"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
"Is this level two of the coddle-Ky game?" she asked dryly.
"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 we were coddling you we'd have you wrapped in blankets and sucking on a baby bottle," Emery said scornfully. "I'm just curious."
"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
"You're all fretting like mother hens over me," she said, looking away. "Well, Sara is. And Sera, a bit, too. I think I've triggered their maternal instincts somehow, even though I'm old. You and Tadaaki are treating me like I'm a tiny kitten at risk of starving to death in the cold. And Gaius..." She sighed, shaking her head. She wished she wouldn't have mentioned him. He was complicated. "I don't know. You're all worried and are trying to turn me into your pet project of someone you can fix. But I'm not fixable."
"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]
"Only you can fix you," Emery disagreed. "I think mostly we're all unsure of how to help you get started with that. I mean...you're never going to heal completely. Nobody just does that. But you don't seem to even be trying. You're acting like you've given up and that worries all of us. I'm sorry if we're being a bit overzealous...is there some way we can improve without leaving you alone completely?"
"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 was silent for a long moment, considering. She hadn't actually expected any of them to ask her that. It felt like everything she said she felt or wanted was ignored in favor of what they assumed she felt or thought she should want. So she wasn't sure how to answer. "... 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]
"Can you give it some thought and get back to me or maybe sit down with your aunt and uncle at some point to explain what you need from them? Because it's important that we're not just rolling over you when you have something you want."
"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
"...maybe," Ky agreed. "...I'll think about it." She thought about her eavesdropped conversation all those weeks ago, before she'd turned into the devil. "Sara seems to think that she and Tomhas are the only ones who can fix me. That Gaius just needs to deal with me until I go home. And... well... I...I don't know. Nevermind. That's dumb." She shouldn't have brought this up, even though it'd been living in her head rent-free ever since.
You talk to her.
You deal with her.
Let me and Tomhas fix her.
All the words they'd spoken truthfully with no idea she'd been there to hear them.
You couldn't convince her that that wasn't how they felt. They'd said it themselves.
"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]
"Well, she's wrong. Like I said before, none of us can do anything to help, really, unless you let us. You fix yourself. We just kind of....try to support you and help you along. We just need to know what you want us to do."
"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 nodded. She wanted them to leave her alone to rot. But that answer seemed to be upsetting him, so she stayed quiet instead. Perhaps she should have thought twice about the honey comb; she wasn’t hungry anyway.
"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 headed into the kitchen, greeting the cooks and assistants cheerily.
"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 followed after him quietly, nodding to them but doing her best not to actually make eye contact with anyone.
"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 reached the pantry and made a beeline for the wrapped honeycomb in the back.
"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 awkwardly a few steps back, leaning against the wall. She needed to think up some way to make Emery start talking so that he’d stop trying to pry stuff out of her. She wasn’t interested in talking about herself. What was wrong with her. How broken she was.
"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
