Gaius dipped his head, and Sara nudged him slightly. He gave no reaction.
"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 glanced at him, trying to give him a second chance, but knowing he wouldn’t take it. She turned away again and started for one of the carriages.
"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 was visibly tense; he had been worried she'd try to hug him. Sara's memories were mixing with his own as she looped her arm through him, and he was thankful most of them were good ones. He'd see Ky again soon enough; he didn't see a need for an elaborate goodbye, and frankly he was beginning to dislike her. She was stubborn and childish--not entirely her fault, he knew without looking, but it frustrated him still. He knew her potential now, what she could become capable of, and seeing her maturity crawl along at a snail's pace was going to be endless torment for him. She would get home safely, though, and perhaps that would help her settle her mind and her fears. She deserved a break, he had to admit. It'd been a long time since she'd been home.
"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 came sprinting over and plowed into the twins. “Why can’t you come with us? I told Papa I could be really small like this-“ she balled up to demonstrate. “And if you’re really small we can all fit then you can come too!”
"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]
Mattathias wrapped Tasia in a tight hug. "Why can't you stay here?" he asked. "That way we don't have to go anywhere!"
"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
“But Ky’s gotta go home.” She hugged him back just as tight. “And if you come too then you can see Oscar ad Peter and Annananaleesey and Miss Ankekkek and baby Raina and Mr King if he’s still there.”
"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]
"We see them a lot anyway!" "Except the king," Marcella added. "He lives far away."
(This whole civilization is uprooted; there is so little that is canon now What have I done)
"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
(XD you have yeeted my crackheads into your carefully constructed world Corrupted your boys And had a blast)
“Well let’s go see em then!” Tasia tried to tug the twins towards the carriage.
"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]
(You exposed the cracks that eighth grade me didn't notice and I'm forever thankful for that Even if it means pulling the technological advancements of the Northern Realm back until it's basically pre-Christian Norway and Finland with smatterings of Iceland)
"We gotta wait!" Marcella pulled her hand away, then hugged Tasia quickly. "This is my home."
"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
(<3 happy to help, it’s been a blast lol Even more dynamic refinement than reviews xD)
Tasia pouted at that. “But I’ll miss you!”
"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]
(Precisely! It's nice to have the characters in action so I see what does and doesn't work. Castles, for example. Not heat-efficient nor worth the labor.)
"We'll miss you too. But we can see each other again!"
"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
(Heh yeahhh Draft 17: Gaius’s crippled ass crawling into an igloo lmao)
Tasia stuck out her bottom lip. “Not if I gotta go home. You’ll never find me then.”
"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 promise I won't take it back that far He's got a lovely wooden hall now and a significantly smaller population to watch over.)
"Papa will help us find you! He's got people to help find things."
"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
(Aww nice :’) If you ever need a beta reader let me know I know you’re not close to that point currently but I’d be happy to shout at Gaius in the future xD)
Tasia had almost forgot about him. “You will?” She whirled around and clambered towards him, wrapping herself around his legs and looking up at him with pleading eyes. She was filled with childish grief and hope all mixed into one, worried that she wouldn’t see her friends again and also not quite comprehending how far of a distance they’d come.
"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]
(Aww thanks I'll let you know if I need one; it'll certainly be different from this version of the world. Slavery isn't as much of a thing for one)
Gaius let out a small huff of shock as her emotions hit him--feelings he'd had before, decades ago, but always minor compared to his other emotions. He kept holding of Sara to support himself and tried to disentangle himself. "I will," he managed, head spinning.
"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'll let you know if I need one; it'll certainly be different from this version of the world.
