(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

[chromosomes]

Yeah, and Stiles is decent.

[ He'd add onto the joke, but he wants to make sure Alayne actually gets the one Stiles threw out there. ]

We've known each other since we both arrived here, though. Met at the feast.

[steeledskin]

And so I suppose it is an alliance that is as long as any new alliances are possible in these lands.

[teenyoda]

[She had a point.]

Fair enough. We're all on the same side, is what I'm saying. And out of all the people here on our side, John seems like the kind I'd say you could ask about things, if you wanted. That's the whole point of this. A little introduction, a little poking at the bear while he's miles and miles away and can't do anything to me...

[Smirk.]

[chromosomes]

I've got three dozen soldiers in Caer Glaem, Stiles.

[ Juuust throwing that out there. But he's grinning. ]

And yeah, sure, ask away.

[ Unless it's about his personal life, really. ]

[steeledskin]

Stiles told me you might be able to explain your military's structure to me. But honest, ser, I would hate to bother you with naive questions.

[teenyoda]

Go on, bother him, Alayne. He'd love to be bothered. I bet it'll make him feel all puffy and important.

[Jab, jab, John.]

[chromosomes]

They're not naive. Plenty of people back home don't understand it either.

[ IGNORING YOU, STILES... ]

[steeledskin]

He told me as well, ser, that your titles are not inherited. Is this true?

[teenyoda]

That's because some of us at home learn about nice things, like kittens and puppies. Some people, not mentioning any names, learn how to kill you with a paperclip.

[chromosomes]

It is true. You have to earn your rank within the military -- otherwise they'd probably end up having someone completely useless commanding people who could do better, if they were given a chance.

[ And, to Stiles: ] I'm aware of what kittens and puppies are.

[steeledskin]

[ no. wait. sorry.

hold up a minute.

this is very important. ]

What is a paperclip?

[teenyoda]

Yeah? You ever held one? Pet a cute little furry face?

[Sansa's reaction had him biting back a grin.]

It's a tiny little piece of metal that's bent a certain way so it can hold pieces of paper together in a group. Not something one generally thinks of as a weapon.

[chromosomes]

Yes, Stiles.

[ John sounds like an exasperated father. ]

And I've never actually killed someone with a paperclip.

[steeledskin]

But you could?

[ she turns her head towards stiles. could he? ]

[teenyoda]

[He knows that tone well. Maybe John should meet his dad some time...]

Hah, don't let him fool you. He's playing all coy and innocent now, but give him a paperclip and piss him off? I bet he could totally take someone out with one.

[chromosomes]

With sheer dumb luck, I'm sure anyone could.

[steeledskin]

[ sheer dumb luck. ]

I doesn't sound like a very gallant weapon.

[ says alayne. but sansa knows you use what you must -- little specks of metal or poisons or the prospect of a long long fall from a tall tall place. ]

[teenyoda]

Weapons aren't supposed to be gallant, Alayne. They're supposed to make sure you're the one standing after it's all over. Where we're from. Swords are pretty much a thing of the past. Same with crossbows. We have like, guns and bombs and grenades and John probably has lasers.

Do you have lasers, John?

[chromosomes]

No, I don't have lasers. They're always working on more terrible weapons, though.

[ A pause, then- ]

Knights are only a ceremonial title, when we're from. Honor on the battlefield isn't... really a thing, anymore. People do things they're not proud of. Sometimes they have to live with it.

[ His voice has gone a bit distant, eyes not focusing on the locket. ]

[steeledskin]

[ honour is barely existent in her lands. she's seen so-called honourable men do things... ]

So why do they do them? [ she asks dully. but what she's really asking is why do kingsguard strike little girls? ]

[teenyoda]

Orders? It can be hard to go against something when you're used to being obedient. Or they're just a-- bleepholes.

This is why I don't really adhere to authority. Authority isn't always right.

[COUGH COUGH ARGENTS COUGH.]

[chromosomes]

Sometimes orders. Sometimes- well, like Stiles said. I can't speak for every man.

[ A pause, then- ]

Sometimes they're just too damn scared to stand up and say no.

[steeledskin]

[ for those of us playing at home, it is perhaps no surprise which sort sansa's heart aches for: ] Those poor men.

[teenyoda]

War sucks.

[He nodded, like he'd just dropped some intensely intelligent news bombs.]

People can suck too. But hey, there's some good people out there as well. Johnny boy here seems to be on the side of those that don't suck too hard, so... chat it up with him if you need to.

[chromosomes]

I was one of them, once. [ His words are meant for Sansa, even if Stiles is right there. ] Too nervous about what they'd do to me if I said no, if I refused to go along with what they wanted.

But eventually... if you're lucky, eventually you realize that what they could do to you doesn't matter as much if you're losing yourself to it. There are some times in war that it's kill or be killed, no matter who's on the other side -- but there are other times where you can show that you're still human.

[ He settles back, runs a hand over his face. Human or something like it, anyway. ]