Ewan picked at a thread on his sleeve, watching her. "So...you're going elsewhere after this, yes? To the other Houses?"
"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
“Presumably,” Rana confirmed with a nod. “… then again, it seems my father had plans I wasn’t aware of. So it’s hard to say what his actual intent is… sorry about him, by the way. He put us all in an awkward spot. It was… forward 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 tugged at his beard, scratching his chin through it in discomfort. "It was...unexpected. I think I messed that interaction up a little. He didn't consult you before making that suggestion?"
"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
Rana hesitated, blushing and avoiding eye contact, then gave a hesitant shake of her head. “He… rarely does, to be honest.”
"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 sorry to hear that." He looked down at the ground, scuffing his shoes on the ground. "...My mothers will refuse the offer, you know. But there are other sons and daughters in the North. Do you think your father will offer you to them?"
"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
“Undoubtedly.” Rana shrugged, leaning up against the wall. “It is what it is. I think I’m coming to terms with the idea, depending on who says yes to his offer.”
"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]
Ewan looked at her in surprise. "You wouldn't rather be free to do as you please? It sounds like you have a lot of passion for language--we don't have any universities up here; you'd have to travel far to get a good education if you married one of our nobles."
"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
Rana shrugged again, looking at the far wall for an excuse to not look at him. “I’ve never been free to do as I please. Why should I expect it to start now?”
"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]
Ewan opened his mouth, attending to encourage her to look beyond the immediate constraints, then stopped himself. His parents would say not to interfere unless he knew the whole story. "I'm sorry you find yourself in such a difficult position," he said instead. "...On the bright side, you might not be as stuck if you marry into another family. The Ashes have no children that are of age for a betrothal, nor do the Loquiturs. So they'd have to appeal to cousins if they wanted such a union to occur. Cousins tend to have more socio-political freedoms than the children of actual Lords."
"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
“That’s good to know,” Rana said, glancing at him. “Don’t the Loquiturs have two daughters my age, though? Isn’t that kind of what started this mess?”
"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]
"Yes...but Lord Loquitur's not likely to marry some of his own offspring away to some stranger a second time. Once bitten and all that." He sighed. "Poor Lyra. We played together as children, you know."
"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]
"Yes--our parents have been on good terms for a long time, so they'd take us along on business trips. Lyra was too little to look after herself back then so I'd help babysit. She was three and I was seven, I think." He smiled faintly. "We were like siblings, the two of us."
"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
“That’s sweet.” Rana smiled a little, though she doubted his math. Didn’t they have a six year gap? Oh well. “She sounds like a kind person.”
"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]
(Lyra's fourteen or fifteen and he's eighteen I believe)
"She was. Is." There was sadness in his eyes. "I wish I could have helped. Hopefully she's doing well 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
