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[stabsbooks]

WHO: Cassandra Pentaghast and you
WHAT: Cassandra, in and around Skyhold
WHEN: First half of Drakonis, before the ball
WHERE: Various
NOTES: Does your character want to yell at Cassandra about Anders? About Galadriel? About her choices in general? Alternatively, do they want to celebrate her on a job well done and thank her for her vigilance in keeping Skyhold safe? Maybe try to finally get a straight answer about exactly what is going on? This is the place!

For timeline purposes: post-Anders announcement; before/in the midst of/after rifter interrogations; either pre-Galadriel's imprisonment or while she still languishes in the cells.

She might be found swinging angrily at the dummies in the yard, assisting Cullen in training what recruits they have, or nursing a large ale at the Herald's Rest. More than likely, she's dodging Vivienne and her endless preparations, instructions, and reminders for the ball. Wherever she is, Cassandra is likely not in the best of moods, and there is a certain righteous fire in her gaze whenever she is challenged. Leliana's words and the way she had looked at Cassandra still sting, but she does not regret what she has done.

Still, no one can possibly be angry all the time, right? Maybe you'll catch her on a good day...

Comments

[stabsbooks]

"Ugh." Cassandra makes another face - she did not need that mental image, thank you.

She sighs, sticking the blunted practice sword into the grass next to the dummy. "No, I am not scared of spiders." Even so, she takes a step or two away - not being scared of them and wanting them crawling up her boots are two different things. She gives Sera a wry smile. "Someday. I am sure you will."

[arsebiscuit]

"Now you're done poking wood for the day, I got a question. But not down here."

Too many people people to hear. And while they were her people people, Sera did appreciate the need for information control. She nodded up towards the ramparts.

"Up high?"

[stabsbooks]

Cassandra's eyebrows raise, and she glances up at the ramparts. But after a moment, she nods. Sera has been with the Inquisition for a long time. If she requires privacy for whatever it is she wants to talk about, Cassandra will grant it to her.

"All right." Without further ado, she begins walking towards the stairs, trusting Sera to follow.

[arsebiscuit]

She doesn't so much follow as catches up to walk right next to Cassandra- even if it means her legs have to move almost twice as fast to keep up with the woman's fast pace.

They barely hit the stairs before Sera is talking again.

"You haven't managed to punch the heart out of a dragon yet, yeah? I've got a sovereign on it."

[stabsbooks]

"No, I have not." She sounds amused, though, despite herself, turning to look down at the elf at her side and slowing her steps when she realizes how Sera struggles to keep up. "And I do not plan to. I hope that is a sovereign you can afford to lose."

[arsebiscuit]

"Nah, other way!" She's so pleased with herself, Cassandra. "Said you're too old. Fashioned," the pause between the words is totally intentional. "Family pride with long pokey things and dragon murder and blah, blah, blah. But most the tavern's sure you're scary enough to manage it."

Ah, the ramparts of Skyhold. So tall. So stone. So friggin cold. Good thing she has the wall of a Seeker to block any wind.

"Fact, tavern seems sure you're scary enough to do most any thing. Good or bad."

[stabsbooks]

There is a brief pause, and then Cassandra cannot help but laugh, despite the insult to herself. "I do not see how my family has anything to do with it." Not that she allows her family or its pride to ever have more to do with herself than is absolutely necessary.

She raises an eyebrow, pausing as they reach the top of the steps and looking at Sera. "Do they now."

[arsebiscuit]

"Yeah, like you wouldn't believe."

The view, though. She'd missed the view. Nothing like this in any big city, seeing all the mountains and...well, nature bits she hates walking it. But it's pretty enough from far away. Just like every painful thing. So she leaves the safety of Cassandra's shadow to lean against the wall, looking over it all.

"Picture yourself from the stableboy's view, huh? All crazy faith and no real knowing."

[stabsbooks]

Cassandra stays where she is for a moment, just looking at Sera, before she joins her leaning against the wall.

She has never tried to picture herself from the stableboy's view, and she frowns now, brow furrowed with the effort. "I...suppose," she says doubtfully. "I had not considered that they would think of me at all."

[arsebiscuit]

She shakes her head with another laugh.

"'Course not. Bet you never even much talked to thieving elves or other normal-like people, yeah? But that's the people you got now, innit? Not just meatheads in shiny metal cans compensating with big swords."

[stabsbooks]

"I have talked to you," Cassandra points out dryly. She frowns, and glances at Sera. "You are not afraid of me."

[arsebiscuit]

"Like you had a choice. 'Spolded some tit's face all over you and the Herald, didn't I?"

Good memories. Sera's pride in that moment is still clear.

"Not everyone's got that squishy moment to hold close. So you're one more scary git with a sharp sword doing what type always do, yeah? Yelling and messing with the little folk."

[stabsbooks]

Cassandra huffs out something that's almost a laugh, and shakes her head. She'll never admit to being amused by Sera's trick of stealing the mercenaries' breeches, but...

"What is your point, Sera? I do not have time to personally prove myself to every person in the Inquisition."

[arsebiscuit]

"You locked up some elfy mage with no words on it. Doesn't bug me none. Mage, aaah! Y'know."

After the sound of mock terror Sera looked over her shoulder at the other woman, face scrunched up a bit in memory of Cassandra teasing her about her (very natural, sane, reasonable) fear of magic.

"Sure it's best. But bringing up bad memories, innit? And they don't know your type from the ahh, Templar! Type of...Templar."

[stabsbooks]

She should have known. Cassandra's expression closes off at the first mention of Galadriel, and her gaze snaps away to fix on the far horizon.

"There are many Templars still who are righteous and just, committed to their duty," she says stiffly, though even she knows that that's beside Sera's point. "Seekers as well. What right have they to assume - I have never done anything that was not - I am not...that type of person."

Not someone who abuses mages, who relishes their fear of her. Cassandra knows better than most the reasons mages have to fear templars; she was often the one sent to step in to stop the worst of it, by whatever means necessary. It is...unsettling to think that some might view her in the same light.

[arsebiscuit]

" 'Course not. But I know that from chatting. Don't suppose you've gone round to every archer and soldier, yeah? Not sensible for your type. But the shiny armor types use fear to keep the little folks in line, most times. Can't blame them for thinking you're the same."

It wasn't a personal attack, really wasn't. She makes a small nod to nothing in particular, forcing down her own pride to admit some more.

"Like some humans figure elves are too stupid to be nothing but servants. Just happens when no one talks."

[stabsbooks]

She scowls, all too aware of what Sera is trying to get through to her, and not wanting to hear it. And then she flushes slightly, finally risking a glance at the elf. She feels almost - almost - certain that Sera is not speaking of her - she has never thought elves as a whole to be stupid (select individuals are, as with anyone, a different matter) - but even so...

"If they think that, they are wrong," she says severely. Definitively. "And they do themselves and the elves a disservice, not to learn better."

[arsebiscuit]

"Oh, big disservice. Seeing how much easier to makes me and my friends job."

She flashes a wide grin. No Cass, you're fine. Stupid in different ways, making this whole talk a thing, but not like that. Still, nobles expecting her to barely be able to clean a floor made breaking into their locked boxes that much easier.

"But don't cost a noble much to talk to a servant, does it? Have a chance to see they're wrong. Someone on the bottom goes asking at the wrong Templar, Seeker, other pointy-whats-it, though? Dead. So. Most don't risk it. Just leaves the friends of those pointy people to speak up when they're being a tit."

[stabsbooks]

"They have nothing to fear from me," Cassandra repeats stubbornly. "They should know at least that their lives are not in danger." She is not so unapproachable as all that, is she?

She looks archly at Sera, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think I am being...a tit?"

[arsebiscuit]

"A bit. A bit of a tit. A tit-bit. Oh, that's a good one."

She is going to save it for later use that only Cassandra will understand, isn't that nice?

"You're a Seeker and a dragon killer. Don't be stupid. The scary's one of your fifty names, yeah? Just try...spreading the word a bit. 'Bout why what's what."

[stabsbooks]

Cassandra rolls her eyes hugely, with a shake of her head and a disgusted noise. Incorrigible. If anyone else but Sera had dared to call her that...

But it is Sera, and she merely casts the elf a dry look, a slight frown on her face.

"It is not that simple." The frown deepens. "I do not have to justify myself to anyone."

[arsebiscuit]

"Because that's not a thing scary people say."

Don't make her dress you in disguise and spend time among the little people, Cass. She will do it. If it takes her a thousand gallons of wine to make it happen.

[stabsbooks]

"Ugh."

No, even Cassandra can recognize how dangerous that sounds. She huffs out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head.

"I only meant that I do not have to justify myself to them." No, that's not right either. She frowns. "That I do not appreciate being questioned and my actions judged by all of Skyhold. How am I to protect them, if I cannot act? If I have to continually...report myself?" She eyes Sera. "It is my duty to identify threats to the Inquisition and deal with them. If people do not trust me to fulfil that duty, to do what must be done to keep them safe, then why are they here?"

[arsebiscuit]

"There's no bloody place else to go, is there? They came for the Herald. Herald's..."

Sera glanced away, frown forming. Months away and she'd almost...she'd thought maybe the Herald would manage another miracle. Be back by the time she returned. But no. Still dead.

"Herald's gone. Still, this's all's left fighting Cory-face, innit? But you're no sparkly chosen one. Don't get faith just for being you. So time to earn it, Lady Seeker Bits. Then they'll stay because the want. Not 'cause there's no choice in it."

[stabsbooks]

Oh.

Cassandra casts her eyes away in turn, staring unseeing into the distance. She has not spoken much of Evelyn, and when she had...it hadn't gone well. Slapping Varric had been involved, and unshed tears.

The tears do not appear now, but she is silent, staring with a frown into the valley below.

"I do not claim to be," she says quietly, but firmly. "I do not want to be." She risks a glance at Sera. "Is faith, is being chosen, required for people to trust in their leaders? There are things I cannot just tell everyone."