nysalogs | ( closed-ish. ) june catch-all

[ it had been because of him that she'd even thought of it, interviewing other refugees, asking them about their homes, the way they'd been ruled, whether there was peace or war. and though her signing up to the council hadn't been his influence... she thinks it might be useful, still. everything that he spoke of when they last met will be useful.

so in early summer, she makes her way to the same door she'd knocked on, some months previous, and when Enjolras opens the door, a slight smile appears on her lips. then, she says, as a greeting, ]

If you're about to tell me Grantaire isn't here, you may save your breath, as I'm here to see you, not him. May I come in?

[There's a slight delay before Enjolras gets to the door. He's assumed Grantaire and is home and will get it-- but then the man doesn't. With an angry huff he picks up his book (his beloved copy of The Social Contract) and goes for the door.

Finding Sansa there is a surprise, and he almost immediately begins to tell her his housemate isn't here. But, as he's coming to find is usual with her, he's assumed incorrectly.] I- of course, madame. Please come in. [He holds the door for her, which is only polite.] It is not so long since we spoke last. Are you here on the same topic? [He means politics, of course.]

[ she smiles, thinking back to what Grantaire said, about Enjolras and politics and his single-minded focus. ]

You seem like someone who wouldn't appreciate a courtesy call.

[ perhaps she's wrong, and her smile allows for that, for him to tell her she's mistaken... even if she thinks she's not. ] You're right. I have things I wish to speak to you about, if you're not too busy.

[Courtesy calls are things Enjolras is only vaguely aware of. He has no time for them himself, and most of his friends have learned not to bother.

There's a pause before he answers, thinking of what he still has to do today...] I am not so busy that I cannot spare some time to speak with you, madame.

[Sansa had surprised him once before. Surely this would not be a waste of time.]

Thank you, [ comes the answer, and it's not a mockery — she means it. there's much to do, after all, right now, with Ysverai and the heart and everything it might lead to.

she'll do her best not to waste his time, and so she looks at him and says, ]

I want to help you. [ she's given thought to this, done her research, asked around of different forms of government, of peace, of what kept it and what didn't. of common folk, of how they were doing, whether it was only the richest who the society cared about, or everyone. she'd been blind to all of this, once, and only seen it in King's Landing when she realized how terribly Cersei and Joffrey treated the people, and even when they'd taken back Winterfell she couldn't do much, could only help her people, the people of the North, to the best of her ability.

she thinks she could have done better. she thinks they can do better, here. ]

I think you're right, Simwe and Shanrian don't care about the people, not all the people. For much of my life, I was blind, I cared about my family and little else, and then for years I couldn't care about anything, only trying to stay alive. But I saw how the queen made the people suffer, I saw them suffer in the North when I returned home.

[ she breathes in, out. ] We can do better, here. We should do better. And you had people to help you, before, didn't you? [ she remembers what Grantaire spoke of his friends, the revolution. she remembers the memory she unwittingly witnessed. ]

[Enjolras' face is a picture. He begins sceptical, impatient to get back to his book. As Sansa progresses he is first surprised and then completely engaged.

She's not yet finished when he gets to his feet. In lieu of answering he calls over his shoulder-] A moment, please. [A little rude, perhaps, but hopefully she'll have seen enough in his expression to understand he has a purpose in mind.

When he returns a moment later he has the book, Du Contrat Social in his hands. Gently he removes his bookmark.] Here is a book, written by a man who also believed that better could be done than merely subjugating people to the whims of tyrants. If your interest has been piqued by what I have said, then Rousseau will reveal more than I can. [It is not an offer he makes lightly, judging by careful way he holds the book out to her.

But to have someone who shares his passion and sees what he sees- the bright interest in his eyes clearly marks how seriously he has taken her words.]

[ at this point, she is already used to his abrupt way of doing everything, or so it seems, and she only nods and gives him the moment he asks for — when he returns to her, a book in hand, she looks confused, but only for the length of time it takes him to explain. then, her eyes widen as she looks at the way he's holding the book, clearly holding it out for her to take. ]

You — [ she blinks, in surprise, ] You'd give it to me, to read? It's from your home. [ it must mean much to you, she doesn't say. gently, she takes the book. ]

Thank you. I'll make sure to read it carefully. I'm staying with my brother here in Wyver, for a time, and I promise I'll bring it back to you as soon as I am done. [ a pause. ] He's the writer you spoke of, last time, isn't he? I remember the name.

Jean-Jaques Rousseau. He is the one. [He puts his hands behind his back, finding it ridiculous that he feels so attached to a book.] If you have any questions as you read, or... if he alludes to people or places that do not exist in your world, please reach out to me. At any time.

[Reading Rousseau had been a revelation. He hopes it's the same for her.]

I'm sure I will have many questions as I read, and when I am done reading.

[ if this was the court, she would be sure to add something like I am glad I have someone so well-read to discuss this with, but she knows he doesn't need flattery, nor is is it required of her. ]

There was something else I wanted to speak about. I talked to some of the other refugees, about their homes, the way they were governed. I thought it might help, to have some insight into what kind of rulers or ways of ruling the others were used to.

Yes, I recall you began to say as such- [The reason for her visit. It's an engaging topic, one he hasn't thought to purse, caught up as he's been (as he always is) in the present moment, the present situation.]

I am very interested. Engaged, even. What have you learned? You have my full attention.

[ it's a beautiful day, and as such, Sansa would have needed little initiative to leave the house and spend it outside, but Jamie asking her to accompany him somewhere (he'd left it a mystery so far as to the where of it, but she was fine with that — he wouldn't take her anywhere that she wouldn't be comfortable going, she was sure of it) was plenty.

and so here she is, walking alongside him, carrying a little bag with some water bottles with her, just in case. ]

Any chance you would tell me what this surprise trip is about, yet? [ they seem to be heading to the outskirts of the city, to where there are fields and meadows that give way to forest, and she wonders if he intends for them to go hiking... ]

[ He knows how it feels to perhaps be in Sansa's situation. Or at the very least he's aware of what his future holds in living in Paris while Randall is there as well. He can't imagine being there and not being able to run him through. Her having to live here with the knowledge of her wretched "husband" being close must be difficult. But he hasn't seen her complain once. She's a brave girl. Very wise. Claire has been there for him. He knows she's got her kin, but blood isn't where protection ends. Certainly not in his book.

His kilt moves a wee bit in the breeze, but not much. He likely should try to fall into line and embrace a more modern bit of clothing, but since his discussion with that lass on the network he's only gotten more stubborn. Especially when it comes to his kilt. He's left his sword at home for the day, but his dirk is on his person at all times. You never know when you need to gut a husband. ]

Ye could try to pry it from me, but I doubt ye'd be very successful.

[ Jamie gives her a smile. ]

I think ye'll enjoy yerself though. It's always brought me a great deal of comfort.

[ perhaps she should have expected this, after she made the trip to Steve's house for the exact purpose of making sure he's well and alright and dealing with everything, or at least trying to. perhaps she should have expected this, given that she still lives with Claire, and she knows that Claire is friends with both Steve and Peggy.

and yet, when she opens the door to Steve Rogers standing on the other side, she still blinks in surprise... before inviting him in.

initially, she thinks he's here to see Claire instead of her — after all, she has no reason to think he knows of Ramsay, or Theon, or any of it, and there's been no disasters in the city for a while, so no reason for him to be here checking up on her. and yet, when she offers for him to sit in the living room as they wait for Claire to come back from her newly-set up clinic, he says he wanted to speak to her, and Sansa blinks. ]

Of course we can talk... what it is? I hope it's nothing serious. You said you'd recovered alright, didn't you? [ or more like he hadn't said anything at all, and she'd merely inferred as much, but it's enough to get her worrying. maybe he needs something from Claire's clinic and doesn't want to tell Claire as it'd worry her even more... ]

I hope this was a good surprise.

[ after showing up in Wyver completely unannounced, and hugging him in greeting, Sansa steps back with a smile, Lady having already trotted inside the house — it's hard, when part of your family lives in another city, but she's making it work. it's not that long of a way there, especially with Lady, and as long as she keeps her staying in Olympia a secret here from the local populace, they treat her well enough. ]

Perhaps I should have let you know before... are you very busy?

[If his smile isn't enough of an indication, the hug should be. Sansa had been on his mind of late, so to see her standing at the door was more than a relief. It didn't matter how long she was here, having her out of Olympia and away from Ramsay eased his fears.]

No, I'm not busy. I finished with my work at Loras' training hall.

[Which meant he had the day for his sister and would take advantage of that.]

You're not tired from the journey?

[He ushered her in, quickly pouring her something to drink. The heat from Wyver was still a shock to him and he'd past several weeks there.

Ghost greeted Lady with interest, sniffing at her before lying beside her on the floor. Here was another brother that wanted to be near his sister.]

Did you ride here alone?

Good. I had hoped he might spare you, regardless.

[ she had been sure Loras wouldn't have begrudged them that, but at least this way she's not making Jon stop his work too early.

she's wearing the dress Daenerys had given her, some weeks since, with the instructions that she was to wear it when she visited, and she was more than happy to do so. the blue of it reminded her of Margaery, and it made putting aside the dresses she was so used to a little easier.

she takes the glass with a grateful smile. ]

Jamie rode with me for some of the way, and for the rest, Lady was all the company I needed. [ very few people would bother someone with a huge wolf by their side. ]

I stopped to see someone else on the way... I had some information I needed to take to him, so I had a chance to rest a little before coming here.

[He's noticed the dress, but much like the new one at the Wall, he's not sure exactly what to say about it. She's beautiful, but even saying that simply is a bit difficult. He can recognize the style though, as it is similar to what Daenerys wears.]

New dress?

[He didn't doubt that Sansa could look after herself, but it was hard to remove that concern he had for her, the instinct to protect her. She was the only family he had left here. He would do anything to keep her safe, even if it was frustrating for her or a bit too protective.]

Someone? [His subtle way of asking to hear more.] Good, then you aren't too tired to explore with me.

Have you seen the dragon sanctuary?

Yes, a gift from Her Grace. [ on her lips rests a fond smile. ] She gave it to me in hopes I would wear it when visiting. I hope she'll be pleased.

[ she certainly is, with the gift, the consideration and kindness that went into it. it's one thing to know she's always welcome here for Jon, and another to know their queen welcomes her, too. ]

Enjolras. He's... I doubt he'd call us friends. He's smart, and knows much of politics. [ her smile twists into something of a smirk. ] He'd dislike you, for having been a king.

[ and likely would dislike Daenerys even more so, even if he reminds her of the dragon queen — they both burn with a similar fierceness, both are unforgiving when it comes to their cause. ]

No, I haven't. Will you take me?

(no lie i had to check the spelling for his name... was it frederic? freredik? frederique? frederico?? look it could have been anything)

[ even the eerie emptiness of the station doesn't stop her from her weekly visit to her family. she checks on all of them: Arya, Bran, Rickon. Mother, then Father... and finally Robb. she always leaves him last, as that is how the hope that she might find his pod empty lives the longest — and yet, this time when she approaches his sleeping form, the usual melancholy-mixed-with-disappointment she feels is replaced by... confusion.

very confused confusion.

she stares with wide eyes at the scene that unfolds right before her eyes: a man, diligently polishing the pod of the man who sleeps beside Robb — privately, she's named him Blueberry Knight, as his hair is the colour of blueberries — with an ease that tells her he's done this many times before.

(she wonders why this is the first time their visiting hours overlap, and then decides she's not exactly sad they haven't, before.) ]

Are you sure you didn't miss a spot, there?

[ ... yes. this is how she starts the conversation. once, she would have striven to be polite, no matter the situation, but she isn't exactly feeling like being polite, right now. not with something this ridiculous. ]

[ His name is now Senor Fredrico of Ylisse, thanks.

Even with a name change, he would be the same man he always was, protective of his liege and just a little bit not quite right in the head, sometimes. In his younger years, the rumors about his strange behavior had caused him no small amount of unease, but now that he's old(er), he finds little reason to worry about the perceptions of others.

And so when Sansa steps into his field of vision, doubt filling her voice, he turns to her with a somber expression on his face, fully prepared to take her words seriously. ]

Did I? How careless of me. Thank you for pointing that out.

[ And proceeds to immediately polish the spot he'd 'missed.' Thanks, Sansa. And, because he ought to be polite towards this young lady, he speaks up again. ]

Are you here visiting loved ones as well?

[ si, senor!

it only takes her a second to realize he's either missed the joke entirely, or choosing to ignore it — and so, she breathes out, tells herself she's being unkind. dedication like his shouldn't be made fun of. ]

A pleasure to be of service, ser. [ she can't help the slight smile, though. ]

Yes, isn't that why all of us are here? I doubt many are here to visit their enemies. [ with a nod to the adjacent pod, she says, with quiet fondness, ] My brother sleeps here.

[ Dedication like this should absolutely be made fun of—but perhaps on a different day, when he's more susceptible to such things. Even Frederick the Unyielding gets tired and cranky sometimes.

But for now, he's happy to have garnered some company while he tends to his daily chores. Because yes, this does happen daily. ]

There are those with vengeance in their hearts, who visit only to gloat. But I am glad to see you are not one of those, my lady.

[ Because she's obviously a lady, well-mannered and elegant as she is.

He looks over to the aforementioned pod and sees—more dust, to be quite honest. Hm. How can he offer to clean it without causing any offense.... ]

You are quite the devoted sister, to visit your brother as he sleeps. I assume the two of you are close?

[ there's the memory of her standing in front of Ramsay's pod, telling him to sleep well, the memory of her direwolf tearing out his throat fresh in her mind — but he doesn't need to know that.

no protest to the form of address; she may profess to not being a lady here as there's hardly anything left to be the lady of... but perhaps when one is born a lady, one will always remain a lady. ]

I love him very much, [ she says, which is not quite an answer, because it's hard to explain how she always cared about Robb and admired him more than anyone, but that they were separated and he died and she misses him so much it hurts. ]

How about you, ser? Who is he? [ she nods towards the sleeping knight. ]

[ His own story is not nearly so touching, though the affection in his voice is no less real. ]

Ah, you see before you milord Chrom, the Prince of Ylisse. A handsome man, no?

[ It's said enough to himself to warrant no answer, though Frederick certainly won't deny a murmured agreement, should one pass her lips. But many have considered Chrom's features to be particularly fine, and Frederick, as his most stalwart right-hand man, can only sing praises about all of his lord's assets.

All of them.

But later, when he knows this young woman better, perhaps. ]

He was to the be the Exact after his sister passed but...

[ Frederick trails off, the hand with his cleaning rag lifting to gesture around them. ]

As you can see, circumstances did not quite unfold the way any of us expected. [ He looks back at Chrom, gaze growing distant. ] I suppose things worked out, in their own way. He never did want to rule.

[ the hillside is beautiful, in a natural, almost understated way: the wild flowers mingle with weeds, growing high and untamed, a colourful array of mismatched shapes and sizes. they've spread the blanket on the highest point, under the only tree that grows on the meadow, providing just enough shade from the warm sun. on the blanket, there's a bottle of lemonade, along with some small plates with cakes and fruit.

somewhere in the bushes that circle the clearing, Lady runs and hunts what little wildlife there is. Sansa trusts that even if she catches a rabbit or something, she'll have her meal in silence somewhere else... ]

This is a lovely spot, [ she says to Lena, and it feels like her smile has become a permanent feature on her, so much has she been smiling on their way here. ] I'm glad you weren't too busy with the guard to join me here.

[ the world always looks so much brighter when friends and loved ones are around, and it's the entire reason lena is in high spirits. sitting down with her legs crossed, lena rocks a little side-to-side while chewing on a piece of apple.

the fruit here is always so tasteful and juicy. nothing can beat what is naturally grown. hearing sansa's voice brings a smile to her face and she grins at her. ]

Same! Granted, I am never too busy for you. [ if she can help it. ] This is a really good spot.

That's sweet of you to say, [ she responds with her cheeks colored a light pink, smiling with gratefulness instead of mere politeness — when it's Lena saying those words, she has no reason to doubt their truthfulness. ]

Yes... it's nice, to be able to do this. I have never been on a picnic before. With everything so peaceful, it's hard to believe all the troubles in the cities, isn't it?

It's true.

[ leaning close, she raises her hand and brushes some of sansa's stray hairs to the side, tucking it behind her ear. ] Being here with you really makes me forget all of the trouble that's happened recently. It's a real relief to get away and find somewhere private. I'll make sure we have lots of picnics from now on.

I hope we can do that.

[ she lifts her hand, to catch Lena's, brushing her fingers over the back of her hand. ] ... I know, with things how they are, with the heart stolen... if something happens, you'll promise to be careful?

[ I know you'll want to help, she doesn't say, and I won't ask you not to do that. just to be careful. ]

I'll make sure it happens.

[ and she keeps her promises to the best of her ability. ] ... I promise. I've been through dangerous situations before and I've always came out okay, so I'm not worried!

[ she can only hope that will help ease sansa. ]

I believe in you.

[ she'll have to, otherwise she'll go crazy with worry. ] But for now... we should talk of something else. Would you tell me more of yourself? I've told you something about my family, and my home, I'd like to hear of yours.

[ managing a small smile, she nods her head. ]

Of course! Well, I used to be an ace pilot. I still am, but had an accident which kind of caused me to stop piloting because now I have better uses else where. I still really love to fly though.

A pilot? You mean the kinds of space vessels they have on the station? That's incredible.

[ she really wants to ask about the accident, but she'll wait to see if Lena shares more about it on her own. sometimes, painful things like that are not the easiest to speak of. ]

Yeah! Overwatch, the place I worked for, had built one that was supposed to basically jump through space to make it easier to travel through different parts of the world.

It... didn't work though. As you can see. [ she gives a half-hearted smile at taps her chronal accelerator. ]

[ perhaps it's because she's here to see Theon that his appearance catches her so off-guard; she's known of him, of course, it would have been impossible for her not to, with what Jon and Claire have told her, with what she knows of where Theon has been staying after he left their house.

and yet, when she walks into the shop and sees him, she can't help the way her shoulders draw back, tighter, the way ice pours into her spine.

(she has told herself she is no longer afraid, that she's bested him twice, that he holds no sway over her any longer. she won't ever again give him the satisfaction of knowing he's been able to scare her. and yet, she hasn't met him, not face to face, not after his resurrection, and perhaps she wasn't quite as prepared as she thought.

perhaps it's good luck, that it's only the one who looks like Ramsay that she meets, first.) ]

Maximus, [ she says in greeting, omitting the ser she would usually be placing before his name. he's none the wiser, likely, and for the better. ] I'm not mistaken, am I? I met someone, a girl named Jean, who could have been my twin. But it's still strange to see for others.

My reputation precedes me.

[ He raises his eyebrows. It's not a mystery to him about how she knows him, and it's all he can do not to heave a sigh. More of this Ramsay nonsense. He simply smiles. She hasn't done anything to earn a mood.

Yet. ]

At least you're not punching me.

I wouldn't, [ she answers, with understanding in her voice, gently turning into something like sympathy. ]

I know the strangeness first-hand, though Jean was always nothing but kind, so were I to meet those who know her, I'd likely risk nothing but an unwanted hug. You're unfortunate enough to share your looks with a man far more unpleasant, so you're the victim here. His crimes aren't yours, and one of those crimes is making your life difficult when it shouldn't be.

[ she heaves a sigh. ] As for the punching... I suppose I owe you an apology. I must imagine it was my brother who did that. He has a good reason to hate the man he thought you to be, more than most. [ but not more than me, she thinks, while offering Maximus a wry, quiet smile. ] I'm sorry he did that, nonetheless.

We've all suffered much worse than a punch, haven't we?

[ He smiles, a clipped and short look. Is it a dig at her? Maybe, maybe not. He certainly has no idea what's happened to Sansa but he suspects, given her words, that she's met unkindly with Ramsay as well.

How interesting. ]

I'm sure we can talk about more pleasant things.

Have we?

[ there's a sharp edge to her smile when she returns his, a question without really being a question at all.

she nods, after a pause. ] Yes, we should. Theon works here, doesn't he?

I'd say so.

[ His smile could be classed as kind to some people, maybe, but Maximus has a feeling that Sansa is smart enough to see through that. ]

Theon? Yes. He's been a good friend and a great help to me here. Are you from Westeros as well?

[ perhaps even more so because of the face he wears, she finds it easy to read his expressions — she's far too used to Ramsay's smiles, after all, and in King's Landing everyone was a liar... and she's worn those fake kind smiles one too many times herself to be able to see through them, too. ]

Yes. My name is Sansa Stark. [ she assumes, if Theon's been working here for a while, if Maximus actually calls him a friend, that he must recognize the Stark name. the assessing look she gives him is there to check how he reacts to it. ]

[ Ah, yes. A Stark. Theon's so-called friends. His smile doesn't leave his face as he steps forward, extending a hand. ]

A pleasure to meet you. If you're looking for Theon, though, he's not here. Leaving the house isn't really something he enjoys doing at the moment.

Yes, I've noticed.

[ by which she means she's noticed Theon's recent everything, rather than just his tendency to avoid going anywhere. ]

I just wanted to meet the man he's staying with, and I thought it better to do that here, rather than make him feel home isn't safe for him. [ in case he feels it necessary to hide from even the people who love him. ]

That's considerate of you.

[ Maximus doesn't care much either way. He knows the sort of friends the starks have been to Theon, and he'll have a good laugh about this later. ]

I'm not sure many places feel safe to him right now. But he's coming along.

( closed-ish. ) june catch-all

❄ ENJOLRAS.

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❄ JAMIE.

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❄ STEVE.

❄ JON.

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❄ FREDERICK.

blueberry knight, i'm crying

just wait until she names all of the people from his home, lissa can be pineapple princess

incredible

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❄ LENA.

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❄ MAXIMUS.

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