driftfleet | September Blue Fish Mingle

To say the last few weeks have been a challenge for Riona would be like saying seeing a broodmother for the first time is a bit scary.

Sokka's departure and thus her promotion to captain plus all the crap with the cargo run plus Alistair being in a coma (and now Thor as well) plus whatever is going on with Justice times all the other usual drama equals one very tired, worn out Riona. She's captaining to the best of her abilities, but it's clear she's got a lot on her mind. All of this dulls her usual cheer, and her smiles seem a bit rarer.

But still she presses on. Despite all that's going on, she's tried to make herself accessible to her crew. Most days she's either in the galley or in the captain's chair on the bridge (as wrong as it still feels to sit in it). And if you are looking for her, those are the best places to start, though don't be surprised if you see her starting to drift off. Sleep hasn't been a constant companion these days...

It doesn't take long for Leilani to come in to where Riona is, her conversation with Justice hanging over her shoulders, feeling nauseated and unsure. The captain's chair is one of the best places to find her, especially with the rest of the crew on and off in their sleeps and not, and she sighs as she moves closer and hangs herself over the back of the chair, her head resting on the back.

"Hey."

Riona starts a bit, having half-fallen asleep when Leilani greets her. She quickly puts on a smile and looks over her shoulder at the elf. "Hello. Coming for a chat or did you need something?"

Sighing, Leilani hesitates for a moment before she lifts a shoulder into a shrug. Anyone who's seen the network can likely guess why she's so miserable. "It's more like I'm hiding."

Riona didn't want to bring it up, but since Leilani did first... "Have you spoken with him? Or her? Or... whatever Justice currently was at that moment?"

"I did. A little." Moving around, Leilani drops down and settles cross-legged on the ground, a little like she might have done when she was younger. "He kept calling me 'elf' and 'mage', so I decided it might be best not to continue."

"He didn't recognize me either. Kept asking me who had mauled me and why I wasn't like I should be." Direct and blunt as always. "I suspect this is a glitch so we just have to ride it out."

"I suppose that's just how it has to be." Frowning, she shifts and makes herself a little more comfortable, breathing out softly. It's probably what she deserves, all things considered. "I'll wait it out. I can do that."

Riona offers a sympathetic look and a squeeze on the shoulder. "It'll be all right. If nothing else, you might be able to wiggle a favor out of him after it's all said and done. I certainly plan on guilting a bottle of wine or two out of him." She's mostly kidding. Mostly

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Quarters

[There are a lot of things that Alistair would like to forget happened happened. Most of his time before falling into his coma on the fleet was fun. Even if he was a mabari. It was a chance to relax, forget most of his stress and have his tummy rubbed by people without getting strange looks. Not to mention the fact that everyone played with him.

However, falling into his coma was the end of that almost idyllic existence. What happened was that he was returned back to Denerim and had to deal with the shitshow that was Thedas after the Fifth Blight and the Thaw happened. Meeting Anders, Riona and Oghren in Amaranthine, dealing with the headaches of the nobility of Ferelden while trying to negotiate with the Free Marches, Orlais and the other countries of Southern Thedas, and then Kirkwall.

The only good to come out of Kirkwall was meeting Isabela again and being properly introduced to Varric Tethras before hiring them to take him on a trip through the Imperium and the damn Fade yet again. And then the shit with Maric and the return home to Denerim. Just when he was ready to be a good king in his own right, he wakes up from a semi-restful night's sleep in a strangely familiar situation with an empty, cold bed.]

Sweet Andraste. Here again?

Lab Support

[Now that he's back, he takes some time to get his thoughts together in the monotony of working in the medbay of the Blue Fish. The cabinets are still rather stocked with healing potions and the regular supplies in case one of the crew did something dangerous.

Who was he kidding. Most of the crew of the Blue Fish were prone to danger, either by being Theodosian or by being a magical being of some sort. It was a good idea to do this, at least it lets him figure out what the hell is going on since he's slept for nearly a month here but six and a half years passed back home. The sound of the doors opening catches his attention and he can't help but look up.]

How can I help you?

Galley

[He's not sure how long it's been since he's actually eaten, but he's starving. After taking out a few things and following the basic recipes left around, he's made a sandwich. It's just sort of....gritty.]

I'd forgotten how awful the food on the ships can be.

[Alistair can be forgiven for not recognizing Justice, because Justice is utterly unrecognizable. For one, she appears to be a woman now. And for two, she also appears to be an elf, but clearly neither a City nor a Dalish elf. She's taller and more muscular than an elf should be, and she wears sleek armor that hasn't been seen in Thedas for many eons and a hood over her head. As if to obscure herself even more, she wears a scarf over her face, leaving only sharp eyes visible, and her entire form glows blue.

The only hint that this may be someone Alistair knows is Loyalty padding behind Justice, looking very distressed by this whole thing with her tail whipping back and forth.

She doesn't respond immediately to Alistair's question. She cocks her head, as if tasting the air, and her brow furrows.]

Who did this to you?

[Her voice is hard, like whatever 'this' is has made her angry.]

[Alistair looks up at the doorway and frowns. A strange elf. A strange, glowing elf.

Except, he looks down to see an extremely familiar beast. Another snow leopard rescued from Selvin-9 when he himself was adopted by Doglord. However, he doesn't think they belong to Anders, because it doesn't appear to be quite as fat or demanding.

He stands from his stool and lets his frown set in as it's wont to do nowadays.]

Did what?

[The spirit frowns at Alistair, a furrow appearing between her brow.] You do not see it either.

I had hoped that your elvhen blood would give you clarity, but you are just as blinded. You do not even have magic. [She says this like it's a very, very sad thing, like she's telling him that he'll never be able to walk again or he'll never have children.

...That said, he does seem to have dragon blood, and that is weird, and he seems to sing with some kind of illness of the blood, which is also weird. Really weird.] Did you tamper with your blood yourself?

[Confused? Yes, yes he is.]

What elvhen blood? [He knows what that means. He's not an idiot, but it's very unexpected.

But the other comment, considering recent events, has him stand still.]

What do you know about it?

Your elvhen blood. [She says it impatiently, like she shouldn't even have to explain that much.] The blood you inherited and now runs through your veins.

[Her brow furrows deeper. Loyalty paces unhappily between the two of them, tail lashing back and forth and occasionally meowing loudly.] I know that you are sick with blood that sings an old song. I know that somehow the blood of dragons is in you. Neither of these things happen naturally.

As far as I know, the Theirin line has never been mixed with any elves. And my sister, [That word isn't easy to say], and brother were both human.

[And he's a little uncomfortable thinking about the possibility even. It's bad enough with what he learned about Calenhad and his father. It doesn't sit well with him, but he wasn't there at the time the decisions had to be made either.]

As for the rest, that's none of your business.

You have been lied to. [No matter what incarnation, Justice always has the tact of an asthmatic possum.] One of your parents was a full-blooded elf. I hear it as easily as I hear your sickness.

[Justice’s face doesn’t shift from her perpetual glare as she cocks his head at him, as if she’s listening to something, but after three long seconds, she jerks her shoulder in some approximation of a shrug.] So be it.

[He opens his mouth to fight against those words but then closes it just as quickly before he starts laughing. It's not pleasant.]

Why should this be any different than anything else? It would have to have been my mother because my father was too visible to not have been brought up for being an elf as the king of a country.

[Just another lie Maric, Eamon and the rest of his entire "family" shared with him. Perhaps even Duncan if the stories he heard about the liberation of Ferelden from other veterans were true.]

I'm not even surprised anymore.

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[Alistair might be in the bed alone, but he's not in the room alone. As soon as he speaks, Kiter's head pops up from where he was laying on the floor. Well well, look who's finally up. Kiter barks - rather loudly - in greeting, leaping up on the bed. His stump of a tail wagging excitedly, he keeps barking, expressing his excitement... and also not-so-subtly alerting Riona that she needs to come to the room.

In the meantime, Alistair's going to get a lot of slobber on his face as Kiter licks him. And of course Kiter's standing over him, all but pinning him, so uh... good luck with that, Al.]

[The familiar bark is welcome and Alistair can't help the smile as he sees the mabari. His partner in crime for a brief moment and fighting companion on more than one occasion is more than welcome.

He wasn't really ready for the tackle and being pinned to the bed, though the licks were expected. He'd used that maneuver once on Riona himself, so it's just par for the course he suspects. And instead of giving the beast a hard time, he sighs happily and pets him with a soft laugh.]

You know, you could start by telling me where your Mistress and that damn leopard are first, Kiter.

[Well, he could show him, sure, but why do that when he's able to summon them? Or at least, summon Riona. Doglord doesn't listen to a damn thing he says.

Kiter chuffs a little, tail still wagging as he just sits there a moment and waits. It shouldn't be long now-

Footsteps approach the door, and Riona's voice shortly follows:]

Kiter, what is it?

[There she is. Kiter barks again, leaping off of Alistair, just in time for Riona to open the door. She looks a little frazzled, hair unkempt as it hangs off her face from the half-assed bun she put it in this morning. It's clear she's a bit tired, enough so that it doesn't register immediately what's going on until she's fully inside the room and realizes Alistair is sitting up.

Her eyes widen. The image of his current appearance hits her like a charging ogre. His younger appearance that he'd had these past months - damn well near a year now - took her back to easier days, but it'd always felt a little strange. Disjointed. Like she had one foot in the past and one in the present. But seeing him like this brings it all back: all the years that passed, all they went through, the moment she parted from him in what very likely could be the last time... It steals her breath away, all those memories flooding in and reminding her of just how long it's been since she's seen him like this.

And that's not even getting into the worry that's been brewing in the back of her mind since he fell asleep and aged: what does he remember? Does he know she left? Will she finally be forced to talk about it?

... she's been staring at him in shock for too long, she realizes a little belatedly.]

You're awake.

[She breathes the words out as she hurries over to him.] How are you feeling?

[At the sound of her voice, Alistair's smile goes from goofy to extremely pleased, but reserved. He's learned over the years to not be quite so open about everything, but he does love his wife a great deal and just as passionately as the day she proposed to him.

Even with her messy hair and normal clothes, she's beautiful.

When she comes over to the bed, instead of answering her right away, he pulls her into his arms and holds her, burying his face in the crook of her neck.]

I suppose that I've been gone for a while, but I've missed you, love.

[To be in his arms again is such a relief. She holds him close, leaning her head against his and breathing in the scent of him. It's been too long. Granted, it's nothing compared to the near two years she went without him in the fleet, but she's gotten used to having him in her life. It was a shock to lose him, even if only for a few weeks.]

You've been asleep a few weeks. I've missed you too, dear.

[She punctuates her statement with a kiss to his temple.]

[He still, even after nearly eight years of being with her and seven of those happily married, finds that he loves holding her close a great, great deal. They are a perfect match, and no one else will convince either of them otherwise.

Besides, he'd only just been back in Denerim before he woke up here.]

A few weeks, hm? I suppose that would be rather distressing. Of course, I've been away from you for months now.

[He pulls back a bit to look at her in the face.]

Did you know that Sten is now the Arishok?

["Months now" he's been away from her. If it's only been months, then... well, maybe she'll luck out here.]

A few weeks, yes, though clearly it's been much longer for you.

[She meets his gaze, smile soft. When he mentions Sten being Arishok, relief floods her, though it's quickly followed by a pang of sadness. If he's mentioning that, then it means he's returned from, or is about to return from his quest to find Marric. Which means, he knows what happened. It's not the conversation she's been dreading, but it still won't be easy.]

I did. Our friend is moving up in the world of the Qun. He helped you, didn't he? And apparently you two had a go at each other as well.