faderift | [Open] No boom today. Boom tomorrow.

WHO: Anders and anyone! Or, well, almost anyone. Sorry, Fenris and Cullen...
WHAT: Anders arrives at Skyhold, takes a new fake name, and tries to get a measure of the Inquisition while keeping a low profile. Starting in prose, but will switch to brackets to match if that's preferred!
WHEN: Mid-haring
WHERE: All over Skyhold, choose your location?
NOTES: Warning for Anders? I can't think of any real ones atm, I'll update if that changes.

He's tired, but that's nothing new. The road's been long. It shows in the way he leans a little on his staff, a fairly generic-looking thing that's far from his old appreciation of things flashy, just as it shows in the state of his rather ragged-looking robes and the scruff of a beard that he doesn't exactly like. At least he's not dead on his feet - the company of a few refugees more than willing to bear the brunt of conversation on the way up had made the last couple of days more bearable than usual.

Now he's here, and the strain is back on his shoulders. Skyhold holds more than the usual level of danger but there's no getting around the fact that he has to at least visit this place. The Inquisition is likely to be a player in the future of mages, and Anders will not see the little bit of progress made be undone out of fear, or laziness, or naivete, or any other number of things that could cut down freedom for his people.

But that doesn't mean he knows how to go about working toward that, just yet. And that means he's slowly going around the fortress, gathering information by listening and asking simple, short questions. They have to be short. The second-to-last thing he can afford is to slip up and let Justice get too accusatory, which could lead to the last thing he can afford - to be recognized by someone who would turn him over to the 'authorities,' such as they are.

"Have you been with the inquisition long?" is one of the most frequent questions, along with a follow up if the answer is yes: "Do you think they treat mages well here?" It's not like he's hiding the staff, after all. But there are more simple questions mixed in as well, questions about the need for herbalists or healers, about where one might find a warm enough corner to sleep in, or where one can lose what few coppers they have over a game of cards. They're general. Careful. They have to be. He's no longer ready to die.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He's rarely encountered someone who reacts like this before - acknowledging his points with a smile while calmly saying they're not going to help. Anders doesn't know what to say or do in return. The man's a mage, but he's so calm about having his own priorities...

"What matters are those? I'll take the names and use them, thank you, but what is it that keeps you from helping your fellow mages?" If they're to have this nice dream, permanent freedom, it may well need to start here. To have mages who won't try for it while enjoying relative, likely temporary freedom is something he can't understand.

"Our chance is here. At Skyhold."

The question makes him raise his brow, then he glances away as he seems to consider a moment. Eventually, he frowns a little and says, "A personal matter, and a business matter. If you're inclined to help me so I can help you, I appreciate the business approach, but there's not much to be done. It's in my hands, as it were."

That, and he certainly does not know this mage well enough to share those details, but he genuinely does not think it can be helped.

"I like to keep my chances in my own hands, and make my own luck." Twisted Fate stands up from his seat. "If matters change for me, I'll be certain to let you know, then. Hopefully that'll satisfy?"

It's a better response than he deserves, really. It isn't like Anders is going to talk about his past and his motivations. He probably shouldn't have pushed, even though Justice believes they should push harder. The disagreement is exhausting, though, and he'd rather not make people too angry here just yet. It will happen soon enough, he's sure.

"If you could consider working on both of your interests concurrently, personal and all-mage, that would be an answer that satisfies." He, they, can't expect others to live up to the standard set by Justice. Some people actually had friends and had a chance of keeping them.

That earns a curious, if not slightly irritated look from Twisted Fate. This one, he can tell, is certainly determined and stubborn. He respects it mostly, but it certainly doesn't make him change his mind.

"Then I guess you'll have to live with my less-than-satisfactory answer," Twisted Fate says coolly. "My affairs, I'm afraid, take precedence over anything else in my life at this time."

And he truly doubts that they will change anytime soon. Technically, he'll be keeping his word, but Fate does not foresee his affairs changing anytime soon.

"Is there anything else I can answer for you?"

Maker. They've a chance, and some would see it slip through their fingers for business reasons. How well will any mage-run businesses last when it all comes falling back down on their heads? Individual greed could easily lead to a downfall for the movement, and they can't afford that. There's an angry reply on the tip of his tongue before he bites it back and swallows the rage he knows is less Anders, and more Justice. They can't. They can't speak their mind fully and risk being revealed yet.

"No. Unless you can think of anything else someone newly arrived should know." It takes work to keep his voice neutral, but he manages. Barely. Promises to the spirit that this will help them toward their goal help with that.

"Just be decisive on how pressing you intend to be with your ideals, and with who. I'm a listener; not everyone is going to find you as charming about it as I will."

Twisted Fate gives a little bow. "But otherwise, until we meet again. I'm usually around the tavern, should you need me."

Charming. Plenty of people didn't find him charming, and that Twisted Fate still allows for that means something despite the frustration he's feeling from Justice.

Anders nods his head. "Perhaps I'll see you for a drink one of these days. And as I'm a spirit healer, I hope you'll find me if you need me."

Justice's tactics hadn't won them allies, before. It was time to try something calmer. More patient. Despite how difficult that was.

[Open] No boom today. Boom tomorrow.

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