"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… based on… things… that you read and hear and…” she laced her boots, milking them for all the time they were worth. How could she talk her way out of this? She wasn’t good at talking. “Stuff that just sort of sticks in your brain but you don’t know where it came from…”
"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 huffed. "Lieutenant, I would greatly appreciate a straight answer. I don't have much patience for stalling."
"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
Fine, then. She wasn’t scared of him. She straightened again. “Well I don’t know the answer to your question. Sorry.” She didn’t sound 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]
Gaius gave her a long look, then dipped his head. "Very well. I'm sure you're doing research for General Ainsley, so perhaps he knows what all this business about heralds is." He rose. "I'll go ask him; come along."
"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 knew exactly what he was doing. Pulling the rank of the person she was scared of.
“Now just wait a minute,” she protested, standing up so quickly she almost knocked the book off the arm of the chair. “That wasn’t part of the deal.”
"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
“Yes.” She steadied the book. “I say please, and you let me read the book. Derik has nothing in this.”
"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]
"Deals usually involve a handshake," he said with a shrug, starting toward the door.
"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
She bent and grabbed her sword belt, not bothering to buckle it on. No time for that. Especially given the threat was swiftly becoming Derik. She followed after him. “And what exactly are you hoping to gain from getting me in trouble? Is that going to make you feel better about yourself somehow?”
"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 don't know what you're talking about," he replied. "I want to know about these so-called heralds. If you don't have the answer then I'm sure he must."
"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
“And what makes you so sure?” She didn’t like this at all. How could she get out of this… this… coercion?
"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 not. But I don't see a better option, do 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
“Literally any other option,” she protested, getting ahead of him and turning around in attempts of making him stop. “Accepting not all your questions have answers. Reading your books yourself. Anything but tattling to daddy because I pissed you off. You know damn well he doesn’t know; you’re just being… malicious.”
"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 not," he disagreed. "But I expect there is an answer--your bluffing face isn't very good."
"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
