( open ) who have given their love

[chantes]

Who: Leliana + OPEN
Where: Multiple locations
When: February 27 + 28
Rating: PG
Summary: A new arrival is getting her bearings
The Story:

ｒｏｂｙｎ ｃｏｕｓｌａｎｄ

( It was over. The breach had finally been sealed, and when the Inquisitor had returned from the sight of the battle she'd explained the story. Corypheus was gone -- destroyed and banished, with the lights that had been seen signalling the end of it all.

It had been destructive, and a little satisfying to hear.

Though she hadn't breathed a sigh of relief then, preferring to wait until they'd returned to Skyhold -- to find safety before allowing herself to celebrate, Leliana was relieved. Though Thedas would no doubt still be chaotic for some time the threat was over, and some tensions were easing slowly due to the Inquisition.

When Leliana turns, lowering her bow, she'll discover that she was right to not yet celebrate yet. The change in location has her confused, finding herself now in a forest rather than the ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. There's a frown for a few seconds, and her companions are nowhere in sights. It's with a few careful steps that Leliana moves through the forest, an arrow prepared in her bow to remain ready to strike should a threat reveal itself.

Leliana walks for a while, suspicions rising as she finds herself evidently alone, until the sounds of arrows into wood drift into her hearing. She follows, hoping for answers, though it would seem that a question would come first.

Robyn?

Although Leliana could only see the woman from the side, and though she hadn't seen her in ten years, there was no mistaking the sight of her friend. It couldn't be, though-- Robyn was dead.

It was hard not to be sucked in by the sight of her, to be wishful even if that hope felt foolish. Leliana didn't want to think that she had seen stranger things, but there was only one way to know for certain. Raising her bow Leliana released her arrow into the target that Robyn had been aiming at. Friend or foe she would receive answers )

ｔｈｅ ｇａｒｄｅｎｓ

( It was all real apparently. Though much made little sense Leliana could at least believe that Robyn wouldn't lie to her. She may not understand Wonderland but Leliana had at least accepted it was real. If it was real, and if they truly were to be stuck here then Leliana needed to know her way around the place. Coming from the forest the gardens were easy to find, and a pleasurable sight once she was there.

She had her bow at her back now, walking slowly through the gardens as if she'd chosen to come here willingly. As much as this place was strange and unsettling she could not help appreciating a beautiful sight. There were few good things that Leliana could think of for Wonderland but this would be one of them, though perhaps the rest was to be discovered. Robyn had told her what had been important, and then they'd spent longer discussing everything but Wonderland. If there was beauty to behind perhaps it would be wonderful to do so.

After a few minutes of walking Leliana bends down to sniff one of the flowers, almost to check whether they were as real as Wonderland was )

ｔｈｅ ｃｈａｐｅｌ

( The chapel had come up in their discussion, in her "Wonderland 101 by Robyn Cousland". She expects nothing like a Chantry, perhaps only a chapel in name alone, but it's more than that.

It takes mere feet after Leliana walks in to understand why it is here, and why Robyn keeps watch over it. Robyn won't be alone in that, and as Leliana walks through the chapel she bows her head, stopping at the front )

Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just.

( She hasn't come to pray, or to offer a full verse, but she can still show respect in this moment, and until she returns again )

Comments

[heroica]

You always do.

[ Even though they're only traveled in Ferelden when Leliana was younger, their time in Wonderland hasn't left her memory. The bard has always been a close friend, but is an invaluable ally as well. ]

Around the same time, then. [ She wonders if Corypheus has been defeated, yet, but... it may be too soon to ask. ] And you really remember nothing of the time you spent here?

[chantes]

If only I did. It may have made this a little simpler.

( And Leliana would love to have remembered her time with Robyn, to know of the adventures and time that they spent together. They have more time now, and new memories to be made )

Perhaps you can tell me some of it in between my own tales.

[chantes]

Does that make it safe to eat?

( Leliana has plenty of her own experiences with magic but she has never known a mage to be able to create food or drink )

snuggles!!!

[normandysbest]

Yep, that's the place.

[Just like she suspected. Though, by the sound of it, this woman's already spoken to someone.]

I guess somebody's already given you the run-down? Or, just left you to explore or whatever.

[... She's just now realizing how weird this must look, especially since this other woman is in like... robes. There could always be more explaining to do.]

Er, sorry, forgot to introduce myself. I'm Shepard.

[jivitadana]

[Minato nodded. Safe so far, from what he could tell. There really wasn't much choice? But no one he had seen had changed and he hadn't either.]

It should be, if Wonderland is keeping us here for our memories.

[Why impair them if they needed to stay alive to keep this place alive?]

[heroica]

Of course. I'll tell you all of it.

[ Excepting the time when the Warden was bitten by something undead and Leliana herself had to slit Robyn's throat. That story will go untold. ]

This is Oren, [ She says abruptly, glancing to the dog as they enter the mansion. ] and not Calen. He... didn't come with me from Ferelden, but I found a mabari here.

[ One not so well-trained as her bonded pup, but a good one all the same. ]

[chantes]

A wonderful friend to find.

( An unexpected one maybe, but always a good friend to have, and this one seems just as smart as Calen was, or just as loyal )

Do you often find things from Ferelden?

( Old friends not included )

[chantes]

For our memories?

( There's a frown at that. Robyn hadn't mentioned it, or if she had it hadn't fully settled in until now )

Do they just take them, or do they bring them to us? Taunt us with our fears or hopes?

( Which makes it sound like she has a little experience with that )

[chantes]

Leliana. ( And there's a little nod to go with the question that Shepard had asked ) I have a friend here. She told me much of what I may find here, but I would always agree to hear more.

( There was definitely nothing wrong with learning a little information, especially about your captors -- and Leliana was very fond of staying informed )

[jivitadana]

We'll live through someone's memory, and that person will lose a word or phrase associated with it.

[It was a slow process. It seemed like Wonderland was keeping them here for the long haul if that were the case. And oh, yes, still wandering around the gardens with her in the meantime as they talked.]

[heroica]

You mean aside from you? [ She chuckles lightly, beginning to move through the entrance hall and toward her own room. ] Not so much, no. There was one time that a tunnel to the Deep Roads appeared, but... only once, and months and months ago.

[ Thankfully, they haven't cropped up again since. ]

[chantes]

( A tunnel to the Deep Roads. Leliana can only imagine what else was found down there, even with the blight long since over. The Inquisition had found darkspawn still, especially in the Deep Roads. She says nothing on it, but lets her expression tell Robyn her concerns about that )

That tunnel now. Was it sealed?

[chantes]

I wouldn't have expected there'd be a choice in it... are they solely nightmares, or does this place take our treasured memories?

( She's not sure what would be worse, to live through more nightmares or to lose what is dear )

[jivitadana]

I haven't seen the latter yet, but I've heard.

[He hadn't experienced any of the good ones yet though. But he knew that there had been some from what other people had said.]

[chantes]

Perhaps it's simply less common.

( Why would something wish to make them so happy when it could harm them instead? She turns her gave from him for a moment, looking back down at the flowers before stopping to reach out to some, running her fingers over the petals )

Negative memories can be very powerful.

[jivitadana]

[Minato nodded. That was true, they could be. They were, actually.]

Everyone has those. But since we're all here, we can help each other through them.

[normandysbest]

[Well, that's good! She's not alone here. I mean, not great that Wonderland keeps taking more people, but... she'd certainly have felt a little more at home if she knew someone from her world when she arrived.]

Well... you got any weird questions you don't wanna ask your friend? I've been here a good 10 or 11 months, so I think I've got most of the weirder aspects of Wonderland down pat.

[A small pause.]

And uh, you've been told about events, right? Because I feel like that's gotta be the weirdest thing about this place.

all the cool kids meet in the chapel;

[morework]

[ The dogs wake Cullen just before dawn. He turns, and finds the other side of his bed empty. Searching Wonderland is futile. He does it, all the same. The result was expected: Hawke is gone. They say that if a person goes for good, their room disappears as well. With their room shared, how is he supposed to know?

Cullen makes his way to the chapel. Will he come back? No, the real question lies beyond that: Should he come back? It takes less than a day to miss him. Just as little time to wonder if Hawke deserves to be free of this place. Kirkwall is hardly a reward by comparison either. And Wonderland still has to be stopped. It's nearly enough to pretend his reasons are selfless, when he thinks that he needs Hawke to return...

Cullen catches the prayer, just as he enters. He wondered about her disappearance just the same. And today of all days--The Maker has a strange sense of humour. Or does he owe the irony to their captors? ]

It brought you back.

[heroica]

Yes. They all were.

[ 'They all were.' Because there were more than one, preventing the Warden from keeping people away. ]

Residents went down in search of treasure. [ She reports quietly. ] And they found the blight.

[ More than one had to be killed, and though they also returned to life, it made the experience no less traumatizing. ]

[chantes]

( The words cause her to dip her head for a few seconds, a regretful thought over those that would have been lost, over what would have spilled out after )

Then they were lucky that you were here.

( Though she has yet to know that it would have been spawned from her, or Leliana's own memories. But had Wonderland come up with something else alone-- )

That is one part of our past that I would not have liked to have seen again. It was unsettling in the tunnels.

( A feeling she may admit only to Robyn )

[chantes]

Would you?

( It's a probe, a curiosity to see how much that statement is true )

Many wouldn't wish themselves burdened by such problems, not when they were not their own.

[chantes]

There was one from my home some months ago. I'm told that tunnels spread out across Wonderland.

( Leading only to the darkspawn and death, if Shepard remembers it. Robyn had said that it had been a few months ago, though not so specific with a time frame for Leliana to know. She's not quite certain how to classify weird with what she's experienced -- to some events would be, and maybe some will be, but she's seen, and felt fantastic recreations before )

I only hope that is the last time it's brought here.

[chantes]

( It's a voice that Leliana doesn't anticipate, at least not then, when Cullen speaks. She has to wonder what he's been doing in all of his time here, how he's managed given his need to stay busy, and how then an extended time here would similarly affect her )

I'm told so.

( Her head's still dipped for a few more seconds before Leliana turns just enough to catch a glimpse of him. It was all real, and perhaps here unexpected things were to be expected. Leliana had already been told of some of them but the surprises had yet to really begin )

But it has been months, if I've been correctly informed.

( Odd, considering how recently she'd just seen him )

[morework]

[ Cullen nods. Starts to count back. How many, exactly? ]

You remember none of it yourself?

[ He barely makes it a question. This is hardly news, so what doubt is there, really? --The truth is none. No doubt. Only a sinking feeling in his stomach that vainly wishes she'll prove his assumptions wrong.

(She won't. He doesn't wait for her answer.) ]

Who filled you in?

[jivitadana]

If I can help, then I will.

[He wanted to. It was something he was taught and then something he wanted to carry on if he could.]

No one should have to go it alone. Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection.