Kell didn't start helping Nott because he liked them, or because he truly cared. No. He started it to spite the crown. As his own way of showing that Thorne's royal family is being shitty at their job. Everything else later Thorne's unhinged Queen had done has caused him to double down.
Nott had nothing to do with it. They had no say in it. Oh, he's been helping Rhy, because the infirmary in Nott was Rhy's pet project. Because Rhy is the one who cares. So Istredd's praise feels unearned to him.
This is the first time that Kell went to Lyle Vela with actual offer of help. His own. Even if he still hid behind Rhy's name. Said nothing that he was the one who killed the monster in the lake. The monster was his own fight, and nobody needed to praise him or criticize him for how he dealt with it. Kell knew there was plenty to criticize. It could have been done faster, and cleaner. For days he found holes in his fight with it. Until it almost felt impossible that the charred corpse at the bottom of the lake was actually his doing. But it was. Sadly, not the only reminder that it all really happened.
All this is why Istredd's words catch him by surprise. Eyes wide, brows furrowed, he stares speechless at Istredd. Allies? He came to ask for help. Took him crazy amount of time to battle his pride and muster the courage. This is not what he expected. Istredd has seen right through him, and instead of scolding him, he said We can make this a group effort. Kell bites his lip, shakes his head a little blinking to chase away the blurriness in his vision. Utterly stunned, again, how it feels to have an older, more experienced mage care enough to tell him he doesn't have to do everything himself. They can do it together.
"Thank you. I could not think there were others. I thought, eh, I thought this was the only one. Sorry."
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Date: 2023-10-21 12:58 am (UTC)Nott had nothing to do with it. They had no say in it. Oh, he's been helping Rhy, because the infirmary in Nott was Rhy's pet project. Because Rhy is the one who cares. So Istredd's praise feels unearned to him.
This is the first time that Kell went to Lyle Vela with actual offer of help. His own. Even if he still hid behind Rhy's name. Said nothing that he was the one who killed the monster in the lake. The monster was his own fight, and nobody needed to praise him or criticize him for how he dealt with it. Kell knew there was plenty to criticize. It could have been done faster, and cleaner. For days he found holes in his fight with it. Until it almost felt impossible that the charred corpse at the bottom of the lake was actually his doing. But it was. Sadly, not the only reminder that it all really happened.
All this is why Istredd's words catch him by surprise. Eyes wide, brows furrowed, he stares speechless at Istredd. Allies? He came to ask for help. Took him crazy amount of time to battle his pride and muster the courage. This is not what he expected. Istredd has seen right through him, and instead of scolding him, he said We can make this a group effort. Kell bites his lip, shakes his head a little blinking to chase away the blurriness in his vision. Utterly stunned, again, how it feels to have an older, more experienced mage care enough to tell him he doesn't have to do everything himself. They can do it together.
"Thank you. I could not think there were others. I thought, eh, I thought this was the only one. Sorry."