[video] Can you feel it in the air?

[inquisitor_lavellan]

[Alley can't hear. That means she can't hear herself, either. What do you do when you can't hear yourself? You talk louder. The Inquisitor is no exception.]

Why can't I hear anything?

[It's not quite a shout, but it's close.]

Someone point me at the source of this curse so I can kick its ass.

Comments

[Text]

[badly_behaved_priest]

Shut up.

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

[Just for that, she's not switching to text.]

Make me.

[Text]

[toaster_puppy]

A curse of some sort? Are you sure it wasn't some kind of damage? There are several causes it could be in that case!!!

I think I heard something about this??

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

[In truth, Alley doesn't switch to text because text is hard with her singular, armored hand.]

Nothing's hit me that hard, let alone in the head. What did you hear?

[Text]

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Sadly he couldn't reply with video and still be as much of a jerk.]

Making an ass out of yourself is your problem.

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

You're my problem.

[Text]

[toaster_puppy]

[Genos had the benefit of being able to muffle too loud sounds. The shouting didn't bother him.]

That there are others that have lost their senses. Senses as in physical senses. Did anything happen?? Other than damage??

[Text]

[badly_behaved_priest]

*You're* a headache.

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

There was no damage, I just woke up like this.

If it's happening to other people, maybe it really is a curse.

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

True enough.

[Text]

[badly_behaved_priest]

Good that you know it.

[Text]

[toaster_puppy]

A curse or something else? I will have to research this!!! I can find a fix! Maybe my sensei will know something about it?? I will ask him.

[Another text follows shortly after.]

Sensei has not heard anything about it. It must not be too serious a threat if he is not concerned!!

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

Some of us have to be self-aware about these things.

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

Obviously he hasn't lost any senses, then.

[Text]

[badly_behaved_priest]

Shut up.

[Text]

[toaster_puppy]

Saitama sensei is immune to all damage I've ever seen directed at him! I do not think a curse would harm him. I will see if I can spot anything he has missed!!

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

Maaaaake me.

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

You do that, kid. Just don't get hit by it.

[Text]

[badly_behaved_priest]

I *could*.

[Terrifying.]

[Text]

[toaster_puppy]

I should be safe. Should anything go wrong, I will seek out repairs! I will let you know right away if I discover anything!!!

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

Uh-huh.

[Video]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

Okay.

[Text]

[badly_behaved_priest]

[Annoyed, he hung up.]

[Text]

[toaster_puppy]

I will start searching now!!! Keep me updated if anything changes!!

[Action]

[hugs_for_nugs]

Cole heard the almost-shouting as soon as he crept back into the apartment. Stress, seeking... something. Something was wrong with the Inquisitor! He hurried into main room where she snapping at the screen of her phone-communicator-thing.

"What's wrong?" he asked before he was in view and immediately he knew the source of her unhappiness. It was that curse the man with the gemstone name had told him about! Her hearing was gone, it frustrated her greatly.

Cole moved slowly, carefully into her field of view. Some people liked to be surprised less than others.

[Action]

[inquisitor_lavellan]

Alley still jumped a bit, which meant she cocked back her armored fist -- still didn't close all the way, not as tight as it should -- as though to strike. It only lasted a half a second before she lowered it, recognizing Cole immediately.

"My hearing is gone," she managed to not speak as loudly as she'd been talking to her phone, propped up on the kitchen counter as it was, but it was still louder than normal. "Totally gone. Can't even hear myself."

[hugs_for_nugs]

"That's not good, not good at all!" Cole replied, dismayed. He'd been told there wasn't a cure yet! He didn't know how to help! Suddenly he remembered she couldn't hear him speak and scurried around the apartment, locating a notepad and pencil.

"Are you okay?" he wrote in very poor handwriting.

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"Other than my hearing everything seems normal," Alley half-shouted in reply to the note.

"I don't know if this curse spreads from person to person, you should keep your distance."

Much as she didn't want to avoid the spirit, she also didn't want him suffering the same fate.

[hugs_for_nugs]

The look Cole gave her in response was pathetic, shamelessly pleading for her to not hold to that. Sure it made sense, but if he wasn't around, how could he help? He knew she didn't want him to stay away, he didn't want her to be lonely when there was no one else around.

"I should be safe!" he wrote, hoping she'd believe him.

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"You're going to expose yourself to people who have this anyway, aren't you," Alleyana knew him awfully well. He was one of her people. Her Inquisition. "Even if I make you stay away from me."

[hugs_for_nugs]

Cole nodded, still looking dejected. How could he go help those people and not be there to make sure she was happy too?

"I need to help!" He always did.

[inquisitor_lavellan]

She didn't even need to read the note to know what he'd say. And, sure enough, she was right.

The Inquisitor sighed.

"Fine, have it your way."

[hugs_for_nugs]

Cole beamed at her, all hints of 'kicked puppy' vanishing immediately. He opened his mouth to thank her, stopped, and scribbled it down instead. Now he could help her! But... how?

- Did anyone on the phonething know about it? -

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"Just that it's happening to other people, too," Alley made a noise quite similar to Cassandra's sound of disgust. She'd really hoped someone would give her a target to go beat the shit out of to get her hearing back.

[hugs_for_nugs]

Cole fidgeted, turning the pencil over and over in his hands. He felt a burning need to help as well as Alley's discomfort with the situation. But what to do?

- Is there no one else to ask? -

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"I'm not exactly swimming in contacts on this world, Cole," Alleyana said, still talking too loudly. "Being the Inquisitor means nothing, here. I'm back to being... just me."

Too sharp, too observant, too dangerous, too... strange. A sell-sword who noticed things, just like back in Denerim. A thuggish brute of a mercenary with a face to match.

[hugs_for_nugs]

- But you is good. - Cole was deeply confused by her comment. He could grasp the loss of contacts but she was the Inquisitor. Even if she wasn't filling the role anymore, she could do anything right? He'd seen he do the impossible many times!

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"You think so, but most people don't," Alleyana folded her arms... well, her arm and the bar. "That's how it was before the Conclave, as well. I know you've seen it."

She was still the Inquisitor; still thought of herself as such. It was irreversibly tied to her identity, no matter what world she was on.

But she was still herself, too. Solas had been one of the few to see past her new title and not shy away from what was beneath it. Cole, too, but what else could be expected of a spirit of Compassion?

[hugs_for_nugs]

- Those people are WRONG - Cole crossed his arms once he finished writing to emphasize the point. They just didn't know! They didn't care...

"How does she know that? Nosey knife-ear, looks like she got chewed on by a mabari! What does she want? She shouldn't be allowed around here." He grew more glum after repeating the thoughts two guards had thought to voice one time. If he could have talked to them-

He wrote again. - Maybe I can ask people? -

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"I don't know if they're all that wrong," Alley looked away for a moment while Cole's mouth was moving, "but I'm glad someone thinks so."

Someone who wasn't trying to destroy their world, anyway.

She looked back over at the sound of pencil scratching on paper, and nodded. "You're good with people, just... be careful."

[hugs_for_nugs]

"They are!" Cole nearly shouted. She couldn't hear him. Oops. He wrote it down as well.

He turned the pencil over in his hands, thinking over what else she said. Wasn't he usually careful? All that mattered was that he helped.

- Careful how? -

[inquisitor_lavellan]

"I don't know, just be careful," Alleyana grumped... loudly. She didn't want to lose her only friend in this place. Though it wasn't totally selfish -- she wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him regardless. She gave a shit, damnit!

[hugs_for_nugs]

Cole knew she did and knew she didn't want to see him hurt. He'd have to do his best to not get hurt so she wouldn't be hurt.

- I will - he wrote before giving her a small attempt at a smile. He would try.

[inquisitor_lavellan]

Alley didn't smile back, but that was completely normal for her. Instead, she just gave a curt nod and then turned back to poke at her phone.