's own activities, he found himself suddenly sheepish. He should be proud to be trusted, and courageous in the face of the future. But really he found that he was just uncertain, and it almost felt peculiar to say that he had something worth doing to tend to. "W-well... No, not exactly. My father and I were to go to Noelani for a big meeting, but... it turns out my parents decided it would be better to send me on my own. I wanted to get a good, early start, but I, ah- I got a little distracted, instead." He rubbed at the fresh ink at the side of his head, gotten just that very morning.
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:32 am
"Not exactly?" Kaimi tilted his head to one side in a curious manner, then gave a smile, "Oh! Wow, that sound like quite the important job that you were given." So he was going to be going out as far as Noelani for a meeting? That sounded pretty interesting. Not only the job that he was going on but the fact that he got to travel that far. Giving a smile as Rewi said that he'd wanted to get an early start but he'd gotten distracted. Must be why he was still here. "Well, I should be happy that you got distracted because it let me get to chat with you again. That's pretty lucky on my part I think." He gave a humming sound before he asked, "Are you going to be heading out soon then? Or still distracted by... well, whatever you were previous distracted by? Or am I what is distracting you now? Should I not do that?" He should probably let him go on his way to Noelani instead of asking him a bunch of questions, huh? It was already too late though since he'd send a wave of questions at the other Menehune. Oops.
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Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 4:46 pm
An important job. Rewi smiled a bit sheepishly at the other boy's exclamation. He had considered it important himself, something that of all his family, only he was suited to, but somehow when Kaimi said it, it felt as though there should be something else he was doing and that this wasn't really so important. Rewi couldn't explain why such a sensation would grip him, but probably because Kaimi really did do things that were important for his future every day. ...And Rewi just didn't.
"It's... probably not that big a deal," he said after a moment, very contrary to everything he'd thought on his way into town. "Really, if it was something my parents wanted done properly or quickly, they probably would be better off sending someone else." Rewi wasn't an especially reliable boy, and there didn't seem reason to try and convince Kaimi otherwise. ...He considered the other Menehune a friend, and he didn't want to lie to him or sound too boastful...
Why did he feel so peculiar, like this? As if he specifically didn't want to mess up. It was silliness and unnecessary!
He laughed as Kaimi said he felt 'lucky' and scratched at the back of his head. "If either of us is lucky, it must be me," he replied. "I'm a little anxious about heading out, so meeting you here may help my nerves a little!" That was surely why he felt funny at seeing Kaimi. Just pre-trip jitters. "I suppose I'll still head out as soon I'm through in town.. So you could say you're the one distracting me, but I don't mind being distracted by you! In fact, I'm grateful." Any excuse to not set off.
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Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 2:40 pm
"You're being modest. It sounds quite important if your family has decided that they want to send you." He wondered if maybe Rewi was worried about disappointing those that sent him given that he seemed to be trying to convince himself that his mission wasn't an important one. That was at least what it felt like to Kaimi though he couldn't be certain one way or the other. Giving a smile he said what he hoped was a reassuring tone of voice, "I don't mind hanging out with you for a while if it means helping you to get over your nerves." He supposed that he didn't so much mind that he was being distracting to Rewi if the distraction was needed. He'd just have to continue to play the part of the great distraction until Rewi felt that he was ready to go out on his trip. "I'm doing a bit of shopping before I head out myself. Do you want to tag along for a bit?" Might as well offer him a really good way to spend a bit of time and get his attention on something that wasn't his nerves.
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Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 6:24 pm
Well, whatever his family's intentions were, it certainly wasn't worth arguing over with Kaimi. It was enough of a reassurance that the other boy thought it might be important, and that Rewi was someone worth entrusting such a task to. It felt as though it was a bit of a compliment, whether it was meant to be or not. "I appreciate it..." Rewi murmured softly, almost as if he were speaking to himself. Kaimi was so dedicated to working hard and bettering himself and his life that for him to think someone like Rewi could do much of anything surely meant something.
"I think I'd enjoy spending a few extra moments trying to mentally prepare. I've never gone out so far, as you can imagine. And to be honest, I never even thought I would, up until fairly recently." He certainly hadn't known he would be completely alone until this very morning. He had concerns, and Kaimi was like a rock.
So, Rewi nodded at the other Menehune's offer. There wasn't much he needed to shop for, himself, as he already carried all the supplies he'd need for the trip, but it would be nice to see what kinds of things Kaimi shopped for.
"That sounds nice. I'll try not to cling to you for too long," Rewi decided. He still had a mission to do, and it was one that involved being better off the earlier he set out. He didn't want to dally for long. With that thought in mind, he trailed after Kaimi as the other boy headed into the market. "So... Have you ever been out into Pale'iko? Or you said you planned on getting your own home, so would you move away from this village ever? I'm a bit of a homebody, so I don't even like to leave my home to go so far as just Salicora, more often than not..."
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Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 4:59 pm
"I would enjoy the company as well. I do so much work on my own that it's always nice to have someone around that I can talk with, even if only for a little while." As such he'd only be too happy to have Rewi accompany him for a while. So long as the two of them keeping one another company wouldn't be too much of a burden on his friend. He had work to do for his family and he didn't want to drag him down. Just a liiiittle bit and then he'd let Rewi go on his way he though tot himself. Motioning to his friend he started to swim along at a more sedate pace then he'd use if it was just him alone. He gave a humming sound at the question then nodded, "Sort of? I went to a gathering that was near to the border some time ago where both clans met. I was too young to really get much out of it but it was nice to get to meet them. They are quite pretty and seem to glitter like gems." He said, giving a smile as he thought back to his short meeting with the other group. "You will have to tell me how your trip went once you get back. I have to say I am quite curious what the other group is up to these days."As he said that his hand lifted, resting against the necklace he wore, a gift from one of them that he'd met in the past that he treasured.
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Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 11:09 am
Rewi looked to the other smattering of passerby as he and Kaimi moved through the village. Some were together, some were alone, so perhaps it wasn't too strange that while Kaimi said he enjoyed company, Rewi didn't mind having friends or being alone. Different people liked different things, though he certainly didn't mind being with Kaimi. "I've got five older brothers and sisters," Rewi replied. That wasn't the greatest number of children Menehune families might have, but it still felt substantial to him. "So I've never had too many opportunities to be by myself, but that's alright."
"I've never had much I needed to accomplish, so I didn't need anyone else to stand by my side and keep me going." Kaimi had been alone that first time they'd met, until Rewi had come along... He wondered if that was the norm, for Kaimi to work alone and in relative silence for most of the day. That probably would be rather droll.
Rewi vaguely remembered meeting a Kaha'iko boy a few months back as well. Maybe he'd been going to that meeting Kaimi spoke of...? Though he really had no idea.
He hadn't spent any substantial amount of time with the youngster, considering he'd been kind of frightened that the kid's parent would come back around and think Rewi was up to no good, but he did remember that the Kaha'iko were quite the shiny race. And Kaimi was a gem collector. He'd probably like the way their river cousins glimmered.
"Are you curious?" Rewi asked after a moment. "They aren't really so far from us now, and you do a bit of traveling during the day to find new digging spots. Have you ever considered going to Ukupaia? It's just the next town over. There would probably be plenty of glittering treasures in Pale'iko."
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Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2018 5:47 pm
Kaimi turned to look at Rewi with huge brown eyes, "What? That many siblings? That is so many! That must be really interesting having such a big family. And... they are nice?" He asked in a curious manner, wondering if his many older siblings were better then the Moke was. Not that it would take too much to be better then Moke but he still couldn't help but to be curious what he might be like. Giving a nod of his head Kaimi said, "I am a bit curious. I didn't really go there for nor did I get to explore a lot. It would be neat to go there again and get to dig around for a while." Literally and figuratively he thought to himself giving a smile before he said, "I'd like to also get the chance to maybe see Ano again, they were a really sweet person and gave me the necklace that I wear." He tapped his index finger against the shell necklace that he was wearing around his neck, a happy look on his face as he spoke. "It could be fun to go... I find it might be a little intimidating as well though. It's been so long since I've gone that far." Did he dare to go out and about, to such a distance? He'd have to make sure to do some packing and shopping before he could even think about that. Still, he found himself debating on the many upsides that would also go along with such a trip. It was tempting.
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Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 3:55 am
Rewi immediately found himself smiling at Kaimi's apparent surprise to the size of his family. He knew there were some Menehune clans that had more children than his parents did, but six seemed like absolutely plenty to him. As the baby of the family himself, Rewi wasn't sure he could've handled more older siblings than what he already had, and if it was to be that some were to come after him, well... Well, he didn't know much about babies, but perhaps he wouldn't mind too much. "It's never boring, at least," he agreed. "But each is their own person and sometimes 'nice' isn't the word I would use to describe certain actions..." His oldest sister especially could be quite pushy and demanding, regardless of Rewi's preferences. "But they are never cruel, and I'm sure they mean well."
The question about kindness did set Rewi to wonder if such a thing was something unusual to Kaimi. He did sort of vaguely remember the other boy mentioning that he had an older brother who he didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with... He scrunched his lips, and his barbels twitched. Was that why Kaimi wanted his own place when he was so young...? His family was unkind? Should Rewi inquire further, or would that be considered rude? He didn't want his friend to suffer unduly...
But the conversation shifted back to Rewi's trip before he could fully make up his mind. He released a soft hum, still uncertain if he really wanted to let it go. But with an acquiescent sigh, he did. Perhaps they didn't know each other well enough to make Kaimi's life his business. Not yet.
"Intimidating?" He repeated. "You're telling me! I've never gone so far, but it's supposed to be very important, so I'm sure at very least a handful will go." Maybe he could follow behind a different group along the way, if it turned out Rewi was too nervous to go alone. "I suppose I just haven't had a chance to think about the 'fun' of it yet," he admitted. "If my father had gone, like I'd thought he was, we wouldn't have had time for fun. And now..." Now he was almost too scared to think what of actual interest might happen.
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Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 8:03 pm
"Never boring." Kaimi repeated, a thoughtful look on his face. So it wasn't that they were 'nice' persay but they weren't cruel either, they were their own people and did their own things? Sounded interesting enough. It made him wonder if they were better or worse then Moke but decided against trying to have a comparing contest of their siblings since that would just be a little weird of him to do. To Kaimi there could be no sibling worse then Moke... but who knew, maybe Rewi thought the same about his own siblings at times? Everyone had their own experiences after all. Giving a smile and a little clap of his hands Kaimi said, "I'm sure that you can do it though. Don't let the distance get to you. I'm sure once you get there that there will be plenty for you to enjoy when it comes to the land and the people there." It made him really want to go again himself just thinking about it, even if the chances that he might run into his old friend might not be the best. A trip of that sort would still have some upsides after all. "Would it have been just a there and back trip if you'd gone with your father?" He found himself asking, wondering if maybe Rewi's father wasn't a socializing sort.
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Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 7:54 am
As soon as the words left his mouth, Rewi realized he didn't want to give off a bad impression of his family. 'Never boring' was true, because how could it not be with so many people in one space? But he didn't want to make it seem like his siblings didn't love him- or at least behave as though they did. They could be very nice sometimes and annoying at others. That was what siblings were to him. But there really was no way to put it into words, and no way to do it proper justice through explanation. They were just family. It shouldn't need much more description than that.
"I, ah... I'm the sort who doesn't really feel a need to enjoy new things," Rewi said slowly. "So going out to territory I've never been in before and meeting with people I've never seen isn't really something I would choose to do with myself. I enjoy it here, in my home, and I wouldn't have wanted to leave, if it wasn't necessary."
He'd always felt that way, though. Even during the days when he was very small, and his siblings small enough themselves that they fancied games of 'explore' or 'treasure hunt,' Rewi had never felt obligated to be part of that.
He liked to sit, enjoy the warm sun and cool mud, weave grasses, listen to stories or songs. Travel was too much work. It still was too much work.
"It will be fine, though," Rewi said on a sigh. "We would have had to keep the trip short if my father was going, so that he could return to work quickly, but since it's just me, I don't have to be anywhere quickly, so long as I'm still in time for the meeting. You could go with me," he offered. "It sounds as though you might enjoy more about it than I would."
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