OPEN - Then the mountain rose before me

[pinprick]

WHO: Nathaniel Howe and YOU
WHAT: Nathaniel settles into Skyhold
WHEN: Current
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Will update with any warnings that come up.

Courtyard

A dark-haired man in his late thirties or early forties is sitting on a camp stool and shaving, hair damp from a recent wash. He has a couple of inches of black beard he's mostly getting rid of, leaving only a soul patch under his lip. He works the brush while flinching at the cold and peering into a small mirror. The cold is not his friend when the razor comes out, either, but it's too dark inside for shaving. He manages the shave without cutting himself from shivering, at least. Come bother him.

Great Hall

Later, he's inside on a chair by the fire in the great hall, warming up. His feet are propped up on another chair. He's enjoying a lazy session of people-watching, smoking from a pipe and listening to a nearby psaltery player. If you catch his eyes on you, he will give a courteous nod and politely direct his gaze elsewhere. His posture is fairly open, so if you want to approach, he'll speak with you.

Tavern

It's after dark that he goes into the tavern and enjoys the smells and sounds, and occasional polite conversation. But it isn't terribly long before, lulled by warmth and safety, he cocoons himself in his cloak, rests his head against the wall, and falls soundly asleep. Until something wakes him up.

WILDCARD

Comments

[pinprick]

"...Sweet Maker, there's a hot spring?" Is that the bath house Kaidan referred to? Nathaniel suddenly feels even grimier. He can't even react to the flirting, he's so preoccupied with the thought of soap and steam.

[unbrokenoath]

"Of course. Delilah was always real nice to my family." She returned the smile, leaning back comfortably in her chair. This place sure was a lot nicer than having to be on the run. Ugh. "My family's been doing well. It seems like the conflict between the mages and the Templars didn't reach the city, nor did this whole business with the rifts. At least, not enough to put a damper on things." Though she suspected that just like Denerim, Amaranthine would plod on no matter the chaos. It was a Fereldan thing.

"My mother's main concern seemed to be grousing about my sister trying to sneak out to meet boys. Told her I'd rather have her wrestling with a teenager than a fade rift any day." Besides, the girl was 15. Like Kaisa or her mother before her were any better.

[motherfucking_ghost]

"You look like a douchebag is what I'm saying." Do...do they even have douches yet in order for the term douchebag to mean anything? "An asshole. I mean."

[justice_is_blond]

Anders grins, just a flash of it for a moment, but it's there.

"I know exactly what you mean. Come on. This way." And then he's headed back the way they came, and toward a corner of the fortress that's somewhat out of the way - the easier to avoid people he doesn't want to run into.

[pinprick]

Nathaniel breathes in deeply through his nose as he wakes, prying his eyelids open and stretching.

"Something the matter?"

[pinprick]

Nathaniel bobs his head. "Amaranthine's pretty far from the fighting. When were you there last?"

[pinprick]

"Better to look like one than to act like one." Punctuated with a pointed glare.

[pinprick]

Nathaniel considers, for a moment, how he's going to explain why he's rooming with a man he just met. He'll just say there was space and he took it. Alistair said there's not much room, it's all just a matter of finding someone willing to share floor space. Excellent. Covered.

He follows Anders, scratching again at his beard.

tavernnn

[twelvelabours]

He's not one to disturb a man who's sleeping when there's the rare chance for it, least of all one he knows has been on the road. Who knows when some catastrophe'll hit, and they need their Wardens as well rested as possible? Frankly, Herc's happy to let Nathaniel catch some rest, and if it works out that him claiming the seat opposite him (and telling Max to leave the bloke along when the Mabari looks too eager to greet an old friend) means he gets a chair and can watch a mate's back to ensure no coin goes astray? There's worse fates than that.

Herc's got an ale in front of him when there's a sign Nate might stir of his own accord, and nods to the barkeep to bring another over.

"Reminds me," he begins, once the beer is arrived and set in front of his fellow Grey Warden, and when maybe Nate is more awake than asleep, "of that time after our first Orzammar run." It had been a couple of years before Chuck had become a Warden, when he was an angry ball of ego eager to prove himself and fumed whenever his father left him behind at this town or that when he was on missions and he couldn't loiter about in the Anderfels. "I swear, I haven't touched a drop of that dwarven stuff since."

Other people'd say hello, probably, but they've known each other for years. Hellos get worn out and tired, and it's nice to reminisce, sometimes.

[pinprick]

"Poison," Nathaniel agrees, stretching. Oh good, now he's being rude. He straightens in his chair and offers a crooked smile. "Good to see you, Ser."

[justice_is_blond]

"I can hear you messing with your beard back there. If it itches so much, why did you grow it out in the first place?" Not like he's really one to talk. Until he'd shaved his, he'd been scratching his chin far too often. He isn't meant to have hair there. Someone else's hair against his skin, yes. Definitely. But not his own.

It's not long before they're at his small room and showing it off. There's not a lot of space, but there's enough for sleeping, and the fact that Anders can heat the place without any smoke means it will be comfortable enough.

"This likely wouldn't work well for anyone who isn't a mage. That's probably why they let me have it." Then again, they also likely wanted their spirit healers to get a little bit of sleep now and then.

[disgracedchampion]

"Not particularly," at least nothing dangerous that Michel was aware of, "I was simply curious if this was where you intended to sleep?"

Not that Michel couldn't imagine worse places, but now that the warmth was slowly creeping out of the tavern he couldn't help but wonder if the man had anywhere else to go.

[pinprick]

"So other Wardens wouldn't recognize me." It's really been awful for his skin, though. A bit of rashiness and even flakiness. Miserable. "Now that I don't need to hide, I can't wait to get rid of it."

The space is cozy, but as far as Nathaniel can tell, it's a luxury.

"Thank the Maker. Privacy."

[justice_is_blond]

He really should have thought more about disguises. Disguises, false identity, everything. It's too late now. Detlef can't vanish and reappear as someone else because people would recognize him as Detlef and wonder what that was about. ...Besides. It isn't like a better false name or different hair color would fool Fenris or others around here.

"My thoughts exactly." Here he's away from people who might recognize him. He can relax. There are a few books carefully stacked in the corner, and Anders' bedroll right next to them, as well as a candle sitting on a chair, but otherwise the room's fairly plain. He hasn't really focused on fixing it up. It's only a matter of time before this is all over, after all.

"It's nice to have a place that's far away from everyone else. Breathing room. And what's wrong with the other Wardens? Are you in trouble with them?" He'd been turned on by fake Wardens, Templars who joined just to harass him, not to help fight Darkspawn, but it means that he wouldn't be surprised if enemies of the Howes had done similar things.

[pinprick]

Nathaniel looks straight at Anders, frowning in concern.

"Don't you...hear it?"

[justice_is_blond]

"It?" He blinks at Nate. "The song? Are there Wardens attacking other Wardens because of that?"

It's stronger, yes... but only sometimes. Other times it's faint, distant, and he wonders if it's hitting Justice more. That's a concern, considering the chance it's tied into Corypheus thanks to timing and his experiences last time he came across Corypheus.

"I know our... friend doesn't react well to it, but don't tell me other people are having difficulties?

[pinprick]

"It's the Calling." It's so strange to have resigned himself to his death, only to hear he's not dying. He is definitely not complaining. "The Wardens as a whole have gone completely mad, thinking we're all about to die. Since Warden-Commander Cousland decided he had better things to do, all the Wardens of southern Thedas have been answering to Clarel of Orlais. She's decided on a few...unconventional methods of ensuring there are no further Blights in case we really are all dying.

"Turns out, we're not dying. She doesn't know that, but it doesn't excuse what she's doing."

Nathaniel is not sure if he should get into any more detail than that, so he moves on.

"Some of us disagreed with her methods. As a result, we've had to keep on the run these last few months."

[justice_is_blond]

"...Shit." He could have told them that. If he'd been there, if he'd been able to help... There's been rumors of Clarel causing problems. He hadn't realized that's why she'd... Shit. Except he couldn't have been there. Other Wardens had made sure of that.

"What's she doing? Exactly?" It isn't like he needs something else to feel guilty about, but he'd known the way this felt thanks to helping Hawke.

[motherfucking_ghost]

"Or looking and acting like one."

[unbrokenoath]

"May the Maker let it stays that way. I haven't visited in too long. It always feels weird." She shrugs, pressing her lips together. "Like--I dunno. I have it stuck in my head one way, and it changes so much by the time I get back, I hardly recognize anything. But it's good to see my family." She glanced back to him. "What about you? Anywhere you go back to?"

[pinprick]

"I don't think you really want to know. At least, I might rather tell you after a bath and a shave. I really can't stand this thing."

[justice_is_blond]

He takes a breath. Nate will tell him if and when he feels like telling him. Until then... Anders shrugs.

"This way." And he'll lead the way down to the baths.

[pinprick]

"Amaranthine as well. That's where my family is."

[pinprick]

"Probably not for the night," Nathaniel says pleasantly, sitting up with a faint chuckle. "But it's not a bad place for a nap. I never thought I'd be able to say that about any tavern, but this one is particularly--peculiarly--non-threatening."

[pinprick]

"As you say, it could be worse."