"I'll go where Sera goes," he replied quietly. "So yes."
Sera didn't look up from her book, flipping a page.
"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
“Good.” Jerica nodded. “I’ll come back— er. Uh… I mean… if you want? Me to come back?” She stood up awkwardly. “I don’t think I’m technically supposed to be here in this moment, you know? But I would like to come back to see you again but only if you want that and please don’t feel like you need to answer now I don’t want you to just say yes because you think I want you to say yes I only want you to say yes if that’s what you want to say… so… I guess… let me know if you want to talk again sometime? Maybe have Sera get me again if you want to? I don’t know. You don’t have to. I understand if you don’t want to. It’s okay.”
Ky hesitantly approached, trying to work it out. Why wasn’t Sera in there? Was someone else? What was going on? Were the Ainsleys in there? She didn’t understand. Did Sera know the situation?
"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]
Rickard looked up at her in surprise, speechless for a moment. "I...." He smiled slowly, tears in his eyes. "That would be an honor."
Sera looked up and smiled. "Oh, Hello Ky."
"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 had to actively force herself to wait for a response rather than anxiously rushing away. Her chest felt tight as she waited for the very real possibility of rejection. Bracing herself. She’d thought this had gone well. But. Well. She was frequently told she was bad at reading emotions. So she just kind of operated on the baseline assumption that she didn’t understand social cues.
But his response surprised her. It was better than she ever could have expected.
“Yeah?” She grinned, looking like a little kid as excitement lit up her eyes. Mr. Rickard did like her. Even now. And Biryn was a fucking lying bastard. As per usual.
“Hey.” Ky didn’t return it, glancing towards the door then back to Sera. “…what are… you… uh… doing?”
"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 nodded, returning the smile and wiping at his eyes. "Yeah."
"Waiting," she replied, closing the book. "Rickard is talking with one of the newcomers--she knew him as a child."
"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’s smile softened. “I’m… glad.” She nodded once. “This is good.”
“Oh?” So she did know. Ky eyed the door. Was it War Lord Ainsley? Should she run?
"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 nodded. "He watched children for a governor in Rhaebaki, back before. He practically raised this girl, apparently."
"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 in agreement. “Who woulda known fate would bring us together up here of all places?”
Ky was pale again. “…An Ainsley?” Ky thought for a moment. Who would those girls be? “Jerica? Or Lyiaza?” She was pretty sure there were only two princesses in that family. And from Septimus it sounded like only one of them had come. So she guessed it’d be Jerica. She was the scary one, from reputation. Governors Assassin.
"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 odds are absolutely insane," he agreed. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."
"Jerica." Her brow furrowed. "You know her?"
"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
“Me either,” Jerica agreed with a nod. “I—“ shouldn’t have believed Biryn. And she shouldn’t mention it now, either. Didn’t want Rickard to think she thought the worst of him.
“No.” Ky shook her head, voice weak. “Just by… reputation… are they here to take me back?”
"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]
Her brow furrowed. "I don't know what they're here for; I was doing damage control. But I don't think they're here for you, no."
"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
"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]
"Jerica...surprised Rickard. He was afraid she was here to take him back. But she had no idea he was here. She hadn't realized he was enslaved--she'd been told he quit. She was upset by it, got worked up, and Rickard panicked. I took him up here to calm down."
"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 blinked at her and considered it for a moment. “But… now she’s in there… with him?”
"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
