[ It is worth stating: there's no hidden malice in there, no deliberate discourtesy, only a brisk clip to his request in return of prompt politeness. ]
As you say, captain. I will be there as soon as I'm able.
[And he is, maybe 20 minutes later; he clearly didn't run up the stairs, but he is demeanor is brisk and businesslike when he knocks once on the partly open door before entering.]
[ There are worse things than a former Templar can be than 'polite'. 'Respectful', even.
So therefore it is amusing, something that doesn't show on Marcus' face by the time Vanya appears at his door. He shakes his head in denial of being kept waiting, and indicates that the other man can take a seat.
There is a pause, considering him, before Marcus flat-palmed slides his current work across to exchange it with his less formal notes. ]
[It wouldn't be accurate to say he straightens; his posture was never casual enough for it, even though he took the offered chair. Nor would it be accurate to say his attention focuses, as Marcus already had the whole of it. Still, there is some small, subtle shift in his demeanor, hard to put a finger on.]
Twenty-one years. I occasionally was on loan to other Circles in Nevarra or to Mortalisi projects, but it was never a formal transfer out of Cumberland, and I returned after.
[Whether or not the extra information is useful will very much depend on why Marcus wants to know, but it's offered professionally, in exactly the same way he'd answer Flint or anyone else in Riftwatch with a right to ask.]
[It's a natural question to follow, so it doesn't blindside him, and he's told the story enough to be able to do it professionally. It's far from glib, though, muted for all it remains even.]
I fought in the war, at first. In Nevarra. In late 9:40, there was a battle that went badly for my unit; the casualties were heavy, to this day I'm not sure if I was the only survivor or nearly. Regardless, I was injured badly and separated from the others.
I'm told that, wherever I fell, some local children found me and brought me to the attention of an apostate who was living nearby. Whether they didn't know what a Templar was or whether they thought he would just finish me, I honestly do not know. But he saved my life.
[Facts. The way to get through is facts.]
It took some time before I was conscious at any stretch, and much longer before I could get out of bed. I don't know what would have happened next if the Conclave hadn't gone the way it did. But in this reality, what did happen happened around the time I was deciding what to do next, and opposing what turned out to be Corypheus seemed a clear answer.
[ For this, Marcus' attention does raise, more interested in study than note taking. Like perhaps there's more for him to pick apart than Vanya's words, needle-fine focus for tic and hesitation and discomfort without compunction about reducing this last thing.
It's an interesting story. Full of facts.
When there is a natural pause, Vanya is rewarded only with Marcus' attention lowering once again, the impartial scratching of his pen on paper. It's a long enough pause that Vanya could take up talking again, if he wished it, or otherwise wait for whatever next question proves inevitable.
[Vanya isn't a man to speak just to fill a silence, and he waits for Marcus to ask another question or to proceed to whatever follows them. His attention is still focused, his demeanor even.]
[Another logical question, given the momentum of the conversation.]
When I resigned from the Templars, it was just after the current Divine's election. I resigned from the Inquisition at the same time, given ... it seemed to be drifting increasingly Chantry-wards. I didn't see a way to stay with only the Inquisition, under the circumstances.
For some months, I stepped away from the war entirely, but I felt increasingly that it was selfish not to contribute to the fight against Corypheus. Riftwatch felt like a place I could do more good than going back to the Inquisition.
[It's clear he's not especially proud of the gap in his resume, though he presents it as factually as the rest.]
[ There's no indication in Marcus' manner, expression, anything that speaks of disdain or judgment as to aforementioned gap. No sympathy, either, but it's not something he pounces on.
Instead, he sets down the pen, hands folding, some subtle lessening of pressure as he asks, ] And your sentiment towards the Chantry?
[Finally, a question that can't be (reasonably) answered with facts alone. There's a brief pause, and when he speaks it's clear he's deliberate with his words.]
I had hoped, before the election of the current Divine, that we might live to see some true reform. Of the Chantry and of organizations, Templars included, under its purview. That I might be able to contribute to such changes after Corypheus was defeated, if I stayed. But it has become clear to me that reform from the inside is unlikely for decades, if not longer. And I could no longer participate in an organization that was so distant in its goals and methods from what I believed it to be as a younger and more naive man.
Marcus is quiet for a moment, letting that settle. It will be a bone to gnaw on later, this odd dissatisfaction he is feeling, where any opposite sentiment would evoke anger. But when he picks up his pen, he doesn't try to shorthand summarise this thing that Vanya has told to him.
Unquestioning. Compliant. ]
Do you maintain any connection with those of the Order, or the Chantry?
[It's the first thing that gets a real expression from him, and while it's muted, the self-mockery is distinct.]
I was missing in action for months during the war, turned up at Skyhold in the company of an apostate who later defected to the Venatori, and I resigned from an organization expressly designed so people can't resign from it. Who do you imagine wants to correspond with me?
[A moment, then facts again:]
If you wish to verify, though, you can check with the rookery. My only regular correspondence is with Benevenuta Thevenet.
[ —is subtle amusement, unbidden, and not necessarily friendly but nor is it hostile. Inward-turned. Marcus returns to writing something down, including mention of Thevenet. ]
Any man can be seen as useful, if he happens to be situated somewhere of use. He can be tempted by something he now lacks. If you would supply them, I'll note here your former superior officers, anyone you answered to before you defected.
[ Marcus flicks a look back up to him, as if to mark the moment that Vanya finally asks why he is here, sat across from him. He lets it settle there, that question, before answering; ]
I believe the Chantry, or factions within it, are interested in damaging the reputation of Riftwatch. Tactics have involved, multiple times, internal interference and sabotage. We don't know enough about some of those we let through the door, and I wish to correct this.
[ A beat, then he adds; ]
No, your actions haven't called your loyalty into question. Only your history.
[It's hardly comfortable, but it is fair, under the circumstances. His voice is just as quiet and calm as it has been.]
The Chantry didn't send me here, Captain. I can probably supply you with the names of several people remaining within the Templars who are willing to tell you, at length, their opinion of my conduct over the past few years, if that would put anyone's mind at ease. But I had rather hoped my actions would speak for themselves.
[On the other hand, he doesn't know what sort of argument he could make that anyone should trust him that doesn't sound hollow or couldn't be faked. But they let him sign on in the first place, and it has been more than a year of what he'd thought to be satisfactory work.]
[ Marcus pen touches to the page, prepared to note down this list of reverse character references, but pauses at that.
He knows what Vanya means. If he'd been so cornered as to his own history, if someone suggested that the things that led up to his time at Riftwatch cast him in a certain light or paint him with a certain brush, perhaps he might say similar. At how he's kept his head down, carried out his duties, put his life in danger on behalf of Riftwatch, all of those actions that those that make up the Forces division can easily defend.
Still. There's a chilly quality to that pause. It is not in the spirit of reassurance that he says, ] They do.
[It wasn't, at least, an idle offer; there's only a short pause before he says,]
As far as I know, Loren Mullner is still working directly with the Inquisition. Mathas Stadler volunteered to take a more active part in the Exalted March shortly before I left Skyhold. I honestly don't know whether Tythian Holzer is still alive, as he was on a long and dangerous mission at the time I left. If he is, I imagine he has a great deal to say about my resignation. Bridget Rainer's opinions tended to be a bit more personal, but I imagine she would also make it clear that a raven from me would be even less welcome than a raven about me.
You may, I imagine, reach any of them in a position to be reached via Skyhold. As the entire point of the exercise is to illustrate that I have not been in touch with them, I hope you'll forgive me my uncertainty.
[ With no visible trace of irony, Marcus notes these names down with only the odd superficial misspelling, Lorren and Rayner, and a few other notes connected to what Vanya has to say about them.
There's an uptick of sass from this former Templar, he senses, at this last part, but it isn't met with challenge. ]
What of the Templars present? Former or otherwise. Adjacent. Riftwatch is decently forgiving of each other's reputations, when we've so few allies to choose from.
[Perhaps unexpectedly, this is the first thing that truly seems to give him pause. After a moment, choosing his words:]
Rovente and Keen are both in Forces, so occasionally our work has overlapped, but I've never had a personal conversation with either. Keen and I overlapped at Skyhold, but I only knew him by reputation, not personally. I've spoken to the Lady Seeker in passing, but in no kind of depth.
Barrow was kind enough to buy me a meal in Kirkwall proper when I first arrived, but I believe we both reached the firm conclusion that we had little in common by the end of that evening.
The shame you have for your history might make you a tempting ally, to those that feel the same, [ bluntly, ] but are more inclined to hide it. Barrow did.
[ But Vanya said 'no'. The nod he gets is the only thanks that Marcus feels like expressing, but at least it's not nothing, as he says, ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ It is worth stating: there's no hidden malice in there, no deliberate discourtesy, only a brisk clip to his request in return of prompt politeness. ]
crystal -> action
[And he is, maybe 20 minutes later; he clearly didn't run up the stairs, but he is demeanor is brisk and businesslike when he knocks once on the partly open door before entering.]
I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long.
no subject
So therefore it is amusing, something that doesn't show on Marcus' face by the time Vanya appears at his door. He shakes his head in denial of being kept waiting, and indicates that the other man can take a seat.
There is a pause, considering him, before Marcus flat-palmed slides his current work across to exchange it with his less formal notes. ]
How long were you posted in Cumberland?
no subject
Twenty-one years. I occasionally was on loan to other Circles in Nevarra or to Mortalisi projects, but it was never a formal transfer out of Cumberland, and I returned after.
[Whether or not the extra information is useful will very much depend on why Marcus wants to know, but it's offered professionally, in exactly the same way he'd answer Flint or anyone else in Riftwatch with a right to ask.]
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What did you do, between the rebellion and your joining the Inquisition? [ —asked, without looking up from his writing. ]
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I fought in the war, at first. In Nevarra. In late 9:40, there was a battle that went badly for my unit; the casualties were heavy, to this day I'm not sure if I was the only survivor or nearly. Regardless, I was injured badly and separated from the others.
I'm told that, wherever I fell, some local children found me and brought me to the attention of an apostate who was living nearby. Whether they didn't know what a Templar was or whether they thought he would just finish me, I honestly do not know. But he saved my life.
[Facts. The way to get through is facts.]
It took some time before I was conscious at any stretch, and much longer before I could get out of bed. I don't know what would have happened next if the Conclave hadn't gone the way it did. But in this reality, what did happen happened around the time I was deciding what to do next, and opposing what turned out to be Corypheus seemed a clear answer.
no subject
It's an interesting story. Full of facts.
When there is a natural pause, Vanya is rewarded only with Marcus' attention lowering once again, the impartial scratching of his pen on paper. It's a long enough pause that Vanya could take up talking again, if he wished it, or otherwise wait for whatever next question proves inevitable.
He should probably ask for the apostate's name. ]
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And now it makes more sense, Tsenka's claim that the Templar can take a punch. He appears well suited to that task. Marcus is unhurried. ]
What drove you to Riftwatch? [ is clipped, straight forward, in the wake of all of that. ]
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When I resigned from the Templars, it was just after the current Divine's election. I resigned from the Inquisition at the same time, given ... it seemed to be drifting increasingly Chantry-wards. I didn't see a way to stay with only the Inquisition, under the circumstances.
For some months, I stepped away from the war entirely, but I felt increasingly that it was selfish not to contribute to the fight against Corypheus. Riftwatch felt like a place I could do more good than going back to the Inquisition.
[It's clear he's not especially proud of the gap in his resume, though he presents it as factually as the rest.]
no subject
Instead, he sets down the pen, hands folding, some subtle lessening of pressure as he asks, ] And your sentiment towards the Chantry?
no subject
I had hoped, before the election of the current Divine, that we might live to see some true reform. Of the Chantry and of organizations, Templars included, under its purview. That I might be able to contribute to such changes after Corypheus was defeated, if I stayed. But it has become clear to me that reform from the inside is unlikely for decades, if not longer. And I could no longer participate in an organization that was so distant in its goals and methods from what I believed it to be as a younger and more naive man.
no subject
Marcus is quiet for a moment, letting that settle. It will be a bone to gnaw on later, this odd dissatisfaction he is feeling, where any opposite sentiment would evoke anger. But when he picks up his pen, he doesn't try to shorthand summarise this thing that Vanya has told to him.
Unquestioning. Compliant. ]
Do you maintain any connection with those of the Order, or the Chantry?
no subject
I was missing in action for months during the war, turned up at Skyhold in the company of an apostate who later defected to the Venatori, and I resigned from an organization expressly designed so people can't resign from it. Who do you imagine wants to correspond with me?
[A moment, then facts again:]
If you wish to verify, though, you can check with the rookery. My only regular correspondence is with Benevenuta Thevenet.
no subject
[ —is subtle amusement, unbidden, and not necessarily friendly but nor is it hostile. Inward-turned. Marcus returns to writing something down, including mention of Thevenet. ]
Any man can be seen as useful, if he happens to be situated somewhere of use. He can be tempted by something he now lacks. If you would supply them, I'll note here your former superior officers, anyone you answered to before you defected.
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I believe the Chantry, or factions within it, are interested in damaging the reputation of Riftwatch. Tactics have involved, multiple times, internal interference and sabotage. We don't know enough about some of those we let through the door, and I wish to correct this.
[ A beat, then he adds; ]
No, your actions haven't called your loyalty into question. Only your history.
no subject
The Chantry didn't send me here, Captain. I can probably supply you with the names of several people remaining within the Templars who are willing to tell you, at length, their opinion of my conduct over the past few years, if that would put anyone's mind at ease. But I had rather hoped my actions would speak for themselves.
[On the other hand, he doesn't know what sort of argument he could make that anyone should trust him that doesn't sound hollow or couldn't be faked. But they let him sign on in the first place, and it has been more than a year of what he'd thought to be satisfactory work.]
no subject
He knows what Vanya means. If he'd been so cornered as to his own history, if someone suggested that the things that led up to his time at Riftwatch cast him in a certain light or paint him with a certain brush, perhaps he might say similar. At how he's kept his head down, carried out his duties, put his life in danger on behalf of Riftwatch, all of those actions that those that make up the Forces division can easily defend.
Still. There's a chilly quality to that pause. It is not in the spirit of reassurance that he says, ] They do.
Those names, if you would.
no subject
As far as I know, Loren Mullner is still working directly with the Inquisition. Mathas Stadler volunteered to take a more active part in the Exalted March shortly before I left Skyhold. I honestly don't know whether Tythian Holzer is still alive, as he was on a long and dangerous mission at the time I left. If he is, I imagine he has a great deal to say about my resignation. Bridget Rainer's opinions tended to be a bit more personal, but I imagine she would also make it clear that a raven from me would be even less welcome than a raven about me.
You may, I imagine, reach any of them in a position to be reached via Skyhold. As the entire point of the exercise is to illustrate that I have not been in touch with them, I hope you'll forgive me my uncertainty.
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There's an uptick of sass from this former Templar, he senses, at this last part, but it isn't met with challenge. ]
What of the Templars present? Former or otherwise. Adjacent. Riftwatch is decently forgiving of each other's reputations, when we've so few allies to choose from.
[ This conversation not withstanding. ]
Barrow, Keen, Rovente. The Seeker.
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Rovente and Keen are both in Forces, so occasionally our work has overlapped, but I've never had a personal conversation with either. Keen and I overlapped at Skyhold, but I only knew him by reputation, not personally. I've spoken to the Lady Seeker in passing, but in no kind of depth.
Barrow was kind enough to buy me a meal in Kirkwall proper when I first arrived, but I believe we both reached the firm conclusion that we had little in common by the end of that evening.
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[ Marcus anticipates the 'no', but asks the question anyway. Barrow had gotten by so well, and besides him, there hadn't been any Templars at all.
It's all too possible that there are yet more. (This will be funny in, like, an IC week and a half.) ]
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I don't. Should I?
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The shame you have for your history might make you a tempting ally, to those that feel the same, [ bluntly, ] but are more inclined to hide it. Barrow did.
[ But Vanya said 'no'. The nod he gets is the only thanks that Marcus feels like expressing, but at least it's not nothing, as he says, ]
We're done.
(no subject)