"You just bleed into them and put them in your laundry basket when you've finished," she replied. "Change the cloths out every few hours, and come to me if you need more and the laundry isn't done yet."
"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 nodded. “Okay… and then bring them back after the laundry is done?”
"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]
"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 nodded again. “… thank you… kind of sucks that this has to be every month now. But I think I understand better.”
"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]
Sera smiled. "It's going to suck until you're in your forties. But we all get used to it. I'm sure you will, too. It's all about tracking your timing and preparing accordingly." She started back toward the door. "I'll give you some time now."
"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
“… thank you.” Ky sat on the edge of her bed. She really didn’t deserve anything at all that Sera had given her. Her freedom. Her things. Comfort. Education.
"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]
"Dinner is the usual time." She stepped out and shut the door behind her.
"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 left before Ky could process that and ask questions. Was that a reminder that she was allowed to leave her room, apparently? Or an order that she was to come to dinner and not sulk in her room through this meal, too, as she often did. And which she most definitely wanted to do today. She wasn’t sure she could bear to be seated so close to Gaius. She felt terrible. And was still afraid of his anger, even if he was controlling it and not giving her the beating she deserved.
It’d hurt even worse, though, if he now seated her at the far end of the table from himself. A banishment in its own sort of way.
"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]
Sera returned to the infirmary, where Gaius was already out cold from the morphine. She glanced at him, sighing before heading into her office.
"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 sat for several extremely long minutes that passed very, very slowly.
Her guilt was never going to go away now.
At least if she’d gotten a beating then it’d feel fairer. She hurt him. He hurt her. As things should be.
But now?
Now there was no sense of justice.
She was getting off scott free.
And she didn’t understand how or why or what it all meant or what she was supposed to do now. She sort of hoped Gaius would tell Sera to come up with a punishment Ky actually deserved.
Although she now felt like an absolute monster for what she’d expected.
Why had she expected Aleth to come out of Gaius?
Gaius wasn’t like that. She knew Gaius wasn’t like that. At least not towards her. Even though she most definitely deserved for him to be.
"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]
Sera sat down at her desk, pulling her cold cup of tea closer to herself.
"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 decided she needed to go at least fix one of the messes she’d created. She stepped into the hall.
Tadaaki had been pacing by his door, listening as hard as physically possible. He was as surprised as Ky when he heard Sera’s voice after the first knock. And also didn’t know what to make of it. Sera certainly wasn’t going to be shouting at Ky — which was confirmed by him hearing absolutely nothing after they went into Ky’s room.
But he didn’t know what the second knock meant. Or why he still couldn’t hear anything. Or who it was.
What had happened to Ky?
Silence very, very rarely — almost never — better than shouting or an audible beating. It meant they were in far more trouble. That their punishment was carefully considered. And much, much worse.
He was every bit as anxious as Ky.
Which confused Aashi and upset Tasia, since he wouldn’t say a word of what it meant.
He yanked the door open the instant Ky knocked.
She seemed… fine?
She wasn’t favoring anything. And the second knock had lasted very short anyway. So they hadn’t hurt her. Yet. But she didn’t seem afraid anymore. So she probably wasn’t informed of any sort of physical punishment coming for her.
And there was no one in the hall with her.
He stepped out quickly and shut the door behind him.
“I overreacted. A lot,” she murmured. “I’m not in trouble.”
“What?” He asked incredulously. This was clearly a trap. Make her lower her guard so it’d be easier to hurt her. But. Then. She was used to that. So maybe they were genuine?
“I don’t understand it either,” she agreed. “But they’re not punishing me. I’m only barred from the library for two weeks.”
He blinked.
She nodded. “…can I have it back?”
“Of course!” He quickly went back in his room and fished it out from where he’d buried it under the center of the massive mattress.
"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]
She sipped at it and grimaced, then put it down and stood up. She left the infirmary, heading back toward the fifth floor.
"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
Tadaaki shut the door behind him again so he and Ky could talk in the hall without Aashi or Tasia being able to repeat it. He held the pendant out to her. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.” She put it back on. “Thank you.”
He nodded, looking her over. “… that was a stupid move.”
“Abysmally.”
"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]
Sera reached the fifth floor and paused as she saw Tadaaki and Ky, then headed for Rickard's door.
"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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