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WHO: Kain and OPEN
WHAT: Catch-All for February! Letter-writing, Wintersend... and of course, the start of griffon bonding!
WHEN: The month of February/Guardian.
WHERE: Various locations in Skyhold
NOTES: Prose or brackets fine, I’ll match! No warnings, unless someone gets squashed by a griffon. Please don't get squashed by a griffon.

Warden Camp

Settled somewhere outside his tent for the moment, Kain is in the midst of writing something.

Dear Inessa, Kain starts, sure that he’ll figure out whatever else he wants to say. It seems a bit foolish. He’s still not even sure what he’s doing or what he really feels at all. He’d just thought that if he wrote it all down, he’d feel better about things.

While he’s in the midst of writing, he keeps furtively glancing up as anyone approaches. Just act casual, just… act casual. “...Nice day, isn’t it?”

Battlements

Maybe somewhere high up will be better to get his thoughts down on paper. So he’s up on the battlements, staring at the sky, and then down at the letter, which is only partially started.... Until a gust of wind comes along and starts blowing the paper away. He cries out in alarm, scrambling to grab it, running along the battlements as he chases after it…

Wintersend: Around Skyhold

Though Kain isn’t much for cheerful celebrations, he does realize what day it is when a large box arrives from his friends back home. Which means he has to go off and visit the merchants to buy a couple small gifts for people.

So, he’s got his arms full of stuff when he very nearly walks into whoever’s approaching, catching himself at just the last minute.

“Pardon me.”

Griffons

“You’ve all grown so much. Imagine... soon some among us might be riding you, if you'll allow it.” Kain walks from griffon to griffon, pausing to admire or pet them on occasion, if they’ll let him. Some do, and some don’t. Some really don’t. He values his fingers far too much to dare attempting much with Buttons, for example. He's also careful to watch his fingers with Buggie, he's brought an extra treat for Chawcey, and he's sure to… have an extra cloth on hand when he pets Slobbaface.

Potato of all of them seems especially excited to see him lately, and today is no exception. He can't resist giving her an extra treat. Make that two.

“What is it, girl? You- well, all right… if you insist…”

The griffon is very suddenly making happy noises as she attempts to rest her entire self against Kain… though she’s most definitely a bit big for that now.

Other?

If you want another prompt let me know... or just throw something on here, it's all good with me!

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"And everywhere must have its share of differing problems to face, too. In a way, I'd rather deal with the conflicts I know of here, rather than end up with something unknown."

He can't imagine having to get used to Thedas from an outside perspective.

"You get used to it. Though.... entirely different universe this time..."

So not so used to it. It's similar enough to be similar, but the differences are quite radical.

"What do you think of it, so far, compared to others?"

He does have a bit of an attachment to this place in some ways, it's the only world he's ever known. But he's curious if they're that much more unusual than other worlds or what.

"It's different enough to be a challenge for me."

Which is saying something. Because, well, he's used to being challenged.

"On the whole, I think the people are good and doing what they think is right."

He pauses in thought.

"I think of it like I thought of so many other places before: Worth saving."

And oddly, he doesn't sound cliche or flippant about it. He does want to save this place, if he can.

"Somehow, that seems especially meaningful, coming from an outsider. I'm glad to hear we're worth it, though. And I'm glad the Inquisition has been the one who met you and the other rifters first so far..."

After all, it would be a very different story if the rifters had ended up in the hands of Venatori, or any number of other unpleasant groups. There's a lot of bad in this world too... but... it's good to be reminded that the Inquisition has managed to be a strong force for good.

The Doctor would probably find this place worth saving no matter who he encountered. Because that's how he rolls.

"Why do you say that? I'm not saying I'd want to be killed by demons or anything, but what else is out there? Everyone seems solidly against Corypheus."

"The darkspawn, for one thing. Every so often our world falls under a Blight where their kind arise and wreak havoc. Though I say that mainly because I'm the most focused on them as a Grey Warden. There would be plenty of other problems here without Corypheus, wars between nations and groups seeking to disrupt life... We've rarely had a peaceful existence."

Though Kain would be the first to agree that Corypheus is their Big Threat to deal with.

"Then Corypheus is a blessing in disguise, uniting all of you against a common foe. The trick will be to keep the peace once the foe is defeated."

Hey, optimism. He didn't say 'if'.

"Don't let most people hear you say that, they'd hardly be able to contain themselves. The ones who've lost loved ones fighting against him would beg to differ. But... I think I understand." He's never seen people come together in this way, from so many vastly different groups and nations. "I don't know how possible it will be for them to keep that peace. It's similar when a Blight falls. At that time, the Darkspawn are everyone's enemy, and we Wardens are heroes. But when the peace is restored and memories fade... people return to seeing enemies in each other again. We Wardens become a nuisance at best, our purpose forgotten."

The Doctor nods, a bit sadly.

"That's why I never usually stick around for the fallout. It's too distressing to watch that peace dissipate."

He hums for a moment in thought.

"Thank you for at least trying to understand."

Contrary to his normal experience, people here aren't even giving him a chance. One thing not phrased the way they like it and he's to be despised. He's not used to that and doesn't even know how to over come it, save to simply not care and no longer make any attempt to make things better. But then, that's not really his way.

"I don't blame you. In many ways... that part is the hardest of all." He sometimes finds himself wishing he were actually old enough to fight in the last Blight. A battle like that would be much more straightforward to deal with than what they've got now, and the Wardens would be hailed as heroes again.

"And... you're welcome. I can't say I fully understand a lot about you rifters and your worlds... but you're here now, so... we all have to make the most of it." Maybe because he's used to being looked at suspiciously as a Warden, he's... sort of sympathetic to outsiders.

The Doctor catches Kain's expression. "I've made you think of something sad. I'm sorry."

Because clearly, he can't even do this right with someone who's trying to understand. He doesn't have anything to say about the second part. Well, nothing useful anyway. And talking about how even Rifters from other places aren't taking that approach makes him sad.

Kain shakes his head, shrugging it off. He's so used to that state of mind that he doesn't really notice it anymore, unless it's pointed out to him.

"It's fine. That's just the way things are. We can't change that, or the past, for that matter. We can only deal with what's to come."

"Everything begins again too, and that's always happy."

Which is what he normally tries to focus on. He's just not doing a very good job of it right now.

"I suppose that's true enough... and everything must end too. Even Blights." The Blights themselves are a cycle of sorts, erupting and spilling out darkspawn to be conquered... again and again. Will there ever be an end to such cycles, or is that just how life is meant to be? He has to wonder.

"It has often been said that I don't like endings. Which is very true. But I don't know many people who do."

Though...

"Sorry, that's not what you were talking about. Ending things like Blights is happy. Unless you're the darkspawn." He pauses in thought. "I wonder what they call you..."

"It really does depend on what exactly is ending. The end of friendships, lives, and so on, none of that is any good. But an end to war is always worth achieving..." He ponders for a moment. "I'd never thought of it like that. I don't even know if they care to communicate about much beyond their blood lust. We're just targets to kill, to them"

"Well, they must communicate somehow. They coordinate their attacks from what I've read."

Which isn't much. He's more extrapolating information from wars in general.

"They do. They even have... a hierarchy of sorts, from what we've gathered. They can coordinate themselves. But they're not much more intelligent than an animal, driven by instinct... Their minds are all set upon the purpose of destruction, of spreading chaos and war throughout the world..." He shrugs. "They barely have a language from what's been observed, though they do indeed communicate in their crude way."

"Then they probably have a word for all of you. I'm just curious what that would be. The trouble with war, is it always sets people against one another. And there's no way to objectively think through things. It's always survival or domination. Which is unfortunate, because it's usually more complex than either of those."

Kain shrugs. "I agree with you in part. My homeland, Orlais, has been plagued by civil war, and of course with people involved... whether human, elf, or otherwise... things are rarely simple." But then his expression darkens. "The darkspawn are nothing like that. I don't use the word 'evil' lightly, but that's all they are. A vile lifeform, a plague on Thedas and nothing more." They're one of the most real dangers out there, and one of the most straightforward. That's a lot of why Kain enjoys being a Warden, having an enemy who deserves hatred.

It is the Doctor's turn to shrug. "Very few things are evil. But everything gets hungry. It all depends on your point of view. If you slaughter a pig for eating, I'm sure the pig would say you're evil."

Which is why the Doctor always gives creatures a chance. Silly hope of his that one day, it really will be just a big misunderstanding.

Kain is willing to give a lot of others chances... dragons especially... but darkspawn are on their own level. Different. As a Warden, they're kind of enemy number one.

"That may well be, but my intention is not to wreak havoc and devastation across the world, I only intend to survive. When a bear attacks, he only means to survive as any animal does. But darkspawn are foul things, with no redeeming value whatsoever."

He nods. "It's still a matter of perspective. I'm not saying you need to go out and make friends with them. But sometimes understanding what a creature is hungry for is the only way to defeat them."

Because sometimes a sound defeat is the most compassionate thing for all involved.

That at least seems more reasonable to Kain. When it comes to darkspawn, things are much more black and white than anything else. In a way, that's why he prefers them as enemies. Human enemies get so complicated sometimes.

"And defeat them we must. I'd agree with that. It's important to learn as much as we can about them so that we can not only defeat them, but do so efficiently, with minimal losses on our side."

At least these rifters haven't come here in the middle of a Blight.

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