Chapter 9

Writer's Note: Here we learn in a little more detail how I picture Conner and Josh. Sorry, I've been gone so long. Life's been rough in its own special way. Not much to say here today.

Conner had just woken up from the required afternoon rest feeling pumped for the night ahead and definitely ready for the feast that was to come. Wherever Josh went there was a feast to celebrate his being Jude’s son. Conner always had to be there to make sure that Josh did not do or say anything rash. He was okay with that, because it meant that he got to attend all of the functions. Josh hated them. That is not to say Josh did not enjoy the attention, he just wished for it to be because of what he had done. His accomplishments. No one else’s. however it was not something he could turn down politely so he attempted to suffer through them with mixed results. Especially since he had discovered a penchant for gin martinis. Conner would have thought it was a little too rough for Josh, but he liked the clean and complex taste and the fact that it only took two or three to get him drunk. Four he started getting shit faced. Which, truthfully, was his entire goal. He could say whatever the hell he wanted then, and damn the consequences until the next morning. He got horrible hangovers but what he managed to say before Conner could usher him from the room politely. He once told an entire room of board trustees that they could suck his … well, you get the idea. That stunt nearly cost their votes for Jude’s latest program, what ever the hell it happened to be at the time. Jude bitched Conner out and assigned him as a permanent nursemaid.

Conner walked over to the mirror and considered his outfit. He had chosen darker colors tonight because the Ya̧nomamö were leading the party and they preferred demure clothing and actions. They were the second – most important force in stopping the demolition of the rain forest. It was their ancestral home and they had been one of the last tribes to move out of it. They never really did. They were the ones who ran the showings of the edge of the forest and were still a massive political party to reckon with and Jude had been having problems with them. Conner needed to make a good impression, as did Josh.

He had chosen a dark maroon shirt that contrasted nicely with his blue eyes and black pants. His shoes were a typical male’s black. Nothing too flashy, not like some of the other parties, like the one where he went in a fig leaf. He lost a dare on that one, but usually he preferred brighter colors. Rich oranges and reds. Sometimes yellow, although Josh always says it makes him look too pale and he always told him he should have been born a peacock. Conner always countered that peacocks were not all that bright, their main color being a darker blue and green. He much preferred the birds of paradise, both the animal and the bird. The birds’ complex mating dance was an allegory but that was not something he talked about, not anymore. It had mostly been forgotten by any he had told as well.

It was not visible right now, but he knew the scar from a childhood fight with Josh ran down his chest, from just under his left pectoral muscle to just above his hip bone on the right side. Another scar, much more recent than the childhood one and one of the reasons he was under Jude’s custody was on the other side of his body, his back. It ran from his middle back to over his left shoulder blade. It ached constantly from the humidity of the rain forest, but there was nothing the doctors could do to fix that and Conner refused to have it removed. It reminded him why he could never go back, and why he had to deal with Jude’s programs and schedules. It reminded him why he owed and why he would never owe again. Below all of that he had a strong and long figure that was paler than most today. For that he was mercilessly teased but there was nothing he could do about his ancestor’s choices in marriage and procreation. All of the students were surprised when Josh, who was a little dark for the time, took him under his wing as first years in school. After that they had become fast friends. Conner had blue eyes and dark brown hair to top everything off, with a wide nose and larger lips and defined cheekbones. He was pretty average except for his eyes and skin coloring.

At that moment Joshua walked into the room and Conner mockingly saluted him, earning him a scowl like he had planned. Past all the mocking, conner studied Josh. He looked pale under his darker skin, as odd as that sounded. He was also wearing ‘peacock’ colors – a jewel-ish blue with dark green pants. Conner knew that Jude had requested he try to make friends with the Ya̧nomamö and wearing the wrong colors was not going to do that. Perhaps he believed this was a way of rebelling and showing who was boss, but Jude still needed them to sign over the rights to the Amazon before he could demolish it. He was also wearing these shoes that the name of were eluding Conner. They were green and red and the toe curled around and had a bell on the end of. Jester’s shoes, that was it. Why the hell was he wearing those? Some sort of statement?
Josh came and stood next to him in the mirror. Conner studied how differently they looked. While Conner was tall and compact Josh was a more medium build. He did not spend any extra time in the gym, either, so he was not as firm, but not out of shape. (Firm? Firm? He is not as firm as me? That just sounds so gay. Wait, no. You are not thinking of making me gay. Well, it did cross my mind. Or at least bi sexual, that way you can still form a sexual relationship with Lisha. Gah, I thought characters were supposed to have a mind of their own. You do. I do not feel that you would be nearly as protective of Joshua if you did not have some sort of attraction to him. It also allows me to get to describe him with out ‘guy code’ getting in the way of perfectly good plot development.) He had an intense look, with sharp cheekbones, a thin nose and defined jaw with a pair of dark brown eyes. In all the years they had come to protect each other from things. Conner was mocked for how he looked and Josh for who was his father. Conner walked over to the window to stare out at the forest beyond it. In a rough way, it was quite beautiful. Especially at night, now that he looked.

Then he saw something that took him back just a little. What seemed to be a girl climbing up into a kapok tree. Just as suddenly as he saw her, he could not anymore. From what he could remember there was long, black hair and a thin body. He had some of the best sight in his year, according to the tests this year. Was it just wishful thinking, though, or an actual person living in the forest? If so, then Josh was right as usual. However, this meant a whole new level of complication for Jude and Josh. It meant that their plans were probably not going to be able to go forth. It had been five thousand years since the reinhabitation of the forest. If there were really people who survived then they would have formed societies by now, reproduced and maybe forgotten the whole reason why they moved in. Perhaps this girl was only a Ya̧nomamö who had taken the thought of protecting the Amazon too far and who was an outcast anyway so she was sent out there, maybe to die maybe to make a point. That had to be it.

‘Josh, you have not heard anything about the Ya̧nomamö sending a girl out to live in the forest, have you?’ Conner asked him, hoping he would know something Conner did not.

‘nope, but when would they tell us anything? As bad as the freaking Sherpa that way. Why do you ask?” josh said, coming over next to Conner at the window now.

‘no reason. I was just wondering if they would ever do that. It could not be an easy life, and could perhaps be a death sentence. You could use that as fuel for you father’s campaign,’ Conner answered, lying. He did not know why, but there was no way he would tell josh about what he might have just seen then (perhaps that is because you want to leave that part for another time. Make things more interesting. Josh would not divulge that his father is planning to demolish the forest no matter if they could get the Ya̧nomamö to agree or not. Hush, you.) It was time for the party, anyways.