A Cruel Twist of Fate [closed]

[wickedchase]

WHO: Twisted Fate, Nerva, Korrin, Zevran, Beleth, Cyril, Ruby, Sera, Katniss, and special sending crystal guest star, Sina!
WHAT: A companion quest and elven relations all wrapped up in one.
WHEN: Post-Illness plot. The band of merry travelers will be gone from Clouch 23 to Clouchreach 28.
WHERE: Traveling to and from the Serpentine River.
NOTES: The plotting post.

Comments

Nerva OTA

[keeperofmagi]

[Nerva isn't particularly talkative either, but that's not as unlike her as it is unlike Fate. For the most part, she takes up the rear guard - forever vigilant - but when they camp she tends to stay near Fate, even if they aren't talking. She wouldn't call it hovering, exactly, but she is totally hovering.

She has also being spending extra time polishing her armour, and for some reason the closer they get to camp, the more intimidating she seems to look...]

[arsebiscuit]

The polishing your armor bit's not supposed to be real polishing, yeah? Just a line. 'Lemme in your tent, I'll polish it good.' Ha!

[There's all this silence and brooding and hovering going around, but Sera is apparently choosing not to acknowledge it. She'll just plot next to Nerva by the fire one night, shaking her head at all the literal, non-fun armor polishing going around.]

[keeperofmagi]

[Nerva glanced up at the voice, to watch Sera plop herself down, pausing in the polishing for a moment.]

In order for something to be used as innuendo, the action had to exist in the first place. And in this circumstance, one action will be much more useful than the other.

[arsebiscuit]

Demons don't care how shiny your bits are. Just stick the swords in. Then more time for the fun kinda chest polishing.

[She roots around in her bag for a sec, then pulls out some snacks to heat up over the fire.]

[keeperofmagi]

Demons don't. But Men do. Elves do.

[She tilted her head a little, suddenly aware of her own hunger.]

I would prefer them to see the Armour, than the face. It makes dealing with them easier.

[arsebiscuit]

Pfft, there's no impressing their lot.

[One bit, two bit, three bit on the skewer. Ask nice and maybe she'll share.]

Now they'll just stare at your tits to see their own reflection in it.

[keeperofmagi]

[Nerva snorted, despite herself, and set the armour down for the time being to rummage through her own sack.]

You say that as if its a bad thing. I am perfectly happy if they are distracted enough to shut up and listen.

But it's not for me. Fate needs to be seen from a position of strength, with his clan, or they will walk all over him. I intend to ensure that they don't attempt it.

[arsebiscuit]

Listen? Haven't done much with the woody elves, yeah?

[They listen about how awesome and persecuted they are and how all the elves doing anything else aren't real ones. Blegh.]

We're shem. Might as well be leaches on his arse.

[keeperofmagi]

Leaches on his arse with a very sharp sword. [She didn't say whether she'd had anything to do with them or not. She didn't need to.]

Disrespect is one thing. I expect that. But even family is known to be dangerous. All I can do is look more dangerous than they are.

[wickedchase]

Nerva.

[She's hovering. He knows she's hovering.

But he isn't unappreciative of it.]

You'll be fine when we get there? I suppose if I'd known sooner, I might have reconsidered asking you.

[keeperofmagi]

I will be fine.

[Her voice is stiff, but then she lets out a breath, head ducking slightly.]

I won't undermine your mission, Tobrevas. You have my word.

[wickedchase]

I'm not worried about that. [Maybe he should. She does have a bit of a temper, and doesn't always have a strong hold on her emotions, but he'd like to think she can manage herself with this.]

I understand that they did something that I thought-- before I knew you were that little girl, I thought you had died after they banished you.

[keeperofmagi]

But I did not.

[Not that it hadn't been a close thing. She still wasn't sure how she'd gotten through the days after that - most of it was a blur - but she'd survived. She'd survived, and that was what mattered.]

Almost no one is kind, in this world, Tobrevas. My people were no different. Yours merely didn't see the point in correcting the course that had already been chosen.

[She's being careful, with her words. She's thought on it a lot, since their heated conversation about it. She had to come up with something, to make it okay.

Or at least so that she could claim it was okay.]

[wickedchase]

I'm more than aware of that. Something I used to say a lot -- the world gives you shit odds, so make your own luck.

It's part of why my clan and I... parted ways.

[That's a way of putting it.]

For what it's worth, I'm glad you're alive. It's comforting to know that you're apparently really damned hard to kill.

[keeperofmagi]

[She snorts, quietly, raising an eyebrow at him.]

You speak of luck, and then tempt fate for me? Now I'll have to be doubly careful. [It's teasing, sort of, wry and low.]

But I am - glad you are alive, too. For what it is worth.

[wickedchase]

That's me, Twisted Fate. It's all in a name, right?

How sweet of you to say. [He smiles wryly.] Your life would be a lot less fun without me in it, at any rate.

[keeperofmagi]

Yes. [The agreement is instant, warm, and utterly honest. It isn't a joke. It is a truth she is utterly willing to acknowledge.]

I know that very well. So I will simply have to keep fate from twisting on you any further.

[arlathvhen]

[ Beleth notes the hovering, and wonders--but it isn't her business, is it? Not that it stops her from watching and filing the information away. But it keeps her from voicing any comments on it. Instead, she watches Nerva shine her armor at night, and quietly flicks her eyes up to the other woman. ]

Are you afraid of trouble?

[keeperofmagi]

There is a difference between fear and expectation. [She keeps polishing a spot for a moment - scrubbing hard - then raises a hand to wipe her brow and look up at the elf.]

I would be naive, not to expect trouble on this mission.

[arlathvhen]

[ She's quiet for a few moments, examining her hands. ]

There will obviously be some fuss, with the rift. Are you hoping the demons will be impressed by the immaculate condition of your armor?

[keeperofmagi]

I am not worried about Demons. [She puts the armour down for a moment, looking at Beleth more closely, and at her hands.]

I worry about Men. And Elves. And in both of those cases, impression is important.

[She frowns a bit, still looking at Beleth looking at her hands.]

Why. Are you worried?

[arlathvhen]

Of course I'm worried.

[ She says it bluntly, calmly, still staring at her hands, which are now occupied with picking at the fraying edges of her scarf. ]

I'm always worried when I go into human settlements. I'd be a fool not to be. And this settlement has already made it clear that they're hostile to Dalish. The Frandruil Clan has personally sought us out for help. They have nothing to gain from requesting our aid and then hurting us, and they are well aware what would happen to them if they brought harm to Inquisition agents.

Meanwhile, I've gotten the opportunity to see what my life is worth to the Inquisition. So yes. I'm worried.

[ Not that she's BITTER or anything!!! ]

[keeperofmagi]

[Nerva said nothing for a long moment, watching her silently. Finally, however, she deemed it time to speak.]

I will not allow any harm to come to you, Beleth. Seeker Pentaghast made your worth - all the elves worth - very clear to me, and I would fight to the death, to protect you. That is my duty.

[arlathvhen]

[ Beleth turns from her fidgeting to glance at Nerva, clearly startled by this declaration. A bitter voice at the back of her mind whispers that Seeker Pentaghast is one to talk about elven worth, after what she pulled with Galadriel and Gavin, and that she ought not need to make their worth clear to Nerva in the first place, because they are people and of course they have worth.

But she lets it go. It's not worth the fuss when someone is telling you that they'd die for you. ]

I--

Thank you, Ser Nerva. That...brings me some comfort. I will pray that such a situation will never come to pass, but--Thank you, even so.

[ Pause. ]

As I said before, I trust that the Clan is wise enough to know the consequences of bringing harm upon any of us, but I swear that I will all within my power to make sure that it stays that way, and no one...forgets their wisdom.

[keeperofmagi]

... Regardless of origin, people of capable of bringing great harm. There are no innocents, here. But I - hope that you can sway them, to remember that it is the demons that are all our enemies, not each other.

[She did not mention that she knew these particular elves. That she knew just how much harm they would be willing to inflict upon her. That they already had inflicted.

Her part of the story here was not the important one.]