The smile slowly faded, and Gaius sighed. "Come on now. You're not fooling anyone; these two answered the questions and it's your turn."
"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
Well, that made this choice harder. Did he want to commit to the bit? He basically had to at this point. It’d be humiliating to admit to faking. He didn’t move.
Ky and Tadaaki didn’t, either. This was so tense. Uncomfortable. The silence was deafening and they both wished very much that it would end. Ky needed to fix this. Somehow… but how? She needed to say something. To give Aleth an option to ‘wake up’ if he truly was faking, or at the very least to break this silence. “…his name is Al, sir,” Ky offered.
The little bitch was finally good for something. He stirred slightly at the sound of his name, groaning, careful to mimic someone waking up.
"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 blushed and ducked her head. That was it. The singular lifeline she was going to offer. She settled back against the pillows.
Aleth groaned again and ‘groggily’ opened his eyes. He made to shift his weight, but fucked up and put weight on his foot as he started to roll over. He hissed in pain, jerking his knee up to his chest — which in turn hurt his ribs. He exhaled sharply, jaw clenched. Not his most graceful act.
"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 waited in silence, watching Aleth carefully.
"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 closed his eyes and took several deep breaths to try to calm himself and control the pain. Then he swallowed hard and pushed himself more upright and settled against the headboard, solemnly turning his gaze on the others.
"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
(Ah shit not me realizing I made Tadaaki and Aleth both be Lutalyan in canon watch me make something up and then promptly remember none of it)
“Akaratara, sir.” He was a bit breathless from the pain. “Blaylock.”
(Okay nevermind gonna be lazy and just use the surname of the royal family of Lutalya lol)
"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… I was not in a fantastic spot when I left. I’m happy to be rid of 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]
"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 owed someone some money,” Aleth said. “We’re squared up now that he got the money from turning me over to the slavers, but I’m not interested in giving him a second pass at me in case he still views the debt unpaid. 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]
"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
“Just a few weeks, sir,” Aleth said. He figured this was his best cover, since he knew damn well he wouldn’t be able to be as cowed as his slaves. “Been in the cage the whole time.”
"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]
"Mm." He thought for a moment. "Why did you come here rather than the two closer sanctuaries? Or one of the Counts' Keeps?"
"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
