[Open] If I could trade mistakes for sheep

[justice_is_blond]

WHO: Thor, Anders, and Open
WHAT: Whatever strikes fancies
WHEN: Through Drakonis
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: None atm

Anders - Infirmary

He's here from early morning to late afternoons, most days. There's not a huge need for him right now, but that means he can spend his time going through his notes and mess with his herbs and tinctures. It also means he can spend time with the hairless cat that alternates between snoozing in sunny spots and trying to eat his herbs. It's fairly peaceful, which means anyone coming in gets his attention and a greeting pretty quickly.

Anders - Clinic

Darktown, on the other hand, always has a need for him. From the late afternoon to sometime in the night Anders is here and it's busy. Injuries, illness, and people willing to risk being around mages to learn letters and numbers bustle in and out of the worn-down building. Coming in here looking for him gets someone guided by a volunteer past the tables set up for students to the back area with the patients.

Thor - Office

A very tall, muscled man sits behind a very small desk in a rather small office. It's not the greatest fit ever, judging by the way he sits on the corner as he works on a small pile of paperwork, heedless of an ink smudge going up his left cheekbone. He's muttering to himself, making notes in Tevene on a piece of paper to the side. He looks... a little annoyed, but not upset.

For Loki

The dinner spread is pretty usual for what they have in Kirkwall, far more modest than back at their estate but still better than what they could get in the Gallows. While there are three places set, it's just the two brothers. For now, at least.

...And a servant or three in the background, but they're servants. They don't count.

"I even heard two of the stall-runners in Lowtown discussing the election of the fake Divine," Thor says conversationally as he spreads butter on his toast, continuing the current topic. "Not even merchants, and they think it will make any difference to them."

For Finel

"So I've a couple of Circle texts on healing, left from this place's past, but no idea where you'd like to start. I don't know where your own studies have taken you." The books in question are on the table in the room Anders uses for research, in front of two stools, a pot of tea, and a pair of mugs.

"We could start with any questions you have? Or something you've wondered."
--


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Comments

[thorndergod]

Thor snorts. Politics is one of the things they have similar views on, for the most part. It's nice.

"All of these people who do not understand status and how the world works. All they know is that they do not want magic in charge, because one mage killed one woman Ages ago." He glances in the direction of the front hall, in the direction of most of the rest of Kirkwall. "The scramble is interesting. It is a shame Corypheus is not yet defeated; this would have been more interesting otherwise."

The servants are not slaves. He can't outright say that the struggle for influence could have been a great opening for an invasion... but he can absolutely think it and know that his brother likely thinks in similar ways.

"It could also become interesting in a bad way if the Inquisition splinters because of it." Different names of leaders are attached to different candidates. He hasn't met any of the Skyhold staff, which means he doesn't know if they're close enough to make it through one of them winning and others of them losing or not.

[hwaaaitsme]

"Frankly I could not be less interested in who becomes the southern Divine," Loki admits and sets his wine aside to cut into his steak. One of the servants arrives at his elbow and quickly refills his cup.

"One would hope the Inquisition leadership is not so easily torn, but Southerners are terribly attached to their religion. If they begin to fracture we will simply have to exert influence and effort to prevent it...else back the largest faction."

[thorndergod]

Thor starts munching on his bread, shrugging as he chews.

"Who they choose rarely changes anything," he agrees after a few moments, "but I find it notable that someone almost revolutionary is on the short list. Perhaps they are starting to realize they preside over a mess. Though we will have our own mess once the darkspawn is removed."

Maybe it's just wishful thinking, that the South have a huge uproar and chaos considering the state of his own country. It would be good if no one got a chance to take advantage of that, though the qunari still could. The Not-Loki qunari.

"Only the Dwarves and the qunari are in a stable place right now. Humanity is a mess." And elves, well. They hardly counted for anything. With that rather unprofound declaration Thor lifted his tankard up to get one of the servants to bring ale. He wasn't in a wine mood, he'd decided.

[hwaaaitsme]

"The dwarves are perpetually unstable, but they maneuver well nevertheless, and as far as I am aware Rivain and Antiva are largely unbothered by this nonsense."

The steak is acceptable, as is the red wine. He swirls his glass a moment or two before a servant brings a tureen of roasted vegetables out for their perusal. Loki allows him to plate as he likes but otherwise ignores the elf.

"As unbothered as can be hoped for, at least." He shrugs and eyes the potatoes and asparagus on his plate.

[thorndergod]

"Hoped for?"

Loki's political mind is an asset. Thor thinks in direct lines much of the time, and that doesn't always work. He scoops his own vegetables on to his plate while he waits for Loki to go into more detail; he doesn't need the help deciding his servings.

[untiltheyarent]

DON'T MIND ME JUST REFILLIN YA WINE

[hwaaaitsme]

Did you hear that? No. Nobody spoke. Good wine though.

"Well Antiva shares a few unfortunate borders but Rivain is removed by the open ocean. Unless Corypheus and the Venatori decide upon a victory cruise it remains largely untouched."

Loki pauses as he sips his wine and considers.

"Perhaps their imports have suffered. I do recall they had quite a relationship with some of the families in Vyrantium. Could we exploit that?"

[thorndergod]

"Mm."

He starts to cut into his food, considering the question. "We may be able to," he says eventually. "My thought is more along the lines of what comes after Corypheus is defeated. It is good for them to be whole and strong until that. And then perhaps they will not see Tevinter as weak as it rebuilds, but as there is a chance..."

Before he'd lived here, he'd thought some of his countrymen paranoid. Nobody could really dwell on hating Tevinter as much as some thought. It turns out he'd been naive. It isn't the first time, it won't be the last.

"Is there anyone from Antiva or Rivain here in Kirkwall?"

fill me a glass too, thx babe

[coquettish_trees]

"Lady Vivas, notably." The owner of the third plate, her gloved hand tracing across the back of Loki's shoulders on her way to her seat, moving at precisely the correct speed to allow the sequence of servant pulling out her chair and replacing it beneath her to be a graceful one that hardly necessitates the resettling of her skirts afterwards. "The Seneschal. Ser Montalis, although he is hardly ever in residence," and notable simply because of his family, "Lady Oyanguren, recently," and hopefully as soon out of Kirkwall, "but she is not beholden to the Inquisition—"

Alexandrie pauses in her recitation, favoring Thor with a bright smile as she unfolds the cloth napkin set on her plate to smooth it across her lap. "Pardon, were you inquiring after all of Kirkwall? Or simply within the ranks of our compatriots?"

[hwaaaitsme]

Loki was ready to respond to Thor but he let the thought idle as Lexie's hand dragged over his shoulders and she took her seat at the table. Fashionably late, as it her wont.

"Oh I imagine they are all of note," Loki answers for Thor, idly, and sips his wine.

"The Antivan's would be best to focus upon, if we are to exert energies. They're the only ones bold enough to attack Tevinter should she come out of this wounded."

[thorndergod]

He raises an eyebrow at Lexie as she comes in, before smiling back. The house has not been re-overwhelmed with Orlesian things and he is content.

"The Seneschal seems fairly straightforward, to me. Perhaps if you were to take the Antivans and see where they might have feelings, and I was to try to get the Seneschal to share a drink... if he drinks. He may be too nervous to do so." Straightforward, but also very, very nervous. Thor exhales. At least he's not alone in the maneuvering that will have to happen to help their house survive in the end. He's not good at it.

"I want our House to make it through this." Lady Alexandrie seems more like an ally by the day. So long as Loki doesn't decide to risk everything to off Thor.

[coquettish_trees]

"The Seneschal is terribly concerned with regulations; I imagine you should get farther in his estimations by keeping immaculate records, completing your paperwork with prompt fastidiousness, and finding inventive ways to accomplish more with less requirement of Inquisition resources." Alexandrie waits for her wine to be poured, smiles and nods a brief acknowledgement, and cuts delicately into her own meal.

"If the House has connections that yet exist that might provide arms, armor, protective runestones or the designs thereof at a premium, there is little doubt that it shall be remembered. Of the others..." she lifts her glass to hold it thoughtfully against her cheek for a moment and slides her gaze over to Loki. (The pause is unnecessary, she's already thought, but pacing is important in all things.)

"Lady Vivas, I should think. You share a certain flair," Her lips twitch with fond amusement; have you seen the flamingos? "And as both mage and nobility I should think her interested in the rights of the former to the latter. I have barely had the pleasure, but from what little I have seen she plays a merry game." A raise of her eyebrows as she sips her wine. "Although she is much enamored of the Averesch twins, her cousins, and I seem to recall they are not much enamored of you." Her eyes sparkle mirthfully at him over the rim of her glass. "Perhaps I might enjoy greater success. I have been meaning to call upon her."

[hwaaaitsme]

"I imagine both the Lady and the twins would prove more amicable should you come calling, my dear," Loki agrees but, in an attempt to be...not unkind to Thor, refrains from shooting her more than a briefest sidelong glances.

"I am certain we can provide some runestones and what have you, with some fanfare, even without access to the whole of the Estate," Loki adds and looks back at Thor as he cuts his steak.

"I have more than a few dozen designs bound and waiting in my books, of course, but I'd much prefer to give them the runes themselves rather than the means to manufacture them at will. Do we have the materials to craft?"