Ky swallowed hard, trying to rid her mouth of the taste. But it wasn’t helping. She nodded, though, trying to play it cool. But it wasn’t working. “… is that tea?”
"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]
"Indeed it is." Tomhas chuckled and poured her a cup. "This ought to help. I believe it's chamomile."
(Well known for helping with anxiety, something all of our characters seem to have an abundance 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
“Thank you,” she murmured, taking it and taking a long drink. It was far too hot to do that. But somehow the scalding water was preferable to the aftertaste of the poppy.
"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]
Tomhas winced as she took the drink. "Wow." He had been very careful to test his tea beforehand and a small sip had been enough for him to know it was too hot for large gulps. That must have hurt like the dickens.
"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 coughed at the end of this drink, too, closing her eyes for a moment. Wow indeed. She was just making a sequence of poor choices this morning. Perhaps the poppy would soothe her burning mouth, too. She sheepishly opened her eyes. “… yeah.”
"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]
"Here in the North we blow on our tea before we drink it," he said with a crooked grin. "But I appreciate the enthusiasm, kiddo." He sipped delicately at his own tea.
"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 past the burning in her throat and blew on her own tea, though her breath felt hot itself now. “Turns out desperation does not fix desperation.”
"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]
"That." Tomhas pointed at her. "That phrase right there could be quoted for centuries to come as one of the most profound insights ever spoken in Upper Tongue, and it would still be about a teenage girl burning off her tastebuds because her medicine didn't taste good."
"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 — a heartier, more genuine one than any of the others she’d offered since the attack. Her grin was more genuine now, too. Warmer. “Makes you wonder the contexts of other sayings, doesn’t it?”
"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]
"That's a good point." Tomhas tilted head. "Who first said 'to skin a goat is to have a hat. To breed a goat is to have a family of hats.'"
"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, too. “I don’t think we have that saying in the South.”
"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]
"No? It's quite common among village folk in the North. I always found it amusing." Tomhas was glad she was laughing; he felt a bit more relaxed now that they could joke.
"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 guess it’s sort of similar to the whole ‘give a man a fish you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Only my friends and I would joke—“ she giggled nervously, looking up at him mischievously. “I’m not sure you’d appreciate our spoof of that saying.”
"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]
"No, tell me! I wanna hear it." He leaned forward in anticipation. "I live for naughtiness."
"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. “We’d say, ‘teach a man to fish, and he’ll turn around and try to teach you, like he invented it and you’re an idiot’.” She watched for his reaction. Perhaps she shouldn’t have told a man that they made fun of men. But, well, her old papa had thought it was funny; hopefully he would 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]
