Ky’s ungratefulness bubbled up again before she could quash it. “… I mean the adoption has been 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]
"Yeah?" She glanced at Ky. "What was that like? Do they have ceremonies up here?"
"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 mean the ceremony kind of sucked,” Ky admitted. “But it was nice before that. They gave me way too many gifts. It was obscenely generous.”
"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]
"Gifts?" She raised her eyebrows. There were no gifts in Akarataran adoption ceremonies. The Isi did a ceremony whenever a new woman entered their family, but it mostly involved dancing and singing.
"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
“Yeah. I got a lot of books. And a fancy sword and armor. And some puzzles. And a really nice coat.” She sighed softly at that. “And an absurdly fancy necklace from the king.”
"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]
"The king was there?!" Ada's eyes widened, and she stopped walking. "You've got to be kidding. Why?"
"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 had the same reaction — I was so alarmed.” Ky offered a sheepish grin. “Apparently this hasn’t happened in a very long time.”
"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]
"Wow." She shook her head in disbelief. She'd heard of the king; her family cursed him at times. He was the reason people were being taken all over the South, as far as she knew. "What was he like?"
"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 was nice,” Ky said. Transphobic, apparently. And didn’t mind slaves. “It was a little awkward… and I had a lot of other people I was trying to interact with, you know?”
"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]
"Yeah." She nodded. "What did he look like? Was he fat and covered in gold?"
"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
“No, actually.” Ky shook her head. “He doesn’t look like a king at all. I met him in town and was frightened because I didn’t know it was him.”
"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 snorted. "Wow. Not even a little like a king? The Taral of the South--at least the Taral of people who aren't members of tribes--looks every inch a king, according to my auntie Mada."
"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… think he was intentionally trying not to look like one,” Ky said cautiously. At this point she was fairly certain she wasn’t going to get her head on a chopping block for talking out of turn to a noble — she was certain about the Loquiturs and Ashes and fairly sure about the Barrasters, though she didn’t know about any of the others. But she was pretty sure they weren’t allowed to touch her now. But the king? She needed to keep her opinions to herself. In fact, she needed to not have them. “He was by himself without w guard. It’s safer to just look like an average man.”
"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 just stupid," Ada scoffed. "What sort of king travels without a guard?"
"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 was uncomfortable with her critiques. Was it treason to even agree with someone criticizing your king? She didn’t know. “Apparently it’s a lot slower. He wanted to make it a quick trip, I think. I don’t know.”
"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]
