driftfleet | video

Who: Lavellan
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: On the Red Fish
When: Now!

[ When the feed comes on, the woman featured mostly looks... Awkward, and unsure of herself. It takes her a moment to realise her pressing buttons worked, and then she brightens, leaning forward so that her face is in the camera a little more. She's trying, but modern technology is still a bit of a leap for her, despite knowing how to use it thanks to her augment. It's foreign, but she's doing her best. ]

Andaran atish’an. My name is Leilani of Clan Lavellan - I was told there were other elves here, from Thedas. I was hoping to meet them, if I could? It's not necessary, of course, but...

[ But she does rather want to be with her people right now, or some of them, if she can. She doesn't feel particularly comfortable and she thinks she has reason enough to feel on edge, all things considered.

Hopefully, no one will notice her lack of vallaslin. She's not in the mood. She seems to steel herself, at least, and something settles as she sits up. ]

I'd be glad to speak to anyone else, as well, especially if I can be given more information about this place. I would appreciate it. Ma serannas.

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[He chuckles softly.]

If very well could be.

[He takes a moment just to enjoy where they are, then, continues with his questions.

Tell me of your Clan. We can see if there are differences. Is the Keeper still a woman named Deshanna Istimaethoriel?

Yes, that is our keeper. I was her First.

[ She had been quite happy there, before the Conclave, but she realises just how blind she had been before. It's awkward and uncomfortable in hindsight, and she knows going back would be difficult and impossible - they would look at her and shame her. ]

They were threatened for some time but I made sure that they were safe.

Did they end up on the council of Wycome?

Yes. The Keeper has a seat and has influence in Wycome.

That's exactly where she is for me too. I almost feel bad for the nobles who try to speak against her.

[He says it rather fondly and for a moment seems kind of wishful.]

Our First is named Pel. She was gifted to the Clan at a very young age when her magic appeared. That obviously did not happen in your Thedas, and that explains why you don't know me from home. I was originally from another Clan, called Ashara, but my mother died in an illness that killed so many, it ruined their ability to care for me. I was brought to Lavellan because of Pel. She is my cousin, through my mother's family.

It's possible she was given to another Clan and so whoever the version of me there is in your Thedas, he likely was raised by them. Or he died along with his mother. Or was never born.

It's all rather mystifying to think about.

I was born to my clan. There was never any doubt about what my future would be; I was raised knowing that I would become the First and that I would take the Keeper's place. I never knew anything different until I was sent to the conclave on her orders.

[ Leilani pauses, just as thoughtful, before she breathes out. ]

Perhaps it was my being born in my world that stopped you from becoming Inquisitor. I was made First so Pel was not necessary - I was already there.

That's probably true. She would have gone to another Clan in need of a mage.

[It still feels like his Thedas might be poorer for not having her in it, despite the fact that have just met.]

I probably ended up there as well.

Though, given what I went through, I couldn't imagine living through that while worried about the pressure of being a First. Had to planned to return to the Clan?

And you may well have followed her there.

[ Perhaps that's the solution, or perhaps neither of them exist in one another's world - both thoughts are strange and confusing. ]

Ah... I did, initially. I thought that the Inquisition would tire of having an elf to lead it, or that once the Breach was closed I wouldn't be needed anymore. I was wrong on both accounts. I would return, but... [ She looks down at her hand. ] I don't think they'd enjoy my story.

[Cyril glances at her hand and then his own reaches to touch the part of his arm that leads to the prosthetic. The constant ache there almost seems to be worse now, but he's sure that it's based on memory than anything.]

That's going to be difficult isn't it? How do we share the truths we uncovered without being seen as traitors?

We do not speak our children's names in case Fen'Harel steals them. We fear what he could do, that he may trick us, that he will harm our families, and I...

[ She trusted him. Var lath vir suledin. She shakes her head. ]

There is no going back.

There isn't. [He agrees with a somber tone, but then he tries to think of the silver lining.] But we have managed to uncover truths so long lost. If the goal of our people is to recover our history, we have done more for that than could have been found otherwise.

It may not be the truth people want to hear, but that doesn't make it any less true.

That's the reason Solas was so damning of our people, isn't it? Our inability to listen, to understand, to open our minds to what our history might really be. The Creators not being who they are, our Pantheon being dismantled in his stories, the slave markings...

[ It's a hard truth to swallow, and even now it aches inside of her. ]

I wish I didn't know it, sometimes. It would make so many things easier.

[Cyril pressed his lips together for a moment, thinking over how to reply to that. He would never wish to un-know the truth, no matter how painful. Still, he can understand why she would say such a thing. A lot of people would feel the same.]

I think that's a very natural feeling to have. We always want to avoid things that hurt.

[ It's not a constant wish, at least. It would make her life easier, and make things better, but she would still have to contend with Solas, with the Inquisition, with the nobles and the ladies and all the other nonsense. Sometimes it's nice to pretend to be someone else, even for a brief five minutes. ]

There are many things I wish. [ She looks down at her hand, sad for a moment. ] But they are just wishes.

[Cyril tries not to look at the fake arm he's wearing. Instead, he comes closer to her.]

Does the anchor hurt you? [He asks after a moment.] I wonder if your augment can stop it from lashing out?

Yes.

[ She looks down at her hand, frowning. ]

It is not as painful as it was in Thedas, but I think I will have to speak with Dorian about stopping it.

He might be able to help me as well. The pain lingers even after it's gone.

I'll ask him. [ She frowns, staring at her hand. ] It may have to be removed.

Solas made it seem that was the only way. [He says it with some real empathy for the fact that she has to face that. He understands how it feels having been there himself.]

If it does happen, I can make you something to make it less noticeable?

Though, to be fair, I think the medics here probably have something more lifelike. [He'll have to look into that himself.]

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