player plot: thorns of the rose (2)

[fightingale]

WHO: Alistair, Shale, Zevran, Dorian, Bethany, Bruce, Christine, Eirlys, Sina (closed.)
WHAT: Gathering rare herbs, slam poetry night with a tree, and other things.
WHEN: Departing 24th and returning 27th Justinian
WHERE: Brecilian Forest, mostly
NOTES: This is one of the missions for the Thorns of the Rose player plot. Potential themes of death and attempted murder, also an intense forest, violence, other things to be added as necessary. If something heavy comes up in a thread that isn't mentioned here, please add relevant warnings to the subject line.

Comments

[aceso]

Christine's eyes widen in shock when she feels the protection she placed around them disappear, and not from natural decay. She just... doesn't understand why this is happening? She's done nothing. She laid a barrier over others to protect them from harm, and then Zevran started talking down to her as if she was a wild animal about to attack a tree! And Alistair... he had dispelled her magic like she was nothing. Did he not realize what that meant to a mage who had never wanted to inflict pain on others, and only wanted to protect them? He's just taken away her ability to do so.

And the golem... why did it think she was arguing? She had literal stood there and said nothing until Zevran wrongly accused her out of no where of being aggressive. For placing a barrier on people. She's half-convinced the sylvan has made everyone go mad, but after looking between them all, her eyes finally settle on Alistair once more, showing just a hint of fear before she takes a few steps back, then turns away completely. She doesn't run away, but she walks with her head held high, hands shaking as she moves to the back of the group and then continues on, back to where they've already been. If she isn't allowed to protect others, then she's no good here, and she'll go elsewhere until they're done. Obviously they think she's a raving lunatic who wants to attack a tree, and defending herself will just be seen as arguing more. As much as she wants to make herself clear, Leliana doesn't have much time, and so Christine will remove herself from the situation.

[amygdalae]

Bruce watches as Christine walks off, only giving a look at Alistair because really--really, Alistair, what was he even thinking.

There's enough of them hovering around the tree and quacking at it right now; between all of them he's sure they have it covered. Which means he is free to leave them to it and go and check on Christine instead. However friendly this tree might be, the rest of the forest is still another matter.

"Let's try to move on as soon as we can," he says for anybody who's listening to him, then only hesitates for a moment more before going after Christine to check up on her.

separate thread of mage feels, please tag after sina to stick w/ the main thread!

[aceso]

She doesn't go too far, just in case things do take a turn for the worse and she needs to rush back to help. Once she checks a nearby tree to make sure it doesn't have a face, she leans against it, letting out a shaky sigh. Bruce approaching surprises her. They've always been friendly enough to one another, but their relationship has pretty much stayed professional.

"I could not stay," she says softly when he's close enough. "Alistair... I did not think he would do that to me."

many feels, such mage, wow

[amygdalae]

Bruce keeps his own footsteps light so as not to startle her, even though soon he can see its not necessary. Still, old habits are hard to break, and traipsing through forests like these--it was hard to shake off the old days before the Breach, before the Rifts and the Inquisition.

He relaxes a little once he gets close enough to Christine, silent as he hears her speak. It takes a second before he manages an answer, voice soft while he speaks. "He didn't mean it on purpose, I'm sure. Don't dwell too much on it."

[aceso]

Briefly, she scowls, before she straightens a little and tries not to look too disappointed. The Inquisition is a bit more accepting of people than other places, and she has been working alongside Templars and Seekers with no fear that they might try to control her.

"I do not know what he means. I do not know him, and all I have to go on is that he waved away the protection I placed over him as though I was a fool to try and keep him from harm. What else might he prevent me from doing if he wishes it?"

[amygdalae]

It's easy to understand her feelings about it, being a mage himself - even if a lot of his personal feelings tended to take a different turn on many other issues regarding mages. But this wasn't the place and time for such things.

"I can't speak for him, of course, but I don't think he was dismissing your help - at least not deliberately." He pauses for a moment, trying to find the best way to phrase what he wanted to say next. "He and Zevran... its clear they've both dealt with this before. They can take care of themselves, and I guess they'd rather have to focus on the rest instead." And maybe he could be entirely wrong, but tension and friction between any of them was the last thing they needed right now.

[aceso]

"You are far too optimistic for your own good," she states, unable to stop herself from giving him a hint of a smile. It was a bit of a shock to discover he was a mage, but with how mages are viewed by most people, she can understand him hiding it away.

Now she crosses her arms and glances over to where the rest of the party are gathered near that tree. "When we first enter the Circle, the other apprentices would all gather around and ask what was it that first gave us away. Some said they set the bed sheets on fire, others said they accidentally froze their food to the table. Do you know what I did?" She lifts her brow, but doesn't wait for him to guess. It's a rhetorical question. "I placed a protective barrier over a stray cat that was being hurt by village children. I have always wished to protect others from harm. That is all I wanted to do here, and he took that away from me. Zevran accused me of being aggressive. The golem threatened to step on me." She shakes her head, still amazed that using her magic for good resulted in them all turning on her. It doesn't escape her notice, of course, that all three are not mages, and could never know what she's gone through.

"I had to walk away. Leliana has little time as it is, but if I cannot protect people because Alistair thinks he can decide what I can and cannot do, then I have little I can contribute. I was already accused of arguing when I defended myself, and so I walked away before we wasted anymore time." She isn't optimistic enough that anyone beyond Bruce will understand that, though. They'll see an Orlesian run off in a hissy fit, not a mage scared of a Templar controlling what she can do, or a sensible woman who wants this over and done with without delay so they can return to Sister Nightingale.

[amygdalae]

The comment has Bruce giving a small smile himself. He wouldn't call himself optimistic by any means, but he wasn't going to bring anybody's mood down. If a few choice words and understanding helped people feel better, then that was the least he could do in a situation like this.

He shifts and glances over to the others around the singing, talking tree, feeling the press of the borrowed staff against his back, the weight of it on his shoulders - a weight that gets heavier as Christine talks about the Circle. His own entrance to the Circles has not been... optimal. He remembered waking up in an unfamiliar room, shivering in a cot as Templars stood guard over him, protecting him as much as preventing him from hurting anybody else. And before that--

"We all grew up being told how dangerous and terrifying magic is," Bruce murmurs, more to himself than to Christine. "Monsters that lurk in the night, demons that twist even the noblest of people, enchantments that ruin so many lives. All the monsters we see all comes because of magic, and thus, it is something to be feared." And of course, they were right - Bruce himself is living proof of why. "They don't mean it, like I said, but its hard to break away what is a lifetime of conditioning for all of us."

[aceso]

"They don't mean it, but they should learn better, and fast. It can't have escaped your notice that a great many of us here on this mission are mages. If they wish things to go smoothly between themselves and the mages, they had better try a little harder." She's spent a lifetime behind walls, talked down to and told she wasn't wanted out there, so she's not the one who needs to break the conditioning.

But anything else she might wish to say is immediately set aside as she sees Sina reach out her hand towards the tree.

"Maker! What now?"

[amygdalae]

"I'm sure they'll get it soon enough." He sends what he hopes is an encouraging smile towards her. At least it seemed the worst of her low mood has passed, which was good - that was the important thing.

He glances over to the rest of the party when Christine directs her surprise over there, blinking as he sees Sine reaching out for the tree. "...I hope she knows what she's doing." She did have her way with plants and all, but still... it's hard to be certain. The fact that the tree talks and sings is kind of throwing everybody for a loop.

[aceso]

Christine takes a few steps forward, her mind racing with all the things that could go wrong here, and how Sina could be hurt or killed in the process. But then her steps falter, and she is left not knowing what to do. Alistair had taken away her ability to help. If she tries to return to place a protective barrier over Sina, he'll just remove it like the rude, contrary dog lord he is.

She hesitates, and looks back at Bruce. "What should we do?" 'What can we do' might be a more appropriate question. If she's not allowed to protect the young woman, than what is she supposed to do: stand in the back and twiddle her thumbs?

[amygdalae]

Bruce shared most of the same sentiments with Christine; while he knew all of them could take care of themselves perfectly, he couldn't help but still maintain some degree of caution. There was no real way to know what would happen.

At Christine's question he looks over to her, uncertain for a few moments before he forces out a helpless shrug. "Maybe get back to them, for starters. At least if anything happens, we can respond quicker."

[aceso]

"Very well," she agrees, wishing this was all over and done with already. But for the moment, she moves forward to rejoin the group. Once she does, she'll be standing in the back, trying not to wring her hands over Sina getting on that thing.

[amygdalae]

Bruce gives Christine a moment's headstart first before he goes over with her to rejoin the rest of them. He does get a bit closer to the group as compared to her, but still mostly lingers at the back to keep a general eye on the group. It's just easier that way.