#absolutioninflame

The ring was simple, heavy, masculine. The sort of thing that would catch a pauper's eye and upturn a prince's nose, for it was neither silver nor gold but simple steel, tarnished from wear, the engravings darkened with dirt long-settled in their cracks.

Garrett had never worn it. He'd never wanted to. It was a ring for a proud mage with strong resolve and a heart for change. One with eyes wide-open to injustice and experience of the greater of those at his heels.

Turning the cool, simple weight in the coarse cradle of his palm, Garrett stepped through the doors to the clinic. It was dinner time, and he half-expected to find Anders buried beneath patients, but he found himself reluctant to wait any longer. The thought of coming to the clinic at late hours reminded him much of the night that had inspired him to bring the gift in the first place, and while it had given him a deeper appreciation and understanding for his revolutionary friend, he'd felt his own life being crushed from his lungs.

Fenris may have been the only person in Kirkwall who enjoyed visiting Darktown. This was a sentiment he kept to himself, lest he be found insensitive to those who had no choice but to live there while he enjoyed a life of comfort above the plate. But there was something earned and crude and real that he appreciated in the poluted puddles of cigarette butts and plate drain runoff--a sense of life-altering freedom to the former slave that lacked when he sat in quiet luxury. Sometimes, the granite of his kitchen counter tops an the feel of well-made shoes and the sounds of china clinking beneath lofty chuckling as it drifted in from a neighbor's back patio dinner party reminded him too much of Minrathous.

And when they did, he dug up excuses to head below the plate.

To say it was a relief when the explanation of the spirit – Justice – wound down and the Hawke twins left the clinic would have been both accurate and an enormous overstatement.  Morrigan had not truly known what to do with their presence, and so had focused on as many discrete tasks as she could.  There were questions, but most of them were not ones she would ask in the presence of others at all, much less a mundane she did not trust (and a mage who… no, she did not understand Garrett Hawke and was not going to waste her energy attempting to remedy that now).  Yet now that they were gone, there was a pervasive sense of walking into the unknown, and not the sort that the witch had ever preferred to explore.

Morrigan was hardly renowned for her skill at offering support, let alone comfort – rather the opposite, if anything – yet that was why she was staying, wasn’t it?  There was no other reasonable course of action, uncertain as she felt.

With silent efficiency, she re-wove the wards on the clinic door, making the new construct far stronger than her last, in anticipation of leaving the public area of the building unattended for some time.  Then she followed where Anders had retreated, to the living quarters, for once actively attempting not to think too hard in advance about what she would say.

Send ✆ for a morning text

You’ve probably been up all night again, but I’m coming over to make sure you get some sleep and some breakfast.  I promise warm food, kisses, and cuddles – and you can ask for seconds.

Send ✉ for a text that wasn’t sent

Squadron of Templars headed your way.  Signal Lost.

“Really phone?  Right now?”  She shook her head and sighed slamming the phone into her pocket and sealthing around the corner to get a better view of the chaos that was about to ensue.

Send ☎ for a rushed text

Don’t worry about me.  Go.  I’ll be fine.

Send ☏ for a loving text

Will you be my Valentine?  I know it’s corny, but I got a bonus tonight and I’d like to take you out to dinner.  Then maybe afterwards we can finish what we started last night?

Send ⁇ for a drunk text

Blinking down at her screen she knew that the letters didn’t look right, but hopefully the message went through and he understood it.  (Drank too much, might need some help coming to you.)

Send ø for a late night text

Is your bed occupied tonight by anyone else?  Lying here in an empty bed is not getting me to sleep and I could really use your arms tonight, and maybe your shoulder.  It’s been…difficult since the DR.

Send ✘ for a hateful text

(Some of these broke my heart but the chastising Justice one made me laugh so hard it evened out!!)

>.>

#mother hen Morrigan

Morri:  *glares balefully at mun*

Send ✆ for a morning text

This is your requested reminder to call your contact in Starkhaven.

Send ✉ for a text that wasn’t sent

They found m

Send ☎ for a rushed text

just saw a patrol too close to eigth st safehouse for comfort.  Taking the air to watch, will keep you informed.

Send ☏ for a loving text

If I have not rejoined you by sunrise, go, and know that I have loved you as no other.

Send ⁇ for a drunk text

Whyyyyyy are you notton tetris.  too tirde for nything else.

Send ø for a late night text

Just finished, much easier to show you here, have had FAR too much coffee to sleep.  Come over?

Send ✘ for a hateful text