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WHO: Bethany Darton nee Hawke, Fenris, Jim Kirk, Inessa Serra, Velenna, Hermione Granger, and whomever else wants to go exploring
WHAT: Book nerds!
WHEN: Last week of Justinian
WHERE: The Kirkwall Library
NOTES: You cannot handle this much nerd.

Bethany was waiting for her little group in front of the Viscount's Palace, and if they happen to get there early they can see her pensive expression as she looks off to the crater where the Chantry once stood. She was, after all, a Fereldan dog who called Kirkwall her home, so every wound here is personal.

Yet as soon as the others appear, her cheer returns, as she excitedly leads them to the Library of Kirkwall, in the lower levels of the Palace. Scholars wander between the tall shelves, but Bethany has an old brass key, and she leads them further down, down, down into the cellars of the library, where crates of books await them. Some are moldy, some are old and falling apart, and some of them are just useless ... but keep looking, you don't know what you might find ...be

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"Anders is thinking of starting a school. I have been thinking of asking him I can teach there." She sighed softly, "... Once we finish the creature. Once we are all - relatively safe again."

She learned a long time ago, there was no such thing as completely safe in their world.

"A school for what? How to blow up innocents in a single afternoon?" The usual harsh edge comes out all too readily there as he speaks of Anders. But, at the same time, he knows Bethany means well. He tenses up a little, stiffening as he forces himself to let some of that knee-jerk anger go. "No, I apologize, I don't mean to put down your own obviously good intentions. I hope that a day does come when we're finally safe again..."

They've fought a lot of awful things together, but this seems above and beyond their past experiences.

"... Well no, I am going to teach them to use magic as I have learned to use magic. Responsibly, and for the betterment of all." Bethany stated simply, looking up at Fenris, her expression sobering. "You know better than anyone that magic should be carefully taught - not to abuse, but to help, whatever what we can."

Fenris nods. If there's anyone who could be trusted to instill the right attitude about magic, it's Bethany. "Then I hope they all pay close attention to you and your techniques.... not to mention your overall attitude. They could stand to learn from your approach." Sure, he may have his issues with magic, but he's seen it put to good uses, too, and fought alongside mages plenty. "Better than anyone," he agrees solemnly. "Which is why I'm glad that this is being entrusted to you."

"Well I hope so ... but time shall tell." She gives him a wry smile, before she looks more serious herself. "My father was a great mage - and role model of what a mage should be. I want to follow in his footsteps as closely as I can ... but you know, he made mistakes too. I hope to learn from those, and if I make my own, learn from them as well."

Mages couldn't be perfect all the time, because they were people. That was the one lesson she hoped she had given Fenris, all the time they had known one another.

"Mistakes are meant to be learned from," Fenris agrees. "He sounds like a remarkable person... a shame I didn't have the chance to meet him." He actually sounds like another of those mages who he'd have tolerated, and very likely, respected, as much as he'd come to respect Bethany. Now he understands where she gets it from. It's been... difficult, and he still has his knee-jerk reactions about magic sometimes, but it's better than it once was, thanks to her.

"I wish you had been able to ... I wish you all had. So much about Marian, Carver and I was within our father - I mean, you met my mother. She was part of us but not so much as our father. It wasn't just the magic either."

She sighed softly, "Father always saw the larger picture - he didn't let himself get caught up in minutiae."

"That explains why you both turned out as you do... his upbringing must have been very influential." And why Bethany, despite being an apostate, didn't go out of control with her powers. She's strong because her father was strong, in a way not all mages ever are.

He pauses a moment, and adds in a lower voice, "You're fortunate you had that chance... to know him."

Edited 2017-09-19 04:09 (UTC)

"It was. From the very beginning I knew that my magic was both a gift and a responsibility. I was the one who directed it, so whatever I did with it -- would be a reflection of me. Thus, I wanted to to reflect the best." She thinks about it. "Marian wanted it to reflect her as well - but she was so angry when she was younger ... and her magic reflects that sometimes as well."

She looks over at Fenris, her brown eyes softening as she tightened her arm. "You best watch out - or I'll adopt you into the Warden family and then you'll have Nate as a Warden father."

"I've seen Marian's anger on more than one occasion... I have to say, I would never want to be on the receiving end of it." Well, maybe he had been a couple of times, but then who hadn't once in a while? There are plenty of things they'd disagreed on. It wasn't until she'd earned more of Fenris' trust that they'd started seeing eye to eye more often.

"I think I'll have to pass on the prospect of joining the Wardens... as thrilling as all of you make it seem."

"Oh, I've only seen the edge of it ... but once you're part of her family? You're in for life." She beamed up at him, before her eyes brightened with laughter. "I shall be so disappointed, but I suppose you will do what you will."

"That's what I like about you Hawkes." It had taken him a while to get used to them, to feel he could trust anyone who was a mage, but somehow they'd managed just that, over time. He'd never quite felt like he belonged, as much as he had among their little group. Even with certain individuals there. It had been almost a shame to split ways.

"I'm sure you'll find some way to manage without me." Just as he's more than sure he won't ever regret not joining the Wardens.

"Well, we are an amusing bunch." She beamed over at him, leaning in to bump their hips together. They were together now, and as far as she was concerned it was going to stay that way.

"Mmm probably but you're going to have to stick around for other reasons now."

"I can't deny that." Even he'd grown fond of them all and their ways, finding them pretty endearing after all of this time. He even rather regrets that they'd all gone their separate ways.

He raises an eyebrow curiously. "And what other reasons are those?"

She looks over at him, giving him an even look. "Because, your chosen family is here, and we'd rather like it if you stuck around."

"Is that what you are?" Fenris looks at her curiously, thoughtful and grim as he considers this. He doesn't know his birth parents, barely has a recollection of his mother's face. His only blood relative he's met in memory, his sister... isn't such a great person. In most of the time he remembers, he was never surrounded by family or friends. They were masters. Owners.

He didn't realize at the time, as much as he ought to have. But Hawke and all the rest... being around them was out of necessity at first, sure, then habit, then choice. They made him happy to be around (with a couple exceptions).

"Yes... you're right. We've become family, over the course of these years."

"Well, I like to think so." She states, looking up at him with a wry fondness, one that softens with a warmer smile as she squeezes his arm again. "And I think we are all better for it - every last one of us."

She sighs, softly, "And like all families, we bicker and fight and disagree ... but I think we would come together, if one of us was in danger."

To think, he'd spent a long time trying to find where he might belong... and he'd had it all along, with Hawke and the others.

"You're right, about being better for it." He thinks about the place he was in before he'd run across them, and the place he's ended up in now. It's not quite what he'd have expected, of course. "There are some of these 'family members' I could do without, but... I guess that's true, even then. We would come together."

Bethany is pleased to have blown your mind, Fenris. She doesn't honestly get to do it very often to anyone so there you have it.

"Oh Fenris, honestly... " She gave him a wry smile, and a slight elbow, but nothing more than that. Because they both knew those particular people had the same problems - but would still come for him. Eventually. After Anders had finished laughing.

It's one of those rare occasions, for sure, something worth celebrating since it almost never happens.

"I'm only speaking the truth. But I guess that's what makes family what it is... you never have a choice in choosing who's among them." Friends are chosen, right? Whereas family... they sort of happen to you, regardless of blood relation. Fenris would never consider Anders a friend but... ugh, yeah, maybe the other thing. Maybe. Either of them would probably suck it up and deal if they had to help one another. In the most grudging way.

Bethany just shook her head, before she gave him a quiet smile. "Well, at least I will know that you two will never change. A constant in the universe -- that is more comforting than I imagined it to be."

"At least someone can see the good side of it all." Really, count on Bethany to find a positive about that sort of thing. But if anyone could... she'd be the one to manage it.

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