Nambwii's Birthday

My life is not fair.

It's Nambwii's Birthday Today.

I have to watch her.

Tamewii glared at his sister as she absorbed her birthday meal. I never got frosting he thought, why does she get it now? Nambwii’s fronds fluttered in pleasure, savoring the spongy texture of the cake. Tamewii always thought that she looked stupid when she did that. Nambwii was still an infant, an oblong bumpy cylinder with her ear spikes still pointed back and her two long fronds still milky white. Tamewii’s were dyed blue, the latest fashion, and beneath the color they were strong and tough. Looking past her Tamewii saw again the pile of presents that she had still to open. Life just wasn’t fair.

Nambwii got a Simulacrum Metropolis, a box of Replo-Blocks, a pet Loarock, a Pack of Collectable Thousand-Worlds Cards (that Nambwii doesn’t even know how to play!!), and a set of Robo-Pants^tm for her birthday. My life really isn’t fair. All I got was clothes and red frond-dye. Useless. The Simulacrum Metropolis was a cool toy; it had numerous settings allowing a holographic set of Monsters from about the cosmos to battle over the city. Parent said:

Nambwii can play now,

Her toys are complicated,

You must help her play.

Tamewii twitched his fronds, annoyed. Why does she get everything, why is she so important? Tamewii set the simulacrum to a fight between the Sol Monster Godzilla and the Begeni Monster Pa’ra’ulous and Nambwii fled the toy crying; watching a monster that oozed like a sore scared her. Stupid. It’s just a hologram. Parent came in, cradling the whining Nambwii in its fronds.

You have scared Nambwii,

If you are not nice to her,

you will be punished.

Tamewii apologized, keeping his fronds from twitching with annoyance. Of course it’s my fault. You gave Nambwii the simulacrum; it’s not my fault she got scared. Stupid. Once Nambwii calmed down again she tried a different toy. The replo-blocks were too complicated, always turning into stupid little things like flora and rectangular structures; Nambwii was too stupid to make anything cool. And she didn’t even understand the Loarock, she just poked it like a normal rock held on stilts and tried to absorb it. It gurgled as she tried and she again fled the room, her fronds flailing to accompany her tinny cry. More lectures and more apologies followed until she calmed down again. What a hassle. Why did it have to be a little sister? Parent thought it best to try the cards next as that would be the least likely to scare her.

Tamewii collects Thousand-World Cards, and plays with his favorite Sol-Earth Deck. He has worked long and hard to collect many of the important Ancient Sol Characters like Ben Franklin, Riechi Yamanaka, and Five of the World Leaders. He is very proud of his collection and is the envy of his school. Nambwii got 6 cards in her booster. Four were worthless; Tamewii had many of them already. One was a rare that Tamewii did not need. But the sixth was the super-rare Arvid Macenion Card. It was a Space-Age Sol card, and one that Tamewii had been looking for forever. Arvid Macenion was a space explorer in the age where the first Sol Species, Humans, achieved FTL. The Captain of the Star-Ship Awesome, he fought with the Mcflurrah Space Pirates and saved Sol a dozen times over. Life isn’t fair. Nambwii can’t use the card, why should she get it?

Nambwii looked at the card for a while, turning it back and forth to admire the holographic combat reenactment before boring of it. She stacked it carefully with the others and looked away. As if it was just another piece of plastic.

Brother please help me,

I want to try the pants now,

and I need your help.

Tamewii sighed. He pulled over the Robo-Pants^tm and lifted Nambwii into the seat. She snuggled in and flittered her fronds in excitement. How come she gets to walk like a bipedal? I never got such a cool gift at her age. This just isn’t fair. Tamewii pressed the start button and the legs extended, hauling Nambwii off the floor with a jerk. Her fronds jerked in surprise and the Robo-Pants^tm immediately dashed off at full speed. With an almighty crash the Robo-Pants^tm, carrying my wailing little sister, smashed into the wall and collapsed, dumping screaming Nambwii onto the pile of replo-blocks. Oh No! Nambwii!

Tamewii rushed to Nambwii’s side, quickly picking her up in his fronds. The Parent rushed into the room as well, and soon Nambwii was helped from the Robo-Pants^tm and set carefully on a cushion. Tamewii’s fronds bunched. Please let my little sister be okay. Nambwii whimpered and twitched her fronds in pain.

My little sister,

Oh please let you be okay,

This is all my fault.

Nambwii stilled and touched Tamewii with her frond.

I am okay Tamb,

It scared more than it hurt me.

I am all right now.

Parent nodded and smiled. Nambwii curled her fronds around her brother and whispered into his ear spike.

I love you brother,

I give the good cards to you.

Now let's go and play.

There are some benefits to having a little sister.