004 -- voice;

[northerner]

It seems there are many from my world to be welcomed aboard after this past jump. If those of Westeros inclined to make their presence known, I would speak with all of you.

[ there's a pause. a direwolf's low whine can be heard, and robb exhales slowly. ]

And I'm sure it is already known, but the lady who called herself Aberdeen is no longer aboard.

[ and feed is cut. ]

Comments

[northerner]

[ there's a pause, a silence that stretches out because admitting things isn't easy for robb. since his birth he's been taught that there are burdens in this life that he must bear without complaint or question but... ]

Everything on this ship is unfamiliar to me. Even my family.

[ this is dangerous ground to tread. all these secrets that simple sentence skirts, and robb is painfully aware of it but. ]

They've grown older and I've not grown at all.

[grndnpnd]

[ While he's waiting for Robb to fill the silence with something, Tommy fishes a partially-chewed toothpick out from the pocket of his hoodie, picks a bit of fluff off, and sticks it between his teeth. He chews for a while after Robb's finished talking, thinking about what he could possibly say. ]

Got a brother back home. Older. [ A pause to rearrange the toothpick with his fingers. ] I think sometimes you end up feelin' like that even without all this.

[northerner]

[ the silence isn't uncomfortable. grey wind pads up beside robb, and robb sinks a hand into fur, cards his fingers through it and there's something so very boyish in it, something robb shouldn't display except he is. ]

They feel like strangers. They are family, should they not feel as such even now?

[grndnpnd]

[ Tommy shrugs a little, tucks his hands back into the pockets of his hoodie. He's all too aware that he's not the person to turn to for uplifting reassurances about family, but he figures for Robb he can take a shot at it. ]

I figure showing up and saying "Hey, we're related" doesn't always cut it. Sometimes you can't just be family; you gotta act like it for a while first, y'know?

[northerner]

[ it's appreciated more than tommy knows, more than robb can say. he takes another drink, thumb rubbing over the label on the bottle, not even pretending to read the unfamiliar words printed there. ]

I don't think I know how.

[ a brother he can be. but he is now the head of their household, a role he scrambles to fill even as everything around him grows more and more distorted. ]

[grndnpnd]

[ There's a sentiment that Tommy can relate a little too closely with. He looks down at his shoes. ]

Fuck if anyone knows. We're all making it up as we go.

[northerner]

[ robb's laugh is a little bitter. grey wind arches up to rest his head on robb's knee, and robb scratches his ears without thinking. ]

At least there's some comfort in that, I suppose.

[grndnpnd]

[ Tommy watches Grey Wind with a bit of wariness. He hasn't had much of a reason to hang out with the big wolf yet, so he's not used to him. But after a moment, his eyes move back to Robb, and he exhales loudly. ]

Look, some people are fucking terrible at making it up, and they'll always be terrible at it. But people who aren't, aren't suddenly gonna start. You aren't terrible.

[northerner]

[ someday, the starks will realize that not everyone is cool with giant wolves. but it hardly occurs to robb at this moment, and his attention is dragged from grey wind to tommy at the sound of his sigh. there's a shadow of a smile on his face. ]

I'm glad you swore us your banner.

[ it's a statement that means many things, but it's mostly meant to convey how grateful robb is for tommy and his friendship, the way it does not waver even now, even when robb is more boy than king. ]