crystal; open

[inagutterson]

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Yngvi
RECIPIENT: Open
WHAT: If you had the chance to change your fate...
WHEN: Backdated to closer to the start of the year (life why are you like this)
WHERE: Gallows
NOTES: Likely to get into some Carta things as well as discussion of less than ideal childhoods and mercy killings. Hit me up if you have concerns/want to skirt around things.

How d'you leave a thing if a thing was always you? [Not the best opening line, he needs to back up a bit.  Compared to last time on the crystals where it was putting on an old pair of boots that don't fit right now, it's not as bad as before.  Less sharp.  Just someone deflated as if they've been trying to climb a thing only to consider their stamina for the venture.]  Like say you grew up with a story taught in the cold, dark, damp but it was all yours in your bones same as that thing so even if it was full of knives those are your knives, and you're not some soft thing. And the story was about some siblings who go out one day by the docks. One get gets caught in a rope and the other one ties themselves to it to haul the other in but they both drown. They get called sentiment and hope.

[Carta bedtime stories aren't like your typical bedtime stories.  Yngvi is aware of that, thanks, the embarrassed almost laugh gives it away.]

So say that was your bedtime story, and you-- you were complicit in big things but you grew up that way so you were a kid, and you ate all your siblings because otherwise they ate you... how do you leave? I mean can you? Or do things grind you up to dust and swallow you down instead?

Comments

[dashing]

I understand. My circumstances have not been such themselves, but... ( But she understands. ) Honour is a lofty ideal, at times. My father was a man greatly concerned with honour and ideals, but we lived in the alienage. He did some leatherwork, but there was rarely coin in it - more trading jobs and and goods. There were times when, in desperation, he turned to smuggling in the hope of securing a better future.

There may be times when the best you can do in particular circumstances are all you can hope for. One might suppose that if we always make the honourable choice then the path will become easier, but I think that is more than a little naive. Ultimately only you can make a decision from the choices laid before you. Maybe we both of us can better our footing, even in the dark, when the choices are harder to make out.

[inagutterson]

If it's for feeding your family then I think it's still okay, look at the Chevaliers calling themselves the most honourable ones around who go run through the alienages for training that's not honour. He sounds like he was a good man, your dad.

[Is some small part envious? He has multiple but all answer to Einar and follow the template.]

You know if that's the real truth behind why thieves lanterns exist then eight people owe me gold. [It's a bad joke, he knows.] Thank you, I mean it. I don't quite know where I'm getting but this has-- I won't forget this. You ever want traps or a lantern you let me know. Or just a chat. I got a lot of tea from pretty much everywhere, my brother swears some is from Seheron.

[dashing]

I am thankful every day that my family have remained in the Starkhaven alienage. ( But that was not true of all, was it? She had not known Fionnuala, but she could imagine some fragment of her cousin's fears when his wife was parted from him. What happened to elves who moved to Orlais? )

He was, indeed. His... desire to protect was so great that it lead to his death. That is... knowing how hard he tried to protect me is something not all children are able to fully grasp of their parents. ( It came at a terrible cost, but he had tried so hard to protect her. Perhaps his fault was believing all elves honourable, idealising the Dalish.

She clears her throat roughly. )

You are very gracious. Pray do not inconvenience yourself for my sake. I would not wish to abuse your generosity, but please do not hesitate to call upon me if you should have need of further discussion.