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[rathercommon]

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

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[rathercommon]

[ She wrinkles her nose. But that little speech - and the sort-of joke - makes her feel a bit better. ]

Gambling is stupid.

[ Then, with a reluctant sigh, she admits - ]

It was - a monkey.

[exsecutus]

[Wait, what. He was ready to get on her about gambling. This is a new direction, and since it doesn't track back to any part of the conversation, he has to ask--]

What was a monkey.

[rathercommon]

The pamphlets.

[ She shoves her hands into her pockets and scowls at the ground. ]

Why they got lost.

[exsecutus]

[...yeah ok]

People have tried feeding me horseshit before. You've found a new angle. How is a monkey how the documents were lost?

[rathercommon]

[ She looks round at him and - with perhaps an excess of tartness - says - ]

What on earth would be the point of lying to you. Especially about something this stupid.

[ A furious sigh - ]

It was a monkey, a monkey that came through the window and took the pamphlets. I don't think it was even sent. I think it was actually, really, truly just some organ-grinder's loose monkey and it wanted to cause trouble. It even had a stupid little vest.

[exsecutus]

[Nikos' answer would be either snide or a snarl. Both options are cut off when Kitty does elaborate. He finds instead that he has nothing to say. Except--]

A vest.

[Even his expression is less than common, for him. Incredulous, confused. Not as stormy as usual.]

[rathercommon]

Yeah.

[ Even though it's ridiculous, absurd, she also can't help but get caught up in this absurd, laughable detail - ]

A little vest, like a person would wear.

[exsecutus]

[He should be annoyed. He is, a little. Not precisely at Kitty. He doesn't believe in fate, or destiny--can't believe it, in so many ways--so that's not what he's annoyed with, either. It's more directionless, and if he were feeling worse, Nikos would absolutely sharpen it into a weapon.

Instead, he stares forward. And he snorts.]

Sure. Why not.

[Maybe that's directed at the Maker, or something. Why not a monkey in a miniature ruin his plans? Sure.]

If the worst comes, perhaps we can blame it all on a monkey in a vest.

[rathercommon]

I'm not lying.

[ Though - he doesn't really sound like he's accusing her of lying. She just needs to get that out there. ]

[exsecutus]

[Dryly:] I hope not, because as I noted, it would be a shit lie.

[Like, very shit.]

I'm only glad Orlais' monkey population was domesticated and confined to its cities long ago, or else my part of this would have been at risk.

[rathercommon]

[ Is he laughing? Its bloody hard to tell. ]

Anyway. So. That's why it got screwed up. I mean, it might have been a demon. I guess. But I really don't think so.

[exsecutus]

[He's not not laughing. So that's close enough, really.]

Aren't you meant to be a demon anyways. Rifter. It would be a matter of hierarchy then. Not your fault that you lost out to a monkey, it was beyond your control. You were too low a rank.

[rathercommon]

Eurgh.

[ That's all she has to say to that. ]

Shouldn't you be more upset?

[exsecutus]

[His snort this time is more dismissive than amused.]

I promise you I am not happy about the fate of the letters, or the failure of that part of the plan. Are you asking me, to be angry?

[rathercommon]

I don't know. No.

[ Well. ]

Maybe.

[ Ugh. ]

It'd feel more honest.

[exsecutus]

Are you accusing me of lying now, in some way?

[rathercommon]

I don't know!

[ She throws up one of her hands in frustration. ]

It just seems like you ought to be livid. I just don't get why you aren't.

[exsecutus]

[Nikos rolls his eyes but says, with a smaller measure of his usual bite--]

I suppose you can put my unnatural good mood down to Agathe's death. If it could lead to the election of the only candidate who might do any good for the people of Thedas, I'd prefer to see that done.

But if chaos is the only thing that follows, fine.

[rathercommon]

[ That quells her temper, sends her into a quieter and more meditative state. ]

Why's that fine?

[exsecutus]

Because chaos will lay plain truths of the Chantry. Expose its fouler inner workings. Call into question its infallibility.

Beyond anything else, the people must see that they cannot trust the Chantry to sit above them in judgement and authority. That authority is arbitrary. It can be bought, it can be taken, and its greatest strength comes from the faith that is placed in it. Remove that faith and it will begin to tremble. Grand clerics, reverend mothers, the Divine--they are women, who are doing a job. If they do not serve the people, they should be cut down.

Chaos is a weapon.

[rathercommon]

But what if it's a weapon someone else takes up? I mean - that's what happened here, isn't it? We effectively gave it away.

[exsecutus]

[Nikos' mouth twists.]

We didn't give anything away. The chance to implicate Benedetta's supporters and weaken her claim? That has been lost, yes. [BY YOU but he doesn't tack that on; could but doesn't.] Unless your enemy, the Antivan street monkey, decides to make a dramatic and last-minute appearance at the Conclave.

There will be others that try to claim the assassination as their own work, or fix the blame on some group they want to see defamed and questioned. That is chaos. Because there will be no answer, in the end. The Chantry can eat itself. I don't give a shit. Do you?

[rathercommon]

I care about the people.

[ Her voice is quiet. ]

[exsecutus]

[Steady, in response--]

So do I. I care about their freedom. About eradicating systems that would oppress or deny freedom to anyone, for any reason.

[rathercommon]

Yeah.

[ She nods, steadfast. No question there. ]

But they oughtn't suffer to get it.