These black sands bear more than just the hardened lava of the sleeping Nui Mu.
Kaili - 11-6-2011 at 04:13 PM
Her father was going to kill her. Dead. Literally.
Her phone rang every twenty minutes and she didn’t have to look at the face to know who it was. She’d disappeared on the wrong side of Kapuhai
Reef and he had no idea where she’d gotten to. She had answered the first call, telling him she’d caught a ride home and she’d be there when he
arrived, before hanging up before he could say anything. What?! She told him not to take her to that place in the first place! She didn’t know why
she had to leave Kahealani and this was her way of saying she didn’t want to. She wasn’t interested in switching schools...No matter how cool the
guys were there.
He rode a motorcycle. She had spent most of the day on the back of his Harley and it was like something out of a teen movie. Riding off with
some mysterious stranger? And it helped that he was kind of cute...Ah! She didn’t mean that...not that he wasn’t cute it was ju-...wait. He
couldn’t hear her thinking...So yes, okay. In the few short hours they’d spent together she might have developed a little bit of a crush on him.
In a way, he’d rescued her from the God forsaken side of the Reef and brought her back here. Home. And all she had to do was show him around a
little?
They had avoided stopping in Kapu’aina because she knew she’d be spotted and immediately sent home if she stayed there too long, but she pointed
things out as she passed. Kahealani, The Hukilau, the ever pointless KPD. He didn’t seem anymore interested in stopping in town than she did so they
rode past it and into Pali’elemoku. They took time to stop off in places here. She told him lore about Nui Mu while they walked the trails a little
and stories about the Church Ruins as they made there way here. Kai Pulehu Beach. Her favorite place in South Shore by far. And pretty much the end of
their tour.
He stopped his bike at the roadside, and she got off, pulling the helmet he’d given her off before running a hand through her hair to make sure it
was presentable. “And this is Kai Pulehu Beach. The last stop, really...Come on-,” She pulled off her shoes, leaving them next to the bike as she
moved into the small bit of brush that divided the beach from the road.
She giggled a bit and spoke, “I feel kinda like a history teacher...any questions?” Jude - 11-6-2011 at 05:08 PM
Questions? Hell, everything was a question that day. There were so many questions bubbling up inside of him, pushing to free themselves, that Jude
literally felt like they would all explode out, in a very embarrassing stream...and he'd probably yell them at her. Awkward. But he tried to play it
cool as they rode around the island, both of them on the back of his Sprint, the excitement inside of him wanting to burst free with every new site he
was introduced to. He couldn't believe it all. That there was so much on Kapu'aina already, but passing into the limits of Pali'elemoku was where the
entire South Shore unfolded itself, right in front of him. Nui Mu had been his favorite, not that he'd say it if Kaili had asked. But the fact that
they had walked the trails of a once active volcano? It was really amazing. And the stories that Kaili told about the place. The folklore that her
people passed down through generations, even though it sounded like some dramatic anime cartoon, was completely...cool. Every single part that she
shared with him was like a puzzle piece dropping onto the incomplete jigsaw of his life and fastening there. Not like any of it really had to do with
who he was, but sometimes...he could almost hear his dad's voice when Kaili spoke, telling him the stories that his uncle wouldn't.
His uncle. Just thinking about the guy made him cringe in disgust as he put the kickstand down on his bike. He couldn't have been happier
when Kaili didn't ask to stop in Kapu'aina and when she didn't ask questions when his bike noticeably picked up speed as they passed the KPD station.
He didn't need to see anything from Kapu'aina as he'd seen it all, although not really knowing what any of it meant. But Kaili filled in all the
blanks with the knowledge of her tribe. And Jude listened, letting all of her information fill him. And all of it was nearing an end as they pulled up
to the last stop. Quietly, Jude removed his helmet, put it on the back of his bike and stood with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. His hair
rippled in the salty air as he stood there, watching Kaili take off her shoes and walk towards the brush that separated the road from the beach.
Silently, he followed.
"You kinda are...a history teacher...for me." He said quietly, stepping carefully through the brush, his boots barely keeping him steady as he walked.
"Thanks for all of this, by the way."
In a short time, they were through the brush and Jude's eyes widened as he looked down at his shoes, digging into the sand.
"The sand is really black here. Wow." Digging the tip of his boot into it, he smirked a bit at the unique sand that covered the beach as far as he
could see. Awesome. All this time, he'd thought that the black sand of the "native" beach was a myth, something that the kids at AJW told him to give
him a hard time. But here it was. Black as asphalt. And thanks to Kaili, he got to see it all for himself.Kaili - 11-6-2011 at 06:07 PM
She smiled as they ventured further onto the beach and his voice came to her. She kinda was a history teacher...He was easy enough to please. A little
lore and some South Shore fun facts and he was happy. Jude didn’t seem like the type to smile much but the smirk he allowed hadn’t faded since the
got out of Kapu’aina. He was having fun...and despite playing tour guide, Kaili was too. She had never spent this much time, alone with a
boy before. Her father wouldn’t allow it, thinking she’d give it up for a little lip service and a cute smile. She wasn’t that girl, but he
wasn’t willing to risk it. Which made it even more confusing as to why he wanted her to switch schools. Keahi couldn’t watch her at AJW and her
father had no power there. Those were thoughts for another time. Questions she could ask later. For now she was going to enjoy the few hours of life
she had left.
“No thanks needed-,” she said lightly waving him off. “I uh...I had fun.” It was true. She had enjoyed their time together and if she was
going to be killed when she got home, at least she got to enjoy her last few hours. He spoke again, commenting on the sand as his eyes took in the
coastline. Hers traveled up the beach, there were a few people out there. A couple guys with a football, a mother with her keiki at the edge of the
water watching her play. They were safe enough to stop here...because she didn’t want to go home yet.
“Yeah-,” she began taking a seat in the sad as they came to a stop. “It’s the volcano. The lava reacted with the Pacific and we got black
sand.” She sighed a little lying back in the sand as he sat next to her.
“So..um...” What, Kaili? Why oh why had she opened her mouth before she knew what she was going to say? Gah, she was doing it again. The
awkwardness. “Have you ever heard of a pueo? It’s a really beautiful owl...” Yes. More legend. He liked legend and she could give him that...as
long as she was careful. Jude - 12-6-2011 at 05:25 PM
No thanks needed. Whether Kaili wanted it or not, Jude owed her his gratitude. More than that, he was...indebted to her, he guessed. Because
of her... ho`okipa, her hospitality, he was able to see something that he never would've seen without her. The most off limits parts of South
Shore. Everything was so much more "green". He knew that a simple word like that couldn't completely describe the way he saw Pali'elemoku, but
everything was so new to him. His eyes drank in every single detail of the places that Kaili showed him. And, believe it or not, they were still
thirsty, wanting to see more. But the sun wasn't as high in the sky as it had been when his "tour" had begun. It was later, much later and soon, he
knew that Mauli would leave Kapu'aina, home bound. And then the calling and the questions would begin. Where was he? What was he doing? Why wasn't he
home? Even though he didn't want anything about that day to end, he knew it would have to soon.
With a another half-smile in Kaili's direction, he turned to the beach, his eyes going to the activity there. He watched silently, his eyes going to
the child at the edge of the water, her mother watching her carefully. And of course, his mind began to roam...thinking back to the faceless mother
and father who plagued his thoughts. If she were still alive, if she were still breathing, would his mother have been as careful with him as he played
along the shore of Kai Pulehu? He'd often wondered about his life, with them. Would they have lived on the Shore, too? Would he have gone to the
school the Kahealani school with the rest of the kids on the Shore? Blinking away the thoughts that always rose up in him when he thought for too
long, he felt Kaili slow at his side and come to a stop, sitting on the black sand. Still staring at the child and her mother near the softly rolling
tide, Jude sat too, crossing his long legs at the ankle as he leaned, his hands propping him up.
"Pueo?" Jude's gaze broke with the sound of Kaili's voice, his eyes hesitantly looking toward her, only to find her lying back in the sand. She looked
so comfortable there, almost like she'd been born in that very spot.
"No, I don't think I've ever heard of...pueo." Of course he hadn't. The word was so foreign to him as most of the words that she'd mentioned, in
Hawaiian, were. There was no other language besides English in his home. Uncle Li' had put down the language that he'd spoken in childhood long before
Jude would've even had a chance to learn it. "Am I...even saying it right?" His question made him smirk a little, his embarrassment apparent. Kaili - 12-6-2011 at 06:58 PM
Of course he hadn’t heard of pueo. A lot of the lore she’d told him today had been simple South Shore kids stories and he was mesmerized. The
legend of the Pueo was something you didn’t get until you were at least thirteen and then mostly only if you were a boy. Kaili knew the
story because her mom would tell it to her and Keahi when her dad left at night. Of course, Kaili would only be able to give Jude half of this one,
but he would never know the difference. Don’t misunderstand, she liked him well enough, but there were some things that were off limits to outsiders
no matter who they were with or how much they wanted to know about the history...some things weren’t history just yet.
She smiled a little as he looked to her for confirmation about whether or not he was saying it right. “You’re saying it fine, Jude-,” allowing
her eyes to meet the sky, she sighed. The sun was sinking and soon she’d have to go home whether she liked it or not. She didn’t have time for the
full version of the lore anyway.
“Pueo are nā ʻaumākua, ancestor spirits, to the Hawaiian people. They’re known as protectors. In ancient days,
alaka’i, the tribal leaders, each had a pueo and at night, while the tribe slept the leader and his pueo would patrol the land of their
people warding off evil and keeping the tribe safe.” She stopped, the memory of her mother telling her the story filling her mind. This was where
she usually asked if that was what daddy was doing and why he couldn’t tuck her in at night. Of course, it was a lot more complicated than that. But
back then, that was all Kaili and Keahi needed to know...Just like that was all Jude could know now.
She let a silence settle over them as she waited on him to comment, but before he could she heard a thud next to her, sand kicking up onto her stomach
as she looked over at thee football by her side. Shit. She sat up quickly, looking over to the set of guys that had been throwing it around
to see them jogging over to retreive their ball. Fucking Bane and Nui. Bane was okay, but Nui was an asshole! Before Keahi made it so that no
one could touch her, Nui was sure he would be her first. He was forever telling her how the Gods “blessed the air around her” and how breathing
her in made everything sweeter. Not to mention, he and Keahi had been friends since they were in diapers. He probably still thought he had a shot...if
only he weren’t an arrogant ass.
“Kaili-,” he said as he approached. He said it like a question, as if he didn’t know who she was. “You know your father is looking for you and
he is not pleased...Who’s this?” He motioned to Jude, his face grimacing slightly as he looked him over. Awesome. This was going to be
just...awesome. Jude - 13-6-2011 at 11:07 AM
Jude listened to Kaili's voice as it fell into another piece of folklore, another tale that was so strange to his ears, but so familiar to hers. He
could tell in the way that she retold the story of the Pueo that she had heard it often, maybe as a bed time story when she was younger. Maybe as a
tale that the Shore kids passed along to one another, not completely sure of its origin or its truth. It didn't matter too much where the story came
from as Jude enjoyed hearing it as much as the others. Maybe more. His dark eyes fastened to Kaili's lips while she spoke, not wanting to miss a
single detail, word...syllable of the tale. She spoke of tribal leaders and their...spirit protectors, roaming the Shore after dark, protecting the
people of the tribe as they slept. It all sounded like...like myth, pretty much. Like the Greek mythology that he pretend not to listen to in his
World Literature class. But there was something else to it that made Jude interested beyond the "myth".
He sat in the quietness after Kaili spoke, thinking to himself about the Pueo. Protectors to the tribe. Oddly enough, the only face he could
see was his Uncle Mauli when he heard that tale. And it was confusing to Jude. It had been in the four years that his Uncle had been working at the
KPD. How could his uncle loathe everything about the blood that ran through his veins and yet, he quit his job with the KRPD just to come back to the
land he hated? To be a protector of the lland that he'd rarely said anything about before his decision had been made to return to it. Sadly enough,
Jude wasn't privy to the shit that ran through his uncle's head. No one was.
Just as Jude made to ask more questions about the Pueo when something heavy thudded beside Kaili. A football. The football that belonged to the group
of guys on the beach. Great. That meant company. And by the look on Kaili's face, unwanted company.
The boys covered the distance, their long legs carrying them to the spot where their football had landed, quickly. Jude eyed them, sizing them up as
they, especially the taller of the two, did the same. The shorter one didn't seem like he wanted to start trouble, a look of curiosity covering his
face. Unfortunately, Jude couldn't say the same about his friend. Immediately, he called Kaili's name and said her father was looking for her. How the
hell did he know that? It didn't surprise him much that they already were familiar with each other. But knowing her dad was looking for her? Were
things really that close on the Shore? Then, there came the question about him and the grimace that accompanied it. What did it matter who the hell he
was? Kaili - 13-6-2011 at 11:49 AM
“I really don’t think it’s your business, Nui-,” she cut her eyes at him, but his stayed on Jude. She should have known this would happen. She
should have known the one person that would take her being here with Jude personally would be the one person to find them together. And the look in
his eye was begging Jude to simply speak so he could fucking “prove himself”. Not while she sat there. Not at all. She’d had an awesome
day with her new friend and she was not about to let Nui ruin it with his fake ass alpha-male arrogance!
“Your brother is my closest friend. Of course it’s my business, ku`uipo*. How else am I to keep you safe?” He smiled as he finally
looked to Kaili and her scowl grew deeper. It was absolutely NOT his business who the hell she hung out with and it definitely wasn’t his job to
“keep her safe”. “So who are you?” he asked turning back to Jude. “Where do you belong?” Woah. As common as that question was around
here, Nui knew Jude wasn’t from the Shore. He knew he wouldn’t be able to tell him what tribe he belonged to and he knew better than to even ask.
“Stop it Nui! You know he’s not from here. He doesn’t…-,” she stopped herself. He was trying to get her to say that Jude didn’t belong and
in a way he was right. Jude wasn’t from South Shore. He was a visitor…but he was her visitor damn it and she was beginning to get real pissed off,
“Leave us alone, Nui. I mean it.” Her eyes grew dark as she looked at him and he stared back at her. Defiance was written all over his
face…he was going to test her.
“You know I can’t do that, Kaili. Keahi would never forgive me for leaving you with this malihini**-,” turning back to Jude he
finished, “Because I’m sure he doesn’t know about your new friend.”
______________________________
*sweetheart
**strangerJude - 13-6-2011 at 02:36 PM
Who was Jude? No, the question was: who was this kid? Every second that their eyes stayed connected, Jude felt more and
more...anger. Not from himself, but pouring off of the boy. What was he so angry about? Was this guy her...boyfriend? or something?
Not that there was anything wrong with Kaili having a boyfriend. It wasn't a big deal. And nor was he and Kaili being out on the beach together. Jude
didn't mean any disrespect. They were just sitting, out in the open. Talking. More than a few inches between them, separating them. Anyone who was
really looking could see that there was nothing between them as they sat there, him enjoying the empty spaces that she filled in and she, probably
just enjoying his company. Well, everyone but this guy. And something told Jude that there was no explaining himself. That nothing he said, not even
introducing himself (which would never happen because who he was was none of the kid's business) would diffuse the anger that was almost pulsing from
him. And Jude could sense it...and the stupidity that was there too. Thankfully, he prided himself on not being a complete ass.
So, "Nui" was his name? Hadn't Kaili said that word earlier when she was showing him around Pali'elemoku? "Nui" meant "big", right? Well. That was
fitting as Nui wasn't exactly holding back on how much of a BIG douche he could be. And he was certainly "douching" it up with Kaili, talking about
how he was supposed to watch over her and about her brother. So, Kaili had a brother. Jude couldn't help but wonder if "birds of a feather" flocked
together. And if that were the case, he hoped that her brother never caught sight or wind of the real reason why Kaili had been absent the entire day.
The last thing he needed was another run in with someone who was less than happy that he was around Kaili. And someone who immediately asked the
question that Jude had been afraid of hearing since he'd begun taking his unannounced trips to the Shore.
Where do you belong? Immediately the defiant glare that he had been giving Nui fell, his face turning away from the sneer that Nui wore.
There was no answer for that question. Mostly because...he didn't know. He didnt' know where he belonged. And maybe it was stupid that he believed
coming to the Shore would give him the answers he craved. He saw that now, his mouth remaining closed as any answer he gave would only prove Nui's
point. He didn't belong there. Kaili knew it, even though she came to his defense. But more so, HE knew it. Jude knew it. All along. He was only
living lost hope in thinking that something on the Shore would tell him who he was...
As they continued to argue, Jude stood to his feet, brushing off his jeans. He stared at the black sand for a moment before he spoke, bringing Kaili
and Nui's argument to a halt. Too good to be true? Yeah it was. But it was nice...getting to see that black sand. Just once.
"Kaili was just showing me around. Nothin' more." He muttered, looking towards his bike. He wanted to get the hell out of there before things got
crazier. With a final glance at Kaili, he nodded, a tight smile rippled his lips before it disappeared.
"I'll show myself out."Kaili - 13-6-2011 at 04:28 PM
Nui was trying her patience more than usual today. It was none of his business who Kaili spent her time with and it was certainly not his business to
know what Keahi knew. Kaili could feel her ears beginning to grow hot as all the blood in her body seemed to rush to her face. She was pissed beyond
measure with Nui and his disrespect and she was beside herself trying to hold in that rage. For more reasons than one, but the most important was that
she didn’t want to be Kaili Akame right now. She just wanted to be Kaili. A girl from South Shore that was just hanging out with this really cool
guy that only wanted to know more about where she was from...She just wanted to be Kaili.
But Nui was forcing her hand and it was beginning to wear on her. And things only got worse as Jude stood, Kaili’s rebuttal to Nui’s response
stopping in her throat as they both looked to him and he spoke. He was giving in to this prick! Not that she had a problem with what he said and not
that there was really any other choice for him in this situation, she understood, but it didn’t make her any less angry. That was IT.
“No-,” She spoke the word with force, her tone a lot darker than it usually was as anger fueled her words. Nui’s smug smirk slipped from his
lips as she continued. “You are not leaving.” She knew she had no power over Jude and he could do as he pleased because he wasn’t part
of the tribe, but she was glad his steps stalled anyway. “Nui was just collecting his things and going home.” She turned back to him, her
eyes flashing warning as they stared one another down for just a second.
“You have disrespected me and my guest enough for today, Nui Kinalu. Go home.” She could see him teeming with rage as he just
stared at her, his glare deviant, his jaw clenched. He wanted to say something... “That was not a request, Kinalu. Get out. Of my sight.”
He licked his lips a bit, nodding slightly as he began to back away. As much as she wanted to smirk, she kept a straight face. She knew he would give
anything to slap the shit out of her for speaking to him like that, especially in front of an outsider, but he couldn’t. Her last name kept her
protected. Kept him obedient.
Bane followed as Nui turned and began to storm off. Douche. Kaili exhaled. She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath for his retaliation
and now that the situation was done, she could breathe easy. She turned to Jude. “Sorry. Nui can be...well Nui...-,” she was fucking embarrassed,
but she had no idea what she could even say. A great day had hit a horrible bump and she figured there was no reason to delay the other “bumps”
she would receive when she got home. “Think I could get a ride back into Kapu’aina?” Jude - 14-6-2011 at 06:33 PM
And everything was that simple? He was just going to trod through the thick sand, mount his bike, his tail securely tucked between his legs and ride
back to the place where he was supposed to belong? Yeah, well that sounded like a pretty good plan. Not because he was intimidated by this
Nui kid. The "brawn and power before brains" types weren't a big deal for Jude. They were pretty transparent. So convinced of their strength and the
mass in their muscle that their brains in their thick, meat heads went unused. And the need that every single one of them had to "prove" themselves?
Typical. Typical and nothing that Jude hadn't seen before. Even though provoking someone with such a need to make it obvious how massive and in charge
they were would have normally been Jude's first move, a fight surely ensuing, stupidity wasn't his thing. He was on foreign soil.
With that thought, he turned on his heels, shrugging his jacket back on as he made to leave...until that voice rang out. A voice that he'd never heard
before, but he was sure shook him to the core, sounded behind him. A simple "no" was all it murmured, but it froze him in his tracks. There was so
much force behind it. No, that wasn't the word. Authority? Yeah, that was more like it. Pure authority was there in that simple command, so
much so that even Jude couldn't help but carry out the order. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes found where Kaili had been standing, but he was sure
he looked at a completely different person. Her small frame was pulled to full height, chin pushed up in a sign of her strength. Her eyes were hard,
the childish glint that they had worn as they looked at him the entire day was gone. Even her lips had gone rigid, the trace of her impish smile
vanished as she continued to speak, challenging Nui.
Turning around quickly, Jude stared at Nui as he watched his reaction, his feet planted in the sand. He couldn't move. Even though with the right
motivation, he would have. What the hell did he think he was going to do? He was in a completely unfamiliar place! He didn't know the lay of the land,
lest he have to make a break for it. He didn't even know how to get back to Kapu'aina. Yet, he found himself about to risk it all if Nui made one step
towards Kaili, ready to even out the score as her words were making gashes so deep to his pride that Jude could see the anger etch across his face.
The embarrassment was there, sharp and dangerous. His pride was hurt. That was obvious to see. And a creature like Nui with injured pride? There was
only one thing left for him to do. Lash out.
Or...or back down. He was backing down? Jude's mouth dropped open before he could catch himself. He was sure of it. Sure that he would have to
intervene. But Nui was backing down? It was almost as if Jude couldn't believe his eyes, even as he watched the two boys walk back down the beach and
he heard Kaili speak to him, her voice completely flustered by what had just happened, not a drop of fear there. No fear.
"Uh...not a big deal. Really." Okay, so maybe it was a big deal. Not because Nui had just gotten his ass handed to him by a girl, which was hilarious.
Jude would've watched that again, on repeat. He'd never seen a girl speak that boldly and really mean it. She hadn't even blinked. But, it wasn't her.
It was him. Jude. Everything that Nui had said just further proved that he didn't need to be there. He didn't' have a place there, in their world.
"Nui was probably just doing what he should've done...protect you. I'm a stranger. I get that."
Scratching his hair, he turned around again, ready to end a trip that had started out completely amazing, but ended in the sure proof that he'd never
belong. Until he heard her voice again...asking for a ride back to Kapu'aina. "Yeah. Of course..."Kaili - 15-6-2011 at 10:12 AM
That had gone swimmingly. Honestly, Kaili had only ever pulled rank on anyone once before. And she was like eight and she hadn’t even known
what she was doing. Some girl thought it was cool to pick on a friend of hers and Kaili had sent that girl home too. Of course, this was a lot
different. Nui was really angry and even though he could do nothing, he probably would find a way to get back at her that wouldn’t get him killed.
She knew it would probably come in the form of some off hand comment to her father about this incident, but the joke was on him because she was on her
way home to tell him her side of the story now. All she had to do was get home before Nui could get a hold of her father.
Kaili apologized for Nui’s behavior, but it hardly seemed like enough. She wasn’t sorry that she’d brought him here, but she was sorry that
Nui’s ignorance had to ruin things for him. And she could tell it had, even as he claimed that it wasn’t a big deal. She spoke as they started
across the sand toward his bike, “Nui wasn’t doing anything, but being an asshole. He was just pissy because I was here with you instead of
him-,” Ah, shit! She hadn’t meant for that to come out that way. It wasn’t like they were here together...well they were but not like
together...Damn it! “I mean...he kinda likes me, I guess and he isn’t man enough to stand up to my brother and do something about it.”
TMI? Probably. Why would Jude care? It wasn’t like he was interested or anything...Gah. She needed to get away from this conversation just like she
needed to get off this beach.
And it would be easy, seeing as her time with Jude had been ruined by Nui and his arrogance. Jude didn’t want to stay and neither did Kaili really.
Home was the only alternative. Of course she wouldn’t ask Jude for a ride home, per say. Kapu’aina was far enough...for his safety and
hers, because Nui might have been an ass, but he was right. Neither her brother nor her father knew that it was a boy she’d run off with and she
wanted nothing more than to keep it that way. She would tell her dad that one of the girls from the gym picked her up and she went off with her.
Nothing too make too big of a fuss over and nothing that would get her murdered rather than punished. Just as that thought crossed her mind, her phone
chimed. A tone she’d assigned to...Oh no.
She quickly reached into her back pocket, pulling her cell out and checking her texts. There was one. And it was from Keahi. You may not have to
answer to Nui, but you do have to answer to me. So does he. Before he leaves here. Kaili sighed, looking to Jude, her gaze more apologetic than
her words could ever be. “Jude I really am sorry. About all of this...Like all of it...-,” Even the half he didn’t know about yet. It
seemed he would be taking her home and as Kaili looked up the beach to where Nui and Bane had gone off, she knew why.
