shroudedinsecrecy | INBOX (IC)

But it could also be better. Much better.

What if... [She hesitated, because it was something she could hardly imagine herself. Her point needed to be made, though, and she straightened with resolve.] ...what if I told you that...that Feenie sometimes hit me when he got excited about something?

Well it's different if a guy did it. [ Because women are supposed to be treasured... not abused. This is some sexist thinking. ] Of course that wouldn't be okay.

I don't see how there's a difference.

[Even if she grew up in the mountains, she understood that much. How...how her family was rather matriarchal in nature, and how that was wrong as well. Because of what it had done to her father. What little she remembered of how the attitude towards men in her home village had literally torn their family apart. Treating a man horribly and treating a woman horribly were equally horrible to her.]

Well it doesn't really hurt that much, it's funny more than anything else.

[ Maybe he's just an m... have you thought of that, Iris? It's not exactly the same as the way he's making it sound. ]

I don't think it's very funny.

Even my...little sister...

[Pearl. How seldom she thought of the youngest Fey, if only because Iris didn't know her that well. She hadn't even know she'd had a younger sister until the day Godot contacted her about their mother's awful plan. Even then, with everything...they never had much time to interact. Get to know one another.]

...she's just a child, but I'd seen her hit Feenie sometimes. I could never figure out exact what he did that upset her so, but...I wish I had spoken up sooner. Because I don't want her to grow up that way.

[Violent. Angry.]

It's only funny when she's flustered, it's more that she doesn't know how to accept it. I'm hoping the more I say things though, she'll grow to accept them.

[ There's a long beat, then: ] It's not really my place to say more than that.

[ To explain that he doesn't think he knows the full story behind it, that despite being hypocritical about him not telling her everything, Athena hasn't done it either. ]

Then who's place is it?

[Because, Iris believed, somebody needed to speak with her. Help her understand.]

Athena. [ He frowns at her. ] There's still a lot she hasn't told me, but I haven't pushed. I know when it comes... to my own circumstances I'm not exactly excited to open up either.

...I can understand what that's like.

[As Merlin, himself, would know. Given he was one of the few she'd shared most of her awful past with to date.]

But...even so...it's not right to use your past as an excuse. Not in something like this. Even if she's not ready to talk about whatever had happened to her...you can still talk about this much. And I hope you do. For both your sakes.

I don't know if it even is that, if it's just part of her. She hasn't said anything. [ He scratches his cheek. ] Anyway... I didn't bring you here to talk about something that depressing anyway. Sandwiches should be here soon, unless they take much longer to make.

[ He just wants that topic to drop tbh :( ]

[Fair enough; she'd said about all she could on the subject for the time being, anyway.]

Alright.

What did you want to talk about, then?

[As she spoke, oh look, here comes the server with a tray of food.]

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