And then he has to go be weird again

[killedwithlove]

Who: Cole + Anyone willing to come find him on the Pathstone
Broadcast: n/a
Action: Cole's bunk on the Pathstone
When: Now ish?

[Usually, Cole manages a fairly good impression of amicably odd. And, normally, he's a fairly stable person, at the least he's out and about and piloting and generally sticking his nose into people's hurts to help them.

But he's retreated into his heretofore unused bunk for the last day or so. He talks to himself a lot in a whisper and worse, he seems to have wrangled up paint from somewhere, because on the floor outside his bunk, there's painted writing.]

A gold sonnet

[The handwriting is sharp and rushed and unpracticed.]

Comments

[openhands]

[Shifts in Cole's behavior are always a small cause for concern. Until she knows the reasons behind why he does the things that he does, Cassandra is always on guard as a precaution.]

Well?

[killedwithlove]

What is there to explain?

[It seems self evident to him.]

The words needed to be outside. I didn't have space inside for them.

[openhands]

[Cassandra gives him a flat look. Normally, she has patience with his slightly more literal understandings of questions, but not today, not with this.]

I mean why are you painting them, Cole?

[killedwithlove]

I told you. They needed to be outside, not inside.

[openhands]

That's not what I'm asking.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole keeps watching her.

He doesn't understand what she wants to hear.

And he's getting that slightly twitchy look that says he's going to try and vanish any moment now.]

[openhands]

Why are you painting, Cole? I don't mean these words or out here. I mean in general.

[killedwithlove]

[He rocks on his feet.]

There's things. I feel, hear, know but they're too much. I don't know how to process it all. Solas used to paint it all. I hoped painting it would help. Putting it outside, rather than inside.

[openhands]

And is it?

[killedwithlove]

...

I'm not sure yet.

[openhands]

[Cassandra sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment.]

Try to keep it from spreading out into the hallway any further.

[killedwithlove]

[He nods quickly.]

I will. I don't want to upset anyone.

[openhands]

[Cassandra glances down at the words outside the door and then back up to Cole. At least the worst does not appear to be happening, but she is still concerned.]

What's happened, Cole? Why the sudden change?

[killedwithlove]

I don't think I'm becoming a demon. It's just... hard. So much loss. I can't help it. Echoing in empty spaces, so familiar, hurts, knots, know it.

Alone.

[openhands]

Would you like to...talk about it?

[There's uncertainty there in her voice because Cassandra knows she fumbles when it comes to comforting other people who aren't even half as strange or odd as Cole. But she still makes the offer all the same.]

[killedwithlove]

[He looks at her and he remembers talking about Fenris. She said it was good to speak, but he had hurt her in telling her.

He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't want to hurt her.]

No. But thank you for offering.

[openhands]

[With little else to do, Cassandra nods and begins to move on.]

Don't let it get too out of hand, Cole.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole looks at his hands, decides she probably doesn't mean that literally and nods.

Then vanishes back into his room.]