Hipparion tribe rp(semi-closed)

[Izmina]

K'tahjha sat in her aunt's tent, to all outward appearances doing nothing but moping. Hair slightly messy as she'd not bothered to comb through it, an obvious set of bruises on one side of her neck, and a particularly pensive look in her eyes.

 

Despite the seeming stillness the girl's mind was a flurry of activity. She missed her aunt, but foremost on her mind was her anger and disappointment in herself that she'd lost her temper with one of her new sisters, causing a disagreement that she wasn't sure how to fix.

 

Her mind chased itself in circles but brought her no conclusions. Eventually thoughts of K'nahli brought her to K'mih. Her sister had a gentle, friendly temperament and seemed to get on very well with the more surly K'nahli. Suddenly perking up slightly Tahj decided she would seek out K'mih and perhaps she'd have some advice on how to resolve her problem.

 

She grabbed some soaproot and cleaned herself up, combed through her hair, and grabbed for her bow and quiver, and then, tucking a small knife in her boot, Tahj scrambled out the door and set out among the tents to find her sister.

[Clover]

The day K'ailia came back to the tribe, everyone had been acting strange. K'mih didn't have the chance to speak to her returning sister in the end, nor could she speak with her beloved sister K'nahli. Judging from both their faces the last time K'mih saw them, their punishment might have been severe. She'd have liked to know what actually happened to them, but upon K'nahli's refusal to talk about it -or about anything-, the pink haired miqo'te hadn't pressed the matter. Her sister might have had a very bad time; she didn't want to hurt her further or make her feel even more uncomfortable.

 

Today, K'mih was found doing a few errands, like bringing some water from one of the wells. Holding the wooden bucket with both hands, she walked back to the camp with a distracted look in her eyes... at least until something caught her attention and diverted her from her inner thoughts.

"K'tahjha!" She smiled to her new sister, still at a certain distance from her. If she thought about it, K'mih hadn't seen the other female from before K'ailia came back.

[K'nahli]

Her chores has been completed with an almost unusual speed and efficiency the past couple of suns, like a child eager to complete all responsibilities as soon as possible so that they could return to play with their friends immediately after. Indeed, it was much like that, though it had lacked the same feeling of excitement and joy.

 

The now free K’nahli Yohko was a short distance away from the camp, alone in her regular, isolated spot that she had frequently assumed for daily training. The young girl shared company with nothing other than the soft, desert breeze and the faint, distant cries of preying sandworms that impatiently searched for their growingly-scarce food many malms away. The young miqo’te sat quietly atop a rounded rock whose smooth surface offered a somewhat comfortable seating for her. Her legs were tucked in toward her chest, placing her knees at chin level as nimble arms neatly lay across them, creating a cushioned pillow of flesh for where to gently rest her head. Her lips pressed lightly into the skin that lay behind her crossed arms, concealing her mouth from view and causing the young miqo’te to almost look like a curious animal as her crimson eyes lazily peered out across the vast sea of sand with an odd vacancy while she mindlessly observed the continuously changing tints of tangerine and saffron that painted itself across the landscape through soft, clouds of sand that were occasionally carried along by the prevailing winds.

 

Beside the girl, her beautifully-carved bow lay untouched – carefully placed as though it were an infant whom needed constant supervision and care. Its presence had so far served no physical use other than being around in case of an emergency, not that that was truly of any concern to the girl. The bow, however, was more than just a weapon to her. It was an extension of her being, something that gave per confidence and had somehow helped mould and refine her personality. It was without a doubt, always necessary.

 

The girl blinked softly while continuing to observe the distant sands. Spectating in silence as reminiscent phantoms from memories past echoed toward her arbitrarily. The random order in which they appeared made no sense to the girl on the surface, yet somehow, they all granted upon her the same feeling of guilt.

[Izmina]

An answering smile spread across K'tahjha's face as she spotted K'mih and she increased her pace to carry her within speaking distance. A quick glance around proved that the girl was alone at the moment, and Tahj relaxed slightly and fell in to step beside her sister. Noting the heavy bucket of water K'mih was carrying, Tahj extended a hand as to take one side,"Hello! Can I help?"

[Clover]

"Thank you!" K'mih said cheerfully when K'tahjha offered help. It wasn't just the fact that another hand would make the bucket less heavy; K'mih also thought that carrying it together would be fun. Sharing anything with her sisters and friends was something she always appreciated.

 

As they kept walking back to the camp, the pink haired Miqo'te looked at the other girl with a warm smile.

 

"Did you see K'ailia yesterday?"

 

She was certain that K'tahjha hadn't been among the curious miqo'tes who gathered around the elders' tent the previous day, but perhaps she'd at least heard the news. It was difficult not to.

[Izmina]

Accepting one handle of the heavy bucket, Tahj matched her steps with her sister's so they wouldn't spill the precious water. Finding it impossible to remain in an unhappy mood in the face of K'mih's cheerful disposition, Tahj smiles back and allows her spirits to be raised slightly.

 

At the unexpected question, Tahj's ears twitched uncertainly. K'ailia? She was in camp yesterday?  It occurred to the girl that it must have been the reason for the crowd at the elder's tent when she followed K'nahli out of camp. Her ears sinking slightly lower on her head, Tahj's smile falters,"No, I-I was not in camp." Forcing a smile back on her lips she glances at K'mih,"Did you see her?"

[Clover]

K'mih understood K'tahjha's initial reply as disappointment about not having seen K'ailia, still unaware of what had actually happened the previous day. Her own tone also sounded slightly melancholic.

 

"I saw her briefly when she came out of the tent, but I couldn't approach her..."

 

She still remembered the coldness in her father's eyes as he emerged from the tent with her sister. It wasn't everyday that K'mih would fear his father, but that day she sure did.

 

"K'nahli did, but... she didn't want to talk about it. I think the elders scolded her," she commented next, lowering her voice as if she didn't want to be heard by anyone else.

 

K'ailia's return was supposed to be a happy occurrence; why didn't it feel like such? K'mih wished she could understand what actually happened, but there was no one she could obtain answers from.

[Izmina]

K'tahjha winced and her ears drooped slightly more, at K'mih's statement. Knowing the temper K'nahli was in when Tahj last saw her, she supposed the scolding from the elders might have been partially her fault as well. Sighing heavily, Tahj briefly considered not saying anything to K'mih about K'nahli. The young girl was one of the few people in her new home that she felt truely comfortable with, and she didn't want to lessen her opinion.

 

Plucking up her courage Tahj glanced towards the pink haired Miqo'te next to her,"K'mih? I was hoping to get some advice from you.  I've made an awful mistake with K'nahli." Tahj waited quietly for K'mih's answer, eyes glued firmly to the sand.

[Clover]

The pink haired miqo'te looked at her sister with surprise. A mistake with K'nahli? Well, it was true that her dear sister K'nahli had quite the temper, and perhaps getting on her bad side wasn't a difficult task. Still, K'mih hadn't expected K'tahjha, friendly and lovely as she was, to get in trouble with the other girl. Not this soon, at least.

 

"What happened...?" She asked with unblinking eyes, worried.

[Izmina]

K'tahjha hesitated slightly then launched into a torrent of words, as if she didn't get them out quickly they wouldn't come out at all."I saw her run out of camp, I was worried and I followed her to see if I could help. I tried to talk to her and perhaps give her a hug, but she didn't want"Tahj took a deep shuddering breath and pushed on,"I I lost my temper I yelled and grabbed her tail.."her face flushed red with guilt, Tahj wiped at a stray tear with her free hand and waited for her sister's reply.

[Clover]

As K'ntahjha's story developed, K'mih's steps came to a halt and her eyes opened wider, especially at the last part. She could only imagine that the following details might not be pleasant.

 

"Then... you got angry at each other? And none of you apologized afterwards?" She asked innocently and carefully, wanting to fully understand K'tahjha's situation.

[Izmina]

Tahj halted as her sister did, being as they were still connected by the bucket that wasn't getting any lighter. Still swiping at a few escaping tears, she attempted a smile,"I wasn't angry long, I tried to apologize and explain, but" here she paused and when she resumed her voice was barely a whisper, an awed look in her eyes,"I've never seen anyone so angry, her eyes.. like there was a demon looking out."

[Clover]

Upon hearing that, K'mih's ears dropped further. Being hated was something she always thought she wouldn't be able to take well, and being the focus of K'nahli's anger must have been one of the worst experiences ever. The girl could only feel sorry for K'tahjha.

 

Perhaps not everything was lost, however. K'mih tried to smile in an attempt to cheer her sister up, albeit her smile was apologetic and somehow sad.

 

"K'nahli must have been having a very hard time yesterday. She didn't even want to talk to me when she came out of the elders' tent. I'm sure that she can see things more clearly today, she must be feeling guilty about what happened."

 

This was what she innocently hoped. She couldn't imagine K'nahli actually hating her new sister; it must have been the heat of the moment, yes. It must have been that!

 

"Would you like me to talk to her?"

[Izmina]

K'tahjha's ears perked up slightly and her face brightened with a small bit of hope,"I really want to make it right. At least apologize if nothing else. Would you really help me?"

 

Tahj's mind drifted back to the encounter with her sister, from her own unfamiliar bout of anger to the overwhelming force that was K'nahli's, a shudder passed through her as she remember locking eyes with so much anger that it was almost a physical force.

 

Bringing her attention back to K'mih, she frowned slightly,"I wouldn't want to appear as though I couldn't speak for myself though. Should I go with you? "

[Clover]

The pink haired miqo'te took a moment to think about it. As much as she thought she knew K'nahli, the girl was still unpredictable. K'mih was also missing K'nahli's version of the story; she was still unaware of how severe her anger could be, even if she wanted to believe that her sister would be understanding this time.

 

She thought hard about how K'nahli would feel, moving a fist underneath her chin with a troubled and confused expression. She could only imagine K'nahli feeling surrounded if the two of them approached her, but perhaps she'd also take it as a proof of honesty. K'mih wasn't good at solving conflicts, mostly because she didn't tend to get into many.

 

"Maybe you're right, you should come with me then!" She said, following K'tahjha's idea. If K'tahjha thought this way was better, then perhaps it was!

[Izmina]

Feeling slightly relieved that K'mih had agreed to help her approach K'nahli and hopefully solve her problem, Tahj fell silent as they toted the heavy bucket of water back to camp. But she couldn't quite stop the cold knot of anxiety that formed in her gut as she followed her sister out in search of K'nahli.

[K'nahli]

A young K'nahli, oblivious to the exchange that had been occurring not too far away from her, remained as still and as silent as before. Her maroon-saturated eyes continued to gaze out across the soft, saffron waves that decorated the desert floor beautifully as numerous, thin strands of blue hair swayed across her persisting stare through the warm and rolling breeze as though trying to steal her attention away from the unique scenery. The vibrant shades of cantaloupe, saffron and cerulean that were painted carefully across the landscape in the distance ahead of her continued to alternate at a calmingly, slow pace while it majestically offered a very simple but soothing and pretty show for the lonely archer as she resided in silence atop the humble rock.

 

 

It wouldn't be long before the tips of the girl's fine, perceptive ears would flick and twitch minutely in response to the discreet, but noticeable approaching sounds that would emanate from the direction of the camp. Without turning to verify what she had suspected, K'nahli blinked slowly in what would almost appear to be a look of lament as she buried her face a little more deeply into her crossed arms, hiding the lower portion of her eyes from view in the process.

 

("Can I not be let alone to my thoughts..?") she thought to herself quietly.

[Clover]

It took K'mih just a few minutes to find she girl she was looking for. Her lips curved up into a smile, which would disappear just a few seconds later when she noticed K'nahli's gesture. Having sensed that someone was approaching her, the blue haired miqo'te hid her face into her arms, curling up further against herself in a defensive position.

 

K'mih's steps came to a halt right then. Now that they were so close, doubts had nested in her mind.

 

If K'nahli was still affected by the previous day's events, she'd likely not be the most receptive miqo'te. K'mih couldn't help but to look at K'tahjha for a moment, concerned and doubtful, as if her sister was any more prepared than she was to face the archer. No; she'd promised that she'd help her. Even if perhaps this wasn't the best occasion for that, she should at least ask K'nahli if she wouldn't mind talking.

 

After a few seconds, the young girl started walking again, shortening the distance with her cold sister.

 

"K'nahli..." She called her from behind, noticing her own fear; the last thing she wanted was to see anger towards her in her dear sister's eyes. Nervous hands met behind her back, fingers toying with one another as she forced a small and shy smile.

 

"Could we... talk for a moment?"

[Izmina]

All too soon K'tahjha spotted the solitary figure and her posture told the girl that K'nahli might not want much company at the moment. Her heart sinking, the knot of anxiety she'd been nursing burst into full blown butterflies when she caught K'mih's uncertain look. Perhaps we should come back later? Tahj thought. But no sooner had the thought formed, then her pink-haired sister called out to the archer.

 

Tahj self-conciously pulled at the collar of her shirt to attempt to hide the vivid bruises on her neck and was not quite able to control the sinking of her ears and tail to a slightly submissive and apprehensive posture. Her thoughts racing almost as fast as her heartbeat, Tahj made a silent prayer for luck.  I want to make this right. I hope that even if she won't accept my apology, perhaps she'll hear it.

[K'nahli]

It wasn't until K'mih spoke that K'nahli finally threw a momentary, sideward glance toward the pink-haired miqo'te. Deep, maroon eyes trained on a timid K'mih for a few seconds before flicking upward to observe an equally anxious K'tahja lingering closely behind her. K'nahli's eyes narrowed subtly with disdain before her gaze returned ahead of her to look upon the vibrant landscape once more.

 

"We could, but it seems you have company.." the older archer replied with a casual tone, albeit, it carried with it a sharp edge.

[Clover]

The look in K'nahli's eyes had been quite eloquent, even before her words reinforced her reluctance -her annoyance, even- to talk. K'mih felt something twist inside her stomach, her smile gone with worry; she wanted to help K'tahjha, but she didn't know how to approach her elder sister in a way that wouldn't end badly.

 

The young miqo'te took a few breaths, trying to find words, and decided to speak again.

 

"K'tahjha has told me that you two argued yesterday..." she started timidly. Albeit she'd initially wanted to ask K'nahli if she was still angry, perhaps the answer was clear by now. Her voice trembled slightly in some bits, but it still managed to convey her thoughts without trailing off. "We don't have a home, we barely have food. Family is everything we got, our most precious treasure. Do you... still want to be mad at your sister for long, K'nahli?"

 

Her question was innocent and genuine, her tone devoid of any sort of malice even if her words might only cause more annoyance to her sister. Everything K'mih was doing, it was out of pure concern.

[K'nahli]

"I am not as quick to declare strangers as family, K'mih" K'nahli's reply followed very closely after K'mih's words. Her gaze continued staring out ahead of herself while the two girls lingered just barely within the periphery of her vision.

 

"All that girl is to me is someone who assaulted me without true purpose. Tell me, why should I offer her my concern when I haven't shared words with her enough to deem her worthy of something that would otherwise be so simple? I cannot feign to have trust in her" she continued coldly with a tone that revealed little emotion.

 

She blinked slowly before calmly drawing her head away from the safety of her arms and turning it directly towards her younger siblings now. Her eyelids drooped slightly over her eyes, giving her an almost disinterested look as she spoke, something unusual for the girl.

 

"To the point, tell me what brought you here. You wish to tell me I was wrong with my actions?" she questioned directly in hopes of short and simple explanation.

[Clover]

It wasn't right. What K'nahli said didn't feel right at all. It didn't matter if some Hipparion members weren't very close or wouldn't spend much time with each other; they were still family, and family was the most important thing in the world. That was what K'mih had been taught, what she'd always believed.

 

K'nahli's attitude only fed the already uncomfortable tension. K'mih even had to fight the urge to step back when her elder sister turned to look at her. The pink miqo'te looked worried and lost, at a loss of words when K'nahli posed a question.

 

Was she wrong? It did feel wrong, but how could K'mih say or explain her own thoughts? Were they even right?

 

As seconds passed in silence, she ended up lowering her head in defeat, eyes on the sand.

 

"I... didn't want my sisters to be on bad terms..." was finally her answer, spoken with a weak voice that barely raised above the soft breeze. It sounded like an apology, for she'd wanted to help K'tahjha, yet she wasn't strong enough.

[Izmina]

K'tahjha's hopes sunk further with each exchange between her sisters until there was a lump in throat that threatened to choke her. She wanted to run and just not stop, but as K'mih's body language changed Tahj's eyes flashed angrily. She wasn't going to let the pink haired miqo'te take a mental beating on her account. Tahj would speak for herself and if K'nahli refused to hear, at least she had tried.

 

Her body held tall and strong, eyes and ears alert, Tahj portrayed her inner conviction as she took a step forward and sought K'nahli's eyes. As she spoke her voice was strong and clear although soft. "A long time ago mama told me never to loose your temper with family no matter who you felt was right." here her ears drooped slightly and a sheen of tears formed in her eyes. " Cause mama fought with her sister K'luha and they never saw each other again. She said being right wasn't worth losing family over, and they were more important than anything."

 

Tahj's head dropped towards the sand in  self-reflection for a brief moment, and when she looked up again tears were streaming down her face, which she made no movement to wipe. "I broke that rule, and it was my fault. I can't make that right but I am sorry." she spoke the last on a small sob and turned away from K'nahli towards camp. In voice almost inaudible to anyone without sharp ears, she whispered,"I'm sorry mama but I tried."

[K'nahli]

"We're not on bad terms. I am not so shallow as to wallow over what happened in the sense that you are thinking, I am just choosing not to be on friendly terms with her" she replied quickly once again with the same neutral voice as her glance took itself to look directly into the K'mih's vibrant eyes.

"Is that so unreasonable?"

 

 

When K'tahjha began to speak, K'nahli's glance carried over toward her with indifference though without the hesitation that the blonde archer had secretly anticipated. Her broken form struggled to speak her troubled mind as tears quickly overwhelmed and emotion swallowed her whole. In other circumstances, the sight might have tugged on K'nahli's heart and fed her with a poisoning sense of guilt, though that was not how it felt to the steely archer now. Instead, K'nahli couldn't help but wince a little at the sight of the girl, as though she were witnessing something very strange or even crude.

Regardless, neither the girl's words nor her abrupt exit did much to phase the blue-haired archer, after all, she was not her friend... and it was not her problem.

 

 

 

--((Assuming K'mih lingers long enough to hear K'nahli out))--

 

"K'mih..." the words came after a short pause following K'tahjha's exit. K'nahli's voice grew a little softer now as it naturally would when speaking to her sister, though her tone was still direct.

 

"I have no interest in hearing an apology from her because I do not appreciate it's purpose" she began while turning away to face back toward the landscape that had previously captured her interest. Strangely, it appeared less vibrant than it had only a few moments ago; as if, the girl thought, the discomforting encounter was sapping the interest and life out of the scenery around them.

 

"We have barely shared words. We know nothing of each other. To imply that she cares about my feelings on the matter is an insult"

 

She paused for a couple of seconds before continuing.

 

"She didn't come to make amends with me out of concern for my well-being... she just wanted to feel better about herself"

 

K'nahli sighed softly while offering her sister a short, but noticeable sideward glance in inspection. The young girl was the most kind-hearted soul she had ever known. Even if K'mih believed what K'nahli had said, that surely wouldn't stop the girl from consoling K'tahjha, not that K'nahli minded. Her small but lone worry was that perhaps her words were earning disfavour with the pink-haired miqo'te.

 

"If you still think me to be wrong then you should also be trying to have myself acquaint with the rest of the tribe because as I recall, you're one of the very few members who would dare to call me 'friend' " she added with an almost painful honesty as she took her glance completely away from her younger sister once again.