[When Matthias thought of Tevinter, before--it was dark, but with a silver thread. Mages were in charge. Whatever else could be said of it, there was that. He rubs his thumb against the edge of the desk. It's been worn smooth by years, people bumping their forearms against it. Maybe mages before him, mages who were here at the Gallows.]
That was almost clever of them. 'Cos you would have, and they knew that.
Oh. Well, yeah. I s'ppose that's true. It is. That's-- nice, besides. I hadn't thought of it that way, for me, anyways. I think about fire being hot and the way it-- Well, I don't think of myself as being nasty. But I have to fight a lot. That's what I think of.
Yeah. But then there's other things, right, that happen in between. Other battles and things and other missions. And once it was like, I dunno. Almost like a dream, of different ways time could have been. If that makes any sense at all. And we've had it where it was like that, like a dream, but of the way the future might be.
But once, one of those times, I thought I wasn't a mage at all. I stayed living in the village where I was born. And I wasn't anything, then. So I think... I dunno. For me, I think that's what magic is like. If I didn't have it, I dunno what I would be. Like when you're in the snow and it gets dark and you build a fire and stay close to it. If you went out where it's dark, and cold, you'd get undone, right? If you didn't have a fire, or you didn't know how to make one, you'd be more lost, even.
[Matthias looks down at his hands. Under the ink stains are old scars. He rubs the pad of his thumb against each fingertip in turn, feeling the armored callouses.]
Maybe. I mean, yeah, I s'ppose.
[He isn't all that good at casually lying. Even he can hear the doubt in his voice. So he pushes past it--]
Anyway, Riftwatch is fairly brilliant, even if there's a war on. Better'n other situations. For starters, you get paid.
[ How curious. Even among the People of the Silent Plains, the general attitude was war is hell, even though we're doing good work. It's odd to hear someone who so clearly doesn't believe that. - Or maybe it's not that he feels a love for the war, but just for trying to free his people? That she does understand. ]
I've never used money before. It seems sort of complicated.
[Happy to move on, but also, happy to spread the word on this--]
Nah, s'not. And it's brilliant besides, especially if you've not had it or, y'know, used it. You can get all sorts of things. Here, I'll tell you what, when you get your first bit of pay, I'll take you into Kirkwall and help you learn to spend it.
Food--good food, like, at a proper tavern--and drink, if you like--and boots, and a good cloak, and a dagger--or whatever it is you use, I dunno what you prefer, or if you even use weapons, and we've got some here, standard-issue, but they aren't good--you can't really get staffs too easily in Kirkwall but you might find 'em sometimes, if the right sort of merchant comes in--I've not ever found one I liked, so I haven't, but you might--and you've got a room of your own, haven't you? You're not sleeping in one of the dormitory rooms?
I thought that first as well. You might try out different beds--some of 'em aren't as soft, especially in the dormitory rooms what no one sleeps in. And then you can trade it out. Er, that's if you actually want to sleep on a mattress, you could sleep outdoors if you like. Except when it gets cold, 'course. Then I reckon you won't want to as much.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2022-10-01 08:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-02 03:10 am (UTC)[ Maybe. Maybe not. At first she’d been so grateful for the luxury and soft living, and - she’d been timid, back then. ]
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Date: 2022-10-04 02:34 am (UTC)[When Matthias thought of Tevinter, before--it was dark, but with a silver thread. Mages were in charge. Whatever else could be said of it, there was that. He rubs his thumb against the edge of the desk. It's been worn smooth by years, people bumping their forearms against it. Maybe mages before him, mages who were here at the Gallows.]
That was almost clever of them. 'Cos you would have, and they knew that.
What was the first bit of magic you ever did?
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Date: 2022-10-04 02:41 am (UTC)I don’t - really remember.
[ There’s still a bit of smothered intensity in her voice. ]
But the first time I really knew it was magic, for sure - I was cold, and I wanted to be warm, so - fire sort of happened.
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Date: 2022-10-04 03:21 am (UTC)[He's a little charmed, still, not half because,] Fire was my first bit of magic as well. I was showing off. Yours is better.
I used to wonder--well, I still do, I s'ppose--if it means anything, what you do first. Like if it says something about you.
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Date: 2022-10-04 02:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-04 07:08 pm (UTC)D'you think of yourself as warm?
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Date: 2022-10-04 07:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-04 08:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-04 08:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-04 09:57 pm (UTC)Well, actually--has anyone told you about the sort of things that come up, in Riftwatch? As in, the sort of... problems, we have to deal with?
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Date: 2022-10-04 10:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-04 11:57 pm (UTC)But once, one of those times, I thought I wasn't a mage at all. I stayed living in the village where I was born. And I wasn't anything, then. So I think... I dunno. For me, I think that's what magic is like. If I didn't have it, I dunno what I would be. Like when you're in the snow and it gets dark and you build a fire and stay close to it. If you went out where it's dark, and cold, you'd get undone, right? If you didn't have a fire, or you didn't know how to make one, you'd be more lost, even.
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Date: 2022-10-05 12:07 am (UTC)[ But that's a little beside the point. Just something she's saying as she thinks about it. ]
But - what do you mean that you weren't anything?
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Date: 2022-10-05 03:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-05 03:15 am (UTC)[ Thoughtfully: ]
It might be nice, living a life with no war. I don't know if that was what your dream was like. But if it was, that wouldn't be so bad, right?
no subject
Date: 2022-10-05 03:56 pm (UTC)Maybe. I mean, yeah, I s'ppose.
[He isn't all that good at casually lying. Even he can hear the doubt in his voice. So he pushes past it--]
Anyway, Riftwatch is fairly brilliant, even if there's a war on. Better'n other situations. For starters, you get paid.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-05 04:13 pm (UTC)I've never used money before. It seems sort of complicated.
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Date: 2022-10-06 12:44 am (UTC)Nah, s'not. And it's brilliant besides, especially if you've not had it or, y'know, used it. You can get all sorts of things. Here, I'll tell you what, when you get your first bit of pay, I'll take you into Kirkwall and help you learn to spend it.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-06 12:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-10-06 01:07 am (UTC)Food--good food, like, at a proper tavern--and drink, if you like--and boots, and a good cloak, and a dagger--or whatever it is you use, I dunno what you prefer, or if you even use weapons, and we've got some here, standard-issue, but they aren't good--you can't really get staffs too easily in Kirkwall but you might find 'em sometimes, if the right sort of merchant comes in--I've not ever found one I liked, so I haven't, but you might--and you've got a room of your own, haven't you? You're not sleeping in one of the dormitory rooms?
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Date: 2022-10-06 01:09 am (UTC)[ A shy confession: ]
I don't really use it, though. I usually sleep outside.
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Date: 2022-10-06 11:33 pm (UTC)How come?
[Though, really, to each their own, weird flex, but. ok.]
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Date: 2022-10-07 01:25 am (UTC)[ Is that weird? Is he thinking she's weird? ]
Just because - my bed's really soft. Sort of too soft.
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Date: 2022-10-12 01:04 am (UTC)[Okay. That makes sense.]
I thought that first as well. You might try out different beds--some of 'em aren't as soft, especially in the dormitory rooms what no one sleeps in. And then you can trade it out. Er, that's if you actually want to sleep on a mattress, you could sleep outdoors if you like. Except when it gets cold, 'course. Then I reckon you won't want to as much.
didn't you know that fun fact about our Scandinavian brethren
From:love that for them
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