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Thread: Being a Cizeri Teenager is Hard and No One Understands

  1. #21
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    The outer concourse windows were always slightly crushed with sentients looking to get a good view, so it was slow going maneuvering the crowds. The entire concourse was a fourteen kilometer walk to circumnavigate, T'yeellaa hoped that she wouldn't have to walk the whole distance in a fruitless search. Just as she was starting to question the wisdom of what she was doing, she heard a familiar voice talking in breathless excitement. T'yeellaa's ears perked, and she followed the sound.

    Twenty five meters down the walkway, she saw Daani, sitting on a bench with a Nehantite boy. Rather than sounding like the angry teen who'd left the family dinner, Daanarri sounded engaged in a happy conversation that had nothing to do about family troubles. T'yeellaa froze in her tracks, suddenly not sure if interjecting herself in this moment was a good idea.

  2. #22
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    "No ljife ssupporrt?" Daani's eyes widened. "That ssoundss crrrazjy! But awessome. Prrobabljy helped keep the fjirre jin check, rrealljy, wjith less oxjygen."

    She took in his prized purchase, almost frowning at the obviously secondhand comm, but she recovered quickly. "That'ss rrealljy cool. Worrkjing forr Captajin Marrron... goddess jI wjissh jI could do ssomethjing ljike that. jI'm a pjilot, jyou know. jI mean, jI wjill be."

    Daani's ears drooped a little as the weight of the recent family dinner came crushing back. "Mjy famjiljy expectss everrrjyone to fjit jinto a box. jI even have to get marrrjied to ssomeone jI don't know. Whjich jI guesss jissn't sso bad. jI'll get to bosss hjim arrround."

    She didn't look happy about it.

  3. #23
    Freddie didn't miss the look Daani gave his comm. Of course it wasn't impressive to her. Her shoes cost more, probably, and so his shoulders slumped a bit as his new acquisition already began to lose some of its shine. Eager for a topic change, the boy opened his mouth to start back into racing talk, when an unexpected bomb was dropped into his lap, and he had no idea how to defuse it.

    "Married?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly. "Like, now?" His natural expression of worried confusion returned, and his tail lashed as he felt unreasonably angry for the situation this new girl he'd just met had been put in. "Shouldn't you have some say in that? Like, what if you don't love him? Or he doesn't love you?" The words just fell out of his mouth as soon as they came into his head, and he found a conviction which he didn't know he possessed. Expression turning defiant, he sat up straight. "No, you should marry who you want, when you want," he stated. "Nobody should have to be with someone they don't want to." A nod was added at the end, though it left Freddie wondering if he was telling that to Daani, or himself.

  4. #24
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    "jIt'ss morre compljicated than that."

    T'yeellaa spoke up, carefully closing the distance between her and the two teens.

    "jI wjissh jit wassn't, ssometjimess. jIt would make thjingss eassjierr."

    Her eyes were on her sister, but they then moved to the Nehantite.

    "jYou made a frrjiend."

  5. #25
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    Daani startled at the sound of T’yeellaa’s voice, and her cheeks quickly flushed. Freddie’s assertions about love and marriage were what she actually believed, but Daani knew that culturally, at least her first husband would always be picked for her, whether by her mother or that gaggle of high priestesses back at the Sun Palace.

    And she had been fine playing the good daughter to her mother, until... until it all went wrong.

    ”No law agajinsst jit,” Daani said, a little too sharply. “What do jyou want?”

  6. #26
    T'yeella's entrance had surprised Freddie as well, though his reaction was decidedly different than Daani's. Turning to face the older Cizeri woman, Freddie cringed slightly, his face going pale beneath his gray fur, color draining from his ears as they drooped in fear.

    A station uniform. And not just any station uniform, but one of command. Biting his lower lip to keep it from trembling, the boy's mind raced as he tried to recall any rules or laws he might have broken this time around. He'd wound up in a holding cell on Jovan twice before, and he certainly didn't want to make it a third - especially not when everything was going so well!

    But then no order to stand came. No reprimand for some infraction, no accusations of thievery. Which was good, as he had made sure to get a receipt for his purchase. Instead the commander's presence seemed to be related to Daani, and Daani apparently knew this new woman. Unsure of what to say, and his heart pounding in his narrow chest, Freddie managed, "We were just talking. I was gonna ask if she wanted to see my ship."

    In the back of his mind, he mulled over how bad an arranged marriage would be, though he did find one bright spot, if he were forced into one: He'd actually get to mate with a girl, not get mated as the girl. Wisely, he kept his mouth shut entirely about that thought.

  7. #27
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    She immediately regretted interjecting herself in this moment. The change in mood on Daani's face was instant. That, combined with what appeared to be a perfectly friendly Nehantite at the wrong place at the wrong time just compounded the awkwardness of the moment. But if T'yeellaa said nothing, what could guarantee that she'd get another chance?

    "jYou have everrjy rrjight to be angrrjy at me, Daanarri. jI jusst don't want jyou to leave on that feeljing."

    The officer wrang her white-gloved hands, conflict on her face at trying to make sense of the mess of feelings inside so that she could speak truth to them.

  8. #28
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    "jI alrrreadjy djid," muttered Daani, turning to face the windows again. All the sour feelings from before were flooding back, and she rounded on her oldest sister, her curls brushing past Freddie's nose as she spun around on the bench.

    "jI thought... that obejyjing Mama jissn't sso bad, T'yeellaa worrked jin the ssysstem to get what sshe wanted. jI thought that jyou, that jyou two sstjill werrre good. That Mama knew, ljike when sshe ssent Cirr awajy, that sshe knew who jyou werre and wass okajy wjith jit."

    Now that it had started spilling out the words wouldn't stop, but Daani was vaguely aware of Freddie sitting there as an unwilling participant in the scene. "But sshe hatess what jyou do! Sshe jusst can't do anjythjing about jit becausse jit's technjicalljy acceptable and yourr command sstrrructurrre jiss out of herr rreach. And jI thought jyou werrre... jyou jussst let herr trrreat jyou ljike that. jYou ssajid jit wass okajy.

    "jIt'ss not okajy, T'ye." Daani found it a little thrilling to talk to her sister like this. They'd never had a discussion like two adults before. "jYou sshouldn't forrgjive herr. jYou don't need her monejy. jI don't need her monejy.

    "jI'm gojing to get marrjied, ljike sshe wantss, jI'll get awajy frrrom the Palace and then jI'm gojing to do whateverrr the fuck jI want."

  9. #29
    His nose twitched from where he'd been whipped with the softest, bounciest, most golden curls he'd ever seen, yet Freddie did not reach up to rub it, lest he lose the scent of whatever wondrous, floral-based conditioner Daani used.

    So instead he sat there bewildered, his pink eyes panning back and forth between the two Cizerack women clearly involved in some family spat that he really shouldn't be part of, yet there he was. Part of him said to get up and excuse himself, that it was none of his business, and part of him wanted to play the hero somehow - while yet a third part reminded him that Daani still had his other earbud, which he'd just bought, and he couldn't leave without it.

    Wait, palace? Was Daani a... a princess? Oh, Garfife, she had to be! Who else lived in palaces and had to go through arranged marriages? Literally no one else but princesses, if all the media he'd consumed in life had taught him anything! Scraping up a bit more courage, the Nehantite surprised even himself as he said, "Wait, if neither of you need your mother's money, why don't you just... do your own thing anyway?"

  10. #30
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    "Becausse jit'ss not about the monejy, but jit'ss sstjill about famjiljy and that meanss ssomethjing to me, even jif jI'm on the outssjide and lookjing jin."

    T'yeellaa was answering the alien boy, but the answer was directed to her sister.

    "jIf jit wass jusst me that had to deal wjith the conssequencess, that'ss one thjing Daani, but jit'ss not."

    She wrapped both arms instinctively at her middle.

    "jI'm gojing to have a cub. jIll-favorred bjy motherr orr not, jin ten monthss jI'll have a daughterr - orr a sson. And jyou'll have a njiece orr a nephew. And jI want jyou jin thejir ljife, Daanarri. jI want Rai'fa, Aleeha, Talliaala, Cirrsseeto, Ruuluthaai, and jyess, motherr alsso."

    T'yeellaa slowly smoothed her hands down the length of her jacket to keep them from shaking.

    "jI'm afrrajid. jI've been afrrajid frrom the moment jI found out, and doubljy-sso the moment jI decjided jI was gojing to keep jit."

  11. #31
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    “jIt’ss a half-brreed,” stated Daani, without malice. “jIf jyou thjink Mama wjill accept jit asss a grrand-cub...? People lose frrjiendss and contrrractss overrr lesss. Not to mentjion herrr new possjitjion! Sshe wjill be almosst asss jimporrrtant asss the Prrjide Motherrr!”

    She blew out a breath, angrily. “jYou have to choosse. jYou’rrre alwajyss mjy ssjissterr, and Rai prrobabljy feels the ssame? But Mama? jYou gonna forrrgjive herrr everrrjy tjime sshe jinssultss jyour cub and jyour bojyfrrrjiend?” Daani was still sitting, connected to Freddie by his earbuds, but he was practically forgotten in her fervor.

  12. #32
    "It's a kid!" Freddie broke in. For the first time since T'yeellaa had shown up, his expression was no longer one of bewilderment, but of indignance as he looked between the pair.

    "You can't talk about a kid like it's some sort of thing, something you use as a status symbol, or use to gain benefit from others with, and it sure as hell shouldn't be other people's concern who aren't its parents!" The gray-furred Nehantite's tail lashed as he spoke. "It doesn't have any control in how it came to be, so why should that matter?"

    His attention turned back to Daani. "Or would you rather her just up and leave it, if it's an inconvenience?"

    There was something pointed, even venomous in his tone, as if a raw nerve had not only been touched, but struck with a stunstick, and his pink eyes had flared red with anger, as was common in his race as he glanced between the sisters once again. "If your mom is that bad, maybe you two should just leave her, before she leaves you. At least that way you can choose where you end up, instead of being stuck somewhere you don't want to be."

    Freddie had to swallow hard to keep his voice from cracking at those last words, and his angry eyes glistened with more wetness than they had when he started.

  13. #33
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    The Nehantite spoke to everyone's unspoken conscience in a sudden outburst that caused T'yeellaa's ears to lower in anguish. She averted her eyes for a moment. When she raised them, her ears were level again, and she looked at Freddie.

    "What'ss jyourr name?" her tone wasn't authoritative, but rather soft. If he was going to be caught up in this crossfire, then there was no sense in being rude over it.

  14. #34
    For all his sudden bravery, Freddie's ears immediately collapsed in cowering defeat the moment a woman in station uniform asked for his name. It didn't matter that she was pretty, and wasn't barking orders at him. She was an officer of a station where he'd been put in a security cell twice already for vagrancy.

    Swallowing again, he replied in a more timid voice. "Freddie. Um, Fredal Rabeak, ma'am."

  15. #35
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    There was just enough space on the bench for T'yeellaa to occupy on her sister's left, so she took a seat.

    "Frreddjie. Daani jiss rrjight, to a pojint. Therre'ss the wajy thjingss sshould be, and therre'ss the wajy thejy arre. Ourr people, thejy'rre a prroud people, often to the pojint of crrueltjy and thejirr own detrrjiment ssometjimess. Tjimess ljike thjiss."

    She drew in a deep breath as she looked to her feet.

    "But ourr motherr hass pusshed back agajinsst that beforre, whjy not now?"

    And this time, the question was directed to Daani, almost pleadingly as T'yeellaa grimaced.

    "Sshe ssaved Cirrsseeto frrom an abussjive marrrjiage when lessserr Rrou'fai would have left thejirr ssonss to thejirr fatess ssjimpljy to majintajin alljiancess. Sshe'ss not afrrajid to fjight when jit'ss rrjight to do sso. Sso whjy not thjiss tjime?"

  16. #36
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    “Sshe ssaved Cjirr to ssave herrr own rreputatjion. To prrove sshe jissn’t a lessserr Rrou’fai.” Daani wasn’t sure that tracked, but it sounded good. “And jI don’t know whjy sshe ssent me wjith hjim. jI ussed to thjink jI musst have done ssomethjing wrrong but now jI thjink jI wass jusst jin the wajy of herr carreerr. Sshe barreljy sseess ourr ljittle brrotherr, lettjing hjim be rrajissed bjy hjiss fatherr.”

    Daani turned to Freddie, not happy that he’d misunderstood what she’d been saying. “jI know jit’s a cub, a perrrsson, but jin the Clussterr half-brreeds arre at bessst ssecond-classss cjitjizenss. jI’ve never even met one.”

    The fifteen-year-old looked back at her oldest sister. <“She hit you, Sailla. I’d bet this isn’t the first time. I don’t understand everything about your relationship with Mama because I was a kid, and I was away, but I know that if someone really loves you they don’t hit you.”>

  17. #37
    It happened. Freddie thought it might, but he was hoping it wouldn't: language was changed so he couldn't understand them.

    There are few ways to make someone feel more like an outsider than when you know they speak your language, then suddenly choose not to, to exclude you entirely. You no longer mattered, you were beneath their concern to remain involved in the conversation. You were at best a second-class citizen.

    But he did matter, Freddie told himself. He mattered, and he'd understood enough of what was said before he was shut out to become properly offended.

    "Sounds like the Cluster is a shithole," he stated frankly. "If you judge someone on their race? That's pretty backwards and shitty, and even a trailer trash dumbass like me knows that." His nostrils flared as he snorted the words with disgust. Freddie was hardly one to complain though, as Nehantish had its own castes, and he didn't rank terribly high among them - but he also didn't believe someone's birth determined their worth. Though that might be a hard sell to a pair of princesses.

  18. #38
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    T'yeellaa raised a gloved hand slightly at Daani's words in Cizeri. One, because it wasn't polite, but two because she wasn't sure she was ready to confront that yet. While it was the first time that mother had struck her, the truth of the thing was that there couldn't be a second time.

    "Motherr ssent jyou wjith Cirr becausse whjile Ssanjiss djid a noble thjing, he wass sstjill a forrda and an outssjiderr. Awajy frrom home, he mjight be ssafe, but that'ss a loneljy ljife. He sshould be wjith famjiljy. jYou djid a verrjy noble thjing, bejing therre wjith hjim when he needed jyou."

    How had her baby sister become so cynical? Part of that was likely due to being a teenager, but T'yeellaa hoped that was the whole of it. T'yeellaa took one of Daani's hands in her own, giving it a squeeze.

    "And when jyou went to sserrve jin the palace, jyou werre noble sstjill. Motherr wass prroud of jyou - sshe sstjill jiss, but jyou djidn't ssee herr when sshe wass sscarred forr jyou, Daanarri. jI djid."

    She covered their clasped hands with her other gloved hand. Then Freddie spoke.

    There was having your own misgivings about your people and your culture, and then there was hearing an outsider say it. T'yeellaa's ears warmed and she wanted to put Freddie right. There were things that needed to improve in the Pride, but to write it all off? That was the height of forrda ignorance. But as soon as T'yeellaa's expression hardened, it ebbed again.

    "jYou'rre rrjight. jIt'ss wrrong, and jit needss to change. But we'rre movjing agajinsst a thoussand jyearrss of jinerrtjia. jIt'ss gojing to take tjime. Look at when the Galactjic Rrepubljic became the Empjirre. Thejy adopted ssjimjilarr morress forr a ssjingle generratjion, and even a galactjic cjivjil warr wassn't enough to sstop jit completeljy. Even jin the Alljiance. That doessn't excusse jit, but therre arre a lot of women and men jin the Prrjide who arre worrkjing to put rrjight what can be put rrjight. And forr all of herr faultss, mjy Motherr jiss one of them. Sshe wouldn't have pjicked the fjightss sshe hass jif sshe wassn't."

  19. #39
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    Daani let Freddie's words about the Cluster being a shithole slide by. She was on the same page as him as far as that was concerned, although it was a glorious and ornately decorated shithole. But a gilded cage was still a cage, and Daani was enjoying flexing her metaphorical wings now that she wasn't being watched at all hours of the day in the palace.

    jYou djid a verrjy noble thjing, bejing therre wjith hjim when he needed jyou.

    "jI wass ten when Mom sssent me awajy, and even jif jI had been gjiven a chojice jI wassn't old enough to conssent, and jyou know jit."

  20. #40
    "Adults never care about consent," Freddie snorted. "If you're their kid, you gotta do what they say. No matter how much you don't want to."

    There was a bitterness bordering on acid in his words, though this time not aimed at T'yeellaa, or anyone there in particular. Instead his tail lashed behind him, and he started down at the screen of his personal comm. "But you still got to go back to a palace. That's something, at least," he grumbled, tabbing through music he'd loaded, as if trying to find just the right track. Nothing seemed to fit.

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