Path part 1-6

Gina squeaked.

"I'm ready!" And she flew into the house, flew back a minute later, carrying an album and pencils, sat down in the second chair, putting it opposite. His gaze became thoughtful and detached, his emotions calm and focused. Her brother stood behind her, leaned on the back of the chair, and began to watch the process. The further he went, the more his delight was felt, because it's so great to see how a truly talented reasonable person works, and it doesn't matter what he does. It's like beauty comes out of nothing or from the most ordinary things. I'm sitting with my eyes closed, basking in their emotions.

The gate creaked and I was covered with some kind of wild, unbridled joy, thin arms wrapped around my shoulders, the cold tip of my nose was buried in my neck, I felt a slight bite on my shoulder and a hot, slightly rough tongue went through the same place. Resentment flashed through his feelings. And in a low girlish voice, in Turian, they said. Promise me! What! You! Never! You won't do it again. You will never scare me like that! And yet! Promise me you won't die! You are close to me, in my heart!

I turn my head and meet Nain's blue-blue eyes, like Dakar's. It flashed through my mind that Turians have bites and such licking, this is a manifestation of very tender feelings! Only between relatives! And close. And the last phrase, addressing only a brother or sister. I look into her eyes and answer in the same low voice, in the same Turian. Zhenya promised Nainerr Taanir that she would do everything so that her eyes would not see Zhenya's death.

"You are cherished, in my heart."

Nain beamed, snuggled up to me, bit me softly again, and sat down next to the chair on the grass, leaning against the hot side of a Polkan. He's here! He wrapped me in his feelings like a warm terry blanket, the only sensible one in the village. A four-fingered hand touches my shoulder, the other one strokes the redhead, the cat calmly puts his head under the caress. He's squatting on his haunches, anxiously looking at me with his sky-blue eyes.

"I heard what you said to Nain." A soft voice in Turian.

"Do you want me to say the same words to you, Hame?"

"Yes, I want to! Will you tell me?"

"You are close to me, in my heart." And I look straight into Ham's blue eyes. I lean into his face and whisper. "Daddy Ham!"

In response, the fun is in the emotions.

"I heard you. Cherished by my heart! My sworn sister." He sits down on the grass next to the armchair. He looks in front of him, continuing to stroke the Bars.

We sit in silence for a while. The meaning of what happened slowly dawns on me. Turians make such decisions with the whole family.

"When will the parents and Tam come? And when did you decide?"

"At night. Yesterday, we all suddenly realized that you mean much more to us than just neighbors and friends. The rest is empty, everyone agreed. And they're coming any minute now."

"It's unexpected, but very pleasant! So now I have two more brothers and two sisters! And a couple of caring parents to boot. I'm rich!"

"Just like me!" He takes my hand in his.

How warm his hand is. Kaadi and Dakar enter the gate, with Saleen waddling next to them. The youngest of the Tanirs, was born on January 20 last year. The little one sees Polkan and runs to him with a squeak, sits astride, hugs him. Everything will be sitting on our dog for at least an hour now.

Mom stands on the porch and looks at Kaadi coming up to her, holding a glass of juice in her hands, a smile on her lips. She goes down the stairs and puts an unfinished glass on the top one. She turns around. Kaadi comes over, takes her mother's right hand in her left hand, covers it with her right hand, leans close and says something. Mom's amazement is visible to the naked eye, her left hand is pressed to her chest, and her emotions are a real storm. It's not every day that Turians make such an offer to people, I don't think I've ever heard of it. Although it is clear that this is not shouted at all corners. Mom tilted her head to the left, tears glistened in her eyes, she hugged Kaadi and whispered something in response, there's no doubt that!

"Did I miss something?!" Deniska's voice rang out from the left. He was sitting on the grass next to Ham.

Nain got up, walked around the chair and hugged her brother, whispered a phrase in his ear, Ham bent down and repeated it after his sister. Denis sat in silence for a few seconds, just clapped his eyes wide open.

"Are you serious?!" Emotions are in turmoil. He just can't believe it.

Turians look serious.

"This is not a joke, brother!" I'm talking. "What do you say?"

He hugs Nain tighter, bends down and hugs Ham with his other arm.

"I hear You! Those close to me! With my heart, cherished ones!" The brother whispers a ritual phrase in Turian.

I watch as Dakar approaches my mother, the ritual repeats, but my mother continues to stand pressed against the Turian's chest. He raises his head and looks intently into each other's eyes. I'm lip-reading.

"Thank you brother!" Mom speaks Russian.

His father, Leshka, and Vanka come out from behind the house. His father has a folding table in his hands, Leshka has two folding chairs, and Ivan is puffing and dragging another one. Seeing the gathering on the lawn, Father smiled broadly. Feeling slightly surprised, Kaadi came up to him, ran her hand over his cheek, bent down... The table that fell out of his father's hands clattered loudly, he took Kaadi by the shoulders, glared at her face. He looked at me for a few seconds, smiled broadly, hugged me, and replied. He pulled away, approached Dakar, the men took hold of each other's forearms, looked into each other's eyes, said a ritual phrase in a low voice, and then hugged tightly. Nino broke away from Deniska and skipped over to Leshka, who put down the chairs and bent down. Nain hugged his neck, his brother straightened up and picked up the girl, she bent over to his ear, from what she heard Leshka's eyes became just like those of an anime character. He hugged the Turian tightly and replied. And for another minute he just stood there hugging Nain tightly.

"They didn't forget about me!" A clear voice from the right. I turn around and meet Tam's shining green eyes.

Behind all this, Coel watched with a smile, barely hiding his delight. And Jina, who manages to sketch something in an album with incredible speed.

Then Ray and Vaska came, and Azari gave me a box of glass balls, saying that this was the best simulator for a beginner biotic.

* * *

In the evening, I heard my parents talking in the kitchen.

"Mishka! Is everything going to work out for us! Is this whole multi-species colony thing going to work?"

"Yes, Dayan! Now I'm absolutely sure of it!"

"You were right! You're right! It's a pity that my father doesn't see it. All his arguments would have been shattered!"

"Contact Steve, let him bring the old people to visit, and he hasn't come for a long time! My best friend completely forgot about me."

"So my dad is at the origin of the colony. So it's not easy! I'll have to ask him and the other seniors about it."

Chapter 8.

I emerge from the depths of memory, forcing the balls one by one to dive into the box. The gate slams, loud laughter is heard from the lawn, interspersed with heavy breathing. I go to the window, and the brothers are lying on the grass with their arms outstretched. Deniska's skin glistens with sweat.

"13:50 Hame! We have improved our time."

"Oh, yes! I thought at the end that I would just fall and die!"

"Oh! Eugene is looking at us."

"We see you, Little Fox!"

I look at the vacationing brothers, and an amazing meeting that took place last June comes back to my mind. The meeting finally set the record straight, gave me amazing knowledge, and taught me how to control my empathy. It allowed me to feel this world much more deeply. I realized fatally that I would have to face a living nightmare. The Reapers!

Eugene (Mendoir June 2360)

The Hectic Year (part two)

June 10, 2360 6:45 AM

The training is over, I go down to the kitchen, there is peace and quiet at home, the whole family except Deniska and me is still asleep. My father is not here, he is on duty at the plant. I go into the kitchen and take a one-and-a-half-liter plastic canister of juice in the refrigerator, pour half of it into a glass carafe and dilute it with water. Pure juice is too sweet, and after a workout it's not exactly what you need. But it's worth diluting, that's it! I take plastic cups from the locker and go to the brothers.

They're just lying on the grass, a quick glance in my direction, joy and malice in their feelings.

"I told you that she would come, and not only that, she would also bring juice!" This is Ham speaking.

"That surprised me! Yes, at the Fox Cub chuika, you and I have never dreamed of being poor. I wish I had one. Ehhh!"

"Don't be jealous, it's not good!"

"That's who's talking! He's the one!"

"I can!"

"That's why?!"

"I have white envy!"

"Does it mean black for me?!"

"And you're just jealous."

"I don't understand... What does simple mean?"

"Where are you going! This is not for average minds..."

"Does that mean I have an average mind?! That's it, then! Sir Haymon! I am offended in my best feelings, and I demand immediate satisfaction!"

"Ha ha! Sir Denis! I accept your challenge! Where are the trainees?!"

"It's in the shoe box."

The guys pulled out training knives, they are made of soft, flexible plastic, but they leave bright luminescent marks after blows. It is extremely difficult to injure them, but the result is clearly visible.

They kicked off their shoes and socks, and pulled off their T-shirts, leaving only light sweatpants. They stood opposite each other and bowed slightly.

The beauties! Deniska is slightly shorter, but much stronger and slightly heavier than Ham, with already well-defined muscles. Ham is faster and more flexible, with amazing predatory grace, the collar has already formed, has not yet hardened, and is still soft, as are the protective plates on his head and body. Tight rolls of muscles curl around the body and arms. In a couple of years, he will become a thunderstorm of women's hearts. Beware, young Turians!

They moved slowly in a circle without taking their eyes off each other, slightly crouched, deceptively relaxed, the right hand with the knife slightly in front, the left slightly closer to the body and lower, the palm turned down. I feel excitement and anticipation of a fight.

I miss the moment of the beginning of the movement, the moment, the flashing of hands, the pile of deceptive movements, the brothers entwined into a ball and fell apart panting. In Deniska, a bright blue stripe runs diagonally across the peritoneum, in Ham, a bright green stripe runs from the right shoulder through the collarbone and down the throat, disappearing at the ear opening.

"Ha! I got you! In real life, I wouldn't blow your head off." Denis said, panting.

"Look at yourself!" Ham is panting.

"Oh!" Denis looks down at his stomach and says. "My giblets went for a walk! My poor guts! I'm smitten." The brother falls on the grass, spreading his arms.

"It's a draw again!"

"I don't like sparring with you Ham! It doesn't do any good!"

"I agree! I know you like crazy! All your feints and tricks."

"Tell me, when was the last time our sparring ended with a victory?"

"Er... Well, it seems like it happened last week... You kind of won!"

"Sort of... You were in the clouds then! Master Tanris scolded you back then. And by the way, who is she?!"

"What are you talking about!?" Ham flashed with embarrassment.

"Come on!" Denis broke into a smile. "Who were you thinking about!? Come on, come on!"

"You imagined it." Ham replied, even more embarrassed.

"Oh brother! You're definitely in love!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm telling you, you imagined it!"

"Oh ha haha! Oh, I can't! Haam! You don't know how to lie at all!" Deniska reaches into the box and takes out bags of wet wipes, throws one to Ham. "Catch a lover! Otherwise, you'll be shining a green stripe on your neck!"

Ham opens the bag, takes out a napkin and begins to wipe off the paint, his gaze becomes blurred and he just smears it on his skin in vain. Deniska lies on her stomach, supports her head with her hands and, smiling, begins to follow the manipulations of her brother-in-law. I set the decanter on the grass, drop the glasses, take the napkin from Ham, and carefully begin to clean up the stains. Ham looks at me, and blinks in surprise at Deniska, who is smiling.

"Well, that's why you intervened, Little Fox!? This lover would have smeared a marker all over his neck right now and wouldn't have noticed. And then it would be green!"

Ham looks at me with his clear light blue eyes. He's embarrassed, and he takes my hand with the napkin in his.

"Let me finish it myself... Little fox!"

"There's not much left." I answer, wiping off the last traces, lean into Ham's ear and whisper. "What's her name?"

"Noverry Rinaris." My brother answers softly.

"That bully!" Deniska's voice is heard in my ear. "Ohhh!" He gets my elbow in his side. "Foxi, don't push!"

"And she's not a pushover at all!" I'm talking. "She's just very shy and hides behind it. "And Ham she likes you very much, too, and even, in my opinion, more than very much."

"Really?!" My brother is surprised and delighted.

"Wow! Yes, it's mutual!" There is surprise and a little envy in Deniska's emotions.

We sit on the grass for a while in silence.

"So!" Deniska smelled of efficiency. "I have a plan!"

"What's the plan?!" Ham asked suspiciously.

"How to arrange your date! Otherwise, you'll be beating around the bush and you won't decide on anything! And she's even more so! Little fox will need your help. How are you doing?!"

"Of course! Don't even doubt it!" I answer.

"And my opinion, as it were, is not taken into account!" Ham is surprised.

"As if not! You're too indecisive!" Deniska answers. "And your salvation is now in our hands!"

"That's what scares me!" Ham mutters. But he's actually very pleased.

"In general, listen here!" Deniska begins. "As far as I know, she goes to the city's preference club every morning to play the piano!"

I must say that a real piano is a very scarce thing, it is clear that electronic analogues are mostly used in the 24th century, but in order to learn how to play correctly, you need to play a normal instrument. And there was only one like that in our town. And he was standing in a local club. It was organized on a shared basis by three reasonable people: a human, an asari and a krogan! On the ground floor, it was quite an ordinary entertainment venue with a restaurant, a disco, a bar and a cabaret. And on the second floor there was the only preference club in the entire colony. There was a piano in it. In the evenings, various distinguished people gathered there, including the colony's management, my fathers and their friends, to paint a different bullet! During the day, everyone was taught to play the piano there, for a fee, albeit a small one.