“Oh, it’s okay!” She shrugged, uncomfortable with the sympathy. “I didn’t mean to complain. I used to be pretty fit so I could keep pace once I found my rhythm. I was just tired… and a little light headed since it was kind of hot.” She shrugged. “But it was fine. I survived.” She grinned.
"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]
"Why do you feel the need to say things like that?" Constance asked quietly. "It's not okay. You shouldn't have had to deal with something like that, ever."
"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
“Oh, I…” this was even more uncomfortable. “I don’t want to be a complainer. It’s-it’s fine.”
"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 not. It's alright that it isn't fine," she said. "Ky, nobody's going to hurt you for complaining. Nobody will punish 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
Ky hesitated, relaxing ever so slightly and nodding. “I… appreciate that, ma’am.” She still wasn’t going to, though. She didn’t want to be tiresome even if she didn’t get punished. No one liked whiny little idiots. And she already knew that she was one.
"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 ever need to talk about anything, I'm here, Sera's here, we're all here to help. Alright?"
"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
“T-thank you, ma’am,” Ky managed, alarmed. Why would she be offering something like that? Ky was still so perplexed by this woman. Why was she… being nice to her? It was one thing — although still undeserved — for her to offer politeness. But kindness like this? Why? “That’s very kind of you.”
"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 deserve it. All the things you went through..." She huffed angrily. "It's horrid. Just horrid."
"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…” Ky shook her head. She didn’t deserve sympathy. She was horrid.
"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 tea arrived and the servant departed once it was set down. Constance poured some for each of them. "I ought to go down there and--" She shook her head. "Ugh."
"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 glanced at her, not sure if she meant Aleth or Makata. “Go down… where?”
"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]
"To the dungeons. But I won't and I shouldn't. He isn't under my jurisdiction."
"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 ma’am.” She nodded. “…you don’t want to meet him anyway. Probably. He’s… not very kind.”
"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 blinked at her, eyes going wide for half a moment before she flushed and dropped her gaze. What an alarming thing to say. She… supposed it made sense. Nobles usually weren’t. But. Well. She seemed different. Then again, Aleth could be nice when he wanted to be. At least seem nice.
But she liked to think she could see straight through bullshit like that. She’d learned from the best. And she hadn’t gotten cruel vibes from Lady Constance. Then again, Aleth worked mostly with men, so she didn’t have a lot of practice reading women for anything other than how to best flatter them and flirt when the case called for it. So. Maybe her bullshit detector was broken when it came to women. Especially kindly women that chose to exude a motherly aura to her.
Maybe that’s what the problem was: she was always a sap when it came to maternal energy. Always had been. And it seemed she always would, at this point. All it took was a grown woman flashing a genuine smile to turn Ky into a lost puppy. Apparently.
She needed to be more careful with that. Especially if the women around her now were nobles or the best friends of nobles. She couldn’t afford to let her guard lower around them. They weren’t her mother, and they never would be. The gods didn’t see her worthy of a mother; she needed to just accept that.
"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]
