open | your name is on a lot of quotes in this book

[nineteenfortyfive]

Who: Claire Fraser (nineteenfortyfive) & you
What: May things, lots of moping Claire... forgive me.
When: May
Where: Olympia
Warning(s): General Outlander warnings.



I. THE MARKET

[Her marriage is in an unpleasant place and she doesn't know how to fix it. Percy is in stasis. Ramsay is back. Theon was, for a brief moment, back in stasis as well, but only returned in a worse state than he was. It's been a lot to contend with on top of being so recently tortured (her her hands remain in gloves as her nails grow back, the last of the damage left), and one afternoon as Claire's in the market, standing before a fruit stand, it all catches up to her.

For someone who urges others to confide in someone, anyone, often herself, she doesn't follow her own advice.

She pushes other shoppers out of the way as she suddenly finds it hard to breathe, hard to keep her eyes from welling with tears, and if she slams into anyone there's no apology as she stumbles out and away.

She stops when she comes to a fountain, gasping and sobbing, a hand clutching at her neck as if there's something suffocating her, chest heaving rapidly. No, nothing physical, just an overwhelming sense of sadness. A sadness that turns into more of a frustrated panic as she tries to calm herself, leaning over the water.]

II. THE TRAIN/FLONA COVE

[Percy did have an affinity for water.

Claire knows she can't watch over Theon 24/7. He needs to stand on his own, and he can, and so Claire takes some hours for herself and heads to the beach. She's always enjoyed train rides. Perhaps she's even in the mood for conversation with whoever happens to sit by her.

At the beach, instead of collapsing on the sand and considering letting the waves wash her away, she takes a stroll, skirts tied up over her knees so she can walk in the small waves without getting drenched.

Now and then she stops to pick up a shell. By the end of it, she's got a hefty collection held in her skirt, and dumps her prizes where she's left her shoes.

Well. Now what to do with them?]

III. STASIS

[She spends more time here than she'd ever admit. She makes it sound like her visits are brief. They're not. On leave from the Sanctuary, she's had a lot of time to simply be.

Today, she stands before her daughter's pod. What she'd give to be able to touch her red hair, or at least feel her skin, make sure it's warm. All she can so is press her hands against the glass.]

Sometimes I think you're luckier, in there. Though you'd probably throw a fit at me saying that. I know you'd rather be here, too. I know.

[[ooc: pls choose your flavor of sad mom, or hit me with a wildcard! Oooooor send me a PM if you'd like me to whip up a starter, and I'd be happy to.]]

Comments

[nineteenfortyfive]

"He is." And will perhaps be more so, one day. "Jamie's saved my life a number of times, and he's fond of Sansa. He'd never let anything happen to her."

They called him Red Jamie during the uprising. It wasn't only the color of his hair that earned the name, but the enemies slain. Ramsay might be a snake, but Jamie's not to be trifled with, especially on his wife's orders.

"If you know his sister as Yara instead of Asha, then... I did hear that Theon was..." Claire trails off, frustrated. "That he got better, somewhat. He was always so upset when it came to multiple versions of Westeros." So, Daenerys, Jon, Sansa come from one Westeros while Stannis and Theon come from another. She's beginning to think Ramsay came from the former. Perhaps. But she's decided long ago it doesn't matter. Ramsay is bound to be a monster in any Westeros. "He was always so troubled about so much."

She sighs, rubbing her temple. She's been tired since before Theon returned, and all the more so trying to figure out how to best help him. "He's terrified of forgetting who he is. Of not being Theon. The outside is shattered, but not beyond my fixing, and the inside is... bad. It'll take time. He's not lost."

She won't ever believe that.

"But Ramsay is a problem. Theon will always be in danger of slipping if Ramsay is awake."

[dorzalta]

"Good, she remains under my protection, for however much that means in this world." Too little, when things grow tumultuous because of antagonistic individuals. "But I'm too far south, and I've no dragon to ride, were she to ever need my aid immediately."

It's a 'thank you,' unspoken.

"He was. I don't know of all those details, only rumors. Things his own people gossiped about, things my Hand told me. When I met Theon Greyjoy, he was... quiet, but respectful, and with enough of a spine to speak up to bolster his sister's words."

She falls silent, listening to Claire, watching her.

"You adopt his troubles as your own in your worry for him." That has her sighing through her nose, her look not one of reprimand, but tinged with concern. She knows all too well the toll it takes on a person to watch one they care for struggle. Couple that with one's own torture... "You've a good heart. It's enough to reach him. He needs someone there to remind him of not only who he is, but what he is. Leave Ramsay to Sansa and I."

[nineteenfortyfive]

An unspoken thanks, but it's not needed. Claire's been fond of Sansa from the moment she met her, and over the near-year they've been here, her affections have only grown. If anything ever happened to her while she or Jamie were around, she'd never forgive herself.

Quiet and respectful isn't Theon. He's quiet and fearful now, polite out of the worry that speaking out might earn him more pain. Claire never thought she'd be urging him to talk back, to fight, but she hopes that one day he'll be a little less like a frightened rabbit. He's been strong enough to survive Ramsay. He'll be strong enough to regain himself.

"Leave Ramsay to you and Sansa?" She echoes, brow creasing. "Do you have something planned?"