driftfleet | The Way to a Blue Fish's Heart...

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The Way to a Blue Fish's Heart...

Who: Blue Fish crew and visitors
Broadcast: Maybe some accidental, but not overall
Action: The Blue Fish kitchen
When: All Day, Feb. 7

[It had been a rough month for a lot of the Blue Fish crew. From blenders to family members and lost friends and blocked credits, they'd been soldiering on through a lot. And while Jilly was new enough to have skirted by most of the drama, she was keenly aware of the underlying stress of her crewmates. She wants to help.

Sometimes, though, words aren't enough...and so she sets about taking advantage of her augment to the best of her ability. For the past month she's been collecting recipes from the datary and experimenting with the supplies provided by the Atroma. And, in the days leading up to the 7th, she quietly recruits Beverly for a pair of extra hands with some Station grocery shopping and behind-the-scenes planning.

It's not announced, but on such a small ship it's hard to miss that something is going on that day. Forgoing her usual trip to the Station for job hunting and people watching, Jilly gets up extra early and sets the kitchen in motion. Recipes are taped up on the cabinets, ingredients are gathered, and so begins a marathon of food.]

[Between the combined forces of Jilly and Beverly, the two "cooks" for the Blue Fish will be setting out food all day as a bit of a much needed holiday for their crew (and any visitors who stop by). Volunteer as a taste-tester, grab food on the run, help clean dishes between baking bouts, or simply sit and relax with your crew mates. Food therapy is a go.]

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[Riona knows she's officially eaten too much, but for once she doesn't care as she sits down across from Sansa with another plate of food. Her portions are small but she can't help but take a bit of everything.

She glances up at what Sansa has and notices the sweets. She smiles teasingly and her tone matches it.]

Dear Lady Sansa, I dare say there's evidence on your plate there that you have a sweet tooth. [So says the lady with at least four cookies balanced on the edge of her plate as well.]

[ indeed, she has more cookies than anything else. someone probably should advise she stop -- because it isn't like back in the vale, where supplies are limited despite baelish's wealth. here, ingredients simply appear. food seems endless. even to someone with as noble a background as hers, it appears as a windfall.

she snaps a cookie in half and nibbles. ] Is that a bad thing? [ perhaps (for once) her concern is feigned. ]

Well, that all entirely depends: are you absolutely enjoying yourself?

[Because she sort of looks like she is, which is a nice change of pace. Whenever Riona sees Sansa, she usually looks rather withdrawn and muted.]

-- Yes.

[ her answer (although curt) comes with a brief upturn of the lips. sansa answers in this vein not least of all because she can tell it's the answer riona wants to hear. and she's happy to give it to her. indeed, she's happier among this people than she's been in a grand long while.

although riona has many of her own, sansa offers her the other cookie half. like the guest right. ]

It's good to come together. Like this.

Then no, not a bad thing at all. [In fact, it's rather endearing.]

Oh, thank you. I think I actually missed these in my last run through the food gauntlet.

[She takes the offered cookie with a smile before she bites into it. As expected, it's quite delicious. Jilly and Beverly continue to amaze.] Mmm. [The fact that she pops the rest into her mouth indicates what she thinks of it.]

It really is. With all the mayhem of... questionable people showing up and having to put locks everywhere on the ship, it's been a little stressful. It's good to see everyone unwind.

I was worried. [ sansa admits. ] Mayhaps Zuko's sister would have attacked us. Or -- [ she shakes her head, unwilling to discuss theon greyjoy. ]

But the ship it quite safe.

Indeed. I completely agree with all the precautions and the security. I haven't heard anything new on the Azula front, so hopefully she'll be occupied with something else. Elsewhere.

[Hopefully not involving setting people on fire.]

I am also working on precautions on my own, but that will take some time. The locks should do nicely for now.

Ugh, forgive me. This is not pleasant table conversation. [She smiles in apology.] How have you been doing? [She's been worried about Sansa since her friend left.]

Much better, actually. [ ... ] Thank you for asking.

[ sansa leans forward ever-so-slightly. like imparting a secret. ] Things change so quickly, here. And everyone had such kind words. The wound heals.

I'm glad to hear that.

[Instinctively she mirrors Sansa, leaning forward on her elbows.]

All too true. By its very nature the fleet is tumultuous and uncertain. It's risky making friends here, never knowing when they might leave, but I believe it worth the effort and future pain. [She smiles softly.] It is good to have people to lean on in hard times.

And more Westerosi arrive by the week! [ ... ] There is a lady here of much accomplishment, see -- [ she nods towards the lady margaery. ]

I know her from the Seven Kingdoms. She is...good.

Oh, you know Margaery? [Riona's smile brightens. It's nice to know there's a connection there. That, and knowing Sansa has another friend here, especially after Nyssa was sent home.] I spoke with her when she first arrived. I knew she was from Westeros but I wasn't sure if you knew of her. She is a very lovely girl. Very engaging and pleasing.

[Impressively so. Riona can't help but admire how well Margaery seems to get along with people.]

[ gently: ] She will be queen.

[ of course, for sansa? margaery is queen. but she wants to be careful tip-toeing her way around these timelines. ]

[Understandably, that earns an expression of surprise.]

Truly? [Margaery seems a little on the young side. But then, Riona has no room to talk in that regard.] Perhaps I speak on too little information, but she strikes me as one who will do well in such a position. And she insisted on me just calling her Margaery, too. [And that speaks well of the would-be queen, at least to Riona.

Suddenly she laughs a little.] And she even indulged me as I told her a story. Now I feel a little embarrassed, honestly.

Truly. [ sansa exhales. margaery is the queen she was meant to be. joffrey's wife, but at least that union had been blessedly shortlived. ] She will be better than the last.

[ forgive her her treason. ]

[...Is that Sansa talking smack about someone? Riona approves.]

It seems like Margaery could outshine and outdo any queen. But I get the feeling there's more to it than that. I hope the last one wasn't too awful?

[Never apologize for criticizing monarchs, especially to Riona.]

[ she hesitates upon the very edge of honesty -- prepared to say how much she hates cersei. but the words don't quite make it to her lips.

instead, she only nods. awful. her admission is wordless. ]

[And the gesture speaks volumes. She does not know if it's propriety or ingrained fear that keeps Sansa from speaking her mind; she prays it's not the latter.

Regardless, Riona's expression hardens over the news. As a queen herself, it enrages her to hear of other monarchs conduct themselves so poorly as to earn the hate of their subjects. Though she's relatively new to her position, she vowed to never become such a queen, and she has no sympathy for those who do. Sansa never struck her as petty or unfair; if she hates the soon-to-be former queen, Riona believes it's with very good reason. It takes a lot to make yourself that hated, and usually it's done without care for the consequences.]

I see. [She lifts up her drink.] Well then, in that case. Here's to Margaery, and good riddance to that former queen.

[ queen mother. and yet she cannot bring herself to elaborate upon the details of that arrangement, and how cersei still commands the kind of power that might see her struck dead should her whereabouts be made known. instead: ]

Margaery and I were very nearly sisters. [ she breathes the truth with a certain sadness, but it's such a beautiful thought. ] For a short while I was quite nearly betrothed to a brother of hers.

Given your fondness of her, that sounds like it would have been an ideal outcome. [But clearly things did not work out, and Riona hesitates for a moment before asking why.] The arrangement did not pan out?

[ oh so stiffly: ] I was a ward of the Crown, Lady Riona. And the king did not approve of such an arrangement. Margaery's family was forced to withdraw the betrothal almost as quickly as it was made. But the fault was never theirs.

[The explanation offers quite a bit of insight into Sansa's life. It also poses numerous questions, some of which Riona will not dare ask right now. Given Sansa's tone and her dislike of the queen, she fears the answers will not be good.]

He did not approve of your marrying his betrothed's brother? I presume Margaery is marrying this king, seeing as you said she's to be queen. [Could be wrong, as she doesn't know all the circumstances but that seems to be a reasonable assumption.] If so, then goodness. What a slight.

...unless they had other plans for you. [The more she hears, the less she likes what she's learning of Sansa's situation.]

-- I shouldn't say.

[ breathless, and pained. every answer near the truth reveals too much about her circumstances. because to explain how the crown believed the north's succession rested in a marriage to her, she would have to admit to brothers' deaths. and to discuss what happened, she might have to admit to her wedding to lord tyrion.

instead: ] It doesn't matter. I escaped King's Landing. The Crown cannot find me now.

Of course.

[Not said with judgment, but full understanding. Riona knows all too well the value and safety of secrets. She will not push the matter if Sansa does not want to reveal it.]

I am glad to hear that. It sounds like they were an awful lot. The crown should help and be a source of refuge for its people, not fear. [Hardness lines her words, hands gripped tightly on her plate.] I'm so sorry you had to go through whatever you did with them.

-- Robb defied them, you know. [ her attention drifts to that brother. ] He raised his bannermen. He goes to war for the North. He would have the Starks be kings again in their own lands, not caught beneath the Iron Throne's heel.

[The admission has Riona raise her brow.]

That takes a lot of courage - and some would say gall - to do that. My hopes to his success. I don't envy Robb's position; I've had to do something similar to that.

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