[log] Team Katamari V2 Mingle Extravaganza [closed]

[dr_unconscious]

Characters: Almost a fifth of them--okay specifically Clayton, Enoch, Dio, Quark, Clementine, House, Miranda, Ellana, and Dorian.
Location Buildings 61 and 54 (M11 and I10 respectively).
Date: Days 42 and 43, evenings, probably after lockdown.
Summary: A bunch of people that met in a gas station meet even more people who are sad, and then the next day they get ambushed and realize that this is a Problem. More generally: Catch-all mingle!
Warnings: Discussions of death, unpleasant trolling via House, monsters, all your typical snowhell fare. More specific warnings can go in headers!

What it says on the tin! There are toplevels for each day/location; post a general mingle comment or a group event under these, others will tag, so on and so forth. Enjoy!

Comments

[whiteknightnecromancer]

I don't think that's a Spirit I want to meet.

[Dorian doesn't bother to hide how fond he is of Ellana when he talks about her.]

No, we met in a Chantry. Ah, a place of worship. For my people, not hers. The cultural differences between Ellana and Dorian are large. I'd had a friend of mine slip her note to meet me there and while I was waiting a rift opened and started raining demons. Fortunately, she arrived in time to help me.

It was a good audition for joining the Inquisition.

[rubikscomplex]

Okay, I have to ask. Why is it called the Inquisition? I thought you guys were saving the world or whatever. Every time you say that, I just want to break out in a Mel Brooks number.

[whiteknightnecromancer]

Because we're inquiring into a problem. Namely, 'why is there a hole in the sky?'

And it's named for the original Inquisition from eight hundred years ago that's shrouded in legend and bad records-keeping. They were the start of the southern Chantry as it is with its Templars and Seekers.

The idea was to call an Inquisition to deal with the southern mages finally deciding they didn't want to be locked up in Circles anymore and the Templars deciding they didn't need to listen to Chantry authority anymore. Then the Conclave exploded and there were other things to worry about.

[In case it's hard to tell, Dorian is not a southerner and his telling of this is very biased. There are many southern mages who would strongly disagree with Dorian's characterization of what happened.]

[rubikscomplex]

Well, I could tell you why you've got a hole in your sky, bro. Your ozone layer's shot. Stop using aerosols to style your hair and mustache.

[Although, again... it's probably only Stiles who will appreciate that joke.]

I can see you're a big fan of the south, though. So, you had a schism. Cool. About the only time you kids are interesting is when you're going on Crusades to murder people or fighting about the right way to talk to your imaginary friends.

Too bad about the Conclave. Still, sounds like it kept things interesting.

[whiteknightnecromancer]

[Dorian just raises his eyebrows. Too many words he doesn't recognize.]

Imgina- Oh. Tthe Maker left when Andraste was executed. Some say He might return if we spread the Chant of Light across the world. [Dorian wasn't one of those but he was a believer if not a fan of the Chantry as an institution.] We Sing to Him more than we try to talk to Him. That's not always the best for the ears but it's better than having my mouth sewn shut and my tongue cut out. [His tone is still joking though that's what would happen to him under the Qun.]

[rubikscomplex]

[And there are a lot of phrases in there that he doesn't understand in return.]

You guys have some serious cult vibes going on, just FYI. Also, I'm guessing Andraste is basically Jesus. Was he the Son of the Maker given human form?

[whiteknightnecromancer]

She was the Bride of the Maker. She led the slaves in rebellion against Tevinter until she was betrayed by her husband Maferath. In the south they say she was always his Chosen Bride. In the north we like to say she was a mage. It makes us feel less guilty for burning her.

The south ceased to be part of the Tevinter Imperium and the north continued on despite a few Exalted Marches. We each have our own Divine who have excommunicated one another, naturally. They call ours the "Black Divine" and we call theirs a pretentious, backwater upstart.

[If house knew anything about the split between Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, that might ring a few bells.]

[rubikscomplex]

[He is, actually. Know thy enemy, after all, especially when it comes to arguing with religious nutjobs.]

Well, this is way more interesting than Christianity. You've got a polygamist bride instead of some kid in a manger. And burning's way cooler than crucifixion. What I'm getting out of all of this, though, is that you've basically got two popes and everyone's arguing about a chick who died a long time ago.

That about the size of it?

[whiteknightnecromancer]

And what she would have wanted done with mages. And the land she promised Ellana's people in exchange for their help. [By which he means the Dalish in particular, not elves in general.]

An excellent use of time we'd otherwise spend arguing about important things like what we should serve at the parties.

[rubikscomplex]

Sounds like it! Well, this has been a fun theology lesson, but I think I was more interested in the necromancing. [House pulls out his tablet and brings up the equations Dorian had sent him.] These look like sound wave analysis equations. So was it math that got you into the whole arcane arts thing? Gotta love trying to make magic scientific.

[whiteknightnecromancer]

Centuries of breeding, actually. Which I can recite if you're interested.

[Tone of voice says Dorian knows House isn't interested.]

My patron was the one who got me interested in the math. I was busy showing all my teachers what a waste of talent I was but his work was interesting. He made me memorize those equations before he allowed me in his lab.

[rubikscomplex]

[Well, now that's interesting. Not the breeding part - Dorian's right to skip over that - but the fact that Dorian had spent time goofing off before settling and applying himself because of an interest. Granted, this is all brainwashed nonsense in Dorian's head, but it's engaging. House will give that to their captors.]

What was he researching? Something specific about the Rift?

[whiteknightnecromancer]

Yes and no. This was several years ago, the Rift hadn't opened yet. Alexius was researching the theoretical aspects of interaction between weak places in the Fade and natural processes. His wife and her students handled the practical side of the research.

Some of that research was useful when the Rift opened. That was how Ellana and I began working together.

[rubikscomplex]

So, you're the brains as she's the brawn? Huh. [It is... weird that they'd brainwash people with the same shared history. That had to be harder than just giving everyone something unique. Fake memories might not line up right. House tries to push those thoughts and the implications thereof away.]

Wasn't there another guy with you?

[whiteknightnecromancer]

She's the leader. I'm clever, handsome, and charming. Cullen is the strategist. Cullen leads the troops, Ellana leads the Inquisition, and I provide insight on our enemies.

[Without his magic, in a place where his bloodline means nothing, Dorian is aware that he's basically down to being good as muscle and not a whole lot else.]

[rubikscomplex]

Hmm... so I guess you're pretty much just useless and pretty right now. How's that going for you?

[whiteknightnecromancer]

Last time I had to rely on just my charm I was able to milk it for free drinks. This is a disappointment. And much colder.

[Yeah, that hurt.]

[rubikscomplex]

[House moves on. Dorian's not yelling at him or crying. Not worth the time to try to drive the point home. That's what he's going to tell himself, anyway. It's not like he kind of likes the guy.]

Well, if you find anyone with that wine we were talking about, I've got a corkscrew I'm happy to lend out for a swig. Too bad that gas station was a bust for some beer. I'd even take Bud Lite at this point, and that's basically alcoholic water mixed with piss.

[whiteknightnecromancer]

I think I've drunk that by another name.

[Dorian had learned as a student to agree with older people who were used to having authority when they disparaged him. He'd learned as an adult to stop putting effort into proving them right.

He gave House a smooth shrug.]

Must be one of those things common to everywhere with alcohol. The only places worth going.

[rubikscomplex]

Even if this place was overflowing with booze, I wouldn't call it a premiere destination.

[House sighs and rolls his eyes.]

Talking of finding things... you haven't found a screwdriver lying around anywhere?

[He's finished with 'small talk' as he's not getting a rise out of Dorian. Time to see if there's a way to make him useful. Those vents are still on House's mind as areas for inspection.]

[whiteknightnecromancer]

I haven't found much of anything. Some plastic gloves. I'm not sure what a screwdriver would look like.

[If he had something to open up the vents with, Dorian would absolutely do the work on it. He'd grumble but curiosity would win.]

[rubikscomplex]

You don't know what a screwdriver looks like? How the hell do you people build anything?

[whiteknightnecromancer]

Dwarves. They say that in Ancient Tevinter and Elvhenan, buildings could be made with magic.

Wood. Stone. Nails.

[Dorian shrugs.]

[rubikscomplex]

And no screws. When you get back, let people know those are gonna be huge one day. You should buy stocks.

[whiteknightnecromancer]

When. So optimistic. If I die here I'll never need to learn about screws. I don't have the money to invest anyway.