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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[The mockery in his smile fades. He'd misunderstood her statement.]

But then the Rite of Annulment would have been used in Kirkwall, with no Conclave vote. Just as many would have died in the city and there would be... nothing. I don't like what I did, what we did. There are some days I--

[Anders stops. There's honesty, and then there's too much honesty; he's not going there. Especially not with someone who sees him as a thing.]

It's difficult to fulfill either of our goals. But it's far easier here than it was in Kirkwall, and he never would have departed Kirkwall of his own volition.

As I was not there? I cannot speak to the situation- but any moment when the only course is death on a large scale? Every side has failed.

[ She tops off her glass and gestures to Anders with the bottle. This is drinking talk. ]

It happened. Nothing can be done for it. But you would have found another way on your own- that is why I was so angry with you. To know you for who you are and think that you made that choice? You can do better. You have been. You will continue to do more when this is resolved. If I did not like you so much? I would not have been so angry- so disappointed.

[He eyes the bottle. He wants to have more, but Justice is there, lurking. After a moment, Anders shrugs and takes it in hand, refilling his cup and sipping. There is no reason for Justice to attack Skyhold, and so much reason to not cause issues. The spirit might decide to get into an argument, but right now they're all right. He's all right, because he may now have his answer about something remaining after all.

Anders exhales after.]

I would have tried. I likely would have failed, but I would have tried. Then again, were it not for Justice I'd be dead.

[He lifts a hand and touches the center of his chest.]

It's something I forget sometimes. If we'd not merged, Rolan would have ended me and then Justice would not only have killed them all, he would have been alone. The swath of destruction he could have caused... I don't want to say there was no way for things to go better from the moment Jonas vanished, but I can't see how.

[ She drinks. She drinks and sets her cup aside, grimacing at a twinge in her neck. A day of running her hands through her hair, of headaches and glaring at notes in dim light-

She unpins her bun with a mutter and unwinds her braid, massaging the nape of her own neck. ]

It is what it is. We cannot go back. All we can do is move forward and hope we do not get ourselves killed doing this. The next one- that is unlikely. But the final two- if Justice does not remember why we are doing this and work with us? There will be blood. And while I will bleed for you I will not bleed for him.

And I don't want anyone to bleed for me.

[Justice is steel certainty in his mind, and Anders is steadily losing the ability to figure out all of what that means. He takes another drink anyway.]

I'd rather I paid any price than someone else pay it for me. Which I don't think Nate or Bethany will understand. Nate's focused on what I've paid in the past, and Bethany's dangerously kind.

[And another drink.]

I can't even set something up in case to protect them from making mistakes that could cost them as I did when turning myself in. He was agreed on turning in; he's not on any sort of back-up plan here.

Too fucking late.

[ She mutters, tugging her hair over her shoulder and snorting at nothing in particular. Literally, no one has bled. But the payment is set all around. ]

And in that he feels as though you've done due diligence, and damn anyone else? Has he prevented you from doing something before?

You know what I mean. A price in blood. Singing and telling the truth are little things. Assuming we can say anything we wish tomorrow. This situation makes sarcasm exceedingly difficult. And as far as Nate... yes, ish, and no.

[Maybe he shouldn't be talking about this, but he's had more to drink tonight than he has in years.]

It's not 'damn anyone else,' but he knows what happened in Vigil's Keep, he saw me in Kirkwall, he's heard more of Kinloch Hold than anyone else... In short, he knows more about me than any other person alive. And I sabotaged his efforts. He wanted to plan a rescue attempt should I be sentenced to death. I assisted and set it up to fail. He never would have forgiven me, but I never would have forgiven myself if I got away and he suffered for it.

...

[ After a long moment of simply...staring. She reaches over to curl her fingers around the bottle of brandy and take it back. ]

Self-righteous martyrs don't get brandy.

[He watches her take it back and raises an eyebrow.]

I should have let him risk losing everything for someone who did murder dozens of people? You even wanted me dead. You can't say I should have actually helped him and mean it.

What makes you think I wanted you dead?

[He blinks.]

Well, for one, you're not saying you didn't. For another, you were furious and hurt. I rode out rather certain that if I'd told you without planning on turning myself in, you'd be calling the Templars or anyone nearby who would take me on. Can I have the brandy back?

I was actually questioned about that. My knowing and saying nothing. As soon as you left I found a bottle of brandy and a bottle of wine and went to Dorian's tent to drink the shock away. I was angry. I am still angry, a little, but ever at myself for not noticing or thinking to ask. It does not help that not but a few days before another friend of mine I've come to trust confessed to me a wealth of sins that he hid with lies of omission. Apparently, I trust too easily.

Which is laughable considering how I was when I arrived.

Afterward...I threw myself into work. It did not occur to me to say anything and by the time I returned to Skyhold, Sister Nightingale sent for me. The interrogation was mortifying- I have not been treated as such by anyone in my entire life.

And I am not even all that certain she was wrong to do so.

[ Time to drown that thought with brandy. ]

No. You were being a self-righteous martyr and it seems a pattern of behavior with you.

And you attempt to solve a great many things with drink and that seems a pattern of behavior for you. If I'm going to get drunk for the first time in over a decade, I'm going to do it entirely. Please pass it back or I will have to leave and find some other source.

[He's feeling a little more relaxed than he really should, he thinks, but he doesn't care.]

Besides. It's hardly being a martyr if you don't want to die. I think. I'm not certain what the definition of martyr is, exactly, and I was doing my best to not gain too much notice. I didn't want people suspicious. Leliana was anyway, but that's Leliana. And if I'm playing the martyr, so are you. Feeling like you deserved to be mortified because you didn't notice something that you'd not expect? No one thought I'd be here. Except perhaps Nate and Velanna. I had a habit of turning back up, back then. A lot.

It never effects my work or hurts the people around me.

[ Unlike his habits, but that goes unsaid. Somehow. She tucks the bottle to her chest and glowers at him. ]

If you want it you will have to take it.

[He's not certain of his coordination, and so he hesitates. Grabbing for her chest does not seem like the safest plan. And yet... First, though, he reaches for her cup and discovers it's empty. So much for the easy route.]

If that's the way you want to handle this.

[A gentleman would walk away. He's a common-born mage. Anders grabs for the neck of the bottle with the intent to pull.]

Anders...

[ He wouldn't-

he would!

She swears around a burble of what might be laughter, leaning away with a firm grip on the bottom of the bottle. ]

Stop that!

[He does stop, because he's not going to keep grabbing at someone who has said to stop, but that doesn't keep him from scooting his chair closer and smiling faintly, raising both his eyebrows.]

You said. I was only listening. And I checked your cup first.

This is my father's favorite brandy and if you are going to drink any more tonight you must promise I will not have to think about Justice for at least three hours.

[ There's a bit of a hitch in her breath at the mention of her father- an old pain, and older regret. ]

[Can they make that promise? Justice seems annoyed, but not pushing. He seems more inclined to sitting back and letting Anders make a fool of himself so Justice can lecture later.]

Three hours Justice-free. Or we wrestle for it. Your call.

...

[ Her eyes narrow for a moment. ]

I bet the rest of the bottle you cannot get it away without magic.

[This is probably somehow a bad idea. He can't figure out why.]

You're on.

[That's all the warning she gets before he's lunging toward her and attempting to tickle her.]

[ Not much warning at all. Another one of those sudden oath as she curls around the bottle- hand pressed to her mouth to muffle laughter. ]

You sneak!

Sneak nothing!

[Curling around isn't working exactly as planned, but he can't say he had a plan to start with. Anders tries to keep tickling with one hand while sneaking a hand toward the neck of the bottle again, and instead loses his balance and falls to the side, grabbing for her... but not to catch himself.]

You are-

[ She can't get a word out edgewise around the crackling of laughter, low and warm and rich as they topple from the chair with a stunned yelp. ]

[He takes enough care to make sure neither she nor the bottle suffer a break from the sudden fall, and then it's his turn to laugh and try to take advantage of the shift in position to get the bottle.]

I am. Yes. Good of you to notice.

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