I. [video]

[wintersfallen]

[It takes a moment for the image to stabilize and come into focus. When it does there is weary face, wearing a stony expression. The man on the screen looks older than his 35 years, and it is hard to imagine that he has ever smiled. When he speaks his voice is just as grim.]

My name is Ned Stark. I am searching for my wife, Catelyn, and any of our children who may be here. Rob, Jon, Sansa, Arya, Bran, or Rickon. [He speaks each of their names clearly, pausing briefly to let them sink in. You’d better be listening, people.]

If you have met any of them and could tell me where they may be, I would be most grateful.

[There’s a flicker of emotion there, clearly visible if one is looking closely - a bone-deep sorrow in those tired eyes. He misses his family dearly. He’d do anything to have them back.]

Thank you.

[He murmurs those last words as he reaches out to turn off the camera. Because Ned Stark is too much of a man to let the whole city see him cry.]

Comments

[onlyvengeance]

[ She can't quite make herself believe it to be true, much as she wants to. It seems like a cruel trick, too good to be true. She has tasted enough of the gods' bitter punishment to believe in something so sweet. But even if it is all some trick, she can't waste the chance she's been given.

A thousand emotions spiral through her, hope and regret especially twisting together with love, and while she does her best to hide it all, he would know her too well to be fooled. There is barely a tremor in her voice when she speaks. ]

Ned?

[Just one single word, but she holds her breath on the answer. ]

[wintersfallen]

[ For a moment, all he can do is stare at the face on the screen. That sweet, beautiful face... He'd thought he may never see her again, and the weight of it had been almost too much to bear.

He reached out, almost forgetting that it's only an image on a screen that he's seeing. How he longs to hold her again... ]

Cat...

[ The image blurs, tears filling his eyes, even as he smiles. ]

Gods, how I've missed you. Where are you?

[Video]

[catchallthecats]

[Give her a minute because gods but did seeing Ned bring up all the feelings she wanted to keep bottled away.]

Father.

Where are you? [So she can come and assault you with hugs.]

Re: [Video]

[wintersfallen]

Arya...

[ Look at her. Gods, how she's grown. ]

I... [ There's so much to say. Where to begin? ]

A city called Heropa. [ Wherever that is. This is all so very strange. He doesn't really understand any of it. ]

But stay where you are. [ She'll want to come looking for him, of course. ] I'll come find you.

video;

[emgoldened]

[The communicator almost breaks. Alas. Viserys' arm is not that strong.

His sister will probably want some sort of...well, not peace. There can be no peace with the man who helped so closely to their downfall. Not real peace, anyway. Something quieter, he supposes. His children could not be held responsible for Ned's crimes (not here; back home was another story) but the man himself? He was responsible. This was the father, the sins were his, and there could be no forgiveness. No clean slate. Not from Viserys.

He's wearing a button up, pitch black. Makes those lilac eyes stand out more and boy, does he sure look at Ned with barely concealed hatred.]

You named a child for the Usurper.

[It's a question, despite not sounding like one. He's a bit Overwhelmed but priorities are in order.]

Re: video;

[wintersfallen]

[ Ned frowns, disquieted by all that he sees and hears. Those eyes, that expression, that word. Usurper.

His frown deepens. ]

Who are you?

[ He has his suspicions, but he doesn't like to leap to conclusions. He'd much rather know. ]

video;

[reek]

[ There’s a face Theon should have expected, but it makes his blood run cold none the less. The device goes sailing across the room and for some time, he can’t bring himself to pick it up again. He wonders how he can continue to sweep his actions under the rug, away from Robb. It doesn’t look like an option when Jon Snow is so intent upon being honest and honorable.

Suddenly, he feels very, very petty. When he finally switches on his device to respond, he regards Ned with a cold, suspicious stare. This is not the same young man he left behind.]

Have you not been equipped you with a way to find them yourself?

[ He’s bitter, cruel-tongued, and lacking in respect. He is full of salt. ]

Re: video;

[wintersfallen]

[ Not the same young man, indeed. For a long moment, all Ned can do is frown. Where is this attitude coming from? ]

No, I haven't. [ His own town is just a bit impatient. He's done nothing to incur your salt. ] Unless this thing can do it.

[ He waves a hand toward the device, which can probably do all sorts of things he doesn't know about. He barely understands what he's doing with it now. ]

private video

[turned_to_steel]

[ My name is Ned Stark.

Sansa's device nearly fumbles out of her hands when a strange jolt of shock and energy rushes through her. It almost feels like lightning and cold water at the same time, stealing her breath and making her feel weirdly dizzy but heavy limbed all at the same time. Then she can't feel anything in her body as her hand tightens around the device and she turns it to look at his face.

At first, she tells herself that it's just the ghost that had haunted her a month before but that vision had been mostly silent. This man is asking about his wife and his children, wanting to know where they are.

It proves to be a struggle to turn on her video because her hands are shaking so bad but she manages it a few seconds after he turns off his camera. She can't even pretend to be in control of her emotions as she tries to will him back into being. Most of her features are pale except for the high color in her cheeks and her eyes that are already turning red despite the fact that no tears have fallen. At least, not yet. ]

Father? [ She swallows thickly, praying she won't be sick. ]

Re: private video

[wintersfallen]

[ Cat and Arya, now Sansa... All his girls are here, and he could weep for joy. ]

Sansa... My sweet girl... [ His voice is somewhat strained, as he pushes the words past the lump in his throat. ]

Look at you... [ Gods, how long has it been? How much has he missed? ]

[video]

[glassfall]

I'm unfamiliar with this place, but I will let you know if I see any of them.

I'm called Cinders. Do you need help?

Re: [video]

[wintersfallen]

Thank you. [ Cinders? What an odd name... ]

I... [ Does he need any help? Yes, he needs all sorts of help. He's so very lost... But that doesn't mean he's going to ask for it. ] No, I just need to find them.

[ If he could just find them, everything would be all right. ]

video; private

[song_of_ice]

[Lucy had once asked him whether or not he wanted his father to come to this world. While he missed Lord Eddard, he hadn't wanted to subject him to this place. Jon knew what it was like to be pulled from death back into the world. It would be worse for Lord Eddard, as it was for Lady Catelyn, because it was not a place they knew.

Still, when he sees the face of his father and hears his voice, Jon has to hide away in his room to answer him. For a moment, he feels as if he is a boy of seven again, chasing after his father and seeking his praise. The same sort of praise he offered Robb.

What would he think of all he had done with his life and who he was now? Would Lord Eddard think him a failure and an oathbreaker? It was overwhelming to think, which left him simply staring at the screen, unable to answer right away. Finally, with a shaky breath, he turned on the device.]

Lord Stark. [Not father.] Lady Stark and her children are in De Chima. We have a home in the country. I can help you find your way.

Re: video; private

[wintersfallen]

[ We have a home... I can help you find your way... Those are some of the sweetest words he's ever heard. He closes his eyes, for a moment, and takes a breath, relieved. They're safe. They're all safe. ]

Jon... [ Sweet boy. Except, he's not a boy anymore. He's a man now. There's no denying that. ]

Thank you. [ There's a lot of meaning packed into those two little words, and so he leaves it at that. The rest can wait. Until they're together again. ]

[audio]

[carbonfrozen]

Can't say I've heard of most of them, but—I know a Jon who wears black a lot. Said it was something all brothers of the Night's Watch wore, for some reason.

Re: [audio]

[wintersfallen]

That's him. Do you know where he is?

[orangeyaglad]

Your family, huh? That's gotta be hard. Sorry, I don't know any of 'em, and I don't think I'll be much help since I'm still so new to ...

[being back on the planet? that sounds dumb. he just shakes his head and offers a small smile instead of following through that thought.]

But I really hope they can find you.

[wintersfallen]

That's very kind of you. You have my thanks.

[ Ned nods politely, well-mannered if not especially warm. ]

[ Video ]

[ghoulking]

The communicator allows you to search for imPorts. There is a list, so you can find familiar names there.

Re: [ Video ]

[wintersfallen]

How would I find it? [ He frowns down at the thing, trying to grasp how that might work without much success. Let's be real, it's a miracle he's gotten this far with it. ]

text because he's a lazy teenager

[rekt]

thats a crap ton of kids. which 1s ur favorite?

Re: text because he's a lazy teenager

[wintersfallen]

[ Ned frowns. He doesn't know what a "crap ton" is, and that strikes him as a rather odd question. ]

I don't have a favorite.

[ That's maybe not entirely true, but he's not about to admit it. ]

Video

[craftpunk]

[ Sorry Ned.

Sorry. Just. Enjoy a reflective helmet all up in the camera. ]

That's really your name?

Re: Video

[wintersfallen]

[ Ned's... not entirely sure what he's looking at. He's plenty familiar with helmets, but he's never seen one quite like this.

And what a strange question... ]

Yes. Of course.

[ What's wrong with his name? ]

video

[honorobble]

Father!

[Robb sounds pleasantly surprised when he sees his father's face.]

We are all here! Inside this farm house.

Re: video

[wintersfallen]

Robb...

[ Ned smiles warmly at his son. It's been so long since he saw him last, but he hasn't changed a bit. ]

You're all together? And safe? Thank the Gods.

» video, private

[clobbers]

I've got a friend named Jon. Tall, wears black, needs to smile more? He lives in De Chima.

( Kara keeps the feed private out of habit, because she doesn't trust a public network with much of anything except an offer to take people out for ice cream.

Her expression is gentle, though she feels more than a little pang of envy. Will her parents ever show up here? )

You don't need to thank me. Just be there for him. And if you had any hand in raising him, I should thank you.

I couldn't have done without his help last month.

Re: » video, private

[wintersfallen]

[ Ned smiles and nods. ] That sounds like him.

[ At her next words, he sobers a bit. But the smile remains, his heart swelling with pride. ]

There's no need to thank me for that. Jon's a good lad. [ Or rather, a good man now, he supposes. ] He always has been.

[ And though he'd raised him as best he could, he doesn't think he can take credit for that. ]