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[dreadinquisitor]

[He wanted time to familiarize himself with this place. He needed to know if anyone else from the Inquisition had been brought across as well, and then to find them if they had. But first, he'd looked through the information they'd given him - the neat print on the strange white paper - and now, suddenly, Maxwell had a much more immediate, personal worry.

The video opens on his face; his expression a mixture of incredulity and concern.]

Hello. [It feels awkward, addressing nothing, but he pushes on.] My name is Maxwell and I have a question, and there doesn't seem to be anyone else to ask.

[The camera turns and fixes on a portion of the pages he'd been given. He points to a section, chases a sentence with his fingertip as he reads it aloud.] 'Bears will always find him.' [Then the feed swings back to him.]

Why would anyone want this? How many bears do you even have in this place, to hope to make this useful? And do they just-- roam about?[He glances away, as if one might have suddenly sneaked up on him, then back.] Are these abilities negotiable in any way?

Comments

video;

[lightinside]

Unfortunately, you're kinda stuck with the abilities you're given. Sorry.

[There's a beat and then-]

It could mean teddy bears. I don't know. Guess it's up for interpretation?

[dreadinquisitor]

[A sigh.]

I expected as much, but had to ask.

Given all the responses I've gotten - [some more notable than others] - I suppose that could be true. Unlikely, given my luck, I think, but possibly.

[lightinside]

It probably is real bears. This place is strange sometimes.

[Laurel is counting her lucky stars that her abilities weren't anything like his one.]

But I can help you with any other questions you have?

[dreadinquisitor]

[He considers a moment. Many of his most immediate concerns had already been addressed, even if they hadn't been the purpose of this message. (The Imports were proving to apparently be a helpful - if in varying degrees - lot.)]

...I suppose I don't really know where to begin, exactly. What's expected of me here-- how to--

Live.

[lightinside]

You can choose to Register or not. Registered imPorts have more benefits than a non-Registered imPort. I'd also advise you to try out the job they gave you. If it isn't what you want to do, you can look for something else.

[Laurel stops there for a few moments to give him time to think over what she just said.]

Ideally, they want you to use your powers for good. Work together with your fellow imPorts - things like that.

[dreadinquisitor]

[He does consider. For several moments. His eyes narrow slightly.]

That sounds remarkably-- good, for a people that has stolen me from my home.

Is that truly all there is to it?

[lightinside]

Yeah, the kidnapping part isn't so fun. Trust me, if I could go home I would.

[It just wasn't in her hands. The porter could only send her back.]

No. There is more. Bad things can happen here - not so long ago there was an attack on imPort homes and businesses. At one of the Swear-In ceremonies, protesters tried to overthrow the event. It ended in an attack.

Another country invaded us and took prisoners. I'm pretty sure there are things I'm missing out on but I haven't been here as long as some people.

[dreadinquisitor]

[He couldn't say he was surprised, but he was still a little disappointed. An entirely different world, one could hope they'd gotten a few more things right.]

I assume those are the sort of things they'd like us to use our powers to stop.

[lightinside]

[She was disappointed too, about how things were in this place. But Laurel wouldn't lie to anyone, she'd rather they know the truth.]

Pretty much, yeah. [A pause.] You don't have to though. I just think they'd prefer it.

[dreadinquisitor]

[That seemed to honestly catch Maxwell off-guard, as if he hadn't even considered that. Because he hadn't.]

If I have them, I should at least try. I can't imagine any world can get better otherwise.

[lightinside]

That's true. [She smiled a little.] I use mine for good. As much as I can anyway.

This place mightn't be my home but I'm not gonna sit idly by and do nothing.

[dreadinquisitor]

Better than sitting and waiting, stewing. That sort of thing never ends well.

[lightinside]

You're right. It doesn't.

I'm glad that someone else thinks the same way.

[dreadinquisitor]

Me too.

It's something of a comfort knowing if I must be here against my will, at least they company can be good.

[lightinside]

A nice way of looking at it. There are good people here, so that definitely helps too.

I'm Laurel by the way.

[dreadinquisitor]

Maxwell. [He ducks his head in an elegant gesture.] Circumstances aside, a pleasure to meet you.

[lightinside]

It's nice to meet you too, Maxwell. [She smiles.] Where are you from?

[dreadinquisitor]

Thedas. [Said with a small sigh, as he expects, like the others before her, he doesn't expect any recognition.] Ostwick, though mostly recently of Skyhold.

...I don't suppose that means anything to you?

[lightinside]

No, it doesn't. Sorry. [She's sincere though.] Why don't you tell me about it? Give me an idea of what it's like.

If that's okay.

[dreadinquisitor]

[It's not the first time he's been asked now, but still, there's a pause as he tries to figure out where to begin.]

It's... different, in even the most basic ways. The buildings here, even the few I've seen, are - impossible, where I'm from. And those machines, the horseless carriages? We don't have those either. And we don't have these. [He taps the communicator, just left of his nose.]

...But we do have magic. So while what this ability of mine does is strange, that one can have power isn't.

[lightinside]

The horseless carriages are known as cars. Just if you wanted to know. [Based on what he has said so far it seemed likely that he was from way back in the past.] And most people call that thing a communicator.

[Laurel considered it to be like a very advanced smartphone.]

Magic isn't something I've had much experience of where I'm from. [It wasn't about her at the moment though.] When you talk about magic, do you mean like spells and stuff?

[dreadinquisitor]

This must have been quite the change for you. Not just the being brought here, but the abilities on top of it.

[No, he might not know what a car is, but he's certainly used to the weirdness that magic can produce.]

Yes. It's an inherent ability some people are born with in my world. At it's most basic it's elemental - manifesting fire or lightning, that sort of thing - but as they develop and grow mages are capable of... seemingly anything.

[lightinside]

That's amazing. [And she meant it too.] The kind of magic you've described is pretty much the work of fiction where I'm from.

But we do have people known as 'metahumans'. They do have abilities - like super speed as an example. Others can create something out of nothing.

Would that count as a type of magic?

[dreadinquisitor]

To be fair, I'm not a mage myself, so I'm hardly an expert and shouldn't be taken as such, but... [He thinks for a moment.] Yes, I would think so. In fact, Dorian-- a, friend of mine, is quite skilled with a spell that manipulates time around him into slowing down, appearing to make those within range of it move quicker.

[lightinside]

[Laurel listens carefully to what he had to say, wanting to learn something. She was fascinated by what went on in other worlds.]

Now that is definitely interesting. The kind of spell that would come in handy...maybe not for me, but for someone else. [Okay, not true. It'd probably help her but Laurel wasn't going to reveal her vigilante identity to him.]

If you're not a 'mage' - was it? Then what do you refer to yourself as?