That was exactly what he did, swinging her off her feet for a split second as he embraced her tightly. "Gods, I thought you were gone for a second there...You're sure you're okay? Did you slip?" He didn't seem to notice the deceased Ashes behind her at all.
"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
That had to have hurt his shoulder. But she hugged him back tightly. Partially to reassure him. And partially because she was fairly sure she was never going to catch up on her dad-hug quota and would want one 100% of the time. “I’m fine. I just went down that way.” She pried herself far enough away to gesture down the tunnel. “And then I was talking to Lady Liesel and Lord Abel.” She gestured toward them.
"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]
Tomhas looked where she was gesturing blankly. "Umm..." "I don't believe he can see us, dear," Liesel said. "It's quite alright. Don't let him think you've lost your mind, now."
"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
“What?” She looked between them bewilderedly, before her gaze landed back on Tomhas. “You can’t see them?”
"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]
"See my great-great-grandparents who died like, forever ago? Nope, I don't see them, Ky." He looked at her in concern. "You're sure you didn't slip?"
"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 right there,” she insisted, gesturing at them. “Why would I imagine them, of all people, if I was just crazy?”
"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]
"Ky, dear, you should really let this go," Liesel warned. "You're just going to make him worry." "Okay, I think we should go back upstairs now," he said with a frown of concern. "Let's go see Sera..."
"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,” she argued, with both of them at once. But looked at Tomhas first. “You believed me about Rönn and the trolls but you won’t believe me about this?” She looked at Liesel and Abel. “Could you tell me something I couldn’t possibly know on my own to make him believe me? A… a family secret? Or something you saw him do as a boy maybe? I don’t know.”
"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]
"Ky, enough. Trolls and Rönn are one thing but ghosts..."He shook his head firmly, shivering. "There are no ghosts." Liesel and Abel exchanged a glance. "We're not particularly interested in revealing ourselves to anyone," Liesel said after a pause. "You happened on us by accident; you weren't supposed to be able to see or hear us." "She's going to get in trouble, Liesel," Abel protested. "Look, he thinks she's gone mad." Liesel grimaced.
"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 sighed, looking between them bewilderedly. How did she always end up in the middle of things like this? “But I’m 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]
"I'm sure you believe it, but..." "Oh, for..." Liesel huffed. "We'll never get peace and quiet again, dear." "Liesel." "Fine." She turned to Ky. "Tell him how we met; I'm sure he knows that story."
"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
“Thank you,” she murmured, dipping her head to her, then looked back at Tomhas. “They told me how they met when we were talking. I didn’t know it before now. But her fathers were gay and she had an older brother who died when he was eight and then they had her and people started pressuring her fathers to marry her off when she was fourteen so she married Lord Abel who was a Count’s son and then they had a baby when they were super young—“ she glanced at Liesel, aghast as that finally sank in. “You were younger than me when you had Felicity?”
"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]
She nodded. "It was fairly common in those days, nothing to shout about."
Tomhas stared at Ky, then at where Liesel stood. "...That's not officially written anywhere, I don't think..." he ventured.
"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
“That…” Ky subconsciously laid an arm over her abdomen. She wanted kids, but not now. She wasn’t anywhere near ready to be a mother. Especially not with a fifteen year old boy. Boys her age were so immature. She shook her head to clear it, glancing back at Tomhas. “I don’t know if it is or not. I didn’t read it. They told me. And they told me that their marriage started rocky but improved after they had Felicity. And Lord Abel plays the violin — and still does. I heard him and he’s quite good. He was playing—“ she glanced at him. “What’s the name of that piece?”
"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]
Abel thought for a moment. "You know, I've forgotten. I learned it years ago. 'North of Now,' maybe?" "'North of Tomorrow,'" Liesel said, rolling her eyes with a small smile.
"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
