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WHO: Cassandra Pentaghast and you
WHAT: Cassandra, in and around Skyhold
WHEN: First half of Drakonis, before the ball
WHERE: Various
NOTES: Does your character want to yell at Cassandra about Anders? About Galadriel? About her choices in general? Alternatively, do they want to celebrate her on a job well done and thank her for her vigilance in keeping Skyhold safe? Maybe try to finally get a straight answer about exactly what is going on? This is the place!

For timeline purposes: post-Anders announcement; before/in the midst of/after rifter interrogations; either pre-Galadriel's imprisonment or while she still languishes in the cells.

She might be found swinging angrily at the dummies in the yard, assisting Cullen in training what recruits they have, or nursing a large ale at the Herald's Rest. More than likely, she's dodging Vivienne and her endless preparations, instructions, and reminders for the ball. Wherever she is, Cassandra is likely not in the best of moods, and there is a certain righteous fire in her gaze whenever she is challenged. Leliana's words and the way she had looked at Cassandra still sting, but she does not regret what she has done.

Still, no one can possibly be angry all the time, right? Maybe you'll catch her on a good day...

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Luckily for Merrill - and unluckily for Varric - Cassandra has already turned the brunt of her anger onto him. He's been here, after all, and he hadn't only not told her about Anders, he'd actually interrupted an argument between the two of them and still said nothing. He'd neglected to mention Corypheus and then done it all again, only worse. He should have known better by now.

Merrill, at least, is less culpable than him, and Cassandra knows that Leliana had likely spoken to her already. Still, she's notably less warm when she turns to Merrill than she had been the last time they parted. She looks down at the elf, eyes flicking down to the plate of cookies and - a rock?

"Merrill." She looks back up to her face, curious despite herself. "What is it?"

Okay, so she's still a little mad. Still, she's not being immediately screamed at, and Cassandra is interested in the rock. Merrill can work with this, and her smile is no less warm as she starts to explain.

"It's from Kirkwall! I had it in my house in the alienage for a while, keeping the pages of my books down when there was a bad draft. Hawke had sort of kicked it along the path outside and I thought it would make a good paper weight. I'm not really sure why I brought it with, and I don't have the problem with wind blowing my pages about, so- I thought maybe you would like it!"

Since Hawke, and Kirkwall, and probably Seekers did sometimes have to read things in windy areas for Official Seeker Business or something.

"Oh, and the cookies are all sorts of flavors -- I wasn't sure which one you'd like best."

Cassandra takes a moment to allow that to sink in. She hadn't been asking about the rock, she had been asking about - never mind.

Carefully, she takes the rock from Merrill's hand, looking at it uncertainly.

"I...thank you?" Is that the correct response for being given a rock? Perhaps it's a Dalish...thing. She frowns at the rock, but is certain to treat it with care as she slips it securely into her pocket.

(Hawke had kicked it. With her own boot.)

She shakes her head at the cookies, even as she eyes them and tries to guess at which flavors they right be. "You did not have to do this, Merrill. What is all this...for?"

It is, at least, the correct response if you mean it, or even if you're just being polite. Still, Merrill beams when Cassandra slips the rock into her pocket (she knew that she'd like it), lacing her fingers together behind her back.

"You're very welcome!"

As for what it's for- well. Merrill flushes a little then, somewhat embarrassed. "A few things, actually. I wanted to give you the rock anyway, but there's been so much going on that I also wanted to apologize for, um- not telling anyone about Anders. I mean, I definitely would have said something if I thought he was going to hurt anyone, but Leliana explained how there could have been better ways to do it where no one was hurt but the Inquisition also wasn't going to have problems."

A breath, hopefully enough of a pause that Cassandra can parse all of that out, and then- "Also, I was hoping we could be friends, and talk about things, and... all of that."

"Oh."

Anders is not a subject she wants to discuss with Merrill. Probably ever. She is still too angry, still feels so betrayed (mainly by Varric) and so helpless to do anything. If she had had her way -

But she had not had her way, and she will not take all her frustration out on Merrill. Not when Leliana had already...explained things to the elf. She nods instead, jerky and forced. "I...appreciate your apology. I trust you will not keep information from the Inquisition again."

But she softens, just slightly, almost at once, strangely touched. Cassandra has very few friends, even less so since the Conclave. She shakes her head, the corners of her lips twitching upwards. "You do not have to bring me cookies to ask if we might be friends."

The subject of Anders is, clearly, not a welcome one. But Cassandra appreciates the apology and so Merrill considers the subject dropped, and smiles back, gently nudging the cookies a bit closer.

"Is that a yes, then?"

To the friendship, at the very least. Talking about things seems to be difficult for both of them in different ways.

"Oh- and you should try the cookies! The cook made them, so they should be good, but it's best to make sure."

Cassandra hesitates, but after a moment she reaches out, picking up one of the cookies and taking a bite. It is good, chewy and sweet, and she chews thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing and addressing Merrill's question.

"It is not always so easy as that," she admits, eyeing the elf dubiously. Simply saying two people are friends does not make it so, and while Merrill herself seems to make friends easily, Cassandra has less confidence in her own abilities. To make friends, and to keep them.

She frowns suddenly, remembering the second half of Merrill's proposal. "What things did you want to discuss?"

"Well, no," Merrill admits, scratching at the tip of one of her ears. "But it should be. It should be easy enough for us to say 'I enjoy spending time with you and speaking to you, and we should do it more and be friends'. I mean- assuming you feel that way."

'Enjoy' is perhaps maybe too strong a word for people who aren't used to Merrill's... everything. Still, why can't it be that easy?

Because of what Cassandra asks next, that's why. She'll start with the easier one first.

"It's about the Inquisition, actually. A few different things. The first of which is- I was wondering if maybe you would like some people to speak to the Rifters, teach them about Thedas. They don't know very much at all, other than what might come up in conversation, and the books in the library assume that they're familiar with a lot of things. Plus I don't know if all of them can read."

Or, at least, can read what the books are written in.

"I remember being new, having to learn a whole new culture -- it wasn't a whole new world, but it seemed that way. If I could help them, make sure they know why you don't call an elf a knife-ear or eat raw lyrium, I'd like to."

It's so obvious, Cassandra merely stares at Merrill for a moment. Why had she not thought of that? To be fair, by the time she had begun questioning the rifters, most of them had already been in Thedas for months, and had managed to pick up quite a bit about the world in that time. Even the last month's arrivals had had a few days to speak to people and learn something about where they were before Cassandra had talked to them herself.

And of course they could not read Theodosian script. Cassandra herself had found scraps of paper that Galadriel had left behind when she was imprisoned, covered in what was obviously her own strange language.

"That...is a good idea," she manages at last. The thought of anyone attempting to eat raw lyrium out of pure ignorance makes her wince. "A very good idea. Someone should certainly teach them."

"I know that funds are tight, but perhaps the Ambassador could send for schoolbooks? We wouldn't necessarily need to pay teachers and tutors if members of the Inquisition volunteer. I would -- and I am qualified, despite what many might think, I was the First of my clan -- and I'm sure others would, too! We could get people from every race for Thedas in general, to talk about their own cultures, and then find specialists!"

Once upon a time, Merrill said she would be a terrible Keeper. She still thinks it's true, but she's a Keeper already, isn't she? A Keeper to her alienage, to her friends, to the world at large -- learning and sharing and preserving that knowledge. It feels right.

"I'm sure there are members of the Inquisition itself who could use- um, some refreshers. I know not everyone can read, and there are misconceptions about places and people. It could be good for them to have the option to learn, too."

And then no one will eat raw lyrium or shout racial slurs. Hopefully.

Cassandra smiles, moved by Merrill's enthusiasm.

"Perhaps we should start small," she says. "I will talk to Josephine about books. In the meantime, reading may be taught with paper and quill." She pauses, tilting her head in thought. "You would really be willing to help? They know nothing of Thedas, and some of them..." She frowns, thinking, of course, of Galadriel. "Some of them can be quite dangerous. I would not want anyone to be put at risk."

"I would."

If the possibility of danger were a deterrent, much of Merrill's life would be extremely different. No eluvian, no Hawke, no Inquisition.

"I think fear and misinformation can be more dangerous than magic. I mean, I'm a mage so I'm maybe a bit biased, but- if they understand us better, perhaps they'll be less likely to act rashly? And maybe we'll understand them better, too."

Her head tilts, and she flashes Cassandra a smile. "And if I couldn't stop them myself, I have a lot of people who would be willing to help me."

"You are brave to offer," Cassandra says - but then, that is not a surprise, from what she already knows of Merrill. Cassandra approves. But she shakes her head. "Still, I would not ask you to do this alone. It would be best, in any case, to offer a variety of perspectives. Someone who can explain the Chantry, for example. Perhaps we may find additional volunteers."

"Oh, absolutely! I can draft up an announcement, maybe? And I can ask the Rifters what they would like to learn about, too."

Not that Merrill is really great at announcements, but if it's in writing, she can do a few drafts and work on focusing.

"We'll have to find a location, too -- is there a room somewhere with a lot of tables, chairs, or a place we can fill with them?"

"We will find one."

She smiles. Merrill's enthusiasm is...not contagious, perhaps, but certainly encouraging.

"The advisors will need to approve any...teachers, naturally."

"Should I write something to them, too? I've never really done anything like this- well, I did what I could in the alienage, but it wasn't an Inquisition."

There weren't soldiers and diplomats and politics to consider. There weren't even really funds to consider.

Cassandra laughs, though not unkindly. "Here is a secret, Merrill. None of us have ever really done anything like this before. We are all finding our way together." She smiles. "But yes, I think writing to the advisors would be a good start. I will be happy to represent your idea to the others."

"At least we are together. I think that helps." And so does Cassandra's support. It only reinforces her belief, her knowledge, that the Seeker is a good woman -- just one who sometimes doesn't see all the ways what she does can seem to other people. Then again, who can truly see every consequence?

"Ma serannas, Cassandra."

"I think it does too."

Her smile grows, becomes warmer.

"Thank you, Merrill. I hope to speak with you soon."

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