hadriel | two ✤ video

[Hope still hasn't quite grasped human niceties, so he appears on the network suddenly, with no leadup and no greeting. As usual, he looks vaguely stressed and displeased.]

It has become obvious to me that I don't quite know how you creatures work. I need your hope, and unlike Fear I don't intend to bombard you with imagery just in case something sticks. Whether you like me or not, we're working together, in a way - without me, you'd all starve, without you, my power is lessened. I know you all so desperately want to go home, and without more power there's really no chance of that. So I have a proposal.

[He leans in, just a little.]

Bring me things that inspire hope in you. Place them on the altar in my temple over the next week or so, give me some idea of what it will take to draw hope out of you humans. If you can imbue them with more power - inspire hope in others with your ideas, work together, form bonds - that's even better.

As you all seem to enjoy being disagreeable, I do have more incentive then simply helping me out. Whoever brings me the thing that gives me the most power will receive my blessing. It's quite rare and valuable, it will impart to you the the ability to heal others for a certain amount of time. Since you all seem quite squishy and easily injured, I've no doubt that would be useful.

In addition, if I receive enough power, I'll waste some of it on a treat for all of you. So there's plenty of reason to help me out. Get to work.

[And that seems to be that. No farewell here, just Hope shutting the feed off. Feel free to ask him questions, if you'd like. He might even answer.]

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If he does nothing and Fear keeps at his usual tactics - [ Cecily says, making a bitter face. ] then it's more likely the scales will tip in the other's favor. Hope has to give us some good to keep things balanced, at least.

[ something seems to click. ] ...Like a book? [ Noah had asked if it were an apology for the events prior. She'd assumed he was correct, but she hadn't even considered the reasoning behind it. It hadn't been an apology, it'd been a way to gather hope from them. ]

Like... a book.

[ When Sharon says it, she remembers: a book arriving out of nowhere, one with tales and songs from Thedas. It had been a small comfort, but she'd been more suspicious than anything.

Rightfully so, it seems. ]

Damn it! [ She releases a frustrated exhale, clutching the device tight in her hand. ] No matter what they do, good or bad, we're just... eating right out of their blighted hands.

We're just pawns, disposable pawns. [ and it infuriates her more than it terrifies her. ]

For only as long as we let this happen. [ Cecily sets her jaw, looking very adamant about all this, mind ticking along. ] ... We need a better notion of how their powers work. Of how strong the pair of them really are. Now, before there are more gods to deal with.

We need to start looking for answers. [ and that means asking questions without the gods catching on to them. if they hadn't already, that is. ] You need to start keeping an eye out for strange books, Cecily.

[ the look she gives is pointed, as if pressing the older woman to understand her meaning: they need to pass messages, quiet and under the table. within the next several days, a book in a foreign language will show up on cecily's door step; written in sharp capitals are the words: WILL SEND A NICE NOVEL WHEN I LEARN SOMETHING. -MASON

she doesn't know anything now, but she will. she'll keep her ear to the ground, and ask all the questions she can, and when she learns something, cecily will be the first to know in paperback format. ]

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