xxi. dictated, action

[heloise]

I have a few families and children under my care.

[ She sees no need to specify that they are townspeople. Aren't they all the same? ]

We have enough food, water and other necessary supplies; the castle provides without bounds. But company and songs and stories would help ease their minds, especially the young ones, and I find I have no more happy tales to tell.

You are welcome to share a few of yours: [ insert directions to a white old house in the more preserved side of town.

The windows are broken and many of the doors jammed shut from the quake, but the walls still stand and perhaps that is enough. The survivors have set camp on the floor with whatever blankets and pillows they salvaged and a few of the children are munching on pieces of chocolate eggs. Lucrezia would be nowhere to be seen yet. ]

Comments

[wolfchild]

[ Arya has no happy stories. She does have a few toys. Things she had been given she thinks herself too old for anymore. Pieces of clay and things to draw, even a doll, new, because she had tossed it at the bottom of her chest and never touched it again.

It's a good way to get rid of old things without throwing them away.

She doesn't bother looking for Lucrezia. Claiming a patch of floor for her own, she starts taking them all out of the sack. ]

[heloise]

[ The children are shy at first, but soon they crowd around Arya to pick at the more modest toys first, the clay pieces. Some of them have a few old wooden toys with them but none compare to the doll she brought and they don't dare to reach for that one yet.

Lucrezia comes back with a basket of bread loaves, slowing her steps to hover by a doorway so as not to disturb her first. She thinks the girl might just flee once she sees her... ]

[wolfchild]

[ She doesn't care what they do. Tucking the empty sack into her belt, she stands.

It's for the best really. Leave her near young children too long and she's bound to make them cry. ]

( dictated forever ღ )

[misconstrues]

[ She may visit later but, for now: ]

Are you and Joshua-san okay?

( foreveeeer )

[heloise]

Yes. He is only resting. Did you keep safe?

\o

[misconstrues]

I wasn't in my room, so.. it could have been much worse.

[ That's a solid answer, right? Right. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[Well, what's this? Someone looking after children?]

That's kind of you. I might not be seen by all of them, but I'll help best I can.

[He'll just be making a telportation tunnel to dat schoolhouse now, yep]

[heloise]

[ She can be most unkind too, but it would be rude to reject a compliment. ]

What do you mean, not seen?

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[So long as she looks after the kids, Bunny can overlook things like casual murder.

He's clearly the best Guardian. He opens his journal, so he can still talk to her as he hops out of his hole, it closing up behind him as he glances about the place]

People have to believe in me to see me.

[inafadingcrown]

[Galadriel makes her way there, her own little bag of supplies slung over her shoulder. She stops first to say a few kind words to the parents, but she's naturally drawn to the little ones and it's not long before she's seated herself on the floor beside them.]

[heloise]

[ It's quite a sight to see the radiant elf surrounded by the dirt smudged children, and Lucrezia hovers by the doorway to watch first, not wanting to ruin the moment. ]

[inafadingcrown]

[She's a natural, though, and it shows. One little girl brings a doll over, handing it to Galadriel and enthusiastically launching into a story about it- to which Galadriel listens intently. Mid-nod, she looks up to lock eyes with Lucrezia and offer a little smile. How long has she known that she was there? It's hard to tell.]

dictated

[hellofist]

[SOMEONE has been forced to do the whole bedrest thing. She feels fine, it's just some bruising, but one little house falls on you and suddenly your friends are making you stay still for the day. It's kind of unfair.]

Can't come now, but will try later. Are you okay?

dictated

[heloise]

[ kjnsangl one little house. She got the memo from Tim though. ]

I can visit you instead, after the children have made something for you.

dictated

[hellofist]

[Wait whut?]

For me? Why?

[wolfskin]

Grey Wind, stay.

[ The direwolf noises a complaint but complies, pacing in front of the entrance before trotting off to sit under a tree. The wolf had already frightened some of the people lingering outside, he would not allow the children to be startled.

They have supped on enough fear as is.

Robb enters the dwelling with some hesitation, woolen bag in hand. His gaze sweeps over the building, then the camp the survivors have made. The walls still stand, aye, but the window and doors...

He is no builder, he thinks, but someone should fix them.

A moment later the King in the North moves to the camp and unveils his bounty. Blankets and some furs to the parents, small wooden swords and shields for the children. And a few other other toys, wooden horses and knights. ]

[heloise]

[ The survivors are eagerly crowding around him too, trying to curb their eagerness but pawing at the furs and swords nonetheless. One of the children have begun running around with the wooden horse in hand, making it gallop in the air.

Lucrezia herself was in another room, cutting out Rice Krispy treats into strange shapes with a few of the other children (though really they all end up looking like strange blobs). She has piled them on a metal bowl, now halting her steps when she sees the man distributing gifts to the people, and giggles, teasing. ]

Is it a kingly attribute to be charitable?

[wolfskin]

[ It brings a smile to his face, a warm smile rarely seen. He feels accomplished. Pleased he is capable of more than war, more than killing.

When he hears her voice he looks up, surprised expression quickly turning almost bashful. ]

A king is better loved than he is hated. [ The Rebellion was proof of that. How quickly houses rallied to Robert Baratheon's side, not for his cause but for the chance to rid the realm of a king long since mad. ]

I cannot rebuild their homes, but I can lessen their burden.

[ofhope]

What do you need?

[heloise]

Nothing. [ She wouldn't make him fetch whatever she does need anyway. ]

Are you home?

[ofhope]

The castle garden.

[ Just checking out the damage, good Lord it's a little bit depressing, even for him. He has to live in this dump, too. Even being a few miles out didn't help. ]

But I can go anywhere. It's no trouble.

[ He's offering for the sake of orphans, goodness. Yes. ]

[songsandstories]

[She knows what stories can do for children. Sweetrobin has begged enough of them from her. Finding herself envious of that, it is better to help those in need. She's telling some of the girls her stories from home, mostly the ones with brave knights and gentle maidens.]

[heloise]

[ Lucrezia comes back after a while, bearing supplies, bread and cheese and such. She is in her riding clothes, seeming more tired than usual. At least, troubled. But her smile comes easily at the sight of Sansa.

She sets that basket to the side before moving closer to join the circle of girls around the lady. ]

[revolter]

[ Matilda thinks of stories to tell children.

Which should be an easy task. She is, after all, a child herself and she tries to think of stories that she read and would fit the children -

And comes up with nothing.

It is in that moment, when Matilda finally realizes her loss, realizes that she should have known these, stories about princesses and dragons and magic spells, but she can't tell them, can't remember them, as if she hadn't read them at all.

And it scares her not because she had forgotten, she can find some of them here, maybe, she can read them again.

But she can't really help.

She starts making up a story, then. Doesn't even remember it is supposed to begin with 'once upon a time'. ]

It was it was many and many a year ago -

[ in a kingdom by the sea,
that a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee.

Her mind sings the verse but she pushes it aside. Not today. ]

There lived a little girl, a brilliant, beautiful little girl, in a big house with her mother and her father, who were also very brilliant and beautiful and kind. Their hearts were vast and great and had room for twice the love of a normal person, and they gave it all to her. Yet her mother died when she was two years old - of a sickness that made her weak. Her father stayed and he took care of her, at the best way he could. Even though his wife died, his heart remained great and filled with love for his daughter -

[ she realizes as she goes, that she is telling them of Miss Honey, of what she told her.

She knows what she wants the ending to be and for once, just a moment of pretend, she can have it. ]

[heloise]

[ Good thing Lucrezia has had her journal open for such spontaneous storytelling time from generous contributors, or calls for help, but stories are still more welcome. This way she only needs to place the book on the ground and usher the children to sit around to hear it, even place a finger against her lips to hush the excited giggles coming from her end. ]

And still his heart has room for twice the love of other people?