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Heirae giggled as she jumped to the next tree, flapping her arms about like one of the winged creatures that had scattered during the child’s adventure.She giggled again, as one flew right off into a tree in its blind panic, before trying to reach out and grab it, before it flew away again.The thing was far out of reach from her tiny hands however, something which even at her age, the child knew.And the stun-gun would just be cheating and taking the game out of it.So, she didn’t try using her arms, or the stun gun, instead straining and trying to remember what her mommy had taught her, before going to prison.Just barely, a faint, blue glow started as she tried really, really hard to just be able to reach, so she could bring it back and pet it……But ultimately, to no success.As usual, whenever she tried things like that.Not helped by how awfully hard Heirae often found it to focus on such things, her mind often wondering, no matter how hard she tried to prevent it from doing so.And so, apparently not even aware of the little one’s attempt, the thing then flew off again, leaving the child to huff and cross her arms, very cross about this development.Stupid animal! Why wouldn’t it just let her pet it?! Just for a minute!So, much for a birthday celebration!Supposed to be a very special day today – daddy had even said so!Well- she supposed she just had to catch another one!One of them had to either not be stupid – or be stupid and slow!She just better be real quick!And so, she did that scouting thing she’d seen her parent’s friends do, where people put their hands to their heads – determined to spot more real quick.What way to go?
Mmmmm…
Left!She chose left!She felt like left!Left looked fun!And if it looked fun, surely other animals would think so and be there too!With a big laugh and a clap of her hands, the child then leaped again. “Heirae?” She vaguely heard her daddy call below, sometime later – much later than she’d actually thought it was.
“Heirae!”
Looking for her.Time must have gone much faster than she thought!“Here daddy! Up! Up!” She yelled from her perch in the tree, a toothy grin on full display.She would have waved, but her wants were currently full with a very mean creature who did not seem to appreciate her cuddles in the slightest!It kept trying to peck at her!So instead, she waved that above her head, so that her parent below could see her bounty!“Look what I caught!” “Very good!” An amused response from down below, apparently just able to see her prize.“A fine bounty for such a little bounty hunter!”“I’m not little! Not anymore! I’m older now.”“You might be older, but you’re still little.” Was scoffed, before the little one was then motioned downwards.“Now let that thing go and come on down little bounty hunter-”“Aww but I usually get longer! “She was sure of it!Time had gone by far too fast!
“Pleeeeaaaaseee!”
“I’d love to say yes little hunter, but I have work again later and there’s something very important we’ve to do today first. Remember? You can get up and adventure again later if you still feel like it.”Oh yeah!
That!
She’d completely forgotten about that while playing!Resultingly, the child let go off the animal and quickly made her way back down the tree- one excitement replaced with another.She landed with a light bounce, before taking the hand her daddy had presented her.“Can we take photos after that we can send to mommy? I want her to see too!” She trilled as she skipped around the forest roots, playing her own little game as she did.Bonus points for hops!…Her daddy’s mandibles flared though, making an uncomfortable sound in her throat before replying.“I don’t think we’re going to get to send them to mommy.”“Yeah, I know prison doesn’t like it nooooorrrmallly, but this is a super special occasion!” Heirae did a twirl this time, spinning around and around, adding another layer of complexity to her game as she did.“They have to let her see it now! Just this once!”Another uneasy click of mandibles.“It…doesn’t quite work that way little hunter. Not there.”Heirae visibly deflated then, face taking a sullen look, before in her distraction she nearly tripped over a root she hadn’t noticed – only not falling thanks to her parent noticing and helping pull her upwards.“But that doesn’t mean it isn’t special! Mommy will just have to see when she gets back home won’t she?! That way it can be a surprise!”Heirae clucked her tongue as she thought over this, not entirely convinced.Her daddy, for her credit, proceeded to then try deflecting, the topic back to what was usually discussed whenever she came collect her from her epic quests and adventures-“So, I saw the beast, but how was the quest? Was it exciting?” It didn’t take too long to navigate their way back to the home outpost, her daddy waving down the armed guards there and her waving at them with a chorus of – “Hiyas!” – as they entered.She got a few ones back.And then it was in their own home within a home, daddy placing her bang-gun down on the counter once the door was entered and locked.Heirae placed her stun-gun down too, reaching up in order to be able to reach the counter, as her daddy was ducking into the one next to it and taking something out.“Is that it?” Heirae asked, redirecting on her tip toes, trying to peer over to see.An affirmative answer as they contents were pulled out and placed onto the counter.Causing Heirae to redirect her tip-toe efforts again, to that instead.Her nose crinkled though.“Smells funny. Stinky.”A chuckle from her parent.“It does! Doesn’t it? It’ll fade.”“But the paint won’t?”“The paint won’t! We only have to do this once. Now, up you go-”In a fluid motion, Heirae was picked up by her dad and deposited on top of a counter herself.She proceeded to occupy herself by drumming her hands and swinging her legs, humming along a tune as she did.Switching halfway through one, deciding she liked the idea of doing another better.The other one didn’t feel like a today song. All bouncy and skippy and spontaneous – but this was a planned event! So, by that logic, the first one didn’t fit at all!And then her daddy turned back to her, everything apparently all prepared now.“Now, Heirae, I’m going to do this now, okay?”A vigorous nod.“Okay. Now, this is going to sting- so I want you to do whatever you can to not focus on that, alright? You can drum your hands, swing your legs, do whatever you like – except, move your head. Got it?”“Got it!”“Good. I’ll be telling you our people’s story behind this-”“Story?! There’s a story?!”“Yes, there is, an important one. One, I’ll now be telling you, as an important part of your culture to learn and focus on. But, if this gets too painful, interrupt. Tell me to stop and we’ll take a break. Any time.”“But that’s stupid,” Was scoffed by the child, confident that she could absolutely take this – especially after all the war wounds she’d gotten in the forest!She’d once gotten a nasty rash, then there’s the time she’d fallen into the river and gotten a big bruise, then there’s the time she’d cut her leg, then that time she’d tripped over a root and lost a tooth! The time with her tooth had definitely been the worst one in her opinion. She hadn’t even been able to find it afterwards!So, in comparison-“- it’s just paint. I want to hear the story!”A chattering click of mandibles at the concern being brushed off, but the parent decided not to pursue it further.Their child had been warned and was clearly very interested in hearing more about her culture at the moment – a good distraction for what was about to be done.Best to do it just now then.A fine tool was picked up and dipped into the ‘paint’ mixture, as the dad started telling her story as she headed over.“Long before you and me, or even mommy, there were squabbles between the different colonies of the Hierarchy. Some didn’t like Palaven very much, some didn’t like anyone any much, there were all sorts of jumbled reasons that all just added together. Growing and growing in between the Chieftains and the people who lived there-”Heirae winced when the instrument first touched her face, a tiny yelp as the sting caught her off guard.Her daddy briefly paused at this and so Heirae put on her bravest face possible, determined to show she could do this.She could!And after a moment, her parent started again, voice very slow and calming.Almost like a lullaby.“Eventually, as it always is when hostilities are left unchecked, this broke out into conflict. Colony against colony, fighting against each other. During this, to mark themselves as separate, as individuals from their own homes and cultures, the colonists started marking their faces-”“Like us!” Came off muffled, as the child tried talk without moving her mouth.The sudden intensifying of her drumming hands and swinging legs conveyed her excitement all the same though.Despite her face hurting.“Yes, like us! A practice that remained even when several of the factions didn’t, less than a dozen existing by the time that the Hierarchy finally moved to stomp the rebellions out.”A shake of the head from her daddy, thinking about this, as they moved on to a different section of their daughter’s face. “Hostilities didn’t go away of course. Not right away. Grudges and bad blood remained, someone’s uncle was killed by someone’s sister, this colony stifled that one’s trade for generations and so forth. Can get that, you’ve got to hold your ground, now what you stand for. There’s some stuff you can never forgive. Not without betraying who you are.”That line of reasoning there, brought memories back to the forefront of little Hierae’s mind, one thought process linking to another and another, until the kid quickly blurted out- “Is that-”Another small wince at a sharper sting.“-like why Uncle Demetrios doesn’t visit anymore?”She’d liked Uncle Demetrios!He’d brought her toys sometimes and was even willing to play with her too, if he wasn’t in a grumpy mood!But then, he and daddy had started arguing worse and worse, until one day, they had gone out on a mission together - and only daddy had come back.
Bleeding.
Nobody wanted to let her know what had happened, or talk about him anymore, so she knew something very, very bad must have happened.Which would be why her daddy’s face now darkened, like one of Invictus’ tropical storms.“Yes. But we’ve not to talk about that. Especially not on my daughter’s special day, it’s not about that t- it’s not about him.” “Sorry.” An even mumblier-mumble than the rest of the mumbles.Daddy sighed.A deep, sad thing, before making a visible attempt to perk back up, giving their daughter a reassuring pat on her shoulder as they did.“…anyway, let’s focus back on that. Your day. Where was- yes. But the new tradition stayed, turians getting colony markings and baring them with great pride. Showing their heritage, as they should, it being the bare-faced ones you can’t trust now.”A mental frown from a child still determined not to move her face as promised, thinking about all the nice people here she knew without markings.Sure, some of them were grumpy and would ignore her, but not all!She liked some of them.So that – them being ‘untrustworthy’ - couldn’t be right!It couldn’t!“But that sounds rubbish! What about the people here who are barefaced? They’re trustworthy!”“Don’t worry about it, little hunter.” This time, it was the child’s concerns which were brushed off.“I…it’s just not ideal, or something I’d ever want for you.” Was put very, very carefully.Which brought her to Heirae next concern.“But daddy?”“Yes?”“Am I supposed to be getting this?”The utensil stopped.“Why wouldn’t you be?”“Well…” She shuffled uncomfortably, eyes darting away from looking at her parent’s.“Has somebody said something to you?!” A bite to that there, with outrage at a potential culprit rapidly growing in her parent.“No…” She shook her had vigorously at that, not wanting to wrongly get anyone else in trouble.“It’s just-” Another uncomfortable shuffle.“Well I- you said that this is a thing turians do, a tradition, but- but…”The tiny asari anxiously clasped together her tiny hands.“I’m not a turian. So-“A clawed hand of her parent on her shoulder again, gently so, but the voice that accompanied it was much more fierce.“You might not be full-turian, but you are half-turian. Blood of my blood by birth right. You have just as much right to your culture – yours - as everyone else here. Nobody can take that from you. Nobody better dare even try. Understand?”A little nod of the head.“Good. Because what we’re doing here? These might not be the same sort of exact traditions we’d do if mommy was turian too, but they are also old ones. Almost as old, as when mommy and daddy’s people first met each other. You remember that story?”“Uh huh. The krogan fight-y one.”“Well, not long after that, daughters started being born. Little blue ones like you, and from them and their fathers, their own unique markings were devised – to show their blood as blue as their skin, even if it might not bleed that way.”Heirae nodded again and started looking back up, feeling a bit better now at this.“And now, again, like it has been over a thousand years, father to daughter - I give you, yours.”And with that, her daddy went back to doing what were apparently only the finishing touches, adding just a few more details, and then-“Would you like to see?”That got the little kid’s excitement right back up – “Yes!”Her parent didn’t even get time to pick her up and pop her down, Heirae had already hopped down and – upon stabilising her wobbles- darted for the nearest one.The exited, gushing babbles started immediately upon seeing it, little hands clasping at her little, delighted face.Causing her parent’s mandibles to pull into their own equivalent of a smile, as they moved to join their daughter, crouching down beside her.A smilethat briefly twitched, as they thought too about how much they would like their beloved wife to be their too.So, she too, could see their precious little child baring the marks of her heritage.They had wanted her to be there for that…But, that was not to be and they would not have that brought up again.Not today.Their baby’s happiness was paramount to her and such a thing would only bring it down today.Meaning, for now, there would only be talk of-“So, me and some of the men, managed to have some levo-cake smuggled in with our usual stock. How about I cut you some of that to celebrate, before I have to head off back to work?”A question to which, there was of course, a resounding yes of an answer.