We're Riding Solo

[digthefuzz]

Who: The crew of the Huntress and any visitors!
Broadcast: Nope!
Action: The Huntress!
When: From now-ish until later-ish?! Go nuts!

[Time to get away from the icy ravages of the planet? Or see what happens when the Huntress tries to make the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs? All your threading needs are here!]

Comments

[princessia]

Not a lot.

[ Cole had mentioned it before though. He mostly told her about the spirits of virtue and demons. When she first met him, she could sense the Fade from him. She still does, but it's something she doesn't think deeply about. But it felt similar to the sensation of mana and spirit energy from Rieze Maxia, reminding her of home. ]

Magic comes from the Fade. [ That's as much as she knows. ] Is that what this is?

[dawnwillcome]

In a way. The Fade is also somewhere most races go when they dream, so it's a real place in Thedas. Usually there's no other way to go there unless you're a mage and do a special ritual.

[She was going to be a Keeper, the elf in her clan that was in charge of telling the young elves with magic what the Fade was, how to control their powers, so she's practiced for exactly what she's doing, but it's so different with Elize. She loves Elize like her own blood, and all she wants to do is protect her. That's part of why she gets this secret, but there's no denying the hope that somehow, it will ease how badly she misses Cullen.]

What I can do with my mark is a rip a portal into the Fade. It's dangerous for waking mortals to enter the Fade at all, but I could. I could rip straight through it and out the other side and be somewhere else, as long as I have the right pathway to where I want to go.

[It won't be easy, but she knows she can. She'll die to do it if it means bringing Elize to Cullen.]

I know it's not much when I can't do it here, but if there's ever a time you leave, or I leave, I can come for you. I can bring you home to Skyhold. To Cullen.

[princessia]

[ Elize listens to her explanation of the Fade carefully. ]

You can do that?

[ Deep down, there might be some small feelings of resentment and jealousy towards Jove. Whenever Jove leaves, she can easily reunite with Cullen in her Thedas. Yet Elize also loves her, viewing her as a mother or how a good mother should be. Her love urges her to try to bury any negative feelings she may have.

She knows she would try to find her, to bring them all back together again. As much as she wants something like that, to finally live out her dreams living in Skyhold with family, it sounds impossible with all the worlds that are out there. She doesn't want to put Jove in any danger either. ]

...You said it's dangerous. [ A shake of her head. ] I don't know, Jove...

[dawnwillcome]

Most things worth doing are unsafe, da'len. Luckily, it's something I experience in. There's no need to worry about me.

[Which is about half true, but they don't have to talk about that. She brings her hand up to stroke Elize's hair, meeting her eyes and making sure she's still got her close attention.]

That isn't the only kind of magic at my disposal. You remember Dorian? He invented a kind of magic that let us travel through time. If going through the Fade doesn't work, I'll keep him on developing spells to travel through dimensions until we get it right.

[Her hand moves again, joined by the other one to rest on both the girl's shoulders.]

You won't be alone, Elize. You have my word that I will never let that happen.

[princessia]

[ It's actually true for Elize too though. A lot of things she has done back on her own world were unsafe, but she did it to get something she wanted. Why should she hold back on this too?

She's still listening, staring right back at Jove, taking in every word and trying her hardest to believe in them. There has to be something that she can do on her end. When she leaves, she can try to ask Milla, Jude, or Rowen. They know how much she desires a family. And Milla is the Lord of Spirits, practically a god of her world. She has to know something. ]

I don't know what I can do, not yet. But I'll- [ A deep breath. She doesn't want Jove and the rest of the Inquisition to be doing all the work. What is it that she usually says? ] I'll do my best. You've never met them, but my friends from home would understand what I want to do.

[ And she could never forget about Dorian. ]

Dorian... he never told me about time traveling.

[ If he stuck around longer and her studies had gone further, maybe time spells was something that she would have eventually learned about. They never got around to learning magic theory and new spells. ]

He was going to teach me more spells and how to write in the common tongue.

[dawnwillcome]

[Jove nods, because of course she's not going to tell Elize not to try her own methods to get what she needs. Cullen had been overprotective but Jove knows better, knows that telling someone as bright and, yes, stubborn as Elize no won't do any good. It's better to support her and help her learn, guide her, than use her age to hold her back.

She's already very powerful, Jove knows that. It's past time for Elize to realize it too, and come to accept it.]

We'll see who finds who first, then.

[And she's overcome by the urge to lean forward and press a kiss to the girl's forehead, but it's one that Jove doesn't fight. It's brief, but the kiss is one a mother would give her child, and it feels so right that it's nearly overwhelming.]

I can teach you, if you'd still like to learn. Our methods would be different, but I can get you to the same place he would have.

[princessia]

[ Even during that brief moment, Elize was already leaning inward slightly to receive the kiss. She wants her mother figure's affection, especially now. ]

I want to keep learning.

[ She's at least able to write a few characters in the common tongue, but not really any full sentences. Dorian taught her a little bit, but it was shortly after that he returned home.

That's when she remembers the letter still clutched tightly in her hand. Loosening her fingers, she unfolds the piece of paper to reveal the letter with Cullen's handwriting on it. Hints of tear stains parts of the parchment, from her earlier crying. ]

I can read my name... I can read Daddy's name. The rest, I can't.

[ She bites down on her lower lip, trying to hold back more tears. Despite being unable to very well read the contents of it, she knows it's important. The most important memory left of Cullen. ]

Can you read it for me, please?