Siriwook
Active Member
It's night. Siriwook knows she's on a ship in space, but she is dreaming. It's a peculiar kind of dream for two reasons. First, she can see nothing. She hears, smells, and feels, but sees nothing. Second, she knows in the dream that this is a place she's been, but she can't remember it. Hy'peria, her mother, is talking to her.
"Siriwook! Your father is coming here. He's bringing much-needed supplies. You must not speak of the basement. Until he is gone, there is no basement. Do you understand?"
"Yaaaas Miistraaas," Siriwook can hear herself speaking Basic.
"I told you, you are to call me mother while your father is here. And speak in Shyriiwook! Like the tapes we practiced, stupid girl."
"Aaaugh Woowoora.... aughru... wa... awa. [Yes Mistress--I mean... mother]"
Her mother tries making the Shyriiwook word for "good" with her mouth. But her accent is impenetrable. Hy'peria is moving items Father has brought before up from the secret lab in the basement. Anything she thinks he'll notice is missing, she's moved up.
"He's almost here," says Hy'peria. Siriwook hides her excitement. If her mother sees, Hy'peria may become jealous and kill Father... or just hurt Siriwook when he leaves. Siriwook doesn't want father to be hurt, so, when he isn't home, she pretends not to love him. Hy'peria thinks Siriwook doesn't know what love is because she never uses the word except to manipulate Lewdbacca. But Father says it to Siriwook and Hy'peria both, out loud and in everything he does. And the word is in the books Father brings for Hy'peria and in the stories he recounts to Siriwook as she goes to sleep. Siriwook likes the stories about the Jedi the best. Sometimes, she imagines she can find Yoda out in the dark somewhere.
In a flash, pain floods Siriwook's eyes. Can you feel pain in dreams? Siriwook holds her dream-eyes closed against the invasion of her senses. It is dangerous to have light out of the basement, but Hy'peria has to keep up appearances for Lewdbacca.
"Aughra! Wyaaa~~ rawoo! [I've arrived, hello, family!]" Lewdbacca greets them warmly. He is carrying something. It looks like a bowcaster wrapped in leaves. Her mother has told Siriwook about this--this is called a present. She is to pretend she doesn't know what it is until she can open it.
"Hrruaha! [Present!]" she says to her father. Lewdbacca laughs.
"Ru Rawa. Awa wa aruuu [No, Little One. That's for Mother.]"
Hy'peria smiles, but the corners of her mouth don't reach her eyes. Her eyes remain as cold as ever. "Thank you, my beautiful warrior!" Hy'peria kisses Lewdbacca and then hugs him. When her head is on his shoulder, she signals with her eyes that it's time for Siriwook to leave them alone. This sounds dangerous, but it's safer now to be out in the dark than in the dimly-lit cabin in a world without light. And she's safer in general not interfering with her mother's plans for Lewdbacca. As she opens the door, however, Lewdbacca turns to say something.
"Ru, Rawa. Awarawu.Hrruaha wa. [No, daughter. Wait. I brought you a present too.]" Lewdbacca hands Siriwook a pouch. She opens it carefully, her hands trembling from excitement she hopes reads as fear to her mother. Inside are white spherical objects. They smell like the trees.
"Aughwa? [What are these?]"
"Wrrrrooohyyyyrawa aughruuwa hruuuwaru [They're wroshyr tree seeds covered in hardened sap]" Lewdbacca says.
Siriwook sniffs one of them, and Lewdbacca laughs, adding. "Awru! Awru, Rawa-- awrawaru wa. Raaughrawara hyaaru. [Don't eat them! Don't eat, daughter. They're jewels. You wear them in your fur."
Lewdbacca seems to have planned Siriwook's confusion, because he takes casing for the jewels out of his pocket and places the jewels in them. "Urugh awaru rawa rauwa; aughraawoo wa. Hreawoora [Use them however you want; this is just a suggestion. They're crystalline."
With the jewels set, Lewdbacca holds up the piece of jewelry to the light, showing how it sparkles. He places the jewelry back in the bag and hands it back to her. Siriwook smiles, and the smile does reach her eyes.
"Awwwymm, awa, ura. Aughrawaruwa augh wawyaa. [Goodbye for now, mother and father. I'll be back in an hour.]"
Lewdbacca smiles back at her, saying to Hy'peria, "Hyyree augh wa ra! [Her speech is getting so good!]"
As she steps out into the night, Siriwook awakens. She has been crying in her sleep.
"Siriwook! Your father is coming here. He's bringing much-needed supplies. You must not speak of the basement. Until he is gone, there is no basement. Do you understand?"
"Yaaaas Miistraaas," Siriwook can hear herself speaking Basic.
"I told you, you are to call me mother while your father is here. And speak in Shyriiwook! Like the tapes we practiced, stupid girl."
"Aaaugh Woowoora.... aughru... wa... awa. [Yes Mistress--I mean... mother]"
Her mother tries making the Shyriiwook word for "good" with her mouth. But her accent is impenetrable. Hy'peria is moving items Father has brought before up from the secret lab in the basement. Anything she thinks he'll notice is missing, she's moved up.
"He's almost here," says Hy'peria. Siriwook hides her excitement. If her mother sees, Hy'peria may become jealous and kill Father... or just hurt Siriwook when he leaves. Siriwook doesn't want father to be hurt, so, when he isn't home, she pretends not to love him. Hy'peria thinks Siriwook doesn't know what love is because she never uses the word except to manipulate Lewdbacca. But Father says it to Siriwook and Hy'peria both, out loud and in everything he does. And the word is in the books Father brings for Hy'peria and in the stories he recounts to Siriwook as she goes to sleep. Siriwook likes the stories about the Jedi the best. Sometimes, she imagines she can find Yoda out in the dark somewhere.
In a flash, pain floods Siriwook's eyes. Can you feel pain in dreams? Siriwook holds her dream-eyes closed against the invasion of her senses. It is dangerous to have light out of the basement, but Hy'peria has to keep up appearances for Lewdbacca.
"Aughra! Wyaaa~~ rawoo! [I've arrived, hello, family!]" Lewdbacca greets them warmly. He is carrying something. It looks like a bowcaster wrapped in leaves. Her mother has told Siriwook about this--this is called a present. She is to pretend she doesn't know what it is until she can open it.
"Hrruaha! [Present!]" she says to her father. Lewdbacca laughs.
"Ru Rawa. Awa wa aruuu [No, Little One. That's for Mother.]"
Hy'peria smiles, but the corners of her mouth don't reach her eyes. Her eyes remain as cold as ever. "Thank you, my beautiful warrior!" Hy'peria kisses Lewdbacca and then hugs him. When her head is on his shoulder, she signals with her eyes that it's time for Siriwook to leave them alone. This sounds dangerous, but it's safer now to be out in the dark than in the dimly-lit cabin in a world without light. And she's safer in general not interfering with her mother's plans for Lewdbacca. As she opens the door, however, Lewdbacca turns to say something.
"Ru, Rawa. Awarawu.Hrruaha wa. [No, daughter. Wait. I brought you a present too.]" Lewdbacca hands Siriwook a pouch. She opens it carefully, her hands trembling from excitement she hopes reads as fear to her mother. Inside are white spherical objects. They smell like the trees.
"Aughwa? [What are these?]"
"Wrrrrooohyyyyrawa aughruuwa hruuuwaru [They're wroshyr tree seeds covered in hardened sap]" Lewdbacca says.
Siriwook sniffs one of them, and Lewdbacca laughs, adding. "Awru! Awru, Rawa-- awrawaru wa. Raaughrawara hyaaru. [Don't eat them! Don't eat, daughter. They're jewels. You wear them in your fur."
Lewdbacca seems to have planned Siriwook's confusion, because he takes casing for the jewels out of his pocket and places the jewels in them. "Urugh awaru rawa rauwa; aughraawoo wa. Hreawoora [Use them however you want; this is just a suggestion. They're crystalline."
With the jewels set, Lewdbacca holds up the piece of jewelry to the light, showing how it sparkles. He places the jewelry back in the bag and hands it back to her. Siriwook smiles, and the smile does reach her eyes.
"Awwwymm, awa, ura. Aughrawaruwa augh wawyaa. [Goodbye for now, mother and father. I'll be back in an hour.]"
Lewdbacca smiles back at her, saying to Hy'peria, "Hyyree augh wa ra! [Her speech is getting so good!]"
As she steps out into the night, Siriwook awakens. She has been crying in her sleep.