my fingers are afraid of sharing, god. ( closed. )

[ungovernable]

WHO: Benevenuta Thevenet, Hercules Hansen.
WHAT: A polite interaction regarding property and propriety between reasonable adults, probably.
WHEN: Cu...rrent.
WHERE: Skyhold.
NOTES: Warnings to be added if necessary.

At some point, she's quite aware, Adelaide will expect an explanation. By the time she tracks her down to acquire it, she anticipates having one prepared - although it may have to simply be the absurd truth. She is not, if she's honest, particularly looking forward to that conversation; at least she has a bit of time before she's like to have it. Besides, Adelaide looked busy when she stopped by. Perhaps they won't even have it today.

The facts are these:

Hercules Hansen has arrived in Skyhold. Although the presence of other Wardens had brought his name to mind, once or twice, she'd not seriously entertained the notion of seeing him here; it had crossed her mind to be concerned with where he might be instead, the rumors about where the rest are compellingly vague, but it was a distant thing and there were many other things to be concerned with first. So she hadn't been, but now she must, catching sight of him weary at the gates from her vantage point on the stairs.

Benevenuta has something of his. Well; and his coin, although by this point the specific coins that had been in his pouch are long gone. It's the principle of the thing, a debt that she would have cheerfully ignored if not for his arrival and the subsequent risk that he might decide to make something of it. There has been quite enough discussion about the personal conduct of mages, lately, and no need for her name to be attached to an embarrassing scandal. What had been perfectly pragmatic at the time has consequences now, that is the shape of things, so--

She has to return it. Be endearingly contrite, beg his forgiveness; persuade him to let the matter be between the two of them and keep an eye on him so it stays that way. At least he's unlikely to hear of her and know it before she can - it isn't as if she ever gave him her full and proper name in the first place.

"Warden Hansen," she says, warmly, catching him by the elbow before he can get through the door and out of her easy grasp. "A moment of your time."

Comments

[twelvelabours]

Very illuminating, he could say, but he resists the urge. No point causing ripples, not when he can get the information straight from more reliable sources.

"A new recruit?" No amount of raised eyebrows could adequately express his surprise, and he's concerned and curious in equal turn. Could be a good thing. Could not. A place called the Inquisition seemed an interesting place to go about performing the Joining and hoping to keep it secret.

"If everyone knew about it, they'd all want the fruit basket," comes his conspiratorial reply, before he leans back, restoring the distance between them. "We can't all be as open and free with information as mages," and that response is a little drier, though not unkind.

[ungovernable]

Maybe he should've joined a less secretive order if he wanted better news, said the Mortalitasi mage. (What is that, the pot calling the other pot a pot?)

--she flutters a hand at him when he leans in, as if scandalized, and pretends to find nothing of interest in his expression. She certainly finds nothing to chasten her there, despite the extremely good point being made about who should shut up about keeping secrets; he's used up all her stores of penitence today already. Try again in about ten years.

(He smells like leather and mabari and she does not find it at all charming, probably.)

"His name is Felix Alexius," she says, in lieu of acknowledging any of that. "Tevinter is rather well represented here, it is terribly shocking."

She doesn't look terribly shocked. Then, she had said friend of a friend.

(Finding out that Dorian Pavus and Benevenuta Thevenet are thick as thieves is not going to be difficult. He will probably hear half that gossip before he has to think to look for any. Hercules, of course, has a better idea of what her type actually is than most of Skyhold.)

[twelvelabours]

The flap of her hand earns what must be his hundredth raised eyebrow today. Honestly, he's going to need to figure out a better way to silently express all his emotions, at this rate, or the things might fall right off.

"Felix," he commits to memory. Better to check in on the lad, it seemed, than leave him adrift - thought he could hardly be, if there are wardens knowledgable enough to induct him, and willing to bring him into the fold. "I appreciate the information."

Dad powers, activate? Dad powers activate. Unfortunately, he's never been a great father, but he's a good friend. That'd have to do. He's thinking, and perhaps his focus is drifting too much from her and from the immediate situation that might warrant dealing with, at some point. There are others to find, a new recruit to meet, and circumstances to gain some understanding for, regardless of all the well-intentioned Tevinters, and troublesome Nevarrans.

"Better I take my leave," Herc manages, brow furrowed with a shadow of concern, lines that are easily carved in now are so many years. "I've taken up enough of your time, Councillor."