party on the pathstone

[dawnwillcome]

Who: Pathstone crew + ANYONE EVER WOW
Broadcast: nah bro
Action: YAH BRO
When: whenever bro

[Is the Pathstone more capable with a captain missing and another one replace with someone who does their job? How many people can fit into a captain's nest? Why is there a captain's nest? Has Solas painted the entire interior of the ship yet? Has Cole talked to each and every plant? Has Duke discovered that his ship has been previously worthless since basically the beginning of time? Will Crowley ever try to get his captain status back?

Tune in now for the answers to these questions and more in this episode of As The Pathstone Turns!]

Comments

[dirth]

[ Solas says nothing for a long, drawn out moment. Then he moves, putting his notes and charcoal to one side before he stands, walking over and leaning down to look at Cole. ]

Shall we sit?

[killedwithlove]

[Cole rocks, sways a little, not that he's faint, but he moves and then he focuses on Solas, hands coming to pet awkwardly at his chest, feeling his hurt and the blossoming concern. Concern? It's something he knows.]

She wasn't the opposite. She was the absence. It hurt. It hurt like the Fade tugging at me.

[dirth]

[ His hands lift, cover Cole's, and he nods his head, careful. He is here to be an anchor for this boy, a sweet comfort, all that he can give. ]

Does it still hurt?

[killedwithlove]

No.

Yes.

[He doesn't know. He's still keenly aware of the absence of compassion, empathy, anything that he knew.]

She hurt them and didn't care. There was nothing. No care. No despair. Nothing. How do you be nothing and someone?!

[He quiets immediately after the outburst, but his chin gets closer to his chest.]

[dirth]

With great difficulty. Come, Cole.

[ Solas draws him into the room, into the safety of his mind and nothing else, and he leans down, taking care with him. ]

Focus on me. You know me. I will not hurt you.

[killedwithlove]

[He's not really settling yet, still looking around restlessly, but coming back to Solas before looking on.]

Anger, disgust, contempt, no despair. No compassion. Prickling, plucking, picking apart the edges...

[He follows with Solas, keeping his hands on him. Trying to make himself focus on the emotions that are here.]

[dirth]

Focus, now, Cole.

[ He sits down on his bed, urging Cole to follow him, each movement careful and slow, a production. ]

Let it go. I know you can do it.

[killedwithlove]

[Solas might regret trying to keep Cole close and following him, because Cole promptly climbs into Solas' lap, trying to curl up enough to listen to his heart.

Cole is not half as small as he seems to believe he is.]

[dirth]

[ Unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome; Solas adjusts his weight, shifts back so he can lean against the wall before he allows Cole to settle against him. He is not a small boy, not as he might imagine, but he is careful and capable of making himself appear smaller, which is more than enough for Solas.

Lifting a hand, Solas lets it lie upon the back of Cole's head, gentle. ]

You may stay here as long as you wish.

[killedwithlove]

[He's determined, which is almost the same as actually being small. It takes a bit of wriggling, and sitting sideways across Solas' lap to fit in, and the hat has to go, but he sacrifices it because he'd sooner have this right now.

He gets curled in and then there's a hand on his head and all he can take in the Solas' warmth, affection and concern for him.]

I don't want to unravel.

[dirth]

Then you won't. You are strong, Cole. You can hold on.

[ He nods his head, his words filled with all the faith that he has in Cole, all the knowledge he has about spirits and their power. He believes in Cole, in his power, his nature, and that is more than he can say for many things.

Solas holds him, draws the boy close, and relaxes, eyes closed. ]

[killedwithlove]

[His sheer will to be in reality.

But Solas' conviction settles him a bit more. He relaxes into Solas' embrace, starting to actually cuddle back, an arm snaking around the older man to hold back.]

Thank you.

[dirth]

[ Gentle embraces are new to Solas and he is slow, hesitant, to return it, careful as he relaxes. ]

Of course, Cole.

[killedwithlove]

[It's new to both of them. Neither of them is very good at being openly tactile.

But he's settled in now and quiet and calming down, not twitching and fidgeting with nervous tension.

But he is still wound enough that he doesn't think to start trying to poke Solas and Jove together.]

Did I overreact?

[dirth]

No. You are who you are, Cole. You cannot know how you will react to new people, especially when they are not from Thedas.

[ Solas shakes his head. ]

You cannot know what you will feel.

[killedwithlove]

... does that mean I did overreact a bit, but it's okay that I did?

[He can accept if he did. He might have overreacted to Fenris, but he panicked and flash backed to Cole's father in the moment.]

[dirth]

Entirely possible. We cannot know how a situation will affect us until we're there.

[killedwithlove]

[Cole considers this and cuddles in a bit more. Solas' heartbeat is very soothing. If he slept, it would probably lull him to sleep.

It just might manage to anyway.

Before I knew, when I lived in the Pit, I felt everything too strongly. Mostly fear. I was scared, all the time. Terrified. And angry sometimes. Out of control.

[dirth]

You still feel everything strongly, Cole. It is simply that it is not always your own emotions that you feel.

[ He is unsure how to comfort him entirely, careful as he lets Cole settle against him, gentle with his movements, soft in his concern. ]

You are a great Spirit, Cole. You feel things far more strongly than anyone else can imagine.

[killedwithlove]

[He thinks about it for a while. He sort of thinks about it, he mostly focuses on Solas and lets his mind wander a little.]

Solas. When I met Fenris, it was... frightening. He was blinding and screaming and there was pain, but do you think I was so scared just because he scared me or because I scared him as well?

[dirth]

It may well have been both. You were calm at first but his fear sunk into you; you felt his fear and it attached itself to you, making it harder for you to see through it. Fear is a blinding emotion, Cole.

[ He breathes out a soft noise. ]

When we are afraid we can say and do things we do not mean.

[killedwithlove]

I was... curious. He was so bright. Brilliant. Burning. The lyrium sang its own song and it blinded me to everything else.

He meant it. He meant every word.

I haven't seen Dorian in a long time. Maybe that makes Dorian happier. Last time, I upset him.

[Cole could easily fall prey to staying only with people he knows want him there. But so far, his drive to find people to help is overwhelming it.]

[dirth]

[ He shakes his head, drawing Cole a little closer and tightening his arms ever so slightly. ]

I haven't seen Dorian in some time either - perhaps it's better for the both of us to be apart for a little while.

[killedwithlove]

[And Cole lets him, because now he knows he didn't upset Solas by going with Varric to confront that templar, he feels safe letting Solas decide and explain things.

He does squirm briefly, to cram his head under Solas' chin, face pressed flat to Solas' chest.]

I miss him. He never expected me to be or do anything. He just... wanted to know about me.

[dirth]

[ What more can he do than be here for Cole and be a supporting hand at his side? He is one of the few here that might understand spirits and their nature, who they are, and he softens.

His hand rests on Cole's shoulder, now, an embrace. ]

Then you should speak with him. We have communicators - I'm certain he'd like to hear from you.