Waystation Mingle Log!

[twocomplex]

Who: GAME-WIDE MINGLE aka everyone
Broadcast: If you want
Action: The Stations!
When: From 04/05 through the month of April.

[Well, that all sure happened. But at least you have the waystations! Whether you want to stock up on supplies, work, trade, or visit the very fancy Virtual Reality Dome, it's bound to be a nice break from the attacks of the 5th.

Make your own prompts, set up your own Virtual Realities, etc! For reference, the OOC post with info is over here!]

Comments

VRD; Open to All? This is self-indulgent trash.

[serpentis]

[Dorian knew where he wanted to go, he always did, and a moment's respite led him to wander down to where the virtual reality dome was said to be. He was, after all, a curious man.

He can't keep something from pulling at his heart when he steps inside, though, and he's overcome by dark streets, public roads, paved with wide, flat stones and bordered on each side with paved paths for pedestrians.

It's the main viae publicae, and though it is empty, he can hear the sea and the smell of the water. The harbor was further down the road, but he can hear the water breaking against the docks, even distantly.

Dorian looks up, the stars overhead the same as he remembers- constellations positioned just slightly differently than further south. As a boy, he'd taken a slight interest in them, though he only knew a handful, anymore. Somewhere, he knew he could remember them if he tried.

Overhead hangs the stars of Fenrir, a constelltion out of place among the rest, but he scoffs slightly. How very fitting, he thinks, and looks back down the survey the road.

There's a low, thin fog drifting over the stones of the road, and the buildings on either side are large and loom over him. On either side are streetlamps that flicker to life with a thought- it's a trick, he remembers. The streetlamps only light up when a mage conjures fire in them. A small trick to show the Soporati and Servus who were in power, and who deserved even small things like light.

It was Tevinter, as a whole.

Dorian stands there, robes wrapped around him- green and ivory- and he takes a few steps. The ground underneath is solid, and he chokes down a half a sob. Stepping to the side, he settles down and sits on the side of the street, face in his hands as he finally lets himself cry.

The last time he had seen these streets, he had cried then, too. Running away in the dead of night, so much anger welling in him, he had paid his way to join a caravan and catch a boat in Carastes to Minrathos.

But Quarinus...he has not seen Quarinus in some time, nearly years. These streets were once all the knew- the cobblestone streets as familiar as the lines in his hands.

He wipes at his face, sitting on the side of the street, nearly an undignified mess of robes, and he looks back up at the sky. He sits, arms between his legs, boots against the cobblestones as he sits on the side of the road, on the walkway near a lit lantern.

And he smiles.

For the first time in years, the pariah is finally home, if only for a moment.]

self-indulgent trash that I LOVE

[ino]

[ She's wandering on in, and glancing around curiously ... Is it just her, or does this place seem pretty gloomy ... ?

Except, wait a second, isn't that -- ]

Dorian?

no I love YOU

[serpentis]

[Dorian looks up, surprised for a moment at someone finding him, ashamed that he was caught with his walls down just for a moment. He looks over to her, and he manages a soft smile.]

Ah, Ino. Welcome to Tevinter, I suppose.

[He seems more subdued than normal, though, and he pats the walkway next to him. Please come sit.]

u///u

[ino]

[ She comes to sit, and it takes a moment for her to process ... ]

So this is ... where you come from?

[ She seems a little excited about it now, compared to the uncertainty when she first came in. She ... honestly doesn't know all that much about Dorian, so this is kinda cool! ]

[serpentis]

Yes.

[He falls silent, looking out over the street, the lamps across the way flickering to life to illuminate the stone buildings- great manors that were held by the Magisters who lived there.

He knows where the Pavus estate is, of course he does, but he doesn't dare to go looking for it.]

Quarinus, in the Tevinter Imperium.

[And then he adds softly, honestly.]

...I have not been here in some time.

mWAH

[howcanihelp]

[ Steffa had been planning to see what other possibly-familiar preset locations she could find in the VR dome, but this city... this quiet city was familiar while being wholly unfamiliar, and that brought her up short from just moving along and doing her own thing.

This place was from Thedas, she was almost certain of it.

There wasn't too over much of the city, of course, and it was only a single corner turned before she saw Dorian, and that made everything clear enough - this was likely Tevinter, wherever he'd lived or grown up. Not sure if Dorian wanted to be disturbed or not, she hesitated to come closer, but... well, boots aren't exactly quiet on cobblestones, so unless he's really not paying attention, he probably heard her already. ]

PICKS U UP, SPINS U AROUND

[serpentis]

[Dorian looks over, and he nods softly.]

Warden, was it?

[He gestures softly, an understated movement for him. Where there's normal show and no small amount of bluster, now he seems sedate, restrained.]

Welcome to Quarinus, in the Tevinter Imperium.

THROWS ARMS UP AND LAUGHS LIKE IN A ROMANTIC FILM

[howcanihelp]

Just Stephanie is fine, really.

[ She walks toward him, glancing up and around. She gets caught briefly on the stars - familiar and comforting, even if she never focused much on studying them. ]

I hope I'm not interrupting. I was just going to... I didn't mean to intrude.

[serpentis]

[He shakes his head softly, sadly, and offers her a thin smile for just a moment.]

It's quite alright. I wasn't exactly expecting this. I should have but...

...it's been quite some time since I was home.

[wolfuncaged]

[Fenris has never been a fan of indulging in virtual reality. In Exsilium, he used it exclusively for training, never falling to the temptation to program it for anything else. Why bother? It will only give a facsimile of what you desire. Not the true thing. Just another way to torture yourself for a home you have been wrenched away from.

He has come seeking Dorian to be certain he was safe and unharmed after the attacks. He did not expect to walk right slap bang into a Tevinter street. He freezes, like a deer in headlights, whole body tense as his eyes flicker around the horribly familiar surroundings. The last time he was in Quarinus he was quite literally in chains.

He remembers the weight of the collar Danarius made him wear, the chain attached to it held loosely by his former master as Fenris followed along placidly behind. There was no fight, no life in him, then. Like every single other slave, the thought of breaking free hadn't so much as entered his mind. He and all the others were just lifeless beings, waiting for their master's orders.

He glances at a lantern, remembers a dry comment Danarius made about how in Minrathos they were brighter. He can hear his voice as if it were only yesterday, not over a decade ago. He feels his stomach churn.

He always thought he could go with Dorian, in some fantasy idea that should they get out of this mess together, to fix Tevinter. To go pull out the bad and nurture the good. As he looks around him now, he's not so sure if he can. He wants to run, to put as much distance between himself and his vision of his own version of Hell as he can. There's nothing to be salvaged in this place. Nothing good in it.

...Well. Not quite nothing.

His shoulders droop and he lets out a haggard sigh. Then he crosses the cobblestones, trying to shut out how they feel under his bare feet, trying to block out most of what's around him. He eventually gets to Dorian and cautiously puts a hand on his shoulder. He feels he can truly understand but at the same time be completely distanced from what the other man is feeling right now.

He doesn't especially welcome it, but he offers comfort all the same. ]

[serpentis]

[Dorian looks up at him, and something crosses his face, regret, perhaps, or sadness. For as much as Quarinus was home to him, and he's thankful even for a glimpse of it, he knows it was a cage to Fenris.

He sighs softly, covering the hand at his shoulder. This emotions feel like his skin rubbed raw, all nerve endings and every small breeze, every moment the waves break against the docks in the distance, in a small ache in his heart.

For a while, he doesn't say much, he sits there, in the dark, and then the lanterns light up, light dancing down the street, lanterns catching fire for the entire stretch of street that they can see.

And then they extinguish, like exhaling.]

...it has been many years.

[wolfuncaged]

[Fenris lets the silence remain, staring ahead, eyes narrowed a touch. His gaze is pointed to Minrathos, where Danarius kept his estate. Qunarinus, he decides, is more than close enough. ]

Thirteen years, for me. Fourteen, if you count the time away from Thedas, as well.

[There's another span of silence, before he squeezes Dorian's shoulder gently. ]

I'm sorry. I know you miss it.

[serpentis]

[Dorian looks up at him, and then he laughs. It's a derisive chuckle, a poor imitation of a Magister's laugh, and he shakes his head.]

It occurs to me that I don't even know how old you are.

[dawnwillcome]

[The setting is unfamiliar, but just as unusual is the image of Dorian hunched over on the ground with... is he crying? Little about the setting matters once it's clear Dorian is this upset, so Jove hardly notices the architecture as she's rapidly making her way to his side.

She sits down beside him, arm around his back and hand resting gently on his shoulder.]

Dorian?

[serpentis]

Hmm?

[He looks up to her, and he wipes his face, thankful for small things like waterproof makeup.]

Ah, Jove. Welcome to Tevinter.

[His voice sounds a little hollow, but he smiles at her softly.]

I just wanted to see home again. Foolish, I suppose.

[dawnwillcome]

[She reaches out to use the sleeve of her shirt to clear up any stray tears, the hand on his shoulder giving a soothing squeeze.]

I wouldn't say that. I know how important this place is to you, it makes sense you'd want to see it again.

[serpentis]

[He makes a disgusted noise.]

Look at me, crying like I'm a child again.

[Dorian sighs, patting the hand on his shoulder. It is reassuring to have her here- Jove was more dear to him than he has words to say.]

Would you care to see something? As I suppose you'll never actually see it.

I couldn't stay away

[ladiesss]

[she shows up... very quietly. she's like that. ghosts around, slinks between rooms, quiet and observant as long as she can get away with it. but her little voice comes floating over, after a little while.]

Dorian?

[...hey, buddy. you look like you're having kind of a time.]

HELLO AND WELCOME

[serpentis]

Hmm?

[He looks toward the sound of the voice, and he sniffs, wiping at his face. Ah, to be seen in such a state.]

Ah, hello, Krista. Good to see you again.

[ladiesss]

Hi, Dorian...

[she says it with a little sigh... as if to say, "all right, let's get these feelings over with". still, she reaches into her pocket, grabs one of her hair ties, and quietly transmutes it into a handkerchief on the way out.

she walks up and wordlessly hands it to him. she wouldn't be surprised if he already carried like, four of them on his person, but hopefully it's the gesture that counts.]

[serpentis]

[He chuckles softly and accepts it, dabbing at his face.]

You know, I have one of those. But thank you.

[He gestures to the street, the steetlamps flickering to light with warm fire and the low gloom of fog settling over the cobblestones..]

This is my home.

After the VRD

[killedwithlove]

[Cole is waiting outside.

He doesn't like the VRD much. It's like the communicator, he can see, but not in any way that's normal to him. There's no impressions, no meaning to anything in there.

And he doesn't want to intrude on Dorian. He doesn't know how this Dorian feels about him. He doesn't want to find out, in a way, but he needs to know.

So he's sitting by the door, waiting.]

[serpentis]

[Dorian has collected himself, and he steps out of the VRD, thankful for small mercies like waterproof eyeliner and mascara.

It took some time, but he finally steps outside, and he nearly has a quip to the figure sitting by the door, but instead...]

...ah. Cole.

[He liked Cole. In theory. He liked Cole from a distance. He didn't care for having his secrets picked out and thrown in from of everyone, but Cole was learning how to stop, and that was good.]

[killedwithlove]

[Cole is immediately aware of Dorian's uncertainty. He's up on his feet and he taking a step back, looking to his hands and pinching a finger to try and focus on his body, not the thoughts.]

I didn't know if you'd want to see me. I can go away if you like. I don't know if you're the Dorian I knew or not. I'm staying away from the ships, like I promised. I can go away now.

[serpentis]

No, it's...you don't need to leave, Cole.

[He knows that Cole can feel his unease. Cole was a precious thing- a spirit with his own form, an endlessly curious person- for certainly he did have a certain form of personhood- but one that any Magister in Tevinter would want to catch and keep little a butterfly under glass.

He could remember standing in the gardens of the villa urbana that the Pavus family lived in, watching the butterflies.

He shakes his head softly.]

I cannot guarantee that I am exactly the Dorian you knew but I'd like to think that I'm similar enough to be a passable substitute.

[And he offers him a slight smile.]