|
|
Post by Lucca on Oct 5, 2010 14:40:30 GMT -5
 " Okay. Okay. You can do this, Mirriam." The young Fruit Bat had grown quite a bit in the past few years, and was now well into the awkward years of puberty, which she'd so far managed to tackle with the enthusiasm she'd tackled everything else in her life. Well, almost everything. There was one thing that had been bothering her, a thorn in her side for the past few years. And the more she read about it, the more she made friends with various Aces she happened to encounter, the more the thorn poked and scratched and whispered that she was a hypocrite. How, after everything she knew, could she still be turning a blind eye to the fact that her guardian, Khushrenada, a King of the Court of Diamonds, was keeping another Card for a pet. An intelligent one, too, from what she could tell, though instead of having chances to speak with Merquise like she'd hoped, the Bat had instead found herself avoiding even looking at him. It made her sick to her stomach to think about, and today...today it was going to end. Today she was going to confront Khushrenada with what she knew. She wasn't ignorant enough to think he didn't know, too. Looking back, Mirriam realized it had been something he'd almost certainly deliberately kept from her, and that made resentment burn somewhere in the back of her mind. It wan't a feeling the genial girl was used to, and it wasn't one she liked, not all. Today she'd clear it up. Giving a firm nod to her expression in the bathroom mirror in her quarters, Mirriam took a deep breath and stepped out to wait for Khushrenada to come. She'd already told him she wanted to discuss something important, so there was no backing out. Either way, things would be different between them, after this. |
|
|
|
Post by The Jenn on Oct 10, 2010 22:22:32 GMT -5
 Khushrenada placed his quill back into its holder and glanced at the timepiece on his desk, noting the fact that two hours had slipped by since he last checked. Mmm. He would need to try and get outside today before the light failed him. Being stuck inside for the best of the daylight hours attending to Court business always rankled, though he tried to keep the feelings to a minimum. Time for him to conclude today's office hours. He stood and stretched his back for a moment, and then picked up his jacket from its resting place on the back of his chair. With a practiced shrug, he donned the stiff garment and buttoned up the front. Then he left to go and return to his chambers. Mirriam had requested a discussion. If pressed, he would guess that the girl was going to ask for her own room. It made sense with her age that she no longer wished to share the chambers of her guardian, even though their rooms were only connected by a common antechamber. He'd actually been discussing the possibility with one of the castle staff in charge of rooming arrangements and they had a few potential locations picked out. Small rooms, to be sure, but good for a young girl her age and they would still have a small bathroom attached as she was accustomed to. It was time she gained a bit more independence. He gave the door one short rap to announce his arrival and entered, closing it firmly behind him. "Mirriam," he greeted with a small smile and an inclination of his head. He would let her begin the discussion and lead it however she would. |
|
|
|
Post by Lucca on Oct 10, 2010 22:44:38 GMT -5
At the rap on the door, Mirriam took a deep breath, steeling her nerves, and turned, bringing up a smile laced with a bit of Diamond charm to hide its insincerity. Growing up in the Palace, she had some idea of how much charm she could get away with without it being immediately obvious to another Diamond. Of course, her heart nearly froze in her chest as her name was called. She wanted to say something, but found a curious lump in her throat. So her voice came out a tiny bit croaky when she finally managed to reply. "Khushrenada! Hey! How was you day?"
She'd planned out plenty of ways to approach the subject, because just going right into it seemed a bit much. She thought back, fleetingly, to an earlier time, remembering how when she was little she couldn't even pronounce or remember her guardian's name and so had called him Mr. Birdy Man. That thought didn't help the lump in her throat, but she used her charm again to cover the clumsy uncertainty of her actions as she went to sit on the couch. Part of her, the part that was afraid this wouldn't go as well as she'd convinced herself it would, hoped he would sit in the chair across instead of right next to her.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Jenn on Oct 10, 2010 23:00:51 GMT -5
Khushrenada carefully didn't allow his smile to widen at her slight show of nerves. She did an admirable job of covering them up, but something in the way she held her wings made him guess that she wasn't quite as self-assured as she appeared. The girl had become quite accomplished at overcoming this over the years. Only familiarity gave him the hint, and also the fact that he was looking for it.
"A bit boring, actually, though satisfying. I got to a few things I'd been putting off this past week. Indoor work and the like. I'd prefer to enjoy the weather before the day winds itself to a close, but I suppose we'll have to see. And you? Have you been well? I missed you this morning, but I had to begin earlier than usual. Her Majesty had something she needed taking care of."
Noting her choise of seats, he moved to sit across from her. He remained a formal person by nature and this arrangement honestly left him feeling more comfortable and confident in the situation. He settled and sat with habitually correct posture, tilting his head at her slightly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lucca on Oct 11, 2010 10:48:23 GMT -5
Mirriam nodded politely, though her stomach squirmed. At his mention of enjoying the weather, she nearly stood right back up again, but managed to contain the urge. Suggesting they go for a walk on the grounds would only prolong the discussion, and would invite the possibility that they'd be overheard. She didn't....want that. Besides, though she herself was in full agreement that it was always much nicer to be out and about, with her nerves all frazzled she knew she couldn't possibly enjoy the sun as much as it deserved.
It wasn't until he sat down across from her that she gained the courage to go on. In a tone that suggested she was still making casual chit chat, Mirriam tried to broach the subject she needed to discuss. "I have been well. I already finished all my homework for the weekend." It was amazing how much one could get done when one was trying to pass the time. Tasks which should have taken hours ended up being done in half the usual time, and she was left with more down time to anticipate. "Sorry I missed you. I haven't really seen a lot of Merquise today, either, come to think of it...how's he doing?" She was proud of how level she managed to keep her tone, like it was nothing at all to her. Brown eyes watched closely for his reaction.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Jenn on Oct 11, 2010 10:58:45 GMT -5
Khushrenada's smile gained a slightly surprised-but-pleased edge when she mentioned her homework and he nodded in quiet approval. She would be able to enjoy the weekend better this way, as he'd always mentioned. So both of them had gotten a good bit done this morning. Excellent. It left him even more inclined to grant her presumed request.
At mention of Merquise, one eyebrow quirked and he tried to figure out a tactful way of saying that he was recovering from a very enthusiastic round of sex the night before. Another reason he looked forward to giving the child her own room slightly further away - they wouldn't have to use a gag. Odd choice of conversation delay tactic for the girl.
He finally settled on, "I think he overexerted himself a bit yesterday while we were sparring. He's likely sleeping off some of the muscle ache. I wouldn't have woken up so early myself if not pressed. He's always an enthusiastic fighter."
|
|
|
|
Post by Lucca on Oct 11, 2010 11:46:41 GMT -5
Sparring? Now that was interesting. Mirriam vaguely recalled her guardian mentioning his sparring with the Ace before, once when she was younger and had heard some weird noises in the middle of the night. At the time, she hadn't thought much of it...though she had wondered why he would spar with his pet. Now...it all made a horrible sort of sense. (Of course, luckily, Mirriam was still naive enough to have no idea what 'sparring' was sometimes code for.)
"Ah, I see," she chirped, tilting her head. Normally, she would have dropped it there, but she hadn't come this far to back down now. "Does Merquise...enjoy sparring?" The question felt funny on her tongue, though she couldn't pinpoint why. Years of not giving a second thought to what the Ace was other than just a pet meant that, the past few years, it had been hard to realize that she even had prejudices about Aces, let alone overcome them.
And Khushrenada's answer to this, Mirriam knew, would be the most important part of the conversation. Some Aces, Mirriam had found, actually didn't mind being pets...some were even not as intelligent as other Cards...sometimes a 'pet' Ace was actually just someone living together with another Card who was protecting them from society's cruelty. If that was the case with Merquise, if Khushrenada was keeping him as a 'pet' in a mutually beneficial relationship, well, then she had nothing to worry about. But if her guardian didn't care what the Ace thought and was keeping him wholly or partially against his will, well then, her conscience wouldn't let her stand for that.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Jenn on Oct 11, 2010 12:35:42 GMT -5
The question left Khushrenada very, very glad of his military and political training. Only those two things in combination allowed him to keep a straight face when Mirriam continued her awkward line of questioning.
"He's a very contentious sort," he answered with all of the seriousness he could muster. "I think that the sparring helps him work out some of his excess energy. He used to be a swordsman in his realm of origin, before I found him, and he's the reason I keep two practice swords on hand."
Generally, he kept his Ace isolated from others due to his ability for very intellient speech. Not only the ability, but the likelihood of such a conversation. It amused him privately that he did, in fact, engage in both sorts of 'sparring' with the man. Just never with the Hisstor's prized sword. And their particular version of consent was not one that most people would agree with.
"But I'm sure you didn't request a conversation to discuss pets, Mirriam, unless you were looking to have one of your own." Which he hadn't considered, actually, but might also make sense.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lucca on Oct 11, 2010 12:59:48 GMT -5
Mirriam's desperation to prove to herself that there was no way her guardian would ever knowingly keep another Card against their will or force them to do anything they didn't want let her see his story in a positive light...but even so, it didn't sit well that he'd found the Ace, apparently living on his own in Hisstor and being a swordsman, of all things, and then...what? Captured him and brought him back the palace? It almost sounded silly, like something in a fantasy book, but for the fact that she'd also read some very real accounts of similar things happening to Aces, or even children who were not Aces.
"Well...I'm glad, then," she said, tilting her antlered head in thought. "I'm sure he appreciates keeping up his skills in case he'll ever need them again."
Ah, and here it was...her final chance to turn back, or to press forward and see what came of it. "Well, actually..." She took a deep breath, and when she looked back up at Khushrenada's face, her own was set with determination, the spark of precocious fearlessness in her childhood grown into its own. "I've been reading and...I don't really think that Aces should be called pets." Before she could lose her nerve or he could interrupt, she pressed on. "I used to think that Merquise--that all Aces--were just animals, you know? Like a Bander, but more advanced. And then I met one. And you know what he told me? Aces are Cards, just like we are. They just don't have enough magic in them to change their Rank. But somehow, everyone else looks down on them, and sometimes even forces them to do things like not talk, or not get jobs, or stay somewhere against their will. Like a pet. I'm just not sure that's fair of us..."
|
|
|
|
Post by The Jenn on Oct 11, 2010 13:16:46 GMT -5
Khushrenada would have preferred to speak up several times while the girl addressed him, but he held his peace until she'd said her piece. He encouraged his ward to engage in serious discussion when she found herself with questions. That encouragement was due in part to her naturally curious nature, and in part to his belief in communication as a means of education. He had simply never expected her to choose this as a subject of debate.
Carefully holding back a resigned sigh, he leaned forward slightly in his seat and rested his elbows on his knees. A serious discussion, then, and not at all what he'd been expecting. Well.
"There are some Cards that hold to such schools of thought," he began slowly. "The Aces that are capable of more independent thought would certainly promote those beliefs. But, Mirriam, you need to understand... while Aces are indeed Cards, they are not like us. Their rank is more of an aberrant mutation - unfortunate, certainly, and no parent deserves the grief of producing one. But our rank defines us to a very significant degree. Our ranks grant us natural power and ability. They grant us a place in the world - a place that we can change, as free-thinking and independent beings with our own will and determination."
"An Ace cannot change its lot in life. It is born stripped of all magic, and the inability to acquire any sort of spell has been likened to a curse. They are often born tragically deformed or deficient in some fashion. It is remarkable when Aces are born without some sort of condition, so widespread is the affliction. Some people believe that parents who produce an Ace are being punished. I don't personally hold to that philosophy. I believe it to be a fluke, or perhaps an act of God. I rarely discuss the Avington and Highland religion with you, as you never seemed particularly interested, but I don't discount the teachings of my parents."
He took a slow breath and looked down at her with a serious expression. "The simple fact of the matter is that Aces are not people, Mirriam, and should not be treated as such."
|
|
