Homeless and not even voice testing. More like voice prodding.

[sheathless]

You don't know where to send me or what to do with me, and you're not sure you have my "voice".

Well, I suppose everyone has to start somewhere. All it takes is practice.

And since you need to practice...Couldn't we at least wait until the expedition returns before you decide where we're going? What will mother do if something happens? It was hard enough to lose Carver - for all of us. I can't bear to think what would happen to her if she lost us, too.





[Canon point is Act 1, just after the expedition departs for the Deep Roads. Remained behind.]

Comments

[night_goddess]

Your mun must be kind. Or accommodating.

[ Light herself would much rather discourage her mun from sending her anywhere. ]

[sheathless]

I don't know about that, but she might listen to reason. Even if she doesn't, I've got to try.

[Ever the optimist. For now.]

[night_goddess]

They toy with us for their amusement. Whatever you try, be careful that it doesn't backfire.

[ Like most pessimists, Light would call her perspective realism. ]

[sheathless]

Between her and the Circle, I'll take being an amusement. It isn't a good choice, but it will keep my family safe.

How could it backfire?

[night_goddess]

Oh, you know. You suggest something and she goes with the opposite. That sort of thing.

[sheathless]

She isn't cruel. I mean, I don't think she is.

[night_goddess]

You'd know her better than me, of course.

[sheathless]

I don't know her well at all, actually.

[Oh, this is turning gloomy.]

What about your mundane? Does she torture you like that?

[night_goddess]

[ If Bethany was trying to avoid gloom, that was the wrong question. ]

Oh, yes. [ She sounds unconcerned, but it's very much an act. ] I'm lucky she doesn't pay me more attention, really.

[sheathless]

Oh. I see.

Maybe I'll be lucky like that, and mine won't pay me much attention, either.

[night_goddess]

Or maybe yours is less bloodthirsty. [ How did she get stuck reassuring this woman? Ugh. ] Either way, it's possible to manage muns once you learn how they think.

[sheathless]

Have you learned to manage yours, then?

[She is eager to soak up any and all advice.]

Is that why she doesn't pay you much attention?

[night_goddess]

No, she just plays favorites.

To manage yours, you need to determine how she functions. Mine is easily distracted, and it's easy to make her feel bad. If you can find things like that to work with, it's not so hard to—[ She almost says manipulate them, but Bethany might respond poorly to that word choice. She seems a bit too self-consciously moral. Not pragmatic enough. ]—point out places where your interests coincide.

[sheathless]

But...what if your mundane realizes what you're doing to her? What's to stop her from doing something terrible to you?

[night_goddess]

Doing it some more. Making her feel guilty, or suggesting something else that would be more fun. [ Usually this takes the form of cruel things to do to other muses, but no matter. ] Those aren't dependent on her ignorance so much as her suggestibility.

[sheathless]

That almost sounds manipulative.

[night_goddess]

[ Ah, yes. ] Do you think so?

I suppose you could look at it like that, but I don't have much choice. And she doesn't mind manipulating me in a much more literal way.

[sheathless]

That's true.

Is it so terrible, what she does to you? I mean, are there worse places you could be right now? I know there are worse places I could be.

[night_goddess]

Yes, I'm sure there are worse places. [ inquisitive, not accusatory: ] Do you mean to imply that if someone's not in the worst possible situation, their situation can't be unpleasant at all?

[sheathless]

Of course not. But if you're in an unpleasant situation, sometimes it helps to look on the bright side.

[night_goddess]

... You're right, of course. [ Read: Light disagrees, but arguing against "looking on the bright side" would just seem too unpleasant, even for this setting. ]

[possessed_mage]

Bethany! Haven't seen you in a while. If you're mun is looking for a place to go, there's a bunch of us over at outer_divide. Just listen to your mun and you'll do fine.

[sheathless]

Anders! I thought you went into the Deep Roads. You're at -

What is that place? How many of you are there?

[possessed_mage]

I did! And then I came out again. Horrible place, the Deep Roads. I'm never doing that again.

A place called Verdana. There's some others from Ferelden, Alistairbloody templar, Zevran, the Warden.