Room 418, Saturday Afternoon

[not_every_mage]

When the island was calm, Saturday were normally lazy days for Anders. He supposed this one counted as lazy too -- at least, he hadn't done anything out of the ordinary -- but it felt strangely tense. He didn't need to be particularly insightful to realize more was going on with Nathan than a bad night's sleep, but he wasn't sure how to even start asking about it.

So he stayed in Nathan's room, and tried to read a novel he kept forgetting the plot of. Eventually, he glanced over to Nathan.

"Should we take a walk?" he asked. "I feel like doing something."

[OOC: For one, please.]

Comments

[not_every_mage]

Anders looked at Nathan for a long moment, tired and frustrated and worried more than anything else. He had a feeling there was something Nathan wasn't saying.

"Maybe you did just roll around in the dirt," he said, finally. "I don't know either. Obviously."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"If don't have to stay if you're going to be angry," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I'm still trying to figure out myself, Anders. I don't know what's going on or why it's going on. It's new and it's scary."

And he wasn't sure he could broach the topic of the body without having an utter breakdown.

[not_every_mage]

"I'm not angry," Anders said, though he wasn't calm, either. "You're telling me you can't control your gift and it's making you walk around all night in strange place and wake up wrecked. Andraste's tears, Nathan, you could get killed that way. And I'm almost certain you're not telling me everything. I can read you better than you give me credit for."

He glanced over. "If you were literally anybody else, I would be thinking you'd spent the night with someone else right about now."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I'm still trying to figure it all out," he sighed, rubbing his head. "It's a new Gift. Literally no one can control them the first time out. Gabriel got stuck as a fain with his Gift. I don't want that to happen to me."

He said nothing about keeping things to himself.

"I won't get killed."

He knew that.

[not_every_mage]

"You had better not," Anders told him, tone steadying itself to a more regular rhythm. "And don't get stuck as anything that isn't you, either. I like you."

He noticed what Nathan hadn't said, but he'd made his point on that particular score.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry, I wouldn't wanna be a fain or...whatever it is happens to me," he said, sighing. "I don't know if this is the first time it's happened or the first time I've remembered it. If it happens again, I'm going to try and remember. It's all I can think to do."

[not_every_mage]

"I can't think of anything else either," Anders said. "I could sit up and watch you, but it's not as if we could do anything to be ready for whatever it is. Not without knowing more."

He half-smiled, tentative. "Just don't shut me out, all right? I know trusting is hard and you're scared, but not knowing -- it hurts."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I'm not shutting you out," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I need to know what's going on myself before I can tell you or anyone. That's all. And I just don't know enough right now."

[not_every_mage]

"All right," Anders said, slowly. "If I can ever help, tell me?"

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I will," Nathan promised, nodding. "When I figure things out, I'll tell you. I just don't want anyone to panic."

Least of all him. He needed t stay calm.

[not_every_mage]

"No, panic wouldn't help anything," Anders had to agree. "The last thing you need is to worry about me going off and doing something rash trying to help."

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"I'll figure things out and I'll tell you," he said, nodding. He just needed some time to get his head together, see if he recovered some memories. "Don't worry."

[not_every_mage]

"Too late," Anders said with a half-laugh. "But I'll try not to work myself up over it."

And possibly fail, but that went with the territory.

[halfbad.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," Nathan said, smiling slightly. "It'll be fine. I'll figure it out."

He hoped.