indispensible | three. voice & private & spam. glory & gore go hand in hand.

If there were people who wanted to learn to dance, I know . . . other kinds.

I don't know how to cha-cha. Mark can teach that one once he wakes up. [:|]

[Also, Nathan, you don't get a choice.]

private } stark

[You probably don't get a choice either.]

What are you doing.

private } kelsier

I need to.

We should talk.

spam } marsh

[Vin is currently playing a stimulating game of 'acclimatize myself to Marsh's presence', which manifests in following him around for five-minute bursts at random times of day, whenever he emerges from his sad cocoon. She's not making a particular effort to conceal herself in any way at all. She just knows he won't do it.]

private } arya

I don't know your warden. How is she?

spam } polly

[Now Vin is playing a rousing game of 'follow Polly around to figure out her habits and possibly weaknesses'. Still not making a tremendous effort to hide her presence.]

private } morgana

I saw you in the breach. You smiled more, then. [Slightly bemused by this.]

spam } open

[She probably didn't realize the extent to which she felt trapped, before now. But while she isn't precisely happy, her step is a little lighter, especially with her wolfhound at her side.]

[She spends hours in the CES, once she catches an iteration of it with brightest skies and most sharply defined white clouds. Almost no time on the ground, though - she practices with coins, pleased not to be able to rely on metal in the deck for jumps. It's the work of precision and angles that pleases her.]

[After a few hours of this, she rests at the top of a smallish pine tree, examining its sap, while Clifford sits at the root and whines at her to get down occasionally.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Small talk isn't relevant.

[Talk in general isn't relevant, in her opinion. Her eyes narrow.]

You're Arya's warden.

And you're Stark's warden.

[You aren't the only person who pays attention to things, Vin.]

You're invested in his welfare?

[Spoiler alert: she knows you're not.]

He's a friend of a friend.

[Sure is not.]

I assume Arya is someone to you though.

[Sure the fuck is not.]

Yes.

I don't have any questions for you. I'm just watching. I want to know who you are.

Not a very efficient method.

I have good instincts.

Then you must have already made up your mind by now.

Yes.

[...................pause pause. She still doesn't look all that thrilled.]

Then I'm flattered.

[That you would continue following her around even though you're already done making a judgment.]

It doesn't change anything, necessarily. Whether you're reliable or not.

No. And your opinion of me is not going to change whether or not I'll do my job properly.

You will. To the best of your abilities. Which I think are very good.

But he could send you away.

And monkeys could start flying out my arse at any given moment.

[The Admiral could send her away or he could even send Arya away. Anything could happen. But she can't control those circumstances, so there's very little point in worrying about it. She will do what she can in the time there is and that's all that matters in the long-run. Because although Arya objects to the idea of another warden because so many of them have been sent away, she still isn't the same girl that came aboard the Barge.]

[If Polly can further her along if not graduate her, then that's what she'll do.]

[Vin blinks, then nods. This is a perfectly acceptable answer.]

You're used to this sort of situation. Not having control, and taking it anyway.

[It isn't a question.]

Life has made it a habit.

Then I'm convinced.

- I know you don't care. I was saying that more for myself than anything.

I'm Vin.

[You're right. She doesn't.]

[But she's all for humoring others sometimes.]

It's been a pleasure convincing you, Vin.

No, it hasn't.

[pls]

I've certainly suffered worse scrutiny than this.

[Far, far more annoying.]

I imagine I'm in for worse from Arya anyway for longer than a day's worth of following.

Is she still calling you camel cunt?

[p a u s e]

What's a camel?

She is.

[Though Polly is moderately surprised Arya hasn't gotten frustrated by Polly's lack of ire or even mildly annoyed response to the slur. She just carries on the conversation like nothing unusual happened.]

An animal. Don't have any where you're from?

[It's because Arya is stubborn - like Vin. It's mildly satisfying and mildly exasperating.]

[She shakes her head.]

We don't have a lot of things where I'm from. It's been interesting to learn.

[She wonders what makes camel cunts especially terrible, and then decides she doesn't want to know.]

[Polly honestly don't know either and has no desire to find out. So, it's okay.]

Well, you're certainly a breath of fresh air.

[Seriously. She's seen some narrow-mindedness in her time, but the Barge makes it a competitive sport.]