"They want you safe," he corrected. "Did you finish the letter? It isn't all bad news."
"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 looked back at him. No. No she hadn’t. “Oscar broke his leg and I can’t go home.”
There wasn’t a single piece of news in the world good enough to balance that.
"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 heard about Oscar." He nodded. "Read further, though, please. Tomhas isn't going to abandon you." He was going to abandon his other children though, and his wife. And his territory, all so he could comfort Ky. It was a foolish move and it would hurt Anneke and the little ones as well as his relationship with the common folk. He had to realize that, didn't he?
"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
She reluctantly obeyed, brow furrowing more with each word. First that Gaius had told him she wasn’t happy. Rat.
And then — she huffed and shook her head. This made things worse, not better. So much worse. She looked up again, glaring.
"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]
"What?" he asked incredulously. "He's coming to see you. You'll have someone to talk to and confide in, someone who doesn't freeze up or not know what to say. That's good, right?"
"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
“If it’s too dangerous for me it’s too dangerous for him!” She threw a hand in the air and started pacing. “How is that supposed to be better? Him taking a full month of a risk instead of me taking two weeks — and then it ending with him leaving and me being left exactly as I am now! It’s just going to make me worry even more and feel guilty and take him away from his real kids and his wife and his territory for months. That's worse!" she stopped pacing long enough to look at him. "You see how that's worse?"
"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 do," he said with a nod. No use lying; she did ask. "I think he's making a catastrophic mistake for many reasons, but he unfortunately has no legal guardian and has elected to ignore your mother's arguments against him going. He's likely already embarked, so I can't get a letter to him." He leaned back. "Your father is, and I take no pleasure in saying this, an idiot. Always has been, always will be. But he listens to his heart."
"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 huffed and started pacing again. She wanted to defend Tomhas's honor. But. Well. Gaius was right. Fuck.
"He shouldn't be coming." What was she doing? Criticizing him? It wasn't her place. And yet Sara had, apparently, ruined her better sense. Made her start running her mouth when she really, really shouldn't. "I don't want him here, I want me there. And if he doesn't want me there, then... then..." She huffed again. "Then that's that. That should be that." She stopped and looked back at him. "Could you send a letter and try anyway, in case he hasn't left? Tell him he can't come here? It's not-- he can't-- this isn't right."
"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]
He held up his letter. "'I will likely have started my journey to Serpent Keep by the time you get this," he wrote, "so any chastisement will have to wait until my arrival. I know there will be some, if not a lot.'" He leaned forward, setting down the letter. "We're going to have to hope for the best. Hope that he doesn't run into anything out there. But at the moment it's out of our hands. I'm sorry, Ky."
"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 huffed again and resumed her pacing, feeling tears burning at the back of her throat though they didn't surface yet. This was so bad. So, so, so bad. She regretted writing him at all. Regretted letting Gaius -- she turned an accusing glare on him. "You told him?"
"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--omg I didn't even notice Also I think you said that four threads ago)
"Told him what? That you were struggling here? Why wouldn't I? He's your father, and I'm responsible for your comfort and safety while you're here. If there's a problem then of course I'm going to tell Tomhas. I'm not lying to my brother about his daughter's mental health."
"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
(My point exactly xD also yeah I looked down and was like oh hecc we in, in triple page digits lol not just like one page over)
"Well now he's going to, to--" She huffed yet again, angrily shaking the letter, and resumed pacing. This was Gaius's fault. She had been doing a good job of not worrying her parents. There was no point in doing so. No point. What had he said to Tomhas that upset him enough he felt the need to come up here himself? "It's not lying if he didn't ask." Which he hadn't. There'd been no letters for him to answer. Oh no. He'd volunteered whatever it was that he'd said. And now look where it'd landed them.
"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]
"It's lying by omission," he countered. "I gave no specifics, if that's what you're concerned about. No mention of just how you met Rönn. Only that you're struggling to open up and you spend a lot of time in your room. I even--generously, I think--failed to mention your prying into our trauma without permission. Tomhas is being stupid, that's for certain, but nothing we are doing seems to be helping you so maybe his presence will do something. That's my hope."
"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
That was unrelated entirely. He was just trying to fuck with her head so that she felt like the asshole now since she was clearly the asshole then -- even though she was in the right this time. And they both knew it.
"It won't," she snapped. "I'd rather not see him than have him do-do-" She huffed, waving the letter again. She was pacing again, not looking at Gaius at all as she glared at anything and everything. Her entire world was crumbling down around her. Again. And he was choosing to call her an asshole rather than admit that he was the reason his brother, and her father, was going to get himself killed.
"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]
"That is out of your hands," Gaius said grimly. "It's out of both of our hands. Fighting won't do anything to send Tomhas back to Caracal Keep. We can give him an earful when he gets here, that's all."
"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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