Alistair Theirin (bloodoftheirin) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-09-17 23:01:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, alistair theirin, cassandra pentaghast |
Who: Alistair Theirin and Cassandra Pentaghast
What: Alistair finds out something very interesting about his dream self
When: Thursday, September 17th. Evening
Where: A Bar
Rating/Warnings: Family Friendly
Status: Complete!
Alistair had been awake for an entire day now and he still wasn’t entirely sure what to think about his latest dream. It had been ten years since The Fifth Blight and Alistair had sympathised with the rebel Mages and let them stay in Redcliffe; that is until he kicked them out for helping the Venetori. Sure, not all of them had, but what was he to do? Of course that wasn’t the part that he was having trouble with. It was the part where he’d spoke to the Grand Enchanter, Fiona. The Grand Enchanter who used to be a Warden. The Grand Enchanter who looked exactly like his mother in the waking world and shared the same name. He simply couldn’t figure it out. In the dreams he’d been told that his mother was a serving girl from the castle. He couldn’t help but wonder now if that had all been a lie and if both of his parents had been Grey Wardens, if maybe that had been the reason that Duncan had been so adamant about him becoming one too.
All day he’d caught himself looking in the mirror; specifically at his ears. Fiona, in the dreams, was an elf and despite knowing that people who were half human and half elf, in the dreams, looked primarily human, he simply couldn’t stop. He could only imagine what Zevran would have said about this whole thing. There was no doubt that he would have been extremely amused, but he wondered if Zevran would have been able to tell. If something about Alistair had made him wonder, but he’d never know.
At the end of the day, Alistair had decided that what he needed to stop thinking about all of this was a drink, so he’d headed down to one of the bars that he liked and was currently sitting at the bar, nursing a drink.
Cassandra couldn't say what had brought her to this bar today. Maybe it was a gut feeling. Maybe it was a need to drink heavily, which wasn't exactly something that she usually did.
No matter, she needed to relax, and she needed a drink. In the dreams the world hung on a thread and she needed a drink.
She wasn't expecting Alistair to be there, but she sat down next to him. "You look as though something weighs on your mind."
Alistair hadn't expected to see anyone he knew at the bar, but that didn't mean that Cassandra was unwelcome, "Hey. Yeah, it's just dream stuff." He didn't know Cassandra very well, but they had spoken a couple of times, considering they had dream stuff in common. He had heard of her in his own dreams, she was the Seeker and had been in Kirkwall after the whole Mage Rebellion. He might not have gone back to Kirkwall after the Chantry was destroyed, but was kept informed. "What brings you out here tonight?"
“I was feeling a little lonely,” she admitted. “And it is better to drink with people than to drink alone. Though I do not drink often.”
She ordered a beer, then added. “And dream stuff, as well.”
“Looks like you came to the right place then.” Alistair gave Cassandra a small smirk then motioned for the bartender to come over, “I’ll buy your first drink.” He was curious as to whether or not Cassandra had dreamt about him kicking the mages out of Redcliffe yet. He knew that she was well into the Inquisition era, but he didn’t know exactly how far in she was, “In your dreams, have you been to Redcliffe yet?”
Cassandra made a face, her nose scrunching up as though Alistair had said something particularly distasteful. “We have. Everything went profoundly tits up there.” Tevinter. Red Lyrium. The list went on and on and the more she dreamed the more certain she was that she would wake up with an ulcer.
Alistair couldn’t help but chuckle and nodded, “So you saw me kick the Mages out then?” He couldn’t blame his dream counterpart for doing what he had, but now knowing that the Grand Enchanter was his mother, he wondered if he ever would have found out had he not kicked them out. Speaking of Mages, he was also curious as to what was going on with Anders, ever since Leliana’s message, and wondered if he should contact him.
“Yes. Lucky for everyone involved the Inquisitor took them in.” That could have gone a lot worse. If the mages felt like they had a chance at earning freedom then it could reduce the chance of incidents. “But that was the only choice you had, I think.”
“Hopefully they fit better at Skyhold.” Alistair took a sip of his drink before speaking again, “Have you ever, as an observer of the dreams, found out something that you in the dreams doesn’t know?” He hoped that his question made sense to her.
Cassandra frowned, and looked down into her mug. “I do not think so. I have spent a lot of time thinking about the dreams and about how I am different from them. But nothing I can put a finger on that I have learned that’s different about myself. I do have some knowledge of events. But not myself.”
Alistair sighed and ran a hand over his head, not even realizing that he touched one of his ears, perhaps a little too long, as he lowered his hand, “I’m pretty sure that I found out something that not even dream Alistair knows. Something I highly doubt he’ll ever find out.” After all, if Fiona was really his mother, who was there to tell him if she wasn’t going to? Anyone else who would have known was likely dead.
“If you are not comfortable telling me, you do not need to,” She assured him. “Some things can be deeply personal, and other things can cause a great deal of problems.” After all, who wanted to tell Anders that Seekers have known how to reverse Tranquility all along. Cassandra knew that must fall to her, but she had to find the right moment.
Alistair thought for a moment then shook his head, “I probably should talk to someone about it or I might go crazy.” Times like these he wished that Zevran hadn’t taken off again and he knew that he could talk to Lara, but talking to someone who had the same sort of dreams that he did seemed like it’d make more sense, “So, it’s entirely possible that Grand Enchanter Fiona….is really my mother. His mother.” Alistair paused for a brief moment, “Our mother.” This whole thing was so confusing.
Cassandra’s drink was half way to her mouth, frozen in air as she looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. She held up a finger, knocked back the drink, then set it down. “King Maric and the Grand Enchanter? You’re a half-elf? Maker…” Was that how she’d escaped the calling? The calling was something she only knew about because of that mess with the Wardens. And Fiona had been a Warden. “What makes you think so? Do you think she knows?”
“It would appear that way.” Alistair was still trying to process it all himself, “It’d make sense why Duncan was so adamant about me joining the Wardens. If he knew I was the son of a former Warden.” He took another sip of her own drink before explaining why he was so sure about this, “Well, here, my mother’s name is Fiona and she looks just like Fiona in the dreams except her hair is longer.”
“That is… probably enough evidence for me to believe you.” Cass needed another drink, the level of what-the-fuckery was too much on top of her own dreams. “Do you think you will find out?”
Alistair shrugged, “If I didn’t find out while she was in Redcliffe, I doubt I will now that she’s in Skyhold.” He didn’t even know how his dream counterpart would react to finding out that his mother was alive and an elf.
“I suppose...it would best be kept a secret, else it stir up trouble in Denarim,” Cassandra said, cautiously. “Not everyone is as welcoming of elvish lineage as one would hope.”
She wasn’t sure what was more likely - a sudden elvish uprising, or the nobility asking for Alistair’s head.
Alistair nodded, “I mean, there were already plenty of problems with me taking the throne in the first place since I was Maric’s bastard. So it makes sense why it was kept from me.” He took a sip of his drink, which finished it off, “I can only imagine the comments Zev would make if he were still around.” A small smile rested upon his lips as he spoke.
“You miss him greatly.” Cassandra nodded. “I never met him in person. Even in the dreams he was… someone distant, who aided us to a degree.” Assassins. Go figure.
Alistair nodded again, “I do.” He sighed and turned his gaze back to Cassandra, “But I can’t sit around hoping he’ll come back.” And even if he did, Alistair wasn’t sure if he’d give him another chance. He didn’t think he could handle the elf leaving again. Besides, he had other things to dwell on now.