WHO: Holden, Mhavos, Sawbones + Vance WHAT: Making my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass. WHEN: Vague timing. WHERE:Orzammar. NOTES: HMU in Discord with any questions.
If he bristles, it's not because of the scrutiny, or for his own sake.
"There are ways she understands the situation better than any of us, and that makes her insight invaluable," is where he starts. "We need more intel about the circumstances, but this soldier doesn't deserve to be executed based on the fact that the person he killed was born to some high Caste, and he isn't. None of that should matter. What he does deserve is a fair trial and sentencing, based on what actually happened: what he did, why he did it, why his CO.
"We know he didn't enlist because he had so many other options in life, and that's because the Sister was here to tell us. Why jeopardize it? Something must've changed. We owe it to him to find out what."
Edited (less of a textwall) 2020-11-10 18:44 (UTC)
"I'm aware that he had more to lose than most if he got caught. So why do it?"
Would the question be this contentious if the killer weren't Casteless?
"I'm not saying he shouldn't face consequences for what he's done. But from the sound of it, if their positions were reversed? No one would give a damn."
"Of course not," Mhavos says. "In truth, I largely agree. I apologize for stringing answers out of you, but..." He frowns, unsure how to say this- "you are the greatest unknown factor at presence. At least with dwarven culture, I know what I don't know."
A neat way of putting it. Mhavos considers his words carefully before going on.
"The way I see it, injustice is inevitable, so an outcome should be focused on. This... is very political."
He wouldn't normally appreciate being drawn out like that — doesn't, really, but —
"I guess I can't blame you." Not as if they know each other well enough for Mhavos to know what he'd think, and he is a Rifter, operates on a different system of values and experiences than the natives. "We'll just have to do the best we can." Then, "Not that we got much of a warm welcome down here."
All those nasty stares from earlier. The more they poke around, the more that's likely to escalate.
Mhavos waves it off. "If I received a warm welcome anywhere, I'd likely die of shock on the spot."
So positive, Mhavos! He begins to speak again, before stopping, holding a finger up. It's said that elves have better hearing than humans, and that may be true-- their eyesight is generally better-- but in his experience it's about equal.
The finger goes to Mhavos' lips, and he makes a beckoning gesture as he goes to the door. Quick as a flash, he has a wax tablet from some obscure pocket on his person, and is scribbling notes.
The sounds of Vance and his brother are just loud enough to be heard through a small crack in the stone door.
He's been here long enough now that the answer mostly merits an exhale, a quiet acknowledgement. But he stills when Mhavos holds up his finger, follows, carefully, to the door.
Eavesdropping is a poor way to repay Vance's — and his family's — hospitality. But Holden had only just now been expressing doubts about where they stood.
Talk of Darkspawn and Wardens go, to some extent, over his head. But he raises his eyebrows at the talk of an Assembly, divesting power from the king.
Mhavos writes as much as he can in quick shorthand, scraping shapes into a his tablet. He bites his lip, listens, waits.
And then the voices ebb, and Mhavos very quietly moves as far as possible from the door to begin looking over the notes. He looks to Holden, and whispers a hushed, "did you-?" before pointing to his ear. Did you hear that?
He nods, moving quietly to retake that place at the spare bed. No footsteps were coming the direction of this room, but also no point hovering near the door to be caught red-handed.
"Well," whispered in turn, "that was informative."
Mhavos inclines his head, spreads his hands. What do you think, or what questions do you have?
It occurs to him that he's holding his cards rather close to the chest with this one, but he is human, regardless of whatever genocidal world he's from.
Mhavos blinks, genuinely surprised, and it shows. After a moment to reorient himself, he shakes his head. "Chaos. Civil war. Unless it's a coup, and even then... I don't know the political history of your world, but unseating monarchs generally brings upheaval. Five years ago, Orlais was in the midst of a civil war... Ferelden barely survived its monarch being deposed."
He frowns, unsurprised. That's about what he expected to hear.
"And we can say goodbye to his reforms."
It's almost funny that Mhavos had called the situation political not even an hour ago; they hadn't even realized. If their task here had seemed complicated before...
"I'm not sure how much this changes for us," he says, slow. "We didn't come here to interfere in their government. Whatever anyone else may think."
Given the confirmed unwelcomeness of their presence.
Mhavos goes from confused to surprised to confused again. This man continues to defy his expectations which are, admittedly, very low. "Do you have opinions on the state of the casteless dwarf? If so, any at all, you have aspirations to interfere. Arguably, that is one of the prime functions of government, to be interfered with. Though your restraint is... admirable. Moreso than I was giving you credit, I fear."
A corner of his mouth ticks upward in half a smile.
"I'll take the compliment."
But the momentary humor fades, and he exhales.
"We don't get to decide for them what their nation looks like. I don't have to like it. I don't have to live with what happens here, either. We were brought in to help settle this one case. I think that's what we should do."
His eyes flick up to Mhavos.
"But I'm also just one out of the four of us. What do you think?"
"I think you are... underestimating the impact of doing nothing."
Holden receives honesty, because once again Mhavos is flattered to be asked.
"Deciding not to do anything at all is still a choice. Upholding the status quo, with its treatment of the Casteless? Or fighting for them, and potentially weakening Orzammar's defenses? Ultimately, we're unlikely to make any real changes, but when one has the opportunity to voice an opinion without reprisal, I find it foolish to set that aside."
A sigh.
"A rather fancy way of saying I don't yet know how I feel."
"I'm not so sure advocating for this dwarf is the same thing as doing nothing." Which is what he wants to do, at least, and what Mhavos had agreed with. "That is voicing an opinion, and there will be consequences for that."
Though what, exactly, is hard to say.
Still. He remembers the war between Earth and Mars, trying not to get involved, and about how well that worked out. The distance from Amazonia to Montana is less than what we have traveled since this conversation started. But that had been his home, his system, the inners' war, a situation he knew and understood. This is something else.
He says, wry, "I'd say not knowing yet is probably the smarter answer. This is too complicated a problem to decide with snap judgments."
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"There are ways she understands the situation better than any of us, and that makes her insight invaluable," is where he starts. "We need more intel about the circumstances, but this soldier doesn't deserve to be executed based on the fact that the person he killed was born to some high Caste, and he isn't. None of that should matter. What he does deserve is a fair trial and sentencing, based on what actually happened: what he did, why he did it, why his CO.
"We know he didn't enlist because he had so many other options in life, and that's because the Sister was here to tell us. Why jeopardize it? Something must've changed. We owe it to him to find out what."
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"You are aware that murder is a crime?"
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Would the question be this contentious if the killer weren't Casteless?
"I'm not saying he shouldn't face consequences for what he's done. But from the sound of it, if their positions were reversed? No one would give a damn."
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A neat way of putting it. Mhavos considers his words carefully before going on.
"The way I see it, injustice is inevitable, so an outcome should be focused on. This... is very political."
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"I guess I can't blame you." Not as if they know each other well enough for Mhavos to know what he'd think, and he is a Rifter, operates on a different system of values and experiences than the natives. "We'll just have to do the best we can." Then, "Not that we got much of a warm welcome down here."
All those nasty stares from earlier. The more they poke around, the more that's likely to escalate.
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So positive, Mhavos! He begins to speak again, before stopping, holding a finger up. It's said that elves have better hearing than humans, and that may be true-- their eyesight is generally better-- but in his experience it's about equal.
The finger goes to Mhavos' lips, and he makes a beckoning gesture as he goes to the door. Quick as a flash, he has a wax tablet from some obscure pocket on his person, and is scribbling notes.
The sounds of Vance and his brother are just loud enough to be heard through a small crack in the stone door.
no subject
Eavesdropping is a poor way to repay Vance's — and his family's — hospitality. But Holden had only just now been expressing doubts about where they stood.
Talk of Darkspawn and Wardens go, to some extent, over his head. But he raises his eyebrows at the talk of an Assembly, divesting power from the king.
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And then the voices ebb, and Mhavos very quietly moves as far as possible from the door to begin looking over the notes. He looks to Holden, and whispers a hushed, "did you-?" before pointing to his ear. Did you hear that?
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"Well," whispered in turn, "that was informative."
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It occurs to him that he's holding his cards rather close to the chest with this one, but he is human, regardless of whatever genocidal world he's from.
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"And we can say goodbye to his reforms."
It's almost funny that Mhavos had called the situation political not even an hour ago; they hadn't even realized. If their task here had seemed complicated before...
"I'm not sure how much this changes for us," he says, slow. "We didn't come here to interfere in their government. Whatever anyone else may think."
Given the confirmed unwelcomeness of their presence.
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Yet, he fails to apologize.
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"I'll take the compliment."
But the momentary humor fades, and he exhales.
"We don't get to decide for them what their nation looks like. I don't have to like it. I don't have to live with what happens here, either. We were brought in to help settle this one case. I think that's what we should do."
His eyes flick up to Mhavos.
"But I'm also just one out of the four of us. What do you think?"
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Holden receives honesty, because once again Mhavos is flattered to be asked.
"Deciding not to do anything at all is still a choice. Upholding the status quo, with its treatment of the Casteless? Or fighting for them, and potentially weakening Orzammar's defenses? Ultimately, we're unlikely to make any real changes, but when one has the opportunity to voice an opinion without reprisal, I find it foolish to set that aside."
A sigh.
"A rather fancy way of saying I don't yet know how I feel."
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Though what, exactly, is hard to say.
Still. He remembers the war between Earth and Mars, trying not to get involved, and about how well that worked out. The distance from Amazonia to Montana is less than what we have traveled since this conversation started. But that had been his home, his system, the inners' war, a situation he knew and understood. This is something else.
He says, wry, "I'd say not knowing yet is probably the smarter answer. This is too complicated a problem to decide with snap judgments."
no subject