wayfarers_lodge (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
wayfarers_lodge) wrote2008-11-17 01:35 am
wayfarers_lodge) wrote2008-11-17 01:35 am
{Two Stick} Learning the rules
Sixty odd years before current events...
Ignis woke to find Two Stick Lightning hard at work in the lab, carefully measuring a thick, viscous liquid from one clay beaker to another. He watched her for a few minutes, propping himself up on his elbow, admiring her iron concentration and lithe form, before easing himself into trous and walking towards her.
"Good morning," Two Stick replied, without even turning her head from her measurements, "Please don't touch me, this ichor is highly caustic."
He blinked with irritation, then tried to hide it with a smile. She noticed, but said nothing.
"Good morning to you too, Lightning girl. When you have a moment, will you get me some breakfast?"
"I'm in the middle of something important, Ignis," she replied, clearly distracted by her experiment, "You can get your own breakfast this morning, you know where the storehouse is."
He looked at her for a moment, eyes full of incredulity. Ignis's companion looked up from his makeshift perch, shifting from foot to foot with his partners agitation.
"My breakfast is important as well, Two Stick," he said carefully, anger starting to creep into his voice, "Be a good girl and go and fetch it for me, it won't take you very long."
"Or you can fetch it yourself, you're not a cripple, and this experiment is highly volatile. If you want to wait for your breakfast, I can do that in maybe an hour or two if nothing goes wrong."
He came up behind her, and put his hand on her shoulder heavily, fire tracing over his skin and in his hair. Kirrit stopped in the middle of his stirring and eyed Ignis cautiously, but Two Stick turned to her notebook, searching for something with her spare hand, seemingly unfazed.
"I did ask you not to touch me, Ignis, it would hardly be conducive to your health if I startled and threw acid in your face, let alone to the experiment."
"I don't think you understand, Lightning girl." He said, enunciating very clearly, switching to his native Ignan. "I asked you to fetch me breakfast, and you have a duty to do so. I won't ask again."
His fingers curled as he spoke, digging into her shoulder. She stopped and set the beaker down before speaking, her tone clear and measured, even in a tongue that was not her own.
"No, Firebird-Rising, I don't think YOU understand. I have DUTY to work on this experiment which SmokeStride-haram has asked me to complete. She doesn't ask much of me, and that which I can do, I must. I am not your apprentice or your slave, it is not my duty to do any fetching for you. You are fully grown, and do not need me to hold your hand in this. Now, are we done?"
She reached for the beaker again, expecting the argument to be over. Ignis's hand flashed out, clamping around her wrist, and spun her around to face him.
"You are my mate, Two Stick Lightning," he spat, not even noticing his voice rising in volume, "You are obliged to fetch and carry and lay down for me when I say."
Two Stick laughed, voice finally sharpening to anger.
"Your mate? I hardly think so. I'm a dalliance to you. I'm also not obliged to do anything I don't want to. Unlike your home, here i'm your equal. It's something you'd better get used to if you want to hang around."
He hissed with anger and lashed out, releasing his grip of her wrist to backhand her brutally across the face. She fell, and Kirrit squealed in panic, moving to go to her. The hawk glared and raised his wings threateningly, and Kirrit stopped, trembling in fear, as Ignis pulled Two Stick back to her feet by her throat, the touch of his hand burning her skin.
"How dare you dishonour me like that!" He shouted, voice crackling like fire.
"You dishonour yourself, Firebird-Rising," she replied, blood dripping from her mouth, "Coming into our village and trying to subjugate our ways with your own!"
Ignis looked at her again, eyes burning with anger and lust, before forcing his mouth onto hers, hand coming around to curl in her hair. Two Stick tried to pull away, and when she could not, she struck out, slapping his mouth away from hers. He replied with a snarl of anger, throwing her across the room and stalking after her. His fingers curled into a spell as his mouth twisted with rage.
"I'll show you, you little-"
He was cut off as a figure rammed him against the wall, lifting him from his feet and pinning his weapon hand. In the doorway, Ignis's hawk companion cried out in rage as it was pressed against the floor by a large panther, who snarled deeply.
"You'll show her nothing," said Silent Cry, voice shaking with anger as Ignis struggled under his grip, "You have no right to show her anything, you miserable little bastard. Now you listen to me. I tolerate you here because you make Two Stick Lightning happy most of the time, and your range of skills is of benefit to the tribe. But I swear before Silent Panther, the second she says she doesn't want your company anymore, I will run you out of here so fast that not even Falcon will be able to keep track of you. Our chieftan is a woman, as are some of our best hunters and mystics- you had best get used to women being your equals and your betters. If you treat her, or any other woman in this jungle in the way I just witnessed again, and you won't even hear me coming for you- that's if Smoke-Stride doesn't get to you first. You'd better hope she does. Are we clear, Firebird Rising? Say yes, Silent Cry."
Ignis gargled and nodded, eyes panicked, and Silent Cry dropped him onto the floor, turning to Two Stick.
"Are you alright, Two Stick?"
"Yes, Silent Cry, thank you. You didn't have to intercede, I had things under control."
Silent Cry laughed, a strained, frustrated laugh. "It didn't look like it from here, small mystic."
Two Stick shrugged, and nodded a little. "I imagine not. Now, if you and Midnight are finished destroying my lab, Vara?"
Silent Cry shook his head, smiling a little. "Yes, Urana, I'm done now." He reached down and kissed Two Stick on the forehead affectionately, albeit a little awkwardly, as his hands gently smoothed away the livid bruising on her cheek. Then turned to the panther. "Come on, Midnight, let the chicken up."
The panther made a soft, satisfied noise, and got up, following her companion out. Ignis pushed himself up into a sitting position, and looked at Two Stick for a long moment, eyes full of disbelief.
"Vara? That's Sylvan for Father, isn't it? The head Shaman is your father?"
Two Stick shrugged again.
"Yes? Why? Does it make a difference?"
"Why does he let you talk to him like that?"
"Because we're members of the same tribe, and we must be able to communicate effectively. I'm an adult now."
"Then... why did he defend you so fiercely?"
"He'd do the same for anyone else in the village that he thought needed it. Besides, he's still my father."
Ignis reflected on this in silence, rubbing his throat where the marks from Silent Cry's fingers were bruising.
"I... guess I should apologise."
"It's alright, I forgive you- it's not as if you'll forget the lesson now. Here, let's get some breakfast."
Ignis woke to find Two Stick Lightning hard at work in the lab, carefully measuring a thick, viscous liquid from one clay beaker to another. He watched her for a few minutes, propping himself up on his elbow, admiring her iron concentration and lithe form, before easing himself into trous and walking towards her.
"Good morning," Two Stick replied, without even turning her head from her measurements, "Please don't touch me, this ichor is highly caustic."
He blinked with irritation, then tried to hide it with a smile. She noticed, but said nothing.
"Good morning to you too, Lightning girl. When you have a moment, will you get me some breakfast?"
"I'm in the middle of something important, Ignis," she replied, clearly distracted by her experiment, "You can get your own breakfast this morning, you know where the storehouse is."
He looked at her for a moment, eyes full of incredulity. Ignis's companion looked up from his makeshift perch, shifting from foot to foot with his partners agitation.
"My breakfast is important as well, Two Stick," he said carefully, anger starting to creep into his voice, "Be a good girl and go and fetch it for me, it won't take you very long."
"Or you can fetch it yourself, you're not a cripple, and this experiment is highly volatile. If you want to wait for your breakfast, I can do that in maybe an hour or two if nothing goes wrong."
He came up behind her, and put his hand on her shoulder heavily, fire tracing over his skin and in his hair. Kirrit stopped in the middle of his stirring and eyed Ignis cautiously, but Two Stick turned to her notebook, searching for something with her spare hand, seemingly unfazed.
"I did ask you not to touch me, Ignis, it would hardly be conducive to your health if I startled and threw acid in your face, let alone to the experiment."
"I don't think you understand, Lightning girl." He said, enunciating very clearly, switching to his native Ignan. "I asked you to fetch me breakfast, and you have a duty to do so. I won't ask again."
His fingers curled as he spoke, digging into her shoulder. She stopped and set the beaker down before speaking, her tone clear and measured, even in a tongue that was not her own.
"No, Firebird-Rising, I don't think YOU understand. I have DUTY to work on this experiment which SmokeStride-haram has asked me to complete. She doesn't ask much of me, and that which I can do, I must. I am not your apprentice or your slave, it is not my duty to do any fetching for you. You are fully grown, and do not need me to hold your hand in this. Now, are we done?"
She reached for the beaker again, expecting the argument to be over. Ignis's hand flashed out, clamping around her wrist, and spun her around to face him.
"You are my mate, Two Stick Lightning," he spat, not even noticing his voice rising in volume, "You are obliged to fetch and carry and lay down for me when I say."
Two Stick laughed, voice finally sharpening to anger.
"Your mate? I hardly think so. I'm a dalliance to you. I'm also not obliged to do anything I don't want to. Unlike your home, here i'm your equal. It's something you'd better get used to if you want to hang around."
He hissed with anger and lashed out, releasing his grip of her wrist to backhand her brutally across the face. She fell, and Kirrit squealed in panic, moving to go to her. The hawk glared and raised his wings threateningly, and Kirrit stopped, trembling in fear, as Ignis pulled Two Stick back to her feet by her throat, the touch of his hand burning her skin.
"How dare you dishonour me like that!" He shouted, voice crackling like fire.
"You dishonour yourself, Firebird-Rising," she replied, blood dripping from her mouth, "Coming into our village and trying to subjugate our ways with your own!"
Ignis looked at her again, eyes burning with anger and lust, before forcing his mouth onto hers, hand coming around to curl in her hair. Two Stick tried to pull away, and when she could not, she struck out, slapping his mouth away from hers. He replied with a snarl of anger, throwing her across the room and stalking after her. His fingers curled into a spell as his mouth twisted with rage.
"I'll show you, you little-"
He was cut off as a figure rammed him against the wall, lifting him from his feet and pinning his weapon hand. In the doorway, Ignis's hawk companion cried out in rage as it was pressed against the floor by a large panther, who snarled deeply.
"You'll show her nothing," said Silent Cry, voice shaking with anger as Ignis struggled under his grip, "You have no right to show her anything, you miserable little bastard. Now you listen to me. I tolerate you here because you make Two Stick Lightning happy most of the time, and your range of skills is of benefit to the tribe. But I swear before Silent Panther, the second she says she doesn't want your company anymore, I will run you out of here so fast that not even Falcon will be able to keep track of you. Our chieftan is a woman, as are some of our best hunters and mystics- you had best get used to women being your equals and your betters. If you treat her, or any other woman in this jungle in the way I just witnessed again, and you won't even hear me coming for you- that's if Smoke-Stride doesn't get to you first. You'd better hope she does. Are we clear, Firebird Rising? Say yes, Silent Cry."
Ignis gargled and nodded, eyes panicked, and Silent Cry dropped him onto the floor, turning to Two Stick.
"Are you alright, Two Stick?"
"Yes, Silent Cry, thank you. You didn't have to intercede, I had things under control."
Silent Cry laughed, a strained, frustrated laugh. "It didn't look like it from here, small mystic."
Two Stick shrugged, and nodded a little. "I imagine not. Now, if you and Midnight are finished destroying my lab, Vara?"
Silent Cry shook his head, smiling a little. "Yes, Urana, I'm done now." He reached down and kissed Two Stick on the forehead affectionately, albeit a little awkwardly, as his hands gently smoothed away the livid bruising on her cheek. Then turned to the panther. "Come on, Midnight, let the chicken up."
The panther made a soft, satisfied noise, and got up, following her companion out. Ignis pushed himself up into a sitting position, and looked at Two Stick for a long moment, eyes full of disbelief.
"Vara? That's Sylvan for Father, isn't it? The head Shaman is your father?"
Two Stick shrugged again.
"Yes? Why? Does it make a difference?"
"Why does he let you talk to him like that?"
"Because we're members of the same tribe, and we must be able to communicate effectively. I'm an adult now."
"Then... why did he defend you so fiercely?"
"He'd do the same for anyone else in the village that he thought needed it. Besides, he's still my father."
Ignis reflected on this in silence, rubbing his throat where the marks from Silent Cry's fingers were bruising.
"I... guess I should apologise."
"It's alright, I forgive you- it's not as if you'll forget the lesson now. Here, let's get some breakfast."
no subject
It is an interesting image of Two Stick, as even slightly submissive...
no subject
The thing that surprised me is that I didn't realise that Silent Cry was her dad until I started writing this. :D
=^..^=
no subject
no subject
=^..^=