one.

[kindlymeant]

Who: Sansa Stark aaaand open!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: The Marsiva and the First Breath
When: Action for 24th and 26th, Broadcast on the 24th

( action; the marsiva )

[ after walking the ship with Anduin, she's come to have a better sense of the place - or it feels better, anyway, more practical, more reliable. although she had woken with some notion of where to go, it is experience that begets familiarity. so she's telling herself, anyway. it is hard to believe that steel walls will ever cease to be strange, that this will ever not feel as thought they all walk in the empty suit of some giant knight.

that would be a story, surely, but Alayne has to concern herself less with stories and more with what she has to hand; these steel walls and a realm of new faces, new minds.

and no direwolf, for that matter. being without Lady hurts less than it did when it first happened (blood on her father's blade, weight on his shoulders, something bitter and vicious painted on her sister's face) and yet she feels the absence of her wolf all the more acutely, like there is a hole where she ought to walk beside her. more than once in her wandering, Alayne finds her hands flexing for fur that is not there to grip.

she walks on anyway, mostly for the sake of busying restless feet. courtesy is a lady's armour, but knowledge might have become her mail. and she is curious, besides - suspicion that this is another fae trick lingers in the back of her mind, but the more she walks the more she believes Demeleier could be fit inside this place ten times. the assurance is not necessarily comforting; it begs the question what became of everyone else she'd been trapped with.

at least for some of them, she hopes she's the only one taken.

that's not particularly comforting either, but Alayne is quite used to that. ]

( action; ss first breath )

[ by the time that she is placed upon the first breath, Alayne is hardly more used to her surroundings but at least better at acting like it, and that's what strikes her as important. communications was the part they gave her and while she questions her abilities, her suitability, her worthiness, she is intent on playing her part. (she still feels out of place and silly in her new clothes, and with no needle to mark them as her own, but she holds her head up high so that none will notice.)

the first breath is a name of promise, perhaps, but she won't place much stock in such a thing. names have their own power but she's come to know better herself.

she spends her first day, for the most part and after learning the layout of the ship, where she's supposed to be - with the array of comms devices that she shouldn't know and yet does. but every so often she might peek in elsewhere, and despite her efforts there's still a clear kind of wonder written into her features. ]

( video )

I wonder, is there someone I ought to thank for bringing me here?

[ her smile is measured, unassuming, but the airiness in her tone suggests her gratitude is a careful, waiting thing. she does not yet know if this is safe - safer, anyway, would be a blessing of some sort. her suit sits primly on her shoulders, red hair half-braided neatly down her back.

(she had wondered about asking for dye, but there seems no means for requesting, and her red served her well enough in Demeleier. and so far, thankfully, she has heard nothing that speaks of, in whispers or otherwise, of Westeros.

it will do.) ]

My pardons. I understand there must be work to be done. But I am newly arrived, and seek only to better know those that I travel with.

[ she inclines her head politely. ]

My name is Alayne, and this place is like nothing I have seen before - but perhaps some are more familiar. Or, perhaps, you have known this already - being moved to somewhere new, that is. Whether by a means such as this, or something more mundane.

[ her gaze flits away, expression warmed by idle chatter. ]

I thank you, for your time.

Comments

[got_it_memorized]

[His expression is a little unsure, like he's trying to find a nice way of letting someone down. Maybe he is.]

I dunno that I'd be so quick to say thanks. Atroma's the one who brought us here, but we're still trying to figure out if Atroma's the one who sent a bunch of alien ships to attack us a few weeks ago. [He clicks his tongue.] I was thinking this place was better than what I had goin' for me back home, but I think maybe it's time to start looking this gift horse in the mouth.

video;

[dragonflight]

Interesting! Why do you think who -- or what -- brought you here should have your gratitude?

[kindlymeant]

[ although his words are not precisely what she wants to hear - really, she's not sure what that might be - she does not seem overly perturbed. concern furrows her brow, but her expressions are quite calm, ripples in still water. ]

I am sorry to hear that. [ and she sounds it, truly. the notion of a bunch of alien ships is challenging, naturally, but she can get the idea. there's always something. ] But, how was such a threat fended off? And why, if I may, might you believe that was the work of Atroma?

video;

[kindlymeant]

[ her smile lingers, as she pauses to consider. not the answer itself; that is prepared, sculpted already. instead, his question makes her curious in itself. here, she thinks, is one to be careful with. ]

Shouldn't I be grateful, my lord? [ still, it would be childish to answer a question with a question, at least when she's trying to gauge people, to learn, so she continues. ] I should like to have cause, at least. Alas, I know so little.

[dragonflight]

[My lord. He likes her already.]

Only if your homeland was so terrible, my dear lady.

[kindlymeant]

So terrible? [ an innocuous question; Alayne tells herself she's been lucky. ] Do you hold our hosts in such low esteem?

[got_it_memorized]

Some of our ships have shields and guns. Not all of them--some can't even move around off autopilot--and the ones without those defenses were pretty badly damaged. We less 'fended them off' and more... didn't explode long enough that they retreated. We still dunno why.

As for Atroma... I don't like to think the people who brought us here are responsible for also maybe tryin' to kill us, but the fact remains that they never denied it. In fact they said very little about it. Lots of radio silence right after it happened, not even so much as a 'hey are you all still alive?'.

[Now he realizes he may have scared her.]

Er... but that was the first time anything like that had happened, so it might have just been some belligerent aliens or something. We don't really know. I just hope they don't come back.

[Wait, that probably isn't helping the whole scaring her thing.]

[dragonflight]

[He leans forward, nearly purring.]

Now, now. Don't deflect.

action; the marsiva

[survives]

[It's downright amazing, really, being in an actual, real spaceship. (Not that she'd even known what they were a day ago.) Amazing, unbelievable, and so... So quiet.

(It's easy to forget sometimes that Basel's gears are constantly turning, after all. Until she finds herself somewhere without them.)

So, as much as she's straining to catch any and all sounds, it doesn't take Leanne long to realize there's someone walking further along, in the same direction she's going.

After only a moment's hesitation, she quickens her pace and, once she's sure she's close enough, raises a hand to wave, smiling brightly.]

Hey... Hi! Are you looking around too?

[kindlymeant]

[ that sounds more worrying than an attack in itself - silence, avoidance. the fae had been dangerous, but they'd always answered, one way or another.

whilst a part of her tries to think that it was one attack and it's done now, Alayne is not inclined to give security the benefit of the doubt. ]

Is it common - to hear so little from them?

[kindlymeant]

[ despite his tone, it is not a cat that he necessarily puts her in mind of, but she makes effort not to balk. ]

I had not thought you would be interested in my homeland - foolishly, I confess. I am curious myself, after all.

There would be those that hailed from my home and called it lovely, and those that called it awful. [ she doubts that will sate him, so allows another smile. ] I have found myself quite lucky in recent months, my lord.

[dragonflight]

But you don't wish to return?

[kindlymeant]

[ footsteps behind her are always enough to make her tense, uncertain, but Alayne is a practiced hand in hiding such things and so far there's been no need to feel directly threatened. that seems a cold comfort, but she has known worse.

regardless, it is something of a relief to see another girl, and her smile is heartening. Alayne returns it, nodding. ]

Yes. It's so unlike anything I've seen before. Have you just arrived, as well?

[kindlymeant]

Oh, I do. [ her smile remains, though has grown softer, sadder. ] A great deal.

[dragonflight]

Then I would withhold your gratitude from our 'hosts', whomever they may be.

[kindlymeant]

How bold you must be! [ she sounds as though it is only half in teasing. ] I should hate to offend them, my lord.

[got_it_memorized]

Mm, yes and no. They talk to us somewhat regularly, but what they say is rarely of any substance. When we try and contact that big monolith ship you arrived on, we get nothin' but radio silence. [A shrug.] So don't hold your breath on getting much in the way of answers.

[kindlymeant]

[ Alayne would like to feel relieved that there are no higher powers to deal with directly, but the notion is more disquieting than anything else. still -- ]

Then, I must thank you all the more my lord, for what answers you've been able to give me.

[got_it_memorized]

[Axel blinks at the title, then barks a laugh, genuinely amused.]

Lord? I'm nothin' that fancy. Name's Axel, that'll do. And who might you be?

video

[destinyembrace]

I think that's the first time I've ever heard someone wanting to thank Atroma for bringing them here.

[But everyone has their reasons. Kairi doesn't dwell too much on it past that.]

It's a bit jarring for everyone brought here, I think, especially so suddenly. You're handling it really well, though. [Trust her, she's seen way too many people freak out in some form or another.] Nice to meet you, even under the circumstances, Alayne. I'm Kairi. I'm a cook on the SS Blue Fish.

video

[kindlymeant]

[ handling it well is the best that she might hope for right now - she inclines her head graciously, offers a smile in greeting. ]

Thank you, my lady Kairi. It is a pleasure. They have told me [ somehow ] that I will work with communications, though I am not sure yet what that might entail.

Have you been here for a long time, if I may? [ she assumes so, given how she speaks of the place. ]

[kindlymeant]

[ she's less surprised by the reaction than she once would have been, and so the stain of colour on her cheeks at his laughter is only light. ]

Axel. It is an honour to meet you. My name is Alayne Stone.

video

[destinyembrace]

["My lady"? Wow, that's certainly something she's never been called before. Kairi can't help but blink in surprise, before smiling in embarrassment. To be honest, it does remind her a bit too much of the whole Princess of Heart thing, the way Ansem called her princess, and how Axel insisted on that nickname.]

Just Kairi's okay.

[And totally moving onto a different, slightly more comfortable topic.]

That's your augment at work. [She motions to the spot behind her ear.] It'll help you work it out.

Just a month or so, so not very long. There are some who've been here longer, but I haven't heard of anyone who's been here past six months.

video

[coppermarigolds]

This place isn't like what I've seen before, either.

[Greetings, have another redhead, though Aveline's expression is gently stern. She'll have no nonsense here, but she has a certain amount of sympathy for someone else thrust into what is a ridiculous situation.]

I can't say approve of kidnapping, but I also admit it could easily be worse. My name is Aveline.

video

[kindlymeant]

My lady, [ she inclines her head in greeting. there's something reassuring about Aveline's tone, perhaps how earnest it seems. ]

I agree wholly. None should suffer capture, but there may be reason for thanks.

Have you been here for some time?