faderift | Let No Soul Hunger For Justice: Nothing But The Truth

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Let No Soul Hunger For Justice: Nothing But The Truth

WHO: Adelaide, Alistair, Anders, Bethany, Nathaniel, Varric, Vasran, Velanna
WHAT: The Second Ritual
WHEN: 10th of Bloomingtide (May 10th)
WHERE: half an hour outside of Skyhold
NOTES: Plotting post.

They've kept to the same clearing as the last, because the location's good. Far enough away that no one could stumble upon them by accident, near enough in case something went seriously wrong, it works.

He has scarcely more hope this time than he did the last, but at least there's no singing involved. This can't go as strangely. In theory.

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Against your will? I would lie here and say I didn't hear any protests except I did every time I stuck her on you.

[Nate's chin feels good there, but he could feel something better. Anders shifts, laying down so his head is in Nate's lap and pulling that arm down to play with his hair.]

But your life is better for her love.

[Maybe not for Anders' love. That's dangerous.]

And mine is better for yours. So there's the good news. The bad news is that we can't tell any Oghren stories until this wears off because I only half-remember what's true and what's not anymore.

[Nathaniel smiles and strokes that beautiful hair, smoothing over it gently and admiring its gleam.]

I have plenty, if you really want to hear them. Which I doubt.

Mm. No need.

[He gives Nate a small smile back. This could have gone so much worse, and while at least for Adelaide it's some sort of technical obligation, the accompaniment by Nate and Bethany is sentimental. He doesn't know what he'll do if it all goes wrong like life always does, though a cruel part of his mind says that he'll simply continue, again, and wrong more people as he goes.

The smile falters a little and he looks away.]

Tell me a story you'd like to tell me? A childhood tale, or something from your life, or something from the Wardens after I ran away. ...And pretend I said something other than ran away, please.

I don't remember enough from my childhood to have any stories. [It rolls out, and he's not sure why it came out like that. But he doesn't. The things he remembers about his childhood aren't stories. They're snapshots, where they're there. Little acts of kindness from servants. Conflicts with siblings. Oh--that's right.]

Delilah used to put bugs in my bed. [...That's Nathaniel's equivalent of a childhood story. He wracks his brain.] I once tore the arms off her doll and put them in places she'd find them.

[Yeah, that's...not the way it sounds when other people tell stories from their childhood.]

[He looks back at Nate, expression a mix of amusement and upset for Nate's sake.]

I suppose that's what I get for asking about childhood. Was it... I've no siblings, that I know of. Was it a friendly rivalry thing, or resentment? Though there's no need to delve more into the topic if you don't want to.

Oh, Delilah and I loved one another. [Thomas, on the other hand...that was bad. Nathaniel will never have closure on that one.] But siblings can be terrible to each other even so. Yet...she knew how it was, for me. My parents were falling over each other trying to get Thomas on their side so much that they forgot to put on a show for Delilah. She saw more clearly than any of us. Saw the way Mother tried to...cut me out. We were twelve and eleven when she gave me this ring.

[The worn gold ring that Nathaniel never takes off.]

So that I would always be family.

[Painful to speak of, bittersweet, but if there is anyone he'd want knowing about this, it's Anders. He's not being compelled to speak, only not to lie.]

Oh, love.

[He lifts a hand to gently run it along Nate's jaw for a moment before dropping it back down.]

I'm glad you had her.

[The Circle had been hell, but at least he'd known his mother loved him.]

Is she doing well? Delilah. I think I recall you mentioning her briefly not too long ago.

[He doesn't know. Doesn't have any frame of reference for a good or bad childhood. Nathaniel knows the pain of it, and has grown more and more aware that other people have memories of their families, stories, ways of knowing without doubt that a parent would protect them. Sweet Kallian, whose mother loved her so much. The pain of poverty and loss, crippled by a society that couldn't care about a hurting child, and yet she has memories of love and safety. Nathaniel, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, heir to a prestigious family descended from heroes, has no idea whether Kallian would trade places with him, if she knew. He has believed his life a charmed one for a long time, a lack of love a small complaint compared to hunger and crime. Every time he opens his mouth to relate to someone like Velanna or Sigrun, he realizes how little there is to relate to. How good he really had it. What does it matter if mummy didn't love him?

And yet he has love now. Not far away as it usually is, a little boy with a big smile and a sister who would cross the sea for him, in their little house in Amaranthine where they always must be. Love isn't a memory to cherish, a ring around his finger long separated from the giver. Love is lying in his lap right now. Nathaniel is touching him and listening to his voice, and the gold of his hair is all the riches he could ever need.]

Bethany and I saw her before we came here. Fergus is looking after her and her family, to make sure Clarel's men don't try anything to draw me out.

Good.

[Though that's another worry to add to the pile. If word gets out that Nate's with him, with him, will Delilah be a target? After a moment, Anders decides that not an entirely valid worry. They're not just physically far away from any of Nate's relatives; people would have to accept Anders as a person to go that far out of their way. They'd have to believe that hurting Nate's family would matter to him. It would. But he doesn't think anyone will take that route.]

There's so much to deal with. Clarel. Corypheus. Circles. Chantry. There are other things, but they don't start with C so I'm not mentioning them. Mm. Cullen starts with C. He can be included, even if there will never be any reckoning for any of the Templars who deserve it because what they did was legal.

Though right now I'm not dealing with anything because of another C word. Comfortable. Don't tell Justice.

He can have your consideration in the healing tents. Right now, I want to keep you to myself. I like Comfortable Anders. I can barely hear that other C word now. Calling.

I like you keeping me to yourself.

[He gives Nate a faint smile again.]

Cats start with C too. Cats and comfortable are good. And perhaps a few other things.

[The smile gets a little mischievous, but Anders doesn't budge. When he says he's comfy he means it, and he's very rarely comfortable like this. This is a nice moment.]

You make me think that there might be something to this whole 'having a future' thing. We're Wardens, it won't be the longest future, but it's something, and that's far more than I expected.

[That smile. This sweetness. The silk of shimmering hair. Nathaniel is beaming back at him.]

I like hearing you talk about the future. Once things have calmed down, you ought to meet Delilah again, properly. She liked you.

[This will all backfire, because it is too pleasant, too perfect, too much like what he would dream of if he saw any point in dreaming anymore. Anders swallows and takes the hand that isn't busy playing with his hair. Family. Nate's family, accepting him. This moment is impossible.]

I'd like that. I didn't know she'd taken much note of me. ...Let's hope she's forgotten the passes I was making at her. She can remember the ones I made at you. Maybe she can even join me in teasing you for how you missed my interest.

[A soft, low chuckle, and Nathaniel leans down to kiss him softly. Warm but not heated, lingering and sweet.]

She said you asked after me, in Kirkwall. When she asked Hawke to find me. [A faint smile as he remembers that very strange encounter in the Deep Roads.] Actually, she said she'd just explained that I was missing and she was worried, and then you asked after me.

Did she. I don't see... It's so difficult to tease when I have to tell the truth. I can't even be sarcastic. Do you know what I am without sarcasm? Open. ...Which is not what I meant to say, and proves my point entirely.

[He exhales as if this is the biggest burden of them all, having to speak the truth while he's getting kissed and his hair stroked.]

Before that I didn't have much cause to worry, you know. You'd a place, and you're of the type that can plant themselves deep. If you'd vanished, something was very wrong.

[A beat.]

And I don't have so many people that I care about that I can be fine with one of them going missing.

[A smile.]

Well. It saved my life, as well as Bethany's. And I've thought of a delightful way to repay you.

[He smiles back up at Nate.]

You'll wear a bell so I can find you easily if you go missing again?

If you wish, my love, but I have something even better.

Adelaide just blurted out that she's wanted to feel my muscles for some time now and wanted to use healing as an excuse to do so.

[He blinks.]

I'm... not following. You need me to heal you and want me to feel you up at the same time?

...I thought it would give you a laugh, is all.

Oh.

[A grin starts to spread across his face.]

You know what it really does? It inspires me to tell you I told you so. I'm not the only one that finds you gorgeous, love. ...And I'll tease her later about that, thank you.

[A soft laugh.]

See, this is...you can't tell a lie, but you're saying these things. [Not only gorgeous, but love.] You're really not giving me a chance, are you?

If you wanted a chance, you would have started seeing someone with less issues.

[Nate's happy, and he's happy, and it feels amazing.]

Like the woman who wants to feel up your muscles. Or Alistair, except he's not into men. Mm. I need more ideas of pretty people with fewer--Bethany. There we go. If you wanted chances, you'd have come here already seeing Bethany.

[A wince.]

Not Bethany. Never Bethany. Maker, she's a girl, and practically my sister.

Poor Bethany.

[His smile grows as he reaches up again to play with Nate's hair.]

Doomed to forever be the little sister to so many. Her loss, my gain. Well. In this case. But this is gain enough to more than make up for no longer sleeping around.

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