The Transference

C22

Waiting for Damian to start talking because I wait to get to know him better. I can't be with him, I have to accept it but I need to know what's going on with him. The real reason why he can't be with me. I already know the answer to it but it will do me good hearing it from him again with more clearance.

He takes a deep breath and relax, getting comfortable on the tree before he starts talking. "There's something we call Bycom on Di Hipsodat. It literally translates combine but Bycom is a festival. A knife festival."

I raise my eyebrows in question. "A knife festival? What the hell is that?"

"It's this festival we do every two blastio–" he cut himself off before giving me the language, "months, every two months to pick our mate," he begins.

Say what now.

"Wait, you only pick mates like that?" I have a feeling this topic is going to be interesting. "Definitely tell me more, sounds punishing," I say with a chuckle as I shift towards him.

He chuckles. "It's not, it's fun actually."

"Tell me everything." I smile, my eyes widen in curiosity.

"Well, there's nothing much to tell. It happens every two months. All advanced Dihipians are–"

"Advanced?"

"Adults. All adults are eligible to participate in the festival while others go there to watch and congratulate. That's how we find our mates."

That's a very weird way to find a partner.

"How do you even find them? I'm confused to how you just pick a stranger to be your mate." I say with a mocking laughter. Who says mate in this century?

He clears his throat, moving his hands to rest on his side. "It's a game we play with knives. The alph– men, the men stand in the middle of an enclosed circle of females. Once the drum start beating, the women would start dancing around the circle while the men throw out their knives. Any female lucky to be hit by a knife goes with the person that threw it."

Okay, so that's literally the most stupid and obnoxious story I've ever heard. "That's a tradition? Who started that stupid festival?"

His body tenses up as he turns his head to glare at me. "Choose your next words carefully, Camille. The festival might not mean anything to you but it means everything to us!" He scolds me like I'm a child.

"Fine!" I raise my hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry for calling your stupid festival a stupid festival, there's no need to go rampage on me." I deliver the apology with pure venom but I'm feeling generous at the moment, so I'll let him have it. "So women just dance around, waiting for you to stab them. Wow, that's some tradition." I shift on the tree and stare ahead again. That bird is still flying solo, it looks so lonely. In a way, it reminds me of myself.

"So..." I break the awkward silence after some moment. "How many women have you stabbed?" I ask the question that has been bugging me since he rejected me. I might not say it out loud but I would like to know if part of the reason he doesn't want to be with me is because he already has someone.

Turning my head, my eyes connects with his and I can't read his expression. I've never been able to read him because he knows how to shield himself. He doesn't show any emotions and it's not every time I have to touch him to know what he's thinking. It'll be nice to be able to read him.

"Smile." He orders, ignoring my question. Does that means he has someone? Damn it, Damian! Why can't you just answer me?

"What?" I don't quite understand what he means by 'smile' or is that name on Di Hipsodat.