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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2013 13:39:40 GMT -5
Sin had gone to the park that day as she had been doing for the past several days since she came to the city. The African girl was in culture shock arriving to a new place with things she had never seen before. She needed some semblance of peace in her life at the moment and the park was the place to be. While it had more trees than she was used to it had enough nature to keep her mind at peace. She had also taken Mama Kathy’s advice and watched people while she was at the park. Maybe she could learn a few things from the people that came to the park to help her adjust. She sat on a bench for a while and just people watched but this got boring very fast for her. She was an active girl that always had to be moving. It was just a thing she picked up from being trained as a Zulu worrier. It didn’t take long before she was up and moving around again finding a group of kids playing soccer. With little effort on her part she managed to join the game with the kids. Back home she played with a ball like this all the time with the other kids her age and when she got older she still played with the younger kids. This was something that was similar that she could relate to. Sin played with the kids for a while but they had to leave and she waved good bye to them. Not sure what to do next the tall girl made her way to a tree and with little effort climbed up it. Something that Kathy would have told her off for because she was in a skirt but Kathy wasn’t here and it didn’t even register in Sin mind that it was wrong. She looked over the people at the park and could only wonder why they would wear such clothing when it was so hot out. It was much easier to just run around without any clothing in heat like this but she guess in this part of the world that was what they did. She gave a sigh lying down on a branch swinging her arms down from it looking for like a lion in the tree then a girl. This place was so different from her home and it was going to take time to get used to it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2013 17:56:56 GMT -5
Hot weather was no stranger to Zia, who had been born and raised in the desert. Her childhood was spent running around dig sites and through hot, muggy jungles, even a couple of beaches. Nevada was no huge change from Cairo, and Zia hadn't even needed to add any warmer clothing to her wardrobe. It was a small blessing. The change was mostly in the culture - Zia was well traveled, and she had never spent longer than six months in any country outside of Egypt. She had seen many, many different kinds of places, but she had too admit that a life lived around the Mediterranian and in Africa - and for a while, the deserts of Chile - was quite different than America. Her father had been raised here, but he was interested in archaeology and ancient cultures, not the modern consumer lifestyle of the average citizen, and in any case he was always more patriotic to his birth country of France. This was the first time Zia had been on her own for this long, and in a country she really knew nothing about. The small glimses she got from Arlie was englightening, but it wasn't a complete picture. Today, however, Zia had paused her studies for a quiet day at the park. she had thrown her sandals off to the side and was laying under a tree, rolling to stay in the sun. The heat didn't bother her - in fact, it was the most familiar thing she had encountered so far. The feeling of sun on her olive skin was most welcome. There was a rustling noise above her, but Zia's eyes remained closed. Just the wind. No reason for her to care. Until she realized there was no breeze. Her eyes slammed open and she sat up, craning her neck as she peered into the foliage of the tree. After a moment, she saw the shadowy figure of a girl perched on a branch, dappled with light that eeked through the branches. Zia waved her arms to get the girl's attention, but when that didn't work she scuttled up the tree herself, unceremoniously throwing herself up on a branch and trying to hook her right leg over. "Hey- hey, you!" She said, pausing for a moment, more focused on trying not to fall down, before she righted herself and was able to sit on a strong branch a little underneath and to the right of where the other girl was. Zia's bare feet dangled. The shade under the tree felt nice, she admitted, but right now she was curious about the other girl climbing trees. She had dark skin and a serious expression. Zia opened her mouth to talk, but realized she had nothing to say. She had climbed up the tree without really thinking it through. Closing her mouth, she just gave the other girl a wave. "Uh. Hi," she said, a bit lamely.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2013 12:38:32 GMT -5
Sin had shut her eyes for a moment but they opened again when she heard the sound of the branched of the tree moving. The past told her that he must have been a big cat and she looked around for the animal. Then she remembered that Mama Kathy said they the only cats that where in this city where small and were no threat to her. Now she was curious to what was making the noise.
Her question was soon answered as another girl appeared between the branched. It took her a moment to right herself and Sin cocked her head just slightly watching her. She was lighter skinned then her but still darker than some others that she had seen in the city. When the girl finely righted herself on the lower branch and waved at her Sin waved back.
Then she pulled her hand back slightly and pushed herself up into a crouching pose on the branch she was on. Sin jumped down and with little effort on her part balanced on the branch this other girl was on. Sin looked at her with her dark blue eyes and then moved her legs so that now she was sitting on the branch as well. She gave the other girl a grin now.
”Hello.”
Her voice was a little deep but then again she was a taller woman and the very recognizable accent of African came through even with the one word. Sin was trying to remember what Mama Kathy told her about meeting new people in this part of the world and even if she was a bit awkward at it she was going to give it a shot. She held out her hand to the other girl offering to shake hers.
”My name…. Sin… Nice to meet you…”
She struggled with the word for a moment but was alright with how they came out. She needed to practice her English if she was going to get by at this school.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2013 12:02:07 GMT -5
Zia shook the other girl's proffered hand. "Nice to meet you! I'm Zia," she said, impressed. Sin could move around the tree and balance better than anyone she'd ever seen. Finally taking in Sin's clothing and her accent, Zia's face lit up.
"Are you from Africa, too? What part? I'm from Egypt! Cairo, to be exact." Zia had studied the other countries in Africa quite a lot, but she knew more about their ancient artifacts than their modern people. Zia couldn't place Sin by her accent, but her clothing was fairly unique. Zia wondered what it was made out of. It looked comfortable, and Sin didn't seem to find it restricting as she clambered around on the trees as natural as walking. Zia, who only wore loose skirts, and rarely if she could help it, was incredibly impressed.
Trying to stand up and lean on another overhanging branch, Zia carefully wobbled around, holding on tightly. If she fell, it wasn't too far, but she might sprain her ankle or something and the impact wouldn't make her legs feel any better - that is, if she managed to fall off right side up. Zia wasn't afraid of heights, per se, but she didn't enjoy the thought of falling.
As she got her balance, Zia tried to deduce whether Sin was a meister or a weapon. She was obviously here for Shibusen, since people didn't come to Death City from out of the country for anything else. It was nearly impossible to tell what someone was from just looking at them, though, so Zia quickly turned her thoughts to something else, namely the fact that someone from her same continent was at school with her! Zia hadn't met anyone else from Africa, so naturally she was quite excited. Sin's accent was thick but not indecipherable, and Zia wondered what her native tongue was.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2013 14:26:10 GMT -5
The smile on Sin face grew wider when Zia told her that she was from Africa as well. But she was from the north part far above the Sahara desert while Sin was from sub-Sahara but that didn’t matter to the girl. She watched the girl stand up on the band and fallowed her movement as well. Sin stood at her full height reaching up with one hand grasping at a branch above her. She stood with little effort on her part and it looked like she was very well balanced on the branch as well. Sin then places her hand on her chest over her heart as she speaks.
”I am from… South Africa… I am Zulu.”
She then reaches out and places the same hand over Zia’s heart a very kind and sweet smile passing over her face now.
”Zia… Sister from Africa I am glad to have meet you.... Hum... Are you weapon or meister? I be... Meister...”
She pulled her hand back again placing it on another branch to help keep her stable even though she did really need it. Sin was so happy that the first person that she meet at this school was from Africa as well. Mama Kathy said that she should try and make some friends at school so that she could learn the culture here and while Zia was African like her she seem just from a glance to know how to interact with others and her English was so good. Sin still had problems forming words and wanted to slip into Zulu more than half the time. Her accent was so think that she even had a hard time knowing what it was she was saying.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2013 14:53:28 GMT -5
Zulu! Zia couldn't hide her excitement. After all, learning about new places and the people who lived there was something she loved most of all. She knew very little about the Zulu people, and she was bursting with questions for Sin. What was their art like? What did she do daily? How had she learned about Shibusen?
First, though, she watched as Sin placed her hand over her heart. When she removed it, Zia's own hand went to cover it. "Sisters from Africa," she agreed, smiling warmly. "الأخوات من أفريقيا," she added, saying it in her own native Egyptian Arabic. "I'm glad to have met you, too."
Zia didn't know anyone else who was from the same continent as her - even if Sin lived on the other side, far to the south, they had that in common. Zia wondered what Sin spoke - her accent was thick, but not indecipherable.
She realized Sin had asked her a question, and she hurriedly answered it.
"I'm a Demon Gauntlet!" She said. "Like, a metal glove. It's armor, like knights in Europe wore hundreds of years ago."
Zia had been to England once, a short span of about two weeks. Her father had been meeting with several museums during that time - some boring conferences full of old men - so Zia and her mother had gone around to see the exhibits. Zia's favorites had been the ones on Egypt, of course, but there was one full of medieval armor, decorative protection. She thought about how strange it was, that she had spent so much time looking over the armor when she was small - now she could transform into a piece of it! It was just the gauntlet, and it couldn't do that much, but to be a part of that history was something Zia took pride in.
Zia moved to sit on the branch, feeling shaky. "Are you liking Shibusen? It's a lot different than Africa - not the heat, though," Zia added. The temperature was one thing she hadn't needed to adjust to, thankfully.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2013 20:16:14 GMT -5
Sin looked confused when Zia told her what kind of weapon she was. Gauntlet? What was that? More confusion crossed her face as Zia went on to explain what it was. Now Sin knew full well about using metal and the like but she had never used it to make something like what Zia said she was. Even the tip of she shake wasn’t made of metal but rather animal bone, a more traditional way of making them but Sin liked it far better than the metal tipped ones. But this knight thing what was that. Sin cocked her head to the side as she sat down next to her new sister.
”What is Europe and knights? I have never heard of such things in my home land…I know of… Bri-tish for they tried to rule our land once… Is that the same thing?”
Sin paused again as she thought about back home and how her village was so far from the modern world. She had never seen a car or a plane till a few days ago and don’t even get her stared on the lights in the house she was living in right now. She had spent the better part of a whole day just turning them on and off and even broke a few lamps the first time thinking they were witch craft. She had to get used to some many knew thing and soon, when she found a partner, she would be also to see more of the world. A far bigger place then she had ever dreamed. At Zia’s question Sin gave a very large smile and nodded her head happily.
”Yes! It is how you say wonderful here but I am still… Getting used to clothing.”
She indicated to the top that she was wearing with a bit of a lost look on her face. She turned back to Zia cocking her head to the side.
”Back home I do not wear such things as this. I am no gender so there is… No need for me to cover my chest… But here… I must cover for now… I am female…”
Yet another strange thing to the young Zulu she had not been called a female in years after she started her training as a worrier. But it seemed like in this place she needed to have a gander and this was just something she couldn’t wrap her brain around at the moment.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2013 23:31:48 GMT -5
Zia tilted her head, thinking about the best way to explain. "Europe is like where British people are! They're from England. But England is just a small country in the continent, like Egypt and South Africa are back home. Knights were the warriors that protected their kings." Zia kicked her legs as Sin sat down. "You're right about the British, though. They said the sun never set on the British Empire, because it was so big."
She caught herself beginning to ramble, suddenly becoming embarrassed. "That's just what I've heard," she added, looking down at the ground, past her feet.
At Sin's next words, Zia looked thoughtful. She had never met anyone from further down than Niger, and most places she had visited were full of intellectuals on archaeological digs. As such, Zia hadn't spent much time around the rural parts of Africa with the people who still lived there. What Sin was describing sounded familiar to her, and she patted her African sister on the hand reassuringly.
"Well, you know, I once rea - um, heard, that in the days before America was settled by Europe, if a woman wanted to be a warrior and fight, they said she had a 'manly heart' and treated them as someone who was both - or neither- female or male. Someone like that was even expected to take several wives like other warriors in the tribe did." Zia swung her legs, her anklets jangling against each other. "I don't know much about your people, but it sounds like what you described, a little."
More rambling! Zia had been so excited to meet another girl from her home continent that she was letting herself go on and on - she flushed and tried to get back to the topic at hand.
"What I mean is - um - don't worry about trying to fit in to a gender!! Just be yourself...?" Zia trailed off, putting a hand behind her head and looking sheepish. "I'm sorry. I don't really know much about this sort of thing. My two cents probably isn't much at all." But in any case, Sin was sweet, and Zia already enjoyed being with her the short time she had known her. The last thing she wanted to do was upset her new sister.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2013 14:59:49 GMT -5
With Zia’s explanation Sin eyes showed so much interest while she spoke. The girl had a look of aw on her face for a moment and then it went back to her normal smile. Zia was so smart and knew so much about the world! Sin didn’t know much past the place she lived. She barley even knew about her real tribe that was killed. It was amazing to think about such things as knights thought Sin’s imagination didn’t picture them quite as one would normally see them. She had to work with what she knew.
Sin became even more interested in Zia’s talk about the early Americas. It did sound a lot like what she was and she nodded her head happily in agreement with that. Wow she just couldn’t believe that one culture seemed so close to hers but was separated by such a long distance. This was just all so fascinating.
”Zia you are so smart! You know so many things that I do not! Have you seen these places? What are they like?
Now It was Sin’s turn to be brimming with question. To expand her knowledge of the word just seemed like a good idea. As soon as she found a weapon that fit her fighting style she would be all over the place and Zia seemed like she knows a thing or to. Sin gave a laugh and nodded her head agreeing with Zia’s stamen about being herself. How could she be anyone else? That just seemed silly to her. At her comment about her two cents Sin looked confused again at her African sister.
”What does that mean? What are cents?”
Poor Sin would have to deal with gaps like this and not understanding a lot of slang that would be thrown her way from now on. She would take it in stride and just simply ask what it meant to better understand.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2013 23:44:36 GMT -5
Scratching the back of her head at Sin's compliment, Zia smiled and waved it away. "I'm not really that smart - my family moved around a lot for my father's job, so...I guess I have been a lot of places, but there's a lot of things I don't know." She grinned. "They're really fun, though! I went to Chile once - which is in South America, below Mexico - and there's this huge desert called the Atacama, and it's the driest desert in the world! Drier than Egypt! - Or, um, so I hear," she said, still slightly embarrassed at showing off too much knowledge. She didn't want Sin to think she was pretentious.
Instead, she answered her new friend's question. "It's - um, it means 'my thoughts.' And two cents -" Zia dug in her pockets, coming up empty. "Hold on-" she carefully shimmied over to another branch, dropping down to where her things were under the tree. She motioned for Sin to join her, pulling out a few copper pennies from her backpack. "This is two American cents," she said, giving Sin the two pennies. "It's really not much, so the saying is that your thoughts are, um...small, I guess," Zia said, furrowing her brow. "I don't really know what it means, actually. Something to look up," she said, crossing her arms and making a mental note to do it later.
Zia plopped down in the shade and extended her legs, stretching a little. Her joints ached a little from training and climbing that tree. "Do you climb up trees a lot?" She said, craning her neck to look into the tangle of branches and leaves above her. "Do they have trees like this in South Africa?" Zia was interested to hear more about Sin's life and the place she lived. The Egyptian had never been further south than Ethiopia, at least in Africa. "What's it like being a warrior?"
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2013 14:45:06 GMT -5
Sin cocked her head again as Zia told her how she moved around. That must have been fun to travel the world. Sin had never really left her tribes land till now even if she knew she was really from a tribe to the far North West. She blinked looking down at the cents in her hand. There were like a cooper color. She poked at them for a bit not sure what to do with them seeing as her outfit had no pockets so opted for just sticking them down the front of her shirt. It was the only thing she could really do with them at this point.
When Zia called up to her Sin looked down at cocking her head to the side. With little effort on her part she jumped down next to Zia landing in a crouching position. She smiled at her new friend as she moved and sat down next to her looking back up at the tree.
”We have trees but they do not get as big as the ones here. We do not get… enough water for them… To grow dis big.”
At her other question Sin closed her eyes and gave a sigh leaning her head back on the tree. She was silent for a few moments thinking about what it was like back home and what she had to do. A smile passed over her face as she opened her eyes again and turned her head to look at Zia.
”As a Zulu worrier it is my job to protect the woman… Women are the ones to have to fetch da water… And that can be very dangerous for them. They can be attacked by animals like lions or they can be kidnapped by other men from other tribes. I also… Fight other men from other tribes… If they try and attack our village or take our women or cattle. I am also only worrier that can go and fetch water as well. I can do both male and female jobs…”
Sin suddenly looked sad at this and brought her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around them. She rested her head on the top of her knees and shut her eyes now.
”I was very… Important… To our people… I am very important… To the people of Africa…My name Sinethemab means we have hope.”
Sin opens her eyes again and turns to look at Zia. As she looked at her it felt like Sin’s dark blue eyes were looking right into her.
”Do you… Believe in fate and destiny Zia?
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2013 13:21:51 GMT -5
Listening at rapt attention as Sin talked about her life, Zia's eyes shone. It sounded exciting! Fighting lions, being important - it sounded like Sin had a lot of weight on her shoulders. Zia smiled, noticing how Sin talked at length about helping others. She was so kind! A warrior who protects her people - it was a nice image, and an impressive one at that. Zia felt a little inadequate sitting next to someone who had fought kidnappers and beasts, but it was that much more stirring to have her as her new friend. She could learn a lot from Sin. Zia wasn't very serious, preferring to joke and run around, but at Sin's heavy atmosphere of responsibility, she felt like she should go out and get a part-time job at the very least. She wouldn't be the hope of her entire people, but she could help someone out. Gotta start small. Maybe later she'd ask Sin to spar with her - she wondered what Zulu fighting techniques looked like.
Zia looked at her own knees, pondering Sin's question. It was a while before she spoke.
"I think I do," she said slowly. "I know that there are things that Allah has planned for me, things I must do in my life. If I have a destiny, though, I wouldn't have any idea of what it may be - which is also exciting, in a way." A sudden breeze picked up, rustling the leaves of the giant tree and making Zia's jewelry clink like golden wind-chimes. She looked up, through the leaves, leaning back on the tree trunk and crossing her legs. "It's a little scary, but I don't think I'm destined for anything unique or special, to be honest. I don't know what's in my future."
From what Zia had gathered, Sin was generally a serious person, but her tone now was much more intense than earlier. Something was weighing on her new friend's mind. Zia returned Sin's dark blue gaze with her own brown eyes, thoughtful. "What do you think is in yours?"
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2013 12:59:37 GMT -5
”Death.” Her voice was low now as she looked back at her new friends. She glanced away now knowing very well that what she said very strange. Sin moved her body into more of a relaxed one as she too leaned up on the tree. She looked up at the leaves in the trees and watched them rustle in the wind for a few seconds before she explained herself.
”You see when I was born… I did not cry… I was called the steepening child…My mother thought dis odd and took me to the shaman of the village. He told… My mother that in the end trails of the cow it said… I was to be the child that killed the witches of Africa…”
Sin paused again and opened her eyes again to look over at Zia. She had a rather sad look on her face now and she started to fiddle and play around with her hands.
”Zuri da hyena found dis out and killed my whole village but my mother… Was able to get away with me… She died later and the Zulu’s took me in and even their shaman said…. I would be the one to kill da witches… That is who I got my name…”
Again she pulled her legs close to her chest and looked out at the park. At the families and the children playing. At everyone looking so happy and her mind couldn’t help but think of her tribe back home. Where they safe? How was everyone doing? Would they forget about Sin in time? She gave another sight and then a little laugh.
”I am sorry my Mama Kathy told me not to tell others… I think she fears that I will sound mad but Zia.”
She now gave her friend a big a warm smile as she reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.
”I am sure dat in your life you will do great things.”
She gave the girl a little squeeze before letting go of her shoulder and bringing her hand to her knees.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2013 22:17:19 GMT -5
At Sin's first word, Zia fell quiet, staring at her with wide eyes. She remained silent until Sin finished her story and ended with her kind words, placing a gentle hand on Zia's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. At that point, she finally found her voice.
"Thank you," she said, still looking at Sin with eyes as big as dinner plates. "But wait, you mean to say that your destiny is to kill all the witches...in Africa? That's a lot of pressure." Zia took her friend's hands in hers, holding them tightly. "That's a really big future!! But I know you can do it! Thank you for sharing that with me," she added with a smile. She now understood how serious Sin appeared to be - if she had something like that to work toward, Zia would probably more serious as well. "It doesn't sound mad. It sounds really scary, actually." She titled her head. "Do you have to go rid Africa of witches all on your own?" She released Sin's hands now. "Because if not, I'll help!! I can't do much but I want to at least be there when you hit Egypt."
Zia hunched her shoulders and grinned widely. "Look at me! We've hardly known each other five minutes and I'm already inviting myself along for a witch hunt." For a moment, Zia's easy air turned serious. "But...I mean, it's probably a ways off, but be careful, okay? I'd hate to lose a friend I just met. We're sisters, after all!"
Her smile returned and she leaned back against the tree with a grin. "You've got a really big mission ahead." She sat up suddenly. "Have you ever had an American Hamburger? Before you go to fight you gotta try one." It was a bit of a topic switch, but Zia was sometimes like that - when things got too serious, she got nervous and flipped to a lighter topic.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2013 20:16:50 GMT -5
Sin looked to her shoulder when she felt Zia’s hand there and gave another smile when she felt her give her arm a little squeeze. Sin knew what that meant Kathy did it a lot when Sin was feeling down and out. At Zia first question she gave a nod but said nothing yet as she waited for Zia to finish. For a few moments she was quiet and then gave a little laugh.
”Yes I must do dis but it was never said if I could have help… I don’t believe I meant to do dis alone. Everyone needs help not matter how large or small the task. I would be honored if you joined me when the day came… To have my sister fight alongside me… Would make me happy and give me strength.”
She paused for a second again resting her head back on her knees thinking of back home. Back in her village she moved from home to home every night and never had one stable family but she never thought of it as odd. Her whole village was her family and she had many brothers and sisters that she thought about every day. Her bothers where the ones she trained with and she was always there to help her sister fetch water. She had started to really miss them but now she had Zia and even if they had only just meet Sin knew she could trust her. She could call her sister. Sin was brought back to Earth again at Zia last question and she shook her head no.
I cannot say dat I have eaten dat. Cattle were only killed and eaten for big celebrations like weddings or a coming of age… It was done at my ceremony… Can… Can you get cow meat here so easily?”
The idea of getting that type of meat so easily blew Sin’s mind. She was used to living on beans and rise and other plans in the area but here she could get cow meat whenever she wanted? This place was so strange to her.
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