the sun in my disgrace [OPEN + MINGLE]

[rangerbecket]

WHO: Raleigh Becket
WHERE: 6I village, Inn
WHEN: 21 August - mid morning
OPEN TO: All + Mingle
WARNINGS: Put on your Eclipse Glasses TBD

---

Raleigh had been on his way back from his normal morning routine of checking his traps and fishing for a while when he noticed the sun wasn't quite the way it normally looked - he'd caught a glance at the reflection and saw that the sun, normally perfectly round, was looking a little like a lemon that had gotten beaten up at the grocery store. Huh. An eclipse. He hasn't seen one since he was in Ranger training and he hadn't gotten a good look at that one because he hadn't been directly in the path of it (and, obviously, he'd been preoccupied).

This one, though, looks like it's just starting so Raleigh has time to go to the Inn and tell the people there that there's an eclipse starting and they should get something to try and look at it. He's not exactly sure of the science behind it but he remembers being a kid and making something with a box and earlier he'd done pretty well with the water. Maybe they can take pots outside with water and just look at the reflections? Might work. Maybe, too, one of the scientists has a better idea of how to get a look at the thing.

For his part, it's just something that's different from the norm. Raleigh hopes it's not a sign that the sun's going to start moving backward or staying up all month like it had a few months back and that it's just a perfectly normal, natural event. After earthquakes and people getting sick with some kind of crazy illness, it was good to just have something...mundane to focus on.

Comments

[turned_to_steel]

"It's strange, isn't it?" Sansa comments, still holding her hand like she is trying to shield her vision while she peeks up at the sun when it is completely covered by the moon. The stillness around them has her shifting just a touch closer to Raleigh as she tries not to think about how strange or wrong it feels but she breathes easier when life starts to stir again.

Carefully dropping her eyes from the sky, she drops her hand back to her side as she thinks about all the strangeness too and shakes her head. It really does seem a bit much at times but she is hoping for a lull but doubts she will get one.

[rangerbecket]

"It doesn't happen very often. I only ever saw one before," Raleigh says, giving Sansa a little smile before dropping his arm around Sansa's shoulders. "I saw one when I was in Ranger training a while back but it wasn't a total one, like this, it was only a partial. It's a special event."

He thinks it might have been a bigger event if kaiju hadn't been an imminent threat but the world seems to focus on crisis, not celebration.

[turned_to_steel]

At one time she would have hesitated at such a public show of affection but now there is no hesitation on her part as she shifts closer to lean against his side when his arm comes around her. Tilting her head against his shoulder, she looks towards the sky but not directly at the sun while watching everything turn back to normal slowly.

"It does feel like something, doesn't it? Especially with the new village appearing." Or maybe it was an old village, she didn't know.

[rangerbecket]

"I looked over there - there's some bigger houses there. I picked a small house when I came because it was just me and no one else that I knew. I'm the only person from my home. But now I'm thinking about moving and I didn't know..."

Raleigh knows that it isn't so simple as asking Sansa to move in. He's going to have to ask her father for permission and probably have some kind of wedding but in a place like this, he isn't afraid of that. He loves Sansa, cares for her deeply, and respects the traditions of her world.

[turned_to_steel]

Sansa knows that traditions are different in his world and she finds herself thinking about the kind of future they can have here. Whatever it is, she knows that she wants it and so she is intrigued when he mentions there being bigger houses in the other village.

"Do you think you would like a bigger house?" She asks tentatively, canting her head to the side. "If you had someone else living with you?"

[rangerbecket]

"If I had someone living with me, I would want to make sure they had room to have all the things they like. You know, like a place to sew," Raleigh says, cutting a significant glance at Sansa. He doesn't want to out and out ask her without asking her father's permission first just because of the kind of world that Westeros seems to be but he wants her to live with him very much.

"So I would definitely need bigger than just my two room house right now."

[turned_to_steel]

"I would almost need one entire room." With everything she had gotten during the holidays, she tends to take up a lot of space in her own room which makes her realize having a room just for sewing would definitely make things easier on her.

"Do you think we can go over to look at some of the houses there?" She asks, knowing full well that he is sort of dancing around the idea which is amusing while she is being more direct. Somewhat.

[rangerbecket]

"If you want, we can go right now," Raleigh says. Sure, there's the eclipse, but the totality has already passed and now the sun is growing in size once again. He reaches for Sansa's hand and squeezes it.

"If you have the time now, we could go look at houses and pick one out? I would like to have your input before I move into one."

[turned_to_steel]

Sansa glances at the sky as though to check on the eclipse which is already starting to fade when he agrees to go over to the other village. The feel of his hand sliding around hers draws her attention back and earns him a gentle smile.

"I would love to go look now. It would be nice to find a place where we can both be comfortable?" There is a soft note of hope in the question as she starts to walk with him.

[rangerbecket]

"I want to make sure you have a place to do your sewing," Raleigh says. He's mentioned it before but it's important to him she has enough natural light to take advantage of. He squeezes her hand; he always loves going for walks with Sansa and it's one of his favorite parts of every morning. Since they started sleeping together, he gets to go with her more often, but their relationship had started with just those simple walks.

"Let's see if we can pick the best house before they all get picked over," he says, grinning at her. "You know how the people are around here."

[turned_to_steel]

"I know you do and I appreciate that." Sansa doesn't tell him that she would give up sewing if it was needed to share a house with him. She is pretty sure her family would let her keep her room at the house they shared but it's nice to know that Raleigh cares enough to make sure that she would have a room in any house he might find for them.

The idea of actually living with him causes a sense of giddiness that leaves her almost feeling like she is walking on air. It also makes her a bit nervous too. "Maybe they don't want to move over there for some reason. Perhaps they're comfortable here."

[rangerbecket]

"Well, it means more privacy for us. I know it's far away from the center of population," Raleigh says. "But I know how to handle myself and I've been teaching you how to take care of yourself too. I don't think it'll be such a bad thing to be spread out a little - we'll run out of houses on this side if we don't."

He tugs her close and wraps his arms around her. He's a lot less shy about showing affection in public than he used to be but he still tries to keep it tame; Sansa's family deserves that respect.

"Do you need to get anything before we head over?"

[turned_to_steel]

"I'm not concerned about being away from the center of everything else." Sansa can be honest about that much. She does worry a little what her family might say but young women are often married and even having children by her age. Surely wanting to live with the man she loves wouldn't be too shocking for them understand.

Sliding into his arms when he pulls her close, her smile grows until she actually leans up to steal a soft, quick kiss from him. Not that she thinks he minds at all.

"No, I don't need anything. I can go now if you wish to."

[rangerbecket]

Raleigh reaches down to grab her hand and links his fingers with hers, gripping it tight. He loves being with Sansa and loves being able to just touch her so for the walk over to the other side of the village.

It's a long walk, actually, and he hopes they'll get to talk for a good while. "Have you been over there at all yet?"

[turned_to_steel]

There is something freeing in the way she can just hold his hand and enjoy it as they walk. She doesn't think about anyone watching or gossiping about them because it's not like being back home.

"Not really, no." She answers with a shake of her head. "I didn't want to go over by myself."

[rangerbecket]

Raleigh grins at her and points out a few things along the way. One of the things that's the same on both sides is the river, which runs through the breach and over to the unexplored side. There's a lot more forest too and he leads her in there carefully, not wanting them to get lost. He knows one particular path and he sticks to it.

"I figure Jon and Robb are better in the woods than I am but I won't let you get lost," Raleigh promises. "And, if we did get lost, I think we could figure out something fun to do while we're waiting on a rescue."