“I did,” she countered, looking up at him and wishing, yet again, that she could tell someone about… Mark.
"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]
"Not without sitting yourself down at a fire." Gajus shrugged. "Keep your secrets; I was only curious."
"I’m thinking about the aurora borealis. You can’t tell if it really does exist or if it just looks like existing. All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured." --Too-Ticky
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” She also shrugged. “I wouldn’t believe me, if I wasn’t me.”
"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]
"I've seen a lot of unbelievable things in my lifetime. It takes a lot to surprise me nowadays."
"I’m thinking about the aurora borealis. You can’t tell if it really does exist or if it just looks like existing. All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured." --Too-Ticky
She looked at him, then back at the fire, feeling the need to justify herself before she even tried telling him her story. “I don’t lie. And I’m not crazy.”
"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]
"Of course not." He gave a nod. "I never said you were." His curiosity was peaked; he might have let it go before but now he wouldn't sleep until he knew.
"I’m thinking about the aurora borealis. You can’t tell if it really does exist or if it just looks like existing. All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured." --Too-Ticky
“He said I didn’t really wanna die or I wouldn’t be scared.” She pulled her cloak tighter around herself. “I guess he knows I’m scared… but he gave me bear and a fire and it was okay.”
"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]
Gaius's brow furrowed. "Who?" None of what she said made sense.
"I’m thinking about the aurora borealis. You can’t tell if it really does exist or if it just looks like existing. All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured." --Too-Ticky
“I’m not crazy,” she repeated, vaguely aware that the more she insisted the less he was likely to believe her. “He’s real.” She held up her pinky, revealing the thin cut. “I did this to be sure it wasn’t a dream. And it wasn’t, unless you are, too.”
"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]
"Who is real?" Gaius prompted. "Who are you talking about?"
"I’m thinking about the aurora borealis. You can’t tell if it really does exist or if it just looks like existing. All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured." --Too-Ticky
“The Marrow Man.” She flushed, staring directly into the fire. “He doesn’t remember his real name. But he’s real. He killed a bear and gave me some of it I asked him to kill me and he wouldn’t because he only kills when he’s hungry and he wasn’t because he had the bear. And I know you don’t believe me but I’m not crazy and I’m not lying. I know where I was and who I was with.”
"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]
Gaius stared at her, blinking. "That....is quite difficult to wrap my head around," he admitted. Part of him thought she had been dreaming or hallucinating or something. His children and their chatter about the Marrow Man could easily have influenced her imagination. But that wouldn't explain how Ky had survived the night. "You spoke to the Marrow Man?"
"I’m thinking about the aurora borealis. You can’t tell if it really does exist or if it just looks like existing. All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured." --Too-Ticky
“I don’t blame you for not believing me,” she said, looking up at him. “Like I said, I wouldn’t believe me, either.” She sighed, looking back at the fire. “He said he’s going to give me the bear fur in five days… if he does, I suppose you’ll know I’m telling the truth. And if he doesn’t, well, I suppose he’s a liar and I’ll look like one, too. But I know what I saw and what I said and what he said, too.”
"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]
Gaius took a deep breath. "Alright. Start from the top, please. You're speaking in fragments; I can't follow fragments, Ky."
"I’m thinking about the aurora borealis. You can’t tell if it really does exist or if it just looks like existing. All things are so very uncertain, and that’s exactly what makes me feel reassured." --Too-Ticky
She took a deep breath and sighed. She’d already come too far. He’d think she was crazy, regardless, so may as well tell him. It’d be nice to have it off her chest and he’d throw her in a padded room regardless.
“I went out that way.” She nodded the direction where she’d come from, suddenly remembering the knife in her pocket. She pulled it out and threw it down by the fire. “With this… I thought if I went far enough no one would be able to find me, what with the blizzard and all… but then there was a bear, dead, with something eating it. And then it was him. And he wanted to know my name and got mad at me for not trying to run away and said the gods got mad if you throw your life away and he was allowed to want to die because he couldn’t but I wasn’t allowed to want it because I’m young and that if I really wanted to die then I wouldn’t be afraid but I was scared so he knew I was lying. And then he wanted me to tell him my story so I told him and he said people lie about him and that he eats birds but he doesn’t stone them, and blizzards don’t follow him around. But there was a village four?” She squinted, trying to remember. “Four days from here. And he was in a barn eating something, I can’t remember what he said, but he said the farmer said a bear had eaten a woman and a child and so he went after it and chased it two days and that he’d finally gotten it. But then his feet hurt because of all the running so I gave him my bandage because I think he’s got rot.”
She decided that would be another check for herself, to prove to herself, at least, that she hadn’t been imagining it. She pulled her sleeve up and, sure enough, the bandage was gone.
"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]
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