InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Do you think they did it?"

Alistair Theirin (royal_bastard) wrote in colligo_threads,
@ 2011-03-19 19:32:00

Entry tags:

alistair theirin, anders

WHO: Alistair Theirin & Anders
WHAT: Two guys, a kitten, and some conversation
WHEN: Afternoon
WHERE: Alistair & Anders's apartment
RATING: PG
STATUS: In Progress

It had taken Alistair quite some time to get used to the modern set up and the various things that it entailed. After nearly two years of little more than a tent between himself and the elements, his time here had been as relieving as it was unusual. The novelty had worn off rather quickly, however, and it had left him with little more than a restless energy and an itching urge to get back to where he was supposed to be and finish what they'd started. But now that the possibility he could be king was a reality rather than just one of many other options, Alistair found himself hesitant to return and play out whatever they had left to complete. Besides, it was much more interesting here now.

Especially now that he wasn't staying in this apartment by himself. It was a rather odd combination, an ex-templar grey warden, an apostate, and a feline, but Alistair found it heavily amusing. Oh, if the revered mother could see him now. He would have paid anything to see the look on her face. It would have been a priceless memory that he could forever cherish and use to keep his spirits up whenever things got difficult. But as it was, unless she showed up here (Andraste forbid), he'd have to settle on using his imagination to picture the reaction. Luckily, he had a really good imagination.

"So, any plans for employment?" Alistair asked, figuring it was the most practical question that he could ask. There was very little skill carry over in this place for most professions. Warrior, Grey Warden, Templar, none of it had meant anything to anyone here. He might as well help this Anders head off any of the same issues that he encountered, even if their areas were rather different.

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

royal_bastard
2011-03-28 04:00 am UTC (link)

Alistair peered over at Anders with a quietly thoughtful expression. He could understand part of what the man had went through. The Chantry had been little more than a prison to him, a place that he'd been condemned to merely because Eamon's wife had suspected him to be of her husband's make rather than of her husband's son-in-law. And while the Chantry hardly compared to the Circle because he wasn't constantly under the threat of being killed or mentally neutered, it still saddened Alistair that he couldn't see that the Circle had some merit. "Of course it would," Alistair said after a moment, his thoughtful expression shifting into a frown.

"Anders, even you can agree that mages need some sort of training. They need people who understand and can help them master their gifts, who can teach them how to defend themselves from outside influence as well as their own desires," He said. "Without that, a mage is as much of a danger to himself as he is to anyone else and to allow someone to go without that assistance would be just as horrible a crime as locking them up. To be able to provide that understanding without the fear and threat that comes with it now would be worth far more than simple freedom. How do you think most mages would end up...if the Circle didn't exist, Anders? Truly. Few have the benefit of parents who know how to help them much less parents who aren't outright afraid of them. And until those attitudes can change, they need somewhere they can go for help. It's much easier to change a system than it is to change people's minds."

Taking a deep breath, trying to clear his head after that rather extensive dialogue, far more than he tended to say without throwing in a joke or two to break the tension, Alistair had to grin at the picture the other man made at well as the comment, "Hard to say. I always thought they managed to put most of the beautiful initiates out in full view. Easier to tempt a sinful man into religion that way."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

oftwominds
2011-03-28 06:18 am UTC (link)

"The Circle can't exist as a school from what it is now." Anders frowned, shaking his head. Despite his dislike of the Circle he knew that it was the only way most mages would ever be able to be taught anything about their powers. They was definitely something to be said for having a school for mages. But the Circle could not be that school. "The circle exists within the chantry. It would take completely freeing the Circle and then somehow getting rid of centuries of brainwashing that mages are something to be feared and hated that is part of the instruction. You've no idea what it's like to be taught in that environment. There are mages who are simply made so terrified of their own powers they chose to be tranquil because they're told it would make the Maker happy."

It was hard for someone outside the circle to understand, he knew that. But if people were willing to learn then maybe some progress could be made. Though it would take more than a conversation for the majority of Thedas. Mages were going to have to take their freedom.

"I suppose that would be an idea. Though it might just tempt away their initiates too. Which would be bad for their business of being involved in everyone's business."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

royal_bastard
2011-03-28 06:36 am UTC (link)

"Who said I don't want that?" Alistair asked quietly, his gaze focusing firmly on his hands. If it was up to him, the Chantry would be swiftly removed from whatever dealings they had in this matter, the Templars would be disbanded as an official organization, and the few that proved to truly take their duty for what it was would be kept on as a merely loose structure to aid in the transition. Unarmed and unarmored. A Templar's might was not within his sword. They didn't need their weaponry to combat magic when it proved to be necessary. The swords were merely the Chantry's (twisted) idea of swift mercy. "It's something that has to be done, but it won't get done in an instant, Anders. This is a decades long task, at least, if not one for a century worth of work. It's not impossible but all steps toward it will take time."

And sadly, Alistair wasn't sure if time was something that Anders was going to be willing to allow.

Alistair laughed at the latter comment, however, feeling a little of the tension dispel, "Oh, trust me. That happens. Oh, how does that happen. There's really not much appeal in the solitary life for most that have another option."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

oftwominds
2011-03-28 06:58 am UTC (link)

A grim sort of smirk found its way onto Anders face. There was only so much that he was willing to reveal to the former templar at the moment. While he seemed far more rational than even some mages, the fact remained that he was still a templar. There was only so much the other man could be expected to take at a time. An apostate was one thing, someone who could be mistaken for an abomination was another. "You've no idea how well I know that."

Justice had no concept of time. There was no waiting patiently. While Anders had never been the most patient person to begin with since merging it had become even worse. He was grasping at straws to keep himself under control at times, to not just launch into something.

Scratching under Lord Mewsy's chin, he chuckled slightly. "So you're saying I should have spent more time checking to see if there were attractive initiates at the circle?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

royal_bastard
2011-03-28 07:43 am UTC (link)

"You might have been surprised," Alistair said, figuring that the other topic was better off left alone as that conversation seemed all but ended. It was a matter better left to settle and perhaps reemerge at another time should the situation prove to be right. Or maybe just leave it alone all together. Alistair wasn't sure, but it was so seldom that he actually expressed his thoughts, it was nice to...actually speak them out loud. "They pull them in young, and the devout have an odd tendency to be rather easy on the eyes. Not... that I spent a lot of time looking, mind you," Alistair said, coloring slightly around the ears before pushing forward.

"You might have even been able to sway a few of their mindsets. Working from the inside out with the young who would one day rise to be in charge. It wouldn't have been a horrible plan," He said, raising a hand to rub at his neck when it occurred to him that if it had worked, though, the Templars would have assumed Anders had been using blood magic mind control in order to sway their opinions. And that would have ended badly for everyone involved. "Or...not. Pay no attention to the rambling man in the corner."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

oftwominds
2011-03-30 04:08 am UTC (link)

"Oh I'm sure you didn't." Anders chuckled lightly. They were certainly in a safer topic of discussion, though part of him itched to get back to the previous topic. he knew which part of him it was, the one that constantly tried to force the more frivolous parts of his nature under wraps. It was so hard to switch topics now, his mind had become so direct. Justice had no idea what it was like to not be solely driven by one thought or impulse. He was Justice after all, it was what he knew.

The blush the was starting to creep up on Alistair was a bit fetching. Not that Anders was about to start fancying his roommate, that would help no one really. "None of them were particularly interested in talking to me back then anyway. I spent a lot of my time after I started my escape attempts alone, in solitary confinement."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

royal_bastard
2011-03-30 04:20 am UTC (link)

"Oh, hey, getting stuck in a room by yourself for misbehaving! To 'meditate upon your actions and decide whether you want to follow the path of the righteous or the path of the fool'," Alistair said, taking on a stern yet slightly feminine voice for the latter part of that statement, like his rather poor imitation of the Revered Mother. "At least," He said, his voice switching back to normal, "that's what they always said to me. I'm guessing your initial confinement was likely more shovey and potentially stabby than talky and guilty."

Control by fear, control by belief. Either way, it still all came down to control.

"But, you're out now? You could always come to Denerim. Plenty of room at the palace," Alistair said, half joking and half, well, not.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

oftwominds
2011-03-31 05:13 am UTC (link)

The impression was nothing like Gregoir, but Anders appreciated the effort nonetheless. Chuckling, he shook his head in amusement. While their confinements had likely been extremely different, with Alistair never having to spend weeks to months panicking over if he was about to made tranquil, it was still a shared experience. "Not so much stabby. Well, there was, but they have other ways of dealing with problem mages. But there certainly was a lot of guilt involved. After all magic is a punishment."

An actual full laugh broke out of Anders when Alistair suggested he come to Denerim. Lord Mewsy mewed lightly, batting at his fingers and he returned to teasing the kitten. "I'm not sure I'd be particularly welcome in Denerim. I hear the Wardens can be annoyed if you skip out on the parties."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

royal_bastard
2011-03-31 06:23 am UTC (link)

"Other ways that should be taken off the table," Alistair said, shaking his head. "Mentally neutering someone is no solution, and mass murder is even less of a one. We're hardly in a position to judge what makes someone capable of handling their gifts," Alistair was very careful to stress that last word, "properly especially when a lot of the people in charge see something as simple as insubordination is grounds for being severed from your personality."

And they were back to this again. Serious conversation times once more. But at least it was broken up a bit by Anders's laughter as Alistair grinned.

"Nah. People run off all the time for various reasons. They only get a little testy if you show back up asking for your position back," Alistair said, despite the fact that he wasn't really sure either way. He did know that people left all the time, but the last part was completely made up. "Besides, I was hardly thinking about the Wardens. I'm pretty sure the King is allowed a mage for an advisor. At least, I remember reading that there have been in the past during my histories."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

oftwominds
2011-04-01 10:28 pm UTC (link)

"It's even worse in Kirkwall." Anders tried not to think of Karl. Karl who had been there for him in times when he had no one else. And now he was gone, by Anders own hand nearly. But the Templars had killed Karl just as surely as he had, they simply had left his husk talking to do their bidding.

"Well you've already got the Commander." Anders pointed out, still wanting to avoid the actual reasoning behind his leaving the wardens. The king would hardly want to have someone this side of a maleficar as his advisor. It was adorable how easily he brought up the idea though. "I'm doing some good work in Kirkwall. I think Hawke is going to do great things. She must be, actually, since people keep saying I'm with her two years later."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

royal_bastard
2011-04-02 01:21 am UTC (link)

"Worse...how?" Alistair asked, a sudden, deep concern sinking into his voice. He wasn't very abreast of world politics, not with his attention having been focused purely on the Blight for the last two years, but the idea that any Circle could be doing things that warranted such a label didn't sit well in his gut.

"She's already got her position. Commander of the Grey can hardly be zipping back to Denerim just to give the poor king some advice. Besides, one, two, twenty, the palace has plenty of room, well outside the eye shot of the Chantry, and it's not like the King can be accused of harboring fugitives," There was a slight giddiness to his words, one that marked that he knew that what he was saying was definitely wrong in every sense of the word. He probably could have been marked as harboring fugitives...but Alistair wasn't entirely sure that Greagoir would risk such a move. "But if you've already got a path, I'm certainly not going to stand in the way. For all I know, it would end up being world changing."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

oftwominds
2011-04-02 02:38 am UTC (link)

Scoffing slightly as he thought of the Gallows, Anders tried his best to keep the rising anger from taking over. It was all so fresh, so painful. There were few people that Anders trusted and he had stabbed one of them to keep them from calling back into the soulless life of a tranquil. "They make people tranquil at the slightest provocation. Mages are literally housed in an imperium prison. The templars control the entire city for the most part, not just the circle."

Good, he was controlling himself. So far this place had yet to truly pull out his anger outside of the shock of arriving here. But this was a place that lacked templars and did not imprison its mages. "I'm not the sort of fugitive you should try harboring." Anders ruefully smiled, listening to kitten purrs. "But that's the hope. I'd do anything to make the lives of mages in Thedas better."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

royal_bastard
2011-04-02 03:05 am UTC (link)

Using an old Tevinter slave quarters for a Circle was truly stressing the limits of subtle symbolism. He might not care for the idea, but he could understand the economy in it. The other two facts, however, provoked a deeper concern, "The Templars' jurisdiction is supposed to stop at the gates of the Circle, never to spill into the city. The Chantry is never supposed to have dominion over government affairs. The Viscount should have put a stop to it before the Templars were seceded that much control. And the Grand Cleric should have put a stop to any violation of Chantry law. The Rite of Tranquality is only permissible for apprentices," He said, peering at Anders with a deep worry in his eyes before sighing. "But... I'm guessing neither of them did step in where they should have?"

It was a troubling precedent to set, because of one nation state in the Free Marches allowed their Templars far more control than they should be allowed, it would take little time for all of the Templars to be demanding the same latitudes. At the very least, Alistair knew that he'd be able to pressure the Revered Mother into keeping Ferelden's Templars under better control. But there was little reassurances in that for it still left the rest of Thedas open to veritable extermination should Rites of Annulment be invoked.

"I don't know," Alistair said, smiling at Anders's comment. "You don't seem so bad to me. Certainly far more reasonable than anyone would have made an apostate out to be," He said, chuckling. "And considering my last experience with an apostate was less than stellar, you've certainly redeemed my opinions. Though, I was hardly going to attribute Morrigan's vicious tendencies to everyone anyway."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

oftwominds
2011-04-05 03:45 am UTC (link)

A bitter laugh was all Anders could manage at Alistair's indignation. It was thrilling to hear someone that agreed with him, especially someone who had been raised so close to the chantry and had so much possibility when it came to actually making a difference in how mages were treated. The fact that others could see the injustice and not just fall into line with those in authority, it was promising. "The Grand Cleric as far as I can tell does nothing, she simply stands aside while events happen around her and refuses to do anything to actually help people. And yet people see no fault in her because she's so holy. As for the Viscount, he's utterly useless.

Kirkwall was possibly the most dangerous place for him to be, but it was where he was needed. There were mages that needed to get out and to freedom, especially with everything the templars were doing. And Anders had a feeling that it was only going to get worse. Someone needed to help them and if it was not him then who would?

"I've heard a bit about Morrigan from the Commander. I would like to think I'm a bit more friendly than that." he chuckled. "But no I've got to stay in Kirkwall. While there's work to be done in Ferelden there's a lot to be done there too. Someone has to stand up to the templars."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

royal_bastard
2011-04-05 05:28 am UTC (link)

"Unfortunately, that seems to be a rub with Grand Clerics. They like to think that things are planned by the Maker, that it simply isn't their place to interfere with His plans and that they should merely be allowed to play out however they do," Alistair said with a sigh. "They never stop to consider that if they only allowed themselves to be more proactive, they could stop so many injustices before they came to pass. If it helps, know that you will have a friend in Ferelden," Alistair said, nodding to Anders. While there were things that they disagreed on, their beliefs fell far more in line than they were against each other, and Alistair could see no way that he would ever, in future, fall far more in line with the Templars than with the man before him. "The members of the Circle deserve far more consideration than they have ever been given, far more appreciation for what they do for the nation, and far more freedom than the Chantry is willing to provide."

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -