"Mhm." He was quickly reaching the top of the damaged area, and he secured it quickly. "Now you're to stay in bed until tomorrow; I'll have your meals brought up to you."
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
"Alright," Aleth muttered. It was just as well. He needed to lay down and rest. It's not like he'd manage anything while people were awake anyway. And, he didn't want to risk running into Tarr. Ever again. He'd been more-or-less unconscious by the end of the beating, but he was vaguely aware that someone had pulled Tarr off him. Didn't want to risk what would happen without the intervention.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Alexander dipped his head and gathered his supplies, then opened the door and departed without another word.
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
Ky didn’t know what to do. She’d probably be in the way if she tried going to Tarr’s room, and she wasn’t quite sure whether she was actually supposed to know where that was in the first place. So she forced herself to take a deep breath and start back towards the infirmary.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Tomhas was still absent but Lyra, bandaged and cared for now, was curled up on her cot, eyes shut tightly. She had tried to tell Tarr again that she couldn't control when she got pregnant, going to far as to try and stop him from touching her two nights ago. He hadn't liked that at all, and Lyra hadn't dared leave the room afterwards for fear of fainting in front of someone. She'd known her father would confront Tarr about it if he saw, but she couldn't let him be concerned. He was set on winning this war, and they needed Tarr to do it.
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
Ky pushed the door to the infirmary open gently, but the bottom dropped out of her stomach when she saw that Lyra was on the cot next to Tadaaki. Her gaze flicked towards Tadaaki. He was sitting very, very still, looking as distraught as Ky felt. And, as utterly helpless.
She walked in and closed the door behind her, heart racing.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Lyra stirred when Ky came in, and she lifted her head slightly. "Oh," she said weakly. What was Ky doing here? Where was Father?
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
"Hi," Ky said softly. She wasn't sure what else to say. "How are you feeling?" Always felt like taunting. Sympathy felt like scorn. There was nothing that could be said to make a beating better. Ky walked to a nearby table and poured a glass of water, then walked over and knelt next to Lyra's bedside. "It helps if you drink water..." She couldn't quite meet Lyra's gaze, so she focused on the cot instead, holding the water out to her. "Dehydration makes your skin shrink, so it hurts more. Ma'am."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Lyra glanced at her. "I...thank you." She rested her head back on the pillow and drew her legs up to her chest. She didn't feel like talking to anyone; everything hurt, including her throat.
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
"Yes, ma'am," Ky answered, glancing up at her, heart breaking a little more. Lyra looked so young and fragile. Ky knew she was only a year older, but it felt so different. Ky actually deserved what Aleth did to her; Lyra was just a little girl that'd been raffled off to win a war.
For a moment, Ky wondered what kind of monster Aleth -- and Tarr -- must be to be able to do this. She'd never looked in a mirror and seen a battered child -- she was only herself, now battered and broken. But looking at Lyra made her wonder how anyone could be so cruel as to see what they were doing to a child, and then do it anyway.
"I know nothing actually helps," Ky murmured, stepping away from the bed to give her some space. "But you're not alone."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Lyra nodded dully; her father had said that to her last week. It hadn't helped. "I wish I was sometimes," she mumbled. "Then nothing would have happened."
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
"I wish that for you too." Ky's throat constricted. She wished it for all of them. What a sorry lot the three of them were, up here bruised and broken and scarred, through no fault of their own. Why not just leave Tarr and Aleth here to beat each other, and let the three of them go on their way. "Just... know that whatever happened, it's not your fault."
She felt herself getting into dangerous territory again, remembering how she'd accidentally offended Lyra the first day when she'd been trying to figure out a way to get on her good side with common ground.
"I always feel like it's my fault when it happens..." Ky swallowed hard, voice small as she decided to make it about herself instead of Tarr. "But no one ever deserves to be hurt."
Except for maybe Aleth. But even that had left her feeling vaguely ill.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Lyra didn't respond to that, closing her eyes tightly instead and drawing the covers tighter around herself with a small whimper of pain.
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
Ky grimaced and turned away, looking at Tadaaki. It was so painful. It always made her heart ache when she had to take care of Tadaaki after a beating -- but, thankfully, he got less of it than she did, since he kept his head down and stayed out of the way.
Is this how he felt when he was tending to her?
It felt almost as bad as the beating itself did. She wished she was big and strong enough to go do to Tarr what he'd done to Aleth. Sure, she'd get executed for it, but maybe he'd at least be too sore to worry about Lyra for a few weeks.
She sat on her own cot and wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling her knees close to her chest, feeling so small and helpless. She wished there was a way for her to suddenly become a noble. To declare herself Kylia Loquitur, and then she'd be the eldest and could take Lyra's place. She'd rather take a thousand more beatings than watch Lyra in this much pain.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Tomhas avoided the infirmary for the rest of the day, wandering aimlessly until dinnertime. Aleth was brought soup, as were Ky, Tadaaki, and Lyra. Alexander stood by in silence, playing with his kitten or watching absently.
"The artist deals with what cannot be said in words. The artist whose medium is fiction does this in words. The novelist says in words what cannot be said in words." --Ursula K. Le Guin
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