Imagine. You're Matoya. You've had this catgirl apprentice for like ten years that you didn't actually want but your culture considers it your responsibility as an Archon to mentor the Youths so you couldn't just kick her out, so instead you were a hardass on purpose hoping she'd quit. But it turns out she was as stubborn as you were strict and she stayed and completed her whole education in your cave and now she's an Archon at 17 and damn it, you're proud of her in spite of it all. Meanwhile the whole colony is planning an exodus back to the motherland. You don't give a shit. You like your cave. You hate the Forum. Put your thesis in the Forbidden section, will they? Fine, you'll seal it away from even them, and go live in a cave. And now that Leveilleur asshole with his prophecies and his doomsaying and his godsdamned seventh verse of Mezaya seven waning moons who gives a fuck is sniffing around your apprentice for some secret society he's forming. Hah! She would never. Except she comes back to the cave to pack up all her stuff and says, Farewell, Master. I'm joining the Circle of Knowing. Master Louisoix wants to send me to Vylbrand. And you're like what the fuck. What the absolute fuck. You're doing what. You're joining whomst. You're what. Farewell, she says, and she leaves and what are you going to do about it. You're not leaving your cave. Everyone packs up and leaves and the colony lies abandoned. You stay in your cave. The Forum says, well, so long as you're staying, can you keep an eye on the Antitower for us. You flip them off. Thanks, they say, and they leave. You don't see your apprentice again for fifteen years.
Fifteen years later, she walks in without knocking and says, It's been too long, Master Matoya. Is that fucking Louisoix's granddaughter you have in tow, you say. Grandson, she says. Whatever, you say. You manage to say something halfway nice about his grandfather.
I need access to your forbidden research, your apprentice says.
You look at her. All grown up and saving the world and not even holding a grudge about all those things you said when she left.
Just like that? she says. She's surprised.
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