when everything is life and death

[fightingale]

WHO: Starting with Leliana & Cassandra, later Josie, Cullen and Eggselsior
WHAT: Left and Right hand relationship problems and I guess some stuff about blood magic fears and problem behaviour and imprisoned Cate Blanchetts being wrong or something
WHEN: The daaayyy after Gavin was imprisoned, and the day of Obi-Wan’s post and Cyril approaching Leliana and…. stuff? Timelines????
WHERE: War Room
NOTES:
Warning for Bella aggressively singing along to Marina and the Diamonds as she writes tags, and also referring to herself in the third person.
NO UH nothing but I'll add things later if I think of them 8]b

There are simple messages sent out. One to Cassandra: The War Room. It is urgent.
For Cullen and Josie: I am looking into something concerning. Come to the War Room when you are able.

Her talk with Cyril was only recently concluded, but what he told her was so concerning that she has no choice but to leave her work, no matter how pressing it has been. That has been the great obstacle to her helping Galadriel herself, the aftermath of everything that has happened and of ripples of their honouring the Champion's verdict and handing Anders over to the Wardens. Word has filtered out, and now the rolling waves bring word back, and it is a dangerous tide to be caught in. At any moment it is possible to be dragged under by the current, and without understanding the sea you could be easily lost to it. Everything in her is dedicated to this Inquisition, and in that horrifying moment when Cyril Ashara handed her those two letters, she thought she might drown in it. She and Cassandra have been at odds, but the respect had endured. Now? To find that Cassandra had deceived them, had lied to all the Advisors, and so fresh on the heels of so many lying to hide Anders?

She speaks to no one as she stalks down to the War Room, brushing past more than one scout with only a single utterance: later.

The very moment Cassandra enters Leliana turns upon her. Her blue eyes are wide with her rage, mouth caught in a very visual snarl, a far cry from the control and masks of the ball - of the Nightingale on so many other days. "You lied to us," she starts, and she is almost surprised how angry she sounds, how hurt. "After we have fought against so many others turning their knives against us, you have done the very same. How could you?"

Comments

[perseverances]

The doors to the war room swing open at that time, Cullen storming in with a concerned look upon his face. Maybe not as concerned as more - fearful, much like a templar might look when facing an apostate with abilities far too powerful than they might realize. He is anxious about information that he has just come into possession of, something that all of the advisors need to hear.

"Ladies," He nods to both of them as he enters, brief and curt. They have no need for formalities at the moment, just pressing issues. "I have information that I must share with the both of you."

[theproperglove]

Josephine arrives shortly after Cullen, managing to catch the door just before it swings shut. She had, of course, arrived at Leliana's behest, so her eyebrows raise just slightly as she hears Cullen's pronouncement. "Go on," she says, as she settles against the wall, her clipboard in hand.

A feeling of discomfort settles over her, thick and heavy. She feels certain that despite her best attempts, nothing good will come of this meeting.

They really must stop meeting like this.

[stabsbooks]

Truthfully, Cassandra is glad of the interruption. Leliana's words are...troubling, but she can still offer no solution Cassandra agrees with. They are quickly approaching yet another stalemate, she knows, and she dreads another argument.

And so when Cullen enters the room, she turns to him immediately, frowning at the expression on his face. It is not often that their Commander looks so...afraid.

"What is it?" she demands, with only the briefest nod of acknowledgement for Josephine as she follows. "Tell us."

[fightingale]

Leliana has thoughts to share, but in the wake of Cullen's dramatic arrival, she holds her tongue. Instead she simply looks to Cassandra, and when Josephine has found her place, goes to stand alongside her friend, hands behind her back.

(Very gently, subtly, she nudges the Ambassador with her elbow, and on another day it might have been a don't look so serious, Josie. Now it's more a we'll get through this, don't worry gesture, even if she does not glance at her friend.)

yes this is late. sigh.

[perseverances]

He didn't actually mean to be that dramatic, but well, things happen. He clears his throat a bit, steadying himself.

"I know how we all feel regarding the Galadriel situation." Which personally, he'd rather see her sit in a cell for a lot longer than she has been, and Cassandra is entirely right in doing what she has been doing. He's rather adamant about that. If he didn't trust Cassandra, then he would have never agreed to join the Inquisition in the first place. "But I fear if we keep her there any longer, she'll just use her own magic to make us let her go."

Awfully cryptic, but he continues. "It's come to my attention that her form of magic might be akin to blood magic. The ability to control people's minds. People have said that she still remains in the dungeons to placate us rather than use her abilities to release herself."