Chapter 35
Vale A Dire Vita
It was dark now as Stone and Sedena walked tiredly down the street of the New Mexican suburb to their home. Zuli and Rose had offered to drive them down here when they arrived at their house, but Stone and Sedena had decided to do the short walk back to their home. It was eleven at night, and the few stars not hidden by the light pollution of the town shined brightly in the sky, some twinkling.
"Let's fly next time," yawned Sedena.
"Yeah, sure," Stone replied in a groggy tone. The two of them walked into their house, went to their rooms, dropped their bags on the ground, and simply plopped on their beds. They planned on getting up after resting their eyes...but they slept until nine the next morning, before they were awoken.
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Stone snorted in sleepy surprise when the doorbell rang. He immediately sat up, rubbed his eyes, stretched, and shuffled down the hall to get to the door, Sedena peaking out her room to see what was going on.
Stone reached for the door and opened it, and was surprised to see a Sangheili woman and man he had never seen before standing there...no, he had seen them before.
"Stone Gossard?" asked the man.
"Yeah," he replied, trying not to sound like he had just woken up.
"I am Raina Loava, this is my Life Mate, Risonda Meava. We are Faino Murava's parents," Raina told Stone, who was now fully awake.
"Oh, greetings," he said, surprised at their appearance.
"We have to thank you, Stone," Risonda told him. "If it were not for you...Faino would have died...and we would have never even known."
"We have been waiting all week for you to return, just to express our gratitude. Also, some reconciliation with how we looked upon your species, and how I treated Faino for wanting to come here," Raina told him, seeming to have difficulty admitting it. Through shame, it looked.
"That's alright," Stone told them. "We all make mistakes."
"No, you were on the bad end of the war; and yet, Faino tells us, you have a Sangheili girl as a daughter. That shows more strength in a person than any physical attribute. Strength in the heart is what counts the most," Risonda said.
"Well...she was just a girl at the wrong place at the wrong time, and our relationship just blossomed during the time we were together," Stone said, feeling a little on the spot.
"Well, thank you again, Stone. For opening our eyes. What you said to me on the phone those nights ago was powerful, and I will never forget it," Raina held out his hand to Stone, and he shook it.
"It was something I had to do," Stone replied. Raina nodded, then glanced at his wife. She nodded, looked at Stone saying, "Farewell," then both turned and marched down the driveway and down the road. Stone watched them until they disappeared from view, then shut the door gently. He glanced at Sedena when she approached.
"You have all the fun," she told him. Both stared at each other for a few moments, then broke into laughter.
5 years later
Sedena had turned thirteen only five days ago (Stone had turned thirty-one along with her, since they shared the same birthday), and changes had already began rearing their heads on the teenage girl. She was a good seven feet, two inches now, was proficient in swordsmanship, as N'tho had trained her in the sword when she was age twelve, had a strong drive to accomplish her goals (more so than before), and was eagerly awaiting when she turned fourteen in the next year so she could go off to the military academy on Sangheilios.
Though there were certain changes that were more...touchy with Sedena. For starters, the worn out and aging hooves covering her feet were beginning to lose feel (atleast a few weeks ago, now they were dull and loose). Stone had asked Irisoi on this and she said the nerves of her regular feet were beginning to develop, and leave behind the hardened hooves. Stone wondered why Sangheili weren't just born with bare feet, but they hardly knew either. She was getting rather moody with them, though. But Stone wasn't that worried.
Sedena sighed lightly as she laid on her side, on her bed, reading a book. "The Killers" by Ernest Hemingway. Technically it was a book of short stories by said writer, but she seemed to enjoy the classics like Hemingway, Stephen King, John Steinbeck and so-on. Over the years, Stone had hardly needed to home school her. She mostly did things herself, and when she submitted tests to the state so they could analyze her knowledge, they responded positively. Sedena was even good at human math, unlike Stone, who said he was terrible, but he just plain didn't like doing it. She mostly did online courses with the math, and she seemed to enjoy them. But it was history she was the most interested in, human as well as Sangheilian history. Science: above average. Math: above average. Social studies: above average. But history, as well as writing and reading, she was phenomenal in. She had a knack for writing poems, not quite as dark as the ones she had wrote of her brother and mother years ago, but ranging from different emotional themes, sometimes dark. Reading...well, she had her own small bookcase full of books she had bought from various yard sales, library book sales, and fewer new from stores.
One (of many) thing(s) Stone could not wrap his head around, was how she read while listening to music. Currently while she read the story, "It's A Fire" by Portishead was playing on her MP3 player speaker-set. Well, atleast her own music. If Stone was playing some kind of hard rock or punk rock band she would tell him to turn it down. But when it was Trip-Hop, classical (especially cello or vollo music), or ambient electronica, she read just fine. Of course, Sedena had to say to Stone,
"Compared to how you were when you were younger, you're not as cocky...but I'll be damned if you lose your corny annoying tendencies."
"Then begone with you to hellfire, damned one," Stone would reply with said corny annoying tendencies. "And for your hypocrisy as well, since you commonly take part in my shenanigans."
"Occasionally," she would correct vehemently.
Stone had not changed much...he was too old for that.
But what with speaking of changes and adjustments, they are ripe within teen years...
Sedena blinked in surprise when she felt a warm liquid trickling inside thighs. She dropped the book and pulled the covers off herself.
"Son of a bitch!" she shouted in anger, seeing blood trickling through her thin skirt onto the bed. "Fuck!"she yelled in rage, jumping off her bed, grabbing a spare towel that was sitting in her bed-side hamper and putting it between her legs.
"What?" asked Stone, stepping into the room, looking somewhat alarmed. "Oooh..." he said evenly when he saw the problem, his male instincts (or more like common sense, "instincts" was a slightly humorous exaggeration) telling him to go neutral.
"Out of my way," Sedena snapped at him as she walked as best she could with the towel between her legs, Stone obliging immediately. Stone had been wondering if she would have a menstruation period. She wasn't a mammal...but she wasn't a reptile either. Coming from a different planet, she wasn't of any animal class like on Earth.
"Bullshit," she grumbled while waddling to the bathroom, looking rather silly with the towel between her legs; but Stone would not dare comment on that or anything else. She yelped however when she tripped and fell on her face.
"You alright?" Stone asked, going over to her and reaching, but she snarled,
"I'm fine!"
"Hey, asshole! Let me help out! Yes, your first period, but I'm your father and have a right to help you," Stone snapped back, putting her to shame slightly. He gripped her arm and pulled her up (with some difficulty). Sangheili had heavy bone and muscle density, but she had extra muscles to boot. Most humans would be surprised to see her workout area in the garage, consisting of heavy weights, bench presses and other warrior exercise tools. But Sangheili wouldn't be so surprised.
He led her to the bathroom, and she sat on the toilet lid (the toilet resized for her as well...and Sedena poked fun at Stone when he had installed an extra, human-sized rim to go over the large Sangheilian one, like a child's lid over an adult's). Stone then saw why she had tripped. Her hooves were peeling off completely now.
"Oh good, more," she mumbled, lifting her leg and reaching for her foot. She pulled off the pieces of hoof and dropped them in the waste basket. When she was finished, she massaged her brown feet, then sat there to wait for the period to pause.
"I'll get you pads, okay?" he told her.
"Fine..." she said, looking away from him.
"Hey, don't be embarrassed, it's natural," he said, patting her shoulder.
"Yeah, but my father going to get me pads?" she asked him.
"So?"
"...okay..." she sighed, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry about snapping at you like that."
"You're a chick, you're supposed to get moody during this time," he replied, and she pouted at him.
"You always know just what to say, and when." He smiled with a wink then turned to leave the house for the stores. "Oi," moaned Sedena, then made a facepalm. She shut the door to the bathroom and removed her stained underwear and skirt. A single piece skirt, not attached to a shirt. She had a cloth wrapped around her chest and over her pectoral muscles, a common piece of Sangheili female attire during the Hot Cycle (or in Sedena's case, Summer). More elaborate cloth pieces were crisscrossed, and she had a few of those. It rather bemused Stone, as he didn't think her as the "fashion type". She rebuked,
"Yes, Stone, I do like to wear nice things every now and then. Is there a problem with that? Does it make me too 'girlie'?" Of course he would never answer, just look away in embarrassment.
Sedena waited for five minutes before she heard Stone walk into the house and up to the bathroom door.
"Got it," he said. Sedena opened the door a crack and Stone poked his hand in, with a box of Sangheili-sized pads. Stone waited for a moment while she did her business...ahem, other business, but she opened the door a crack.
"Stone, I need some leggings and underwear," she told him.
"Oh," he said, quickly retrieving her underwear and a pair of pants. She finally emerged from the bathroom, still looking a bit annoyed, but glad to be through with this stage. The rest of the period should be easy(er) with the pads.
"Thank God it happened now and not at N'tho's- shit! N'tho!" she exclaimed, running to the door. "See ya, Stone!" she yelled over her shoulder.
"No shoes!?" he called. She made a growling shout of frustration, and quickly pulled on the shoes he had bought her for when her feet emerged. After she pulled them on, she ran out the door.
"Oi..." moaned Stone, making a facepalm.
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Sedena stumbled slightly as she jogged down the hill into the downtown area, but regained her footing. It was slightly different with regular feet now, but getting accustomed would be easy. Zuli had managed when his hooves had come off. She jogged for another fifteen minutes until she came to N'tho's trailer. The ol' master would probably give her a little grief for arriving late for the first time...ever. But when she stepped into his trailer, he and Zuli were sitting on the couch, discussing something.
"Oh, Sedena. One moment," N'tho said to her. "Me and Zuli were just discussing the academy training."
"Not much," Zuli said, shrugging.
"What have I said about underestimating?" asked N'tho.
"Eh, maybe not," he murmured, N'tho smiling slightly at that.
"You can manage, Zuli. The seven months will be good for you. You are probably going to be expecting Kaidon Quzaf to be at the graduation ceremony anyway."
"He reminded me," Zuli said with a smile.
"I as well. Contacted my grandparents for our contact information. Email," Sedena spoke up.
"One more thing—you arrived at the right time, even though you're late—" N'tho added to Sedena quickly, then at both her and Zuli, "The Ascension Battle is coming. I know you know what it is, but as a Master I have to explain it to you officially. Three weeks before your admission to a military academy, you will be fighting me, your master, in a fierce battle. Wounds will be inflicted upon both student and teacher, but without lethality. Skin to be torn, blood to be shed, bones to be racked; but whether the student loses or wins the battle is not a factor. It will be the master who judges the performance, and accepts it. I am doubtless I will accept both of you, but that means you will be fighting me valiantly."
"Of course, Master," both Sedena and Zuli replied simultaneously.
"Very good. Zuli, I bid you farewell for now; Sedena, the usual," N'tho said to both. Sedena and Zuli made small farewell waves at each other before each going out opposing exits. Zuli the front, Sedena the back to the sparring ring with N'tho.
"Any particular reason you arrived late?" N'tho asked, not harshly, but rather flatly.
"I would only be half-honest to say my first menstruation period reared its head and took up time; but I was lost in a book and music before that," Sedena told him.
"Humph," was N'tho's slightly displeased response as he took off his shoes, shirt, and stepped into the ring; Sedena following suit.
"Apologies, I will pay more attention to the time in the future," Sedena said to him levelly.
"We'll see," N'tho said, then charged her. He grabbed her, but she counter grabbed and attempted to floor him before he to her, but he twisted from her grasp in a retreating motion. N'tho didn't comment on her quick thinking, it was all she could manage lately. He had already commented on it beforehand, but it was common now.
"Again with a playful dance, now," N'tho said, referring that their spars were evenly matched, with no wins or losses. Both of them engaged, grabbing, pulling, pushing, rolling, ducking; but none of them would let the other win. This lasted for a good half-hour, before N'tho called it quits and they performed the balancing on the cliff side. Thankfully, no incidents like N'tho's fall from five years ago had occurred since then. As they scaled the cliff, N'tho spoke up,
"Would you rather I tell what's in store for you at the academy now, or at our break?"
"If you can multi-task, right now would be fine," Sedena replied.
"Very well then. The tests will be improving your speed, reaction time, reflexes and quick thinking in high-pressure situations; but also patience, stealth, duration through multiple days, and survivalism in dire situations. Much training will be outside in the wilderness, sometimes for one-day spars between teams—teamwork is another skill to be taught—and other days you train at the academy grounds. Obstacle courses, sparring with new foes individually, and speed in setting up equipment. For example, if you are suddenly under attack while off guard, you will be trained how to put on your armor in a rush, but with enough serenity to put it on efficiently. Sometimes competitions are held to see who puts on armor the fastest. There is a minimum to the speed of that, and it is not low. Perhaps I will demonstrate when we return to my home," N'tho offered. They reached the end, and both turned to walk the opposite direction back to where they had started, Sedena leading.
"You still have your old armor?"
"Yes. Those who have been given the privilege to keep their armor for sentimental value have a choice in keeping it, or offering it to the next generation of warriors."
"Hm..." was Sedena's only response. She was currently excited for Zuli. Next week he would be performing the Ascension Battle with N'tho ("ascension" for the rise to the next level of training), and three weeks after that, Sedena and the rest of his friends would be seeing him and N'tho off to Sangheilios. N'tho would be representing Zuli, who had to meet several Councilors and trainers (including the Kaidon of the state) before being admitted to the academy. As famous as N'tho was, Sedena and Zuli had a strong chance of being accepted. Just a small test beforehand, then the rest of the judging would ultimately be laid upon the course of the seven month training period. And even though N'tho was famous, he was still young for a trainer, and the judges would be a little more critical.
The two of them finished their cliff scaling, went to the backyard again for the stretches, and the Dance Of Strength. When that was finished, they both went inside for a drink of water, and then N'tho retrieved his armor. Sedena watched in interest as N'tho simply dropped all the pieces of armor on the floor.
"Sometimes you are expected to keep them in an organized pile, other times you can just drop them anywhere that is convenient for you," N'tho told her as he stood next to the pile of his old, cobalt Spec Ops armor. "When training with them at the academy, they usually drop them in a disorganized pile to create more challenge when going for different pieces."
"I'm guessing I will have to put the pieces on in a certain order, and not just snap on whatever I can get my hands on."
"You guess correct. Take another guess of putting them in an order."
Sedena thought for a moment. Then answered, "Feet to the head."
"A common mistake," N'tho said with a small smile, Sedena frowning however. "We put our armor on from the head, then to the feet. If you are interrupted in the middle of assembling, would you rather have your feet and legs cut? Or lose your head?"
"If you are wounded in the legs, then you cannot walk," Sedena pointed out.
"A true statement, but I know you can add something right there."
"We always have the risk of dying, in many ways. And death is random, sometimes you can see it and halt it, but other times you have no chance of stopping it."
"Exactly. But you still have your teammates to help you if you are wounded in the legs. And it is not like your arms or eyes or fingers cannot work to aim and operate a weapon." N'tho then knelt down and began assembling the pieces at a pace that even surprised Sedena. Helmet, mandible guards, chest plate, arm guards, pelvic piece, leg guards, and finally the armored boots. It happened in forty-five seconds.
"A little uncomfortable without the undersuit, sharp edges, but effective," N'tho said, doing a slow spin for Sedena to see. "It takes weeks of practice, some can learn quickly, some learn slowly; but we all learn. Guaranteed."
"But the armor is different now," Sedena said.
"Yes. Assault harnesses are Special Operations default armor now. Helmets that cover the entire head and neck, unlike my old outdated wear," N'tho said as he began to take off his armor again. "I imagine the head wear will be more tricky, but the rest simple as the old armor."
"Anything else to demonstrate?" asked Sedena. N'tho seemed hesitant at that, which Sedena knew that also meant he was dead serious.
"It would not be right if I 'demonstrated' it, but it is a...domestic problem that has been floating around lately. Sexual abuse. Serious sexual abuse, not just some dumb jock that wants to pinch your ass or give you a lick or bite. Molestation between trainers and students, outright rape between students and students. Sedena, I know how strong you are, but you can be as vulnerable as a cornered animal if a man attempting to rape you forces you into thee position." Sedena could help but shiver at the prospect of that happening. "I am not trying to discourage you...just to warn you as a concerned friend. Human military suffers the same as well. Men may be strong in physical strength, but we are weak and pathetic when it comes to intelligence, and sexual feelings. Women can be, but men are the most weak. The weakness and ego of being stronger than a female physically turns into terrible things."
"I will be careful, I promise," Sedena told him.
"I doubt it will happen where you are going, but yes, be careful. Despite these happenings, men and women are still bunked together for sleeping. They just make sure there are enough of both genders in each bunking quarters to keep a rapist from gathering so-called 'courage'," N'tho snorted in disgust. "Courage my ass..." he muttered.
"Zuli will be able to tell me who to watch out for when he gets back," Sedena told him, and he smiled a little.
"That's true. Also a little bit of information you might find interesting, some Spartan fours are training there to be more used to teaming with Sangheili...didn't Dan and Mellisa want to volunteer to be Spartan fours when they were of age, their cockamamie plan of staying with you and Zuli?" asked N'tho.
"Them?" asked Sedena in surprise. "No! No," she said, shaking her head. "But they are going to their own Special Forces training when sixteen, so they can try and get a place on the local ship. It is a pretty cockamamie plan, Pete is kind of pissy at them."
"Why would he be like that?" asked N'tho.
"You know humans," Sedena said with a smirk, and N'tho chuckled.
"Not nice, Sedena; but yes, we know them well." N'tho gathered his armor pieces then brought them back to his room, Sedena standing from the chair and stretching.
"Just one more year, Sedena," N'tho said as he came from his room again, "Hang in there."
"While Zuli brags how challenging, hard, but somewhat fun the academy is over emails," Sedena sighed.
"Well...deal with it, Hakrenini. Goodbye, Sedena," N'tho said.
"Bye," she replied, then left the trailer. As she walked up the road back to town, she felt like she was being watched, then knew what was coming next. She dove out of the way just in time as someone landed where she had been only moments ago. She rolled from her dive and faced the attacker, Aralo.
"I'll keep doing that for all time, Sedena. You may be able to expect it, but one day I'll get you good," she told Sedena with a challenging grin, Sedena matching the expression.
"And one day I'll counter-attack you good," she replied. She then looked over her shoulder as both Zuli and Morva surrounded her. "Now this is hardly fair," Sedena stated. Aralo only shrugged and advanced on Sedena, the boys doing the same. "So what are you going to do?"
"Just a friendly spar," Morva said, but Sedena saw the mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes.
"Oh re-" she was cut off as Aralo pounced on her to the ground. She cried out in surprise as the others grabbed her. Zuli took her arms, and Morva took her legs.
"What are you doing?" she asked, surprised at this...rather unprofessional act.
"Being unprofessional, just having fun," Zuli said. Sedena looked to where the boys were taking her.
"Oh fuck my life," she said when they came to the calm, but steady Rio Grande river. Zuli and Morva grinned at each other, while Aralo watched with her arms crossed.
"Sedena...payback for attacking me in the graveyard in Maine."
"That was five years ago!" Sedena cried, but she was having just as much fun as they were.
"One," said Morva and Zuli together, swinging Sedena.
"Don't do it, I can get you a helicopter and a suitcase of cash," Sedena said to them.
"Two!"
"I've got snipers!"
"Three!" They let go and Sedena flew into the air, over the bank, over the water, and she plunged in with a big splash, her three friends cackling madly on shore. Sedena swam up from the warm waters. It was nice in this part of June, the desert getting hot as Summer was visible around the corner.
"There's something wrong, though," Sedena said to them.
"And what's that?" asked Zuli. Sedena held her arm out of the water, into the air to show them an object.
"You owe me a new TracPhone."
"Oh, shit, sorry," said Morva sheepishly.
"Nothing to cry over," Sedena said as she swam to shore and stood with them, dripping. They stepped back from her whenever she got close. "Oh, but why would you start away from me?" asked Sedena in mock obliviousness. She raised her arm and sniffed her arm pit. "Do I offend?"
"More than you know, stinker," Morva said to her.
"Right, now I have to change and be late with helping Tabitha at the shop," Sedena sighed.
"Yeah, you were late, what's up?" Zuli asked as they began walking back to town.
"I had my...lady period," Sedena said, nodding down at her lower body.
"Oooh," they all replied in understanding.
"And the pad is all soaked up now too," Sedena realized in annoyance.
"Well you were going along with us with a big stupid grin on your face," Morva said defensively.
"Yeah, it's my fault," she conceded.
"You're just being modest, Sedena. You're a lady, you can give men shit whenever, where ever, for whatever," Aralo told her.
"I'm not at that stage yet, they're still going to like me," Sedena said with a smile, walking between Morva and Zuli and drawing them close to her, arms over their shoulders.
"Oh, Playgirl, huh?" asked Aralo.
"Ayuck yuck," Morva said with a goofy grin, Zuli grinning the same way, but Sedena automatically pushed them away at that.
"No," she stated simply, then they all laughed.
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Sedena walked into her house, then kicked her soaking shoes off at the mat to the side of the mud floor. Just a square of tile where people would take of their muddy shoes and hang up coats, not a whole room dedicated to it. She stepped into the house, and Stone looked over his shoulder from the couch.
"Are you taking water training now or something?" he asked in surprise.
"No, it was just Zuli, Morva and Aralo getting revenge on me for something that happened five year ago," she answered simply, leaving Stone bemused and amused. He was curious as to exactly what she was speaking of, but some obliviousness of what your child did sometimes (as long as it was harmless) is what gave them their fun mysteriousness.
Sedena currently had a part-time job helping aging Tabitha Cutler in her clothes shop. The woman was around one-hundred thirty years old, and still kicking, but getting old is getting old. You lose energy more rapidly, and forgetfulness is a part. But she was still well, and qualified for the job. She just needed a little more help when handling lots of customers and working on clothes, as she was a seamstress as well. Sedena was never one for work like that, but it was fun when with Tabitha, and it felt good to help. A little more original than just helping her across the street as well (not that she needed help with that). Sedena changed her clothes yet again, this time just wearing a white tank-top and denim jeans. Stone commented that no matter how long he saw Sedena in those jeans over the years, Sangheili would always look funny in them. She would say back,
"Why are you looking in the first place, Dad?" The last response she expected from him, but received, was,
"Because you're smoldering hot and sexy in those tight jeans, pretty girl." They laughed afterwards, of course. Sedena finished changing, got her shoes back on, then went right out the door again.
"Don't mind me," Stone murmured to himself with a small smile.
Sedena slipped some headphones over her head, then turned on her MP3 player, playing "Map Of The Promblematique" by Muse. She had stopped Stone dead in his tracks before he even started making fun of her "typical teenage gadget wanting" when she had first gotten it.
"You have the same damned thing, only with shit metal music. I want my own with good music," she had said to him, and he was too surprised to even make a smirk. Atleast a few bands like Muse, Radiohead and Pearl Jam they held in common, but she thought all the Marylin Manson, Disturbed, Anti-Flag and Sex Pistols was annoying. She was into ambient electronica like Solar Fields and Aes Dana as well, which put Stone to sleep. It put Sedena to sleep too, but Stone only fell asleep in boredom and not wanting to hear it. Sedena enjoyed going to sleep to it.
She arrived at the downtown area and walked into the clothes shop. Several customers, both human and Sangheili, were there, speaking with Tabitha as she showed some custom dresses to a pair of Sangheili women.
"Ah, Sedena, just in time. Hope you don't mind some grunt work, a truck dropped off some delivery boxes out back, could you unpack them and put the clothes in the bins for us to sort through later?" Tabitha requested.
"Sure," said Sedena, going to the back. She entered the small garage area, where the door was open and several wooden crates were outside in the sunny pavement. The shop was up to a hill, and a large concrete wall kept the hill at bay from he rest of the shops and mainstreet from being buried, since allot of dirt usually seeped off in the storms. Atop the hill was a water tower as well.
Sedena grabbed one crate and pried it open with a crowbar, and saw it was a mix of denim jeans and different pairs of other dressy pants. There were some wheelie sorting bins in the garage, and Sedena usually organized dresses, shirts, jackets, pants and etcetera into each bin to bring into the shop and put on display. The work was pretty easy, and Tabitha paid a little more than Sedena actually worked for, but she was like a second grandmother to Sedena almost.
As she dropped the clothes in the bins, she didn't notice as Morva peaked from outside, and then walk in. She turned when she heard him.
"Hey, what's going on?" she asked, not expecting him to show up here.
"Eh..." was his only reply.
"One of those days?" she asked with a smile. "You just came to look at my ass." She turned to him as he looked surprised. Then he smiled.
"Hey, I'm in puberty and am hormonal, I can't help it," he said to her. She turned to him fully, and he approached slowly.
"Don't you think you're being a little hasty?" she asked with a smirk as he almost pressed to her. She didn't put on any pose, she just stood there simple as pie.
"What? We've know each other for years," he said.
"No, the whole shebang. You take me to a horror movie, I get scared and hold your hand-"
"Oh come on, I know you'd never do that," he said with a grin.
"-then it's dinner at a nice restaurant. You wear a spiffy shirt and pants, and I put on that nice black dress with the red designs on it," she continued.
"If I know you, you wear your dresses on how you feel," he said with a smile that said I know a little. She hesitated at that. "The black and red one is...ambition. That purple one is...well, I don't know, it has sentimental value to you, right?"
"My mother bought it for me, that's why I kept updating it to match my size as I grew," she told him.
"Ah. The yellow one...um...to look nice-"
"You're not very good at this." He chuckled.
"No," he admitted. Both of them studied each other, and he slowly ran his hands to her hips.
"You're my friend," she said, but gently removed his hands. "I'm not ready for that kind of thing yet." He sighed, a bit disappointed, but he understood Sedena.
"Alright...but next time," he said with a smile. He then left, and Sedena watched after him. She did feel flutters when they were together like that, but she really was not ready yet. She sighed with a smile and went back to sorting the clothes. As she was focused on that, she didn't notice as someone came into view at the entrance of the garage. He picked up a shirt, then tossed it at her head. She gasped slightly when the shirt fell over her head.
"Oh don't be like that, you were being so good about it," she said in irritation as she pulled the shirt from her head. Then her head was snapped sideways so strongly that it pulled her neck muscles. Not only that, a booming pain erupted on the side of her face, and her brain just became light. She fell to the ground with a pained groan. Then she felt something wrapped around her neck, to keep her from speaking aloud. Her eyes widened as she choked.
Morva? She thought in shock. It couldn't be! He would never do this! Ever! But her instincts kicked in, and she grabbed her energy cutlass from its holster in her jeans pocket. She took a slash at an arm, and a man, definitely not Morva, howled in agony as the special blade cut his arm. The blade doubled the pain of an inflicted wound. Sedena took in a gasp of air as she got to her feet, ready to fend off the attacker. It was a Sangheili she had never seen before, and yelled as he clutched his bleeding hand. She looked up behind him as an alarmed but determined Morva rounded the corner. Then Sedena heard someone come through the door from the shop behind her.
"Good God!" exclaimed Tabitha upon seeing the man.
"Son of a bitch attacked me!" Sedena said, glaring down at the groaning man, who was too wrapped in his pain to pay any heed to his surroundings.
"I'll get the police," Tabitha said. Morva warily stepped around the man, then looked at Sedena in concern.
"Are you okay? What'd he do?" he asked.
"He just punched me, that's all," Sedena sighed, but she didn't let her guard down. She still watched him, and actually couldn't blame him for continuing to be in his stupor, moaning over the pain of that cut. She herself had accidentally only gave herself a minor cut with it, and it felt more like a huge, deep cut...that someone had poured rubbing alcohol in. But as far as she was concerned, he had deserved it. She also had no godly idea why he would just attack her out of the blue...unless...
"He was going to rape me," she growled. Morva looked at her. "Figures. Me and N'tho had just talked about it. Now it has to try and happen."
"It's fine now, you got him...he didn't expect that from you," Morva told her. She only mumbled something incoherently, and neither of them said anything more.
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Sedena rubbed the side of her face, which was bruised pretty badly, but that would heal in a short amount of time. She sat on the edge of her bed, it was about seven at night, and the faintest trace of sun made the sky a little bit dark blue, as compared to the black it would be within another half-hour. She felt pretty shaken now. In all her brief thirteen years of being alive, her survival had been tested by Brutes, the Flood, her ex-father, angry wild animals, cliffs falling; but whether her life had been under threat of dying or not, attempted to be abducted and raped just seemed so much worse. Murphy's Law always seemed to be real wherever she was...but really, if Murphy's Law actually existed, planets could be wiped out by meteors, solar flares from their suns, and the Halos going off by themselves for no fathomable reason. Shit happened. There was no design. There was only coincidence. And don't give her any of that "a coincidence is God's way of being anonymous" bullshit.
She took off her jeans for some fleece night pants, and that was about it. The tank-top was both a night and day shirt. She sat on her bed again, drawing her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees and resting her head on them. As she did that, there were soft knocks on her door.
"Come in, Stone," she said meekly. Stone came in, looked her over for a moment, then sat next to her and rested his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm worried about you," Stone said.
"I wonder why," she mumbled sarcastically.
"I don't trust that Morva guy." She looked at him in surprise. Both gave each other thoughtful stares for some moments, then Sedena smiled and hugged Stone, who smiled and returned the act.
"What is it with you?" she asked.
"I'm your father, that's what's with me," he replied.
"How'd you know about Morva liking me?" she asked.
"And Zuli. And any other chump thirteen to seventeen you come in contact with," Stone added.
"Ah, I see," she said as she let go. "But Morva did come on to me today." It was Stone's turn to be surprised.
"He did?"
"I turned him down, but he was good about it..." Sedena still looked troubled though. "I told him I didn't feel ready...although I do feel attracted."
"You're too young, I think. I'd wait until sixteen, Sedena. He can wait that long too, if he really fancies you," Stone told her. "Though...about sex in general, talk to Rose. Not because I'm afraid to talk, but because I'm not a woman." She understood what he was saying...it made her feel a little sad though, as right now her mother could be talking to her about it. Not having to go to her friend's foster mother for advice. She loved Rose as a friend, and Rose was very privy to the subject of sex...though she imagined her next talk with Rose about it would be very different from the other times.
"You sure you're okay?" he asked.
"It's just...I don't know how someone can want to rape another," Sedena said.
"Just like we don't know how someone could want to kill another for petty reasons," Stone added.
"I don't know..." Stone was really surprised at how bent out of shape she was...but he honestly should have seen it coming. She was just a thirteen year old girl, just beginning to feel sexual attraction, and this man just attacks her out of the blue.
"Just take some time, Sedena. You're safe here, and you did a good job defending yourself. Get some sleep, Sedena. You'll feel better tomorrow," Stone told her.
"Alright," she said, pulling the blankets from under herself then draping them over herself.
"Goodnight," Stone said as he walked out of her room.
"Night," she replied. Stone turned off her light and shut the door. Sedena inhaled and exhaled heavily, but slowly and softly. She looked up when there were several light knocks from her window. She squinted at the form of a Sangheili there. It was Zuli. She got up and opened the window.
"Hey," he said, looking concerned.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Checking up on you," he replied. She smiled.
"I'm fine, thanks."
"I hope I didn't spook you."
"I was startled when I first saw your form, it's fine."
"Alright...who was the man that tried to abduct you?"
"Just some drifter. I guess I'm the lucky one he decided to wanna fuck," Sedena said bitterly.
"Come on, it's fine," Zuli assured her, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Did Tabitha give you a break from work tomorrow?"
"Yeah, why?" she asked.
"I don't know, let's just go for a swim at the Elephant Butte tomorrow. Have Morva and Aralo come along," Zuli said.
"I don't know, I don't think Morva should see me in just swimming bottoms," Sedena said with a smile.
"Um...why?"
"He came on to me today...not in a bad way. That's why I don't feel bitter talking about him, it's the other one."
"Don't talk about the other. If you like Morva-"
"Of course I like him, and yeah, I'm attracted to him too. But I'm just not ready for anything physical yet. Don't turn into the protective type, Zuli."
"I'm not, I'm not. If I was why would I attempt to talk you into dating him and so-on?"
"I don't know..."
"Sedena?" asked Stone from the door.
"Huh?" she asked, Zuli ducking.
"Are you talking to someone?" he asked.
"No."
"Yes you are, I've been standing here for two minutes. How's Zuli doing?" asked Stone, sounding amused. Zuli snickered as he stood straight, and Stone opened the door and peaked in. "Well this is cliché."
"So what? I feel better now," Sedena said.
"Pheh! Well!" Stone said in mock offense. "I guess that makes me chopped liver, huh? Cheating on your comforting father by being comforted by your best friend. I'll get outta here then, since I'm not wanted." Stone then shut the door and walked back to his room.
"You didn't tell me he comforted you," Zuli said in shock. Sedena looked at him in brief confusion, then chuckled with him when she realized the joke.
"Yeah, he's alright," she said, but yawned.
"I'll let you sleep, I'll see you tomorrow. Swimming, right?" he asked her with a smile.
"Sounds good," she replied. "Goodnight." He nodded then left the backyard, going back to his house, and Sedena shut the window, got in bed, then fell asleep. Good times tomorrow. Better than she expected.
Spog has a Discord server! The link to it can be found at my rarely used twitter page, atSpogZallagi, posted on a pinned tweet. Sidle on over and chat if you want!