video;

[stubble]

[ By now, Cullen has figured out the different settings on his phone. Not all of them, but the ones involved with making posts to the network. Thank the Maker for that, because trying to write messages on the bloody thing is a trial and sometimes he just doesn't have the patience for it.

He's sitting on the porch, mostly just his head and shoulders—the latter clad in a simple t-shirt—visible in the video. The bland side of his house makes up the background. Not visible is his mabari, sprawled out at his feet. ]

Pardon the intrusion—[ Using the phone is one thing. Network etiquette is still rather nebulous to him. ]—but I wondered if anyone might have some advice on where I might locate a proper job.

[ His relatively neutral expression dips into a disapproving frown. ]

My current duties are ridiculous and wholly unrelated to my talents. [ The frown smooths out. ] I was the general of a rather large army and have been a soldier for the majority of my life. As a child, I grew up on a small farm. I'm accustomed to being active and prefer it to more idle occupations.

[ He drums the fingers of his free hand against the arm of his chair. He has no idea the protocol for ending communications of this nature. ]

Thank you for your time.

[ Eh, that's good enough. ]

Comments

( video )

[curled]

[ If the grin he wears is anything to go by, it's clear some obvious teasing is coming. ]

Oh, I don't know. You're getting paid for doing a task. That seems like a proper job.

[stubble]

[ He recognizes that look and can only brace for it. ]

You know what I mean. [ He sighs. ] I am not ungrateful to receive compensation for my time, but I wish to be useful. Not...

[ He waves his hand as he rolls his eyes. ]

[curled]

[ Still grinning like a half-mad man. Not even sorry. ]

Do I? [ He does, he's just being a shit. ] I would think after everything you would be more inclined for a less exciting occupation.

[video]

[timecapture]

I'm sure you can find a farm somewhere, if you want to go for that. You could also try out for the police.

[stubble]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the police? That term is unfamiliar to me.

[timecapture]

It's like the city guard. I think there's still an ImPort version. It's called RISE, or something?

video

[stealwithit]

[ Don't be off-put by the hooded lady grinning at Cullen from the other end of the video feed. Kasumi would recognize that smooth voice and head of golden hair anywhere. She might have held off on responding to the commander's first post, unsure how to respond to yet another person she's met, left, and seen come back without prior memory of this place. But this... this is too good. It reminds her so much of the Cullen she'd met. ]

What's so ridiculous about your current job?

[stubble]

[ Mysterious hooded women watching him reminds him so much of Leliana that he can hardly be discomforted. Why, it's almost like a piece of home! ]

It is unsuitable for me. I trust your own has served you better?

[stealwithit]

[ Kasumi doesn't know Leliana, but if she did, the comparison would be one of the most flattering things anyone's ever said about Kasumi, depending on which parts are being compared. ]

Oh, not at all. They put me up as a movie usher when I first got here, long time ago. Free movies were fun and all at first, but...

[ She shrugs. ]

You need to help me out with specifics, though. How is it unsuitable? I might end up suggesting something that's just similar.

[ Mostly she just wants to know what it is. ]

video

[annihiliner]

I'm sure you're aware, we "imPorts" have no army of our own, and our relationship with this country's military is... complicated at best.

But there are other organizations for the enforcement of laws, both for this land in general and for imPorts specifically, if that's something you're interested in. As well as private security as hired by companies and individuals in need.

If none of those suit you though, there's always work for farmers, builders, and movers of cargo and such, no matter the world, yes?

[stubble]

Quite a number of those options appeal, though I would hesitate to take responsibility for the life of another until I am more familiar with the dangers of this world. Protecting someone from a sword or an arrow is simple, but I've seen neither of these weapons in my time here.

[ Which to someone who is often as pessimistic as Cullen is suggests something much worse. ]

Have you found work more suited to your talents since your arrival?

[ As embarrassing as his own "work" is, he's careful not to inquire about specifics. ]

[annihiliner]

[She smirks slightly at the question.]

Not yet. I was a warrior and a commander of forces as well, but mostly I've focused on learning about this world and the people in it so far rather than finding new employment, and in the meantime the job I was assigned has actually grown on me, strangely enough. I find it... relaxing.

As for the issue of this world's dangers, perhaps that's somewhere to start. There are places where you can learn about the weaponry, armor, vehicles, and so on of this world and even learn to use them safely.

( video )

[sidequestings]

[ he's been pretty torn about not speaking more to dorian--or contacting cullen at all--since their arrival. on one hand, they're members of the inquisition. cullen is the commander of their forces, on his war council, for the gods' sakes. and yet.. he's not. he knows there'll be that initial blank look when he says who he is (if dorian or bull or even hawke haven't already spoken to him), and it's going to be unbearable, but he's prepared himself for it.

it's fine. he just needs to get to know him (again).

when the video begins, he offers a quick, somewhat subdued smile, fingers lifting in a short greeting. ]

I can certainly be one of your references for commanding armies, at least. [ a+ general, would put in charge of an army again. ] You know that you're just making people extremely curious about what you're doing currently, though, right?

[stubble]

[ He is aware that there's a man named Mahanon Lavellan here who is not, strangely, the Mahanon Lavellan he knows. Having spoken with a woman named Hawke and a man who is both someone he knows and isn't, he's accepted that, as Varric would say, this shit's weird.

He takes in the vallaslin, recognizing that unless there is another Dalish elf here this can only be the other Inquisitor Lavellan. So he dips his head in a polite nod. He may not know the man personally, but one of his rank gets due respect regardless. ]

While I thank you for the offer, Inquisitor, I should hope I am not required to command any other armies. One was quite enough.

[ He waves a dismissive hand. ]

My current employment is irrelevant.

[sidequestings]

[ someone has talked to cullen, then, and weirdly, it makes something untwist in his chest. it's cowardly, he supposes, feeling relief that he doesn't have to be the one to explain, but he hasn't been here so long that he's grown accustomed to this sort of thing. it's.. difficult, but it's made considerably easier by the fact that cullen has apparently decided to make little of it.

he finds that the tension in his shoulders is easing by degrees, his small smile returning with some of his more typical warmth. ]

Are you certain? It seems to be a talent of yours. [ a beat, then his brows lift, amusement making itself apparent in his clear struggle to keep a semi-straight face. ] --That bad, is it? Or.. embarrassing? [ embarrassing, he's guessing. difficult or boring work would hardly put someone like cullen rutherford off, after all.

still, a moment later and he lets the subject go, expression softening slightly. ] .. You can just call me Lavellan if you like. [ since he's not, after all, the inquisitor that the human man knows. ]

video

[redigere]

...what kind of farm was it? If I may ask.

[stubble]

A modest one. My parents grew crops enough for the household and to share with some of our neighbors. We had horses, some goats, and a number of chickens. Are you familiar with farming?

[redigere]

Oh no, I'm not at all. I've never been on one before. But I'm interested in hearing about them, or anything else about other people's worlds.

voice;

[hisheartsdesire]

Why? What sort of ridiculous employment did you wind up with?

[stubble]

The sort for which I am entirely unsuited. I have genuine skills and this place has afforded me abilities I did not possess at home. I cannot imagine why else that is so but that I make use of them.

[hisheartsdesire]

[Is the job so wholly embarrassing that Cullen would rather not mention it? Fair enough.]

Yeah, the Porter has a way of doing that. Normally, I don't have a reflection of any sort—which may have escaped your notice when we first met—and the first job they gave me was Vegemite model...

voice;

[whathawksdo]

[ Whereas Hawke intends to play unfair and continue on with voice-only. She's also not here to actually give helpful advice, only to-- ]

What in the world have you done to your hair?

[ It... looks like real hair! Sure, she'd been warned that was the case, but seeing is believing, although she sounds like she mostly wants to laugh. ]

[stubble]

[ Well, this is a question that has nothing to do with anything. He frowns. ]

I beg your pardon?

video

[abandon_hope]

[ Here's a pale kid with a serious skull aesthetic. Mostly because he's a demigod of death. ]

If you find out, let me know. Mine is garbage.

[stubble]

I am told there is a police force called RISE that employs imPorts. Other than that, it sounds as if we are not trapped in the occupations chosen for us.