Welcome to Gaia! ::

Seiong had known better. She had definitely known better. Yet, when the other girls had raised up a challenge, she had wanted to be involved. It had started out with simple challenges like singing and trivia, but then it had gotten more complicated. Little dances, climbing, balance.. It should have been easy enough.

She clenched her teeth as she headed home. One arm hung limp, her other hand gripping it tightly. The laughter echoed in her ears and her eyes prickled with heat and tears.

Seiong flinched when she heard her name called. Had they followed after-? No. Just as bad.. It was her mother. Her face flushed dark and she lowered her head to hide her embarrassment. “I.. fell…” She gripped her injured arm tighter, though the motion made her wince further. “I think it’s just dislocated..” The others hadn’t bothered to help her fix it, too busy laughing at the clumsy Aishan to care about making sure she was okay.

Frustration made Seiong’s eyes water even more. It was painful, but now that her mother was there.. All she wanted was to make her family proud, but every time her clumsiness knocked her confidence down a peg. It wasn’t usually something she worried about, but when it happened within view of other, more mean spirited cousins and sisters… She turned her head away from her shoulder and took the long breath as instructed.

Seiong bit back a yelp of pain as her shoulder popped back into place. It could have been a lot worse, frankly. She took another deep breath, but then stiffened up when she was pulled against her mother. She couldn’t bring herself to raise her face just yet.. How did her mother know? “It.. was a competition with some of the others. It started out easy, and then got harder.” The heat on her cheeks burned and she closed her eyes, allowing Vermina to guide her along. “I really did just fall… but then everyone started laughing.” Her free arm crossed over her chest so that her hand could tenderly rest on her fixed shoulder. “They didn’t even check if I was okay..”

Seiong stiffened further. She wanted to say it had been fun.. But it had been stressful more than anything else. She wasn’t as strong and agile as, well, pretty much anyone else. She had known better… “Of course I didn’t,” she huffed more sharply than she had intended. “They were already laughing at me.. They didn’t care.”

Seiong bared her teeth and shook her head roughly. “That wasn’t it, Mima. They were laughing because I fell.” Her eyes burned hotter and she pulled away slightly to attempt a little distance. “They were laughing at me.. because I’m not good enough.” She wiped at her face and sniffled back a sob. “Everyone else did it fine. We were just crossing a fallen trunk. I slipped. They already know I’m not strong like them, and they think it’s funny.”

“Mima!” she whined out, pulling away fully from her mother. “I don’t want to be like them! I want to be me, and I want them to like me as me!” A fresh frustration made the tears fall harder. “Why can’t they just like me?” She finally glanced back at Vermina, but then quickly away again. “Why do I have to be so different from everyone else..?” She didn’t like fighting or working out or training… she just wanted to spend her time exploring, playing with the animals, or being with her family. Why did everything have to revolve around being physically strong?

Seiong raised her hand to cover a sob that did shudder out. She didn’t want to be like the others! She liked who she was! Yet, when surrounded by her peers who made a point of emphasizing every area of ability where she lacked.. It was getting worse now that she was getting older. They were expected to train more, choose at least one main weapon, be ready to defend their home…

She hugged herself and turned away again. “I know you do.. But that doesn’t help me with everyone else. They expect me to be like them.. And I’m not. I don’t want to change for them.”