* COMMANDER CURLY.

          once he started talking, trying to PROVE that he was who he said he was, rosalie didn’t even notice as she lowered her ‘weapon’ slowly and with that, her guard. cullen. it had been so many years since rosalie STOPPED wishing and hoping he’d ever come home or visit them. and now, there he was. 

          after the initial SHOCK, she felt ANGER. it didn’t surprise her, not really. she spent a big portion of her teen years being mad at cullen, to the point of actually pretending he didn’t even exist until mia told her to stop.  ❝ so… did they kick you out of the inquisition? that’s the only reason i can think of that would make you come down to south reach and visit your family. ❞ he deserved that treatment. he DESERVED to be antagonized as much as possible.

——— the tension in his shoulders somewhat eases as she lowers her guard, if nothing else at least she seemed to believe him. cullen was still at a lost, he hadn’t expected anything really upon his arrival but he now thinks that he should have come up with some sort of plan. 

finally back online! | @believinginthisone

          “ YES, ” SHE REPLIED HONESTLY. “ But that isn’t a bad thing. This is a hardened city, and its people have a tendency to be a little… abrasive. ” Which was the polite way of putting it, all things considered.  “ It’s rare to find calmness or gentility within those walls. ”

Perhaps she was a poor judge of character; difficult not to be a little naive with such limited experiences of the world. “ I’m Dalish, ” despite the lack of vallaslin. “ so no where in particular. My clan visited Ferelden from time to time, though; where did you grow up? ”

——— “i must agree with you there, i find the people of kirkwall to be many good things but soft spoken is not one of them.” he agrees, knowing all too well that the people here liked it their way or no way and they weren’t afraid to let someone know if they had taken a wrong step. 

              “dalish? don’t find too many dalish elves this close to the city, but then again man things are changing these days,” from what little experience he had with dalish, cullen knew that they liked to limit their interaction with people as little as possible — but things were changing and he was not one to judge others for their actions. 

To the elf, it felt wrong to accept the other male’s aid without offering something in return. He was not one to take and forget about the hospitality he was shown. No - he would pay the other back in one way or another; be it through the offering of healing draughts or aid to his men or something else entirely. While he had not the time as of late, the elf made jewelry and things of that ilk.  A good night sleep, something to eat and a mind temporarily free of worries regarding nearby nasties would, more than likely, do him some good. Lyrian was never one to stop, pause, think about himself and what he needed - no, he would always look out for others before himself. “Cullen.” Lyrian repeated, as if doing so would aid in sealing it within the confinements of his consciousness. “Lyrian-” His name was thus offered in return, a small smile flourishing over features though it was almost entirely in politeness rather than genuine joy. Ah - how he wondered how things may have gone, as far as introductions,  if they had not met in such a dire circumstance. “It is nice to meet you - if only it was in a far happier time-”  He paces quietly toward the male, giving a softened nod as he glanced toward the camp; “Safety in numbers no longer applies - the wilderness is twice as dangerous as it has ever been and it is not because of the rabid nature of the wildlife.” Arms cross; “Though - these rifts we have been seeing drive any animal nearby utterly crazy. The number of usually placid creatures I have seen being nothing but vulgar has been uncomfortably high.” A sigh, a roll of shoulders; “Then there is… whatever those corrupted soldiers are-”

——— “its good to meet you,” an honest sentiment, it was good to meet someone in the same mindset as himself, it was what he needed right now, someone who understood the stampede going on in his mind. “happier times seem too far away right now —— perhaps happiness should just be taken where we can find it for now.” 

             it was a grim statement, but true nonetheless and cullen could not bring himself to be falsely optimistic about better times coming their way, not while they still stood in the aftermath of a brutal battle. “safety in numbers may no longer be true, but i’d still like to think it increases our chances. i have noticed something off about the wildlife — anyone’s lucky if they come back with a single usable kill from a hunt.”

              mentions of corrupted soldiers make cullen tense slightly, memories of a tower flooding his mind for a moment — yes, he knew all too well how terrifying corrupted soldiers could be, had seen more good men fall to corruption than he ever thought was possible.

Finally did Lyrian cover the scars of which mottled his back, fastening the buttons of his tunic with nimble fingers. His stature was silent for a moment, his mind ever fraught with the guilt of never being able to do enough; would they ever gain an upper hand against such atrocities? Because to he, of whom had seen a great many massacres first hand, it seemed as if they were failing each and every day, more and more. Perhaps he was merely being pessimistic because of his current mood- “If you are certain-” He would not press the matter - if the other male did not need any healing aid then he would either rest or turn his focus elsewhere. Only time would tell as to which he would be allowed by fate. Before - yes. Before folk died because of the onslaught of the enemy. Before children were orphaned. Before the ground was sullied by the filth of blood. But there was no need to utter anything regarding that for both parties knew.  “…I haven’t eaten in a few days… so I would greatly appreciate that if you have any to spare.”  He had been far too busy to eat, in truth… there had been too many injuries, too many folk  suffering. Then there was the lack of sleep but perhaps that wasn’t as pressing as his rumbling stomach. “…I will be able to aid your men with healing supplies, in return-”

——— cullen’s heart drops when he hears the other man hasn’t eaten in days, another confirmation that things just seemed to be going from bad to worse these days. he would have to find a way to do more, to reach more people —— it wasn’t enough and if things kept on going the way they were, it would never be enough.

          he raises his hand out to stop the man, a small smile gracing his face. “please, do not worry about doing anything in return, getting you fed and rested seems to be the main thing right now. if you still want to help after some food and a night’s sleep, it would be appreciated. but please, right now allow me to offer you some aid.” 

             god it seems so small, but the offer of stew might be one of the best things cullen has done despite helping to fend off an attack only hours before. he often tried to offer what he had to those who needed it, but right now it seemed to really be hitting home just how bad everything was. 

          FEW COULD CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN ESCORTED by a Templar, and those who could were never again seen to tell such a tale. There was rarely a good reason to be in the Order’s company, despite their claim to divinity, telling the masses they served only to act in the Maker’s stead yet doing so little to protect those who needed them most. Ariadne, of course, could never bring herself to find them all accountable for the failings of the few; she smiled up at the man before her, open-minded.

“ You’re not from Kirkwall, are you? ”

——— “is it that obvious?” he asks, hands comfortably falling to his sides as they walked. the woman who walked beside him seemed a stark contrast to the one he had first encountered and it feel good, to know that he was helping someone, even if it might seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things. 

Trying his best; yes, everyone was trying their best but it seemed almost hopeless against the force in which they fought against. More and more refugees and homeless sought out protection and safety by the day and there was only so many one could help. He was but only one Dalish elf, there was only so much he could do to help; only so many potions he could brew in one day, only so much magic he could use before he fell into exhaustion. With hope, the tables would turn, soon. “Not-” He paused, forcing his gaze to glance behind him; “Not really - but I shall be fine. I’ll live.” Unlike some unfortunate souls who appeared as if they were not to make it through the night. He’d tend to them soon enough. Gingerly did he force himself to his feet, stretching arms behind his head, attempting to work away some of the aches and pains in which accompanied his muscles; and also shift the guilt of not being able to do enough.  “And yourself? Are you hurt? I’m a healer-”  

——— cullen nods solemnly, the words don’t leave the other man’s lips but cullen can still sense the pain felt at the losses that they had suffered tonight. no matter what anyone did, it never seemed to be enough to help those in need, the right thing always seems to slip through gaps in their fingers. 

           he shakes his head gently at the offer, “don’t trouble yourself, it’s only a few scrapes and bruises, nothing i can’t handle.” 

           in truth, a part of cullen liked the pain, liked the reminder that he at least tried, that he had not stood idle while people lost their lives. the man that stood before him looked exhausted, drained and altogether done with everything. 

           his family? why was he looking for his FAMILY inside her house? unless… and yes, as soon as rosalie suspected it, he confirmed his own identity. after all those years — eighteen, to be precise — of not showing his face, of barely answering any of their letters, he decided to just DROP BY, no warnings. he was just… there.

          ❝ cullen? ❞ lowering her ‘weapon’, rosalie took a moment to inspect the stranger in front of him. people ALWAYS said that, of all the siblings, she was the one that resembled him the most. she was just softer. but yes, he was… he was familiar. but she couldn’t be sure. how SAD was that?  ❝ well, can you prove that? i haven’t really seen my brother in eighteen years, so you could very well be just a LUNATIC posing as him. so i can’t just take your word for it. ❞

——— cullen has rarely felt so stupid in all his life, what was he really expecting, to return home and have all his siblings run into his arms?? he was all but a stranger to them, as were they to him. a part of him wishes that the ground would just swallow him whole or that he’d written back more, or hell even visited at some point. instead, he stood at the front door of his family home, being asked to identify himself.