<h4>Chapter 420: Aslena though</h4>


    Kamiko let the words drift off again. Thinking about the triplets can be such a headache sometimes. You never know when you need to consider ''the triplets'' or ''Erra, Merra, and Kerra'' but maybe I should move on… talking it out has helped so far, so maybe I should talk about the real ''her''


    Bachan continued to drink tea in the background. She could see the wheels turning inside of the girl''s head and knew she''d get more information soon. They''d researched this, the light touch was already yielding them so much information and there was no reason to stop now. Bachan would happily give the girl five, ten, hell even twenty minutes. She was well ahead of projected estimates in terms of valuable information already and it seemed like it would only get better.


    And it did.


    "I''d like to talk about Aslena." Said Kamiko lowering her tea down to her lip, as if to give Bachan a full view of her.


    "You don''t have to do this if you don''t want to deary," said Bachan "we can still talk about your other family members."


    "No, no. I think… I think this will be good for me you know?" said Kamiko


    Bachan just waited for Kamiko to take a sip. Then a second. Then a third, alongside a deep breath as if she wanted to unload all her problems without breathing. "Right so, not to be too dramatic about it but I think it all started when she was born. I wasn''t around for it obviously and I don''t hear about it too much. What is important, is that she''s only three years older then me.


    "That''s like… one gestation period for someone as strong as my mother. Like… we could not be born any closer then that unless we were twins. Anyway, she was always older then me, but young enough for me to not realise she had so many years on me when we were younger. Once I could think I started to treat her as someone just a tiny bit older than me.


    "She very quickly encouraged that behaviour… and then took ruthless joy in proving how much smarter then me she was. It… it''s not really true. I mean, she was three years older then me, and if she was actually smarter then I was at three I doubt she is now. She actually made sure of that.


    "So, she sets up contests really. Of strength, sometimes, but mostly intelligence. It was because I''d just say how much bigger then me she was when it came to strength and that it was unfair. I mean, it was, but I didn''t really know that. I kept signing up for the puzzles she''d give me.


    "Now… I think I was two? Maybe 3? I''m sure she was doing it younger then that, but I don''t remember when I started remembering? Does that make sense? Anyway, as long as I can remember then I guess. She was challenging me to prove how much better she was. The triplets caught on the fastest. They wouldn''t stand for it. They''d make us do cooperative things, which Aslena hated, or just separate us to have fun.


    "Elmony was somewhat the same, but she''d let Aslena get in a game or two. I don''t begrudge her for that. As I said, I think it really pushed me in the end, but it wasn''t fun. She''d let Aslena challenge me, win, gloat for a while, and then force us to move along. Entertain us with cooking food, or watching recordings or something. I''m not sure if Elmony knew how much I was already disliking Aslena but… she''s my sister you know? I didn''t want to cause any problems really.


    "Then there was Mum and Dad. Mum wasn''t around much in my early memories. I know she was around before, I can sort of tell, but toddler years she wasn''t. I suspect it was her trying to catch up with work. She''d been light on it since likely before Aslena was born and she has a lot of responsibilities. She was probably making up the time she''d spent caring for us at the start.


    "The problem with this… is Dad just let her get away with it when it was his turn to watch us. I think it was a holdover from the other kids. Apparently they were terrors. Elmony and Meridthna tearing up the garden with spars, the triplets, mostly one in particr, painting the walls with the other breaking things using them as sporting goods…


    "So when Dad saw us engaging in some ''friendly''" Kamiko could feel the word burning on her tongue, as if it was close enough to a lie to be withheld, but she knew that''s what her dad thought. "he just let it go on. No trouble at all. Just a little ying between kids. Doesn''t matter that the older one, twice the age or more depending on when it was, was just… just celebrating there greatness."


    Kamiko took a long drink of tea and another deep breath. Bachan almost jumped in, to keep things calm, but could see Kamiko, despite all the frustration in her movements, was still keeping herself together well. "Now, the next round of problems came when schooling started. Now, Aslena was smart. I''m not going to deny that. She wasn''t as smart as she thought she was, but certainly still better then average.


    "And she wanted to take the advanced path. Learn not just the basics but whatever she''d need to be a designer. This was to get her a job before her first contract, and so that she could im employment with the system and avoid a lot of missions. Oh don''t get me wrong, she does enjoy designing, but avoiding missions was a prestige she craved.


    "I of course, actually wanted to do a few contracts. I mean, it seems really cool, you get to meat a bunch of people, and explore new worlds and maybe even get a new friend. Granted I''ve had some trouble with thatst one but the main thing is that it''s what I wanted.


    "Despite this, every day more or less, for years and years Aslena just goes on and on about how much better she is because she got into that prestigious design track. Never mind she failed to earn the schrship, and never mind that I was able to pass out of sses a year early, and even then I never did it earlier because I didn''t know it was possible.


    "Still though, I''m the dumber of the two. She did it all the time. Mostly as veiled insults you know. ''Oh what were you test results?'' and ''Still banking on contracts like an imp?'' or the best was ''People will actually appreciate my work when they look back. You''ll just be a basic handyman never to be remembered no matter how many people you help'' which… now that I''m older I can see how silly they were but…


    "It hurts you know? I just can''t understand why she was so needlessly hurtful about it. I think the onlypliments I''ve ever gotten are when she''s forced me to model things for her." Finished Kamiko before taking a deep breath. She had been breathing through the tirade of course, but not as much as she likely should.


    "I see." Said Bachan. "Would you like me to say anything? People normally just like getting that sort of thing off their chest, but some like to hear my own thoughts. I don''t want to make you ufortable."


    "It''s alright Bachan. You don''t have to say anything." Said Kamiko


    "But now I think I will." Said Bachan.


    Kamiko shook her head. "No it''s really fine. If I didn''t have a friend now maybe I''d agree with you, but it was just nice to rant about her you know? I don''t really bring it up with my family because it''s just her, and I don''t want it to cause another Meridithna situation. I know of things got bad for her she''d just move out.


    "I certainly don''t want to be responsible for that. The triplets might not care, but I bet Mum and Dad would feel bad, and maybe annoyed at me? Elmony would definitely feel bad. me herself for letting it happen again, even though she hasn''t done anything wrong."


    Bachan took a light sip of tea and said, "Well, I''m not sure if they''re all perfectly meless. Surely the schooling Aslena went through would have also included lessons on etiquette in the fashion world? If not that then at least the teachers would have forwarded someints?"


    Kamiko nodded. "Yes actually there were a few. Mostly boiled down to not enough evidence though. Didn''t help that both parties kept their words vague like. ''I don''t know why she''s this upset'' or ''Things aren''t quite what they look like'' the standards you know? Other side was like that too, so I''d guess that they were all fighting Aslena included, but normally she''s good enough to not let herself get carried away."