(Untitled)

[sansa_stark]

A young girl sits at a table near the fireplace, in a light blue dress with white lace. A cup, apple, and notebook rest on the table. Though she has slippers nearby, her feet are bare. This is so Sansa can look at her painted toenails and grin

Comments

[mmquitecontrary]

Sansa knows Mary!

Mary knows Sansa, too. But the brightly colorful toenails are new. Hence: staring.

[sansa_stark]

"My toenails were painted!" Sansa exclaims/explains happily. She adds, "Lovely to see you, Mary!" a moment later.

[mmquitecontrary]

Mary has in fact noticed this.

"Why?" she asks. Genuinely puzzled. (As to the first.)

[sansa_stark]

Sansa was never entirely sure of the answer to that question.

"Because they look pretty!" There's such a bright energy to Sansa's voice, her eyes, her face. She's much more animated than usual. "Please sit, Mary, if you wish," gesture to chair. "Or you may stand and watch my toes sparkle," gesture to wiggling toes.

It's sparkley metallic silver. They sure do sparkle.

[mmquitecontrary]

"It looks," Mary says, scrutinizing Sansa's feet with interest, "as if you have jewelry instead of toes.

"If you need to go anywhere you will have to wear shoes, though - so it will not make much difference then."

[sansa_stark]

"I used to some gorgeous jewelry," Sansa comments, with some longing.

"You're quite right. I could walk barefoot on the grass, though," she adds, already cheerfully imagining it. "That would be lovely."

[mmquitecontrary]

Mary looks rather curious.

"What happened to it?

"My mother had pretty jewels and things - I do not know where it went. Perhaps it is still in India."

[sansa_stark]

"Oh, just general wear and tear on the pieces," Sansa replies breezily. "Stones falling out, becoming chipped, that sort of thing.

"Perhaps it is. I do believe I've never asked - what are things like in India?" Let's steer the subject away from dead mothers.

[mmquitecontrary]

"All hot," Mary answers, immediately.

"Things grow there, but only sometimes - and then it is all overnight, shooting up, in the jungle. There are Rajahs, and natives, and tigers. And elephants."

Frankly: "I did not much like it. If interesting things happen, you are too tired and ill and hot to enjoy them. It is much nicer in Yorkshire."

[sansa_stark]

Sansa tries to fit it in with what she knows. All that comes to mind are the Summer Isles. "Are there monkeys in India? And birds that can speak human tongue?

"And Yorkshire is in Britain, on whose Empire the sun never sets," Sansa remembers, though there's a faint questioning look at Mary to see if she got it right.

[mmquitecontrary]

An approving nod.

"That is right - and there are monkeys in India, but not parrots, I think. Parrots are mostly with pirates, I think."

She considers.

"There is Raven also. He speaks the human tongue. But I do not think he is from India."

[sansa_stark]

"A man had a monkey in the market at King's Landing," Sansa says. "Such a jolly little thing, white and black with a little pink face.

"I've heard tell of some ravens who could speak. We use them as messenger-birds throughout the Seven Kingdoms. They're wonderfully clever."

Sansa is in such a good mood she's forgetting the fact that she never liked ravens.

[mmquitecontrary]

"Raven is more like magic," Mary says, matter-of-factly. "He can be a person sometimes too. But he is mostly really a bird."

[sansa_stark]

The good mood does not diminish! It just channels into confusion.

And then acceptance. "Oh! You were speaking of a raven. How silly of me!"

[mmquitecontrary]

"It is a little confusing," Mary admits, magnanimously.

"Because his name only is Raven. It is like a person being called Girl or Boy. I do not know any other ravens, though."

[sansa_stark]

"I expect magic bird-people can name themselves what ever they wish to name themselves," Sansa muses.

"You should have something," she says brightly to Mary. "Have you ever tried lemoncakes?"