milliways_bar | (no subject)

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The boxsplosion has been dealt with, and Shephard thanked Kanaya appropriately before taking his various Christmas gifts home. Except the mug- he's keeping that in one of the abstracted pockets of the jacket Kanaya gave him a while back, as he intends to make a point of using it where people can see. He's not drinking now, though. Alene, one of Mrs. Wilson's first litter, insisted on following him when he started putting things away, so she's trotting happily along behind him as he heads out to the target range. It's been a while since he's been able to get in any time with a bow, and he's got some recently fletched and tipped arrows to test out anyway. Best to have one of the houndeyes around in case someone- not naming any names, but they're probably French- wanders through. Again.

He'll be happy to talk in between flights, though.

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"How fractious are these United States you speak of? Are they a loose alliance of free -- city-states?"

See: The Free Marches.

"Used to be they were held together pretty tight," says Shephard. "We had us a civil war 'bout a hunnert-fifty or so years ago on account of some of 'em didn't want to take their orders from the capital, but after that they were all nailed down good'n tight. Ain't enough people left these days to hold it all the same way, though. We're workin' on one city at a time at this point."

Being from the state that seceded from the seceding states, Shephard is reasonably familiar with all of the contributing factors of the Civil War, but it'd take a long time to explain about the rest of it.

Given the mess that Thedosian politics has always been, Ysalwen doesn't ask any more.

"Is everyone coming together to support and reinforce each other, or do they remain scattered? I -- there aren't really all that many means of transportation where I come from except for walking. And the occasional wagon pulled by oxen or halla. And ships, of course, but those aren't very good for overland travel."

Horses will have to wait ten years or so. Even if everyone knows they exist.

"Pretty scattered," Shephard admits. "We got some vehicles, but we ain't got a lot of fuel for 'em. I got a ship of sorts, but once you git into port you still got to git out and walk. Least we got radio- we c'n talk to folks a damn long way away even if we ain't able to see 'em. That goes a long way."

"I'd give a lot for that, in the near future, I think."

So, so much.

Shephard thinks about this for a bit. Eventually he says, "I ain't too sure how to set somethin' like that up somewheres that didn't have the kind of manufacturing we do. I ever work out the best way to git started on it, I'll make sure folks know."

The Prime Directive is for other people. People who are sissies.

"I'll thank you in advance."

Ysalwen grins, sudden and bright.

"You'd think magic would be good for that, but long-distance communication not involving birds and teleportation are essentially impossible."

Pity.

Shephard grins wryly. "We ain't got magic where I come from- least the humans don't, anyway," he says. "Vortigaunts do shit that I reckon most people'd see as magic. Everything I know 'bout what magic can or can't do, it's somethin' I learned here or learned from someone I met because of here."

"Magic itself also seems to be different between worlds, from what I've heard."

She hasn't seen any of it yet, of course. Not really.

"Is it the same for technology? And the -- what was it -- Vortigaunts work?"

"Folks develop different kinds of technology in different worlds, from what I've seen," Shephard says. "Most of the time it looks as if it's runnin' on similar principles, but that ain't always the case. Far as the Vorts go, they talk about Vortessence'n weavin' lives together'n sometimes they c'n shoot lightning out their fingertips. I got no fuckin' clue how that works, I just know it does."

"Hmm. I can do that last one, too. And magic in my world comes from the Fade, where people go when they dream, and where some say we also go when we die."

Interesting.

Liranan, meanwhile, seems to have given up playing tug-of-war in favor of trying to nap.

Or maybe it's a trick.

Shephard shakes his head. "I ain't never heard of folks' spirits goin' anywhere special while they were dreamin'," he says, "and I only know of one human, maybe two, who ever got close enough to this Vortessence thing to say anything much about it. Might be related, might not. I dunno. I leave that kind of shit to the experts."

Right, which is why Shephard is up to his eyeballs in weird mythic crap every single time he turns around.

Speaking of turning around, Alene is taking the opportunity to pad over towards Liranan and get a closer look...

Liranan rolls onto his side to give Alene room if she wants to nap, too.

Honest.

"No one ever gets to leave that shit to the experts, I swear. It's ridiculous. Maybe my world's cursed, like that."

Well, okay, but she thought they were playing? Doesn't the big thing with only two eyes want to play?

"If it is, I reckon we got some spare parts of your curse on us," Shephard says. "Or maybe it's just on a couple of us and everybody else just gits pulled along by the current."

"That also sounds frighteningly likely."

It really, really does.

"I hope it's not a plague, too."

Liranan, stealthy mabari that he is, now attempts to flop on top of Alene.

Gently.

HWOORMPH.

Stealthy is fine but there is the little question of mass. Alene will be squirming for a bit as she tries to get out from under the dinosaur of a dog.

"You'n me both, ma'am. You'n me both."

He will roll off of her soon enough. Otherwise this game is boring.

"Warden, please, if you insist on titles. I'd rather Ysalwen, though. I get enough of the rest at home, and more every day."

"Force of habit," Shephard admits. "I joined the service the day after I got done with my schoolin', not to mention I got the kind of momma who'd tar me somethin' fierce if I didn't pay my proper respect to a lady 'til she told me otherwise. Warden of what, if you don't mind my askin'?"

"Grey Wardens. We're an order -- nominally military, I suppose -- that guards all of Thedas against the threads of Archdemons, darkspawn, and the Blight. There are two of us in Ferelden, now."

Her mouth twists again. It's almost a smile.

"There are supposed to be more. I have no idea how we'll get them."

A pause.

"You got to choose to go into the service?"

"We don't do conscription 'cept in time of war, and it wasn't time of war when I was finishing with school," Shephard says. "My folks had four kids other'n me and nowhere near enough money to send more'n two of 'em to college. I signed up with the Marines to make me a name'n let my baby brother git the extra schoolin' instead."

"Grey Wardens have the right of Conscription, as well. Only they don't have to wait for a Blight to use it. It's -- in a way I suppose it's for the best, as they often use it to pardon criminals and conscript them into the Wardens."

Again her mouth twists. Someone has conflicting feelings. A little.

"Commuting the sentence, as it were. I -- half volunteered and half didn't."

A pause.

"How is your baby brother? And your mother?"

Are they still alive?

"Huh. I heard of things like that in a couple of our past wars- you c'n go to jail or you c'n go to this here recruiting station and sign up with the army, your choice, kind of thing," Shephard says. "But that's just a regular army, not the kind of thing that fights demons'n shit."

He rubs at his nose with his gloved hand.

"Now, I ain't real sure it's my place to ask about the voluntering or not, so I'm just gonna head on over to your question'n say both of 'em are doin' pretty well. Danny was studyin' forestry and wood and such when the Combine invaded; he got the hell out of school'n made it hope. He's a hell of a carpenter now. Momma got elected mayor of my home town a couple years back, while they were still hidin' from the Combine. She's still in charge. Ain't remarried since the bullsquid killed Poppa, though."

"I'm sorry about your father," Ysalwen says. "And glad to hear your mother and brother are doing well."

She's very, very glad to hear that. It's nice, when people have families.

"As for me, I was doing a favor for a friend, who decided to resort to blood magic when we were caught. I was already distrusted by the Circle, given my own magical talents, so even without having done anything directly terrible -- First Enchanter Irving thought it would be better if I were gone. Grey Warden Duncan was there recruiting, and it -- I would have made worse bargains to leave the Circle, and this was my first chance. Add to that doing some good and defending the realm, and -- "

She spreads her hands.

"In its way it wasn't a choice at all, really."

There's a lot that could be said to that, and a lot of ways a listener could respond. Unfortunately, Shephard's lot has fallen on possibly the least productive one.

"... Irving. You got a super-wizard with a name like Irving."

We're so very sorry. He'll be snickering for a while.

Ysalwen's lips twitch.

"He's also got a ridiculous beard."

If that helps.