Well it's time to celebrate your birthday, it happens every year

[pinprick]

WHO: Anders, Nathaniel, and invitees!
WHAT: Fancy birthday party in Camp Shady
WHEN: Harvestmere 27, evening
WHERE: Camp Shady
NOTES: Will update.

Since many Wardens moved into the Kestrel House, there is plenty of space in the camp for a big top tent. Finding enough candlesticks, tables, and chairs required a lot of time and a number of bribes to pull off. The tables are nicely draped with fabric lent by one of Anders' patients, and each is decorated with flowers. The tent is alight and smells like good food--more donations from grateful patients.

One of the Wardens is known for her fiddling, and she plays lively dances and crooning ballads. In the center table is an ice sculpture of a cat chasing a butterfly (you guessed it--donated by a mage patient). It glitters spectacularly in the candlelight.

On the menu is a slow-roasted pig, spiced hot cider, spectacular salads, jams, cakes, delectably seasoned vegetables, a lamb-flank, and your choice of wine. There is even a hard-won bottle of Antivan brandy Nathaniel had to win several card games to achieve.

Relax, enjoy, greet the birthday boy, and mingle. The nights will be cold soon, but under this tent, life glows.

Comments

[justice_is_blond]

"No bad wee Orlesian cakes, noted." He looks pretty amused himself. "And you should probably never come on a trip through the Deep Roads if you've no taste for deep mushrooms. We live fairly heavily on them down there."

And nugs. But what people who fancy the creepy animals don't know doesn't hurt them.

"Are there any traditions for what's done for a birthday where you're from? Gifts and dancing are pretty much staples for us."

[doneisdone]

Stranger still than before, Teren turns to look oddly at Anders, her expression pensive but not entirely unfriendly. He's said as much multiple times, but for whatever reason, this is the first time it's really stuck. He is at her side, and she at his. That's... nice.
And also dangerous.
"Aye, they do," she agrees, sighing out her previous irritation, and she lets the poker rest back against the stump with a lazy thud. "Just be careful, boy. Always careful."

[justice_is_blond]

He nods in thanks, before smiling at Purrelden.

"Sometimes it makes it extremely difficult. Let's see if this works." He picks up a scrap of meat from his plate and holds it up, clicking his tongue at his cat. She doesn't notice, too busy with trying to pin Garahel's paw. Anders clicks again and this time she sees it. After one more bat at Garahel, Purrelden crouches down, wiggles her butt, and leaps for the meat, grabbing it and leaping backward.

"One click is get the meat. When she listens. Two is when I've a target for her to get, and then she gets the meat. She's starting to get better at it."

Now that she's got the meat, Purrelden's chewing and swallowing on the way back to her buddy.

"My last cat took out a genlock. I don't think I can expect that of her, but as my future holds a lot of the Deep Roads she needs to be able to attack and come."

[justice_is_blond]

The arm around his shoulders gets a momentary stiffness that fades away. He likes contact. He's still getting used to it with each person that gives it, though, aside from a few he's known for some time. The comment, though, gets a blink of surprise. That's entirely different from the previous conversation, and it takes Anders a moment to switch gears.

"You may have a great deal of time to learn. I don't know if any Rifters have managed to go home as of yet. And with Solas missing again..." That ends a lot of speculation on the rifts. They needed to get more experts on them.

[justice_is_blond]

He smirks as he looks over at Iskandar again.

"Good luck, Cyril. Though I'm sure you'll have him eating out of your hand in no time. And thank you for coming." With that, he's ready to go find other guests. Cyril doesn't need encouragement, or luck, but Anders is more than willing to give it.

[justice_is_blond]

"Careful is what I do best," he says with an expression that says exactly the opposite.

"I walked directly into Skyhold with all sorts of safety measures for when they discovered who I was." None. Absolutely none, no real plan except dying. If Nate hadn't stepped in...

"You've nothing to worry about."

[justice_is_blond]

He meets Kirk's eyes as he talks, gratitude entering his own. All of this evening is nice. Sometimes he feels isolated and like he can do nothing right, and then there's tonight, with friends. He's not alone, even when he feels like he is.

And then they're moving on to joking with that squeeze and his expression lightens.

"Adding kittens to a household that already has cats is complicated. They have to get along, one of them has to establish dominance, it's a mess. I'll not do that to you." He pauses for a beat, smile threatening to widen. "Probably. I mean, I wasn't thinking about it until just now."

[doneisdone]

Teren snorts. Nothing to worry about? Maybe when she's dead.

"I'll decide that, thank you," she says with a roll of her eyes, and steps toward him long enough to lightly clip him on the back of the head with her palm, just enough to muss his hair a little. "Now go eat your bloody dinner or your Nate and I will have to start forcefeeding you."

[justice_is_blond]

"Mm." He nods. He sees the change in Sam's lips and knows they're on slightly tricky territory here now. Maybe it hadn't been as simple and straightforward as Sam's making it seem.

"I'd... There's one person, if she were to be interested, I'd see if Nate would be flexible on. As a regular partner. But I know it's not an easy concept for him. I can be monogamous with an occasional threesome visitor." A beat. "I can be monogamous, even. He's inclined toward that," like a lot of people, really, "and is happy. And when he's happy, I'm glad."

[justice_is_blond]

He ducks his head, giving her a small smile.

"I've eaten plenty tonight. ...But as the spread Nate's put out is rather impressive, I'll try to eat more. Just for him and you." He pauses after he's half-turned to go. "Thank you for coming, Teren." It means a great deal that she did.

[circleprodigy]

Purrelden better watch out, because Garahel's appetite is endless and he isn't above taking some for himself if there's even a little dropped. As it is, he whines and looks to Inessa, who tosses him some jerky. "Play nice, she earned her portion fair and square."

Turning her attention back to Anders, she raises her eyebrows, clearly impressed. "A genlock? I wish I could have seen that for myself. But yes, some training is ideal. Cats are intelligent, but the Deep Roads is a place where more than innate intelligence is needed. The more training she has, the better."

[sunshinethroughgrey]

"I am clearly saying that you are both very handsome. So there." She stated in turn, before she poked him again.

"I do! ...I watched people do all sorts of odd things. I never had anyone come and face me, though." She had thought that odd, honestly, before she blinked at him. A laugh burst from her lips.

"Well honestly it sounds like you all might have won that one."

[doneisdone]

"Good," she replies, and smirks toward him in her standard cryptic way. Maybe he won't have to die tonight. (that's not what it means I just wanted to end it dramatically)

[unbrokenoath]

Kaisa wrinkles her nose at the cat, faintly annoyed that Purreldan felt like she had any right to be that cute. How dare she. Stop being so cute, you stupid cat. But Anders distracts her, and she snorts in amusement, turning to to task of making sure that she got to eat some of her own food.

"You know, it's dangerous to spill secrets like that around me. I might have to start blackmailing you to keep that on the downlow, or I'll tell Nathaniel that he's dating someone even older than Teren. Maybe a hug. Or a noogie, if I'm feeling particularly black-hearted." She pauses for a moment, then begins to dig around in a pocket. "Luckily for you, today is the reverse of blackmailing."

And with that, she holds out her fist, and deposits a hair brooch into either his waiting hand, or next to his plate, if he doesn't feel cooperative.

"Happy birthday, Anders. I thought you deserved something pretty."

[conqueredhearts]

"I see! That makes sense!" They were just people after all. Though they could use magic they were far from being gods or the like. Limitations would come with the territory. It was good for him to learn this now as well so he'd be able to know what his mage friends could and could not do right away while they were in the heat of battle. That way he could be there to support them for whatever they had to go through to prepare for the next spell and the next. "Do all mages have their specialties in these lands? You said yours was ice."

[conqueredhearts]

"Whether or not I have a lot of time matters little to me. All time is precious and I will enjoy it to the fullest." Iskandar smiled at him then gave a sigh as he watched the merriment before him. Was there really anything better than joy expressed by those gathered to celebrate one they cared about? Not in his opinion anyway.

"Perhaps I will even write some of my own songs to add to those that can be found in this world."

[wontforgetyou]

"If it was just the mushrooms, it'd be fine. I like mushrooms. But you put that other stuff with it and..." He breaks off, grimacing briefly before winding up shaking his head. "No, thank you."

He has a feeling that particular flavor combination isn't really one that winds up showing up in the Deep Roads anyway, but if he was there and for some reason it did - well, nugs would be much more welcome. Besides, it's not as though he hasn't raised animals in the name of food in the past. Eating them now wouldn't bother him nearly as much as the cakes.

Speaking of cakes, though, after he gets past that momentary shudder, he's alright again - and it's not long before he's able to think about much more palatable sorts of cakes, as well as other things that tend to go along with birthdays.

"Depends on where you are and when you are, I'd say. Back home there might be a wee bit extra for supper, if you had the food for it, but you'd still be expected to work, just like any other day. But in other times, there's parties and something called birthday cake...oh, and gifts, of course. You might get something back in Scotland, but it'd likely be practical things. A new shirt if yours needed replacing, maybe, or a stone to sharpen your dirk with. That sort of thing. Nothing fancy, as we'd not really had the money for anything like that."

[justice_is_blond]

Both handsome. It's nice to hear, and it's nice to have an ally in calling Nate so. Anders struggles with his vision of himself on a great many things, but it's appearance that Nate struggles with. To have help supporting Nate there is a blessing... but that's far too sober a thought for a moment like this, which means Anders pokes her in the arm in return.

"Point made and taken. I suppose we did all win that day." Somedays it's hard to remember that, that Nate won too. That he didn't just wind up with a weight around his ankles. Right now, though, he can. "But I won most of all."

He glances around. "Just look at this. So much of it wouldn't be happening if not for him, after all."

[circleprodigy]

Inessa nods, though she can't help but correct the terminology. "Well, that isn't a specialization so much as an affinity. Many mages do have an talent for one type of magic, though that doesn't prevent them from learning others. Specializations are different, advanced magic for those inclined to take their studies further. For example, I am a rift mage and that was not an innate talent at all, but the result of intense study and practice."

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Well, did she really need to go into how she had infatuations on the noble sorts? She always had - perhaps a reminder of her father. That wistful feeling of missing something because Nate and Anders had one another had faded, for she had her own 'Nate', the person who she set her cap and star upon.

"You should just admit that I am usually right about these sorts of things." She gave him a faintly impish look. "Remember, I am ever the sensible one. While you are clearly the romantic."

She looked around, before she gave his arm a squeeze, "He's a wonderful man -- and we're all lucky to have him." Nothing but sincerity, to the man who had saved them both.

[justice_is_blond]

The grimace draws a chuckle from Anders. Some countries just didn't do food that well. He's not a fan of the 'fancier' Orlesian cuisine... but he's also not a fan of a lot of the grey stuff Ferelden had. Give him something with spice and obvious vegetables and meat any day, simple and fiery.

"A cake specifically for birthdays? And as far as fancy presents go...." Anders looks around. "It's a little much, isn't it. I've been reminding myself that this is around thirty year's worth as if it makes the extent of it a little less... excessive." If he stops and thinks, like he's been trying not to do, the party is daunting. His smile slips a little. He's not exactly worth this.

Looking back at Jamie, his expression is serious. "It doesn't, does it."

[justice_is_blond]

She doesn't seem to notice the threat, arrogance keeping her tail straight as she strides right over to him and plops down. Or maybe she does notice it and she's being contrary. Anders sighs. It's not like he can teach her to behave, but sometimes it would be nice if she wasn't so contrary. Or so like her owner.

"Claws to the eyes. And, granted, the genlock did part of the work itself after, falling down into a rather large chasm, but if it could see, it wouldn't have fallen." He grins at her. "And Garahel seems to be doing well at keeping his head in difficult situations? He's going everywhere with you. And he seems acceptably intelligent for something of the canine persuasion."

It's entirely teasing. Garahel's clearly competent. But the cat versus dog argument can never be allowed to rest.

[circleprodigy]

Inessa chuckles, not minding the teasing at all and Garahel even barks, seeming to take all that as a compliment. "Sometimes too much so; I have to be careful to speak of baths around him, for when I do he's often nowhere to be found. You would be surprised how well a large hound can hide when he puts his mind to it."

Garahel looks over at Anders and whines. Baths are evil, please back him up here.

[justice_is_blond]

Once he'd been all about living life to the fullest. He'd had quite a few exciting moments when on the run from Templars. Now he was starting to regain that, from time to time, like here at this party. But there was always so much work to do, too, and it often swept him back under.

"It seems a worthy goal." He was no songwriter, but perhaps Iskandar is. The man was full of ideas and drive, clearly. Anders took a breath and smiled at Iskandar.

"I wish you luck in trying that out. And I'm also going to ask to take leave of you; there are a few more people I should seek out."

[bookish_lioness]

She isn't sure if Anders is only being polite or if he really does like the gloves, but at least he's being good enough not to mock her for them. She doesn't realize that it's almost an expected response to her knitting until it doesn't happen anymore; she'll have to remember to tell Harry and especially Ron about this.

"Oh, well... my knitting has a tendency of coming out just a tad too big," she admits as she slips off the too-large glove. "I can usually make some adjustments if I need to, but once I realized that these would never fit me, you were the next person that came to mind. I'm just glad I didn't try to compensate by making them even bigger."

Handing him the glove she'd just been wearing, she takes a small breath, glad to have the weight off her shoulders now that she knows he doesn't hate them. "I'm glad they fit. And that you seem to like them. Or that you're doing a remarkably good job of pretending."