[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

[howtoactfereldan]

And the smell. Don't forget the smell.

Cullen drags himself into the kitchen, having forgotten to put on a shirt. He's moving stiffly; everything hurts. Sleep-graveled: "Tea?"

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair pauses mid-chop of a potato, directing a small smile Cullen's way. "Kettle's on the fire," he says, and abandons his task in favor of curling an arm around Cullen's waist. "Ought to be ready soon."

And once it's empty, Alistair plans to refill it at least twice more.

[howtoactfereldan]

He sinks against Alistair without thinking about it, rubbing his eyes. "Thank you," he mumbles. "C'n I help?"

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair hms, considering. (And suppressing the urge to say stand there and look handsome. That can wait until Cullen has some tea in him.)

"Tend to the bacon?" he asks. "We'll probably have to make a second pan when Ivette and Fiona are up."

Nobody deserves cold bacon for breakfast. (Well, maybe Fiona, but he's trying, damn it.)

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen nods, shifting with visible effort, and shuffles over to the pan.

"Need to see Bran." Still mumbled. "Won't take long. It's raining, isn't it."

[bringspeopletogether]

"A little," says Alistair, after a moment to peer out the window. In the dim light, everything has an uncomfortable, sickly glisten to it, though it's not raining hard enough to be audible. "Looks thoroughly miserable out there already."

The hiss of the teakettle escalates. Before it can turn to a full-blown shriek -- even if everyone inside but Gru is already awake -- Alistair grabs the tongs to hoist it off the fire.

Two minutes later, he passes a mug of steaming-hot tea to Cullen.

"Want a cold rune to chill it down a bit?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"Without judgment?" The sleep-fog is clearing a little; he gives Alistair a crooked half-smile. "Impressive, Theirin. Yes. Please."

For good measure, Cullen scrubs at his face again.





"I'm not wearing a shirt," he says, sounding both puzzled and mildly perturbed. "I should fix that."

[bringspeopletogether]

"No you shouldn't," says Alistair immediately. "It's warm and there's no rain in here. Save the shirt for when the bad things arrive."

Rustling up a cold rune, he presses it into Cullen's palm and kisses his temple.

[howtoactfereldan]

A little plaintive, now, as he applies the rune: "We have houseguests, Alistair."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Houseguests who aren't awake yet," protests Alistair, good-natured, but relents with a sigh. "And houseguests who won't announce themselves before they walk inside, because why would there be any need, it's not like someone's shirtless in there. Damn."

FIONA RUINS EVERYTHING.

(Conveniently ignoring that in this specific instance, Ivette also ruins everything. But if it wouldn't embarrass Cullen to a truly unforgivable degree, Alistair would consider it revenge for those racy letters that nearly burned his eyeballs clean from his head.)

[howtoactfereldan]

(Or Alistair could be the shirtless one. Did he ever think of that?)

The bacon is doing what bacon does; it'll be a moment yet before he has to turn it. With that in mind, Cullen drapes himself over Alistair's back as best he can, chin resting on Alistair's shoulder.

He's still holding on to the tea, of course.

And murmurs: "Either no guests from now on, or a larger house."

[bringspeopletogether]

(A plan truly elegant in its simplicity!)

Alistair leans back against Cullen with a soft hum of pleasure; his eyes drift closed. "First one might be a bit easier," he answers, soft. "Unless we want to build an entire new wing of the house."

[howtoactfereldan]

"We'll start with the first. We're only letting this place. Might frown on major improvements."

Through a clever bit of gymnastics, Cullen lifts the mug from under Alistair's arm and drinks.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair cracks open an eye to watch this endeavor, his amusement plain.

"And you call me impressive," he says once Cullen's swallowed his drink. "Well done."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Desperate times," Cullen says peacefully, and does it again.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair huffs a tiny laugh.

"I ought to commission you a tea mug the size of a tankard for mornings like this. Think you could manage the same trick if I did?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"Obviously." Slightly offended. (Mouth twitching.) "How could you doubt my strength?"

[bringspeopletogether]

"I'm not doubting your strength, love."

He leans just enough to brush a kiss over Cullen's cheek.

"Just thinking of a good Satinalia gift for you."

(A commissioned mug the size of a tankard and permanently enchanted with cold runes so Cullen never has to drink scorching-hot tea again. Oh yes. If Alistair makes it to Satinalia, it's happening.)

[howtoactfereldan]

"That's all right, then."

Cullen squeezes Alistair, just a little, before moving away with a grunt. "Bacon."

[bringspeopletogether]

"And potatoes," he agrees. Pouring his own mug of tea, he returns to the half-chopped pile of potatoes on the counter.

Gru stirs, having finally concluded that bacon -- even just the possibility of a slice or two of bacon -- defeats the need for sleep. (Sleep can happen later! It's a BRAND NEW DAY, after all.) With unfailing politeness, he pads to Cullen's side and takes a seat, nose turned up hopefully toward the skillet.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen takes a break from prodding the bacon to eye Gru.

"It's too hot," he warns. "You'll burn your tongue."

Pause.

"If you go get my shirt from where it's folded, I'll set aside a piece and give it to you once you come back."

[bringspeopletogether]

Gru draws himself up to his full height -- a good four and a half feet, give or take a few inches -- like a soldier coming to attention. He even manages to stop wagging his tail for a second.

Woof, he announces, then gets up to trot over to the bedroom.

A few moments of rustling and scrambling later, he pads back with Cullen's shirt clasped in his jaws as delicately as an eggshell. There's not even that much drool on it!

"...All those years in Skyhold without him," manages Alistair through his laughter. "How did we ever manage?"

[howtoactfereldan]

"We lived up a ladder," Cullen points out, and takes the shirt. "Well done, ser."

True to his word, he picks up the two pieces of bacon he set aside to cool just a little, and holds them out. Let it never be said that Cullen was not prompt with payment.

[bringspeopletogether]

WHAT. TWO PIECES. BEST DAY EVER. Delighted, Gru snaps them up, tail wagging ferociously as he devours the strips.

"Ah, yes," says Alistair in tones of great enlightenment. "How quickly I forget about things like our former living arrangements and the fact that dogs have no thumbs."

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen stops in the middle of pulling his shirt over his head to give Alistair a Look.