nysalogs | ( OPEN ) i don't know whether to pity you...

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( OPEN ) i don't know whether to pity you...

Who: sansa stark (

unprays) and YOU! also various others, probably.
What: sansa deals with the yet another untimely death of her husband, is a good wolf owner and takes one step further towards a career in gunslinging. or something.
When: early february
Where: olympia, edrathe ruins, wyver & stasis
Warning(s): your standard game of thrones warnings apply...

i. edrathe ruins — the obligatory direwolf prompt

[ it is lucky for her that Lady is small enough for most people to consider her a larger, domestic dog whenever she is out and about in Wyver — yet a wolf is always a wolf, and so she heads for the ruins where Lady can run around freely, hunt for whatever wildlife she comes across.

( a. ) it's something she never had a chance to do, back home, watching Lady run around and hunt; perhaps then she'd have been horrified by the small game caught and slaughtered in front of her, but now it seems as natural as anything... as long as Lady doesn't try to bring her the food she's caught.

but should anyone happen to try and approach them when Lady has her catch of the day in front of her, they'll be met with growling and a howl — loud enough for Sansa to hear and look up to see what is going on. ]

Lady, stop that! [ she's fairly sure whoever's coming closer is not a threat...

( b. ) but a wolf requires rest, too. they sit together, Sansa on what was once a pillar, now broken and covered in moss, and Lady next to her, curled around her feet. occasionally, she leans down, runs her hand over Lady's head, whispering, ] ... good girl.

ii. wyver — a girl with a gun

[ if someone, anyone had told Sansa she would ever own what she considers a modern version of a bow and would willingly train herself to use it, she'd likely have laughed at them, told them they have mistaken her for her sister. courtesy had ever been her armor, the training she received from Littlefinger her weapon: she had never owned a real one, not in Westeros.

here, though, women were armed as often as men, and no one seemed to find it at all strange. different customs, she supposed, and ones she would have to adjust to — not least because she never again wanted to feel as helpless as she had, back home.

( a. ) she chooses Wyver, for she spends less time there, some ways off from the city, a clearing in the jungle where she can carve an x on a tree and walk to the other side, holding the gun as Ocelot had taught her to, taking aim. the sound of the gunshot is followed by the flap of wings, birds scared off from their places on the treetops.

she walks closer to her target, an unhappy frown on her lips when she sees the bullet hit nowhere near the mark. ]

Not good enough, [ she whispers, turning around, ready to try again.

( b. ) it's not a surprise that the frequent sounds of gunshots echoing in the jungle would draw attention, and yet she is so focused that when she hears the rustle of leaves and bushes, she turns around, already on edge, and calls out, ]

Who's there? [ after the recent events, it's probably not that strange for her to be on high alert, still. ]

iii. stasis unit — a widow's farewell

[ of course she goes to see him. after the body has been hidden, after all the blood has been washed off of her dress and Lady's fur, when enough time has passed — she leaves the surface and goes to the station. her mind won't rest easy until she's sure.

and so one may catch her there, standing in front of the pod of a man with dark hair and a smile on his lips, a smile that makes her feel as uneasy as ever. it isn't the smile of someone who's lost. and yet... the undeniable truth is here for all to see: he is back in his pod, sleeping... for now. hopefully for ever. ]

Sleep well, Lord Bolton. [ when she speaks, it is with the finality of a promise: should he wake, she will be here. waiting. and this time, she'd make sure he never makes it away from the station. ]

iv. wildcard — you know the drill

[ individual starters in comments for murder things; if you want something else that isn't included in the open prompts, feel free to write me something or hit me up on plurk @ celen and i'll write us something! ]

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[ It just so happens that Loras is in the jungle this day as well. He's here on more or less business, doing is duty to his chosen city and chosen occupation by performing a routine check of the areas surrounding the cities. Loras has yet to find anyone conspiring against Wyver or abandoning the city, nor has he found anyone trying to seek refuge, either. He suspects today will be much the same.

Imagine, then, the way it startles him when he comes across Sansa. When she turns she'll be met with him face to face. ]

Lady Sansa. [ His surprise is evident in his voice. ]

[ Theon visits stasis fairly often, to glower at his sister or to be certain that Robb is still there. Today, he visits with the same purpose as Sansa: to be certain that Ramsay is truly there,

He bristles when he sees her, a cold distance in his expression and in the space between them. Before, he felt as though he could trust Sansa more than Jon. Now, he isn’t so certain. ]

I think you’ve made quite certain that he will.

[ He doesn’t know why he’s so angry, and he doesn’t know why he’s upset. His bandaged hand is evidence enough of the harm that Ramsay did to him, but it’s Sansa and Jon that he’s angrier with. It’s so difficult for him to trust, but he did trust Ramsay. Ramsay was honest with him—or what Theon interpreted to be honest. Now, he feels as though he’s alone. ]

Congratulations.

[Her pilgrimages to visit have decline somewhat. Rather than every day, time has seen Mai's visits stretch into several times a week now. She stays away chiefly on purpose, quietly terrified she'll begin looking at the pods as more tombs than temporary sleeping vessels. In some ways it's already begun to happen and on those days, Mai keeps her distance.

Today is a day she can stand to look at the sleepers. And today is a day she can walk down the rows of faces she doesn't even know, losing herself in wondering what all of their stories may be. She's not exactly dying to get to know all of them but it's a great distraction from her own thoughts.

People talking to the pods isn't quite so odd but in a way, she almost recognizes Sansa's expression. She flicks her gaze over to the pod - he looked vaguely familiar, though Mai certainly didn't know him. She never kept up on who posted on the network or who a majority of the newly awakened may be.]

Yeah. Sleeping.

[She's not snuck up but she hasn't stomped her way forward either. Her words are murmured and she sighs a little after them, arms crossed as she regards a few of the other nearby pods.]

[Out of the three Starks in the house, it's easily Sansa that Claire spends the most time with. Some nights their chats about the world, the people here, or simply their experiences run so late that Claire invites Sansa to simply stay in her room instead of taking the brief walk back to hers. It's nice. She enjoys the company, and she sees that Sansa does, too. Tonight, Claire's opened up with the offer, and now she's sweetening the deal with braiding Sansa's hair. A french braid, a little more ornate than what she'd do to herself, but it's easier when you can see the back of the head you're working on. Claire sets the brush down on the bed, grabbing a ribbon she's found among her belongings.]

There. Not too tight, is it? I hope I haven't lost my touch. [She smiles as she smooths down a stray strand of red.] Brianna never wanted me to braid her hair once she figured out how to do it on her own.

[Not for any dislike of her mother's touch, but because she simply preferred to do it herself.]

[Kagari hears her rather than sees her, first. Or more accurately, he hears the gunfire. On one hand, he should probably just avoid it; it's probably just some Wyver dumbasses getting into a fight about how and when they should crush Olympia, which is about the last thing he wants to get involved in, but you know what they say about curiosity and cats.

What he finds is a great deal better than what he expected, and he grins, dashing over to greet her. Because that's definitely the correct reaction to someone with a gun who may or may not be startled. Whatever, it's probably fine. Probably.]

Heyyyy, it's Candid Girl!

[Sorry, Sansa, he never did get your name back in front of that giant skeleton. whoops.]

[ every once in a while she'll travel to wyver. despite it not always being welcoming and a bit of a journey (if she goes the old fashion way), lena finds it to be worth it. her friends are the ones that make it easy.

sansa is one of the first people she attempts to find, zipping away while doing so. it's when she basically blinks into a existence that she hears a growling sound. ]

Easy, doggy, I'm not here to hurt anyone.

[ It's not uncommon for 76 to patrol through the jungles of the Undergrowth, or the immediate areas around Wyver proper. Sometimes he does it as a part of Ryder duty, but sometimes (like this time) it's when he's off the clock and simply needs something to do, to work out his restlessness.

Sometimes he comes across a strange animal or a plant that seems to have a mind of his own, and he's grown used to that, but he generally doesn't hear gunshots echoing through the trees. Naturally, he moves to investigate the noise as soon as he hears it.

As he appears into a clearing, he spots a girl who looks startled and nervous. 76 spots the firearm in her hands and immediately lifts both of his. He doubts that she's actually going to point the gun at him, but he's gotten himself accidentally shot in the past for not taking the proper precautions. He's got a handgun of his own holstered at his hip, but he makes no move to grab for it. ]

Heard the shots, wanted to see if there were any injuries.

[ It's not an answer to her question, exactly, but it will hopefully calm her down. ]

[You is taking the long way back to Olympia from Wyver after checking on the status of her ~Valentine's Date~ box. She enjoys the wild, even if it's chilly and she's all bundled up.

Her journey has taken her past the ruins, which she finds fascinating in a kinda dull historical way; history and the past have never been her strong suit.

Today, though, it's a little different. She sees a large gray furred shape at the bottom of a broken pillar, and before You even recognizes that there's a woman on top of it, the wolf is already standing and looking at her.

You's eyes go wide as she's faced with a dire wolf. What is it about traveling to Wyver and having run-ins with local wildlife like this?] A-ah... g-good dog...!

Ser Loras!

[ the surprise is there, too, for her — she moves her hand slightly behind her, in a faint attempt to hide the gun. ]

I wasn't expecting to see you here. [ then, she smiles. ] But it's a good surprise.

[ she heard it all from Jon. what Theon had said, what he'd refused to do. how angry Jon had been with him. she'd tried to understand — tried, and failed. Theon had told her before to stop thinking of him like the Theon she remembered... and maybe he was right. maybe the Theon she knew was gone.

the Theon she knew would never have sided with Ramsay over anyone, not again. not with his free will.

and still, knowing that, the anger in his voice wounds her; she draws herself taller, prouder, because wounds are a weakness. she can't be weak. ]

You give me credit that is not deserved, [ she says; you blame me without cause.yes, she had been there when Ramsay died... but it had been Lady that had been his demise. clean hands, Lord Baelish had told her. clean hands. ]

You don't sound happy.

[ she doesn't recognize the girl that speaks — in fact, she's so lost in thought that she almost jumps when she realizes she's not here alone.

turning away from Ramsay, Sansa takes in the girl's appearance, her quiet voice, the sigh that follows. it must be what she feels, then, when it comes to those of her family: the fear that their sleep may be the kind that never ends. it's rare, for one to look at someone in the pod and hope they never wake. ]

Do you doubt their word? [ she asks, instead of offering empty words of consolation or reassurance. she would rather hear what has caused her to sound so. ]

[ He gives a dry laugh. Happy. When was the last time Theon sounded happy, yet alone felt happy? He’s not certain he ever has. Even in moments of joy, there’s always been a bile in the back of his throat or a dark cloud looming overhead—something to embitter the experience. ]

Neither do you.

[ He raises his eyebrows and forces a smirk, trying to make himself appear less angry, but it doesn’t help. He still looks cold and bitter, and he still can’t figure out why. He had begun to rely too heavily on Ramsay’s half-truths for guidance, but he hasn’t realized just how heavily. He hasn’t realized a great many things, like how easily manipulated he was, or how he keeps punishing himself for his own wrong-doings. To him, Ramsay was his one source of honesty, and his spell hasn’t broken. ]

You still played your role. You’re pleased to be rid of him. You and Jon both.

[ Oh, he's most definitely noticed it. He's simply too polite to look at her obvious hiding, or to bring it up. ]

I should say the same for you. I thought you'd all returned to Olympia. Not that I'm unhappy to see you, of course. [ He adds it quickly, in case he's somehow given her the wrong impression. ] The opposite, in fact.

Sometimes.

[A lot of the time as of late. She hates it about herself but she can't help but doubt them as time rolls on and all of them continue to sleep. Or look like they're sleeping, at least.]

It's easy enough for them to just say, "Oh they'll definitely wake up when they're healed and ready." Their technology is way beyond anything I'm used to so where do I have room to accurately judge if they're telling the truth or not.

Edited 2018-02-07 14:40 (UTC)

[ their time together has been a respite — an escape from the constant worry and anxiety and, for the past few days, the exhaustion that followed everything that had happened with Ramsay.

(she hadn't spoken much of it: Byerly had made her realize that the guards had their way of finding out what had happened, and didn't take too kindly to murder, even if it was warranted.she'd taken care of Ramsay to make sure Jon didn't do it: he'd have been too honest, and they'd have caught him, she thinks. she lies better, and no one will suspect a girl like her.)

there are still bruises on her arms, but she doesn't think of them, now; it's nice, sitting here, with Claire braiding her hair. it reminds her of her mother, the time when they would sit and she would brush her hair, after having sent the maid away. her mother always loved brushing her hair, but Sansa thinks she might have loved it even more. ]

It's perfect, [ she is quick to reassure. ] Would you tell me more of her? Brianna.

[ the tight grip she has on the gun lessens when she sees his red hair, red like hers, and hears his bright greeting — yes, she remembers him well. she breathes out; not a threat, then. it likely doesn't matter, even if he's seen her with the weapon. ]

Candid Girl? [ puzzled, for a moment, before she makes sense of what he calls her. it's akin the names given to some knights, she supposes, something that matches with what they've said or done.

then, she ducks her head, smiles. ]

It's Sansa. Sansa Stark. Forgive me for not having said it earlier.

Lady!

[ she's yelling louder, now, as Lady growls at Lena, teeth bared until Sansa hurries to her, places her hand on Lady's head. ] No, that's a friend. She's not a threat!

[ when Lady quiets down, Sansa lifts her head to look at Lena with a smile that's both pleased and apologetic at once. ]

Sorry about that. She's been a little bit on edge, lately.

[ he lifts his arms, and Sansa stares. for a moment, the action seems outright bizarre to her — at least until she realizes what she's holding. that it's a show of caution, the man making himself seem like not a threat... and considering her someone to be cautious of.

she's not quite sure how that makes her feel. is this what Arya feels like, with Needle in her hand, or a dagger, or any other weapon? her own weapon for so long had been nothing but her mind and words — and even then, she had barely been able to act according to her own will.

it's strange. it's... nice.

at his words, she breathes a laugh and glances towards the tree. then, sardonically, ]

I believe the only casualty has been the poor tree. It may require some medical assistance yet.

You!

[ it's not exactly who Sansa would have expected to see, out here — but then, perhaps she isn't the most expected sight here, either. at least it seems like You is focused on Lady, so much that she doesn't see Sansa there... at least until she starts to stand up, smiling. ]

Don't be afraid, Lady won't hurt you.

[ it's very sweet of him — it allows her to maintain the illusion, at least for a while longer. she's not looking forward to explaining it all to anyone from home. ]

We have, [ she answers. ] We did. I just like to visit, every once in a while. [ then, a brighter smile, ] It is always good to see friends.

[It's only now that You glances up and sees the young woman sitting there. Her eyes widen.] --oh! Sansa!

[Now that she's looking at it... the (dog? wolf? dogwolf?) is kind of curled protectively around where Sansa's sitting. Instantly, her perception of it changes from "wild animal" to "protective pupper."] Is... is she yours?

I didn't know you had a... pet! [Yes. Not committal about the type. She's still not sure.

Shiitake's a large dog, but this is larger still.]

[ she doesn't comment on that — she's happy yet not. it's hard to be, really,when the reality is that Ramsay could open his eyes at any moment, walk out of the pod and laugh at her for thinking even for a moment she could truly be rid of him.

but focusing on Theon is just as miserable as focusing on her once-husband; he's cold, and there's a cruel edge to his smile, unhappy and angry, though she can't quite decide who it's aimed for. maybe it's her. maybe it's himself. ]

And you're not? Theon, you can't be serious. I thought you'd be pleased, too. He's a monster, you know that! As long as he was awake, he was a danger to everyone.

[Smiling, Claire reaches out to place the braid over one of Sansa's shoulders. She doesn't often get to talk about Bree--it's odd when your daughter is closer to the age of most of your friends than you yourself.]

Well. She has red hair like yours, like Jamie's. She looks a lot like him. Her mannerisms, too. But after talking to your father it sounds like she and Arya came from the same stock. Proud, stubborn, strong... independent to a fault.

She likes reading, and history. And being outside in the sun.

[Not sleeping her life away in a pod.]

[ her mouth is a thin line as she nods — she understands the point all too well. Westeros had no technology like this, no magic or tricks or arts that could have done anything of the sort. ]

They could be lying to us and we'd never know.

[ then, looking back at the pod, ] ... but some do wake. Why does it differ? Why do others wake and stay awake, while others wake for a time and then go back? While some never wake at all.

Sansa-chan, huh?

[There's a little bit of an accent to his voice as he says it; Sansa's name is much more amenable to his tongue than many names around here, but the vowels are still a little off.]

That's cute, I like it. I'm Kagari.

[He...doesn't offer his first name. Mostly because he doesn't particularly want to be called Shuusei, the name his parents used to call him.]

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( OPEN ) i don't know whether to pity you...

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ii. a+b comboish?

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oh no this is cute

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