"Oh, uh, right. Sir. Sorry. Sir." Tadaaki cleared his throat. He needed to stop clamming up this hard. If he couldn't even talk to this man, what was he going to do once he met Lord Ash? "I'm from Totallisa -- moved around a lot -- and got taken about six years ago or so."
"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
"I'm, I'm not sure I can claim one. I traveled with my uncle -- he was my guardian -- following his job every few months, until he passed. But I was in Lutalya for a bit after that. That's where I lived when I got taken."
"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
"No sir." Tadaaki shook his head, then decided to risk elaborating a bit before the man could ask a more pointed question that could be harder to redirect. "I never felt much of an attachment there anyhow-- and I can't help but remember it in light of how I left."
"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
“No sir.” Tadaaki said with a shake of his head. “The curse of traveling too much.”
"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
Tadaaki shrank, flushing and dropping his gaze. He didn’t like this attention. He didn’t like it at all.
Aleth, predicting the attention was likely to shift to him before long, decided to feint sleeping. He’d been out most of the morning anyhow — he thought he could get away with it.
"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 resolved to let it go for now and looked to Aleth. "Is he awake, do you suppose?" he asked Ky and Tadaaki. "I hear he lost a few toes last night."
"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 and Ky both looked over at Aleth. By all accounts, he appeared to be asleep. That seemed odd. He was usually as paranoid as they were — awake the instant he heard a voice, even though it was his own voice that made Ky and Tadaaki that way. But he looked asleep. And even if he wasn’t, he clearly wanted to appear to be. Ky glanced back at the man. “… he was in pretty rough shape, 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]
Gaius watched his breathing in silence for a little bit, and the way Aleth's face was held.
"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 didn’t know where the focus was right then, but he’d resolved to ‘sleep’ until the man left or specifically came over to wake him up. So he resisted the urge to peek and instead made his body completely lax and his breathing as slow and even as he could. Which was, admittedly, still a bit shaky.
"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 looked over to Sera, who shrugged. "I'm told his foot will need to be amputated after all?" he asked casually, and Sera glared at him as he looked back at Aleth to see if there would be a reaction, a very small, crooked smile on his face.
"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
Ah, so the bastard was trying to get a rise out of him after all. Aleth carefully didn’t so much as hesitate in his breathing. The apothecary had seemed to enjoy informing him she was going to take his toes; she’d have no doubt informed him in delight if she was planning on taking his foot after she’d rebandaged it this morning. She hadn’t left the room since.
Ky and Tadaaki watched in silent horror. What was happening right now? Why was the man saying that? Smirking? Why was the apothecary glaring? Ky guessed it was to prod at Aleth given the smirk, but… why? Why not just ask him if he was awake? Why play games?
"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]
