What, and break him? No. No, I'm not asking you to fire him. He wants to do this.
[With many people he'd be afraid of saying this much. Alistair has his trust, despite how he and Nate don't get along part of the time.]
But he wants to do it right, and because he's trying to do it the honorable way, which doesn't always line up with the Warden way, he's struggling. I don't know what to do to help him. I have to try anyway.
And it sounds like there's more that's probably also not fun—Alistair raises an eyebrow. The silence is a blessing, honestly, since it's replacing comments like he wants to do it the way that makes everyone like us or is this what he looks like when he's struggling? I thought that was just his face. Anders is welcome. ]
I've been told I talk too much, but if you're not going to talk then it's entirely your fault if you wind up sick of my voice tonight.
[It's said with a little exasperation, but no heat. Anders doesn't expect there to be an easy solution to this.]
I came to you because you lead with him. I think he feels like, like you're the popular leader and he's the other leader. The not-as-fun one and don't say it, I know you don't think he's fun. But he tries so hard and longs to make this work and...
[He trails off, tossing up his hands.]
I don't know what to do, Alistair. And I swear if your response is just another eyebrow raise I'm going to shave it off the next time you fall asleep anywhere near me.
I'm not sure what you want me to do. I can't make him more likable. He seems determined to find every chance to be a hardass, and he talks to me about maybe one in four decisions he makes, so I don't have all that many opportunities to warn him off it.
[He wouldn't. But he waggles his eyebrows anyway.]
If I ask him to consult with you more, would that make a difference?
[Be grateful, Anders is refraining from any comments about Nate's ass even when practically given a gilded invitation.]
I know you can't make him more likeable, and he's... focused. But maybe between the two of you things can go a little more smoothly for you both, even.
[ Alistair squints at Anders for a moment, as if trying to figure out what's happening here, even though he knows—he knows Anders rowed all the way over here, for real, to ask him to worry about Nathaniel's feelings and to... do something about them. Somehow. He hasn't figured out that part yet. Maybe he's supposed to kowtow the next time Howe turns an obvious joke into an opportunity to accuse him of making Nathaniel do his job.
He does the facial-expression equivalent of a shrug, looks back at his book, and says, ] Sure, [ in a tone that pretty clearly conveys he's only humoring him. ]
[Alistair doesn't think that would help. It's good that Nate had had a suggestion, then, even though Anders has kept it in reserve because he truly doesn't see Alistair agreeing to it.]
Never mind on that. What if you did something altogether new and different, and only insulted him when in private, to his face? Would that be something you could do?
[ Alistair is going to need a moment to decide whether or not he feels condescended to. In the meantime, while he's deciding, he says, ] Does he know you're talking to me?
Taken on this monumental task, [ Alistair elaborates helpfully— ] You'll go down between Hafter and the Black Fox in the tales, the heroic mage who crossed a sea alone to ask a fearsome warrior to not be quite so mean to his dearest.
[ His dearest who seems to do his best to drive a metaphorical blade into Alistair's sore spots whenever he lowers his guard to ask for help and who spends a great deal of time making kissy noises at the heroic mage like a schoolboy just to irritate him. But all right. ]
If anyone asks, I made you complete three arduous trials and tame a dragon first, [ Alistair suggests, going back to his book already, because that's as much time as he's willing to spend on Nathaniel's delicate pride today, ] and I'll see what I can do.
I hate books, [ Alistair says without hesitation and without looking up.
That's not true. But he also doesn't read for fun very often. This is work—stupid tedious history on the off chance there's a sign of Farele or Sashamiri in the economic reports of some tiny trade village, some hint on where to pick up the trail. It is only not the worst because Corypheus is the actual worst and this might help stop him.
[He gives Anders an amused smile and a nod of the head before heading out. That's one person spoken with, one to go. Maybe he'll make a positive difference by talking, for once.]
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[With many people he'd be afraid of saying this much. Alistair has his trust, despite how he and Nate don't get along part of the time.]
But he wants to do it right, and because he's trying to do it the honorable way, which doesn't always line up with the Warden way, he's struggling. I don't know what to do to help him. I have to try anyway.
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And it sounds like there's more that's probably also not fun—Alistair raises an eyebrow. The silence is a blessing, honestly, since it's replacing comments like he wants to do it the way that makes everyone like us or is this what he looks like when he's struggling? I thought that was just his face. Anders is welcome. ]
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[It's said with a little exasperation, but no heat. Anders doesn't expect there to be an easy solution to this.]
I came to you because you lead with him. I think he feels like, like you're the popular leader and he's the other leader. The not-as-fun one and don't say it, I know you don't think he's fun. But he tries so hard and longs to make this work and...
[He trails off, tossing up his hands.]
I don't know what to do, Alistair. And I swear if your response is just another eyebrow raise I'm going to shave it off the next time you fall asleep anywhere near me.
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[ There. He said something. But also: ]
I'm not sure what you want me to do. I can't make him more likable. He seems determined to find every chance to be a hardass, and he talks to me about maybe one in four decisions he makes, so I don't have all that many opportunities to warn him off it.
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If I ask him to consult with you more, would that make a difference?
[Be grateful, Anders is refraining from any comments about Nate's ass even when practically given a gilded invitation.]
I know you can't make him more likeable, and he's... focused. But maybe between the two of you things can go a little more smoothly for you both, even.
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He does the facial-expression equivalent of a shrug, looks back at his book, and says, ] Sure, [ in a tone that pretty clearly conveys he's only humoring him. ]
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Never mind on that. What if you did something altogether new and different, and only insulted him when in private, to his face? Would that be something you could do?
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[He'd considered asking Nate what he would think about Anders doing this, but then realized Nate never needed to ask before trying to protect him.]
I'm doing this because I want to help him, but he's no idea I've taken this on.
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[ His dearest who seems to do his best to drive a metaphorical blade into Alistair's sore spots whenever he lowers his guard to ask for help and who spends a great deal of time making kissy noises at the heroic mage like a schoolboy just to irritate him. But all right. ]
If anyone asks, I made you complete three arduous trials and tame a dragon first, [ Alistair suggests, going back to his book already, because that's as much time as he's willing to spend on Nathaniel's delicate pride today, ] and I'll see what I can do.
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[There's absolute sincerity in the words as he gets up.]
What sort of books do you like? I think some of us will be tackling part of the library tomorrow; if we're in that section I can bring you a new book.
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That's not true. But he also doesn't read for fun very often. This is work—stupid tedious history on the off chance there's a sign of Farele or Sashamiri in the economic reports of some tiny trade village, some hint on where to pick up the trail. It is only not the worst because Corypheus is the actual worst and this might help stop him.
Anyway. ]
Don't worry about it, Anders.
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