(first lemon cake) voice ✧ seelie & unseelie

[steeledskin]

I offer my gratitude to those fighting the worms. [ here is a voice both measured and composed, albeit young. ] And gratitude is all I can give, barring my prayers. And they are given whole-heartedly for all of us. May the Warrior give you the strength and courage required for your victories. And may the Mother bless us all.

[ sansa stark has long come to doubt the efficacy of the seven new gods. she isn't entirely certain the old gods listen, either -- but their rustling leaves and independent ways give her more peace of late than anything the seven offer: incense and rituals. however! she has resigned herself to being alayne stone to those who are not immediately known to her or trusted by her. and alayne stone worships the new gods, not the old. she is meant to be exactly as petyr baelish described her: a pious bleater, whose ardent faith discourages unwanted questions. so she speaks of blessing of the seven, but holds the old gods in her heart. she only hopes that arya and her allies will forgive her this identity fraud across the lockets.

most of all, sansa doesn't want to disappoint the people to whom she'd promised her help. like in maegor's holdfast during the blackwater, sansa hopes to lift spirits and rouse bravery. perhaps if she voices her thankfulness, others will follow in kind.

before she ends, she has only one question -- the paranoid fugitive in her needs to know: ] These pendants are truly remarkable. Magic, is it? But more efficient by far than any raven. [ ... ] Can they be used to talk only to one person, and privately? If anyone has managed it, I would thank you to tell me how.

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private voice »

[firith]

[ The 16th saw the worms burrow through into the bailey and Thranduil almost fell, but for his son's bravery. Snapped up by a huge serpent and tossed like a ragdoll into one of the walls, he has suffered puncture wounds around his ribs and a perforated lung, not to mention a broken arm and slices from badly-made armour that was stabbed inward along with fangs. The Elvenking has since been removed to his private rooms by the matrons to gather his strength in the way of his people, certain to recover. Elves do not die easily, after all. So while the battle rages on below, in the lofty Keep things are generally quite peaceful. A blessing and a curse, requiring the silence but eager to learn how the fight is coming along. Something of a mess to see in his bed, he flicks open the locket and requests an audio line. Having made it his business to know how to lock conversations to Seelie forces while commanding the now annihilated war-tent, he ensures she receives the privacy she desires.

Sansa ought not to see him like this even if his weakened voice cannot be helped, the usual strength sapped. ]

Like so, Lady Stark.

[ It's a sight better way to spend the day than staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep while his wounds are still largely raw. ]

private voice »

[steeledskin]

[ she sits primly in her solar -- granted, she doesn't understand why she needs a solar. but she supposes she is grateful for the additional space. after all, she is heir to winterfell (or so the world believes), and it is also pleasant enough to sit with ample space around her.

at king thranduil's response, she cocks her head and keeps her face impassive. it does not matter that the locket isn't watching her in real-time -- she assumes her careful mask all the same. ]

Marvelous. [ the word comes out like a soft sigh. ] Does it only require asking for it?

[ she doesn't miss the lack of robustness in his voice; however, she isn't quick to comment on it either. let the pitter-patter of polite conversation sort itself out, first. ]

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[gordianknots]

On the off chance that half a dozen people haven't bombarded you with tutorials yet: when you open up the locket and select the mode of communication you'd like, you should be able to modify the command to limit the communication to one person, otherwise it'll default to everyone as a whole. Precise wording is a key part of most magic schools of thought, whoch is probably why the specificity required.

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[steeledskin]

[ gods -- but she finds this explanation murky to follow. it isn't that the diction itself is unclear, only that it lacks the gentle flowery nature to which she's accustomed. she's grateful she has the opportunity to read it over once again.

all the same, she offers written word for written word: ] I suppose it needs us to be very accurate in the name we ask for -- does it?

video;

[oursavinggrace]

[have a blond teen who's been very clearly fighting said worms, if the various scrapes and bruises and tears in his shirt are any indication. not that he seems particularly concerned with any of that -- just a day in the life of a demigod, really.]

Are those your gods? The warrior and mother thing, I mean.

video;

[steeledskin]

Two of Seven. [ ... ] Are you alright?

[ video ]

[courtly]

Your prayers and gratitude are more than enough, Lady Sansa.

[ and then, more out of concern than an actual order-- ]

Please make sure you stay behind closed doors until this has passed. [ It just has to, right? ]

[ video ]

[steeledskin]

[ as the locket whirs gently over to the record function, sansa is caught looking a little panicked. she should have anticipated that those who know her would use her proper name. but she isn't so bold as to ask ser loras to lie on her behalf, and so she tries to skirt the greeting. ]

Yes, ser. Of course. I've been to the bailey a time or two when things were not so -- no, you're right. I'll stay in my room. [ ... ] How are you, Ser Loras?

[ because she's concerned about him, in turn. ]

video;

[jaywalks]

[ oh, it's the kid. alayne or something, right? mako does video, just like jason, plenty scruffy and even a little sooty from the fight, though it's nice to just take a break in the lulls of fighting and talk to someone who isn't sgt grimm. or korra. ]

Thanks. [ he's not sure exactly what the words mean, on a spiritual scale, but the sentiment is appreciated. ] You guys doing okay up there?

[ he's currently stationed down in the underground ruins, by the lake, where it's harder to keep a flame going and he's especially needed. ]

video;

[steeledskin]

A bit hungry, since the supplies have stopped coming. [ rationing is always a pain. ] But it's the thirst that's truly inconvenient.

[ she eyes the video. ] Are you part of the fight, Mako?

voice »

[aphrodisiacs]

[ if this was video, sansa would see alisha's eyebrow arched with disbelief. gods don't exist — especially not in a place as shitty as this. alisha used to pray, when she was really young, but her voice had fallen on deaf ears. she thinks it still continues to — isn't that why everything in her life is completely fucked? ] You really think something like praying is going to work?

[ she doesn't mean for her voice to sound so abrasive, but war and worms and people in danger puts alisha on edge. it's overwhelming, being in a place that requires something she doesn't have within her. and this girl shows nothing but gratitude to those who throw their lives against a force the king and queen should know how to deal with. this is all bullshit, in her opinion — this isn't her problem, neither is it sansa's. ]

voice »

[steeledskin]

[ no -- she wants to answer honestly -- not one whit not one jot not one piece. but even if she wasn't playing at pious alayne stone, sansa stark would have to at least courteously acknowledge the gods of her mother. her lapse in faith is not something she can tell just anyone.

so, sweetly: ] At the very least, it might do something for morale. For those who do believe.

video

[windowpain]

[ There has been a break in the fighting; the bailey is clear, for the moment, and he hasn't been directed to go to any other part of the castle. What he has been directed to do is go inside the keep and rest for a moment.

His face is shining with perspiration and smeared with soot; he had just been helping to burn the last of the worm pieces upon a bonfire. Even as he rests, and drinks the cup of water that some kind soul has given him, he is monitoring his locket closely for news of the battle. ]

My lady —

[ Ordinarily, he wouldn't respond to a message like this; however, his exhaustion is cathartic. He has sunk so much of his anxious fury into killing these worms, that there's little left. Now he can remember, without grief, what it was Lady Sinclair had taught him to do when people thanked him (as opposed to what he usually did, i.e. stare at his feet). ]

My lady, you are welcome.

video

[steeledskin]

[ she peers at the vision set before her: soot and hard-work. in other contexts, she might have turned her nose up at such dirt -- but knowing (or else simply believing) it's all in the service of their safety...

and she always appreciates someone who doesn't throw her gratitude back in her face. ] You look as though you've already done so much for us--

[chiot]

Warrior an' mother of what? Your prayers ain't make sense, there's no Jesus anywhere!

[steeledskin]

[ aha. she knows that rough voice. her own tone turns sweeter. ]

Of the Seven, Gavroche. The Warrior and the Mother are of the Seven.

video。

[falls]

[ it's not the first time in his life he's had someone offer prayers. or... something of the sort. he knows different religions exist outside of christianity, and he's pretty sure this isn't. can't remember hearing anything about warrior in church on sundays (if he had, maybe he would've paid more attention), even if the mother part could be related to mary.

but. bucky's not a religious sort of guy. so, no point in delving in too deeply to this sort of thing. so, he asks this instead, and he's quite genuine about it, too, because he's curious. ]

Do y'think your gods can hear you all the way here?

video。

[steeledskin]

Maybe. [ she watches the locket carefully. ] Maybe not.

It's worth the attempt all the same, I think.

video.

[decked]

[isaac is on a break from fighting the worms! which means that he's kind of bloodied up, and is only popping in to say hello to the girl he remembers from the feast.]

Hey. Alayne, right?

[one of the easier names to remember, he realizes. the people of 'westeros' certainly have a lot of strange names.]

Thanks for the good wishes, I guess.

[he didn't believe in any sort of god, but he appreciates her concern for the people fighting the worms.]

video.

[steeledskin]

[ she winces when she looks down at the locket and sees his face. how awful it's been to see so many bruises and so much blood. she stares a moment longer before seeming to avert her gaze. ]

A-are you alright?

[bullhorned]

[The Seven. Gendry scowls as he thinks about what good they are. They had not helped against the worms. Fire had. And fire was R'hlorr. And that had been the only way to victory.]

Which of the Seven do we thank for putting us here?

[steeledskin]

[ oh. you again. she should know better than to be sharp or rude or facetious. ]

I would think it obvious, ser. [ ... ] The one who so rarely gets our prayers.

[ the stranger: the one who holds dominion over not just death but also the unknown. ]

video;

[hexuality]

[ Like most people who have replied, Ginny is as grimy and bloodied up as the best of them, though not all of it is hers. Still, it isn't enough to obscure the smattering of freckles across her face or the hair that matches Sansa's (Alayne). She is, however, smiling. ]

So have you sussed them out? The lockets? Can't say I've spent much time playing around with mine but I've gotten this far, haven't I?

video;

[steeledskin]

[ gods! a girl, roughed up and appearing in the little locket and -- sansa has to look away for a moment. let her eyes flutter shut. and take a deep breath. ]

I think -- [ she stammers. ] Yes. It's frightfully easy once you know how.

[altercate]

The Warrior and the Mother? What's that supposed to mean?

[ it's a brusque, but sincere question. ]

[steeledskin]

They are gods. [ she answers patiently, having had to explain it to a few others. ] Only two of a whole seven.

voice; forgive how late this is but eyyyy westeros party up in here

[dishonouring]

[ When Jorah paid his last visit to Winterfell, half of the Stark children had not yet been born and the other half were incredibly young. Jorah has no reason to know Sansa by anything other than her name, but he is perfectly capable of distinguishing the Westerosi from everyone else who has been thrown here. He isn't an especially pious man, though what little faith he has lies in the old gods. But his southron wife had kept the Seven, and who other than a Westerosi has spoken or will speak of the Warrior or the Mother?

And because of that, Jorah is suspicious. He's still a wanted man, no matter how far away from Westeros he may be. But maybe a young girl isn't here to behead him or to harm Daenerys.

Maybe. Hopefully. We'll see. ]

Perhaps the Crone deserves your prayers as well. We could could all use some guidance.

late is still loved!!!

[steeledskin]

[ a wary silence. she's torn, of course. scraps and pieces from home are welcome in their own right, but there's a reason she's eager to obscure her identity. sansa can be heard pulling in a breath. ]

You're right, of course. I was remiss not to include the Crone. [ ... ] Guidance would be good for us not only against these worms, but to help us navigate this whole land. And its eccentricities.