faderift | { OPEN } May there always be angels to watch over you

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{ OPEN } May there always be angels to watch over you

WHO: Christine Delacroix and OPEN!
WHAT: She's getting used to being a Spirit Healer and having a friend on the other side.
WHEN: any time after Drakonis 17th until month's end.
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Christine has a spirit of Faith in communication with her. It will be observing the world around her and asking her questions. If your character is having a crisis of faith, doubts, etc. Faith may nudge Christine towards your character to see if she can be of help, but she won't know what exactly is the matter without your character telling her. Also, Faith will just be really curious in general. Have your character dance a jig, lose at cards, mend a shirt, whatever, and Faith will be wanting to know more.

{ anywhere }
When she thinks back on it, Christine knows that the reason the spirit of Faith approached her in the Fade is because Christine had visited the chapel before her test, trying to erase her doubts. But it was having doubt that caught Faith's attention and cemented their relationship. It's hard for a perfectionist like her to admit that there are times when she isn't sure of herself because it's admitting to weakness. Yet already Faith is changing her perceptions. There can be no faith without doubt. If Christine was perfect in every way, she wouldn't need a spirit to help with her ability to heal. Faith is needed, because doubt is inevitable. Questioning things, missteps, complications -- Faith is drawn to it all, and as Christine sticks to her daily routine around Skyhold, she often feels the gentle nudge of her spirit companion against her mind, sending her towards a person.

Of course, Faith doesn't always use words and simply say why it's guiding Christine towards a person. Is it because they no longer believe in the Maker, or because Faith wants to know what they're doing with that rope, tankard, and a duck?

{ kitchens }
With the soiree over, Christine can head back into the kitchens to practice her cooking once more without Skyhold's cooking staff at their wit's end trying to get all the food prepared in time. Some days she makes bread, others she makes pie. Others still it's something completely different, but if anyone comes in looking for a snack, she invites them to be her taste tester.

{ healers' tents }
Just because she's now a Spirit Healer doesn't mean Christine is going to request the help of Faith for every little scrape and cut. The point is to use the spirit's power for much more complicated wounds, to save the healer's mana. So there are no glowing blue eyes to be found as Christine sees to patients. When the rifters arrive, she's available to use healing magic to lessen the ache in their hands until they get used to the shard, and is happy to fill them in on the world they've been dropped into. For anyone else, she's there to heal them with magic or bandages; whichever they'd prefer.

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"Our kind -- mages, I mean -- usually only attend as entertainment. Everyone agrees to not be uncomfortable around us for an hour or two, and once they have used our abilities for their amusement, it is back out of their sight." She rolls her eyes. "So much for magic serving man. Only if it is party tricks."

Christine has very strong feelings about Circle mages being allowed to enter the Game by serving as little more than marionettes for the upper class.

Her gaze lowers and she shakes her head at the question.

"Not yet. I will, just... I cannot find the words yet."

"Such hypocrites. They rant and rave about how mages and magic are dangerous, and yet suddenly magic is treated as a toy when they're bored? Screw them." Korrin huffs, not blaming Christine at all for sore feelings about such affairs.

Her expression softens as Christine looks downward, and she turns her attention away from the pie, resting a larger hand atop her friend's. "You'll find them, Christine. It might take a while, but you'll get there when you're ready. And if you need moral support if you do decide on a visit, let me know."

Christine huffs out a laugh. Korrin's blunt way with words has always amused her. And then she looks back up, a sad smile coming to her face.

"You are too kind. It is the unknown that stays my hand. They could hate mages, or have had more children, or they could be long dead and gone." She shakes her head. "I will write. I need to, just on the off chance they have worried for me after the Circles fell."

During the soiree, she spoke to Kain about her hometown of Velun. It's made her long to see it again.

"It is some distance away, on the western shore of Lake Celestine. Not as far as the Western Approach, of course, but not a short journey."

Korrin nods, thoughtful. "I've been to that general area a few times, for some job or other, enough so that I wouldn't get lost on my way there."

She wants to say something more reassuring about the attitude about magic, but given Thedas' view of them, there's good reason to suspect such hatred. The thought of Christine enduring that almost makes her hackles rise. But...she also knows the importance of family. If there's a chance Christine can have one again, who is she not to encourage that?

"Whatever the truth, at least you can get some closure when you're ready. That has to be better than always wondering, doesn't it? At least, I'd hope so." Korrin shakes her head, cutting off another piece of pie but not taking another bite just yet. "All this makes me realize how lucky I was, having parents who accepted me. They were from the Qun; they had all the reason in the world not to do that, but they did. The thought of not being raised by them, not having any contact...I can't begin to imagine. It's just so wrong."

"Then your offer is one I shall keep in mind. Thank you." It's not something she feels she can run off and do just yet, but if there comes a lull in the Inquisition's activities, perhaps she'll be given leave to take care of that. It will, of course, depend on the response she gets to her letter.

"It is wrong. When we were new to the Tower, it was emphasized how it was for the best. And yet the noble children were allowed to stay in contact. Fling enough money around and you can get away with anything." Her tone is naturally bitter. There was no fairness in the Circle system. It was filled with rules that didn't apply to all. Madame de Fer could gush about how good mages had it, but she didn't know the half of it, living in her fancy apartments and crushing people under her thumb with no consequences.

"Was it easy for you to learn magic as an apostate? I always wondered what secret spells you might have learned that we Circle mages did not."

"That is what loyalists are pining for? What a bunch of crap." The thought of noble children taking for granted what everyone else was denied causes Korrin's gaze to harden. She doesn't blame Christine at all for such bitterness, in light of such injustice. That's why, as much as she's come to admire Vivienne's work ethic and discipline, she'll never agree with her fellow council member when it comes to the Circles. They were a prison for most mages, and that shouldn't be forgotten.

She frowns in thought at that question, picking at the pie with her fork. "It depends on the magic. Lightning magic was incredibly easy; I picked that up before anything else. Most of what I learned were the elemental spells, which also worked well for me. If it was something I could use in battle, I could understand its application just fine. Spirit magic was harder, but my mentor wasn't going to let me loose without mastering a decent Barrier spell.

As for secret spells...not like you're thinking. I know people hear 'apostate' and think of blood magic, but my mentor never went near that shit. Vashoth and Tal-Vashoth are still trying to figure out a place in the world that doesn't have anything to do with the Qun. And mages in the Qun aren't trained at all, they're just treated like loaded weapons. So, culturally-speaking, there aren't a lot of unique rituals for my kind. The most I've heard was something about enhancing vitaar to be even more potent, but I tend not to use that stuff anyway, so it's a moot point for me."

"Oh, spirit magic has always come naturally to me. The first spell I even performed on accident was a barrier spell." But she isn't saying this to brag about it. "If you ever wish to learn more, I would be happy to work with you." Her head dips a little towards Korrin, leaving it up to her. Some spells were the kind a mage could never master, and she isn't here to push.

"Vitaar is like armor, yes? A shame, since we have such light armor."

Korrin quirks a small smile and shrugs. "I know, but some versions make my skin break out. Besides, I'd rather not be mistaken as the vanguard of a Qunari invasion, and you know someone would be dumb enough to think that." She blames the Kirkwall incident, really. Thanks to what happened there, everyone associates vitaar with battle-crazed Qunari hordes.

Anyway, mention of aid perks her up and she nods, definitely interested. "I know the Spirit Healer thing isn't for me, but it wouldn't hurt to learn some of the other spirit-related spells. But it's only fair to trade magic for magic, so if I can help out with lightning or the basics of other elemental spells, I'd be happy to assist. I...could also give pointers with a spirit blade if you ever go the Knight-Enchanter route, but I'm nowhere ready to mentor anyone beyond that point. That and Vivienne would have a fit."

Edited 2016-04-02 04:38 (UTC)

"Knowing more spells for combat would benefit me," she admits. "Dorian has instructed me a little, but it would be good to have other instructors so I am not confined to one style." She gives her friend a knowing look. "He quite likes to hit things with his staff, and I would much rather stay far back out of harm's way. Though I admit, becoming a Knight-Enchanter is tempting. I just do not know if I could stomach being that close to the battle."

"I know it's contrary to how a mage normally fights, since we're built to hang back. But I will say that you get used to it when you know that barrier is going to last longer than it otherwise should, especially when you can strength it every time you hit something. With that kind of protection, it makes being on the front lines a lot easier to take.

...not that it stopped me before, but at least now I can do it without accumulating scars." Smirking, Korrin gestures to the series of scars on the left side of her face, gained during those times when she was too battle-focused to remember her place as a mage. "I'm not much of a staff person, not like that, so at least you won't have that overlap."

Edited 2016-04-03 01:35 (UTC)

"Oh, I did not consider the barrier you produce." Now she looks thoughtful. "I have noticed you practice with your blade. Perhaps next time I will pay closer attention. If the rift at Emprise taught me anything, it is that I can do well enough on one demon at a time, but only if nothing else comes after me. I am lucky I had Hermione with me too, and despite her own magic being unstable, she proved a great help." She'd launched a Terror demon straight up into the air, giving Christine time to work out the spell she wanted to use next.

"I'd be glad to demonstrate any time, even after this pie." Not that it takes much for Korrin to show off her hard-earned skills, but she'd totally consider the baking experiment a good trade. "The way Vivienne described it was you drawing back the energy released by your enemies in your attacks against them. So the more damage you do, the more powerful the barrier grows. That would definitely keep other enemies at bay long enough to deal with them at your own pace."

She pauses in her pie-picking and smiles at mention of the rifter girl. "Hermione's a very capable person, and I got to see some of that when there as well. She also has a zeal for equality and freedom that I find very refreshing. I do feel a little guilty for horrifying her with how much Thedas lacks both of those, but then again, it was needed information...and it seems to have cemented that resolve to help however she can. Adelaide is lucky to have her as an assistant."

Christine nods seriously. That all sounds well and good, but there was one sticking point. "Does anyone else besides Vivienne teach this discipline?" Call it an unfair bias, but she simply doesn't like Vivienne and the way she works. Everything about the Game makes her grit her teeth. The fact that Madame de Fer swanned off to her own apartments while charming the court, while the Templars said no one would want a mage healing them and Christine was to stay in the Tower will forever be a sore point. She shouldn't have had to play the Game, or had opened herself up to an even closer watch by the Templars by becoming a Spirit Healer under the Circle system. She had passed her Harrowing. She had proven herself. And yet she still wasn't trusted.

"I confess, the more I hear of other worlds, the more I wish Thedas could be like them. But then again, they might have their own unique problems too."

"There is one other woman that I know of, an elf named Helaine. She's...intense...but dedicated, as far as I've seen. If I'd known about her earlier, I might have gone to her instead. But I admit, I liked the challenge of getting Vivienne to teach me. A Loyalist Circle mage, teaching an apostate? It tickles me a bit.

...don't tell her that." Vivienne probably already knows, but no need to rub it in.

She takes another bite of pie before continuing. "I'm sure you're right, about other worlds. Nowhere can be perfect. Even if they don't have Blights and whatnot, their warts are just in other places."

Her lips curve in a smile, remembering something. "You attended the soiree with a rifter, didn't you? Are you close?"

Christine exhales a laugh, but nods all the same. Even if Vivienne does know, Christine isn't going to tell her.

Korrin's question leaves Christine screwing up her face; not in a distasteful way, but in a way that seems to say she doesn't really know.

"It is hard to say. I find him funny, and he is harmless enough, but he really can be so odd, and he never thinks things through before saying them. That said, I did have a nice enough evening, once I stressed the important of the occasion and that he not do anything embarrassing." And the night ended with him in her tent, but Christine doesn't kiss and tell.

That description of Church sounds very apt, and Korrin chuckles. "I haven't talked to him much lately, but he was entertaining enough when I did earlier. I imagine he managed through the night, with you as a good influence." She gets up to pour some water, needing it after that snack. "It never hurts to find enjoyment where you can, when you can. We're allowed so little that we don't grab for ourselves, especially lately.

...I hope it's not too personal to ask about that, but since you asked me, I wanted to know your thoughts on such things. Rifters and natives. There aren't many people I think could quite understand, even if they were sympathetic."

Ah, well Christine isn't going to lie about this sort of thing, but she doesn't want to sound like she's judging Korrin either.

"For me, personally, I cannot see a future with a rifter. There is too much about the shards that is still unknown, as is how they arrived in the first place. I won't begrudge you your happiness, Korrin. It is clear Araceli makes you happy and I like her very much, but I still wonder if they won't suddenly be sent back the way they came." She frowns and takes her plate over to the counter. "I do not mean to sound harsh. Truly. But I do not have the feelings for Church that you do for Araceli."

Christine's unvarnished opinion is exactly what Korrin's looking for, so she's relieved to get it. She shakes her head, quick to reassure. It was her that did the asking, after all.

"That's probably for the best, given what could happen. You've said nothing I haven't thought to myself, at some point or other. It's a fate I don't relish at all, though I know Araceli misses her homeland dearly. Call me selfish, but I'm hoping she'll find a good life here, with me. But we'll see what happens. Something tells me we won't get any answers on that end until we defeat Corypheus."

"She spoke to me of her home," Christine says. "Of how she ran across the rooftops as the streets are so narrow. And there are canals and bridges everywhere. We commiserated on how our homes both border water, though with Velun, it is only the lake on one side."

Korrin's probably not wrong about how long it will take to find answers. "As he is the one who created the Breach, I suppose we shall learn more once he is gone and such information as to how he did it is laid bare."

"Exactly. We just have to stop his demon army, save Orlais and take that orb from him. No pressure, huh?" Korrin smirks briefly, noting that it's not so simple but a little frustrated with their pace. Corypheus isn't going to politely wait for them to catch up, after all.

"That's partly why I've decided to study rift magic. There's so little we know, and it deserves study; maybe through that we'll gain more. And now that Solas is back, perhaps I can learn from someone who remembers their own name." Nothing against Your Trainer, but it's unnerving what happened to her, and how she is now. Korrin would rather not lose that much of herself, or any part.

Christine thinks that's as good a plan as any, and she nods firmly.

"You will let me know what you discover? And in the meantime, we can practice our combat spells together."

"Of course, to both. I won't lie, I'm hoping that studying rift magic will lead toward helping the shardbearers, somehow. If there's a way to prevent those shards from endangering them, then I have to help find it. Maybe there'll even be a way to remove them, though I know that's a long shot at best." No one understands that kind of magic and even with a crash course, there's still a lot they don't know and have yet to truly understand.

"It could. You never know unless you try. It think that is a very good reason to study such a phenomenon, Korrin, and I wish you much success at it." She knows that it would lift some of the worry about Araceli's future off Korrin's shoulders.

"Thank you. Maybe it'll encourage others to take it up, too. Cooperation could accomplish a lot more than me or Your Trainer messing around on our own. Or Solas, now that he's back." She relaxes a little, at that. "If there's anyone who knows what he's doing when it comes to that stuff, and the shards, it's him. He'd better stay put this, time."

"The rifters may find some answers as to their circumstances, now that he is back." Surely he'll wish to ask them questions and study their hands. When the rifters arrived, all Christine could do was ease the pain in their palms.

"Well, I am going to clean up a little and head back to work."

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