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 Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 2:51 pm
Minke 1 The festival raged around them, the sounds of kids screaming in excitement at won prizes and people loudly talking from all sides crowding the two young men. Minke had his hood pulled up over his head, trying his best to shield out all the sights and sounds that were making his head spin. It wasn't working. But than he hadn't really expected it to. The fabric of the hood was far too thin, made to merely shield the face from the hot sun while not cooking the person inside it. To say he was uncomfortable would be a vast understatement. Unfortunately, he couldn't just turn tail and run. At least not yet. Not with his father staring at him, eyebrows slightly lifted in a challenge. The hybrid looked away, focusing his own eyes on something else, trying to take his mind off his growing anxiety.
Beside him, Elias was looking in a different direction, watching a pair of dancers on the stage. His parents, doing a short routine. Not for the first time, Minke wondered what it was like having parents as elegant as them, one even a born lady from a far-off land. His own parents were simple farmers, with his mother being a retired traveler. Nothing as glamourous. But than, he didn't want a well known family. He was content with things as they were. Even if his father didn't like his lack of friends. He had friends. They just weren't of the two-legged variety. Or sometimes of any legs. That wasn't acceptable for Ballas, though. His son needed to make real friends, especially with his sister being gone for as long as she was. He missed her. In her stead were the two friends she had made and dragged him along to meet when they were growing up. Elias and his own sister had lived just 30 or more minutes down the beach from each other. The girls had hit it off well enough. Minke always had trouble connecting with the boy. Elias had been such a talkative, energetic boy. Glancing at him now, he was quietly watching the stage, his arms crossed over his chest. Minke wouldn't call him a friend, but at least he seemed much different now than before, making him a tolerable presence.
He looked back at his father, pleading with his eyes. Could he go back home now?
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 2:53 pm
Elias 1 The dancers on stage were captivating. The swirling of the fabric hanging off hips and arms was hard to look away from, the many bright colors easily catching the eye, their graceful movements hypnotizing. Though he wasn't much of a dancer himself, Elias did enjoy watching them from time to time. He appreciated all the hard work it took to do this. Knew first hand how hard it was. Not just in his own efforts to try it, but in watching his parents practicing at home. When he was a youngling, they would often have to clear up a space in the living room by pushing all the furniture as close to the walls as they could when it was raining outside. When it was nice, they would take it out there, using the wooden patio out back specifically built for such a thing. He used it himself many times during his sword exercises. Now they had an entire room dedicated to dance, with tons of space to easily fit other pairs. It was still strange to think about how far things had come since he had been a child. When it came to what Elka and Kayde had achieved, anyway. The hybrid didn't feel like he had done anything.
For as long as he could remember, Elias had wanted to use a sword. Nothing else would do. He always imagined his grown-up self wielding a beautiful one as he moved around, protecting those who needed it most. The little boy hadn't known what that had meant back then. It had been a dream, a whimsy of the youth. Reality had set in as he matured and he realized how scary the prospect of that was. He wasn't sure he could protect someone. Sparring wasn't quite the same as a real fight, where he might have to hurt someone. Or maybe even worse. Regardless of his worries, he still wore his sword wherever he went. That childish view of the world telling him he never knew when he would need it.
He tore his eyes from the stage, looking over at his companion as the other boy looked at his own father standing behind a vendor's stall nearby. "How is your sister doing?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood a little. Poor Minke. Throwing him into a large crowd of people was of course a bit too much for him to handle.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 2:55 pm
Minke 2 Ballas was shaking his head, making slow turns until a Matori woman approached him, looking at the menu written on the board sitting on the side of the counter. While some of the ingredients for the Belrean dishes he made were bought a week in advance to the festival, most of it was produce from his own little garden out back or harvested from the ocean close by his front door. It wasn't anything complicated, of course. Just small things he could make or grill up within a few minutes time, providing a little fast food service to the small crowd of the local festival when he had extra he could share, while also making a little extra money on the side. Sometimes Minke would help him out, always being sure to stay in the back with the food, cleaning or cooking orders. At most running errands if they ran out of something. Rarely ever dealing with the people ordering.
As he did today. His father thought it was high time that his son learned some social skills. He had been forced to work the front until he begged to do something else.
The hybrid felt the growing panic deep inside start to swell towards the surface. He didn't think he would have preferred taking people's orders instead of this. Standing out in the crowd, getting jostled by people passing, and having strangers trying to start awkward small talk was worse. So much worse.
Minke blinked, taking his eyes off his father and glancing over at his side. Elias was now looking at him, staring at him intently with those pale eyes of his. Not much different in color to his own. But where his eyes tended to blend in with his pale skin, Elias' stood out.
"She's....Good," he answered, thinking back on the last letter he had received from his sister just last week. "She wants to extend her stay." That made the flutter in his chest stronger. He missed her. She was the more out-going of the two, easily distracting others into conversation so he didn't have to speak and could just observe. It always seemed to come so easily to her.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 2:56 pm
Elias 2 "That's good." The conversation sounded awkward and strained, but Elias truly was happy for the girl. She never seemed content in one spot for too long, always restless and needing to find new things to challenge her mind. He could only imagine the things she was getting into over in Belrea. All the things she could learn. Especially since her uncle worked as a local teacher for the town near her family's original farm. Not that it would matter had he been even a simple mailman. She was the type of person possessing of such a charisma that she could get an audience with anyone she wanted to. She often used it just to talk to different people, Earthling and Aishan alike. Whoever would listen to her and tell her their story. "I can imagine all the different people over there for her to talk to." He smiled, patting Minke on the shoulder gently.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 2:58 pm
Minke 3 Thought it was meant to be reassuring, Minke still tensed up at the pat, not used to random people touching him. Or liking it. He had his space, a large field around his body, and he liked when others respected it. But as Elias withdrew his hand, giving him a sheepish smile, he started to feel guilty over it. He hadn't meant to make the other boy feel bad about the action. It had been an involuntary twitch.
"Sorry...." he apologized quickly, scratching nervously at his arm. Also an involuntary twitch. He looked away, trying to find something else to distract his mind with. Only to become more anxious as someone started coming straight for them, as if she wanted to talk to him. He tensed up even more, his shoulders rising and his arms going stiff. But she was only passing by, on her way to great someone else who was nearby. He relaxed, letting out a breath. Hey, those jugglers over there were interesting. If he focused on them long enough, maybe he would forget where he was.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 2:59 pm
Elias 3 Elias also recoiled, not expecting the other boy to react like that to his touch. Though he also should have expected it. Minke was always such a nervous person, it was an odd contrast with his more outgoing and talkative sister. Not that she was louder than her brother. Both twins had the same relaxed, calm manner when they did speak or move. There was an almost purposeful way they moved that Elias wasn't sure if either really noticed. Not a grace, but as if everything they did was intentional. Even when they were idly tapping their fingers on something, it was done as if it was meant to be done and not a subconscious act.
"It's okay," he reassured, raising his hand to pat the other hybrid on the shoulder once more before remembering not to do that. Such a force of habit. Instead, he opted to giving a wide grin, to show there really were no hard feelings.
The stage was now empty. Elias looked around for his parents, spying their bright costumes through the crowd. He wanted to go to them in case they needed his help with anything related to the festival, but he also didn't want to leave Minke behind. He rocked on his heels in impatient anxiety over not knowing what to do.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 2:59 pm
Minke 4 This time, the pale hybrid managed not to shrink away at the second attempt at physical reassurance, just stared at the other boy's hand as if it would bite him. He wasn't sure why he had such an aversion to being touched by anyone. He could tolerate it from his parents, though Ballas was also hardly the affectionate type with his kids. His wife had a few moments of showing her children she loved them, but even that was few and far between. Guess that answered his personal question. He just didn't grow up like that. Elias, on the other hand, seemed different. He had seen his childhood neighbor out with his family before. Had never personally met them, other than his father a little while ago in a very awkward encounter just outside his home. The Leaf wasn't much different from Minke's own father. Elias' mother, however. It wasn't uncommon to see her fussing over her children or husband. straightening their clothes. Brushing at their hair. Casually touching their arms. She seemed like a very affectionate person that he was making sure to stay far away from. He could see them now in the distant crowd. Could also see how Elias' eyes watched them closely.
"If you want to go to them...." he started, hugging himself and rubbing at his arms at the same time, feeling that rise of panic as he fought it back down. "I don't mind staying here to wait." Well, he did. A lot. But he also knew how attached to his family Elias was.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:00 pm
Elias 4 Craning his neck around, Elias tried to see his parents as best as he could through the thick crowd and the large distance between them. Had they singled to him or was that just someone close by them waving at someone else and he just couldn't see properly from this far away?
"What?"
Looking over at Minke, the dark hybrid blinked his pale eyes a few times. For a moment, he had almost forgotten Minke was there, so intent was he on watching the dancer's backstage. A new group was walking up to perform. "I don't want to leave you here alone."
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:01 pm
Minke 5 "It's fine!" Minke answered, a little too loudly. He looked around him at the few faces that were now staring at him and felt his face go bright red, all the way from his hairline to his collarbone. "I'm....I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell." Squeezing his chest with his arms, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, watching Elias' concerned expression. Of course he wasn't bothered at being suddenly yelled at. Nothing ever seemed to bother the other boy. Minke wished he could be like that. He felt like such a hopeless Earthling. He couldn't talk to anyone or do anything that involved more than one stranger. And even than, that was far beyond his ability to handle.
"I can do it."
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:03 pm
Elias 5 Elias looked with much skepticism at his friend, his eyebrows lowered in concern as he watched the sweat slowly break out on the side of the other boy's head. He looked so tense and nervous and afraid. Like he was waiting for the worst kind of disaster to happen that he had predicted in the next five minutes and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Which might not be too far off from the truth, in Minke's case. Elias wished there was something he could do to make him feel more comfortable, but there really was nothing.
Though he didn't think forcing the pale hybrid out into a crowd like this was the best solution to go about it. Maybe some people could get over something by plunging headfirst into it. Clearly Minke couldn't.
"Okay. I won't be long." And with one last smile, Elias disappeared into the crowd, towards the back of the stage.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:04 pm
Minke 6 With regret for his part in his own suffering, Minke watched the other hybrid leave, still hugging his arms to his chest. He looked over at his father, watched as Ballas carefully wrapped something up for an older Matori lady waiting at the counter. His father looked up, at the woman, smiling in a way that was so easy for him as she took the package.
How was his whole family able to be this confident but he was not? Why did he sweat so much? His palms were slippery against the sides of his arms. He could feel it through the thinness of his sleeves. Was there something wrong with him?
After a few minutes that felt like a lifetime, Elias returned, taking up his spot besides Minke, one hand at his side and the other resting on the hilt of his sword. He would say something first if he wasn't still panicking over being all alone. By the luck of the Gods, no one had tried to talk to him.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:05 pm
Elias 6 Just a quick check. That was all he wanted to do. Elias could feel the stares of boys his own age, who he only knew by name and never did utter much more than a few words with, on his back the whole way towards the stage and back to Minke. They always called him a momma's boy, as if being close to your parents was a bad thing. As if he should have total independence at his age. He wasn't ready for that. Not yet. He wasn't even a swordsman, not officially. He still took lessons from Cahira. Kids his age who had taken up weapon training were off on adventures of their own by now, seeing the world and gaining experience. He didn't feel the need to do that. Wasn't sure why. It made him feel a little self-conscious, like he was a slow bloomer or that he was doing something wrong. Shouldn't he want to do that? He did when he was a youngling. Back than, he couldn't wait until he was old enough to hold a real sword. Now he was and he wasn't doing anything with it, just carrying it around like a silly boy who thought the world in constant danger.
"They were good," he announced when he reached Minke's side, looking over at the other hybrid with a smile on his face. He noticed the very tense way the other boy was holding his shoulders. The way his fingernails were digging into his arm. Elias wasn't sure how exactly to help him calm down. Touching him would only make the panic worse. He glanced at Ballas, than back at Minke. "Think he'll let you leave, now? It's been half a hour."
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:06 pm
Minke 7 Would he? It was difficult to tell with Ballas sometimes. He thought a rougher approach was necessary with his son, when it was far from helpful to Minke to be pushed so roughly from behind to do something that caused him such stress. Sometimes he wished he'd left for Belrea with his sister. Surely his uncle couldn't be as bad as this? But than, the only time he'd ever travelled was when the family had moved as a unit from Belrea to Matori. He had never travelled alone before and had no desire to experience that.
He looked ath is father, pleading once more with his eyes. Ballas sighed, too far away to be heard, but the motion of his opened mouth and closed eyes all too obvious. Minke held his breath, expecting to see the older man shake his head once more. To his surprise, he didn't, but nodded, eyes still closed. As if he was too exhausted to bother refusing anymore.
Without answering Elias, the hybrid turned around and started walking briskly back towards the beach and his house. If Elias wanted to follow, he could. If not, Minke didn't really care. He was going home, where he was going to go straight into the water and remain there for hours, watching the fish swim around his fingers as he dived with them.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:06 pm
Elias 7 Watching the interaction, Elias felt more grateful for his parents than before. They didn't expect more of him than he already was and never have pushed him to do something he wasn't comfortable with doing like this. In fact, quite the opposite. Elka fretted so much over her children, she was perfectly fine with the change of heart her son had had since growing up. The world was dangerous. She couldn't bare having them out of her sight for too long, doing something she didn't know. What if they got seriously injured or worse while traveling? She might never know what happened to them if they failed to return home one day.
Kayde, on the other hand, was a little bit different. He didn't seem to worry about nearly as much as his wife did, taking life in stride and finding the positives about every situation. Elias was glad he inherited this side, because he felt nothing when Minke suddenly turned around and started to leave without him. Other than relief that the shy boy was allowed to leave, finally. He rushed after, walking easily at his side. "Did you want me to walk back with you?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2023 3:07 pm
Minke 8 Already he could feel the panic start to subside, as the noise of the festival slowly disappeared into the background. Not fast enough. Never fast enough.
But than he stopped, looking around him in confusion at the voice. The hybrid boy had entirely forgotten he was not alone in his relief to leave. Minke turned a sheepish smile on Elias, once more hugging himself, this time in embarrassment.
"'I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I...I didn't mean to leave like that."
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