01 | video/text

[lavelly]

[It's set to video, but the feed is dark, and there's some kind of ambient noise. After a few moments it becomes clear that Lavellan is unknowingly covering the camera with his hand. He's talking, too, but his voice is muffled.]

Hello. Hello? Is this--is it working? I can't tell--

[Then there's actual video: it's a fuzzy closeup of Lavellan's eye, and then his ear.]

Can... anyone hear me? Am I doing this correctly?

[There's more muffled noise, like someone manhandling a microphone; the feed jostles and then goes dark again. There's what sounds like muted cursing in a foreign language (elvish, for those who recognize it) before the video ends entirely. Trying to use advanced technology is rough when you're from medieval fantasy land :(

The video is accompanied by text that looks like someone poked uncertainly at the letters of an unfamiliar keyboard with one hand. Because they did.]

hello.isanyonethere///

Comments

[liberaltus]

Yes, those timeline things can be tricky and as much as I like to read the entire book before arriving at the ending you seem to be from the future. Not too distant, but distant enough to know a thing or two. [That Dorian does not.] Care to elaborate.

[lavelly]

The fut--this again. [Okay, so he was right the first time, just... in reverse, apparently. Though if Dorian arrived here before he and Bull got together, from his perspective, then that would have to mean he came here from Skyhold, which obviously didn't happen, unless he's from another timeline where it did which is not Lavellan's, and this is really starting to give him a headache.

He should probably start simple.]

Well, you'll be pleased to know you owe Varric some coin. We defeated Corypheus over two years ago. [Shit, but that is a difference. How do these things even happen?]

[liberaltus]

Yes, I know, frustrating isn't it. Hawke 1 had a meltdown after I told her a few things about the future, though I can promise you I shall be more put together. [It was a lesson learned, believe him on that score.]

Oh, well that is good news, I suppose, does Varric know? I don't fancy owing him coin. [If the Inquisitor says they made a bet, then obviously they made a bet, just do not go reminding him of this.] But I was referring to what you said earlier about The Iron Bull.

[Because if things are awkward then he should know now, right?]

[lavelly]

[Lavellan has to laugh at the image of Dorian thoughtlessly telling Hawke of all the things in store for her, because that would happen. He falters as he thinks about how to put this.]

Well, I wasn't in the business of prying into your personal affairs, but from what I understand you and he had some fun one night and liked it enough to keep it going for two years. [He spreads his... well, his hand, breezily.] Congratulations, I guess? Preemptively, in this case. Or I hope I didn't just somehow ruin your chances.

[liberaltus]

[Yes, well, he has promised never to tell that she swooned like a delicate maiden and Dorian ended up carrying her around.]

I...[now give him a moment to digest that, because some things are just too absurd to be taken in all at once without a little bit of processing.

Still, it doesn't settle easily, but he promised to take it well.]...wasn't expecting that. I must go terribly wrong somewhere in the future.

[lavelly]

[He does remember it being a bit of an adjustment period, come to think of it. Well done, Lavellan.]

Oh, I don't know. You've always been a bit depraved.

[It falls a bit flat, though.] Look, if it really bothers you that much--it might not happen. If there's a world out there where Hawke is a man, who knows what could be different for us? There's a lot more interesting things that have happened, to be honest.

[liberaltus]

A bit depraved is alright, that's just odd. [He can't really think of the proper word to describe it at the moment.] I'm not bothered by it, honestly I'm not entirely certain what to think about it so I will just tuck it away for now. Anything else I should know? Relative to me of course.

[lavelly]

[He opens his mouth, then closes it, considering.]

Is there any topic you'd rather not know about? I don't want to accidentally tread on something sensitive.

[Dooooo you really want to know about your father's assassination, Dorian. Or the fact that Lavellan has actually met your father.]

[liberaltus]

If it can be avoided I'd rather not be caught unaware by anything untoward. I like to be prepared that way.

[If he can stop something from happening the why not? He isn't about to break down if the future doesn't turn out the way he's expecting.

It might not please him, but he has a great deal of determination.]

[lavelly]

[Lavellan is silent for a moment, contemplating his options. Something about this makes him uncomfortable, but there's not really any reason for it to. Even if they do manage to go back to their respective timelines, so what? Dorian might use the information to save his father? Is that any different from when they themselves traveled into the future and saw what would happen if Corypheus succeeded?]

Well. I can also offer you congratulations on becoming a magister. For real, I mean, not just by southern standards.

[Maybe he'll just let that implication hang.]

[liberaltus]

[Well now, that does take him by surprise, because the last time Dorian checked he was still just an Altus. Oh, certainly, he and his father had come to some sort of...uneasy understanding? Truce? But Dorian still refused to return to the Imperium, still refused to play by the rules, and most importantly still refused to do all the things one would have to do in order to produce an heir and maintain and happy family (on the surface).]

My father would had to have kept me on as his heir, did he step down from the position and just hand it over?

[No, assassination had not occurred to him at all, though it should, you might have to spell it out.]

[lavelly]

[Lavellan sighs. He was hoping it wouldn't come to this.]

No, he was actually--well, he was assassinated.

I'm sorry to be the one to tell you.

[liberaltus]

Don't be silly [because the Inquisitor is well known for his jokes, yes?] my father, assassinated?

[Denial, obviously.]

[lavelly]

Regardless of what you might think of me, I wouldn't joke about something like this, Dorian.