one ; he's a transponster!

[yourdistraction]

Who: Merrill & Fenris
Broadcast: {video} Fleet-Wide
Action: Anywhere on the Marsiva (they may split up we'll see).
When: January 14th

{VIDEO} ;

[ The video switches on to reveal— well okay it's an arm, covered in leather, chainmail and white fur, but only because the communicator's taking a moment to get pulled back, and only because there's more than one person trying to use it.

Or more than one elf, with pointed ears and both faces intricately covered in tattoos as the biggest clue. Merrill's markings are as dark as her short, braided hair and Fenris's are as light as his (there might even be a glow). Contrarily, perhaps, she looks much more cheerful in her greeting, but there is still a level of heightened stress to her tone. ]

Yes, hello! It seems we landed in the wrong time. World, actually! Now you promised, since the war's over. Can we speak to somebody in the Initiative? Where are our— Um—

[Merrill doesn't get to finish her sentence, as Fenris wrests control of the communicator from her. He looks decidedly less friendly, in fact, he looks just about ready to punch someone in the face. Hard.]

Our weapons. They are missing. [He jabs an annoyed thumb in Merrill's direction, whose irritated sigh can be heard off-camera.] I understand she likely disrupted the transporter. Just open up another one and send us back to Kirkwall. Now. I have no intention of staying on your blighted moon again. [A pause, a disdainful look around.] Or wherever this is...

[Actually, this looks distinctly non-Initiative. And it's definitely not United Earth, either, he remembers their holding pens, and this is not them. Where the heck ARE they? He doesn't have long to ponder or even let someone answer before there's another sound from Merrill off-camera; a gasp.]

There's something on you! Hold still.

What? What is- NO! Don't you touch me. [He may tolerate you existing in his life now, Merrill, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to touch him with your magey hands. He turns around a couple of times, trying to find...whatever it is on him, his hands tapping around his back until...oh he has a thing on his neck. WHY DOES HE HAVE A THING ON HIS NECK??

His fingers close on it, and he tries to yank it off. If you ever wondered what would happen if you tried to take your Augment off, wonder no more. Fenris gives a pained, frightened yelp, then curls into a horrible, shuddering ball on the floor, muttering horribly in Tevene. He's somewhere in the horrible recesses of his own broken mind right now, don't mind him.

Off-camera: ]

All right, I won't touch you.

Comments

video;

[catamite]

[more elves! there are some rattling sounds as Nel scrambles with his communicator to flip on the video feed.]

Whoa, are you guys okay?

[wolfuncaged]

[This is Grumpy Elf. Hi.]

No. No I'm not okay.

[catamite]

[whoa dude. his eyes are huge as he stares at the screen, and leans to the side as if he might get a better look at the guy]

There's a doctor here, but... if you're still stuck on that big ship, I don't think you can get to her.

[wolfuncaged]

I do not need help. [Waving his hand dismissively at the screen.] Do not concern yourself. I have suffered worse.

[catamite]

Okay, but...

[eh, he fidgets and kind of shuts up. speaking over someone more assertive is not exactly his greatest skill. so he switches gears.]

Where are you guys from? You just showed up, right?

[wolfuncaged]

[Fenris notices, but makes no comment of it, not yet. He has a mental checklist, for people who were like him, if they meet all of the criteria, well, then his concern is theirs. Right now, Nel has checked the first box.]

That is a...difficult question. We are originally from Thedas, but we have been serving a rebel force called the Initiative for some nine months.

[catamite]

So, like...

[boy he's not great at putting this world-bending stuff into words, so he starts with the simplest option.]

...You're soldiers or something?

[wolfuncaged]

We were, yes. Unwilling ones, but soldiers all the same.

Back home we are... [nine friends who get stupid crap thrown at them on a daily] less well organised than that.

[catamite]

Wow, there are a lot of people who were soldiers here.

So, where were you away from home? And was it a real war, or, like...

[yeah, he doesn't know what else soldiers do.]

[wolfuncaged]

That is not a comforting thought. [Why do they need soldiers?]

In war in Exsilium was very real. They were fighting against the United Earth, who were prepared to destroy all worlds in their attempts to dominate all. That is why we were brought in to be soldiers, to defend our own homes.

[catamite]

...Oh, Earth!

I have heard of that place.

[which is mostly all he heard out of everything Fenris just said.]

I didn't know it was so bad, though.

[wolfuncaged]

I do not believe it was the Earth you are thinking of. This was something...darker. I have met others from Earth, it is...different.

REALLY DW?? AGAIN ALREADY???

[catamite]

...Oh.

[his smile fades and he gets about as serious as he ever manages]

I wonder if that's like that place that was supposed to be my home, but... wasn't.

video;

[yourdistraction]

I'm fine! Thank you for asking.

[ :D ]

Only a bit confused.

video;

[catamite]

[oh! he reflexively returns the smile, sort of compulsively mirroring the expression.]

Oh, yeah... it does get really confusing here.

video;

[yourdistraction]

Everywhere is a bit confusing, I think. At least now Kirkwall will seem very simple in comparison.

video;

[catamite]

Is that where your home is? Did you just come from there?

video;

[yourdistraction]

No, no, I was taken from there some time ago. Nearly a year, I think? We were fighting a war, and I had thought we won. We were supposed to return, but we're here instead.

It isn't pleasant news, but it probably wasn't for you, either, was it? Where did you come from?

video;

[catamite]

Um, well... [yeah this is kind of beyond him to explain, but he's going to try anyway.]

Right before this, I was at this place that they just called the Court? But before that I was home... kind of. It was like home, but also... not.

And then before that is when I was actually home and everything was normal.

video;

[yourdistraction]

One of the courts! Somebody mentioned that. Are you a highborn?

[ How weird for an elf. What is happening rn. The world he went to must be even stranger than the others. ]

video;

[catamite]

[--haaa, that makes him laugh, kind of caught off guard by the question alone.]

No. Not at all.

Everybody there was trying to become Queen or whatever, but we were divided up into 'masters' and 'servants,' and I was not a master.

video;

[yourdistraction]

[ Not surprised! Elf, after all. ]

Were you a city elf before that?

video;

[catamite]

Well, yeah.

[duh.]

video;

[yourdistraction]

[ She must be sure! Merrill wouldn't normally be excited over a city elf, but...options are limited... ]

Do you like it better here?

video;

[catamite]

[coming from a place where you get in big trouble if you claim to have ties to nature, he'd be an idiot to call himself anything else.]

Better than what?