Post by ZaCloud on Feb 22, 2008 0:32:22 GMT -5
“Yuck! Zack, why do you keep bringing berries that aren’t ready? Only some of these are good.”
Nine year old Zack sighed with frustration. This had been the case many times. Granted, Claude did not complain most of the time, but left over berries had always been testament to the younger boy’s opinion on the matter, which this time he was voicing.
“I dunno,” he sighed, scratching a hand through his black spiky hair, “I told you, I can’t tell the difference. They all look the same. Can only tell by eating ‘em.”
Claude narrowed his eyes and growled a little. “Zaaaack! It’s not funny! I don’t like you joking like that every time! You can too see the difference!”
Zack frowned. This always frustrated him. “Claude, I dunno what you’re talking about.”
Claude sighed, equally frustrated, and dug through the basket of sour green redberries, until he found what he was looking for. “Ok! Here’s one that’s almost ready.” He held out the small reddish berry on his hand, along with a green one. “See? Can’t you see the difference? This one’s not ready, this one is.”
Zack stared hard. Maybe he wasn’t looking hard enough? He strained to see a difference. “They… shrink when they’re ready? That one’s smaller.”
“Zaaaaack!” Claude sighed again. “No! This one’s red! If they’re green, they’re not ready!”
The older boy tried as hard as he could to see a difference, but he couldn’t tell. He knew colors were supposed to be significant from one another, such as blue and yellow, black and white, but he had never been able to understand why red and green were considered different colors when they were so similar…
He sighed and shook his lowered head with defeat. “Sorry Claude… I’m just not good at colors. I can’t figure it out. Maybe it’s a talent or somethin’, like how some people draw really good an’ some can’t. I don’t wanna mess up, but I’m just… not good at it.”
Claude threw the berries back into the basket and stomped away several paces, his bare feet crunching dead grass underneath, arms crossed. He in turn could not understand how his older, smarter brother could not figure out something that didn’t even require thinking or effort. Sure, it had been tough for him to remember the names of the colors without help, but at least he did know the difference between them when he saw them. Didn’t everybody?
He had to find out if it was true. Whether or not Zack was really trying to joke, or if such a problem could truly exist.
“I’m going to go find some ripe ones,” he said, turning back and scooping up the basket.
“Don’t go out alone,” Zack said, raising his head from where he had been doodling in the dust with his finger.
“I won’t go far,” Claude answered, and he scampered into the dry forest of wisp-topped stalks nearby.
Once he was out of sight, and before Zack could catch up, Claude grabbed a handful of green berries and squished them, then applied the juice carefully to his arm, trying to make it look like a bleeding slash. He then sat down and waited, hearing his older brother drawing closer as Claude knew he would.
“Claude, wait up, wai—“ Zack stopped quickly when he saw Claude was sitting stationary, and his eyes widened with concern. “Aw man, you hurt yourself! Are you okay?”
The younger boy’s eyes widened. It was true after all… “Uh… I’m fine, it’s just berry juice.”
“Are you sure?” Zack knelt to examine his arm.
Claude nodded quickly and used spit to rub off some of the juice and reveal no wound. “Yeah, see?” Then he frowned. “You really can’t see some of the colors after all… I still don’t understand that… But you’re not lying.”
“Of course not,” Zack replied, shifting his position so he was now sitting next to his brother, “I wouldn’t lie to you like that. I wouldn’t joke that long either, it wouldn’t be funny. An’ pickin’ berries before they’re ready makes it so they don’t have time to get ready, so I wouldn’t do that on purpose.”
“Then let’s trade jobs,” Claude suggested, “You can catch the bugs an’ fish, an’ I’ll get the berries.”
“You’ll get cut up on the thorns though,” Zack protested, “an’ you can’t reach the higher ones. Plus you could get lost or someone bad might find you out there.”
“I don’t care about a few cuts,” Claude insisted, “I can use sticks to pull tall bushes down closer. An’ if someone tries to get me, I’ll just hide in the prickers. I’m small so I can fit. Maybe I can use the long-sleeve shirt an’ get cut less. I can do it!”
“Man, you’re pretty smart,” Zack remarked, impressed by the five-year-old’s logic. “You’re a tough cookie too.” He ruffled Claude’s hair.
The youngster leaned away, eyes narrowed. “Quit that! I’m not a cookie!”
Zack chuckled. “Right, right. You are tough though. But I still don’t know about you leaving this safe area on your own. Maybe we’ll both work on meals together, both fish an’ bug-hunt, then both berry pick for dessert.”
Claude pouted a bit. He wanted to take care of something on his own, to show he was capable of taking care of himself… and of his brother. Especially since now he knew Zack was missing an ability. But as he thought about it, he knew that might be the better option, as run-ins with other people had always been a bad thing.
“I guess…” he reluctantly conceded. Then he reasoned, “Like that, we’d find everything faster.”
“That’ll work,” Zack agreed, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back against the dry stalks, which bent slightly back under his weight like a recliner. He closed his eyes, enjoying the alternating spots of sunlight and shade.
Claude tried to follow suit, but he was too light and short to bend the stalks. He huffed and pushed back hard, but they would do no more than temporarily sway back.
Zack opened an eye, then smiled sympathetically. Claude always tried his best, even when he could not yet meet his own goals. It made Zack proud of him, while at the same time feel a little sorry for him. He wanted Claude to always be that way; to keep trying his best no matter what. But with such a cruel world around them, full of danger, abuse, and disappointment, Claude would need protection so his admirable but fragile resolve could continue. Zack would endeavor to be just that for him.
Meanwhile, Claude peeked at his brother, and Zack nodded slightly. Claude smiled a bit and sat on his brother’s lap, reclining back over Zack’s belly and chest in the same relaxed pose. They both gazed up at the sky, mostly obscured by the translucent seed heads topping the mammoth grass surrounding them, the wisps silhouetted against the blue space overhead. A blue which both of them could see. The wind served to lend motion to the display, and rock the duo softly as their shared recliner swayed in the breeze.
“Someday,” Claude said, raising his hand up to join the tufts against the sky, “I’m going be big and strong… And I’ll protect you instead.”
Zack raised his own, larger hand against the blue as well. “Yeah… But until then, I’ll make sure you stay safe enough to get there.”
As the breeze again swayed the upraised stalks, their own arms remained steadfastly in place, as solid as their own vows.
Hehehe, and here's a gif I up and did about the berry situation. For some reason I wanted to do it in Japanese; things just seem extra amusing to me when you take expressions over words. And no, I'm not THAT good at Japanese on my own yet; I used the About.com guide to help with the kanji and double-check some phrases
Translation n stuffs:
Claude: Dore? (Which one?)
Zack: ?
Claude: Wakaru deshou? (Do you understand?)
Zack: Muri da... (It's impossible...)
Both: ...
Claude: Majimeni yo (Be serious!)
*Shiiiiiiin* (Staaaare)
Zack: Muri da yo (It's impossible!) ^_^
Nine year old Zack sighed with frustration. This had been the case many times. Granted, Claude did not complain most of the time, but left over berries had always been testament to the younger boy’s opinion on the matter, which this time he was voicing.
“I dunno,” he sighed, scratching a hand through his black spiky hair, “I told you, I can’t tell the difference. They all look the same. Can only tell by eating ‘em.”
Claude narrowed his eyes and growled a little. “Zaaaack! It’s not funny! I don’t like you joking like that every time! You can too see the difference!”
Zack frowned. This always frustrated him. “Claude, I dunno what you’re talking about.”
Claude sighed, equally frustrated, and dug through the basket of sour green redberries, until he found what he was looking for. “Ok! Here’s one that’s almost ready.” He held out the small reddish berry on his hand, along with a green one. “See? Can’t you see the difference? This one’s not ready, this one is.”
Zack stared hard. Maybe he wasn’t looking hard enough? He strained to see a difference. “They… shrink when they’re ready? That one’s smaller.”
“Zaaaaack!” Claude sighed again. “No! This one’s red! If they’re green, they’re not ready!”
The older boy tried as hard as he could to see a difference, but he couldn’t tell. He knew colors were supposed to be significant from one another, such as blue and yellow, black and white, but he had never been able to understand why red and green were considered different colors when they were so similar…
He sighed and shook his lowered head with defeat. “Sorry Claude… I’m just not good at colors. I can’t figure it out. Maybe it’s a talent or somethin’, like how some people draw really good an’ some can’t. I don’t wanna mess up, but I’m just… not good at it.”
Claude threw the berries back into the basket and stomped away several paces, his bare feet crunching dead grass underneath, arms crossed. He in turn could not understand how his older, smarter brother could not figure out something that didn’t even require thinking or effort. Sure, it had been tough for him to remember the names of the colors without help, but at least he did know the difference between them when he saw them. Didn’t everybody?
He had to find out if it was true. Whether or not Zack was really trying to joke, or if such a problem could truly exist.
“I’m going to go find some ripe ones,” he said, turning back and scooping up the basket.
“Don’t go out alone,” Zack said, raising his head from where he had been doodling in the dust with his finger.
“I won’t go far,” Claude answered, and he scampered into the dry forest of wisp-topped stalks nearby.
Once he was out of sight, and before Zack could catch up, Claude grabbed a handful of green berries and squished them, then applied the juice carefully to his arm, trying to make it look like a bleeding slash. He then sat down and waited, hearing his older brother drawing closer as Claude knew he would.
“Claude, wait up, wai—“ Zack stopped quickly when he saw Claude was sitting stationary, and his eyes widened with concern. “Aw man, you hurt yourself! Are you okay?”
The younger boy’s eyes widened. It was true after all… “Uh… I’m fine, it’s just berry juice.”
“Are you sure?” Zack knelt to examine his arm.
Claude nodded quickly and used spit to rub off some of the juice and reveal no wound. “Yeah, see?” Then he frowned. “You really can’t see some of the colors after all… I still don’t understand that… But you’re not lying.”
“Of course not,” Zack replied, shifting his position so he was now sitting next to his brother, “I wouldn’t lie to you like that. I wouldn’t joke that long either, it wouldn’t be funny. An’ pickin’ berries before they’re ready makes it so they don’t have time to get ready, so I wouldn’t do that on purpose.”
“Then let’s trade jobs,” Claude suggested, “You can catch the bugs an’ fish, an’ I’ll get the berries.”
“You’ll get cut up on the thorns though,” Zack protested, “an’ you can’t reach the higher ones. Plus you could get lost or someone bad might find you out there.”
“I don’t care about a few cuts,” Claude insisted, “I can use sticks to pull tall bushes down closer. An’ if someone tries to get me, I’ll just hide in the prickers. I’m small so I can fit. Maybe I can use the long-sleeve shirt an’ get cut less. I can do it!”
“Man, you’re pretty smart,” Zack remarked, impressed by the five-year-old’s logic. “You’re a tough cookie too.” He ruffled Claude’s hair.
The youngster leaned away, eyes narrowed. “Quit that! I’m not a cookie!”
Zack chuckled. “Right, right. You are tough though. But I still don’t know about you leaving this safe area on your own. Maybe we’ll both work on meals together, both fish an’ bug-hunt, then both berry pick for dessert.”
Claude pouted a bit. He wanted to take care of something on his own, to show he was capable of taking care of himself… and of his brother. Especially since now he knew Zack was missing an ability. But as he thought about it, he knew that might be the better option, as run-ins with other people had always been a bad thing.
“I guess…” he reluctantly conceded. Then he reasoned, “Like that, we’d find everything faster.”
“That’ll work,” Zack agreed, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back against the dry stalks, which bent slightly back under his weight like a recliner. He closed his eyes, enjoying the alternating spots of sunlight and shade.
Claude tried to follow suit, but he was too light and short to bend the stalks. He huffed and pushed back hard, but they would do no more than temporarily sway back.
Zack opened an eye, then smiled sympathetically. Claude always tried his best, even when he could not yet meet his own goals. It made Zack proud of him, while at the same time feel a little sorry for him. He wanted Claude to always be that way; to keep trying his best no matter what. But with such a cruel world around them, full of danger, abuse, and disappointment, Claude would need protection so his admirable but fragile resolve could continue. Zack would endeavor to be just that for him.
Meanwhile, Claude peeked at his brother, and Zack nodded slightly. Claude smiled a bit and sat on his brother’s lap, reclining back over Zack’s belly and chest in the same relaxed pose. They both gazed up at the sky, mostly obscured by the translucent seed heads topping the mammoth grass surrounding them, the wisps silhouetted against the blue space overhead. A blue which both of them could see. The wind served to lend motion to the display, and rock the duo softly as their shared recliner swayed in the breeze.
“Someday,” Claude said, raising his hand up to join the tufts against the sky, “I’m going be big and strong… And I’ll protect you instead.”
Zack raised his own, larger hand against the blue as well. “Yeah… But until then, I’ll make sure you stay safe enough to get there.”
As the breeze again swayed the upraised stalks, their own arms remained steadfastly in place, as solid as their own vows.
Hehehe, and here's a gif I up and did about the berry situation. For some reason I wanted to do it in Japanese; things just seem extra amusing to me when you take expressions over words. And no, I'm not THAT good at Japanese on my own yet; I used the About.com guide to help with the kanji and double-check some phrases
Translation n stuffs:
Claude: Dore? (Which one?)
Zack: ?
Claude: Wakaru deshou? (Do you understand?)
Zack: Muri da... (It's impossible...)
Both: ...
Claude: Majimeni yo (Be serious!)
*Shiiiiiiin* (Staaaare)
Zack: Muri da yo (It's impossible!) ^_^
