aefenglom | ( voice ) delivery

[in truth, francel dragged his aching bones out of bed long ago in preparation for solas’s arrival; he has been sitting pitifully in the entry hall, and he reacts as quickly as he can to the knock at the door. upon turning the knob and finding solas at his doorstep, francel immediately decides that he’s never been quite so glad to see such a bald head. he smiles gratefully with tired eyes.]

Solas. Again, thank you for coming.

[he should at least be polite, he reminds himself — he steps aside to let solas in.]

Would you like a moment’s respite from the heat?

[this is in itself an odd question — it’s not particularly hot today.]

[Solas is carrying a wooden crate that’s been packed with practical supplies and necessities, as promised. In Francel’s tired eyes Solas can guess at a long transformation spent in worry and pain. It’s heartening, and a little relieving, to see his smile unchanged.]

It is good to see you, Francel. [He notes, but doesn’t comment on, Francel’s apparent perception of the temperature – an effect of his condition, no doubt.] If I am not imposing –

[When Solas steps inside, he sees in full, for the first time, Francel’s ice-white wings. They are fresh and tense with a muscularity and strength all their own. He has always been impressed by the purity of a dragon’s power: that admiration strikes him now.

The Ishgardians see dragons far differently, he knows. But Solas has a different perspective of elves and dragons. He knows the tie between their races to be more ancient than Arlathan, more ancient perhaps than the old dreams. In dragons run the blood of his world – the world of elves and the world of humans alike. In the days of Elvhenan, such wings would have been worn as a mantle of divine exaltation – the guise of a false god, an emblem of hubris and folly.

But he does not at all mind seeing their like on an elf once more. It’s not now on a posturing Evanuris, but on a round-faced young elf of an honest disposition, in one of the humblest places imaginable for an elf: a plain brick house wrought by human hands. He cocks his head sideways, thinking of this as he watches Francel with calm, impassive eyes.

What he actually says is far more practical. He shifts the crate to draw attention to it.]

Food and necessities enough to ease a time spent in seclusion. I availed upon the aid of a kindly Coven Chimera, a one Mr Beardsley, for direction in putting it together.

[unconsciously, francel imitates solas's movement, tipping his head very slightly to one side as he wonders what solas's great mind is pondering now. the man does not acknowledge the very subtle lull in conversation, however, and so francel decides to move on from it as well.

again, he smiles slightly.]

Then I shall have to thank both you and Master Beardsley. I wonder if he is the selfsame man who has counseled me many times before? I ought to bring something to his office personally when I am able...

[francel's wings are lively and animated in a way that the rest of him is not, perhaps because he has yet to learn how to temper their movements — they unfurl somewhat and then fold once more in what seems to be a pleased reaction. his steps are slow and sluggish, however, and a certain dishevelment to his clothing suggests that he has spent all day in bed. plainly, he will not lead armies to war against other elven gods anytime soon.]

Did he provide the items at cost? I should recompense you.

[The playful movements of his wings teases a smile from Solas.]

I wished to pay, but he insisted. The generosity of the Coven still surprises me. [And unsettles him in equal measure, but he knows Mr Beardsley to be a kind man, abating his usual fears to a degree. With due concern:]

Are you well enough to be up? You need not force yourself. If you point me to the larder, I can put these away myself.

It surprises me as well...

[something dark in francel's tone implies that he, too, finds the coven's boundless generosity unsettling, but it's not something to discuss right just now. after wrestling with his sense of hospitality for a moment, he nods, shuffling to the selfsame kitchen where they had their 'tea party' with aymeric approximately a fortnight earlier.]

The larder is just over there. Make use of any of the shelves as you please; Aymeric and I are not like to store more than we need. [he settles heavily into a chair.] And... thank you again, Solas. I have said it thrice now, I know, but I mean it — truly.

[Per Francel’s direction he walks through the room, and sets down the crate with only a slight huff of breath. He smiles warmly at Francel's words without looking up from his task.]

Be at ease. I am here to help.

[It has not escaped him, and likely not Francel either, that it’s only by twist of fate that it’s not Solas suffering the ill-effects of a Monster’s transformation. Anything less than to freely give help to someone suffering in one’s place would be unconscionable. Moreover, the role of the concerned friend is uncomplicated and satisfying to fill. It grants him a serene air.

Without making further fuss, he orients himself and starts to put things away. He doesn’t clamour to draw Francel into conversation – though he would enjoy talking, he is happy to maintain a comfortable silence if quiet better suits Francel’s condition.]

[in truth, francel is thinking of how much he would enjoy crawling back into bed; the idea of planting his face into the dining room table, even in front of solas, seems increasingly appealing. he resists, however. he takes a seat, leaning his elbows on his knees as his wings fold behind him.]

Solas?

[this time, he skips over the typical may i ask of you a question?]

What are dragons like in your world?

[It’s probably for the best Francel dispenses with ‘may I ask you a question’ – Solas would be tempted to say no if he was reminded of a certain other occasion.

As it is, he only pauses a moment, box of flour in hand, while a wistful look comes into his eye. Then he proceeds with packing the groceries away as he speaks, slow and careful.]

They are impressive creatures. [His voice does not suggest hatred, but respect.]

In ancient dreams, I’ve watched generals bid dragons burn their foes, and scorch their territory. With that power, an empire was forged. Aeons passed before it too burned: sieged by an army that bound dragons to conquer it.

[He picks up a bag of potatoes.]

On winged death flew the beginning and end of the great empires.

[it is similar in eorzea, francel thinks, though perhaps it speaks to the strength and resilience of the ishgardian people that the holy city has yet to fall despite the millennia they have spent besieged. the idea of dragons fighting alongside men, however, is a new one. the dragons of nidhogg's brood would never deign to ally themselves with men. the heretics that join their cause are not allies; they are servants, just as expendable as the next.]

They join armies, then. They do not raise armies of their own.

[his brow furrows as he tries to process this information.]

By what means are they conscripted into service? Fell magics? Bargains of some sort?

[Highly suggestive comments on Francel’s part. Are the dragons of his world so different as to be more like men than dragons? Though Ishgard’s dragons raising armies of their own is not a concept Solas can automatically accept as truth. The Old Gods were believed by their worshippers to be dragons as well – a belief that was dubious in the extreme.]

It is said Ancient Tevinter used blood magic to bind them – though the method is neither here nor there.

[Clarification:]

But I speak of the long lost time when dragons played their part in shaping my world. That is ancient history. Several ages ago the humans hunted the dragons to near extinction. Today their number is very few.

[blood magic is a new concept, though not entirely. francel can take a stab at drawing parallels between solas's world and his own; this likely refers to things such as the foul rituals by which voidsent are brought into the world, and necromancy, and all such magic that is commonly considered forbidden in eorzea. certainly, such dark magic might have the power to bind a dragon, and conducted on a positively apocalyptic scale, perhaps even an elder wyrm such as hraesvelgr or even nidhogg might be brought to heel. still... could all dravanians truly be slain?]

You specify humans... Were the elves not part of this 'hunt'?

[The larder's packed. He puts away a final bag of string beans, then straightens, dusting his hands. He hasn’t forgotten Francel comes from a world where the elves were not enslaved and pressed into the underclass. It would be impossible to forget. Without a change in tone, as though it’s equally as distant as Ancient Tevinter:]

Prevailing attitudes saw that they were not. By dragon-hunting, nobles and their knights won their prestige by the blade. The nobility, both then and now, does not readily suffer elves to come by prestige or blades.

[If it were otherwise, doubtless elves would have joined humans in hunting the dragons to extinction. Ironic to think of it.

In Solas’ world – the world of the elves – dragons and elves shared the sky for aeons. He would like to speak of it with Francel – openly, as though this were any dream in the Fade – but such openness is impossible. Dorian and Iron Bull have landed in this world. Even if no one else from Thedas comes, he will remain on guard against such a pair. He won’t underestimate Dorian’s curiosity or Iron Bull’s intuition.]

Edited 2019-06-14 16:22 (UTC)

[the dragon-hunting that solas describes is exactly what takes place in ishgard now. ishgardian men and women have more dignified reasons to kill dragons, it is true, but not all men and women are dignified, and even francel himself cannot deny that part of his own motivations for joining the war involved the restoration of house haillenarte's good reputation.

but he is indifferent, in truth, to the matter of hunting dragons to extinction. the revelations that aymeric has recently brought to his attention might give francel pause, but dragons have yet to prove themselves as anything but murderous beasts to him. the elves, however — some strange mirror-world parallel of the elezen — francel is far more interested in them.]

I... I see. I met with a man who... who mentioned that. He said that the elves lived in clans, and that they were enslaved in... Tevinter, I think it was. [a brief pause.] Oh — but you just mentioned Tevinter. Wait —

[he cannot help an excited flap of his wings as he straightens in his seat, suddenly wide-eyed, having come to a conclusion he rightfully might have drawn several days ago.]

Oh! That man was from your world! [he laughs to think of his own slowness.] Fury take me, I'm a fool!

Edited 2019-06-14 17:48 (UTC)

[His eyebrows raised to hear Francel speak of the Dalish – but they lower just as quickly with comprehension.]

Interesting. What was his name? [It’s possible there are more arrivals from Thedas than he knows of, but he adds,] In fact, a pair of my colleagues stepped through the mirrors earlier this month. I wanted to ask if anyone else from Aldenard had come.

[Not necessarily right now, when Francel’s under the weather, but as it’s come up…]

He called himself Bull, I believe. Iron Bull. [or was it the iron bull?] He looked a bit like what we call Roegadyn in my world, aside from the fact that he had massive horns.

[francel illustrates this with a gesture of his hands, curving around his head in imitation of bull's magnificient qunari rack; the gesture itself looks a little funny when francel has horns of his own, pointing upward behind his ears.]

As for Aldenard, yes, as a matter of fact — someone new seems to have arrived in Aefenglom, just like all the rest. He is an Elezen boy by the name of Alphinaud. Ser Aymeric is more acquainted with him than I, but I understand he played some part in ending the Dragonsong War.

[and francel did not. to a degree, that rankles; it might show, too, in francel's overly placid expression. he looks as though he is trying too hard to be unmoved.]

Edited 2019-06-16 04:06 (UTC)

[Between the two, he expected Bull. Dorian, he thinks with disapproval, would not have been the first to broach the subject of slavery in Tevinter to anyone – least of all an elf.]

‘Horns up.’ [His lips twitch briefly into a smile. Not words he’s said before, nor is he likely to repeat them within Bull’s hearing.] Yes, I know Iron Bull. His strength and intellect will be a great asset to us here – as they have already aided the Inquisition we work for.

[He listens, mild, still and attentive. Then he answers while walking to the table himself -]

That the new arrivals are connected to us at all makes for a remarkable coincidence. [Another complication added to the mystery that is the mirrors.] - May I sit?

Of course you may. Would you like — ah, but you dislike tea. Never mind, then.

[francel has grown so excited and animated that one might easily forget that he is ill — but he stands so quickly from his seat to fetch solas some kind of refreshment that a wave of lightheadedness seizes him. oops. surrendering to it, he sinks sheepishly back into his chair again, rubbing a palm against his forehead.]

...The new arrivals concern me, in truth. I did not mention it to Aymeric, as I think he may be glad to see a familiar face, but I wondered if it is not something like — well, for example, suppose for some reason that this world is consuming other worlds, and that is why we are seeing more and more of our compatriots? [he shrugs.] Nothing suggests this, however, and it does not explain the mirrors through which we came, so I am at a loss.

[He purses his lips in concern: he doesn’t leap to his side, but he instinctively readies himself to, wavering in place a moment.]

Do stay seated; I wish only to catch my breath. [...] Let me know if I can get you anything.

[With that said, he sits and listens, considering Francel’s words seriously. He know Francel is not learned in such matters, and that his speculation is thoroughly a twist of imagination, but – apocalyptic a scenario though he proposes – it does not seem far outside of the realm of what he knows possible.

In truth – though he makes an effort to skirt around his uglier tendencies in conversation, so as to not wear on others with hopeless melancholia – his own thoughts regularly spiral into grim speculations. He is ever guarding himself with readiness for the hardship yet to come. It’s fatalism not inherent to him but learned after a lifetime of watching the worst come to pass.

Hearing Francel speak aloud such fears is validating: it makes one feel less alone. He is a little pensive as he replies.]

I agree with the sentiment. Cavalier attitudes can be dangerous. Damage to the fabric of our worlds may be occurring unseen: we must learn more. My world faces danger too terrible to forget the necessity of vigilance and knowledge.

[Which begs the question whether Francel’s fears are similarly based on experience, and so,]

Is Eorzea in such a peril, that you think of calamity following us here?

[francel may remind solas of his younger, more naive self in many ways, but on this point, at least, they seem in present-day agreement; the young lord has learned in only eleven short years that the worst will always come to pass. he conjures up his hopeless melancholia because it is the only way he knows how to protect his fragile heart. to francel, the most flawless defense against disappointment is simply to have no hope.]

...I... I would like to temper my words, Solas — I must needs impress upon you that I am no scholar, no sage. I studied neither the void, nor aether, nor crystals, nor beasts. I know no more than any other educated man of my time would know.

[he pauses breath.]

Eorzea has always been in peril, but it is in peril due to mortal conflicts. War, famine, conquest, subjugation, inequity. I know nothing of the fabric of the worlds; I was ever consumed by the problems around me, in my corner of Ishgard.

But we knew, as a matter of science in Eorzea, that worlds adjacent to our own exist. In fact, it was not unusual to hear, from time to time, of people who supposedly slipped into our world from other worlds, but unlike we who now reside in Aefenglom, they would eventually find their ways back. Thus, my understanding of how world-to-world travel works is that anomalies are eventually corrected. I had not thought deeply on it in my first weeks here, but the fact that we have not yet been so corrected now suggests to me that we have been deliberately summoned against the laws of nature.

...You spoke to me once of spirits turning into demons. The demons of our world are known as voidsent, beings that slip into our world from a world of darkness known as the Void. Many schools of thought exist regarding the Void, but voidsent themselves will typically assert that they seek to conquer our world for its abundance of aether. I suppose that is from whence my thoughts came, though I know the situation here is not at all the same.

[Solas is very still as he listens, shoulders squared and fists clenching on his knees. Beings of the Void who seek to conquer Eorzea? that is – highly disturbing. He once again feels the edge of Andruil’s weapon at his throat, her armour swathed in darkness, as the ancient things meant to be forgotten howled at his face. He thinks of Anaris and the Forgotten Ones.

The Inquisition learned a little of that dark chapter of his people’s history in the Arbor Wilds, as he recalls. He can speak of that freely. He unsticks his throat, and gestures similarity between their worlds.]

No scholars are certain of the nature of the Void. It is shrouded in mystery, known only as a great abyss at the heart of all things.

It is half-remembered that, in the time of the Ancient Elves, a war was waged with weapons and armour forged from the darkness. Plague sickened the lands. It was to be a campaign of conquest. Not unlike the voidsent, as you describe them.

[He drops his gaze, his brow lowered and dark and mouth a tense line.]

Peril, indeed. That conflict would leave its mark on all.

Then the Void exists in your lands as well as ours...

[francel's expression matches solas's in solemnity; he nods, his curiosity roused by this talk of ancient elves and war, though he tempers his usual impulse to ask a thousand different questions at once. there are more pressing issues at hand.]

...I wonder if the plague you describe is related to the Cwyld in some way. It was certainly not beneath the voidsent of Eorzea to experiment with pestilence. If the Void is affecting things here in Geargadas... perhaps there are traces of its presence, or... or...

[with a heavy sigh, francel leaves his thought unfinished; he knows too little to continue this idle speculation in earnest. he feels suddenly as though he knows very little indeed.]

Forgive me, Solas. If I could move about freely, I would love nothing more than to assist you and Aymeric in exploring the mysteries of this world. As it is — [his wings flap weakly] — my current aspiration is to become well enough to bake a few passable tarts.

[Solas first encountered the Cwyld in their enchanting fae-dream that, for him, ended with a literal plunge into the black heart of this world. At once he drew the connection Francel describes now. That the Cwyld is very much the mirror image of the Blight, that learning about it in this world could shed light on the Blight in his own, that if there’s any way to resolve it he must try…

He nods along until Francel breaks off. Solas smiles with gentle allowance. Francel, of course, has nothing to be sorry for.]

When you become well enough to grant us your company, I will be glad for it.

I’ll also be waiting for those tarts. [True beyond it being the kind thing to say – he does have a sweet tooth.] Spreading joy in dark times? That is as worthy a pastime as swashbuckler adventuring, I think.

[a more paranoid part of francel, more prone to distrust, suddenly wonders if solas is merely being kind to him. perhaps this is merely the patience of an adult faced with a mournful child, as an orphanage sister must be with her more unruly charges. perhaps he ought to keep his problems to himself, bottle them all up in his chest, at least until they threaten to spill out of his mouth from within his rotting insides.

he tries to ignore the sudden nagging sense that solas doesn't care.]

...Would that more men thought of it as you did.

[francel leans against the back of his chair, wings shifting to accommodate his weight.]

In Ishgard — I think I have intimated as much, but in Ishgard, there was no greater glory than to be a knight with title. So much so that any noble son who failed to become such a storied slayer of dragons was regarded as... as a disappointment.

[that he was a disappointment of this sort goes unsaid. he folds his hands in his lap.]

I often wondered why it had to be that way. Ours was a nation at war, of course, and all wars require men and women to fight them. But does not the baker in a nation at war contribute to the effort? Does not the artist in a nation at war fight battles of his own? They sacrifice different things, to be sure, but...

[a momentary wave of heat seizes him; he closes his eyes, brows furrowed, as he tries to ignore it.]

...I don't know that I was ever destined to be a leader of men.

[He mulls it over, serious and pensive. War has cut deeply into the culture in both their worlds. War breeds fear, fear breeds a desire for simplicity. Right and wrong, chains of command. So much of it a matter of necessity...]

Armies have crude values. Discipline. Unyielding hierarchies. All are contrary to the normal way of life, which is something free and chaotic. It is a quiet tragedy when war imposes soldiers' ways upon the entire populace. I have seen...

[But when Francel’s eyes shut, brows furrow, Solas trails off, instead sitting up with concern.

He slips a hand into one of his several coat pockets and pulls out his house key. It’s large, bronze, and a little rusted. He puts it on the table between them, and leaves his fingertips resting on it. While he does, he says,]

My magic will not bring as much relief as Aymeric’s, but it should bring some.

[any number of emotions play out on francel's face as he stares in bewilderment at the key in front of him — confusion, at first, and then a kind of tenderness, a kind of warmth. he is touched that solas would give him leave to visit, touched that anyone would like him enough, trust him enough, to invite him into their home.

what he actually says conveys none of these things:]

...You have a house?

[...his tone is so exaggerated that there can be no doubt he thought solas lived like some sort of book gremlin in a corner of the library.]

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