Of Crows and Songbirds (Part 2)

Ky winced. Ah. So he’d heard. She supposed that made it easier. Then she wouldn’t have to explain why she was here. “Yes sir, I’m afraid so.”

Tadaaki had shuffled forward ever so slightly to shake Tomhas’s hand, still staying half behind Ky as he reached his right arm around her. But when Tomhas said that he froze, eyes wide as he stared at him.

Ky elbowed him.

Tadaaki shook himself finished reaching for Tomhas’s hand. He dropped his gaze as he shook it and murmured quietly. “An honor, sir.”

He grinned broadly. "Glad you came over to our side. We're the cooler side without a doubt. Where are you from? What brought you up here?"

Huh. Maybe he hadn’t. Okay, this was getting complicated again.

“I’m from Austraka, sir. He’s from Totallisa. We, um, came up here to, um… looking for… work?”

"With Lord Tarr, right?" He wrinkled his nose. "Your boss sounds like a real tool to be working with him."

Ky hesitated. She wasn’t allowed to critique Aleth. Certainly not to a noble. Certainly not in front of this many nobles. But. Well. She also damn sure didn’t want to defend him. For one, there was no defense. And for two, she wanted it to be clear that she was assuredly on their side with not even the hint of loyalty to Tarr or Aleth.

“Um… yes sir.” She dipped her head, choosing her words carefully. This seemed like a dangerous, dangerous game. “I… didn’t…” it was too cheeky to say that she didn’t like Aleth or that she didn’t agree with him. She needed to remember her place. To not get cocky. Especially not in the company of so many nobles. “I’m quite glad things worked out the way they did, sir. I… appreciate being here very much. It’s much better.”

"I bet." He looked around at the dining hall. "I know this place has way more decorations. And a cooler Lord." He gave Gaius a grin. His brother had already seated himself. "He's treating you well, I hope?"

“Y-yessir!” She stared at him with wide eyes, aghast that he’d say something like that. Did he doubt his own brother? Or, worse yet, did she seem ungrateful? Gods. How did she always mess everything up? “O-of course. Yes sir!”

Tadaaki had subconsciously shifted so that he was standing directly behind Ky, though some good it did him since he still stood head and shoulders over her even when he was hiding behind her. But for now he stood very, very still with wide eyes staring at Ky’s shoulder blade to keep himself from looking at anything else. This seemed like the sort of thing where a single head nod could get you in trouble. A single sideward glance.

(Wait how was he likening him to Aleth?)

"I'm really glad. He's got a reputation for being a bit stuffy sometimes." He gestured toward the table. "Please though, let's eat! I'm starved."

(… honestly no idea. I apparently have no reading comprehension. I think my brain inserted an ‘as’ in front of there. ‘He’s treating you as well’ as Aleth, implied. But now that I’ve reread it that interpretation makes no sense. So I will edit. But keep the panic lol)

“Yes sir.” Ky smiled and dipped her head, taking a step towards the table. Tadaaki shuffled after her.

(Ohhh)

Tomhas seated himself. "Miladies Barraster, this is Ky and Tadaaki!"
"Pleased to meet you." Constance nodded to both of them. "My name's Constance, and this is my lovely wife Arianna." Arianna nodded to them as well.

“A pleasure to meet you, ma’ams.” Ky bowed to them, and then realized half way through it that she didn’t have any idea whatsoever how she was supposed to greet nobles now that she was a girl again. Girls didn’t bow, did they? That felt like a Kyber thing. So what should Kylia do? A curtsy? She was gonna go for a curtsy. She sank into an awkward one directly from the bow, feeling like she was all limbs.

Tadaaki watched her, then from the way color was creeping up her neck determined that she regretted her actions, and instead settled for nodding to the ladies instead. “Ma’ams.”

Constance watched Ky's bow with mild amusement. "Oh, no need for any of that, dear. We're lax with formalities."
"How long have you been here again?" Tomhas asked, already reaching for food and piling it onto his plate.

Tadaaki gave Ky a little nudge towards the table. She glanced at him, then realized he just wanted her to pick where he sat. And decided to be nice and sit down next to Loquitur so that she could be a buffer between him and Tadaaki.

“A little over a month, sir,” Ky said, taking her seat.

Tadaaki gratefully took the seat next to her.

"So not long at all. Have you checked out the library at all?"

“Yes sir!” Ky smiled and nodded. “We’ve been spending a lot of time in there — we like it quite a lot.”