"Ky, is, um, sixteen. Ryken took her when she was twelve, so it's been, um, four-ish years now. She is very patient and kind. Always. Very much wants to please everyone. Very obedient." What was he actually asking for? Who knew. Maybe if Tadaaki rambled enough, Ash would get bored and want to move on before he said something wrong. "Um... yeah. Yes. Sir. She's a very kind-hearted person, even now."
"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
"She, um, mostly helped him translate for different vendors, but, um, helped me with the wares when there weren't any pending transactions. But I usually had that covered most of the time. He'd taken her for..." Why had he taken the conversation in that direction? They had a cover prepped for that. But it wasn't his place to mention it. "...found her more useful on the front end. Her charm is stronger than her muscles... not that her muscles are weak. She's very strong. Sir. Just... um... yeah. 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]
"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 was getting progressively more anxious. He couldn't very well give every single detail there was about a sixteen-year-old human when he'd only known her for the past four years of it, and was barely allowed to talk to her anyway.
"I, uh, know that her father died when she got taken," he said. "No mother or siblings -- he's all she had. Um. She... uh..." he hesitated. "...is there something specific, sir? I feel like I'm rambling, 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
"I think he got stabbed trying to protect her," Tadaaki said. "Not sure the specifics... just that she feels very guilty about it, even though it wasn't her fault... Al, uh, we met in the cage. I don't think he's had a master before. Seems like a solid dude, but a bit grumpy, if I'm being honest. I don't think he's used to the world being unfair, yet."
"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]
(Would they have gone into the details of her father's death together?)
"Any more? You'd have had a lot of time to talk in there, even if the guards told you to be quiet."
"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 think so, yeah. He definitely knows the true story and I feel like they'd all have a solid understanding of each others' alibis to cover them in situations like this lol)
"We didn't talk in the cage," Tadaaki said, shaking his head. "Talking gets you... Ryken taught us how to shut up... but we talked a little, I guess, on the road here until we got too cold. He was in debt and got sold off to pay it. He, um, worked odd jobs, I think. Doesn't seem to really have any sort of specialty or anything. Jack of all trades, I guess."
"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. "Do you have any different answers to the previous questions?"
"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 looked at him. What an odd way to try to trap him in a lie -- just asking him to change his story straight up. "I was telling the truth."
"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 turned toward the door. "I'm going to be frank with you; I don't believe you."
"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's breath caught and he tensed. Was he going to get Bay? Gods. What had he done wrong? He'd thought things were going so much better now. But they clearly weren't. Ash was leaving. He was saying he didn't believe him. He...
Gods, gods, gods....
"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 talk to Al, then I'm coming back. Do you understand? This interview isn't over."
"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
"...Yes, sir," he said weakly, glancing around. He was very, very trapped. And there wasn't a goddamn thing he could do about it.
(Gaius: *comes back with Bay* Tadaaki: *shits himself*)
"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]
