#convo:jon

Irene found that sitting on a bench, her guide dog resting at her feet, was one of the better ways to spend an afternoon. The slight breeze on her face, the ambient sound of footsteps, voices and birds, it was soothing as she sorted through many futures. There was something on the horizon but it was still utterly indistinguishable. 

Somethings though, in the more immediate future, were a great deal more concrete. “You’ll wear a hole in the floor if you keep up pacing with such intensity. Why not save yourself a guilt trip, Young Man.” she said gently, lifted her head, not turning to look at Jon but she knew he’d be aware her words were meant for him. 

Jon blinked up at the small, unusual man in front of him. They had not been properly introduced, but he easily recognised him from various gossip and descriptions: one of the Reeds. He remembered with a pang the stories his father used to tell about life with Howland Reed, who had fought with him in Robert’s Rebellion. There was that odd sensation, as he had so often these days, of time crossing and recrossing, repeating itself like an ancient tapestry.

“I am no man to deny that,” he shrugged, gesturing to the seat opposite him. “In my experience, they are more often deceptive than not - but that raises the inevitable question: what about my appearance is deceiving you, I wonder?”

Jojen held in place for a moment, not bothering in the slightest to hide that he was staring intently at the older man, his piercing green eyes unblinking before he seemed to come back to the present and move at a sedate place to the indicated seat. Settling himself, Jojen held his hands in his lap and again spent several moment assessing the man before him, The Lord Commander.

“Only a fool would.” he eventually spoke, voice soft and unhurried, “Though, to answer your wonderings, several things.” Again, he waited perhaps too long before continuing, “They call you Lord Commander but you are more than that. You’ve seen more, done more. Gazed into the eyes of the dead who gaze back. Beyond that wall... here. You are more.” 

“And that is how at your age if elements of mutations start to effect you emotionally, mentally or physically, it’s important to go and confide in someone you trust rather than trying to keep anything a secret.” Linda finished to an expected lukewarm applause from her teenaged audience before the teacher took over an informed everyone they could speak with ‘Dr. Martin’ if they wanted to before she left. 

Frankly she hadn’t expected any of them to want to talk to her but when a young man did approach she smiled in a friendly manner and stood (tying not to sign at the fact that the teenager was still taller than her). “Hi there, anything you want to ask me?”

mistergroff said: Which one? I love Nicholas Sparks.