![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
But it's such a funny image to picture you with a sword in one hand and a ham hock in the other! Use it as your shield to block, then take a bite.
[ Pfft, Alistair. You are the worst at playing the Old Man role. ]
He definitely needs to build up his strength. He was so thin.
[ Pfft, Alistair. You are the worst at playing the Old Man role. ]
He definitely needs to build up his strength. He was so thin.
I curl up into a ball and cry at least twice a day. Are you saying I don't have any dignity? If you are, I'm going to curl up into a ball and cry.
[ Grimness. Right. ]
That's... [ He trails off, troubled. He would have wanted Cullen to go easy on Cade, too, And he wouldn't have expected him to. The last time he heard Cullen speak more than a few words, the man was nineteen years old and convinced that sparing a single mage in Kinloch Hold would doom everyone.
Alistair doesn't know any better than to assume things wouldn't have gone nearly as well for Cade if he weren't a Templar. ]
If he'd killed you, I don't think he would have left a jail cell alive. But something is wrong with him, I think. I was schooled with him. We were at the same monastery. He was—well. He was a gentler person than me, that's for sure.
[ Grimness. Right. ]
That's... [ He trails off, troubled. He would have wanted Cullen to go easy on Cade, too, And he wouldn't have expected him to. The last time he heard Cullen speak more than a few words, the man was nineteen years old and convinced that sparing a single mage in Kinloch Hold would doom everyone.
Alistair doesn't know any better than to assume things wouldn't have gone nearly as well for Cade if he weren't a Templar. ]
If he'd killed you, I don't think he would have left a jail cell alive. But something is wrong with him, I think. I was schooled with him. We were at the same monastery. He was—well. He was a gentler person than me, that's for sure.
I know, I know. I fully expect we'll have to kill a pack of werewolves and crown a new dwarven king before anything can be done.
[ Nothing is ever easy, especially when you're too polite (or politically savvy) to conscript your friends' soldiers and requisition their supplies.
He is emotional, though. And tired. If she'd like to believe, for now, that he wouldn't lie to her, there's exhaustion and disappointment and an endless song in his head to blame for the way his voice strains to sound gamely pleasant. ]
Of course, Leliana. [ sobs ] But if you want me to spy for you, I want a good code name.
[ Nothing is ever easy, especially when you're too polite (or politically savvy) to conscript your friends' soldiers and requisition their supplies.
He is emotional, though. And tired. If she'd like to believe, for now, that he wouldn't lie to her, there's exhaustion and disappointment and an endless song in his head to blame for the way his voice strains to sound gamely pleasant. ]
Of course, Leliana. [ sobs ] But if you want me to spy for you, I want a good code name.
And keep Shale entertained all the while, I know. Perhaps if we said Corypheus were an avian overlord of some description...
( She loves Shale, but their stony friend, but patience had never really been Shale's greatest virtue.
This doesn't sit well with her. It isn't right, but there are any number of reasons for Alistair to sound off, and her first thought is not easily tipped to my oldest friend is lying to me. Surely she is over thinking it; Alistair and she had always agreed on so much, even if the Chantry had never been on of those things. Surely he would understand the gravity of this? Surely he would not lie.
She has been on edge since the Conclave, and Evelyn and Zevran and each thing has piled atop the other, and now she would suspect even Alistair of deception? No. She must be wrong. )
A fair trade. ( She considers for perhaps... ten seconds, before offering ) Nug de l'acier.
( NUG OF STEEL. Not "lacey nug," though perhaps that could also apply. )
( She loves Shale, but their stony friend, but patience had never really been Shale's greatest virtue.
This doesn't sit well with her. It isn't right, but there are any number of reasons for Alistair to sound off, and her first thought is not easily tipped to my oldest friend is lying to me. Surely she is over thinking it; Alistair and she had always agreed on so much, even if the Chantry had never been on of those things. Surely he would understand the gravity of this? Surely he would not lie.
She has been on edge since the Conclave, and Evelyn and Zevran and each thing has piled atop the other, and now she would suspect even Alistair of deception? No. She must be wrong. )
A fair trade. ( She considers for perhaps... ten seconds, before offering ) Nug de l'acier.
( NUG OF STEEL. Not "lacey nug," though perhaps that could also apply. )
As someone who has given you their undying love, I am contractually obligated to tell you that you are incredibly dignified.
[ She'd rather keep making silly little comments, but this is serious business, and she wants to discuss it with someone that she can trust--and him knowing Cade just makes makes him better for it, in her eyes. She doesn't want empty reassurances, she wants someone who can see both sides. ]
It's fucking insulting, is what it is. [ Beleth rarely swears in the Common Tongue, but she feels justified. ] I--Alistair, I don't want Cade to suffer unduly. I went to Cullen because I was worried that they would do something harsh to him. I went to Cullen to ask for leniency. Because I believe you're right. He's not well. He needs help. Not to rot in a jail cell.
But--Creators, Alistair. Gavin got a harsher punishment for skipping off to the Fallow Mire early. Cullen took Cade's toys and put him in a time out. Am I being inordinately cruel in finding that inadequate punishment for attempting to murder me? I know that I'm just some Dalish, I know that people kill my people all the time without reparation, but is it too much to ask the Inquisition to put more value on a life that I have risked repeatedly for them?
[ Her voice rises as she speaks, and there's a sound of wood being thumped on her side of the crystal. Most likely from an angry elven fist. ]
[ She'd rather keep making silly little comments, but this is serious business, and she wants to discuss it with someone that she can trust--and him knowing Cade just makes makes him better for it, in her eyes. She doesn't want empty reassurances, she wants someone who can see both sides. ]
It's fucking insulting, is what it is. [ Beleth rarely swears in the Common Tongue, but she feels justified. ] I--Alistair, I don't want Cade to suffer unduly. I went to Cullen because I was worried that they would do something harsh to him. I went to Cullen to ask for leniency. Because I believe you're right. He's not well. He needs help. Not to rot in a jail cell.
But--Creators, Alistair. Gavin got a harsher punishment for skipping off to the Fallow Mire early. Cullen took Cade's toys and put him in a time out. Am I being inordinately cruel in finding that inadequate punishment for attempting to murder me? I know that I'm just some Dalish, I know that people kill my people all the time without reparation, but is it too much to ask the Inquisition to put more value on a life that I have risked repeatedly for them?
[ Her voice rises as she speaks, and there's a sound of wood being thumped on her side of the crystal. Most likely from an angry elven fist. ]
Do not speak to, come near, or look at my son again.
[ That was way harsh, Tai.
But he never felt entitled to talk to Kieran in the first place, and at this point the Wardens have lost Hercules and are still all ostensibly dying while the Old Gods sing them the worst serenade ever, and he's had disappointment from Leliana piled on top of disappointment from Zevran, so. Fortunately/unfortunately he doesn't presently have the stones to go argue with her or figure out which precise part she's angry about. It just gets added to the long list of reasons he feels like shit and isn't getting any sleep. Wheeee. ]
But he never felt entitled to talk to Kieran in the first place, and at this point the Wardens have lost Hercules and are still all ostensibly dying while the Old Gods sing them the worst serenade ever, and he's had disappointment from Leliana piled on top of disappointment from Zevran, so. Fortunately/unfortunately he doesn't presently have the stones to go argue with her or figure out which precise part she's angry about. It just gets added to the long list of reasons he feels like shit and isn't getting any sleep. Wheeee. ]
[You know how you're going to (probably) say you've heard worse from Morrigan?
Well you have. Sort of. The timing worked out kind of weirdly but it's worse. In a different way to usual.
This is probably the actual swooping kind of horrible, for once.]
Well you have. Sort of. The timing worked out kind of weirdly but it's worse. In a different way to usual.
This is probably the actual swooping kind of horrible, for once.]
Why did you not tell us about the disguises! I have been told now that disguises are a great part of being a Warden, and that you, yourself, have used such disguises in the past, sneaking around in disguises--and yet we were never told! There were hours in which tales were told, as we came all that long way to Skyhold, and now I learn that you have tales of disguises that you did not share by these fires.
This is shameful and I am insulted. We are insulted. That is all.
This is shameful and I am insulted. We are insulted. That is all.
No, it's not.
[ He's quiet, in contrast—frowning at the wall, the sort of frown that people who know him well enough can more or less hear without looking. ]
Cade would probably take a verbal reprimand more seriously than Gavin would take imprisonment, if that's any comfort. But I don't expect it to be. Do you want me to talk to someone?
[ He's quiet, in contrast—frowning at the wall, the sort of frown that people who know him well enough can more or less hear without looking. ]
Cade would probably take a verbal reprimand more seriously than Gavin would take imprisonment, if that's any comfort. But I don't expect it to be. Do you want me to talk to someone?
[ Hearing it from Alistair helped, that this wasn't just her. That she wasn't blowing things out of proportion, that she wasn't expecting too much out of the Inquisition. That acknowledgement, rather than escalating her anger, seems to calm her down. Her flash of temper fizzles out, and her tone sounds uncertain, but more in control. ]
...I--You've done more than enough for me, Alistair. The Templars are going to convene with the Seekers to discuss what to do with him. I'd like to see what they decide, before taking it anywhere. I think...either way, maybe I should talk to Cassandra. Maybe when she's done yelling at the rifters. She's...scary enough without being mad at people.
But I mean. I'm just a scout. I don't know if it's really a good idea to try talking to the leader of the Inquisition about something like that. [ Unfortunate incidents happened all the time. Did the leader of the entire organization really want to be bothered about some scout and some Templar fighting? ]
I don't know. Maybe I'll just ask Pel to yell at Cullen. She's done it before.
...I--You've done more than enough for me, Alistair. The Templars are going to convene with the Seekers to discuss what to do with him. I'd like to see what they decide, before taking it anywhere. I think...either way, maybe I should talk to Cassandra. Maybe when she's done yelling at the rifters. She's...scary enough without being mad at people.
But I mean. I'm just a scout. I don't know if it's really a good idea to try talking to the leader of the Inquisition about something like that. [ Unfortunate incidents happened all the time. Did the leader of the entire organization really want to be bothered about some scout and some Templar fighting? ]
I don't know. Maybe I'll just ask Pel to yell at Cullen. She's done it before.
Ah. [ Of course. ] I wasn't actually there, for the disguises. I was in a cell in my smallclothes with Jonas. So it's not my favorite story, you understand.
[ Because of the smallclothes. And the cell. And the Jonas. ]
But I'm sure it's fun when you get to be the one dressing up.
[ Because of the smallclothes. And the cell. And the Jonas. ]
But I'm sure it's fun when you get to be the one dressing up.
[There is an addition to Alistair and Zevran's shared quarters, arriving a little while after Morrigan's sternly worded missive.
Kieran doesn't know who Alistair is in relation to him but he knows of him. And while his mother might have said to avoid him, he watched the way he was taught and has managed to sneak in to leave a small gift.
The griffin is crude and matches the crow gifted to Zevran; lots of variously sized stones to make up the body, legs made from branches, as well as feathers, scavenged from various parts of Skyhold. One leg is a little shorter than the rest, and the tail has a kink to it, but it's still pretty recognisable.
After all, shouldn't proper Grey Wardens that kill Archdemons have one?]
Kieran doesn't know who Alistair is in relation to him but he knows of him. And while his mother might have said to avoid him, he watched the way he was taught and has managed to sneak in to leave a small gift.
The griffin is crude and matches the crow gifted to Zevran; lots of variously sized stones to make up the body, legs made from branches, as well as feathers, scavenged from various parts of Skyhold. One leg is a little shorter than the rest, and the tail has a kink to it, but it's still pretty recognisable.
After all, shouldn't proper Grey Wardens that kill Archdemons have one?]
[Breathlessly:] Do you have someone to attend tonight's soiree with? If not, I need a favor.
Page 10 of 46