trusthell | i'll wait, so show me why you're strong

[ Generally, people need time to cope and gather themselves after a... thing... like that. Unfortunately, that's not how Vanille sees it. Her thing is avoid, and once she gets out of that hellhole that's the courtroom, she makes her way to the supplies closet, then to the library. She spends some time setting up things, pushing things aside to make room. Once she's finished, and she's met up with the Party Brigade, she makes enough invitations for everyone. She slips them under everyone's doors, or hands them out if she sees someone walking around.

Inside the library, there are candles set up to provide some soft, comforting lighting. There are pots of tea, courtesy of Mercy, pancakes made by Viktor, and books (picked out by Estelle, of course) laid out on the surrounding tables. The others have provided their own touches, and Vanille's even managed to make something: sugar cookies, which are actually very good. They're flavored lightly with all sorts of flavors--not all in the same cookie, okay--and each plate is marked with whatever flavor she's put in them.

After a successful trial, it's healthy to indulge, right? Let's mingle. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It is. [Varric paused for a moment. It was difficult to see it from her eyes -- where he came from, justice was dispensed quickly. Hesitation meant weakness, whether in person or in organization. He'd learned that time and time again, especially after Kirkwall went to shit.]

Doesn't make it any easier. [He squeezed her hand.] I lost a good friend of mine to something like that. Even if it's the right thing to do, it still smarts.

[Not that he felt any amount of regret toward Kyrie's death. She'd been cold and methodical, and seemed to show very little remorse toward what happened, even in the end.]

Yes, I know. We followed the rules... and did what we needed.

[When he squeezes her hand, she squeezes his a bit in return. Her other hand clutches her chest, as if trying to hold on to the pain her heart is feeling, the pain she's trying to forget yet doesn't want to forget.]

I just wish it had never come to this.

It never makes it any easier. [It was why Varric enjoyed bending and ignoring rules all together. The same reason why he wrote characters who blatantly ignored commands. Doing shit the right way was never satisfying, and almost always left a bitter taste in his mouth.]

It won't happen again. That's... gotta be what's important here, alright, Princess?

I hope so.

[The nickname doesn't really phase her. It's what people back at home called her. All she wants is for this heavy air to end, for people to work together once again.]

Hey. No hope about it. I'll keep it from happening myself.

[He wasn't sure how -- he couldn't even manage to keep his small party back in Kirkwall in order. But Estelle didn't need to know that.]

You and everyone else are gonna be safe, alright?

[She gives him a firm nod.]

Yes! I may not look like it, but I know how to use a sword and was trained to fight by knights. I can defend myself should anything happen!

[Adelina was also a swordswoman and look at her...]

[~~Don't remind him. He cocked his head slightly, lifting a brow at the girl. She didn't look like the swordswoman type, but then... no one would expect a dwarf to be an expert marksman, either.]~~

That so? How many years?

Many years. Though I've just recently been able... well able to practice it in the real world... when I escaped from the castle.

[Yep, she's a runaway princess...]

Escaped? [Castle? His brows rose even higher.] Sounds like you have an interesting story to tell.

[Anything to distract him.]

Well, my friend, he was in danger and I had to tell him. However, he was just starting his knight's pilgrimage. I was hoping to let him know before he left the castle, but instead I ran into his friend who had just broken out of jail, so I escaped with him!

[She's saying all of this with a straight face, no big deal that she practically escaped the castle with a criminal that had just broken out of jail.]

[As far as Varric was concerned, it wasn't a big deal. Maybe it was the fact that he himself operated outside of the law, or that some of his closest friends had done things that weren't strictly legal, but the fact was, criminality didn't exactly mean someone was bad news.]

Why was your friend in danger?

There was an assassin after him.

[Or that's what she believes. Instead, the assassin started going after her newfound criminal friend because they found him more entertaining, basically.]

Shit. [Varric let out a laugh, amused simply by all the angles this story had taken.] How did he manage to attract the interest of an assassin?

I'm really not entirely sure myself.

[At least said assassin amused and distracted himself by trying to kill someone else...?]

[Sounded a little like an assassin Varric knew. Funny how that works out.]

Well. That's... interesting... [What a story. Weird, but interesting.]

Yes, so I left in order to tell him. Well, I found him and had planned on going back to the castle, but...

[After getting freedom, she didn't want to go back. Also, being called a 'poison' makes you curious as to why you're being called that...]

I'm willing to bet it's the same reason I don't like going to guild. Freedom tastes too damn good.

Nothing wrong with that.

Freedom is nice. It's nice to be out on my own and have friends.

[If that says anything about any friends she had back at the castle...]

It's a shame you can't see Thedas. Wide-open valleys, beautiful mountains. You ignore all the fire, brimstone and chaos that comes around every week or so, and it's a nice place. [He offered her a small smile.] Hopefully we can get you back there soon enough.

That does sound wonderful. Even if chaos happens, when you're with people who are fond of, it makes the experience better.

[She give a small smile at that.]

Yeah... exactly. [And he certainly has the friends to keep him sane in the chaos.]

You've got those kinds of friends though, right?

i'll wait, so show me why you're strong

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