Windrose June Mingle!

[passingthrough]

Who: SS Windrose + Visitors
Broadcast: Unlikely
Action: SS Windrose
When: June — anytime!

[Now featuring bathroom rank II for all your bathtub and and additional ten minutes of water per hour needs! We also have more and faster shuttles! Just last month we made it to actual double-sized beds for all your double-sized fun. Special features include a hanging medicinal herb garden in the cargo bay complete with bacon-flavored kelp and Officer Snuggles the resident security fox!

Please enjoy your stay. Unless you're The Stalker. There's a sandwich bag waiting for you.]

Comments

[partialities]

My lady mother would said my singing brings her peace. We would sit in the rose garden and I would recite all the songs she had favored.

[ she gestures for him to come and see it, the careful embroidery work that her grandmother would roll her eyes at and say oh don't be a silly thing, it's all roses all the time, do something different, something bolder.

margaery does miss her, she misses her advice each day. ]

I told you about it, didn't I? green and gold. Growing Stronger.

[winn]

I can see why. Or well - hear it, makes more sense.

[ he smiles and comes in closer, taking in the details of her work. ]

You did. It's really beautiful. I - I'm kinda shaming my teacher here with this now I realize, but I made you a little something with the threads you got me -

[ bringing the hand that was hidden behind his back forward, he presents her with an embroidery of his own - that spells out 'this queen saves herself' in dark green on a field of bright green, with flowers curled around the words. it's not nearly as elaborate or flawless as her work, but it's neat and pleasing to the eye. ] Kara - told me what to write.

[partialities]

For me? For what manner of occasion?

[ she takes it and smiles, a chuckle falling from her lips ]

It's beautiful. The lines are lovely and my favorite colors, too.

[ she holds it close to her. ]

I shall keep it with me for as long as I am here, thank you, how thoughtful of you to think of me.

[winn]

For the occasion of - you're my friend, that's always worth celebrating.

[ he smiles happy to see she seems pleased with it. ]

You're welcome, it's the least I could do. [ and he feels like it's very literal. he wishes he could do more for her. ]

[partialities]

My grandmother would have loved those words. She always said out words are a bit too simplistic, Growing Stronger. She said there is no boldness in it. When compared with Winter is Coming. Fire and Blood. I find them to be quite ominous. I do favor something more positive.

[ she traces the lines of his work ]

How fortunate I am, to have someone who cares for me so, even here, so far from home.

[winn]

Yeah, I'm definitely with you on the hopeful messages - though growing stronger is definitely a good motto. Way better than winter is coming or fire and blood. Basically anything's gonna beat a motto with 'blood' in it.

[ is he rambling again? he is, isn't he. ]

I'm pretty sure you'd find people to care for you anywhere, Margaery, you're a great person.

[partialities]

We must make certain never to say that to the queen from the house whose words are those. She is the captain of the Caprine, I reckon.

[ she places his work next to her, takes her own and lays it on her knees ]

It is kind of you to say.

[ there is a healthy amount of doubt there. not that she, herself, is great but that care shall be easy to find. ]

[winn]

I'll try to remember that.

[ he frowns in concern, leaning in closer. doubt isn't something he sees every day from margaery, but when she told him of her fiance he realized that much like him - she tends to keep a lot in. his voice turns softer. ]

Hey -- what is it? You can talk to me.

[partialities]

True care is very rare in strangers, in my realm. When I came to King's Landing, I could see it very clearly. Growing up in Highgarden, I never realized it but visiting the orphanage houses and the poor - I could see how strange care was for them from someone like me and I am not different than them, not truly. Our circumstances of birth are the only difference between us.

[ she frowns, looks down at her work ]

It was simply very difficult to come to grasp that they found care to be foreign. Our realm has been at war for far too long, I think we have all been victims of it.

[winn]

[ he sighs softly, because that's a difficult one. he thinks back to his own childhood, to how to this day he treats every crumb of caring thrown his way like a life line, even though he's been given plenty of it since he first managed to distance himself from the toyman name. that fear never leaves a person, not really. ]

When people are down on their luck, or they've been mistreated for a long time, it can get difficult for them to trust in care, in kindness, especially from someone who bares any similarities - even superficial ones like a last name - to the people they blame. But deep down, that's what we all want. It's not easy, but if you don't give up on people - eventually they'll see who you really are. And when you fight for someone...when you don't give up on them even though it's hard, what you're doing is telling them that they're worthwhile. That's not something they'll ever forget.

[ he puts a gentle hand on hers, his own way of saying I'm fighting for you. ]

[partialities]

I do wish to be a queen. I suppose this - funny little realm made me understand I need to deserve being one. It cannot be enough to be - beautiful and charming and with the right name.

[ she smiles a little and presses her hand to his ]

thank you.

[winn]

No, governing takes a lot out of you.

[ he returns the smile, because he knows she knows that but still. she's only 16. this shouldn't be on her shoulders. ]

Anytime. You can always call me if you need to talk.

[partialities]

[ she nods, and then gasps a little, hand moving to cover her mouth ]

have I interrupted your schedule, somehow? are you here to visit Kitty?

[winn]

[ he laughs, taking his hand back and shaking his head fondly. ]

I'm the one who came into your room, so if anyone's interrupting -

[partialities]

My door is open for a reason.

[ a gentle reminder ]

but you usually visit the ship for a specific reason.

[ evidently amused ]

[winn]

[ oh dear god, is he being teased by a 16 year old?

you know the worst part?

it's working. it flusters him. he lets out a soft chuckle. ]

Yeah well, I love Kitty, but both of us need time with our friends, too. Can't have her getting sick of me -

[partialities]

[ airily, she asks ]

are you betrothed?

[winn]

[ he isn't even drinking anything, but still he chokes. ]

Wha - no. No. [ he laughs and shakes his head ] We haven't even been together for two months -

[partialities]

Been together?

[ she arches an eyebrow ]

You mean courting? it is a long time to be courting anyone.

[ mayhaps she enjoys feigning this level of naivety ]

[winn]

[ oh god. maybe he can just. say yes. let her think that that's what they're doing. he really doesn't want to have this talk with a 16 year old girl.

but then, he and kitty are hardly shy about their public displays of affection, and all she has to do is be near enough kitty's room at night when they're staying on the windrose to figure out their private displays of affection.

maybe he can still just go ahead and say 'yes'. ]

No, I mean -- dating. That's what people do in - my world. We're still getting to know each other. Getting engaged is something people do after years together.

[partialities]

years!

[ she has to chuckle. it's very odd and honestly, she does see the humor in it ]

No lord in my realm has ever courted a lady for years. dating, you say? men in your world must have an abundance of patience.

[ and then, slyly ]

Unless - are ladies allowed to show affection towards men they are - dating? before the wedding?

[winn]

[ oh god no he is not having this conversation HE IS NOT HAVING THIS CONVERSATION!!! he's going to his happy place!!!

his face provides all the answers she could possibly need. ]

Ladies are allowed to do whatever they want so long as both sides are consenting adults. Uh. But. Maybe. You'd rather talk to a lady about that?

[ save him from this conversation, there are so many potholes!!! ]

[partialities]

I shan't ask a lady. Any lady would assume I am passing judgement on their behavior of I ask something of this manner. I do not mind it, truly. I find it very liberal that women can share beds with men before wedlock without shaming themselves.

[ but this is so much fun ]

[winn]

[ stop the bullying 2016! ]

Depends on how you ask it -- [ but he can't really recommend anyone for her to talk to about this because he doesn't want her discussing his sex life with any of his friends either, oh god.

how is this his life. he tries to do right by people! ]

Look I'm - I'm not gonna tell you that my world's perfect and that all these perceptions are in the past because a. that'd be a lie and b. Kara has a mean throwing arm - [ and that's the sort of thing that definitely gets stuff thrown at you. for good reason! but still. ] But reasonable people get that so long as people are aware, consenting, and happy with what they're doing - there's no reason to judge.

[partialities]

I will be the last to think of something as terrible as judging people for being happy. Especially here, so far from home. I can see how such connections and -- affections can be very comforting.

[ a small, pointed smile. ]