ᴡɪɴᴛᴇʀ ʟɪᴠᴇs ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʙᴏɴᴇs

[wolfchild]

[ She stumbles into snow. The cold slices into her. Soaked, filthy, with travel-stained clothes turned almost to rags on her skinny frame and matted, tangled hair only just growing out again, she looks little like a girl, much less like the missing younger Stark daughter.

She sniffles and wipes her nose with the back of her hand. Her face is uncomfortably hot yet she's freezing. Her shivering near knocks her off her feet as she clambers up the steps. ]

My mother…

[ Arya feels her eyes fill with tears. She was going to find her mother and her brother. She was almost home. It wasn't fair. ]

Comments

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

And you'll have a lot more time to live, too. If you can survive a place like that, it means there's something special inside you. Something no one can beat down.

[wolfchild]

You don't know me. You don't know what I've done.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

No, I don't. But I've got a good eye for survivors. And you're one of those, deadset.

[wolfchild]

How do you know?

[ She sniffles. She rubs the base of her palm against her forehead where the ache feels worst. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

Because I'm a survivor myself. [He offers her an encouraging smile] And it takes one to know one.

[wolfchild]

Are the towers mostly empty still? Do you know?

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

In the castle? [He looks back to the building in question] Pretty sure they are. Why?

[wolfchild]

To get one.

[ She trudges to the castle. A hot bath and a ton of blankets. Maybe some soup. With lots of vegetables and meat. That's all she wants. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

A tower all to yourself? [He'll chuckle a little, walking with her] That might be a tall order, little brumby.

[wolfchild]

I bet I could get one if I wanted.

[ Once in the lobby, she pauses to reacquaint herself with it. Picking the closest stairwell, she heads for it. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

That's dead set. You've got enough blue in you, you probably could. [He's sticking with her. Unless she dismisses him, he'll be keeping an eye on her]

[wolfchild]

[ At the first door with a blank nameplate she finds, she looks over her shoulder at him. ]

Are you going to keep following me?

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

I'm a Guardian. It's... let's call it a duty. But if you want some space, I can go. [He'd just check up on her later anyway, yeup]

[wolfchild]

[ She bites her lip. Exhaling, she walks into the room. The door's left open. In or out, rabbit. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[He'll follow her in, a little glad because he's worried about her. Girl you've been through too much]

[wolfchild]

[ Long past caring who might see, in the bathroom, she's already stripping off the sodden clothes. The skin from her lower back to her upper thighs is crossed with scars. A gift from Weese. Before getting in the bath, she looks back at him. ]

Can you get food? Like soup? A thick one.

[ Would it be insensitive to ask a rabbit to get her meat... ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[Not at all, he's suffered through worse, he'll give a nod]

Sure, I can do that for you. Some sort of broth alright? It'll warm you right up.

[wolfchild]

Thank you.

[ Into the bath! Thank you, whoever invented hot water. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[And with a tap of his foot, a HOLE appears in the floor, which he vanishes into. The hole closes up behind him, leaving a pretty little flower jutting out of the floor.

What that's how everyone moves.

Eventually, he comes back, with a basket filled with a pot of hot broth (hey look it's got meat in it and everything), some bread, and a few cakes because hey kids eat cakes, right?]

Here we are. One slap up meal.

[wolfchild]

[ She'd picked the flower. Sitting on the flower, the bed's covers draped and tucked around her so only her face and hands are visible, she twirls the flower. She leaves the flower on the floor to hold her hands out. ]

Give it here.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[It's a special flower, you know, full of promise and hope. Still, he'll come over with the basket of warming grub, putting it beside her]

I got extra. You really look like you need it.

[wolfchild]

[ What is hope? Can I eat it? ]

There wasn't a lot of food. The meat went bad and there was only bread and hard cheese to split between us.

[ She rips a piece of the bread and dips it in the broth. ]

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

[No but it does keep you warm at night]

You really have had it rough. Least you're safe here.

[Though how safe will she remain at home? He doesn't like it, not one bit]

[wolfchild]

This place isn't safe. I've seen people die here.

[ She eats another chunk of bread. It's such a pleasant change to have it be easy to chew. ]

It's just better than where I was.

[thatrabbitsdynamite]

I'm here now, I'll make it safer. It's my duty.

...Most places sound better than where you were.