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

[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 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.

[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.

[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.

[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]

Nathaniel takes a clean change of clothes and is quiet on his way to the baths. But when they arrive, when the steam and the smell of soap catch up with him, he takes a few deep breaths and swiftly takes off tunic and undertunic in one motion.

"Maker bless you...Detlef. I'll find you later and explain everything, all right?"

He sits on a bench and starts pulling off his boots.

[justice_is_blond]

Everyone is right, he reflects as he heads back to the room. Detlef said with an Anderfels accent sounds normal. Ordinary. With Fereldan, Orlesian, Antivan, and all of the other ones he hears around here? It sounds odd. Out of place. It's too late now, though.

He nudges his bedroll against a wall to make more room for Nate. There's not a lot of room to spare, but it's private. Small also means it's easy to keep tidy, though that doesn't mean there aren't a few books and scrolls he needs to pick up and set off to the side. Then it's just him relaxing and waiting.

[pinprick]

Nathaniel returns, hair tousled and still damp, face clean-shaven but for the little patch under his lip.

"Maker, that felt good." He feels like he's glowing. Actually glowing. He is that clean. And smiling. He starts setting out his bedding, keeping his space as small as possible so there's space to store things and walk between their beds.

[justice_is_blond]

"You missed a spot."

Nate looks as good as he's saying the springs felt, and Anders remembers that feeling. It hadn't been too long ago that he'd sunk into them for the first time after so long on the road.

"It looks like it's trying to take over your mouth. You may wish to be careful; I don't know a spell to help with that. Though I have to say, other than the thing attempting to absorb your face, you look well. Any lingering aches or injuries?"

Nate might as well take advantage of the fact that he's rooming with a healer.

[pinprick]

Nathaniel touches the soul patch.

"None of that, please. I had someone tell me I looked like an 'asshole,' quite unsolicited. Apparently he is from the future and it was very important that I know how backwards I am."

But he shakes his head at the next.

"I'm fine. No need for that. Now. Are we saying that you invited me to stay with you as a sort of bodyguard? Not that a healer is particularly endangered in a place like this."

[justice_is_blond]

"Mm, sorry. I didn't realize someone had actually insulted it." He's used to the little bit of hair being there. Honestly, Nate would look weird without it. "And... I suppose space being a limited thing won't fly."

Pausing for a moment, Anders mulls over the question. "I don't suppose we can just say I'm pretty and you've always had a fondness for long pieces of wood and those who know how to wield them? Both things are true."

The delivery isn't quite there, still, but he's trying. Practice will fix the rust.

[pinprick]

Yyyep. It's Anders.

"One of these days," Nathaniel warns, "I'm going to say yes to you. Just to see how you react."

[justice_is_blond]

"No you're not." It's delivered with a great deal of confidence.

"How about space is at a premium and Detlef is curious about the Wardens, so now he's got one to harass with questions? Being from the Anderfels makes for a certain natural amount of curiosity. Great heroes, honorable sacrifice, epic stories, it's what children up there are brought up on. ...And it's rather good children up there don't meet Oghren."

[pinprick]

Yeah, he's probably right about that.

"Space is at a premium, especially private space," Nathaniel muses. "Noble-born fellow wants his privacy, finds someone curious enough to satisfy. I think it works."

[justice_is_blond]

"Then it's settled." He has a friend who trusts him and cares for him enough to share a room with him. It's a marvel, and not one he's likely to get over any time soon.

"But for now, I should likely leave you to get some rest." The road is always a hard one, and now that Nate's shorn and clean, sleep is probably the next thing on his mind.

[pinprick]

"I suppose. I'll explain everything after a nap. It's been a long time since I slept on a proper floor."

...Really, eleven years ago he'd never expect he'd say something like that.

[justice_is_blond]

"I'll have you know, it's a thoroughly improper floor here. I made sure of that." With the faintest flash of a smirk, Anders gives Nate a nod and heads out to see about taking on another shift at the tents and letting the man get some rest.