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[vorrutyer]

[ Byerly, a handsome fellow with a hard-to-place accent that just sounds a bit different, is lounging on a couch. The angle isn't entirely flattering, since he's filming himself while laying supine, and so there's a view sort of halfway up his nostrils that is a little bit too much information. A bottle of brandy dangles from one hand, and his voice is slurring just a bit. This fellow seems quite drunk. ]

Bonsoir, you grunting peasants and cultureless rubes, and happy Winterfair to all. For those of you who are cultureless monsters, Winterfair is a time when gifts are exchanged and joy is had. My gift to you is that I won't call any of you peasants again for the duration of this broadcast. Winterfair was also the last Emperor's birthday, or thereabouts, which meant everyone had to give him their taxes for the year, but mine's not till later, so you don't need to pay me till then. I'll let you know when taxes are due. Start saving up now.

So what should you all give me instead? I suppose to begin with you could entertain me. What do you say, my cream puffs - a little game of two truths and a lie? You know the rules, since the rules are literally the name of the game. Go on, play with me, do. I'll start. I'm currently rightful Emperor of Barrayar, my great grandfather Pierre once showed up to a Winterfair ball soaked in blood to send a message, I'm terrible in bed.

Anyone who opts out of the game, I'm going to assume they're simply too in love with me to speak with me, so don't play at your own risk.

[ He winks, and then lifts the brandy to his mouth - and it apparently goes down at a bad angle, because he sits up, coughing and spluttering and getting alcohol down his front before he shuts off the feed. ]

Comments

[vorrutyer]

Ah! Like a Vor woman, then. There's a joke, you know, back on Barrayar. Vor men, by right, carried swords, while Vor women were issued the traditional Vorfemme dagger. They say it's because all the Vor men knew if we'd allowed the women swords, we'd all be done for.

[ With a warm, teasing smile - ]

Though having spoken with you, dear lady, I suspect you'd also be deadly with the knife, if a fellow really had it coming. There's something quite fierce in you.

[ Sansa had held up remarkably well when she was ill, after all. Quite impressive. ]

[unprays]

That's a nice joke, [ she says with a slight smile — nice is a strange thing to call a joke, and yet she finds it so regardless. in Westeros, most would laugh at the idea of a woman holding a sword... but then, most had not met her sister or Lady Brienne. ]

Oh, no, I wouldn't know what to do with one. [ she laughs and shakes her head — and it's true, too. she hasn't fought with a knife ever before, though she knows the principles of using one... it is firearms she has started to learn, lately, but it's just as well he makes no mention of those and so she speaks no untruths. ]

A lady is not supposed to be "fierce", after all.

[vorrutyer]

[ He purses his lips thoughtfully. ]

Hm. Perhaps not. Though there's joy in transgressing what you're supposed to do. Don't you think?

[unprays]

There's joy in everything, my lord, if you look for it hard enough.

[ a perfect non-answer — of course she thinks so, but she also knows better than to say it outright. there is still enough of Westerosi upbringing in her to hide it all; it's safer that way. ]

[vorrutyer]

[ He gives a little laugh in answer to that. ]

Ah, either you are a good girl and you're too polite to tell me to screw, or you're not a good girl and too polite to admit to it. [ There's a warmth in his voice that keeps that comment from being leering or uncomfortable. ] I hope it's the latter. Fierce women don't have an easier go of it, but at least sometimes they kick the world around instead of being kicked around by it.

[unprays]

So I am polite whichever way, [ she says with a tone that's only the slightest bit self-satisfied. ] Good.

[ and then — ]

The world doesn't really care whether you kick it or not. It's the people who've wronged you that should care. [ ... and there's your answer. ]

[vorrutyer]

Fair enough.

[ He gives a small laugh. ]

And true. The universe has proven to be consistently indifferent. [ A slight sigh. ] Proven by the lack of justice that has ever come to the people who wronged me.