flexibility

[calescent]

They leave Thiyec, cross Soche-Tas, and re-enter Welce.

Kiri sends a letter Jayce's way as soon as they stop in a Welchin town. It's brief - we found the Lalindar prime, we'll drop him off and my next stop is the palace so please forward my correspondence there.

The Lalindar house, on inspection, appears to be completely empty. There's a note from the butler on the dining room table stating - in appropriately formal language - that no one was paying them and so they have left, but he, the cook, the gardeners, and the maids may be contacted at the following addresses respectively if the new prime, when located, wishes to re-employ their services. Unlike the Ardelay house at the time of Elytte's death, this house as of Nerine's death contains no extended family. There's nothing to do but for Loel to move in. Kiri draws him a little map of the route between the estate and the nearest town, where he will probably want to buy groceries, and she and Aleko leave to let him plan his moat.

They're at the palace the following day.

Comments

[calendarofcrime]

"My twin sister. Tianetta Stark. She strongly prefers Tia. She is... much more traditionally elay than I am. Although she shares my streak of sweela."

[calescent]

Kiri giggles at the... diplomacy of that description.

[liakoura]

"Our mom and our little brother are both elay," volunteers Aleko. "Her more than him, personality and random blessings and all - hey, what are your blessings? You're not wearing them."

[calendarofcrime]

Sarelle smiles slightly.

"Clarity, vision, talent," she says, "and determination."

[liakoura]

"That is four," says Aleko. "Four is the number of things you just said."

[calendarofcrime]

"Our father was also elay," she explains. "Much like Tia - ravenously intelligent, but forgetful of mundane details. The story goes, as we were told it, that he went out to get our blessings and lost count of how many strangers he had petitioned. When he arrived home and turned out his pockets, he had no idea which ones had been our respective extra draws, and decided to keep them all for lack of a better solution. We are at least very sure that he correctly identified which pocket was for which twin. Hers are innovation, courage, joy, and charm."

[liakoura]

"I guess you don't wear them so people aren't like... 'that is four, four is the number of charms on that necklace' or whatever?"

[calendarofcrime]

"Yes," she says. "Tia doesn't mind, but I find it tedious."

[calescent]

"Is it his side of the family that relates you to the Dochenzas?"

[calendarofcrime]

"No - our mother's. Jerist Dochenza was her grandfather."

[liakoura]

"Is your mom elay too?"

[calendarofcrime]

"No. Sweela. As sweela as you could possibly imagine."

[liakoura]

"As sweela as Kiri?"

[calendarofcrime]

"A little differently, I think, but no less."

[liakoura]

"Kiri's the sweela-est person I have ever in my life met."

[calendarofcrime]

"Kiri is extremely sweela," Sarelle concurs.

[calescent]

Kiri smiles.

(She likes being sweela.)

[calendarofcrime]

"We have arrived at the public library where I will check my maps," Sarelle adds. "It shouldn't be long."

Into the building she goes, and she finds a librarian and begins speaking Malinquan with them.

[calescent]

Kiri and Aleko wait outside, leaning on the building within Kiri's range of one another.

[calendarofcrime]

She's back out in only a few minutes.

"And now, transportation," she says.

[calescent]

"Lead the way. If it's the younger of the possibilities who's prime now - do you suppose they'll have any understanding of what primes even are? Will we even be able to ask them whether they'd call themselves hunti and have the question make sense?"

[calendarofcrime]

"I will know if they are hunti," she says. "And I will know if they are prime. As to their level of knowledge, well, you will be there to provide explanations."

[calescent]

"I imagine you'll be able to tell if they're hunti - though it's news that you can also identify primes - I'm just wondering how far back my explanations will have to start if they don't know they're hunti."

[calendarofcrime]

"That, I am less sure about. Explanations are... not entirely my specialty."

[liakoura]

"Self-awareness. Miniature Pocket Kiri approves," says Aleko quietly.