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[He cracks the barest smile.]
Obviously. He and I would both, in fact, need excellent alibis, as I have a motive and he "acted promptly" this time, which I presume was noticed. Ideally, we should both be out of Kirkwall, not together, on work assignments with other witnesses to vouch for our whereabouts.
...theoretically, of course.
Obviously. He and I would both, in fact, need excellent alibis, as I have a motive and he "acted promptly" this time, which I presume was noticed. Ideally, we should both be out of Kirkwall, not together, on work assignments with other witnesses to vouch for our whereabouts.
...theoretically, of course.
Most soldiers I've met aren't eager to run back into the fray.
[ Agreeably, spoken as he tears a pinch out of the bread roll he procured for them. Then; ]
Highly dependent on the fray, though. The nature of the peril, the world being imperiled. I want to say that qualifier is both why I took my time as well as why I came back around. Would you agree, as to yourself?
[ He takes a bite of food, a more wolfish motion than the rest of his more mannely affectations. ]
[ Agreeably, spoken as he tears a pinch out of the bread roll he procured for them. Then; ]
Highly dependent on the fray, though. The nature of the peril, the world being imperiled. I want to say that qualifier is both why I took my time as well as why I came back around. Would you agree, as to yourself?
[ He takes a bite of food, a more wolfish motion than the rest of his more mannely affectations. ]
[A brief pause while he actually considers this.]
Let's stick to this afternoon, if you've no preference. Do you know where my office is?
Let's stick to this afternoon, if you've no preference. Do you know where my office is?
I suppose, in a way.
[Julius considers that.]
The scale of the conflict rather abruptly changed. It felt that whatever I wanted to do next would require the world to survive Corypheus first. And I've never been inclined to sit around and wait on someone else to fix a problem on my behalf.
[He reaches for his tankard, to have a swallow of ale. Then he adds:]
I'm not afraid of a fight if there's some good to be gotten out of it. I suppose the arithmetic of loss and gain shifted fairly definitively. But of course, that will always be a subjective judgment in any situation.
[Julius considers that.]
The scale of the conflict rather abruptly changed. It felt that whatever I wanted to do next would require the world to survive Corypheus first. And I've never been inclined to sit around and wait on someone else to fix a problem on my behalf.
[He reaches for his tankard, to have a swallow of ale. Then he adds:]
I'm not afraid of a fight if there's some good to be gotten out of it. I suppose the arithmetic of loss and gain shifted fairly definitively. But of course, that will always be a subjective judgment in any situation.
Those sound like much more responsible reasons to end a relationship than any of mine. You might give yourself some credit.
[ Ilias mostly considered none of those things and then got upset when they turned out to be important. So, bravo. ]
I have not been so careful; perhaps that is a more useful comparison. I was once, but— it is easy to forget, yes? In the moment, that one ought not always pursue a deeper connection, as you put it. But once such bonds exist, and there is danger in their inevitable breaking — I suppose I only wonder if it is cowardice or sense, to sever them sooner.
[ Ilias mostly considered none of those things and then got upset when they turned out to be important. So, bravo. ]
I have not been so careful; perhaps that is a more useful comparison. I was once, but— it is easy to forget, yes? In the moment, that one ought not always pursue a deeper connection, as you put it. But once such bonds exist, and there is danger in their inevitable breaking — I suppose I only wonder if it is cowardice or sense, to sever them sooner.
Mm.
[ He'd said this wasn't an interrogation, but perhaps Julius can tell, even with as little as they know about each other, that Marcus would very much like to discard that reassurance as he studies him across the table. ]
Sometimes, [ he says, after thoughtful silence, ] I find the math doesn't quite add up to doing what one intuits as the right thing.
The rebellion did, after all, fail at its war.
[ He'd said this wasn't an interrogation, but perhaps Julius can tell, even with as little as they know about each other, that Marcus would very much like to discard that reassurance as he studies him across the table. ]
Sometimes, [ he says, after thoughtful silence, ] I find the math doesn't quite add up to doing what one intuits as the right thing.
The rebellion did, after all, fail at its war.
No, no need. I've plenty of reading and writing material to hand, at least by Riftwatch's definition of "plenty."
[Whenever she makes her way up, his door is open. Inside, he's seated at one of two desks; his is neat, but not obsessively so, clearly a place he actually does work from an odd ink smudge and the stacks of reports he's tidied off to one side. He's also got some hot water with honey, in lieu of tea; not the best substitute, but at least it's warm on a cold day.]
[Whenever she makes her way up, his door is open. Inside, he's seated at one of two desks; his is neat, but not obsessively so, clearly a place he actually does work from an odd ink smudge and the stacks of reports he's tidied off to one side. He's also got some hot water with honey, in lieu of tea; not the best substitute, but at least it's warm on a cold day.]
I'd prefer not for a variety of reasons.
Regardless, you needn't fear my temper. I've a leash on it, for all I can't relish you being threatened under any circumstances. But I trust your evaluation of the situation, too, you know. If you say leave it be, I will.
[Not because he doesn't care; because he cares so much.]
Regardless, you needn't fear my temper. I've a leash on it, for all I can't relish you being threatened under any circumstances. But I trust your evaluation of the situation, too, you know. If you say leave it be, I will.
[Not because he doesn't care; because he cares so much.]
I assure you, I've had a couple of messier ends, too. It just wasn't a mess because of an additional person.
[Breakups can be bad in so many ways, even if you're a levelheaded peacemaker.]
As for your position... I honestly don't know. Retreat can represent cowardice or sense, after all, depending on the context. And it's not always clear on the ground. If it were me, I might weigh it differently depending on what the likely danger was.
[Someone being hurt emotionally requires different consideration than, say, a party being made tranquil or someone getting executed.
[Breakups can be bad in so many ways, even if you're a levelheaded peacemaker.]
As for your position... I honestly don't know. Retreat can represent cowardice or sense, after all, depending on the context. And it's not always clear on the ground. If it were me, I might weigh it differently depending on what the likely danger was.
[Someone being hurt emotionally requires different consideration than, say, a party being made tranquil or someone getting executed.
I think that's a simplification.
[Franker than he'd often be, but he suspects it's the better way forward, here. He's still feeling Marcus out, but he's willing to extend him a bit of honesty based on his view of Petrana's ability to evaluate people's trustworthiness.]
It was a mixed outcome that got interrupted by a major shift in the state of the world. And anyone who says it's clear what will happen to mages in Southern Thedas after Corypheus is either selling a point of view or hasn't thought about it long enough.
But math isn't everything, regardless. If it were, I doubt anyone would be joining Riftwatch, for one.
[Franker than he'd often be, but he suspects it's the better way forward, here. He's still feeling Marcus out, but he's willing to extend him a bit of honesty based on his view of Petrana's ability to evaluate people's trustworthiness.]
It was a mixed outcome that got interrupted by a major shift in the state of the world. And anyone who says it's clear what will happen to mages in Southern Thedas after Corypheus is either selling a point of view or hasn't thought about it long enough.
But math isn't everything, regardless. If it were, I doubt anyone would be joining Riftwatch, for one.
[ She enters probably less boistrously than anyone would expect, purely based on personality. She still manages to sneak up on Kostos without even trying. She pulls up a chair across from him and falls easily into it with a fwumph. ]
Afternoon, Ser Julius. I see you're drinking... hot water. How's that treating ya?
Afternoon, Ser Julius. I see you're drinking... hot water. How's that treating ya?
[ This last part earns what is almost a laugh. ]
That is so.
[ Agreeing with more than just a joke about the wildcard that is Riftwatch. Done with his food for the moment, he curls his hands around his tankard and lets it rest against the table. ]
Hard though it is to shake a sense of something dead in the water after having fought for it. I should speak plainly-- [ A slightly inelegant switching of tracks manifested too in a shift of his posture, but he makes it nonetheless. ]
My curiousity as to a mage who did not take up arms as others did is not in some-- effort to know who to trust or befriend. Even if your lady companion had not already spoken of your shift in political allegiance, although I find that all the more intriguing. Hopeful, even.
A mixed outcome, as you said, not the least of which because we are a mixed people. The only enemy I would care to make is the kind that would stop others from seeking what they need to feel free.
That is so.
[ Agreeing with more than just a joke about the wildcard that is Riftwatch. Done with his food for the moment, he curls his hands around his tankard and lets it rest against the table. ]
Hard though it is to shake a sense of something dead in the water after having fought for it. I should speak plainly-- [ A slightly inelegant switching of tracks manifested too in a shift of his posture, but he makes it nonetheless. ]
My curiousity as to a mage who did not take up arms as others did is not in some-- effort to know who to trust or befriend. Even if your lady companion had not already spoken of your shift in political allegiance, although I find that all the more intriguing. Hopeful, even.
A mixed outcome, as you said, not the least of which because we are a mixed people. The only enemy I would care to make is the kind that would stop others from seeking what they need to feel free.
I've changed what I call myself, that's so. I allow that's not all,
[He can practically feel Petrana giving him a look, for all she's absent,]
but I've always held that separating all mages into two ideological camps was an oversimplification. I understand why it happened, but the fact remains. I've always hoped for an improved, sustainable system. What that will look like...
[Julius sighs, and takes a spoonful of soup. After a moment:]
Has she, or anyone else, talked to you about the incident with the phylacteries yet?
[He can practically feel Petrana giving him a look, for all she's absent,]
but I've always held that separating all mages into two ideological camps was an oversimplification. I understand why it happened, but the fact remains. I've always hoped for an improved, sustainable system. What that will look like...
[Julius sighs, and takes a spoonful of soup. After a moment:]
Has she, or anyone else, talked to you about the incident with the phylacteries yet?
Mixed. It's warm, but it's also more or less a reminder that it isn't actually tea. Would you like any? There's honey, so at least it has a taste.
[Ah, "has a taste," the peak of beverage options.]
[Ah, "has a taste," the peak of beverage options.]
[ It'd be an easy thing, to dive deeply into such matters, and Marcus holds off as Julius steers the conversation along. There's time enough, Maker knows, to embark on the messy business that is the particulars, beneath the veneer of generalities.
But they're just having dinner, so. ]
She spoke a little of that, yes, and her part in it.
But they're just having dinner, so. ]
She spoke a little of that, yes, and her part in it.
I'm about to make your day.
[ She digs into her pack--which, he might have noticed, was clinking and clanking a little bit--and produces a jar of citrus marmalade. ]
Mix this with the hot water, it's still not tea, but it's way better than...sweet water.
[ She digs into her pack--which, he might have noticed, was clinking and clanking a little bit--and produces a jar of citrus marmalade. ]
Mix this with the hot water, it's still not tea, but it's way better than...sweet water.
For now, ( —softer. )
We know. The Commander knows. And he knows that I have the full—
( she stops, momentarily derailed. )
In fact, ( after a moment, ) he may have inadvertently done me something of a service. I was...surprised by the Commander's determination to aid me in locating an alternate source of Qunlat. He was not, I think, entirely persuaded by my theories of language, and though he was more than willing to assist me with Tevene and I am certain if I had made further requests of him he would have been willing to listen and perhaps agree—I was surprised by his...treating it as a matter of course.
( if he still thinks some aspects of her project are a little frou-frou, that's fine; that he ranged himself behind it in support is what matters. that he chose to, when her work (and her hands) were threatened. )
We know. The Commander knows. And he knows that I have the full—
( she stops, momentarily derailed. )
In fact, ( after a moment, ) he may have inadvertently done me something of a service. I was...surprised by the Commander's determination to aid me in locating an alternate source of Qunlat. He was not, I think, entirely persuaded by my theories of language, and though he was more than willing to assist me with Tevene and I am certain if I had made further requests of him he would have been willing to listen and perhaps agree—I was surprised by his...treating it as a matter of course.
( if he still thinks some aspects of her project are a little frou-frou, that's fine; that he ranged himself behind it in support is what matters. that he chose to, when her work (and her hands) were threatened. )
Mmm. It was complicated, obviously. But I was part of the group that the mages voted on, to go negotiate. And I thought at the time... it seemed to be the skeleton of something that might be built on. A group of mages — Maker knows we didn't agree on much — working out priorities and working together to try to reach an agreement everyone could live with.
The deck was stacked against us, but we were invited to the table, which was quite a first concession in itself under the circumstances.
[He wasn't sure it would happen, if the matter had come up today instead. But that was a different problem.
The deck was stacked against us, but we were invited to the table, which was quite a first concession in itself under the circumstances.
[He wasn't sure it would happen, if the matter had come up today instead. But that was a different problem.
I'd heard a little of the mages of the Inquisition forming a council, of kinds, [ he says, absently turning his cup around in place at a fidget. ] Not long after the ceasefire. I couldn't say what they accomplished, what they wished to accomplish.
But I had heard of negotiations over the phylacteries. That the Chantry recognised a negotiation.
[ Marcus, likely, does not strike someone as a mage who is content with small concessions, and his tone is a little flat.
Curiousity ekes into his tone as he asks; ]
What was the best thing out of that, for you?
But I had heard of negotiations over the phylacteries. That the Chantry recognised a negotiation.
[ Marcus, likely, does not strike someone as a mage who is content with small concessions, and his tone is a little flat.
Curiousity ekes into his tone as he asks; ]
What was the best thing out of that, for you?
[He takes the offered jar.]
Thank you. Would you like some water, then, to have some as well?
I do feel that I should point out that if I were trying to bribe you with refreshments, they would be better,
[he adds after half a moment.]
I really was just having some myself.
Thank you. Would you like some water, then, to have some as well?
I do feel that I should point out that if I were trying to bribe you with refreshments, they would be better,
[he adds after half a moment.]
I really was just having some myself.
[Julius nods.]
Useful to know. It's a valuable colleague who will support your work even beyond personally seeing the value in it. Do you think he'll find you an alternate source of Qunlat? That's not an easy pull, even in Kirkwall.
[Perhaps especially in Kirkwall, under the circumstances. He realizes it's not entirely the point, and is happy to get back to the point momentarily, but he is interested in Petrana's project for its own sake, not only because of its point of origin.]
Useful to know. It's a valuable colleague who will support your work even beyond personally seeing the value in it. Do you think he'll find you an alternate source of Qunlat? That's not an easy pull, even in Kirkwall.
[Perhaps especially in Kirkwall, under the circumstances. He realizes it's not entirely the point, and is happy to get back to the point momentarily, but he is interested in Petrana's project for its own sake, not only because of its point of origin.]
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