trusthell | Welcome.

Welcome.

You wake with the unshakable feeling that you shouldn't be here.

Perhaps you were in the middle of something, perhaps you weren't. Either way, you're waking up in an unfamiliar location with no recollection of how you got here. The room you've woken up in is sparsely-decorated, though that might be difficult to tell at first given how nice the beds are...but eventually you'll notice a few things that are a little...off. Maybe the scent is striking you wrong - it's clean, but it's not yours. Maybe your bed back home doesn't support your back in quite this way. Maybe you should be seeing sunlight through your window by now.

Maybe you should have a window in the first place.

This isn't right, but leaving the room won't give you any more answers. You might want to grab the silver key sitting on your trunk on the way out.

Don't worry though, you aren't all alone here. Once you step outside your room into the hallway, you'll notice that a few others are emerging from their rooms as well. It looks like they're just as confused and concerned as you are. Feel free to talk to them, but none of you know how exactly you wound up here and maybe some useful information can be found by exploring.

If you follow the hallway to its end (and it's a very long hallway), you'll eventually arrive in the foyer. You'll find some very interesting information about yourselves on the wall near the clock. Perhaps even more importantly, if you look on the other side of the multi-pendulumed thing, you'll find other framed information that you might want to pay attention to. It could very well be the key to escaping this strange place, after all. Don't worry if you forget the rules, you can find them in every room of the building.

Of course, search as you might, you won't find a doorway or a window of any sort. Getting out won't be so easy, it seems.

But who knows? Perhaps your fellow captives have something to say about all of this.

Welcome to Chronos University.

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[One such younger person looks at him, and at his question, she shakes her head. She at least sounds composed when she speaks, though.]

I am not. This is all rather inconvenient, and I have much more important places to be. Would you happen to know how we were brought here, or how we might leave?

[Varric let out a particularly ungentlemanly snort. He shook his head, a smirk appearing on his lips, despite the way his brows pulled tight in a serious sort of look.]

If I knew all that, I wouldn't be standing here. [Well, maybe he would. But he'd be helping get everyone to an exit.] Sorry about that.

[Her eyes narrow slightly at that snort of his, more questioning than anything, as though she's searching for the source of his amusement and can't find it. After a moment, she shakes her head.]

I imagined as much. How troublesome. Tell me, do you have any ideas as to why anyone would wish to detain you in this way?

[Maybe if they can figure out why they were brought here, they can move forward from there, she thinks.]

[The way the girl spoke reminded him just a bit too much of an Orlesian noble. He made a note to keep an eye on her, just to make sure she wasn't conspiring to poison his food or spread a volatile rumor.]

I can think of a lot of reasons, actually. [And really, it wouldn't be the first time he'd been dragged somewhere strange. He had to wonder if the Seeker herself had something to do with it. She had been rather furious with him of late.]

I'd say it's someone jealous of my chest. [With a flourish and a grin, Varric motioned to the mat of hair exposed by his partially unbuttoned shirt.]

[She makes a face as he gestures to his chest, closing her eyes for a moment and accompanying it with a (too tight to be genuine) smile that fades after a moment or two.]

What are the other reasons you had in mind, pray tell?

[A woman not won over by his glorious chest? He truly was far from home. If only Hawke had been there -- she might have laughed with him, saved his ego from too brutal of a beating.]

Well, I'm a renowned writer. Maybe they thought they could ransom me off. Not that anyone would actually pay for me. [Hawke would sooner chop the fingers off a man who laid his fingers on him, rather than pay a bounty. Everyone else would have sent thank-you letters for removing the dwarf from their hair.]

[Which... brought up an interesting point.]

I have a tendency to grate on people's nerves. Don't know how but... that might be why I'm here. [It didn't explain the girl, however. She seemed too... polite to have bothered anyone.]

[There's something like sympathy in her expression as he says nobody would pay for him, but it passes quickly enough.]

Ransom is an idea, I suppose, but you would think they would select people they are certain would have someone to pay for their safety.

[His next words, though, actually been a small smile to her face. This one isn't even forced.]

I suppose I would fit that criteria for some, but I doubt any of them were the people who brought us here.

I don't know about you, but my history has proven that it's never a good idea to kidnap around me. [Or anyone else in his cluster of friends. As it was with most other things, people tended to wind up dead.]

[The girl's smile almost made him feel guilty for his own thoughts. And here he thought the girl was physically incapable of smiling.]

I tell you what, kid. I'm getting a headache just trying to figure this out. [He could use a drink, and he had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't be able to find one in this hellhole.]

[She nods, her smile growing a little sharper as she does.]

Oh, I quite agree. I would quite like to make my displeasure known to whoever it was that brought all of us here.

[But then she shakes her head.]

I'm not a child. Regardless, headache or not, it is worth trying to untangle. I should like to return as quickly as possible.

[Again, guilt needled at him. Despite his first impression, the girl was turning out to be quite enjoyable company.]

When we do figure it out [And they would, he had no doubt about that] let me help? I have a lot to say to him. [And by speaking, he meant shooting.]

Listen, I don't mean any offense to you but most people are kids to me. [It came not just with his age, but his infinite wisdom, he figured.] Doesn't mean you're not capable. [He saw Cole as far younger than this girl, at least in behavior, and hell if he wouldn't admit the kid was good with a blade, not to mention at what he did around camp.]

I'm with you there, though. [He had a blighted world to save, after all.]

Him? [She tilts her head.] Do you have reason to imagine it must have been a man?

All the same, I would appreciate if you would refrain from calling me such. My name is Adelina.

[The introduction is accompanied with a small curtsy.]

[The girl, Adelina, made a fair point. He had no reason to suspect as much, other than the fact that the enemy he had only just faced off against was a male.]

[Hell, aside from Meredith, most of the people who had been fucking up Kirkwall and Thedas had been men.]

Suppose a woman might be a nice change of pace. [Though not being caught up in some plot or another would also be a nice change of pace, but obviously that wasn't possible.]

Alright, Adelina then. [It wouldn't last. The name felt too clunky on his tongue -- he'd have to think up a better nickname.] Pleasure to meet you. Name's Varric.

I fail to see how it matters much whether it's a woman or a man who did this.

[A small smile this time, polite and genuine.]

The pleasure is all mine, Varric.

Just that it'd be nice to break the mold. Change the pace. [He shrugged.] Aside from Cassandra, I've never had a woman actively try to ruin my life. [Meredith was awful, and certainly did a number on Kirkwall but she hadn't actively made his life hell.]

Someone else trying to ruin your life would be a welcome change of pace?

[Looking at him quizzically.]

I don't know if you've noticed, but women villains are in short supply.

[He gave her a teasing look.]

I'm a bit of a troublemaker, if you couldn't tell.

I'm less concerned with the villain's gender than the fact that they're a villain.

[A sigh.]

If your specialty is causing trouble... I imagine whoever brought us here would find it rather troublesome if we escaped.

In my experience, there's always going to be villains. [Take, for example, the shambling corpse of a madman that he'd have to take care of if/when he ever made it home. No rest for the wicked, as they said.] Might as well let there be some variety.

[Still, Adelina's comment manages to bring a smile to his face.]

Now you're speaking my language k-- [He flashed her an apologetic look.] Adelina. [He paused a beat, then allowed a mock scowl to take his face.] You know, I don't work well with full names. We're going to have to compromise here.

I would prefer there be no variety, quite honestly. [For example!] If dragons were predictable, they wouldn't be such a problem, would they?

[The thought that everyone might be from a different world hasn't crossed her mind yet, so the fact that he'll probably know what she means is pure coincidence.

Still, she sighs.]

As long as you do not call me a child.

[Huh. For someone so young, she's coming off as far wiser than half the people Varric's met. It earns her a thoughtful glance.]

Fair point-- [And since he now as permission, he adds on:] -- Brains.

[She pauses for a moment, a sharp smile coming to her face once that registers. She certainly won't argue with it.]

I won't disagree, if that's what you've chosen.

Glad we can agree on something.

[Varric turned his attention down the hall, brow raising as he did.]

Might be a good idea to see what else we have available to us. You gonna be okay on your own?

[Her gaze follows his, scanning the hall quickly.]

Will I be alright on my own? [A quirk of her lips, as if there's something humorous about what he's asking her.] I have been up until this point. I don't see why it would change now.

Something tells me you haven't been a place like this. [He turned a smirk on the girl.] Unless you've woken up in strange houses with dwarves before.

[Shaking his head, Varric took a step down the hall, then glanced back at her.]

If you do find you're not alright, you know where my room is. [He gave her one last half-bow.] I'm happy to help with anything you might need.

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Welcome.

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