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[rathercommon]

crystal | letter | cease and desist notices slipped under her door | action

Comments

[elegiaque]

I would have stopped listening to you almost immediately if it hadn't felt worthwhile.

( she tunes a lot of people out. indeed, sometimes to her own detriment. )

[rathercommon]

So - what, you considered me a friend - like - immediately?

[elegiaque]

Well, no, but interesting. Intelligent, if prone to inexplicable tangents.

( is that kitty or just, her. )

I don't know, I don't think about these things that way. So specifically. On this day in the year 9:44 it occurred to me to consider you a friend, trumpets.

[rathercommon]

Oh.

[ She feels suddenly, intensely shy. She can feel her face getting hot with a blush, and thinks that she's very grateful that Gwen isn't able to see her. ]

Well, that's - erm - nice. Thank you.

oh my god i have icons again

[elegiaque]

( eurgh, emotions. why can't people just understand her motives without her having to say anything. after a beat, awkwardly: )

So. It matters to me what you care about. I understand if that isn't enough, but it's what I have. The last thing I'm going to do after all that is lie to you to sound better than I am.

[rathercommon]

Right.

[ She fidgets awkwardly with the sleeve of her shirt. Eurgh, emotions. Why can't people always talk about the big stuff. That's easier. ]

Isn't there anything that comes from you, though? Anything you care about that no one else does?

[elegiaque]

My opinions are my own. I have a lot of those.

( citation not needed, too many citations. )

[rathercommon]

I've noticed.

[ A bit dry. ]

But things you care about.

[elegiaque]

( I happen to care about my opinions is muttered, grumbling, and then— )

I care about lots of things, I don't know. What sort of 'care about' are you talking about?

[rathercommon]

I don't know. Just - something you care about, that you decided you cared about, without anyone convincing you to care about it.

[elegiaque]

( objecting immediately— ) No one exists so singularly that no other person has anything to do with what we think. I don't believe that.

( eventually, grudgingly: ) People shouldn't hurt children. And no one set out to convince me the world shouldn't end, but I don't know if I can properly take credit for that one, either, because it isn't as if I came to the Inquisition willingly, but no one gave a fuck what I thought about it so I suppose I'm going to count that one too. Actually.

[rathercommon]

All right. Those are good ones.

[ Whichv could sound condescending if Kitty weren't so consistently earnest when it comes to things like this. ]

It seems like your feelings on Orlesian politics - those grow out of your personal experience, don't they?

[elegiaque]

That they're fucking awful? That's everyone's experience.

( deflect, deflect, deflect. )

[rathercommon]

[ A shrug. ]

Doesn't make it any less yours. Where I'm from, everyone's been kicked down in some way by our government, but my anger is mine and no one else's.

[elegiaque]

Yours is productive.

[rathercommon]

[ A little quietly - ]

Not really.

[elegiaque]

( that's probably fair. )

Well. All that Orlais has motivated me to do is leave Orlais.

[shri]

[ It's not an easy thing when it comes right down to it. Neither this nor the last time, nor any other time it mattered. When it had to be said. The shades of herself. The shades of girls who should be more than she ever could be.

That was the worst of it - perhaps for all her bluster. All her pride, her viciousness, the absolute way she ever saw the world. That surety in how small she was. A daughter of an old world that she hoped one day to die in. To bury for the sake of - ]

Do not ever, ever risk your life for me again. Do you hear me? What you did, when Helena shot at me? Never again. [ She turns to her, something stricken there, half vulnerable for all she would insist she wasn't. ] Do you not understand - how dear you are to me? You are like my own daughter.

[rathercommon]

Is that really all?

[elegiaque]

If given the opportunity, I would gladly personally strip Celene naked and whip her through the streets of Halamshiral and leave her there without guards.

( she's definitely thought about this before. )

But it doesn't un-slaughter my sisters.

[rathercommon]

[ Kitty was steady up until those last two words. Daughter, though - that brings out something else in her, something miserable and frightened; she goes pale, then flushes, pulls back. Her lips tighten and her eyes narrow, like she's been struck. ]

Why -

[ She falters, then tries again - ]

Why would you say that?

[rathercommon]

[ Oh. ]

Your...sisters?

[elegiaque]

They were killed in Celene's show of force in Halamshiral. Magalie burned to death in their apartment while Alix was shot in the back by chevaliers trying to reach her. They were a little bit older than me. Twins. And they'd never have been there-

( she doesn't finish that thought. )

I don't give a damn about Orlesian politics.

[rathercommon]

But - after that -

[ She shakes her head. ]

Why wouldn't you care? After that?

[elegiaque]

Caring doesn't help them now. It won't spare my mother what happened to her.