The Jungle cannot hold Rhonan’s interst. In truth, nothing can. It’s not that he dislikes the Jungle, or being surrounded by women. He simply doesn’t think twice about it. In the same way he doesn’t think twice about leaving the Jungle to venture off to the meadow. Or the Valley. He hasn’t gone yet, but has plans to. He’d like the see the place their father called home, even if he was no father to them but rather a carcass and some sperm.

But he’s been to the meadow, not caring if their mother is watching or yelling or trying to make him stop. Not that she ever seems to be watching him. Just Tytos. Sucks to be the bay one, he supposes. The one that looks more like Dad. Rhonan gets slightly more ignored because he looks like their Mom, because he holds less memories for her. At least, this is what he thinks, though he has no actual clue if that’s the case.

Maybe since he’s fucking gold and white he just looks like Rhy walking out of the Jungle and Myrina doesn’t notice.

Today, Rhonan is actually in the Jungle. It’s a 50/50 shot with the boy. Sometimes he’s lurking in the meadow, hunting for the strange girl from outer space. He doesn’t know that she’s actually from outer space, but she acts like it. Kind of like him, too. They are both awkward and careless and their conversations are normal to him. He likes it, because he doesn’t have to try.

But his brother’s call stops him from thinking about leaving. Perhaps he should actually go spend time with Tytos, who ever seems to leave the Jungle. He must be bored. Rhonan would have smashed his own head in staying here with nothing to do. The golden boy/pretty pretty princess (has he mentioned he hates being gold?) slips through the Jungle with some level of grace and a lot of levels of klutz before he finds Tytos. “Yes?” he says, with the same level of social skills as his walking skills.

rhonan.

Tytos is all fire and anger and brimstone. Tytos was the kicker in the womb. It only makes sense. Rhonan just chills. Mostly. He’s got a button, it’s even possible to push that button, but it takes a whole hell of lot to get there. For the most part, he just doesn’t give two shits. Actually, he doesn’t even give one shit. Less than two shits, which aren’t worth very much to begin with. But of course, when you are pretty pretty princess colored and obviously the not-favorite child, there is only one way to get by. Actually, no, that’s a lie. There are two. You can kick and scream and shout and let it bother you. Or you can give less than two shits.

Rhonan picked the latter. Except about the pretty pretty princess thing. He was still bitter at genetics.

He brother lays into him. A normal brother, a useful, good brother, might look upset or vaguely remorseful about leaving his twin behind. Rhonan honestly had to stifle a laugh. It wasn’t Rhonan’s fault that he was smart enough to get out before Mom would notice. Tytos could have (should have) been faster than him. But he wasn’t. That’s his punishment for being the normal colored twin. He had that going for him.

“No. You look like dad. You are the one she watches like a hawk. I look like her, and Rhy, and a bunch of other masculine Amazonians, as you so point it.” He maybe be an asshole to everyone, but he was also an asshole to himself. From far enough away, he did pass for one of the jungle mares easily enough. As long as he timed it right, left while Mom was looking away, she’d never even notice till he was long out of the Jungle.

And the world outside the Jungle was a beautiful thing. Even if there was still a lot of green.

But they are brothers, and the topic changes, because they fight like brothers. Punch one minute and talk the next. It’s how the world should be. Especially when surrounded by a bunch of mares on steroids. ”It’s still pretty green dude. But the sky and the water are blue, and shit there actually dies and it turns brown. Like spectacular crap.” Crap because obviously, it is brown. And spectacular because it is not green.

Tytos switches to girls, and now Rhonan really does laugh. Not because his brother is wrong. There had been a girl. But flirting? Aletheia herself probably didn’t know she was a girl, let alone that Rhonan was a boy and that maybe they could flirt. She definitely doesn’t know what flirting is.  “There was a girl, but she was weird man. Like, one hundred and ten percent from outer space weird. Which is saying something in this place.”

And here’s the truth that he doesn’t say: He kind of liked the weird. He wanted to find her again. But there’s no way in hell he’s going to tell his brother that. He’ll never hear the end of it.

rhonan.