"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
“Yeah!” she agreed, not processing that those were two different matters. They just felt like the same confusing thing.
"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 thought for a moment. "Well, er, I left because my father died so I got the Lordship of House Loquitur. And for other reasons. And I lived here because my mother lived here, I guess."
"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
None of that computed. She stared at him, trying to make sense of it all. But it didn’t make sense. “Your Papa and Mama didn’t live together? Did your Papa get taken too?”
Her words came like a blow to Tadaaki’s gut and he involuntarily tightened his grasp on Aashi’s hand. She looked over at him in concern, more focused on him than realizing she needed to apologize to Tomhas.
"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 drummed his fingers on the table. Gaius glanced at him; his brother appeared to be considering his next words carefully. "They didn't live together," Tomhas said finally. "And no, he wasn't taken. He died a little over ten years ago and that's how I got the Lordship."
"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’s sad! You must miss him and awful, awful lot. Mama cried a lot when grandmama and grandpapa died.”
Aashi was still distracted by Tadaaki. He’d caught himself and loosened his grasp, which somehow concerned her even more. She didn’t like when he pushed things down like this. She’d need to pull him aside after breakfast. That had to have hurt, hearing Tasia say that.
"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 really." He shook his head. "I didn't know him, so it wasn't much of a loss."
"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 didn’t know your Papa?” she asked in outrage. “Did you get taken?”
“Tasia, that’s enough.” Aashi looked back over at her daughter sternly. “Don’t be nosy.” She looked at Tomhas. “I’m 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]
He shrugged with a half-hearted smile. "Kids are curious, I get that. I was just the same. Still am. And no, I didn't get taken. He just..." He paused, then shrugged again and hunched his shoulders. "He didn't want 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
“He didn’t want you?” Tasia repeated, horrified. She’d been planning on trying to shut up at her mother’s behest. But this was too much. “Why?”
"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 rubbed at his face. Gods, he'd gotten into a mess. "Uh, he just..." How to say this? How to even begin to explain something like this to a child? "There was a conflict of birthright," Gaius said. "Tomhas is both an Ash and a Loquitur. Lord Brogan wasn't prepared to raise a son whom he believed might turn on him." Tomhas gave him a look; that was just more complicated.
"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
Tasia just stared at him, mouth slightly agape. “What?”
"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]
Gaius glanced at Tomhas, grimacing. "Nobility is comicated," he said finally. "Lords like to marry Counts, unless there's an alliance planned. But there was no alliance in this case, and Lord Brogan acted...out of turn. Tomhas came as a surprise to everyone and there was some debate about where he would go."
"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
Tasia stared at him, getting progressively more bewildered. It made her feel stupid. She didn’t know what any of these things meant. She looked at Aashi helplessly. “Mama?”
Even Aashi didn’t fully comprehend the politics of it all, but she did know about the rape and knew it was an objectively complicated situation, nobility aside. “There were good reasons for why he needed to stay here. And now there are good reasons for him to be at his home instead of here.”
“Oh.” She was quiet for a moment, then looked back at Tomhas. “So you don’t want to live with your brother anymore?”
"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 mean..." Tomhas gave an awkward cough. "He's great and all, but I've got a family of my own. I don't want to impose. Plus, I have a whole territory to run."
"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
An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that life's going to launch you into something great, so just focus and keep aiming. — Unknown
