driftfleet | interfaith dinner mingle!!

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interfaith dinner mingle!!

Who: Interfaith Center regulars & the not-so-regulars (party crashers are welcome too!!)
Broadcast: Nope
Action: Interfaith Center on the Iskaulit
When: Forward-dated to November 4th

[The Interfaith Center sounds far more bustling and busy than usual - and anyone peering inside would quickly figure out that a communal dinner is underway! Take off your shoes and walk in: the lounge has extra tablecloths on the floor as well as buffet tables with non-alcoholic beverages and all sorts of food, including Jordanian cuisine (or the outer space equivalent of Jordanian food).

The board games are out of their hiding nooks; the furniture's arranged for the maximum seating possible; and even the teddy bears donated by Kitty & Winn are out for cuddling, should anyone want them.

The kitchen's bustling with helpers - Stefan's running around at vamp-speed to make sure everything's a) done on time and b) cooked to perfection - but he sure wouldn't mind an extra hand. And if you're still not up for some food? Well, the prayer rooms are open as usual. There's always a quiet moment to be found, even if the laughter's louder and the scent of freshly-baked mansaf's wafting through the long corridors.

Anyone and everyone who's ever been inside the Interfaith Center has been invited (via text message - and Stefan even used the fancy emoji). If you're not particularly faithful or devout? Well, drop by anyways. There's more than enough food to spare.]

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I adore them still, even if my work for the Divine has kept me busier than I would have liked. Ah- after the Blight, Mother Dorothea was made the next Divine when her predecessor passed away. She asked for my help.

[She was careful to dodge what sort of 'help' she gave. Riona already worried about it, having an idea of what skills she had to offer. She wouldn't bring up any specifics to Lark either.]

I come here to find the same peace I did in Lothering, to allow myself to make sense of all of this - why we were brought here, what Atroma has planned. Mostly, it's just nice to have a quiet moment now and again, no?

Of course.

[She didn't want to say 'we were supposed to travel the world together' it sounded whiny and petulant, not befitting a proud Dalish Warden. But...of course something had come up. Something had likely come up with her too, Alistair might have needed her help, or something else with the Wardens and Leliana would have felt honor-bound to answer a call from her religion. Lark couldn't blame her.]

I understand. It's a nice sentiment.

Perhaps I can carve something to honor Ghilan'nain. She's the Mother of all Halla and goddess of navigation.

[Her hand came up to brush the vallaslin on her forehead.]

Is this the only place you feel you can find peace? It seems like a large fleet.

I am sure Stefan would not mind. I find it interesting how open this places about different faiths. He has held discussions before as well, though I have yet to sit down for them. Perhaps someone might have questions about Elven lore?

[As for her question, Leliana gives her a thoughtful glance, contemplating how to explain herself. At first it had been a means to learn, but then coming here had become routine. It reminded her of home, of her small altar in the rookery at Skyhold.]

I come here so that I do not trouble Riona, the other Warden in the fleet - the one that I have known, instead of you. We reside aboard the same ship in the fleet, but there are things I don't want to trouble with. I come here, when the din becomes too much, so that I might keep my thoughts from hurting others.

[Thoughts of Justinia, thoughts of how bitterly angry she was at Anders' presence before he had been stripped of Justice, thoughts of how she felt herself slipping... she didn't want to burden her friend with any of it.]

I wouldn't want to trouble you with it either, so please... think nothing of it. It's just- a lot has happened since the Blight.

Edited 2016-11-08 01:25 (UTC)

I can tell.

[Riona seemed nice enough, for a noble human, that thread of jealousy still hadn't unwound itself and it clenched briefly at the mention, but then faded again. She focused on Leliana instead.]

You're more closed off. More sad. More angry. You're in pain.

[She just couldn't figure out why. Lark shifted forward a bit, those green eyes locked intently on Leliana.]

It troubles me more to not know what pains you, to not even have the chance to help. Nothing you could tell me would trouble me more than that.

I know I'm basically a stranger, but what you do know of me should tell you enough to know I want to help you. I've always wanted to support you, that hasn't changed.

[But she couldn't drag it out of Leliana, all she could do was hold out the invitation and hope it was taken eventually.]

I understand if you don't want to talk now, just know this isn't the only safe haven you have available. Anywhere I am is safe for you as well.

Your version of me - did you meet Marjolaine?

[She wants to confirm it because surely if they're as close as Lark says, she'll realize sooner or later that she's slipped off the wagon in a fashion. She's done things in her work for Justinia that were necessary, even if she didn't always feel good about it.]

Did we talk of her?

['Because there are times when I look in the mirror and all I see is her' she wants to say. There are times when even just a simple gesture of her hand could set her heart stopping in her chest because out of the corner of her eye she would catch her reflection for a fraction of a second and feel as if she was staring back at that woman who had hurt her.]

[Lark's expression turns sour for a moment.]

I know about her, I know what she was to you and what she did to you. I stuck one of my daggers in her myself, right next to one of your arrows.

[And she'd do it again. She'd fight that woman one-on-one if she had to, anything to protect her Leliana from that pain.]

[That earns a surprised look. She had wanted to kill Marjolaine back then but Riona had convinced her to spare her life. To know that a version of her had done differently - had given into her desire for revenge - was intriguing.]

We killed her, then? An interesting change of events.

[Not unwelcome, either.]

[That takes her off guard and it's clear in her face.]

You mean...you didn't? Why would Riona leave her alive, how could you? What she did was unforgivable.

[Her Leliana wasn't a killer, not like Marjolaine, but Lark hardly wished her to be passive, especially not when it came to those who dared to hurt her. Leliana was too good a person, too sweet for anything to try and hurt her.]

It was unforgivable but it was the choice we made. She left for Orlais and I followed after the Blight was finished, to make sure she did not try to send assassins after me again. The only difference was that I did not have Riona accompany me.

Edited 2017-01-03 16:46 (UTC)

[Lark almost looked sad to hear it. She looked away.]

You stayed with me in Denerim for a time. We got rings to match... [She held her hand out, a ring made of silverite on her finger. Her expression was soft, fond of the memory of presenting the ring to Leliana and the way her gentle human had lit up.]

Then you received a letter from a friend of yours and decided you'd go to meet her, about the same time I received notice I was needed at Vigil's keep. We said goodbye and then I was here.

[She looked back to Leliana.] I'm sorry you still bore that burden.

[For a moment she can picture herself as she had been then - young and full of songs in her heart - and then she and Lark would get these rings and it would have made her feel as if she was flying and full of joy. The only problem with that was she hadn't experienced it. She didn't remember it. And then that light happy feeling she'd had for a brief moment died in her thoughts.]

It is... beautiful. I'm sorry that I- [She cuts herself off, realizing apologizing was honestly fruitless.] I am sure that the both of you were very happy.

[Yes, talking about this like it's someone else's life which by all accounts it is, but still the idea of it was enticing. The idea that she could have someone in her life the way Riona felt for Alistair felt intriguing.]

[Before Leliana had cut herself off, Lark was shaking her head. There was nothing to apologize for, if anyone had any apologizing to do, it was Atroma for doing this to them in the first place.

Instead, Leliana stopped herself and Lark felt a pang in her heart. She tried so hard not to push, not to say anything to put Leliana on the spot, but her heart clenched tight and the words escaped her before she could stop them.]

We still could be. You are her as much as she is you. I want...

[Lark shook her head again and made to stand. She swore to herself that, if she were to win Leliana back, it would be through conversation and shared understanding, just as it had been before, not out of a perceived obligation on her love's end. That wouldn't be fair to either of them.]

I'm sorry, that wasn't fair of me to say. I should be going, thank you for your company.

[Leliana didn't know what to do - should she stop her from leaving? What could she even say to that? Already she was playing in her head the struggle between Alistair and Riona - that he couldn't be the Alistair she wanted him to be. Leliana felt the same for Lark. She couldn't be exactly that person that she saw. There might be more than a few glimpses of that person there but at the end of the day things had transpired very differently.]

I- I don't know. I don't think I can be, but... I'd very much like it if you still came to see me again. Despite all of this - [She gestures between them as she makes to stand as well.] it doesn't hurt to have a friend in this place.

[Lark paused, her expression suddenly intensely serious. Gently, her fingers reached out to brush at red hair that was exactly as soft as she remembered, then traced down Leliana's cheek.]

Vehenan, you will always be my friend, before you were anything else, you were one of my dearest friends and you always will be. Of course I'll come back to see you, you can't be rid of me as easily as all that.

[For all her jokes at other people's expense - especially Riona's and, lately, Cullen's - somehow Lark was actually making her blush. And she had to internally conjure up the ugliest thing she could think of - some fat noble woman with mismatched shoes, darkspawn, anything would be nice.]

Good. I'd like to see you again. Even if things aren't quite what you hope they'd be. I'd like to hear stories, if you want to tell them.

[Stories were a safe topic. It was familiar. Something she'd enjoyed telling herself when sat about the campfire with the rest of their merry band of misfits, back when she had been younger and Riona hadn't yet become a Queen.]

The I'll return with stories for you.

[She took Leliana's hand and pressed her lips to it. It was such a human noble thing to do, but she knew the gesture wouldn't be lost on Leliana.]

I'll see you later.

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interfaith dinner mingle!!

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ow my feelings...

I'm here to supply your pain