Inbox - Fade Rift

[nonvenomous]

Book/crystal/correspondence/action/whatever you desire.

Comments

[charmoffensive]

I'm not so good with animals. Besides Thot, anyway. But desperate times, and all that.

Is what you're doing really jail worthy?

[nonvenomous]

A vocal fraction of Riftwatch certainly seems to think so. Are you concerned?

[charmoffensive]

No,

[ but should he be, underscored in his tone. ]

Curious, rather.

[nonvenomous]

[ An intake of breath, a pause, a shifting of notes on a desk somewhere in the Gallows. ]

What would you like to know?

[charmoffensive]

Well—

[ An indecisive pause. ]

What are you looking for, exactly? Besides how good lyrium might be for scrapes and bruises.

[nonvenomous]

A transmutative integration of lyrium into the existing tissue, [ says Richard, easily. ] Lyrium becoming flesh.

[charmoffensive]

I feel that implies distressing things about the flesh, if it doesn't work that way on everyone else.

[nonvenomous]

There was an ordeal before our arrival here wherein a plague appeared to draw lyrium directly out of Templars and Rifters, sending the former into withdrawal and rendering the latter weakened and to some degree incorporeal.

So, [ Loxley said he was curious. ] yes.

[charmoffensive]

[ And he is, still, listening intently to unpleasant things in some comfortable corner, away from that island full of aggravating people.

After a weighty pause, he infuses some cheer in his voice as he says; ]

I don't feel make believe. Although, further to that point, are you in want of volunteers?

[nonvenomous]

Lyrium is real, [ Richard reasons. ] Spirits are real.

[ Ergo, vis a vis, concordantly -- he pauses. It’s a long pause and the scratch of his pen pauses with it, leaving a neat little beat of dead air to sink on Loxley’s end of their crystal connection. ]

Several Rifters have already reached out to us off the record. Should we need additional volunteers I’ll see that you’re added to the list.

[charmoffensive]

Alright.

[ :) ]

What happens, then, if you're successful with this transmutative business?

[nonvenomous]

[ Another pause, inscrutable through the crystal as its light fades. It's easy to forget how readily Loxley will accept a lie. ]

We'll have a better understanding of the nature of our existence here.

[charmoffensive]

And philosophically?

[nonvenomous]

Do you have specific concerns?

[charmoffensive]

That the natives of this plane will welcome any excuse to fuck us over in the long run, mainly, but I don't think there's much else to do for that. Maybe you can just tell everyone that turns out we're very normal and corporeal.

[nonvenomous]

[ He could lie again. But frankly, what's the use? ]

Regardless of what I or any of us say, there will come a time when this war is won or lost and any Rifters remaining will be forced to hide themselves or die fighting.

[charmoffensive]

[ There's a beat, the active swallowing of another flippant remark. ]

I don't know if we're so friendless as that.

[nonvenomous]

This world is unkind to its mages.

[charmoffensive]

—you know, I was about to say that I'll tell them you're with me, but I believe my modest bag of tricks is considered mage-worthy still.

You're not wrong, of course. Only that I don't think we'll be fighting and hiding alone, if we live to see the end of the war.

[nonvenomous]

Derrica is an outlier. Most of them will be more pragmatic in their analysis of our long-term worth as allies.

[ He pauses. ]

What I mean to say is that there is no finding that will render us more desirable in the eyes of the Chantry. Or less desirable to the Venatori.

[charmoffensive]

Well,

[ and no denial that Loxley was literally just talking about Derrica, and how could she be an outlier, everyone must love her, ]

then I suppose my only legitimate concern remaining is for your well being.

[nonvenomous]

The contingent caterwauling about our work has more to worry over than they know, should they decide to intercede.

[ The crook of a smile in his voice is only a little sinister. ]

I have Thot to look out for me at night.