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Entry tags:
memory - surprise (spoiler warning)
WARNING: major AA6 spoilers
Yuty! Where's your dad? I'm gettin' dinner ready.
[ You call out to the kid in the living room as you get to work slicing meat in the kitchen. ]
I dunno, he's not back yet.
[ That makes you frown a little; Dhurke's kind of a public enemy at this point, and while he can take care of himself, there's no guarantee he won't run into the wrong person out there someday — maybe someone with a particular grudge against lawyers, maybe a royal guard who's a little too eager to prove himself. You don't wanna be a nag or anything, but sometimes you really wish he'd wait around for you to go places with him instead of running off on his own. (Not that he hasn't said as much about you — there's a reason you've always gotten along so well.)
Honestly, you'd do anything for the guy. He's got a charm unlike any you've ever seen, and you've been head over heels since he first smiled at you in that bar all those years ago when you'd just jumped the border into this country. Of course, he was married at the time — to the freakin' queen, no less — so you've always just been friends, and comrades, and partners in crime. And that was cool! You're not the jealous type anyway.
...Of course, it's been almost ten years now since Queen Amara was assassinated, and for that whole almost-ten years, you've been at his side helping him with running the revolution and raising his kids. Which is great! It's not like you joined the revolution only for him; you believe in the cause wholeheartedly. And you've been helping with his kids because they're great kids! Even if Nahyuta's the only one who's still around now. But, you know, it's also kinda like you're already a family, so...
After dinner tonight, you're thinking maybe you'll just... mention that, the already-a-family thing, and see what his reaction is to that. You're not here to make anything weird, so if he doesn't pick up what you're putting down, that'll be that! ]
[ Thankfully Dhurke arrives home soon, and you can breathe a sigh of relief over at least one thing today as you hear Nahyuta get up to greet him.
He comes into the kitchen a moment later and sets a sack full of bruised vegetables down on the counter. ]
Got us some extra ingredients for tonight!
[ He says it with a grin, and you know exactly what that means — though the fact that he's got a little tomato mush in his hair would probably make it clear even if you didn't. ]
Nice going!
[ Your tone is as cheerful as ever as you set your knife down on the cutting board and pull some peppers out of the bag to wash. ]
Man, if you ever stop being Khura'in's least wanted guy we're really gonna miss all these free veggies they keep throwin' at us.
[ Normally you'd get a laugh at that, but all you hear is the water running over the vegetables, so you turn to look over at him and find him looking off into the living room where Nahyuta has settled back in with a book, seemingly lost in thought. ]
...What's up?
[ He's quiet for a long moment, frowning. Then he steps closer to you. ]
...This sounds far-fetched, and I'm taking it with a grain of salt, but...
[ He lowers his voice, practically whispering so Nahyuta doesn't overhear. ]
One of our men at the palace reported... seeing Amara there. That she's alive, being held captive by Ga'ran and her guard.
[ ...
Well. That's not what you would have expected to hear in a million years. You freeze with whatever expression you have on your face in that moment — you're not even sure what it is — and blink as the words sink in.
Amara is... what the hell.
It's a few seconds before you shake yourself out of it enough to respond, but that's an appropriate reaction to a bombshell like that anyway. ]
Whoa, whoa, whoa. What? You serious?
I still have to verify it myself, but...
[ You nod slowly, finally thinking to turn off the faucet. ]
Wow. That's...
[ Hilarious timing is what that is. But you're relieved, and happy for him. You know how much he'd loved her and how much losing her had hurt him, and the success of the revolution is the only thing higher than his personal happiness on your list of priorities.
And most importantly, if she's alive, then the crime everyone thinks he committed never even happened. If they can come forward with the truth maybe he can get his freedom and his good name back — his life back. Screw the free vegetables. ]
I'll need your help to get her out, and— well, I don't know what game Ga'ran thinks she's playing, but if she's been keeping Amara hidden this whole time, she can't have any intention of letting her go.
Yeah. Yeah, of course!
[ You grin and slap him on the back. ]
You can count on me, my man.
I always can. Thank you, Datz.
Yuty! Where's your dad? I'm gettin' dinner ready.
[ You call out to the kid in the living room as you get to work slicing meat in the kitchen. ]
I dunno, he's not back yet.
[ That makes you frown a little; Dhurke's kind of a public enemy at this point, and while he can take care of himself, there's no guarantee he won't run into the wrong person out there someday — maybe someone with a particular grudge against lawyers, maybe a royal guard who's a little too eager to prove himself. You don't wanna be a nag or anything, but sometimes you really wish he'd wait around for you to go places with him instead of running off on his own. (Not that he hasn't said as much about you — there's a reason you've always gotten along so well.)
Honestly, you'd do anything for the guy. He's got a charm unlike any you've ever seen, and you've been head over heels since he first smiled at you in that bar all those years ago when you'd just jumped the border into this country. Of course, he was married at the time — to the freakin' queen, no less — so you've always just been friends, and comrades, and partners in crime. And that was cool! You're not the jealous type anyway.
...Of course, it's been almost ten years now since Queen Amara was assassinated, and for that whole almost-ten years, you've been at his side helping him with running the revolution and raising his kids. Which is great! It's not like you joined the revolution only for him; you believe in the cause wholeheartedly. And you've been helping with his kids because they're great kids! Even if Nahyuta's the only one who's still around now. But, you know, it's also kinda like you're already a family, so...
After dinner tonight, you're thinking maybe you'll just... mention that, the already-a-family thing, and see what his reaction is to that. You're not here to make anything weird, so if he doesn't pick up what you're putting down, that'll be that! ]
[ Thankfully Dhurke arrives home soon, and you can breathe a sigh of relief over at least one thing today as you hear Nahyuta get up to greet him.
He comes into the kitchen a moment later and sets a sack full of bruised vegetables down on the counter. ]
Got us some extra ingredients for tonight!
[ He says it with a grin, and you know exactly what that means — though the fact that he's got a little tomato mush in his hair would probably make it clear even if you didn't. ]
Nice going!
[ Your tone is as cheerful as ever as you set your knife down on the cutting board and pull some peppers out of the bag to wash. ]
Man, if you ever stop being Khura'in's least wanted guy we're really gonna miss all these free veggies they keep throwin' at us.
[ Normally you'd get a laugh at that, but all you hear is the water running over the vegetables, so you turn to look over at him and find him looking off into the living room where Nahyuta has settled back in with a book, seemingly lost in thought. ]
...What's up?
[ He's quiet for a long moment, frowning. Then he steps closer to you. ]
...This sounds far-fetched, and I'm taking it with a grain of salt, but...
[ He lowers his voice, practically whispering so Nahyuta doesn't overhear. ]
One of our men at the palace reported... seeing Amara there. That she's alive, being held captive by Ga'ran and her guard.
[ ...
Well. That's not what you would have expected to hear in a million years. You freeze with whatever expression you have on your face in that moment — you're not even sure what it is — and blink as the words sink in.
Amara is... what the hell.
It's a few seconds before you shake yourself out of it enough to respond, but that's an appropriate reaction to a bombshell like that anyway. ]
Whoa, whoa, whoa. What? You serious?
I still have to verify it myself, but...
[ You nod slowly, finally thinking to turn off the faucet. ]
Wow. That's...
[ Hilarious timing is what that is. But you're relieved, and happy for him. You know how much he'd loved her and how much losing her had hurt him, and the success of the revolution is the only thing higher than his personal happiness on your list of priorities.
And most importantly, if she's alive, then the crime everyone thinks he committed never even happened. If they can come forward with the truth maybe he can get his freedom and his good name back — his life back. Screw the free vegetables. ]
I'll need your help to get her out, and— well, I don't know what game Ga'ran thinks she's playing, but if she's been keeping Amara hidden this whole time, she can't have any intention of letting her go.
Yeah. Yeah, of course!
[ You grin and slap him on the back. ]
You can count on me, my man.
I always can. Thank you, Datz.