crystal.

[exequy]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Kostos
RECIPIENT: Everybody
WHAT: Nothing remotely inflammatory
WHEN: Time is a manmade construct and I refuse to be bound by it
NOTES: Context.

The next time any of us— [ That isn't an all-inclusive us; he means, specifically, mages and rifters and maybe templars, but everyone can figure that out on their own. Or not. He doesn't care. ] —is in the position to make demands, I think we should make sure we have a say in which rifters go to which Circles. We could pick in turns. Like choosing teams.

[ That's all. ]

Comments

[exequy]

[ He suffers, and suffers, and suffers so long. ]

Yes, I am. I put my name down on the list and everything.

[ And, fine. An explanation. ]

The Templars broke first. There was meant to be a vote. The Conclave was allowed to vote. The Libertarians did not have the numbers then, they would have lost— [ he says ] —but the Templars attacked first, all over— [ which is not strictly true; there were a number of Circles that rebelled first once they heard the news ] —and after that. [ After that several things happened, and he isn't good enough at giving impromptu speeches to explain them all. ] We voted afterwards. Surrender or fight. We all agreed to abide by the outcome, and I have.

Maybe I should have been more contrary.

[rathercommon]

Sorry -

[ Kitty can barely wrap her head around that. That's - impossible. Completely astonishing. ]

You mean to tell me that you're a Loyalist who - fought with the rebels?

[exequy]

We agreed.

[ A touch sullen, because it isn’t as unreasonable as all of that; a touch defiantly proud, because where is his trophy for honoring his word, Thedas, where is it. And significantly over-simplified. Before the war even began, he was holding onto the Loyalist label like a Young Republican looking to market hot even I, a lifelong conservative, can see this is bullshit takes to the editorial pages. ]

And it was not the Chantry coming to kill us.

[rathercommon]

Well -

[ That's completely insane isn't fair. And it's not quite right, either. In a way, it's actually extremely sane, so much so that it seems to come around to madness again. So - ]

That's quite honourable of you.

[exequy]

[ Like a dog catching a carriage (?), Kostos has no idea what to do with that recognition, so cue an awkward pause before he decides the most logical thing is to just ignore it. ]

There has to something. Even if we never mean to be dangerous, we are. I would not ask people to allow a lion to sleep among their children and hope for the best, no matter how well trained it was.

[rathercommon]

Is that how you think of yourself? As a wild beast?

[exequy]

Only on bad days.

Or good nights.

[ Wait, how old is she.

—whatever, too late, nowhere to go but forward. ]

Have you always been this fucking relentless?

[rathercommon]

[ On good nights gets a very hearty eyeroll. Gross. ]

Ever since I was old enough to think for myself. Have you always been this pessimistic about yourself?

[exequy]

[ It would be nice if Kostos were above endless bickering with 16-year-olds, but, ]

You’ve already read enough books to decide whether I’m right about my own life. That’s impressive. Maybe if you write out a bibliography I can catch up.

[rathercommon]

Well, if you're going to be completely pedantic about the implications of pessimistic, then fine. I'll rephrase. Have you always been so bloody negative?

[exequy]

No. When I was a child I thought killing us all was the right idea.

[ He’s better now, see. ]

The issue was how. A spirit possessing the corpse of a mage may still access their magic. That’s less risky than a living maw, if the spirit is docile, but still a risk. And you cannot mummify a pile of ashes—that is the point, in the South. But then you have a displaced spirit of unknown quality somewhere else. I could never decide which was worse.

[rathercommon]

That -

[ What the actual fuck. With naked horror: ]

That's awful! That's completely awful. You don't deserve to die just because of what you are!

[exequy]

[ Because of wHat he DId, and why wasn’t she distracted by the mummies. Foreigners are always distracted by the mummies. ]

Yes, and it made it so difficult to find anyone to sit with at breakfast. I grew out of it.

[rathercommon]

Barely. You're barely better now. [ She shakes her head. ] Have you ever deliberately hurt an innocent person with your magic?

[exequy]

Do people where you came from answer whatever question they’re asked? Is it some cultural thing?

[rathercommon]

I'm sorry, weren't you complaining not so long ago about how Rifters aren't curious enough?

[exequy]

[ He can’t possibly be expected to keep track of everything he complains about. ]

About the world. Not me. Read another book.

[rathercommon]

Aren't you a part of the world? I don't think there's a better way to learn about mages than by talking to a mage. Especially since it seems we're all to become comrades. I mean, surely I've got a right to learn a bit more about the people who get to choose my people for their teams.

[exequy]

And you think asking people if they have committed murder is the way to do that?

—I haven't. By the way. [ Define innocent. Define deliberate. Define kill. ] But that is also what I would say if I had.

[rathercommon]

Are you joking? You? If you'd done something truly wicked, you'd be trumpeting it up and down the streets just to prove how wretched you are.

And if you haven't hurt someone deliberately, then I'm really quite unimpressed with the evil within you.

[exequy]

Evil and dangerous are two different things.

[rathercommon]

You're right. They are two different things. 'Cause if someone's evil, then yeah, they ought to be locked up and kept away from others. But if they're just dangerous, then well done, welcome to being a living creature. So's everyone else, to different degrees.

[exequy]

Do not be flippant. [ excuse him for a millisecond while he throws a sheet over his hypocrisy ] You are cleverer than that.

[ She claims. And he believes, reluctantly. ]

A man sleepwalks. The neighbors find him in their children's bedroom with a knife.

[rathercommon]

[ Whoa was that something actually resembling not-an-insult ]

All right. Sure. In that case, it makes sense to lock him in at night - but at night, not forever.

[exequy]

[ He’ll deny it. ]

Or hide the knives.

[ Almost wry. He’s not good at metaphors. Might as well get more or less literal. ]

But while he sleepwalks he can tear doors off their hinges and set fire to the house with half a thought. The only people who can stop him if he needs stopping are soldiers who give their whole lives to learn how. If they are are not already there, he might kill a few dozen people before they arrive. Sixty to a hundred on the outside.

Would you ask his neighbors not to mind?