Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning

[entertainheir]

Who: First Breath crew
Broadcast: Nope
Action: SS First Breath
When: After the Shuffle

[Another week, another Shuffle and there's been a few new additions to the First Breath lately! What's everyone up to? Hopefully nobody's allergic to chocolate-flavored dessert cream.]

Comments

[summerschild]

I'm from the North. There are a lot of trees, and fields. I lived in a castle, Winterfell, but it's gone now.

[He says it as simply as possible.]

I've never seen a city before.

[realhumanbeing]

[Oh . . . but Bran doesn't want to seem to linger, so Steven moves on as well. Though he does scoot a little closer, in solidarity.]

They're pretty cool! But I live on the beach. I like it more than a city. It's nice to be alone sometimes.

[summerschild]

The beach?

[Another thing Bran hasn't experienced, but he doesn't want to say so. Steven is Pretty Damn Cool to him right now.]

That sounds nice. Nicer than the North.

[realhumanbeing]

I dunno, snow is pretty awesome! But the beach is nice. Maybe we'll go to a planet with a beach! We've seen some weird stuff so far, so I mean, it's totally possible!

[summerschild]

We haven't had snow at Winterfell since before I was born, though it is very cold now that winter is coming.

[He said the thing.]

What sort of things do you mean?

[realhumanbeing]

Like . . . there was this planet that was full of arcades and casinos and ice cream and junk, and you could win prizes really easy. And there was another that was a giant forest, and it had dragons!

[summerschild]

[He has no idea what most of those things are - including ice cream, sadly - but "dragons" piques his interest.]

There are dragons here?

[realhumanbeing]

I think so? I don't know if he lived on the planet or if he's somebody on the ship . . . we could ask, though! Do you have dragons at home?

[summerschild]

Not in a very long time. The last ones were killed in a war more than a hundred years ago.

[realhumanbeing]

Oh . . .

[That's sad.]

Well, maybe you can meet one here! There's some pretty great stuff here.

[summerschild]

Perhaps.

[He thinks back to a question he had, a few moments before.]

What were those things you were talking about earlier? "Arcades", and "ice cream"?

[realhumanbeing]

Oh! Arcades are these places where you play games and earn tickets. And when you get enough tickets, you can trade them in for prizes. And ice cream . . . I'll get you some! We have some in the fridge, if you wanna come! I saved it from the last planet. It's a really delicious dessert.

[summerschild]

It's something you eat?

[He had been guessing, from "cream", but it isn't until the word "dessert" that he understands.]

What does it taste like?

[He's trying to stall the imminent "no I can't come with you to this 'fridge' thing because i'm broken"]

[realhumanbeing]

Really sweet! And cold . . . sweet and cold and really, really delicious! Come on--!

[And he springs to his feet.]

[summerschild]

[He does like sweet things, but once Steven jumps up his heart sinks into his stomach.]

I-I can't come with you, sorry.

[realhumanbeing]

Why--

[But of course, he's not an idiot. Steven's cheeks color, his expression falling as he realizes how insensitive he's been.

He kneels in front of him.]

Come on! I'll carry you!

[summerschild]

[Bran is taken aback by the offer. Concerned adults are always carrying him about, but no one close to his own age ever shows that kind of consideration.]

You don't need to, it's alright...

[realhumanbeing]

It's okay! I'm really strong now, I've gotten buff and junk!

[summerschild]

[He doesn't know what "buff" or "junk" are, or where Steven got them, but he doesn't want to sit here on the floor all day. He gives a little nod.]

Alright.

[realhumanbeing]

[He kneels down a little more, almost bowed to the ground. Between the two of them-- Bran crawling and Steven pulling at his arms when he can-- they manage to hoist Bran up onto Steven's back. Thank god Bran is relatively slender; it means Steven can actually stand (with a little hup!) and carry him fairly easily.]

This is our ship! Everybody's really friendly, and here's the kitchen-- can you cook? I'm learning how. The food here tastes normal, but it looks weird.

[summerschild]

[Bran locks his arms around Steven's shoulders, and takes in the short tour with wide eyes. The kitchen is particularly foreign. There isn't even a fire in sight.]

I've never tried. Will I have to learn, too?

[That's a daunting thought. There were servants for that at Winterfell, and the best he's learned from watching Meera is how to hold a frog over a fire.]

[realhumanbeing]

It's easy! It's just mostly heating up stuff. But you don't have to worry about it right now. Do you want ice cream?

[summerschild]

Yes, please.

[He gives the kitchen another once over. "Heating up stuff"? He's still confused.]

Where's the fire?

[realhumanbeing]

You can put things in that box there, and it'll make it warm! And--

[He turns one of the knobs on the oven. One of the burners turns red as it heats up.]

The red means it's getting hot. So you put a pot on that, and food in the pot, and it gets edible!

[Onwards to the freezer! Steven opens it and grabs two ice cream bars. Unwrapping them, he heads towards a chair and lowers himself for Bran to sit.]

[summerschild]

[Bran settles in the chair, still watching the oven with astonishment. It reminds him of metal getting hot in the forge, and he thinks he understands a bit - though he still can't comprehend the fact that there's no fire.]

That's... cool.

[He tries out the word for a second time as he takes the ice cream bar from Steven. He holds it up in front of his face for entirely too long, examining every aspect of the strange rectangle.]

Are you supposed to bite it?