A/N – Writing is slowing down a bit now that I have to actually go to
school. After Wednesday, things will be cooled down and I'll be able to
start typing seriously again. And, again, SC does not belong to me.
Morri' does though, but I don't think anyone else would want her.
"Move your books Morri', I have to sit down too." Orwid said, standing above me and glaring down.
"That's what the floor's for." I replied coolly. I had no intention of letting him sit next to me for any of the trip. "Plus, Kitya has already claimed this spot." Better the girl who, if boring, was inoffensive.
I went back to my book as he stomped off. Obbie gave me a thumb's up from across the cabin, where he stationed himself between two girls. Zaesean was two seats over, chatting with another female. Do they ever stop?
"I hope you had no problems saving this seat?" Kitya said as she returned from the food cart, bearing snacks that would last us an hour.
"Orwid wanted it, though I can not imagine why. That would mean sitting next to me for any time over an hour." I picked a semi-sweet doughnut off the tray.
"Knowing my brother, I believe he wanted to watch you. Make sure you don't run around causing mischief."
"I wouldn't do that! At least, I wouldn't on the first day. So, how much homework did you get?"
"Approximately two assignments per day for a month, plus the journal. What about you?"
I looked at the small notebook that was the list of homework my Advisory teacher gave me this morning. "Enough so that if I worked nonstop the whole time I still wouldn't finish. Come on, my geometry teacher honestly expects me to solve all the mysteries of the universe."
"It can't be that bad. Can it?" I handed Kitya the book, opened to the list of my math assignments. "Oh, it can be. How are you going to manage it?"
"Talk to Obbie first. He had the teacher when he went to school here and knows how far I should go for a full grade. Or else just finish the rest of these." I sighed. "And my writing teacher wants me to write a book by the time I get back. I think they assume I'm leaving for three years, not a month."
"What classes are you taking?" Kitya asked, frowning cutely as she flipped through the 'book. "Each of them seem to pile lessons on you like a large Gourt."
"The list is in the back, I think. If it's the usual book they use for our assignments." Kitya stopped paging and opened to the back cover.
"Well, no wonder the amount of assignments! I didn't realize you took all the level 15 classes! Doesn't that mean you graduate this year?"
"If I get this homework done." I replied, a bit uneasily. "Which I won't, so I'll probably be pushed back another year."
"Nonsense. They wouldn't assign you work that they knew you couldn't finish. And even if they did push you back, you're still graduating a year early then your age mates. That's an accomplishment all on it's own." Kitya gave me an exasperated look and handed me back my book.
"Shows that you don't know my teachers. Slave-drivers the lot of them." I put the book away. Tomorrow would be a good day to start on my chemistry. Jedinth had kindly given me all the materials for his twenty experiments he wanted me to try, and I wanted to test some on Orwid.
"I'll help you on some. I don't have nearly as much as you do, and some of them sound interesting."
I gaped at Kitya. "You want to do more homework? Is something wrong with you? Or, more wrong then normal?"
"I was looking at your Lit work, and I had read some of the books on the list already. I was just volunteering to discuss books with you, so you can see other views." We both know seeing the other side of an argument was one of my weaker points. "I was not saying I wanted to help you with your, say, Astronomy work."
"Good, because I doubt you could anyway. Have you taken any physics courses yet?" She shook her head. "But I'm open to discussion. As long as it's not 'Sean, that is. I don't think I have time for his off-track rambling."
"Oh, it isn't that bad. He can be surprisingly enlightening."
"Are we talking about the same person? I was talking about Zaesean bothôe Bova."
Kitya just rolled her eyes and took out a book. I followed her example and went back to reading my own book, for Lit. Much as I bitched about the work, I really didn't mind most of it. It probably could've been worse, but the only way that could've happened was if my Culture Studies teacher had assigned me something besides the journal I was already keeping. Well, she did give me the books, but they were 'optional'. That meant we didn't have to read them, but half the questions on the final test would be on information from the books. Tricky lady, but I knew her secrets.
We took off about fifteen minutes later, after being warned and buckled in. I made sure the bucket was nearby in case Kitya or I got sick, and then concentrated on not paying any attention to the real world as we took off.
It worked. I barely felt anything as the 'ship began to move and flicker. In fact…
Hardly no time seemed to pass as I mentally drifted in a black and mostly formless space in my head. No surprise it seemed rather empty.
However, I was surprised when tinges of gray light filtered in like the light of Uranus being born on Umbriel in the early morning. They danced like angry sprites, darting every which way, until it was light enough to illuminate the area.
I had no idea where I was. The air looked like a type of gel or very thick water, with no top or bottom in view. Odd looking creatures and items either moved around or were suspended, looking like nothing I have ever seen before. The pervading color seemed to be a soft dusty gray, with small hints of blue and purple. In the distance, I thought I could see some stars, but they didn't look right.
And I could not move. I looked down in what seemed like slow-motion. One of the weird contraptions was belted across my waist, looking like a black arm to some techno-furry monster. I moved to take it off, but my arm wouldn't work. Instead, a faint reflection of my arm moved towards it, except it didn't work. This confused me and my brain seemed to be working with the speed of a Gakk.
"Mor-r-r-ri'…" A voice said, very far away. I turned my head to the sound, but couldn't see anyone. "Morri'…wake up." I shook my head and squinted. No one came into view.
"Morrighan!" A sharp pain ran up my chest, and my eyes flew open. They were closed? 'Sean, Obbie, Orwid, and Kitya were surrounding me, looking worried.
"What?" I asked, confused. I was back on the shuttle, where I had been the whole time. Or had I? Pain still throbbed from the bottom of my ribcage up.
"You were in a dangerously deep sleep. We didn't think you were going to wake up." 'Sean did look a bit pale, his eyes glittering.
"I'm fine. How long ago did we take off?" Only seemed like moments.
"About four hours ago." Obbie told me. I blinked. I was out for four hours? No wonder they got worried. "We wouldn't have bothered, but you hardly had a pulse. We called the medic, but you woke up first. She should be here in a moment."
The medic, a tall Denye woman, rushed in before he finished his sentence. "Are you the one that was sleeping?" She asked me shortly before any greeting. I nodded. "Give me your wrist." I held it up, and she quickly found my pulse.
"Slower then what's healthy." She muttered to herself. "Getting stronger each test. What happened?"
"I fell asleep." I answered truthfully.
"Did you take any 'downers before boarding?"
"No, I don't take any medication." I said. There was no need for me to yet.
"Not even 'Trollers? You look old enough. Age?"
"Thirteen EAS."
"What culture?"
"Denye."
She looked faintly surprised. "Pure?"
"Yes. Legally and back three generations." Now I was getting slightly irritated. Kitya looked surprised, then thoughtful. She didn't know much about me, apparently.
"Age, Denye standard."
"Seventeen."
"And not on 'Trollers? Who's your guardian?"
"I'm not on 'Market yet. And, he is." I pointed at 'Sean.
"Oh. Okay, never mind then. Well, you seem fine. If she trips out again, contact me immediately. Are any of her other guardians on board?"
"Yes, her mother is in cab 214." 'Sean answered. "I think you should them about this."
"I will. Thank you." The medic left in a whoosh out the door.
"Promise never to scare us like that again." Obbie told me strictly. "I don't know if my brain can take it."
"I'll do my best." I promised. I had no intention of going back to that … place again either.
"Good. We're going to back to our seats now." Obbie kissed my antennae, then headed back the girls he was with earlier. The amount tripled in my sleep. 'Sean copied the move, and Orwid just followed without saying anything to me.
I just shook my head and turned to Kitya. "Males. What's up?"
"What ethnicity are you back three generations?" She asked.
"Byado, on Mother's side. Father was pure Denye. Couldn't you have figured it out earlier?" I always thought it was kind of obvious. And so did a lot of other 'true' purebloods.
"I just started Culture Studies, a class your school teaches from a young age. It does make sense, now that I consider it." Kitya looked up for a moment. "I've learned more about you in the past five hours then I have since I moved in."
"That's because you're far to nice and kind to nose around in stuff you're not supposed to be." I said with a faint grin.
"A habit that Father hates." Kitya said, a bit condescending. I shrugged.
"I'll survive. He's not my father, so I don't need to live up to his expectations."
"He's married to your mother. How is he not your father?"
I sighed. This may take some time. "For Denye, guardianship passes down the gender line. Father died or disappeared or whatever, his job was basically passed to 'Sean. So, I do have a father-figure that's not some god or star in space. It's 'Sean. I don't need two in the same house, thank-you-very-much."
"Oh. That makes sense. What about 'Sean?"
"Mother deals more in their life that Father ever would. If it was Mother who died, I would take up her responsibilities with them and still have Father looking after me. It's simple if it's all you've known in life." I explained to her mystified face.
"I suppose. Adeni law seems so much clearer. Both parents and very involved with their children's upbringing, and if one leaves the one left needs to find a replacement. When my birth-mother died, Father married your Mother."
"Both ways work." Something hit me. "Is that why Kurvew dislikes me? Not because I'm a nosy brat, but because I don't want him in any part of my life?"
"I believe so." Kitya replied solemnly. I sat back in my seat.
Now, as I said earlier, seeing the other side of an argument is not my strong point. However, I finally managed to see where Kurvew was coming from and how he saw me. Probably as an unlovable, spoiled and stuck-up little brat. Whoa. I don't like this seeing the other side of things much.
"Move your books Morri', I have to sit down too." Orwid said, standing above me and glaring down.
"That's what the floor's for." I replied coolly. I had no intention of letting him sit next to me for any of the trip. "Plus, Kitya has already claimed this spot." Better the girl who, if boring, was inoffensive.
I went back to my book as he stomped off. Obbie gave me a thumb's up from across the cabin, where he stationed himself between two girls. Zaesean was two seats over, chatting with another female. Do they ever stop?
"I hope you had no problems saving this seat?" Kitya said as she returned from the food cart, bearing snacks that would last us an hour.
"Orwid wanted it, though I can not imagine why. That would mean sitting next to me for any time over an hour." I picked a semi-sweet doughnut off the tray.
"Knowing my brother, I believe he wanted to watch you. Make sure you don't run around causing mischief."
"I wouldn't do that! At least, I wouldn't on the first day. So, how much homework did you get?"
"Approximately two assignments per day for a month, plus the journal. What about you?"
I looked at the small notebook that was the list of homework my Advisory teacher gave me this morning. "Enough so that if I worked nonstop the whole time I still wouldn't finish. Come on, my geometry teacher honestly expects me to solve all the mysteries of the universe."
"It can't be that bad. Can it?" I handed Kitya the book, opened to the list of my math assignments. "Oh, it can be. How are you going to manage it?"
"Talk to Obbie first. He had the teacher when he went to school here and knows how far I should go for a full grade. Or else just finish the rest of these." I sighed. "And my writing teacher wants me to write a book by the time I get back. I think they assume I'm leaving for three years, not a month."
"What classes are you taking?" Kitya asked, frowning cutely as she flipped through the 'book. "Each of them seem to pile lessons on you like a large Gourt."
"The list is in the back, I think. If it's the usual book they use for our assignments." Kitya stopped paging and opened to the back cover.
"Well, no wonder the amount of assignments! I didn't realize you took all the level 15 classes! Doesn't that mean you graduate this year?"
"If I get this homework done." I replied, a bit uneasily. "Which I won't, so I'll probably be pushed back another year."
"Nonsense. They wouldn't assign you work that they knew you couldn't finish. And even if they did push you back, you're still graduating a year early then your age mates. That's an accomplishment all on it's own." Kitya gave me an exasperated look and handed me back my book.
"Shows that you don't know my teachers. Slave-drivers the lot of them." I put the book away. Tomorrow would be a good day to start on my chemistry. Jedinth had kindly given me all the materials for his twenty experiments he wanted me to try, and I wanted to test some on Orwid.
"I'll help you on some. I don't have nearly as much as you do, and some of them sound interesting."
I gaped at Kitya. "You want to do more homework? Is something wrong with you? Or, more wrong then normal?"
"I was looking at your Lit work, and I had read some of the books on the list already. I was just volunteering to discuss books with you, so you can see other views." We both know seeing the other side of an argument was one of my weaker points. "I was not saying I wanted to help you with your, say, Astronomy work."
"Good, because I doubt you could anyway. Have you taken any physics courses yet?" She shook her head. "But I'm open to discussion. As long as it's not 'Sean, that is. I don't think I have time for his off-track rambling."
"Oh, it isn't that bad. He can be surprisingly enlightening."
"Are we talking about the same person? I was talking about Zaesean bothôe Bova."
Kitya just rolled her eyes and took out a book. I followed her example and went back to reading my own book, for Lit. Much as I bitched about the work, I really didn't mind most of it. It probably could've been worse, but the only way that could've happened was if my Culture Studies teacher had assigned me something besides the journal I was already keeping. Well, she did give me the books, but they were 'optional'. That meant we didn't have to read them, but half the questions on the final test would be on information from the books. Tricky lady, but I knew her secrets.
We took off about fifteen minutes later, after being warned and buckled in. I made sure the bucket was nearby in case Kitya or I got sick, and then concentrated on not paying any attention to the real world as we took off.
It worked. I barely felt anything as the 'ship began to move and flicker. In fact…
Hardly no time seemed to pass as I mentally drifted in a black and mostly formless space in my head. No surprise it seemed rather empty.
However, I was surprised when tinges of gray light filtered in like the light of Uranus being born on Umbriel in the early morning. They danced like angry sprites, darting every which way, until it was light enough to illuminate the area.
I had no idea where I was. The air looked like a type of gel or very thick water, with no top or bottom in view. Odd looking creatures and items either moved around or were suspended, looking like nothing I have ever seen before. The pervading color seemed to be a soft dusty gray, with small hints of blue and purple. In the distance, I thought I could see some stars, but they didn't look right.
And I could not move. I looked down in what seemed like slow-motion. One of the weird contraptions was belted across my waist, looking like a black arm to some techno-furry monster. I moved to take it off, but my arm wouldn't work. Instead, a faint reflection of my arm moved towards it, except it didn't work. This confused me and my brain seemed to be working with the speed of a Gakk.
"Mor-r-r-ri'…" A voice said, very far away. I turned my head to the sound, but couldn't see anyone. "Morri'…wake up." I shook my head and squinted. No one came into view.
"Morrighan!" A sharp pain ran up my chest, and my eyes flew open. They were closed? 'Sean, Obbie, Orwid, and Kitya were surrounding me, looking worried.
"What?" I asked, confused. I was back on the shuttle, where I had been the whole time. Or had I? Pain still throbbed from the bottom of my ribcage up.
"You were in a dangerously deep sleep. We didn't think you were going to wake up." 'Sean did look a bit pale, his eyes glittering.
"I'm fine. How long ago did we take off?" Only seemed like moments.
"About four hours ago." Obbie told me. I blinked. I was out for four hours? No wonder they got worried. "We wouldn't have bothered, but you hardly had a pulse. We called the medic, but you woke up first. She should be here in a moment."
The medic, a tall Denye woman, rushed in before he finished his sentence. "Are you the one that was sleeping?" She asked me shortly before any greeting. I nodded. "Give me your wrist." I held it up, and she quickly found my pulse.
"Slower then what's healthy." She muttered to herself. "Getting stronger each test. What happened?"
"I fell asleep." I answered truthfully.
"Did you take any 'downers before boarding?"
"No, I don't take any medication." I said. There was no need for me to yet.
"Not even 'Trollers? You look old enough. Age?"
"Thirteen EAS."
"What culture?"
"Denye."
She looked faintly surprised. "Pure?"
"Yes. Legally and back three generations." Now I was getting slightly irritated. Kitya looked surprised, then thoughtful. She didn't know much about me, apparently.
"Age, Denye standard."
"Seventeen."
"And not on 'Trollers? Who's your guardian?"
"I'm not on 'Market yet. And, he is." I pointed at 'Sean.
"Oh. Okay, never mind then. Well, you seem fine. If she trips out again, contact me immediately. Are any of her other guardians on board?"
"Yes, her mother is in cab 214." 'Sean answered. "I think you should them about this."
"I will. Thank you." The medic left in a whoosh out the door.
"Promise never to scare us like that again." Obbie told me strictly. "I don't know if my brain can take it."
"I'll do my best." I promised. I had no intention of going back to that … place again either.
"Good. We're going to back to our seats now." Obbie kissed my antennae, then headed back the girls he was with earlier. The amount tripled in my sleep. 'Sean copied the move, and Orwid just followed without saying anything to me.
I just shook my head and turned to Kitya. "Males. What's up?"
"What ethnicity are you back three generations?" She asked.
"Byado, on Mother's side. Father was pure Denye. Couldn't you have figured it out earlier?" I always thought it was kind of obvious. And so did a lot of other 'true' purebloods.
"I just started Culture Studies, a class your school teaches from a young age. It does make sense, now that I consider it." Kitya looked up for a moment. "I've learned more about you in the past five hours then I have since I moved in."
"That's because you're far to nice and kind to nose around in stuff you're not supposed to be." I said with a faint grin.
"A habit that Father hates." Kitya said, a bit condescending. I shrugged.
"I'll survive. He's not my father, so I don't need to live up to his expectations."
"He's married to your mother. How is he not your father?"
I sighed. This may take some time. "For Denye, guardianship passes down the gender line. Father died or disappeared or whatever, his job was basically passed to 'Sean. So, I do have a father-figure that's not some god or star in space. It's 'Sean. I don't need two in the same house, thank-you-very-much."
"Oh. That makes sense. What about 'Sean?"
"Mother deals more in their life that Father ever would. If it was Mother who died, I would take up her responsibilities with them and still have Father looking after me. It's simple if it's all you've known in life." I explained to her mystified face.
"I suppose. Adeni law seems so much clearer. Both parents and very involved with their children's upbringing, and if one leaves the one left needs to find a replacement. When my birth-mother died, Father married your Mother."
"Both ways work." Something hit me. "Is that why Kurvew dislikes me? Not because I'm a nosy brat, but because I don't want him in any part of my life?"
"I believe so." Kitya replied solemnly. I sat back in my seat.
Now, as I said earlier, seeing the other side of an argument is not my strong point. However, I finally managed to see where Kurvew was coming from and how he saw me. Probably as an unlovable, spoiled and stuck-up little brat. Whoa. I don't like this seeing the other side of things much.