Shalia's Diary Thursday Post

Playtime for Clan Seot. https://shaliasdiary.blogspot.com/

WIP Wednesday - Clan Beginnings: Clan and Conscience

              As they entered Ospar’s workspace after the director offered warm greetings to the polite Emano, the Dramok eyed the desk and chair that had been installed for Jol’s use. “Well. That was a waste of time and effort, wasn’t it?” He chuckled and gazed at Jol expectantly.

              Here it comes. I suppose I should be grateful he waited until he was secured in headquarters and could give me the ax privately. Jol stood and waited to be released.

              Ospar’s smile wavered. It gave way to the grumpier expression he usually gave Jol. “I’m not going to beg you to stay, if that’s what you’re waiting for.”

              Jol blinked. The situation just kept getting stranger. “Of course not. That’s the opposite of firing me.”

              Ospar stared at him as if he’d just grown a second head. The peevish tone that grated on Jol’s nerves the worst seeped into his tone. “I’m not firing you. You’re quitting. Right?”

              Jol glared. Surely the man wasn’t calling him a coward. “I’m not quitting. I’ve never quit anything in my life.” Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but the one other time was a special situation. No one expected him to continue on after enduring what he had.

              Ospar looked disbelieving. “But after what you did last night—”

              What he’d done? “I reacted as any Nobek would to someone who attacked him and then ran. Last night was entirely your fault and you know it. You admitted as much yourself.”

              “Wedi sauce thrown in your face is hardly an attack,” the Dramok snorted, looking put out.

              “You were insulting and confrontational. You went out of your way to provoke a reaction, then you ran like the bully you are when you knew you’d gone too far.”

              “I panicked! I hadn’t intended to throw anything at you! It just happened. And look who’s calling who confrontational. I remember a lot of hurtful comments about me being indulged—”

              “You are. Insensitive, hateful—”

              Ospar sneered. “Oh, did I hurt your feelings, Nobek? Aw, poor little guy—”

              “Did I hurt your ass, boy? Seemed a little tight—”

              “You liked it well enough, judging from how fast you finished with—”

              “–like that of a man who no one fucks because no one wants—”

              “I bet you’d know a thing or two about not being wanted—”

              They yelled back and forth, their faces blistering red with fury as they shouted over each other’s arguments. Jol had never wanted to punch anyone so hard in his life. He wished Ospar would attack him and run away again so he’d have justification to kill the mouthy Dramok this time.

              Finally, he could take no more. “Just fire me!” Jol screamed, spittle flying at Ospar’s livid face.

              Ospar dodged and shrieked back, “Is that what you want? Then no! You can fucking quit!”

              “I refuse. You’ll have to drag me out of here yourself! Good luck with that, weak little brat.”

Releasing Winter 2017

Shalia's Diary Monday Post

Family dys-Function. https://shaliasdiary.blogspot.com/

Question of the Week

Q: If a Matara and a Nobek get together, they can't clan because there is not one of each breed. But if they still stay together as a couple like married couples do, why is it that she could not get what was his and even stuff they bought together if he dies? Can't he make a will to have it go to her? Wouldn't stuff they got together go to her?

A: It goes back to when the clan system was first introduced and there was a big push to get everyone to conform. Remember, there was a lot of fighting over the women (we're talking serious battles resulting in deaths, not barroom brawls), and the government was trying to end that. Making transfer of property contingent on a valid clanship was one tool to forward that agenda.

If the Matara (or Imdiko or Nobek) was in an unclanned relationship but had her name on jointly owned property with her lover, it would remain in her possession. If not, the deceased's recognized family (parent, children, siblings) could contest any such claim, even if the deceased named his/her lover as beneficiary. It could be challenged in court, but the whole process was made difficult and costly by design.

An Earther Matara makes it more complicated. Kalquorians have laws in place to keep other species from owning properties within the Empire. Yet they want Earther women to come and clan and make babies. Earther women can live and own a piece of property without a Kalquorian clan the same as a Kalquorian Matara, but she must earn her own keep (she's not getting the government living allowance unless she has a hybrid child), and she could not inherit anything not specifically willed to her...and again, it could easily be contested by her lover's next of kin.

Thanks for the question!

Do you have a question for me? If so, leave it in the comments and I might answer it in a future blog.

Shalia's Diary Thursday Post

The psychology of Shalia. https://shaliasdiary.blogspot.com/

WIP Wednesday - Clan Beginnings: Clan and Conscience

              The Nobek shrieked, the sound crazed with anger. It was the most horrific sound Ospar had ever heard. When the tray dropped from his face, Ospar didn’t see the red and yellow and green sauces that dripped from Jol’s chin. He didn’t see morsels of rizpah and wedi sliding down the man’s face. He saw a monster with glaring eyes. He saw fangs.

              It would come as little solace later when Ospar thought no sane person would have looked into Jol’s face and not panicked. Though his anger had led to him taking temporary leave of his good sense, Ospar was thoroughly sane as he stared into that terrible creature screaming at him. So he panicked and ran.

              Even as his legs pumped, shooting him out of the room and down the hall, Ospar remembered how dangerous it was to run from an emotional Nobek. It was a colossal and potentially deadly error to make. Every Kalquorian knew it. Fearing the worst, Ospar darted a glance over his shoulder and wished that he hadn’t.

              Jol was right behind him, food still plastered to his livid, bestial face. The worst part was his eyes, however. There was a mad gleam in their purple depths, a predatory joy of the killer bringing prey to bay.

              It was too late and Ospar was too terrified to stop running and try to reason with the man. Jol didn’t seem as if reason was high on his attributes at the moment. Ospar put on as much speed as he was able instead.

              He was still outside his sleeping room when he yelled, “Door, close and lock!”

              He charged in as it started to shut. It hissed closed quickly, but Jol was much, much faster. The Nobek was in the room with Ospar as the door clicked to announce it had locked.

Releasing Winter 2017