faderift | [OPEN] Kindness is a light in Kirkwall

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[OPEN] Kindness is a light in Kirkwall

WHO: Cole; anyone who needs him
WHAT: Cole's been convinced to come to Kirkwall to help people so he is going to help the hell out of them.
WHEN: Covering the month of Bloomingtide
WHERE: Anywhere BUT the Gallows
NOTES: Will probably end up dealing with lots of the awful from the Gallows. PM this journal or

jemisard for an individual starter

Cole never wanted to come here. He wanted to leave, to go elsewhere, but he was convinced that here he is most needed and thus, here he is.

Kirkwall scares him. Deeply scares him, so much that he barely goes into the city at first, but he slowly starts picking out the individuals among the screaming horror of the city, the people who he can help, who still be touched and brought back.

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"I do not disagree, but you are making me feel even worse about having to go back there again." Day after day, hour and hour, stuck on that island trying to do her work and not have another panic attack this time.

"Don't."

He feels bad about making her feel scared. He didn't want to. "Stay somewhere else. Somewhere less... the Gallows. Anders is. So is Fenris."

Christine lets out a scoffing sound and looks away, speaking under her breath. "Like I want to be within fifty feet of Anders." She will never be motivated to do anything based on the likes of him.

"I work at the Gallows," she says, turning back to address Cole. "I sleep here in a warehouse. Believe me when I say I spend as few hours there at the Gallows as I am allowed."

Her disdain cuts sharply, partly just for the emotion and partly because Anders is one of the only people who has been genuine kind and thoughtful to Cole for his own sake in this place. "Mortals are quick to judge, but not good at it," he murmurs.

"Why do you work there?" That's said louder, clearer.

"I am primarily a healer, but I study red lyrium as well." Her hand gestures vaguely in the direction of that horrible place. "My team came up with the cleansing runes that will prevent the red lyrium from growing there again, but there is still more work to be done."

"It sings a song that echoes through the world," Cole comments, almost absently. "Have you ever wondered what makes a Grey Warden Grey?"

He's mortal looking, but still a spirit. The leap in the conversation makes sense to him, in some fashion, but probably not anyone else.

Definitely not to anyone else. If anything, she thinks he's bringing up Anders again, and she's not going down that road.

"I have always wondered what makes the rifts in the Fade green. Why not red, or purple, or black? And what is turning this blue lyrium red? Colors are strange that way."

"The Fade makes Rifts green."

He doesn't know why. But he's fairly sure that's the case.

"Why doesn't the lyrium go grey...? Maybe it's too angry, burns too hot."

"I know, but why green? That is the question." But one she doesn't expect an answer to. "Maybe. Maybe it is originally blue to mirror the sky above while it grows far below. But when it becomes red, it burns like red hot fire. I intend to at least find out what makes it red."

Cole's expression twists briefly, because he's trying to tell her things, but it's not working and he doesn't know how else to say it. "The colour doesn't matter. Blue, red, grey, green, it's the inside. Sight seems strong but it's simple surrogacy of soul."

He makes a pained noise and flickers away in a curl of black green smoke, facing away from her and hugging himself. "Working webs and dusty drudgery... Why is this world so difficult? Why do mortals have inside and outside? It makes it hard to communicate."

Christine blinks and shifts back a step at Cole's reaction. It doesn't seem like anyone else had seen that, and a good thing too. Not everyone would be able to just brush it off, and would want something done about him. Sighing softly, she comes closer.

"We are saying the same thing, Cole. No, the color does not matter. It is the why that matters to me. The color is... just the sight. The reasoning behind is the soul. What is the soul of red lyrium? If I find out, perhaps I can save people."

No. They're not. But he can't explain.

"It sings. The soul of red lyrium sings and the song is beguiling the longer you hear it." He wrinkles his nose and shakes his head. "But I don't know it mortals hear it."

Oh, well. She gave it her best shot.

"Of course we can hear it. It is why working with it is so dangerous, and restricted to certain times; so we do not latch on to the song.

He shakes his head sadly.

Whatever it is he knows, or thinks he knows, he needs to find another way to express it.

"People say Faith is the most powerful spirit and Compassion is the weakest. But I don't know what people they are."

"Probably scholars of the Fade," she guesses. "And what they have researched has been passed down through the ages in books." Though she can't deny that Faith is powerful. Christine actually got to spend time with her when she was accidentally dropped into the physical Fade and saw her fight demons. That had confirmed it.

He shrugs slightly.

"Is the ability to destroy other spirits what makes a spirit powerful?"

"I was thinking their ability to corrupt the minds of people, and how much they destroy when they come through the Fade to this side." Like the Circle of Kinloch Hold in Ferelden.

"Is that what makes Faith powerful?"

Is Faith a demon to this human? That doesn't make sense; she heals with Faith's help and mortals don't collude with spirits they think are demons. Usually.

"Old woman was from Kinloch. Rhys' mother. She fought an Archdemon once."

"That is what makes some spirits of Faith powerful, but not this one." At least, that's what Christine believes. "This one is powerful because of the knowledge I have helped her gain, explaining what she has observed. And I can also feel her power flow through me when I heal."

But even though Christine thinks she knows Faith pretty well by now, this doesn't give her any additional insight into what Cole is saying. Is this what would happen to all spirits on this side if they had a body of their own like he does? Or is it because he hasn't had a guide, like Christine has been for Faith?

"The Circle mage who fought with Warden Cousland during the Blight?" What was her name again?

"So, she's powerful because of you?"

It's a question, just like the others, but it's a question that has nothing to do with his virtue or emotion. He shows interest in other things, in understanding things vastly outside what he is.

"Maybe? Yes. Her. She's dead now. She lost her Faith."

"Mm, I do not look at it that way. The strength comes from her ability to learn and understand things without it changing her nature. I may have taught her things, but her capacity for understanding is all her."

Christine doesn't mean to shiver at his words, but she does anyway. Losing Faith? Would feel terrible. Losing faith in her religion has felt nothing but freeing, and that's why Faith is with Christine. The spirit is drawn to those who doubt, because who needs Faith if they already have their own?

"That is a shame."

Faith isn't something Cole really understands. Things are or are not, there's no need to have faith in the unquantifiable.

"Is it? She gave up Faith to let Ser Evangeline live. Evangeline had lots of Faith, I think. In herself. In the Maker. Not the Chantry. In Justinia, yes. Does Faith understand time? Time is really difficult when you first come here. Things happen once and then they're over."

Cole has a way of starting in the middle of the story that just confuses Christine. That and the topic shift leaves her wondering which to address, but she goes for answering his question, as Faith gently nudges against Christine's mind, making her lips twitch with a smile.

"She does now. It helps that I often keep to a routine, but she's better at understanding hours and days than weeks. For instance, right now she's reminding me that it is that time of day when I need to make dinner for someone. I am afraid I must go."

Cole nods.

Showing all the tact of a spirit...

He simply fades from view as he turns and leaves.

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[OPEN] Kindness is a light in Kirkwall

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