#kat.musing

[redroom-rainbowguts]

[redroom-rainbowguts]

In the moments between fear and pain, he almost seemed nurturing to Katja. Lifting her head gently as he spoke, telling her to watch the movements carefully. Though the sound fell on deaf ears, she could read his lips. He enunciated, taking care to elongate each sound so she could see how it formed in his mouth.

"Thhhah ouu," she repeated as best she could. He shook his head, causing her to recoil in fear. He lifted her head again; he had been so harsh with the most miniscule of mistakes before, but during his speech lessons he made no effort to chastise her. It was hard to believe the same man who was so eager to bear the whip became a patient teacher during these quiet moments. It was confusing, and she could never quite relax around him even at his insistence that this was never something he'd punish her for. Still, she focused as he motioned to his tongue as he said the first word, then his throat as he said the second, trying to lose herself in the lesson and not her master's behavioral dissonance.

"Thhhahn youuu." Katja's voice croaked, still not used to speaking with sounds instead of signs. He motioned "good job!" before patting her head, calloused fingers quickly drifting to scratch behind her soft ears.

He couldn't care less if she never excelled at speaking, but if he was going to learn sign for her, the least his little pet could do was return the offer enough to thank him.