[ Video → 001 ]

[lannisterlion]

[ When the video feed begins, it shows the naked upper torso of a man, gold of hair and green of eyes. The glow from the small phone's screen is all that illuminates him and when he focuses his attention on the camera, it isn't a look of anger or even frustration that crosses his features - it's almost a look of cynical amusement.Judging from the

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[notquitegeisha]

[Inara bites her bottom lip, trying to hide her amusement. Truly, there was nothing amusing with waking up naked in a morgue. Nothing at all.

Drawing in a breath, she smiles slightly.]

I'm sorry to say, but what you're speaking through isn't magic. It's a form of technology.

[She pauses and shakes her head a bit.]

And you'll be waiting for quite some time if you think our captors are after ramsom and will answer you. None of us have heard anything from them.

[lannisterlion]

[ A pause as Jaime takes a moment to consider the "technology". The little picture is new, he notes, eyebrow raising in skepticism. Surely the woman isn't trapped in the box. Still, it's managed to capture her image somehow.

Still, he narrows his eyes at the device and huffs another bitter chuckle. ]

No, of course not. That would be too easy, wouldn't it? I suppose they've passed my expectations. They're far more craven than I thought.

[ And then, careful consideration: ] Or I'm too far into my cups.

[notquitegeisha]

I don't believe anyone could drink enough to come up with something like this.

[She shrugs slightly. She's finding that these types of conversation are far from easy.]

You are still in the morgue? The place you woke up in?

[lannisterlion]

... I'm inclined to believe you. Though, I've known men who could come close. [ Like Robert. Ugh.

A sigh as he gives the morgue a once over. It's definitely different from anything he's seen before. He soon returns his gaze to the camera, finding it to be a better sight than his environment. He's scoured the place already, anyway. ]

I am, yes.

[bastarding]

[ Seven hells. It takes Alayne a while to muster the verve to answer. She wonders if she should answer at all. ]

Your father is not here. Nor mine, nor anyone else's. His gold cannot help you.

[lannisterlion]

[ Jaime doesn't bother with learning how to respond in text. Instead, he opts for the function he's acquainted with already: video. Though, he's still under the impression it's only picking up his voice. ]

Rather cryptic, aren't you? Where, exactly, is "here"? [ His tone is sharp and his expression holds an edge of careful suspicion. The fact the response to his initial speech comes in the form of faceless text adds to his annoyance. ]

[bastarding]

[ With Arya here, Alayne knew - it was perhaps only a matter of time. The Kingslayer knew both her face and that of her younger sister and would recognize either of them as readily as she had recognized him. Perhaps if she were to remain hidden, cloaked in whatever slivers of anonymity she could find, there would be some hope, some staving off of the inevitable. The devices were still strange to her, yes, but they would be stranger still to Jaime Lannister and that became her advantage.

That he seems irritated by her goading satisfies her - but only in a petty, fleeting way. ]
I have been nothing but earnest. My words are plain and so they shall continue to be. You are in a city of perpetual night. Its name is Abax and you will be given no leave of it.

[lannisterlion]

[ Another text response. Jaime inhales, eyes moving away from the device as he mellows his temper. The situation isn't ideal in the slightest. The room is too unfamiliar - the scent of it even more so, though he can pick out certain bits of it he recognizes. He'd rather he couldn't.

He sets his jaw, gaze slipping to the floor before it returns to the device. ]

And no reason to find myself here, it seems. [ A pause and he shakes his head. ] "Abax", is it? Rather a dull sort of name.

[eleventhcaptain]

Video
[The face looming down at you is... well.. Intimidating. And bored.]

Another one dragged here.

Tch, you're so noisy.

[lannisterlion]

[ "You too" gets a flat look at first. The expression easily smooths into one of a very put out, condescending nature; a mask. ]

Strange, that was precisely the effect I was going for.

[eleventhcaptain]

[He knows looks like that. you're a 'Noble' aren't you, pretty boy? He grunts.]

Yer givin' away a lot.

[lannisterlion]

[ And he raises a brow. Really. ]

Am I?

[dont_tell_sansa]

Cripple? [There's surprise, there, confusion; but under that, there's something darker and maybe even victorious. She's trying to hide it; Artos Stone does not care about the Lannisters, she reminds herself.

But Arya Stark wants to see every single one of them crippled and dead.]

[bastarding]

[ action forever ]

[ The voice of the Kingslayer fills Alayne is momentary fear and trepidation. What would become of them now, without father to shield them, to spin stronger lies. Alayne knows that she and Arya have but one hope and that lies in the names they have forged for themselves. She cannot betray her father's legacy now.

Once she recovers her nerve - though her hands still tremble - she goes forth and moves through the small collection of darkened rooms that they share to find her younger sister. Quietly, she calls out, her voice a raised whisper, as if frightened that Jaime Lannister will hear them if she is not careful. ]

-Artos. Artos.

[dont_tell_sansa]

[Arya had been huddled under a blanket on one of the beds she'd claimed, sitting with the material pulled over her head - but when she realized who had found their way into the city and onto the network she had bounced up, perching at the edge of the bed, blanket tangled around her.

When Sansa - no, she reminded herself, going over the lie anew. She is Alayne, and I am Artos, and we are Stones, undaunted. Like a mountain. - When Alayne called, Arya struggled with the thick comforter, eventually throwing it aside. She left her communicator on the bed, as if she understood why her sister whispered.]

He's here. He's here! [She wasn't afraid; she was almost crowing. She'd kill him, and they'd be all the safer for it.]

[bastarding]

[ Alayne's face appeared in the darkened doorway a moment later - a hovering vision of pale eyes and flushed cheeks. When she found her sister exultant rather than held by fear, she felt almost angry before remembering the words she had told her just days before. We are daughters of the mountain. It would serve neither of them to wallow in fear, for fear did nothing but drown the weak. But even though she knew this, Alayne felt it in her heart and felt terribly unbrave.

With both hands, she looked to grasped her sister by the shoulders. ]

We cannot be so eager to greet him.

[herewegoto]

[TEXT]

[Because who can say no to naked, amused blonds?]

Many features can make up for a missing limb or two. Sounds like you're used to being someone important.

[lannisterlion]

[ VIDEO ]

[ The text initially draws a frown from Jaime, but the words tug one corner of his lips into a faint half-smile. Pride and vanity have their places, but Jaime hasn't found a use for either one lately. ]

Raised, more like. It isn't often I find myself in the position of having to introduce myself. [ Because Kingslayer seems to roll so easily off the tongue. ]

[herewegoto]

Too bad. Being no one's much more fun. Which I guess leads to the question of who are you now?

[lannisterlion]

Jaime Lannister, of House Lannister, and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard [ But neither House nor Kingsguard are here. Still, he holds on to the title. He doesn't expect anyone to make use of it. ] Though, I've been told titles hold little meaning here.