"I'm not asking you to go, Anders. I'm asking you to be patient." This is a delicate matter and as much as she misses Detelf- Anders is and isn't him. He is and he is the spirit that is sabotaging her attempts to cure him. How can she look upon him as a friend when, perhaps, Asher had the right of it. That splitting them up only doubles the problem, when both likely corrupted the other just as much? It is complicated. And she is so very tired of complications. Of lies.
But Anders has promised to be truthful and that, at least, she can hold him to.
"Bruce is a mage." Shocker. He lied. She thought, perhaps, they'd been close but this only goes to show that she trusts far too easily. Dealing with that and facing Anders now-
She sighs. "We are- you are not nothing, De-De. But I cannot accept all of you because half of you, I am certain, would rather I not be involved at all, for all that I am working to free him."
He's quiet for several moments, picking at a nail. It might be telling that he doesn't even act startled when she calls Bruce mage, but he'd given his word not to deceive her again.
"Thank you," Anders finally says before looking up. "I can be patient. And the other half... never seems to be able to make up his mind about you. That you're assisting with the rituals he dislikes, but not as much as he approves of the work you do. He likes you more than he likes most people, though I know that's little comfort."
She notices. She notices, blinks slowly at him, and murmurs. "You knew."
Whether or not that dipped into his promise not to lie- but Bruce had been lying this time. For whatever reason, Bruce chose to hide this from everyone. Kalli she had not begrudged this, and there are other mages that would do the same if they could.
It felt like a deeper cut, somehow, coming from Bruce. She'd thought-
It doesn't matter what she thought. "As I said. Shit track record."
"He helped me watch over a patient when I was exhausted and I promised not to tell anyone. Even though he assaulted me as soon as my own secret came out."
He exhales. "I gave my word on that. But Bruce's lie isn't your fault, any more than mine is. I'd nearly everyone fooled, he had everyone fooled. And everyone has secrets. Some are more volatile than others, but again. Not your fault. Is he fully outed, or is it just to the two of us now?"
"Seeing as he helped me tear the legs off of a demon the size of a small fortress I'd be surprised if no one else saw. We were not exactly subtle." And she is not keeping Bruce's secret for him. He owes her.
He owes her more than she knows how to call in- far too angry still to consider much of anything. "I am going to have Dorian vet anyone new I might decide to befriend. His judgement seems relatively sound."
Is Bruce completely revealed, then? Not just the mage part? Tearing off the legs of a demon seems rather... intensive. He hesitates, also wondering if not saying more is lying by omission at this point. Finally he shakes his head.
"I can't tell if you know or not from what you're saying, but there's another secret there too. I'm not... I'm not sworn to secrecy on it, I didn't give my word not to tell, but I ask you not to ask me what it is, please. I'm only mentioning it because at this point I fear not saying as much counts as deceit and I don't want to break my promise to you."
"Then you are in great luck- I am out of fucks to give on him for the moment. Whatever it is? I do not want to know. The less I think about him, the less I think about that whole-" She flicks her fingers in a vague gesture. "Thing. The better."
She doesn't want to remember the taste of the air or the sounds of the demons. The memorial stone with her name, the way the Nightmare laughed overhead. The Black City hovering in the distance... "I want to put it behind me."
He breathes out in clear relief, though there will be another reckoning to come later, when people realize he knew about another abomination and didn't speak up. For now, he's been as honest with Adelaide as she's asked him to be, and that can wait for another day.
"Understood. ...Is there anything you would like to think or talk about? Other than the fact that we seem to be low on embrium for some reason."
"How were the Anderfels?" That seems a safer topic of conversation. Also- tea. Her mug was empty, but moving at the moment? Impossible. "...De-De, could you brew a fresh pot of tea. I would myself but..."
She gestures to Remi, sleeping oh so sweetly in her lap, curled around the end of her braid. "I would hate to wake him."
...She might share tea, which is even bigger than sharing brandy, and she's just given him an opening to tease her about her cat. A genuine smile spreads across his face as he gets to work.
"You would hate to wake your... students' cat? You seem rather attached. Literally, going by the braid, and figuratively considering how you keep seemingly winding up with him. I think who truly belongs to the cat might be far more interesting than talking about demons and blood magic."
"You know where the jar of honey is, yes?" And how she takes it. There's a moments hesitation, the weight of choice hanging in the air for quite some time. What Nathaniel said sticks to her. What Pel says about Anders needing people-
It is complicated. It will never not be complicated. But she's lost something in Bruce that she...never truly had in the first place. "And where the second mug is."
A branch. An offer.
"His name-" She says, sniffing imperiously. "Is Remi. And Roul was supposed to come collect him earlier but is preoccupied with his newest lesson plan, so I am minding him a little while longer."
The second mug. It's been so long, but he most definitely still knows where that is, along with the honey, and both get set out as the water heats. He's not going to risk the haste spell when it comes to boiling water. He doesn't even want to rush it.
"Remi. That sounds properly Orlesian. Suitable for a LeBlanc. Was it Roul who named him... or you?" If Anders looks a little smug, who could blame him?
"Roul was going to name him Bonbon." Which is ridiculous. That is not what one names a cat. "The others had similarly foolish ideas, none of them could agree and there was a great deal of arguing. I stepped in to save the peace."
Nevermind that she's gently petting his ears, lips curled in a soft smile. "He sleeps on my bed with me more often than not. Climbs there if he is with one of the others at night."
"So you named him. He plays with your braid. He sleeps in your bed most of the time, leaving others behind. You're the one that took him in." The tea is set to steep as he lines up his points.
"Are you still saying that he's not your cat? That you don't need a special belt pouch just for your... bonbon?"
"He is not my cat." She arches a brow at Anders. "I am minding him. He spends most of the day with Roul on his shoulder."
Or that had been the plan. Now more and more Remi finds his way to her lap while she is working, her desk while she is taking notes, her bed when she is reading. But he is not he cat. That is a foolish idea.
"Surely he's not big enough to carry Roul on his shoulder yet."
He pours the tea now, and fixes it with care before bringing both cups over and setting them down and taking a seat. It's been... months. Actual months since they've had tea, and while he'd known he missed it, he hadn't realized quite how much he'd missed it until now.
"Every time I see him, I see him with you. Does Remi know that he's Roul's cat?"
"Anders." She snorts, wry and faintly fond, not moving so far forward as to hit him for that for fear of waking Remi. The tea is- made how she likes it. He's remembered and for a few moments it is as it was before. Two spirit healers and a pot of tea, despairing at the world.
She's missed it more than she'd like to admit.
"...I think so? Yes. He does. He's only ever with me for half the day."
Things to remember for the future: a cat in Adelaide's lap means he's less likely to get playfully smacked. It might even be something to use against her when he thinks he might soon run risk of hitting. Another thing to remember? How good it sounds to hear her say 'Anders' like that.
"And most of the night. Your poor cat may be due a talk about boundaries." Speaking of boundaries, Anders opens his largest belt pouch to peek inside and see if its occupant was still cozy or wanted out. As soon as his finger's claimed he smiles and sets down his cup so he can bring Purrelden up and onto the table. "This one doesn't have any. But that's all right. Would you like to meet Remi? The cat that will be Adelaide's in, oh, I'll give it two weeks?"
"He is a cat, he goes where he pleases- ah." Remi wakes with a soft yawn, uncurling from where he'd tangled himself up with the end of her braid. "Is that not so, chatton? You go where you wish."
There is no lilting or upward swing of her voice when she speaks to the cat- not in the slightest. She speaks to him in much the same way she speaks to Anders. Exasperated, fond, and with all due consideration. Remi responds by rolling over and crawling out of her lap to stretch on the table.
"And for the last time, he is not mine. He is his." No bell'ed collar on this kitten, just fluff and blue eyes and an imperious mew.
"That's why I said two weeks. We can revisit the pronouns then."
Purrelden watches Remi, watched by Anders, and slowly stretches out a paw to touch Remi's before she jumps back. Anders nearly has to grab her to keep her from knocking into his cup, but at least she manages to land short of that.
"I'm wondering if male cats are easier to train than female, or if it's just that my first cat was simply more willing to be trained than she is. She does behave rather well, though." Most of the time. Now, though, she's eyeing Adelaide's spoon and inching toward it.
Remi twitches at the touch with a soft 'prrt?', ears flicking forward, eyes wide to track every motion of the older cat. Adelaide- rubs the back of his head. No starting from her- the- this boy. Not at all.
"One does not train a cat, they offer incentive for good behavior." Which is training by another name, but shush. Right now she is busy offering some of that incentive with gentle scritching behind Remi's ears- making his eyes go half lidded as he leans with all of his little body into the touch.
Purrelden, well. She will find herself butting up against an invisible barrier soon enough. A casual expenditure of magic- but with kittens? A wise enough one. "Non, chatton- this is not for you."
He raises an eyebrow at her statement, looking very amused. That's exactly what training is. But at least he doesn't have to scoop Purrelden up and bring her back, what with the barrier in place. The kitten finds it and bumps it gently before starting to rub against it and purring. Because of course she's purring. Cats. The day this one makes sense...
"At least she likes magic. That's another point in her favor." He reaches over to rub her cheek, winding up with her rubbing one cheek on the barrier and the other on his finger. There's a smile on his face that is entirely un-self-conscious as she enjoys herself. "Yes, there you go, little mischief-maker. I'm trying to lure her into a life of cat ownership, and here you are trying to get into things."
"She takes after her owner in that way." One that makes mischief. How terrible it is for a man and his cat to be so similar, where Adelaide and Remi are somewhat calmer.
Somewhat, she thinks, as Remi inches his way over to bat at Purrelden's tail.
He's still young and there is much to learn, truly.
"A week, two weeks, a month- he is not my cat. He is a cat that I mind on occasion."
The open smile gets directed at Adelaide. Purrelden does, and he's proud of his kitten. She's perfect. And then Remi's headed for Purrelden's tail and just like that his kitten is turning and twisting and trying to play with the smaller cat. Anders keeps his hand close just in case he needs to rescue Remi.
"Ownership topic aside, you're going to fall in love with him. That's what cats do." He reaches in with his other hand to give Remi a chin-rub. "And then I'm going to see him with you all the time, and before Roul knows what's happened, before you even know what's happened, Remi will have chosen who he belongs with." As if that's not already happened.
"I am not." She says as she props her cheek on her hand, warmth coloring her eyes and her voice, a gentle finger crooking under Purrelden's chin. Even as she pulls a bit of dried salmon from her belt pouch (a frequent, favored treat) and sets out scraps for both kittens. She is not in love with Remi, not at all.
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But Anders has promised to be truthful and that, at least, she can hold him to.
"Bruce is a mage." Shocker. He lied. She thought, perhaps, they'd been close but this only goes to show that she trusts far too easily. Dealing with that and facing Anders now-
She sighs. "We are- you are not nothing, De-De. But I cannot accept all of you because half of you, I am certain, would rather I not be involved at all, for all that I am working to free him."
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"Thank you," Anders finally says before looking up. "I can be patient. And the other half... never seems to be able to make up his mind about you. That you're assisting with the rituals he dislikes, but not as much as he approves of the work you do. He likes you more than he likes most people, though I know that's little comfort."
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Whether or not that dipped into his promise not to lie- but Bruce had been lying this time. For whatever reason, Bruce chose to hide this from everyone. Kalli she had not begrudged this, and there are other mages that would do the same if they could.
It felt like a deeper cut, somehow, coming from Bruce. She'd thought-
It doesn't matter what she thought. "As I said. Shit track record."
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He exhales. "I gave my word on that. But Bruce's lie isn't your fault, any more than mine is. I'd nearly everyone fooled, he had everyone fooled. And everyone has secrets. Some are more volatile than others, but again. Not your fault. Is he fully outed, or is it just to the two of us now?"
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He owes her more than she knows how to call in- far too angry still to consider much of anything. "I am going to have Dorian vet anyone new I might decide to befriend. His judgement seems relatively sound."
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"I can't tell if you know or not from what you're saying, but there's another secret there too. I'm not... I'm not sworn to secrecy on it, I didn't give my word not to tell, but I ask you not to ask me what it is, please. I'm only mentioning it because at this point I fear not saying as much counts as deceit and I don't want to break my promise to you."
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She doesn't want to remember the taste of the air or the sounds of the demons. The memorial stone with her name, the way the Nightmare laughed overhead. The Black City hovering in the distance... "I want to put it behind me."
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"Understood. ...Is there anything you would like to think or talk about? Other than the fact that we seem to be low on embrium for some reason."
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She gestures to Remi, sleeping oh so sweetly in her lap, curled around the end of her braid. "I would hate to wake him."
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"You would hate to wake your... students' cat? You seem rather attached. Literally, going by the braid, and figuratively considering how you keep seemingly winding up with him. I think who truly belongs to the cat might be far more interesting than talking about demons and blood magic."
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It is complicated. It will never not be complicated. But she's lost something in Bruce that she...never truly had in the first place. "And where the second mug is."
A branch. An offer.
"His name-" She says, sniffing imperiously. "Is Remi. And Roul was supposed to come collect him earlier but is preoccupied with his newest lesson plan, so I am minding him a little while longer."
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"Remi. That sounds properly Orlesian. Suitable for a LeBlanc. Was it Roul who named him... or you?" If Anders looks a little smug, who could blame him?
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Nevermind that she's gently petting his ears, lips curled in a soft smile. "He sleeps on my bed with me more often than not. Climbs there if he is with one of the others at night."
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"Are you still saying that he's not your cat? That you don't need a special belt pouch just for your... bonbon?"
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Or that had been the plan. Now more and more Remi finds his way to her lap while she is working, her desk while she is taking notes, her bed when she is reading. But he is not he cat. That is a foolish idea.
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He pours the tea now, and fixes it with care before bringing both cups over and setting them down and taking a seat. It's been... months. Actual months since they've had tea, and while he'd known he missed it, he hadn't realized quite how much he'd missed it until now.
"Every time I see him, I see him with you. Does Remi know that he's Roul's cat?"
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She's missed it more than she'd like to admit.
"...I think so? Yes. He does. He's only ever with me for half the day."
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"And most of the night. Your poor cat may be due a talk about boundaries." Speaking of boundaries, Anders opens his largest belt pouch to peek inside and see if its occupant was still cozy or wanted out. As soon as his finger's claimed he smiles and sets down his cup so he can bring Purrelden up and onto the table. "This one doesn't have any. But that's all right. Would you like to meet Remi? The cat that will be Adelaide's in, oh, I'll give it two weeks?"
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There is no lilting or upward swing of her voice when she speaks to the cat- not in the slightest. She speaks to him in much the same way she speaks to Anders. Exasperated, fond, and with all due consideration. Remi responds by rolling over and crawling out of her lap to stretch on the table.
"And for the last time, he is not mine. He is his." No bell'ed collar on this kitten, just fluff and blue eyes and an imperious mew.
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Purrelden watches Remi, watched by Anders, and slowly stretches out a paw to touch Remi's before she jumps back. Anders nearly has to grab her to keep her from knocking into his cup, but at least she manages to land short of that.
"I'm wondering if male cats are easier to train than female, or if it's just that my first cat was simply more willing to be trained than she is. She does behave rather well, though." Most of the time. Now, though, she's eyeing Adelaide's spoon and inching toward it.
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"One does not train a cat, they offer incentive for good behavior." Which is training by another name, but shush. Right now she is busy offering some of that incentive with gentle scritching behind Remi's ears- making his eyes go half lidded as he leans with all of his little body into the touch.
Purrelden, well. She will find herself butting up against an invisible barrier soon enough. A casual expenditure of magic- but with kittens? A wise enough one. "Non, chatton- this is not for you."
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"At least she likes magic. That's another point in her favor." He reaches over to rub her cheek, winding up with her rubbing one cheek on the barrier and the other on his finger. There's a smile on his face that is entirely un-self-conscious as she enjoys herself. "Yes, there you go, little mischief-maker. I'm trying to lure her into a life of cat ownership, and here you are trying to get into things."
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Somewhat, she thinks, as Remi inches his way over to bat at Purrelden's tail.
He's still young and there is much to learn, truly.
"A week, two weeks, a month- he is not my cat. He is a cat that I mind on occasion."
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"Ownership topic aside, you're going to fall in love with him. That's what cats do." He reaches in with his other hand to give Remi a chin-rub. "And then I'm going to see him with you all the time, and before Roul knows what's happened, before you even know what's happened, Remi will have chosen who he belongs with." As if that's not already happened.
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She is fond.
She is responsible.
But little more.
"He goes to whoever gives him fish."
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