Semi-closed

[reek]

Who: Theon Greyjoy (reek) & Various
What: Theon got a canon update! It's not pretty. Here's a catchall.
When: May
Where: Olympia...mostly not leaving his home tbh
Warning(s): Typical ASOIAF/GoT warnings & added torture mentions



[ Starters will be in the comments! If you would like one and we haven't talked about it yet, PM me or grab me at muttonchops, or just wildcard me. Theon will largely not be around Olympia, but he will visit the stasis units closer to the end of the month if you want to catch him then. ]

Comments

[ininhuman]

Well, I doubt that.

[ And since it's clear that Theon has no intentions of saying what befell him to turn him this way, Maximus has to move on to the next point of curiosity. While he does recognize that perhaps Theon needs to rest, that can happen after.

Theon can have all the time in the world to rest. Maximus needs to know now. ]

Where were you? You'd be alarmed at how many people were asking for you.

[reek]

Home.

[ But that’s wrong, isn’t it? He never went home, and he can never go home again. All they did was give him new memories and somehow force him into this shell of what he once was. All that’s keeping him from believing he’s gone mad once more is the knowledge that the same thing happened to Claire and Sansa.

He shakes his head quickly, showing that he realizes his mistake. ]

Stasis.

[ He would wish to remain there, but not if it means enduring life within those memories. ]

Who was asking for me…?

[ininhuman]

The people that know you.

[ Who else?

But Stasis, hmm, that's interesting. Maximus is quietly fascinated that Theon going to Stasis for a few days can have such a dramatic effect, that somehow he can receive a part of his life that otherwise shouldn't have been experienced. ]

Come, sit down. You look like you're going to fall over.

[reek]

[ That narrows it down, he thinks irritably, but of course he doesn’t say it.

Plenty of people know him, but the trouble is that he’s done a very poor job making actual friends here. When the politics are stripped away, he never did do a good job at making actual connections. It really is a wonder that he ever managed to form any friendships at all.

He obeys without question, because he does feel like he’s going to fall over. Maybe he never left stasis, but he still feels every step of that walk through the snow with Jeyne. He still feels the cold wind cutting through him, and he shivers as he curls into himself. Maybe that’s just how frail he’s become. He doesn’t now. He doesn’t care. ]

Was he looking for me?

[ He shoots a worried glance over his shoulder at the door. Is it locked? Lock it, you fool. Be certain. ]

[ininhuman]

Not to my knowledge.

[ Maximus follows his gaze. He's smart enough to make a show of latching he door, then moves to find ... Something. No one's ever comforted Max before, so he's uncertain how, exactly, to comfort someone in turn. ]

He made an announcement on the network to let us all know that he had nothing to do with it. I think he'll be more upset you came back.

[reek]

[ Theon watches with wide eyes, but even the latch sliding into place doesn’t seem to offer him much comfort. Like Maximus, he’s lived most of his life not being comforted. He doesn’t expect it to begin now, and he doesn’t wish to be pitied, but he’s wound tightly and sitting rigidly, like the sound of a pin dropping could send him leaping from his chair.

He is absolutely terrified, and all he can do is titter nervously, looking half crazed with fear. ]

He didn’t. Have anything to do with it. He had nothing to do with it.

[ The disappearance part, at least. It’s very clear that he’s not talking about…everything else. ]

You can’t tell him I’ve come back. Please. He’ll—he’ll be more than upset. He’ll take another finger. He’ll take my name from me again. Theon. You--you have to remember your name.

[ininhuman]

No, I'm well aware.

[ Both of what Theon says and what Theon doesn't say. Maximus can only assume that there's just one person capable of putting Theon in this state, after all. ]

I'll never forget my name. Nor yours. And should you start to slip, I'll readily remind you. I'm not about to go inviting him over tea, am I?

[reek]

[ Theon falls silent as he contemplates the question. After being in a situation where everything was set up as a trick, it’s difficult to trust easily, but after a long moment he decides, no, Maximus wouldn’t do that. Theon recalls a vague thought he’d had long ago in which he’d dared to compare Maximus to Robb. Maybe he’d been wrong, trying desperately to see something that wasn’t there, but he should still be able to trust Maximus.

He shakes his head and quietly pleads: ]

I gave you a knife. Kill me if I forget.

[ He refuses to become Reek once more, but the chances of it happening are all too real. ]

[ininhuman]

Theon.

[ Maximus busies himself by getting them a drink. Not tea, and nothing too strong, but it's got enough bite to suit the situation. ]

Because you're dear to me, I'll do it, if that's what you want.

[reek]

It is.

[ That grants him a modicum of comfort, though not enough to stop him from shaking. He of all people should know how easy it is for a man to turn his cloak, but he has to be able to trust Maximus.

After all, no one ever trusted me.

He’s never been given any reason not to trust Maximus, and it isn’t as though he’s asking for much. A cut across the throat should be enough, should the situation ever call for it. ]

I’m sorry. If I caused any trouble.

[ Before, Theon wasn’t ever one to apologize, or to express gratefulness, but things have clearly changed. ]

[ininhuman]

You've been up in Stasis. What possible trouble could you have caused from there?

[ Pity has never been Maximus' strong point. He's good at pretending, but that gets exhausting. He knows Theon requires a bit more patience. ]

It's done. We move forward now.

[reek]

I don’t know. I’m sorry.

[ He whispers, unable to stop himself from apologizing once more. It’s been hammered into him for nearly a year. He can’t drop these mannerisms now, not even for Maximus.

But then Maximus suggests they move forward, away from this topic, so Theon obeys. He doesn’t expect anything from from Maximus, but he immediately feels guilty for putting this upon him. ]

How do we move forward?

[ What he means is how do I move forward? ]