"I should hope so. Archery's an ancient form of battle; it ought to be preserved." She shook her head. "The East is trying to see it extinguished, from what I hear. Have you seen those new iron-spitters they're trying to peddle? Utter nonsense. Not nearly as efficient or accurate--not to mention cowardly and disrespectful of the art of killing."
"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
"Well, the East clearly isn't good at strategizing if they're taking this long to figure their battles out, period," Jerica answered with a shake of her head. "They made a mess of things for no reason."
"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]
"Of course. It's what the East does! They're all pride and powder, no substance to them or their politics at all." D'Ara wrinkled her nose. "The Ash and Loquitur boys have been fighting like Easterners. They did their ancestors dishonor with all that squabbling!"
"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
"At least they got over it in a few months," Jerica pointed out. "The East has been at it longer than I've been alive. By a lot."
(I had the realization a few minutes ago that I can absolutely become an ordained minister and then have clergy privilege and not be called on to testify should anyone ask my advice or tell me anything that could, idk, get them in legal trouble with current political climate. I never got around to joining the UU but I feel like they would approve of this energy lol I'm researching programs 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]
(As a UU I absolutely approve. Especially in the current political climate)
D'Ara nodded fervently. "Older than me, too--that's saying something! Older than the unification of the North, older than the Southern monarchy."
"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 doubt ^^ I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. I just got ordained by the Universal Life Church am from this moment a clergy member go me lol)
"They need to get their shit together," Jerica said, egged on by D'Ara's agreement. "Either win, or accept you're not going to, and move on. Stop terrorizing innocent people because you've got something to prove."
"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]
"Exactly. It's serving no purpose at this point. Technological advances are no good to anyone in that region if everybody's too poor or too dead to use 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
(thanks! now to go tell all my afab irl friends lol gonna be able to legally come in clutch)
"For sure." Jerica nodded in agreement. She blew into her gloved hand, trying to regain some of the feeling in her fingers. It didn't seem like a good sign that they were starting to go numb rather than hurt. "War's nasty business. Best to end it as soon as possible, if you've got to start it at all." She hesitated. "... how do you think this whole new war up here with Tarr is going to go?"
"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]
"Bloody," she said grimly. "Very bloody. Tarr's the sort of boy who thinks manhood lies in brute force. There'll be heavy loss on both sides--Ash and Loquitur would do well to try and settle with him, but I hear Tarr ignored the cease and desist demands from the King, who's too weak to do anything but sit back and watch. It's a mess up there, always has been." She looked toward her. "What do you think?"
"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
Jerica glanced at her. Derik had explicitly told her she wasn’t supposed to share her opinions when they were out on diplomatic missions. But. Well. She had them. And she’d been directly asked…
“He— Tarr— sounds like a problem.” She shrugged. “The solution seems obvious: removing the problem… yet I get the impression that’s not what’s going to happen.”
"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]
"Ahhh." D'Ara nodded thoughtfully. "You'd have trouble doing that--politics make removing problems very sticky. Wouldn't stop people from trying, and I'd certainly like to see him gone--he takes my people and uses them like livestock, shits all over the Southern Realm. I expect that's something I'll be speaking to Gaius about."
"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
Jerica nodded, grateful that D'Ara was taking her seriously rather than dismissing her like everyone else usually did. She clearly knew enough to know Jerica had a point. That fact emboldened her.
"But you said the king won't do anything but sit back and watch, when Tarr is terrorizing citizens of the Northern Realm, right? I know he wouldn't say yes if we asked permission, but forgiveness...?"
Jerica looped Kieran's horse's reins over the horn of her own saddle and then added Ranofer's reins as well, then shoved her hands in her pockets. It was so bloody cold up here.
"I bet I could do it by myself," she continued. "Tarr seems like an idiot, and sexist, too. Bet I could tell him what I was gonna do and he'd be too dumb to take me seriously since I don't have a dick."
"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]
D'Ara raised her head, eyes sharpening. "Absolutely not. Put that thought right out of your head, girl." She sat up straighter. "A move like that would send the Realms into a war with each other. The politics of removing a noble from power by any means is greater than you could possibly know!"
"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
Kieran shrank a little, not enjoying being between them.
“…I’m not going to do it,” she grumbled, deflating a little. She glanced away. “But I could.”
"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]
"But you won't," D'Ara said firmly. "You're not to lay a hand on any of these Northerners unless given explicit orders, understand? And forgiveness, should you disobey, will most certainly not be forthcoming. It wouldn't save you from Harold and it's the last thing that could save you from me."
"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
