Northstar Vale I ask the traffic lights if it'll be alright.

She'd expected.. More of a reaction. An outright denial of Hime's claims, maybe. Not the dismissive manner of Reiko's acceptance and general laissez-faire comments. Ibis had to accept that this was happening, that it all had Reiko's approval somehow. Still, it was difficult to justify. The woman had treated Memory so shrewdly! He had been angry, and that did not reflect well upon the kingdom. Ibis' ears flicked back when she heard the bit about fixing the pack, though. Her gaze darkened for a moment. It was insulting to all of them that Hime would swoop in and make alterations to their lives, to their home, to the society they were building.

If she rejected him, it was for good reason... Reiko defended her sister's choices softly, almost sombre, and it was this moment that made Ibis realize how stressful everything must be for her friend. How foolish she was to drag all of this before their Empress! She was busy enough being pregnant and worrying about the future generation, she did not need all of this too. Maybe it was good that Hime was stepping in—but Ibis still did not trust her. Why not choose from among their own ranks for such a position? Or maybe it was the blood tie that linked them. Hime was more of a sister to Reiko than Ibis could ever be.

Yes, you're probably right, Ibis accepted all of this with a little nod, her voice small. Reiko... Do you trust her? More than me? She wanted to say, but found it too hard to voice.