[sandbox]

[bringspeopletogether]

Skyhold gets quieter and quieter as the days move on. It's not a complete stand-down; there's cleanup to do, stragglers to round up, the same sort of business Alistair remembers from the months after the Blight. The Thaw, as Wardens call it. Thedas is thawing again, but the fortress only grows colder for it.

He won't lie: he'd feel warmer if Kieran and Morrigan were still there.

When Cullen suggests a vacation, Alistair lights up, only to deflate slightly when he realizes they'll be "vacationing" in Orlais. There's business to attend in Val Royeaux -- not the sort of business that'll keep Cullen occupied from sunup to sundown, but enough to require an in-person visit for a week or so. On the one hand: Orlais. On the other: he can't argue that time away from Skyhold, especially in Cullen's company, will help.

...So will the cheese, probably.

(Look, as Alistair has said many a time, he is a very predictable man.)

They room at a small place in the university quarter that's downright plain for Val Royeaux. Libraries for Cullen, a cafe around the corner for both of them, limited contact with people trilling about whatever stupid, petty scandal's hit the court this week -- it could be far worse. Alistair takes to writing his letters at the cafe, usually accompanied by some flaky pastry or another.

Today, they're cheese-filled. It's hard to descend too far into a personal funk when you've got a cheese-filled pastry.

Comments

[bringspeopletogether]

"Oh, of course," says Alistair, as if that were a foregone conclusion. "One big gazebo for us and a ring of smaller gazebos around it for the dogs."

[howtoactfereldan]

"And your thousand golem statues in between?"

[bringspeopletogether]

With great practicality: "Well, where else would I put them?"

(He's beginning to laugh a little by the end.)

[howtoactfereldan]

"I'd feared you would say our bedroom, but I think our small dog palaces are a much better place."

[bringspeopletogether]

"You did make it quite clear that you wanted a three-foot golem-free radius around the bed. If we're exiling the dogs, we can absolutely exile the figurines as well."

A thoughtful pause.

"Do you think the mabari might chew the golems' limbs off?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"Not if we give them other things to chew on."

He brushes Alistair's cheek, brief and light, with a finger. "Back to bed?"

[bringspeopletogether]

"I think so, yes."

Smile softening, he lifts their clasped hands so he can kiss Cullen's knuckles.

"Thank you for the water."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen has colored, a little. Light: "It was a very difficult thing to do, getting out of bed to pour you some."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Truly one of the greatest trials you've endured, I know."

He eases back the chair; gets up, without letting go of Cullen's hand.

"Come on."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen trails after him willingly enough. But his wheels are still turning.

Quiet: "After everything... Morrigan might well be reasonable. You could write to her about this."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair makes a faintly noncommittal noise. "Maybe. ...Perhaps less 'hello, now I'm having nightmares about the Fade and the Calling, let me tell you all about them' and more 'let's figure out how to explain this to Kieran.'"

He settles onto their bed.

"Maybe once I've got a reassuring way to break the news, I'll feel better about it."

[howtoactfereldan]

Gently, as he follows:

"And more of 'could I travel to meet you every year or so.'"

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair's smile, this time, is far more tired.

"She disappeared so utterly after the Blight that it took Warden Cousland nearly a year to find her," he says. He looks down at his hands. "I can hope she wouldn't do that again this time, but...it's not much of a hope."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Circumstances are different this time. Kieran's older. He wants to know you. Morrigan has a very good reason to allow herself to be found by you or Leliana, or both -- Kieran might need you, if Flemeth comes calling. You can ask."

Cullen reaches for Alistair's hand again. "You should ask. For their sake. And for yours."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair runs his thumb along the side of Cullen's hand, still not looking up.

"Someday," he says, wryly, "I'll learn to make pleasant assumptions instead of landing on the bad ones first thing. 'Well, that person left, so now they're gone forever and they'll never want to see me again.'"

[howtoactfereldan]

"The only people who feel that way are terrible people," he murmurs into Alistair's shoulder. "Good riddance to them."

[bringspeopletogether]

His shoulder shakes as he exhales a laugh. "Yes. I'm glad I have you around to remind me of that."

Light as it may be, he says it with full sincerity.

[howtoactfereldan]

As sententiously as possible:

"The Maker has a purpose for every one of us, Alistair."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair groans -- but rather than pulling away or elbowing Cullen in the ribs, he leans more comfortably against him.

"So if yours is to remind me not to bother with terrible people, what's my purpose, then?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"To provide increasingly outlandish and impractical houses for a herd of mabari, of course," Cullen says, very surprised.

[bringspeopletogether]

"Right, right, yes," he muses, nodding thoughtfully. "I'd forgotten."

A beat.

"How do you feel about three dozen tiny stair-less castles scattered about the farm?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"Will they interfere with growing things?"

[bringspeopletogether]

"Of course not." Cheerful. "We could even grow things on the roofs of the castles if you'd like."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Absolutely not," Cullen murmurs into Alistair's shoulder. "That's asking for trouble."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Nothing too big?" he offers. "Just little herb plots, maybe some flowers?"