faderift | [Open] You'll think "how did I get here, sitting next to you?"

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[Open] You'll think "how did I get here, sitting next to you?"

WHO: Anders and anyone who wants to come pester him or be pestered by him
WHAT: Anders Does Skyhold
WHEN: Through Harvestmere
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: He's Anders.

1. Healing Tents

His robes are dark blue today with silver trim - Warden colors - swooshing around a little as he works around the tent. He likes these robes, which is one of the reasons for his faint smile. The main reason is far more simple; this is where he feels like he's accomplishing something good. Which is why, as long as you're not dripping blood all over the place when you come in, the small smile stays in place as he asks what brings you in today.

In the slight event someone is dripping blood all over the place, they'll be greeted with bandages and help down into a chair.

--Alternately--

He's got much of their dried herbs set out in front of him so he can take a measure of what they have and what's still good. Even in the cold mold can still set in. Supplies look mostly good, though, and he takes notes as he starts pulling some of the fresher herbs out to begin a drying process on them.

2. Training the Hero of Purrelden/Garden

Ser Pounce-a-lot had been a very special cat. He'd been easily trained, for one thing, and Anders hadn't needed to worry about hauling him down to the Deep Roads to deal with Darkspawn. Purrelden? Isn't as brave. In fact, she has a habit of being timid when first encountering new insects. Which means the best thing to do is to have her in the area where the most bugs are found - the gardens.

"You're fine. It's smaller than your paw, you can take it on." She doesn't look sure, but he has dried meat and by now she at least seems to know that batting at a bug will get her a treat. "You can do it. You're a fierce warrior. You can take on anything."

He probably looks like he's talking to a bush if someone's coming up from behind or the left, but his attention is on her. And really, talking to plants is about the least harmful thing that could be done to his reputation.

3. Teaching

Since the conference, Anders has let it be known that he's open to working with anyone who wants to learn more about the practical spells he has under his belt, as well as learning in return, or even working on trying to make new ones together. There's a few stumps left set up where the conference was, and he can be found here some evenings to teach or learn or work. Until someone drops by he's reading or playing with his cat or both. Most of the time both.

4. Mess hall

He's trying to be better about eating all of his meals. It's a work in progress. Which is why he's eating his lunch 'late,' sometime in the early afternoon, and eating is a relative term. There's food on the plate in front of him, yes, but Purrelden's batted some peas off of it and Anders is more focused on notes than actually shoveling food in his mouth at the moment.

5. Wildcard

[ooc: Want something you don't see here? Toss it up! He gets everywhere so there's no worries about coming up with a reason for Anders to be somewhere. If you have a question or want to run an idea past me first, hit me up on Plurk at Nadat or Discord at Nadat#4647!]

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Nope. He much prefers when people get some of the context beforehand, he decides. Then he can ask what they know and fill in the picture rather than having to sketch wide lines and hope to fill in a fraction of it.

"Mages were kept in Circles, before, where some managed to suck up enough to be pampered, but many were abused and killed for imagined slights, whims, or simply being stubborn about being prisoners. A whole Circle could be killed off if the lead Templar thought it appropriate, and Kirkwall's lead Templar had been escalating toward that, toward an Anullment, for years."

He takes a breath. "I moved to stop it, thinking blindly that I was the only one who could. I blew up Kirkwall's chantry, the religious building, with the religious leader inside it. ...As well as others. It was later at night, not a whole lot of people would have been out and about then, but there were some who didn't deserve it that died that night. An Anullment was called, but mages had a chance to fight back, and battle broke out in the streets. There are so many other details, that's the barest outline of what happened... but it's enough, for now."

His face is carefully neutral, something he's been practicing a lot of late because he's needed the practice.

Iskandar listened to everything that he told him without saying a word. He wanted Anders to get this out in his own pace without interruption. That was how he'd learn the story of what had happened, to get an idea of why the world would feel as they did. There was a reason for it otherwise Anders would not be as cautious as he was now.

When the story finished, he sat up and brushed himself off. However, he didn't make a move to leave. Instead, he actually reached out to settle a hand on the man's shoulder as he gave him a warm smile.

"Thank you for telling me your story. It took great courage to do that and it is an honor to have chosen you as a friend of mine."

Just like that, he tilted his head to look back under the bush again. "Now, how are you doing, dear Hero? Have you faced your foe completely yet?"

Just like that. Anders blinks, staring at the man, as Purrelden takes the opportunity to loudly tell Iskandar all about how her day has been going. Never before has someone faced what Anders did so casually, so calmly, and Anders isn't entirely sure this is really happening.

Deep down he knows he shouldn't push. He should just take this at face value and enjoy it. Life is a great deal easier when he does things like that... but he doesn't understand how this is possible and Anders isn't content when he doesn't understand.

"Honor?" he finally manages to ask. In the meantime, Purrelden has decided her new target is Iskandar's hair, and she's batting at that, entirely distracted from her prey.

"Of course."

Rolling onto his back, he made it easier for the little Hero to reach his hair to play with it. He clearly didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, he made sure to hold quite still so that way she wouldn't be startled away from her current target of choice.

"To know that someone I have made my friend would be open about a dark time in his past and to see that he was growing from it is an honor. It takes a great deal of bravery to open yourself up to what could be another painful experience. So I thank you for doing so with me."

She's utterly entranced by his hair, combing little paws through it and batting at it, trying to catch the strands that escape her. In the meantime, Anders is on the quiet side. That's a view he hadn't thought of, but he's also still pretty sure he's not actually brave.

"I think you overestimate me. ...But thank you." Compliments aren't the most common thing for him, and he'll take them if they're given. "I'm touched that you'd still want to be my friend."

Especially without all of the context that might make his story more sympathetic, despite all he'd done.

"I do not see why I would not want to be. Obviously people here trust you and I can see you are working to do good. I hardly see you going out of your way to do things that will hurt the innocent. I have seen monsters in my time and you are not one of them, my friend."

It was as simple as that really. He'd listened and decided that mistakes had been made but now Anders was atoning for them. Why should he continue to condemn him when obviously Anders was doing that perfectly fine all on his own? He certainly didn't need his help with that so why not move onto something better and more positive?

He doesn't want to believe himself a monster, though it's difficult some days. Hearing that Iskandar doesn't believe him to be one is helpful. Anders takes a slow breath, relaxing and dipping his head for a moment.

"Some trust me. Some are waiting for me to make the smallest misstep so they can have my head. I work to make sure that doesn't happen."

"You could be one who has never made a mistake in your life and there will always be those waiting for you to do so." He considered a moment then grinned as he came up with something. "However, if you were truly terrible or evil or a monster or anything of the sort then this innocent little Hero wouldn't love you as she so clearly does. Animals have very good instincts when it comes to the sort of person who is worthy of love and she has chosen you."

He glanced upwards at where she was playing with his hair. "So why should we care what the world thinks of you? I rather like trusting her judgment. She's a clever little thing."

Anders reaches over and gently rubs Purrelden's chin, getting a chirp because she's busy playing with Iskandar's hair, can't he see?

"She's clever indeed." His voice is quiet. Not terrible, evil, or a monster. It's nice to have said again. Nate and a few others don't think him such, but they care deeply for him and of course wouldn't see him like that. Newcomers? They can only see what they have before them, without emotional baggage or filters. "Though it's lucky for me that she is. Nate picked her. I could have just as easily gotten a cat that wasn't as clever or adorable."

Purrelden is above most cats, in his opinion. Granted, he might think that about any cat he gets, but he's not going to change his mind on her.

"There are many things that could have been but as it stands this is where things are. And there is a beauty in that for the three of are here now as if perhaps destiny has led us to be together like this in this moment." And perhaps that wasn't the case and he would be okay with that too. Either way, he was rather amused by that noise from the feline. Clearly she knew what she wanted and Anders was not helping her to get that in any way shape or form.

"Ah I think that you have displeased her! How dare you distract her from the red wavy monster before her!" He let out a laugh then which clearly said he was only teasing the man.

"Who would have thought I'd grown something so dangerous? I should have known to be more careful."

"You should have." There's amusement in his voice as he lets Purrelden have her way. That's a far easier task than contemplating destiny, but he takes a breath.

"I don't believe in destiny, for the record. I don't want to. There are too many cruelties in this world for me to dismiss them as destined to happen. It's people who do things, not an overarching, pre-written fate." Karl was not born to be made Tranquil. The world was not meant to be like this; it had simply come to pass.

"Hm? Destiny is what we make it to be, didn't you know? No higher power can make me do anything I do not wish to for I will not allow it. There are too many free wills to say there is such a thing as a pre-written fate." Iskandar studied his expression a moment.

"Someone was hurt. Someone you cared about. Is that what happened?"

Clearly he'd misunderstood what the man had meant when he'd mentioned destiny. He can't say he's heard it described like that before.

"Many," is what he says, though, rather than discussing definitions. "The Circles and the abuses I mentioned weren't hypothetical. They were places of pain and loss. Not just of others, either. Have you seen the people walking around with sunbursts burned into their foreheads, empty eyes, always distant, never smiling or living?"

"I have." He said nothing more than that though, leaving Anders to have room to offer further explanation about them. He'd begun this so he wanted to hear what this meant from his point of view. Especially since he clearly had only an outsider's point of view on all of this.

Anders' eyes are downcast as he continues, but his voice is angry.

"Once, they were mages. And then those in charge decided to strip away everything that they were. Their personality, their individuality, their joy, everything that made them unique. Some were deemed too troublesome. Others, too fearful to be thrust into the Harrowing, when a young, oft times barely trained mage is sent up against a demon alone, when the demon knows the only way to get free is to kill the mage. Others were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and still others had that done because they had enough willpower to say no to Templar advances. They are now the Tranquil. They work mindlessly, they'll follow orders, and they're trapped in their own minds until or unless a cure is found."

A beat, and he looks up at Iskandar. "There's... Exposure to the Fade, indirectly, can cure them temporarily. But the one who was cured like that begged to die before he became Tranquil again, before all of the colors and joy in the world faded away, and it only lasted moments before he was buried once more. Finding a permanent cure is something the Chantry utterly opposes. And of course they do. They lose their last hold of power over us if we find it."

Someone truly precious to Anders had been made Tranquil then. He believed others had too but sometimes the one thing that tipped a scale was a loved one. Iskandar watched him another moment or so before he finally went to sit up. It meant taking his hair away from the cat but he needed to sit up for this so that way he could really look at Anders as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"I am no mage nor will I ever be. But should I find any information that might lead towards a cure then I will bring it to you right away. Hopefully we can ensure no more people that you love will be claimed in this way ever again."

It was all he could really do currently but it was something at least. With that, he offered him a soft smile. "There are things in life that are cruel but you are not alone in your fight, my friend."

He exhaled as he glanced back at the hand on his shoulder.

"You should know it's dangerous. The Chantry likely would stop at very little to silence that knowledge, if it's ever found, and you're a Rifter. They can find a reason. If you join this fight, know that they've had no issues with the deaths of thousands before, and one or two more will be nothing."

"Sounds like a good time then!" He laughed a bit and gave his shoulder a squeeze before lowering his hand. There was not a trace of fear to be found in his eyes. In fact, he looked very ready to take on that sort of challenge. "Anything else you wish to warn me of? I can tell you now my answer will still be the same."

A good time. A part of Anders worried about what he'd told Iskandar, as he didn't want the man to cross the Chantry and wind up in serious trouble or worse just because of his words... but at the same time, allies were invaluable. Iskandar's presence and determination were boons. Anders exhaled.

"Allies of mage freedom have threats from multiple directions. The Templars, who generally want to regain their power that they had due to holding mages captive, selling mage services, and lying to the populace about protecting them from mages. The uneducated, who believe that mages are all death and destruction waiting to happen. The Chantry, who also based a great deal of its power on the uneducated and the Templars. And then a few mages who benefited from the system, who can ignore how everyone suffered because it brought them things that weren't just pain and suffering." Anders took a breath. "If you work on this, on weakening one of the strongest holds had on mages, you'll have the enmity of all of them."

And then he looked directly at Iskandar and met the larger man's eyes. "But you'll have my gratitude."

"Then that will be enough."

He reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder, his eyes warm as he looked at him. "Remember that I already have many a risk from these people already just for existing as I am. For I am more than just a Rifter. I am a Spirit and that has consequences in a different realm here which is something I was informed of on my arrival. You can try to warn me away from this, my friend, but it will not change challenges I will likely face in the future."

The shoulder got a squeeze and then he laughed a bit. "So why not help my friends along the way in whatever ways I can? If this is a way I can aid you then this is what I will do."

It was hard, often, to simply accept help as offered. It took swallowing pride as well as fear, but Anders nodded and did his best. Iskandar knew there were risks. That was all Anders could really do, save offer one more thing.

"Do you have questions? Is there a way I can explain all of it that will make it easier to understand or approach? Or has there been enough information for now?" Because information overload was most definitely a thing. So was playtime overload, as Purrelden let him know with a snore from where she was curled up in the grass, against Iskandar's hair.

"I think you have managed to offer a great deal of information honestly. It is good to be able to speak with someone open to my questions though. It helps me to learn more about this world and the people within it." Really it helped him feel more like he was a part of it rather than some invader thrown here against his will. Perhaps he hadn't been born here but he was helping to save this world. That made him a part of it in some way and it only seemed right that he embrace more than that small bit.

"Ah! Have you any questions about things with me? I could answer those for you."

"What is it you did, back in your world?" Aside from being loud and enthusiastic about apparently everything. Was there anything the man didn't like? Probably. But his mental point stood - Iskandar seemed to embrace all he came across. Anders didn't know how anyone managed to have that much energy. Years ago, maybe, he had something close to it. But years had worn him down, and Iskandar had to be near his years if not past them.

"I suppose it depends on which time really. Once I was a conquering King who became known through history as one of the greatest kings to have ever lived based on the history books that I read about myself. Recently I was summoned as a spirit to fight in a war for the Holy Grail. Though that war is coming to an end and my battle along with it." Which didn't sound so bad when he phrased it like that. Not that he was paying much attention to any of that. Really he was just answering Anders honestly.

"...Right." What does one even say to that? "Why wouldn't you be conquering king and fighting spirit in a war that's close to its end?"

There's a person here who flies ships in space, another with a whole world of magic hidden away from common eyes and protected. Anything really is possible.

Purrelden mews at him, and Anders glances down at her before starting to carefully pick a pair of nettles out of her fur.

"I'll have to ask you more about that later on. It's about time for me to be heading back to the tents to work. The break was nice, but they'll be needing me again."

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conqueredhearts - 2016-12-30 13:01 (UTC) - Expand

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