[ Kitty gives a small nod. She doesn't fully understand, not yet, but she says, her curiosity getting the best of her - ]
I've heard the perspective of some of the mages here. A lot of them - they see Templars as...cruel. Others see them as a necessary evil. [ Kitty tilts her head slightly to the side, studying Coupe's face. She certainly doesn't look cruel. Or evil. ]
I haven't heard the perspective of a Templar before, though. In your eyes - what's the Order for?
Power demands responsibility, a check. But we cannot allow its absence to rule our fears — the Order exists as much for the protection of mages as it does the rest.
[ A mob's an ugly thing. She watches a long moment; at last eases off a glove, and extends her left hand to take. The back's a marbled web of burn, not quite enough to cover the lingering shape of a brand below.
(A delicate ring rests improbable over callous.) ]
They did not choose magic, [ Softly: ] But it must not become their burden alone.
[ Kitty doesn't take Coupe's hand, but rather touches it - her fingers resting lightly on the burn. For a moment, she thinks of Jakob, his skin mottled back and white with the disfigurement that Mr Tallow had left upon him. She thinks of her own skin, clear as anything, because of her luck. Because of her resistance. And Tallow hadn't had to pay for it. Not officially, at least. The Hyrneks, they'd gotten him back, hadn't they - but not once did anyone in power speak up for what had been done to her friend. ]
What is that?
[ Not the burn. The burn, she understands. She's asking, rather, about the brand underneath. ]
[ Carefully, she positions her fingers, tugs the glove back into place. The flex of leather. ]
A threat, only. [ She regards Kitty, level. Something reorients in the slope of her shoulders, invisible armor rejointing itself. ] A reminder of one’s place.
[ The confusion gives way to anger. Her lips press together, and the muscles of her face tighten. ]
So that's what Tevinter is like, is it? [ She finds her fists clenching. ] Think everyone's under their control. Think they've got the right to hurt and abuse anyone and everyone.
[ There are eyes in these walls; ears. She has been counting, in large part, upon being uninteresting to watch. The Inquisition are by and large idealists, a would-be arm of the Southern Divine; their presence here is pragmatism, not affection. Few will be under illusions otherwise.
But that doesn’t mean they can have Kitty going on a more public tear.
She turns to collect the pillow (some overstuffed, feathery thing), ]
There is more than one Tevinter. [ She holds it out like a target. A tilt of her chin, the lift of her eyebrows: There are fists in those hands — so go on, then. ] Those who work, and serve, who do not rule. Corypheus is as much a danger to them.
Those who stand by while people are - are branded as slaves. As people - and elves, and all the others - as they're hurt and killed and scorched by magic, as they live their days terrified and miserable and afraid -
[ She shakes her head, and glares at the pillow, but doesn't strike. Determined to save her blow for a more deserving target, apparently. And in the meantime, she digs her nails so deep into her palms that she nearly breaks skin. (She may have a sense of what's smart, politically, yes, but that reason and rationality so often falls by the wayside when her temper gets involved.) ]
[ She glares down at her fists, then, like they've offended her. She knows she should calm down. Thedas is covered with injustices, after all, isn't it. Tevinter might well be the worst of it, but all of it matters. And she needs to approach with a level head, doesn't she? But it's hard - hard, when she thinks of it, and thinks of Jakob, thinks of Coupe's brand, and thinks of the way that even a world apart there's a place here just like London, like it's inevitable, like it'll always be this way... ]
And it's been this way for thousands of years. Hasn't it. [ She jerks her chin down at the book, the Chant of Light - she doesn't know it well, but she's heard enough from it to know about some part of Tevinter's role in the faith. ] It hasn't gone away or changed in all that time.
[ The reward for hard work is more work — Can’t recall now who’s said it, Petrana, or Araceli, or Courwin, or half a dozen others. A sentiment to dog all their shadows. ]
They murdered Andraste. But there have been others, since. There will be more, when you and I are gone.
[ Frustrated, she unworks one of her fists enough to jerk it through her hair. ]
It's not like home. I don't know what to do here.
[ A sentiment like the one she'd expressed on the network - but when talking publicly, she'd taken care to sound positive, cheerful, helpful, good-natured. Now, it's angry and despairing. This is a tone of voice rather more representative of her feelings. ]
[ She realizes how much she's given away. She tenses immediately; her face goes closed-off and wary and hard. Her eyes search Coupe's face, as though she can tell whether or not Coupe is trustworthy from her face alone, as though that isn't a completely absurd proposition. As though you can know someone from anything except their deeds. As though she can tell.
But. But Coupe has said the right things, at least. She's offered sympathy, and she's offered help - she's offered to educate Kitty, when it's in the best interests of tyrants to keep people ignorant...Offered her a book, didn't try to indoctrinate her or change her mind. And she has that brand. Would someone wicked have something like that? In Kitty's experience, the wicked were the people who'd never felt the oppression of power - who'd only ever exercised power over others. So.
After a long, wary moment, Kitty shakes her head no. Then, after another shorter pause, she says: ]
There is strength in caution, [ Many questions, few answers. An introduction by way of willingness to be of use. ] But you cannot be all things, to all people. Not forever.
[ Kitty hesitates another moment. I don't think that's a good idea. She alone had survived, out of the whole of the Resistance. Well - her and Nick the coward. But only them two. And they'd had their resilience. What have the people here got to keep them alive? Is there anything? She doesn't know if she can watch them all die again without losing her mind completely. Going as mad as Honorius.
But what other choice does she have? Coupe's not wrong. Kitty's got a will, and she's clever, and she's got skills other people don't have. All right. But that's not enough to change the world. Especially not when her life here is going to be so short. Rifters don't last long, she'd been told.
But - ]
It's hard to know who can be trusted, though, and who can't. We all want Corypheus dead, sure, but beyond that...I don't know what drives people.
[ Not many of them, at least. She's teased out bits here and there. Some of the mages have talked of revolution and freedom - she understands them. Others have talked of stability, and she gets that too. All right. But there are so many conflicts she scarcely understands. It's bloody hard to know which of the Inquisition will hear talk of revolution and change and hear you're a threat to my values, and to be done away with. She doesn't even know what their values are.
Well. Coupe, at least - she seems all right. Kitty hopes. She seems so straight-backed and honest...As long as that's not a lie, she can at least trust her. ]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 04:01 pm (UTC)I've heard the perspective of some of the mages here. A lot of them - they see Templars as...cruel. Others see them as a necessary evil. [ Kitty tilts her head slightly to the side, studying Coupe's face. She certainly doesn't look cruel. Or evil. ]
I haven't heard the perspective of a Templar before, though. In your eyes - what's the Order for?
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 04:46 pm (UTC)[ At the Imperium, in all its sprawling glory. ]
Power demands responsibility, a check. But we cannot allow its absence to rule our fears — the Order exists as much for the protection of mages as it does the rest.
[ A mob's an ugly thing. She watches a long moment; at last eases off a glove, and extends her left hand to take. The back's a marbled web of burn, not quite enough to cover the lingering shape of a brand below.
(A delicate ring rests improbable over callous.) ]
They did not choose magic, [ Softly: ] But it must not become their burden alone.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 05:00 pm (UTC)What is that?
[ Not the burn. The burn, she understands. She's asking, rather, about the brand underneath. ]
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 05:24 pm (UTC)[ One that she ought to have responded to —
Hasn’t. Can’t dwell on that just now. ]
A Magister was, [ Dry, dry as her mouth goes to think of it: ] Unhappy with me.
It is a slave's mark.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 05:28 pm (UTC)You...were a slave?
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 05:35 pm (UTC)[ Carefully, she positions her fingers, tugs the glove back into place. The flex of leather. ]
A threat, only. [ She regards Kitty, level. Something reorients in the slope of her shoulders, invisible armor rejointing itself. ] A reminder of one’s place.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 05:49 pm (UTC)So that's what Tevinter is like, is it? [ She finds her fists clenching. ] Think everyone's under their control. Think they've got the right to hurt and abuse anyone and everyone.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 06:12 pm (UTC)But that doesn’t mean they can have Kitty going on a more public tear.
She turns to collect the pillow (some overstuffed, feathery thing), ]
There is more than one Tevinter. [ She holds it out like a target. A tilt of her chin, the lift of her eyebrows: There are fists in those hands — so go on, then. ] Those who work, and serve, who do not rule. Corypheus is as much a danger to them.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 06:21 pm (UTC)[ She shakes her head, and glares at the pillow, but doesn't strike. Determined to save her blow for a more deserving target, apparently. And in the meantime, she digs her nails so deep into her palms that she nearly breaks skin. (She may have a sense of what's smart, politically, yes, but that reason and rationality so often falls by the wayside when her temper gets involved.) ]
Why don't they rise up? Why don't they resist?
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 06:28 pm (UTC)[ Her eyes track to Kitty’s hands, linger before returning up. ]
You are hurting yourself.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 06:35 pm (UTC)Who cares.
[ She glares down at her fists, then, like they've offended her. She knows she should calm down. Thedas is covered with injustices, after all, isn't it. Tevinter might well be the worst of it, but all of it matters. And she needs to approach with a level head, doesn't she? But it's hard - hard, when she thinks of it, and thinks of Jakob, thinks of Coupe's brand, and thinks of the way that even a world apart there's a place here just like London, like it's inevitable, like it'll always be this way... ]
And it's been this way for thousands of years. Hasn't it. [ She jerks her chin down at the book, the Chant of Light - she doesn't know it well, but she's heard enough from it to know about some part of Tevinter's role in the faith. ] It hasn't gone away or changed in all that time.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 06:49 pm (UTC)[ The reward for hard work is more work — Can’t recall now who’s said it, Petrana, or Araceli, or Courwin, or half a dozen others. A sentiment to dog all their shadows. ]
They murdered Andraste. But there have been others, since. There will be more, when you and I are gone.
[ She presses the pillow again. ]
You care. So use it.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 07:02 pm (UTC)[ Frustrated, she unworks one of her fists enough to jerk it through her hair. ]
It's not like home. I don't know what to do here.
[ A sentiment like the one she'd expressed on the network - but when talking publicly, she'd taken care to sound positive, cheerful, helpful, good-natured. Now, it's angry and despairing. This is a tone of voice rather more representative of her feelings. ]
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 07:08 pm (UTC)[ A shopgirl, She’d said to another. Wren knows better than to discount the possibilit — might have lived and died a butcher —
Even so. ]
Did you do it alone?
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 07:17 pm (UTC)But. But Coupe has said the right things, at least. She's offered sympathy, and she's offered help - she's offered to educate Kitty, when it's in the best interests of tyrants to keep people ignorant...Offered her a book, didn't try to indoctrinate her or change her mind. And she has that brand. Would someone wicked have something like that? In Kitty's experience, the wicked were the people who'd never felt the oppression of power - who'd only ever exercised power over others. So.
After a long, wary moment, Kitty shakes her head no. Then, after another shorter pause, she says: ]
Not until recently.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 07:50 pm (UTC)(This isn’t an interrogation. Perfect stillness would be out of place.)
Kitty shakes her head. Wren nods. ]
That seems a place to begin.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 08:03 pm (UTC)What does? Finding - other people?
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 08:18 pm (UTC)[ Sooner or later, they all need be seen. ]
Find those you trust.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-17 08:33 pm (UTC)[ Kitty hesitates another moment. I don't think that's a good idea. She alone had survived, out of the whole of the Resistance. Well - her and Nick the coward. But only them two. And they'd had their resilience. What have the people here got to keep them alive? Is there anything? She doesn't know if she can watch them all die again without losing her mind completely. Going as mad as Honorius.
But what other choice does she have? Coupe's not wrong. Kitty's got a will, and she's clever, and she's got skills other people don't have. All right. But that's not enough to change the world. Especially not when her life here is going to be so short. Rifters don't last long, she'd been told.
But - ]
It's hard to know who can be trusted, though, and who can't. We all want Corypheus dead, sure, but beyond that...I don't know what drives people.
[ Not many of them, at least. She's teased out bits here and there. Some of the mages have talked of revolution and freedom - she understands them. Others have talked of stability, and she gets that too. All right. But there are so many conflicts she scarcely understands. It's bloody hard to know which of the Inquisition will hear talk of revolution and change and hear you're a threat to my values, and to be done away with. She doesn't even know what their values are.
Well. Coupe, at least - she seems all right. Kitty hopes. She seems so straight-backed and honest...As long as that's not a lie, she can at least trust her. ]