PLAYER PLOT: The Least of His Children

[pinprick]

WHO: Nathaniel Howe, Felix Alexius, Anders, James Norrington, Kaisa Daesun, Fenris, Araceli, Inessa.
WHAT: A quest to rescue a slave.
WHEN: August 26
WHERE: Tevinter
NOTES: Will update. Plotting post is here.

The Mastermind: Nathaniel Howe
The Game: Green Goods
The Grifter: Felix Alexius
The Mark: Magister Leo Valerius is an ailing old man, but his mind is sharp. His main concern of late has been to leave his sons a good inheritance, though he isn't exactly straight-up greedy.
The Prize: Alavda Endris is a slave to Valerius. The bad news is that she almost never leaves his side. The good news is that that makes her easy to find.

The Plan: One team is sent in, with Felix dressed as a minor lordling and his entourage trying to climb the social ladder by schmoozing an old magister. Felix claims to be staying as a guest of a nearby lord (technically true) and only visiting for the day. Valerius must believe this boy is an upstart with no political value and too much money.

Another team performs a heist and gains the money Valerius keeps at this estate by pretending to be contractors hired to work on the floorboards in the room with the vault door (an appointment Valerius set up months ago and our team hijacked). Planting bees in the floorboards will clear the room of guards. Felix pretends to fall in love with Alavda and asks to borrow her from Valerius. If Valerius hesitates, Felix offers him more and more money until he consents. He has loaned Alavda to other lords before, and Felix's show of being petulant and stupid should help wear away any suspicion that this is a set-up. In that way, it's a basic hustle. Once Valerius consents, Felix then sends an attendant outside to fetch that amount from the money stolen from Valerius' vault. The entourage departs, claiming to be returning to the local lord's house. They leave with Alavda and return to Skyhold.

MAJOR OBSTACLES:

Alavda is wearing an enchanted collar which allows Valerius to locate her. If it is cut away or in most any other way removed, it sends a massive and lethal shock through her system. The team will need to find a way to remove the collar without killing Alavda.

If/when the collar is removed, Valerius will send people to find her.

Valerius has about twenty guards on his property.

The vault door operates on reacting to a specific keystone which cannot be found, but aside from the magical lock, the mechanism is still a mechanism. A good thief can crack it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is vital that the members of this team keep their involvement and mission details secret before and after the mission. It must not get out that Inquisition members and affiliates were involved in hustling a magister.

Comments

[justice_is_blond]

His glance turns to a glare right back. Anders draws a breath to snap back... and stops, digging nails into his palm. This is important. It's important to Nate, and it's important to Kalli, and just because they have to bring this annoyance along doesn't mean Anders should disrupt things.

The second breath Anders takes is slower, forcing himself to some semblance of calm. "If you betray him, you will pay." He's fairly certain he doesn't need to say who 'him' is.

[solutus]

There is a real possibility the grind of Fenris' teeth is audible. Anders thinks he would what, strike a deal with a Magister and deliver them up? In exchange for what recompense? White hot indignation flared under Fenris' skin and was instantly allayed.

His eyes narrowed. "Just because your moral fiber was eroded away ages ago doesn't mean everyone else is the same, you know."

[justice_is_blond]

"You're speaking to the person who came to the Inquisition and returned to healing, at great risk." Barely, just barely he bites back the question of what Fenris is doing in Skyhold beyond drinking and scowling and probably sleeping with Isabela. Civil. He needs to somehow be civil, and not disruptive.

"What are you getting out of this?" Because Fenris' motives can't be altruistic. They can't.

[solutus]

"Oh, well pardon me, that definitely makes up for your self-justified terrorism." His hiss becomes falsely light as he pressed his hands to his chest mockingly. "It's alright everyone, he's here at great risk to himself! It's very noble. Someone ought to bake you a pie."

He scoffs, and pushes his hands from himself in a disgusted gesture. "Why don't you tell me, since you seem to have your own ideas about what I would do?" Because aiding in opening a channel to smuggle slaves out of Tevinter to freedom whilst simultaneously striking a slow-bleeding wound to the Magisterium apparently wasn't enough of a motive.

[justice_is_blond]

"They do make pies for me. They don't for you? I'm... No, I'm not surprised. Your demeanor is just so friendly they must figure you don't want pie." His voice is as sarcastic as it can get, because that's the best defense. He will not argue Kirkwall with Fenris. Not with someone blindly calling it terrorism.

"And unlike some, I don't ask questions I have the answer to."

[solutus]

Fenris rolls his eyes and rebuffs a retaliation suggesting perhaps it's only in hopes he might choke.

"I don't owe you any answers. At least my presence serves function. What are you here for again? Besides serving as Howe's tent warmer." The last bit slips out before Fenris can catch it too, capitulating to a level of pettiness he might've been ashamed of if it weren't Anders in the crosshairs.

[justice_is_blond]

Tent warmer. Now there's a sharper edge to his voice - Fenris has touched on something very important to Anders. It's a vulnerability, and Anders gets defensive.

"He loves me. I realize love is a concept you're not in the least bit familiar with. Just like you're not familiar with the logic of bringing a healer along despite how many times my magic saved your life."

[solutus]

He ought to be above the flicker of satisfied glee to when it's clear he's struck a nerve, but there it is.

"I am not well enough acquainted with him yet to know consider that a character flaw or just a lapse in judgement," he shoots back, and actually does mean it. How someone could still trust Anders knowing full well the extent of his crimes brought to light all manner of questions regarding their acumen, in Fenris' opinion. "All I see is a liability. Maybe you'll decide you fit in well in Tevinter after all."

[pinprick]

"Andraste's blood."

Nathaniel has caught the last few exchanges, and had been hoping someone would be a grown-up enough to stop this, but it appears he's going to have to intervene after all. So he comes in, sounding weary and irritated.

"You." He points to Anders. "Stop baiting him. You." To Fenris. "He's not possessed anymore, and that's exactly as much as you need to know or comment on the matter. You're both here for a common cause. If you can't peacefully ignore one another, I'll do what my nurse used to do when my sister and I fought."

[justice_is_blond]

Nate's timing is perfect, because Fenris just hit on something that's worried Anders a great deal - that Nate loving him is a lapse in judgement. He's opened his mouth to fully lash back, to stop holding back, when Nate steps in.

Almost, almost, he lashes out despite the interruption. Baiting? Not possessed is what matters? Instead Anders looks away, a little hurt and knowing it's stupid. If Nate takes sides, it could cause further problems. He wants it anyway.

"I was ignoring him," he mutters.

[solutus]

For his part, Fenris at least has the dignity to look the slightest bit put-out at having his squabble with Anders witnessed. He crosses his arms with a stubborn scowl and resists the urge to accuse Anders of starting it by looking at him.

"Exculpated entirely then, I see. I shouldn't be surprised," he mutters under his breath, lip curling, but he cuts his eyes to the side indicating he's willing to lay it aside. For now.

The crestfallen chagrin on Anders' face at least is some consolidation.

[pinprick]

Nathaniel is slightly disappointed that he doesn't have to torment the other two men by stating exactly what it was that Adria made him and Delilah do when they fought, but the important thing is that their feud is at an wait what was that.

A withering glare at them both.

"Fine. You'll both give one another a hug and a kiss on the cheek in front of everyone else at camp. Now. Unless you want to shake hands privately and apologize to each other first, like men."

[justice_is_blond]

"You what?" There's some outrage in his voice at the first suggestion, but even the second one doesn't sit fine with him. Apologize? To Fenris. After several moments, his expression becomes icy. Fine. He can say the words, make the gesture, and maybe then Nate will stop treating him like a child.

He holds out a hand with a sneer.

[solutus]

Anders look so horrorstruck that Fenris almost laughs. He'll make an empty demonstration of peace if he has to, but he isn't taking orders and he isn't apologizing. Especially not first.

He takes Anders' proffered hand with a jerky shake and snatches his own back quickly like the mage has something catching.

[justice_is_blond]

He made the first move with his hand. Now it's Fenris' turn, and Anders crosses his arm and raises an eyebrow, waiting. Anders can wait quite some time if he has to; Nate saw him initiate this. That has to count for something.

[solutus]

In response to Anders' raised eyebrow, Fenris raised both. Well? He straightened to his full height and crossed his arms again. He wasn't the one who felt a need to appease Howe.

[justice_is_blond]

He looked over at Nate, expression weary. Surely he doesn't expect Anders to do all the bowing? Not after all of what Fenris said?

[pinprick]

Nathaniel's mouth presses briefly into a thin line. His arms cross. His instinct is to be defensive of Anders, but he knows he has to remain impartial.

"Fine," he sighs. "Neither of you are permitted your spirit ration for the duration of the trip. The first one to apologize will have his reinstated."

Of course Nathaniel brought booze. What else could he threaten to take away to enforce discipline?

[solutus]

Fenris frowns. Threatening his alcohol supply is in fact one of the few things that is actually capable of rankling him. Still, there's nothing in Thedas that will make him apologize to Anders or take back what he said. Demon or no, he is still a monster.

However... he shifts his weight and looks at Howe, who looks tired and is clearly just trying to be a peacekeeper. Fine. He sighs. He hasn't come here to cause trouble.

"I...apologize for my part in creating hostility. My behavior was disruptive to others and generally uncalled for."

[justice_is_blond]

Anders' expression clearly says that he wants to roll his eyes. That's not an apology. Everyone here knows it. And there's no point in speaking an equally empty apology, because Nate only said the first one will get to drink again. He shrugs.

"I went without for years. I can go without again." Some can't. Like Fenris. "We're done here, then? As there's nothing for me to accept, or even return, there."

[pinprick]

Nathaniel is not sure what he was expecting. He's always thinking he can expect the people around him to be adults, but when has that ever been true? Well, Anders shook hands and Fenris apologized, so.

Bleakly, he considers the brighter side.

"Between the two of you, you have accomplished half of what I asked." His eyebrows raise a bit as he stares off into the distance. "That is something."

And there is discipline to make up for the rest. Fortunately, he's the leader of a private mission, not acting as Senior Warden here. He meets Anders' eyes and nods for him to follow him before breaking away and walking toward their tent.

[justice_is_blond]

A cold feeling of dread fills his stomach as Nate nods and walks off. He's just let Nate down, and he knows it, but he can't simply apologize to Fenris. He doesn't feel sorry to the elf. To Nate, yes. Fenris, not at all. Especially not when he often wonders when Nate will find someone better, because there are so many better options than Anders.

It takes work to keep his expression neutral as he walks away, to hide his fear, but he makes an effort. Fenris shouldn't get to see how worried Anders is.

Several things he could say are considered and dismissed as he catches up. Love, Nate, I can't keep from looking at someone, and so on. Eventually he settles on a nervous "Yes?"

[pinprick]

Once they're out of earshot, Nathaniel becomes the man instead of the leader. His lips tighten and he's obviously displeased.

"Speaking as your boyfriend now instead of your leader--is there anything I need to punch him for?"

[justice_is_blond]

The wary tension leaves his shoulders as Anders exhales, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Plenty. But you can't. You need him." He reopens his eyes and looks down. "And he'll abandon the plan in a heartbeat if he's too vexed. Now he has his wine, and he's picked a fight that cost me, so he'll simmer but not go rogue."

Trusting Fenris for anything is very, very difficult for Anders. But he thinks the elf probably feels like he's won this one, and in a way he has. Fenris won't betray them. Yet.

"What you could do is hug me. If you wanted."

[pinprick]

Once they're out of sight, Nathaniel pulls Anders into his arms and tucks his head under his chin.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Nathaniel can't, or at least shouldn't, appear partial on the outside. But a spirit ration isn't the end of the world, a small offering in exchange for peace in the camp. It's not, for example, love, affection, or sex.