faderift | [Open] Tell me would you kill to save a life?

WHO: Anders and, at last, fully open!
WHAT: Anders is back in Skyhold after the revelation and Warden mission
WHEN: Around mid-Drakonis
WHERE: around Skyhold
NOTES: It's Anders. Beyond that, if someone does swing for him, he will be defending himself or we can have a handy-dandy Warden NPC Joeth Smithicus step in, up to you!

1. The Healing Tents

He's more quiet than he was before as he works, trying to stay out of the way while still being available. The atmosphere isn't a pleasant one, and he knows there's a lot of anger, but how is he going to help out if he's sitting in the Warden camp all the time? Even more, how is he going to keep Justice in check if their hands are figuratively tied?

The fact of the matter is that staying somewhere safe where people don't loathe him isn't an option so he's here. He only wishes it wasn't putting a weight on the shoulders of someone he's directly hurt.

Whenever someone comes in he looks over, focusing on the fact that it's all right however many times he hears no as the answer to his question - "Can I help you?"

2. Wardentown

It's not the most glamorous setting, but the life of a Grey Warden rarely is. There had been nights at Vigil's Keep... but those are long gone, and now it's tents and fire pit and keeping snow from piling up.

a) Magic-

Anders is currently kneeling near the tent that he shares with Nate, working on creating a pair of small walls of earth - one around the tent, and another small, circular one nearby. Earth isn't something he struggles with, but keeping them level and not causing any extra dips in the surrounding ground is a challenge. His lips are pressed together as he works on precision, and an approach gets a sharp glance and no words, but he's not annoyed someone's come over. A moment later he'll raise an eyebrow, but he's not starting this conversation.

b) Kitten

No matter how many times he has to keep drying her off and warming her up, Hero of Purrelden doesn't want to stay in his lap today. She's insisting on pouncing on snowbanks, batting at ice, and attempting to climb tents. The latter she's pulled away from each time while protesting loudly, but there's a little smile on his face as she misbehaves. It's nice to have a cat again, no matter how much more difficult than Ser Pounce-a-lot she is.

"Still better than a mabari," he'll say to anyone who comes close.

c) Foraging

He's not alone, which sometimes puts him on edge, and sometimes makes him feel a little safer. All the same, Anders is in the area outside the Warden camp with another Warden, looking to see what foodstuffs can be found to add to the pot. They're not in danger of going hungry but it's best to be prepared and know what's growing out here. There's no telling how long the Wardens will be near Skyhold, after all.

There's also no telling who he'll run across out here, and he's more on edge and defensive due to the fact that he doesn't know how someone might react if they come across him when not anticipating that he might be around.

"Watch the snow back that way," is what he says, though, tilting his head in the direction he's come. "There's some hiding a nasty drop. I've marked it with stones." Let them react to that how they will.

3. Wildcard me!

[[ooc: Come at me bros! Skyhold, Warden camp, whatever. If you've got a question about a scenario, feel free to private plurk me @ Nadat or PM this journal.]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Remove the taint. Save the Wardens, save people exposed, the potential there is amazing.]

Do you really think you could--

[But there is never no harm from blood magic, Justice opines. Someone is hurt, every time, even if it's just Merrill using her own blood. She's drawing the attention of demons, something. Anders shakes his head.]

Look. I don't know, Merrill. It's...

[He's getting a headache and it's easier just to go with Justice and what the Chantry's always said, but the Chantry's been wrong on so many magic thing as it is.]

Eluvians are inanimate. But if someone's dying... I don't know.

I think it's best not to rule it out as a possibility, but also not to count on it.

[ Which is maybe a surprisingly diplomatic answer. ]

If I have the ability to help, it's my responsibility to do so.

[He agrees with and respects that take, which makes Justice all the more frustrated. They're so divided right now that it's hard to gather any thoughts at all.]

Helping is... Those that have means... It's...

[Anders squeezes his eyes tightly shut and takes a breath. It would be so easy to just give in and snap at her. Justice would be less tightly wound. But he's trying so hard to do better.]

Yes. Those that can help have the responsibility to do so.

[ Anders looks constipated, which Merrill is fairly certain means Justice is having a fit. Well, that and the subject matter, so... ]

When did you get a cat?

[ Barkley is trying very hard to make friends with it. ]

[The change in topic catches Justice entirely off-guard and lets Anders breathe, which means he should feel grateful to her. It's a little difficult at the moment.]

Nate gave her to me. Nathaniel, Nathaniel Howe. He found her litter and brought me over and put her on my lap, back... Back shortly after he and Bethany arrived.

[He takes a slow breath and lowers Purrelden from the warmth of his coat so the dog can sniff her, ready to jerk her back if it makes any sudden moves. Purrelden reaches out to touch the dog's nose without claws, as if trying to figure out what exactly it is.]

She's named Hero of Purrelden. Just Purrelden for short.

[ Luckily Barkley is more excited about chasing snow and his tail than kittens. He reaches back to sniff at the kitten paw, tail wagging. ]

She's adorable! Oh, and this is Barkley -- one of the members of the Council had a dog who had puppies and she was giving them away. I'd never had a pet before, but I think I'm doing okay.

[ He's still alive, at least! And happy! ]

What a lovely little girl, [ she coos at the kitten again, keeping one hand on Barkley just in case. ]

And you've not lost him, so that's a good sign. Or perhaps he's not gotten you more lost than you get anyway.

[Barkley's nose gets a careful touch at the sniffing, and then another touch, and when there's no attack or apparent fear, Purrelden seems to decide that he's not too much of a threat or even an issue at all.]

She's very lovely. Not as trained as my last one, we're still working on that, but she's wonderful nonetheless.

[It's nice to have a cat. She makes him feel more human, so to speak.]

Unfortunately she likes sprawling on peoples' mouths as they sleep. I'm currently trying to get her to spread over eyes instead, blocking light instead of air. So far I think I've only taught her to lay on my mouth if she wants to be put over Nate's eyes.

A bit of both, I think, [ Merrill says fondly, watching as Barkley wags his tail and tries to keep sniffing at Purrelden. Friends! ]

On- mouths? I can't imagine that would be comfortable, but then, I've never been a cat.

Though, er, isn't sleeping on eyes also not very good, if you wake up and get cat fur in your eyes?

[Open] Tell me would you kill to save a life?

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