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[ he cants his head, but waits patiently as asked, much as he watches her curiously. the iphone is something both familiar and unfamiliar — not tech he specifically recognizes, but more like home than anything local to thedas. the shape and size reminds him of hand terminals, just rudimentary. ]
Huh.
[ he sits up so that he can lean closer to the table, eyebrows furrowed, as he looks at the device. the fact that it can still play pre-recorded music is much more than he would've expected. ]
That came with you from home?
[ a rhetorical question, really. of course it did. ]
Huh.
[ he sits up so that he can lean closer to the table, eyebrows furrowed, as he looks at the device. the fact that it can still play pre-recorded music is much more than he would've expected. ]
That came with you from home?
[ a rhetorical question, really. of course it did. ]
[She nods.]
At home it does a lot more than that: voice calls, data access, notes, photographs, all kinds of stuff. I kind of expected it to just be bricked when I got here but no, now it's a Shuffle throwback.
[She taps the screen again and it switches to a Bjork song.]
Obviously the stakes are way lower, but my theory is that the Fade is building the things we had on us when we dreamed, right? And things that don't have an analogue in Thedas ... sometimes we just get what the thing was physically like, but sometimes there's an impression of what it's for. Your port is critical to you being alive, so maybe there was a stronger sense of purpose for the Fade to work with. But this is ... it's way beyond my research, this is pure hypothesis, you know?
At home it does a lot more than that: voice calls, data access, notes, photographs, all kinds of stuff. I kind of expected it to just be bricked when I got here but no, now it's a Shuffle throwback.
[She taps the screen again and it switches to a Bjork song.]
Obviously the stakes are way lower, but my theory is that the Fade is building the things we had on us when we dreamed, right? And things that don't have an analogue in Thedas ... sometimes we just get what the thing was physically like, but sometimes there's an impression of what it's for. Your port is critical to you being alive, so maybe there was a stronger sense of purpose for the Fade to work with. But this is ... it's way beyond my research, this is pure hypothesis, you know?
[ he nods as he listens, offers to the explanation of the device, ]
We have something like it at home.
[ he hadn't dreamed himself with his hand terminal, and so his hadn't arrived here with him. funny to think he might've had his music library, at least, if so. (not that he can fault cosima's taste in music.)
there's something a little creepy about the idea of the fade building things, making approximations of their belongings. mostly because of how it reminds him of the protomolecule, shredding spaceships and humans and their minds alike, carefully, to reconfigure and use them as building blocks. he'd put his theory of them being one and the same a long time ago, but the comparison right now is undeniable.
what he says aloud, though, is, ] Well, I appreciate the Fade trying to keep me alive.
[ then, more seriously, looking from the iphone to her, ]
I do know. But I think you might be onto something. It makes more sense than anything else I can think of.
We have something like it at home.
[ he hadn't dreamed himself with his hand terminal, and so his hadn't arrived here with him. funny to think he might've had his music library, at least, if so. (not that he can fault cosima's taste in music.)
there's something a little creepy about the idea of the fade building things, making approximations of their belongings. mostly because of how it reminds him of the protomolecule, shredding spaceships and humans and their minds alike, carefully, to reconfigure and use them as building blocks. he'd put his theory of them being one and the same a long time ago, but the comparison right now is undeniable.
what he says aloud, though, is, ] Well, I appreciate the Fade trying to keep me alive.
[ then, more seriously, looking from the iphone to her, ]
I do know. But I think you might be onto something. It makes more sense than anything else I can think of.
The good news, such as it is, is that I've never heard of a Rifter dying of a condition they brought with them. I mean, I'm not saying it's impossible, we're a statistically insignificant sample size, but even so. I probably came closer than most, but in the absence of gene therapy, spirit healing kept me stable and mostly on my feet. I don't have a lot of good evidence that the Fade is capable of wanting anything in the way we mean it, but it seems like whatever mechanism brings us here tries to equip us as best it can.
[ he's quiet for a moment, then says, ]
Amos had a theory he told me once. He thought the Fade was bringing us here — and creating anchor-bearers — because it was trying to fix itself.
[ equipping rifters, such as it does, doesn't seem incompatible with that idea. ]
Amos had a theory he told me once. He thought the Fade was bringing us here — and creating anchor-bearers — because it was trying to fix itself.
[ equipping rifters, such as it does, doesn't seem incompatible with that idea. ]
Huh.
[She takes a sip of wine.]
I haven't heard that exact theory before, but it's ... interesting. It would explain some things, though. How sometimes clusters of people from the same place come through, or how sometimes you seem to have trends for certain skill sets. From what I heard, none of us started showing up until the Herald got killed. Maybe we're an elaborate plan B.
[She takes a sip of wine.]
I haven't heard that exact theory before, but it's ... interesting. It would explain some things, though. How sometimes clusters of people from the same place come through, or how sometimes you seem to have trends for certain skill sets. From what I heard, none of us started showing up until the Herald got killed. Maybe we're an elaborate plan B.
[ makes him wonder what'll happen to them all if they ever manage to fix the veil, but that's dark even for this conversation. ]
God, the Herald, [ he says instead, into a bigger swallow of wine. ] Did anyone tell you we met her ghost at the start of the year?
God, the Herald, [ he says instead, into a bigger swallow of wine. ] Did anyone tell you we met her ghost at the start of the year?
Wait, was that when there were all the wild dreams? That was right before I came back, I think. I missed that the Herald was there, though. How... was that?
Yeah, she showed up at the end of that. The whole thing was her doing, apparently.
[ i am sorry that you — so many of you — have suffered. that was not my wish. ]
She talked to us to make sure we understood the whole point of them.
[ if he sounds a little salty, well. still feels a bit like she could've done that in the first place. ]
[ i am sorry that you — so many of you — have suffered. that was not my wish. ]
She talked to us to make sure we understood the whole point of them.
[ if he sounds a little salty, well. still feels a bit like she could've done that in the first place. ]
Edited 2021-12-30 17:13 (UTC)
Useful, if delivered in a traumatizing way. Though that seems pretty par for the course, in Thedas. No one's ever just like "I wanted to help, so here's that thing you needed."
[Alas.]
What were they like? The dreams. As long as you want to say, you don't have to.
[Alas.]
What were they like? The dreams. As long as you want to say, you don't have to.
It'd be a nice change of pace if it ever happened.
[ mused. but he's quiet a long moment after her question, then says, ]
Shitty, mostly. I heard some of the locals had a dream where the Herald hadn't died, but I didn't see much of that one, just the one where Corypheus won.
[ mused. but he's quiet a long moment after her question, then says, ]
Shitty, mostly. I heard some of the locals had a dream where the Herald hadn't died, but I didn't see much of that one, just the one where Corypheus won.
Not sad I missed that, honestly. I got a taste of that last time, you know. It wasn't dreams, it was ... wait, I honestly don't know if this is classified anymore, sorry. I'm not sure that matters now, but I guess I shouldn't make that call without checking. But, uh, it was a similar experience. But it also did get us some intel. It's the reason we expanded to Kirkwall, when we were still part of the Inquisition.
[It startles her into a genuine laugh.]
Shit, man, better start the countdown.
...the good news is that would mean Corypheus is always a minimum of five years away from winning, so.
Shit, man, better start the countdown.
...the good news is that would mean Corypheus is always a minimum of five years away from winning, so.
( Multitasking, as he often does: Strange is in the infirmary, working through the supplies and reorganising some paperwork and considering some options, when he decides to ring up Cosima. This sort of thing might have been a familiar sight back home: cell phone propped between his shoulder and his ear, perhaps rifling through medical records while talking through a problem. Without preamble, once she picks up: )
Do you have any ideas on what you’d like to present at the Riftwatch Cultural Exposition?
Also, any tips for dealing with Orlesians?
( He can be abrasive; he knows this. His last attempt to lecture the locals on rifter science hadn’t gone well. He’s gonna try to do better this time. )
Do you have any ideas on what you’d like to present at the Riftwatch Cultural Exposition?
Also, any tips for dealing with Orlesians?
( He can be abrasive; he knows this. His last attempt to lecture the locals on rifter science hadn’t gone well. He’s gonna try to do better this time. )
I haven't really come up with anything yet. I'm not on the invention squad, and I think a lot of the red lyirum work I do is more "oh shit that's scary" than "oh wow that's cool," unfortunately. You?
[She's multitasking herself, talking as she sorts through some paperwork.]
For the other thing, regular Orlesians are basically regular people, it's just the rich Orlesians that are playing their weird Most Dangerous Game LARP at all times. Luckily, as far as I can tell, the living chess match is only for other rich Orlesians. Be deferential and make them feel smart, same as any other rich person, has worked well enough for what I do. [Wry:] Then again, I'm not in Diplomacy.
[She's multitasking herself, talking as she sorts through some paperwork.]
For the other thing, regular Orlesians are basically regular people, it's just the rich Orlesians that are playing their weird Most Dangerous Game LARP at all times. Luckily, as far as I can tell, the living chess match is only for other rich Orlesians. Be deferential and make them feel smart, same as any other rich person, has worked well enough for what I do. [Wry:] Then again, I'm not in Diplomacy.
Well, I personally think your red lyrium work is extremely cool, ( he had torn through Research’s archives and read through Cosima’s old notes on the blood plague, the discovery that lyrium was alive, all good and fascinating work, ) but I see what you mean. It tends to alarm the locals.
( There’s a dissatisfied curl to his voice, although it smooths out to a chuckle at her last comment. )
Diplomacy isn’t my strong suit either. ‘Be deferential and make a rich person feel smart’ is— good god, it’s probably my worst suit. I hate rich people. I used to be one, so I’m allowed to say that.
( There’s a dissatisfied curl to his voice, although it smooths out to a chuckle at her last comment. )
Diplomacy isn’t my strong suit either. ‘Be deferential and make a rich person feel smart’ is— good god, it’s probably my worst suit. I hate rich people. I used to be one, so I’m allowed to say that.
Noted. I mean, I guess I was pretty rich back home by like, global standards, but not the way we're talking about. The main thing with Orlais is that they've actively game-ified one-upmanship, so just like ... I don't know, bear that in mind. Probably try to avoid embarrassing anyone as much as you can.
[It's probably a work in progress.]
Didn't you ever have to go to a hospital fundraiser?
[It's probably a work in progress.]
Didn't you ever have to go to a hospital fundraiser?
Yes, but—
( How to explain what an asshole he’d once been. )
Mainly to show off. I talked about myself, bragged about my procedures, got people dazzled so they’d donate to Metro-General. They were very impressed. So I can do that, I can schmooze,
( there’s the scuffing noise of drawers opening and closing, the clink of him sorting through supplies while they speak, )
but back home, people could trust that the man gunning for head of neurosurgery knew what he was talking about. Here, no one knows who the hell I am. Here, I have to convince people to wash their hands.
( How to explain what an asshole he’d once been. )
Mainly to show off. I talked about myself, bragged about my procedures, got people dazzled so they’d donate to Metro-General. They were very impressed. So I can do that, I can schmooze,
( there’s the scuffing noise of drawers opening and closing, the clink of him sorting through supplies while they speak, )
but back home, people could trust that the man gunning for head of neurosurgery knew what he was talking about. Here, no one knows who the hell I am. Here, I have to convince people to wash their hands.
See this is why I decided to go into pure research [is (mostly) a joke.]
OK, I think maybe you're better off thinking about it like ... Were you the kind of rich where people paid attention to you even before you were in striking distance of the head of neurosurgery, or did you ever have to hustle?
OK, I think maybe you're better off thinking about it like ... Were you the kind of rich where people paid attention to you even before you were in striking distance of the head of neurosurgery, or did you ever have to hustle?
As a student and resident, yeah. Running around for the people above me in the hierarchy— and when I was first learning magic, too, actually. No one gave a damn about me then. But I pretty much flunked all the lessons about humility, though, FYI, ( Strange says, dryly — but he doth actually protest too much. The lessons eventually sank in. It just took a few years into the job.
He’s considering her words, though. Trying to remember how to fit himself back into that shape. )
So. Imagine I’m a student again. Be humble, swallow shit with a smile, don’t embarrass Orlesians who care very much about public appearances. Something like that?
He’s considering her words, though. Trying to remember how to fit himself back into that shape. )
So. Imagine I’m a student again. Be humble, swallow shit with a smile, don’t embarrass Orlesians who care very much about public appearances. Something like that?
Something like that. I don't know, pretend they have power over where you get to do your residency or something.
[At least he has some experience to draw on.]
What are you thinking about demonstrating?
[At least he has some experience to draw on.]
What are you thinking about demonstrating?
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