"Whether he has a connection to sothing other or not doesn’t change his practice or his contributions. Just like it would not change yours."
Mrs. Callaway gets us all back to the matter at hand, after standing up and physically directing the gremlin of a doctor back to her seat. I guess a stickler for terms doesn’t an she’s necessarily socially appropriate.
...Honestly, the most effective in distinct area people that I know are actually *very* socially inappropriate. In so way or another.
"Kitchen witchery is about what you put into the world through care and intention. The sa as your motherhood."
"I understand. I respect ritual magic. I’m not denying that I thought he was a good person. Just like I had positive feelings for each and every one of you."
> It’s not a lie. I’ve had at least one positive feeling, even for the person hoarding *my* sweets. <
"But fae creatures..."
Avoid. Avoid and avoid. It was drilled into along with so many horror stories by one of the few people I respected... in my way. The blind old fox gardener told plenty of tales in the years that I visited him.
They helped him pass the ti as he worked, since I wasn’t going anywhere anyway if I’d actually been in the mood to bother him. Now that I think of it, maybe he was trying to make avoid him because he kept scaring with these tales?
> That reminds , I need to go see Edgar and apologize. Not that a cabin in the woods is a good thing anymore, but I did take that key he offered under so pretty false pretense on my end. <
"Are we still doing this, or did the scary numbers ruin your day?"
"...They ruined my hour, at least. I’ve found that I don’t have whole day long moods anymore."
"Anymore?"
First Michelle, then Martha! Treating like I’m the one being unruly... why am I being bullied by M’s while the S is quiet?
"If it would make you feel more comfortable, I’m willing to leave this eting early. What I wanted out of it is done - and I trust the consensus of the others."
Webber stood to his feet making flinch and nails grow out into claws again. I really, really need to get a handle on this... emotional form of shifting.
"Plus, I’d like to go check in on my folks and show off my new superpower. It might ready so more of them into a state of willingness to take part in this whole pack thing. Mrs. Voss."
Raising that agriculture book in a lazy salute, he starts to walk off without really being ’dismissed’. Sothing that I doubt one of Kyrie’s wolves or anyone from my kingdom facing royalty would ever do.
Sothing I appreciate, even as it irks . I truly don’t think I could have kept calm. Even if his na in the pack roster now shows as Holunder, proving he might not have been lying. At least not entirely.
The door clicks shut behind him and the remaining three won seem to breathe out and change posture all at once. The way a room in the middle of discussion changes when the person complicating it the most removes themselves.
My claws slide back as I rise from the playpen and resettle myself at the table. Asha hadn’t stirred while I was over there. Good. May he sleep through the remainder of this, so that I don’t have to split my attention between politics and parenting.
> Because unlike my mother, I’m certain I’d choose to coddle a single child over a group of them. <
"I’m not going to pretend I handled that gracefully."
"You wouldn’t be fooling anyone if you did."
"-but! If we’re going to trust each other, that ans seeing lose composure over things that matter to and still coming back to the table once I settle. Does this not sound quite fair?"
"It does. Which of you want to be next?"
Martha’s face held sothing to it that I’ve seen on advisors to various nobles. Not quite blatant approval, but the marked absence of disapproval.
When nothing is wrong, that ans everything is right. There was a ti that sort of thing made feel a lot better about myself.
> Damnit, I kind of wanted to be praised. And I definitely wanted soone not even here to do it. <
Kyrie’s face pops in my head again. Just like it was when I was protecting my son just now. All I could think of was to bolt out the door and run to her.
Not out of the tower, but to... the one who has claid . The Alpha that has tried protecting and caring for since the mont she scented in her city.
"Earth to Citra? Head in the clouds much?"
I blink rapidly at Claire’s voice from the monitor, realizing that I’d well and truly spaced out. The three won around look at with concern. Michelle even with her ungloved hand still on the table next to mine.
With a bottle of hand sanitizer held in a white knuckle grip that makes no sense to . She literally stuffed her mouth with a bunch of things I touched already?!
"Sorry. I’ll get to it."
I place my palm over her bare knuckles without explaining my seeming torpor. The green glow begins in my vision as I hope no one can see the red glow on the top of my ears.
| TARGET: Michelle Lifton |
| SPECIES: Human |
| VITALS: Normal, Stressed |
| NOTES: ??? |
| ANNEXATION SUCCESS! |
Her contribution settles at a steady 11 according to the roster. No strange jumping values. Her hand pulls away from mine and she stares at it like it’s a particularly dangerous creature.
> Perhaps a snake or a mongoose? Sohow... I really get it. <
That sudden lack of feeling things for true. Getting that sensation of data about temperature going into her brain.
It suddenly really hits again that I did that to *lots* of people at once yesterday. Honestly, how chaotic must every one of my choices be?
"Acceptable. Dr. i? You should try this."
She says it sowhat enthusiastically, despite layering on the disinfectant. Like I myself am a hive of particularly... dangerous bacteria.
It’s not rude. Definitely. Just hygienic. Yes. Very reasonable to keep sanitary in conditions where we are all grouped together.
But I kind of want to sneeze near her ’on accident’ anyway to see how she reacts.
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