Open Action: Fleet Wide

[killedwithlove]

Who: Cole and anyone who isn't fast enough to get away
Broadcast: n/a
Action: Any ship, though he won't venture onto the Three Twins or Tourist still. He will park next to them, now!
When: First half of the month?


[Cole does this thing. He does this thing where he goes everywhere and sticks his large nose into everything and meets people. He hasn't done it for a while, so clearly, it's time again.

The Pathstone comes in next to a ship, docks and then they spend a while there. There's no pattern to which ship it is. But he'll bring them around to your ship eventually.]

Comments

[princessia]

Huh? [ A small noise of surprise as he scoops her up. ] I-I don't know if he can make things better this time.

[ She wiggles a little, but she hardly feels like putting in the effort to get out of his grip. ]

Cole, I'm not a baby...

[killedwithlove]

[He starts off, using his familiarity with Cullen's echoing pain and the soaring self to hone in on him.]

I know you're not... Why would I think you are?

[princessia]

[ ...Nevermind. She's not going to bother explaining, but she honestly doesn't mind being carried. Not going to admit she's fine with this. Jude and the others sometimes had to carry her whenever she wound up dozing off on the ground. Difference is she's wide awake right now.

She'll continue to quietly pout, sulk, and keep wishing she could stay with Cullen and the others for a long time. On the fleet, probably. Or, just go back with him to Thedas somehow... ]

[killedwithlove]

[Cole thinks nothing of carrying her. Sometimes, you have to carry people. It's nothing to do with age, just need. He needs her to be with Cullen, because she needs that, and she was lying on the ground, so naturally, she's being carried now.

He can feel her longing. It's a chill along his spine.]

You don't want to come to Thedas. It's, a very harsh world.

[princessia]

But you're there! Cullen's there. I want to go too...

[ Elize is not aware of how harsh it may be. The stories she heard of his world have been watered down. Maybe it's dangerous, but she'll still want to come with no matter what. She's only thinking about the people she wants to be with. ]

[killedwithlove]

Be happier here with us. There isn't nice. They hurt people who can do magic.

Cole could do magic. The real Cole. His only wish in life was that he couldn't. That he was like everyone else.

[princessia]

Are people scared of magic? Was that why Cole was locked up? But magic can help! I can heal...

[ And there's also her destructive side of magic too... ]

[killedwithlove]

Yes. They're scared of magic. So mages live in towers, with Templars, not with everyone else. Some templars are good, like Cullen. Some aren't very nice, though.

[Cullen has been sighted! Cole picks up his pace.]

Cullen! I made Elize sad, I'm sorry, she wouldn't come see you, so I brought her here, I'm sorry, I'll go back to the Pathstone.

[serves]

[Not what he wants to see after getting a snack. Cullen hurries over to take his newfound daughter.]

Elize? What happened?

[princessia]

[ Now she's in Cullen's arms. They really don't have to carry her... ]

N-nothing!

[ Sounding defensive and being a bad liar. Well, now she's sad that Cole is apologizing and wanting to head back to his ship. She does want his company too, even if hearing the truth was painful. ]

Cole, you don't have to go away. I don't want you to.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole manages the transfer quiet easily and then takes a step back, head dipping enough that nothing of his face is visible under the brim of his hat to Elize or Cullen.]

I made her think about the fact that Atroma could send any of us away at any time. River was sent home and Simon is very sad about it and I miss her, almost as much as I miss Solas and I made her sad. I'm sorry.

[serves]

[Hello, Cullen's number one fear: that he ends up leaving her. He holds Elize a little tighter, pressing a kiss to her cheek.]

... Stay, Cole. You'll make her sad by leaving.

[princessia]

I'm happy staying here, with everyone, and if you go home, I want to go too!

[ She reaches up to hug Cullen around the neck, holding on like he might disappear any time soon.

Her world is very different. Rieze Maxia is pretty much a country of mages. The sound of mages living in towers doesn't deter her. She was forced to live in a laboratory and a small house prior to meeting Jude and she wouldn't want to be in a situation that's against her will again... but she'll be fine as long as Cullen's with her, right...? ]

You won't let me stay in a tower, right? I can stay with you!

You all saw nothing... >_>

[killedwithlove]

[Cole rocks back and forth on his feet, not his usual calm sway, but an agitated and distressed gesture. Sadly, the two can be very hard to tell apart unless you're very familiar with him.]

Here is better. Tell her, Cullen, please, here is better than Thedas, even knowing people will leave. People leave everywhere, here, there, people leave, it's what they do, but it's good to have them for a while, but not Thedas. Not Elize.

[serves]

[The thought of Elize in a circle makes him feel sick. He knows how terribly mages could be treated. Cullen hugs Elize tightly, face in her hair.]

I'd keep you safe. I will always keep you safe.

[He fixes Cole with a small frown.]

Together, that's what matters. It doesn't matter where.

[princessia]

See, Cole? I'll be fine as long as we're together.

[ Still, she doesn't know how she'll be able to follow him or any of them back. If given the opportunity, no doubt she'll take it right away. ]

[killedwithlove]

[Cole knows that Cullen doesn't mean him. Cullen means him and Elize and Jove.

Together doesn't mean safe. He was with Evangeline and Rhys and Evangeline died and Lambert managed to tear him out of step with reality and everyone's pain had screamed at him.

Instead he nods, stepping back and reality starting to pull at him in curls of smoke.]

I should get Jove. It fit together better with Jove.

[serves]

Cole. [Cullen shifts Elize's weight to one arm--she's no baby, but she's small enough for him to hold up with his sword arm.]

Calm down. It's all right.

[This is Cole in a panic, right? Strange.]

[princessia]

[ Elize turns her head, watching Cole. She's not sure what's happening, but she's pretty sure he's about to leave. ]

...Cole?

[killedwithlove]

[Cole isn't panicking. Not yet. He is very unsettled and uncertain. Panicking is when he just runs.]

I should get Jove. The edges fray, threads caught in the breeze, unwinding, unraveling, I'll get Jove. You make a proper shape with Jove.

[Smoke and Fade whips around him and he's gone, fleeing back to the Pathstone to find Jove and tell her that Cullen and Elize need her.]

[serves]

[Cullen just barely withholds a sigh. Wonderful. Now Jove will worry. But he turns his attention to Elize, pushing some of the hair away from her face.]

It's all right.

[princessia]

...I don't know.

[ Frowning, she's not certain about that. It doesn't feel all right if Cole isn't all right. She looks down at her legs dangling above the floor. ]

I can stand on my own two feet, you know.

[dawnwillcome]

[It doesn't take too terribly long to find Cullen and Elize, and when Jove arrives it's with Cole's hand in hers as she leads him back to their little makeshift family.

There's no point in ignoring that that's what this is, now. She has a fond smile for both humans, but even once she's reached them she keeps Cole's hand in hers. Not to restrict him, but to be sure he knows he's wanted there. To be sure he knows he has support.]

I hear there was an exchange that could have gone better.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole could slip free from Jove's hand, but he doesn't, because it would upset her and make her worry more. He can't just slip away unobtrusively when he's being held on to, which is frustrating.

He doesn't say anything, just rocks on his feet and looks off somewhere else, letting his other senses flicker around the edges of the shape the three of them make.]

[serves]

[Elize is set down, and Cullen gives Jove a sheepish little smile in return.]

Seemingly. Cole was concerned.