oo1; accidental video/action

[theirinurpants]

Who: Alistair and YOU?!
Broadcast: Fleetwide; mostly accidental.
Action: On the Marsiva!
When: Now? Now. Sure, now.

Teagan? Teagan! [ The man on the camera is young, handsome, and looking a bit put out to be where he is. This isn't his castle! What is this place? He's also sort of looking away from the screen, not fully aware he's broadcasting. He mostly thinks he's talking to himself. ]

Okay, hah hah, very funny, you've had your joke, now where are you? And where am I? I'm sure I've got a very important meeting with someone who will be very angry when I don't show up - not that I care much if I'm making the Orlesians angry, it's sort of funny when their faces get all red and they start trying not to swear, but still...

Have I been kidnapped? Has someone kidnapped me? I'm pretty sure kidnapping the king is treason. I can have your head for that. [ He doesn't sound so much angry as... vaguely confused and disoriented. ] Off with your head. Whenever I figure out who you are, I suppose.

Comments

[theirinurpants]

[ He still feels like he's missing something. If it's just that they were friends, why does she look so distraught, so torn up inside? This is awkward, sure, but to look at her it's almost as though - he died, or something.

He hopes he didn't die in her world. ]

That's all right. I just don't want to make you uncomfortable, or anything.

[bryces_pup]

You don't. I mean, it's definitely a little weird but that's no one's fault but Atroma's. Probably just take some getting used to.

[That's, uh, one way of putting it.]

Do I - this must be twice as odd for you, since I'm a stranger. If I make you uncomfortable, let me know. That's the last thing I want.

[theirinurpants]

Honestly, you probably won't. I mean - I'm sure we're friends for a reason, right? Why can't we be friends again?

[bryces_pup]

[And the hand on her thigh deepens into a vice grip, one she's reasonably sure could draw blood from how hard it's digging into her skin. She's never been so grateful for all her mother's drills about schooling her emotions and appearing the calm, collected lady. Of course, those lessons were given to brush off subtle barbs and unwanted words, not... this. Her mask isn't perfect, but at least it's preventing her from having a complete breakdown.

"Smile, darling. Always smile." And that's what she did.]

I see no reason why we couldn't. Of course, we'll have to find something new to bond over, now that we don't have a Blight over our heads and a colorful band of miscreants following us.

[theirinurpants]

[ Well, it's a start. Right? ]

They might not be following, but I'm sure there are plenty of colorful miscreants here.

[bryces_pup]

Oh, most definitely. I can attest to a few on my ship alone. though of the mostly harmless sort. They're a good crew. [Now that gets an honest smile out of her. She's with good people.] Though it's not quite the same without Oghren stumbling around and Zevran making you or Wynne enormously uncomfortable with his innuendos.

[theirinurpants]

Well I don't miss the innuendos!

[ It's a little weird to hear her talk about the people he knows like she knows them just as well. But he'll overlook that for the moment. ]

I miss the rest of it, though.

[bryces_pup]

But they were so informative!

[And endlessly entertaining for her.]

I do as well. As hard as it was at times, looking back, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[Though she lost so much to get to that point, she gained quite a bit from it. Things she never would have had if she stayed in Highever.]

In your Thedas, did... everyone come out of it okay? After the battle in Denerim and all?

[theirinurpants]

Yes, I mean, our little group of misfits, everyone is fine. Probably even Morrigan, but nobody knows where she ran off to.

[bryces_pup]

Ah, did she make a sneaky exit after the battle as well?

[And was it for the same reason?]

[theirinurpants]

Sneaky is one way of putting it. Or - poof. Like a witch.

[bryces_pup]

[Ahhhh, good to know that Alistair and Morrigan's intense dislike of each other spreads across all universes. Despite everything she's feeling, she can't help but laugh a little.]

She never hid that fact. Oh well, her loss. She missed a great celebration feast.

[Of course Riona feels much more strongly and is far more conflicted about Morrigan's disappearance than that. However, she's not sure if Morrigan left for the same reasons in Alistiar's version of events as hers. And she really rather avoid explaining that ritual to him if it could be helped.]

[theirinurpants]

It was all right. I mean, the food was good. And I didn't flub my speech.

[ That's basically his idea of a success - not making himself a laughingstock. ]

[bryces_pup]

You didn't! I think even Teagan smiled and his face didn't crack. You're a worker of miracles, you are.

[theirinurpants]

[ It's so weird that she remembers that as well as he does, and yet, he doesn't remember her. ]

Er, well. I mean, I just memorized it.

[bryces_pup]

[Honestly, she's just sort of swinging here until he points out something that doesn't line up with her version of events. She keeps expecting him to at any moment.]

Half of what makes a speech good is in the delivery. And don't sell yourself so short, memorizing those things are certainly no easy task.

[And this is what a chunk of their relationship is: her trying to boost Alistair's esteem and letting him know someone believes in him.]

[theirinurpants]

[ It does remind him a little of Solona. She always encouraged him, too. ]

Eh. Right now I'm still just doing what people tell me to do.

[bryces_pup]

You're still learning how to rule. Think of it as an apprenticeship. When you're ready, you'll take the reins.

[theirinurpants]

Yeah, but I wasn't born to it like Cailan. I wasn't raised learning how like Anora. And Ferelden needs a good ruler now, not in ten years.

[ He stops, and realizes what he just did. Then he flashes her a faint smile. ]

Nevermind. It's not like I'm there to flub it up right now, anyway, right?

[bryces_pup]

[It kills her to see him down on himself, to see him have so little faith in his abilities. There's so much more she wants to say, but she can't. Not if she's to keep up the facade of being just his friend. And she knows when he wants to avoid a subject; he's already said more than he usually does to a stranger.]

Perhaps you'll learn a few things that you can bring home with you. There are others here who are sovereigns in their own right.

In the meantime, you have a lot of freedom. Well, once you're off the Marsiva. Until then, enjoy the awful food and all the... exercising equipment.

[theirinurpants]

Oh, I'll bet that's fun. A bunch of kings all sitting around on a fleet of ships in the great void of space... a real party.

[bryces_pup]

Who said they were all men? And I know of one who's younger than you, and has about as much enthusiasm for the job as you do. [She chuckles a little.] So if nothing else, there are other people you can grouse about the job with.

[theirinurpants]

Well, that's something.

[ He gives her an apologetic look. ]

I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so grouchy.

[bryces_pup]

You're allowed to be as grouchy or whatever as you want to be. Don't ever feel like you have to apologize for what you're feeling.

[She told "her" Alistair that and the same holds true for this one.]

[theirinurpants]

No, I'm not. I'm the king. I'm supposed to be... kingly. Or something. I bet Cailan was never grouchy.