fadewalk | RP: Kaidan

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Evelea grimaced as she came awake. The Silence had started to fade, and that was good, because being both defenseless and stupid wasn't going to help anyone. She groaned softly as she sat up, reaching for the journal. She read with dawning horror.

The demon had showed itself? While she slept, warm and comfortable people had been hurt. She felt ill, her throat working as she tried to choke back bile. She slid out of the bed, wishing she had a decent staff, but that had been lost in the scuffle with Cullen and she had no idea where it had fallen. The thought of asking him for a replacement made her cheeks sting, her stomach do another flip.

She needed to help, somehow, and if her mana was returning now, she could at least cast barriers or minor healing. She began collecting her gear, pulling on her boots and coat, then moved toward the door.

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Kaidan felt like a major creeper sitting outside some stranger's door, but pulling guard duty didn't bother him much. He'd pulled a strange book and settled in to read until she stirred, getting sucked deeper and deeper into the history of Thedas as time passed.

He startled when the door opened, closing the book over his thumb. "Evelea?" he asked.

Evelea startled right back at him, a hand going to her chest, clapping over her heart. "Maker's breath." She flicked her gaze to the book and then back to the face of the stranger, mouth tugging into a frown. "Yes. What are you doing out here? Besides reading the most boring of Genitivi's books."

"Is that what this is?" He set it aside with a crooked smile. "Honestly, I was just trying to follow along. And I was asked to guard your door until you woke up, in case of attack. Since your...mana?" He said the word like he was testing it out. "Was drained."

The faint frown that was quickly becoming permanent tightened slightly as Evelea shook her head. "I see." She had half expected him to be watching her, no matter what Anders and Neria had decided. She moved to brush past him, chin lifted, trying not to wonder if Cullen had sent him, what that would mean if he had, and whether or not the demon had attacked anyone else.

"So," Kaidan added, following along behind her. "Does this mean your, uh, magic is all healed up?"

Evelea glanced over her shoulder at his question, lips twitching into a slight smile. "You've never met a mage before, have you?"

"I never even imagined they could exist out of books," he agreed with a friendly laugh. "I used to read about them all the time as a kid. But yeah, you're pretty far outside my realm of experience."

Evelea's smile grew slightly, lighting up her eyes for a moment, at the sound of Kaidan's laugh. "I'd like to see a book that didn't teach children to fear magic." She shook her head. "To answer your question, though, yes my mana was drained but if a Templar does not reassert the effect it will come back naturally over time." She held up a hand, letting a tiny crackle of spirit energy limn her hand in blue for a moment.

He cocked his head and charged his biotics, then lifted his hand near hers, to see the differences. They were different shades, moved differently, but there was a kinship there as well. "...weird. Good-weird, though."

"How strange." Evelea reached toward Kaidan and then jerked her hand back before making contact between their barriers when there was a strange hum that made her teeth itch and the smell of hot metal suddenly in the air. "Oh. That... hm. Best not press that, I guess." She ducked her head, cheeks stained pink. "Sorry, I-- that's one of the after affects of the mana drain and return. Chicken brain."

"No--I mean, I have to admit, I had the same impulse." He let the biotic flare die. "I'm Kaidan, by the way. I don't remember if I said."

"No, you didn't. I've seen your name in the book though." Evelea tilted her head as she studied him. "Thank you for watching my door while I slept, but if you need to return to your people, I'll be alright. I need to--" She frowned down the hallway. "The thing they're hunting, it's my responsibility."

"No one's exactly waiting for me back at the ship," he said. "There aren't any duties holding me. I can help out if you want it. Or if this is a thing you have to do alone, I get that. So long as you're sure you're good to take it on."

Whatever it was. All this talk of demons...Kaidan preferred to think of them as husks anyway.

Well that was a generous offer, and Evelea almost accepted his willingness to depart, but... If the demon came upon her at this point she might hold it off for a time, but she would barely be able to hurt it at all.

"Do you know where Cullen-- the Commander is mustering the attempt to track and trap it?"

"I've got a pretty good idea where he started, at least," Kaidan said. "But if they've moved on in their search, I'm as uncertain as you."

"Let's start there. Perhaps he'll keep us updated in his journal?" A note of anxiety forced a tremor into her voice. She did not want Cullen anywhere near that thing again, wanted no one near it. And she was trying very hard not to think about how she had failed to defeat it once already.

"It's going to work out," Kaidan said, sensing her anxiety, though he had no way to know what it was about. They walked down together, and he checked his gun as they headed toward the door out into the main hall. "Long experience says if the odds don't stack in our favor, we'll make them stack."

Evelea nodded, eyes making note of the way he handled his strange weapon, but he was clearly confident in his abilities. She smiled weakly at his reassurance. He didn't even know her and he was attempting to settle her nerves. She nodded. "Well, let's hope, hmm?" That was an odd thought. She swallowed and opened the door.