Zander nodded and sighed. “I imagine he was a wreck. I thought he was going to pass out just from watching me kill the assassin, much less him killing anyone himself.”
"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 doesn't do so well with blood. Not after..." He goes silent, closing his eyes.
"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 shook his head. "We don't talk about that. None 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
Zander watched him a moment longer, considering pressing. But he didn’t want Emery to get angry with him again, or even worse, shut down and tell him nothing at all. “Okay…?”
"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]
"Sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." He flashed a sad smile. "Michael stuff. We don't talk about Michael stuff here, it hurts a lot of people."
"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
"Understandable." Zander nodded. "Some things are best left buried in the casket."
"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]
"Exactly. Try to forget and maybe eventually it happens."
"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
"Mm..." Zander considered this for a moment. "You never do, though. Not really... and I'm not sure I want to. I relish the day I get to follow Aleth into the underworld and kick his teeth down his throat daily for the rest of eternity."
"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 think Gaius wishes he could resurrect him so he can have a go himself, honestly."
"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. "I, as well. And Pratik would, too. He's so angry at himself for not realizing what was going on with them and helping Ky himself. The bastard got a far faster death than he deserved."
"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]
(How do we always miss it now?? Do we just get really carried away?)
"He seemed very careful. He wouldn't have let anybody realize what was going on, I think. It's not Pratik's fault."
"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 I think so, we just get so into the zone... I even noticed page 99 earlier and was like oh I need to watch-- and then did not, in fact, watch lolol)
Zander nodded. "I agree. Pratik is good -- if Aleth made even a single misstep around him he would have noticed. And I have no doubt he would have intervened. I... he..." He sighed. "Gods, I wish I would have told him about Ky. It's as much my fault as anyone's that Aleth got his claws sunk into her."
"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]
(Dang, we're flying through threads! How long do you think it will end up being?)
"It's not," Emery disagreed. "You did nothing except what you always did, right? It just happened that that was the day your routine wasn't ideal."
"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 honestly I have no idea but I will not be surprised at all if/when we hit double digits lol we are both obsessive and this is a delightful, complex story we have going on haha plot and subplots galore)
"Yeah, I just mean..." Zander sighed and rubbed his face. "I thought I was keeping her safe by making sure no one associated her with me. But if Pratik would have known I was looking for her..."
"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]
