two | video

[whichend]

[ Arya has gotten much better at using the camera on this thing since she arrived, and she's able to keep the camera focused on herself this time without much effort. Which is good, because she knows she needs to be taken seriously if this is going to work.

Arya is standing in the charred remains of what looks like was once a kitchen. The setting is on purpose -- it's a reminder to what happened, and what needs to be done because of it. ]

Hello, Hadriel.

You all know what happened last month. You know how the food was contaminated, and you saw the sickness that took many of us, and caused the sick to feed upon the healthy whether they liked it or not. This happened because we are too dependent on food from beings we do not see and do not fully understand.

[ She says, firmly. ]

We cannot afford to rely on the gods like we are children, and they are parents. There is enough of us here to survive on our own, all of us, if we work for it. We share one thing: whatever each person may think about this place, none of us were brought here willingly. That, I think, is enough to trust one another if not work together.

There are other ways to get food. There is a man named Newt here who knows how to grow it, and if that is your interest or specialty, it may be a good idea to talk to him. I can hunt, and I think there are a few more of us here who can as well. There is certainly enough of us to find food for everyone. Monsters can be meat, and more and more monsters are brought in every month. We need not go hungry, and we need not be helpless.

[ Arya swallows. Off-camera, she's digging her nails into her palms, not wanting to say her last piece, but knowing she can't keep hiding it forever. There's a brief pause before she gathers herself enough to continue. ]

My name is Arya Stark. If you would like to contact me. If you are interested in hunting, in learning, in teaching others, or even simply becoming independent as a city.

Comments

[wormintheglass]

Hello, Arya. I am Bianca.

We are of one mind in this, I think. Lilith and I have been discussing building a forge.

[whichend]

That will be useful too, if successful. Do you have experience with metalworking, and resources?

[voice]

[circumitus]

Like the way you think. [Especially the part about not wanting to become dependent on the gods like they're accepting handouts. Before long, they're going to start acting like they're doing everyone here a favor. That's a sort of debt Rey would rather not find herself owing.]

Am no farmer, but can't hunt. Can teach others how to hunt. Easy.

[Good thing she was actually considering on doing so, recently.]

Name's Rey, by the way. [Since Arya so kindly introduced herself.]

voice

[whichend]

Thank you. This way may be more work, and we may not be as full as we like every night, but it is safer.

It is good to meet you, Rey. And I am glad you can teach others as well, because the more people there are who know how to do this, the better it will be for everyone. What do you typically hunt with? I know there are some who use weapons similar to those in Rage's temple, and others who use things completely different. I'm more familiar with the former.

[video]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh's face is serious. The fact that a child is saying this worries her a bit, but Arya's logic can't b argued with.]

I agree. I have some experience with large scale logistics. I believe you would find that helpful with your goals.

[video]

[whichend]

Logistics as in planning?

[ That's not a term she's heard to often in Westeros. She wasn't around that kind of people. ]

[foundafamily]

You sound pretty sharp.

[Being dependent on anyone doesn't sit well with him. Being dependent on people crazy enough to call themselves gods sits even less well.]

I've never hunted anything before, but I've been in plenty of fights. Anything different about hunting?

[whichend]

Thank you.

[ Arya says, a little shyly. She's not good at compliments. ]

There's more patience involved. You are the attacker, not the creature you are hunting, no matter how deadly the creature. Some techniques may be the same, but you must have a different mindset. The creature is in more danger than you are, but you will be in danger if you do not eat. But if done right, the hunt can be exhilarating.

text.

[smited]

I have some knowledge of farming, though it's been years since I've put that knowledge into use. I'm more than willing to teach anyone about it, and about hunting, should there be any interest.

[whichend]

You ought to speak to Newt about farming, then. I'm sure he would appreciate it.

Thank you for volunteering. I also appreciate it.

video;

[closerift]

[ If she were feeling better, Cecily would smile. Arya is smart, very smart, and reminds the Inquisitor of herself in a lot of ways. Though... at the moment, she's having a hard time bouncing back from being a wendigo and then dying, so she looks far more somber than usual when she appears. ]

You're absolutely right. We can't take anything from them, not their food, nor their weapons...

[ She'd brought her own bow, but if they could build a forge, surely there would be someone in the city who could smith for them. ]

And not their gifts, either. [ For all the good those did when people turned into monsters. ]

video;

[whichend]

[ Arya bows her head somberly, respectfully. She'd heard that Cecily was one of the transformed, and Arya had seen up-close how terrible that was, both for the infected and for the infected's loved ones.

She hates that Cecily had to go through that. Cecily is strong, of course, and she'll recover, but Arya doesn't like the look that's in the older woman's eyes, doesn't like who put it there. ]

We cannot. We -- I will not let anything like that happen to you again. Or anyone.

[ Arya will not lose any more people, no matter what "gods" rule this place. ]

video

[quaerit]

[ Arya Stark. Well, there's a show of trust already. ]

The monsters could poison us too, you know. It's not every animal can be eaten. We need to take some care with that.

[ But he's not disagreeing. Gansey just thinks that's worth saying. ]

This was a good message to send. Ultimately, I don't want to be here at all, but until we find a way to leave, we have to find a way to survive. I don't want to see us all killing each other every few weeks while Fear and Rage play games with us.

video

[whichend]

We will. Several of the monsters have come from the worlds of the people in this city. There are monsters from mine, which I would not eat, and monsters from my housemate's, which are safe to eat. Some are obviously inedible, like the jelly-monsters, and for the rest, we will need to be careful.

[ Games. That's exactly what the gods are doing, and Arya hates it. She doesn't want to be anyone's tool, not anymore. That's part of the reason why she shared her name, after months of keeping it a secret. It had been taken from her, and now, she is as ready to take it back as she will ever be. ]

We are not their playthings.

video

[isacrowd]

[Despite how serious Arya's message was, Z still gives her a smile. Not patronizing because Arya is obviously so young, and not cheerful, either. Just small, like she respects Arya and her idea. At first, Z had wanted to trust these gods, and while she would still work with them if it were helpful, she's not so sure she trusts them anymore. It's time to stop pretending everything will be okay. In her old life, Z fought for every little thing she had, and she survived with her best friend. She knows Arya is right.]

Hey, Arya. I'm Z. I can fight and I can scavenge, and I'm willing to learn how to do just about anything to help out. We can do this.

video

[whichend]

[ Arya isn't used to Z's level of positivity, and isn't quite sure what to think about it. Z doesn't seem to be faking it -- her smile and words seem heartfelt, but Arya can't help but think that it's too early for optimism. They can be optimistic once they're more in control of their own lives. ]

Good. We need you.

[ Arya gives Z an uncertain little smile. ]

And I think your attitude might keep some of us from going crazy, maybe.

[Video]

[thechoiceisyours]

[Arya, huh? Definitely not the name he was given by Cashmere, but there's probably a reason for that; still, if she introduced herself here as Arya, maybe that's what she wants to be called.

But, more importantly--]

Dude, did you burn your kitchen down?

[Seriously Arya wtf.]

[Video]

[whichend]

[ Arya steals a glance behind her to make sure that yep, she's still in the kitchen. ]

I didn't mean for it to spread.

[ oops. ]

voice

[werewolfing]

Good job, vara.

voice

[whichend]

Thank you, Peter.

[ A beat. ]

I just hope I don't regret this.

[ All of it. ]

video

[ichaer]

A grand idea. You shall definitely have my support, I cannot stand the thought of relying on them for even one more instant.

[ she grins, excited by the ideas. ]

I am a capable hunter and trained to wield a sword, I can teach others if they wish to learn. [ though she's not sure how many would be up for her less-than-traditional style of swordplay. ] More than that I am a witcher, I have been trained to hunt down and fight monsters. Perhaps I can apply that knowledge here to figure out what their weaknesses and which will be safe for us to eat.

video

[whichend]

[ Some excitement! That's nice to see. It helps Arya relax, too -- she's a little nervous about addressing so many people, especially when she doesn't know most of them very well. ]

Are witchers monster-hunters in your world, then? I have never heard of the term, but I am glad for your help and your interest.

voice.

[camouflage]

A snake only knows how to kill. I can't grow anything. [does he know what to look for in fruits and vegetables that make them safe to eat? yes. can he plant and grow them? hell no.]

Like someone already said, all those monsters might not be safe to eat. We should wrangle one of them, first. Then, if we need to test monster meat, we let out taste-tester do its job. It lives, most likely the meat is safe to eat.

voice.

[whichend]

And who would the tester be? Feeding monsters to other monsters will do us no good. What is safe for them may not be safe for us. But choosing a human would give that person an unfair risk.

[ unless, of course, jack is volunteering. then arya would be cool with it. ]

video

[unknowable]

I'll help as much as I can.

[But he's sure she knows that already. He'd help with any project she put her energy into.]

Are you all right?

[Because, well... the kitchen.]

video

[whichend]

Thank you.

[ She does know, but it's still nice to hear Adam say it. ]

I am fine. I have a few small burns, but they are healing well, and it could have been much worse. [ Arya gives Adam a rueful little smile. ] I could look like the kitchen.

Video

[krangke]

(Newt can't help but feel a little proud of Arya right about now. She was doing a good thing with this video, with this offer. When he flips on the switch, he looks a lot better than the last time she had seen him. No cuts, no bruises. His hair looked a little odd. Choppy with patches still growing in. Eyes still tired but.

He's a lot more with it. He even smiles at her when the feed first starts.)

You're a good kid, Nymeria. I'm actually about to go and start collecting stuff for the garden right now. I think I'm going to put it out by the lake. Might make irrigation easier.

(He wets his lips a little and his smile fades. He had noticed her surroundings, after all.)

....How are you doing?

(And yes, he did notice the use of your real name. But he won't comment on that right now.)

[whichend]

[ Arya returns the smile, glad to see that Newt is looking better. ]

That's a good idea. The lake is valuable. You can fish it, too, and the fish are safe.

[ Arya is glad she and Newt can team up on this. They get each other, and that's what will make it all run smoothly.

Arya pauses, and her smile falls a little. Her first instinct is to lie, to say everything is just fine, but she already started the video with a bit of truth telling. It wouldn't do to go back to lies, and besides, Newt doesn't deserve that. ]

I did what I had to do. I have some small burns, but none are particularly troublesome.

[ It's the guilt, the killing that hurts more than anything. ]

private - text

[64th]

I'm in. For anything.

private - text

[whichend]

you're alive?

Cash

I'm sorry

Voice

[amos_moses]

[Amos did hesitate before answering to this, but only for Arya's sake. He holds no grudge, but does not want to unduly distress her.]

I'm afraid I'm neither a hunter or farmer.

But what I can do - what I'm good at - is helping organize things, people, so that everything runs smoothly. My boss, she was the leader of a very large organization, and I was her personal assistant.

That's all I have to offer, really.

Oh, and the fish in the river? They're normal fish, they're okay to eat.

Voice

[whichend]

[ Arya hesitates before replying as well. She knows her mistrust and anger towards Amos wasn't his fault -- it was Rage who made her feel that way, when the god was resurrected. But Arya has seen firsthand that Amos is capable of hurting her, so she doesn't let him quite off the hook. When Arya responds, she's polite, but not warm, her walls very much up. ]

What was this organization? The truth. No stories.

I know about the fish. I have eaten them.

[cashlin]

Arya, I like the way you think.

[Seeing a girl Arya's age so sober about all of this doesn't shock her-- it's left her impressed. Not even adults have this measure of sense sometimes. The very least she can do is to take all of it seriously.]

The name's Lilith. Bianca mentioned me when she was talking about the forge. I dunno how good of a teacher I'd be, but I'm a damn good shot, and if it keeps more of us alive, I'll help out.

[whichend]

Thank you.

[ Arya nods respectfully, one comrade to another. ]

The forge is a good idea, and I am glad you and Bianca are moving on that. And I am glad you are a good shot, as well -- ranged weapons are safer to use in hunting, after all.