[OPEN] Moving forward.

[minrathousian]

WHO: Atticus Vedici + OPEN; starters for Myr, Petrana, and Simon
WHAT: Atticus interacting with Petrana, Myr, and Simon, and whomever else chooses to visit him.
WHEN: Now-ish.
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: CW for discussion of slavery. For the first prompt, people can visit Atticus in the dungeons either before or after Myr arrives, though that conversation will be a closed thread. For the third prompt, everyone can pop in at any time, though it is presumed that (poor, unfortunate) Simon is stuck babysitting the magister again.

I.  THE DUNGEONS (OPEN + MYR)


It is the nature of dreams to be both dynamic and formulaic, but when the formula itself becomes dynamism, that is where trouble can brew--for a somniari magister, that is. And so when Atticus Vedici slips into Myr's dreams in the month following his vivid nightmare, he takes care to disrupt very little of what he sees.

He sees quite a lot, too:  visions of Myr's home in Hasmal's Circle, and the horrors wrought upon him during the rebellion. There are other, more abstract horrors that shift and undulate in the periphery of his sleeping mind, of an imagined Tevinter with sinister spires, and the clink of chains around brittle ankles

It's tired impulse that has Atticus soothe this one into dreamless, cool blue quiet, rather than yank that chain taught around the bones it cleaves to. He wakes sometime later in his cell, and by the time mid-morning is upon him he has dressed and found his research supplies, and is at work decrypting another cypher at the rudimentary desk set up by the wall.

He can't always work in the library.



II. THE FADE, AND THEN THE DUNGEONS (PETRANA)


This time when he visits Petrana in the Fade, he spells into existence for her a vivid, stylized portrayal of Minrathous, with its ancient sculptures and masonry that predates the founding of the Chantry, and magical architecture which enables whole buildings to float like islands in the sky. He leads her through streets ladened with history--or the history that he recalls, at any rate; the detail is extraordinary, but it is still detail borne out of his memory. It will invariably have gaps, that he fills in with elegant, imagined filigree.

They while away their lucid dreaming hours together in their usual way; this time, however, when Atticus can feel the fingers of wakefulness tugging at the edges of his consciousness, he slips an arm around her waist and prompts her quietly with, "There's a matter I'd discuss with you in person--if you can contrive an excuse to visit me."

He will leave it up to her to concoct the reason; whatever she decides, she will find him in his cell in the dungeons the following morning.



III.  THE BATHS (OPEN)


It's not feasible to completely clear out the Inquisition's bathing facilities just so one prisoner can have access to a bit of hot water, and so they aren't. If Atticus is rendered at all uncomfortable by stripping down and getting into the water while still sporting shackles around his ankles and wrists, he does an impressive job of hiding it--though he doesn't take his time with the task at hand, either.

Once out of the water, he covers himself with the worn robe that was provided to him for this occasion, then turns his eyes on the familiar Templar tasked, yet again, with keeping a keen eye on him at all times--even, it appears, at times when Atticus would personally prefer a bit of privacy. He extends one of his shackled hands Simon's way; bits of water still cling to his hair and skin, making him look decidedly un-magisterial.

"I'll make use of the straight razor now, if you don't mind."

Comments

[minrathousian]

To his (very limited) credit, Atticus glances Beleth's way only when he hears the ferocious splashing commotion she makes while scrambling to the ledge of the baths. Then he pointedly returns his attention to fastidiously scrubbing dirt out of his hair and the unruly beard that has grown along his jawline.

"I didn't realize they would bring prisoners here at this time."

"If you'd like to lodge a complaint," Atticus says dryly, then simply gestures over his shoulder at Simon.

[arlathvhen]

The glance that Beleth lobs at Simon is full of accusation, as though she were indeed considering several complaints to file with him. But Simon's eye roll and unenthused expression hints that it wouldn't go very far. So she shuts her mouth to form a displeased line across her face, contemplating a variety of cutting remarks that she dare not say, in her current position.

Her position as head of scouting, that is. Not her position as a mortified woman sharing a bath with a Tevinter magister.

"Very well," She says, trying to look as dignified as she can, circumstances considered. "Well. I suppose they didn't ask you what a good time to pencil it into your schedule was." It's said dryly, though it's an attempt--somewhat--at a conciliatory remark. It's not entirely your fault you're here, in her space, in a public building that's open to everyone.