epidemiology | ( closed. )

CHARACTERS: assorted foolhardy souls
DATE: spanning a few days
WARNINGS: none atm; but arya and nymeria are both terrible
SUMMARY: meetings and follow-ups; pm for a starter

[ every night since she was brought to this dead world, her dreams have been empty. a belly empty of dream meat. ears empty of the songs of her little grey cousins. a heart, empty. as if something that had always been there…abruptly gone.

the kindly man would be pleased if he knew. if she told him. she would not even if she could. she would never be able to lie well enough. if he asked her how it felt, she fears the tears would choke her voice. she goes to bed each night hoping. she wakes each morning disappointed.

she has been so many people. maybe it was only a matter of time before she truly began to lose her hold on arya stark. the kindly man would look on her proudly. a sorrowful nostalgia blooms blackened flowers in a chest left aching and hollow.

until she wakes to a hot puff of air across her face.

her room is dark, the bed warm. she can feel the presence, warmer even than the bed, smelling of pine and soil and air and something older, something deeper. it's the smell of the northern wind rattling her shutters. it's the smell of her favorite red blanket when she wrapped herself in it. it's the smell of the warm grey walls of winterfell. it's the smell of her wolf when she would sneak the pup into her bed and nymeria would sleep curled up at the foot of her bed.

a tear squeezes past eyes still closed, then another. a rough tongue laps at the salt on her cheek. arya sobs, her mouth stretching into a watery grin.

her eyes blink open. nymeria is a shadow darker than those behind her, but her eyes glimmer strangely gold.

arya throws her arms around the wolf's neck. trembling, she clings to nymeria. the wolf makes a noise low in her throat and noses sweetly at her hair and shoulder. arya cries and arya laughs, until, spent, she tangles her fingers through the long thick fur. she breathes a gentle, contented sigh. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No. …No.

[ the speaker: a little girl in a purple coat. the hood is down, her hair a soft brown fuzz begun to grow out. she'll be wanting a shave, though not soon. it's not necessary without the fear of lice and fleas. she sits at a table, her plate piled high, though not as much as it used to be. her belly is pleasantly full every day, but she still defends her food jealously from her would-be thief.

the thief: a wolf, though not a wolf. for those who know, the differences are easy to spot. this creature has a bigger head and a more pronounced snout. it is longer of leg too, and built powerfully strong. and what is rapidly apparent to everyone — it is massive. a beast stepped out of a fairy story. or perhaps myth proves the better fit. a she-wolf, her fur grey, her eyes two golden coins, and her teeth a terrifying collection, the longest fangs almost the length of the girl's little finger.

zo, as she's known to several now, pushes the direwolf away by the snout as if the wolf were no bigger than a puppy rather than an animal at least twice her size and several times that her weight. nymeria does not let up, though, so she finally gets to her feet after pushing the plate out of reach. walking over to one of the long tables packed with food, she grabs a rack of lamb. it is almost too heavy for her and the platter slips her grip.

the racket of metal on floor is incredible. both girl and wolf wince. but the direwolf leaps forward eagerly. in the time it takes zo to pull her plate toward her again, nymeria has polished off the meat. her hot breath puffs against the back of zo's ahead. she turns, incredulity twisting her expression. ]

Already?

( Graham is a particularly lazy eater. while he manages to function surprisingly well for a heartless man, there are still some sensations that just don't reach him. hunger tends to be one. half the time he ends up in the mess hall, it's for the sake of someone else. Emma, not naming her worry but the quiet reality of it obvious as she adds more to his plate even after he finishes one. on occasion Daenerys, though they both tend to be sparse eaters, dining together for company more so than the meal. he'd headed to the kitchen on his own volition to eat with Sakura, before... not anymore.

today it is someone else demanding he head towards the kitchens, a white wolf with a blooded eye and bright and lively ears. Brother has been in quite a good mood now that they have been reunited, and he follows the Huntsman like his furry shadow. when he smells the potential threat, though, Brother's ears flatten and his hackles raise. Graham notices the huge wolf only a pace later than his brother does, and while he does try to head toward the food first, it is hard not to be distracted. )

She might fare better in the woods over the kitchens. There's hunt to be found out there. ( and the girl could eat her own meal, instead of constantly fetching more for the wolf. )

[ nymeria stands tall, ears erect and pricked forward. she raises her tail too, hackles bristling ever so slightly. she does not make a sound. then again, she does not need to. she is bigger and she is faster and she is stronger and she communicates the warning…though not just to the wolf.

she stares down the wolf, but he's not a risk. wolves have challenged her before. some have tried to mount her. all their efforts were extinguished along with a few of their lives. no, the possible threat is the man. even as she remains attentive of the wolf in case he dare challenge her, her focus rests on the man.

zokla, who had turned when she heard the click of claws on the floor, regards graham like he's stupid. ]

Frogs and songbirds, [ she answers scornfully. ] No game. This world is dead except for this spot. She'll starve I leave her outside.

[ a lie. nymeria would not starve. she would hunt the people if she must. but there's no reason for zokla to know that. zokla never tasted blood in her dreams. ]

Must be you're not looking hard enough, then. My brother doesn't keep on a songbird diet.

( even though, for the record, Brother gets on well with many members of Audentes, many of which are willing to feed him from the table. Graham is a bit more of a stickler for getting him wild game, even if Brother would eat bacon and cupcakes and probably whatever alien fare was offered to him. his diet had gotten very flexible, much to the Huntsman's chagrin.

still, if the girl doesn't want advice, he won't push it on her. he keeps his movements slow and even a bit predictable as he heads to the kitchen to get his own fare. a bit boring, bread and a vegetable stir fry, but of late he has no favor for meat. hearing the voices of animals before slaughter will do that to a man.

he doesn't leave after he fetches his food, though. he takes a spot near the girl and her friend, but not too far. and with that, he sets about eating. if she wants to talk, he suspects she shall. as for the wolf, well... there's no getting her used to him without time and unthreatening company. Brother reluctantly sits at his feet, too unnerved by the massive wolf to sleep there. )

( closed. )

GRAHAM.

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