driftfleet | mopingjay

Who: Nova & Friends/CR/passersby
Broadcast: None
Action: the First Breath and the Iskaulit gardens
When: Today

[ It's been days since anyone has last seen or heard from Nova, though her name is still on the ship register. Notably, Stiles' name is not. Any attempts to contact her via the comms have been hung up on or ignored. She hasn't even been out to the kitchen, let alone any of the other shared spaces on the First Breath. If a worried party were to come into her room uninvited, she wouldn't protest. Or move from staring at the wall, probably. There's evidence she's eaten, likely from packs of food squirreled away around her room, but the girl is not exactly thriving. She looks exhausted and frankly could use a shower.

At some point, she somehow makes her way over to the gardens on the Iskaulit. She craves the solace of the woods, but lacking that, this will have to do. She finds an out-of-the-way spot and sits, barefoot and in her pajamas, running the dirt through her fingers. Girl looks rough, is all. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ margaery does not mind quiet.

she knows grief when she sees it, had seen it many times before and her way to sooth it is serenity and calm and charm. she sees nova in the gardens and gives the girl an hour or so of peace before moving to sit near her, reading her book in silent.

an hour longer passes and only then she speaks ]

Who are we grieving?

Everything.

[ it takes her a few moments to respond. her voice is creaky from how long she's kept her silence, and the answer is not direct, though it is slightly dramatic. she could say "stiles" and that would be true, but also untrue. but he was her closest link to Aather, where she'd spent so much time and grown so much, and now she was alone again. he was also her closest chance to get out of her situation at home, get her sister, and find someplace better to live. they had talked about it so much, and then he'd gone and left without her. how was she supposed to get there now?

the tip of her nose reddens as she tries not to cry. ]

I pray each day for my brother, Loras, did I tell you? There is no Sept aboard the ships and I know not if the Seven may hear my prayers from so far but I pray, still.

[ softly, she adds ]

I do not know that those matter but they calm me so. I pray for Loras and Garlan and Willas and for my lady mother and my lord father, the world is so dangerous, you see. I have already lost a good friend who was also my lord husband.

[ and though loras surely misses renly in a deeper sense than her, for her he was an ally and a precious friend, too ]

I know grief, sweetling. Whoever hit is we are grieving for, I am terribly sorry for. Forgive me for not being able to offer more. I am named Queen Above the Stars here, would that I were, I would make you happy forever.

I wouldn't deserve it if you could.

[ there's a well of bitterness inside of her, along with the sadness. her words come off more nihilistic than she'd probably have preferred, but she can't shore up the energy to placate Margaery. she takes a moment to try to compose herself and looks up, one hand still idly playing with the cool dirt ]

Stiles left. Which sucks. For a lot of reasons, not just because—I mean. We were dating. So. Yeah.

I don't sleep when I'm alone. I close my eyes and it's just Rue. Cato. Marvell. All dying again. Sometimes instead of Rue, I'm holding Prim. Sometimes instead of Cato being eaten by the Mutts, it's Prim.

Shall I stay?

[ she offers, at once, all charm and grace in her blue hair and matching gown of silk, she smiles a little ]

I used to sneak into my cousin's bed at nights. Sometimes, even Highgarden would have looked too vast at night, at the dark. I'd sneak into her room and burrow under her blankets, she never chased me away.

[ she smiles a little ]

I am sorry the one you have loved is gone but there is one here who loves you as truly. Let me stay, I shall hold you until you sleep.

I wouldn't ask you to do that. Sometimes I wake up thinking I'm somewhere else. I wouldn't want to hurt you.

You have not asked, I have offered. I am not afraid of you, sweetling. We are friends, even here in this odd little world. I can so very little, my love, do allow me to help. I shall return to my ship as soon as you wish it.

[ she inches closer ]

I promise.

[ she manages a stiff, hesitant nod, not trusting her voice to hold steady. she's already losing the war against her tears as her eyes well up ]

There now.

[ slowly, gently, she takes her hand in hers, places her head on her shoulder. ]

I shall not leave your side until you wish it, I vow this to you. You are terribly dear to me.

[ the touch seems to break the surface tension and Nova starts to cry with gasping sobs. she's so tense and tired and angry and sad, but still amazed at the tenderness of others. she holds Margaery's hand, shaking ]

[ margaery is suddenly reminded of loras in his grief for renly, the way he burrowed close in her arms, trusting her with his sadness as he knew she will not think him weak for it. she does not think nova is weak, either, not by far. she wraps her in tender arms, runs gentle fingers through her hair ]

I'm sorry, sweetling. How terrible it is to be far from those you love.

[ she leans into Marge's embrace willingly, though she's still very taut. she cries it out for a bit, gulping air ]

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Does it ever?

[ the world is cruel in that manner, the sooner one accepts it the better. it had given her renly who was good to her, for all that he cared more for her brother and it had taken him away. ]

But take comfort in that. there are others here who would do much to see you happy.

[ she nods against Margaery and tries to calm herself down, though self-soothing has never been a strong suit ]

Thanks.

mopingjay

( gardens )

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