Tomhas hurried up the stairs, breathing quickening the further away he got.
"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 lazily walked towards the stairs herself, slowly. Where would people even be right now? Maybe she should just go back to her room. That seemed easiest. Simplest.
(Me: he’s going straight to Gaius isn’t he?)
"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]
Eventually he got to the fifth floor and knocked rapidly on Gaius's door. "Yes?" "Can I come in?" he asked desperately. A pause. "Why?" "I just--" Tomhas took a deep breath. "I don't want to be alone and I don't have Anneke and..." There was another pause, then the door opened. Gaius was standing there on his crutches looking less than pleased, but he moved aside. Tomhas dipped his head and stepped into the room.
"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
(Haha the classic blunder of putting his bedroom on the second floor but making him go up the stairs xD)
Ky hesitated as someone briskly strode out of the stairwell.
“Oh! Ky! Hi!” Aashi flashed a nervous smile. “How are you?”
“Good.” She looked her over. She seemed anxious. “…how are you?”
“Me? Good. Good, yeah. Never better. Doing peachy, in fact. Um. Yeah. Good.” She nodded.
Ky looked at her skeptically. “That’s… good? … where are you off to?”
“Me? Oh. Nowhere. I’m not going anywhere. Why would you think I’m going somewhere? Do-do I seem like I’m going somewhere?”
“A little bit, yeah.”
“Oh, uh, well-well I’m not. So. If anyone asks if I’m going anywhere, then you can say no, because I’m not.”
“… are you okay?”
“I’m fine! Good! Perfect, even.” She stumbled backward a few steps with an anxious smile. “Just, um, you know. Off. To nowhere. So. Um. Bye!”
“Bye?” Ky watched her go with a furrowed brow, then turned back to the stairs. Maybe she should go see Tadaaki to see what was going on with Aashi and where she was most definitely going.
"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]
"What happened?" Gaius asked as Tomhas sat down on the floor. Tomhas shook his head, drawing his knees up to his chest. Gaius limped back to his bed and sat down, setting the crutches to the side. He was still angry, but he hadn't seen Tomhas like this in a long time. "Did Ky say something without realizing?" he ventured. Tomhas shook his head again.
"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
Aashi strode to the infirmary and knocked on the door hesitantly.
"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]
Sera answered it. "Ah, hello Aashi! What can I do for you?"
"Do you want to talk about it ar all?" Tomhas shook his head again, and Gaius gave a small nod, rubbing his chin.
"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, hi! I, um…” Aashi anxiously looked around the hall but there was no one there so she looked back at Sera. “So— uh… how are you today?”
"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 well." She dipped her head. "Can I help you with anything?"
"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, um, I mean, um, is now, a, uh— a good time? Or, um…” she glanced around again. “I-I could come back later if you’re, um, busy? Or, um…?” Gods. This was even more painful than she’d imagined. She was being soooooo awkward right 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]
"No, not at all! I was tending to Tomhas's soldiers, but I finished up some time ago. Come on in."
"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, Tomhas is here?” Aashi stepped inside, nodding to her. And then in classic Aashi fashion started thinking aloud. “That must be why Ky was out of her room, then. I- I hadn’t really thought about that. But, they were here? Are they okay?” Better talk about them than her.
"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]
"They will be. They're badly shaken, though." She gestured toward her office. "Would you like to talk in here?"
"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, um, sure, yeah. That works! Wherever.” She flashed a nervous smile and stepped that way.
"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 stepped into the office. "So. What's troubling 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
Be happy, my friend; and if you obey me in this one request, remain satisfied that nothing on earth will have the power to interrupt my tranquility. — Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
