vision

[calescent]

Kiri's up early the next morning, restless with various low-level simmering concerns, and wanders out of her room.

Comments

[free_flowing]

"That's adorable," giggles Loel.

[salt_of_the]

"It kinda is. Mud, say hi."

Mud trots up to Loel and sits, wagging his tail.

[free_flowing]

Loel sits down on the floor and hugs him. This seems like an appropriate way to greet such a cute fluffy dog.

[salt_of_the]

Mud licks him on the face messily, still wagging.

[free_flowing]

Awww. He giggles again. Fluffy hugs!

[salt_of_the]

"I can get you one if you want one. Sounds lonely being out here if you haven't even hired anybody, yeah?"

[free_flowing]

"Nah, I don't want a dog. But I'll cuddle yours while he's here. You are cute and fluffy," he informs Mud.

[salt_of_the]

Mud licks him again.

"Suit yourself. So Thiyec, huh?"

[free_flowing]

"Thiyec! I liked Thiyec. I miss Thiyec," he says. "I had a little house by a pond and most everybody in the village liked me and nobody gets upset if you walk around naked in public there, it was pretty much Paradise."

[salt_of_the]

Patience spends a discreet second (during which Mud continues to lick Loel) contemplating a mental image, then says, "So Kiri had to drag you back kicking and screaming, or you doing okay here too?"

[free_flowing]

"Kind of... yes and yes? And also no and no," he says. "It's complicated. I really didn't want to go back when she showed up and told me everything, but then I - did something to see if I could change my mind, because I knew it was important, and that helped enough that I came here. And I'm okay being here, I like having prime powers, I'm getting along with the people I buy food from and write letters to, I'm really excited about my moat - but I wish I didn't have to be. It's hard and it's a lot of responsibility and I have complicated feelings and it would all be much simpler if I'd never inherited the primacy in the first place."

[salt_of_the]

"I guess. Well, now I know why I had to come all the way out here to meet you instead of Chialto, I guess you don't want to personally fuel the rumor mill for the next quintile?"

[free_flowing]

"Yeah. I'm going with the 'subtle campaign of lies' approach."

[salt_of_the]

"You weren't really kidnapped by agents of a secret cult, were you."

[free_flowing]

"I really wasn't," he sighs, absently giving Mud scritches.

[salt_of_the]

"Do you not wanna tell me?"

[free_flowing]

"I don't know if I wanna tell you. I don't know if you wanna know," he says. "Most people who find out seem to regret it some way."

[salt_of_the]

"You're okay now though. Right?"

Mud leaves off licking Loel and goes back to Patience, where he nudges his head under her hand until she starts scratching his ears.

[free_flowing]

"Yeah. I mean..." he shrugs; sighs; repeats, "Yeah."

[salt_of_the]

"Okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't wanna. Whole thing is secret from people who aren't Ardelay twins - just the twins, not Jayce?"

[free_flowing]

"Just the twins, yeah."

[salt_of_the]

"Okay. Anything else I should know before I meet the other new primes?"

[free_flowing]

"Guess not," he says.

[salt_of_the]

"Okay. Where are they at?"

[free_flowing]

"Back of the house, I think. By the way, is it just me or were you imagining me naked a minute ago?"