i had all and then most of you

[nineteenfortyfive]

Who: Claire Fraser (nineteenfortyfive) & various
What: Catch all!
When: January
Where: Olympia
Warning(s): Will be in headers if needed.

(Starters in the comments! Please feel free to send me a PM if you'd like me to set up anything for our characters, be it a random encounter or something more structured. Or just start a thing here and surprise me!)

Comments

HOUSE STARK +1 (ned, sansa, jon)

[nineteenfortyfive]

[She's settling in well, but she tends to have little difficulty making a place for herself in new dwellings. She does like the Starks very much, and it helps--they're kind, and respectable. Honorable, as Theon so often likes to remind her. Claire doesn't have much to bring when she moves in, and once she's officially a resident, she's actually not around terribly much. She often visits Peggy and Steve, or John, or Tommy, and if she's not with them she's keeping herself busy at the Sanctuary. That seems to be her first home. This is the second.

Yet when she is around she always has a smile and a greeting for her roommates, never too tired to ask about their days or what they've been up to. She gravitates towards Sansa most, finding her easiest to talk to, and she's glad for the companionship. It makes everything easier when she'd probably be content shutting herself away in her bedroom. She misses her family.

Still--she does her best to pull her weight, and that means making the occasional meal. So, that's what's happening this evening, vegetables and meat sitting on the counter in the kitchen as she begins to heat up a pan.]

[learned_to_die]

[In an attempt to better learn the geography and layout of the area, Ned's been attempting to go out on daily expeditions, mostly with the goal to hunt and bring back spoils of his efforts. He hasn't always been successful, but as time's worn on, he's been getting closer to his end goal and better in his technique.

Finally, after having had a long lesson in how to do so properly with this land, its terrain, and its creatures, he returns to the Stark house with a couple of rabbits, both of which he's carrying by the neck. He did a basic dressing of them in the woods to keep the meat from spoiling, but he knows he'll have to do the rest at home.

When he walks through the door, he's greeted with the unmistakable aroma of cooking food, and he feels his stomach growl almost instantaneously. After removing his heavier gear, he heads towards the kitchen.]

I will not deny that I look forward to your meals with great anticipation. [He smiles pleasantly at her, then holds up the two rabbits he'd caught.] Might you have some use for these? I'll dress them myself, but will put them away if you've other plans in mind.

[nineteenfortyfive]

Did you catch those yourself? [She looks up from the counter, smiling with surprise. Olympia is more settled these days, but that doesn't mean that meat is cheap--the less they have to buy with their own coin, the better.]

Well, if you'd like a rabbit stew instead of a vegetable stew with the occasional piece of meat in it, I'd be happy to have them.

[She's not an accomplished chef by any means, but Bree and Frank didn't have very many complaints when she had the time to actually be home and cook a dinner. Stew? She can easily do.]

[learned_to_die]

I did, with some .. effort. [He reflects her smile, though his comes out more muted. He is not a man of overt emotional displays, but there's no mistaking his pleasant mood. With a silent nod, he rolls up the sleeves of his shirt, gives them a wash, and gets to dressing the rabbits, first one then the other.] It's been a time since I've had to do this myself, I'll admit. [Perks of being a Lord, he supposes, though he'd haven't have turned his nose up at the request to assist, if needed.] There is something to be said for working with one's own hands.

[nineteenfortyfive]

[While he works on that, she'll take care of chopping up the rest of the vegetables. She glances his way, amused.]

I lose my mind if I'm not keeping my hands busy. I never took well to being the typical lady of the house at home. [Lallybroch, she means. Mrs. Crook had to shoo her out of the kitchen more than once for getting underfoot until she began to carve a place for herself there.] My sister-in-law was much better at it. It always felt odd, having people do things for me.

[Even in Paris, she drove the poor maids mad by making her own bed in the mornings.]

[learned_to_die]

It is not a life for everyone, but I imagine it's easier to adapt if it's all you know throughout your childhood. [Of course, Ned hadn't been destined to be Lord of Winterfell. He'd have more than likely married a Lady of one of the great houses, perhaps one of the bannermen of the Starks, and would have been a lord of another stead. Brandon had been meant for the title of Lord of Winterfell, and though it hadn't been what he'd trained or planned for, Ned had done his best after his brother and father's deaths.] The way I learnt to adjust to it was that to deny them - a cook, a blacksmith, an armorer - was to deny them a livelihood, in many cases. But there has to be a balance with personal responsibility.

[song_of_ice]

[He usually sleeps in late during the day, needing to work and patrol the Entertainment District at night. It isn't until the early hours that he returns. Having lived at the Wall, he is used to the sound of others bustling around him, able to sleep deeply when needed. The sound of his roommates didn't disturb, but the smell of Claire's cooking was enough to pull him out of bed.

He had finished getting ready for the day, emerging from the bathroom as he pulled back his hair in its regular bun. The meat looked succulent, enough to make his stomach rumble with more force than he expected after just waking up.

Claire had done more than pull her weight, she spared Jon from feeling obligated to do every chore and cooking as well as earning money. She reminded him that not everything rested on hs shoulders, something he tried to tell himself but never really believed.]

What did you make? [He pulled up a chair to the table.] How late is it?

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Part of the reason she was so inclined to move into the Stark's home was because she could only imagine it wasn't easy for them to make ends meet and keep an eye on one another. If cooking and her meager wages from the Sanctuary helped Jon have some peace of mind, she was glad for it.]

Rabbit stew, thanks to your father. [She has a bowl for Jon ready, and approaches to set it down.] It's not too late. It's still hot.

[So, she'll get him a drink without much asking. Old habits from being a mother.]

[song_of_ice]

[If he had his way of it, none of the rest of the family would need to work. He would shoulder it for them and let them be together. Having his father was enough, he shouldn't have to worry about providing or looking after the family. It was easier for Jon to do that himself, he didn't have very much else to think about.

But it was a relief not to do everything himself, as much as he hated to admit it. Claire was the sort of woman he had imagined to be, or rather, hoped she was. It was comforting to see her working with Ned and getting along so well with the family.]

Reminds me of home.

[He looked around with an appraising eye.]

We might need some place larger in time.

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Claire returns with a cup for him, setting it down before taking a seat herself. She's eaten, but she likes Jon, so keeping him company is no problem. She imagines it must be nice to be taken care of, even in the little ways like having a meal prepared. He's Brianna's age. She could take care of herself fine enough, but she was always pleased when Claire made her a meal or packed a lunch for her.]

I don't want to think about cramming your entire family in this place.

[It works, so far, but if all those Starks in stasis wake up? People will be sharing beds.]

MOM AND DAD (ned)

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Decorating isn't her forte. It's never been. Frank did most of it, when it came to their home in Boston, Claire giving some input but never truly caring much about paintings and the colors of the walls. Until Bree came, that is. It became important to live in a home. It made her happier, setting out a plant here and there, or putting little trinkets about. She thinks it might help to do so here.

She leaves her door open as she arranges a few small pots with greenery that might survive the winter indoors on a desk littered with books. Hearing footsteps, she looks over her shoulder.]

Oh, Ned, hello. Can I help you?

[Though she can imagine why he's visiting. They're the two adults of the household, and they've yet to really have a proper chat about it yet.]

[learned_to_die]

[Life has been ... an adjustment, to say the least, but Ned isn't foolish; he can recognize this for what it is: a second chance. It's something he'd never dreamt of, particularly when he'd been kneeling at the Sept of Baelor, and now that the opportunity's been given, he plans to waste as little time as possible in adapting.

His children have set up and maintained a very cozy, comfortable home. It's a very big change from their home of Winterfell, of course, but the location and its climate are reminiscent enough that Ned can close his eyes and almost pretend he's in the Great Hall, or perhaps sitting in his chambers with a crackling fire in the hearth. He comes to whenever he opens them again, but he finds the transition less and less difficult as time goes on.

Having Claire as an addition has been a change, too, though not an unwelcome one. She is kind and thoughtful, and he is grateful for the closeness she and Sansa share with one another. Despite his best efforts, the Stark girls were never close, always butting heads and seemingly from different breeds all together - so for Sansa to have someone with whom she could be close is heartening for Ned. It's also nice to have a maternal sort of figure, especially one who treats Jon with the warmth he'd always deserved but never found in Catelyn.

He stands at the entry of her chambers, hands clasped behind his back. His eyes swiftly move across what she's currently adjusting before finding her face with a pleasant expression. It isn't an outright smile, as that's something Ned doesn't often do, but it's warm and inviting.]

I can see you're busy; I can return later.

[nineteenfortyfive]

No, don't be silly. [She motions to the plants. Unlike Ned, she does smile.] They can wait. Please, sit.

[She nods to the chair at the desk, stepping around to sit on the edge of her bed. Despite Jon and Sansa being the constants in this home, making it more theirs than their father's, she knows he has more claim in it than she does. So, she can most certainly spare the time to talk.]

Is everything all right?

[It's in her nature to ask. As a mother and as a healer, she's usually on the look out for something to fix.]

[learned_to_die]

[He considers the plants for a moment then nods, entering only after she's given him the permission to do so. He slides out the chair from the desk and perches himself on it - not quite relaxing the way he might in his own chambers or at the dinner table, but not behaving the way he would in royal company. Not that she doesn't deserve that sort of treatment, but - well, it comes down to familiarity. And though Ned finds he's fond of her, she's still a virtual stranger, in many senses of the word. He knows little about where she's come from and the sort of person she is here.

Her question draws his gaze to her like a lure, and he considers her for a surprised second. He nods reassuringly.]

Aye, everything's fine. How are you settling in? I hope everything's to your liking.

[nineteenfortyfive]

[They're both mostly basing their opinions on one another on the words of Sansa and Jon. And Theon, in Claire's case. She sits upright, hands loosely folded in her lap, Ned holding her full attention. Now's probably the time to get to know one another properly, when there's not a crisis or a jungle to trek through.]

I'm doing well, thank you. This is much better than living alone in the flat I had. [A place that was lovely until Jamie went back to stasis and she was left alone. Even if she's not here much, it does make a difference to leave the Sanctuary and come to a place where there are friendly faces instead of silence. It makes it harder to despair.]

How about you? You didn't come to live here very long before I did. And with Robb going back to stasis, and Theon moving out...

[It must be difficult.]

WALKS (dirk)

[nineteenfortyfive]

You don't mind accompanying me to the stables, do you?

[A silly thing to ask when they're already on their way, but Claire looks over to Dirk with a smile, anyway. It's good to have him back. Might as well drag him along with her for a walk in the cold, and she wants to check up on her horse, anyway. She threw a shoe near the end of her last ride and while she's sure the stable hands know what they're doing, she'd still feel better if she saw with her own eyes that it'd been properly fixed.

That, and maybe she hears Jamie's voice in her head.

Whatever the reason, here they are, walking along.]

Not too late to turn back.

[cacoethical]

[Dirk is glad to be back. He's glad to be back largely out of the understanding that he'd never actually been gone, or at least not gone to the degree that he's felt gone. He knows that everything that's been stuffed into his head in the interim must actually have happened ages ago, too long for it to be fair how raw it all still feels. The walk is in that light greatly appreciated: he's short on things to help him keep sane at the moment.]

Claire, not only am I willing to accompany you absolutely wherever you might wish to go, but I am in point of fact absolutely delighted to do so.

[He's been quieter than usual. It's probably obvious and he knows it's probably obvious which is why he puts extra effort into keeping words and tone and smile light and warm. This he accomplishes by feeling all of those things -- it's a well-ingrained defense mechanism that nothing yet has been able to entirely crush in him.

Besides, it is a nice day, and Claire is good company.]

Though if you're going to be trying to get me to ride, I think I might have to disappoint you.

[nineteenfortyfive]

Do you not know how to ride a horse?

[Teasing him, mostly, she looks at him like he said he's never had a cup of tea. She's not one to force anyone into an uncomfortable situation (these days), and so she has no intent to try and get him up in the saddle. It's all light and playful in an effort to keep him smiling. Never terribly hard to do, but he has been quiet, and she wants him relaxed.]

Dirk Gently, I'm appalled. I thought you knew how to do everything.

[cacoethical]

[Dirk releases a single stab of laughter, a noise that surprises even him as it bursts forth largely without his intending it to. There's an edge to it, too, just a taste of something sharp -- self-loathing or hysteria or simmering panic. Perhaps all three.]

I don't know how to do anything. Well, no, I suppose I can breathe and walk and I know how to eat and how to bathe and clothe myself, though I know people who might argue the last point, but horses would be new.

[There's also the ongoing, niggling little problem of the residual ache in his leg, heightened by the chill. He's ignoring it. It's not bad enough to cause him to limp -- and not that kind of pain anyway -- but it does disinclined him to any additional jostling at the moment, just in case.]

I'm also not actually very keen on riding or piloting or whatevering anything with a mind of its own. That just sounds like a recipe for disaster, mayhem, and possibly--

[Wait. Breathe.]

Oh. You're teasing me. Right.

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Oh, Christ. There he goes. Claire comes to a pause in their walk to listen and wait it out. When he breathes, she reaches out to put her hands on his arms.]

I was. You're all right.

[She smiles, and if he'll allow it she'll keep his arm as they continue their walk.]

But you will at the very least pet her while I check on her shoe. Understood?

[Another attempt at teasing. We'll see how this one goes.]

HORSES (peggy)

[nineteenfortyfive]

[No tea today (well, perhaps after their faces are frozen), but a trip to the stables instead to ready their horses for a little ride. As much as she misses home, misses Scotland, she does enjoy riding much more in trousers than her skirts and stays. Her skirts kept her warm, but there often wasn't much in the way of undergarments separating her from the saddle.]

I'll let you lead the way. Everything looks the same to me in the snow.

[Don't mind her leaning over to peek into the saddlebag of her horse. Better make sure her phone is in there, just in case.]

I FORGOT I'M SORRY

[revlon]

[ She shoots the other woman an amused glance; she doubts she's going to slip off her saddle, she's likely far more experienced with horseback riding than she is. Peggy learned as a young girl but didn't have much cause to use the skill in the war. (Well, there was one time, but it was a dire situation.) ]

It just so happens my patrol route takes me outside the city walls. But I don't fancy doing too much exploring in this cold, not when I'm still trying to remember how this goes.

[ She's really not bad and her mare is mild-mannered enough. Small mercies. ]

DELETES

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Claire laughs a little. It's a bit like riding a bicycle, for her--even after twenty years of hardly seeing a horse, it was easy to hop back into the saddle. Nevermind she's spent more time on ships than horses of late, but life here has her returning to the stables regularly.]

We'll go slow, then. We'll do the racing next time.

[revlon]

Dangerous words, Mrs Fraser. You know how much I enjoy a challenge.

[ Definitely no racing on this go around, although she's sorely tempted. It's nice to get outside the city — even if work does that enough for her, it's different when you're relaxed and with a friend. She adjusts the reins in her gloved hands then brings her horse around so they're riding side-by-side and can speak more comfortably. ]

Was your horse a surprise anonymous gift as well?

[nineteenfortyfive]

[Maybe when Peggy's more comfortable on the beast, though Claire isn't about to say it aloud. No need to spark the fire of challenge even more so.]

I'd looked into purchasing some horses when Jamie was here. He's always been good with them. They were a bit outside of my price range, so I put the idea on the back burner--then, the next time I went to the stables, there were two in my name. Never found out who did it. [So, yes.] Maybe someone's simply generous?

I gave Jamie's horse to a man I met here not too long after he went back into stasis, but it seems like he's gone back in, too. The horse is cursed. [There's a roll of Claire's eyes--she doesn't believe that, but there's some air of bad luck around it now.] I thought I might give it to the Starks as thanks for their hospitality, but god forbid I land a family back in the pods.