Ky nodded silently. Yes. Yes, it was. It was a shame that she was a slave and couldn't just tell Aleth to go fuck himself when he decided they needed to be thrashed and starved and thrown to a snow-crusted hell. It was a shame that now she had to pretend to be something she wasn't to a woman this wonderful. It was a shame that her entire body felt this incredibly awful.
"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 going to work on your companions now," she said. "Do you want the screen to stay?"
"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 wanted to pretend that Aleth didn't exist, and that was easier with him out of sight. But she also wanted to be sure that Tadaaki was okay, and she couldn't have one without the other. Besides. She'd just get anxious over here in her exile if she stayed behind the screen. "No'm."
"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
Ky looked at her, worried. Right. She wasn't supposed to have opinions. Opinions led to decisions. And she'd just made the wrong one... right? "... no? I--I don't mind either -- I." Ky shook her head. "No preference, ma'am."
"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]
"If you want it down I'll take it down." She folded the screen neatly and set it off to the side. "Do either of you gentlemen need this?"
"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
Tadaaki figured he was up next, which meant he probably had to answer the question. He glanced at Aleth, then at Ky, then back at Ms. Miller, trying to gauge what his answer should be. "...no? Ma'am?"
"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's up to you," she pointed out. "I'm not testing you, dear." Nevertheless she came over with her supplies and set about patching Tadaaki up.
"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
That was nice. That it wasn't the wrong answer. Tadaaki nodded and dipped his head, sitting up a bit straighter. He didn't know how to help her but wanted to be as compliant as possible.
"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 gonna retire early tonight; I'm not feeling very well at the moment. Goodnight!)
"Where are you hurting most?" she asked 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
Tadaaki thought for a moment. His entire body felt like death warmed over. Literally. "My abdomen." But he rested his hand over his ribs.
"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]
"Let's see to that first, then." She started feing where each broken rib was, then reached for the poultices and gauze.
"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
Tadaaki clenched his teeth and stoically sat as she prodded him, the only indication of his discomfort the tightening of his abdominal muscles when she hit a sore one. Of which there were many.
"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 began to wrap him. "And how long have you been enslaved, sir?"
"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
Tadaaki thought for a moment. “…nearly six years, ma’am.”
Gods. Tasia was six now. What did she think of him? What did everyone think of him? Of her? Was she known as the child whose father abandoned 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]
