[ He's like to hear about Grady, would like to hear that Jin Guangyao talked sense into him. Would like to see him at Jin Guangyao's back like he used to be. Maybe someday--maybe once Quentin can keep the bristle out his voice when Grady comes up. Until then--well, he probably can't blame Jin Guangyao for dodging the subject.
[ The direction he dodge in gives Quentin some pause. What did happen? He frowns at the shaking surface of his tea, rests his wrist on his knee to relieve the minute tremble. ] Before...
Before, Zlatka-- [ Not the Duchess. ] --made a request, asking the Void-touched to go into the Void. Looking for her eyes. Basically, she said she lost them out there and hoped that in bringing them back, she could do...something. To help. Get us home, or--I dunno. Do better. Plenty of us went. Plenty of us went.
I stayed, Junpei stayed...we were working together at the clinic at the time. She put up--mmm. [ He pauses to think about the phrasing here, the things he learned, while taking a drink. ] ...She was silent while the Rubean natives started punishing those of us who stayed. They were--attacking us in the street. Forcing us into cages. People were--people were--horribly raped. Forced to rape. After all of that, we ended up tricked into the Void anyway, just--toppled into it through mirrors and wells and--I dunno totally how we got there.
[ It doesn't get to the heart of Junpei's concerns, but it gets to the heart of Quentin's, anyway. He sighs out long, bouncing his knee. ] The fact that Zlatka said something to him directly--at least she's not ignoring it. Maybe she won't ignore it when her people retaliate.
cw: discussion of sexual violence
[ The direction he dodge in gives Quentin some pause. What did happen? He frowns at the shaking surface of his tea, rests his wrist on his knee to relieve the minute tremble. ] Before...
Before, Zlatka-- [ Not the Duchess. ] --made a request, asking the Void-touched to go into the Void. Looking for her eyes. Basically, she said she lost them out there and hoped that in bringing them back, she could do...something. To help. Get us home, or--I dunno. Do better. Plenty of us went. Plenty of us went.
I stayed, Junpei stayed...we were working together at the clinic at the time. She put up--mmm. [ He pauses to think about the phrasing here, the things he learned, while taking a drink. ] ...She was silent while the Rubean natives started punishing those of us who stayed. They were--attacking us in the street. Forcing us into cages. People were--people were--horribly raped. Forced to rape. After all of that, we ended up tricked into the Void anyway, just--toppled into it through mirrors and wells and--I dunno totally how we got there.
[ It doesn't get to the heart of Junpei's concerns, but it gets to the heart of Quentin's, anyway. He sighs out long, bouncing his knee. ] The fact that Zlatka said something to him directly--at least she's not ignoring it. Maybe she won't ignore it when her people retaliate.