Arrogance, Conclusion
Mar. 7th, 2011 12:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vixenmageContinued from this post, the beginning of a slice of origin story for Shihab, one of my SDA characters. "What am I apologizing for? I mean, besides trespassing. Which, you know, this is in fact technically public property, there's no signs or anything..."
Shihab wondered if he should just kick hard and run now, while he could. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed a great deal of pride and nodded. "Alright, fair's fair," he said, trying not to think 'but I won!' "I beg your pardon - it was not right of me to trespass with ill intent on your territory."
There was a satisfied, and possibly a tad amused, grunt from the water before him, and two yellow eyes shone out of the swirling muck. Before he knew it, the great head was eye-level with his own, about six feet in front of him. He realized then that if the thing had lunged, it probably would've crunched his head off his shoulders before he'd known what was happening at all, and fought the urge to run.
The voice could not be mistaken, now - definitely laughing at him.
However hesitant he might have been about giving away his ignorance, Shihab knew he wouldn't get answers here by pretending he already knew them. "No," he said, shrugging.
...Demigods. Oh, shit.
At this point, he figured attempting to hide things was no longer worth the risk - he was clearly out of his depth. Resigned, he launched into his account of the tale. "I haven't made a habit of wrestling demigods, no, but the year before last there was a crocodile menacing the fishing crew, where I'd found a job hauling nets. I'm pretty strong, I know I'm not entirely human, and I thought I could take it down. So one afternoon, when the rest of the crew was off eating, I went down to the river and found the big one who was the problem. The rest were average - they might steal a catch, but they'd never go after a group of men. This one was big, though, at least fifteen feet - and he had a scar, right across his upper jaw. Looked like a burn scar, we thought. He'd go after any boat small enough to be snapped at, and it got to where you needed a gun to take in the nets, even with the larger ones.
"I wrestled him to the shore, and broke his neck," he said, bluntly. "It was messy, and rough, and gory, and when I wasn't avoiding getting my limbs ripped off or my spine snapped, I could hear him screaming - all rage and fury, and pain, when I finished him on the shore. I never actually went back to the fishing crew, but last I checked they were doing alright. After that, I would make bets with the crews I worked on, shore and farm and boat, on the longest croc; I'd wrestle it to shore, take the money, and move on. I couldn't stomach killing them, but I made a lot on the bets, enough to eat and sleep where I pleased for a few weeks, until I was ready to move on.
"This was the first time I've done it in almost a year, though. It was getting so I had a reputation, and seeing as I don't appear to be growing at all, that's a bad kind of attention to have on your name. But they were talking about crocodiles - specifically, you, and I had a couple drinks in me, and one thing led to another, and the next thing I knew there was a pile of cash on the table, and half the table was laughing, and the next morning... well, you ended that story," he finished.
Shihab bristled, more or less instinctively. "Hey! I was right, wasn't I?"
He was suddenly aware that those luminous yellow-green eyes were... getting closer. Or possibly just larger. "No!" he shouted, hastily. "I just meant that if you had been an average crocodile - one your size, but... alright, maybe you're right."
There was more laughter from the disembodied voice, and the murk cleared a bit more; Shihab could see the form of the body now. The tip of that immense jaw was about two feet in front of him, and the eyes were at eye level and fully concentrated on his own. With a start, he realized that all four feet were planted on the riverbed - the crocodile, or whatever it was, was somehow even bigger than it was yesterday.
It has been far too long
since I spoke with one of your kind,
boy. 'Maybe you're right,'
you say,
after barely escaping with your life.
Your voice took me by surprise;
a mortal beast would not have been
thus tricked.
I thought, perhaps,
that if I let you go,
you would come back, and I might get
more than a midday snack of you.
"Your gambit seems to have worked," he said. "I'd feel foolish, but I'm sure you've tricked wiser." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "If you don't mind - what are you? More than a crocodile, obviously."
A wise question, but not
necessarily one that I would
answer, especially to one
of your blood. But you--
"My blood again! What do you know?" Shihab nearly breathed water in frustration; he'd been searching for this answer for years, and here this beast threw the word out casually with every other sentence! It was maddening.
Shihab bowed his head for a moment, reining in his his emotions. "I have searched for this answer for a long time. I must beg your pardon, then..." he paused. "I would not ask your name, but what should I call you by?"
He grinned wryly and extended his hand; it was met by the arm of a man - a truly unsettling sight, extending from that reptilian shoulder. "I don't have much choice, do I? My name is Shihab; it's a fair bargain, Husam." He was fully aware it was not - one favor could be described as nearly anything.
Again, the rough and gravelly laughter rang through the river.
You must learn
to obscure your thoughts, Shihab.
Lucky for you,
I am not going to require one quarter
of your flesh, or a gift of your firstborn,
as your kind - or your father's kind -
have often done.
Your first question is a simple answer;
I am called Husam,
the sword,
for I am one of the teeth of Sobek,
released from the Underworld
in a bargain
now milennia past.
Shihab nearly choked. He hadn't been kidding when he'd announced himself as a demigod, apparently. It did explain quite a bit, he figured, as the river shook with laughter once again.
"Call-- ah,"
He stretched, and licked his lips several times before continuing. "Calm yourself, Shihab. This is merely a gift from my lord Sobek, shown to prove the truth of my words." As he walked forward through the murky water, his eyes shone the same eerie shade of yellow-green, and although he moved with the power and grace of one who has spent his years fighting, his face remained stonelike - as expressionless as the reptile he'd been the moment before. "You do look like your father," he said. "I noticed it yesterday, when you hit the riverbed."
Shihab, unable to restrain himself, cut in. "You knew him?"
Husam nodded. "Not well, but our paths crossed a few times. I would not give you his name, which is his alone - but I will send word to him that you are alive and well." Disapproval clear in his tone, his cold, blank eyes flicked briefly to the scars from their fight. "Not by my standards, but I'm sure he would expect his seed to be stirring trouble and irritating their elders." Shihab bit his tongue, and for the first time amusement flashed across the crocodile's face. "Ah, you're learning, though. That must be the human in you." Before the halfling completely lost his temper, Husam raised a hand in warning. "The other half, before you interrupt me again and get yourself killed, is djinn."
---
Also, I agree with Penny Arcade on this movie. First, are you serious? He's scarred and tattooed and pierced WOOEE IS ME SO HORRIBLE. Secondly, I really hope they were trying for an over-the-top very clearly not realistic at all high school. I think so - fairy tales did that with kingdoms, so it kind of works. Thirdly, the only way this plot would work for me is if he stays that tattooed, scarred, pierced person. Flashing back to the curly blond prettyboy would just be a cop-out, especially if she decides to stay with him. Ugh.
Really, now.
I held this place for centuries before you were born.
I bled for this territory, boy.
My signature is on all the roads in, all the borders,
but I tend to disregard the fishers, the travelers;
this is an era of tolerance, I am informed.
You, though.
You came with the obvious intent
to trespass,
to drag me, in fact, from my home
as some sort of trophy.
Did you not?
Have you nothing to apologize for?
I held this place for centuries before you were born.
I bled for this territory, boy.
My signature is on all the roads in, all the borders,
but I tend to disregard the fishers, the travelers;
this is an era of tolerance, I am informed.
You, though.
You came with the obvious intent
to trespass,
to drag me, in fact, from my home
as some sort of trophy.
Did you not?
Have you nothing to apologize for?
Shihab wondered if he should just kick hard and run now, while he could. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed a great deal of pride and nodded. "Alright, fair's fair," he said, trying not to think 'but I won!' "I beg your pardon - it was not right of me to trespass with ill intent on your territory."
There was a satisfied, and possibly a tad amused, grunt from the water before him, and two yellow eyes shone out of the swirling muck. Before he knew it, the great head was eye-level with his own, about six feet in front of him. He realized then that if the thing had lunged, it probably would've crunched his head off his shoulders before he'd known what was happening at all, and fought the urge to run.
The voice could not be mistaken, now - definitely laughing at him.
That, boy, is definitely correct.
You are not quite as stupid
as you pretend.
But you do not know
who I am, do you?
You are not quite as stupid
as you pretend.
But you do not know
who I am, do you?
However hesitant he might have been about giving away his ignorance, Shihab knew he wouldn't get answers here by pretending he already knew them. "No," he said, shrugging.
Then why would you come here,
specifically to fight me?
Are you in the habit
of wrestling demigods
such as myself?
specifically to fight me?
Are you in the habit
of wrestling demigods
such as myself?
...Demigods. Oh, shit.
That is correct.
But my question stands -
why did you come here?
But my question stands -
why did you come here?
At this point, he figured attempting to hide things was no longer worth the risk - he was clearly out of his depth. Resigned, he launched into his account of the tale. "I haven't made a habit of wrestling demigods, no, but the year before last there was a crocodile menacing the fishing crew, where I'd found a job hauling nets. I'm pretty strong, I know I'm not entirely human, and I thought I could take it down. So one afternoon, when the rest of the crew was off eating, I went down to the river and found the big one who was the problem. The rest were average - they might steal a catch, but they'd never go after a group of men. This one was big, though, at least fifteen feet - and he had a scar, right across his upper jaw. Looked like a burn scar, we thought. He'd go after any boat small enough to be snapped at, and it got to where you needed a gun to take in the nets, even with the larger ones.
"I wrestled him to the shore, and broke his neck," he said, bluntly. "It was messy, and rough, and gory, and when I wasn't avoiding getting my limbs ripped off or my spine snapped, I could hear him screaming - all rage and fury, and pain, when I finished him on the shore. I never actually went back to the fishing crew, but last I checked they were doing alright. After that, I would make bets with the crews I worked on, shore and farm and boat, on the longest croc; I'd wrestle it to shore, take the money, and move on. I couldn't stomach killing them, but I made a lot on the bets, enough to eat and sleep where I pleased for a few weeks, until I was ready to move on.
"This was the first time I've done it in almost a year, though. It was getting so I had a reputation, and seeing as I don't appear to be growing at all, that's a bad kind of attention to have on your name. But they were talking about crocodiles - specifically, you, and I had a couple drinks in me, and one thing led to another, and the next thing I knew there was a pile of cash on the table, and half the table was laughing, and the next morning... well, you ended that story," he finished.
So the short version is,
you wrestle crocodiles, and you thought
a 'monster' like myself
would make you a killing?
...And I thought the youth
in my day were cocky.
you wrestle crocodiles, and you thought
a 'monster' like myself
would make you a killing?
...And I thought the youth
in my day were cocky.
Shihab bristled, more or less instinctively. "Hey! I was right, wasn't I?"
Oh really.
Care for a rematch?
Care for a rematch?
He was suddenly aware that those luminous yellow-green eyes were... getting closer. Or possibly just larger. "No!" he shouted, hastily. "I just meant that if you had been an average crocodile - one your size, but... alright, maybe you're right."
There was more laughter from the disembodied voice, and the murk cleared a bit more; Shihab could see the form of the body now. The tip of that immense jaw was about two feet in front of him, and the eyes were at eye level and fully concentrated on his own. With a start, he realized that all four feet were planted on the riverbed - the crocodile, or whatever it was, was somehow even bigger than it was yesterday.
It has been far too long
since I spoke with one of your kind,
boy. 'Maybe you're right,'
you say,
after barely escaping with your life.
Your voice took me by surprise;
a mortal beast would not have been
thus tricked.
I thought, perhaps,
that if I let you go,
you would come back, and I might get
more than a midday snack of you.
"Your gambit seems to have worked," he said. "I'd feel foolish, but I'm sure you've tricked wiser." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "If you don't mind - what are you? More than a crocodile, obviously."
A wise question, but not
necessarily one that I would
answer, especially to one
of your blood. But you--
"My blood again! What do you know?" Shihab nearly breathed water in frustration; he'd been searching for this answer for years, and here this beast threw the word out casually with every other sentence! It was maddening.
But not, I think,
as maddening as being interrupted
by an upstart child
who tried to drown you not two moons past.
Ware your tongue,
boy.
as maddening as being interrupted
by an upstart child
who tried to drown you not two moons past.
Ware your tongue,
boy.
Shihab bowed his head for a moment, reining in his his emotions. "I have searched for this answer for a long time. I must beg your pardon, then..." he paused. "I would not ask your name, but what should I call you by?"
That is a better way to speak.
It seems your father's heat in you
was tempered by learning,
or blood.
I am called Husam, and will answer
your questions - one favor you will owe
for each.
It seems your father's heat in you
was tempered by learning,
or blood.
I am called Husam, and will answer
your questions - one favor you will owe
for each.
He grinned wryly and extended his hand; it was met by the arm of a man - a truly unsettling sight, extending from that reptilian shoulder. "I don't have much choice, do I? My name is Shihab; it's a fair bargain, Husam." He was fully aware it was not - one favor could be described as nearly anything.
Again, the rough and gravelly laughter rang through the river.
You must learn
to obscure your thoughts, Shihab.
Lucky for you,
I am not going to require one quarter
of your flesh, or a gift of your firstborn,
as your kind - or your father's kind -
have often done.
Your first question is a simple answer;
I am called Husam,
the sword,
for I am one of the teeth of Sobek,
released from the Underworld
in a bargain
now milennia past.
Shihab nearly choked. He hadn't been kidding when he'd announced himself as a demigod, apparently. It did explain quite a bit, he figured, as the river shook with laughter once again.
I would think so.
How else could I do
--this?
How else could I do
--this?
With a flash, the immense crocodile staring him down was gone, replaced by a tall, muscular warrior, standing with his arms crossed on the mud. Shihab leapt to his feet, entirely on reflex, and the man took a step forward.
"Call-- ah,"
One moment. It has been
many years since I last
took the form of a man.
many years since I last
took the form of a man.
He stretched, and licked his lips several times before continuing. "Calm yourself, Shihab. This is merely a gift from my lord Sobek, shown to prove the truth of my words." As he walked forward through the murky water, his eyes shone the same eerie shade of yellow-green, and although he moved with the power and grace of one who has spent his years fighting, his face remained stonelike - as expressionless as the reptile he'd been the moment before. "You do look like your father," he said. "I noticed it yesterday, when you hit the riverbed."
Shihab, unable to restrain himself, cut in. "You knew him?"
Husam nodded. "Not well, but our paths crossed a few times. I would not give you his name, which is his alone - but I will send word to him that you are alive and well." Disapproval clear in his tone, his cold, blank eyes flicked briefly to the scars from their fight. "Not by my standards, but I'm sure he would expect his seed to be stirring trouble and irritating their elders." Shihab bit his tongue, and for the first time amusement flashed across the crocodile's face. "Ah, you're learning, though. That must be the human in you." Before the halfling completely lost his temper, Husam raised a hand in warning. "The other half, before you interrupt me again and get yourself killed, is djinn."
---
Also, I agree with Penny Arcade on this movie. First, are you serious? He's scarred and tattooed and pierced WOOEE IS ME SO HORRIBLE. Secondly, I really hope they were trying for an over-the-top very clearly not realistic at all high school. I think so - fairy tales did that with kingdoms, so it kind of works. Thirdly, the only way this plot would work for me is if he stays that tattooed, scarred, pierced person. Flashing back to the curly blond prettyboy would just be a cop-out, especially if she decides to stay with him. Ugh.
