Ivy Gates || PJM || Ivy Book One || ✔

31.

"Her?" I asked, glancing at Jimin. He still wasn't looking at me, "But that's-"

"-Against the rules?" Daisy cut me off with a little huff, "Yes, it is against the rules of your city. Do you know why?" I shook my head, "Because if a woman is with another woman, she can't produce offspring,"

She turned to Jimin, "Is loving a woman so bad? Is wanting to get paid for our work, and go out without permission so wrong? Is saying hello to a passer-by on the street an act that should get us punished?"

Jimin sighed, "It's not wrong," He said, "You don't have to keep going on at me about it, I already admitted I was wrong and that I'd help you,"

Daisy paused for a moment, "Sorry," She said, "It's just so infuriating,"

"Let's just accept that it isn't directly the Generals fault," Yoongi said, relaxing back into his seat, "As you said before, he hasn't known anything else. Society taught him, that he was supposed to live like that,"

"Right," Jin said, "He is more like us than them, anyway. He accepted reality so quickly, and he's never physically hurt a woman,"

There was silence as the men stood up for Jimin, and I could feel my heart racing as I looked back and forth between Daisy and him.

"You're right," Daisy acknowledged, "You are, but you don't completely understand, as you haven't been through what Bee and I have," She looked at me, "Does he know the greeting?"

I shook my head, and the General frowned, "What greeting?"

Daisy kept her eyes on me, "May your childbirths be easy," She said softly as the three men in the room looked at her curiously.

"May your masters hand be gentle," I replied quietly.

The silence in the room was deafening.

"I did not know about this," Yoongi said quietly, "You didn't tell me,"

"That greeting is horrible," Jimin said, and every head in the room turned to him, "That women have to have a secret greeting to wish that they don't get beaten or die in childbirth from unwanted children. It makes me sick,"

Daisy smiled bitterly, "Yes, it is horrible. And we have to change the rules, Jimin. We can't let this go on. Answer me this; why is it like this?"

Jimin kept quiet a moment before speaking, "We were taught in history lessons that it was for the protection of women. During the time of the immunization, women almost disappeared, and even know the ratio of men to women is not equal,"

"Alright, I'll accept that," Daisy said, "But why is it this way, now?"

Jimin sighed, "Because men are assholes?"

Daisy laughed, "I like that attitude, but no. I don't hate men, Jimin. I hate the system. There is no sane reason that it is the way it is, and together, we can change it. Wouldn't you agree?"

"What's the first plan of action, then, Boss?" Yoongi drawled from his seat, "Send Jin out to wrangle a horse and let it loose in the government HQ?"

"I am not touching a fucking horse," Jin piped up, "You do it,"

"I was joking, why're you such a party pooper," Yoongi grinned.

"Alright, enough," Daisy said, but she had a smile on her face. I was starting to like her now, despite her blunt and bitter attitude. She just wanted us to stop being treated so badly. She wanted us to be free from pain and suffering. And I had decided that I would help her do it.

"First things first; I know it might be selfish of me, but I need to get Tam out. I promised her that I would go back for her, so she is top priority,"

"I understand that, Daisy," Yoongi sat up a little straighter in his seat, "But you don't even know where she is. You said that where she was was probably only temporary,"

I had sudden flashbacks of the woman who prepared me to be taken home to Jimin.

"What does she look like?" I asked, making Daisy whip her head around to me, "Tam, what does she look like?"

"Beautiful," Daisy said, and Jin rolled his eyes.

"That isn't a great description," He said.

"I wasn't finished," Daisy snapped at him, "Shes tall, with soft brown hair and eyes the colour of dark olives. Her skin is pale and perfect like marble, and her lips are pink and plump and just so-"

"Shes a tall brunette with green-brown eyes and pale skin," Yoongi translated, a grin on his face, "Why, do you know her?"

"She's a care girl," I answered quietly, the shock on Daisys face when she heard me evident.

"What type?!" She exclaimed, jumping up.

"She cleansed me after I was sold,"

I saw Jimin look away from me once I spoke, but looked back at Daisy as she sat back down slowly.

"Thank God, she's alright," She looked both relieved and upset, but after I assured her that she seemed healthy and fairly happy, she relaxed a bit.

I saw Jimin yawn next to me, and leaned a little closer.

"Are you alright, Jimin?"

"I'm fine," He said quietly, not looking at me still.

"He needs to rest," Jin said, standing up, "I told you, he lost a lot of blood, and he's had a lot of stress today. It's late, we should all rest,"

Daisy and Yoongi also stood up, and I slowly followed suit, worried about how Jimin was acting.

"Jin, will you show Jimin to his residence, please?" Jin nodded and Jimin stood and followed him from the structure, not looking at me once. As I went to follow, Daisy reached out, suddenly beside me, and gripped my wrist gently, "We need to talk, Bee,"

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