» 4th lemoncake

[steeledskin]

Who: sansa stark and you!!
Broadcast: video -- fleetwide
Action: blue fish and iskaulit
When: today

Fellow travelers, [ how else is she meant to greet them?

today, the network flickers to life and its image frames sansa's face with an almost rehearsed precision. by now, the last licks of dye have left her hair. she is fully auburn once again -- and the rich copper strands, a colour inherited from her mother, are carefully braided and arranged in a style that would have taken time even with a helping hand. how long did it take her alone, one wonders? and she's wearing silk, to boot. ]

Begging your pardons -- but has anyone ever found lemons at any of our stops? Any of the way-stations? [ all this polish for such a childish, innocent question. ] At first, I was grateful enough for the false lemon flavours the Atroma give us -- but just once, I'd like to taste the real thing again.

[ she seems about to end the feed, but: ] Or if anyone has any lemons in their pantry, I would pay for a few. I have some credits put by -- [ sheepish, because it isn't her place to be discussing coin. ] Or mayhaps I could barter with some embroidery. My stitches are very neat. I promise.

[ otherwise, member of the blue fish could find her in her quarters while working quietly. at a later hour, she finally does something bold and takes a shuttle (all alone!) to the iskaulit, where she searches out the gardens. she wants to see green again. she wants to dream of summer. sansa crouches to touch a leaf -- heedless of the way her silk trails on the garden's ground floor. ]

Comments

[collegedropout]

Ah... yeah. Yeah, I guess so. I'm a hunter — that is, when people die in... questionable ways in my world, we investigate it and see if it was caused by monsters, or something supernatural. Then we stop them before they can hurt anyone else.

Or try to, anyway.

[steeledskin]

[ -- sounds like a story, really. a fog-covered hero. her lip curls. ]

What manner of monsters?

[collegedropout]

I wouldn't really be able to name them all, but... you know, basics. Wendigos, rugarus, ghouls and banshees... Honestly, it's been getting to be a long list lately.

But it's not just monsters, either — I put a lot of spirits to rest. Ghosts, I mean.

[steeledskin]

[ stubbornly: ] Ghosts don't exist.

[collegedropout]

I'd believe that if I didn't fight them for a living.

Or see my family as ghosts.

Or be a ghost myself.

[He smiles slightly.]

Different worlds, y'know. Different ways things operate.

[steeledskin]

You're not a ghost. [ ser sam, you're teasing! how unkind. at least, that's how she interprets it. ] I've seen you.

[collegedropout]

No, I really was! For a short time, it's --

It's complicated. But ghosts... Since I was ten, eleven, I've been fighting things like ghosts. My entire life, almost, and I don't plan on changing occupations anytime soon. It's just one of those things you see to believe, I guess. But I've done things you'd think I'm making up, I know. Crazy, weird stuff, even by my standards.

[steeledskin]

[ ... ]

You must be even braver than I first thought, ser.

[collegedropout]

[Oh, gosh, don't get him all self-conscious and flustered, Sansa.]

Me? No, that's — it's nothing special. It's easy to deal with your fear when your job requires facing it. But there's a lot of brave hunters out there, risking their necks for their job.

[steeledskin]

How many is a lot?

[collegedropout]

Oh, ah — good question. I've never actually thought to count them all up.

We're... not really that organized of a job occupation.

[steeledskin]

Well. [ she huffs, seemingly dissatisfied with the vague response. ] Are you a common class of man? Or rare?

[collegedropout]

Oh.

Not common at all, no. Actually... a lot of people don't realize we even exist. Or that monsters exist. Usually they just think you're crazy — until there's actually something supernatural around causing them grief, anyway.

[steeledskin]

Is it difficult, ser? To lead a life that others do not believe in?

[collegedropout]

... Can be, yeah. Definitely. It can be a little lonely, especially when you're a kid. I had to travel a lot, so I never really had a steady home or -- a lot of friends. A hunter's life isn't easy for sure... It was never my first choice, anyway, and I'd never want people to go into it if they can help it.

But I think... maybe it's too much of what I am now, to just be able to walk away from.

[Because lord knows he's tried.

And it's always, always failed.]