Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 15)

"What are her siblings like? Will they...will they get along with her?"

(hecking hecc)

"I... am not sure they'll ever meet," Derik said with a cringe. "Well, other than Jerica. Hell, I haven't even met the other kids. But... Jer is... she's a good kid. A bit cocky but she's passionate about anything and everything she does. Once she's done being pissed at Zander and me for not telling her, I think she'll be fiercely loyal to Ky and get along really well."

(Our record for quickest completion is 4 days
March 31 to May 03, Part

"They'll be an interesting dynamic," Gaius mused. "I spoke with Jerica briefly in the library; she seems confident and unsuited to politics, frankly. Ky might shy away from her at first."

(You're forgetting the whole month of April lmao)(I think our quickest was 11 days in my recollection, can't remember which one)

"Oh gods." Derik rubbed his face. "I apologize if she was out of line."

(Oh my god you're right)

(Oops)

"She wasn't. That was merely based on observation."

(haha all good I think we are totally capable of doing a thread in a single-digit number of days but 4 would be pushing it even for us xD that's 1,485 posts and just two of us haha)(but also xD)

"Good," Derik said with a nod. "She... is learning. But if her mouth doesn't speak her thoughts her face will. I keep her on a short leash for a reason. They're just half-grown kids, really."

He wasn't usually one to undermine Jerica's public persona or authority. In front of his men and citizens at large he played up her fearsome assassin aura and encouraged people to fear her. But he didn't want these men to fear her. He wanted them to be receptive to this unwilling blending of the families.

(Definitely won't happen when classes are going on I can say that much)

"Yes, I noticed." He nodded.
"Maybe some of her confidence will rub off on Ky?" Tomhas said hopefully. "When...if they meet."

(Completely valid. I also have a new job and have to at least pretend to be doing work most of the time lol but maybe someday)

"Mm... I imagine so, yes," Derik said with a nod. "Kieran is a completely different person depending on his proximity to Jerica. She's got that effect on people."

Spoiler

Omg that happened
Get it Ky go beat Tarr's ass now

"Good. She needs it." Tomhas nodded.

(Hey does Levin keep slaves?)

(That is a plot hole I haven’t filled in years lol I think yes, but less intense than this RP’s version. Like they refer to them as “servants” or “attendants” but they’re not free to go but also they’re not treated as egregiously bad as the slaves here are. It’s almost more like indentured servitude? Like Jer knows the servants have to do what they say but it hasn’t quite sunk in to her that they’re slaves… if that makes sense?)

“She’s timid, then?” Derik asked.

(Yeah for sure!
I was wondering cuz Rickard was straight up a Governor's slave for awhile, remember. In Rhaebaki)

Tomhas exhaled heavily and nodded, raising his eyebrows. "Yep. You could say that."
"She had a difficult life before coming to us," Gaius said.

(Bruh I totally forgot about that! He worked in the field, right? So it’s possible Jer may have saw him in passing but not quite understood the situation?)

Derik glanced between them. “I’m sorry to hear that… I’m afraid I don’t know much about that situation. Would you be willing to fill me in?”

(For the Governor he was a caretaker I think, like a nanny kinda
So any high ranking officials could leave their kids with him and a bunch of others)

Tomhas hesitated.
"I mentioned Aleth," Gaius said. "Aleth kept her as a slave for several years following her capture by Makata, who apparently still has some of her friends. He was...rigorous in his treatment of her."

(Nice! How long ago was he there?) (it’d be really cute if the answer was somewhere between like ages 7-12 — not necessarily the full time — but 8-12 was the most turbulent time in Jerica’s life. Like prior to 8 years old she was argumentative but generally a happy, innocent little kid that was more or less compliant. When she was 8 she accidentally killed a physician because she went into psychosis when he gave her a shot and by a freak accident she broke his nose. She still drowns in guilt because of that to this day, though she hides it. But if he was around for that then she absolutely would have been an emotional wreck around him and cried a lot and just generally profess her guilt and remorse. But after that everyone started treating her like a monster so she got cold angry and started lashing out at people though I don’t think she would have lashed out at Rickard directly. But he absolutely would have seen her squaring up to Biryn on at least a weekly basis. And she absolutely would have taken a thrashing on Rickard’s behalf if she witnessed Biryn being mean to him)

A flash of anger crossed Derik’s eyes and his jaw tightened for the briefest moment before he regained his composure. He’d kill the fucker. And he didn’t know which one he meant by that. Maybe both of them. At the very least he was most certainly going to inform the Taral that Makata was kidnapping and enslaving literal children. “I see.”