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[There's a certain dog snuffling at the communicator when it turns on. In fact, his nose actually turns the device off and onto audio for several moments, the sound of his heavy breathing filling the microphone.]

Off, you lush. I need that.

[The mic is covered by something - fabric, actually, in an attempt to clean off the device - and then it switches back to video. A woman with red hair can be seen looking over the communicator critically, looking for scratches and cracks. The dog is gone and she settles back. It's easy from this angle to see the Warden-Commander's crest on her armor, even if it's partly covered by a curtain of hair.]

I wish to speak to whomever's in charge of bringing recruits here. They have no authority to conscript a Warden in any way, not without first making an appeal to Weisshaupt. If I cannot have an audience with the leader of this outpost - [or whatever it is] - then I would speak with anyone else who carries a position of authority.

[She knows her stuff, clearly. She frowns into the camera, tapping it once. She sighs, glancing at her dog. The commanding aura nearly vanishes, replaced by exasperation.]

...I'm speaking to myself, aren't I?

[Elissa glances back to the device, fussing with it once more. It turns off.]

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It's something we've all had to adjust to.

[He's heading out of the kitchen and it doesn't take him long to find her, not when he knows exactly who he's looking for.

He stops short of hugging her, only slightly out of breath.]

Elissa.

[And she'll adjust to it, too, in time. But she's not going to be able to accommodate him if he keeps giving her that look.

Elissa turns to greet him, her dog bounding around them in excitement. They haven't hugged in a long time, not since the Blight, and so it's an awkward space between them that she knows should be filled by something.]

Alistair.

[Oh, damn it all. She closes the gap and hugs him anyway.]

[Whoops, this is making it really hard for him to contain his feelings. He holds on tightly, his arms wrapped around her for perhaps a moment or two too long.]

It's -- it's good to see you.

[She smiles over his shoulder. He gets one squeeze before she lets go only enough to look at him.]

Likewise.

[Her smile falters.]

Something's happened, hasn't it?

What? No, no.

[He holds his hands up in front of himself defensively.]

I've just been here for a couple of months, that's all.

[He's not a very good liar.]

[Not a very good liar at all.]

Alistair, I'm serious. Nate's said that it's been years for him and Anora's acting strangely -- [except she doesn't blame her for that] -- and now you.

[Did she get lost on her way to the Eluvian or something?]

What has happened? What are you hiding?

[He furrows his brows.]

Elissa, it's just -- I don't think that it's a good idea to dwell on things that aren't going to matter here.

[And Alistair hadn't ever really dealt emotionally with her death, so there's that too.]

[She scowls.]

You're not making any sense. What happened to me? Nathaniel's been telling me things about mage uprisings and riots throughout Thedas...

[And now she's even more concerned that letting Morrigan go was a bad idea.]

What is going on?

[Well, he can neatly change the subject and try to explain some things.]

As it turns out, a good number of the people here from Thedas are from a future point in our timeline. You'd have to ask them for details on that much.

I suppose I shall have to.

[Since everyone's content to be so cryptic to her.]

What year was it for you when you were brought here?

9:31.

[Damn, okay, now he has to admit to her what's happened, at least vaguely. He crosses his arms over his chest and manages a small smile.]

After the Blight ended.

Ah.

[Strangely, she doesn't seem very concerned about this at all.]

You've just begun your kingship, then. Things won't be too rough, I promise.

[Guess who doesn't know about him and Anora yet.]

You sound very sure of yourself on that.

[He rubs his neck. Well, might as well get this out of the way now.]

It's not me that I'm worried about, it's my significantly-more-cunning-and-dangerous half.

Why wouldn't I be? You're going to be a great king.

[...Oh. Wow. She stares for a long time in dumbfounded silence.]

You... When did you marry?

[He's pretty much just staring back, at this point.

When he speaks next he sounds hurt despite himself.]

Some time after you informed me you'd negotiated my marriage.

[Elissa's mouth nearly opens at the thought.]

What are you--

No. I didn't negotiate any sort of marriage. Your love life isn't...

[She bites her lower lip briefly.]

Your love life isn't any of my business, Alistair. I made you king, yes, but your new queen has always been your decision. You weren't married when I left.

[He remembers vaguely hearing other people talking about timelines different greatly between worlds. Her confusion, her genuine confusion, coupled with her earlier concerns ... well, it makes him flinch, although he tries to cover it up with a laugh.]

Right, I must've hit my head while we were going through Brazil.

[She lives where she's from. That's all that really matters, when it comes down to it.]

Let's -- just talk about something else. Did you choose a weapon when you arrived here?

[He's not really 100% sure that she'll take this change of subject. In fact, if she's anything like his Elissa, she won't take it for even a few seconds.]

[He's married. And she did it. She doesn't even know how to process the thought, let alone accept it as truth. But she knows that people are from different "times"; things could be different for him.

But that doesn't mean he's getting out of this interrogation.]

Who is she, Alistair.

[...well, it was worth a try. He never could lie to her, so he doesn't try to tell her that he married a Dalish elf princess or something like that.]

The only person who would help strengthen by position. Anora.

[There is no emotion on her face, not at first. Her first reaction is to turn, fold her arms together and take two steps away from him. She does not run, though, and eventually turns back to look at him.]

And I did this. I had you marry her?

[What else can he tell her, really? She's asking, so he merely...nods.]

You did. You told me she'd be a valuable asset when ruling, and that if I waited around long enough, she might turn into a sovereign-producing nug.

[Welp, this will surely help the situation]

...all right, I may have made that last bit up.

[She wants to smile. Really, she does. But it looks so strained when she tries.]

Oh, if only.

[Then she might at least have some justification.]

Believe me when I say that I wouldn't have done such a thing. I'd rather you rule alone, prepared to face the world, than to give you to someone you don't care about.

[He glances down at his feet. Oh, how strange it is to hear those words from her after hearing what 'his' Elissa say quite the opposite.]

I can only tell you what has happened.

I-- I know. And I'm sorry.

[No matter what's happened between them, he's still important to her.]

[He can't help it. She's here with him, this woman that he cared so much about -- and even if she rejected him, this woman might not be her, not completely.]

Elissa, you don't need to be sorry.

[And he's reaching a hand out to touch her arm, gently enough it's as if he's afraid she might disappear if he's too rough.]

...I mean, unless you've been the one putting nugs in my bed.

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