Stumble into trouble, siren with a sad song
Early January
Jae Yi-Lin entered his aunt's house and lingered in the living room. His aunt had a little house a stone's throw from the docks. One floor, two bedrooms, and a kitchen/dining nook separated from a living space by a half wall. What was once a back patio door, was now an open doorway that lead into a large addition. This room was where his aunt did the majority of her work and kept various trade goods from the colony.
Aunt Taliah sat hunched over a long wooden desk, writing steadily in her log book. Shelves upon shelves, loaded with glass vials and jars saturated the wall space. The floors were kept clean and clear. At all hours strong odors drifted from the room, and the moment your nose adjusted to one smell, the next would take it's place and then the next and the next. Over the course of weeks that Jae has lived in the house, the smells did not affect him so strongly, nor as noticeable. It was part of life in his aunt's house. The smell of the ocean, seaweed and other putrid things mingling with spartan decorations and clean rooms.
"Anyoung haseyo, imo Taliah" Jae greeted, offering his aunt a slight bow. Aunt Taliah did not seem to have heard him. The teen moved into the arch seperating the rooms. "Aunt Taliah? How was your day?"
"Fine." Aunt Taliah said. She scribbled out several lines on her log.
Jae thought she sounded tired, and now noticed the tired sag in her shoulders. "Um, is there, um, anything I could do to help?"
"No."
"Oh," Jae hovered between rooms, suddenly sure his aunt didn't wish to be bothered. She turned towards him.
"Do you not have school work to do?" She asked. "There is always studying to be done, joka. I wish to see perfect grades on your report cards." She did not wait for his answer, and turned back to work. Jae went to his room without another wood.
Jae's room was as spartan as the rest of the house. A closet for clothes, a desk for schoolwork, and a bookcase with file organizers to store all his magazines. The teen threw his school bag onto the bed and thought of the homework he should be working on. Tests to study for. As he always did, night after night. The only break in his routine was sneaking out at night to expend his magic. Though, was it really sneaking out when his aunt knew where he went and why? She seemed to prefer to act as though she were unaware.
With a sigh, the teen pulled textbooks from his bag and got to work. Aunt Taliah opened her home to him, kept him fed and clothed. The least he could do was work hard for the good grades she wished for. With good grades he could earn a college scholarship and lessen her burden further.
Late January
Jae came home to find his aunt on the couch and her hands tangled in her hair. The teen paused in the front door, as he had never seen his aunt look so stressed. "A-anyoung haseyo, imo . . I'm home."
Aunt Taliah's golden eyes settled upon him. She settled her hands in her lap, "Anyoung haseyo, joka. I must return to the colony for a time. I am not sure how long but it a week at the least."
"A week?!" Jae's aunt had never left for that long. "Is there, is there something wrong at the colony?" His aunt visited the colony many times, but never for so long. Nor has she ever looked so stressed over a visit. Aunt Taliah waved off his concern.
"Think nothing of it. There is nothing is wrong."
"But, imo, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, joka." Aunt Taliah stressed the words. Jae showed his worry openly, and she softened. "The colony just needs more help moving. With magic dying the Elders decided to move everyone to an elemental plane of water. It is nothing you should be concerned with."
Jae blinked, and processed what his aunt said. He heard about the dying magic, but never thought that it could have effected the colony. His mother's people always seemed so full of magic to him. And moving to another plane, like another dimension? He couldn't imagine what the merfolk of the colony must feel about that. It couldn't have been an easy choice.
"I could hel-"
"You can not help!" Aunt Taliah snapped, whole body tense. She regretted it, Jae saw it on her face, but she kept her golden gaze firm. "I will prepare dinners for you to eat, and I will leave some money for your breakfast and lunches. You will keep up with your school work and should anyone come by asking for me, tell them I am out of town on colony business."
Jae knew a dismissal when he heard one. There had to be more to the issues with the colony, and his aunt's behavior. Yet, he could not go against his aunt's wishes. Jae went to his room as asked to complete his schoolwork.
Korean words marked with italics.
"Anyoung haseyo, imo Taliah" - Good Evening, Aunt Taliah
Joka - Nephew
Imo - Aunt
Early January
Jae Yi-Lin entered his aunt's house and lingered in the living room. His aunt had a little house a stone's throw from the docks. One floor, two bedrooms, and a kitchen/dining nook separated from a living space by a half wall. What was once a back patio door, was now an open doorway that lead into a large addition. This room was where his aunt did the majority of her work and kept various trade goods from the colony.
Aunt Taliah sat hunched over a long wooden desk, writing steadily in her log book. Shelves upon shelves, loaded with glass vials and jars saturated the wall space. The floors were kept clean and clear. At all hours strong odors drifted from the room, and the moment your nose adjusted to one smell, the next would take it's place and then the next and the next. Over the course of weeks that Jae has lived in the house, the smells did not affect him so strongly, nor as noticeable. It was part of life in his aunt's house. The smell of the ocean, seaweed and other putrid things mingling with spartan decorations and clean rooms.
"Anyoung haseyo, imo Taliah" Jae greeted, offering his aunt a slight bow. Aunt Taliah did not seem to have heard him. The teen moved into the arch seperating the rooms. "Aunt Taliah? How was your day?"
"Fine." Aunt Taliah said. She scribbled out several lines on her log.
Jae thought she sounded tired, and now noticed the tired sag in her shoulders. "Um, is there, um, anything I could do to help?"
"No."
"Oh," Jae hovered between rooms, suddenly sure his aunt didn't wish to be bothered. She turned towards him.
"Do you not have school work to do?" She asked. "There is always studying to be done, joka. I wish to see perfect grades on your report cards." She did not wait for his answer, and turned back to work. Jae went to his room without another wood.
Jae's room was as spartan as the rest of the house. A closet for clothes, a desk for schoolwork, and a bookcase with file organizers to store all his magazines. The teen threw his school bag onto the bed and thought of the homework he should be working on. Tests to study for. As he always did, night after night. The only break in his routine was sneaking out at night to expend his magic. Though, was it really sneaking out when his aunt knew where he went and why? She seemed to prefer to act as though she were unaware.
With a sigh, the teen pulled textbooks from his bag and got to work. Aunt Taliah opened her home to him, kept him fed and clothed. The least he could do was work hard for the good grades she wished for. With good grades he could earn a college scholarship and lessen her burden further.
Late January
Jae came home to find his aunt on the couch and her hands tangled in her hair. The teen paused in the front door, as he had never seen his aunt look so stressed. "A-anyoung haseyo, imo . . I'm home."
Aunt Taliah's golden eyes settled upon him. She settled her hands in her lap, "Anyoung haseyo, joka. I must return to the colony for a time. I am not sure how long but it a week at the least."
"A week?!" Jae's aunt had never left for that long. "Is there, is there something wrong at the colony?" His aunt visited the colony many times, but never for so long. Nor has she ever looked so stressed over a visit. Aunt Taliah waved off his concern.
"Think nothing of it. There is nothing is wrong."
"But, imo, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, joka." Aunt Taliah stressed the words. Jae showed his worry openly, and she softened. "The colony just needs more help moving. With magic dying the Elders decided to move everyone to an elemental plane of water. It is nothing you should be concerned with."
Jae blinked, and processed what his aunt said. He heard about the dying magic, but never thought that it could have effected the colony. His mother's people always seemed so full of magic to him. And moving to another plane, like another dimension? He couldn't imagine what the merfolk of the colony must feel about that. It couldn't have been an easy choice.
"I could hel-"
"You can not help!" Aunt Taliah snapped, whole body tense. She regretted it, Jae saw it on her face, but she kept her golden gaze firm. "I will prepare dinners for you to eat, and I will leave some money for your breakfast and lunches. You will keep up with your school work and should anyone come by asking for me, tell them I am out of town on colony business."
Jae knew a dismissal when he heard one. There had to be more to the issues with the colony, and his aunt's behavior. Yet, he could not go against his aunt's wishes. Jae went to his room as asked to complete his schoolwork.
Korean words marked with italics.
"Anyoung haseyo, imo Taliah" - Good Evening, Aunt Taliah
Joka - Nephew
Imo - Aunt