[sandbox]

[bringspeopletogether]

The letter he finally sends is maybe a little more impolitic than it ought to be, but if he doesn't send something now, he'll still be writing when his Calling arrives.



Fiona,

Ivette Cousland is looking for you. The name might ring a bell. Hero of Ferelden? Slayed the Archdemon some years ago?

Anyway. She's not having any luck, so I thought I'd try my hand at getting in touch.

Cousland's been searching for a cure for the Calling these past five years or so; she even retired as Warden-Commander of Vigil's Keep so she could pursue her research better. She knows your leaving the Wardens wasn't like mine. You didn't just walk away from Weisshaupt: you managed to un-Join somehow, with no ill effects. You're our last, best lead on the matter, so you can understand why she's rather eager to speak to you. It's very likely she doesn't have much time left, what with it being almost a decade and a half since her Joining and living through a Blight.

Frankly, I don't expect I have much time left, either.

Cullen and I are in South Reach these days. I'll always know where to find Cousland, if you'd rather speak with her directly. For all our sakes, I hope you'll be in touch.

--Alistair





Two weeks later, a raven knocks its beak against their window frame.

This is a matter best discussed in person, says the note attached to its leg. I can be to South Reach by the end of the month.

It's signed only with the letter F. Alistair spends the next few hours talking up a nervous storm, hands digging in his hair, half anxious, half furious. (This is exactly what he didn't want: for her to read this as an overture. For her to think she could have any claim to Alistair's time, Alistair's space, outside of giving him and Cousland the information they needed.)

Then he writes a letter to Cousland and sends the raven on its way.

Comments

[bringspeopletogether]

"Now I know what I'm getting you for your birthday."

He dunks the cloth again and resumes scrubbing Cullen's back.

"Should I ever learn when that is."

[howtoactfereldan]

"You could just make one up." Still mumbled. "Or give me presents all the time."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Or both," Alistair muses. "Presents all the time and then an extra-big present on your made-up birthday."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Both is good." With a small smile. "I look forward to both."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Then I'm happy to oblige, my love."

With another chuckle, he kisses the top of Cullen's head.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen wrinkles his nose again. "Don't you want to wait until I've washed it?"

[bringspeopletogether]

"Why do you think I already scrubbed it a bit?" Amused. "It's clean enough to kiss."

He presents Cullen with the bar of soap.

"If you want to clean it more, however, by all means."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen takes the soap and makes a face at Alistair.

"I'll finish up while you fix one of those presents you're talking about."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair beams, serenely.

"As you wish," he says, and gives Cullen a peck on the cheek. "Love you."

It's been a while since Alistair had the opportunity to draw some nug caricatures. No time like the present!

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen catches Alistair's wrist before he can get up, and pulls him in for a long, lingering kiss.

(No time like the present.)

[bringspeopletogether]

Indeed.

Alistair sinks into the kiss, gladly, his free hand rising to cup Cullen's cheek. When it breaks, he has to take a moment to catch his breath, eyes still closed.

Once he regains his bearings, he traces his thumb along Cullen's scar, his smile softer, brighter. "Handsome man," he murmurs fondly. "Call if you need me."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen is bright pink, now, in a way that has nothing to do with the temperature of the water.

"Shan't be long." No louder. "Thank you. For -- fussing."

[bringspeopletogether]

"You're welcome." His smile grows. (Yet another of Alistair's favorite things: making his husband blush.) "Always a pleasure."

With one more squeeze of Cullen's hand, Alistair takes his leave.

[howtoactfereldan]

And Cullen scrubs his hands over his face, allowing himself the space of a breath to clear his mind.

Then, quickly, he dunks himself under the water. Sooner he's done, the better.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair, meanwhile, makes himself comfortable on their bed, notebook in hand and an inkwell on the nightstand. Gru, fast asleep at the foot of the bed, twitches an ear at the sound of Alistair's footsteps. (Maybe if he diligently pretends that he's still asleep, his humans won't kick him out of the bedroom just yet!)

On the righthand page is a doodle of Geoffrey the stuffed golem and his two nug friends. More than a doodle, really; it's graduated into an actual drawing with all sorts of little details and linework. (Just like learning to sing the Chant, what Alistair lacks in natural talent he's made up for with lots of work.) On the opposite page, he sets to work on another doodle: two nugs cheering for joy over a water pump.

In big letters beneath, he writes, A WATER PUMP IN THE KITCHEN!

[howtoactfereldan]

It's another five minutes before a loud splash: the basin's been emptied.

And it's another two before Cullen pads into the bedroom, linen sheet wrapped around his waist.

His hair is... regrettable.

[bringspeopletogether]

Surely the appropriate descriptor is magnificent. Or at least hilarious.

(As always, Alistair is exceedingly biased.)

He grins at the sight, scooting over a little to make more room for Cullen. "Clean and content?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"Something like that," Cullen agrees, and locates some loose trousers before settling next to (and a little behind) Alistair.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair hums, quietly pleased, and angles the notebook without thought so Cullen can get a better look.

A tiny cartoon mabari has joined the pair of celebrating nugs. It's a bit more clumsily rendered -- Alistair hasn't been drawing mabari for as long -- but clearly just as excited about the new water pump.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen settles his chin on Alistair's shoulder, hooking an arm around his waist -- and starts to laugh quietly, once he realizes what he's looking at.

"I never expected to share a home with a real artist."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Amateur at best," says Alistair -- but he's smiling again, and the tips of his ears have pinked. "But I'm always glad to entertain."

He lays down a few more lines of ink on the mabari's coat.

[howtoactfereldan]

"I am entertained," Cullen agrees, and touches his lips to Alistair's neck, brief and light. "Do carry on."

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair shivers; leans back an inch against Cullen.

"I've a few other drawings in here as well." That's -- a bit shy. "You can have your pick for your first present, if you'd like."

[howtoactfereldan]

If that's the reaction he's getting, Cullen is doing it again.

"Don't rip it out of the book." And that's a little alarmed.

[bringspeopletogether]

Being as it's hard to concentrate on tiny cartoon mabari when Cullen's deploying that sort of distraction, Alistair stops drawing, sinking back against Cullen in full.

"I won't," he says. "I'll -- do something else. Copy it, perhaps. Pick what you'd like and I'll find some nice parchment to draw it on."