"They're..." Gaius thought for a moment. "They have lots of hair. They're not quite human. Their faces are broader and their noses are flatter, and they've got long, muscular arms and short legs. They move on all fours sometimes and you'd think they were animals at first, but they have their own language and they can barter and create tools like humans do. They make huts out of branches and leaves, and they're entirely vegetarian. It's a patriarchal society, led by any male who has silver hair down his back. It's an absolutely amazing place; I've never seen anything like it."
"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
“That sounds incredible,” Ky said reverently. “Are they nice?”
"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 long as you make it clear that you pose no threat, they're quite gentle. They're brutal fighters, though, from what I hear. Their teeth can tear chunks out of you, and they're stronger than any man I know of."
"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
“Wow.” She nodded, eyes wide. “That sounds like it’d be fascinating to meet them.”
"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]
"Perhaps one day you'll meet them," Gaius mused. "Tomhas has never left this continent, but he's missing out. Maybe he'll let me take the lot of you on a trip one day. Though I'm getting old now." "You're not old," Anneliese scoffed. "You're not even forty yet, Uncle!" "That's very old," Gaius said sternly. "Very, very old."
"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
Ky laughed at that. It did sound old to her teenage ears and he certainly had old man energy. But it didn’t seem ancient by any means. He wasn’t that much older than Tomhas and she was pretty sure she’d been right about him being the same age as Zander. She couldn’t imagine Zander had aged too terribly much in the past three years — even though she certainly had. “That sounds fun, though!”
"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]
"It does," Anneliese agreed quickly. "Maybe in a few years when all this dies down we can convince Father together! He likes exploring, right? A little?" Gaius shrugged; he enjoyed travel to a certain extent but, as he recalled, Tomhas got seasick very easily and got motion sickness often. Travel wasn't his strong suit.
"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
Ky nodded eagerly, sold on the idea. She’d love to have adventures like he described. It sounded incredible.
"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]
"I'll talk to him about it," Gaius promised. "But it'll take time. And we certainly can't go in the next year or so. Too much is going on, and your sister has only just been born." "Of course, of course." Anneliese bobbed her head.
"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
“That makes sense,” Ky agreed with a nod. It was so wild to have the expectation of a future. She wondered whether she’d have a job by then. Whether she’d be tied down or if she could go on the adventure too.
"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]
Gaius looked up as the door opened and Harold wheeled Ana in, and it was like a heavy curtain dropped over his more open demeanor. His face grew blank, and his shoulders drew in closer to himself. "Isn't she precious?" Ana said with a grin as Harold parked her where she'd been before. "I can't believe how much she looks like them! A perfect mix." "She's wonderful," Harold agreed, sitting himself down on the other sofa. "You're all very lucky to have her; what a blessing!"
"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
Ky watched Gaius’s demeanor change. It was uncomfortable. And yet at the same time gave her hope. It meant that, even though it was a low bar, he didn’t dislike her as much as he disliked the king. That he was capable of warmth. And that he was willing to give it to her, in small measure.
Ky grinned at Ana. “Absolutely perfect.”
"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]
"And so large, too! That's the biggest newborn I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few. It's a wonder poor Anneke got her out at all! She looks big enough to be a one-year-old." Ana shook her head in disbelief. "And she was carried almost exactly to term, too. Incredible."
"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’ve heard babies tend to get bigger the more someone has,” Ky said. Then shrugged. “I don’t know if that’s true, though.”
"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]
"Certainly seems to be the case here. Perhaps that means she'll be walking sooner, too!" "Lord Loquitur and Lady Anneke had better hope not," Harold chuckled. "A walking child means the Keep becomes a nest of booby traps, right? My little Amanda has nearly thrown herself down a few flights of stairs more times than I care to count."
"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
