asgardeventide | (001) Video

Entry tags:

(001) Video

[Video on.]

--ker's breath, what is--

[Video off.

Video on.

Video off.

Video on.

This goes on for a few minutes, until it finally stops and Hawke is peering down at her bracelet and then back up at the holographic screen with the most perplexed look on her face. It's pretty clear she hasn't noticed this thing can, and is, recording her, because she just keeps on making witty retorts to herself while jabbing her hand at parts of the screen.]

Figures something like this would've happened. I suppose I should be so lucky that I haven't bumped into another crazy mage so far. Or a dragon, there's always a dragon around. [Sighs.] Perhaps I should invite these gods over to tea, as well. This kind of decorating isn't as cuddly and inviting as I'd expect for honored guests.

[The video is suddenly pointed at her chest. And feet. And the floor. And the wall across her. And basically pretty much everywhere except her face for the next couple of seconds, before it is shoved up to her face where it will only be recording her nose, pretty much, as she proceeds to flick the bracelet and camera several times. I hope you enjoy the sound of tapping, until the feed is cut off, at least.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes, I imagine they are, considering I haven't bumped into one in the past three years since I became Champion even with all these abominations lying around. It was a very spectacular fight too, even if it was to save Isabela's own hide from having her get carted off by some very angry Qunari.

How long are you going to pretend you don't know me? I wasn't serious about the crazy mage part.

Even when they aren't serious, it still hurts.

[ this is...more difficult than he thought it would be. not to mention weirder. ]

You must be a very dedicated fan. I should have known this was all Varric's fault.

I'll make a note not to upset your sensibilities, then.

Well, what can I say? I'm always happy to laud my own achievements. [She thinks you are so...out of whack right now...]

You...really think you're actually Hawke, don't you?

[ no worries. the feeling is currently mutual. ]

Well I'm certainly not a Dalish elf, seeing as I've currently misplaced my pointy ears and self righteous attitude.

[ all right, that almost earned an incredulous chuckle. ] Well you have his sense of humor--I'll give you that.

[She was going to make another witty retort, but...this was starting to get slightly frustrating.]

You're really convinced I'm actually a man and you've never met me before, aren't you?

I'm convinced Hawke is a man and you're suffering from delusions, yes.

But what was that you said before--about crazy mages? You don't have to be a mage to be mad, you know.

The only delusion I suffer from is thinking this would be easy.

[Sighs.] What do I have to tell you to convince you I'm who I say I am and you're suffering from a terrible case of world traveling confusion?

Thinking something would be easy? That was your first mistake.

[ that is something hawke would do, however. she can't see it, but...he's frowning. ]

I'm...not entirely sure. I suppose you'd have to tell me something Varric didn't spread through half the city.

[She sounds...slightly hesitant saying this. But it's the first thing she could think of that Varric didn't run off his mouth talking about, and it is personal enough. Maybe too personal.]

Karl.

[ there it is: that brief moment of old pain made new again, always new, no sharp intake of breath but the slide of the knife he still feels, that time doesn't heal. it calluses over but it's never disappeared and never will, and there are moments it cuts the same as it did the first.

and what's more, she knew it would. ]

Who are you?

[ but that was the point of the exercise. he hardens his voice, tightens his jaw. ]

And--don't say Hawke. I know Hawke. I've just spoken to Hawke. He had the usual attributes--the beard and everything.

[ this isn't funny, which goes without saying. he knows it isn't a joke--and that begs the question, what is it? ]

[She sighs. As much of a jerk as she can be sometimes, there are certain things you don't bring up and this was one of them. Still, she needed to convince him she wasn't crazy and lying.]

Hawke. Marian Hawke if that'll somehow make it better, since you clearly aren't taking my family name as a legitimate answer. And I'm very certain I've never had a beard or spoken to you in this place before now.

[Oh, please don't make her elaborate on more identity verifying details.]

It's... [ a lot to take in. ] ...hard to believe. Impossible, in fact, might be closer to the truth. You aren't the Hawke I know--and as far as I can tell he didn't have any sisters.

[ he has a knack for sticking his foot in his mouth, too, from saying the right thing at the wrong time or the wrong thing at the right time or, more often than that, the wrong thing always--and it's only because he's still reeling from the suddenness of his own personal reminder that he doesn't do the same right now.

...for the first few seconds.

after that, it's fair game. ]

Other than the one he lost in Lothering, that is.

[Well, that's certainly better than what she was getting earlier. But, still. When he mentions Hawke having a sister, one that had been lost, she pauses for a moment. She had a sister, and she'd also had a brother, as well. And both of them had been lost in one way or another, permanently or not.

She replies in a matter of seconds, of course, but she seems more serious when she does.]

Bethany wasn't lost in Lothering.

Next thing I know you're going to tell me Carver didn't come with you to Kirkwall.

[ he's been asked to believe a lot in his time, a lot he's managed to believe in. he knows he doesn't have the market cornered on implausibility. but this--

this is more difficult to swallow than corff's whiskey. ]

[That. Is not a very funny thing at all. She guesses it's kind of retribution for bringing Karl up, but still. She sounds the slightest bit strained when she speaks.]

He didn't. He...protected mother. The darkspawn took him.

[ he knows that tone--because he felt it before, himself. the twist in his gut, the blade being pushed in deeper. ]

That...isn't what happened. I've met the insufferable prat myself.

Unless you've somehow acquired the ability to talk to ghosts, that's not possible. [Pauses, somewhat uncertainly.] You've met Bethany. She's the one who came to Lothering with us.

No--but I've heard stories about Bethany. Not many; only a few. She always seemed like an incredible person. I was...sorry I never got the chance to meet her myself. [ another day, another injustice. one of so many. ]

That's can't be right. You were there with us, with Bethany. You've done a lot more than hear stories about her.

[She sounds so incredibly confused right now, even with how serious she's being. This makes less sense by the minute.]

[ he can feel that sharp headache beginning right above his nose, right between his brows. he rubs it, but rubbing the ache out doesn't chase the confusion away--and there's the cut of concern, tentative anger beneath.

it's not a joke, no, but it's feeling less and less funny as time wears on. ]

She never made it out of Lothering with the rest of your family. And I never got the chance to know her--beyond what little Hawke mentioned.

No. Carver was the one who never made it out of Lothering. I know. I--[saw his corpse, of course. Seeing bodies to loot was decidedly less funny when it was someone you knew.

She pauses, for a moment, before replying slowly. Maker, she was losing her mind for considering this.]

This male Hawke you're so convinced you know--he's here?

[ they'd better stop beating the dead bronto on this one, hadn't they? as tight-lipped as hawke was about bethany--as much trouble as he's always had with carver--they're family. and there's something there, something anders won't ever understand, a bond and a meaning and...

a pain, when it comes to loss. a deep pain. ]

He's here. I've spoken to him. I've seen him, just...through this magic box we're all using to communicate.

And you're absolutely sure he's not a demon? One of you surely must have gone around wishing for a version of me with a magnificent beard sometime.

[That was a joke, of course. But it never hurt to ask, what with these demons and their demony things.]

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice;

voice; that error never happened........

voice; i saw nothing.........

voice;