Season content notes: Ableism

Chotaikytsai sat quietly, observing another council meeting. After the past months, ey had learned the pattern of these meetings and how they functioned. Ey didn’t know the name of the blowhard speaking (most of them were blowhards, in eir opinion) but ey had given up trying to learn all their names anyway. This one had looked for approval from the councilor for the Quick-Foot family. They would share a faction then, and that told Chotaikytsai the most important thing: this blowhard would vote against them when the time came.

Chotaikytsai had given up trying to learn all the families and their council representatives. Most councilors were trained by their families for their role, carefully. Without that training, Chotaikytsai was at a severe disadvantage and ey didn’t have time to learn everything. But the factions… the factions ey might be able to learn in time.

The SilentSpinner representative was on the other side of the room, watching everything. Another councilor leaned over to whisper something in eir ear and the SilentSpinner nodded. The Spinners were part of a faction that specialized in the fabric trade, in one form or another. Chotaikytsai’s new family would hopefully be joining that faction, but ey has no idea if they would be welcomed or not.

True, the SilentSpinners had sought them out and even sent Kyatchais to them in hopes of gaining another customer and a political ally. But that was when they expected the new family to take up a conventional threadcraft. Even if the SilentSpinners continued to support them after they announced their craft, there was no guarantee the other members of the threadcraft faction would — new things don’t seem to do well in this city.

Like the SilentSpinners and their neighbor, the other factions sat together in clumps around the semicircular seating that filled the large stone room. At the front of the room were seats for the ten city managers, though they were rarely occupied. The most powerful factions sat in the middle and front of the room, with smaller and weaker factions sitting toward the back and sides. The SilentSpinner’s faction was middling ranked, neither in the center nor all the way to the side. Chotaikytsai’s seat, alone in the back corner of the room, was a declaration of eir outsider status. It was eir job to change that status.

Chotaikytsai stroked the fur of Lefeng’s cloak. Ey wore the great cat’s skin to every council meeting, eir own declaration that ey may be an outsider, but eir family was not to be dismissed. They had a home and a trade. Today, Chotaikytsai decided, it was time to achieve the last of their goals: acceptance in this stagnant city.

Though some days, ey was starting to wonder why they wanted it…

Ey could see two paths forward. One path was to work quietly around the edges, trying to learn the ‘right’ way to work with the council and gain acceptance that way. It would be slow, but, perhaps, safer. The other path was a dangerous one, but sure to gain em notice. As the blow-hard finally wound down, ey decided to take Lefeng’s advice to heart and seize the courage of the great cat ey wore. The ‘safe’ route was just as likely to be a dead end.

The council wound slowly to a finial, and Chotaikytsai stood. Not to leave, but to advance. Ey strode across the room to where the Quick-Foot council was rising from eir seat. “Councilor,” ey said in greeting.

The Quick-Foot grandparent ignored em.

“Councilor,” Chotaikytsai spoke louder. Ey felt the stares and heard the murmurs, but did not respond, looking only at the Quick-Foot, demanding a response.

Finally, the Quick-Foot turned and looked at em. “Chotaikytsai.”

The bare use of eir name, from one neither family nor close friend, was an insult. A declaration that in the Quick-Foot’s eyes, ey was and would remain familyless.

But this one was from Kolchais’ birth family, and Chotaikytsai had planned for this response. Chotaikytsai smiled and spread eir hands. “Tsawaw, I would not have presumed on such short acquaintance, but I am honored that you would recognize our relationship. I’m sure your once-child will be delighted as well.”

Chotaikytsai heard the Quick-Foot’s teeth grinding. Ey stepped back and took a more formal stance.

“Councillor, I was hoping we might discuss your opposition to our new family. As you acknowledge our relationship, I hope that opposition has been withdrawn.”

“No, it has not!”

There was a murmur from the listeners. Chotaikytsais’ gamble had paid off — to refuse to support family, even distant family but especially a once-child publicly…

Chotaikytsai spread eir arms. “Then why, councilor?” Ey meant to stop there, to stay restrained and logical. But the reminder of Kolchais and eir banishment and pain drove em to speak further. “Why stand in the way of your once-child finally having a family, a place to belong?”

The Quick-Foot sneered. “My once-child is well known for eir laziness and whining. I pity the family that would take em on.

“And you… observer… You should be ashamed. You abandon your family and their traditions. Take up with a sea-tossed band of fools and ingrates. It is a blessing to your parents that they didn’t live to see such betrayal.”

“Betrayal.” Chotaikytsai took a deep breath. “Perhaps one day, councilor, we will speak of betrayal.

“As for my parents, it was they who taught me that all things have a cycle. And your once-child reminded me this includes families. As all in the council should understand, finials may be called “beginning” or “ending” depending on what direction we see them from, but it is the perspective that changes, not the finial. So too should the wise councilor understand that as the tree lives on in its seed, so shall the ColorworkWeavers live on in my new family.

“I believe my parents and grandparents would be proud of me for finally continuing the cycle, so life might come from death. Though annoyed with me for how long I wallowed in stagnation.”

Ey didn’t wait to hear a reply, but turned and swept out of the chamber, the mountain cat-cloak flaring wide behind em.

Only time would tell if Chotaikytsai’s stand had been the beginning of their family’s political life in the city or the ending of it.

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