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I have been. I'm incredibly lucky to be surrounded by so many kind people, who've been so patient and helpful.
Yourself included, of course.
[ He's earned a banana sticker. ]
Yourself included, of course.
[ He's earned a banana sticker. ]
Edited (hurr whats english) 2018-01-14 09:49 (UTC)
The Veil, [ she says, as though it's only just occurred to her. she doesn't bother with the niceties. this is coupe, this is coupe, and how many times have they all heard that already? unnecessary, now. ] Is there one of your home?
So this is a little... awkward.
It's sometime in the late afternoon when Kit arrives outside the Medicine Seller's peculiar shop and home. He loiters outside a few paces away, finishing off his cigarette (working up his courage, maybe), before he at last strolls up to the door, casual as can be, and knocks.
"Hey, uh. It's Kit." A pause. "You there?"
It's sometime in the late afternoon when Kit arrives outside the Medicine Seller's peculiar shop and home. He loiters outside a few paces away, finishing off his cigarette (working up his courage, maybe), before he at last strolls up to the door, casual as can be, and knocks.
"Hey, uh. It's Kit." A pause. "You there?"
No.
Not like this, at least.
[He considers for a time how to explain it. There's a very good metaphor on the tip of his tongue, but there is, for now, a much more pressing question. Wren is a templar, after all. Competent, but Thedas would consider him a mage and thus she is someone he needs to be somewhat more on guard around]
Why... do you ask.
Not like this, at least.
[He considers for a time how to explain it. There's a very good metaphor on the tip of his tongue, but there is, for now, a much more pressing question. Wren is a templar, after all. Competent, but Thedas would consider him a mage and thus she is someone he needs to be somewhat more on guard around]
Why... do you ask.
"It is open, Kit," he calls. "Please come in."
When Kit finally crosses the threshold, he'll find the Medicine Seller on a step stool, hanging some roots and herbs from a drying rack over the fire pit. He's dressed down for once, a breezy light blue yukata and no jewelry save for the bejeweled hairpin holding the mess of ashen hair in place.
"You seem troubled."
When Kit finally crosses the threshold, he'll find the Medicine Seller on a step stool, hanging some roots and herbs from a drying rack over the fire pit. He's dressed down for once, a breezy light blue yukata and no jewelry save for the bejeweled hairpin holding the mess of ashen hair in place.
"You seem troubled."
He steps into the Medicine Seller's peculiar little sanctuary and immediately stops, his eyes are drawn to the slope of his friend's pale neck below that mess of hair. ...That is a good look for him.
(A couple especially vivid flashbacks accompany that look; he clears his throat.)
"No, no," he brushes off his concern with a quick hand gesture, a shake of his head, and stuffs his hands down into his pockets. "No trouble here." He smiles; maybe if he says it enough times he'll believe it. "If this is a bad time I can come back later, I just wanted to, um." To what, exactly? "Clear the air, about the other night."
The other really long, really extraordinary, other night.
(A couple especially vivid flashbacks accompany that look; he clears his throat.)
"No, no," he brushes off his concern with a quick hand gesture, a shake of his head, and stuffs his hands down into his pockets. "No trouble here." He smiles; maybe if he says it enough times he'll believe it. "If this is a bad time I can come back later, I just wanted to, um." To what, exactly? "Clear the air, about the other night."
The other really long, really extraordinary, other night.
Your facility with the spirits of the Fade, it is not — that is to say, not all demonstrate such aptitude. There was a mage once, Rifted, she called herself a witch, [ and so little like morrigan for it. ] She claimed to draw energy from elsewhere. Believed it was mediated through the Fade, that the Veil might act as a sort of barrier to her own working and not merely —
[ the words, thoughts, trip over themselves in a muddle ]
— Ah, fuck. It was so, [ a wordless gesture, one that cannot carry ] I had it.
[ the words, thoughts, trip over themselves in a muddle ]
— Ah, fuck. It was so, [ a wordless gesture, one that cannot carry ] I had it.
I think that I may understand the sentiment.
...
[There is one of his customary pauses, shorter than usual given that he's afflicted as well.]
The spirits of Thedas are comparatively simplistic to what I am used to and Thedosians terror of them seems likewise... ludicrous. Where I am from, they are known collectively as Ayakashi. Some are like the spirits you are familiar with. Some are the same as birds and beasts. Others are more complicated - often indistinguishable from people with their faculties for logic and consistency ... and morality.
...
[There is one of his customary pauses, shorter than usual given that he's afflicted as well.]
The spirits of Thedas are comparatively simplistic to what I am used to and Thedosians terror of them seems likewise... ludicrous. Where I am from, they are known collectively as Ayakashi. Some are like the spirits you are familiar with. Some are the same as birds and beasts. Others are more complicated - often indistinguishable from people with their faculties for logic and consistency ... and morality.
He tilts his head, baring his throat deliberately. It seemed the air was reasonably clear where he stood. He had fun, he wouldn't object to doing it again.
His eyes narrowed, however, and there was the faintest expression of concern on his face.
"I know you have been through some... trouble. I hope I was not to forward and added more to your burden."
His eyes narrowed, however, and there was the faintest expression of concern on his face.
"I know you have been through some... trouble. I hope I was not to forward and added more to your burden."
And predictably, Kit's eyes are drawn to the expanse of the Medicine Seller's throat, because he's just a man with needs, okay, cut a guy some slack here. (u damn flirt.)
"I know you have been through some... trouble. I hope I was not to forward and added more to your burden."
In response, Kit looks baffled for a moment. Then his eyes widen, and he shakes his head, waving off the Medicine Seller's concern quickly, and, "No, no, you didn't, not at all," comes bursting out of him. He takes a couple more steps into his friend's strange boudoir, but his eyes don't wander away from the man where he stands hanging the drying herbs. "It was... it was really good, salroka--great, even," he adds, his smile lopsided. Maybe a touch shy.
There's a 'but' coming, of course. There always is.
"It's just--it's a little soon, after Vandelin, for me to get into anything serious. You know?" Ancestors, he hopes he knows. He searches the Medicine Seller's face, so frustratingly inscrutable and also unreasonably attractive, and takes another little step closer to him. "But it was nice, not being alone for a little while."
There's an implicit invitation in those words; he's just having a damn hard time making it explicit.
"I know you have been through some... trouble. I hope I was not to forward and added more to your burden."
In response, Kit looks baffled for a moment. Then his eyes widen, and he shakes his head, waving off the Medicine Seller's concern quickly, and, "No, no, you didn't, not at all," comes bursting out of him. He takes a couple more steps into his friend's strange boudoir, but his eyes don't wander away from the man where he stands hanging the drying herbs. "It was... it was really good, salroka--great, even," he adds, his smile lopsided. Maybe a touch shy.
There's a 'but' coming, of course. There always is.
"It's just--it's a little soon, after Vandelin, for me to get into anything serious. You know?" Ancestors, he hopes he knows. He searches the Medicine Seller's face, so frustratingly inscrutable and also unreasonably attractive, and takes another little step closer to him. "But it was nice, not being alone for a little while."
There's an implicit invitation in those words; he's just having a damn hard time making it explicit.
"I would consider it unwise for either of us to get into anything... serious."
He was seated on the stepladder now, legs crossed and the corner of his mouth twitched into something resembling a smile. There were too many sharp edges for any of his expressions to be completely absent of menace, but there was something a little softer there.
"I do enjoy your company, however."
He was seated on the stepladder now, legs crossed and the corner of his mouth twitched into something resembling a smile. There were too many sharp edges for any of his expressions to be completely absent of menace, but there was something a little softer there.
"I do enjoy your company, however."
"I do enjoy your company, however."
It's the weird canine teeth that do it, and something in his eyes--but there's a softness there too that takes the threat out of the angular smirk. Kit smiles back, the expression small and a little sad. Strange how comforting the words are; someone enjoys his company, and it's that simple.
"You're not so bad yourself, you know," he says. He hooks his thumbs into his belt loops and takes a few steps closer until he stands near enough to where the Medicine Seller perches like some multicoloured, exotic bird of prey, near enough now to touch him, if he wants to.
(He does.)
Softly, he asks, "You got any plans tonight, salroka?"
It's the weird canine teeth that do it, and something in his eyes--but there's a softness there too that takes the threat out of the angular smirk. Kit smiles back, the expression small and a little sad. Strange how comforting the words are; someone enjoys his company, and it's that simple.
"You're not so bad yourself, you know," he says. He hooks his thumbs into his belt loops and takes a few steps closer until he stands near enough to where the Medicine Seller perches like some multicoloured, exotic bird of prey, near enough now to touch him, if he wants to.
(He does.)
Softly, he asks, "You got any plans tonight, salroka?"
Dealing with the Medicine Seller was rather like dealing with a stray cat. He could generally be bribed with food but mostly he'd come to a person if and when he damn well felt like it.
"I wonder..."
He reached out, letting his long nails brush Kit's cheek and then trace the solid outline of his jaw, down his throat and to his clavicle.
"It depends," he said, slow and even a little smug, "on how long you last."
"I wonder..."
He reached out, letting his long nails brush Kit's cheek and then trace the solid outline of his jaw, down his throat and to his clavicle.
"It depends," he said, slow and even a little smug, "on how long you last."
Those nails could probably do a lot of damage to someone's cheek, if the Medicine Seller chose to wield them that way. Kit closes his eyes at the touch, then tilts his head in a way that grants his strange friend easy access to his throat and collarbone.
"It depends," comes that dry monotone response, with a coy note in it this time, "on how long you last."
His smiles wider, cracks his eyes open and raises both eyebrows. "Mm, trying to keep up with you?" he starts, a soft sound of enjoyment, and reaches out a hand to slip his fingers along the line of the Medicine Seller's jaw, stroking a thumb across his cheekbone. (His touch seems incapable of being anything but tender.) "I like a challenge."
Then he leans in to kiss his mouth--unless stopped, of course.
"It depends," comes that dry monotone response, with a coy note in it this time, "on how long you last."
His smiles wider, cracks his eyes open and raises both eyebrows. "Mm, trying to keep up with you?" he starts, a soft sound of enjoyment, and reaches out a hand to slip his fingers along the line of the Medicine Seller's jaw, stroking a thumb across his cheekbone. (His touch seems incapable of being anything but tender.) "I like a challenge."
Then he leans in to kiss his mouth--unless stopped, of course.
Indistinguishable.
[ a beat, ]
There is a cult that has sprung up, they — I do not know whether you are familiar with the Chant, it would have the spirits for the Maker's first children, and we His second. [ kind of a detached way to talk about the religion you're ostensibly a part of but w/e ] But this cult, it has declared Rifters to be a third. Not human, and not spirit, but perhaps,
Both. Better for it. Come to inherit the earth.
[ a beat, ]
There is a cult that has sprung up, they — I do not know whether you are familiar with the Chant, it would have the spirits for the Maker's first children, and we His second. [ kind of a detached way to talk about the religion you're ostensibly a part of but w/e ] But this cult, it has declared Rifters to be a third. Not human, and not spirit, but perhaps,
Both. Better for it. Come to inherit the earth.
Is this, ah,
[ surely he has another name. surely there's some part of this file that is missing.
(surely there isn't. casimir can recognize his own handwriting, doesn't need to question its fastidiousness —) ]
The Medicine Seller?
[ obviously. the crystal works. ]
[ surely he has another name. surely there's some part of this file that is missing.
(surely there isn't. casimir can recognize his own handwriting, doesn't need to question its fastidiousness —) ]
The Medicine Seller?
[ obviously. the crystal works. ]
Yes.
[A long pause, not deliberately drawn out but he recognizes the voice. Dimly. Had they shared a conversation once, or had he heard it in passing? But it's gone as soon as it's there - he's heard so many voices in his long life.]
...Do you require
...medicine?
[A long pause, not deliberately drawn out but he recognizes the voice. Dimly. Had they shared a conversation once, or had he heard it in passing? But it's gone as soon as it's there - he's heard so many voices in his long life.]
...Do you require
...medicine?
I hope not.
[ joke! he's trying a joke. it sounds very much like someone trying a joke, which is to say, it doesn't sound particularly funny.
the silence lingers in itself, awkward as the spot on a nose, until he stops wondering at himself to resume human speech. ]
This is, ah — I'm Secretary Lyov. Casimir. I work in the Research offices. I understand that you've been with the Inquisition once before; would you consider answering some questions?
[ joke! he's trying a joke. it sounds very much like someone trying a joke, which is to say, it doesn't sound particularly funny.
the silence lingers in itself, awkward as the spot on a nose, until he stops wondering at himself to resume human speech. ]
This is, ah — I'm Secretary Lyov. Casimir. I work in the Research offices. I understand that you've been with the Inquisition once before; would you consider answering some questions?
[There is dawning recognition. Now he knows where he heard the name. One of the Tranquil - or formerly so it seemed, given that his voice now held emotions.
Fortunately he didn't make any passing remark on it. He hadn't known Casimir as anything more than a name to face - a reminder of what the Chantry was willing to do to those who stepped out of line.]
I would hope not as well.
But yes. I will answer what I can.
Though I am terribly sorry. The time between when I ...left, and my return
is quite blank.
Fortunately he didn't make any passing remark on it. He hadn't known Casimir as anything more than a name to face - a reminder of what the Chantry was willing to do to those who stepped out of line.]
I would hope not as well.
But yes. I will answer what I can.
Though I am terribly sorry. The time between when I ...left, and my return
is quite blank.
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