She regarded him steadily, wishing to know the answer herself.
From Kyle’s own admission, not nearly enough time had lapsed for him to do a thorough job.
“I meant so far.I haven’t found themso far.” Kyle laughed awkwardly as he picked up the VR headset sitting next to him.“But I’ll keep looking.Right now, I mean.I’ll keep looking right now.”
“Is he always this weird?”Caius asked as Kyle jerked the headset over his head in an effort to escape.
Mentally, if not physically.
Gus nodded absentmindedly.“Always.”
The man was in his late twenties and still lived in the back room of his mom’s restaurant.He had no friends.No relationships outside of his mom and his bookie, who he only interacted with via the virtual world.
Admittedly, Gus was rather friendless herself, but that was due to trauma and her personal choices.
Shelikedsolitude.
Kyle was just a giant man child.Overly reliant on his mother and rarely accountable to anyone.
People like him were what made Gus think the Tuann weren’t entirely wrong when it came to their approach to adulthood.Gatekeeping its entrance as a matter of pride and privilege.They understood that a person’s physical age wasn’t always an accurate indicator of their maturity.The Tuann rite of passage, while brutal, at least allowed for the different rates at which people mentally aged.
They didn’t toss their young into society unless they thought they could handle it.This allowed those like Kyle who’d never fully grown up to remain under their House’s protective care indefinitely.
Forever, if necessary.
It was both a kindness and a disservice.Without strife, there was no reason to evolve.A lot of plants required harsh conditions in which to grow and thrive.The same could be said of people.
If you were always handed everything you wanted, you had no reason to strive for more.You became complacent.Stuck in place.A greenhouse flower reliant on others for your survival.
Kyle would have been better off if his mom wasn’t so protective.A little dose of harsh reality would have done wonders for him and his personality.
“Forward me what you’ve collected so far,” Gus ordered.
She may have expected too much from Kyle.If her siblings were that easy to find, they would already be back in the hands of the Tsavitee’s masters.This was something she had to deal with herself.
On the bright side, Baran’s presence had given her an idea of how to solve her Caius problem.
“I don’t know why you want it.There’s not much more to see,” Kyle complained, busying himself with something on his headset.
“I’m not paying you to ask questions.Do as you’re told,” Gus instructed.
Kyle was probably right, and there was nothing new to learn, but she’d prefer to verify that for herself.From this situation, it was clear that her siblings had grown arrogant.Time and their tendency to underestimate Gus may have made them careless.There might be something there.Some tiny clue that Kyle had missed.She wouldn’t know unless she pored over it more in depth.
“You’re not paying me at all.The gardener is,” Kyle grumbled.
“And the gardener sent me here.”
Gus’s gaze bore a hole in the side of Kyle’s face.She may not have had Kira’s power to intimidate with merely a look, but she was no slouch.Especially when it came to humans.
Kyle suddenly became very still and quiet, pretending to be absorbed in whatever was on his headset.
“I could contact the gardener for you if you’d like,” Gus offered.It would be a waste of valuable time, but she’d do it.“I’m sure they’d be simply delighted to jump through your hoops.”
Kyle’s flinch was tiny.
The gardener, AKA her, paid him quite the tidy sum to be at their beck and call.He seemed to have forgotten that.Maybe it was time she reminded him in no uncertain terms just who held the power in this relationship.
“Yes, how about I do that.I’ll tell the gardener that you’d like them to relay their orders to you personally.”
