(third lemon cake) voice ✧ open to both courts

[steeledskin]

( VOICE: OPEN TO BOTH COURTS )

Fellow [ ... ] shardholders. Seven blessings upon you all.

[ sansa is back in caer glaem, but there is no visual recording to accompany this address. (perhaps foolishly) she believes she may be somewhat protected from joffrey's attention. she would avoid an address altogether, but she feels there are those in the opposing court who ought to be quietly warned against the evil presence in their midst. trouble is, she doesn't know their names. and so here is a quiet attempt to draw out some of those people she'd spoken with at the very outset of using these lockets. ]

These lands are impressive. I have spent the larger part of two turns of this moon travelling them. Their roads are hard, perhaps, but I find myself oddly...pleased that I made any progress at all. [ there is a quiet (and honest) reverence in her voice. improvement and daring is not a thing she expects of herself, and so the mere understanding that she can now build a fire or ride a horse for days? it kindles something in her heart. a spark of pride. ] Seelie. Unseelie. Both territories boast beautiful landscapes -- I should like to see them painted, perhaps. Are there any artists in either court? Painters? Sculptors? [ ... ] Have we any musicians? These kingdoms must have their own songs. I would fain learn them.

From what played at the first feast, I imagine fairy music must always be a delight.

[ a protracted conversations, perhaps. but she hopes to catch the ear of wary allies and would-be friends. and as for her public behaviour? ah, well. she will be alayne stone a little longer. she is not ready to reclaim herself in one headlong rush. small steps and little leaps must be made. ]

(ooc: this post comes on the evening of june 27th. if your character is in caer glaem and is more apt to find here somewhere around the castle, go ahead and hit me with an action thread instead. i'm good with it. )

Comments

[steeledskin]

But there is something. [ otherwise, she suspects, he would not have qualified his statement. she sets her mouth in a strict line...and then: ] No matter. If you don't want me to ask after it, then I won't.

[ she isn't a pushy creature. ]

[teenyoda]

Like I said, it doesn't matter. It's better anyway. But back to the actual topic, I think you could trust talking to John if you wanted. He seems like a good enough guy. Just give him a call up on the lockets. He's over at the Station right now, so you don't have to worry about him being a creepy stalker.

[steeledskin]

[ oh. oh, dear. she had to ask: ] Is that a common occurrence? People being -- ah -- creepy stalkers, as you say?

[ at least it's so common in her own experience that she doesn't even differentiate it with its own term. ]

[teenyoda]

It's not really a matter of it being common or not. It's the person. John doesn't, ah, seem like the creepy stalker type.

[Even if Stiles might have joked about that when he'd first met him at the feast.]

[steeledskin]

[ it's hard for her. she does not trust others -- not easily, at any rate. not any longer. but she doesn't want to suffer stiles's disappointment, and so she behaves as if she is enthusiastic about this john. ]

I would be so grateful if you made an introduction for me.

[teenyoda]

Yeah? Hold on, I'll give him a call now and see if he's available.

[He pulls out his locket and goes through the names until he finds John's, pointing it out to Sansa so she can find it on her own later, if she needs to.]

Hey. John. Yo, grampa.. you there?

[chromosomes]

[ ring ring bananaphone ]

Stiles? You're calling me 'grandpa', so I'm going to guess you haven't lit yourself on fire. I hope.

[ He's not actually on screen for a moment, but when he does he's- well, he's John; short hair, ever-present stubble, silver chain around his neck with anything more hidden by his shirt. ]

Oh. [ Hi there, Alayne. ] Miss.

[steeledskin]

[ she doesn't lean into the frame. to do so would invite too much proximity between herself and the gallant would-be magician. and so the locket is forced to catch only corners and glimpses of her -- a line of her jaw or the sweep of her hair. ]

Ser -- [ she sounds startled. all at once, the wheels of social interaction were turning and she fears being left behind. and yet she cannot help but ask: ] Has this happened? Stiles! Have you done it before -- set yourself on fire?

[ maybe this was the ominous harm to his person that he'd asked her not to worry about. ]

[teenyoda]

What? No! John, god. I did not set myself on fire.

...

I set my blanket on fire. Totally different. And that's not the point of this call. John, this is Alayne. Alayne, this is John. I told her you were all special forces and shi-- bleep, so... yeah. I think she was curious about the military where we come from.

[He gave the locket a look, mouthing 'fuck you' at him before he turned it more in Sansa's direction.]

[chromosomes]

That doesn't make anyone feel better, Stiles.

[ 'Ser'. He's heard others use that phrase, most memorably Margaery; John makes a note of it for now. ]

Nice to meet you. Though I'm not exactly special forces.

[ though lbh he may as well be ]

1/2

[steeledskin]

[ his blanket. sansa looks at stiles. only...looks. for one very narrow moment, her guards are dropped and she shows a flicker of worry muddled with mild second-hand embarrassment. but she says nothing on the subject. ]

2/2

[steeledskin]

[ instead, she finds her polite smile and addresses ser john: ] It's my pleasure. Good day, ser. Stiles has been telling me all about you. He says you're very...[ WHAT WAS THE WORD? oh yeah. ] Bad-a-bleep.

[teenyoda]

It's not like I was in the bed at the time. God. You make it sound like I'm running around setting fires just for kicks. I'd just gotten the staff. It was a mistake. I learned. I'm capable of doing that, Grumpy.

[Stiles steals the locket for a moment to mouth 'badass', then directs it back at Sansa.]

Don't let him fool you, Alayne. He says he's not all that and a bag of chips, but I bet he knows fifteen ways to kill someone with his little finger.

[chromosomes]

My mistake. I meant to make it sound like you were running around setting fires on accident.

[ :vvv ]

Alayne, when he says 'bleep' I'm pretty sure he's trying not to curse. You don't need to repeat that part.

[ You kids are giving him a headache. ]

[steeledskin]

-- He told me it was what people said when they wanted to speak more mildly.

[ well. no. that isn't quite what stiles had told her -- but everything about the television and the every-other-detail had sailed just a little too above her head. and this was the detail upon which she'd settled.

even if it did make stiles out to be part-incompetent and part-liar. ]

[teenyoda]

It's censoring. She's censoring herself, John. I've been, ah, bleeping. Certain things. Like, say I wanted to tell you to bleep off, that's... where she's been getting it from.

[There's a sort of sheepish look over at Sansa before he looks back at the locket.]

We'll see how accidental it is when I set your pants on fire, bub.

[chromosomes]

[ Yeah, John literally has his forehead in one hand right now. ]

I'm going to go ahead and pretend the conversation up until right now didn't happen.

[ Ahem. Sitting up, looking professional. ]

I'm John -- Staff Sergeant John Grimm, of the United States Marine Corps.

[steeledskin]

[ and she in turn becomes stiff and unyielding. poised. remarkable, really, that she'd allowed herself to relax by such minute degrees in stiles's company. ]

Alayne Stone -- [ she has no other titles to offer him. not under this name. ] Of the Vale. Your name sounds so crowded! [ ... ] Tell me, Stiles. Is Ser John an important man that he has such a busy name?

[ she is coy; this is a game. ]

[teenyoda]

[So rude, John.]

Well, it's sort of like, ah, rank and where he's from. Like yours, only we just like to throw more words in it.

Staff Sergeant is his rank, John Grimm's his name, and the United States is where we're from. The Marine Corps is the branch of the military he's from, so... it's all pretty relevant information, but it only really makes sense if you know what any of that means. Otherwise, he may as well be Lieutenant Floofybottom of the Great Sea of Scowlyfaces.

[So there, John.]

[chromosomes]

Nice to meet you.

[ He notes the return of the tension, almost regrets his actions; but he has to earn any relaxation, can't just piggyback off Stiles.

Besides, he really was getting a headache. ]

I'm no commissioned officer, either. Though I've got to say, I prefer 'John' to 'Floofybottom'.

[ Thanks Stiles. ]

[steeledskin]

Stiles has a habit of taking titled men and wreaking havoc upon those titles. Knights or soldiers; it does not matter. None are spared his merciless wit.

[ her rejoinder is softly said but it hold a little flicker of humour. as dry as her comment sounds, she would never have said it if she did not mean it with some ember of affection. ] He should be more gallant with you, John. He ought to be.

[teenyoda]

I dunno, Grumps. Floofybottom might suit you. Or maybe Snookums is better.

[Yes, Stiles. Tease the guy who can break you in half over the lockets. Good job. Well done.

He does look over at Sansa, giving her a sideways grin at that and laughing.]

Yeah, well, I ought to do a lot of things that I just can't seem to manage. Some might say it's a failing. My dad doesn't seem to mind it.

[Especially when it was directed at one Agent McCall. Take that, Agent FBsuck my--]

[chromosomes]

He means well, at least.

[ As though Stiles isn't sitting right there... ]

If it were really an issue, I'd make sure he knew about it.

[steeledskin]

[ she gives stiles another look. is this -- perhaps -- another one of those guy things? she frowns. ]

Only he doesn't sound as if he means well. [ ... ] You don't, Stiles! I don't know how anyone could ever be certain--

[teenyoda]

[Stiles barely covers a snorting laugh, shaking his head at Sansa.]

Cultural differences, Alayne. Remember that guy stuff I told you about with Gendry? Well, it's like that, only worse. John here's from around the same time and that's just what we're like. It's kind of like the more you like someone, the worse names you come up with for them. He'll know I really love him when I start putting bleeps in there, right John?