( open )

[evasives]

WHO: cassian, helena + YOU (ota!!)
WHERE: dreamscapes and new amsterdam, maybe elsewhere
WHEN: throughout ic march & early april
WHAT: dreams! cooking! it's a catch all!
NOTES OR WARNINGS: several warnings - will note above each header for specifics but many dreams involve blood and death, please be aware of the individual warnings! starters in the comments.

( hit me up if you want anything else specific: communism @ plurk, romanitas#5368 @ discord, or pms! or wildcard me, i'm easy. )

Comments

[evasives]

No, not quite. In my galaxy, travel between planets is not unusual or rare.

Earth, the the planet we live on in New Amsterdam, does not exist in the universe I am from. I have been to many planets, but Earth and its galaxy are new to me. I think of world and planet as different concepts.

[ at least he'd started to do that more once waking up on the dirt planet. it's a long way from his galaxy. ]

[stabsbooks]

Your...galaxy.

[ His...reality? perhaps? A bigger world than world? ]

How do they differ, in your mind?

[evasives]

Galaxy, like space. Up in the stars you see from whatever planet you are on. We use ships to travel between planets.

[ he's not sure he's ever encountered anyone who was surprised by the word galaxy, and now he wants to find a good way to describe it. it might take some sitting down. ]

At least here, I think of planet as Earth. There is a colony up on Mars, two separate planets. But the whole of them together, plus any other planets nearby, I put together as a world. I am not from this world or this planet. It does not sound like you are either.

[stabsbooks]

I...see.

[ She doesn't, not really. She hadn't gone so far as to try to consider how one might move from one planet to the next, and so, of course, now she's imagining sailing ships, traveling through the night.

It's rather a romantic image. ]

No. I am from a...planet...far away. But I have never traveled between them before. [ She tilts her head, curious. ] It seems as though you are accustomed to it.

[evasives]

[ she does not see. but it doesn't get to him, lots of people here don't have any experience with space travel, sometimes not even the concept. ]

I am. Travel between planets is common. Sometimes difficult, depending on resources available to you, but it is standard to trade, development, and war that most everyone is familiar with it in the universe.

I find interplanetary travel is rare for most Displaced, you are not alone there.

[stabsbooks]

Like any travel, then.

[ Just on a much grander scale than she's used to.

But as interesting as a comparative discussion of the Displaced and their worlds might be, there's something else they haven't addressed yet. She nods over his shoulder, to the street below and the woman lying dead on the ground. ]

Is that why you travel? For war?

[ Her tone is merely curious, not accusing. ]

[evasives]

Like any travel. [ he agrees entirely. even on a singular planet, some have the resources to get from one city to another by a variety of means. even here on the dirt planet, travel is so limited. trains are difficult without the right money, connections, more. ]

I suppose it would be difficult to convince you it's for leisure. [ some people go hunting for fun! just... not people hunting. either way, he still does not give her a direct yes or no. ] My galaxy is being ravaged by an Empire. I am fighting against it.

[stabsbooks]

[ The corner of her mouth twitches up just slightly in amusement, but she's not about to be dissuaded by jokes. ]

Ravaged by an Empire?

They attacked your country? Or...your planet, perhaps?

[evasives]

It has taken over much of the galaxy, my home planet included.

[ attacked his planet is true, but also more complicated simply because it hadn't been an empire when he was first sucked into war - at least in name. for cassian, fest has been fighting for independence much longer. ]

It rules over a great number of planets, having initially begun as a republic and expanded into an oppressive, totalitarian force.

[stabsbooks]

A...republic?

[ Yet another new idea. She tilts her head curiously. ]

Such greed for power is not uncommon, I fear. Many empires have followed the same path, though perhaps on smaller scales.

[evasives]

A republic is supposed to function with a body of representatives, usually elected by its people to govern in their benefit.

[ and the galactic republic failed, utterly. ]

No, that greed seems to be everywhere, on this planet Earth as well. New Amsterdam is full of corruption.

[stabsbooks]

Elected by the people?

[ The surprise in her tone is palpable. The idea of elected representation is easy enough to digest - it's how the Chantry is run, if not any government she's familiar with. But the Grand Clerics elect the Divine to head the Chantry, as is only reasonable. She can't imagine it being left up to the entire population. How would they ever decide? ]

That sounds...messy.

[ But interest flickers in her gaze when he mentions New Amsterdam. It's not that she doesn't want to learn more about where he's from, but this is at least somewhere she's familiar with. ]

I have not been here long enough to see much of it. But that is not surprising to hear.

[evasives]

That is the intent. It is often quite messy, whether via suppression or simply governing in interests outside the population you're supposed to represent.

[ he doesn't trust them much, but at this point it would take many, many factors to get cassian to trust any government. he is admittedly biased in his anti-authoritarianism. ]

[ it biases him here too in new amsterdam. ]

I was hardly surprised either. How long is that?

[stabsbooks]

I believe it has been about a month. Though it has been difficult to keep track, I am afraid.

[ Without her duties to fill her time, without the Inquisition to help run, it's surprised her how the days seem to run together. ]

And you?

[evasives]

It is not a calendar I know, so it took some time before I was able to keep track without too much thought.

[ it's similar enough to the standard calendar back home, but every planet works time within their own rotations too. ]

Almost half a year, nearly six months. [ which continues to feel... strange, whenever he sits down with it. ]

[stabsbooks]

That is...a long time.

[ Discouragingly long. She's managed, so far, not too think too much about how long she might be trapped here before returning to Thedas, but she knows it's something she'll have to deal with eventually. ]

I imagine it has been difficult, to be away from your home, and your cause.

[evasives]

Longer than I expected when I first woke up here, yes. Some have been here longer.

[ but short for him in the long run, since this is his home now. there is no going back to his own galaxy for cassian, but he's not interested in dredging up that pity party. ]

Anyone would miss being away from home. But this is where I am now, so I am making the best of it. [ it's almost like he's being utterly vague on purpose. ]

[stabsbooks]

[ Some have been here longer. It's nothing she wants to imagine, being away from Thedas for so long. What will happen to the Inquisition in her absence?

She raises an eyebrow, taking note of the way he avoids directly answering her. ]

That is very pragmatic of you.

[evasives]

Pragmatism is much easier than stressing unnecessarily, and I am already used to moving between planets. [ he's always pragmatic, or at least he tries to be. honestly he's been on earth longer than some other planets, and with any luck, he'll be on this one the longest of all. ]

And you? What about your need to get home? [ it's direct on purpose, she can refute or answer, but it's very much meant to divert. ]

[stabsbooks]

[ She's not about to disagree with that. Cassandra's always preferred action and solutions over stress and worry. Still, deciding to make the best of a strange and unwanted situation is one thing. Actually being able to put aside one's feelings and do it is another.

She hesitates, then glances away, shaking her head. ]

It is...a struggle, not to worry.

There is war on my world, as well. It is frustrating, not knowing what may be happening there, nor being able to do anything about any of it.

[evasives]

People can arrive from various points of time from our own galaxies. I met a man from my far off future. And occasionally, Displaced have been known to disappear and reappear, with new sudden experience and knowledge of their lives back home. So far there is no real explanation for it.

Perhaps you will get luck with information about your war in that way. [ though he knows some people will not be satisfied till they are home themselves, and that's fair. it's not just an option for him. ]

[stabsbooks]

I am not sure...I would call it "luck."

[ She wouldn't wish this on anyone else, even if they could bring her some kind of knowledge of the future to comfort her. Besides, what if she didn't like what she heard?

The idea of returning home only to reappear here isn't much better, either. ]

But I suppose there is nothing to do but [ she grimaces. Not her favorite thing. ] wait.

I apologize for interrupting your dream.

[evasives]

You can always work on your patience, if that is something in need of improvement. [ some people don't know the meaning of the word. cassian is not among them, fortunately. ]

[ he waves off the apology. ] It is not always something we can control. [ a beat. ] Though I have gotten better at waking myself up.

[ there's another pause. she gave her name, but he realizes he held off on his. ] I am Cassian. Hopefully the next time we meet, it will not be in a dream.

[stabsbooks]

[ Cassandra snorts quietly, shaking her head. She knows the meaning of the word. She's just never figured out how to apply it to herself. ]

I will try.

Cassian. [ She nods. ] I look forward to it.

[evasives]

[ people and patience! it's such a useful skill! ]

[ cassian nods in return, and then just - tries to wake himself up. he might not have the dream walking part itself under control, but at least he knows how to get up in a flash, which he does now, bringing both dream and interaction to an end. ]