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[heirring]

[action + written + crystal]

Comments

[bouchonne]

Good heavens, Miss Poppell. Don't you want to live?

[heirring]

Generally speaking, yes I believe so. But I don't see what that has to do with anything.

[And before you start, Byerly--] Yes, obviously I know that it matters who gets chosen and obviously some of them are much more likely to decide to put my head on a spike or whatever you like after all this bit with Corypheus and the Venatori and so on it over and done with. But it's not like I have a vote, Mister Rutyer.

[bouchonne]

Well, neither do I, Miss Poppell.

[heirring]

Well--

[That isn't what she thought he'd say.]

Well then what about the Divine?

[bouchonne]

My dear girl. Don't tell me that you think that lacking a vote means you don't get a say.

[heirring]

[cue a rare silence: ????????]

[bouchonne]

[ A rather theatrical sigh. ]

The voting body will cast their votes for those who are - hm - seen as being worthy. It is possible to bring to their attention...certain unworthy things about our disliked candidates.

[heirring]

Oh you mean how we're meant to be sabotaging Clorentine. Or, er. Officially not doing that.

[A change of tack, though she hardly pauses between the two. Anything to drive him to his point faster.]

--Mister Rutyer, forgive me, but you hardly seem like the sort for political subterfuge. That said if you have an idea for how the Inquistion should not do anything about the election, then I'm certain your Division head would be happy to hear all about it and find the right people for the job. Of course, if you'd like to run the theory by someone before that, then I would be happy to hear it. I have an uncle in the House, you know.

[bouchonne]

[ what house ]

I think you could offer a bit more than that, dear child. Actually, quite a lot more than that. I cannot imagine your advice being... [ Hm. ] Well.

[heirring]

Well what?

[bouchonne]

Well...I fear, at the end of the day, this world is a bit foreign to you. I don't know that it would be fully informed.

[heirring]

Then, pray tell, Mister Rutyer - what use do you believe I could possibly be to you in this?

[bouchonne]

Hm. You can do little...tricks, can you not?

[heirring]

[A very, very long pause. So long it almost seems like she might not answer at all.]

Sometimes.

[bouchonne]

Sometimes.

Have you ever thought about how you might use your little tricks to help yourself in substantial ways?

[heirring]

It would be rather unethical.

[Which she says promptly enough to mean Yes actually, she's considered it at some length.]

[bouchonne]

Ooh, how dreadful. Unethical. I'm sure that if you got a bit of guidance as to how to effectively use those tricks of yours, you would still never use them. Because of ethics.

[heirring]

[If it were anyone else supposing this theory, she might have agreed from the start. But this is Byerly Rutyer and it feels like a requirement to stand very upright to prove she has some spine..]

I suppose it depends on what this person offering guidance actually wanted. And whether the end results would be...objectively positive.

[bouchonne]

Hm. Well - what do you want, Miss Poppell?

[heirring]

[Lead by example, Wysteria. Be candid and maybe he will do the same. What a relief that would be!]

I'd rather prefer not to be thrown into a hole after all this is said and done. Don't get me wrong, towers seem like a very fine idea, but I'd like to be able to come and go and I please from them. And I'd like this war to be over as quickly as possible. It's such a distraction from anyone getting anything else properly done.

[You know. On top of all the stabbing each other and tearing holes in the world parts.]

But as you said, I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable person in the room, now am I? So I suppose dealing with Clorentine and trusting someone else to make the right decision seems the most... well, reasonable.

Also! [while she's at it] I'd appreciate if you wouldn't call me a child.

[bouchonne]

I'm sure you would.

Tell me, in your experience, do people often make the right decision if you simply trust them to do so?

[heirring]

[It had been worth a shot.]

Maybe not exactly, but in Kalvad? Yes, generally speaking, they do. [But, getting out ahead of what she's certain is something along the lines of 'Dear girl, how many times do I have to remind you this isn't your home--' or some variant thereof:] But clearly you have a different opinion of how Thedas works. In which case, you may as well tell me what your opinion on the whole election is. I assume you have one.

[bouchonne]

Well, of course I do. But if it is such a miserable thing to hear it, I don't have to tell you.

[heirring]

No, please. Do go on, Mister Rutyer. I can think of nothing else I'd like more than your unvarnished opinion of a thing.

[True, actually. Which he should know, seeing as how poorly she's lied to him in the past. Couched in sarcasm? Absolutely. But the point stands.]

[bouchonne]

Well. Do you know what I value, Wysteria? What I wish for?