"Good." He rose. "Are you feeling better? Would you like me to leave you alone?"
"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, resisting the urge to stand as well, and nodded. “Yeah… thank you again.”
"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]
Severus dipped his head to her. "Best of luck to you, then. Be well."
"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 too.” She ducked her head, gaze still dropped. She nearly asked him if he would lock the door behind himself please then remembered he couldn’t possibly have the key to it now. Oh well.
"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 opened the door, then exited with another glance over his shoulder.
"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 glanced up but quickly looked away, not meeting his gaze. She looked considerably calmer than she had been, but still utterly defeated.
"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
Ky stood and shuffled to the door and locked it, then sent over to the fire and sat down directly in front of it, feeling the warmth on her face drying the residual tears. She breathed in deeply, focusing on the smell of the wood and the way it felt in her lungs and the crackle in her ears. She closed her eyes and let the breath out slowly.
"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 was still on the couch in the other parlor, but he was no longer crying. He'd gone quiet and wasn't moving much, just balled up with his head on the pillow as he stared at a spot on the carpet. He'd failed as a father twice now and Ky rejected him completely after learning what he was. He supposed he should have expected it; it was shocking Anneke and Gaius forgave him at all. And now Helge and Viol were set against him, and Lyra still was only offering the barest interactions. She never looked at him now, just through him. Always so serious, just as she'd been before, but pointedly so now.
"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 rested her chin on her knees and kept breathing deeply, eyes closed, doing her absolute best to think about nothing at all. Giving this whole meditating thing an honest shot. She needed to relax. Unwind. Find a modicum of stability again before she went to find Tomhas. She couldn’t risk another meltdown in front of 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]
He supposed Ky was in her room now doing something similar to what he was doing. She'd learned a lot in a short span of time, no thanks to him. She probably hated him as much as Lyra hated him, now. All he had left were the younger ones, and they'd come to hate him soon enough after they understood how he'd betrayed Anneke and destroyed their sisters' lives. They were lost to him before anything had even begun.
"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 supposed Severus was right in a sense. Tomhas should have waited to drop that on her. Why had he thought it was a good idea to reveal something like that when she was already so upset?
But, then, Tomhas was also upset. And she’d entirely neglected his emotional needs. Thrown a fit and stormed out rather than talking about it like an adult. She was an overgrown toddler. A pest he no doubt regretted.
"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 would probably give up on him eventually, too. And Sera. They were disappointed in him for the war, for Lyra, for Anneke. It was only a matter of time before he fell in love and then they'd disown him 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
(I want to feel bad for him but he’s making it so hard lol)
Her stomach hurt and her brain flitted back to the mead. She’d never gotten drunk before. But, for the first time — in earnest — it felt appealing. Rönn had said Jerica was drunk when they met — and they were the same age. If Jerica could drink away her problems, why couldn’t Ky? Why did everyone patronize Ky so much? All the time? Always? It’s not like a goblet or two of mead would hurt anything. If anything it might take the edge off and make her think more rationally about all 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]
(He's a difficult character) (I'm gonna fix him one day don't worry)
(Ky no)
Tomhas stayed balled up; it was best not to think at all.
"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
