The Smell of Old Books and Blood

Side Story 1, Part 4: Just What to Say

Faranak sighed, tapping her fingers on her shoulder while she looked across the table at Kaveh. He wasn't understanding. And she wouldn't blame him. He was a sweet kid who didn't know the outside world for what it really was. All he had was a fantasy built on his own kindness. And it was her fault.

"Mom, I really don't think you have anything to worry about. Cyno said they're nice, and Tighnari spoke to them too and agreed. And you used to love having a glass of wine with them when we lived in Sumeru City. What changed?" Kaveh, sweet Kaveh. After all these years of living, there was one thing Faranak knew all too well. Fake women. Stationed in the kitchen now, the two were keeping an eye on the backdoor, keeping their voices quiet in case Cyno and Tighnari came back inside.

"Sometimes, Kaveh, people come off as nice. But they aren't. Sometimes they're not even bad people. They just pick and chose when to be nice based on how they're feeling, or who they're talking about." Would he even understand what she meant by that? "Look, just... I'm not saying Zeina and Tiara are bad people. I just know how they get about being parents. Don't get me wrong, they're not bad parents at all. They're just a little... frustrating. And self-righteous. And think they know better. Especially Tiara." Faranak sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. She knew how they were. How they would knit pick every parenting decision she made.

"Wow, Faranak. You really leave your sons at home all alone all day?" Zeina raised an eyebrow, taking a sip out of her wine. Why were humans always so judgmental?

Faranak found herself shrugged, responding honestly, "I mean, I don't really have a choice. And they're too old for a babysitter anyways. Do you guys hire a babysitter for Cyno or something? Isn't thirteen a little old for that?"

"No need," Tiara joined in on the conversation, placing down a small cheese board. Faranak hated cheese. From the smell, to the texture, to the sour taste. She was fine with her wine. "Zeina conducts her research at home. Since I travel a lot, we thought it'd be best for her to work from home. So Cyno isn't alone."

"That's the perk of having two, I guess," Faranak chuckled awkwardly, lifting her glass to her lips. It was bitter. "I don't have to worry about them being alone. They'll always have each other."

"Two boys in a house all by themselves?" Tiara shared a look with Zeina. She always found it interesting how people could communicate with only glances. Tighnari and Kaveh constantly did it. Thinking back... did her and her husband do the same? "We could never leave Cyno here by himself. Not at his age. Kids around this time always lie. We couldn't trust him with this house all alone. He's a good kid, but it only takes one mistake to ruin your life. What if he tried to throw a party here while we were gone? Or brought over a little boyfriend or something? He's not allowed to date, but those preteen hormones. You never know what to expect. I'd keep an eye on your boys a little better. Especially now that they're getting older and more defiant." The only thing Faranak hated more than this cheese were mothers like this.

"I trust my boys," Faranak huffed, looking down at her reflection in the glass. No matter how many times she had this conversation with human mothers, it didn't get any less frustrating. She's had decades to learn how to be a mother. Decades of experience. And she definitely knew better than these two amateurs. "Tighnari and Kaveh are good kids. Don't get me wrong, they're not perfect. No one is. They do things they shouldn't do sometimes, but that's what being a kid is about. I definitely did worse when I was their age." Definitely. "But growing up can only happen from mistakes. They mess up, and then they learn from it. It makes them better people. Like when Tighnari was little, we lived in Gandaharva Ville for a short time. He loved the wildlife there and would just pluck out mushrooms and eat them. I didn't think much of it until he hurt his stomach because of it. But after that, he learned about their different properties and figured out which he could eat and which he couldn't. He even made some medicine from some too. He's always been a little genius." She chuckled at the memory. How lucky she was to have such smart boys. In the midst of her reminiscing, Faranak almost failed to see the other mothers' horrified faces. That night led to the two going on and on how they would never let Cyno put random things in his mouth. How annoying it was.