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I said hypothetically!
❰ ... ❱
Yes. The templars want every rifter Harrowed and the ones who refuse get phylacteries. If Harrowings aren't possible, we all get them. We're going to try as much as we can to block them, and finding out when we get back won't help now, but I want to know. In case.
❰ ... ❱
Yes. The templars want every rifter Harrowed and the ones who refuse get phylacteries. If Harrowings aren't possible, we all get them. We're going to try as much as we can to block them, and finding out when we get back won't help now, but I want to know. In case.
[ Shortly after the Minrathous announcement: ]
Alistair, you've probably heard what's happened, with Minrathous, and--I'm trying to organize efforts to help them, as best as I can. There is a group of people who were led to the Deep Roads. I was hoping you and some of the other Wardens could try to meet them--
[ She's managed to be professional so far, but she's scared, and Alistair is one of the few people she feels safe enough to let see just how badly she's taking this. ]
--I don't know what else to do. Coupe is in the catacombs, which I have no idea how to reach, no one knows where Thranduil and Amsel are, but they were meeting the Archon--[ The mam that is probably #1 on Corypheus' current hit list. ]--And. I don't know.
I don't know.
Alistair, you've probably heard what's happened, with Minrathous, and--I'm trying to organize efforts to help them, as best as I can. There is a group of people who were led to the Deep Roads. I was hoping you and some of the other Wardens could try to meet them--
[ She's managed to be professional so far, but she's scared, and Alistair is one of the few people she feels safe enough to let see just how badly she's taking this. ]
--I don't know what else to do. Coupe is in the catacombs, which I have no idea how to reach, no one knows where Thranduil and Amsel are, but they were meeting the Archon--[ The mam that is probably #1 on Corypheus' current hit list. ]--And. I don't know.
I don't know.
There isn't anything else you can do. [ A pause. ] There are only three of us here. Inessa and Kain are in Minrathous.
[ With Corypheus, who can—
That's a worry for later. As loathe as he is to take anyone else into the Deep Roads, this might be a time there's no good way around it. ]
We can leave right away, but we might need company.
[ With Corypheus, who can—
That's a worry for later. As loathe as he is to take anyone else into the Deep Roads, this might be a time there's no good way around it. ]
We can leave right away, but we might need company.
I should have been there. I'm a leader, I should have been with them, but--[ She doesn't finish that sentence. It's not exactly a mystery, why none of the Dalish went to Tevinter, why so few elves went at all. ]--I could have helped. More than I can do here, at least.
...But thank you. A few people have already told me that they want to help, I'll direct them to you.
Make sure you bring enough supplies for everyone, food and water and healing potions, and--please be careful, Alistair. You're one of my best friends, and I doubt I value anyone who escaped down there nearly as much.
[ Which is probably not a very leaderly thing to say, but YOLO. ]
...But thank you. A few people have already told me that they want to help, I'll direct them to you.
Make sure you bring enough supplies for everyone, food and water and healing potions, and--please be careful, Alistair. You're one of my best friends, and I doubt I value anyone who escaped down there nearly as much.
[ Which is probably not a very leaderly thing to say, but YOLO. ]
Edited 2018-08-16 19:25 (UTC)
I'd threaten you with never saying anything deeply heartfelt again, but I doubt you'd see that as a punishment. So instead, I'm going to go out of my way to say things that are extremely heartfelt and sappy and you will have to listen to them, because you're my friend.
[Because a Cool Teen heard some big news and rightfully assumes as a favourite he'll be going and because Alistair is still, somehow, the only man who has valuable opinions--]
Can I wear a cape and a dagger to a wedding if I don't trip over the cape [because he is a Cool Teen these days, not a dumb baby] and other people wear daggers to weddings, don't they? I'm not going to stab anyone.
[Like some people he seems to say. Well, he does live with Morrigan who voices her opinion of the Inquisition as being mostly packed to the rafters with fools ready to fall upon their own blades at the slightest provocation or stab someone in their haste to 'help' so it's a valid question.
Also you know like hi Uncle Dad this isn't an awkward missive from the wilderness outta the blue.]
Can I wear a cape and a dagger to a wedding if I don't trip over the cape [because he is a Cool Teen these days, not a dumb baby] and other people wear daggers to weddings, don't they? I'm not going to stab anyone.
[Like some people he seems to say. Well, he does live with Morrigan who voices her opinion of the Inquisition as being mostly packed to the rafters with fools ready to fall upon their own blades at the slightest provocation or stab someone in their haste to 'help' so it's a valid question.
Also you know like hi Uncle Dad this isn't an awkward missive from the wilderness outta the blue.]
I don't suppose you ever had tea with Larius. Discussed money troubles, maybe took down a sketch of his face.
[With the heaviest of sighs. Dust probably comes out of his lungs. Alistair why are you being this uncool at this specific moment when he has to get his wedding look together?]
A cape cape.
[Obviously.]
A cape cape.
[Obviously.]
Look between the pages on secret lyrium tunnels. How are you going at this?
Edited 2018-10-19 02:19 (UTC)
I don't want to trip! [That'd be the time for the clumsiness of weird awkward boy legs to strike in front of everyone and he would have to go live in a cave with spiders that aren't his mother.
And she would have to fetch him.
Probably with you. And Gwenaelle. And Thranduil.
No. No.]
I didn't think about what capes-- do you wear capes to things? [You are a cool hero Warden he's been assuming you went to some cool parties and ate food and shined yourself up like the little figurines some of them got capes!!! (Look you won't ever grow out of this phase even when he's stroppy and sullen you can still be Cool Hero Alistair. Far off in the distance when he's in a mood.)]
And she would have to fetch him.
Probably with you. And Gwenaelle. And Thranduil.
No. No.]
I didn't think about what capes-- do you wear capes to things? [You are a cool hero Warden he's been assuming you went to some cool parties and ate food and shined yourself up like the little figurines some of them got capes!!! (Look you won't ever grow out of this phase even when he's stroppy and sullen you can still be Cool Hero Alistair. Far off in the distance when he's in a mood.)]
I have before.
[ Like once. But he’s enjoying this—giving Kieran a hard time, or, if you look at it another way, giving his question a serious amount of thought. ]
I think... knee-length, that’s probably best. Long enough for dramatic fluttering, but no tripping.
[ Like once. But he’s enjoying this—giving Kieran a hard time, or, if you look at it another way, giving his question a serious amount of thought. ]
I think... knee-length, that’s probably best. Long enough for dramatic fluttering, but no tripping.
That's what I want. When did you wear a cape to things before?
[(Things to ask: have you ever done a cool thing in a battle with a cape he needs to know. But later.)
Then after a pause, leaning super close and whispering in case someone hears somehow:]
Do you think Thranduil's tripped on his robes? They're longer than ballgowns Orlesian ladies wear.
[(Things to ask: have you ever done a cool thing in a battle with a cape he needs to know. But later.)
Then after a pause, leaning super close and whispering in case someone hears somehow:]
Do you think Thranduil's tripped on his robes? They're longer than ballgowns Orlesian ladies wear.
I'm claiming to be his long-lost son, in search of answers.
[ Speaking of answers. He doesn't actually make Isaac press any further than that for a serious one. ]
Assuming we can even find them, I thought my best bet might be claiming to be a runaway Warden. It wasn't unheard of even before half of us were mad and evil. And sensing darkspawn is useful for smugglers. And it might give me a reason to ask if they've encountered Wardens before. So...
[ Tell him if it's a terrible idea, please, so he can pretend it was another joke. ]
[ Speaking of answers. He doesn't actually make Isaac press any further than that for a serious one. ]
Assuming we can even find them, I thought my best bet might be claiming to be a runaway Warden. It wasn't unheard of even before half of us were mad and evil. And sensing darkspawn is useful for smugglers. And it might give me a reason to ask if they've encountered Wardens before. So...
[ Tell him if it's a terrible idea, please, so he can pretend it was another joke. ]
[ maybe this isn't something to sound off the guy who threw the rope into a giant pit,
but isaac can, by squinting down his nose and thinking very hard, do an impression of the yseult he's never actually met — which is to say, prod vaguely at holes: ]
What have you been up to, since you ran away? How'd you make the introduction?
but isaac can, by squinting down his nose and thinking very hard, do an impression of the yseult he's never actually met — which is to say, prod vaguely at holes: ]
What have you been up to, since you ran away? How'd you make the introduction?
The rest of the Inquisition has since left, tails tucked between their legs, with nothing standing between them and total failure aside from a few shoddy troops and an elf who knows about rifts. It's been some days now, spent in a quiet camp of two, as far from the battlefield as Teren could get a gradually-healing Alistair with her own injured shoulder and busted foot.
The quiet has been nice, actually, and she's actually managed some sleep during the day when not keeping feverish lookout. But people recover, and the Inquisition beckons. Their work isn't over yet, and one morning, it's time to clear out their camp and set off back eastward.
The quiet has been nice, actually, and she's actually managed some sleep during the day when not keeping feverish lookout. But people recover, and the Inquisition beckons. Their work isn't over yet, and one morning, it's time to clear out their camp and set off back eastward.
The clearest sign is probably that he's separating his things out. He didn't bring a lot with him—there will be a room, back in the Gallows, that needs to be packed up in his absence—but what he did bring goes into a pile, and when he has to take apart a bundle Teren has put together to take something out, he can't really stall saying something any longer.
"I'm staying here," he says.
He's still a little hoarse.
"I'm staying here," he says.
He's still a little hoarse.
"The void you are," comes Teren's clipped reply, turning to furrow her brow at the sight of him undoing one of her fastidiously packed bundles. She looks at his hands, then at him, her eyes narrowed in a glare that brooks no argument, or at least really, really, really hopes it does. It's the way she looks when she knows a situation is about to leave her control, and is ready to fight tooth and nail to get it back.
A look he’s seen before. Usually not aimed directly at him, but still—in addition to a kick of instinct to just do what she says, when she looks like that, he feels a small surge of warmth and smiles instead of quelling. Being cared about is neat. He’s a fan.
He’s still staying behind.
“I am,” he repeats. “I’ve worked it out with the commanders here already. They need Wardens making sure the darkspawn don’t push further South.”
He’s still staying behind.
“I am,” he repeats. “I’ve worked it out with the commanders here already. They need Wardens making sure the darkspawn don’t push further South.”
"Alistair--" The name is almost a curse, synonymous with 'goddamnit not again' or 'you little shit', and Teren stops what she's doing to come and face him. Her expression is still hard, still stubborn, but she sees the reason in it. Even if she hates it.
"But we need you," she growls, knowing as soon as the words leave her mouth that they sound far more vulnerable than commanding. It's in everyone's best interest to ignore that.
"But we need you," she growls, knowing as soon as the words leave her mouth that they sound far more vulnerable than commanding. It's in everyone's best interest to ignore that.
[It's the first time since surviving her own semi-timely death that Teren has returned to work. She prowls into the office, takes one look at the mountain of paperwork on her desk, then is fortunate enough to see Alistair sitting nearby.]
Ah, good, [she intones, almost cheerfully,] you'll be wanting these, then.
[The mountain is removed from her desk and dropped onto his lap.]
Ah, good, [she intones, almost cheerfully,] you'll be wanting these, then.
[The mountain is removed from her desk and dropped onto his lap.]
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