Anders (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
justice_is_blond) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
faderift2017-09-03 10:27 pm
justice_is_blond) wrote in faderift2017-09-03 10:27 pm
Entry tags:
Any time he loses a friend, or thinks he's lost a friend, Anders gets insecure all over again. Everyone leaves in the end. He figures it's only a matter of time before he's down to just Nate, but instead of withdrawing, Anders tends to hover a bit more around other people who aren't done with him yet.
Never mind how it might make people want to be done with him all the more.
He's sought out Teren for now, mostly with the idea that he could check up on her and see how the potion he'd made was working. Anders knocks on her door and hopes the reasoning is enough.
Never mind how it might make people want to be done with him all the more.
He's sought out Teren for now, mostly with the idea that he could check up on her and see how the potion he'd made was working. Anders knocks on her door and hopes the reasoning is enough.
Darktown is always a little restless. It feels a little more restless this last week, but Anders isn't sure if that's real or he's projecting. It could even be a combo of both. Either way, he's on high alert when he hears the scuffle of feet behind him.
But he's not exactly ready for quite how many people there are and his heart drops into his stomach.
"I've no quarrel with you," he says, searching their faces and recognizing a couple that he's healed in the mix. They're not meeting his eyes. He may have made a serious mistake today.
But he's not exactly ready for quite how many people there are and his heart drops into his stomach.
"I've no quarrel with you," he says, searching their faces and recognizing a couple that he's healed in the mix. They're not meeting his eyes. He may have made a serious mistake today.
This is the third time this week that Kit has found his friendly neighbourhood vagrant asleep on the floor of his shack halfway between Lowtown and Darktown, and subsequently the third time this week he's had to escort the bleary-eyed drunk back down to his neck of the woods... which is, of course, in Darktown. He's saying in a friendly, conversational tone of voice, "All right, Chuck, here we are," again, "mind your head going under the doorframe--" when he catches a glimpse of a curious crowd maybe a block or so down the road. He pauses, nursing his cigarette in silence--then his eyes sharpen in alarm when he spots Anders, defensive and alone, in the middle of the mob.
...shit.
He jogs purposefully towards the group, ducking this way and that to avoid folks going about their drudgery-like business (for what other kind of business is there in Darktown), and only calls out, "Hey there--" once he's within shouting range of the gathering. He's armed, visibly so, but makes no move to unsheathe his axes just yet.
...shit.
He jogs purposefully towards the group, ducking this way and that to avoid folks going about their drudgery-like business (for what other kind of business is there in Darktown), and only calls out, "Hey there--" once he's within shouting range of the gathering. He's armed, visibly so, but makes no move to unsheathe his axes just yet.
This isn't the first time he's been to the alienage in recent weeks, trying to find out the whereabouts of one of his patients. This also isn't the first time he's failed, and he's getting more and more frustrated and worried.
A little elf girl, another one of his patients, runs up and tugs on his sleeve. Anders kneels and listens to her chatter excitedly about a very tall elf. She goes on for a while and he lets her, until she explains that her mother sent her because the tall elf was asking questions along the same lines as Anders, and then he's hastily getting back to his feet and letting her lead him by the hand over.
"Excuse me." He knows the elf a little, they've spoken before, but he's not that familiar with him. "Thranduil? I'm Anders. A little bird suggested you might be trying to find some missing elves as well?"
A little elf girl, another one of his patients, runs up and tugs on his sleeve. Anders kneels and listens to her chatter excitedly about a very tall elf. She goes on for a while and he lets her, until she explains that her mother sent her because the tall elf was asking questions along the same lines as Anders, and then he's hastily getting back to his feet and letting her lead him by the hand over.
"Excuse me." He knows the elf a little, they've spoken before, but he's not that familiar with him. "Thranduil? I'm Anders. A little bird suggested you might be trying to find some missing elves as well?"
Teren isn't in her room, but she's coming down the hall when she spots Anders in front of it, a new batch of leggings for mending under one arm. "No news today, boyo," she says, wryly but with a well-defined tinge of Don't You Even Try Me. When she reaches the door, she nudges Anders aside to unlock it, apparently somewhat more at ease than the last time he saw her. Perhaps even.... upbeat? Is that possible?
It's not the most interesting work, but minding the herb garden has been, thus far, the only task that Fern feels adequately prepared to tackle since arriving in Kirkwall. She's got a real knack for it, too; she's added some comfrey to the compost heap to help enrich the soil; harvested both the mint and the elfroot, which are both a bit prone to overgrowth if left untended even for a handful of days; planted parsley seeds after soaking them overnight, which ought to help them sprout faster, etc. Littered about the place are small glyphs emitting gentle warmth, to ward off the chill of the encroaching autumn. Perhaps if she can keep the first frost from taking them, she'll be able to dry more herbs before the cold sets in.
...it's such boring work, not at all like what she'd been hoping for when she arrived here. Scowling, she stuffs her spade back into the soil and keeps working.
...it's such boring work, not at all like what she'd been hoping for when she arrived here. Scowling, she stuffs her spade back into the soil and keeps working.
"No news, she says, looking in a better mood than usual?" he asks, and then regrets it a moment later. If she got laid with Wren, he doesn't want to know. But maybe there's something else going on. Maybe Bootsy headbutted her adorable earlier or something. It's not likely, but it's possible, and he'd really like to focus on someone other than him riht now.
Thank the Maker. They're still outnumbered, but just having backup makes Anders feel a thousand times better. He's also seen how members of the Legion of the Dead fight before. Anders takes a step back in the direction of where Kit's voice is coming from and takes a breath.
"Oh, here's my friend." His voice is forced casualness, as if he's not terrified, as if there's not a slight chance that Kit might want to actually be on the other side of matters. The odds are more for Anders than against, there, but there's always that risk.
"I should get back to healing. That's what I've been doing down here. Healing." A couple of people are looking past him and at the Dwarf now, which means they might be considering leaving. He can hope.
"Oh, here's my friend." His voice is forced casualness, as if he's not terrified, as if there's not a slight chance that Kit might want to actually be on the other side of matters. The odds are more for Anders than against, there, but there's always that risk.
"I should get back to healing. That's what I've been doing down here. Healing." A couple of people are looking past him and at the Dwarf now, which means they might be considering leaving. He can hope.
"I'm sure they did nothing to deserve that," Anders says, a little amused at the scowl on the woman's face. He's in his Warden robes, blue and silver, with his staff strapped to his back and his cat trotting along beside him.
"Unless it's the weeds you're directing your ire at, because I can agree with that."
Despite the teasing, there's a little tentativeness to the meeting. He never knows how meeting someone new is going to go, though generally the elves, dwarves, qunari, and Dalish aren't as angry about matters as humans are.
"Unless it's the weeds you're directing your ire at, because I can agree with that."
Despite the teasing, there's a little tentativeness to the meeting. He never knows how meeting someone new is going to go, though generally the elves, dwarves, qunari, and Dalish aren't as angry about matters as humans are.
This is a rare event, getting a break from healing at an actual meal time with no one running in, panicked and injured. As time goes by there are fewer glares in the mess hall too, so Anders is actually in a fairly good mood as he moves around the outskirts to his usual table. It's still off to the side, he's not about to be trying for the class clown attention outside of the Wardens, but it's with other people and it's a nice feeling.
The fact that someone else is already at the table is a bonus. They must not mind him, he figures, and then he catches the man's face and stops, tray halfway down. It can't be, but it is. It most definitely is.
"Ah. Julius. I..." Words. He has none, and this may be one of the first times Julius has seen Anders speechless.
The fact that someone else is already at the table is a bonus. They must not mind him, he figures, and then he catches the man's face and stops, tray halfway down. It can't be, but it is. It most definitely is.
"Ah. Julius. I..." Words. He has none, and this may be one of the first times Julius has seen Anders speechless.
"She sleeps occasionally these days," Teren brusquely replies, with the most momentary of glances to Anders; if one squints, it almost looks grateful. "What do you want?"
The question isn't any less friendly than usual, not that it's moreso either. Just, y'know, no need for beating around the bush.
The question isn't any less friendly than usual, not that it's moreso either. Just, y'know, no need for beating around the bush.
Kit slows to a purposeful walk until he's cut through the outskirts of the mob, and comes to stand next to Anders. He shoots him a wary glance, then looks back at the rest of the gathered faces.
"You all ought to go on home," he warns them, his voice steady, uncharacteristically cold.
Two or three of them seem affected by the warning, and after exchanging uneasy glances, they back down from the confrontation and turn to make themselves scarce. There's no guarantee they won't come back at a later date, but for now, Kit counts this as a minor victory. The others don't look put off; if anything, losing a few allies makes them dig their heels into the conflict.
"Hope you're ready to fight," Kit mutters to Anders under his breath.
"You all ought to go on home," he warns them, his voice steady, uncharacteristically cold.
Two or three of them seem affected by the warning, and after exchanging uneasy glances, they back down from the confrontation and turn to make themselves scarce. There's no guarantee they won't come back at a later date, but for now, Kit counts this as a minor victory. The others don't look put off; if anything, losing a few allies makes them dig their heels into the conflict.
"Hope you're ready to fight," Kit mutters to Anders under his breath.
Julius looks up, and he's startled, if not only that. He looks a bit thinner, certainly less perfectly put together than he was as a rule back at Kinloch Hold. He's cleaned up since arriving, but life has still left a mark on him in recent years, if maybe in a less dramatic way than it had on his former classmate. And if his expression at seeing Anders isn't unmixed joy, well -- surely that was not shocking under the circumstances.
For all that, he stands up, clearly in greeting rather than to flee. "Anders. I ... hadn't heard for sure whether you were alive." And the way he says it, for all things are complicated, Anders being alive is preferable to the alternative. "I only just arrived."
For all that, he stands up, clearly in greeting rather than to flee. "Anders. I ... hadn't heard for sure whether you were alive." And the way he says it, for all things are complicated, Anders being alive is preferable to the alternative. "I only just arrived."
Fern glances over her shoulder when she hears someone speak to her--and it's definitely Anders' Warden robes that snag her attention, moreso than anything else. She can even forgive him for being a dirty shem, sporting those colours. (That, and his cat is quite adorable.)
She dusts off her hands and gets quickly to her feet, wobbling a little on the uneven soil. She's quick to straighten up; best to make a good impression. "It's just a bit of busy work," she assures him hastily, "until I can get back down to the training grounds." She tries to pause, tries to ask the question casually, but it doesn't quite come out that way: "You're with the Wardens, aren't you?"
She dusts off her hands and gets quickly to her feet, wobbling a little on the uneven soil. She's quick to straighten up; best to make a good impression. "It's just a bit of busy work," she assures him hastily, "until I can get back down to the training grounds." She tries to pause, tries to ask the question casually, but it doesn't quite come out that way: "You're with the Wardens, aren't you?"
He's bracing for anger and ready to make a hasty retreat when Julius stands. There are a few things they've never really seen eye to eye on, and it's enough to possibly mean they'll clash here. But then Julius' voice isn't hostile. Anders blinks at him and starts to relax a little.
"I..." He trails off and nods, setting his food down. "The Wardens accepted me back.I'd not ask them why. I'm not sure even they know the answer to that." The statement is delivered with a slight, tentative smile. Julius doesn't want him dead. That's a nice thing to know. "I wasn't sure if you were alive or not either. I've not exactly been in touch with Kinloch Hold since my last departure. But you are. I'm glad."
There's a short beat. "Do you mind if I eat with you?"
"I..." He trails off and nods, setting his food down. "The Wardens accepted me back.I'd not ask them why. I'm not sure even they know the answer to that." The statement is delivered with a slight, tentative smile. Julius doesn't want him dead. That's a nice thing to know. "I wasn't sure if you were alive or not either. I've not exactly been in touch with Kinloch Hold since my last departure. But you are. I'm glad."
There's a short beat. "Do you mind if I eat with you?"
Purrelden always knows where there's a possible victim cat-admirer, and she trots up to start threading between the elf's legs despite the wobbliness. Anders, not for the first time, wonders at how quick she is to put herself at risk for the chance of affection, and dismisses it yet again.
"I am, yes." There's something behind the question, but it doesn't sound like anger or suspicion which means Anders is relaxed enough. "Is there something keeping you from the training grounds? If it's an injury, I may be able to assist. If it's bullies, I also may be able to assist."
"I am, yes." There's something behind the question, but it doesn't sound like anger or suspicion which means Anders is relaxed enough. "Is there something keeping you from the training grounds? If it's an injury, I may be able to assist. If it's bullies, I also may be able to assist."
The cat is far too charming for Fern to resist, and so she reaches down to give her an affectionate stroke. Purrelden is at no risk in her company.
"Is there something keeping you from the training grounds? If it's an injury, I might be able to assist. If it's bullies, I also may be able to assist."
"I don't need any help," she mutters, both defensive and a bit embarrassed to think that the treatment she's received from the other Circle mages her age might have been witnessed by others--and by a Grey Warden too, of course, that's just her luck. She frowns and straightens her back, folding her arms over her chest. "And what would I do down at the training grounds anyway? I'm a mage, and it's just a bunch of Templars down there most of the time anyway."
"Is there something keeping you from the training grounds? If it's an injury, I might be able to assist. If it's bullies, I also may be able to assist."
"I don't need any help," she mutters, both defensive and a bit embarrassed to think that the treatment she's received from the other Circle mages her age might have been witnessed by others--and by a Grey Warden too, of course, that's just her luck. She frowns and straightens her back, folding her arms over her chest. "And what would I do down at the training grounds anyway? I'm a mage, and it's just a bunch of Templars down there most of the time anyway."
"I am now," he mutters back. Taking them on alone with no witnesses could have been a death sentence. Just a hint of a possibility of him going rogue and killing people in Darktown would undermine so much that he'd worked for, along with how much protection the Wardens could offer him.
"You should go, Dwarf," says one of the group, "we don't have a quarrel with you."
There was more muttering from the crowd, and Anders took the opportunity to toss barriers around himself and Kit before pulling his staff off his back. There's a yell from the group and then the tension snaps as three of the small gathering charge forward with knives.
Anders catches the first one under their arm with his staff, shattering their elbow, and then he casts ice on the ground in front of the second so they slip. He's limiting himself, not using magic to actually harm, because otherwise this is going to go so much worse.
"You should go, Dwarf," says one of the group, "we don't have a quarrel with you."
There was more muttering from the crowd, and Anders took the opportunity to toss barriers around himself and Kit before pulling his staff off his back. There's a yell from the group and then the tension snaps as three of the small gathering charge forward with knives.
Anders catches the first one under their arm with his staff, shattering their elbow, and then he casts ice on the ground in front of the second so they slip. He's limiting himself, not using magic to actually harm, because otherwise this is going to go so much worse.
"You should go, dwarf, we don't have a quarrel with you."
"Then prove it and back off," Kit fires back. He doesn't have to raise his voice much for it to carry, to communicate command that he likely hasn't had to utilize since his years in the Deep Roads. It has an affect on the one making the threats, at any case, causing him to take a small step backward--but doesn't seem to stop the idiots who charge forward with their knives and shivs.
Ancestors, but they could get themselves killed, charging towards anyone else like this. The flash of Anders' magic next to him sends a spike of involuntary fear up his spine, but Kit masters it well; Anders is no darkspawn emissary hurling terrors in the dark, and his ice spell is effective enough to send two of the belligerent would-be attackers slipping and sliding to their knees. One of them manages to get through, however, but before he can land a blow against Anders' exposed shoulder, Kit juts out a leg to trip the guy up, then grabs him by the back of the shirt and all but hurls him back to the crowd.
"Then prove it and back off," Kit fires back. He doesn't have to raise his voice much for it to carry, to communicate command that he likely hasn't had to utilize since his years in the Deep Roads. It has an affect on the one making the threats, at any case, causing him to take a small step backward--but doesn't seem to stop the idiots who charge forward with their knives and shivs.
Ancestors, but they could get themselves killed, charging towards anyone else like this. The flash of Anders' magic next to him sends a spike of involuntary fear up his spine, but Kit masters it well; Anders is no darkspawn emissary hurling terrors in the dark, and his ice spell is effective enough to send two of the belligerent would-be attackers slipping and sliding to their knees. One of them manages to get through, however, but before he can land a blow against Anders' exposed shoulder, Kit juts out a leg to trip the guy up, then grabs him by the back of the shirt and all but hurls him back to the crowd.
The split-second hesitation is very Julius, for all he wouldn't thank Anders for saying so; an unkind observer might suggest Julius has never answered a question without pausing in his life, a kinder one that his temperament is deliberate.
Either way, it's less than a full second before he says "Of course." He gestures, and resumes his own seat. "I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure I knew you'd left the Wardens as such. Or that anyone did. Then again, it's not like people were eager to pass us detailed news back when I was still at the tower."
Say, whatever became of that guy who kept escaping until it took? absolutely no one was asking in Templar earshot.
"Anyway, the Wardens probably never had someone ask to come back before, maybe you took them off guard?"
Either way, it's less than a full second before he says "Of course." He gestures, and resumes his own seat. "I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure I knew you'd left the Wardens as such. Or that anyone did. Then again, it's not like people were eager to pass us detailed news back when I was still at the tower."
Say, whatever became of that guy who kept escaping until it took? absolutely no one was asking in Templar earshot.
"Anyway, the Wardens probably never had someone ask to come back before, maybe you took them off guard?"
Edited 2017-09-07 23:16 (UTC)
"That's actually what I was coming to check on, if it was helping." And now he's out of clear excuses to linger and it's time to get creative if he wants to hang around.
"Could you use... anything?" That was not as creative as it could have been, but at least he's not outright saying that he wants company.
"Could you use... anything?" That was not as creative as it could have been, but at least he's not outright saying that he wants company.
While his chuckle is a little weak, it's at least there. Anders spends so much time on the defensive it takes him off guard when he doesn't have to be. He takes a seat and then has to smile wryly at understandable gap in Julius' awareness of Anders' life.
"Did you notice Rylock and Rolan leaving with a bunch of their friends, the Templars I'd really angered? They came after me, even though I'd been conscripted as a Warden. A few of them even went so far as to join the Wardens, and then after I'd helped the Hero of Fereldan," yes, there might be a little bit of old, smug, gossipy pride there, "and he'd gone off to adventure on his own, they saw their chance."
The smugness is gone just as quickly as it showed up. "They ambushed me and I couldn't see the Wardens being happy with someone who had just killed several other Wardens, no matter it being in self-defense. So I took off to find Karl." Which had gone even worse. He hadn't exactly been lucky with, well, anything.
"That's a long story short, because I'm assuming you don't want all of the details." He picks up his fork and looks over at Julius before a tiny bit of amusement comes back to his face. "After all, there's not much in there that's about being surrounded by boring walls."
"Did you notice Rylock and Rolan leaving with a bunch of their friends, the Templars I'd really angered? They came after me, even though I'd been conscripted as a Warden. A few of them even went so far as to join the Wardens, and then after I'd helped the Hero of Fereldan," yes, there might be a little bit of old, smug, gossipy pride there, "and he'd gone off to adventure on his own, they saw their chance."
The smugness is gone just as quickly as it showed up. "They ambushed me and I couldn't see the Wardens being happy with someone who had just killed several other Wardens, no matter it being in self-defense. So I took off to find Karl." Which had gone even worse. He hadn't exactly been lucky with, well, anything.
"That's a long story short, because I'm assuming you don't want all of the details." He picks up his fork and looks over at Julius before a tiny bit of amusement comes back to his face. "After all, there's not much in there that's about being surrounded by boring walls."
He understands defensiveness more than she might know. To seem like a little less of a threat after that, he kneels himself and starts petting his cat, rubbing her cheek as he looks down at Purrelden.
"And Templars are far from good company a vast majority of the time," Anders agrees. "While I personally find the chance to learn how to fight them without magic a valuable one for what comes after the Inquisition's job is done, I can't blame anyone else who doesn't want to be around them. Were you looking for a Warden for something, or just noting what I am?"
"And Templars are far from good company a vast majority of the time," Anders agrees. "While I personally find the chance to learn how to fight them without magic a valuable one for what comes after the Inquisition's job is done, I can't blame anyone else who doesn't want to be around them. Were you looking for a Warden for something, or just noting what I am?"
The rest of the crowd pauses as they look at what's happened, one guy on the ice, one tossed back, and one whimpering in pain.
"You can leave," Anders says, making sure to project. He doesn't want this fight. He wants to heal in Darktown, not leave some residents bleeding in the streets.
One leaves from the back, followed by a couple more seconds later. They're down to ten people facing them, including the three who had come against them.
"I won't keep track of your faces, I won't seek revenge." Begging would be risky. But giving them an easy out, that's something that shouldn't backfire too hard. He will remember their faces, he can't help it, but that means he knows to be wary of those specific faces in the future.
"You can leave," Anders says, making sure to project. He doesn't want this fight. He wants to heal in Darktown, not leave some residents bleeding in the streets.
One leaves from the back, followed by a couple more seconds later. They're down to ten people facing them, including the three who had come against them.
"I won't keep track of your faces, I won't seek revenge." Begging would be risky. But giving them an easy out, that's something that shouldn't backfire too hard. He will remember their faces, he can't help it, but that means he knows to be wary of those specific faces in the future.
"Yes," Julius says, dry, "I was always well known for my fondness for walls."
He knows Anders hated it, and he certainly never pretended it was without flaw, but the tower had been home for Julius. He still feels a bit adrift, so long away from it, and it aches to know he might never go back. (And, even if he did, so many people he knew wouldn't be there.)
Still, he doesn't linger over the moment. "I might want the details some day, at that, but probably not in the middle of the mess hall. I'm sorry, though. When I heard you'd joined the Wardens, I thought you might have finally found a way out for good." It hadn't been simple, but in hindsight it almost seemed that way. Before the world had fallen apart.
He knows Anders hated it, and he certainly never pretended it was without flaw, but the tower had been home for Julius. He still feels a bit adrift, so long away from it, and it aches to know he might never go back. (And, even if he did, so many people he knew wouldn't be there.)
Still, he doesn't linger over the moment. "I might want the details some day, at that, but probably not in the middle of the mess hall. I'm sorry, though. When I heard you'd joined the Wardens, I thought you might have finally found a way out for good." It hadn't been simple, but in hindsight it almost seemed that way. Before the world had fallen apart.
Page 1 of 4