open | text + action

[steeledskin]

Who: Sansa Stark + YOU
Broadcast: Text, fleetwide.
Action: Blue Fish
When: This morning.

Jon Snow and Bran Stark have left the Fleet. Condolences to those who may have befriended them while they were here; Gods-willing, we shall see them again.

[ sansa's message is short -- abrupt, and almost stripped of its emotion. she avoids broadcasting anything but simple text because she does not trust herself to maintain her mask, so to speak. as it is, she's cried too much. losing bran and jon feels like opening old wounds packed with grief. it makes her feel like a little girl again: weak, and mewling.

but she does add: ] I dread leaving, as they have left. Do others in the Fleet want to stay?

[ later, she can be found sitting on the floor of her personnel office. she has taken the furs from her bunk and has spread them across the ground, and she's allowed jon's direwolf pups free rein of the cozy and comfortable area. sansa's eyes are red-rimmed, and they betray every lie she tells when she insists she's as well as can be expected. but at least her spirits lift, a little, when she's playing tug-of-war with the pups.

they bring her a bittersweet joy. ]

Comments

Text;

[steeledskin]

[ she needs her family -- what a trite response, however, when her captain is offering affection and support. sansa swallows a fresh sigh and tries to settle on a respectful reply. ]

Tea would be nice. If it isn't too much bother.

Text;

[alwayscomeback]

[A sentiment he'd understand only too well. He hates it, though. He wanted to get them all out of here safe- to take them somewhere they could be happy. It's not fair they got sent back. ]

Tea I can do. I'll be with you soon, okay?

[And as promised, there's soon a knock at her door. ]

Re: Text;

[steeledskin]

Sokka? [ she calls out from the other side of the door -- expecting him. ] Come in. Please.

[ she's on the floor. the furs from her bed are spread in front of her office's desk, and the two pups are romping happily with one another. sansa sits with her back against the desk -- knees drawn up to her chin. as positions go, it's refreshingly unrehearsed. she isn't perfectly ladylike, today, and all at once looks to have more in common with her brothers and her sister than she ever did before. ]

I hope you won't mind them staying, [ she explains the pups. ] They were Jon's, and I promise I'll take good care of them.

[alwayscomeback]

[His heart breaks for her, it really does. Sansa is one of the best people he knows, despite what she may say about herself. She doesn't deserve this. She deserves happiness, she deserves her family, she deserves the chance to smile more than she's struck with sorrow. It's what he wants for her. He can't really give it her, but by the spirits, he will try.

He walks in with a small smile on his face, leaning down to pat one of the errant pups. It's interesting to see her like this. He knows her well enough now to know her guard wouldn't be completely down- but there's still something more...natural about her here than he's used to seeing.]

I bringeth delicious tea.

[He raises his tray with the promised tea, also on there is a plate.]

Annnd I've been experimenting with the gel dispenser recently. I think I've manged to make something that's almost, but nooot quite like a lemon cake.

[steeledskin]

[ -- in a blink and you'll miss it display of aching normalcy, sansa stoops low to plant a loving kiss on one pup's (luna's) snout before she stands. then, upright, she has the opportunity to breath posture back into her body. gently, and with a bowed head, she's quick to relief him of the tray. ]

Experimenting? [ she repeats the word as if it would buy her a spare moment to consider her reply. ] Are you certain they're edible? [ concerned. ]

[ she sets the tray down on her desk. ]

[alwayscomeback]

[Sokka keeps his own posture normal, relaxed- in the hope it might bring some more of it out in her. He laughs, nodding. ]

They're super edible, I promise. I tried a couple of batches before I was absolutely certain.

[steeledskin]

[ as arguments go, this one sounds convincing. sansa is in no rush to sample the gel-creation, however, and decides to enjoy her tea first. despite the pain of the day, she finds herself at least marginally more at ease due to sokka's easy wordless acceptance of the pups. otherwise, she'd been fearing he might refuse her this boon -- even after riona had as good as promised otherwise. deep down, sansa knew the captain would approve. but lately she's struggled to accept her more hopeful assumptions.

she takes a preliminary sip of tea, swallows, and addresses him in a quiet voice: ] I know Bran will be missed by more than myself and by Robb. You all made such a fine home for him, here.

[alwayscomeback]

[The thought of denying her the pups never crossed his mind for a second. They took up little room, and even if he wasn't exactly the biggest pet person ever, he couldn't deny the joy they brought his crew. Above and beyond all else, his crew's happiness and wellbeing would always come before his own for him.

His smile softens a touch. She's right. He'll miss Bran a lot, truth be told. ]

The Blue Fish sure won't be the same without him. But hey, I'll still try to find a way to get you all somewhere safe- even if that means hijacking a spaceship and going to Westeros to do pick-ups myself.

[steeledskin]

[ it's so unladylike to even consider laughing. and yet she cannot help the rude chuckle that bubbles into existence. could you imagine! a spaceship, swooping down above the ironwoods or over the riverlands? oh, how baffled would the westerosi be! if her laughter is anything, it's one of those awkward and terribly human reminders that grief is a complex beast. already, she feels guilty. ]

They would mistake your vessel for a dragon, I fear.

[alwayscomeback]

[She laughs and he brightens instantly. He hears it so little, it's always a delight whenever it happens. He knows it's not the truest of laughs, or rather, one buried in other feelings- but it's a laugh and he'll take it. ]

All the more reason to give it a try. Give them something amazing to remember the Stark name by while I whisk you off somewhere better.

[steeledskin]

[ her wonder lingers. as sad as her eyes remain, there's a funny little quirk in her smile. like (somehow) her prolonged stay in the fleet has mended her just enough that she can see the silver linings, again. horrors don't hit her as hard as they once did. ]

It will be just our luck that they will mistake us for Targaryens, whose sigil boasts a dragon. We shall have to yell the Stark words out the window, simply so they won't mistake us.

[alwayscomeback]

[It would make him happy to know that was the case- more than happy, in fact. He believes above anything else that she absolutely deserves it. ]

Maybe we should fly the Stark banner while we do it? You know, make sure they get the message loud and clear.

[That message being 'don't fuck with the Starks ever again', of course. ]

[steeledskin]

[ she affects a funny little bow. playful, really, when compared to her more elegant curtsies. ]

House Stark is fortunate in its fierce allies from the Southern Water Tribe. [ he makes his home easy to love: its colours, its climates, its people. they sounded more like her kin than any others she's met -- despite marked differences. ]

[alwayscomeback]

[He laughs softly, mimicking her with a bow of his own. ]

You better believe it. You'd never want tougher allies than us, we're great in a pinch.

[steeledskin]

I am sorry you're here -- stuck, with us, when you have such a wonderful place you could be instead.

[alwayscomeback]

You know, I really do miss home, a lot. But if I wasn't here, I never would have met you guys. And we never would have found a potential way of getting you guys somewhere better. To be together and happy.

I think going through adventures in space is worth that any day.

[steeledskin]

You harbour so much optimism. It's unexpected. [ but not unwanted. she casts her eyes aside -- watches the pups play, instead. ] Do you never feel doubt, Sokka?

[ or is his facade as carefully crafted as others she's seen? ]

[alwayscomeback]

[He lets out a soft huff of air at that one. ]

Oh boy, do I. You should have known me before I met Aang. Doubt was my go-to.

[But Aang had rubbed off him...more than he'd like to admit.]

But I guess you could say I've got more determination than optimism. I know fighting against Atroma will never be easy. I'm just not prepared to admit defeat. Guess I'm kinda annoying tenacious like that.

[steeledskin]

[ it's a curious tidbit: to try and see him as he sees himself. and to consider, long before he was captain here, he might have been a creature of considerable more doubt. but... ]

Seven above, no. There's nothing annoying about you. [ it's blurted. and in the wake of it, she feels a little uneasy for having been so honest. ]

[alwayscomeback]

[He can't help but smile- it's not like Sansa to be more open about her feelings. It's something he really welcomes seeing. He laughs softly. ]

Well, I'm glad one person thinks that. Remind me to ask you if I ever need a glowing testimonial on how not annoying I am.

[steeledskin]

Should you ever need letters of introduction and reference, Captain -- [ he doesn't like it when she calls him captain, but this time it's suffused with a grateful affection. he's being so kind to her; it's warming. ] I would gladly oblige.

'To whom it should concern, I write to you about a fearless and good-hearted man. As honourable as any true knight, and as clever as any tactician...' [ hyperbolic, certainly, but that's the point. ]

[alwayscomeback]

With a letter like that, I could waltz into any fancy house ever and make myself at home, knowing someone like you has so much faith in me.

[He flashes her a wink. ]

I appreciate it. Really.

[steeledskin]

[ ordinarily, a wink might inspire a scowl. but for now, she merely feels all sorts of torn. pain and sorrow intermingle with confusion that he should say someone like her. is that a good thing? a bad thing? she can't be certain. but the wink leads her to believe it might actually be positive.

instead, she bites her bottom lip. nods. ]

If -- if you stayed a little longer, would you tell me a story from your homelands?

[alwayscomeback]

[It's 100% positive, as it almost always is, when she's concerned. His smile softens a touch, he's more than happy to stay in her company. He likes being in her company, quite a lot, in all honesty. ]

Sure! I mean, yeah. I'd like that.

[steeledskin]

[ -- she returns to the thought of tea, gathering up the (now lukewarm) cup and cradling it in her hands before sitting, once again, on the floor. she craves being near the pups, it would seem.

she invites sokka to sit with her. ] Is it always snow and ice where the Water Tribe lives?