Jennifer's Diary
June 27, 2621
Bri-ci'all woke up shortly after I killed the Thei-de Tjau'ke. You can imagine just how disappointed and upset he was to have had his kill stolen from him like that, especially from a human. He looked like he was ready to kill once he saw the monster's mandible in my hand that I'd taken as a trophy. Thankfully Beo'n managed to calm him down enough so that things didn't become physical. Despite the fact that this was suppose to be a competition, we had to give him some credit for the hunt, since he did help weaken it. Bri-ci'all was still pissed about it though. Not only had he been saved by us, who he regarded as weaklings, but had also lost his kill to someone who he considered to be the weakest of us all. Being saved during a hunt is often times a humiliating experience for a Yautja. Often times when a Yautja is saved when he has lost a fight or is about to die is considered ,to a degree, humiliating, and sometimes even dishonorable. In many Yautja clans it's seen as a sign of weakness, carelessness, and humiliation, and although there are many ways to regain your dignity and honor it is still a very degrading experience to be avoided.
Trish was also saved in a similar fashion for her carelessness in aggressing the Thei-de Tjau'ke, but the point of this hunt for her was to gain experience in hunting so she could rise within the ranks of her clan, and still appreciated what I did for her. Although she would be humiliated like her brother, it would be a humbling experience for her and one she could look back on and learn from.
Jon still felt a little responsible for almost getting his sister killed and continued apologizing as we returned, but Trish continued to explain to him that it was not his fault. Something I agreed in. I understood why he felt so bad about it. I'd told him it was dangerous, but he ignored me about it. Still he didn't mean to cause any harm and just wanted to have a good hunt with the three of us. When I realized that I decided to join with him, and it's why I don't blame him for what happened. Accidents happen to the best of us all, but this incident reminded him of the guilt he still felt since Crimer's Massacre. I literally had to slap him in the face just to make him forget about it as we went back.
Still for every mistake we'd made, each of us was there to help each other out ,except for Bri-ci'all, and we all could go home. Also despite the fact I was the one to land the finishing blow on the monster and the one to keep the trophy, we all agreed to take credit for the kill since it was a joined effort. We even agreed to give Bri-ci'all some acclaim for his performance in the fight, despite the fact that he was a dick the whole time he was with us. Hey he deserved something for his work. This however only served to further infuriate him. Despite loosing the competition to me, being saved by all of us, and would likely be facing some mortification from the clan, he exercised a surprising amount of self-control. He did give all of us ,most especially me and Jon, the evil eye, but he didn't do anything to hurt us so we tolerated his belly aching. Also the reason why I was given the trophy despite the fact we all agreed to take credit for the kill, was not just because of my stunning display at the end that brought the Thei-de Tjau'ke down, but for also saving Trish.
Once we arrived we were all summoned to the temple to give Ph'rills a report. "I presume you achieved your goal?" Ph'rills asked.
"Yes, we have ,Father." Beo'n answered him with a respectful bow. Everyone around us were a little stunned by the size of the creatures mandible I held in my hands when I revealed it to them. They weren't absolutely stunned by it, but it was still worth the recognition. Ph'rills was pleased with it and gave his children a proud smile.
"Well done. Very well done." He complimented us as he stepped down from his throne. Bri-ci'all made a quiet angry growl as he bowed along with the rest of us. "Send word to the soldiers that the threat has been dealt with, and that they may have their leave." He told the Yautja general from before, who gave his clan leader an acknowledging bow, before doing as he was told. "I am glad to see that your teamwork and cooperation has paid off. I and everyone else should like to hear of the tale of your triumph." Ph'rills said addressing all of us.
Everyone else in the room (which included the elders, guards, and some other members of Ph'rills' royal family) turned to Kjon, Beo'n, and Bri-ci'all for the explanation thinking they were responsible for killing it. They didn't think Trish or I would've killed it, and thought that I was just there to carry and display the trophy of our victory. I believe they ruled Trish out because of her youth and inexperience in hunting, and not because she was smaller than normal or that she was a female. In fact if anything females are said to be looked up upon by the males not just because they are taller, and to small degree stronger than most males, but also because of their attitudes as well since females are also shown as more ferocious during a hunt. I could understand that after having fought Zell-oah. I also may have been ruled out because I was a human, which while still considered dangerous to the Yautja for our craftiness, were still looked down upon as a physically weaker species. I could understand, and personally I really couldn't care any less about it.
"Father, before we begin, I must say that Bri-ci'all and myself were saved during the experience." Trish said humbling herself to her father. Bri-ci'all's growling became even louder after that.
"I see. Very well. The cost of this will prove somewhat costly for you both. However you may be allowed to recover from this careless dishonor." Ph'rills told them both with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "I should hope though that you learned something from this. It may prove beneficial to you during your redemption." Ph'rills said.
"We will." Trish told him. Bri-ci'all responded with an acknowledging growl, while continuing to stare at the ground, not wanting to antagonize any of the elders or his father by giving them an aggressive look.
"Good, I am also glad to see that despite this humiliation, you both are still safe, and that you show honor and courage in facing your punishment." Ph'rills said proudly to them both. "That will come later though. I should like to hear of your triumph now." He said to Jon and Beo'n who everyone else acknowledged as well.
"I would love to be the one to tell you of our triumph ,Father. But although I took command of this hunt, and we all have agreed to take responsibility and pride for it's defeat I do not feel that I am the one who should tell the tale." Beo'n responded.
"Don't look at me either. Pyode is the one that killed it and saved Trish." My boyfriend replied as he, Beo'n, Trish looked at me with a smile, signifying it as the truth. Even Bri-ci'all ,who was too pissed off to even say anything, looked at me hatefully as he continued growling, which in a way his his way of saying it was true. I stood there a little embarrassed by everyone starring at me, but I worked up the courage to tell the story to them. This wasn't the first time I'd been publicly embarrassed in front of a whole group of people, since Beth and I created Agent-X. Naturally everyone was impressed with my ability in not only finishing the Thei-de Tjau'ke, but also for saving Trish the way I did. Sure I may have been a little reckless in my form, but what else could I have done. I didn't disobey any of Beo'n's orders during the hunt, since I stood at my post, and continued attacking the creature at a distance, it just came to me and I decided to stand my ground. Jon didn't call me Pyode Kha'bj-te Tarei'hsan (Soft and Reckless Scorpion) for nothing. Obviously my excuses were frowned upon a little by some of the elders, but Beo'n testified to my actions as being trustworthy, which made me avoid any punishment I also may have been given.
Also I forgot to mention that disobeying the leader of a hunt ,whatever the reason being is also considered dishonorable. Even if your actions and intentions were noble, disobedience to the hunting party leader shows that you are untrustworthy. Luckily for me Beo'n had my back there.
"I see. Well done Jennifer. You've shown to be a trustworthy individual, and a noble warrior. I award you my respect and gratitude for saving my daughter's life as well. That trophy is yours to keep as a sign of these qualities you possess." Ph'rills said to me. I gave him a respectful smile as I bowed down to him which he and everyone else did afterward.
All except for Bri-ci'all who whispered, "It should have been me! The beast was mine! I should have been the one to slay the Thei-de and take it as a trophy, not this weak Ooman!" He didn't realize we could hear him as he spoke. Everyone could see him as he leered at me hatefully with his pitch black eyes, which terrified me just to even look at. His growling and whispering especially triggered a reaction from Jon who growled back as he stared at his brother, ready to defend me if Bri-ci'all chose to attack.
Ph'rills stepped in immediately noticing the chaos beginning to brew. "That is enough of your childish complaining Bri-ci'all! You've heard your brothers, and sister, as well as this Ooman who you spit at with such indignity, give you equal credit for slaying the beast despite their saving you! They treat you as an equal to them despite all of your trespasses against them, but still you do not treat them with the same respect! If I hear so much as one more word from you again you shall be banished! Do you understand?!" Ph'rills threatened him smacking him in the face as he did so.
I thought it was a little extreme at first but after looking at everyone else who seemed to agree with their clan leader I began to think he was right in doing that. Trish and Beo'n told us that Bri-ci'all was always like this even before we arrived, but it also seemed that he wasn't just this way with his siblings either, and it seemed that his father and the rest of the council was getting tired of him too. If Ph'rills had to threaten his son with such a sever punishment just to get him to stop, then that was what had to be done. Bri-ci'all locked eyes with his father for a few seconds afterward before softening his frustrated angry look and bowed his head to his father, giving him a respectful nod after he did so. "You are my son, and I love you just as much I do all of your other siblings, but as such I shall not treat you any differently than I would them. This is the last time I shall tolerate your disgracing them like this." Ph'rills told him. Bri-ci'all kept his gaze locked on the ground huffing and puffing angrily as he did so. "I should not need repeat this to any of you." Ph'rills told Jon, Beo'n, and Trish who gave him a submissive nod. "Good. As for you both. Your redemption shall come through a brawl, whoever wins shall reclaim their honor and be forgiven of this humiliation." He said referring to Trish and Bri-ci'all.
"We understand ,Father." They both replied humbly.
"Now that that is finished I should like to see you take your rest. You both shall need it before you're trial begins later." Ph'rills said suggesting it was happening sometime sooner than I previously expected, which it did.
Once we all got cleaned up we all gathered to watch Bri-ci'all and Trish spar. Thankfully we didn't assemble at the colosseum like before. It had been damaged badly during Jon and Goliath's fight and was one of the few structures still in need or repair which I was personally glad for. I didn't like that place at all after everything we went through. Instead we were moved over to a smaller arena. This one was circular in shape, and instead of all the bystanders standing on rafter seats above the conflict, we all stood below the stage to watch the fight play out. Beo'n explained as we waited prior to the fight that the point of this fight would be to defeat your opponent by exhausting him, pinning him down so that he could not move, or by throwing him out of the ring, the latter of which was most common in these types of fights. Weapons and armor were also unnecessary in this fight.
Once Trish and Bri-ci'all emerged they took their places at their sides of the circular ring. It was like the setup of a WWE match, only with actual wrestling involved, and more respectfully ceremonial in appearance. Once the bell rang the fight was on, and with it the excitement of the crowd began to show. It was so chaotic and everyone else was so tall I had to climb up to Jon's shoulders just to get a good view of the fight. At first Trish and Bri-ci'all were at a stalemate with Trish's small stature and speed allowing her to keep up with her much larger brother's strength. As the fight progressed though Trish began to become tired. Bri-ci'all was not nearly as exhausted from the fight as his sister was and as such he began gaining the upper hand on her. She still fought hard to keep from getting thrown out though. Close to the end of the fight it looked like she was about to loose to her brother as he began pushing her closer and closer towards the edge of the ring. Jon, Beo'n, and I began roaring and cheering her to keep fighting. She was able to hear our encouraging screams, which was evident by the faint but noticeable glance she gave us from the corner of her eye. She suddenly took the fight, by falling down and using her foot and her brother's forward momentum to throw him off of her and even kick him out of the ring. After the fight ended Trish gave a triumphant roar.
We all roared with her, but not before catching Bri-ci'all glancing at us menacingly. He'd been beaten by his father, his baby sister and myself. This was the third time he'd been defeated in a humiliating display since we Jon and I first came here, and this was by far the most degrading. He was one of the oldest siblings of the clan's royal family, and was unquestionably the biggest and strongest of them all. Yet he'd not only been out talked by Jon, and had his kill stolen from me, but had also just been beaten by his smaller sister. I could see the hate boiling inside his black eyes as he looked at all four of us. But the one he held his resentment for most was towards Jon. I could tell just what Bri-ci'all was thinking as he laid there in defeat. It was all Jon's fault for all of this humiliation. Before he'd been a great hunter warrior who his siblings both feared and respected greatly, with only a few of them like Trish and Beo'n showing him any defiance. Despite the fact he wasn't the chosen successor to his father's thrown he was still the number two sibling and was still very powerful. But after Jon and I came here that all looked like it was changing. I could read all of this as he stared at us.
His anger only intensified after all of his peers began to laugh and snort at his defeat. They'd all heard of how he was saved by those whom he regarded as weaklings, and had "his" kill stolen from a "pathetic" Ooman like me. Now it was evident that Bri-ci'all was loosing his status as the powerful Yautja warrior that he was. Bri-ci'all became so angry with all the embarrassment he was receiving he roared loudly trying to silence the crowds who laughed at him with no effect before storming off. He gave us one final look before he exited the arena. Later on we learned he took his ship and left the planet, likely to vent his frustrations in a way that wouldn't get him banished. After the fight ended and Bri-ci'all stomped off. Ph'rills proclaimed Trish the victor, and the three of us joined to congratulate her. We didn't hear from Bri-ci'all for the remainder of the time we spent at Yautja Prime.
As the days continued forward, and the rest of us became ever more excited to celebrate Jon's birthday much to his own chagrin, we continued to have fun with each other. Trish and Beo'n were impressed with Jon's firearms, which the both of us displayed during our fight with the Thei-de Tjau'ke and he and I agreed to do some target shooting with them. It was hilarious watching their reactions as we blew apart object after object with Jon's pulse rifle, Desert Eagle, and my Smith and Wesson 4506. We even gave them some practice with the weapons. Aside from that nothing else really eventful happened, and we continued to do what we did before the hunt. Trish continued to spend time listening to her brother translate the Bible to her. Jon, Trish, Beo'n, and I continued exercising together, and Trish and Beo'n continued to learn more about the concept of human technology hilariously by watching Jon as he watched Friday the 13th, and overheard him listening to his EDM music on his iPhone. Yeah, despite the fact they loved and adored him as their brother, Trish and Beo'n still thought he was pretty weird.
Jon and I also learned some other things about Jon's people as well, what their culture was like, how they interacted, and some of the more mundane things they did. As we were spending some time outside of the temple we came across a drug shop that sold medical items for medicomps, health shards, and other interesting things like adrenaline, and anesthetics that numb the feeling in the area of the body it is applied to similar to what a lot of doctors and dentists use to nullify the pain when preforming on someone. One of the more interesting things we accidentally discovered was a drug the Yautja created just days before we arrived which were called Rage shards. These things were like experimental performance enhancing drugs out of a superhero movie, since it was able to increase the users strength, endurance, and immune system for brief periods of time, but they also had terrible side effects as well which included aggressive behavior, and sometimes violent outbursts if overused. Because of this and the unethicality of the shards use during a hunt, their use was seen as very dishonorable and very dangerous. They were meant to be destroyed, but no one ever got around to it, especially after we arrived and the Drukathi attacked. The owner of the shop was surprised that the shard was even found at all since many of the ones that had been created had been destroyed, with the few that were found having went missing very recently. Whatever the mystery was, Jon and I paid no attention to it and continued with the remainder of our week.
On the day before Jon's birthday we learned of a part some of the newly blooded Yautja were having off on a more secluded area of the oasis. There was an old worn down temple that the newly blooded teenagers snuck into to celebrate their newly achieved status. While killing a xenomorph wasn't much of a momentous thing for Yautja clans as young-bloods became newly blooded almost all the time, for these young hunters though especially in sparsely populated areas like this, it was a great achievement for them. They had worked and trained hard for this, and of course the Yautja saw the xenomorphs as the perfect prey, much for the same reasons we humans saw them as the so called "perfect organism." Just killing one of these things was a difficult task, one that could even result in death for the young-bloods if they failed. As such surviving and completing this challenge was a big accomplishment for them.
Trish and Beo'n ,who were also going, explained that although the newly blooded members of the clan snuck into this structure because they were afraid of being caught, Ph'rills and the elders knew they did it all the time, and since the temple had no actual historical, or spiritual significance of any kind they just let them go. Beo'n knew this ever since he finished his rite of passage and brought the topic up to Ph'rills. Ph'rills even knew about the party going on tonight and had them both set up to go tonight. The two of them even decided to think ahead and make plans for us to join them. I zestfully accepted the invitation. Jon though, wasn't one for such an energetic atmosphere, but he willfully agreed to go along with us because he enjoyed spending time with us and because he knew we'd want him to come as well.
"So is this going to be formal ball, or are we going to be howling at the moon at this fiesta?" Jon asked.
"Both. Our father does not care." Beo'n answered.
"Well if you guys are going I guess I will to. So long as we do not make mention of my birthday tomorrow." Jon said.
"Why are you not excited for your own birthday?" I asked.
"Because when I look back on the memories I still have of my birth, and the ones that have come after since, each one either being painful or if I'm lucky just disappointing. Yeah, you'd understand if you were me why I do not look forward to my birthdays." Jon answered.
"You have a point, but still things are different now. Why don't you just kick back on this one and have some fun with it?" I replied.
"Like I ever had a choice before?" He responded. I replied by giving him an unexpected kiss.
"Well now you do." I told him. Jon looked at me with his eyebrows raised and a smirk on his face.
"Alright alright you got me, but please don't make to much of an uproar about it." Jon requested.
"Alright." I replied giving him another kiss as I did so.
"I could also use a few more of those later on tonight though." He said jokingly causing me and his siblings to laugh as they watched us.
After that Jon and I informed Ph'rills of our plans and as I mentioned before, thanks to Trish and Beo'n, Ph'rills had us set up for the party.
As the afternoon turned to evening, Jon and I got ourselves ready with Beo'n and Trish, both of whom explained that although the party wasn't a secret the newly blooded hunters didn't know that and that we should not mention this to anyone. It made it more fun that way for the newly bloodeds to think they were being sneaky, and all the more hilarious to know that they had no idea about it. Ph'rills had set Jon and Beo'n up with two formal armored uniforms along with their capes. Jon's reaction to his caused him to hilariously bang his head softly against the wall. Despite the embarrassment he felt just looking at it, he put it on anyway. He actually looked pretty handsome with the polished silver armor, finely detailed clothing parts that stitched them together, and his blue cape. His camouflage pants looked a little to out of place and had to discard them because of it.
Trish and I were set up with two finely made silk dresses. Naturally they were revealing, but I didn't mind it too much. I will admit it did feel embarrassing looking like Princess Leia from Return of the Jedi (again) but there were worse things than that. When Jon saw me in my purple dress with my hair put up in a top knot ,which Trish helped me with as she set her dreds up, his jaw dropped in a wide eyed expression.
"I look ridiculous, don't I?" I said as my cheeks blushed with embarrassment.
"No, no you don't Pyode. In fact you look absolutely gorgeous." He replied as his mandibles formed a smile.
"You think so?" I asked still feeling embarrassed.
"Jenny, if looks could kill, I'd be six feet under right now." He complimented. His response caused me to blush even more so, something he thought was just adorable.
Once we left me made out all sneaky like stalking through the streets, even meeting up with a few other young Yautja who were going as we did so. The temple was located somewhere in the center of the oasis a few miles away from the clan's settlement. The temple was overgrown with vines and all assortments of foliage, which I remember thinking looked very interesting and worth studying. Closer to the top of the pyramid there was a 360 degree balcony, many of the areas of which looked unstable, some of which were being held up loosely by the massive vines. The temple was also very worn down with age, so much so I couldn't tell what it's original form actually looked like or even what it's true color was past all of the holes, cracks, and other deformities.
Despite it's very dirty and uninviting look you can imagine the setting on the inside was much different. As expected the newly blooded Yautja had made good use of the setting and fixed the place up well enough in such a way that it actually made the damages the temple had gained over the years look very formal in some areas and very festive in others. There were four large rooms in the temple, each of which were separated by two hallways that intersected at perfect right angles. Each room had a different setting to it. Two were energetic and hyperactive, while the other two were quieter and more relaxed. Everyone alternated between the two, whenever they felt like they needed a little more energy or if they felt like they needed to cut back a bit and have a more relaxed time. That was something me and Jon found ourselves doing often, since the snacks were in the more energetic areas, which were also a little messier as well, and whenever we felt like appreciating the moment in a more quiet atmosphere, we went over to one of the other two rooms to dance.
During the more energetic moments, Jon and I ate, told some jokes with the other Yautja, and were just all around having a good time. After Jon finished telling about one of the friendly brawls he had with his Hunter Siblings, where he man handled William almost effortlessly, I made a hilarious joke about him man handling me raising my tail up and giving him a seductive smile. I even raised my eyebrows to him a couple times as I did so. "Okay, of the two of us are you really sure that I'm the one you should be calling the Predator." He said with a hilariously uncomfortable expression causing everyone to laugh.
After filling our stomachs and letting out all of our ecstatic energy Jon and I went over and danced. I will say it was kind of annoying sometimes whenever some of the other females wanted to dance with Jon, although it was interesting when some of the males asked me to do the same with them. We didn't kick up a fuss about it, and just had fun with it. During one of the dances we met Beo'n's girlfriend. It was actually a very adorable sight watching him giving his taller female the googly love eyes.
When the party began winding down and a noticeable number of the partygoers left, Jon and I snuck out onto the balcony of the pyramid. "So did you have fun dancing with all those males Jenny?" He asked me in a joking manner, as he rested his hands down on the balcony railing.
"It was nice to see some of them don't think my face is worth barfing over. How about you what did you think of all those females?" I asked.
"Well all of them were very beautiful and interesting, but none of them hold a candle to you Pyode Tarei'hsan, especially in that dress to." He said eyeing me with interest, causing me to laugh. "I'm glad you had fun ,Jenny." He said once I finished laughing.
"I always have fun when I get to spend time with you." I told him as I wrapped my arms around one of his arms and rested my head on his shoulder.
"Again are you really sure I'm the Predator." Jon said again jokingly.
"You asshole." I said with a sarcastic smile as I pushed him away. He laughed as a response. "But no I seriously do enjoy it whenever I spend time with you like this ,Fire Angel." I told him after he finished laughing.
"I do too ,babe." He told me, before wrapping his arm around me and pulled me towards him lovingly. A silence fell over the both of us as we watched the stars sparkle and flare in the night sky. One of the few times it actually was night since the planet's binary star system made it a lot less frequent.
"They're beautiful. Aren't they?" I said.
"Yes, they are. But I still think you are way more beautiful than all of them combined." Jon replied.
"Thanks ,babe." I said thanking him for his compliment.
"You know ,Jenny, I've been thinking about what's happened to us a lot lately ever since I first met you my life has gotten better and better. Now I'll still give God credit for it but I also believe that the reason why I'm even here right now is also because of you." He said to me.
"Come on Jon." I began before he cut me off.
"I mean it Pyode. I really do. Now I'm not going to say that this was a good thing, but had Zell-oah not captured you we wouldn't have met Ch'ris or Rachelle, and I wouldn't be reunited with my family like I am now. I honestly believe I wouldn't have had any of that if it wasn't for you. I wouldn't have even been able to restore Mom's honor if it wasn't for you." He told me with a bright soft smile.
"Jon I..." I said as he hugged me with both arms.
"Thank-you Jenny. Thank-you so so much." He thanked me as his mandibles clicked a soft affectionate growl. I could feel a tear fall from his cheek as it hit my orange hair ,which he gently ran his clawed fingers through. "I love you so much ,Pyode Tarei'hsan." He told me.
"Your Welcome Jon. I love you too, my Fire Angel." I told him as I wrapped my tail around his leg.
Once we hugged Jon pulled his iPhone out turning it to "Can't Help Falling in Love With You" written by Elvis Presley, but the version of the song we were listening to was sung by Haley Reinhart. It's a very beautiful song, one I recommend listening to.
"May I have this dance ,Pyode Tarei'hsan?" He asked me with his hand outstretched after putting the song on, that same sweet smile wrapped around his face.
"Of course ,Fire Angel." I said graciously taking his hand in mine. I kept my tail wrapped around his leg, and pressed my head up against his chest as we swayed back and forth slowly and smoothly to the vibrations of the piano, and the voice of the singer in the music. I could feel my lover's heart beating rhythmically, and his mandibles purr gently as they caught the scent of my hair. Once the music ended and the iPhone fell silent Jon raised my body up carefully and we embraced each other for a soft kiss. Again his mandibles tickled the back of my cheeks softly with their tusks as his lipless mouth locked with mine.
In that moment everything was perfect, he was perfect. I knew he felt the same way about me. Even after we finished and the party ended the romantic atmosphere around us stayed alive and well. We both went to bed together that night. We'd both been given different bedrooms per Jon's request, not just because he didn't want to accidently hurt me if an episode triggered, but he also didn't want to commit fornification with me either. We didn't break that veil either that night, but we still accepted each others company as we slept that night, wanting to draw the night to a soft, quiet, and perfect close, which it was.
Little were we aware though, that while this was happening something sinister was brewing that would completely destroy our status with the clan as we knew it.