{ CLOSED }

[aceso]

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Christine Delacroix
RECIPIENT: Any of her CR still left in the Dark AU. She wouldn't send this to the whole Inquisition, so it's sort of locked?
WHAT: Just asking what's shakin'.
WHEN: Cloudreach 13th 9:48
WHERE: random hidden spot in the Frostbacks
NOTES: Christine's mental state has deteriorated so she'll be erratic, angry, and possibly not easy to talk to.

[ Every waking moment hurts and yet Christine lingers on. For the last two years, she's been slowing the spread of her red lyrium corruption with healing magic, but most days she can't remember to do it now. Her head is full of a song and the longer she focuses on it, the deeper she sinks into it. But some days she awakes in pain and her head is clear enough to focus for a little while. Today she grips her crystal tight in her claw-shaped hand, red spikes of lyrium jutting out through her skin from where they're fused with her bones. ]

It is me.

[ Her voice should be easy to recognize. It now sounds like two voices at once, too close together to be an echo, and with a humming sound woven through as well. ]

What news?

Comments

[el_tybs]

[The voice does sound familiar but a far outcry of what he remembers Christine sounding like over the crystals. The duality and hum definitely being part of the reason, but also a certain strain in the voice.]

This is Sam.

[aceso]

Sam who?

[ Because Christine only knows of one Sam, and he is long dead. ]

[el_tybs]

[He has to stop himself from saying 'you know Sam who', reminding himself that no one has heard from him for nearly five years at this point.]

Gareth. From Ferelden.

[aceso]

What? [ There's confusion in her voice. What year is it again? Is she hallucinating? That tends to happen to her now. But usually she doesn't realize it's a hallucination until it's done, when whatever she thinks she is seeing disappears before her eyes. If she really is talking to someone on this crystal, they're mocking her. ] How dare you! How dare you think to trick me! What are you, a Venatori thinking to get information out of me? It will not work, you bastard!

[el_tybs]

[Sam cringes on his end and pulls the crystal away as if it will lessen the yelling coming through. It's something he's come to expect at this point, being accused of not actually being who he is. Expected but no less stinging.

At least he was sure he was speaking to Christine.]

No tricks, Christine. I just wanted to- [Know you were alive?] know if you were- Apparently I've missed much theses five years.

[aceso]

He has been dead five years! He and the others that went on that stupid mission!

[ It took her pretty long to get over Asher's death. Sam's? She's still not over it. ]

Do not lie to me! Can you not leave a dying woman alone?

[el_tybs]

Christine, I am not lying.

[It was hard enough for people who had seen him to believe him, how was he going to do that with just his voice.]

Dying- What do you mean dying?

[aceso]

[ She scoffs because yeah, right. Like she's going to believe him. She hasn't heard Sam's voice in five years, and sometimes she forgets his face. She forgets a lot of things now. ]

Oh, that wonderful red lyrium corruption. It is the latest fashion in the south!

[ See, a dying woman can still have a sense of humor. ]

[el_tybs]

[That wasn't funny!]

What?!

How- when did that happen?

[Red lyrium was bad enough for templars but for a mage to have it? He couldn't imagine what that would be like. Painful in either case.]

[aceso]

[ Says you, Sam. ]

Awhile ago. You can tell your superiors that I kept it at bay with healing magic. And you can also tell them that those of us who are corrupted will never join your ranks so you can forget it!

[el_tybs]

[He does say.]

I don't want you to join anything? Christine-

[He wants to ask where she's at, but that seems fruitless considering she still thinks he's the enemy.]

I know I went missing a while back, but I'm not dead, it's me.

[aceso]

And how could you ever prove that to me, hmm?

[el_tybs]

I suppose you would have to ask me only something I would know?

[Cliche he's sure, but what else could he do without being there in person?]

[aceso]

[ There is a long pause, because Christine's mind has been deteriorating for some time, and it's hard to remember things, or know if what she's remembering is real. ]

I have forgotten so much... [ But she thinks back to important moments in her life that she shared with Sam -- her brother. ] In the bedroom of my mother's house: what did you do to Church?

[ The memories of the two of them traveling with her to give her mother the news of her father's death haven't faded away yet. Especially not that silly moment that freaked Church out and had her laughing aloud. ]

[el_tybs]

[Sam pauses at that question, very glad he wasn't in public or at least around anyone they knew because that sounded very suggestive.]

I remember him saying something with a lot of noise and sat on him.

As a dog.

[aceso]

Yes.

[ Now she's so confused and doesn't know what to believe. At first she thought Venatori were behind this, and now she's wondering if he's a demon in disguise. Demons can read minds, but can they read minds through crystals? ]

You-- You are not a demon?

[el_tybs]

Last I checked I wasn't.

[There's a quiet, tired sigh on his end.]

Believe me I'm just as confused on all this as you. A week ago we went on that mission... and now we're... here.

[aceso]

Sam?

[ Don't mind her, she's just going to start crying. ]

How?

[el_tybs]

Yeah?

[He's not crying, but he certainly sounds emotional at hearing Christine call out for him like that and all he could do was talk.]

I don't know... someone thinks maybe a rift or some other thing of magic had something to do with it.
I'm sorry, Christine. I wasn't here.

[aceso]

You are dead. You-- were dead. You left me a-and everyone and we mourned you.

[ She gasps for breath. ]

I... I wish I could see you again.

[el_tybs]

I know. Well I didn't know. None of us expected such a thing to happen.

You could if you wanted. Where are you?

[aceso]

No! No one can see me like this. Only Cullen since he is this way too. We are monsters now.

[el_tybs]

... The red lyrium you mean?

[aceso]

It is inside of us, always growing outwards.

[ She lifts her hand to stare at the red spikes of lyrium that have erupted through her skin. Of course she's in constant pain now from it. ]

I wish I could see you with my own eyes, but I cannot let you see me this way. It is why I left the Inquisition; left everyone, even my Church.

[el_tybs]

[Sam sighs. He doesn't... like that answer, but he really cannot argue against it either. Not that he can do much about it either way since he doesn't know where Christine is and it is up to her to let him know.]

My Church, huh?

[When he last talked to Christine about Church she had pressed rather hard that nothing was going on. Sounded like things changed, or at least more honest.]

That must've been hard.