ACTION! Meeting people!

[killedwithlove]

Who: Cole and anyone who stands still long enough to be talked to
Broadcast: No.
Action: One ALL fleet ships except The Tourist and The Three Twins
When: During the week.

Cole doesn't like the communicators. He finds it too disorientating to talk to people and have that vast distance between them.

Instead, he's setting out to visit each of the ships and meet the people on board. He likes people and he likes meeting and talking with people and he'd far rather do that face to face.

Don't worry. He doesn't take up much space and he takes up no supplies. He just wants to meet people.

But... he gives The Tourist and The Three Twins a wide berth. Fenris had been very clear that he was not to see Cole again and Cole will respect that by avoiding the places he seems to be.

Anyone from those ships will have to be visitors somewhere else to run into Cole.

Comments

[merchantprince]

[It does surprise him, to hear a thing instead of a who. He blinks, absorbing that, mulling it around in his head first. He's seen what spirits can do. He saw Justice get twisted by Anders' anger, saw what it turned him into. He's seen people turn into demons. He's seen what they'll do just to feed.

But Cole is something else. And Varric has been living with at least one half-demon for a couple months, as well as a mage, and he's got friends in low places, and Cole is a friend of his friends and so...]

I don't hate you. [That's the first thing he says, and he means it.] It's hard to hate someone you just met. It's also hard to hate someone who is terribly honest and also talks you up like you're the best person in the world. I'm a sucker for flattery, you know.

[He drags a hand down his face.] So... you're a spirit? Or are you just possessing someone? Because the latter-- that didn't turn out so good last time.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole relaxed with a soft sigh, ducking his head and relaxing out a bit more.]

Thank you. For not hating me. A lot of people do when they know what I started life as.

I'm a spirit, but I'm not possessing anyone. Living in mortals is really bad for spirits. I'm not in someone else's body, this body is all mine. This is my natural shape.

[merchantprince]

[Varric knows he made the right decision when he sees that reaction. Honestly, it's... hard to hate someone who is basically a giant kid. It really is. And Varric does not hate easily.]

I've got a good friend here who's a demon. Or... half. It's complicated. [He shrugs.] My friends like you and you're not eating mages alive. I figure I might as well give you a chance.

[But, okay, he's curious.]

What's with the hat?

[killedwithlove]

I would never eat mages! I don't eat anything.

[He reaches up for the brim of his hat and pulls it on more firmly.]

There's nothing with it except me.

[merchantprince]

I should really introduce you to brownies. That'll change your mind. About eating food, obviously, not eating mages.

[Varric finds himself smiling despite the strange conversation he's having. This kid is just... no. He's not a kid. But he's something like one. He's childish and innocent, not at all like Varric expected a spirit to be.]

That's... yeah, okay. [The kid is cute and also baffling at times.]

[killedwithlove]

I don't know what brownies are. I can eat, I have eaten. But I don't do it anymore, not since I realised I was a spirit.

[merchantprince]

It's like a dense, moist chocolate cake. You cut it into squares, warm it up a bit, eat it. Delicious. You can thank Prickly for that one; I never would've thought of it.

[killedwithlove]

I don't know who Prickly is.

And I've never eaten chocolate. Or cake.

[merchantprince]

That's my nickname for Chris. He's the captain here. Just a kid, really, doesn't look much older than you.

[He lets out a low whistle.]

That's just sad. You're not living until you've had good food, good drinks, and a rowdy party with friends.

[killedwithlove]

You used to call me 'kid'. 'C'mon, kid, try again, bad memories don't trump three of a kind, do they?'

[Varric had spent a long time trying to teach him the different hands.]

You held a Wicked Grace night once. Everyone had fun. Josephine won Cullen's clothes and he had to run back to his room without them. Dorian thought it was very good. Cassandra kept blushing and not looking, but she sort of wanted to.

The King of Swords remembered lyrium infused fingers tapping on it, waiting, anticipating springing the reveal.

[merchantprince]

Then I'll keep calling you that here.

[That little impression makes the corner of his mouth hitch up. He listens to the story. Varric doesn't recognize Josephine's name among them, but that's fine. He can sorta get the picture.

It's the last part that he finds odd.]

If you mean the broody elf, he's pretty bad at cards.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole shrugs. He looks uncomfortable though.] I don't know. Maybe. I don't know any broody elves. I know Jove, and Sera, and Solas. And Sera didn't like anyone pointing out she was an elf.

[merchantprince]

The one I'm talking about has lyrium tattoos. He-- [He pauses.] Never mind. [Fenris threw such a stink about Chris being a half-demon, and Chris is just a kid, too. Some days, Varric wonders how he's supposed to manage keeping his friends from killing each other.

Thank Andraste that Hawke is here.]

I haven't met Sera or Solas yet. You like them?

[killedwithlove]

[Cole makes a distressed noise and pulls his hat down, like he could hide in it.]

I didn't mean to hurt him! I didn't know he was there! I was visiting Solas and he was there and-

[He had been enraged beyond feeling his pain.

Cole gets to his feet in a smooth, sudden motion, shying towards the shadows.]

I won't go there again. Not near him, not near Dorian. I promise. Please don't hate me.

[merchantprince]

[Varric gets up too, mostly because he's not sure if Cole's going to run off or something. His hands are raised in a gesture of surrender, of wanting to bring calm.]

Whoa! Easy there, Kid-- I'm not going to hurt you. Or hate you. I probably couldn't do either if I tried. [How the fuck do you hurt a spirit??? He tries to speak slowly, calmly.]

Who said you can't go near Dorian?

[killedwithlove]

[This is the Varric Cole remembers. He speaks and he's calm and soothing and Cole feels himself unwinding again.]

Most people are like cats. They either puff up to look dangerous or they crouch down and hope you don't see them. You show them you're not a victim or threat, and they're in your lap and purring before you know it.

[He pulls Varric's rough tones out of his own throat, the way the words roll off his tongue and down his broken nose.]

I did. Fenris and Dorian were in a room together, and Dorian soothed Fenris and I don't know much about those sort of relationships, but there's one there and Fenris won't feel safe if he thinks he might encounter me, so I can't go where he will. Will you help me write that down, and give it to him? You're good with words.

[merchantprince]

[He opens his mouth, then closes it. That is definitely Varric's own advice. He rubs the side of his head, tries to gather his thoughts as Cole speaks. The way he talks is a bit like an excited child, not always making sense, words barely touching his tongue before they stumble out and all over.

No wonder he has trouble.]

I can help you. It's fine. [He's not surprised that Fenris apparently already scared the piss out of the spirit-child but, shit.] Let me get this straight, first: you want to let Fenris know that you're avoiding him? Or Dorian?

[... That seems... dangerous. And a little redundant. But Varric could probably spin it in a way that doesn't make Fenris fucking fly off the handle about being called scared, probably, maybe? If necessary. He could also just be misinterpreting Cole so that's why he's asking.]

[killedwithlove]

[There's so much in Cole's head, history, feelings, memories, Varric and him and it gets messy and confusing. He can feel the dull aching disconnect of Cullen somewhere nearby, but he's trying not to hear that.]

Both! So he knows he can visit Dorian, and I won't be there! He hates me and I hurt him terribly, so I need to not be near him, ever. If he knows I won't be on his ship, or on Dorian's, then he knows he won't have to ever see me again.

[He's so excited about this solution. He can avoid hurting Fenris again, just by being careful about where he goes.]

[merchantprince]

Talking to the elf is kind of like trying to navigate a room full of traps you can't see: you never know what you'll wind up stepping on. You're not the first guy to piss him off and you won't be the last, so don't take it too personally. I'm sure you didn't mean to hurt him, kid. No one does.

[Because then they end up with a hand through their chest.]

I'll... write a letter.

[killedwithlove]

A lot of people are angry about what I am, or hurt, or scared, but no one has hurt like Fenris did. I don't want to ever hurt anyone like that again.

[The last sentence is breathed out, little more than a whisper.]

And you'll make sure that he knows? That I'll stay well away from his places, he won't have to see me on either of those ships, ever.

[merchantprince]

He hurts a lot. Probably all the time.

[Varric nods.]

I promise. And if one of them ends up on another ship, I'll let you know so you can avoid that one instead.

[He doesn't feel like that's much of a solution, but he'll take it over flat out homicide.]

We'll figure it out.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole is just a bit more upset at the idea that anyone hurts that much, all the time.]

How does he hurt so much and not die? When Cole hurt that much, he was dying.

[merchantprince]

[His voice is soft. Despite their disagreements, Fenris is a dear friend.]

Hard to say. All I know is that he still gets up every day, tags along on an adventure or two, and then shows up for a round of cards. Obviously he's got something to live for, but I'll be damned if anyone will tell you what it is straight up.

If he's hurting but he's still trying-- then that's enough, don't you think? That's his way of moving on. Everyone has their own way of dealing with things.

[Some healthier than others.]

[killedwithlove]

[Cole hums. He doesn't understand the idea 'something to live for' exactly. You either live, or you don't.]

I just... don't understand. when Cole hurt that much, he died. Maybe... some hurts don't kill you...

You just live with it, until you die. Of something else. Or that hurt.

Inside hurts... don't necessarily kill mortals...

[merchantprince]

[Ah. Yeah, that might be confusing to a spirit. He nods, encouraging.]

That's right. Sometimes the pain is so bad that... that you feel like you're better off dead. Even if you just go through the motions, talk to people, do your job-- it doesn't feel like you're in your own body. You feel empty.

[He adjusts his coat.]

But... you can come back from that. Sometimes you just have to see it through.