Akin (aka Curls) (
akin2squidrats) wrote2011-08-28 01:51 pm
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Memory 13: Exit from Phoenix
Akin is small and up in the mountains with the Phoenix humans, when he smells Oankali. He is cleaning a vase, and puts it down to find Tate, who is digging up things. He tells her he needs to leave right away, because he's worried about what would happen if the Oankali enter the settlement and try to force the issue. On the other hand, if he tries to leave on his own, some human will bring him back, so he asks her to go with him. She's clearly afraid of something -- Akin can't tell if it's his people or hers -- but she agrees.
They meet several Oankali and two humans -- Lilith and Tino (who Akin still thought was dead). Lilith scoops him up and hugs him, and she clearly was upset by his absence, afraid he'd somehow forget her. Tino explains he's had an head injury so is suffering from memory loss, and doesn't recognize Tate. Lilith explains he was nearly killed when Akin was kidnapped. Lilith gets upset at Tate, but both Akin and Tate tell her that Phoenix had nothing to do with Akin's kidnapping -- they jsut took him in (and killed the folks who kidnapped him). Tino finally remembers Tate, and reveals she directed him to Lo, Akin's home village, because she thought it would be safest.
Akin heads over to his Oankali father, Dichaan, and starts talking to him to get the backstory more quickly than from Lilith. Dichaan had been the one to find Tino and keep him alive until more help could arrive. Of course, then, Ti picked that time to be born, so the family was stuck at home helping Ahajas give birth. When Akin couldn't be located right away, the rest of the Oankali decided it would be best to let him stay with the humans long enough to learn of them, even though Akin's family disagreed. They refused even to accept the decision, but they couldn't do much because, you know, new baby. Nikanj tried to keep the bond open for Ti as much as possible, but it was a long time for two siblings to be apart at that age.
This makes Akin start to cry, because he knows he'll never have what most constructs and Oankali take for granted. Dichaan tries to reassure him that it will be easier when he's grown, as he'll have mates, and he'll still have the family, but... well, two or three decades seem like eternity to a three year old.
Nikanj takes him, and Akin shares all the stuff he's collected, and this is a temporary distraction because -- wow, so many new things to share and talk about. Plus, Nikanj is a natural healer -- it can't undo everything, but it mere presence can comfort Akin.
Later he notices that Gabe's come looking for Tate, and Akin wants to go over and say hello, but Nikanj wants to keep him back. Akin is worried Gabe is frightened that Tate will leave him, and wants to reassure him. Meanwhile Lilith is trying to talk Tate and Gabe both into coming back with her: Lilith admits she didn't used to think that way, but, goddammit you guys, you haven't come up with anything better. Tate pretty much says that Gabe would never be willing to return, and she won't go without him, so they leave.
What Akin Learned
Actually, mostly this reinforces things he's already known, besides that Tino survived. He collects things for ooloi -- in this case, his ooan, but in adult Akin's case, he might have a ooloi mate -- because, well, it feels nice to share things, and ooloi can do things with the information he can't. His mother is ambivalent about the Oankali, which is one reason why he was so determined to find her better way. His relationship with Ti is messed up because the Oankali essentially decided to use him as a scout on resister humans, which annoyed his family because, dammit, you guys, our kids.
Truthfully, Akin can see why the Oankali don't get humans and that they need to understand. He even has enough self-knowledge to know that a construct had to be a bridge -- even Lilith couldn't explain humanness to them well enough for them to truly get it. OTOH, he can also notice that it would have been nice to not disrupt his family and his own life to get this information.
Sabra is another data point for him. Sabran humans can be a lot crueler than resisters, since some Judges reward cruelty, and really there's a lot more threats than 'each other's bad tempers' and 'ennui'. OTOH, Akin persists in believing a lot of what humans do is from fear or their hierarchical urges.
They meet several Oankali and two humans -- Lilith and Tino (who Akin still thought was dead). Lilith scoops him up and hugs him, and she clearly was upset by his absence, afraid he'd somehow forget her. Tino explains he's had an head injury so is suffering from memory loss, and doesn't recognize Tate. Lilith explains he was nearly killed when Akin was kidnapped. Lilith gets upset at Tate, but both Akin and Tate tell her that Phoenix had nothing to do with Akin's kidnapping -- they jsut took him in (and killed the folks who kidnapped him). Tino finally remembers Tate, and reveals she directed him to Lo, Akin's home village, because she thought it would be safest.
Akin heads over to his Oankali father, Dichaan, and starts talking to him to get the backstory more quickly than from Lilith. Dichaan had been the one to find Tino and keep him alive until more help could arrive. Of course, then, Ti picked that time to be born, so the family was stuck at home helping Ahajas give birth. When Akin couldn't be located right away, the rest of the Oankali decided it would be best to let him stay with the humans long enough to learn of them, even though Akin's family disagreed. They refused even to accept the decision, but they couldn't do much because, you know, new baby. Nikanj tried to keep the bond open for Ti as much as possible, but it was a long time for two siblings to be apart at that age.
This makes Akin start to cry, because he knows he'll never have what most constructs and Oankali take for granted. Dichaan tries to reassure him that it will be easier when he's grown, as he'll have mates, and he'll still have the family, but... well, two or three decades seem like eternity to a three year old.
Nikanj takes him, and Akin shares all the stuff he's collected, and this is a temporary distraction because -- wow, so many new things to share and talk about. Plus, Nikanj is a natural healer -- it can't undo everything, but it mere presence can comfort Akin.
Later he notices that Gabe's come looking for Tate, and Akin wants to go over and say hello, but Nikanj wants to keep him back. Akin is worried Gabe is frightened that Tate will leave him, and wants to reassure him. Meanwhile Lilith is trying to talk Tate and Gabe both into coming back with her: Lilith admits she didn't used to think that way, but, goddammit you guys, you haven't come up with anything better. Tate pretty much says that Gabe would never be willing to return, and she won't go without him, so they leave.
What Akin Learned
Actually, mostly this reinforces things he's already known, besides that Tino survived. He collects things for ooloi -- in this case, his ooan, but in adult Akin's case, he might have a ooloi mate -- because, well, it feels nice to share things, and ooloi can do things with the information he can't. His mother is ambivalent about the Oankali, which is one reason why he was so determined to find her better way. His relationship with Ti is messed up because the Oankali essentially decided to use him as a scout on resister humans, which annoyed his family because, dammit, you guys, our kids.
Truthfully, Akin can see why the Oankali don't get humans and that they need to understand. He even has enough self-knowledge to know that a construct had to be a bridge -- even Lilith couldn't explain humanness to them well enough for them to truly get it. OTOH, he can also notice that it would have been nice to not disrupt his family and his own life to get this information.
Sabra is another data point for him. Sabran humans can be a lot crueler than resisters, since some Judges reward cruelty, and really there's a lot more threats than 'each other's bad tempers' and 'ennui'. OTOH, Akin persists in believing a lot of what humans do is from fear or their hierarchical urges.