He doesn't exactly tense at Pradnakt's return, and seems to have a slightly easier time staying focused on Daisy and the latest sign than he did the previous time Pradnakt interrupted the lessons. He copies the sign, and when he's sure he has it memorised, turns to Pradnakt.

Did you need me to do something? he signs.

No, she signs, and then swallows and begins speaking along with it again. "But I do want to talk to you, if this is a good time."

"We can take a break," Daisy puts in.

Pradnakt nods, and pauses to give Nova a chance to object before continuing.

He doesn't look likely to object, but he does look more nervous again, head ducked down, shoulders hunched in, making himself a smaller target.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Nova," she asserts, a hint of tension coloring her tone. "That's what I wanted to talk about, actually, or part of it - you aren't a slave any more, but it's pretty clear that you don't know what that means, and it's important."

He blinks down at his hands, twists his fingers together. "I-as you say?" (There's a tiny hint of curiosity in his voice, buried under the uncertainty and wariness, part of him wanting to know where Pradnakt is going with this.)

She nods, and settles herself cross-legged on the stone of the ledge. "The very simplest way to put it is that I don't get to make decisions about you - nobody does, except you, since you're yours, now. So I don't get to decide that something you've done is wrong and should be punished; I don't get to decide where you should be or what you should be doing; I definitely don't get to decide what you should want or how you should feel. I do get to make decisions about myself, and about my things - I decided to help you learn to control your fire, and I decided to let you stay here, but if you said you didn't want to learn, or didn't want to stay, I don't get to make you. And that's why we keep asking you questions about what you want, because we don't get to decide that, you do."

He's silent, trying to figure out what he's supposed to say to that (what the expected response is, what it should be). He doesn't know how any of that fits into...anything.

Eventually: "I- don't think. I know how to."

"Yeah. And that's - not okay, really, but understandable, and not your fault. You'll need some time to learn how, and that's fine. But you need to know you're allowed, first."

It still doesn't fit together, still doesn't feel entirely right in his head. But...

But nothing here is making sense, and he's not being told he's wrong for not understanding it.

(And maybe- maybe they just are that different?)

"...I- what if. I can't?"

"I'm sure you can. It's not the kind of thing people have to learn, usually - the people where you were before made you forget, and that's not okay. But it's okay that it's hard, now, and if you don't want to deal with that, it's okay - it's a choice you can make, to let someone else decide things for you, all the time or some of it. I let Daisy make decisions for me a lot, for example, there are a lot of times when that's easier for both of us, and she knows me well enough to figure out the right thing most of the time."

Nova curls his legs up to his chest and hugs them. He's not sure any of that makes any more sense. In fact, it makes less sense, if that's possible - Daisy is...Daisy, and he's...happy? Happy she's treated well. But- it feels weird that Pradnakt is letting Daisy make decisions for her. Not bad-weird, necessarily, just...different-weird.

He nods slowly, trying to process that.

She takes another cookie - they're small, little jam-filled shortbread things - and tosses one to land neatly in his lap, for him to eat while he thinks.

He blinks at it in confusion, sneaks looks at both Pradnakt and Daisy, clearly not sure what he's supposed to do with it and hoping for a cue.

Eat, she signs, mouth full.

Well. That was pretty clear. He picks it up and nibbles at it.

He still can't quite wrap his head around it. It's not something he can understand - so completely outside of what his world's been so far. But. It's important enough to Pradnakt that she's taken the time to explain it to him. And if Pradnakt is letting Daisy make decisions, and there's no reason for Pradnakt to lie about that, it means...something about how Pradnakt views Daisy, and that is important, but Nova isn't entirely sure what it is.

She finishes her cookie. "You can ask, if you have questions."

He gets halfway through his cookie before he actually manages to say anything else. "I- you're- nice to Daisy." (To me) "Why?" There's no suggestion that he thinks she's wrong being nice to Daisy, just complete bewilderment that anyone seems to think that's important, even if it isisis. He flinches immediately after he finishes speaking, curls tighter in on himself - more instinct than anything else, although there's fear there, old and worn and familiar.

Pradnakt and Daisy share some subtle body language, and Daisy sits next to Nova and offers him a hug.

It takes him a minute to realise that all that is happening is Daisy offering a hug. He sneaks half a look at Pradnakt, and shuffles closer to Daisy, leaning towards her slightly.

Daisy wraps her arms around him and gives him a gentle squeeze. "It's because she cares about me," she says, quietly. "Partly because I'm special to her, but mostly just because I'm a person, and she wants me to be okay. She wants that for you, too."

"Mmhmm," Pradnakt confirms.

"O-Oh," he says quietly, eyes fixed on one of the flowers on Daisy, tracing its outline repeatedly with his gaze.

He doesn't necessarily sound like he believes it. It makes more sense in his head that Pradnakt would treat Daisy like that, if Daisy is special to Pradnakt, that extending to him makes less sense, but... But they seem to believe it. And...and maybe he can just believe that they believe that?

"Daisy's special to me because we've been through a lot together - we saved each others' lives, back when we were younger. But that doesn't mean other people don't matter; they do, she just matters more. And, well - I don't know what's going to happen with you. But you matter just as much as anyone else."

He nods slowly again. "As you say, ma'am," he agrees. (He tries to stay focused on the fact that they believe he matters, not whether or not that is in fact true.)

She nods, and pauses for a moment before asking: "So, does that make sense - do you understand what we want from you, and why?"

He thinks for a moment before responding - giving a motion that manages to be somewhere between a shrug, a nod and a shake of his head. "I- you- ...you want me to be doing better?" (The last is whispered like some secret he barely dares to voice.)

He's pretty sure that's what they want, even if he still isn't entirely sure he understands why they want that.