video; un: ironborn

[reek]

I’ll not congratulate anyone for the beginnings of this cure.

[ Oh, look, it's that guy who pisses everyone off. The corner of his mouth quirks into a cruel smirk, but his teeth are clenched too tightly and his eyes burn too fiercely for any proper smile. It’s a struggle for him to remain as guarded as he would prefer, and there are cracks in his armor: he’s clearly angry and upset. ]

My sister was among the ill. Was. I have been informed that she has since returned to the pods—still uncured.

[ He tries to keep his tone even and cold, void of emotion, but his voice breaks ever so slightly. He and Asha weren’t close, not like he’s known siblings should be, but it’s a deep cut to be abandoned again, and it hurts to know that one of the few people he felt he could trust in this place is gone. Clearing his throat, he continues.]

Which leads me to the question at hand. What reason do I, or the worried, or any of the ailing, have to trust the maesters here? Healers--whatever name you may know them by. Months, this has gone on, to the point where someone is gone and remains unhealed.

[ He knows better than to critique those who have done nothing but help, but his anger is directionless otherwise, so he chuckles cruelly, and that cheshire smirk widens. ]

They’ve been all but useless.

Comments

[godwins]

[ He recoils, a reflex. He's not from medieval grimtopia and would've never considered that possibility. ]

A hostage situation. [ Not that he has any experience with that. And that was true, after a fashion— he'd never been held that long, for that purpose. Still, by his logic, by military protocol, what you do when you get captured ]

But that doesn't give any incentive for your good behavior, does it?

[reek]

[ To an outsider, the Starks may seem like a foster family to Theon. They never mistreated him, never treated him cruelly, but never treated him with warmth. It was understandable that he was held at arm’s distance at all times, forced to linger just outside the family circle. He wasn’t family, and Lord Stark could receive word of the first stirrings of rebellion and be forced to do his duty at any moment.

He shrugs. ]

I was expected to be polite and gracious to my hosts. The provided me with all I needed. I was not mistreated.

[godwins]

But you were their captive, right? [ Bucky doesn't Get It. ] Seems like mistreatment to me. [ He's also maybe not the best influence. But he calls things like he sees 'em. ]

[reek]

Aye.

[ He sighs, suddenly looking exhausted. He’s always struggled with this, always wanted to hate the Starks for being his captors, but never could. Instead, he just wanted to be one of them and longed for their affection rather than their distance. ]

But it was expected that the son of a Lord be treated as such, until someone caught word of rebellion. It was just how things worked in my world. You can speak to Lord Stannis, if you care for an in-depth explanation of Westerosi law. He seems to care deeply for it.

[godwins]

[ Theon, you are one seriously cracked egg. ]

Yeah? Which one's he?

[ Especially for someone who's seeing double half the time, it's hard to keep all the King Arthur's Court types straight. ]

[reek]

[ He was raised in a messed up situation! He can't help being a bit confused. ]

The one who insists on typing every message he sends on the network in all uppercase letters.

[ Can't miss him...or you couldn't, before Ned Stark showed up. ]

[godwins]

Oh, he's the one who's [ cough ] all twisted up about alternate universes and shadow worlds.

[reek]

Aye.

[ He doesn't look particularly happy about that. Stannis and his "two Westeroses" theory seems to be accepted by everyone but Theon. ]

Half mad, he is.

[godwins]

Well sure, he sounds like a telegram. Stop. [ A pause. This guy wouldn't know what a telegram is. ]

That's a funny kind of letter.

[reek]

[ Okay, okay, he got that a telegram is a sort of letter, but--he pauses awkwardly for a long moment, as though waiting for something. ]

...What exactly am I stopping?

[godwins]

It's— when you got a telegram, you gotta say stop at the end of every sentence. That's the rule.

[ It doesn't make much sense. ]

[reek]

[ It really doesn't, especially not to the Ye Olde Timers. ]

That's a stupid rule.

[godwins]

Yeah, a lot of 'em are.

[ He's in the Army, he knows. ]