"I know who you are."

"Oh. Yes."

"You were going to give me an etiquette lesson?"

"Yes, I'm uh." Oh god this shade hates her and she still needs to give advice and she hates this more than when someone tried to knock her out to steal her rations.

"Um. Yes. I guess I just sort of pretend I am in a fantasy book and she's the queen and make stuff up that fits with that?"

"She appears to have, uh, tone of voice requirements."

"Oh uh. What tone did you have?"

"I wasn't even talking to her. I think I sounded slightly amused when referring to her as my queen."

"Oh. Uh, I think um. If she thinks you are making fun of the royalty thing that could come across even worse than if you just don't do it?"

"Are there people who just don't do it and she accepts this?"

"No, even the other cell block leaders do it at least a bit, I think. Some people get away with doing it differently from other people? Like someone might act like they are a royal advisor or something and she'll sometimes play along."

"What does that wind up looking like?"

"She... treats them differently when she's talking to them?"

"On their part."

"Oh, they uh. Offer advice about things and act somewhat superior to other people."

"Does this affect their phrasing or demeanor in any way that might be imitable."

"They talk down to other people and interject into conversations to have ideas about things, but not to contradict hers - other people just avoid talking around her."

"Do any of the other shades talk?"

"Not to people other than her."

"Just because they mumble? Do they - gesture, take independent actions at all -?"

"They do make gestures and things - I can't tell how much of it is because she wants them to?"

"Aren't I special."

Nod.

"But you don't have formal protocols, it's just a matter of convincingly and consistently demonstrating that you take the court arrangement seriously in one way or another?"

"Yeah."

"Are people literally beheaded for failing at this?"