[Open] I shall embrace the Light.

[judgemewhole]

WHO: James Norrington and Open
WHAT: Norrington holds down the proverbial fort.
WHEN: While everyone else is away in the Sunless Lands
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: James stays at home so you know, they don't try to burn down the Gallows while everyone else is away.

At The Gallows

Most of James's day is usually put up with training - but with so many going to see to the new Rifters - James finds that he has a great deal of time on his hands. So, the armory is going through a total overhaul - with newer weapons and armors going towards the front. There is also a full inventory of the used stuff, what can be sent over to the blacksmiths to be melted down and used for something else.

You can find James sitting on a barrel outside of the armory, Interceptor sitting beside his feet. Once and awhile, he gets up, goes to a sword to inspect it, and then puts it in one pile or another. One for those good for battle or training, and those that clearly need to be disposed of.

In His Office

There are a pile of papers that James is going through in his small office. Again, Interceptor is sitting next to him, chewing on a bone happily. He himself is going through a number of missives from all over in the Inquisition, and is just penning a letter to the Quartermaster at Skyhold in which he is being Very Firm about needing new materials sent for their efforts in Kirkwall.

"... I really need to resist the urge to tell him to get off his rich spoiled behind again." Is a phrase muttered often, as his quill scratches out another line.

The roads outside Kirkwall

Sooner or later though, even James needs to get out and get some fresh damned air. So Dauntless is groomed, saddled and then rode out of the city. Interceptor is happily on his heel and they are out enjoying a good long ride along the fields just outside of Kirkwall. James pulls his steed to a stop, and breathes in deep.

"Free Marcher air, boys. Nothing like it in all of Thedas."

The horse and dog both breath in, but it is doubtful that they enjoy it as much as James does.

Comments

Office!

[hearher]

Carlos knocks on the office door and when he enters he is immediately distracted by the dog. He came here for reassurance and to ask James a question, but he's always going to focus first on petting and saying hello to any furry companion he happens to see.

He grins, bends down, and tries to see how friendly Interceptor is before he even glances up at James.

Re: Office!

[judgemewhole]

James calls out, "Come in!" and looks down to his papers. So it takes him a moment to realize the person who had come in hadn't said anything, and in fact, had seemingly disappeared from the desk's sight lines.

Interceptor, for his part, was happy to distract Carolus by wagging his stubby little tail and licking the boy's hand.

James leaned up, and then smiled, "Ah, should have known. Hello, Carolus."

[hearher]

Carolus looks up at him with a sheepish smile. "Hello," he says. "Sorry, you know I'm always going to want to say hello to the dog first. I hope you don't take it personally." After all, James is important to him too.

[judgemewhole]

Interceptor barks happily, rubbing his face into Carolus's waiting hands, wiggling all over to getting petted. James just rolls his eyes in response, his lips twisting sideways.

"I wish I could say I was surprised -- but I am not." He leans back in his chair, pushing it sideways so he can at least see the two of them. "Nor am I offended. He is cuter than I am."

[hearher]

"I wouldn't say that," Carlos says before he can stop himself. Then the words sort of filter back into his head and his eyes widen a moment. He feels blush creeping up into his ears.

"Uh, what I mean is, that I, uh. I came here to talk to you about something? Do you have a moment?" he asks, hastily trying to change the subject and move onto something that is emotional but not mortifying.

[judgemewhole]

"Oh please ... he has puppy eyes and I spend half of my time either scowling or smirking. That is nowhere near cute." James drawled, as he gave Carolus a curious look before moving forward with the conversation smoothly. "Of course, is everything all right?"

[hearher]

He really isn't going to try and argue that James is, in fact, very cute because that just gets too close to feelings he doesn't want to verbalize.

"Uh, yeah," he says after a moment. "But... Some of the mages were talking about things. I may have gotten a little too upset over it. I wanted to know what you thought of it." He takes a breath, ready to bring up a subject that might be difficult. "So... what do you think about the phylacteries?

[judgemewhole]

James leans forward in his chair, folding his hands together as he looked at Carolus with curiosity. A look that fell into a tightened expression. He sighed softly, deeply, before he tipped his head to the side.

"...Once upon a time, I thought them a necessary evil. Now, after seeing what I saw? I thought it unbelievably evil."

[hearher]

Carlos looks at him for a long moment and then eventually he moves to sit down. It was strange how so many mages telling him the same thing could fill his stomach with fear and confusion, but James saying it gave him pause.

"How so?"

[judgemewhole]

"When I first started as a Templar, I thought it was my duty to stop mages from doing bad things, and phylacteries, as blood magic ... were something I abhorred but knew were useful for keeping mages always in easy reach if they did something wrong." James sighed, remembering that angry eighteen year old man, "Then, I met Knight Commander Swann, and First Enchanter Lydia. They showed me the true purpose of a Templar is not to suppress magic, but to safe-guard it, and those who can work miracles with it. To be the shield to those who cannot shield themselves, both mages and normal folk. I was always meant to be a protector, not an oppressor."

He opened his hands wide, "That is why I hunted blood mages, and hated blood magic. It perverted the gift that the Maker had given mages, and in the wrong hands it always turned out badly for everyone else around the blood mage. As ... you know yourself. Even then, phylacteries were a necessary evil, because they allowed us to make sure our mages were safe, and could help us hunt down those who had gone against the Maker."

Green eyes lost focus for a moment, before he lifted his gaze, "What I saw, Carolus, when I went to stop those men and women who had taken the phylacteries ... it was not the Order I gave my life to serve. Those were not the mages I was given to protect. They hurt mages, just because they wanted to. If that is what phylacteries are, as weapons ... just as mages are just weapons, as templars are just weapons, to our enemies? Then I do not want them to use those against the mages I have promised myself to protect. Or any mage, for that matter."

[hearher]

Carolus watches James as he speaks, taking in the words and the way that Norrington spoke them. He still wasn't sure he felt comfortable letting go of any control the Chantry had over him, but hearing James regret it so much made his chest ache in a way he couldn't fully describe.

"Do you think they should be destroyed?"