hadriel_logs | ( closed ) when i see you next

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( closed ) when i see you next

Who: Leliana + Cecily Trevelyan
What: Talking through their issues
Where: The lake
When: Right now
Warnings: Painful conversations ( and general Thedas warnings )

( Leliana had requested that Cecily meet her. She had at least moved onto her name, though she couldn't think of her as the Inquisitor. Perhaps she was, Cullen certainly believed it so although Cole didn't. Whether she was or not - in some other version of Thedas, if so - Leliana had her own inquisitor. Lavellan. This woman- Cecily didn't change that, but it certainly made things difficult.

Like their first meeting. It could have gone better, and perhaps her lack of belief in the woman had been a little paranoid, but after all that Leliana had seen - experienced there was so much that she could not instantly rule out. It would be foolish to simply and openly trust the first tale as she once would have.

There was much that Leliana needed to know, however. Details of her world, differences that may be present between them. Had all of their allies remained, had the battles been the same - in her favour as much as it had been for Lavellan? Though Leliana was curious of her own relationship with Cecily, of how well they knew each other (even what her own life had been) it wouldn't be anything asked - the information was the most important.

The lake had seemed a neutral location - something open, and its own vision of peace. Perhaps it would work, and at the very least there would be something nice to look at if they spoke little. And there she is,standing close to the waters edge, gaze shifting between it and the area around her as she waits )

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[ When Cecily arrives, she does so in the middle of eating some weird, cherry-like fruits. The Inquisitor approaches, stops a short distance away, and pops the last of them into her mouth, eyeing the other woman, then deliberately licking the juice from her fingers. The intention is to show off how Not a Big Deal all this is, but her stiff body language easily suggests otherwise. ]

Enjoying the view? [ She asks airily, not looking at the lake, but exclusively at the spymaster. ] It isn't as nice as looking out at the Frostbacks, but it does give us food, so I can't exactly complain.

[ She assumes the fish in the lake are still there and alive, anyway. ]

( It's a show, and Leliana's no fool not to notice that but she also has no need to mention it. It wouldn't serve the purpose of this meeting well, and Leliana would at least like to have some more stable ground under their feet - preferably one with a more pleasant tone than before.

After Cecily's question Leliana's gaze falls back to the water, a small nod tipping from her head. It is a nice view, though certainly not the best that she's ever seen )

It may be the nicest this place provides.

( She hasn't stopped to try and enjoy many views yet, but she hasn't seen many other places of not in this strange place yet either )

Thank you for meeting me, Lady Trevelyan. ( And the Lady is for politeness, and not a slight with Leliana's refusal (or inability) to think of her as the Inquisitor ) I hope this meeting proves fruitful.

It's one of few. [ She confirms, finally glancing away. Really, there are no nice views in this place, not when her opinion of it is so negatively tainted. Yes, she's made friends and allies in Hadriel and has formed a sort-of life there, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been difficult. "Difficult," really, would be an understatement. ]

It's my pleasure, Sister Nightingale. [ Cecily barely restrains a wince at being called 'Lady Trevelyan,' but she doubts she could convince Leliana to call her by her given name. It had taken Rainier months and he'd remembered her. ] I hope the same.

[ I hope it doesn't end worse than it begun. ]

So, where would you like to start? From the beginning?

[ She doubts Leliana wants to belabor the Temple of Sacred Ashes, considering what happened there, but she will present every little detail of her life as Herald and Inquisitor if it aids their estranged relationship in any way. ]

( There's another nod, an agreement of Cecily's question and of her hope. Perhaps something would come from it, though both their hopes may take a long time to come to the best place. Sadly )

Why were you there? ( The details at the Temple- Leliana doubts that they're different, that the Divine was saved although that would be a wonderful surprise ) Lavellan- ( She's even not saying Inquisitor, just for this ) -had been sent by her clan.

( As a spy, but that isn't an important details. The sharing is - opening the discourse )

[ Despite it having been fairly unsurprising, the question sets her jaw, further steels her gaze. "I was there as punishment. I was there because they were never going to stop pushing me into the arms of the Chantry." ]

I was there as an agent for the Trevelyans. [ Sometimes, she wonders what they would have done if she'd been blown up, too. It might not have been very different from reality, for as much as she sees or speaks with her parents. ] So, in some ways, I was sent by my clan.

[ Not in the literal sense, given that she's human, and not Dalish. ]

Corypheus and his mages had the Divine, I had the luck and obvious foresight to get my hands on a sparking, elven artifact, and then we were drawn into the Fade. The Divine gave her life so I could escape, the entire Conclave was obliterated, and... the next thing I knew, Cassandra was breathing angrily in my face.

[ Leliana doesn't know Cecily well enough to separate the Inquisitor's self-loathing and guilt from bitter sarcasm toward the spymaster, but guilt is likely also a trait shared by most 'other' Inquisitors. ]

The same happened.

( Would there be any world with a different outcome? Leliana supposes that if there was then there would be no Inquisition - no Corypheus. The Conclave would have gone differently, and there would have been no hole in the sky. Her face falls for just a moment as the thoughts swim through her head before her mask goes back up, shutting off what she feels from Cecily )

Many of the same events no doubt occurred. The red templars, the threat to Empress Celene-

( Just names for now, to see if they do trigger recognition before she explains the details )

Adamant, the Arbor Wilds. [ Alistair being left in the Fade, Morrigan drinking from the Well. She can only assume that the only variable here will be the Inquisitor - Cecily, or this Lavellan. It's strange in a way that twists at her stomach and makes her doubt. ]

The Exalted Council. [ Cecily finishes at a mutter. ] I can only imagine your Lavellan is enjoying that about as much as I am.

[ That is to say, not at all. ]

( They may be surprised to find a few subtle differences there - Stroud was not the Warden that was left in the Fade. Leliana hadn't seen Alistair since the Warden had entered the Temple of Sacred Ashes, though she'd heard of his part after, and who he now was )

We haven't encountered that yet. ( They have yet to do much since Corypheus's defeat. Josephine managed to pull off a party but, for that evening, they're ignoring all requests ) Dare I ask their requests?

Edited 2016-08-10 19:54 (UTC)

[ Interesting. Her memories, at least of their shared, or possibly-shared, events may outstrip Leliana's in the same way that Cullen's had passed her own. Cecily frowns faintly, more curious than cynical, at least for a moment. ]

You can guess. [ The Inquisitor says airily. ] The Inquisition's got too much power. Ferelden wants us to disband, Orlais wants us to have someone breathing down our necks in oversight, and... they're all angry.

[ How easily people forget the Breach and the near-end of the world. Is this what the Grey Wardens feel like? ]

To answer your question: they don't seem to be in agreement in their 'requests,' save for that the Inquisition stop doing what we've been doing all this time.

[ Growing. Gaining strength. ]

Their requests sound no different than they always have.

( Perhaps more vocal than just the Chantry, maybe even the Templars calling for their disbandment, and Orlais' general displeasure but still similar )

Our original goal is complete, but some always had more hope than that.

( They did always ask the Inquisitor what she would do with this power, and there was a lot that could be done - with the right support, too )

Have you given them an answer?

Of course not. They've just forgotten that we were busy saving the fucking world while they were calling us blasphemers and heretics.

[ Cecily is still a mild blasphemer, but that's neither here nor there. ]

I haven't... yet. [ She isn't sure what to say to them, honestly, but that's far from her biggest concern. The anchor had - has - become nearly fatal, and if that wasn't enough, the qunari are threatening to invade much of the world at the same time.

Never a dull moment, anyway. ]

I'd like to point them to a drawing of Corypheus as a reminder - [ She sighs, shiftitng her weight. ] ... But, I'll probably just do whatever the three of you think is best. You're all better with these people than I am.

We're not the ones that must decide.

( Honestly no matter what they advised they would follow their respective Inquisitor's opinion. If she kept the Inquisition they would serve, if she did not they would have to make their own paths again )

But there will be struggles no matter the decision. Parts of Thedas were still recovering from the blight. Corypheus was something unexpected.

I thought you'd say that.

[ Cecily sighs. There's no point in telling Leliana that she - and other Inquisitors, if their situations are the same - are likely to be dead before much action can be taken, anyway. ]

We can help with recovery efforts, whether they're from the blight or Corypheus' damage. [ She mutters. ] It's what' we've been doing all this time. I think they just don't want to see us as... a nuisance at best and a threat at worst.

They're afraid.

( They always have been, and Leliana knows that she doesn't need to tell Cecily this, not if their worlds are the same )

The Chantry failed to attain their goals, and they haven't had the power that they hoped.

( As faithful as Leliana is, and as much as she was a woman of the Chantry, she has seen their flaws. Caging up the mages, the tensions between them. She'd always translated the Chant slightly differently, and Andraste's teachings. She'd been an outsider in the Chantry, but it had only helped her. Her efforts with the Revered Mother, and even now in the Inquisition. What the Chantry failed to do the Inquisition had been doing - not trying for power but settling the unrest, and truly helping people. They'd gained power by listening to the people, not by controlling them )

We did, and they're afraid for themselves, even if they can accept the best that we can do.

( Because they did begin to accept it during the worst of Corypheus's time )

Even with the Chantry stable again-- Well, there's only so much that Divine Victoria can do.

[ Though she's already done so much gone since her election. ]

Well, there's no use worrying about it here. [ The Inquisitor says lightly, but she'll certainly be worrying about it, going forward. ] Not when there is no Council and no Chantry in Hadriel.

[ Thank the Maker for that, right? ]

Perhaps not.

( Though that doesn't mean that they'll be able to easily stop thinking about it, even if the conversation does change. There are plenty of things from home on Leliana's mind, and this discussion of what may come has only sparked more )

Perhaps I should ask you what you've done here instead.

What I've done here... [ What a thought. Nothing is her bitter, immediate response, but she's not about to share that with Leliana. ]

Well, before you and Cole, Rainier, Dorian, and Sera were here, too, along with the Hero of Ferelden and the Champion. [ An impressive lineup that had further made her feel like a failure for not having escaped. ] Despite everyone's best efforts, no one's found a way a way back or any of the gods' weaknesses.

[ There's a pause. ] There've also been injuries and casualties. Both Cullen and I were killed at different times. [ No big deal!! ] Other than that, what we've managed to do is a lot of plotting and swearing without many results to show for it. It's that all around, unfortunately.

( It's a fair amount of information, even without too much description. A lot of people from their world, some she knows, some she would rather not see again. Some- perhaps not asking about the Hero of Ferelden would be a good idea )

If no one's found a way back then the gods returned the others?

( And may return any of them. At their whims. It was an unsettling thought. Close to as unsettling as hearing that they had both died. She has her own strange experience with that, though she doubts that Andraste had anything to do with it here )

Did the gods also return you to life?

I'm not so sure. They claim to not have the power to send us back - Most of what they talk about when people are coming and going is a Door. Maker knows what that means; I've seen no signs of anything literal.

[ Not a huge, ominous door, that is. ]

Hope did, yes. [ She isn't sure that the others have the ability. ] He's done the same for... dozens. There have been a lot of deaths.

[ Which makes sense, considering the nature of Hadriel. ]

They do have some power.

( Perhaps they did have more than they claimed. It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that they've lied, but why do they really want them here? )

Why Hope? Why no other?

I imagine raising the dead gives people hope.

[ It had, in fact. When Cullen had died, she'd been angry, fearful, and a host of other emotions, of course, but she'd had to have hope that she would see him again. If not... ]

Otherwise, all that raw emotion - power - would go to some of the others. Hope doesn't want that.

Raising the dead can do more than that.

( But she can concede that it does also give hope )

Does the emotion truly give them power?

It seems that way. Why else would they work so hard to draw it from us? [ Beat. ] And, when Hope gathers enough energy for himself, he's able to resurrect another of their kind.

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( closed ) when i see you next

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