"I would have, regardless," Pratik muttered, annoyed she was acting like that was the only reason. "Ash didn't ask me to get Rickard away from Tarr. And yet I did. Because despite your skepticism, I do have redeemable qualities."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"So does everyone." "Give her time," Rickard advised, glancing awkwardly at Sera as he spoke. "She can't stay angry forever.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Pratik grunted and took a sip of the tea, refusing to react even as it burned his mouth. "Guess we'll see."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Rickard didn't drink yet, keeping the mug close to his chest. Sera left the infirmary to confirm that the rooms were prepared.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Things felt tense, but he wasn't sure how to ease it. "It will be at least two weeks before Ash is back, as I understand it. So we should have plenty of time to rest and recover, before anything is expected of us."
He cringed, not sure if that was the right away to phrase it. But he also didn't want to say before they got grilled, because that also seemed like the wrong thing to say. He just hoped Ash would have the emotional intelligence to be gentler with Rickard and Ada than he'd been with Pratik.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Rickard looked up. "What are we to do?" he asked, seeming relieved that there might be something to take his mind off all of this.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
"I can't read his mind," Pratik answered with a shrug. "But I'm sure it will be reasonable, whatever he asks. He seems level-headed enough."
And, he hoped, he wouldn't take advantage of Ada. He'd rescue her from this Lord, too, if Ash decided to try anything.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Rickard nodded slightly, seeming to accept that. "If he's as kind as his apothecary I'm sure we have nothing to fear. Even if he is paranoid, like you say."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Pratik nodded, blowing on the tea before he took another sip. 'Kind' wasn't the word Pratik would use to describe Ash's coldness. But, he recognized that he'd showed up as a mercenary for hire. Not a desperate slave. He assumed Ash would be gentler with the two of them.
He was interested to see how Ash's interactions with himself would change. If they would.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Sera returned. She was holding a hefty set of bolt cutters. Rickard's eyes widened, and he scooted back on the bed. "Your rooms are ready, but I'd like to get under those collars to dress the chafing first," she said. "The blacksmith let me borrow these."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Pratik grinned, sitting up straighter, delighted at the idea of getting his collar off. He sobered a bit, realizing that Rickard seemed afraid. "It's okay," he said, glancing at him, then at Ada and switching to Akarataran. "I can go first again, if you'd both like."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Ada nodded, eyeing the bolt cutters as if she expected them to leap out of Sera's hands and bite her.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Pratik certainly had no arguments about going first. He'd been planning to deal with his selfishness and let them go first. But if they wanted him to go first, he certainly wasn't going to argue. He'd wanted this collar off from the moment it went on.
"I think I get the honors again," Pratik said, turning back to Sera, maybe a bit too eagerly, as he lifted his chin and tilted his head.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Hold it a bit away from your neck, if you can." She raised the bolt cutters. "I don't want to clip you by accident. Rickard made a retching sound and jerked his head away.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Pratik looked at him, startled. But he had a giant pair of bolt cutters hovering in his peripheral vision, which he couldn't ignore. It did make his stomach flutter a bit. But there really wasn't an alternative here. And he wanted the fucking thing off.
He grabbed the collar, cringing as lifting it made the sores all the way around his neck hurt all at once, and pushed it as far forward as he could. He thought better and shifted it so that the most space was on the side of his neck rather than right under his chin.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
