faderift | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

WHO: Cole & Several (includes OPEN THREAD for Rifters)
WHAT: Compassion returns to Skyhold.
WHEN: Early-Mid Haring
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Cole works best with individualized threads rather than completely open ones. Please don't be afraid to contact me (Plurk or PM) if you'd like to set something up! Prompts will be posted in comments.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"The Herald." He tilts his head to the other side. "Haven't they told you about Her?"

"The herald person, the uhhhh, yeah, I totally know about her, sheeee..." Give him a minute. "Some person whooo started this Inquisition shit and then died? Is kind of about all I got."

"She died closing the Breach. She had the mark, then. Then, there was only one." He shifts from one foot to the other. His eyes are definitely looking through Church, as though he can see to the center of his skull. "Everyone thought the light was out forever. Then you all started arriving."

"Well...sorry, but it's not like any of us chose to open interdimensional portals to happy backwards land and be stuck here with demons and things." Don't be creeped out by his stare, don't be creeped out by his stare. "Guessing nobody's figured out what it means that we've got the same mark your Herald did, huh."

"Nobody here knows why She had it, either." In case that makes a difference. "But it broke when She died. It's good to have it back." For the record. He doesn't blame any of them at all.

"...Why, cuz it's a reminder of her? I'm not a Herald of anything. I'm not gonna be some big hero here. I mean...not unless I get some guns and rad armor out of it, but I don't see either of those happening for at least a few hundred years."

Guns? Cole hears an echo of rhythmic noise, pop-pop-pop, then the squeal of something metallic, then silence — total, utter emptiness. Even more complete than the fog of the Tranquil.

"Rattling, roaring, everything metal and moving..." So much motion. Outside of the parts where there was nothing. "Your world is loud. So full of noise..."

"...Yeah, and, uh, you forgot the part where nobody ever shuts the fuck up." His eyes narrow in a way that suggests he's not sure if this guy's been given enough context clues to figure it out or if something. else. is happening. "Bullets flying, explosions, vehicular crashes, yelling, screaming, incessant chatter from fuckwits, yeah, it's a barrel of noise where I'm from. Good call."

"Skyhold must seem very quiet." Yet he isn't certain that making it noisier would help. So... guns. Probably not. But the other thing...

"There's plenty of armor here," he offers — a bit tentative, because maybe Church didn't realize it, although he isn't certain how that could be. "They'd probably make you some."

"I get that, but it's...not the same." He shrugs. "Very different materials. Very different technology level. And, I dunno, I'm not exactly much of a fighter here. I've never even touched a sword before." And Tucker's sword is, again, different technology, soooo.

"Pull the trigger, feel it rattle in your hands, shots flying too fast to see. You're right. You can't get a gun..."

Cole tips his head to one side. There's at least one more suggestion he can think of.

"Crossbows have triggers. It's different, but you could try."

He opens his mouth, about to argue that he doesn't know shit about bows and the tech is so rudimentary and backwards that he might as well beat his head against some stone and call it a day, but...well, crossbows are a step forward. A step ahead. Sure, you still have to reload them (hm, semi-auto crossbow?), but a trigger he doesn't need any special training for.

"I could try, yeah. There's an idea. I'll have to see if the blacksmith or...whoever can fashion me up one... How hard can it be to practice it, right?"

Cole gives an approving nod. That's the way to think about it.

"You should talk to Varric. He could show you Bianca. Although you might not be allowed to touch her."

"...Ordinarily I'd make some kind of comment about this, but the context clues tell me this is a guy who names his weapons girl names. Never really understood that. Like, I'm not gonna call my rifle Sheila. Or, like, Becky, or Tex, or whatever."

It occurs to him that he doesn't really know anything about this kid doling out advice. "Do you name your weapons? Is that maybe a common thing around here? I'm a little new to these parts."

"I don't," Cole says, shrugging. "My daggers don't need names — they're just daggers. Bianca's special."

How does he even see enough to shank people with daggers under such a floppy hat and mussy hair? "I'm sure she is. A man doesn't name his weapon after a, what, girlfriend, wife, ex? Without loving that weapon something awful. Christ, no wonder nobody I know's ever named their guns. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who's ever had a girlfriend of all of us."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only