a careful distinction [ FIC ] [ justice + sigrun ]
title: a careful distinction
author: elendraug
rating: G
characters: justice and sigrun
spoilers: for awakening. alludes to events in dragon age ii.
summary: a conversation in the keep.
"You have dedicated yourself to fighting those creatures?"
Sigrun instinctively reaches for her daggers before she realizes it's Justice standing behind her, and not a monster. She relaxes, and nods in agreement.
"Yeah. That's what the Legion does."
"Yet you did not battle to the death."
And perhaps it was too soon to let down her guard. The Spirit of Justice always has questions, so many questions, and so often she does not want to contemplate them. She sighs.
"No, I didn't."
"That was your duty, was it not? Why would you forsake this?"
Sigrun twists at the end of one of her pigtails, and it's all she can do not to dodge the issue. It would be far easier to shout at him, to brush him off, but she can never bring herself to be angry with the spirit. He's nothing if not genuine.
"I thought maybe I could avenge them, somehow. I didn't want their deaths to be for nothing." She pauses, and hesitantly meets his pale, undying eyes, eyes that seek the truth. "I... panicked, to be honest."
He does not judge her for her fear. It is not his nature.
"Dear woman, you cannot hope to accomplish this." He simply stares at her, when anyone else might give a look of sympathy. When a normal person -- if he could ever be normal -- might lay a reassuring hand on her shoulder. But Justice just stares.
Sigrun chews her lip, frustrated despite herself. "Is that so? And why not? Why can't I get revenge for my friends?"
Justice, if he were a person, would shake his head. But he's not.
"It is as seeking vengeance upon a hornet for its stinging. The hive does not mourn for it, and you will never succeed." He waits for a moment, a weighted silence as he chooses his next words. "Vengeance can lead only to suffering."
He has a fair point. Sigrun throws her hands up anyway. "So what would you have me do? Forget about them? Forgive the darkspawn horde?"
"Of course not." He seems surprised that she's upset. "It was never my intention to offend."
She scoffs. "Yeah, well, hate to tell you? But you've done a good job of it."
Justice is distressed, but save for his eyes, his body language does not reflect this. He stands as straight and still as ever.
"My apologies, Sigrun. My only wish is to see you seek justice, and not succumb to the temptation of revenge. You can never hope to kill those who took your fellows from you, only remember their sacrifice as you defeat their brethren."
Sigrun rubs at her face. She can feel a headache coming on. "Was there a point to this?"
Justice looks stricken. "I... perhaps not. I am sorry."
"Let me tell you, Justice," she says, trying so hard not to glare at him. "Every time I stab my blades into one of those bastards? I'm going to be thinking about what they did to my friends, because it's the only revenge I can get."
Justice is silent for a long while. "I will try to understand."
Sigrun holds his gaze, and can't stop herself from being nasty. "I don't think you can, spirit."
With that, she rushes away and out of the Keep before she can start to feel guilty, eager to talk to Dworkin or Wade or anyone else who will distract her. Contrary to what Fade spirits might think, she doesn't want to dwell on all of her dead brothers from the Legion.
Justice stands alone, decaying, and thinks.
author: elendraug
rating: G
characters: justice and sigrun
spoilers: for awakening. alludes to events in dragon age ii.
summary: a conversation in the keep.
"You have dedicated yourself to fighting those creatures?"
Sigrun instinctively reaches for her daggers before she realizes it's Justice standing behind her, and not a monster. She relaxes, and nods in agreement.
"Yeah. That's what the Legion does."
"Yet you did not battle to the death."
And perhaps it was too soon to let down her guard. The Spirit of Justice always has questions, so many questions, and so often she does not want to contemplate them. She sighs.
"No, I didn't."
"That was your duty, was it not? Why would you forsake this?"
Sigrun twists at the end of one of her pigtails, and it's all she can do not to dodge the issue. It would be far easier to shout at him, to brush him off, but she can never bring herself to be angry with the spirit. He's nothing if not genuine.
"I thought maybe I could avenge them, somehow. I didn't want their deaths to be for nothing." She pauses, and hesitantly meets his pale, undying eyes, eyes that seek the truth. "I... panicked, to be honest."
He does not judge her for her fear. It is not his nature.
"Dear woman, you cannot hope to accomplish this." He simply stares at her, when anyone else might give a look of sympathy. When a normal person -- if he could ever be normal -- might lay a reassuring hand on her shoulder. But Justice just stares.
Sigrun chews her lip, frustrated despite herself. "Is that so? And why not? Why can't I get revenge for my friends?"
Justice, if he were a person, would shake his head. But he's not.
"It is as seeking vengeance upon a hornet for its stinging. The hive does not mourn for it, and you will never succeed." He waits for a moment, a weighted silence as he chooses his next words. "Vengeance can lead only to suffering."
He has a fair point. Sigrun throws her hands up anyway. "So what would you have me do? Forget about them? Forgive the darkspawn horde?"
"Of course not." He seems surprised that she's upset. "It was never my intention to offend."
She scoffs. "Yeah, well, hate to tell you? But you've done a good job of it."
Justice is distressed, but save for his eyes, his body language does not reflect this. He stands as straight and still as ever.
"My apologies, Sigrun. My only wish is to see you seek justice, and not succumb to the temptation of revenge. You can never hope to kill those who took your fellows from you, only remember their sacrifice as you defeat their brethren."
Sigrun rubs at her face. She can feel a headache coming on. "Was there a point to this?"
Justice looks stricken. "I... perhaps not. I am sorry."
"Let me tell you, Justice," she says, trying so hard not to glare at him. "Every time I stab my blades into one of those bastards? I'm going to be thinking about what they did to my friends, because it's the only revenge I can get."
Justice is silent for a long while. "I will try to understand."
Sigrun holds his gaze, and can't stop herself from being nasty. "I don't think you can, spirit."
With that, she rushes away and out of the Keep before she can start to feel guilty, eager to talk to Dworkin or Wade or anyone else who will distract her. Contrary to what Fade spirits might think, she doesn't want to dwell on all of her dead brothers from the Legion.
Justice stands alone, decaying, and thinks.