"Probably." Emery sighed. "I had a big breakfast. Are planning to go, Zander?"
"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
"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]
He nodded. "If you go I'll go, I just probably won't eat much."
"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
Zander nodded too, looking at Ky. “You’ll be going?”
She hesitated. “Yeah, probably.”
He looked back at Emery. “Then yeah, probably.” He offered a little smile.
"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 dipped his head. "I'll be there, then. Definitely."
"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
“Sounds good.” Zander nodded, then switched to Akarataran. “So… barracks now?”
"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 glanced to Ky for that. "I'm willing if you're willing, Ky."
"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
“Sure.” Ky nodded and forced a smile then stood up. She didn’t want to go back. But she didn’t really have a choice here. She’d offered, and now she needed to follow through.
Zander stood, too, glancing at Ky. She seemed anxious now. Why? He switched to Austrakan, pretty sure neither of the others could understand it. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She took a step towards the door.
“Something is clearly wrong.”
“Nothing is wrong.” She cast an annoyed glance at him.
“Do you not want to go to the barracks?”
“I never said that.”
“That’s why I’m asking.” Zander took a few steps closer to the door after her. “Did something happen the last time you went there?”
“No.” She glared at him. “Just drop it.”
“I will once you tell the truth.”
“I am.”
She definitely wasn’t.
"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]
Ky was flickering and blurring, and Ada didn't know why, once she and her uncle switched languages. She hated when people did that; it made her feel ignorant. "What?" she asked tetchily. "What's wrong?"
(My parents speak some Russian and they speak it all the time at Christmas. It's maddening)
"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 your family sounds fascinating in so many ways lol but I get it. Almost all of my coworkers are Hispanic and fully do not mean to exclude me but don’t notice they switched to Spanish til someone tells a joke and they realize I didn’t laugh because I couldn’t understand lol)
“Zander’s being an asshole.” Ky started for the door.
“Hey!” He hurried after her, half-scandalized. Not that he’d never been called an asshole before. He did. Frequently. But never by her. Had he ever even heard her curse before?
"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]
(Heh, that's fun though! My sister is learning Russian; maybe she can tell me what they're saying next time Christmas rolls around)
Ada rose and followed, with Emery close behind. He gave her a bewildered look, and she shrugged. "What did he say to you?" she asked.
"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 sent an annoyed glance at Zander, then pulled the door open for herself and strode into the hall. He sighed and followed her out, but didn’t say anything. What was with Ky these days? He didn’t know how to interact with her anymore. Why wouldn’t she just communicate with him like she used to? It was an innocent question. He’d even asked in a language that would give her privacy for honesty if she was embarrassed by whatever she had to say. But no. She was being difficult. And he didn’t know why.
"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]
Why had Ky been lying to Zander? Ada picked up the pace so she was in stride with Ky. "What happened?" she prompted. "Why weren't you telling him the truth?"
"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 sent an annoyed glance at her. How was she even supposed to answer that? If she admitted what it was that she was lying about, Zander would hear, so what was the point in the first place? Plus she was fairly certain if either of them were going to know, then she’d rather it be Zander to know she was a coward rather than Ada. She already thought poorly enough of her.
“I am anxious. And it’s none of any of your business why,” she said tensely.
"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]
"What are you anxious about, then?" Ada asked. It was a shitty workaround, true, but she was curious. Were the barracks dangerous? Had something happened to Ky? Or was Kazhra just intimidating? "You know he'll pester you until you tell him," she pointed out, gesturing to Zander.
"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
