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The beautifully mysterious moon dips towards the horizon, stripping the world of it's cozy, pitch black blanket. On the opposite horizon, the blazing sun rises grandly into the sky, bringing with it a warm glow that covers the world with a warm haze. A bunch of tangled forests dot the landsape, broken only occasionally by a city, be it large or small. The edge of the light slithers across the ground, slowly drinking in a relatively large city, complete with ten foot white washed walls, and an enormous cathedral positioned on a hill overlooking the small city like a vigilent sentry. As the rising sun alights the supple white walls with a brilliant glow and the dull shadows of the houses lengthen, a few tendrils of warm light worm their way in through an open window to wash over the form of a sleeping girl in her soft, warm bed. As soon as the glow touches the girl's eyelids, they snap open, awareness coming easily to the wary youth. Blinking her eyes blearily, Meisan groans and rolls over, dragging the sheets up over her head in a vain defense against the light. Grumbling to herself, Meisan squints her eyes shut almost painfully, clenching the sheets with white knuckles. 'Burn it al! Why do I always wake up so early in the mornin?' If Meisan's mother had caught word of the curses that string themselves out in the ten year old's mind, she would have been appaled; no doubt Meisan would be put to laborious chores that would keep her busy and her mind 'clean'. Luckil, Meisan's mind was theone place her mother could not violate. Satisfied with the revelation, Meisan smirks, slowly letting her eyes open once more. The bleak light draws attention to the emerald green color that rings her irises. The color slowly fades to a mellow, forest green, before it suddenly shifts to a light sky blue that evenually darkens to a navy blue that touches the outsides of her pupil. A smirk crosses the girl's thin lips as she sits up. "The one good thing about getting up at dawn,"the girl announces in an imperious voice, "is I get the entire house to myself!" It was apparent to everyone except for the victim that Meisan was spoiled. Delighted with the though, the girl slips out of bed and quickly discards her sweaty undershirt in favor of a thin pair of breeches and a light, airy tuni. Experimenally, Meisan tries to flatten her shirt out over her chest, but grimaces as the product is a slender figure, but no breasts what so ever. "Bloody burns and feverish dreams!" The girl exclaims in desperation. Suddenly aware of her mother's room just across the hall, Meisan winces and releases her tunic, letting it fall back into place. Muffling a sigh, the girl tends to her wavy auburn hair before tying it back in a high ponytail. Flicking vainly at her bangs, the girl slips out of the room and bounces energetically down the stairs without any regad for her sleeping mother, or her likwise sleping five year old brother. A scowl crosses Meisan's lips at the thought of her brother. "Mother spoils him so much," Meisan mutters beneath her breath. Of course, the real reason for her resentment was the fact the attention had been stripped from her and placed on her brother's shoulders. But Meisan was too young and vain to realize this. "If he's so special," she continues as she steps loudly into the kitchen, "then he should be able to take care of himself without my help. I don't know why I have to watch him all day. I've got better things to do!" Meisan announcs firmly. Still bothered by her responsibilities, the youth pauses to glance around the kitcen, suddenly frustrated that her mother wasn't awake. She didn't trust Meisan in the kitchen, and thus wouldn't let the ten year old cook for herself or anyone telse. Therefor, at the moment, with the sun still climbing towards it's perch in the sky, Meisan finds herself stranded without the means to reliev her gnawing hunger. Frowning in disdain, the girl glances around the kitchen, suddenly bitter towards her mother. She didn't let her do anything! Now, if her father was home... "Daddy!" Meisan's blue green eyes widen in delighted surpris as she abandons her task of searching for food to dash over to the nearest window. Pressing her alabster face up agains the window, Meisan's blue green gaze washes up and down the path leading to her house. Though her searching gaze proves fruitless, she refuses to move from the window, glancing back towards the road in hopes of spotting her father. "Dad's coming home today," Meisan whispers in a revered tone, grinning brightly at the thought. It had been two whole years since she'd seen her father. The muscular man had been singled out when a recruiter for the king's army had travelled through town. Though Keisan was relucant to leave his young daughter, his pretty wife, and their toddler of a son, he could not refuse an imperial command and left with the intention of protecting his beloved family. And now, his two year contract with the king was over. Though the thought of welcoming a practical stranger into their home with open arms makes Meisan feel slightly self conscious, she's glad to have her father back in her life. And she wanted him to realize her skills and be proud of her. Suddenly determined, Meisan hesitantly leaves the window with a flick of her head, padding back towards the kitchen. She would make her father proud. She'd make him a breakfast worthy of a king! Since that's what he was in her eyes. A grin splits her thin lips neatly in two, though a grimace dampens her spirits. 'What about mother? She doesn't like me cooking,' thinks Meisan forlornly, pausing in the threshold of the kitchens. Brows knitting together, she stubbornly pushes ahead into the kitchen, reaching up on tip toes to retrieve a large round bowl. 'She'll be proud once she finds out. And besides! She can't boss me around forever.' Satisfied with her reasoning, Meisan returns to the loud task of getting the materials necessary to making oatmeal. She had never acually attempted to cook anything this complex, but she'd seen her mother do it numerous times. How hard could it be? Soon, after much clanging and banging regardless of her sleeping family, Meisan steps back to survey her work. A few tin bowls rest on the counter, seducing her to cook with them, begging her to put them to use. A bag of oats, simply simmering from disuse, sits behind one of the larger bowls, it's top lolling forward vacantly as if inviting Meisan to reach in one slender hand. An eager grin comes to Meisan's lips, but it quickly vanishes as she realizes she has to get her own water. "Festering wounds!" she mutters, growling. Perhaps she should wait for her mother to wake up. That way, she wouldn't have to go out and get her own water. The task seems so unnecessary, so taxing that Meisan thinks upon it with disdain. But, at the same time, if she woke up her mother now the woman would only keep Meisan from accomplishing her goal. Turning with the intention of quickly and painlessly fetching some water from the pump outside their house, the girl jerks back in startled surprise to see her mother standing in the doorway, wispy red hair haphazardly framingher face. The slender eyebrows that frame her eyes turn down in angered disappointment, drawing light to the angry light in her sapphire blue eyes. The wail of the little boy on her mother's hip accents the scene, causing Meisan to shrink back in fear. "Meisan," her mother, Arlynne, says in a deathly soft voice. "What do you think you're doing?" Meisan, knowing she's both horrible at lying and Arlynne is like a living lie detector, diligently hides her tears. The beautiful Arlynne could be intimidating when she wanted to be. "I-I was gonna cook daddy a nice meal," offers the young girl in a soft voie, hoping to exact pride from her mother instead of her inevitable wrath. A soft look crosses the woman's alabaster face; the dim light causes Arlynne's skin to glow like polished porcelain. Then that angry look turns down her rosebud lips. The harsh look does nothing to detract from her beauty. "What have I told you about cooking without me here?" Arlynne snaps in a no-nonsense voice, shifting Neronn, the five year old, on her hip to glare more effectively at Meisan. The creamy white nightgown that adorns Arlynne's lucious body hangs loosely fom her frame, swishing against the ground as she moves. The sound seems to intensify Meisan's apprehension; the girl's eyes widen with guilt and fear. "I just wanted to cook daddy a meal," Meisan cries. Arlynne cuts her off with a curt gesture. Nerron's wails fade off to a dull buzz in the background under her mother's penetrating gaze, his soft brown eyes incredibly clear for all his crying. "What have I told you?" Arlynne repeats in a hard voice. On the verge of tears now, and anxious to have a respectable answer to the queston, Meisan shifts slighly on her weight, doggedly shifting her weight from foot to foot. "N-never to do it," she allows. Impulsively, Meisan reaches down and grabs the hem of her shirt so hard her knuckles turn white. Her pride had been badly wounded by the ascent. She was just trying to make her father feel welcome and proud. What was the matter with that? Resentment rises in Meisan, which she tries to hide, to no avail. Arlynne chortles at the weakly frustrated expression on her daughter's face. "Don't be mad at me, girl, it's your own fault. You need to start being more responsible," explains Arlynne in a gentle voice. She takes a step forward as if to console her daughter, but Meisan takes a hasty step back. Her breath comes out in soft burst as the exertion of holding back the tears take's its toll. Neronn, finally realizing that somethig interesting might happenin, severes his sobs instantly, clutching the collar of his mother's nightgown. He fixes his round, innocent brown eyes on her face, strangely curious. "Well maybe I don't want to be responsible!" Meisan retorts, wringing out her shirt nervously. The woman's lips twitch as if wanting to scowl but Arlynne holds her temper in check. "Well maybe that's why I don't want you cooking in the kitchen." The child opens her mouth angrily to respond, works her jaw for a few moments, then closes it with a dark glare as she can't produce an answer to the statement. Something rung true, despite the harsh words. And in fact, it was true, but Meisan's pride wouldn't allow her to fully absorb the concept. Arlynne merely watches her with intent eyes, both arms wrapping around Neronn as she silently watches her daughter's inner struggle. Finally, a curse bursts forth from Meisan's lips, but before Arlynne can stop her, the child bursts out of the room and scrambles towards the front door, tears streaming endlessly down her cheeks. From the other room, Meisan can hear Arlynne's startled exclamation, then her angry curse as the woman sets Neronn down in a chair and hurries after her daughter. The woman's light foot falls produce a soft padding sound in the dimly lit hall. "Meisan? Don't you walk out of this house, young lady!" That timeless mother voice, command simply radiating from it in pools, causes Meisan to halt midstride. Indecision creases her face as she holds the handle of the door, gazing out at the city enshrouded by the dawn light. Maybe she should just apologize? 'No!' A stubborn frown creases her brow, causing her lower lip to jut out in a horrendous pout. 'She's the one who whould apologize.' At that moment, Arlynne steps out of the kitchen and turns to face Meisan, resting both slim hands on her broad hips. An intense look controls her blue eyes, her brows furrowing intensely. Before she can take another step, Meisan dashes outside and closes the door, rather loudly behind her. As she sprints off down the street, the girl winces at the sound of her angrily bellowing mother. If anything, the sound only lengthens the girl's stride. Though it hadn't been apparent where Meisan would go, now she was certain. She would visit her friend, Adhow, and talk to her about all that had happened. A relieved smile comes to her thin lips at the thought; stubbornly, she pushes herself forward, ignoring the sting in her lungs from the still cold air. Adhow was Meisan's best friend; they'd known each other ever since Meisan was born, considering their mother's were friends. Well, not exactly friends, but they seem to know each other intimately. Arlynne had never fully explained the process to the curious Meisan. In a matter of minutes, with sweat rolling down her brow and her breath coming in short gasps, Meisan stumbles upon Adhow's house. Before entering, the girl hunches over with her hands on her knees, trying to recuperate while gulping down air. Slowly, she glances up. Meisan had been to this house so much she could see every detail clearly in her mind, but she never stopped wondering at it's ingenuity. Unlike most of the other houses, it was two stories tall; it's structure wasn't built out of the same box shape, but had one tail sticking ou of the side. This was their father's study; he liked to be isolated when he worked. And up there, on the second story, the window on the far light gleams with a pale light. Meisan feels herself grinning with relief, for the room belonged to Adhow. The outside of the house is painted a soft peach color, contrasting nicely with the deep mahogany brown of the roof. As her gaze travels there, Meisan winces and averts it, muttering at the strength of the sun as it bounces off the shingles to momentarily blind her. After her vision is restored, Meisan trots up the slight path leading to the house before knocking on the door. It doesn't occur to her that the rest of Adhow's family may still be sleeping. For a few moments, nothing happens. Meisan's features shift from delighted relief to frustrated impatience. Where was Adhow? She wanted to talk to her. The importance was dire, for Meisan felt that if she didn't get that confronation off her chest she would burst. Just the thought makes her shudder. At about the time Meisan considers knocking again, the door swings inward, causing warmth and light to flood her as she stands there before the onslaught. She shifts slightly at the sight of Adhow's mother, Karain, standing in her lacey peach nightgown with one heavily robed arm resting on the red-wood door. Pushing her spectacles higher up on her prominent nose, Karain studies Meisan for a moment before comprehension brightens her light brown eyes. "Ah, Meisan! Isn't it a little early to be out and about?" Karain asks in a drowsy voice, smiling with the air of one who isn't fully aware of her surroundings. Meisan's thin lips twist into a faintly amused grin, but she retains her dignity and bows to the mistress of the house. "Probably," she allos with a mild shrug, a rebellious look flashing across her face. "Can I please see Adhow, Miss Karain?" Blinking herlarge eyes like an owl, Karain considers this possiblity, nibbling on the tip of one slender finger. Meisan watches, intrigued. Her mother would never condescend to do such a 'horrendous' thing, but Meisan thought it was full of personality. After another moment Karain nods relucantly, letting her hand fall. "Oh I suppose so. But she might not be awake yet," the mistress warns. A bright grin appears on the girl's face as she nods and slips around Karain, who silently smiles as she steps aside to let Meisan by. With another bow of her head, the girl turns and pads gracelessly up the stairs, creating quite a resounding throb. "Oh, please be quiet, dear," Karain's wispy voice reahes Meisan as she places her foot on the top floor. Worry creases the woman's face as she glances back down towards her. "The rest of my family is still asleep. Jinei has gotten so little sleep lately, and Im worried about his health." Karain wrings out her articulately curved hands, features slightly pleading. Her optics cause her eyes to seem wider in size, making Meisan's inside twinge with guilt. "I'll be quiet, Miss Karain," Meisan assures the woman in an airy voice. As a clear, kind smile broadens across the woman's face, the girl turns and arrives at Adhow's door in a few brisk strides. Tightening her loose ponytail, Meisan wraps her knuckles gently against the door, then steps in without waiting for a response. A grin instantly comes to her lips as she sees Adhow, garbed in an expensive, lavender nightgown, sitting on a bed by the window. Her long, luxurious, curly blak hair swings gently down her back, and when Adhow turns towards her in surprise, a pair of gentle light brown eyes studies Meisan's face. A bright smile appears on her friend's face as Meisan strides towards her. "Meisan," Adhow calls in a gentle voie, shifting so she's facing the other girl. "Yep," Meisan replies easily, glancing around humbly for a place to sit. "Anywhere I can sit?" An anxious expression crosses her lightly tanned face, and suddenly Adhow's smile slips, as she begins to realize there's a point for Meisan's sudden arrival. "Well I wasn't expecting company," Adhow admits in a hard voice, then giggles at Meisan's abashed look. "But you can take a seat in that chair, if you want." The chair pointed out by Adhow's smooth tanned and causes Mesain to frown. It's made of a sturdy, redwood mateial, polished to a dull shine. Delighted to sit in something so grand, Meisan nods deftly and drags it over, stradling it as she faces her friend. Slight disdain crosses Adhow's face, but merifully she says nothing. Settling her nightgown gently on her slender legs, Adhow sighs heavily, studying Meisan's face with a pensive air. "What's wrong?" she asks when Meisan makes no move to speak. In respond, the girl folds her arms over the top of the chair and rests her chin on her forearms, her lips twisting sourly. "It's mom again," Meisan mutters. A knowing look crosses Adhow's face. "What happened this time?" She had had to suffer through many sleepless nights listening to Meisan let lose her frustration and sorrow, but Adhow didn't mind. Meisan was an incredible friend, who was actually a lot more affectionate than she thought. "Well..." and Meisan recalls all the events of the short lived day, accenting the part where Arlynne refuses to let Meisan cook her father a breakfast. "I mean, aren't women supposed to be in the kitchens?" she exclaims, throwing up their arms in exasperation. Silent understanding flashes aross Adhow's face as she listens,
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