Let No Soul Hunger For Justice: Nothing But The Truth

[justice_is_blond]

WHO: Adelaide, Alistair, Anders, Bethany, Nathaniel, Varric, Vasran, Velanna
WHAT: The Second Ritual
WHEN: 10th of Bloomingtide (May 10th)
WHERE: half an hour outside of Skyhold
NOTES: Plotting post.

They've kept to the same clearing as the last, because the location's good. Far enough away that no one could stumble upon them by accident, near enough in case something went seriously wrong, it works.

He has scarcely more hope this time than he did the last, but at least there's no singing involved. This can't go as strangely. In theory.

Comments

[justice_is_blond]

Not the cat.

[There's a hard edge to his voice that's unintended, and he grimaces and shakes his head.]

Sorry. I knew a cat that got possessed once. Yes, I was glad he took out three Templars, but then he was dead because he was demon possessed. No animal has the mind to hold a spirit. It has to be a person, living or dead, and dead worked better last time.

[failedfirst]

[Whoops. She immediately looks and feels bad for that.]

I should have known that. I'm sorry. [She frowns a little, considering.]

He can't enjoy sharing your mind with you. Surely if a corpse is a better option than being possibly obliterated we could find a corpse. One fresher than Kristoff had been, ideally. [Because even right after Justice had possessed him he'd already been pretty ripe.]

[justice_is_blond]

Pay it no mind.

[He knows she hadn't meant it to be insulting, and Justice needs to be reminded of that.]

He finds it preferable. He could use any body and have control, and I do have a guess as to why he's chosen mine.

[He'd wanted to say he had no idea. Apparently that's not entirely true. This is making it hard to lie to himself, too.]

With me he has a spokesperson, someone who has suffered, and on top of that, a healer. I can stand for something, and improve lives. He can't think of a better way to help constantly fight than healing.

[failedfirst]

Ah. That explains why he didn't come to me. [She had wondered. They'd spent some time talking about what might happen once Kristoff decayed beyond function, after all.]

He should have. We wouldn't be in nearly such a predicament if he'd chosen me as a host. [She didn't entirely mean to say that, but the minute the thought surfaced attached to the other one, it came out of her mouth.]

[justice_is_blond]

And then you would be lost.

[That's also said in too much haste, but once it's out he doesn't regret it.]

You and him were too alike. He would take you over, and the Velanna we knew would be entirely gone.

[And how many would have paid? He's not sure she would have stopped at a Chantry.]

The price would have been far too high, Velanna.

[failedfirst]

Maybe. But no one would be trying this hard to save me. No one liked me, slit my throat and be done with it. He'd be in the Fade again and the problem would be solved. [which really, they could technically do with him too. But well, Anders was always likeable. She wasn't.]

I could have blown up a gaudy building too. Though I think I would have dragged it underground instead. Wrap a thousand trees around it and drag it down into the earth, crushing everyone inside as it goes.

[justice_is_blond]

[He blinks.]

And you think that's better? Any of that? He survived in Kristoff's corpse, he could survive in yours, and you would be gone. There are plenty of us who do like you, who would miss you, and while yes, there would be far fewer interested in helping you, there would still be some of us. And because we'd be fewer in number, we'd be more likely to fail.

[Anders shakes his head.]

You don't get it.

[failedfirst]

[she sighs, throwing her hands up briefly] Burn me, then.

[She knows that isn't the point, and she puts her hands down in her lap, frowning]

I'm not suggesting he relocate into me now. I just think it might have been easier then. Even if he destroyed me in the process.

[justice_is_blond]

And I'm saying that I'd like that as much as you like him being in me now. I'm saying you matter and maybe you should realize that losing you would hurt people.

[He crosses his arms.]

You spend a great deal of time thinking you're no one, but you're not.

[failedfirst]

I don't think I'm no one, I think no one cares about me. Which, despite what you may say now, has been proven in the past. You left, didn't send word to any of us once you were safe.

[which for someone whose own sister abandoned her, had been distressing, regardless of the reasons.]

Then I left. And no one cared. I wouldn't even have found any of you again if it weren't for the fact that you'd somehow had the same idea to help the Inquisition. You'll all leave again, soon enough.

[justice_is_blond]

[He shakes his head.]

I ran. I fled, because I'd killed Grey Wardens. They were Templars masquerading as such, joining just to try to kill me, which they did, but that wasn't going to change the views of people in authority. Sending word could mean I'd be hunted, and there was nothing safe about Kirkwall. I had no options, Velanna. It wasn't about my feelings for anyone; it was about staying alive.

And now, if I leave the Wardens again, I will die. So there's no leaving again.

[failedfirst]

You had options! We could have helped. The Warden-Commander would have believed you if you'd just told him what happened!

Even if he hadn't, you didn't need to run alone.

[justice_is_blond]

[He hesitates, before shaking his head.]

Please don't take this the wrong way. I don't mean it as an indictment, and I don't hold a grudge over it. But no one stood up for me while the Templars were harassing me, and the Warden-Commander was gone. Vanished. The harassment kept getting worse, and I was alone, even in the middle of a crowd. I had no reason to believe anyone would make a stand for me, and no reason to think I wouldn't be killed on the spot.

[failedfirst]

[Velanna hadn't been around much in the beginning. Too busy trying to reconnect with the Architect and try to convince him to let her sister go. She'd been obsessed, and that was likely why she missed that Templars were endangering Anders. She looks a little guilty, folding her arms over her chest.]

I didn't know. I would have helped if I'd known.

[justice_is_blond]

[Anders looks down.]

And I thought people knew, so I didn't ask. I should have. But I was so used to not mattering.

[failedfirst]

[She sighs, her arms loosening and hands falling back into her lap again.]

I suppose we all should have paid more attention back then.

[justice_is_blond]

[Anders exhales, still looking at his hands.]

We probably should have. But we were all a lot younger then, too.

[failedfirst]

That is true. And now we have so little time left.

[Stupid Warden lifespan.]

[justice_is_blond]

I expected to have a lot less time than I've gotten. And consider the things we've gotten out of. It's good that we've got any time left at all.