Of Crows and Songbirds (Part 2)

(-.-)
(Don’t rush in riverbeds, child. The mountain of paperwork is taller than the banks around you. This is my lesson and mine decree)

Ky smiled a little and went back to her meal, glad they were going to make time to have some fun together, despite the war. All the lightheartedness of the night aside, she was sure they were all probably stressed beyond belief. It’d be good to have some recreation with one another.

(I shall take your words to heart, wise one.)

(Though I have rushed down a hill toward a riverbed, which seems to have scarred my face somewhat permanently)

"Gods know you need it," Tomhas went on. "When was the last time you took a break, brother? Years ago?"
"I take plenty of breaks," Gaius replied. "We see each other semiannually; that's a break. I read my books very frequently. I intend to teach Ky Nortung, if she wishes. I think these count as breaks, don't you?"

(oofta)
(but yes my body is progressively less and less amused the longer I'm in this job lol like I still love it but I now have my left knee actively in pain, poison ivy continuing to spread across my arm, and the left wrist still weak tho thankfully no longer actively sore. But. Like. Bruh. Pick a career that is easier on your body lol)

Ky didn't think that she belonged in the middle of this whatsoever. It sounded like they were about to start squabbling and she'd like to be out of their sight and mind when they did. Definitely not in their mouth.

(Geez Louise that's a mess! I hope you're getting a break!)
(Hopefully I'll be a museum curator, so that should be fairly easily on my body)

"Sure." Tomhas nodded. "They certainly sound like your idea of breaks." He turned to Ky. "You want to learn Nortung? That's pretty cool."

(;-; I actually, ironically, am getting ready for bed and went to change the bandages on my poison ivy and realized I left my anti-itch cream in my work bag in my car and now have to weigh whether poison ivy itch or four flights of stairs is worse lolol)(jk I have weighed it, no chance I'm going down for it. Trying a second cream and hoping for the best)(but ooh nice! That's a very tough field to get into, but seems super interesting!)

"Yes, sir." Ky smiled a little and dipped her head, thankful that if she was going to be forced into the middle of the conversation, at least it wasn't an argument anymore. "I quite appreciate the opportunity!"

(Itching keeps you up at night though!)

"It's a pretty easy language; I bet you'll learn quickly. And if not then you'll still do okay! And you'll have a great teacher."

(... ;-; ...)

"Yes sir." Ky agreed, dipping her head as she felt increasingly dumb-er that she struggled to pick it up on her own since everyone kept informing her of how easy it was to learn. "...I struggle a bit with the pronunciations. But hopefully I'll at least be able to understand it better, with his lordship's help."

"Can you roll your r's?" he asked.

"No sir," she said sheepishly, shaking her head. "I'm afraid I can't figure that one out, no matter what I try."

"That might be part of the problem, then. Just ignore the rolling." He smiled. "I can't roll them either."
"Which makes his Upper Tongue atrocious," Constance said with a chuckle.
"I am the only one who butchers his own native language," Tomhas agreed.

Ky smiled, then realized she was participating in teasing that she had no part in, and quickly sobered. She took a drink of her wine in an attempt to hide her faux pas.

"It has to be a Loquitur thing," he went on. "All the Ashes I know speak impeccably."
Gaius snorted at that. "You forget Christopher has a lisp."
"True, true."

Ky had no idea who they were talking about. But it didn't really concern her. She was neither a Loquitur nor an Ash. She was just a dumb girl unable to pronounce Nortung, even if her life depended on it.

"At any rate," Tomhas went on, "it won't be too bad. You seem really smart.'

Ky blushed at that, looking at him in surprise. Why would he say something like that? She hadn't done anything at all to suggest that to him. Was she really getting so manipulative these days that she could fool people into thinking she was smart just by chatting with them rather than flaunting her translatory skills? Weird. She ducked her head. "Thank you, sir. You're too kind."