video;

[survivra]

—What?

[ It's a question that's both disbelieving and demanding, Katsa's voice just a little more high-pitched than she usually ever speaks. Of course, since this is her first time using the TAB and among her first days in Thisavrou, it's not a detail that too many people should recognize, but still. Squeaky.

It's especially obvious once she continues speaking—lower, but no less demanding, with the look and tone of someone who's accustomed to getting answers when she asks them. ]

Is it a common welcome here, then, to offer some sort of poor beast's heart as a gift? Or does someone imagine they'll disturb others for amusement? A gift from a king, perhaps?

Comments

video;

[survivra]

[ You'll have to forgive her for only understanding half of that. Katsa squints at her TAB. ]

What?

[ Forgoing why it would even be in front of hers in the first place— ]

Are there love songs telling people to throw some poor animal's hearts on others' doorsteps?

video;

[nicearsenal]

[Put that way it does sound pretty gross and weird.]

Well... no, not animal hearts on doorsteps but you know 'ooh babe I love you so much I'll give you my heart' and other mushy sentiments. Wham at Christmas.

Never heard about kings giving our hearts though. Bit ancient Egyptian isn't it?

[survivra]

[ Katsa sighs. This time she understood at least most of that. ]

I thought when I left the Drabwurld I'd be done not understanding half my conversations.

[nicearsenal]

[is it an accent thing? it could always be an accent thing.

Chloe shrugs.]

Welcome to space sweetheart, not understanding what's going on is the tip of the space iceberg. It's certainly not drab, I can tell you that.

[survivra]

No. Well. I imagine I'll figure it out sooner or later. It can't be so utterly incomprehensible.

[nicearsenal]

I don't have that much experience in the space abduction business but if it's any consolation, at least we're not dealing with hostile alien captors and weird experiments.

At least that I know of...

[survivra]

Space abduction... People keep using that word.

[ Space. Not abduction. But she doesn't clarify that. ]

Well, if anyone tries anything with me, I've a hard boot for their faces.

[nicearsenal]

Good on you. I find the heel of your palm to a nose works just as well if you can't get your foot up that far.

[But here she smirks.]

So why did you reckon there were kings involved with the bloody hearts? Bit of an interesting leap in logic there.

[survivra]

[ Oh. She likes Chloe. Katsa grins. ]

I'm not worried about my foot. But anything could work, really, in a pinch.

And it's not so much a leap. It'd be a king who likes to keep his subjects frightened for some reason or another, of course. But men will do strange things when given power. [ which occurs to her— ] Who is king here among these worlds?

[ because of course there must be a king. ]