getggwithit | Another Day (for lovingvambrace)

She left a trail of bloodshed in her path. She put down the monster that her father had become. She faced down the demonic force that had spawned her, and destroyed it. As Valentine absorbed and neutralized the last of Soul Edge's evil essence, Ivy's long and lonely journey came to an end.

Her vow to avenge her parents and to sever her own cruel destiny complete, she returned to her mansion. Accomplishing her goals did not bring back her family, did not change her status as a lonely, cursed noble isolated in her estate with only a few servants for company. It had only left her purposeless. She'd found peace, but had no idea what to do with it.

As the months wound on, the prospect of spending the rest of her life this way began to wear on her. Even if the sword was gone, she was still a facet of its power present in the world. She would never truly escape its legacy. As long as she lived, she would be a link for Soul Edge's rebirth, and a target to those who might seek to resurrect it. The only sensible choice would be to remove herself from this world, to go somewhere that no servant of Soul Edge could ever reach either her or Valentine.

And frankly, traveling seemed far more fulfilling than rotting here in her laboratory for the rest of her life.

It took a year for her to progress in her research far enough to allow her to access Astral Chaos. With Valentine's new infusion of power, it was still easier than it ought to be. She made arrangements for the family steward to take care of the estate, then retreated to her laboratory to perform the rituals to set it up as the focal point of the portal.

Throwing herself into a dimensional hole wasn't the most prudent idea ever, but Ivy was never one to let prudence stand in the way of science. It didn't help that Valentine was excited, for some reason, insisting it knew exactly where to go.

This is what led Ivy to go hurtling through Astral Chaos, emerging on the other side when the portal spat her out in a bed of flowers. No sooner had she picked herself up than she was surrounded by armed soldiers, who took her into custody. (No sense spilling blood, exposing Valentine's deadly secrets when she didn't even know where she was.)

She sits in a cell rather patiently, taking in what information she can observe and planning her next move.

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"Nothing damning nor worth subterfuge, Commander Cullen, I assure you."

She feels just slightly guilty about accidentally getting the guards in trouble. But on the other hand, she has the impression that the commander is fair and will not punish them excessively.

She has no idea why she has that impression, either.

Ivy steps into the room and looks around. It's rather quaint, actually, a charming shade of blue. If this is any sort of cell, it's been well-disguised. Her heart leaps excitedly to see the books.

"It's lovely. Thank you for arranging this." She steps over to test the bed, pressing the mattress with her hand. She sinks down to sit on it. "I would ask what the catch is, beyond my staying here for up to two weeks, but that would be tempting fate, wouldn't it?"

She smiles at him. "I suppose I shan't be seeing more of you?"

Damning or not, the guards should know better. His silence says as much on the matter. He follows only a few steps into the room behind her to give her the space to feel it out and make sure she's comfortable to her satisfaction for what it is. He's aware a cell is a cell, whether charmingly decorated or barren and uncomfortable. There's only so much he can do.

"You're welcome." He watches her, something about the way she moves and holds her head almost familiar. The impression seems to come and go.

"You're not tempting fate. No catch, I assure you." And if all goes well, when they're able to release her, he'll be able to help her with some prospects for herself.

"I can't make any promises, depending upon what happens here, but...I'll do what I can to drop in from time to time. Someone will come along to see to a bath for you, and I believe Leliana mentioned something about clothing. I'm sure she knows how to arrange for such things."

He backs out of the room and lifts his fist to his chest with a slight bow. "Maker watch over you until next we meet." With the closing of the door comes the sound of a lock thrown. Nice room or not, it is very clear it is still a prison.

Ordinarily, she would think he was only humoring her. A commander had little or no reason to visit a prisoner, and there was really no reason he should be any different. But somehow when he said he would try, she believed him.

These strange thoughts and feelings were getting irritating. Like an itch that she couldn't find to scratch.

In any case, Ivy settles in to being imprisoned. Up here, she can only barely feel the connection with her sword, which is a relief just in that she knows it's lying still and silent waiting for her hand to touch it again. It'll stay on its best behavior and keep them both out of trouble.

She lies down to sleep, hoping to ease away some of the aches from dozing on the cot down in the cell. When she awakens early in the morning, just before dawn, she washes her face in the basin and grabs one of the books she was anticipating. The first seems to be some kind of historical epic, whether real or fictional she isn't sure. Thankfully, she can understand the language, even if some of the discussed topics and concepts are fascinatingly bizarre.

What are the odds they'll trade her for more books later if she reads them all? She really ought to make this small shelf's worth last for two weeks, but with nothing else to occupy her time, it's a concern worth noting.

It's a very busy next several days with the mystery of the eluvians deepening and the hunt for the Dread Wolf growing ever more convoluted and troubling. Cullen has precious little time to spare. He does check in with her a few times to be certain her treatment has no cause for complaint and to make sure she doesn't fully run out of books.

Finally one afternoon it hits him that perhaps she'd enjoy a visitor of a different sort. The mabari he has liberated seems friendly enough, a puppy's temperament, so Cullen packs a basket with dog treats and a few tidbits from the banquet of state being held for the various dignitaries. No one will miss a few canapes and the like.

He knocks on the door with the mabari close to his side and the two guards outside the room looking a bit bemused. They seem to know better than to say anything.

Despite her odd confidence in his visitations, Ivy is still pleased (and relieved) when he does stop in for those brief visits the first few days. The books are taking longer than she thought, given how many strange concepts she's come across in reading them, and at one point she asks for some parchment and ink so that she can start to make notes for herself. (She agrees readily to show the notes to anyone who wants to see them, just to ensure she isn't drafting spy letters.)

Otherwise, apart from being confined in the first place, she has little to complain about. It's certainly the most luxurious imprisonment she could have ever expected.

It takes a moment for her to come out of her reading when she hears the knock on the door, but she rouses and goes to open it. The first thing she spots is a dog the size of a horse, a sight which startles her into yelping and slamming the door shut again.

It reopens a moment later, her composure regained, and she looks back and froth from Cullen to the massive dog.

"Pardon me. I wasn't expecting-- such a dog."

She quirks her lips into a smile, her tone a little teasing. "Is this a social call, or am I to be devoured?"

The sudden slamming of the door has him starting back and Blade letting out a half bark. Both guards' hands fly to their pommels only for them to recover quickly and straighten again as though nothing happened at all.

Cullen is on the verge of heading back down the corridor, cheeks red, when the door opens again. "No, my apologies. I perhaps should have given you warning to expect, ah...us." He motions toward the dog with his free hand.

"Fortunately for you, I've brought treats." He then lifts the basket. "If we distract him sufficiently, I imagine you'll be spared." His cheeks are still bright red. He'd very nearly tripped over phrasing best left unspoken. There's no polite way to mention where Blade might bite. "May we?" He gestures past her to the small room.

She looks from Cullen down the basket to what must be the largest dog she's ever seen-- or else the most canine-looking small horse. A smile quirks at the corner of her lip, and she holds the door open.

"That sounds delightful. Please, come in." The irony is of course that she's a prisoner and he doesn't need to ask her permission to enter the room she's been graciously provided in lieu of a cell. The fact he asked anyway speaks well of him, in her opinion.

"I was just in the middle of this magical treatise." Sitting on the bed with a corner of the blanket marking a page is the most hideously thick old tome imaginable. "Brick" seems too small a comparison for its girth. "Magic here functions so differently than what I'm used to. It's quite compelling."

She gestures. "Please, make yourself comfortable. And introduce me to this great beast."

Another Day (for lovingvambrace)

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