"You've met her, I remember. Are you nervous about seeing her again?"
"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
“Um… well… I’m really hoping she doesn’t remember me.” She cringed slightly. “But hopefully it’ll be okay even if she does.”
"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 woman has a brilliant memory. I expect she'll remember you, but you seem like the sort of girl she'd like just fine."
"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. She was afraid of that. She also suspected D'Ara would remember her. Her only hope would be in possibly D'Ara not putting together that Kyber and Kylia were the same person. But Ky didn't look terribly different these days, even though her hair was longer now and she didn't wear a binder anymore. Though her voice was higher now that she let it be natural rather than lowered. But, well...
She bit back a sigh.
"Hopefully." Though she wasn't too hopeful. "... she was very angry the last time she saw me, 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]
"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
"Aleth." Ky cringed. "He was..." She sighed and gestured vaguely. "Being Aleth. And D'Ara didn't like him and ran us all off -- which I don't blame her for -- but, well... he didn't like people knowing he had slaves, and made me pretend to be an employee... so... she probably thinks I'm as terrible as he is, since she thinks I was with him voluntarily... it's a reasonable assumption."
"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'm sure that isn't so. She's perceptive, just as much as Gaius if not more so. Did she say anything to you?"
"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 blushed and shook her head. "Not really. Just that I should quit."
"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]
"Then maybe she didn't pick up on it, but maybe she pitied you."
"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 was better acting around him," Ky said quietly, nodding. "Even Pratik didn't know."
"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]
"Well, no need for acts now." She paused outside the library door. "You are who you are, 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 glanced towards her face, then dropped her gaze and nodded. It wasn't true. She'd had twelve years of being who she was. There'd be no more. Ever. There was no need to act like she voluntarily stayed with Aleth now. But she needed to act like someone who deserved to be adopted. Act like someone who wasn't going to die in the four-hundred-year-long dark hell that'd last the rest of her entire life.
"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]
Sara opened the door and held it for Ky. Emery looked up and waved. "Hey, welcome back! I've held them off the biscuits for now." "He did not," Tristan chuckled.
"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 smiled and walked inside, nodding her thanks to Sara before she strode towards the others. She patted her pocket as she sat down. "All sealed and ready to go."
"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]
"Great! You're sending those off today, then?" Emery asked.
"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
