faderift | [Open]

WHO: Anders and You*! (*unless you are someone who will turn him in. ONE DAY THERE WILL BE CR. /reaches sadly)
WHAT: Detlef going about his days, helping out, being argumentative, everything
WHEN: Mid-Wintermarch
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Probably nothing? I'll edit if that changes

Healing tents

Anders is found in these most often during the day. Everything's easier when he works, really, when he and Justice can both be on the same page. They're doing good. They're furthering the cause of mage freedom. And more importantly, no one is being hurt. Are you a patient? He's probably checking you over before getting to work. Co-worker? Hand him the elfroot salve, please? Or just drop by and find him where he's most willing to be chatty as he works.

Garden

There's nothing like seeing a mage seemingly talking to a tree. Considering previous events, it's probably a little worrying. But upon closer approach one can see that there's a terrified cat clinging to a very small branch that's just barely supporting its weight, and they can hear the mage trying to talk the cat down as if the cat can understand anything that's being said.

"You can do it. Just step... Come on. A little lower. Please?"

Just outside Skyhold

There's a garden inside the walls. It has plenty of things growing in it, including basically everything Anders is looking for. It's hard for him to stay inside the walls for too long, though. He needs to be outside, to wander some, to remind himself that the walls aren't keeping him in. While it isn't the healthiest method of coping, there are certainly worse ways to go about it.

Anyone running into him out here gets a look that's a mix of surprised and bashful - the latter due to him not really having any way to explain why he's out here with a handful of easy-to-get herbs in hand.

Library

He's seated in the Library, head buried in a book the way it never was when he was at the Circle, with a pair of large tomes next to him. They're probably not that surprising for a spirit healer, treatises on spirits and their nature, but he doesn't look pleased. And he isn't. He's not finding anything that will help with his situation, and Anders is aware that he might not have a lot of time left for the looking.

Approaches from strangers get a glance up and a nod, before he'll ask if they need to get to something past him. Known people get asked a little absently how their day is going before he turns another page.

[Or] Alternately, he's curled up off to the side, on the ground, paging through a book on obscure magic that talks about various rumored spells that the author doubts really exist. His attention is primarily on the shapeshifting portion, and he looks a little wistful. Anyone approaching who glances at the book get a half-smile and asked if it wouldn't be fun, being able to transform into animals.

Wildcard

[Hit him up wherever? He grabs food in the kitchens on the go, sometimes is at the tavern in a corner near the back, sits on the walls and looks out sometimes, surreptitiously feeds the stray cats around skyhold (and scolds any dogs that try to take the food,) and may, every now and then, see if he can zap armor in just the right way so straw and fabric and all sorts of things stick to it.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Come on, da'len," Sina says in a sweet voice, letting Anders do most of the work, but offering her encouragement anyway. "You'll most often see me here, or by the healing tents. I think I've seen you there too." She folds her hands behind her back, supervising to make sure that neither cat nor man gets injured. "My name is Siuona, of Clan Dahlasanor."

"Call me Detlef. I don't believe I've met anyone of Clan Dahlasanor before, but I've not been in this particular area until seeking out the Inquisition." His voice is quiet and low, meant to be soothing to the cat, but she should still be able to hear him clearly. Dalish ears are more sensitive than human ones, after all.

The cat gets closer and bats at the leaf before finally coming in range and biting at it. Anders doesn't grab for her just yet, letting her get a little more comfortable first.

"Are you from near here, or did you travel far?" Slowly, slowly, he lifts his other hand to add the second leaf, making sure the cat doesn't feel threatened.

"Det-lef," Sina repeats with a smile. What a strange name. She too is fixated on the cat, speaking slowly and quietly so as not to startle her. "Nahariel and I came from the Free Marches. Close to Nevarra. ...I never know exactly where the borders are." She's Dalish, she doesn't care. The world is her house. "And yourself?"

"Nahariel. I don't believe I've met them." Gently he pets the cat's head with his free hand, coaxing her into being all right with him. It's working, and he gives her a small smile.

"I'm from the Anderfels, originally. A place that's much warmer than here." The cat's leaning into his touch, now, and Anders finally risks taking hold of her and lowering her into his arms. She's tense at first before starting to relax when he scratches behind her ears. Clearly she's used to people.

"The Free Marches can be a good area, in parts. I've been through some of the areas." And Starkhaven is among the worst parts.

"She's my clansister," Sina explains, holding out her hand again to allow the cat to sniff it. She smiles when the cat pushes her nose against it, and she dares to move her hand up to rub the cat's cheek. So soft!

"I've never been to any of the cities," Sina says amiably, "..or.. out of the forest that borders Nevarra, actually. At least, until now."

"No? How are you liking seeing more of the world?" The cat is starting to purr, now, content in the fact that she'll be worshiped by two people at once. She's a cat. She deserves it, in Anders' opinion.

"And would you like a chance to hold her?" He doesn't want to hand her over, not really. But sharing's polite, and it would give him a moment to take a breath and get Justice off his back. There's nothing wrong with holding a cat, nothing wrong with missing one. If only the spirit would accept that...

Petting animals is an oddly foreign concept to Sina, as someone who loves them but has never been able to conceive of keeping pets. She's touched halla before, stroking their fuzzy noses and giving them scratches behind the ears, but halla are peers, not beasts of burden. This cat seems like a peer, and she's somewhat mystified by its willingness to associate with people.

"I--!! I'll try!" Sina's eyes go wide. "How...?" She holds her arms out uncertainly. Once the cat is in her arms, she answers, "...the world has proven itself large and at times frightening. But leaving home has been worth it for all I've learned."

"Just like that," he says, keeping his voice soothing for Dalish and cat both. There's nothing like a jumpy person to make a cat jumpy, but this one seems oddly well-mannered. Maybe she's been around the Inquisition long enough to know that things can get chaotic.

"Do you plan on going back?" Anders scratches gently behind the cat's ears, giving Sina plenty of room to pet as well. As much as he hates the reason he's lost his home and his family, at least he has gotten to see many parts of the world. It's a large, fascinating place, and he'd like to know more about it.

Sina accepts the cat into her arms, and, reassured by her purring, shifts her arms to support the small creature as though she were holding a baby. She smiles automatically, and looks cheerfully back up at Detlef, though her smile dwindles at his question.

"I... want to," she says hesitantly, "but being here is the best hope for me, right now."

"I can understand that." As much as he sometimes wants to simply leave, to see the world before it all catches up to him, he knows he has to find a way to help more.

"Perhaps one day." His voice is gentle. While he's a little curious, he knows far better than to pry. It's not like he's going to be telling her his story, why should he expect the reverse? "For now, at least there are cats in the garden, and friendly ones at that. As well as, perhaps, some friendly people."

[Open]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject