Emery gave a little shrug; in his experience it was best to let Gaius emerge when he was ready. Sara would probably stay with him until he felt safe enough to be left alone, and apparently that hadn't happened yet.
"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 once and looked back at the Ash kids. “What do you think we’ll have for lunch?”
"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]
"Fish!" Mattathias said excitedly. "Pamela says it's salmon!"
"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]
"I love salmon," Marcella sighed. "It's so tasty!" "I'm sure they'll bring it in soon," Pamela assured her, bouncing Regulus gently. Regulus was sniffling and working himself up into a tantrum.
"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 glanced down at him, but wasn’t sure how to distract him. He was too little to appreciate jokes. But, well, she’d rather try something than listen to Regulus cry. “Hey, Regulus, do you like fish?”
"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]
(Just spent a few days with my two year old cousin so now I have experience with tantrums again! Though he was surprisingly one of the most pleasant little fellows I've ever met!)
"Mama!!" he demanded tearfully, raising a fist to his mouth to chew. "Mamaa!" Pamela kept bouncing him, murmuring comfort to him.
"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 bit her lip, trying to decide whether to keep trying to distract or to leave him as Pamela’s problem.
"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]
Emery wished Sera were here. She and Sara could sometimes trade off when Gaius was having an episode, or at least watch the children more efficiently. Poor Pamela wasn't a nursemaid or the children's mother. They were closer to Sera than to her. Perhaps he ought to go see how Gaius was faring and see if Sara was available.
"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
Tasia sprang to her feet and sprinted around the end of the table before either of her parents could do anything at all about it. Aashi stood up, but Tasia stopped in front of Regulus. “Hey! Reg-ul-ul-ug-us! Look! I have a doll! Do you like it?” She waved the door Gaius and Sara had gifted her yesterday in Regulus’s face.
"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]
Regulus cried harder, batting at the doll. Pamela smiled at Tasia. "Thank you for trying, dear..." "Should I go get her?" Emery asked, rising halfway from his chair. "No." She shook her head. "Don't bother her, Regulus will settle."
"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
Tasia now pouted, upset that Regulus had hit her doll.
“Hey, Tasia!” Ky said, deciding she needed to distract Tasia from her distracting so that they didn’t end up with two crying children. “That a pretty cool doll. Can I see it?”
Tasia perked up and came rushing back around the end of the table. “Look! She’s got green eyes.”
“Whoa, that’s so cool!”
"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]
"Regulus!" Mattathias tapped his brother's knee gently. "Tell me about your bear!" Regulus hiccuped, still crying as he stared at his brother. "Bear?" "You did a bear, right? You drawed one?" "I did bear," Regulus agreed, sniffing. "Tell me about him!"
"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
“We tried to talk her out of it,” Tadaaki said quickly, sighing in exasperation. “We even told her she wasn’t allowed—“
“If Ky can name a cat after her papa, I can name Ann-ke-ke after her mama.”
"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]
Emery chuckled at Tasia. "I bet she'd be flattered."
"He got brown fur," Regulus said, wiping at his tears. "He got black eyes. He's big!" "Good!" Mattathias nodded encouragingly.
"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
