004 // the house of sin

[serpentis]

Who: Dorian and assorted guests
Broadcast: Fleet-wide, 3/10
Action: In a villa practically in the forest (THE HOUSE OF SIN)
When: Broadcast- 3/10 // Action- 3/9-3/31? Until we leave.

Broadcast:

[The broadcast goes out on 3/10, and Dorian smirks a bit into the feed.]

I believe I've secured lodging for myself, with room enough for several others. If you need a place to stay, do let me know. It's a quaint little villa a bit outside of town. ...please don't mind the suspicious glances, I assure you, I've done nothing entirely against the guidelines that were set.

---------

Action:

[Dorian has secured a villa, but the residents of Mor don't seem too keen on having an evil mage for a neighbor. As the month goes on, more and more villagers will show up to stand at the gates of the villa and threaten to come in after the "evil wizard".

Maybe he shouldn't have gone so overboard with the whole "contacting the spirits of the dead" thing.]

((OOC: Mingle post for the House of Sin. We'll pretend there are enough rooms in here for everyone! Even if you character only drops by to rest their feet a bit, everyone is welcome to visit and stay the night if they want.))

Comments

[dawnwillcome]

And when it's all over Josephine will throw us the biggest party Thedas has ever seen and I'll sleep for a week straight.

[It's a deflection, because she accepted the fact that she would likely die from the very beginning. How often does a hero survive an epic battle for the world, anyway? It was a sacrifice she was ready to make and Cullen's fingers against her skin only make the inevitable all the more difficult.]

But for now, we should probably get back. Do you think you'll be able to sleep now?

[serves]

I think you chased the nightmares away. [The worst of them, at least. He won't be surprised if he wakes with a start in the morning, but as long as he's not crying out in his sleep, it's a good night.]

You should get to sleep as well. I'm sure you have a full schedule, even here.

[Ah, fine. He'll just keep a hold of her hand. She'll have to lead them back anyway.]

[dawnwillcome]

I wouldn't call it a schedule so much as trying to keep the fires at a slow burn. I don't think there's any hope of putting them out completely.

[She doesn't sound particularly upset by this, because she really isn't. It's an accepted fact at this point, because there is no fixing some of these problems. All she can do is try to keep the peace.

But she squeezes his hand lightly again as she leads him back in the direction of the villa.]

If I asked you to promise to find me on the nights you can't sleep, would you do it?

[serves]

If there's anything I can do...

[Which he's said earlier, but he can offer again. He knows he's cause for some of those issues she's dealing with. His arrival had not been all that pleasant.

At her question, he has to let out a slow breath. It's not that simple.]

These are... things I have dealt with for a long time. A decade of bad dreams. I'm used to them, by now.

[Even if they're only getting worse.]

[dawnwillcome]

I promise I'll let you know what will help when I figure it out. So far I'd just like to keep people from trying to kill Anders.

[She gives his hand a light tug.]

That isn't what I asked you, Cullen. Just because you're used to handling them alone it doesn't mean you have to keep on doing that.

[serves]

[Whoops.]

I wouldn't let anyone murder the man.

[For now. The moment he showed signs of ill intent, however...]

You needn't trouble yourself over something that's no real trouble to me.

[Except it is, isn't it? The nightmares steal away his sleep, and the more tired he is, the more his hands tremble and the more susceptible he is to that hollow yearning in his gut. That desire to crack and take the easy route, let himself be leashed. Not that he can do that here, of course.]

[dawnwillcome]

So no, then.

[She sighs, but it's about the answer that she expected if she's honest about it.]

I suppose there's no hope for it, then. I'll move my things to the room beside yours tomorrow.

[Maybe if she's closer, she'll be sure to hear any nightmares he may have. If he doesn't have to cross the entire villa, if she's just next door, maybe he'll find it in himself to seek her out. She doesn't know, but she also can't think of much else to do.]

[serves]

What?

[No, no no no. Surely he misheard her.]

[dawnwillcome]

[Nope your ears totally work.]

You'll be that much closer for when I need chess lessons, too.

[serves]

[He stops walking, hand still clasping hers. It's strange, having someone aware of all of this--even stranger now, with their relationship being... not what he's used to. He's not used to someone trying to take care of him like this.]

There's no convincing you, is there? [Stubborn, stubborn. But that's their Inquisitor.]

[dawnwillcome]

[His stopping pulls her up short, so she turns to face him again.]

Not when it's something this important to me. I know that I'm not- that you expected something different from me when you arrived, but I don't have to be your lover to take care of you.

[serves]

[There's something absurdly painful and comforting in hearing that. Cullen steps forward to wrap Jove in a hug, soft and grateful.

He's a grown man that can handle his own demons, but it's nice not to be alone.]

[dawnwillcome]

[She smiles faintly as her arms go around him, hugging him back carefully. It's different this time when they're in the middle of the forest and she's wearing his coat, when he's in light clothing and not hard armor. It's more intimate certainly, and for once she doesn't have any smart comments to make. It's not the time at all.

She just holds him while he holds her, pleased he isn't trying to argue his way out of her concern anymore.]

[serves]

[He's not always a wise man, but Cullen knows better than to argue with her once she's set her mind. He'll just be sure to go to bed after she does.

And maybe he'll just enjoy this moment a few heartbeats longer.]

[dawnwillcome]

[What a cheater. But she'll allow him to hold her, let him go on holding her until he's ready to let go. She can't begin to imagine the nightmares he would have been lost in, not to mention the struggle with his addiction. He's always so strong, always so in control that if he needs this moment to let this guard down a little she isn't going to be the one to pull away first.]

[serves]

[He almost wishes she'd be the one to pull away first, because it's only his worry that she may become uncomfortable that makes him pull away. Otherwise, he'd gladly hold her until the sun rose over the treetops.]

I... let's get back, shall we?

[dawnwillcome]

[There's no signs of discomfort, though. Not in the way she reaches for his hand again or in her nod as she starts to lead him back to their temporary home.]

Cole said once that warm milk helped some of your soldiers sleep. If you think it might do anything for you, we can stop in the kitchen.

[serves]

[Like a child. His dignity has taken enough of a beating today, thank you very much.]

It's not necessary.

[dawnwillcome]

[Don't be that way Cullen you're still totally manly and handsome. And once they make it to the villa Jove falls silent so they won't wake anyone, draw any undo attention while Cullen is probably not in a mood to talk to others, and leads him down the hallway and to his room. Once she's there it's only a moment of hesitation before she sighs and just looks up at him. No one will see, no one will hear this except him.]

I can stay until you fall asleep.

[It's an offer, one made with no reservations. She wants to be sure he gets some rest.]

[serves]

[After that little stroll he's a little more comfortable with her than before, and perhaps that's a bad thing, all things considered. But comfortable means a little more open on his part, and he shakes his head.]

I don't think I'd find sleep at all.

[dawnwillcome]

[It's a perfect level of comfort in Jove's opinion and she certainly doesn't mind him being more open, which is probably clear in the indulgent smile she gives him. No comments about why, no teasing, just an acceptance as she starts to shrug his coat off.]

I should let you have this back, then.

[serves]

[wait what the fuck is he doing]

Ah--[He seems to realize it, too. Cullen reaches out to stop her from removing his coat.]

Let me walk you back to your room. You can take it off there.

[dawnwillcome]

[She doesn't stop him, lets him do whatever he's going to do to keep her covered up, but her smile does twist into something that's more amused by his chivalry than anything else.]

Cullen, you're already here. There's no need to walk all the way to my room only to come back to your own.

[serves]

All the more walking to tire me out.

[No arguments!! He can be stubborn, too.]

[dawnwillcome]

[But this makes no sense!! So arguments. Little ones.]

I promise if anyone hops out at me on my trip back I'll shout for you, but I really do think I'm capable of making it a handful of feet down the hallway.

[And now she's trying to take his coat off again. It's like stubborn olympics.]