Emery sincerely doubted that, but he knew how it felt to be showered with sympathy constantly and decided not to push it. "Is there anything you're looking forward to while you're here?" he asked, deciding to redirect the conversation to happier things.
"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
“Well, I was looking forward to spending time with Zander.” She turned an annoyed glare on Zander. “But apparently he doesn’t want me to be happy.”
“That’s not fair whatsoever,” Zander scoffed.
Pratik smirked.
“It’s not funny,” Zander snapped, catching it.
“I think it’s pretty funny,” Pratik countered. “That the one person who can put you in your place is a kid.”
Ky rolled her eyes and kept walking. She shouldn’t be taking this out on Emery. But she was still so annoyed with Zander. And worried about him, too. If she got stabbed while running away from threat, he was sure to die if he went running towards it. Let someone who knew how to fight go after them. Let Pratik. Not someone was gentle as Zander.
"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]
(She has no idea Gaius is the one who decided Zander would only stay one night and I am here for it)
"Right." Emery pursed his lips. "How about the library, though? Have you seen it yet or are you waiting for the tour? Because that's the best part of the whole Keep."
"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
(Haha he’s not going to throw Gaius under the bus, but he’s getting annoyed haha)
Ky took a deep breath and sighed, forcing herself to be nice to Emery. Anger bounced off Pratik like water off a duck’s back. Zander deserved it. Emery didn’t. “I haven’t seen it yet. I am looking forward to seeing it, though. I hear there are a lot of books. They even have all the ones you brought me.” Ky looked at Zander. “Back when you actually cared about making me happy.”
Zander sighed. She was being melodramatic. Plus it’s not like it was his fault. But obviously she couldn’t know that. Not now. Not ever. The uncles needed to be a unified front.
"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]
Emery would have let out a low whistle but he kept himself under control. "A lot of books is the understatement of the century," he assured her. "You may very well faint when you go in there, be warned. It's...well, it's breathtaking and ancient."
"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 am looking forward to it,” Ky admitted, forcing a smile on Emery’s behalf.
“It is impressive,” Pratik confirmed, trying to smooth things over.
“Maybe you can come enjoy it, too, if you don’t die.” She glared at Zander.
“I’m not going to die.”
“You are if you go!” She glared at him even harder, then looked at Pratik. “Why can’t you just do it?”
They were to the first floor now, but not out of the stairwell yet.
“Pardon?” Pratik looked at her, surprised she’d used that tone with him, but not upset by it.
“You’re good at fighting. It makes way more sense for you to go than Zander,” she stated.
“And Zander’s not?” he asked, barely concealing his amusement.
“Of course he’s not,” she huffed. “He talks, not fights.”
“Is that so?” he did smirk a bit at that, giving Zander a little look. “I’m flattered you dub me so much better.”
Zander rolled his eyes.
“So you’ll go, then?” Ky asked, daring to let herself hope. “And Zander can stay here?”
"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 could hear them arguing from where he was. As he listened he got the gist of what was going on and sighed; he hadn't expected Ky to be this upset about Zander leaving so soon. He'd have to smooth things over now, maybe stretch the limits of what he was comfortable with by letting Zander stay a bit longer.
"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 feel like we should get through the tour first,” Pratik suggested.
Ky sighed and rounded the corner to where Gaius stood. She forced the glare off her face but her expression was still tight, and she nodded to him. “Hello.”
"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 dipped his head to her, glancing between the faces of the party. "Hello," he replied. "I see the mood has changed again. What's happened?"
"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
“He’s planning on going after them!” Ky said, getting animated again since she got the slightest encouragement, gesturing at Zander. “And he’s going to die.”
“I’m not going to die,” Zander said with a sigh.
“Yes you are!” She turned fully towards him. “You’re doing that thing.”
“What thing?”
“The thing men always do right before they get hurt,” she said, ignoring the fact that she was, in fact, surrounded by men. “You’re letting your man-pride take control and you’re gonna try to show off and then you’re gonna die!”
Zander looked at her with a sigh, trying to be patient, but she was pushing it. “I don’t have a ‘man-pride’ and—“
“You do,” she argued. “You know you can’t fight. You’re just taking this personally and you’re gonna die because you’re too prideful to let people who actually know how to fight do their job.”
"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]
(Watch Ky meet Rickard and realize some men have no pride)
"Ky," Gaius interrupted, amused by her reasoning but keeping it well out of his tone. "He's going to go out there eventually. He has good connections, and his information combined with mine and Tomhas's is the best way to keep you safe. He certainly can't stay here 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
(Oofta) (On a related note tho haha if you refer to someone’s man-pride in front of them they get offended 100% of the time xD)
Ky looked back at him and huffed a sigh, then looked between the four of them helplessly. “None of you see anything wrong with this whatsoever do you?”
"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]
Emery stayed silent; this wasn't his place to talk. "I see you being deprived of your uncle," Gaius allowed. "That's terrible and sad. I'd rather it not be so; perhaps we can convince him to stay a few days more. But he does have to leave eventually."
"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 took a deep breath, then sighed and nodded, deciding this was the best she was going to get. “… alright… I’m not going to be happy about it, 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]
"Nobody expects you to be," Gaius assured her. "Shall we begin, then?"
"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
