#asonginthenight

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[dutyfamilycountry]

Must Love Dogs [Fergus & Leliana]

Fergus stretched from his office chair, noting the time before packing up from his work day.  Since he was in Kirkwall for the time being, he was being put in charge of rebuilding the Ferelden Order and getting the outpost into better standards.  Mostly, he spent his day pouring over paperwork and figures trying to get things to balance out without much luck.  Early that morning he had been called out of bed to investigate an incident between wardens and Templars that had erupted at the bar.  Needless to say, there was an anxious mabari waiting in his quarters expecting a rain check from the missed run this morning.

Smirking at the pounding tail upon the floor before he had even reached for the door knob, he simply swung the door open and jerked his head.  Elias understood; they were going to go for a run.  It was as if he had unleashed a wild beast; tail wagging ninety miles an hour and dog moving zero to sixty in no time pawing at the stairwell door.  The sight was enough to raise his spirits and make him shake his head with the absurdity of it.  Closing the door without even managing to set a foot through the threshold, he turned towards the stairs.

It wasn’t entirely abnormal for them to do an evening run instead of a morning one.  There were times when his duties cropped up and had to be taken care of, so Elias was allowed a bathroom break and nothing more.  But, being cooped up all day was no life for a dog.  So, he made certain that the hound was exercised regularly, and it kept him honest with his own regimen.  Taking the stairs two at a time, they hit the door and headed straight for the hightown park.

The day was bright and clear, as clear as it ever was in Kirkwall, with a light breeze, so perfect running weather.  His feet started out in a jog to the path they always ran with the dog beside him keeping up and pushing him slightly faster with every few steps.  As the hit the track, he picked up speed to make his laps as he always did.

Unlike the morning, there were several more people doing exactly what he was, walking the dog and enjoying the park and weather.  Also unlike the morning, Elias decided that he was free to roam about exploring things which caught Fergus slightly off-guard when he bolted for one of the bushes to cut across the park.  Instead of reining him in as he normally would, he followed the mabari off the path and through the bushes.

Upon clearing the underbrush, he saw Elias run over to a hotdog vendor looking over his shoulder anxiously.  It was all he could do not to roll his eye.  Making her way around the track, a woman stopped to look at the mabari in curiosity before searching around for the owner.  The big black dog hamming it up bringing year another smirk to his lips, though his eyes strayed back to the woman.

She had fairly pale skin, auburn hair though slightly more on the red side of the spectrum, and pale blue searching eyes.  Definitely not a Kirkwall native; he could tell that immediately.  He couldn’t immediately place her ethnicity, but he had a few guesses.  He slowed his pace to a swift walk until he reached their position.  By then she had ascertained him as the dog’s owner and had been watching his progress across the grass.

“Elias,” he chastised teasingly, “you know better than to run off.  He’s always been a sucker for a pretty face.”  He chuckled bending down to stroke the hound’s fur shaking his head slowly.  “At least I hope you risked the trouble for the girl and not the hotdog.”  A grin spreading across his lips before he extended a hand to the woman.  “I’m Fergus, and as I’m sure you’ve guessed already, this is Elias.  I hope he didn’t cause you any trouble.”  He added first passing his eyes to the woman and then to the hotdog vendor.

[dutyfamilycountry]

56, 85, 93,

56. First Bestfriend

Smiling at the woman with the sweet voice, he exhales slowly allowing himself to think back to his childhood.  “My first best friend would be Nathaniel Howe, actually.  We were nearly born on the same day, and we practically were raised together.  Granted it was always like pulling teeth to get him allowed out to have any fun, but I did manage it at times.  I have many fond memories of things we’ve done together all our lives.”  He chuckles wondering if he’s actually said to much, but Leliana just seems to smile and listen.  “Once we went hunting, and he nearly sank into a bog.  Had to get giofógach to haul him out.  I still think he lost a pair of his favorite boots, and he swore like I’ve never seen him before about what his father would do for ruining his clothing.”  Shaking his head, he let out a deep sigh, “Ahh, and there was this one time when we were in lessons learning about politics that I actually got him to divulge some of his father’s plans.  His face turned red, and I swear he wanted to give me a black eye.  In the end, I bought him lunch and we shrugged it off.”  A piece of him lightened thinking of his friend.  “Thank you Lel, sometimes it’s hard to remember the good times through the bad.”

85. Fallen for a friend

His eyes catch on hers for a moment while his thoughts wander to the correct answer.  One that he hasn’t ever spoken of, so he continues to not even in answer to the question.  “My duty has always been my utmost priority; thus, I never allowed myself to fall for anyone.  My deceased and I were close friends and connected through the love of our child, but I would not say that we were ever truly in love with each other.”  Sighing softly, he decided to throw in a pinch of truth, “My heart has sought after others, but not for quite some time.  I closed that door a long time ago.  Though, even now, my heart is its own.  Sometimes there is no choice in falling except whether or not you voice it.”  Looking out upon the flowering gardens, he allows himself a small smile.

93. How would you label yourself?

"Animal lover, commander, loving father, charitable, fighter, amiable companion, fiercely loyal."  He looks at her quizzically, "What kind of label are we looking for here?  I’ve for the most part considered myself straight, though there may be a man that has caught my eye from time to time.  I’m a demon in the political scene, but I play for a different cause these days than I used to."

With guarded eyes, he inquires, “What were you going for with that question?”

[dutyfamilycountry]

What's your favorite off duty pastime? If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?

1. Dancing is probably my favorite.  But, I do have a few things I enjoy off duty.  One being volunteering at the orphanage.  Another being hunting around Sundermount.

2. Barbecue.  I can grill like no body I know, but don’t ask my to do anything else.  I assume that I would have to actually be able to fix the food I was eating the rest of my life.  If I get the opportunity to just have my favorite, then I would die happy with Venison stew in never ending supply.

[orsinofe]

Muse: What is your relationship with the Grand Cleric like? Do you respect her? Despise her? If she offered you advice would you take it? Mun: What do you think Orsino would make of Leliana?

I am a Chantry goer.  I believe in the Maker; though I question many of his teachings and quite a few of his practices.  Elthina is a mediator.  She does not choose to take sides, but I respect her as a person of the faith.  Part of me wishes that I knew her better or that she would allow me to know her better, but I believe she in truth fears me to an extent.  There has not been a piece of advice that she has given me that I have refused.  However, if I were to confess to her that I had been tempted by blood magic, I believe that her advice would be to choose the Rite and no longer be tempted.  I could not follow that advice.  I would rather die.  In short, I am not a diehard believer, and I question many, many things.  I do not believe that the Chantry is handling the Circle or the Templar Order properly, but they don’t listen to me in that respect.

I think Orsino would enjoy Leliana.  He has not been able to travel the world and see its many faces, but she has.  She enjoys being a bard and spinning tales, and I assume you have continued that in your characterization of her.  So, if nothing else I think he would be glad to hear her stories and songs.  On the other hand, he will probably think her a bit naïve and too quick to believe everything that the Maker tells her.  For instance, he would in fact, think she was a nut if she came up to him in DA:O and said “THE MAKER HAS CHOSEN ME TO JOIN YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY”.  He would have said, “Oh did he now?  I choose those that surround me, and you’re a little too eager.”  So, there is, of course, the possibility that they would end up hating each other.  I believe that if she were willing and able to take him around places with his new found freedoms, he would enjoy any time she wished to spend with him.  He might even actually talk back, not that he would think she actually needed him to say anything to carry on a conversation.