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thechekhov:

A digital manga-style comic. Top reads 'growing up on the Ninth' A silhouette of a child comes running from afar towards a tired-looking woman with a buzz cut, wearing simple Ninth House facepaint. She wipes her cheek and glances over as the child screams "AI-GEMMY-KNEE! AI-GEMMY-KNEE!" Gideon Nav rushes to her, grabbing her pant leg. She looks to be about seven years old, and her front tooth is prominently missing. "Ith 'appenedh!" she yells. "Zhe 'ooth fairy 'took my 'ooth!" Aiglemene quirks an eyebrow, looking down at her. "What are you on about, child? What tooth fairy?" she demands. Gideon pulls something out of her pocket, presenting it up to the adult proudly. "Thee 'ook my 'ooth justh 'ike 'arrow thaid! And I go'th thome rockth in re'urn!" Aiglamene does not bother to look amused. "...That's not a--" she begins, before cutting herself off, and looking off in another direction thoughtfully. Her gaze strays to the raised balconies of Castle Drearburgh. Hiding between two of the banisters is a barely visible skull-faced little figure robed in black. ALT
Aiglamene regards it for a minute, and the scene fades. The panels lapse, as though a bit of time has passed. The next panel shows a fair of booted feet at the entry of a door. The inside is shadowed, with only the light from the inside illuminating a small figure crouched on the floor. "My lady," Aiglamene greets. Then, "Stealing milk teeth is not becoming of the scion of the ninth." Harrowhark turns around to look at her over her shoulder. She is sitting on her knees on the floor, an array of small bones in a semicircle before her, and something else clutched tightly in one tiny fist. She looks to be about six - her hair is cropped short, and she has her cloak shrugged off her shoulders and hanging from her elbows. Her dark eyes are large as ever. "I did not steal them, Captain," she replies. "I bargained for their purchase through a metaphor. I am low on resources," she continues. "And mother says we must use all available materials wisely." Aiglamene considers for a moment, looking a bit down. "The Reverend Mother and Reverend Father do not want you near Gideon, you know that," she says. Harrow looks away again. "I am working with those parameters in mind," she says calmly. Aiglamene says nothing, looking a bit dampened, and then heaves a tired sigh. ALT
Seemingly defeated, Aiglamene looks down at Harrow again. "What are you planning to use them for, if I may ask?" she inquires. Harrow looks up at her, having not relaxed her fist once. "It is... classified," she says. A black bar cuts between this and the next panel. It reads: "Not That Much Later." Next thing we see is a hallway near the castle. Harrow is hiding behind an archway, her little face split into a grin of delight as she peers around it to look at her handiwork. "Stop hitting yourself, Griddle!" she jeers. "Stop hitting yourself!" In the forefront, Gideon wrestles with a skeleton approximately her own size. It has a knee up on her stomach, and is rearing back for a punch, while Gideon kicks her feet and tries to shove it off, her face twisted up in fury. "HRRAARGH!" she hollers. "NONAGETHIMUUUTHHH!!" ALT

ah, childhood.