"No one? Not even Tadaaki? Nobody's going to judge you for this, Ky. Your father and Uncle Gaius have probably been right where you are now. In fact I'd say they've definitely been there. They can help you through 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 just keep turning into a bigger and bigger burden.” She rubbed her face, angry that she couldn’t stop the tears. “I don’t know how to stop.”
"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]
"You're not a burden." His arms began to tremble as he carried her toward the stairs. "You're brave and clever, and you've got a lot to look forward to. Tomhas has been bragging about you nonstop since I arrived, and I can't imagine anyone with that much success set ahead of them. How many languages do you know again? And you can read and write, and you've been around the continent!"
"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 didn’t respond to that. She felt herself start creeping towards dissociation again. She wasn’t quite there — but she felt herself calming and getting more withdrawn at the knowledge that she was going to get locked in the infirmary soon. What if Gaius was still there? It’d just infuriate him for her to be sniveling around like the little wretch she was.
"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]
Wick really wasn't sure she could make it up the stairs. As he reached them he set her down gingerly on the first step. "I can't make it all the way up there with you in my arms," he explained. "Can you walk, or would you like me to fetch someone to carry you?"
"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 walk,” she muttered. But she couldn’t. She stood glaring at the steps in front of her, clinging to the railing for dear life. It felt like the will for life had taken every speck of energy in her body with it as it left.
"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]
Wick hovered there for a moment, watching nervously. "I'm going to get Ka'Nor," he said finally. "Is that okay?"
"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
“Gods,” she sighed under her breath, rubbing her face tiredly. This was humiliating. And she’d done it to herself. She should have just had a cookie and bled out upstairs. Or jumped out the window. Or, or, taken a different path through the garden. Or maybe he wouldn’t have been worried if she’d been wearing a coat. Or, or….
"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 be right back. Stay there and don't do anything, okay?" Wick rushed off.
"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
She swayed, her stomach turning itself over. She felt green. Her body felt much, much too hot now and there was sweat clinging to her cold face. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her shaky breathing. Humiliated.
"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]
Wick was gone about ten minutes before he returned with Ka'Nor, who was already dressed. He gave Ky a look of understanding. "Need a little help?" he asked, not unkindly.
"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 looked at him miserably, then dropped her gaze, sighing. “I’m sorry.”
"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]
"Don't apologize." He lifted her without trouble and headed up the stairs, Wick following close behind. "You did well out there last night, Ky. You were quick."
"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
She sighed, collapsing against him, resigned to her fate. How dare he try to compliment her at a time like this? She’d dragged him out of bed to carry her upstairs because she was too weak and stupid to do it on her own. And he thought it was appropriate to go out of his way to be kind to her? None of these people made any sense at all. “I got stabbed.”
"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]
"But you didn't die, and it wasn't a fatal strike. It would have been fatal if you hadn't spotted the first assassin and run. You made some snap decisions that saved your life."
"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
