allthisshitisweird | TEST DRIVE MEME!

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TEST DRIVE MEME!

I ROLL TO SEDUCE THE BEAR

Tucked between the massive Lake Calenhad and the icy Frostback Mountains in Ferelden’s chilly, hilly south, the Hinterlands are a region covered in patchy forests, small farms, and a bustling fishing village called Redcliffe. The region was recently the frontline of a war between mages and Templars, but the Inquisition’s military presence has restored order and is now focused on helping the locals and influx of refugees rebuild their lives. Whether you’re a recent recruit or a hardened veteran, a Fereldan local or someone who recently fell out of a rift from another world, you may be asked to go lend a hand.

I. FLOODS

A burst of unseasonably warm weather (in no way inspired by real life events) is initially greeted with relief, gloves discarded and scarves unwrapped—but followed within the week by severe flooding across the region. Maybe you’re sent out to help debris from a road or collect the bodies of those swept away. Or maybe you’re less lucky and instead there when the waters come, shepherding refugees to higher ground, or caught riding in the flow on a dislodged roof or log. Maybe there’s a bear on the roof with you.

II. TREASURE HUNTS

Given the lack of banks and lockboxes, when the people here have something they value, they often hide it—under the ground, in a tree, behind a waterfall. So here you are, with a sketch of some landmarks found on a body, trying to find… something. If you find it, it might be useful: weapons, runes, a stash of supplies. Or it might be someone’s box of racy letters and a request to deliver them to a now-married woman who will slap you on delivery.

III. BEARS

You have turned the wrong corner, forded the wrong stream, crested the wrong hill, entered the wrong cave. Maybe you are far from camp. Maybe you are in camp. Whatever has happened, wherever you are: you are being chased by bears. Did you provoke the bears? Are they huge? Babies? Fade-touched? Mage-controlled? What are they chasing you away from? What are they chasing you into? What do you plan to make out of their hide if you kill them? What do you think they'll craft out of your hide if they kill you?

IV. CRYSTALS

Members and trusted agents of the Inquisition are given access to one of the Inquisition's stores of ancient, mysterious sending crystals, allowing them to communicate instantaneously by voice. It's magic. And a magical excuse to ask everyone what their favorite constellation is in the middle of the night.

Or to call for help because you've been treed by bears.

Either way.

V. MISCELLANEOUS

Choose your own adventure! Hunt game, kill demons, gather herbs, track bandits, haggle over the price of armor, fall off a deceptively tall rock, get lost circling the same hill ten times trying to find a way up to the weird glowing skull on a stick you can see is up there, climb trees or abandoned towers, rummage around in empty homes, run from a dragon, cry over how cute that fennec fox you just shot was, set up camp and chat around the fire, knock yourself out (figuratively, or even literally if that's more your speed)—the Hinterlands are your Frostback Mountain oyster.

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It took a few moments for Rhys to catch his breath. When he did he huffed a bit of a chuckle. "Well, that wasn't quite the kind of welcome I expected."

He looked at his savior without really realizing that it was Cole. "Thank you. Your timing was perfect."

After a few more moments, he would Chaulk it up to shock, he recognized the man. "Cole. Is that really you?"

Cole looked back over one shoulder, and he wasn't as pale but he was just as gaunt and he was still dressed like he stole his clothing from the rubbish heap and his eyes were still brilliantly, vividly pale, almost glowing form under the brim of his hat they were so close to silver.

"... forget," he suddenly said, but it had never worked on Rhys and he knew, in his heart, it wouldn't now. Not against a medium. "No. You weren't meant to see me again. You didn't want to."

Rhys shook his head. "You just saved my life, right now, I'm very glad to see you."

He'd had time. He thought Cole's existence had meant he wasn't as good of a mage as he should have been. He'd thought that the might face being made Tranquil. It was enough for now. To be grateful for Cole to have saved his life. They could sort out the rest later.

Cole rolled up onto his feet, taking a step back in a very human way, arms wrapping around himself. The lightly armoured leathers and hat did a lot for hiding him, but under it, he was still the lanky young man that had haunted the Pit.

"Cole- There was a Cole. I'm not in his body! I'm not an abomination."

He winced and rubbed his face. "I mean, no- forget, can I try again? Hello, Rhys."

When asked later about this encounter Rhys would probably say that of course he remembered everything and had no trouble at all with Cole.

The truth was, he was a little bewildered by how quickly Cole was changing from one idea to the next. To cover it up, he slowly stood. His armor creaked and groaned with the change, mostly because it had been so wet. But that had been the power of the flood that Rhys hadn't sunk.

He settled to reply to Cole's last statement. He even offered a small smile. "Hello, Cole. It's been... awhile."

"Years," Cole replied automatically. "I'm not- I help people now. I remembered what I am. What I was before Cole." He winced again. "I'm not- good with people. Still. Just hurts. Not people. I'm not doing this right, but I can't make you forget and try again. Varric said I shouldn't do that anyway."

He ducked his head, plucking at the wraps around his hands. "I'm sorry. You weren't meant to see me, I know you don't want to. But you needed me."

Rhys was starting to shiver a bit from being wet and trapped in metal.

"Cole, before we go into all of that, do you know what this place is? Do they know about you?"

He waved off the questions.

"Better still, can we continue this once we've gotten to Skyhold?"

Rhys wanted to do right by this conversation. Help Cole the way he should have so long ago... but he can't do that when he was starting to freeze.

"Cold, wet, heavy, pressing down, seeping into my bones- Yes, I help here. They know what I am. A spirit. Some people don't like it, but no one tries to hurt me. A lot of people don't remember me, don't notice me." He was drawn forward despite himself, moth to a flame. "There are hot springs. I can show you. Find you dry clothes. Where-"

He didn't finish asking. "Hot springs. This way. Take off the metal, I'll dry and oil it."

Rhys nodded.

"Okay, good. Yes, I think a bath first. I doubt those leading the Inquisition in this place would want to see me like this. And you should as well."

Well maybe? At this point he wasn't sure if Cole felt his own pain and body or if he only experienced it through is empathy.

He was muddy, but not soaked like Rhys. "I feel pain when I get hurt," he said softly, in response to the question not asked. But he was good at pushing through pain, he had too much experience with it to let it slow him down.

He helped Rhys up the mud to more stable, less slippery ground. "Leliana is here. She remembers me. I don't know why."

"Then if you do not look after yourself now, I imagine you will be in a great deal of pain tomorrow."

Rhys really isn't in a place to do this right now. He just needs a minute, Cole. He checks his staff to ensure it wasn't damaged in the deluge. Satisfied he nodded to Cole.

"The Springs, then. And you owe me nothing, I can manage cleaning my own suit."

Though he wouldn't object to Cole helping him get out of the wretched thing. It was something that Evangeline had insisted that he wear when he travelled alone.

"Leliana is a very intelligent woman. And we never did figure out how your ability works."

He doesn't sound surprised at all. More tired than anything. It had been a long journey.

"I owe you everything."

Cole didn't sound argumentative, or even grateful. It was a simple statement of fact; everything he was and managed to remain was thanks to Rhys' love and care. "But I won't clean your armour if you don't want me to." He took a few steps ahead, beckoning with his finger. "This way, through the Undercroft, hot springs bubbling since before the mountains, stones shaped lovingly to cradle aching bodies."

Rhys just stood there gob-smacked for a moment. In all the ways he had failed Cole, he never thought he'd hear that.

He sighed and hung his head for a minute. He really hadn't known what to expect in coming here, but it certainly hadn't been anything that had happened so far today. He looked intently at Cole and hoped the man could understand.

"Cole, when you arrived in the Fade with us, I argued with Evangeline that you needed to come with us because the Templars had failed you. But I failed you too. I did worse, I betrayed you. You owe me nothing."

Which is all he can say right now. He followed the beckoning finger.

Cole didn't want to argue about this now. Something about Rhys brought out Cole stronger, the scared boy rather than the lost spirit.

"You never betrayed me, Rhys. You protected me. You loved me. You showed me what Compassion was when I ready to fall from Mercy to Despair." And for a spirit, what greater gift was there than to embody what they were, to help them be themselves?

"You're cold. Less arguing, more walking, before the chill chafes your core, cuts cold into-" He shook his head. "This way."

It had been years, but Cole had always brought something out in Rhys. That expression that was a mix of sympathy, sadness and curiosity. And Cole's words now had the same effect.

Rhys might argue, when he's feeling better that he hadn't saved Cole. That he hadn't helped him to find his way back to the Fade. That he in the face of the truth, he should have been braver and stronger and realised that even spirits can make choices. And perhaps even change, just like anyone else.

Or maybe his relationship with Evangline had taught him that. Since she had a spirit within herself now as well.

"Yes. Thank you."

The memories hit Cole, memories of after he left, lost his grip and went to the darkness between. Evangeline fighting Lambert, her injuries, Wynne and Faith saving her.

Faith. Such a powerful spirit. So easily corrupted.

He kept his mouth shut. It was easier, with Rhys, to pick the thing that would help him most. And bringing that up wouldn't help.

People part for them, but don't seem to notice they're doing so for Cole, just for Rhys. Even as they pass into the Undercroft, where the noise of people was quieter, but the noise of work was loud.

"Not much further."

In an attempt at some conversation, because Rhys still had a problem with keeping his mouth shut, he asked a question of Cole. "So have you been here? The entire time... since?"

"No." Cole glanced back over his shoulder. "I travelled a lot. Helping people. Now I know what- um, I know more what I am, or what I'm not, but it makes it easier to help people. I can see their hurts, follow the threads that tangle and tie and tease them apart until it stops being taut."

He takes them down the stairs until the heated steam of the springs. They were carved into hot pools long ago, long before any humans came here. "I go where I can help. I'll find you dry clothes."

Rhys was about to reply when Cole announced he was leaving to find clothes. Well, that was fine, he let the man go. It would give him time to get out of his armour and undergarments and slide into the pool. Cole had been right, his muscles started to relax almost immediately as he settled into it. Maybe he would stay here for a couple of hours.

He closed his eyes and would probably still be like that when Cole returned.

Cole was gone for about ten minutes. When he came back, it was with pilfered robes and clothing for Rhys and some soap that he had borrowed and would take back after.

He entered silently, setting down the clothing at a small distance and then tapping Rhys on the shoulder with a cold finger. "I brought soap. Varric said soap is important in washing."

It was just long enough for Rhys to mentally switch off. So when Cole tapped his shoulder, he flailed a bit.

"Cole! Maker! I forgot how quiet you could be."

When he saw the soap he nodded.

"I think it's been a week since I've had a bath with soap."

Cole didn't flinch back, but he did look a little shamefaced. "I- hm. Forget. I'm silent. Usually it doesn't matter."

He pressed the soap into Rhys' hand and slipped around the side a bit more, into view.

"There's some girls who I helped; they let me borrow things to help other people. Like the soap."

Rhys nodded and started to use the soap for a first run through. He'll probably need to wash twice to get everything off properly.

"It sounds like people can see you and remember you now." He tilted his head. "Did something change, or did you just decide to let people do that now?"

Because either could be true. And he's curious. He'll get back to his proper apology. But, he needed some easier conversation first. This had been a rough start to my time here.

Cole sat down, hugging his knees to his chest, his hat hiding him away from view very effectively. "People who need help can see me. And I can let people see me, if I want or need to. But-"

He huffed softly. "Rifters. Can see me. Like the Herald could. The shard is sharp, slices the silence I wear. I have to work to make them not see me. But people still forget. Even them."

Rhys nodded. He understood. He washed with soap a second time before starting the proper part of the conversation.

"Last I saw you, we were in the sewers.... You vanished...."

And Rhys thought the Lord Seeker had been right. About himself, about Cole, about everything. And he had wanted to die, his despair had been so great over how solidly he had been fooled.

"...Where did you go?"

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