strangetrip | [GP/EP] Check-In Day

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[GP/EP] Check-In Day

Why Caroline had needed her to help with Check-In Day she hadn't bothered to say. Just, "you said you'd help," and when Regina protested she wasn't good with people, "aren't you a Queen or a Mayor or something?" complete with shooing gestures. While Regina found Caroline more exasperating the terrifying, she did have a point.

So Regina suited up--literally, gathered her files and folders, coffee mug, pens and pocketed the wooden carving of Henry/Roland Robin had made for her, then headed for the cafe. If, polished and politic and patently Busy, she didn't offer newcomers the brightest or warmest smile when they arrived, it was nevertheless confident and quite possibly reassuring.

Caroline did friendly. Regina...did knowledgeable and polite. Dot and Ignis had been asked to provide finger food on catering trays. The still-grieving Miss Pryde had been tasked with samovars of tea and coffee and ice chest of soda and beer. Caroline's welcome baskets sat on the table beside Regina's for easy access. And though she didn't when she was alone in the office, Regina spent the magic to fix her eyesight so she didn't put glasses between her and new arrivals.

Madame Mayor was in.

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"I've pretty much outlined every subject I am touchy about several times now, I know the others were fond of using my manifesto as loo paper but I had hoped at least one of you had read it first." Anders muttered more to himself then to her before he moved to open the door and went inside, holding it open for her.

For a moment or two he was quiet as he looked over the colors and the bed and the rock. Eventually he burst out laughing. "By the Maker. Justice lived in the fade, saw all the weird and terrible colors there and yet he hates this. Absolutely hates the look of this room."

And one of those subjects over and over again was the circles. Merrill had read it. It wasn't particularly well written, but she'd read it because he was her friend and important to her.

"You know, for once I agree with Justice," she said, following him in and letting the door shut behind her.

"Don't be like that, it's lovely. Colorful. Do you know how drab the Circle, the Wardens and Darktown can be? It's not nearly as green and brown as the wilds were, let me tell you." He put his cat down, letting her explore while he did the same. "I think I like it, and so would Hawke, I think. She does have terrible taste."

"I like how green and brown the wilds are," Merrill said, going to go get a glass to give the cat some water now that she knew how to work the water in the rooms. "There's color there too. It's just...not on the ceiling."

At the sound of water Anders went to peek over her shoulder, watching her work the taps. Those would be very useful and his kitten would forever have water, he wondered if the larger ones were for bathing. He could get behind that. "A bit more cave-like in here though, not that I'm complaining."

"You should see mine. It's very lovely." Though also a tower, but she wasn't going to get into that if he was going to be touchy about her trying to be considerate.

"I'm told you can't actually change anything and it'll just revert back to what it is now if you do."

"So, just for instance, if I wrote all over the walls or tied to repaint it would return to this?" He motioned around himself. That would be handy as well, if he had a resurgence of his hypergraphia and wrote on the walls it wouldn't be up long enough for him to be ashamed of later. Perhaps this place wasn't so terrible after all.

Ah. Right. That. She'd tried to forget about that. "I think so," she said, going to sit on the edge of the bed. If Anders could be comfortable here, she wouldn't judge it. He was much nicer when he was happy or as close to it as he ever got without being too much again.

Once she left he started fiddling with the sink, amused by how it worked. He knew the dwarves had something similar but they didn't often share their secrets. Or rather the interesting secrets. He knew far too much about Oghren's boils and how much Varric hated the deep roads.

"This is all very handy." He called, "We might convince Hawke to check the place out before she takes us home." Because she would, she always did even if she screwed it up. Something would be on fire and and a dragon would suddenly appear but so would Hawke and she would make it right eventually.

"Maybe she'll come," Merrill said gently, "but I don't think even she has the power to get us home." It was sad. A lot about Anders was sad. It was why she had such a great deal of compassion for him even when he was mean to her.

"I like that the water gets hot though, and the chair for relieving yourself. That's very nice too."

"Maybe not her in herself but I'm sure she'll find a way. She always finds a way." Even if that way was stupid and full of danger. Once again he hated that she went to meet with the Inquisition, it would take her ages to realize he and now Merrill were gone. He had complete faith in her though, even if she wasn't able to come through she would help him get home someway.

She wasn't going to argue with him, but she didn't think it was likely. If she was working things out properly in her mind, Merrill herself had been gone sometime longer than Anders. "I hope you're right," she said softly, petting the cat when she came back over.

Anders knew when he was being humored. He frowned to himself and tried not to think over some of the things that Justice had said when he first saw Merrill. For now she was the only link he seemed to have to Thedas, he didn't want to drive her away entirely or get her thinking that he'd gone mad.

After forcing a neutral look on his face he returned to Merrill and the cat, the latter of which was drinking out of the cup and purring at the elf woman's petting. "You at least like the stained glass."

"I like the room so long as I don't look up," she said fondly. "And I like that you're here. It makes this place much less daunting to have a friend."

"Are we friends, Merrill?" He asked softly. "I- I know we don't get along well without Hawke, and when she's here I still manage to say some awful things to you." He wasn't always wrong either, she was a blood mage and she did make a deal with a demon. Bethany had tried to teach him a little tact and he'd listened until she let herself get taken to the Circle.

"You all say awful things to me," she said. Even Hawke from time to time had been mean for no real reason. More often than not, she left all their company feeling like they all thought she was terribly stupid and irredeemable. "I'd rather have terrible friends than no friends at all." Gingerly, she moved the cat off her lap and stood up. "I'm sorry. I should go. I've taken up enough of your time."

"Hawke loves you, you know. She's always been open about it. The morning she left she got a letter from Aveline and Bethany. She was worried when it didn't say anything about you." He said, trying to assure her while he went to pick up the cat. He didn't know why he cared now, likely because she was the only link back he had but he was making some kind of effort.

"There wouldn't've been a me to say anything about," she said, "I'm here now and they're used to me slipping off now and again without saying anything." Elf business was different than whatever the others were doing. She'd grown to accept all of that.

She shrugged. "It's okay, Anders, really. I've always been meant to be alone. I accepted that a long time ago. I don't mind it."

He nodded, hugging his cat to his chest, "Mahariel said the same thing before he left." After a sigh and a kiss to Madam Fluffykins' forehead he made himself smile a little for Merrill. "I suppose I will see you later then."

"I miss him a great deal," she said. Mahariel. Tamlen. Her whole clan. They were losses she'd never heal from. Mahariel and Tamlen especially. They'd been like brothers to her.

She took a fortifying breath and forced a smile back at him. "One Eight Four," she said, "All the way upstairs, the tower right above here. If you need anything...or just want to not be alone together for a little while, you should know where to find me."

"One eight four." He repeated. "Thank you, Merrill." All that came to him were biting words now, but a part of him knew she didn't deserve him making himself feel better by being cruel to her. She had helped him and his cat, maybe later he could be unkind.

"Ma serannas, Lethallin," she said even softer before slipping out of the room to go back up to her own tower.

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[GP/EP] Check-In Day

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