III. SEMI-CLOSED.

[liberalum]

WHO: Dorian Pavus and the continued adventures of less dashing people.
WHAT: After briefly reuniting with his father, Dorian returns to Skyhold to navigate the current local turmoil and not have feelings where anyone can see.
WHEN: The latter half of Haring.
WHERE: Skyhold.
NOTES: This is a catch-all for pre-planned threads, rather than open prompts. PM or plurk me if you'd like to do something!

Comments

[liberalum]

"Ha. No."

The blunt end of his staff returns to the ground in casual lean against it, and Alistair is once again rewarded with Dorian's focus as incredulity glimmers past the ice. "Not unless you wish to define a fight as his battle with what's currently killing him. A losing battle, but one sustained over years. Perhaps there aren't many men for whom that would be true.

"But put a staff in his hands and he's liable to sheepishly hand it off again. He's a mathematician and a scholar, but no battlemage." His head tips to the side. "Why? Are you looking for an adversary or a date?"

[byblow]

A brother.

"A date, let's say."

Mathematician and scholar--they aren't the least promising words. Not the most, either, but Alistair isn't really looking for a reason. Just an excuse. He never looks too thoughtful, even when he is, but there's a faint line between his eyebrows.

"--years?" he asks, late. "He's been tainted for years?"

[liberalum]

There's a pause, there, filled with the sort of look someone gives you that implies your curiousity is not only no longer welcome, but bordering on rude, although it's difficult to tell where the line was to be crossed, or if Alistair already crossed it, or if Dorian is just having a terrible day! The past compounding to a point of pressure.

Who can know. The point is, it's only a pause, as he continues on anyway. "His father became something of an expert in how to preserve human life beyond its natural decline when saddled with life-wasting illness. As did I. There are remedies, magics -- not of the blood kind, I should specify -- that can assist someone in living with anything for that long.

"But it was never comfortable for Felix. It was never about his comfort. He endured, more for his father than for himself. It was infuriating to witness."