"K'....K'mihgazu?" K'nahli hissed silently to herself while clenching her fists tightly by her side. The small, sharpened curvature along her bow dug painfully into her palm as she did so, though it only presented her with more reason to continue. That pain would serve as a distraction, something to focus on instead of this nightmare she found herself trapped within. A creeping, trickle of blood squeezed itself out from between her fingers as the splintering wood began to cut deeply into her skin. It rolled outwards from her fist, leaving a faint, ruby trail along the side of her trembling hand before it dropped silently away to become engulfed by the sands below, leaving only a tiny, darkened, splotch of deep crimson by her feet. The pain however, was no longer noticeable. She squeezed harder in hopes that it would return as her expression grew steadily more fierce, but to no avail.
"I asked her why I couldn't mate with father... but she said it'd be strange..."
"....."
K'nahli's heart immediately sank at the mention of their father. K'yohko? She wanted to mate with K'yohko?! She let out a faint whimper in disbelief as she fidgeted briefly on the spot, unsure of what to do with her one free hand as she shuffled randomly, touching against both her temple and face in light of her complete confusion inside that moment.
Suddenly dropping her bow into the sand, K'nahli quickly turned around to face K'mih who had also turned her attention to her sister.
"K'mih... why.... why would you...?" she tried to express her concern though struggled to form a complete sentence. She instead raised her injured hand up to her chest, clenching it tightly once more as her heartache agonizingly heaved beneath her breast. Her eyes were unable to remain focused on one spot in the sand as they darted back and forth rapidly. The dismayed girl shut her eyes firmly as she drew in a deep breath of the tepid evening air in an attempt to regain control of herself, though unfortunately for the miqo'te, her feelings would not be so easily subdued. Her hands continued to tremble moderately as her heart rate further escalated anxiously, unafflicted by the her initial attempt.
A second breath.
Why must her mother interfere? What business is it of hers what her proclaimed "adult" daughter does now? If anything she has less reason to impose in the way she already has. She knows her daughter well enough to realise that she is influential and obedient. What kind of rotten trick was that of her to implant her own ideals into her daughter like that? Strip K'mih of her own free will because she won't want to disappoint her mother? Was that the idea?
Had K'nahli's eyes been visible they'd have been burning with anger at this point. How dare that woman?
("She belongs to me..") K'nahli thought with bitter resentment. ("No-one else").
A third breath.
Why K'yohko of all people? Her father.. THEIR father. Why does it matter that K'yohko is the "best" that they know? Doesn't she understand that the existence of the second nuhn is to avoid such encounters? Does the thought of coupling with her father not revolt her? He sired her. This was wrong, so very wrong... but K'nahli couldn't explain why. Surely something she felt so passionately against should have a very, simple explanation. A clear-found argument to dispel the thought entirely. Though no matter how hard she thought about it, no answer presented itself. K'yohko... was ideal. She just couldn't consent to it.
A fourth breath.
Why wouldn't K'mih fight her own battles?
Why was she just as submissive as ever when K'nahli really needed her to fight?
Was K'mih willing to give up everything, including her sister, just to abide by her mother's wishes?
Was that really what was going to happen?
Such a path would change everything. It would forever distort who K'mih was in K'nahli's eyes and what she meant to her. She would change. She can't change. K'nahli could never allow it. She wouldn't.
K'nahli exhaled deeply as she unveiled her shimmering eyes and focused her glare on K'mih, knowing she was still awaiting an answer to her question. The older sister studied the younger intently in silence before finally working up the courage to look her directly in the eye. Though something was different. Suddenly, meeting her gaze didn't leave her feeling calm anymore. The once pacifying glimmer of her beautifully vibrant bi-coloured eyes had disappeared and was instead replaced by a feeling that only catalyzed her intense sense of worry and despair.
K'nahli's voice cracked as she opened her mouth in a vain attempt to speak once again, her eyes looking down and away from her sister to release herself from the strangling hold that the younger miqo'te's gaze had suddenly set upon her. Her mouth had grown drier than the sands which they stood upon. The steel, blue-haired girl placed a soothing palm across her temple in attempts to calm her racing thoughts and in hopes that it would prevent the tears from flowing. She was already failing to prevent herself from doing something that she had always promised herself she would never do. At the very least, she must prevent it from going any further.
"Its not.... always about who is best..." K'nahli finally managed to find the words she needed. She used everything she had left in her to prevent herself from stammering. No more weakness.
"You don't... want K'yohko for any other reason.. right?" she inquired carefully while slowly examining her injured palm. The pain had suddenly come upon her now. It stung her bow-wielding hand incessantly as it continued to bleed; with a few more drops quickly escaping free from the wound and falling noiselessly into the sands below.
"I asked her why I couldn't mate with father... but she said it'd be strange..."
"....."
K'nahli's heart immediately sank at the mention of their father. K'yohko? She wanted to mate with K'yohko?! She let out a faint whimper in disbelief as she fidgeted briefly on the spot, unsure of what to do with her one free hand as she shuffled randomly, touching against both her temple and face in light of her complete confusion inside that moment.
Suddenly dropping her bow into the sand, K'nahli quickly turned around to face K'mih who had also turned her attention to her sister.
"K'mih... why.... why would you...?" she tried to express her concern though struggled to form a complete sentence. She instead raised her injured hand up to her chest, clenching it tightly once more as her heartache agonizingly heaved beneath her breast. Her eyes were unable to remain focused on one spot in the sand as they darted back and forth rapidly. The dismayed girl shut her eyes firmly as she drew in a deep breath of the tepid evening air in an attempt to regain control of herself, though unfortunately for the miqo'te, her feelings would not be so easily subdued. Her hands continued to tremble moderately as her heart rate further escalated anxiously, unafflicted by the her initial attempt.
A second breath.
Why must her mother interfere? What business is it of hers what her proclaimed "adult" daughter does now? If anything she has less reason to impose in the way she already has. She knows her daughter well enough to realise that she is influential and obedient. What kind of rotten trick was that of her to implant her own ideals into her daughter like that? Strip K'mih of her own free will because she won't want to disappoint her mother? Was that the idea?
Had K'nahli's eyes been visible they'd have been burning with anger at this point. How dare that woman?
("She belongs to me..") K'nahli thought with bitter resentment. ("No-one else").
A third breath.
Why K'yohko of all people? Her father.. THEIR father. Why does it matter that K'yohko is the "best" that they know? Doesn't she understand that the existence of the second nuhn is to avoid such encounters? Does the thought of coupling with her father not revolt her? He sired her. This was wrong, so very wrong... but K'nahli couldn't explain why. Surely something she felt so passionately against should have a very, simple explanation. A clear-found argument to dispel the thought entirely. Though no matter how hard she thought about it, no answer presented itself. K'yohko... was ideal. She just couldn't consent to it.
A fourth breath.
Why wouldn't K'mih fight her own battles?
Why was she just as submissive as ever when K'nahli really needed her to fight?
Was K'mih willing to give up everything, including her sister, just to abide by her mother's wishes?
Was that really what was going to happen?
Such a path would change everything. It would forever distort who K'mih was in K'nahli's eyes and what she meant to her. She would change. She can't change. K'nahli could never allow it. She wouldn't.
K'nahli exhaled deeply as she unveiled her shimmering eyes and focused her glare on K'mih, knowing she was still awaiting an answer to her question. The older sister studied the younger intently in silence before finally working up the courage to look her directly in the eye. Though something was different. Suddenly, meeting her gaze didn't leave her feeling calm anymore. The once pacifying glimmer of her beautifully vibrant bi-coloured eyes had disappeared and was instead replaced by a feeling that only catalyzed her intense sense of worry and despair.
K'nahli's voice cracked as she opened her mouth in a vain attempt to speak once again, her eyes looking down and away from her sister to release herself from the strangling hold that the younger miqo'te's gaze had suddenly set upon her. Her mouth had grown drier than the sands which they stood upon. The steel, blue-haired girl placed a soothing palm across her temple in attempts to calm her racing thoughts and in hopes that it would prevent the tears from flowing. She was already failing to prevent herself from doing something that she had always promised herself she would never do. At the very least, she must prevent it from going any further.
"Its not.... always about who is best..." K'nahli finally managed to find the words she needed. She used everything she had left in her to prevent herself from stammering. No more weakness.
"You don't... want K'yohko for any other reason.. right?" she inquired carefully while slowly examining her injured palm. The pain had suddenly come upon her now. It stung her bow-wielding hand incessantly as it continued to bleed; with a few more drops quickly escaping free from the wound and falling noiselessly into the sands below.
