video, un: ponine

[jondrette]

[A young woman appears. Her long, dark hair is tangled and soaking wet, hanging down in front of her haggard face. Her age is hard to pin down, but it’s clear that she’s seen better days. And worse days, for that matter.]

There is rain that falls from a pipe here!

[This was a fact she’d learned with a shriek when she’d decided to play ‘what does this knob do’ in her room.

Her face lights up when she speaks, though, her accent clearly French.]

First it scalded, then when I tried to turn it off it became incredibly cold! [She giggles though, a rather ugly sound, and moves over to flop down on her bed melodramatically. On her right hand, visible as she gets comfortable, a bright red circular scar can be seen.] And such a bed! Have you ever seen such a bed before?

[She exhales, relaxing into the mattress.]

If this is heaven, I believe I am in the wrong place.

Comments

[jondrette]

I was shot through my arm. [She demonstrates the trajectory of the bullet. Through her hand and out the back of her chest.]

[king_inthenorth]

[When she says she was shot, he of course assumes she means by an arrow, which must have been shot with a great amount of force to make it that far. He remembers how much it hurt just having arrows in the back of his leg. This must have been worse.]

It's not pleasant to be shot. I can imagine that was worse.

[jondrette]

It was.

I could feel my skin burn, where the muzzle touched. Then it became so cold. How strange, to burn and freeze at the same time.

[king_inthenorth]

[He can follow what she's saying only up to a certain point.]

Muzzle?

[That's what dogs (and wolves) have.]

[jondrette]

Oui.

You have seen guns- the end of the barrel. Where the bullet comes out.

[king_inthenorth]

Guns. Those are...some kind of weapon?

[jondrette]

Yes. They are. They use fire and powder to send a bullet- a small ball of metal- through the air.

And they were the death of me.

[king_inthenorth]

Metal has been the death of many, no matter how it was delivered.

[Most people in his family have died that way, in fact.]

[jondrette]

Do you not have guns in your world, m'sieur?

[king_inthenorth]

We do not. We have swords and arrows and knives.

[jondrette]

We have those, as well. Knives are common where I am from. Most of us have them. I certainly know their kiss.

[king_inthenorth]

That's no so different then. But we don't have these things called guns.

[jondrette]

Good. I do not recommend them. Arrows with blunted tips and explosions behind them.

[king_inthenorth]

Arrows are bad enough on their own without those other things.

[jondrette]

They would be, yes.

Where are you from, that you do not have guns?

[king_inthenorth]

Westeros. Seven kingdoms combined into one. Well, six kingdoms and the North, now.

[jondrette]

I have never heard of Westeros! But I have not heard of many places.

I am from France.

[king_inthenorth]

I have never heard of France.

The people here come from many different places.

[jondrette]

I have noticed! There is a man here from the stars.

[king_inthenorth]

From the stars?

I haven't met him.

[jondrette]

His name is Ben, perhaps you will meet him in time.

[king_inthenorth]

Perhaps someday I will.

[jondrette]

There are only so many of us here, after all. I am sure we will all meet each other eventually.

[king_inthenorth]

It is hard to avoid people.

[Not that he's tried.]

[jondrette]

Then I will be sure not to avoid you.