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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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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.

[She lets him, because damn if she hasn't missed having him at her side. Say what you will about the group, about their trials during the Blight, but those were the happiest days she's had since she was a little girl.

And she can't help it. She smiles and laughs once, faintly.]

No, that's not me. You should get that checked out, though.

I have my suspicions about who it might be, but I can't be sure. I'll have to set a devious trap...

[Y e p okay, so they're clear to stop talking about this now, right? Because even if this is going to be completely awkward, he's glad to have Elissa here now.]

You should check under your bed. It might be Oghren.

[Boy, this is awkward. She sighs, setting her hand on his arm in turn.]

...Come on. You said you had some explanations for me about this place, right?

Bed fit for a king or not, I don't think Oghren could fit underneath it.

Thanks for that image, though. I'll be having nightmares for weeks.

[He doesn't flinch away from the touch.]

It might not be what you want to hear. The people running this place seem to be dimmer than a templar under a lust-demon's thrall.

Well, who were you expecting?

[Elissa shrugs, tugging him along so they can walk.]

I'll take my chances. I need to know what I can do to help. The sooner we can take care of this...this mess, the sooner we can go home.

They're trying to overthrow the current government, because apparently it's corrupt. I haven't gotten much more detail out of anyone here so far.

[Admittedly, he's been a little -- distracted.]

Has there been any proof of this corruption? And is that why they're using time travel?

We got a glimpse of the 'other side', as it were, early upon arriving here. They certainly seem dangerous, and they use assassins -- never a good sign.

No, it's not.

[It's not conclusive evidence that they're the enemy, but they aren't to be trusted.]

Did they send the assassins down on the..."transports", was it? Or did they send them on the native citizens?

It's my understanding that they came at us as 'transports' in order to install on us some sort of tracking device.

[He managed to avoid it, fortunately.]

So it was targeted at us. Really makes a man feel safe, if you think about it.

[Not.]

[She really does wish she'd arrived here sooner.]

I imagine our generous hosts did nothing to help at the time.

[And if they did, it was probably only so they could claim to be on the side of the transports.]

No, they didn't. They claimed these people were too powerful for them.

[He smirked and shook his head.]

Conveniently.

[She folds her arms across her chest and almost looks like a petulant child, for a moment.]

Bastards.

[But this confirms to her that neither side can be trusted.]

I suppose we'll keep our ears to the ground, wait for the inevitable explosion, and hopefully find our way home? Or, if nothing else, to another time and place.

Edited 2012-07-16 06:31 (UTC)

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