[sandbox]

[bringspeopletogether]

No Orlesian nobles pounded down their door to demand their hound back, so when Alistair and Cullen left Halamshiral, the newly-dubbed Gruyere happily trotted alongside their horses.

A few weeks after -- which included some quiet conversation, a few orders placed with a few merchants, and almost an entire extra pack of gifts slung over one of their mounts -- Gru just as happily trotted along as they turned for South Reach.

Years of correspondence led Alistair to build an elaborate image of Cullen's family in his mind; Mia, perhaps, more fully realized than the others, but everyone with a name and a voice to match their letters. They're...not wholly inaccurate? But Mia's definitely shorter than he expected, and one or two of the children a little louder.

(Mia's voice, however, adopts exactly the pitch he imagined it would when Alistair brings up the whole I'm-your-brother-in-law-now thing.)

It's a nice place. Just the right kind of rambunctious, with all the kids running around; just the right kind of homey.

If only Cullen weren't -- well, reacting more or less precisely how Alistair worried he'd react to the reunion.

Comments

[bringspeopletogether]

"I'd like that."

He murmurs it into Cullen's hair.

"Very much."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen lets out a boneless sigh. "At your order."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair's smile warms. He tightens his embrace a little.

"When you're up to it," he says, still soft, "I think we ought to venture out for dinner. What do you say?"

Food probably won't fix Cullen's mood, but it certainly won't hurt.

[howtoactfereldan]

"All right." It's tentative. "Can you -- do all the talking?"

[bringspeopletogether]

"Of course," he says. "As much chatting and rambling as you'd like. No need for you to talk at all."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen starts to shift upright. "Let's go, then."

The sooner it's done, the sooner he can be in a place where no one looks at him but Alistair.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair nods, and lets him go.

Once they're out of the bedroom (Alistair having finally put on a shirt first), Gru perks up and boofs a greeting. It seems a shame to coop him up even longer after barring him from the bedroom for so many hours; besides, it might help Cullen to have a distraction. When in doubt, start petting the dog, right?

(And a mabari will probably attract more stares than a man.)

So Alistair murmurs Gru's name, beckons for him to come along, and leads the small parade out of the house. The inn down the way probably has some decent stew they can grab.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen is happy to bring up the rear, trailing after. He's dressed as soberly as he can, doing his best to look completely uninteresting.

We should get provisions, he thinks. Or someone who can come in for half a day to do the cooking.

Tracing mental options is enough to tide him over until their arrival.

[bringspeopletogether]

There's a table available in a fairly shadowy corner, and when Alistair inquires after a meal for them both, he's rewarded with two bowls of reasonably decent stew and half a loaf of bread to split between them. As they settle in, Gru takes up a post next to Cullen's chair, within easy range of petting, distracting passerby, and maybe sneaking a lump of mutton from one of their bowls when no one's looking.

"Perhaps we could see to finding some eggs and bread, too," suggests Alistair after a few bites. "For tomorrow morning."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen nods without looking up, and nudges a lump of mutton over to the side of his bowl to slip to Gru later.

"Good." Softly.

[bringspeopletogether]

Gru's tail thumps in anticipation.

Alistair nods. "Getting up early and tromping over here half-asleep feels like far too much of a bother." Light. "Might even be too much of a bother for lunch. We've the means to cook our own meals, after all."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Eat late," he says, no louder, "and Mia's expecting us tomorrow night."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Right."

He tears off a hunk of bread for the stew.

A little softer: "I can do the talking then, too, if you'd like."

[howtoactfereldan]

"We'll see," Cullen says to his bowl.

[bringspeopletogether]

"All right." Gentle, and not much louder.

Alistair lets the quiet overtake their table, returning to his food.