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[ombranera]

WHO: Zevran, Luciano, and YOU
WHAT: Catch all for the month
WHEN: June/Justinian
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Prose or Brackets are fine, roll with what you like most. If you want a specific prompt hit me up on plurk @ here!

[ After the Baptism (Early Justinian) ]

Early in the evening, after some small ceremony in Skyhold's chapel, Zevran can be found surrounded by his Kestrels, sitting quietly in a corner of The Herald's rest as they played music and sang a great many traditional Antivan pieces. There is food and wine and dancing and Zevran partakes only a little. While he may look tired and a little overwhelmed, the night is a joyous one all the same. In his arms, on his lap, or sitting on the table with Zevran's steadying hand upon his back is a small elven child. All wide blue eyes and blonde curls, tanned skin that is marred only by the smudge of ashes in a circle on his forehead as is custom, dressed in a simple cotton shift Luciano Arainai claps and squeals in turn, gnawing on whatever is within reach or patting down Zevran's shirt with sticky hands. He is a child, they are sticky, it is a known fact. To the end of the night exhaustion catches hold for both, leaving the infant cranky and Zevran struggling to soothe him long enough to slip away to their rooms.


[ Garden ]

Afternoons find Zevran lounging in the garden- fresh air is both good for him and supposedly healthy for children- as long as he is able to keep Lucci from shoving things into his mouth that are not meant to be eaten. Which is everything. Which means it is less lounging and more tugging upon a leash and harness he has rigged to let his child roam but not too far- only a few feet from where he is sprawled and sketching upon a blanket. Most of his attention is actually on his son but it does the boy well to assume he has leave to explore. At least until he crawls back to demand food or attention or- whatever it is infants want. Zevran is still learning to interpret his various burbles and shrieks.


[ Courtyard ]

Zevran is, for the moment, trapped under the dead weight of his son- the slightest shifting earns a familiar screwing up of Lucci's face that has him resigned to simply leaning back against the tree where he'd stopped walking to shift his grip earlier and wait out the nap. He dare not doze himself- too tense against the open area, how vulnerable they are, how exposed. Tensing too much causes the same small sounds of upset and thus he is forced to sit, mind that he does not lock up, and wait for Lucci to fall deep enough asleep that he might carry him back to their room or rouse himself enough to make the trip worthwhile.


[ Hot Springs ]

"Your voice does carry, you know." Idle and conversational, Zevran has found a shallower edge of the hot springs when he'd truly rather a deep soak- but elven infants do not swim well and as such he must sit over here. With a shrieking, splashing child rigged safely in some manner of wicker basket he'd lowered into the water to keep Lucci from falling over backward and drowning. And to keep these little floating toys (maker only knows who gave them to him, he cannot recall) from floating away. "Yes, yes, splashing the water is marvelous fun- please hold still."

Not that Lucci is one to listen, wriggling under Zevran's hands as he tries to clean...something...sticky from his son's hair. "What is this, honey? How did you get honey in your hair? When were you near honey?"


[ Training Grounds ]

There are rare days when Lucci is not quite so prone to shrieking and crawling, not quite so intent on escape and Zevran can wrap him in a sling of sorts, tucked up against his chest, and actually train his Kestrels. It is an adjustment, every so often he must away to change the child's soiled underclothes or to feed him and the extra weight is odd and leaves him sore at the end of a few hours- but with one hand on Lucci's back to support him, the other gesturing as he speaks in rapid fire Antivan, directing his Kestrels through their maneuvers.

Comments

[ombranera]

"May he grow up and wish to be a baker." Or a painter. Or...anything that does not involve weapons, magic, demons, assassins, darkspawn- Zevran shudders where he sits for a moment, combing his fingers through Lucci's curls. So many things that could lead a man to death. So many of them terribly easy to fall into.

This is a new fear- and he does not much care for it. "We weren't even near the larder, I do not know where he found it."

[el_tybs]

With a father like Zevran it was unlikely that Lucci was going to aspire to be a baker. Course a baker got just as easily caught up in war and the like - look at the people who worked in their kitchens now.

"Do you perhaps have anything in the room that has honey in it? That or he's already good at sleight of hand and took something while you were walking around?"

[ombranera]

"We were in the kitchens earlier finding mint for his gums- his teeth bother him. Perhaps then." Just as well he did not try to eat it- that would be a mess he'd lose hours cleaning.

[el_tybs]

"Well the kitchens do have honey," he agrees. Course why was it in his hair and not in his mouth? "Bothering him? As in he's teething or something else?" Sam doesn't get much closer, but he does lean in to get a bit of a better look from where he's at.

[ombranera]

"He is teething. It is an ordeal." At the moment all seems well, the child happily leaning back against Zevran's chest, burbling. More bubbles, more splashing, more- whatever these floating things are. Zevran nudges a boat in the water and watches Lucci make it move about.

[el_tybs]

It's obvious that Zevran was not enjoying the bath as much as Lucci, or Sam for that matter, who's having quite the time just watching the whole thing. Sorry, Zevran.

Seeing the boat come his direction, Sam reaches out and pushes it back. "Have you tried giving him something that's cold or frosted to gum on?" Nothing that he can swallow of course, but he's heard that the cold helps.

[ombranera]

"Pel has enchanted some stones I wrap rags around to keep them chilled. They are coated with mint and elfroot- Lucci finds them quite soothing. It has cut down, somewhat, on the crying and the screaming." None of which is happening now and for one of the rare moments in the day, Zevran watches his son with a faint undercurrent of fear and awe. He is going to ruin this child terribly, he knows this, it is inevitable. But such life. Such joy.

[el_tybs]

"Enchanted stones, mint and elfroot. Doesn't someone have it made." Sam grins more at Lucci when saying that, but of course the child can't understand him. Not everyplace had such things available to them, especially enchanted stones.

"Do you get any sleep?" Besides the honey, Lucci seemed rather well behaved, but then again behind closed doors things were pretty different.

[ombranera]

"Some." About as much as he would were he in the Deep Roads, ten years ago. Which..is not enough for his older self. Especially when he must keep up with the infant. The noisy, messy, demanding infant. "Enough."

[el_tybs]

This is neither the Deep Roads or ten years ago. That's rough. "Are you the only one watching him? No one else able to do so, so you can take a nap or anything?" Look he doesn't have a kid or really work with children that don't already know how to walk, so this is a bit new for him as well.

[ombranera]

"Mia helps as best she can. Pel when she has time. I am merely adjusting." It takes a bit of work, honestly, learning how to interpret Lucci's cries for attention or food or what have you. "We are managing."

[el_tybs]

"Sounds like you've got quite the team helping you." Luckier than a lot of single parents out there he supposes. "So this is why I haven't seen you around much, huh?"

[ombranera]

"Because I was not certain if I was going to keep him, I am a wanted man, not everyone is terribly fond of me outside skyhold and the fewer people that knew? The better." It was safest that way.

[el_tybs]

He couldn't imagine giving up a child was an easy decision. Course in this case keeping one was probably even harder judging by the reasons that Zevran gave. But now Lucci was being brought out, so-

"So then. You're keeping him?" Zevran had said everything in the past tense - something must have changed then?

[ombranera]

"Yes." For the moment. Until he can find something better for Lucci. Until-

For now. Yes. "I cannot think of anyone else I might trust him with that is not already here."

[el_tybs]

"That... does prove to be an issue." He would still be around Skyhold and danger that's for sure. Course even with all the issues, threats, and complications that happen here it was still safer than most places.

A moment and then Sam gives a small smile. "Can I hold him?"

[ombranera]

"Mm." His eyes narrow somewhat, considering Sam's height, what he knows of him, what he's come to trust of him. Weighs that against his fears, his knowledge of how terribly easy it is to injure a child, how much Lucci tends to squirm, and what he knows of most humans.

How they tended to treat elven children. With no little trepidation, he nods.

He bundled a towel around Lucci, scrubbing at his curls gently to dry them before offering the bundled infant to Sam. "Be careful of his head, yes? And his hands. He likes to grab."

[el_tybs]

Noting the look he's being given and the small length of time that passes, Sam considers that asking might not have been a good thing? He's suddenly reminded of the first time he met Zevran, that oddness of saying something wrong when he hadn't meant to.

So when all at once Zevran is handing Lucci over to him, Sam blinks then looks down and holds out his arms for the bundle to be set in them. The mention of grabbing seems to pull him out of his thoughts, his smile returning, slightly pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"Well good thing I don't have much in the way for him to grab." Even at this depth the water is still a little high to just let Lucci sit in his lap, so he takes care of cradling the infant in his arm and against his chest. "How old did you say he was?"

[ombranera]

"Nine months." Baptised in ash, given gifts, celebrated. Named his heir, in so much that an elven assassin and head of a relatively new guild might have one. There is precious little land to his name, a fair amount of coin, a great deal of danger.

What in the maker's name was he getting himself into?

Lucci reaches all the same, patting at Sam's shoulders and reaching for his face. "He is quite friendly, though that may be normal."

[el_tybs]

Nine months. Not that very old at all, just perhaps how long the Inquisition has been around - had it only been that long?

Feeling Lucci pat at him, Sam hums and raises his brows at the little fingers making grabby motions at him. Even with knowing that there will be nothing but pats and grabbing he still lifts the baby up closer, gasping lightly in pretend surprise. "What?"

After feeling hands on his face he chuckles, turning his eyes back to Zevran. "Pretty normal I'd say, though my experience is with children who are a bit older."

[ombranera]

Surprise and proximity earns Sam one of Lucci's many happy squeals, tempered by burbling as he's given leave to grasp at his nose and ears. Squishy faces are fun!

"His mother did say she named him Luciano for good reason." Someone to bring light into dark times. A little light for the Ombra Nera. "But he has been quite cheerful and curious for someone that is so displaced."

[el_tybs]

"That's my nose," he says with the same tone as before, acting surprised at the child's actions. He knows Lucci doesn't know what he's saying and just going off facial expressions and tone.

Once Lucci goes for his ear, it's a bit easier to turn and look at Zevran to talk again, even if his head is tilted a bit more so that Lucci doesn't tug too much. "That doesn't seem all that strange. He feels safe and cared for I'm sure." If Lucci was older and could remember things better this might be different, being around strangers.