driftfleet | And We Danced (Masquerade Overflow!)

Lannister. I know that name. Isn't that the really short dude that I see on the network sometimes?

[Is he trouble?? DO THEY NEED TO KICK HIS ASS?!!!! ]

That's what a diet is, my friend. Less food to try and get thinner. Also exercising, I guess?

[It's not like he's ever tried it himself. ]

She's mentioned, I hope we can get some lemon trees in the garden sometime, or something like it. Then at least we can make some for her. Give her something to smile about, right?

Aye, the Imp. [When he realizes that does not sound too friendly he corrects himself:] Lord Tyrion, I mean. [Robb snorts a little.] I like him not, yet I have more trouble with his lord father, his bloody sister and that craven they put on the throne. [Oh, how he wants Joffrey’s head. If only to make him pay for what he has done to Sansa. Such injustice angers him. At least, right before the guilt comes trickling in, of course.]

You main training? I take many men train themselves well. [Except lord Manderly. Robb pities the horse this man has to sit upon during battle.] Except lord Manderly... But mayhaps if we roll him off a hill he might make the other men trip and fall off their horses.

It pains me to see her smile so less. She used to be much happier. [They all used to be happier. Until their father died. Until the war came.] Do we have lemon seeds?

I'm sensing some Lanister-based hostility there.

[Not that he can blame the Starks on that one. They sound like real assholes. ]

Something like that, yeah. Some exercising is more just...running around and stuff, rather than actual battle training. But hey, I think rolling will do him well.

...Or it'll be funny for us, either way.

Yeah? Well, I'd like to see her smile a whole lot more. I don't think we do, but that doesn't mean we won't come across some eventually.

They are the enemies of my house. And it is known that the North always remembers.

[Aka: grudges go on for a long time.]

Running around? It is good to pay attention to stamina. [After those words Robb stuffs his mouth with a cake and moves to chew for a long time.]

Hmn! [He holds up one finger, indicating that he wants to say something.] It will be funny. Lord Manderly can be quite a funny man.

[Robb smiles and agrees to that.]

Let us make it some sort of mission. To obtain lemons for lemoncakes. My sister will be so pleased.

We could say that about the North of my home, too.

[THEY NEVER FORGET. ]

I think that's a great mission for us to have. One we can't lose!

It could very well be a Northern thing. [What a fun coincidence to know that Sokka is a Northman too. Then it is no surprise that he considers his captain a good friend.]

We have so many things inside the cold box. [Because Allen eats as if he has been starving for most of his life.] Lemons must be a part of them. Back home we used to grow them inside the glass gardens.

There could be a glass garden on the ship. A small one.

I wouldn't be surprised.

[That;s how Allen rolls buddy/.]

That's what I thought, too. No matter what weird worlds we get to, there's got to be something like lemons...somewhere.

A greenhouse? Sure, I'd be okay with that. Means we're even more self-sustaining if we need to be.

[Northmen are fierce and proud and Robb smiles while nodding, agreeing.]

Do you think... [Robb taps his chin and frowns.] That we could fly and be home all of a sudden? What would you do? [After those words Robb takes hold of another cupcake, frowning as he thinks.]

Aye, a smaller glass garden. A greenhouse, if that is the modern name of it.

You mean if we could get away from Atroma? [He rolls his shoulders, thinking. ] I'd make sure everyone got to the places they needed to be first, if I could. Got home, or the people who can't go home have somewhere else to be. Then- then I'd get back to what me and Katara were doing. Going back to our tribe and helping rebuild it.

[He nods, smiling. ]

I can easily make one of those. I'd be a doddle.

Aye, if we could. [Robb nods slowly. They probably are not able to do so. Ever.] But your home isn’t the home of everyone else, is it not? [To be fair, he’d never wish any homeless crew members a place in Westeros. Even though Riverrun is fairly safe, there is still a war raging. And then there is the entire matter with time and such.] Or would you turn away from your home to make sure others are safe first? That would be very noble.

[Robb smiles and nods his approval.] I would make sure my siblings are safe first. At all time. I rather not lose sight of them again.

It will be a matter of some wood and glass. I think I can make it as well.

[He thinks...he is not sure...]

Have you ever made them?

There are plenty of people back home who can take care of things while I do that. Besides, I'm the captain. It's mu job to make sure everyone gets where they're safe and happy and that includes whenever we find a way out of here.

I don't blame you. Sounds like you've been separated from each other for a long time. I'd go crazy if it was me and Katara.

[That gets a hopeful grin.]

Nope! But there's a first time for everything.

[So many brownie points for you, Sokka. If you were Westerosi he’d entrust you with a part of his army.]

I cannot I am afraid. [Robb leans over the table to grab a handful of peanuts.] I worry for my men and my cause. And my siblings... [Even though he’s slightly tipsy he straightens his back.] I truly wish I could help those here as well...but I cannot lose sight of the things that matter to me.

[It is some sort of an apology.]

If the chance would be there I’d grab hold of my siblings and return home. [Even though he knows his siblings are more safe here. And maybe even happier... Robb smiles at his captain.] I have not spoken to your sister, but she seems kind. [Like her brother is.]

I can try to draw the glass gardens we had at Winterfell.

[Dude he would love an army. ]

That's understandable. They're here, at least, and you gotta focus on them. They've got... [issues out of the wazoo, being Starks and all] there's a lot to deal with here. It makes sense for you to focus on them. Besides, you still do your job here, so I got nothing to complain about. Family always comes first, anyway.

She's great. After mom got killed and dad went to war, we really looked out for one another. She cares a lot, just wants to make sure people are okay, y'know?

There you go! It's a perfect plan already.

[Having an army can be stressful, Sokka.]

There are many problems, I know. [Robb nods seriously, not sure how he is able to solve the problems his siblings have.] But I think it is important for them to return home. They are safe here but this is no definitive solution. It is folly to bury your head in the sand while the world around you is at war.

[The conversation went from light and funny to a dead serious one and even the amount of red Robb has been drinking cannot change that.]

That must have been hard on you both, it must have been a great loss. [Robb knows of losses, actually, he knows too much of that.] They have killed our father as well. [There is a sad look in his eyes for a moment.] Thank the gods our mother still lives.

Does she also bend...matter?

[Robb grins a stupid, drunken grin.]

Of course. I shall see to it that you receive what you need.

[The last time he had one it all went horribly :( ]

True, that's always endgame. Getting everyone home. But we gotta live here at the same time.

[Sorry, Robb. He comes in and sucks the joy out of everything. It's what he does. ]

Yeah, it was. But we...dealt with it. Our dad's still alive, so. There's that.
...I'm sorry about your dad.

Katara? Just water. [AND BLOOD. But that's a ~secret~. ]

You're a good guy, Robb. A real peach.

[Don’t worry, Sokka, Robb can be quite the killjoy as well.]

That is true. But I do not like how they forced this upon us. Gods...as in...here is a space vessel and here we crack your skull open to put something inside of it. Be well and entertain us! [Robb shakes his head fast.] What folly.

[Talking about his father always turns Robb into a bitter young man.]

They took his head, claiming he murdered his best friend. [His voice is low now.] They even forced a bloody confession out of him. [And he clenches his hands to fists.]

Is it sorcery? [He asks the question after a long, angry sort of silence.]

Ugh, I know right? [He waves his arms above his head. ] Dnace, little puppet-people, dance!!!

[Oh. Well...that's not cool at all.]

Man, I'm so sorry. That's...really nasty. That they'd just do that to him.

[After a moment. ] The Fire Nation killed our mother. They were looking for the last waterbender in the tribe. Mom said it was her, to protect Katara.

Ugh, I think it is, but they say it isn't. Some sort of connection to nature? I dunno, I can't do it.

[Robb snickers at Sokka’s little sort of puppet-impression. Still, it remains the bitter truth.]

And if not they will turn these... [He taps the side of his head where the little bump is.] ...machines against us.

[Robb takes a large sip of his wine.]

At times things are not as fair as we want them to be. My lord father has been an innocent man. [He sighs and finally focuses on the things Sokka is telling him.] She sounds like a honorable woman to stand for her children like that. May she rest in peace. [He nods deeply and wobbles a little as he does so.]

Why can’t you do it? Is nature not fond of you?

Precisely. They will always hold that card against us.

Thanks, Robb. Same for your father. It just...sucks.

[That's an understatement. He shakes his head. ]

It's not that...though nature does kinda hate me. It's that a lot of people aren't born with the ability. People like me are way more common than benders, honestly.

[Robb pulls a very disgruntled face. He does not like any of it.]

If I find a way, I will take it out of my head. [The words are nothing but a whisper.] And I will leave this place. [When Sokka uses the word ‘sucks’ in such a way Robb finds it difficult to put that into context.] It is more saddening than sucking, I am afraid.

[Sucking? How strange.]

I see. So it is something someone can be born with? Like the lady Granger is a muggle but born with the gifts of a sorcerer? [That is the best way to interpret this so it makes sense to him.]

Oh..right. Sucks does mean sad. The frustrating kind, actually. It's slang. But I get it, man. I'm behind you all the way. We will find a way out of here.

Yeah! Just like that. You can never really tell if someone is gonna be a bender or not. They just...are. They'll only ever have one element, though. Unless they're the Avatar, but the Avatar's different.

[Robb laughs.] I take it is something like cool. I know the word as cold. But here it refers to something really amazing. You should teach me of that. [He might even blend in for once. When he is not stubbornly sticking to swords instead of using the gun given to him.]

I take it this avatar is some sort of advanced bending sorcerer, then? [He looks at his captain before he reaches out to stuff his face with a chunk of pie. It looks quite fancy. Full of cream and chocolate and bits of fruit. Like something they’d serve at King’s Landing.]

What slang? Sure, I can help you out with that. I'm pretty awesome at it.

[That's not a thing to be proud of, Sokka.]

Something like that. There's only one at a time, and they can bend all the elements, and have a connection to the spirit world. Their job is to keep balance in the world. When one dies, they're born again in a new body - still connected to their past lives.

[He gives a shrug. It's complicated and he's never really got too much into it.]

Like in my time, it's Aang. A friend of mine. But there's a girl here called Korra. She's from the future of my world and is the new Avatar.

Modern speak. Even my brother does it. [At least Bran tries to fit in. There is still a part of Robb that tends to protest.] Very well. Tell me of what you know.

[Robb tries to picture an avatar and all he can think of is...well...]

My goodmother is a Spicer. It is said they used to practice magic with potions. She is giving my lady wife some sort of potion that might help with her fertility. [Not even a bloody gallon of that can make Jeyne pregnant, so it seems.] But the old woman cannot bend an element. Also not with potions. They must be an old and wise being then...that avatar.

[Robb rises his eyebrows at that.]

There is one here? Is she on our ship as well?

Okay, I'll do what I can. What sort of slang do you want to know?

[There's no way this can go wrong, right? Right?]

Oh, well, we have people who specialise in that kind of thing, too. Herbs, potions. That's just good herbology. Saves peoples lives, herbology. It's awesome.

She isn't on our ship, but she's in the Fleet. On the Wonderduck, I think.

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