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You would woo me? My type was very specific. [Fiona did not laugh often, but she laughed a bit now, not in a derisive way, but amused by the idea.]
Isn't Antiva dangerous for you right now?
Isn't Antiva dangerous for you right now?
And yet I feel as though I'd be up for the challenge.
[ Pasta, into boiling broth, vegetables and tomato paste and spices into a pan along with chicken to sear. Simple, wholesome, hearty food. ]
When is it not dangerous? But they have need of my contacts and skills, thus? I go.
[ Pasta, into boiling broth, vegetables and tomato paste and spices into a pan along with chicken to sear. Simple, wholesome, hearty food. ]
When is it not dangerous? But they have need of my contacts and skills, thus? I go.
Well...your competition would be a tall, human, noble...there was a time where I might have said that it was not a competition at all. But he was kind, he was so beautiful.
[And she missed him dearly.]
Gird your loins.
[And she missed him dearly.]
Gird your loins.
I might have agreed with you at some point, I was an Orlesian noble's pet from 7 to 14, and he was very sadistic. [And she drank to that memory, she was old enough now that it didn't bother her anymore, not quite as much.] So I was very cruel to Maric in the beginning, because I thought that was how they all were...but it warms me to know that even though we could not be together, he never took another queen, he never loved anyone after me. He was kind, he kept his promises, he saved my life...there is a lot more to him than what most people saw. I miss that ridiculous man.
Respect and trust must be earned.
[ And had his not been earned?
No, no, this is not about him. This is not about the Chevalier. This is about Maric and Fiona and Alistair- a family he is connected to only by the son. Nothing more. ]
There are rumors that he yet lives, somewhere.
[ And had his not been earned?
No, no, this is not about him. This is not about the Chevalier. This is about Maric and Fiona and Alistair- a family he is connected to only by the son. Nothing more. ]
There are rumors that he yet lives, somewhere.
He'd more than earned my respect and my trust...but this isn't about me is it?
[Fiona gave Zevran the suspicious side-eye, perhaps that was something she'd wrangle out of him given the situation he put her in.]
When I was a little girl I had a cat...well he wasn't mine, he was a stray, my family was well off enough in the alienage that he could feed our family, but no more. I, however, would cut my own portion in half...the meat portion anyway...I ate a lot of vegetables and grains during that time. Anyway, every night kitty and I would meet at the same time and the same place, a bit romantic, no? I would give him my portion of meat and he was my friend in return...I can still remember how he purred sitting in my lap and how we would just lie there looking at the moon and stars...I liked to think that we were both imagining a better place out there, with those distant, glimmering lights. Then one day he stopped coming, but I went back to our spot every night...and he never came. I had to stop once a beggar attacked me for the meat I would bring...I thought to myself "kitty must have climbed the wall between the alienage and the better side of town, he'll be happier there, there will be fat mice and plenty of discarded scraps." After my time spent with Comte Dorian, and the loss of my family, I realized the truth about life is far uglier...that kitty was probably eaten by the very beggar who attacked me that night...
...and as much as I would like to believe that Maric is out there walking with the stars, having grand adventures away from the throne that had caused him pain...that's what my heart tells me...all the time. My head on the other hand knows that the world is too cruel for such precious hope, to believe in rumors only to be disappointed.
[Fiona gave Zevran the suspicious side-eye, perhaps that was something she'd wrangle out of him given the situation he put her in.]
When I was a little girl I had a cat...well he wasn't mine, he was a stray, my family was well off enough in the alienage that he could feed our family, but no more. I, however, would cut my own portion in half...the meat portion anyway...I ate a lot of vegetables and grains during that time. Anyway, every night kitty and I would meet at the same time and the same place, a bit romantic, no? I would give him my portion of meat and he was my friend in return...I can still remember how he purred sitting in my lap and how we would just lie there looking at the moon and stars...I liked to think that we were both imagining a better place out there, with those distant, glimmering lights. Then one day he stopped coming, but I went back to our spot every night...and he never came. I had to stop once a beggar attacked me for the meat I would bring...I thought to myself "kitty must have climbed the wall between the alienage and the better side of town, he'll be happier there, there will be fat mice and plenty of discarded scraps." After my time spent with Comte Dorian, and the loss of my family, I realized the truth about life is far uglier...that kitty was probably eaten by the very beggar who attacked me that night...
...and as much as I would like to believe that Maric is out there walking with the stars, having grand adventures away from the throne that had caused him pain...that's what my heart tells me...all the time. My head on the other hand knows that the world is too cruel for such precious hope, to believe in rumors only to be disappointed.
[ Zevran was able to listen and cook at the same time and thus focused as much on the pans on the stove as he did this so sorry tale.
Did he seem like a man that needed a lesson in the foolishness of optimism and the cruelty of the world?
He is younger than her, certainly, but he was a Crow. A life such as his does not come from a happy upbringing. But he says nothing as Alistair? Is nearly there. ]
Rumors are just that, rumors.
Did he seem like a man that needed a lesson in the foolishness of optimism and the cruelty of the world?
He is younger than her, certainly, but he was a Crow. A life such as his does not come from a happy upbringing. But he says nothing as Alistair? Is nearly there. ]
Rumors are just that, rumors.
[It was not a lesson so much as it was a personal anecdote, there were reasons why Fiona was as much of a realist about the world as Zevran was himself. There was no point in trying to show her the positive in the negative when the answers were practical. Especially when he knew better.]
No point is talking about it then, yes?
[She loved Maric, but she would not pin her hopes on whispered rumors.]
No point is talking about it then, yes?
[She loved Maric, but she would not pin her hopes on whispered rumors.]
[Dealing with this is a better distraction than facing his own limitations. Than accepting that there are limitations in the first place. He's bad at healing but pretending he's lounging around being lazy in dealing with business over the crystals is better than saying that he's still bleeding under layers of poultices and magic after all.
Plus, Nasir has Amalia, possessed of a temper and penchant for flames. If she is to spy Nasir's double near anyone she is likely to stake her claim and ascertain the correct identity later. Nasir would be fond, would laugh, would tease and say he loves her. Asher would be the one to clear up the mess to their reputation.
He's a lazy man, he'd head this off at the pass if he can.]
Right now the only tied to a bed I'm getting isn't the fun kind - some friends aren't the sort of friends you tumble and she might stab me if I get ideas but I'm getting ahead of myself. [Honestly he's very much over being injured, and being this sort of unwell for this long when it's making the rest of the Boneflayers twitchy enough that he's having to kick them out of the tents so they aren't hovering around him like he's an old man already.] This is...look this is weird. Even by my standards but I had my forward scout take a message to one of the Wardens once I was back and he saw someone who looked just like him. Just. Like. Him. Settimo, think that's the name.
[No, he knows that's the name. There's the rest of the company and well, Nasir isn't sitting around idle when he's their forward scout, they've all been busy since he dropped the news in their laps over dinner by the fire that night.]
Thought you might be able to tell me a bit more about how you've got one half and I've got the other.
Plus, Nasir has Amalia, possessed of a temper and penchant for flames. If she is to spy Nasir's double near anyone she is likely to stake her claim and ascertain the correct identity later. Nasir would be fond, would laugh, would tease and say he loves her. Asher would be the one to clear up the mess to their reputation.
He's a lazy man, he'd head this off at the pass if he can.]
Right now the only tied to a bed I'm getting isn't the fun kind - some friends aren't the sort of friends you tumble and she might stab me if I get ideas but I'm getting ahead of myself. [Honestly he's very much over being injured, and being this sort of unwell for this long when it's making the rest of the Boneflayers twitchy enough that he's having to kick them out of the tents so they aren't hovering around him like he's an old man already.] This is...look this is weird. Even by my standards but I had my forward scout take a message to one of the Wardens once I was back and he saw someone who looked just like him. Just. Like. Him. Settimo, think that's the name.
[No, he knows that's the name. There's the rest of the company and well, Nasir isn't sitting around idle when he's their forward scout, they've all been busy since he dropped the news in their laps over dinner by the fire that night.]
Thought you might be able to tell me a bit more about how you've got one half and I've got the other.
So...Teresa wasn't testing out some new venom on him without his knowing, then? We had thought him hallucinating. But if they are twins...I am surprised the Crows did not take both. Perhaps it was a kidnapping of opportunity?
Settimo does not remember much, himself, of his childhood. That we are encouraged to forget when we are trained likely does not help all that much. But I suspect as children they were separated, the Crows took Settimo and with them he was trained until I liberated him along with the rest of his Cell.
How was it you came to have your Nasir?
Settimo does not remember much, himself, of his childhood. That we are encouraged to forget when we are trained likely does not help all that much. But I suspect as children they were separated, the Crows took Settimo and with them he was trained until I liberated him along with the rest of his Cell.
How was it you came to have your Nasir?
[m8 u wot]
Look if it's all the same to you I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that first bit because I don't know what to do with that first bit, and I have Carta brothers. [Don't ask, it's a whole thing, it's very complicated, even Asher doesn't really know what it entails exactly.]
Nasir grew up on ships coming in and out of Rivain, said he had family that did the Qunari convert thing and things got bad with the ones that didn't but he was only told about it so he's not totally shored up on the details, we just try to avoid Rivain jobs if we can. Out of respect. We get someone else to do our forward scouting if we need to go there and he travels with us. We met him on the way to Kirkwall, said he'd heard of us - this was back before the crew had settled into what we are now, before we had a name and when it was really just Melisende and myself as the only permanent members. We needed a forward scout who had connections like he did, he needed the muscle and reputation I had, and her head for numbers. No one does numbers like she does.
Look if it's all the same to you I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that first bit because I don't know what to do with that first bit, and I have Carta brothers. [Don't ask, it's a whole thing, it's very complicated, even Asher doesn't really know what it entails exactly.]
Nasir grew up on ships coming in and out of Rivain, said he had family that did the Qunari convert thing and things got bad with the ones that didn't but he was only told about it so he's not totally shored up on the details, we just try to avoid Rivain jobs if we can. Out of respect. We get someone else to do our forward scouting if we need to go there and he travels with us. We met him on the way to Kirkwall, said he'd heard of us - this was back before the crew had settled into what we are now, before we had a name and when it was really just Melisende and myself as the only permanent members. We needed a forward scout who had connections like he did, he needed the muscle and reputation I had, and her head for numbers. No one does numbers like she does.
[ Here is a message left for discovery whenever Zevran has a break from burping secret infants. ]
Zev? [ There's a pause to see if there will be an immediate answer, then: ] Something went screwy with some magic, tale as old as time, and I can't lie. Listen: I had my first kiss when I was ssssnineteen. And I— [ a moment of silent struggling to say anything else ] —dropped my drink on her lap.
So I wanted to tell you you're a good man and I love you.
And if you make fun of me I'll nnn. [ He can't make any of the hyperbolic threats he'd like to make. ] I'll tie a knot in your hair that's slightly hard to get out.
Zev? [ There's a pause to see if there will be an immediate answer, then: ] Something went screwy with some magic, tale as old as time, and I can't lie. Listen: I had my first kiss when I was ssssnineteen. And I— [ a moment of silent struggling to say anything else ] —dropped my drink on her lap.
So I wanted to tell you you're a good man and I love you.
And if you make fun of me I'll nnn. [ He can't make any of the hyperbolic threats he'd like to make. ] I'll tie a knot in your hair that's slightly hard to get out.
No.
[ Wait, no, quiet. Not for "Doghren." For Beleth. He tries again with his less adamant, more was-half-asleep-before-you-jolted-me-awake-with-that-terrible-thought voice. ]
No. Maker. It was before we met her, traveling with the Wardens. They slapped my back and all of that. Very camaraderie...y. One of them probably told her to.
[ Wait, no, quiet. Not for "Doghren." For Beleth. He tries again with his less adamant, more was-half-asleep-before-you-jolted-me-awake-with-that-terrible-thought voice. ]
No. Maker. It was before we met her, traveling with the Wardens. They slapped my back and all of that. Very camaraderie...y. One of them probably told her to.
You truly cannot lie at all? Does this mean you speak the absolute truth or the truth as you believe it to be?
[ Not that he doubts Alistair thinks him a good man or that he thinks Alistair does not care. He knows those things to be true.
He simply does not believe himself a good man. ]
[ Not that he doubts Alistair thinks him a good man or that he thinks Alistair does not care. He knows those things to be true.
He simply does not believe himself a good man. ]
They call it a bonding exercise. I call it a headache in the making.
[ Kids, is he right? He's right. ]
Some of the Crows are known for taking children off docks if left unattended. Lesser houses that do not have the coin to purchase their stock from the slave market; it is quite likely that this is how Settimo came to be with them. Once he has calmed himself I will send him to speak with his brother. He is, understandably, a bit disconcerted at the idea.
[ Kids, is he right? He's right. ]
Some of the Crows are known for taking children off docks if left unattended. Lesser houses that do not have the coin to purchase their stock from the slave market; it is quite likely that this is how Settimo came to be with them. Once he has calmed himself I will send him to speak with his brother. He is, understandably, a bit disconcerted at the idea.
Don't start that.
[ Weary, warm, not really that bossy. ]
Absolute truth would be useful. The way to stop Corypheus is tooooo— [ Nada. There's nothing he can say and nothing that pops out in its place. He makes a garbled noise of defeat. How about: ] I'm proud of you. [ Better. ]
[ Weary, warm, not really that bossy. ]
Absolute truth would be useful. The way to stop Corypheus is tooooo— [ Nada. There's nothing he can say and nothing that pops out in its place. He makes a garbled noise of defeat. How about: ] I'm proud of you. [ Better. ]
Being better than they tried to make you. Fighting an Archdemon when you could have left and I wouldn't have blamed you. I'd have even still liked you. Scaring the Crows so badly they couldn't be happy just killing you—they deserve it. Staying yourself. Talking to the dog.
[ He sighs, at length. ]
I thought you were going to poison us, and you didn't. Then I thought you were going to sleep with him, and you didn't. And I thought surely you didn't like me, either, and you were making fun of me by being cheerful when I was trying to scowl, which—I don't know that you weren't. But I fell asleep on you once—I fell over on your legs, do you remember?—when we were with the Dalish. And you left me there, and you weren't unbearable about it when I woke up.
I thought you were going to poison us, and you didn't. Then I thought you were going to sleep with him, and you didn't. And I thought surely you didn't like me, either, and you were making fun of me by being cheerful when I was trying to scowl, which—I don't know that you weren't. But I fell asleep on you once—I fell over on your legs, do you remember?—when we were with the Dalish. And you left me there, and you weren't unbearable about it when I woke up.
Not for lack of trying. The sleeping with him part, not the poisoning part. And to be honest I was making fun at first- but you grew on me.
[ Being annoyingly decent apparently does that. ]
Maker, that terrible haunted camp? I was too tired to move you. I also wanted to see what color you would turn when you woke up if your head was close to my lap. [ because he's terrible. ] And then I was too mortified that I fell for the trap to mock anyone.
[ Being annoyingly decent apparently does that. ]
Maker, that terrible haunted camp? I was too tired to move you. I also wanted to see what color you would turn when you woke up if your head was close to my lap. [ because he's terrible. ] And then I was too mortified that I fell for the trap to mock anyone.
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