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[dawnwillcome]

Leave me a message if something has happened that I should know about.

If this is about saving the world, press 1.
If something needs to be done about Dorian, please press 2.

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Comments

[serves]

It's good to hear. [It would be no great loss if the man fell in battle, but it's even better that he would be judged for his crimes, for what suffering he's inflicted.

At her question, he smiles and shakes his head.]

It's nothing important.

[dawnwillcome]

[She doesn't believe that, but she won't push for the truth. Things between them still feel salvageable, he'd called her Jove again instead of Inquisitor, she doesn't want to lose that by pushing for more information not matter how desperately she wants to know more.

He's smiling. She wants to keep him that way.]

I'm sorry if this is terribly awkward, Cullen, but-

[She lets go of him now, finally, but it's only so she can reach up to him, wrap her arms around his neck and hug him as tightly as she can. She has to balance on the tips of her toes because he's far too tall, but there was really no question about this.]

I have to. I'm so sorry.

[serves]

[The hug surprised him, but Maker help him, he's needed one. One just like this, ever since he got here. Cullen hesitates only for a moment before wrapping his arms around her. She fits against him in such a familiar way that it's almost incomprehensible that she doesn't know. Isn't from the same time.

He leans down a little, as he always has, so that she doesn't have to balance on her toes. Cullen's eyes slip shut as he memorizes the feeling of her in his arms for the hundredth time.]

I think I can forgive you.

[dawnwillcome]

[From Jove's perspective, this is the first time she's hugged him like this. They've been this close before, but it was when he had caught her as she'd dropped into the snow after a mountain had fallen on her. She'd walked for what seemed like hours before she'd seen the camp and Cullen had been there, warm and strong and safe when she had been sure she was going to die.

He'd caught her and lifted her up like she weighed nothing, carried her to the camp and let her cling to him for warmth as he trudged through snow that had been up to her knees. She must have been in love with him if he could kiss her so easily, if she had let things go so far. She feels like she's about to cry, but when she laughs in response to what he's just said she's glad it doesn't sound as distraught as she feels.

This is horrible, and her arms tighten around him a little more.]

Good. That's all I can ask for.

[serves]

[Her frame is so small. He could lift her with one arm, if he wanted, and it's tempting right now to just lift her up and hold her close until this all blows over. But that's unlikely.

He's not sure if it's time to pull away. He'll let her decide that.]

It'll be all right. Regardless of--this, of timelines, if you need anything, all you need to do is ask.

[She's still his Inquisitor.]

[dawnwillcome]

[Just a little longer. Like it will fix anything if she presses her face into his shoulder and close her eyes and pretend she's what he wanted her to be. What he could very well need her to be.

She counts to ten, very slowly, and then starts to lean away from him.]

You know that goes for you as well. Doubly so, since I've been in this place longer. Anything at all that you might need, I can help with it.

[serves]

[If he could hold her like this forever, it still wouldn't be long enough. But the moment she begins to pull away, he lets her. He even takes a half-step away.]

Of course.

[dawnwillcome]

[Her hands slide down to his arms as the distance between them widens, but if he's pulling away she should try to stop that. She squeezes his arms, then lets her own fall back to her sides. Her hands always give too much away, but she doesn't tuck them behind her back. There's not reason to hide from him when he likely knows all her tells.

There's something she'll have to get used to.]

I'll remind you daily if I have to.

[The joke falls a little flat, but at least she tried.]

[serves]

It won't be necessary. As I understand it, we'll only be able to communicate with those... things, during the week? Unless we're off the ships.

[He's not too fond of the idea.]

[dawnwillcome]

We'll be able to meet like this often, it's just that the Marsiva, the ship you arrived on, shuttles can't come and go from those. You're relatively free to do what you will, now.

[Should she mention this? Is it even a good door to open?]

There are ways to transfer ships, if you wanted to. Last month Dorian and I got around it by just renting a room on one of the planets, but if you wanted something more permanent...

[serves]

[Mixed signals? No, just... unsure signals.]

That may be something to look into.

[dawnwillcome]

[More like attempts to keep things from spiraling too far into the world of completely lost causes.]

I'll warn you my ship is... well, no one there takes anything seriously. It's a wonder the thing still works correctly.

[serves]

And that's uncommon?

[dawnwillcome]

From what I understand, every other crew has at least attempted to improve their ship in some way. Mine seems to be suffering from a case of no one actually wanting to take responsibility for anything at all.

[serves]

If anyone could encourage them to do it, it's you.

[dawnwillcome]

[It's not a surprising thing to hear from Cullen, but it all seems different now. It sounds different when he's just tried to kiss her, when she knows they must have been in love. In an attempt to keep the mood light, she lightly taps his chest with her fist.]

One of these days I'll let you down entirely and you're going to have to change your tune.

[serves]

[Enjoy that little thunk from his armor. It masks the sound of his heart beating faster than it should.]

I very much doubt that.

[dawnwillcome]

You never know, I could sprout horns and join the Qun.

[serves]

I was speaking about things in the realm of possibility.

[dawnwillcome]

Just based on what we've seen at home you should know that anything at all is possible.

[serves]

That's true. But you won't let me down. I know that.

[Even if they're not together.]

[dawnwillcome]

[There were hundreds - thousands, probably - of humans laying all their faith on her, and it's just as heavy a weight as the task that's set before her as the Inquisitor. She hadn't felt it here, where she was just Jove. Dorian teased her every now and then, but she was his friend before she was his Inquisitor. No one expected her to be anything besides Jove, of clan Lavellan, which meant nothing outside of Thedas.

With Cullen here that's changed, but not in the way she expected. There's the need to carry his faith, prove herself worthy of it, but it's always been different when it came to him. After Meredith, he needed a leader who wouldn't betray him. She doesn't mind him laying his faith on her shoulders. That's one burden she's always been glad to carry.

So she smiles, nods as she ducks her head down, and pats his armor one last time before dropping her hand away from his chest.]

I would die first, I think.

[serves]

We don't need to be that dramatic.

[Her death is not something he even can talk about lightly.]