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cemetery_things+ Title: Superbia - Chapter 1
+ Characters: Brenna Wyatt, Rufus Wyatt
+ Rating: T
+ Word Count: 1169
+ Author's Notes: Bad start to the story, but a start is a start. These will definitely be rewritten later.
It was still dark when Brenna opened her eyes. The early calls to prayer were drifting through the early morning air, the noise of chimes floating all the way from Shrinebell district into her open bedroom window. Spring was becoming warm enough that she could sleep with only a few blankets, and though she was sorely tempted to pull them over her head and go back to sleep, Brenna kicked them off and forced herself to roll out of bed.
Someone else was stirring in the house. She could hear them stumbling over their own feet down the hall, cursing under their breath. The clumsy steps and swearing were more than familiar. Brenna sighed loudly, walking over to the door and tugging it open.
"Rufus," she hissed, glaring at her surprised brother. "You are not getting the bathroom first. I have to be at work in two hours!"
He straightened, putting his hands on his hips and looking down at her sternly. "I have to report for duty at the palace today. I need to look my best."
"Look your best?" Brenna scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking him up and down with a condescending expression. "If you didn't date every girl in the capitol, I'd swear you were gay."
Rufus opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead he frowned. Leaning to the side, he looked over his sister's shoulder, as if examining something behind her. After several minutes of trying to ignore him, she finally turned to look back into her room.
With that small distraction, Rufus took off down the hall at a run. Brenna spun around, cursing aloud as she realized what he'd done. She pushed herself out of the doorway, sprinting after her brother. They drew even as they reached the bathroom, shoving each other and squirming in an attempt to get through the doorway first.
Unfortunately, Brenna's size was still a disadvantage. Rufus managed to get a hand on her forehead, pushing her back until her socks couldn't gain a purchase on the floor. She grabbed at his shirt, getting a good grip as he tried to ease himself back while keeping her a safe distance away.
"Rufus, gods so help me!" Brenna yelped, flailing out with one leg to catch him behind the knee. He was expecting the attack, but the slippery floor sent them tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and pajamas.
The pair lay there in stunned silence for a long minute. Flipping her hair out of her face, Brenna found herself face-to-face with her brother, who was in a similar state of disarray. He started laughing, letting his head rest back on the floor. Brenna couldn't quite resist the urge to join him, but she knew better than to lose her advantage. Scrambling to her feet, Brenna hurled herself into the bathroom, landing on her stomach and kicking the door shut behind her.
Rufus slammed against the wood half-heartedly, still shaking with amusement. He knew he'd lost the battle this morning. Brenna lay back on the tile, laughing and trying to catch her breath. She was getting ready to stand, but the sound of harsh steps outside made her cringe.
"Renfa! Birong! It is four in the morning, you are much too loud!"
Rufus waved sheepishly at their mother, grimacing in anticipation of the lecture they'd get later.
"Sorry, mother. We'll be quiet." When she had disappeared back into her room, Rufus slapped the door, stifling another laugh. Brenna tapped it back, and he could hear her laughing as she turned on the shower.
They shared the mirror once they were both showered, passing brushes and combs across the counter while drying their hair. It was a routine the siblings had down to a chaotic science; they took turns flatironing the front and sides of their hair before helping one another get the back. Brenna smeared on some lotion and foundation, blending painstakingly until her complexion was even; she didn't put on any other makeup. It was useless to indulge in vanity when she would end up covered in dirt.
Both siblings had a common order of dressing. Once they had their pants on, they would don their sleeveless shirts, cotton and almost always white. Rufus would pull on a collared shirt when he was going into the administrative palace, buttoning it twice; once without looking, which ended with the last few buttons and holes not matching up, and a second time in the mirror. Brenna would brush her teeth while he did it, watching him with a mildly bemused quirk to her brows. They would slip on their uniform jackets, buttoning up and helping one another adjust their various insignia before stepping back to examine themselves in the mirror.
Brenna couldn't help envying her brother's more attractive uniform, though her own was far more comfortable. Her uniform was a simple, midnight blue patrolman's jacket and pants, accompanied by heavy-duty boots. Rufus's promotion to brigadier had come with a lot of gold detailing and attractive threadwork on his various insignia, and he made the uniform look as handsome as humanly possible. The blue twill brought out his eyes, and they sparkled with good humor. Ladies absolutely loved the light coloring to his irises, which Rufus knew perfectly well. He enjoyed playing that asset to his advantage, and he was a popular gent when the collegiate girls wanted a date.
Brenna had also inherited the eyes of Zhurei from their mother, but boys her age preferred girls who weren't of mixed parentage. It was just one of many discrepancies in the racial divisions that existed in Amrity; boys had an easier time than girls, and half-breeds were treated like untouchables by the lower class. The upper classes were far more polite, though there were still incidents of condescension and snide remarks among even the most courteous of company.
The pale-skinned, dark-eyed natives of the country imagined themselves superior to other races, though they spoke of equality and tolerance, accepting the few immigrants from foreign nations with open arms. Their prejudice and hatred only became apparent when those foreigners produced children with the native Amritians. Breeds, they called those children, a shortened slur from the derogatory term half-breed. Most half-breeds lived far to the South, in rural areas. As far as Brenna and Rufus were aware, their parents had been the only mixed marriage in Augure proper. Despite an entire district of Zhuren on the south end of town, the Amritian citizens had kept to their own kind, outside of a few rumored affairs.
Brenna and Rufus had grown up taking insults and enduring snubs, but they were both obstinate beyond belief. Rufus had developed a charming personality to compensate for the shortcomings of his parentage, and Brenna had learned how to fight. Surpassing their purely Amritian classmates, they had earned their places at the Military Academy of Augure, and eventually in the ranks of the national militant mage corps.
+ Characters: Brenna Wyatt, Rufus Wyatt
+ Rating: T
+ Word Count: 1169
+ Author's Notes: Bad start to the story, but a start is a start. These will definitely be rewritten later.
It was still dark when Brenna opened her eyes. The early calls to prayer were drifting through the early morning air, the noise of chimes floating all the way from Shrinebell district into her open bedroom window. Spring was becoming warm enough that she could sleep with only a few blankets, and though she was sorely tempted to pull them over her head and go back to sleep, Brenna kicked them off and forced herself to roll out of bed.
Someone else was stirring in the house. She could hear them stumbling over their own feet down the hall, cursing under their breath. The clumsy steps and swearing were more than familiar. Brenna sighed loudly, walking over to the door and tugging it open.
"Rufus," she hissed, glaring at her surprised brother. "You are not getting the bathroom first. I have to be at work in two hours!"
He straightened, putting his hands on his hips and looking down at her sternly. "I have to report for duty at the palace today. I need to look my best."
"Look your best?" Brenna scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and looking him up and down with a condescending expression. "If you didn't date every girl in the capitol, I'd swear you were gay."
Rufus opened his mouth as if to say something, but instead he frowned. Leaning to the side, he looked over his sister's shoulder, as if examining something behind her. After several minutes of trying to ignore him, she finally turned to look back into her room.
With that small distraction, Rufus took off down the hall at a run. Brenna spun around, cursing aloud as she realized what he'd done. She pushed herself out of the doorway, sprinting after her brother. They drew even as they reached the bathroom, shoving each other and squirming in an attempt to get through the doorway first.
Unfortunately, Brenna's size was still a disadvantage. Rufus managed to get a hand on her forehead, pushing her back until her socks couldn't gain a purchase on the floor. She grabbed at his shirt, getting a good grip as he tried to ease himself back while keeping her a safe distance away.
"Rufus, gods so help me!" Brenna yelped, flailing out with one leg to catch him behind the knee. He was expecting the attack, but the slippery floor sent them tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and pajamas.
The pair lay there in stunned silence for a long minute. Flipping her hair out of her face, Brenna found herself face-to-face with her brother, who was in a similar state of disarray. He started laughing, letting his head rest back on the floor. Brenna couldn't quite resist the urge to join him, but she knew better than to lose her advantage. Scrambling to her feet, Brenna hurled herself into the bathroom, landing on her stomach and kicking the door shut behind her.
Rufus slammed against the wood half-heartedly, still shaking with amusement. He knew he'd lost the battle this morning. Brenna lay back on the tile, laughing and trying to catch her breath. She was getting ready to stand, but the sound of harsh steps outside made her cringe.
"Renfa! Birong! It is four in the morning, you are much too loud!"
Rufus waved sheepishly at their mother, grimacing in anticipation of the lecture they'd get later.
"Sorry, mother. We'll be quiet." When she had disappeared back into her room, Rufus slapped the door, stifling another laugh. Brenna tapped it back, and he could hear her laughing as she turned on the shower.
They shared the mirror once they were both showered, passing brushes and combs across the counter while drying their hair. It was a routine the siblings had down to a chaotic science; they took turns flatironing the front and sides of their hair before helping one another get the back. Brenna smeared on some lotion and foundation, blending painstakingly until her complexion was even; she didn't put on any other makeup. It was useless to indulge in vanity when she would end up covered in dirt.
Both siblings had a common order of dressing. Once they had their pants on, they would don their sleeveless shirts, cotton and almost always white. Rufus would pull on a collared shirt when he was going into the administrative palace, buttoning it twice; once without looking, which ended with the last few buttons and holes not matching up, and a second time in the mirror. Brenna would brush her teeth while he did it, watching him with a mildly bemused quirk to her brows. They would slip on their uniform jackets, buttoning up and helping one another adjust their various insignia before stepping back to examine themselves in the mirror.
Brenna couldn't help envying her brother's more attractive uniform, though her own was far more comfortable. Her uniform was a simple, midnight blue patrolman's jacket and pants, accompanied by heavy-duty boots. Rufus's promotion to brigadier had come with a lot of gold detailing and attractive threadwork on his various insignia, and he made the uniform look as handsome as humanly possible. The blue twill brought out his eyes, and they sparkled with good humor. Ladies absolutely loved the light coloring to his irises, which Rufus knew perfectly well. He enjoyed playing that asset to his advantage, and he was a popular gent when the collegiate girls wanted a date.
Brenna had also inherited the eyes of Zhurei from their mother, but boys her age preferred girls who weren't of mixed parentage. It was just one of many discrepancies in the racial divisions that existed in Amrity; boys had an easier time than girls, and half-breeds were treated like untouchables by the lower class. The upper classes were far more polite, though there were still incidents of condescension and snide remarks among even the most courteous of company.
The pale-skinned, dark-eyed natives of the country imagined themselves superior to other races, though they spoke of equality and tolerance, accepting the few immigrants from foreign nations with open arms. Their prejudice and hatred only became apparent when those foreigners produced children with the native Amritians. Breeds, they called those children, a shortened slur from the derogatory term half-breed. Most half-breeds lived far to the South, in rural areas. As far as Brenna and Rufus were aware, their parents had been the only mixed marriage in Augure proper. Despite an entire district of Zhuren on the south end of town, the Amritian citizens had kept to their own kind, outside of a few rumored affairs.
Brenna and Rufus had grown up taking insults and enduring snubs, but they were both obstinate beyond belief. Rufus had developed a charming personality to compensate for the shortcomings of his parentage, and Brenna had learned how to fight. Surpassing their purely Amritian classmates, they had earned their places at the Military Academy of Augure, and eventually in the ranks of the national militant mage corps.
