"I'll see to it she's brought here, if you like. Does she have any family?"
"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… don’t know,” Ky admitted sheepishly, blushing as she looked over at Tadaaki.
He also blushed a bit and shook his head slightly, hopeless. “…I don’t, either.”
“… she didn’t travel with us much, sir,” Ky decided to offer, rather than continuing to appear like as bad of a human as she was. “We weren’t really allowed to talk at home. Tadaaki and I only really know each other from all the times we got roomed together by our hosts.”
"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]
"We'll talk to her about it, then. She'll be made safe." He rubbed his chin. "I want you two to avoid the infirmary while he's in there. He's not to know what I know, or that you two are under my protection. Not 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
“Yessir.” They both nodded. No arguments whatsoever from either of them. Neither of them wanted anything to do with him than they had to. Especially not now. He’d get a scalpel through her jugular in half a breath if he knew what she’d done.
It felt weird to her him say that they were under his protection. That they had someone bigger than Aleth… maybe…. Going to bat for them. Finally. It felt nice.
They needed to make it worth his while. And yet… gods… gods, this was hard. Awkward. “… you’re allied with Lord Loquitur and the Ladies Barraster?”
"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]
Gaius nodded, on guard immediately though he tried not to show it. "I am, yes."
"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 had a boy in Lady Barraster’s stables and another in Lord Loquitur’s kitchen… sir.” She blushed and dropped her gaze. Hopefully that wouldn’t make him angry.
"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]
Gaius blinked. "That's good to know...what are their names and what do they look like?"
"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
“Felip is in the stables. He’s built a lot like me, but has long black hair he wears in braids… Glensyn is in the kitchens. I… haven’t seen him, I’m sorry. But he went up there shortly before we came here. So. Maybe two or three months? If that helps narrow it down?”
"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]
Gaius nodded and rose. "Thank you for that. I'll alert them immediately."
"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
“Yessir.” Ky stood as well, risking a very, very small smile.
"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]
Gaius studied her, then returned it with an equally small and quite brief smile. "I'll see you back to your room, Ky. Do either of you want your escorts so you can walk around?"
"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
(Strangely she wins him over faster this time lolol)
Ky and Tadaaki exchanged a glance. At this point, neither of them had the foggiest idea what they wanted. What they should want. On one hand, their hearts may give out if they had another unsolicited knock on their door today. Each and every time Ash showed up was stressful. But. Well. They still weren’t quite sure how they got to keep their rooms instead of trekking down to the dungeon. It felt like they should enjoy their beds before Ash had a chance to change his mind.
But. Hopefully he wouldn’t. They could be useful to him; he’d like that. Right?
“Um… I think we’re okay for now, sir?” Ky said it while looking at Tadaaki, who nodded in agreement. She looked back at Ash, hesitating a moment as she worked up her courage. “… are we to stay apart, sir? Or… can we maybe talk? At some point? I-I completely understand not right away. Just… is that something we can look forward to? Or should we expect to stay separate for a bit? Just… wondering. Sorry. Sir.”
"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]
"You can talk, certainly. So long as you're supervised." He dipped his head. "It's a perfectly logical question."
"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
“Yessir.” Ky dipped her head. That was a reasonable compromise. It’d be weird to talk to Tadaaki in the presence of someone else — that had been forbidden from the very first moment they were together. Their entire friendship was based on secrecy. But. Nothing useful to Ash. So. They’d prove their good will. Awkwardly. Uncomfortably. “Thank you.”
It was nice he thought it was reasonable, though. Perhaps he’d be easier to please than Aleth.
"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 dipped his head again. "Certainly. Come along, 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
