maskormenace

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[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?

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They sound badass as Hel.

[He smiles, fond as he can almost hear Bull charging his agreement.]

They can be.

Also terrifying.

[In more ways than one, but he wasn't eager to get into a debate over the Qun.]

I think anybody can be terrifying if they believe in themselves.

Do all different types live in the same world, or different one?

[He nods, a thoughtful bob of his head.] Not always comfortably, or happily - certainly not as much as we should - but yes.

We don't have-- anything like this. [He gestures, meaning the Earth he's now on. And how he came to be here.] Moving between worlds. There's the Fade, but it's not like this.

We don't go there physically.

...Or most don't.

Oh.

[he looks a little downcast, for whatever reason. oh it's this one]

I thought you might be from one of my worlds. What's the Fade?

[he knows what "fading" is in his world, hopes that's not what he's talking about]

[His expression gentles with sympathy.]

It's-- [He pauses. How did one go about explaining something as indecipherable as the Fade?] The Chantry teaches us that it was the first realm of the Maker- the spirit world. But when he became dissatisfied, he made ours- the physical world and all living beings. It still exists, the spirits within separated from us by the Veil.

It's where we go when we dream- most of us, anyway. And some believe we pass through it when we die.

Do you believe that?

[There's a long pause.]

...I've been to the Fade. Not just in my dreams, but physically. I've seen what remains of the Golden City with my own eyes... It exists, which means something must have created it. Whether that's the Maker, or the Old Gods of Tevinter, or the Gods of the Dalish, or....

I have learned enough to understand that I know very little.

[Magnus considers it]

Sounds like an other world to me. I have nine in mine, so I'm pretty good at detecting those.

Nine? [Maxwell pulls back in surprise.] And you.... can you move between them?

Yeah. That doesn't make me special or anything, for the one I live in, though.

It's like taking public transportation.

Of course that's the only power I can't use anymore, though, so don't get excited. I should have said that upfront.

[His smile is wry.]

Don't worry, I've already received that speech: comings and goings are controlled by the all powerful machine-god with the love cruel irony.

[But then he brightens a bit.]

But still... that's its possible - it's unheard of in my world. I was only the second person to ever do it, and we were terrified of what havoc it might cause. That you can so freely... [It make him think of Solas, and wish, quietly, that the elf were here.]

[Magnus is also constantly wishing an elf he knows was here. Even if they're not from the same worlds, he shares a surprising amount in common with this bear snack]

Freedom's big in the 9 worlds. It's sort of lacking here. Cough, registration, the entire imPort process, cough.

[Maxwell's brow twitches into a slight vee.]

I've only heard a little about that. What does this registration entail exactly?

Dunno, didn't do it.

[but that's not what he's asking, really]

For some people it just means easier travel access. For others it's the morally right choice. For others it's about the fame and money.

From my perspective it entails recruitment and surveillance by a shady government that has no idea what's happening for a cause I don't support or care about in exchange for perks that I can get myself, like food and somewhere to sleep and employment.

...But you can refuse? If you choose to do so.

[He asks slowly, considering.]

Yeah. Like I said, I didn't do it. You just don't go to the Swear-In and don't... swear in.

And that's it? They just, let you be?

[Just a little incredulous. He had, after all, spent the first uncertain weeks of the Inquisition being enemy number one, under the scrutiny of everyone. And then, after being vindicated, and later made Inquisitor, there was still a certain lack of privacy.

It was something he was used to, expected even... but if that could be changed...]

[Magnus opens his mouth to say something snarky, and then -- remembers what this guy said before, how surprised he was to hear he had a choice. he tries again, less snarky;]

I mean, there's no doubt we're being watched, but nobody's made me do anything I didn't want to, yet. Nobody's hunted me down demanding I be the Incredible Son of Frey, hero to great and small, Or Else. I'm getting by. So far.

So... I guess my answer is, "maybe."

[He "hmms" thoughtfully. Then, after a beat.]

Something to consider, then. Carefully.

You'd be shocked at how many imPorts don't.

[The jump of his eyebrows proves as much.]

And that the machine-god just allows those who don't to-- not. That seems rather antithetical to kidnapping us here in the first place.

The machine-god is more shrouded in mystery and bullshit than the government. We have no idea why we're being kidnapped at all. I'm much more interested in her.

[His eyes close and he rubs as his forehead with one hand. A soft, green light washes against his skin. He feels a headache forming.]

So she-it brings us here, and this government is... what? Merely taking advantage of it for lack of anything else to do with us?

There could be some other, as of yet, unknown reason for us being here?

...That doesn't sound like reason for concern at all.

[Didn't at all set his off his 'oh, shit' senses.]

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