Ky blinked. That was… uncanny. “Do you ever know what they mean before they happen, 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]
"Not always, but sometimes I can interpret it. I figured there would be slavers coming, but not that they'd be able to catch me. I thought I'd be able to get away." She looked down.
"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 nodded sympathetically. “We thought we’d be able to outsmart the soldiers… but we didn’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]
"They travel in packs, like hyenas," Ada said grimly. "And they act like it, too."
"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
“They do,” Ky agreed, not sure whether she was talking about the slavers or the soldiers, but it was accurate for both. “They delight in violence for violence sake.” She wrinkled her nose. “They broke three of my ribs… I guess I kind of brought it on myself because I stabbed one of them when he grabbed me, and then I tried to stage a rescue for my friends… but I was twelve. I feel like tying me up would have been as effective as the beatings.”
"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]
"None of it should have happened." They kept coming back to this, didn't they? Was it Ada or Ky that couldn't shake all this badness out of their head? But the trees were tall and beautiful, and Ada wasn't going to let this talk ruin her good mood.
"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 nodded. She felt like she should change the topic. But to what? She obviously couldn’t talk about swordsmanship lessons without starting a fight. It wasn’t her place to talk about Gaius — although she did wonder how was doing now and hoped he’d be better by now. Thinking about Tomhas and Anneke made her sad. Rönn was off limits. And it made her wildly uncomfortable to think about killing Makata.
"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 was also wracking her brains for things to say. She didn't particularly want to talk about her time at Wolf Keep or her dreams, and talking about Ash seemed sort of taboo. Talking about Ky's family would probably just make her sad. "What do you like to do for fun, aside from sword fighting?" she asked finally.
"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 like reading,” Ky said with a smile, grateful for a safe topic. “And puzzles and games and training horses. 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]
"I like to ride," Ada mused. "And hunt hare. I'm a pretty good sculptor too, and I'm good with a bow and arrow. I like to run."
"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
“Oh, that’s cool!” Ky thought for a moment. She didn’t want to learn to hunt. But — “Is archery terribly difficult?”
"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]
"Not if you learn young, but you might have a bit trouble to start out. You've got to know when to let the arrow go, and where to aim. And lots of other stuff, but it's a lot of fun."
"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 nodded. “Maybe I’ll ask Tomhas if I can learn when I go back.” She mused. “Dunno if Ka’Nor knows how, but I’d assume so.”
"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]
"Ka'Nor?" Ada looked at her quizzically. "That name sounds Rhaebaki; who's he?"
"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
“One of Tomhas’s men. His sister is Tomhas’s Generals. The Wais. Their mother is a chieftain down South… wonderful family.”
"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]
