003; video

[reek]

Who: Theon Greyjoy
Broadcast: Fleetwide, video
Action: S.S. Paisley
When: Thursday morning

[ A dark haired boy, no older than nine or ten, sits somewhere on the bridge of the Paisley. He's managed to figure out the device relatively quickly, and he sits staring at it apprehensively, head cupped in his hand.

Although he does his best to keep an even and stony expression, he can't hide the fact that he looks absolutely miserable, as if everything he ever knew and loved has just been taken from him. Which, in fact, it has. This boy wears a black cloak, emblazoned with golden krakens. If that isn't enough of a clue that this is a young Theon Greyjoy, nothing is. Clearly, someone's augment has malfunctioned.

In an uncertain voice, he finally asks: ]

Is this Winterfell?

[ On top of being unhappy, he seems incredibly suspicious of his surroundings. Everything is so strange and unlike anything he's ever seen, but all he's ever known is the Iron Islands. For all he knows, Winterfell is this strange place where they use these strange devices rather than ravens to deliver messages. On the other hand, Lord Stark frightens him, and Theon wouldn't put it past him to leave him somewhere strange and even farther away from home than he anticipated. ]

I don't remember arriving. [ His eyebrows knit together, his face scrunching up in frustration, but he tries very hard to put some semblance of forcefulness into his nervous voice. ] Where is Lord Stark?

Comments

[audio]

[nedstarksbastard]

[Of all people this had to happen to, it had to be Theon Greyjoy. Jon lets out a long, tired breath, rubs at his temple.

He can't dwell on Winterfell. Or on his lord father. He can't, it hurts to even think about them, the dull sort of hurt that's now been thrown into stark relief, upon sight of the boy he's not seen in a long, long while.]

Lord Stark isn't here. And this isn't Winterfell either. [Gods, how young they'd all been.] What do you last remember?

[video]

[summerschild]

[Bran watches with wide eyes, parsing the situation slowly. The krakens are immediately familiar - a younger brother of Theon's, perhaps? He frowns slightly.]

Are you of House Greyjoy?

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[steeledskin]

[ -- how curious. sansa's chin dips, and she more carefully watches the device's screen. her hands knit tightly together in her lap, and she leans forward.

...theon? the child must be theon. she'd only ever guess so because she's witnessed others become suddenly younger. unless this is some new kraken come to play. ]

Apologies, [ her tone is measured. sweeter, somehow, than it ever is when she speaks with adults. caring for sweetrobin has given her some patience in this quarter, whether she likes it or not. ] But Winterfell is far away. [ she puffs her cheeks. ] But I am Sansa Stark, and I could tell you about it if you wish.

video 5ever

[reek]

[ Okay, so maybe young Theon hasn't figured out the device that well. Either he doesn't know how to switch to audio, or he's too stubborn or frightened to do so. ]

I was to be taken there. [ He shrugs, focusing his attention on the hem of his cloak. It's pretty awkward speaking to a disembodied voice, all while trying not to totally break down. Can you really blame him, though? He's lost so much in such a short amount of time. ] They killed my Rodrik and Maron, but they couldn't kill me. I'm father's heir, so they're taking me away.

[video]

[reek]

[ Joke's on you, Bran. Theon is the baby of the family and all his brothers are dead...Thanks to your dad and his best friend. ]

Yes.

[ He eyes Bran suspiciously, eyes narrowed slightly. As if the krakens didn't make his House completely obvious. ]

Who are you?

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[reek]

[ When she introduces herself, Theon immediately grows wary of her sweet and patient tone. Stark, just like the man who took him from his home and aided in taking his father's crown. Sansa lacks Eddard's stern face, but this does little to easy his worries. He knows what the wolves will do to him if they find his father's behavior unacceptable; Balon was certain to remind him before he left. ]

Alright.

[ His response is uncertain, though, and he sounds a little doubtful. He wonders if Sansa might be Lady Stark, but he can't bring himself to ask. ]

Father says it's far from the sea. That you can't even see no matter how high you climb.

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[steeledskin]

He speaks the truth. [ then, after a moment's hesitation: ] Not that I've ever climbed very high.

[ that was bran's domain. or, perhaps, the domain of any young robust boy eager to mark his mettle. climbing evergreens and watchtowers and challenging all the other young robust boys to climb higher. she can't rightly say, having never played a part in those games. ]

There's a pond, in the Godswood. It's no ocean, I admit, but a person could swim there if he wanted to.

[ a paltry offer of a hobby that can't even be pursued. they aren't in winterfell. and theon is (in reality) no child. ]

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[reek]

[ He looks doubtful, though swimming has little to do with his concerns. In all of his ten years, he's never been without the sound of the waves on the rocks, nor the smell of brine, nor the seemingly endless sight of the water stretching out to meet he sky. That's home. It always has been, and he doesn't know what he'll do without it.

He sighs, but doesn't voice his doubts. If he is speaking to lady Stark, it's probably smarter not to anger her. ]

What is a Godswood?

[ The Iron Islands lack trees, and the Faith is not popular among the Ironborn. For Balon and his children, there has only ever been the Drowed God. ]

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[steeledskin]

It's -- [ not so easily described. least of all for a woman who finds herself deeply at odds with her family's faith. she never felt the fullness of a real godswood, but felt only its absence. she empathizes with the hollow overtures left behind in the south. false woods and falser trees. ]

It's a place to pray. To be nearer to the Old Gods, countless and nameless as they are. Mayhaps they find the trees peaceful.

[ there's a waver in her voice. stupid though it is, she's just as preoccupied with pacifying him as he is with pacifying her. ]

[summerschild]

Bran.

[He holds his tongue on anything further.]

You're on a ship, in the stars. It's very far from Winterfell, I'm afraid.

action

[stefanged]

[There is a small child on the bridge. There is also a surprising lack of that accompanying jingle or chocolate pudding. Stefan blinks back surprise as he stares at the cloak (krakens? Where has he seen those before?) then back at the child.

This is going to be a long, long day.]

Um. Hi. [He waves, approaching carefully.] Did you just get here?

[reek]

[ Well gee, that's just fabulous. Theon gives him a pretty scathing look, as if everything he's just said is extremely offensive. ]

This is not a ship.

[ There he is. That's our Theon. ]

[summerschild]

It's a different kind of ship. One from the future.

[Ten-year-old versus ten-year-old.]

action

[reek]

Yes.

[ The young Theon eyes Stefan suspiciously, not waving in return. Instead, he focuses on tracing a finger around one of those golden krakens. So far, he's seen no one he recognizes, not even the stern faces of Lord Eddard's bannermen. It just seemed best to sit here until one of them appeared. ]

But I'm not meant to be here.

[reek]

It is not.

[ He's very insistent about this matter, and he's willing to fight you about it, Bran. ]

Nuncle Victarion commands a whole fleet of ships. This one isn't even in the water.

[ Ah, a young Ironborn who has not yet lost his hometown dialect and the use of "nuncle". ]

[summerschild]

That's because future ships don't need water! They fly, in the stars.

[And "nuncle" sounds like a skin condition, so there.]

[reek]

That's stupid.

[ It really isn't. It's amazing. But he's too anxious and upset to deal with that on top of everything else, so it's stupid. ]

Besides, how can the Drowned God be in the stars?

[summerschild]

[I KNOW YOU ARE BUT WHAT AM I]

Gods can be wherever they choose to be.

[reek]

[ GETTIN REAL TIRED OF YOUR SHIT, BRAN. ]

Not the Drowned God. [ He huffs, eyebrows furrowing. He already lost everything he's ever known, Bran. Cut him a break. ] But the Storm God lives in the clouds, so we would never build ships that go there.

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[stefanged]

I don't think any of us are, really.

[His expression softens as he gets down so that he's eye level with the kid.]

My name's Stefan. I'm uh, I'm the captain of this ship. Is there anything I can do?

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[alwayscomeback]

...

Two in one day? Are you kidding me right now?

[Well, this is gonna suck for everyone. Probably especially Theon. ]

Ugh. No. It's not Winterfell.

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[huaaaaagh]

[Kirito's just on his way through the hall, business as usual, when he bumps into Theon. And of course he's not going to recognize the kid version of the guy everyone loves to hate, so he just sort of awkwardly blinks and waves a hand. The Paisley's sure getting a lot of kids lately.]

Er... hi. Welcome aboard?

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[reek]

[ Again, his expression is skeptical. Beyond the fact that the northmen still honor them, his father taught him little of the Old Gods. And trees--the only trees on the islands are stunted and withered. Theon never found them particularly peaceful, and he doubts the other ironborn do either. ]

Alright.

[ But it isn't alright. Not really. The wolves and their strange practices terrify him, even here. ]

It sounds...[ He tries to say "nice", but he can't bring himself to tell such a lie. His face screws up a bit as he tries to find something else to substitute in its place. ] Different from home.

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[reek]

[ Theon avoids eye contact, preferring instead to continue focusing on the krakens on his cloak. Before he left Pyke, his father told him to be lordly, but he truly doesn't know how. Rodrik was his Balon's heir, then it was Maron, but one after the other, both were killed in the Rebellion. Theon never even had time to consider that he might one day take both their places. ]

This isn't a ship.

[ His voice is quiet and hesitant, as if he's saying something that might get him in trouble. He doesn't want to anger the wolves, but he certainly knows ships better than they do. ]

Video

[reek]

[ Theon's childhood wasn't an extremely happy one, particularly not this point of it.

He gives Sokka a searching look, but says little. For a child, he's choosing his words exceptionally carefully and questioning very little. He's already run into one wolf, Sansa, and he doesn't wish to anger any of them when his head is literally on the line. ]

I'm far from it. [ And even further from home, he reminds himself. ] I don't...want to get father in trouble.