faderift | CLOSED: a prayer that will be answered

Traveling

[ She'd told that pretty rifter Araceli about the Deep Roads, once. She remembered explaining how it was both expansive and claustrophobic all at the same time. That she didn't particularly care for it. She'd thought that the one bright point in the mess with Clarel and Corypheus was that the Deep Roads were not a necessary part of dealing with them.

Alas, she was a fool.

Still, she handles it well enough, willing to chatter to anyone nearby about her other experiences with the Deep Roads. This was nothing, one time she had gotten her sword stuck in a Hurlock's spine and had to fight an ogre with her bare hands, honest! She also offers little encouragements, helping anyone who has trouble climbing around. She's not particularly agile, but she's like a tank, slowly and steadily rolling over whatever obstructs their path. ]

The worst part about the whole fight wasn't not having a sword, honestly, it was getting close enough to smell the ogre's breath. That hit worse than the punches.

Resting up

[ Berserkers are not known for their wisdom in battle. Or the ability to avoid injuries. The fact that Kaisa doesn't have to worry about getting the blight and others with them do only makes her more reckless, getting in the way of darkspawn that try to target anyone who isn't a Warden. Sometimes that means tackling darkspawn to the ground, sometimes that means getting in the way of one of their swords.

She's recovering from one of the latter instances, sitting on a boulder with her armor off, and her shirt rolled up just high enough to preserve decency, a long cut decorating her stomach. Nothing overly serious, but needing healing, and Kaisa is patiently waiting for someone to give her a hand. She doesn't seem overly bothered by the injury, focusing on twirling around the strange, garish sword pommel that was, apparently, actually a garish greatsword. She wasn't sure what kind of magical bullshit let the sword work, but who cared? It looked awesome. ]

Alistair

[ Kaisa is not particularly skilled in the fine art of debate, it's much easier to either threaten to punch someone, or actually punch them. But she will do neither of these to Alistair, and the subject at hand is of enough import for her to give debate a shot. ]

Alistair, you don't understand. This is an archdemon--or it's gonna be, maybe, some day. Do you know how long I've wanted to kill an archdemon? For forever, basically. It's my life's goal. And this one won't even kill me.

[ She clasps her hands together. Please, Alistair, think of the children. Or just her. ]

And then it won't ever be an archdemon! Once punch in the face, or maybe like ten, and bam! One whole blight avoided. It'll be the top high score for finishing a blight ever!

Edited 2016-06-23 06:33 (UTC)

[ Alistair glances at her clasped hands. He's smiling a little--only a little, because he's Angry and has been for weeks, but not at her. He's also not yet considering this a sincere debate. ]

Why would I help you beat our record?

[ She reaches out, and thumps him on the back. It may be part of her negotiating tactics, it may just be that Kaisa's way to cheer people up generally involves hitting things, including the people involved.

It could be both. ]

Because this could be your record, too! Just like before, but without King Cousland, and even faster than last time! So, it'll be like you beating your own record. Besides, how many people can say that they helped stop two Blights?

That is a good point, [ Alistair says, sounding very briefly thoughtful, with a considering pause and everything. But the pause ends with a decisive, ] No.

[ She gives a frustrated sigh, one hand on her hip, the other gesturing around them. ]

Alistair, look how close we already are. When will we get this opportunity again, before it wakes up? And what happens then? How much chaos will it cause before another Warden has to die to kill it? Or--Whatever you and the King did last time, I guess. If it's repeatable.

[ She says, not knowing that she is possibly suggesting that Morrigan should have like three eldritch horror children. ]

[ Alistair has years of experience looking dumb—shh, don't say he's had his whole life to perfect that, the sentence isn't over—and uncomprehending in the face of questions about the last Archdemon, but he can't help a sharp exhale of a laugh in response to that. Or in response to Kaisa's overall everything.

Anyway. He holds up a finger, not to point but to count. ]

We'd never actually reach it. Why do you think no one has before? Fighting through the horde would take, I don't know... a demon army. For example.

[ Kaisa brushes off the laugh, figuring that either whatever it was cost them dearly enough that it couldn't be repeated, or--maybe they just didn't know? Maybe it was an accident, and that's why they never divulged the information? It doesn't matter, not when no one else has been able to get Jonas or Alistair to cough up the information, and it's not relevant here.

So instead, she squares her shoulders, chin up, and hands balled into fists. ]

None of them have ever been me.

[ Admittedly, Kaisa has up until this point managed to accomplish most things just out of having already decided it was going to be so. Bullheadedness can get you surprisingly far. ]

That's certainly true, [ Alistair says, in that way that sidles very near to not being a compliment without actually crossing the line into insult. ] So you fight through thousands of darkspawn, you break into the prison they haven't managed to breach yet, you look the old god in the face, and then--?

I invite him to tea and politely discuss the possibility of not having a Blight over crumpets.

[ She sighs, shaking her head. ]

It's not ideal, I know, but life isn't ideal. My ideal way to take down an arch demon would involve jumping on it from a bridge that it was flying under, and then killing it in the air, and all the darkspawn nearby are killed in the resulting blast--

But I mean, I'll take trying to behead it while it's sleeping.

[ She gets a genuine smile, which is saying something at the moment, at crumpets and another at her fantasy action sequence. It's not the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard. Sort of like what Riordan tried, as he heard it told. ]

The taint isn't what makes their souls indestructible, [ he says. He knows things. He knows this particular thing because he has a ten-year-old son with an untainted old god chilling in his body. ] So maybe instead of one of us it would go to one of them.

[ Them = the non-Wardens. Alistair likes at least one of them too much to risk that. ]

And if it did die, for argument's sake, there would suddenly be thousands of darkspawn with nothing encouraging them to stay down here.

[ Well, that gets Kaisa's attention. She turns to glance over at some of the others of their group milling around, her brows furrowing at the grim option she never considered. She's never heard of the archdemons soul hopping to anything that wasn't tainted, but this wasn't an archdemon, and it wasn't tainted. The idea of it hitching a ride with a Warden? Well, that was the risk that they took. But the others were doing them all a favor, being down here. They never asked for that.

Her lips press into a thin line as Alistair continues on, her gaze turning to the ground in contemplation. ]

We could teach them arts and crafts instead.

[ But the joke carries a defeated tone in it that says that Alistair has won the debate that wasn't really a debate. ]

...I just don't like feeling...like I could be doing something to save people. And not doing it. I became a Warden so I could do that.

[ It's not an argument either, really. Just a frustrated afternote, grumbled as she slides a hand through her hair. Okay, punching archdemons in the face is off the schedule, for now. ]

So when was this again, exactly? Simply for clearing up the timeline.

[His voice is a little amused despite everything. Hearing voices helps him keep adjusting to the silence in his head, so encouraging Kaisa to talk more can only be a good one.]

And how did you manage to not pass out from the stink of his breath?

It was when I was dealing with some trouble in the Kocari wilds. Some pockets of the horde that hadn't quite bothered to die yet. This was liiiike...a year after I joined? It was really fun!

[ She grins fondly. ]

Oh, well, luckily for me, I'd had to share a room with Oghren and my nose was still recovering from having to deal with him, so! I survived, luckily. Barely. I'd have been so mad if I had died that soon in my Warden career.

Mmhmm.

[He entirely believes her, except not. But that's fine. Who believes all the stories they hear, or tell?]

We all know the truth. You enjoyed spending time with Oghren. You asked for the room assignment, and you're still thankful he saved your life. Who doesn't want to be hit on constantly by a smelly, always-drunk person?

...Are you talking about me, or Oghren?

[Anders snorts and trips on a rock while distracted, catching himself from falling by a hair.]

That is perhaps the best question I've ever heard. Maybe that's why Oghren isn't here - he's finally met his match.

[ Kaisa reaches to catch him, but he manages to not fall like a loser, so she just settles for patting his arm once he's good and steady. ]

At least I'm pretty. Still working on the beard, though.

I hear if you shave every day you may grow a beard. You could try that.

[He doesn't believe it will work, but he also knows Kaisa is teasing.]

However, I feel like you shouldn't. I've currently got a monopoly on prettiest warden with a beard, and I'd hate a challenger. I'd have to break out the nearly-topless robes all over again, and it's far too cold here for that.

[ She rubs her chin, as if perhaps contemplating managing to grow one. But no, she's way too vain. ]

What about Blackwall? Although, I guess I wouldn't call him pretty. Still--I'd pay to see him trying to wear those robes. And you, too, for that matter. Both of you, posed next t' one another.

[ Quick check around to make sure Nate isn't going to come swooping down on her from some previously unseen hideyhole. ]

[Anders snickers.]

Find some. I'll put them on for a time. I've no shame, simply a desire to not freeze to death, which I'm sure most people share. And you don't need to look around like that; Nate likes looking.

I'm not afraid of Nate looking, I'm afraid of him finding out about me looking.

He'll be busy getting an eyeful. And you won't be the only one, so you've nothing to fear.

[It's not just that he's attractive; there's a clear, massive scar over his heart that will probably get some staring. He isn't bothered by it, though.]

Well, then. All we need to do is find some of those robes, and watch out Thedas.

[ She grins, and gives him a friendly thump on the back. ]

CLOSED: a prayer that will be answered

aggressively plays travel montage music

the one helpfully labeled Alistair

maybe it was for another alistair!!!

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