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[ When the video feed flickers on, it catches the girl from an extreme angle. She comes into clear view as she holds up the tablet and frowns at it.

The face is familiar, but there are differences. Thin always, she's too skinny now; her eyes are almost too big on her face. Her hair is a little longer and raggedly cut. Her clothes, a once fine page's garb, have turned to rags.

Sitting on the ground, Arya turns the tablet over. Her legs and the ground come briefly into view. She tosses the tablet aside with a frustrated sound. Enjoy that shot of the sky. Well. Clouds. ]

This is all stupid.

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Right. So you chose to look more awful than usual.

Like you would know. I've never met you before!

Of course we've met--you're called Cat. We met in this city last month, you and your wolf--

[a beat, as he studies her more seriously.]

Were you attacked? Have you hit your head?

[ Cat? And he's met Nymeria? She feels her head. ]

Not recently.

And you're quite certain of that? You aren't exactly the most trustworthy, you know.

[yeah he went to your fake house, Cat, and there was nothing there. you are a liar. but you are also confused and may have suffered some sort of injury--or else this is more of the same stupid sorcery that everyone is suffering these days.]

Do you remember anything of this place?

[ She's immediately on the defensive. ]

What do you care?

[Cat really is a good name for her, he thinks, idly, because she's like a little alley cat. it's really sort of annoying.]

The forgetting seems to be something of an illness, and either you're being more willful and thick than you were before, or else you've caught it. And if you've forgotten, I'll tell you about this city.

[ She glares a moment more before relenting. ]

In person.

[he nods, shortly. that's honestly better than he was expecting.]

Do you know your way around this city at all? There's a market near to the building where everyone is sent to live. It's safe enough. We can meet there.

Fine.

[ It takes her a few tries, but she finally figures out how to kill the feed. She's not too far from it so she hurries there in order to case the place. ]

[he doesn't arrive as quickly as she does, perhaps, but Arthur is a little faster to move toward the market than he might have been otherwise. he's not known for his pity or his soft heart, but there is something about a girl alone in a city of such danger that does not sit right with him.

so he's thought of Cat, on occasion, in a distant way (usually when he's wandering past the building she claimed to live in). if she needs some help now, he will give it.

when he arrives at the market, he glances around, trying to pick her out of the thin crowd. she is a cautious child, so she might not be so easy to spot.]

[ She watches him for a moment before deciding to make herself known. She steps up to him, her steps soundless. If there's one thing she learned well from Harrenhal, it's how to be invisible in plain sight. Arya has to banish the urge to cross her arms in front of her chest. She'll not have him thinking she's frightened because she's not. ]

What did you want?

[he doesn't jump--princes don't jump--but he looks around at her sharply, taking stock of her. he needs to be more wary around her, or risk being caught unawares.]

Cat. [he greets her, with a nod. is she scrawnier? he couldn't say, for all the closer that he studies her.] I told you what I wanted. To tell you of this city.

[he steps just a bit closer, cautiously.

Do you truly remember nothing of this place?

[ She responds with a step back. ]

Am I supposed to?

[right. he stops where he is, wary of scaring her off.]

I don't know how long you've been here, exactly. But it's been at least--two fortnights, if not more. I've met you, only you've forgotten it all.

[he glances over her shoulder, quickly.]

Where is your wolf?

[ Sleeping. ] Around.

Who are you then? Some lord's bannerman?

[it's the wolf that makes him the wariest, when dealing with Cat. so he glances around once more, in case it's still hanging about--it seems the sort of thing she'd do, only to have it dart out and try to startle him.]

No. We've been over this-- I am Prince Arthur Pendragon, of Camelot. And we are not in your country--Bravos, did you call it? We have been brought to this city, to fight a war for the Initiative.

[ He's a prince? Her eyes widen for a split second before ingrained lessons take over. She drops into a curtsey. It's mechanical, born out of reflex than any true respect or allegiance. Arya rethinks everything she's told him so far. She's not been rude exactly; at least not by her usual standards. She still fidgets. She can imagine what her mother might have to say about her actions so far and it makes her burn with embarrassment.

Stiffly, looking at the floor than his eyes, she adds: ] Your Grace.

[ The rest she considers, but does not dare ask. He must mean Braavos, but she's never set foot there. All she knows is what little Syrio Forel told her. The memory of Syrio makes her sad. He would know what had to be done now. He would know what to say. ]

[that takes Arthur entirely off-guard, more so than her sudden approach had. he actually takes a half-step back at that show of courtesy, as if it's a trick or something.

the Cat he'd met was--well--cattier than this. she curtsies? he'd thought her some street urchin--which, yes, of course, even they can curtsy, but--]

Er-- yes. I suppose. [which is not the usually rejoinder for that, but--] Are you feeling all right? Fevered, or anything?

Yes, Your Grace. I mean, no. I mean, I'm fine.

[ Every royal apart from her brother sucks :| even talking to them is a pain. ]

Right.

[he studies her a moment longer, but she's mostly not looking at him now.]

Then you will allow me to help you? If you do not remember anything at all of this city, you will become easily lost.

[ She bites back the snarky response. ]

I don't get lost.

[his smile is slightly patronizing, but that can't be helped.]

Not even in a city you've never been in before?

[ yep. reason she doesn't like royalty right here: she can't kick them for being jerks. ]

I got here before you.

[....well. yeah. she's got him there, not that he's going to admit that.]

So I noticed. Well done. [he glances over at her again, thinking for a moment.] How old are you?

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