Sunbeam Lair We need to talk about Kevin

Every inch of the child’s demeanor suggested that she’d once again disobey Asterr’s command, which bothered the woman greatly. For as long as the girl glared, she’d held the stare with one of her own, refusing to ignore her behavior. They were related, there was no doubt about that, but such ties alone would not save Airi from punishment. Never would she harm a hair on the heads of any of them, but there were far more ways to get a point across than through aggression. She’d considered her options, too, when at last the frail body of the bird had been bitten into, pleasing the vessel.

For as long as it’d take her to eat it, the dragoness would watch. Every cough caused by the feathers would be ignored, lest she began to actually choke, at which point she would have stepped in. In the meantime, she’d asked, “Would it not have been easier to eat it in the beginning?” Her voice had been devoid of emotion, struggling to keep herself from giving another lecture. “There are rules for a reason, Airi. If you do not learn to respect them, then you will find yourself all alone,” she’d said instead, a sigh hanging off of her last word. Since her previous mention of being left all alone had delivered results, she couldn’t help but wonder if that might be the key to teaching her eldest.