exsilium | 001 drop of lyrium || [video] + action

Oh! Andaran atish’an! This is such an interesting way to talk to people, don't you think? I can see your face and you can see mine! It's like a mirror, but it reflects other people back at you.

[Merrill waves, smiling broadly, her large eyes sparkling with delight.]

My name is Merrill, and I'm looking for my friends. I appear to be a little lost. [She swings the tablet around too fast to really see anything useful. Just a lot of stone.] Did you see that? I'm lost. But I have friends who can help me become, ah, not lost.

Sometimes, when I was lost in Kirkwall, Isabela - she's one of my friends - would swoop down from the top of a building and tell me where to go. She's very pretty, with dark hair and a lovely blue bandana. Oh, and a necklace. It's quite hard to miss her necklace and what's below it. And there's Aveline, but sometimes I worry she doesn't like me. She has red hair, like the sun, and quite a lot of freckles. I like her freckles. I wish I had freckles... [Merrill trails off, tapping her fingers against her cheeks as if counting freckles. She comes back to herself suddenly.] I'm sorry, I tend to get lost in my thoughts. I think that's how I ended up here. Do you ever do that? You start thinking and then you just don't come out. What was I saying before?

Oh, yes, my friends! I have quite a few of them. Isabela and Aveline and Varric! Varric is a dwarf, and he's very funny, but his stories aren't always true. He tells me stories about pirates, but Isabela says they're mostly made up. And Fenris, he's elvhen, like me, but--that's not going to be trouble, is it? In Kirkwall, they make us live in alienages, and they're very dirty. I had a nice house, but it was very small. No one in Thedas seems to like the elvhen very much, and living in the alienage is very uncomfortable...

[She stares past the tablet screen for a moment, thoughtful.] I hope there aren't any alienages here...

If you know my friends, would you tell them I'm looking for them? Ma serannas for your troubles. Or, if you recognize this place-- [She ducks out of the frame, an alleyway filling the screen for a few seconds before she fumbles the tablet and then drops it. Merrill's face pops into the frame again, a worried expression on it.] Oh, dear, I hope I haven't broken you...

[ooc: Feel free to engage the very lost Merrill in actiony posts. As a Dalish elf, she tends to speak in the elvhen language frequently. You can hover over the text with your mouse to get a translation!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, no, just me, I think. Our Keeper used to say I spoke too much and couldn't hear anything anyone else said to me, but that's a bit silly. I still have ears.

[She tugs on hers. Then she realizes Anora recognized that she's Dalish.]

You're Ferelden! My clan was in Ferelden for a while. Then we went to Kirkwall when the Blight came. It's done now. Is it done for you, too?

[she just.

pfffffft wow Merrill you can just keep talking and talking and talking...]

It is, yes. So you are aware of the time discrepancies here?

I--

Somewhat. [Her expression is sorrowful.] I think I just said something I shouldn't have.

[LMAO YEAH her lips quirk up a little.]

You will find that happens often here.

[OOPS. Merrill and her mouth sigh Merrill sigh.]

I may have hurt a--a friend. [She shakes herself.]

You said you're from Ferelden? You lived through the Blight?

I was queen through the Blight.

Oh, that must have been terrible. I'm glad your kingdom is alright now. [She scratches the side of her nose.] Is it? Ferelden, I mean. I've wanted to go back and visit my old clan. [Even though they won't have her.] Maybe I can do that. Later. Since now I'm here and there doesn't seem to be a way home.

From what I have heard it fares better after the Blight. I was brought here shortly after it had ended so I have yet to see the outcome firsthand, only hear of it.

[and hear of the bajillion other possible outcomes btw.]

Yes there has not been...any news on when we shall be returning home, if ever.

[Merrill scratches her head.]

But I just met the king... Oh, are you married? He seems very kind, you're very lucky. Do you have children?

[there's the temptation to ask 'which one' but yeah talk about a question she doesn't want to answer yup yup.]

No not...yet.

[ugh]

I love children. Do you think you'll have any soon? You can leave them with me, I can watch them for you.

[A blood mage watching babies THAT'S NOT ASKING FOR TROUBLE not at all.]

[NOT AT ALL BUT OH MAKER THIS IS NOT A CONVERSATION SHE WANTS TO HAVE WITH A STRANGER

especially not a Dalish mage of all people. her expression is just a giant muddled mess of N O P E]

That is an...incredibly generous offer...from a complete stranger, no less. [INTERNALLY SCREAMING] But I...no. I will not be having children any time soon.

[OH HEY ANORA IS ANGRY.

Merrill makes a surprised sound and claps her hand over her mouth.]

Oh, I'm sorry, I forget, sometimes, that not everyone likes the Dalish. I'm sorry, that was very rude of me.

You have lovely hair.

It was simply not a question you should be asking me.

[LMAO APOLOGIZING FOR CASUAL RACISM. but honestly her annoyance has NOTHING TO DO WITH MERRILL BEING DALISH SURPRISINGLY.

mainly because this is the total opposite of what she's expecting from a Dalish. you're just getting an incredulous look Merrill, especially after the apology and the...compliment.]

...thank you.

[RACISM IS EXPECTED IT'S TOTES COOL ...wait that sounds awful out of context YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.]

You're welcome. In my old clan, there was a woman with hair that color. Like the sun. Oh, or fresh picked wheat! It's very lovely. Do you braid it yourself? That's a silly question, of course you don't. It must be nice, to be queen.

[SHE ABSENTMINDEDLY TOUCHES ONE OF HER LEIA BUNS.

Merrill what are you.]

I do braid it myself, actually.

[at least, here she does. she kind of has to.]

And I do enjoy being queen, yes, though such a title rings a bit hollow here. And even at home it is not exactly a fun job.

No? But you're Queen. You can do whatever you want, can't you? [lolnope Merrill does not understand ruling.]

If only it were that simple, but no, I cannot.

[She thinks about this for a moment.]

Well, that's unfair. If you're queen, you should be able to.

[there's a light chuckle at that and...

why...

she looks slightly amused.]

Unfortunately, it does not work that way. A queen's duty is to do what is best for her subjects, after all. [though she does do it HER way and what best benefits HER.] Doing simply whatever I want may not always be in the best interest of my country.

[Merrill considers this.]

You're like a Keeper, then. You look out for your people. Do you tell them not to pull each other's hair, too?

Sometimes I do feel as though I am trying to sort out petty playground arguments.

[NOBLES CAN BE SUPER PETTY AND CHILDISH.]

But no. I do not.