two.

[freewolfmoon]

[ voice ]

[He's only half awake when he makes the post, so his usually controlled and steady voice wavers a little as he speaks.]

Your assistance, Santa. A way home, the severed heads of certain mages who I'll name to you when asked, and some self-respect--not too much. For this, you'll have my services at your disposal.

[When he comes to his

Comments

[riseto]

[ The first part is so obvious she just shakes her head. But the second-- Hawke wants to tell him self-respect is something you can only find yourself. She wants to tell him she respects him, despite their ideological disagreements, because of what he's overcome.

But he wouldn't appreciate it once he comes to his senses. ]

This "Santa" man sounds like a mage himself.

[freewolfmoon]

[ It's not until a while later, after he's properly slept and truly woken, that Fenris responds. He's hesitant, because he has a vague recollection of posting something about some Santa fellow, but that just doesn't make sense. ]

Yes. I would be a fool to trust him.

...Do you have any idea who he is?

[riseto]

Why does everyone always assume Hawke has the answer?

[ a beat as she actually thinks about it ]

Probably a local god of some sort is my guess.

[freewolfmoon]

I owe no allegiance to this mad city's gods. Why would I ask anything of him?

[What did he ask? ...oh, no.]

[bedsidemanners]

You can't gift people self-respect.

[freewolfmoon]

What?

[...but the memory of what he did and said is slowly starting to trickle back to him, deny it as he might...]

[bedsidemanners]

That's what you asked Santa for.

[whoever that is]

[freewolfmoon]

Ah.

Yes.

This City's influence is a wretched thing.

[ironmanic]

Wow. Violent.

You're definitely on Santa's naughty list. Just saying.

[freewolfmoon]

"Naughty list."

You're still incomprehensible.

[And he's just going to be prickly and bitter to try to cover up how humiliated he is about all this!]

[ironmanic]

Uh, hello? He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice. That's Santa's whole gig, elf man. You do a few bad things like eat cookies before dinner, you get coal instead of presents.

[orangetoughguy]

I think you gotta fix that order, I mean you can't be happy without self-respect and if you ain't got that how're you gonna enjoy your heads?

[freewolfmoon]

[How he wishes he had Hawke's talent for dodging questions.]

You would be surprised how enjoyable violence can be when you have no other options.

[orangetoughguy]

Well shit what're you askin' the big man up north for? The fun's in takin' them off yourself.

[freewolfmoon]

We are agreed on that point.

This Santa. He is..."the big man up north"?

[knaveswitness]

A wise sounding deal for the old coot.

[freewolfmoon]

I'm no longer offering it.

[knaveswitness]

Pity, I might have slapped a beard on and accepted it.