ataraxion | » 3

[It's late at night when the transmission comes across and it's coming from one of the many kitchens where Angela's seated at a table, a small plastic tupperware container in front of her. The lid's been popped off and every so often, she reaches inside for one of the miniature Reese's peanut butter cups and unwraps it before popping it into her mouth. She's clearly been here for a while with the number of empty wrappers strewn around her, but she doesn't seem likely to go back to her room any time soon. At least not before she turns to the device and whispers into it.]

Most of you guys are probably sleeping or something. Who knows what time it is here, but I'm assuming you won't hear this until later. Either way, question mostly for the people who've been here for more than a couple jumps: do you get homesick? Or are you too busy dealing with the bullshit from the ship?

[Angela pauses to finish chewing the candy, following it up with another one that she swallows as she chooses her next words carefully.]

It's not like I've never been away from home. I've lived all over the world, some places only for a week or so, but at least I had a phone or the internet. Everybody I knew was never more than just a phone call away. I'm good for picking up and going because it's Tuesday, but I never stopped checking in.

[Another candy goes down before she lifts the wrapper in mock salute.]

Thanks for the candy, Isaac.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He laughs at that thought.]

Fifty kingdoms is a great many. How does your president keep order? And you should tell me of one of your adventures, if you have had some. I am collecting stories of all the worlds, and I would have one of yours, if you would give it.

He has help. There's a ton of people that work under him and with him on things, most of the time. Poor guy can't babysit us all.

I could tell you about the time I got sawed in half by a magician.

You were sawed in half?

[in other words YES DO TELL]

Every five times a week for six months.

[She will. She's just going to dangle this story like a carrot.]

Why so often? Wasn't he content to do it once? And how did he do it, and how did you survive?

How did he do it? Magic.

[Literally.]

Do you know what a magician is?

A magician is the same as a wizard or a sorcerer--only I think his magic is less true. Maester Luwin told me that all magic is untrue, but there is much magic to this place. But how could magic heal you after you were sawed in half?

Not less true, just different. And he had a special box. What would happen is that I, as his assistant, would get inside this box and lie down. Then he would take a sword, sometimes a saw, sometimes a really big blade and cut me in the middle so it would be half my legs and then the rest of me. When he was ready to put me back together, he would push the pieces of the box together and somehow, the box would fix me. He would never tell me how it worked, but it did every time.

[She's so not going to tell him that the truth is that she just pulled her knees up to her chest and thus it was all a trick. Let the kid keep his wonder.]

It must have been a very sharp sword. [it's just an observation; he's certainly not questioning the reality of a sword that cuts through wooden boxes and bone both. it's probably a magic sword, too.] I think I would like to see that trick done, if it was no threat to you. But do you have some magic too, that you traveled with a magician?

Too bad he's not here. He could have done it for us.

Me? I don't think so. Not anymore at least. I haven't been a magician's assistant in years. Maybe I lost all my magic?

There are others with magic here. One of them might be able to do the trick. I will ask. Though if you have lost all of your magic, I think it will be harder to do, and I would not see you hurt.

If you don't travel with the magician any longer, what do you do?

You don't have to. I think I'm done with being cut in half anyway.

I'm an artist. I paint and draw for a living.

I am glad to hear it. I would not like to think of risk coming to you--especially as all magic here seems to be of different sorts. You might not heal so quickly if it were not your magician.

What do you paint?

Whatever I feel like painting. [She's also not going to tell him she draws dead people. Nope. Not going there with a kid.] Fruit, places I've been, people I see, maybe a direwolf or two...

[woah woah wait forget everything else]

Could you paint a direwolf?

I could paint a direwolf.

What could be traded for it?

[Angela strokes her chin like she's deep in thought and going to take this little boy for all he has.]

Let's see... nothing. It's free.

[He laughs. Lady you are cray!]

There must be some price to it--or something that can be traded. It would not be fair to take a painting for free!

[She damn sure is.]

Nope. I don't want anything for it. You can't make me take anything in exchange.

Yes, I can! I will not accept the painting until you accept a trade. Or I will send Summer to you, and he will pester you until you accept!

He'll just be pestering me forever then because I won't. It's a gift to you. I don't want you to give me anything.

[That's so not the way this works, but Bran makes a noise of musing all the same.]

We-ell... if it were a gift, then I could accept. But I will remember that you gave it to me.

[It's the way Angela works. Soon Bran will learn she is not like other adults. Or humans, period.]

That's okay. I'm fine with you remembering.

[AND HE WILL REMEMBER because Starks are honorable and don't forget kindnesses done to them/paintings made of their direwolves.]

Will you need to see Summer, or can it be painted from an image of him on this device?

[voice]

thenormalsquint - 2012-10-22 18:11 (UTC) - Expand

wolfdreamer - 2012-10-22 18:35 (UTC) - Expand

thenormalsquint - 2012-10-23 11:57 (UTC) - Expand

» 3 | video

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]