"You met some?" Her brows shot up once more. "When were you over there?"
"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
“Uh…” Ky scratched the back of her neck, trying to remember. “Well, I’ve been here for the past three months or so. And Aleth took me thirteen months before that, but we spent some time at his house, and then…” she furrowed her brow. “Sorry. I’m rambling. I don’t know. Maybe like six to eight months ago? And also before that maybe like 11 months ago too? We stayed in Totallisa for a few months when he was training me, then we went to the East, then came back to the South, then back to the East for longer, then up here… but it all kind of blends together, honestly.”
"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 wrinkled her nose. "What an utter nightmare. Did you see a lot of the war? Burning villages and soldiers?"
"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 cringed. “Only a little, on the road. All the people who hired us were safe behind their walls, of course, away from all the carnage their selfishness was causing.”
"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 hear the East is made of gold," she mused. "The palaces, at least. They're very rich over there."
"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
“Guess there’s money to hoard when you starve your peasants.” Ky hesitated. That had come out far more bitter than she’d expected or intended. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—“ she couldn’t say she didn’t mean it, or Ada would call her a liar. “To say that… yes. They’re all very rich. And have lots of fancy sparkly toys.”
"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 sighed. "You don't have to mince your words, Ky. Come on. They're rats, we all know it. Parasites."
"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 did, though. If she wasn’t careful then she may start saying what she really thought and really felt, and that would be disastrous. Her brain needed to stay in control of her mouth, not give it back over to her heart. That change of command had to stay in childhood. It had to. For the rest of her life. She needed to be smart with her words.
"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 came to the doors, and Ada opened them for 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
“Thank you.” Ky bobbed her head to her and stepped inside, letting out a breath of relief as the warm air crashed into her like a wall.
"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 dipped her head, then hurried in after Ky and yanked off her hat, sighing heavily as warmth rushed back to her cheeks. "Oh, that feels good!"
"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
“It does.” Ky turned towards her with a grin, entire face flushing even redder than it’d been outside as the warmth returned more circulation. She rubbed her face gingerly. “It burns a little.”
"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 good; it means we haven't got frostbite." Ada flexed her fingers and toes, then pulled off her mittens. "Ugh. Tea time!"
"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
“Yes!” Ky smiled and took a step towards where she was pretty sure Gaius had gestured at was the kitchens. Surely it wouldn’t be too hard to find if they wandered that direction and then started sniffing.
"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 followed her, looking around. There were only a couple servants in this hallway, both on their way somewhere.
"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
