inbox

[swiftasadeer]

text | voice | action

Comments

[fondofapples]

The brush disappeared into Regina's bag as quickly as it had appeared, though the snarls had only barely been banished. This was the most enthusiasm Regina had seen from Arya and she was eager to indulge it.

Because it was her go-to and didn't draw on any tainted spells, Regina bent her arm up and then unfolded first it and then her fingers, summoning well-tamed fire to her hand.

[swiftasadeer]

Instantly, Arya's eyes widened with awe and delight. "Wow," she breathed--her immediate, gleeful thought, how much the Hound would hate what Regina could do, and how, for probably the first time in her life, she wished he was here, right now.

[fondofapples]

Since Neil had reacted much the same way, Regina thought they'd probably get along very well, but for the moment, she just grinned, because she and Arya were making another connection. Closing her fingers, she doused the fire and then held her hand close to Arya's face and conjured a line of pretty snails to crawl along her index finger.

[swiftasadeer]

"Wow," Arya breathed again, carefully reaching out with a fingertip to see if she could touch the little snails. "Can you teach me to do that?"

[fondofapples]

"Not unless you have magic in your blood," Regina replied and sent her magic snails onto Arya's hand where they'd trail down her arm to her elbow and disappear. She knew there were people who'd learned magic who didn't have any innate magic but she didn't have the ability to teach them. "Mine comes from my mother. Neil's comes from dragon fire. That's how we met, because we both do fire magic."

[swiftasadeer]

"I don't think I have magic in my blood," Arya lamented with a quiet sigh (and having no idea how wrong she was), though she smiled and giggled softly as the snails moved down her arm before vanishing. "That was amazing. Is it hard to do?"

[fondofapples]

Her mother and Zelena would know how to test her for that, probably, but Regina would have to do some research. For now, best for Arya to know, "You don't need magic to be special. It's what's in here--" She tapped her own chest over her heart and her temple. "--that makes a person who she is."

Tipping her hand to gesture for them to continue walking, Regina supplied, "All magic has a price, but the cost of that magic is small and worth the effort to make you laugh."

[swiftasadeer]

Because she agreed, Arya smiled. "Though magic probably helps," she joked a little, quietly taking Regina's hand as they resumed walking. "What sort of price?" she asked, tipping her head up to look at Regina with concern. "It doesn't hurt you, does it?"

[fondofapples]

When Arya took her hand, Regina's heart contracted and fluttered with affection for this unusual child. "The price depends on the spell. Sometimes it's an unusual ingredient, a bit of blood, life energy. But for something so innocent, it's nothing to worry over. I promise, it hasn't hurt me."

[swiftasadeer]

"Okay." Arya nodded somberly, taking Regina at her word. She'd decided to trust her, so that was that. Maybe she had more of Eddard Stark in her than she realized. "Because I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt because of me."

[fondofapples]

"We may have to agree to disagree about that," Regina replied after a long moment. "If I get hurt looking after you or protecting you, and that keeps you safe, then I've done what I'm supposed to--" as a parent. "Neil feels the same. It's part of how we became friends. In fact, it's why I wanted to surprise him tonight."

[swiftasadeer]

"But I don't want to lose anyone else," Arya objected, swallowing hard as her eyes threatened to water. "I want to be able to protect myself. To protect everyone that I care about."

[fondofapples]

Maternal reflexes had to be quick and Regina's hadn't dulled. No sooner did that first 'but' make it out of Arya's mouth than she'd turned, gently caught Arya's chin so she could look in her eyes, and then stroked her newly smoothed hair to pull her into a hug. "I know, sweetheart. I know. Believe me." She sighed over Arya's head and was abruptly even more grateful for Neil, and hopeful that Charlie would take a liking to Arya. "I'll teach you what I can, and Neil can teach you more. I promise, you won't be helpless if the people you care about are threatened. I just don't want you to have to protect yourself by yourself. That's what I'm here for."

[swiftasadeer]

Arya hugged Regina tightly, giving herself a moment or two just to be held, to swallow past the tightness in her throat and push back the urge to cry. She'd already lost most of one family. She wasn't going to lose another.

"We'll protect each other," she murmured, her voice muffled by the hold. "Okay?"

[fondofapples]

"All right." Arya did have skills with her sword, and she had been on her own, taking care of herself. As much as Regina wanted to wrap her back up in swaddling cloths and give her a quiet, peaceful, safe life, the djinn of violence was out of the lamp. The best she could do now was protect her when it showed its face and make sure Arya could protect herself.

"In a way, that's why I wanted you to come with me tonight," she said after a moment, and although it was a sly turn on her intentions, it was neither untrue nor unkind, and Regina was pleased with it. "Neil has a young friend he's trying to protect, but it isn't going well. I think maybe you can help."

[swiftasadeer]

Thoroughly curious now, Arya eased back from the embrace and peered up at Regina curiously. "Me?" she prompted. "How can I help?"

[fondofapples]

Since they needed to continue walking, Regina offered Arya her hand again. "Neil came on a little too strong, and now Charlie is being stubborn about living in a place that isn't safe because she chose it." That, she assumed Arya would understand; Regina knew it to be something she would have done in Charlie's case.

"I would like to have you at the Inn with me but you're too grown--" She gave Arya a small conspiratorial smile -- 'we're better at this' -- and continued, "To share a room with me. However, the rules of this world require children to be Charlie's age to be in a room alone. So, if you were to convince Charlie she would be helping you have some independence by sharing a room with you at the Amagi, we could get her out of danger without her feeling pushed around. What do you think?"

[swiftasadeer]

Unsurprisingly, the task involved being clever and sneaky, and that made it immediately more appealing to Arya. "I can do that," she replied with a toothy grin. "I mean, if you think she'd want to." Charm was where Arya fell short, after all--Sansa was always better at that, making people like her, even love her.

[fondofapples]

"I think she will." Regina didn't know much at all about Charlie, but what she knew was that the girl, like Regina and Arya, had had a difficult childhood, and that she tried to take care of herself. She'd also checked in on Neil to see how he was doing, which told Regina that she cared. Give her a girl like Arya and Charlie would probably do cartwheels to look after her, and if Arya liked her, to be a part of her life.

"You just be yourself. I want to help her and Neil, but you being safe and happy comes first."

[swiftasadeer]

"Okay." Arya had been forced to pretend to be other people to be other people, sometimes it was hard to remember what it meant to be Arya Stark of Winterfell. But she felt safer now, with Regina, than she had felt in a long time, and that made it a little easier. "I can do that."