Sending crystal;

[ragweed]

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Kit Gandir
RECIPIENT: Locked to Ser Coupe, Madame de Cedoux, Ser Ashlock, and Ser Norrington.
WHAT: A message describing his experience speaking with the Tevinter apprentice, Benedict Artemaeus.
WHEN: During Benedict's time in solitary confinement.
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: None.

I've spent some time interacting with Benedict Artemaeus at the suggestion of Madame de Cedoux and with permission from Ser Coupe. [There's a long pause. Possibly the message has been edited a lot, and somewhat clumsily, by someone who really doesn't get this magical social media shit yet.

Then,] Let me just get right to the point, if you folks want to use this kid as some kind of resource in the fight against the Venatori or Corypheus, you're going to need to get him out of solitary pretty damn fast. [Maybe also quit scaring the shit out of him, he thinks, but doesn't add.] He's a quick study; I taught him a pretty complicated card game in almost no time, and short of making a few rookie errors, he picked up on it fast. I get the impression everyone around him thinks he's an idiot, to the point where maybe he thinks he's one too. He's been chronically under-estimated by everyone around him.

[A pause.] He's a prick, but he's not an evil prick. If you get him out of solitary, give me a little time with him, I think I can bring him around.

Comments

[limier]

[ there's clever, and then there's being an idiot.

she's known plenty of clever idiots — of course the son of a magister will have been well-educated. it follows too that he'll be paying attention when he's been without else to pay attention to.

but if she's not completely sold on kit's character assessment, it's still a place to begin. maker knows it's further than anyone else has gotten. ]

I've no objections; however, my recommendation is that he continue to be separated from Vedici. The Gallows do not lack for space, and I'd sooner neither of them strangled the other.

Thank you for your assistance, Monsieur Gandir.

[ragweed]

[He experiences a wash of relief at that.]

Sure thing, [he says.] Once he's moved, if someone can just let me know where to, I'll keep working with him.

[unbrokenoath]

I vote for getting him out of solitary, I can't marry him if he's in the slammer.

[ This is not a good argument. ]

[ipseite]

When you say bring him around?

( A prompt. Her tone holds only polite inquiry, no prejudgment or projection of his answer. )

[ragweed]

[Yeah, he maybe left that one a little vague. Kit fiddles with the crystal in his grip, considering his words uncomfortably. Then, slowly,] I think he's on the cusp of going a little out of his head. The kid's terrified--what's the point of scaring him more? Prior to this, I think his biggest worry in life was what to wear at fancy dinner parties. Now he's stuck with a hostile foreign power far from home, and from what I can tell, the guy who was supposed to be his mentor and protector trapped him in this scenario without giving him so much as a head-up. He's just left him to the wolves.

[Consideringly,] Under those same circumstances, can't say I blame him for lashing out. If you feel like you've got nothing left to lose, your priorities reorder themselves accordingly. [That much, at least, he knows from experience.]

...anyway. You can manipulate him on pain of death and torture to cooperate, or you can make him want to cooperate. He's clearly got no love or loyalty to the sodding Venatori; why use the stick when we haven't even tried the carrot yet?

[ipseite]

Mmmm.

( He'll find no disagreement in that sound; a thoughtful hum, just this side of leaning toward his argument. What she says, though-- )

There are ideal outcomes and there are acceptable ones.

On your first impression, where might your expectations fall? If you'd elaborate for me a little further the goal as you see it.

[ragweed]

Make a friend out of an enemy. I don't think it's impossible, but I think the longer he's kept in isolation, the harder that's going to be for us to accomplish.

[He knows he hasn't convinced her, and he's no diplomat; he doesn't have Petrana's way with words or her political instincts. He just knows the potential for good when he sees it, even if articulating that instinct doesn't come naturally to him.]

[ipseite]

( Her revised expectations are significantly lower than his, it's true, but he doesn't have to convince her; she isn't going to tell him to cease a task she recommended him for because she thinks he's more of an optimist than she is. )

Thank you, Mssr Gandir. It is unfortunately not for me to make decisions on his incarceration, but I am inclined to agree.

( For different reasons, probably, but in practical terms they aren't served by isolating him. )

Crystal

[judgemewhole]

We can move him, absolutely not a problem.

[A very long pause, before he stated dryly.]

He may be book-smart, Serah Kit, but that doesn't mean he has an ounce of common sense.

[A longer, more thoughtful pause.]

Do you think you could help him develop that? You seem to have that by the bucketload.

Re: Crystal

[ragweed]

[Not sure if he's complimented by that or not; still, Kit replies with a neutral-sounding,] Thanks.

[Then,] ...Yeah, you probably don't get to develop a lot of common sense when you're shielded from the consequences of your mistakes. Or when you've had the freedom to make choices taken away from you. I think it's a bit of both with him.

[As for whether or not Kit can help him? He shrugs, though no one can see that.] I'll have a better shot at doing that if we can get him out of the cell at some point.

Re: Crystal

[judgemewhole]

...Well, it appears he's now in for a crash course on how real life works. [With real consequences. Still, that anguished 'No' is still echoing in his ears.]

First we'll move him, then we'll see what happens from there. If he can keep his fear in check -- and his need to lash out - we'll see about cutting him loose.

Re: Crystal

[ragweed]

[Kit takes his thumb of the crystal to check his sudden temper--Ancestors, what is it with Templars--

He reactivates the damn thing.] All right, sounds like a plan. Keep me updated.

[He hangs up and chucks the crystal under his bed.]

Re: Crystal

[judgemewhole]

[... Sigh. This is why he can't have nice friendships outside of people in the Chantry. He pinches his brow and misses Vivienne like he misses breathing, but goes about to see what can be done with 'the boy'.]

[paladingus]

I'm not arguing to keep him in solitary, mind. [Not that it would matter if he did, when both his superiors have agreed to the move.]

But if I might chime in on what you said to Madame de Cedoux--[Maker, he hopes he's pronouncing that right.]--I've seen no evidence that Artemaeus can be made any less volatile or hostile. Nor does he seem valuable enough on his own merits to make his cooperation on anything necessary. He's clearly not the sharpest tack in the box, he's very loudly made it clear that he's not an actual Venatori, and he can't be used as leverage against the magister anymore now that they've fallen out.

What do we need him for, except as a hostage? Give him a more comfortable cell and distract him with a mirror. Problem solved.

[ipseite]

If I may,

( she makes no objection about her name, so either he did or she's just too well-bred to say anything, )

the boy may know more than he understands. His family might well wield the influence he claims - he might prove more forthcoming in time and reveal avenues we have not even considered. There are possibilities within him that we would do well not to carelessly quash before they can bear fruit. True enough that it may be a dead end - but we cannot know that so soon, and if we act precipitously on such an assumption we may live to regret it.

Obviously, there is no need for him to be a high priority, but we are not in the position to be throwing away tools because they don't best flatter our armor.

[ragweed]

[Kit's got his thumb on the crystal to fire off a retort when Petrana smoothly cuts in, and so he holds his tongue while she speaks. Even her assessment rankles him some, but at the very least, staying on her good side might get him a measure of what he wants from this scenario.

Once she's said her piece, he keeps quiet, waiting to hear Simon's response.]

[paladingus]

As long as the "we" you speak of means volunteers like yourself and Serah Gandir, and doesn't include the templars, there's no issue here.

It's not on me to judge how you use your time or where you prioritize him, but given his track record, we have just cause to be wary.

[ipseite]

I will not be working directly with the boy, no. But nor would I expect you to do so; we have the benefit of a variety of skill-sets and need not waste them through misuse. Your work is elsewhere, of course, unless or until such time as it is your skills that become, in this instance, the most - pressingly relevant.

( She means if he needs to be fucking dealt with. )

I don't recommend lowering one's guard.

[ragweed]

[Yeah, he knows what she means. He holds his tongue again.]

I'll keep working with him and keep everyone posted on how it goes. So--it's safe for me to say he's going to be moved from solitary? [And soon, he hopes.]

[limier]

[ as none of the points raised this far have much to do with his isolation — ]

It will be done. The absence of distraction may have aided us in your contact, but the returns diminish.

No one suggests that we coddle the boy, [ gandir. a reminder, this, that bleeding hearts need be watched (how quickly they stain) ] Or that we devote an excess of resources therein.

If the Inquisition is to feed and keep him, we need dredge something useful from it, no? Translations, [ a dry intake of breath ] Are the least of these.

[paladingus]

Considering, though, that the last person he seemed to be getting along with caught a Horror spell in the face--[Not the most tactful of wording, especially with the person who caught even more of that spell also on the line, and he acknowledges this with a brief apologetic cough.]

--he probably ought to stay on the magebane, regardless of where he's put. And Serah Gandir should remember to be cautious.

[ipseite]

A fair assessment.

And we can ourselves only do so much; it will be for him to, as he sees new options, come to the table. Perhaps earning sufficient trust to see further concessions made on that point might be a goal to set him.

( Potential is Gandir's word; malleable is Petrana's. Manipulating him with kindness is just more effective than doing it with torture. )

[ragweed]

[Simon can't know how that visual makes Kit's blood go cold. He can't see Kit put the crystal down and walk away from it for a moment.

He does come back, reactivates it in time to catch the last of Petrana's words.] Great, [he says, his voice decidedly flat.] Let me know when he's moved, I'll go see him.

[He hangs up.]