He glanced at her. "Not that I know of. Don't get your hopes up, child; manifesting can be difficult for a presence as unstable as he is but that doesn't mean he goes away for good."
"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
“Okay.” She blushed a little. Apparently the whole line of Ash men were skilled at cutting her down. “I… I don’t understand how this works very well, sorry.”
"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]
"Evidently not. I can't imagine you've been displaying this ability for very long or you'd have spoken to more of us and had more questions answered." He shut one of the books and dropped it. It disappeared before it hit the floor, and he moved on to another section. "But you absolutely cannot tell my son that Michael stayed behind."
"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 won’t.” She nodded, glancing around despite herself. “But… does he know about me, like you did? Because this…” She glanced around again. “Isn’t going to go well… if he figures this out…”
"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 expect he does. Most of us who stay on the main levels are aware of the goings-on of the Keep." He studied her for a moment. "I suggest you find a way to remove Michael or leave this Keep if you're concerned that he can harm 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
“How?” She subconsciously glanced around again and sidled a step closer to him without realizing she was doing so. Some good it would do her. This man didn’t stop Michael from beating his literal child; he wouldn’t do jackshit to stop Michael from hurting the adopted daughter of his bastard son. And 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]
"I've got no idea. The older ones might know. But I don't talk to most people here." He turned the pages in the book he was holding, squinting at a passage. "I find them tiresome and outdated."
"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
"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 shut the book with a sigh. "How are you finding Tomhas and Gaius?"
"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
“Good?” She shifted her weight away. Her ability to irritate people transcended life and death these days. “…how do you mean?”
"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 thought for moment. "How do you perceive them?"
"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
“…they’re both good men,” Ky said after a moment. This was a delicate place; talking to the abuser of the men who meant a lot to her. Not knowing if he could hurt her if she pissed him off. “They care very much about their families.”
"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 strode to another shelf to start looking there. "That's how it ought to be. Tomhas could do better, certainly, but that seems to be true of Gaius, at least. I do wonder what happened to Cecily."
"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 furrowed her brow but followed. How dare he of all people criticize her father? But she also had no intention of spilling any tea for this bastard. “How many people are still around? All of the ancestors?”
"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]
"Not all of them." He shook his head. "My Gwynna moved on the day she died. Oscar is gone, too--not that he'd have been able to do much of anything or make any proper choices. Plenty of ancestors have moved on. Modestus is gone, as is Venr. Fabian and Brida moved on as well."
"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
