Benjamin L. Willard (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
setyoufree) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
dear_mun2013-06-04 05:18 pm
setyoufree) wrote in dear_mun2013-06-04 05:18 pm
Entry tags:
voice testing (canon is apocalypse now)
They say life goes on, but who's to say it ever started? I've seen death, I've seen the light pass out of men's eyes and the cold that came after, but I can't say what that cold replaced. I can't say it made much of a difference.
Everyone says life is valuable. Maybe that's just some trick we have to convince ourselves this is all worthwhile. What this world's full of is eyes, echoes, hollow spaces where there oughtta be something solid. The shit I've seen— I fell into something that pulled back the curtain from the world. Showed me its darkness.
I haven't been able to shake it since.
It followed me here, wherever here is. Whoever you are, and don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for answers. Even in the middle of fucking nowhere, there's always gonna be someone in command. And if there's one thing I know how to do, it's following orders through to the end. So tell me what to do. Where to go. It's all the same to me.
There's no point in lying about it: there's only one place I'll ever really be, and as far as the rest of the world is concerned, that place never existed. Seems like everything I've seen and done just didn't happen, and I've gotten to feeling like the world's moved on without me. Like I was never a part of it, and maybe it never existed the way I thought.
Thinking like that, things get a little hairy.
What I know is the world out there's got nothing I want, not even silence. So I'll stick around, sure. Got nothing better to do.
Everyone says life is valuable. Maybe that's just some trick we have to convince ourselves this is all worthwhile. What this world's full of is eyes, echoes, hollow spaces where there oughtta be something solid. The shit I've seen— I fell into something that pulled back the curtain from the world. Showed me its darkness.
I haven't been able to shake it since.
It followed me here, wherever here is. Whoever you are, and don't get me wrong, I'm not asking for answers. Even in the middle of fucking nowhere, there's always gonna be someone in command. And if there's one thing I know how to do, it's following orders through to the end. So tell me what to do. Where to go. It's all the same to me.
There's no point in lying about it: there's only one place I'll ever really be, and as far as the rest of the world is concerned, that place never existed. Seems like everything I've seen and done just didn't happen, and I've gotten to feeling like the world's moved on without me. Like I was never a part of it, and maybe it never existed the way I thought.
Thinking like that, things get a little hairy.
What I know is the world out there's got nothing I want, not even silence. So I'll stick around, sure. Got nothing better to do.
no subject
Like knights and squires and little girls who curtsy. He'd had a niece who liked to play at being a princess, but this is a whole new level of, Christ, whatever it is. No sense trying to define what he doesn't have words or comprehension for.]
I guess you'd better listen to her on that, Joy. I'm pretty new around here. [And maybe this is somehow a place for finding people, but that doesn't do Willard a damned bit of good. He already found the man he'd been sent for, and Willard would be pretty happy if he never ran into anyone again. He certainly isn't seeking someone in particular. Just quiet, maybe. A little peace of mind.
As for whether the girl's father is dead or not... Shit. Willard's vote would be that it's likely the case, but again, this isn't the time to say it. And he doesn't know. There're always exceptions, and he's seen men come through the seemingly impassable.] Anyway, there's no telling for sure. You'd be surprised what a man can survive.
[And how the hell's he supposed to introduced himself? He sure as shit isn't going to bow, but he can't remember how you're supposed to address a kid on a normal basis, either. He settles for squatting down, elbows resting on his knees. If nothing else, he's got a better look at her eyes.] You can call me Mister Willard. Or just Ben.
no subject
I'm very new too, so I pay attention to her [She nods] She knows better.
[She nods again.] And my papa is a Lannister. As our maester likes to say, we've gone through worse and survived. We are lions.
It's a pleasure
[And she nods and speaks more to herself than anything else.] Though I didn't know of House Willard. And my father made sure I knew all the Houses.
no subject
Again, her words don't fit any sense he knows, but Willard follows along as best he can, figuring that he'll try to hold the pieces in mind and see what kind of a picture they form. He isn't hopeful that he'll come up with much, or that the pieces will even stay for long, but if that's the best he can do for now, so be it.]
I'm gonna take a wild guess and say we aren't coming from the same place. Must be different countries. [Or something more, even, though he can't quite process that yet.] I can't say I know what you mean by 'house.' [he could come up with guesses, but why bother with the pretense?]
In any case, I'd say a lion's not a bad thing to be.
no subject
My mundane says you come from a place called America. Is it beyond the Narrow Sea? I come from the Westerlands. It is one of the Seven Kingdoms.
[She nods with a smile.]
A house is a family. There are eight noble houses in Westeros: Stark, Greyjoy, Tully, Arryn. Baratheon, Tyrell, Martell and Targaryen. Though there are more houses sworn to them.
We are House Lannister of Casterly Rock, and we have sworn to us a lot of houses. The Noble houses are Algood, Banefort, Bettley, Brax, Broom, Crakehall, Doggett, Drox, Estren, Falwell,Farman, Ferren, Foote, Garner, Hamell, Jast, Kenning, Lannister of Lannisport, Lefford, Lydden, Marbarnd, Moreland, Myatt, Payne, Peckledon, Plumm, Prester, Sarsfield, Serrett, Spicer, Stackspear, Turnberry, Westerling and Yarwyck.
And the knightly houses are Clegane, Clifton, Greenfield, Hetherspoon, Lorch, Ruttiger, Swyft, Vikary and Yew.
[She nods]
no subject
From the jungle, straight to... Inconsistency. Instability. Or maybe just something inexplicable.]
That sure is a list. [It's almost like listening to someone reel off the names of top-ranking officers, though he isn't about to offer any such review in response. He doesn't want to think the names, let alone start spreading them around here. If this is a new space, somehow, he'd rather keep those names out of it. Maybe - probably not, probably the idea's ridiculous and ill-advised, the product of a mind in lingering shock - maybe this is a chance to live without any of that hanging on him. The thought almost offers a breath, a flicker of light.]
Never heard of the Narrow Sea, honey. Or the Seven Kingdoms. I don't think it's something we need to worry about. [Not something he needs to worry about. If she's really looking for her father, though...]
I don't suppose your... whoever it is knows where we are now?
no subject
We are one of the richest houses of the Seven Kingdoms and our houses are very faithful to us. Except the Reynes and the Tarbecks, but uncle Tywin ended them. There's even a song about that. It's called "The Rains of Castamere".
[She would sing the song. But it's too scary. So she'll try to answer to the question.]
I believe she's not completely sure in that matter. She only says that it allows people like you and me, who come from very different places, to meet.
If you want, I could tell you more of the Seven Kingdoms.
no subject
Okay, so that's completely fucked. But everything is, here. Maybe everything. There isn't any telling, and Willard figures he'd better not let himself think to far into it.
Instead, he shrugs, gives the girl something that might be a nod.] Sure, go ahead.
[Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, Willard pauses.] Mind if I smoke?
[He feels only moderately foolish posing the question to a child; somehow, it'd seem stranger still to simply start smoking in front of her. Might be another one of those things he just shouldn't think about.]