[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]

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."

[howtoactfereldan]

This might in fact have been what Cullen was hoping for. Carefully, without upsetting any ink, Cullen moves to sling a leg around Alistair and draws him back against his bare chest.

"You pick," Cullen murmurs in his hair, securing his arms around Alistair. "Better that way."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Mm."

The doodle hasn't quite dried yet. With care, Alistair stretches just enough to scoot the open notebook onto the nightstand; the quill goes alongside, the ink recapped.

Then he settles his arms over Cullen's with a quiet, contented sigh.

"I'll find a good one," he whispers. "Something properly silly. Not so silly you can't hang it in the kitchen, though."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen tightens his hold on Alistair for just a moment. "I trust your judgment."

[bringspeopletogether]

"I'm honored." A small grin. "Truly."

He lets his eyes close.

"Thank you for fussing, too. I needed it."

[howtoactfereldan]

"This isn't fussing," Cullen murmurs. "You did all the work."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Distracting me, then," he corrects with a soft laugh. "Very thoroughly."

[howtoactfereldan]

He rests his chin on the top of Alistair's head.

"I try," he says, modest. "I intend to keep trying until you're ready for bed."

[bringspeopletogether]

"The best," he sighs. "So glad I married you."

He tucks his head more comfortably in the crook of Cullen's neck.

"And you're all right?"

[howtoactfereldan]

As long as he doesn't think beyond the next five minutes!

"I'm all right," Cullen confirms. It even sounds like he believes it.

[bringspeopletogether]

"Good." Soft, as he squeezes one of Cullen's hands. "The peeled grapes will wait for another day, then."

Beat.

"That day being 'never,' yes, I know."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Or tomorrow," he mumbles right into Alistair's hair. "If you're not careful I'm falling asleep like this. Since someone encouraged me to get ready for bed at a reasonable hour."

[bringspeopletogether]

"I've suffered far worse fates." Cheerful. "If tonight's involves being a pillow, so be it."

At the foot of the bed, Gru heaves an immense sigh and gets to his feet. When the humans start talking like that, it means they're probably going to kick him out soon. Woe. Alas.

[howtoactfereldan]

Without looking:

"It seems you've disturbed our mabari, Theirin."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Or perhaps he heard someone discussing falling asleep and took the initiative," says Alistair with an audible smile. "He's learned well."

But that doesn't mean Gru isn't going to sulk the whole way to the bedroom door and flop down juuuuust outside it, sticking to the letter of don't sleep in the bedroom at night and nothing even close to the spirit.

[howtoactfereldan]

That's fine by Cullen. The letter is the important part.

"If we're being specific," he still mumbles, still into Alistair's hair, "I'm the one being the pillow."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Hmmm."

He draws it out into a deliberate rumble.

"Yes, I suppose that's true," he allows. "I trust you'll tell me to budge up if you need me to assume pillow duties for a bit?"

[howtoactfereldan]

Alistair rumbles; Cullen sighs soft, pleased.

"Mm," he agrees, and does his best to curl himself around Alistair even more.

[bringspeopletogether]

"All right."

He's struggling not to laugh again as he insinuates himself more comfortably in Cullen's arms. It seems likely this will end -- whether in minutes or hours -- with the two of them toppling over, but for now, Alistair's perfectly comfortable. Perfectly content.