03 ❀

[princessia]

Who: Elize Lutus & YOU?
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: SS Huntress (or whatever ship that Elize winds up being invited to)
When: Now - October 4th

Umm... hello, everyone.

[ The broadcast opens up with Elize sitting in her personnel room. Some drawings done by her and Cole can be seen hanging on the wall in the background, along with a little painting of pink flowers. On the desk is a small stack of even more paintings. Very rarely does Elize broadcast her own fleet wide posts on her own will. She finds it somewhat easier to speak one-on-one on other posts, not so much when it's broadcast to a fleet of people.

The little girl has her hands propped on her lap, shifting uncomfortably in her chair. Her cheeks are slowly turning a faint red as she records herself. She'd prefer not to make any posts, but she feels it needs to be done at this time. ]

Some of the Huntress crew went back home. My friend, Shirley, too. She left behind these paintings that she got from the previous planets and stations, I think?

[ She lifts one of the art pieces from her desk to show it off. Looks like it might be a painting of some sort of plant from a different planet...? Who knows. ]

I thought I should share these. I think Shirley would like it if I did that. [ And it's something for everyone to remember her by. ] If anyone wants one, you can visit the Huntress or if you want, I can go to you. Just let me know.

[ That's about all she wanted to say. She gives a little wave goodbye to the camera, then ends the recording. ]

Comments

[princessia]

I still have the one she gave me when we first met.

[ Which she'll treasure forever. She lowers her gaze, her expression returning to a sad frown. She sighs. ]

I miss her...

[serves]

[He almost feels like there's not much he can say, especially after her conversation with Cole about leaving. Cullen brushes her hair off her shoulders, sighing quietly.]

I know. What can I do?

[princessia]

[ Elize moves away from her seat and throws her arms around Cullen's waist. She just wants a hug. ]

People keep going away...

[ Some of them she didn't know very well, but it's still sad to her. It just brings her back to her worries that someone else she loves, someone like Cullen, will leave any moment. ]

[serves]

[It doesn't take much to guess her worries. As Cullen pets her hair, one arm protectively over her shoulders, he speaks to her softly.]

We're still here.

[princessia]

I know...

[ She stays in the hug for a moment, before pulling back a little to look up at him. ]

Can you tell me more about Thedas? ...Like the mages there. What are the towers like?

[serves]

[That... is not a topic Cullen likes at all, and he freezes. Just for a moment. Of course it was bound to come up, but he was sort of hoping it wouldn't.]

Let's sit.

[Give him a few moments to think of how to approach this.]

[princessia]

[ This is what happens when Elize talks to Cole far too much. She already knows that mages are feared, though he didn't go into too much detail about it. ]

Um... okay.

[ She pulls away from him to take a seat on her personnel room's couch, propping her hands on her lap. Sitting quietly and waiting patiently for him to tell her more... ]

[serves]

[Okay. Okay... Cullen sits next to her, angled so that they can face one another.]

What has Cole told you?

[Best start there. Yeah, he know how much you kids talk.]

[princessia]

[ Of course she's curious, being a mage herself. She speaks slowly, nearly repeating what Cole told her word for word. ]

He said that... Thedas is a very harsh world. People are scared of mages, so they lock them in towers with templars. Some of the templars aren't very nice, but there's good ones. Like you.

[serves]

[He nods. Not at the last part, but in general.]

Yes, mages are feared because of their power. [And what they could become.] People who show that they are magically inclined are sent to the Circles so that they may learn to control their magic and resist demons. Templars are there to keep order, as they're trained to resist and combat magic.

[Cullen rubs his neck.]

But... were you in Thedas, I wouldn't allow you to be taken to such a place. Mages are sometimes treated more like animals than people, and while not all circles are like that, I wouldn't risk it.

[princessia]

Demons. You mean hostile spirits.

[ Definitely not words she normally uses. Yet another little detail that she learned from Cole.

And she trusts Cullen would never let her be locked up in a tower. She's not afraid of going to Thedas at all if she were able, despite how much Cole has warned her about how harsh it is. ]

Why do they let the bad circles exist? The ones where they treat mages like animals... hasn't anyone done anything to stop it?

[ She's worried about those other mages... ]

[serves]

[don't namedrop anders don't namedrop anders]

There... have been attempts. Unfortunately, the way one mage went about trying to change things led to the deaths of many innocent people, and a war between mages and templars. Jove's helped soothe things, however. I think there will be a reformation under her influence.

[Though Cullen does think that there should be some sort of institution to help mages learn about their powers.]

[princessia]

Oh...

[ What a horrible mage, whoever that was. Hearing about Jove though, she just thinks about how much more of an amazing leader she must be. ]

There was a war? ...Cullen? Did you have to fight against mages?

[serves]

No. [Not... directly.] I rarely get involved in fights these days. [The majority of it had been back in Kirkwall, and he's not ever going to tell her much about that time in his life.]

Does it scare you? That I used to be a templar?

[princessia]

[ She shakes her head. Not a trace of dishonesty or fear. Her questions have mainly been out of curiosity. What she's learning now hardly changes her thoughts about her father figure. ]

...I already knew for a long time that you used to be a templar.

[ Months ago, on the day she first met Cole and he read her mind. Back then she trusted Cullen and she still does. Why should she be scared now? ]

[serves]

[................ cole]

I wasn't always the best person I should, or could have been. But you know you always come first with me.

[Mage or not.]

[princessia]

You're the best person now!

[ She's not really properly able to compare who he is now to who he was before. But who he is now is what matters the most. Of course she always says good things about him. ]

[serves]

That you think so means a lot to me, Elize. [It does! Since most things he does these days revolve around her.]

[princessia]

[ A confident nod. She doesn't just think so. ]

It's the truth.

[serves]

[Cullen smiles faintly before reaching over and pulling her into a big bear hug.]

And you, you're the best person I know.

[princessia]

[ The hug takes her by surprise! She laughs and wriggles around in his arms. ]

Really?

[serves]

Really.

[He sneaks in a kiss to her cheek despite the wriggling.]

I know you're going to grow up to be an amazing young lady.

[princessia]

[ She quickly stops wriggling around and relaxes in the hug, happy to receive the affection. ]

I want to grow strong and become like my friend, Milla! And like Jove, too.

[serves]

[His second favorite person :')]

I'll never have to lift my sword or shield again with you and Jove around.

[princessia]

[ Fine by her! He does a lot for her anyway... ]

That's fine. I'll protect you!