Christmas Eve Happy Hour

[nita_callahan]

The holidays are a time for family -- nuclear, extended, and otherwise -- and Nita's been doing more than her fair share of holiday travel as a result. Thank the Powers for her subsidized gating privileges at the Crossings. This year, Milliways is her penultimate stop; she'll head back to Earth to spend the 25th with her dad and the Rodriguezes.

When she leans on the counter, she asks Bar wryly, "So, what dark powers are threatening us this year, huh?"

A napkin appears. "... Kidnapped Santa?" Another napkin. "Pox? ... Monsters, too, huh. ... Wow. But is that it? Really? ... No, I didn't mean it like that, it sounds bad. It's just, you know. Comparatively speaking. ... Well, I'm glad everyone's okay. ... Sure, yeah, if you need the break, but I don't know anything about alcohol. ... If you say so." She laughs softly and pats the counter. "Have a good nap."

Happy Hour Specials
Anything I don't have to look up the recipe for

First drink free if you helped save Christmas
First drink half off if you don't celebrate Christmas

"So, uh, what can I get you?"

Comments

[nita_callahan]

"Can I ask what happened, that there are only two of you now? If that's too personal or anything, forget I asked."

[freedom_is_grey]

"Word of it spread beyond the borders of our kingdom practically as soon as it happened. One more knowing won't be any problem at all."

Ysalwen rubs her forehead, briefly.

"When the darkspawn rose up, King Cailan assembled a force, including the Grey Wardens, at Ostagar. The battle plan, as I understood at the time, was for them to engage the bulk of the darkspawn forces while Loghain and his troops came in at the signal. The signal was a beacon fired by myself and Alistair. We made it and lit the beacon, but Loghain, seeing Cailan's forces foundering, left the field instead of engaging in battle. All the Wardens save we two perished, as well as the King and all his troops."

Ysalwen shakes her head.

"I could have almost understood that as a battlefield decision, made by wiser minds than mine, save for the fact that Loghain then attempted to take the throne, instead of supporting the King's wife, his own daughter. That, I really could not forgive."

[nita_callahan]

Nita winces.

"No, that's -- that comes off as pretty self-serving across the board."

[freedom_is_grey]

"And when an Archdemon emerges and the Blight rises -- only Grey Wardens can kill one. For several very good reasons."

Well, one overwhelmingly good reason, but still.

"I hate to think what would have happened if both Alistair and I had died, too. Loghain was very unfond of Orlesians, and those were the closest Wardens to Ferelden's borders. I understand disliking our former conquerors, but to disbelieve in the Blight? Once he'd seen the darkspawn?"

Madness.

[nita_callahan]

Blight and darkspawn and Archdemon all sound relatively self-explanatory, but--

"Why can only a Grey Warden kill an Archdemon? I mean, mages can't?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"The Archdemon, when it dies, jumps its soul into the nearest Blighted body it can find, which means darkspawn. There it immediately resurrects itself as an Archdemon -- a giant Blighted dragon -- and continues wreaking havoc. Grey Wardens are tainted, as well, but we possess our own souls. When an Archdemon jumps into us, its soul is annihilated and it is defeated forever."

Her mouth twists a little.

"It does seem to work."

It's not the only solution, just the most final.

(Morrigan's ritual is an entirely different choice. Ysalwen hopes it is a better one, in the long run. At least it's bound to be more interesting.)

[nita_callahan]

Nita winces a little, and rubs absently at one of the faded scars on her forearms.

"Yikes. That -- sounds pretty brutal."

[freedom_is_grey]

"Every victory has its price. I'm just glad we were able to pay it quickly, this time. One year instead of a century."

She'll take it.

[nita_callahan]

"That sounds like a whole story itself."

She straightens up. "Maybe I can hear it from you another time? I should make sure everyone's being taken care of."

[freedom_is_grey]

"It seems likely. I still need to ask about how you practice magic."

Notes may be taken.

"It was good to meet you."

[nita_callahan]

"Absolutely," she says, with a grin. "When I'm not working. It's great to meet you -- wave me down if you need anything else."

She leans over the bar a little to add a "Nice to meet you, too" to Liranan.

[freedom_is_grey]

"Will do," Ysalwen acknowledges.

Liranan lifts his head from the mauled deer haunch, panting deeply.

Yes. Yes. Very nice! New favorite.

Then he goes back to gnawing on the bone.

It is a very tasty bone.