Eventually the pair moved on. Sui found herself, or at least her clothes, drying much faster than they had any right to, and was ready to continue walking. Her shoes weren’t dry at all, but she wasn’t going to mention that to Aife, less they be stuck at the river forever and she started getting ideas.

As they continued their walk, Sui found herself returning Aife’s earlier question. “How are you doing with the waves?”

Aife sucked in a deep breath. “You are aware that I can speak to Trina about this right Sui?”

“Of course. However, I am aware, there is information you would decide to withhold from Trina, while you would still tell me if requested” said Sui matter of factly.

Aife let out her long breath and nodded before saying. “I suppose that is true, but why bother asking me? You only ever ask these sorts of things if I ask you first”

“You are already well aware of the answer to that question Aife. It has not changed in all these years” said Sui.

“Perhaps,” responded Aife “but I’m not sure you’ve ever actually said, or that I’ve ever asked the question rather than assuming. Humour me.”

Sui sighed. This would be easier if she just used her strange ability to recognise what I’m trying to say like she normally does. I’m sure she already knows the answer to this question so why is she asking? How should I explain it? The truth, I guess… “I am mostly mirroring you Aife. When something sufficient to shake me occurs, you are normally, at the very least effected by proxy.

“Thus, if you deem it necessary to talk to me and help my mental state remain in equilibrium, it likely means, that you yourself, deem it necessary for someone to question you. I do not quite understand why these questions need to be asked though. Especially in regards to the wave, but it was of minimal hardship to just return the question to you” said Sui. At this point, she was just walking now, not even a jog. The slight burning in her lungs, likely from the close call in the river, even if I got no water in my lungs, wasn’t making the ‘run’ easier.

Aife was practically crawling at this pace, and had taken the opportunity to get some exercise in, properly. She was performing lunges, one foot forward and the other knee all the way to the ground, and repeat… and she was still faster than Sui was, needing to hold position occasionally to allow for the shorter of the pair to catch up.

“Right, that’s fair…” said Aife drawing the words out. “but, while that does explain what you are doing, it doesn’t actually explain why.”

“I don’t follow. I believe I outlined my train of thought well” said Sui “Is there some part you that doesn’t understand?”

It’s rather odd if I’m honest. Aife just tends to get me. Perhaps I am taking the skill for granted, but while I’ll let the earlier attempts at getting me to talk, as she believed them to be for my own good, I don’t understand where the clash is here? Was I not clear enough in my speech?

“It’s not that, it’s why you care about my mental health at all? I don’t mean to be rude Sui, and imply you don’t care, because that’s just it, you do care, in your own strange way, and I… I guess I’m just wondering why” said Aife.

Sui narrowed her eyes. “Is this what is known as dodging the question? Allowing the conversation to progress semi-naturally to move off a question, you wish not to answer?”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Aife smirked, “Well you’re certainly dodging mine” said Aife with a smug grin, and hands behind her head as she continued her lunges. Sui had an errant thought, regarding if that was actually doing anything now that Aife was already so strong and lifting her body was likely no challenge at all before seriously considering Aife’s question.

Is it proper to explain the list Granny had me develop? She did say, I shouldn’t explain it to people… but I didn’t know Aife and Trina then, so I’m not sure if they are included in people. They normally aren’t but I can think of a few times when they did… or can I not?

Sui went back through her memories seeing if she could find a time when Granny’s wording was unclear like this. Sui found that normally, Granny had a way of ensuring things make sense, and while Aife had taken over the job somewhat, since the pair had met, in Sui’s mind, Granny could still explain things better than anyone else as long as it wasn’t sports related.

Why did Granny say I shouldn’t explain it again? Hmm… it was… Exploitation? Right I think that was what she said. It’s been so long and the memory is a little fuzzy… hmmm… it was, to prevent people from… exploiting my rankings? That doesn’t make sense though, it isn’t like I go out of my way to hide which things are more important to me then others.

And other people have rankings as well. Aife clearly cares more about sports than any other activity, but she cares less about it, then I do about sewing. Trina and myself… I suspect that while at one time we were equal, I now fall slightly behind Trina in priority, but not so much that circumstances can’t change the rankings slightly…

And that’s normal right? Environmental factors should affect the rankings… even if they don’t really affect mine… well no, that can’t be right because technically, Aife is an environmental factor. She wasn’t on my ranking at all before I met her. Hmm… should I go over it, maybe that would help?

First is instant, or long-term death. These things need to be avoided because they invalidate everything else on the list. No matter how important, if I die, then I cannot perform any further tasks, forcing it to be the highest priority, even if it is one of the easiest to adhere to. Well perhaps not so much now…

Actually hmmm… I have already had to make choices that affect my likelihood of survival… though I have always taken the one that is most likely to keep me alive… what if I come across something that might kill me now, and something that will certainly kill me later? Which is better? I had not considered such a choice before now… I will have to do so.

Anyway, after that would be maiming in such a way to hinder my craft, with general maiming below that. Any impermeant injury is nothing to worry about but something that stops me from properly performing is obviously something to avoid.

Now for the fun stuff, once not dying and not crippling yourself is off the table, the next thing is of course furthering my craft. Now the system is out there, seems to be… if not more cloth, which I doubt, there is certainly more techniques. My thread control might be the ultimate one, but I’m sure there are others that are still important…

After that, is fulfilling requests made of me by Granny, closely followed by ensuring her health and happiness. This is rather easy, something I can overlook most times because she doesn’t ever need help and she always says, that she’s happy to just have me around. Doesn’t mean it should rank lower, but still, it is something I rarely need to think about, unless I’ve been asked to do something.

Finally, we have ensuring the same for Aife and Trina. They sit just below Granny, and Aife sits slightly above Trina, but not so much that I’d give it a separate rank like Granny has. This is more complicated, because my presence alone does not always provide happiness, and many of the requests that are given to me by Trina, especially conflict with furthering my craft, however, keeping them happy can provide other chances to further my craft, so it is a balancing act.

I cannot improve making only clothes for myself after all. And, now that I think about it, with the waves and the system as they are, it may be a more important thing to consider than ever before. I cannot rely on society to keep me reasonably fed and hydrated. Ensuring the optimal morale of both Trina and Aife, may be necessary to prevent death.

Hmm, seeing as their willingness to help me in the crisis now, more directly relates to my continued survival, do I have to rearrange my priorities? Wait… is that why I accepted my punishment so easily from Aife earlier? It was a fitting punishment… and it was only a day, and we are likely to spend most of that doing whatever task is set before us, but… perhaps I have some more introspection to do.