I agree to it myself.
Not the protocol.
Not the leash.
Just one appearance.
Publicly.
Deliberately.
I walk into the council wing mid-morning with a neutral expression and say, “I’ll attend the communal meal tonight.”
The room stills slightly.
It is not unusual for me to attend.
It is unusual for me to volunteer.
“High attendance,” I add calmly. “Transparency helps.”
The phrasing is intentional.
Transparency.
The elder who drafted the stabilisation language nods once, almost relieved.
“Good,” he says. “Visibility reduces speculation.”
Speculation.
They think I am conceding ground.
They think I am softening.
They think they have pushed enough pressure to guide me into compliance.
I let them think it.
The rest of the day is theatre.
I move through routine like someone acc
