"Good day to you." He smiled at her, and Stur dipped his head. The other two Drummers, who had been listening intently, merely gaped at 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
Jerica offered a tiny awkward smile then turned and walked away. Ky was nearby festering. She’d heard the whole thing and was just short of full on panic mode as she joined her sister, striding away quickly.
“What’s wrong with you?” Jerica glanced at her with a raised eyebrow
“What’s wrong with me?” Ky repeated incredulously.
“…yeah?” Jerica slowed to glance at her.
“What was that?” Ky demanded, gesturing vaguely behind them.
“I… had questions.” Jerica shrugged, then turned away and started walking again, feeling awkward. Ky definitely wasn’t going to drop this, was she?
"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]
Bay had gone into the tavern for a drink; he was seated in his usual corner with a tankard of ale and a plate of dried figs. He'd been nursing the ale quietly and simply watching people come and go, speaking to no one.
"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, you-you-I have questions,” Ky protested, following close behind.
“I probably don’t have answers for you.”
“You’re-you-the gods—?”
“I am not the gods,” Jerica clarified.
“No duh.” Ky scoffed and rolled her eyes. “But… but they… chose…? You?”
“Well… yeah.” Jerica shrugged, glancing back at her. “I mean… seems like it, yeah?” She didn’t like being out in the open like this and started for the tavern, ready to get their horses and head back to the Keep.
"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]
Most people in this tavern knew him by now, one way or another, and they knew he liked his space. Nobody attempted to make conversation with him, though there had been a few nods of acknowledgement when he'd entered. Bay wasn't the sort to go out of his way to make friends.
"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 was backlogging trying to find the name and age Jerica gave Tomhas’s friends lol and in the process saw we had the idea of her running into Myna. Could be a fun time for that now if you’re feeling it?)
“So, what, you’re just gonna leave me?” Ky protested, following behind. “Just when we are getting to know each other?”
“That’s not fair,” Jerica countered.
“No. It’s not fair. That’s my point.”
"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]
Come to think of it, it had been a long since he'd spoken to anyone beyond the Keep walls in a manner other than professional. Most people he'd known were back in the village where he and Gaius had met, and he'd left that place and those people behind happily. Was he happy with being mostly alone? Maybe not. But he wasn't unhappy with it, either.
"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
(Cool! I never did find the info I went looking for tho oops lol)
“Well… you could come with me,” Jerica suggested.
“Absolutely not,” Ky scoffed. “I want nothing to do with the gods or their drummers or any of the other…” she huffed a sigh, unable to find a kind word. “No. And you’re gonna get yourself killed if you go charging off like this.”
“I’m gonna get myself killed no matter what I do,” Jerica pointed out with a shrug. “I’m meant for a fast, short life. It’s just how it is.”
Ky teared up at that. “No!”
“…don’t cry?” Jerica hesitated, uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to people as emotional as Ky. This was… hard. She couldn’t just rationalize Ky onto her side of things.
"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 he might be lonely, if he thought about it, but he was focused enough on his work that he didn't often realize it. That was usually how he liked it--nose to the grindstone, no time for thinking.
"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
“Look… it’ll be okay,” Jerica said awkwardly, glancing around in hopes one of Ky’s friends might be around to comfort her. Or at least Rek. But she didn’t see him. “I’m not leaving right away, okay? I told them I need more time.”
“But then you’re gonna go!” Ky felt absolutely betrayed. Just when she started to trust someone new, she was getting abandoned. Yet again. Just her luck.
"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
(Are you gonna have Myna walk up on em? Or nah?) (Also I found it. Jerica was pretending to be named Ellie, 19, and Viol was calling her Stoneturner as a roast for being nosy)
"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 thought I'd wait; I thought we wanted to talk to Tomhas's friends. But we can have Myna come in if you want! And thanks for reminding 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
(Ahhh oop that makes sense lol I was lingering thinking you’d bring Myna in first since they’re currently arguing about the gods and such but I’m totally fine to do Tomhas friends first if you’d rather!)
Jerica sighed. “Look… let’s just… go back to the Keep, okay? There are a lot of people around. We probably shouldn’t be talking about this…”
Ky sighed. “We have to wait for our escort.”
“Pff. I am an escort. It’ll be fine.” Jerica started to untie Ranofer.
“Please don’t,” Ky murmured miserably. “You’ll get us in trouble. We should wait.”
Jerica looked at her for a moment then sighed. “Fine… where do you think they all went? Maybe we can see how much longer they’ll all be?”
“I don’t know.” Ky shook her head.
“…maybe in the tavern?” Jerica could use a drink before they left. She started for the doors.
“Uh… we’re not… supposed to go in the tavern…” Ky murmured hesitantly, eyeing her and the doors uncomfortably.
“Pff, what are you, twelve?” Jerica pulled the door open. “We’re grown adults; we can do what we want.” She strode inside, leaving Ky hemhawing outside for a moment before reluctantly following her in.
"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]
Viol and Helge were seated at their usual table, a fair distance from Bay. They were talking quietly.
"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
