"Only one after hundreds of nears of there not being any." She wrung her hands. "I have to read more on this. 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 at her. “… you may want to try to decompress a bit tonight. Maybe read tomorrow?”
"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]
She shook her head. "I'll put my mind off it happening it I read about it instead." She moved past 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 watched her skeptically but stepped back out of her way. “Or you’ll hyperfixate. That’s what I did. Just worried about it until I couldn’t fret any more.”
"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 won't," Lyra assured her, already heading for the stairs.
"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]
"Thank you." She dipped her head, disappearing around the corner.
"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
(Lyra congrats! I’m still salty I can’t haha but happy for you! Was it amazing?)
Ky watched her go. Well. What was she supposed to do now?
She glanced back at Tadaaki’s door. What would he tell her to do?
She glanced back down the hall. He’d tell her to go check on the others. Right. She could do that. But who first?
Ada.
Ky didn’t know why, but it felt right to go to her. She quickly walked to her room and rapped on the door.
"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]
(It was super cool and creepy; I loved it! I did end up accidentally waking the dogs when I went to get my camera so my poor dad had to wake up and deal with them)
Ada had been forced to postpone her journey home a few days when Gaius shut himself down after the diary incident; nothing had been planned. That had been set back into motion now but she had been sulking in her room a lot.
There was no answer when Ky knocked.
"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 hesitated. She’d been so focused on herself and her own brooding she realized she had no idea how anyone else in the Keep was doing. Not really. Just that Tadaaki and his family were safe and relatively happy. And Gaius most definitely wasn’t happy. Was Ada in her room? Or… would she be elsewhere? A parlor, maybe? Or…? Ky glanced back at the door and decided to call gently, “are you okay? The earthquake…”
"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
Hopefully that meant she was okay and elsewhere. It struck Ky that she had no idea whatsoever what to do if someone wasn’t okay. What if Ada was inside unconscious?
She… wanted to check. But also felt like she shouldn’t try the door. She’d already violated Gaius’s this week — she wasn’t about to do it to anyone else. Even for a good cause this time.
She walked down the hall and knocked in May’s door.
"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]
(Picturing Ky just fucking clocking that door and it just slams to the ground)
There was no answer from May's door either.
"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
She really, really, really didn’t want to go to Ivar’s room. But she did. And knocked.
"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]
Ivar opened the door and frowned down at her. "Hello," he said in Upper Tongue. Then he asked in Nortung, "what is it you want?"
"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
