crystal.

[byblow]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Alistair
RECIPIENT: Everybody
WHAT: More important questions.
WHEN: Todayish
WHERE: A crystal near YOU!
NOTES: Nah.

Politics aside - is that possible? Can we do that? I have faith in you, all of you -

[ Getting off topic there Alistair. ]

Politics aside, [ Alistair's voice continues, with scolding emphasis aimed at himself, ] who wears skirts better, do you think? Mages or Templars?

[ xoxo ]

Comments

[byblow]

Hmm. I do need to air them out more. So they don't wither, you know.

[justice_is_blond]

Of course. That's why Varric wore so many things that exposed his chest. He didn't want his lower beard to wither. "If it's not on display, it'll fade away." I'm certain that's a saying somewhere, along with use it or lose it.

[byblow]

The dwarf? I think he wore things that exposed his chest to make the rest of us feel bad about ourselves, personally.

[justice_is_blond]

Do you feel bad about your lack of chest hair? Is this a deep-seated issue? I noted that you were defensive of your four. Do you need someone to talk about this with?

[Entirely teasing.]

[byblow]

Yes. Yes, I do. Is there anyone you would recommend?

[justice_is_blond]

Normally I'd recommend burying one's woes in Isabela's bosom, it was quite the cure for many with issues stemming from Varric's impressive chest, but as she's scooted off again... Nope. No ideas. You're going to have to deal with your jealousy, and perhaps paint more chest hairs on.

[byblow]

Right. I'll do that. And see if I can find another bosom.

[justice_is_blond]

...Is there a bosom?

[byblow]

As far as I know, there are many. You see, humans and elves and so on generally have two sexes, males and females, and they're about evenly split. So the people you see walking around with a few more curves than you have, they're what we call women, and -

[ Stop him please. ]

[justice_is_blond]

Oh. Is that what the difference is? I've been wondering. Please go on, what does that have to do with bosoms?

[No.]

[byblow]

[ makerdammit anders i was counting on you ]

Well, about half the people you see walking around are going to have them. They're not hard to find. Being permitted to bury woes in them is the tricky part.

[justice_is_blond]

[There's your mistake, Alistair.]

Mm. I see. So, were you to go looking for one, might there be one you'd seek out before others? Hypothetically speaking here.

[He was a Circle Mage, and they all get turned into gossip addicts.]

[byblow]

Mmmmmaybe.

[ That's a lazy I've got a secret and you can't have it drawl, not a hesitating one. ]

But not one I'm going to talk about like this when the whole damned Inquisition can hear.

[justice_is_blond]

I've a crystal, you've a crystal. Or I'll be back to the Warden camp in an hour or so...

[byblow]

[ Airily: ] Then I'll spend the next hour or so considering whether it's any of your business.

[ Surprise! Behind all the deflective and distracting yammering he's a fairly private person. ]

And if you're really that curious, bribery won't hurt.

[justice_is_blond]

[Not much of a surprise, really, but he's still trying because he's Anders.]

Mm. I could bring something down from the kitchens up here, will that do as bribery?

[byblow]

Maybe. If it's something cooked. If you keep it warm your chances will improve.

[ No, he doesn't always listen to what he's saying when he talks. ]

[justice_is_blond]

That's what mages are good for, keeping things warm. I'll bring something down shortly.

[byblow]

Very shortly, I hope, or I'll eat something here and be that much less tempted.

To action

[justice_is_blond]

You were a Templar. You know how far a Circle-trained mage would go for gossip. And on that topic, I've been here for thirteen hours today; I can leave a little early.

[About twenty minutes later, Anders comes into camp and heads for Alistair, bearing a meat pastry which gets offered out.]

Your bribe, freshly made.

[byblow]

You're as good as your word, Ser Anders.

[ He puts aside the sword he's working on—rewrapping the hilt—takes the pastry and breaks an edge off to inspect the interior. Satisfactory. He nods, takes a bite, chews, swallows, and says: ]

How far will a Circle mage go for gossip? I was never really a Templar, you know. I don't know these things. Could I have gotten two pastries?

[justice_is_blond]

You weren't?

[He's a little surprised, but maybe he shouldn't be. That could be why Alistair's a decent person.]

If you'd haggled before I got down here, potentially, yes. You would have had to drop a few details so as to convince me that you were going to truly share. Now it's too late. And in the Circles...

[Anders shrugs, small smile on his lips as if what he's about to say is nothing, normal.]

We'd only one recreation that wouldn't get us the gentle caress of an armor-clad fist or the peaceful contemplation of a tiny brush against a floor of mud. Gossip. It was our currency and our safe fun. I'd mention the unsafe fun that we got up to in all the corners and especially behind the third statue of Andraste from the right in the chapel, but you'd make faces.

[byblow]

[ He makes a bit of a face anyway, while he's doing more chewing, just to play along. Plus the mention of being struck isn't great. ]

If I'd known there was so much excitement to look forward to, maybe I'd have been been more cooperative in training. The only part of Circle life I ever saw was a Harrowing.

[justice_is_blond]

The height of entertainment, I'm certain. There's no production more authentic than that of a pre-teen suddenly dragged out of bed and thrown to a demon.

[The edge to his voice isn't directed at Alistair. The man before him isn't the sort to enjoy the fear of someone barely more than a child who had the deck stacked against them. But it had been a reality of the Circles and in his mind the reality needs to not be forgotten.

Anders takes a breath.]

But there are better topics. Like if there's someone you'd seek out for woes who happens to be a woman around your age...

[byblow]

[ It had been, specifically, an unsuccessful Harrowing, and watching the girl die had been what made Alistair shift from disliking the Order because he was bored and didn't want to be there to disliking it because it was wrong—so there won't be any argument here. He raises his eyebrows for a moment in acknowledgment of the point. And maybe he would have had something else to say, and they could have had a heart to heart on politics, but Anders keeps going and—

Alistair looks a little bit like a caught child. He'd thought he'd done a good job distracting him from the subject. So much for that. ]

Fine. [ Fine. ] I've been— [ seeing? sleeping with? he pauses and leaves a fill-in-the-blank pause in the middle of the sentence. ] —ah. Sabine. [ If it helps make the blank-filling more accurate, he can't help smiling, and it's a sort of stupid smile. But a second later he looks smug. ] Since Kingsway.

[ And barely anyone knows, because some people are discreet. Until she is actually in the room, at least. Then some people might evenly alternate between looking smitten and looking at her ass. ]