"That would be a different story." Ada nodded in agreement. "I still can't believe Gol Nasa was stupid enough to come back."
"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’s mind flicked back to the slaver's head in the courtyard and a pang shot through her gut. She clenched her jaw and kept the queasiness off her face, but her expression was drawn now and she nodded curtly.
"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 noticed the change in demeanor, and her brow furrowed. "Are you alright?"
"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’m fine.” Ky shook her head and forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to think of anything else. She was getting tired of getting told how weak she was for not liking violence, deserved or not. She forced 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]
Ada gave her a skeptical look. "That's not true. You're upset about something."
"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
This was going to be an infuriating skill for a friend to have. She sighed softly, trying to think of how she could be careful and honest. “I’m not a fan of discipline… it’s not exactly something I would have liked to have added to my memory.”
"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 sort of made sense--like she said before, she and Ky had gone to different extremes. "You didn't know him," Ada said, not unkindly. "He deserved that and more, 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
Ky nodded hesitantly. Would that be counted a lie? What could she get away with? She took a deep breath and let it out. “I’ve been informed I’m too soft.” Well, maybe not in those exact words. But that was the gist she’d gotten from her chats with Gaius.
"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]
"Maybe you are." Ada paused. "Maybe the world needs soft people sometimes. But you've got to learn to be hard when necessary, or else you can't balance it all."
"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
“Maybe.” Ky nodded, but hesitated a long moment, thinking about it. She didn’t intend on getting hard. She was actively working on trying to develop her self confidence. To become a daughter Tomhas and Anneke would be proud to have. But she wasn’t — and had no plans — to get okay with the idea of violence or harsh punishments. She was still terrified of her own anger, and nothing Gaius or Ada said could convince her otherwise. “Or maybe the world just needs soft people to counteract the harsh people, and it works out to a net balance.”
"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]
"Maybe," Ada said dubiously. "I think everybody should have a little soft and a little tough in them, though."
"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 had a little tough in her. She’d yelled at Gaius on the trip here. She wouldn’t have done that if she was completely soft… she still felt guilty about that. But that was irrelevant. She’d still done it.
"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]
"Want to turn around now?" Ada asked her. She expected Ky was just as cold as she was at this point--her toes were actually numb now.
"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 again. She wasn’t upset, yet, but she was uneasy with the direction this conversation was headed. It’d be better to go back inside before they got in a fight. “Sounds good to me.”
"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 turned and headed back towards the Keep. "Do you think you could ask for tea for both of us?"
"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
