Alistair (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bringspeopletogether) wrote2016-05-17 10:44 pm
bringspeopletogether) wrote2016-05-17 10:44 pm
[oom] Denerim
For the most part, Alistair's kept the little Trollian device secreted away in a locked chest. Before he hid it, he tested it to confirm it still worked inside the palace, fiddling with the buttons some more until he stopped turning it off whenever he meant to send a message. (Someone, somewhere, probably got very sick of seeing quondamGryphon sign on and off for thirty minutes straight.)
After that, his nightly routine gains a few extra steps: go to his room, lock the door, unlock the chest, blow out any candles, and curl up in his bed with the device in hand. Most nights, he doesn't send any messages; all he does is watch the flicker of names appearing and disappearing, the screen's soft glow providing the room's only illumination.
It doesn't feel so lonely when he does that. Just knowing he can talk to someone -- even if he doesn't end up pressing a single button the whole night -- eases a little of the pressure in his chest.
The instructions mentioned the device is a quasi-living thing. Maybe that's why the changes start: living things grow. All Alistair knows is sometime around the second week of his new routine, he pulls out the device, feels a smooth lump on its back that wasn't there before, and, with a frown, turns it over to investigate.
It looks a bit like the clear bubble holding the device's "food." It's smaller, though; it doesn't squish when Alistair prods it with a fingernail. It feels like a pearl, almost, embedded into the device's shell like a jewel stuck in a crown.
And there's a new button on the front when he flips it back over: red, printed with a circle inside a rectangle. Frown deepening, Alistair presses it.
The screen turns to glass.
Or that's what it looks like, anyway. All of a sudden, Alistair can see his knees, the floor, a bit of the chest -- hastily, swearing under his breath, he stabs the button again in the hope it'll undo whatever he just did. It doesn't. Instead, the image of his knees freezes in place, and a message pops up over top of it.
SAVE IMAGE? Y/N
What.
y, types Alistair after a long moment's pause.
NAME IMAGE: ______.jpg
...y?, types Alistair again.
IMAGE SAVED: y?.jpg
"All right, what in Andraste's name just happened," he mutters as he stares at the screen. Gingerly, he positions his finger above the new button, raises the device, and presses it again.
Click.
Huh.
Click. Click.
All right, whatever this is, it's...kind of fun.
Click-click-click --
Actually, it's downright remarkable, look what it's doing, it's -- it's painting little pictures --
CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] has invited amaranthineIdeopraxist to join private transtimeline bulletin board THEDAS
CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] has invited jackbootJudex to join private transtimeline bulletin board THEDAS
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CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] RIGHT NOW opened memo on board THEDAS
CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] sent file "alistair.jpg"
(The file, when opened, has the honor of being Thedas's very first selfie: Alistair beaming uncontrollably, the image a little askew due to the awkwardness of taking a photo sight unseen.)
CQG: YSA
CQG: CULLEN
CQG: LOOK WHAT I FOUND
CQG: IT'S ON THE TROLLIAN DEVICE
It seems that in addition to finding the camera his device grew overnight, Alistair has also located the capslock button.
After that, his nightly routine gains a few extra steps: go to his room, lock the door, unlock the chest, blow out any candles, and curl up in his bed with the device in hand. Most nights, he doesn't send any messages; all he does is watch the flicker of names appearing and disappearing, the screen's soft glow providing the room's only illumination.
It doesn't feel so lonely when he does that. Just knowing he can talk to someone -- even if he doesn't end up pressing a single button the whole night -- eases a little of the pressure in his chest.
The instructions mentioned the device is a quasi-living thing. Maybe that's why the changes start: living things grow. All Alistair knows is sometime around the second week of his new routine, he pulls out the device, feels a smooth lump on its back that wasn't there before, and, with a frown, turns it over to investigate.
It looks a bit like the clear bubble holding the device's "food." It's smaller, though; it doesn't squish when Alistair prods it with a fingernail. It feels like a pearl, almost, embedded into the device's shell like a jewel stuck in a crown.
And there's a new button on the front when he flips it back over: red, printed with a circle inside a rectangle. Frown deepening, Alistair presses it.
The screen turns to glass.
Or that's what it looks like, anyway. All of a sudden, Alistair can see his knees, the floor, a bit of the chest -- hastily, swearing under his breath, he stabs the button again in the hope it'll undo whatever he just did. It doesn't. Instead, the image of his knees freezes in place, and a message pops up over top of it.
SAVE IMAGE? Y/N
What.
y, types Alistair after a long moment's pause.
NAME IMAGE: ______.jpg
...y?, types Alistair again.
IMAGE SAVED: y?.jpg
"All right, what in Andraste's name just happened," he mutters as he stares at the screen. Gingerly, he positions his finger above the new button, raises the device, and presses it again.
Click.
Huh.
Click. Click.
All right, whatever this is, it's...kind of fun.
Click-click-click --
Actually, it's downright remarkable, look what it's doing, it's -- it's painting little pictures --
CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] has invited amaranthineIdeopraxist to join private transtimeline bulletin board THEDAS
CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] has invited jackbootJudex to join private transtimeline bulletin board THEDAS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] RIGHT NOW opened memo on board THEDAS
CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] sent file "alistair.jpg"
(The file, when opened, has the honor of being Thedas's very first selfie: Alistair beaming uncontrollably, the image a little askew due to the awkwardness of taking a photo sight unseen.)
CQG: YSA
CQG: CULLEN
CQG: LOOK WHAT I FOUND
CQG: IT'S ON THE TROLLIAN DEVICE
It seems that in addition to finding the camera his device grew overnight, Alistair has also located the capslock button.
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Pounce, noble creature that he is, hops down from his position on the headboard and, with great dignity, heads to the kitchens to look for rats. Or scraps. Or both.
CAI: They love when you play favorites! Just. Change which one is your favorite every time. Trust me.
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CQG: For research purposes of course
CQG: That massive book on how best to pet a mabari won't write itself
Alistair glances at the deepening black of the sky, counting the visible stars.
CQG: ...and I bet the kennelmaster's turned in for the night
CQG: Let's find out!
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CAI: And does this mean you're going to be making more of those pictures as you go?
CAI: Please don't terrify the servants
This is all going to end in tears.
And puppies.
But mostly tears.
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CQG: I just have to make sure I conduct very thorough research for the poor souls who DON'T know
CQG: And don't worry, if I didn't terrify the servants my first week, when they caught me fighting a curtain with a candlestick, then nothing I do will terrify them
CQG: Back in a moment!
After a bit of rummaging, Alistair throws on some clothes that, before the Landsmeet, would've been the nicest thing he owned by far. Now they just barely skirt the edge of "presentable," by royal standards. Alistair tries not to think about that too hard as he buttons up the shirt.
Tucking the T-minus unit into one of his trouser pockets, he sets off for the kennels.
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Because it might have worked, honestly. She wonders if her Alistair tried it, too.(She guesses not. But still.)
CAI: I'm counting the seconds.
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But eventually:
CQG: Don't laugh!
CQG: Curtains are FEARSOME
CQG: You never know when they'll trip you when you're just trying to take a nice stroll across your room
CQG: Or pretend to be a darkspawn when you're half asleep
CQG: But no, I think if Anora tolerated Cailan for so long, a bit more Theirin madness won't scare her off
CQG: Unfortunately
CQG: Anyway!
CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] sent file "hello.jpg"
A tawny-colored mabari, tongue lolling cheerfully, greets Ysa when she opens the file. It has its front legs propped up against the side of its enclosure, the better to get as close to the photographer as possible.
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Alas.
CAI: Is this tonight's favorite, then?
CAI:Does he or she have a name?
CAI: I mean, regardless, he or she is beautiful, that almost goes without saying.
Mabari are always the most adorable. It's a rule. And Liranan is always the most-est adorable, as Ysalwen takes a momento to assure him while he is inspecting this mabari picture.
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CQG: Her name's Nerissa
CQG: She had a litter that was just weaned
CQG: So I might be giving her a bit more attention than the others lately
CQG: Don't tell
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CAI: Are you keeping all the puppies?
CAI: Or will some of them be royal gifts?
CAI: Unless your mabari learn to read, I will be silent on this subject forever.
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CQG: The rest will be gifts
CQG: And one of the puppies we keep might end up the Official Royal Mabari?
CQG: I think the kennelmaster expects SOME dog to imprint on me with all the time I spend around here
CQG: He wouldn't tolerate me so much otherwise
There's a pause as Alistair, starry-eyed, contemplates the bold new world Ysa's just suggested.
CQG: ....I wonder if you COULD teach a mabari to read
CQG: I should start bringing books out here
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CAI: And are related to food
CAI: Or hunting
CAI: Or combat
CAI: Or children's bedtime stories.
CAI: Liranan likes hearing about Dane
CAI: I also find it extremely likely that you will imprint on a dog sometime soon, as well.
CAI: You are Fereldan.
CAI: It happens.
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CQG: Wouldn't it be terrible if I DIDN'T imprint on a mabari?
CQG: Forget being a bastard
CQG: That's REALLY set off an inquiry into my lineage
CQG: Maybe I really have been from the Anderfels this whole time and never knew it
In the meantime, it's been five whole minutes since Alistair took a picture of a dog and that simply will not stand.
CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] sent file "ryle.jpg"
(This one's a fair bit younger, completely black save a single white ear; his tail's whipping back and forth so fast that it's nothing but a blur.)
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CAI: Liranan is actually a little jealous.
Liranan is whining a little, because black is a very dramatic color, and he could scare more people that way! Maybe not with the white ear, though.
Alas.
CAI: You do have the look of Anders about you.
CAI: If I squint.
CAI: I think it's the hair.
CAI: Anders was from the Anderfels, too.
CAI: It's a terrible nickname.
CAI: But it stuck.
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CQG: Give him an extra rub behind the ears for me
CQG: And a reminder that I still think he is still the best dog
Granted, all dogs are the best dog in Alistair's view, but that doesn't change the sentiment.
CQG: So "Anders" isn't his real name?
CQG: What is it?
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CAI: In fact I am doing it right now
CAI: Liranan supposes he is willing to forgive you
CAI: And accept that he is your favorite
CAI: I actually don't know what Anders' real name is
CAI: He keeps it for himself
CAI: That can be difficult enough, some days
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CQG: Anders is the private type, then
CQG: I see
The paranoid type, Alistair might say, but...he can't blame someone for wanting to keep their name a secret. Isn't that what he did for most of his time with the Wardens? Still, there has to be a certain amount of trust between commander and soldier, and -- well.
CQG: That does make it rather more difficult, doesn't it?
CQG: I don't envy you
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CAI: And he answers to Anders reliably
CAI: Which is all I can ask for
CAI: And he actually explained all of his escape attempts to me
CAI: So I can't say he doesn't trust me
CAI: Or didn't
CAI: I'm not actually sure where we stand now
CAI: Maybe I should send him another ten cats?
CAI: Also you know in your heart that everyone envies me
CAI: I don't mind
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CQG: Which is quite enviable
CQG: And I also envy a mind who negotiates peace offerings with her charges via small fuzzy animals
CQG: Though I have to question what kind of sad, sad man would prefer ten cats to ten dogs
CQG: I suppose there's rooms for all types in this world
CQG: (Imagine me saying that in the most magnanimous, kingly voice I can muster up)
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CAI: It cannot be denied
CAI: I suppose it's something about the Anderfels?
CAI: The part about preferring cats
CAI: Though Pounce is really quite sweet
CAI: And restored the party to life once, when we fought something really quite terrible
CAI: (I can hear that kingly voice)
CAI: Remind me someday to demonstrate my Warden-Commander voice
CAI: I have been told it is terrifying
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CQG: The cat restored you to life?
CQG: How??
CQG: Tell me the whole story in your most impressive Warden-Commander voice
CQG: Or just write it in all capital letters and I'll do my best to imagine
(He's studiously ignoring the comment about Ysa's facial tattoo for now. Ignoring all thoughts about another elf with a different tattoo, wandering somewhere in Thedas.)
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CAI: I can't swear to it
CAI: He refuses to answer when I ask
CAI: But next time I see you I can declaim it very impressively
CAI: And maybe you will feel inspired?
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CQG: I'll carry the story back to my Thedas and spread it far and wide
CQG: After practicing for hours to make sure I get the voice just right, of course
CQG: Maybe these little ones will assist me
CURRENT quondamGryphon [CQG] sent file "trio.jpg"
If the coloring's anything to go by, the three puppies clustered near Alistair's feet came from Nerissa's recently-weaned litter. All three look up at the device hopefully; one, head cocked in curiosity, has a front paw balanced on Alistair's shin.
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CAI: And the gravitas
CAI: The real question is how good they'll be at enunciating
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CQG: "Cat" is pronounced "barkbarkbark," right?
CQG: And "Warden" is just "bark"?
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CAI: What's that, Liranan?
CAI: Warden is 'ruff ruff hoooooowl'?
CAI: Write that down, Alistair
CAI: And cat is 'barkbark'
CAI: Any other questions?
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