[Flashback] A Brother's Love

[Seven Xu]

Summer 45 503 "I'm the Star Lady, and you're my Shinya guards!" A commanding Lhavitian voice boomed from a young girl standing on a beaten-down dirt street outside of a shining three-story building one could only assume housed a few family-sized apartments. O'Ren Xu was dressed in her finest dark purple silk gown, tanned arms crossed triumphantly over her chest as wide brown eyes stared at her twin sister and half-brother. The seven year old's straight black hair was kept from her stoic round face with two petunia barrettes. "You always get to be Star Lady," Lifen whined, dark brows furrowing. Lifen was O'Ren's duplicate in nearly every way - except for their personalities, which seemed to differ as wildly as Leth and Syna. "When will it be our turn?" O'Ren peered between her siblings before rolling her eyes. While her passive brother was three years their elder and Lifen was her twin, she had managed to secure her position as the unofficial 'leader' of their little party. "I'm the prettiest," a blunt explanation as she passed her sister. "I'd let Seven be Star Lady before you." A laugh. Seven looked drastically different from the identical twins. His mop of silver-white hair hung thick and straight around his cheeks and wide scarlet eyes. Despite being ten years old, he wasn't much taller than O'Ren or Lifen, perhaps by an inch or two, and he was just as wiry. Pale skin shone in the moonlight and a navy blue silk tunic hugged his tiny frame. "I don't want to be a lady!" A cry of protest as the boy gripped a wooden lathe fashioned into a point at one end and wrapped in leather at the hilt. The voice softened, and a content smile revealed canines too large for a human boy to own. "I like being a Shinya guard. Hya!" Seven lifted the sword and with both hands, swung it playfully towards Lifen's side. Being that she had also been appointed Shinya guard, Lifen brought her own smaller wooden lathe up to parry Seven's playful jab. Wood met wood, and when it did, a sound mimicking metal on metal hissed from between Seven's gritted teeth. "You have a better shot at being a lady!" Lifen taunted. "Oh yeah?!" Seven puffed out his chest and took another swing at Lifen's legs with his thin wooden sword. She giggled, attempting to jump over it but the wood caught her knee and sent her tumbling. Ass hit the dirty street and she looked startled for a moment, lips agape, brown eyes wide as they locked with Seven's. It was true, although neither of them actually knew how or why. Seven had asked his father about it seasons before when he was nine, the most common age Lhavitian boys were taken on as Acolytes. A dark look had pained his father's face when he assured Seven that it simply was not going to happen. Seven took the news hard, although with time, he got over it. It had been the first of many hard questions Seven would ask his father. Seven had always known he was different, it was obvious in any mirror that while he possessed the narrow features of a Lhavitian, his skin and hair were too light, his eyes weren't quite right and he spent an agonizing morning every season before his father went off to work filing down nails that didn't seem to belong on his hands. Seven's expression clouded over momentarily with deep thoughts a ten-year old should not concern themselves with and Lifen took the opportunity to pounce him, knocking him onto the ground. The girl stood over her brother with a triumphant grin; revenge was sweet. "Come on!" O'Ren called to her siblings with an impatient tone. She had already begun walking away from the steps of their modest apartment building. Seven and Lifen exchanged glances before brushing dirt from skinned knees and dark silk, trotting after their sister.

[Seven Xu]

"Hya! Arrgh!" Seven grunted, pushing a sandaled foot forward on the dusty path as he and Lifen dueled. Much to O'Ren's dismay, the pair found more joy in pretending to fight rather than act like her stoic guardians. Lifen's wooden sword swung through the air, narrowly missing Seven's dark silken tunic and catching on his own blade below the leather hilt. Seven's thin fingers trembled as they gripped his sword, pushing hard to the side as he jumped back from Lifen. Lifen grinned gleefully at her older brother as she too stumbled back a few steps from the force of his push. With a complete disregard to their sister's wailing cries and requests that they persist their childish game, they push on, wood flying through calm night air with its unmistakable swoosh-clink as they pressure each other, limbs and tiny fingers growing dangerously close to injury. Lifen's footing faltered for a moment under loosened dirt and pebbles and Seven took advantage, thrusting forward with his left arm, sword thrashing down against Lifen's flailing arm. That's when it happened. An innocent play-fight had gotten out of hand - as it had many times before. Seven had his fair share of victories, and Lifen would sometimes catch him by surprise. This time, the mop-haired boy was the undisputed victor - as made obvious by his half-sister that was now on her knees, gripping her arm and crying in pain. Through torn silk, crimson stained the girl's fingers where she gripped the injury brought on by the wrath of sharpened wood. "Seven!" O'Ren shrieked, running to her sister's side. As the pair glared up at him, a feeling of regret bubbled up like acid in the pit of Seven's stomach. "It was an accident ..." The mumble barely made it from his lips as he dropped to one knee to inspect the damage. Lifen jerked away angrily at first, but, as her brother insisted, she dropped her hand and allowed Seven to inspect his handiwork. "It's deep." The boy cringed. The wood had caught and sliced her forearm through the skin. With a heave, one arm went beneath her knees and the other around her back. "Where are you taking her?!" O'Ren scrambled to her feet, following her brother. "Home." "Father is going to kill you." "Probably." O'Ren's face twisted into a scowl. Seven could get incredibly passive when he had been caught in the wrong, and it drove her mad. He would never openly admit defeat - as strong-willed as she was, hidden by a softer side that would calmly slip out of the spotlight of conflict. While the twins were the extremes, Seven seemed to fall smack in the middle of their personalities. The fading twilight between a hot midsummer's day and the airy blanket of night. "You're being weird! Weird widow!" O'Ren yelped, contempt in her young voice. It was a deliberate shot; if her mouth could spit venom, it would have when she barked at her brother's back. Seven paused in his deliberate step for a moment, head craning back over his shoulder to glare at the girl. Those unnerving crimson irises grew fat and bright as his pupils grew tiny. O'Ren returned his glare with a knowing smirk. At least she knew something could stir him.

[Legion]

Thread Award Seven: Skills: Short Sword +3 Lore: na Consequence & Commentary: Lovely as usual, my dear. The glimpse into Seven’s childhood was particularly poignant and ickle Seven is terribly cute. Please feel free to PM me with any questions or concerns.