hadriel | video

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Hello- everyone. Whatever we are.

My name is Doctor Bruce Banner. I'm- [not that kind of doctor, actually, but not going to overcomplicate this with semantics when the reality is he's perfectly capable.] -collecting medical supplies, and a record of who here knows what amount of first aid.

If any of you have any untreated injuries that you'd like to be seen, please let me know.

And a message, for going forward. One of the serious issues that we're going to have with this place will be dealing with the possibility of infection. Individually tailored cocktails of antibiotics are just not a reality right now. The supply of ointment is low.

That means that when you get cut, you need to take it seriously and you need to treat it immediately. Use soap, and warm water, and scrub your cuts. I know it's painful, if it isn't painful you're doing it wrong, but you need to take a soft clean cloth or a soft-bristled medical brush or sponge, and you need to scrub, with soap, under as steady a stream of hot clean water as you can get your hands on. Especially if there was dirt in the cut, or if you were bitten by some kind of animal. Obviously wash your hands as well before dressing a wound. So, that's the bad news, I guess?

If you need help, you can always get in contact with me. If you've got any first aid training, please get in touch here so we can pool our resources. Same thing if you'd like to get training.

If you're interested in helping, or learning to help at all, I have a building with electricity that I'm trying to clean and disinfect to the point where it will serve as a makeshift clinic until we can all get out of here.

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[ She believes him. Well, she thinks she believes him. He seems gentle. Not loud or flashy, or armed. That goes a long way where she's from.

Then again, the Kindly Man seemed truly kind at first.

It takes her a while to speak. She isn't speaking much louder than a whisper, and she won't look him in the eyes, but at the same time, it feels so good to hear that name in her voice. Good, but strange as well. ]

I...I used to be called Arya. Of House Stark.

Well- ah, what do you go by now? Or should I call you Arya?

[Checking, and buying himself a moment to compose his answer.]

I'm no one.

[ She says that firmly. It's important that he knows she is not Arya Stark, but she was Arya Stark. Once. ]

But Steve and all the rest call me Nymeria.

Nymeria, Tony Stark is from my world, and from the sounds of things, it's a very different one from yours. Last names aren't 'houses,' or haven't been for centuries upon centuries. Our manner of speech is a little different from yours, and we don't often use swords; they're something out of history.

It's possible that he's a part of your distant future, and that you're a part of his distant past. I think it'd be nice for you to meet him, but- no aspect of you reminds me of him, except that you both seem strong.

[But even just having met her, knowing Tony he feels he absolutely must brace her for some aspect of the man's personality, or else risk devastation and disappointment.]

No.

[ No, no, she was going to meet another Stark, she was going to find her family. Or, the closest thing she's got left of a family. She can't be the only Stark left alive. She's not even a real Stark anymore -- she's not a real person.

She wants to tell him he's wrong, tell him he's lying, but the fact is, she never met a Stark named Tony.

She stares at the ground, her face crumpled. But she won't cry. The blood of the wolf does not cry. ]

I. I was mistaken, then.

Not mistaken. It's still the name. And if you knew the things Tony has done- he changed the world. He fought when the odds were insurmountable. He survived terrible things, done to him by people he once trusted.

[The light version of the story, purely reflexively on account of her being ten- but he has the disturbing impression somewhere niggling in the back of his mind that she has seen things that would make his hair turn grey.]

But sometimes these things don't operate in exactly straight lines.

[ Arya doesn't know if any single person is capable of changing the world. It's so big and dark and bloody, and full of so many people who don't want to be changed. Sometimes, all you can do is change a person. Or change yourself.

But the rest of Bruce's description sounds rather like a Stark after all. ]

Then he is the Stark of his world. Adam and Steve and Cash said that there are people from all kinds of worlds. Not just dream worlds, but places very very far away, that we couldn't go to if not for magic.

I suppose I'm glad there's a Stark in his world, then. If there was no one but southron men, that would be terrible.

[ Southron men are the absolute worst. Ever. Of all time. ]

Exactly. And I'm glad, too. He's been a good friend to me, over many hours of need.

[Which means a great deal to him.]

I haven't had a meal yet today. Would you like to come join me for one, at the new infirmary? I'd like to learn what a southron man is, I don't think we have that phrase in my world.

[ Arya doesn't think this man is the type to poison food, and she's not about to look an offer like that in the mouth. ]

Yes.

[ And then, because she did admit to being a Stark, and her lady mother would roll over in her grave if she forgot all her manners, Arya adds, ]

Thank you.

You're welcome.

[And with that, he turns to lead the way.]

If we're lucky, Steve will be there too.

So what's southron?

[ She follows, looking around as she goes. Arya never keeps her eyes fixed on one thing. It's as if she's waiting for something to pop up out of the bushes, or anticipating some unseen foe. Which is exactly what she's doing. ]

Not from the north. The Tullys, Tyrells, Baratheons, Martells, and Lannisters are the principal southron houses.

[ She frowns, and there's audible disgust in her voice. ]

They can't be trusted. Especially not the Lannisters. If you see one, behead them and run.

If they introduce themselves, I'll extricate myself quickly. I'm not really- much for beheading.

[He says, delicately.]

Not these days, anyways.

They likely won't introduce themselves. But you will know them when you see them. They've got blonde hair and cruel eyes, and they're so, so haughty.

[ Not these days? That's a little concerning. Most knights and fighters she knows would only give up their livelihood if they were ill, dying, or forced to. She gives Bruce a long, hard look. He seems fine. ]

...Did something happen?

[He has a sudden terrible mental image of Arya running up to and beheading some perfectly benign but haughty blonde celebrity, and decides that he will maybe leave this one to Steve, bring it up with him later.]

You said that in your world, you know about magic?

[ Oh, Bruce. Needle can't behead anyone. It doesn't slice through bone. Picture, instead, Arya stabbing a large, drunk, balding blond man over and over until he bleeds to death, then leaving his corpse to rot by the river.

Beheading is for executioners. Arya just wants revenge.

She nods. ]

Yes.

This is not exactly that, but it functions a lot like it, so it's the easiest way to explain it.

[Again, filing all this stabbing firmly in the category of 'Steve is better equipped to handle this.']

When I fight, I can't always control myself. Anger has a physical effect on my body. I wake up after a battle is done, and I don't remember what I've done, or always who I've hurt.

It's very important to me that this not happen, so I try to avoid any situation where I might lose control. I'm telling you about it, because even just walking together, if we're attacked and you see my skin begin to tinge green, you need to run.

I will.

[ She believes him completely, and knows this is serious. Magic, or things that act like magic, are not forces to tamper with. She's a little unsettled, though. Arya isn't afraid of Bruce -- who you turn into is not who you are, any child should know that. But Arya turns into a wolf when she sleeps, and it's never occurred to her that she could hurt anyone. Until now. ]

I won't make you angry. Or, I'll try, really hard. I think I'm likely pretty good at making people angry but that's because I get into places I shouldn't be and I yell sometimes and I'm not a good lady at all and --

You won't. It's been happening long enough that I have a very cool head.

[He promises, and on that subject;]

I'm sure you've worked this out already, but anyone who ever tells you anything a lady should or shouldn't do is utterly mistaken. The important thing is to be a good person, and sometimes that just means going somewhere someone says you shouldn't, particularly if they're wrong.

The people who told me that are all dead.

[ Arya is very matter of fact about it. She ran away, they didn't. That's how the world works. All men must die. It's nothing to get worked up about. ]

I am not a very good lady, but I am a good survivor and I know how to use a blade. That's enough.

That's more than enough. That's exactly what we need in a world like this one.

[He says, sensibly.]

[ That's what you need in any world, as far as she's concerned. She hasn't known anything different. Not for a while, at least. ]

The people in this world are far gentler, though. It'd be nice here if it weren't for the bears.

[That startles a laugh out of him, because honestly;]

You have a knack for truth, Nymeria.

[ A girl is a terrible liar, the Kindly Man told her, and she can hear him now. She wishes she still was. She wishes Bruce didn't think so highly of her, because she's not a good person, she doesn't tell the truth. He is a doctor, but she is a killer, and they are much, much too different.

She squirms. ]

That was an easy truth to tell.

Not for all of us.

[But, because she's a little bit obvious when she's uncomfortable.]

So what advice do you have for a middle aged pacifist and vegetarian?

[ Why wouldn't it be easy to tell? It's glaringly obvious. Things like names and histories and fears -- those are the hard truths to tell. ]

People don't always tell their truths with words. Sometimes it's in their eyes, or their shoulders, or their feet.

[ She had to learn all about lying and truth-telling from the Kindly Man and the Waif. They made her learn more about truth than she could ever imagine, than she ever wanted.

That last sentence didn't make much sense. Bruce is like Steve, Arya reasons. Talks about things that aren't real in her world. ]

What's a vege--vegetoriang?

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