See you soon, Theon.
[True to her word, Claire is sitting in the observatory alone, with the pack of gum on her lap. The sandals? Hideous. The underwear? Maybe useful. This? Silly. And Theon could use some silly, she thinks.]
[True to her word, Claire is sitting in the observatory alone, with the pack of gum on her lap. The sandals? Hideous. The underwear? Maybe useful. This? Silly. And Theon could use some silly, she thinks.]
[ Theon isn’t so certain he trusts Claire just yet. He doesn’t understand her motives, or what she gets out of being kind to him. Does she want to help him? If so, why? Harm him? That one seems more likely. He would ordinarily not be so easily reeled in, but when there’s the promise of chewing gum that gives you a ridiculous accent, even Theon can’t reject it. So he arrives, trademark smirk on his face, doing his best to not look out into the overwhelming vastness of space. ]
Now, how did you obtain something like this?
Now, how did you obtain something like this?
[She's glad he actually came. Claire gives him a smile, offering him the gum to look at.]
The commissary. It has more than foam wives. I decided to see what random item it would give me.
The commissary. It has more than foam wives. I decided to see what random item it would give me.
[Loki calls nearly immediately after receiving Theon's file. His curiosity is too strong to go find him first.]
How does one go about stealing an entire castle?
How does one go about stealing an entire castle?
[ Theon is not exactly the most giving person when it comes to information about himself. He tends to dance around the subject to avoid looking weak or guilty, but this is a question about siege tactics and strategy. He can't not answer it. ]
Strong swimmers, grappling hooks, and poorly defended walls.
[ He pauses. It's not something he's quite so proud of anymore, having seen how the whole thing ended, but-- ]
It was there for the taking. If I hadn’t done it, someone else would have.
Strong swimmers, grappling hooks, and poorly defended walls.
[ He pauses. It's not something he's quite so proud of anymore, having seen how the whole thing ended, but-- ]
It was there for the taking. If I hadn’t done it, someone else would have.
[Fascinating. He never thought he'd run into someone here with any thoughts on siege tactics. Let alone someone who successfully ran one.
He's skeptical of his justification, though.]
I see. Your file here would beg to differ, given it's listed among your crimes. Not really theft if you aren't taking it from someone.
Still. That's very impressive. Were you a general? Advisor? Royalty?
[This he's interested to hear.]
He's skeptical of his justification, though.]
I see. Your file here would beg to differ, given it's listed among your crimes. Not really theft if you aren't taking it from someone.
Still. That's very impressive. Were you a general? Advisor? Royalty?
[This he's interested to hear.]
My file wasn’t there. None of you were.
[ It’s clearly a sore spot. He still doesn’t believe that he is the one who should be here when there are so many others whose crimes rival his own. Half of Westeros should be in here. ]
That file can't tell you much if you have to ask that question. My father is Lord of the Iron Islands. I am his heir and the islands' lawful prince.
[ And technically he is, but it’s grown complicated. Balon Greyjoy has shown his clear favoritism for his daughter, Asha, and laws of the mainland don’t apply on the Iron Islands. A different heir could be chosen just because Lord Balon wishes it. Another sore spot. He has a lot of those. ]
[ It’s clearly a sore spot. He still doesn’t believe that he is the one who should be here when there are so many others whose crimes rival his own. Half of Westeros should be in here. ]
That file can't tell you much if you have to ask that question. My father is Lord of the Iron Islands. I am his heir and the islands' lawful prince.
[ And technically he is, but it’s grown complicated. Balon Greyjoy has shown his clear favoritism for his daughter, Asha, and laws of the mainland don’t apply on the Iron Islands. A different heir could be chosen just because Lord Balon wishes it. Another sore spot. He has a lot of those. ]
[Claire scrunches her nose. Travis is gross. She's not really a fan of him or the foam wife, and god, please keep it at one.]
In Ireland. Where the Irish live. And they have Irish accents. It's very... musical, I think. Cheerful.
[Everything Theon is not.]
In Ireland. Where the Irish live. And they have Irish accents. It's very... musical, I think. Cheerful.
[Everything Theon is not.]
[ He can be cheerful and musical! Haven’t you seen his constant smiling? He is the most exuberant person on the whole ship.
And this is—what do I do with it?
[ He’s gestures to the package, but is obviously loath to ask. He doesn’t know what chewing gum is. Obviously you chew it, but is it closer tobacco or food? He doesn’t want to swallow something he isn’t meant to. ]
And this is—what do I do with it?
[ He’s gestures to the package, but is obviously loath to ask. He doesn’t know what chewing gum is. Obviously you chew it, but is it closer tobacco or food? He doesn’t want to swallow something he isn’t meant to. ]
[Claire has a feeling he doesn't like having to be taught things. So, she keeps her tone light and conversational.]
It's just to chew on. It's not food. Typically, it doesn't temporarily change your accent.
It's just to chew on. It's not food. Typically, it doesn't temporarily change your accent.
[ Theon hates admitting he doesn’t know things. He knows he’s at a disadvantage due to where he comes from, but his pride is really taking a beating because of it. ]
Your accent doesn’t sound far off from mine. Where do you come from?
[ As he speaks, he helps himself to a piece of the chewing gum, observing it scrutinizingly before popping it into his mouth. He fully intends to swallow it eventually because he’s basically a child and the "gum never fully digests" thing means nothing to him. ]
Your accent doesn’t sound far off from mine. Where do you come from?
[ As he speaks, he helps himself to a piece of the chewing gum, observing it scrutinizingly before popping it into his mouth. He fully intends to swallow it eventually because he’s basically a child and the "gum never fully digests" thing means nothing to him. ]
Well, it says here your profession is "none", so I'm assuming that that-- and the fact that you feel the need to specify lawful --is not going well, back home?
[Now he's curious what his own would say. He'd sort of handed kingship off to Thor, after all. God?]
[Now he's curious what his own would say. He'd sort of handed kingship off to Thor, after all. God?]
[ He snorts and rolls his eyes, but he’s clearly loath to reveal the more personal details. Prince of the Iron Islands is his title only by his association to his father. His duties have been few. It certainly doesn’t help that he didn’t actually live on the Iron Islands for long enough to be entrusted with any real duties. ]
My father still lives. There is little to be done beneath him.
[ Again, not the whole story. ]
What more does my file say?
My father still lives. There is little to be done beneath him.
[ Again, not the whole story. ]
What more does my file say?
England. I'm assuming you've never heard of it, either.
[Like the Irish and Ireland. Claire meant to maybe tell him to try half a piece, see if that doesn't tone down the accent, but there's no harm in a absurdly strong Irish accent aside from the fact no one might be able to figure out what he's saying.]
But we do sound alike. Strange, that.
[Like the Irish and Ireland. Claire meant to maybe tell him to try half a piece, see if that doesn't tone down the accent, but there's no harm in a absurdly strong Irish accent aside from the fact no one might be able to figure out what he's saying.]
But we do sound alike. Strange, that.
Ah, yes. That does put a damper on things. It's a shame one so rarely gets the chance to truly show off how much better a king you'd make to the arse who preceded you.
[Not that he. Did a very good job, really. But still.]
It says you don't have any sort of profession, which is rather rude. Do we not count 'prince'? I would. [He keeps reading.] Hmm, oh yes, your other crimes. Murder, desecration of a corpse, and threatening a child. That last one's quite a bit more tame. Though it probably depends on how likely you were to carry the threat out.
[Loki smiles cheerfully.]
Sound accurate to you?
[Not that he. Did a very good job, really. But still.]
It says you don't have any sort of profession, which is rather rude. Do we not count 'prince'? I would. [He keeps reading.] Hmm, oh yes, your other crimes. Murder, desecration of a corpse, and threatening a child. That last one's quite a bit more tame. Though it probably depends on how likely you were to carry the threat out.
[Loki smiles cheerfully.]
Sound accurate to you?
I have not--
[ He pauses, furrows his eyebrows. His new accent sounds strange, and not really much like words at all. He's not sure he even has a real comparison for it. That wildling woman, Osha, is perhaps the closest he can think of. Even then, she wasn't particularly difficult to understand. ]
That is awful.
[ He pauses, furrows his eyebrows. His new accent sounds strange, and not really much like words at all. He's not sure he even has a real comparison for it. That wildling woman, Osha, is perhaps the closest he can think of. Even then, she wasn't particularly difficult to understand. ]
That is awful.
[ He had been…very, very likely to carry that threat out. His intention had been one hanging per day until Ser Rodrik called off his armies. It just so happened to begin with a child, and it just so happened that his threat had been interrupted before he could carry it out.
In some ways, calling it a mere threat is underselling the crime a bit. The rest is mostly accurate, barring that it was desecration of two corpses, and that he hadn’t acted alone. Of course, the answer can never be so simple coming from Theon. ]
Is wartime strategy a crime now?
[ Westeros doesn't have war crimes. They don't even have the Geneva Conventions. ]
In some ways, calling it a mere threat is underselling the crime a bit. The rest is mostly accurate, barring that it was desecration of two corpses, and that he hadn’t acted alone. Of course, the answer can never be so simple coming from Theon. ]
Is wartime strategy a crime now?
[ Westeros doesn't have war crimes. They don't even have the Geneva Conventions. ]
l.odinson | video [spoiler alert for a tag i haven't written yet]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shiftedshape
2022-04-09 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[Loki messages about an hour after he awakens from the sim. He's not really ready to talk, yet, but he isn't sure how long Theon has already been up. Best to reach out, at least. Even if he definitely looks and feels like shit.]
I imagine you've got quite a few questions, after that. I'm happy to speak in person, if you like.
[Awkward pause.]
And...I am sorry. For striking you. Obviously that wasn't exactly us, but I want you to know that isn't something you should expect from me.
I imagine you've got quite a few questions, after that. I'm happy to speak in person, if you like.
[Awkward pause.]
And...I am sorry. For striking you. Obviously that wasn't exactly us, but I want you to know that isn't something you should expect from me.
[ Theon has been awake for some time, dazed and more than a little nauseous. He can’t recall the finer details, and what he can recall is strange and nonsensical, especially to a young man who has no real concept of social media or the internet.
But he has no real desire to talk, so Loki’s message goes unanswered for a few more hours. At least, he thinks when he finally responds, we both look like shit. ]
I don’t care. That man wasn’t me. That wasn’t my life.
[ He cares deeply, but not about being struck. He cares about the fact that he lived a life that wasn’t his and in some ways, he wonders if that Theon wasn't a happier person, desperate and pitiful as he may have been. ]
I take it that has never happened before.
But he has no real desire to talk, so Loki’s message goes unanswered for a few more hours. At least, he thinks when he finally responds, we both look like shit. ]
I don’t care. That man wasn’t me. That wasn’t my life.
[ He cares deeply, but not about being struck. He cares about the fact that he lived a life that wasn’t his and in some ways, he wonders if that Theon wasn't a happier person, desperate and pitiful as he may have been. ]
I take it that has never happened before.
It wasn't. That doesn't mean you don't have questions about what you experienced. Or what it might mean.
[Loki clears his throat, shrugs one shoulder.]
Not exactly. But only because you're the first inmate I've had during a simulation. And only the second I've had at all, after my month with Miss Jack.
[He flicks his hair out of his face in an unconscious show of nerves. It's probably not great to give Theon an out from talking about his own experience so quickly, but...well, he thinks he would have appreciated it, if the situation were reversed.]
I did attack my warden while under the influence of some...force, once. And I killed another inmate. Quite horribly, I might add.
That also wasn't me. But I can't forget it. I doubt I'll forget what I did to you, either, even if it's fuzzy.
[Loki clears his throat, shrugs one shoulder.]
Not exactly. But only because you're the first inmate I've had during a simulation. And only the second I've had at all, after my month with Miss Jack.
[He flicks his hair out of his face in an unconscious show of nerves. It's probably not great to give Theon an out from talking about his own experience so quickly, but...well, he thinks he would have appreciated it, if the situation were reversed.]
I did attack my warden while under the influence of some...force, once. And I killed another inmate. Quite horribly, I might add.
That also wasn't me. But I can't forget it. I doubt I'll forget what I did to you, either, even if it's fuzzy.
Does war excuse all cruelty, in your eyes?
[Might as well start out with the hard questions, given the information he has so far. It's not as if he can't guess at Theon's answer.]
[Might as well start out with the hard questions, given the information he has so far. It's not as if he can't guess at Theon's answer.]
I have no questions. I doubt it means much more than any other dream I've experienced.
[ Because that is officially what it is to him: a dream to lock into the back of his mind and pretend as if it never happened without actually forgetting that it did. He’s had worse dreams, after all, and night terrors still plague him on a regular basis.
He has many questions, but he has no desire to try to wrap his mind around any of it right now. ]
Your warden?
[ He narrows his eyes, not certain if he heard correctly. ]
You were an inmate?
[ He never put much thought into it. He’s been told it’s an option, to graduate and become a warden, but he didn’t think it was actually possible. ]
[ Because that is officially what it is to him: a dream to lock into the back of his mind and pretend as if it never happened without actually forgetting that it did. He’s had worse dreams, after all, and night terrors still plague him on a regular basis.
He has many questions, but he has no desire to try to wrap his mind around any of it right now. ]
Your warden?
[ He narrows his eyes, not certain if he heard correctly. ]
You were an inmate?
[ He never put much thought into it. He’s been told it’s an option, to graduate and become a warden, but he didn’t think it was actually possible. ]
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