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KwaZulu- Natal - Visiting Home, Introductions Are Made (Tag Cross)

Posted March 5, 2019, 12:13 p.m. by Gamemaster CockRoach (Gamemaster) (Robert Archer)

[snip]

Increased aggressiveness and injury tolerance,recklessness .... ‘’

Nkosenye followed the sign she left in her wake, and it wasn’t difficult. She seemed to be moving at a rapid pace, not caring for what she was heading to or getting near.

After nearly half an hour, they were a few miles from the road. Nkosenye started calling her name loudly and watching her trail. It was then he spotted a new set of tracks. Large, canine, and multiple sets. In this area that meant one thing.

“Hyenas.” he said as if it were a curse.

If they were further north, Nkosenye wouldn’t worry too much. Striped Hyenas were scavengers and while a nuisance were generally not an issue. Here, though… here were the Spotted Hyenas. Predators. Pack hunters. They would attack lions at times. Nkosenye started calling louder and more forcefully. “Cross!! You need to come find me!! You are in danger, and so help me if you get killed I will never forgive you!! Why are you running from me?!” and he picked up his pace, trying to close the distance between them.

Cross had stopped running,she had her fix and was by now taking deep breaths ‘’That felt awesome’‘ she said to herself .As the doctor was thinking of turning back she heard the distinctive tone of the CoS and although she could not see him, the doctor could perceive in which direction his voice was coming from.

*Wonder why he’s shouting at the top of his voice * she thought smiling ,regrettably that smile did not last long as Cross heard a distinctive high-pitched giggling sound behind her.

She turned her head ever so slowly and on seeing the Hyena froze ‘’I’m done for’‘ she uttered .

Nkoseye followed the trail and then heard the yip of the hyena. Cursing softly, he shifted his stance and with the adjustment his footsteps became almost silent. Making his way around a large brier bush, he saw Cross standing motionless. Past her he saw the large canine looking at her and licking it’s lips. Experience told him that wasn’t the threat, that was the distraction. Looking off to the side, he saw the shoulders of a pair moving to flank Cross. He had to act, and did.

Racing past Cross, he charged the pair sneaking up to the side of the small clearing. Yelling and waving his arms, he ran straight at them making as much noise as possible. The two startled and bolted away from the giant man and he turned and immediately did the same to the one by Cross. This one waited and lowered it’s head, and for a split second Mthunzi thought he was going to have to fight. But at the last moment, that one fled… at least momentarily.

Turning to look at Cross, his face was a combination of anger and fear. “We have to go. Now. They will come back.” and he pointed off in the direction they had come. “Fast as you can, Doctor.” he said, and the emphasis on the last word conveyed the level of angst and hurt he was feeling.

Cross did not need to be told twice and although glad to see Mthunzi she picked up his unpleasant tone.

*Brilliant * she thought, their relationship was probably over before it had hardly commenced .

The two sprinted back they way they came, and soon found themselves back on the road. Nkosenye stopped and put his hands on his hips and began breathing in and out slowly, catching his breath. After a few minutes in silence he looked at Cross, his regular scowl on his face and said simply “The market is this way. We should hurry and get the items for dinner.” and he began walking off in the direction of distant noise and people.

Cross did not reply but simply nodded as she followed behind the CoS, her eyes welled up and tears threaten to fall the moment the doctor blinked.This was the reason she had not wanted Nkosenye not to tell his family that she was more then a friend before opening up about her past,present and what he would expect in the future ....now it seemed it was too late for that,he was angry and had a valid reason to reverse his decision.

Nkosenye walked in silence for a few minutes. There was little traffic coming from the market this way, as there was nothing much by the Nkosenye family’s home. Stopping just barely within view of the market, he turned and looked down at Cross. “Why? Why did you run? Why did you put yourself in danger and just… leave me? I do not understand. I am angry… but mostly I am confused. You scared me. If you were so uncomfortable meeting my family, you could have just asked for me to take you back. I would have, you know. I did not want to put you in a difficult position. But I can see now that I have. I am sorry, Miriam. Please allow me to get the things for dinner my mother requested, and then I will take you back to the city.” The big Zulu’s voice sounded unlike anything anyone on the Merrimack had heard coming form him. The deep rumbling had been replaced with resignation. The strength and confidence replaced with pain. The trademark scowl on his face now held something wholly different… sorrow. It was obvious that he held himself responsible for her running.

Cross was utterly drained more mentally then physical,she took her brown lenses off and raised her head locking eyes with Nkosenye ‘’Lt, you’re mistaken in thinking I felt uncomfortable in meeting your family’‘ she uttered in a hardly audible tone ‘’Just did not want us to be seen as a couple not before you know more about me’‘.

’Listen and listen carefully my father was created in a lab its called bio-engineering. They are called designer babies unethical human experiments but that does not stop private labs from working in secret.A gene was introduced in the embryonic stage to be born with natural athletic abilities,complementary by psychological characteristic such as mental toughness and motivation to endure pain during training and competition.’‘

‘’Stronger,faster,increase capacity of the lungs…Increased aggressiveness and injury tolerance,recklessness ....The eyes were purposely made red to pick the batch of babies made with this added gene.’‘

‘’It was when I grew up that I understood , carrying half my father’s DNA and knew also that spending a certain amount of time without some kind of stimulation my mind would reach that fine line between sanity and insanity.When I took off ,initially it was for the market but on seeing the savanna believe me it was overwhelming and too overpowering for me to resist’‘.

Cross paused ‘’I understand Lt if I’m to much to handle’‘ and with that the doctor lowered her head picking up some imaginary spot waiting for his answer ..if there was going to be any.

Nkosenye studied her intensely in silence. His scowl had found it’s familiar home on his face, but it was deeper and more… concerned… than was typical for the man. For several minutes, he simply stood and looked down at her. Finally, he stepped forward and knelt on the ground in front of her. He took her chin gently in one massive hand and lifted her face up so he could look into the red eyes.

There was a surprise look as he gently lifted her face up…it was not what she expected.

“We do not choose our parents. We do not choose the circumstances of our birth. Whatever science went into making your father I am thankful for… because it brought you to me. And I would not change that for anything.” and he put his forehead on hers. “Your eyes do not trouble me. Neither do your genetics, wherever they came from. You are simply the woman that I have given my heart to. I am yours, Miriam. Nothing will change that.” and he pulled his head back and looked her in the eye and said “But no more secrets. No more hiding yourself from me. And no more running off into the wilds without me.” and he stood up, brushed off his knees, and looked at the market and then looked back at her with a sparkle in his eye. “Besides, if it is ‘stimulation’ you need, all you have to do is ask. I’m sure I can think of something to keep you occupied, my love.” he said with a hint of playfulness and he moved beside her and held out his hand for her to take. It was obvious that it would take more than a risk-prone outburst and a pack of hyenas to pull him away from the woman beside him.

She did wonder if he completely understood her but it did not matter Nkosenye was not deterred by what she had divulged ,as the doctor stood up a small smile formed at the corner of her mouth when he said he’ll give her all the stimulation she needed ‘’Don’t be surprised if you see me running around the ship like a mad hatter on my days off though’‘ and with that Miriam took his hand for she reasoned there was no need to hide their relationship anymore.

‘’Quick lets get what your mothers needs ‘’ Cross pulled at the massive man to hurry .....as she envisaged the woman waiting with a broom stick to wack her son with, at the very thought Cross burst out laughing.

Nkosenye took her and led her into the market. The market was a large open air space with stone walls around it. Most of the stalls and vendors were in the center, but there were arch ways in the wall that seemed to lead back further into more dimly lit areas. Their senses were assaulted by bright colors, smells, loud voices shouting and bartering, and music. Glancing at the narrow alleys leading off the center place, Nkosenye said “You can find anything in this place, legal or not.” Moving with practiced ease, and keeping a firm hand on Cross’s, he maneuvered her through the market and went to specific stalls and retrieved the ingredients for his mother’s dinner. Once they were done, he looked at her and bent down and whispered in her ear “One last stop.” and he took her through the market and then into one of the smaller alleys off the main area. Weaving their way back further and further into the dimly lit space, they came to an stall set back under an archway. A woman sat behind the display of various trinkets and items, and she was surrounded by bits of wood, bone, and various other materials.

‘’But..but your mother,I thought you were in a hurrr............ before she could even finish the sentence the doctor found herself looking at a stall with a woman behind it.

Nkosenye approached and said something in Zulu. The woman looked up and a broad smile spread across her face. She was older, but stunningly beautiful. Her hair was thick and black, woven into a myriad of braids accented by brightly colored beads. Her dark ebony skin was flawless, and her eyes seemed to take in the light that shone on them and kept it within their depths. She wore a brightly colored robe that billowed out as she leapt to her feet and came around the display and wrapped her arms around Nkosenye’s waist and gave him a close embrace. She looked up at him and said something else in the odd language, to which Nkosenye laughed and replied. He then looked at Miriam and motioned her closer. Speaking to the woman, Nkosenye said something that included Cross’s name. He then said “Miriam, this is Fadira. The woman I rescued, and who gave me my necklace.”

In contrast with this woman,Miriam had a musk-rose flush on her ivory cheekbones, it did indeed seem that beauty was in the eye of the beholder . We know it when we see it, even if we can’t define it and at that moment Cross wondered what Nkosenye saw that attracted him to her with her strange eyes and wild red hair.

Fadira looked at Cross and smiled, her teeth brilliant white against her dark skin. She took both Cross’s hands in hers and said something in Zulu. Mthunzi said “She says she is honored to meet the one who could tame my wild heart.” and he chuckled.

Cross smiled and squeezed the woman’s hand back ‘’I suppose he should receive another necklace’‘ she responded back .

Nkosenye chuckled and translated. Fadira laughed, a laugh that seemed almost like music, and then she stopped and looked at Cross with eyes wide. An even bigger smile crossed her face and she threw down Miriam’s hands and dashed behind the stall. Ducking down, she rummaged around for several moments before exclaiming “AH!” and standing up holding what appeared to be a piece of folded leather or hide. Coming around the table, she opened the primitive gift wrap and held out the skin to Cross.

Nested inside the hide was a necklace made of wooden beads. The beads were polished to a deep, rich brown and looked almost as if they were oily even though they were completely dry. At the center was a pendant made of an obsidian-like material, but if one looked closely a reddish hue was apparent. Fadira looked at Cross and said something over her shoulder to Mthunzi, who nodded his head once slowly and he replied. He then said to Miriam “Fadira made this for you. She knew you would be here today. It will bring you peace when you feel alone.” he said quietly, almost reverently. Fadima looked at Cross and pushed the necklace closer. Mthunzi looked past Fadima and said “You may not believe this, love, but she is a great healer. I think most cultures outside of the African Tribes called people like her ‘Witch Doctors’ in the past. But she is a good person, with a great deal of knowledge that I cannot explain. When she says she made this for you… it was made for you specifically.”

OOC: Great post you two but please dont forget to snip! My finger can only take so much

GM CockRoach


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