Alistair/Reeve Dragon Age Continued

[plate_builder]

Continued from here, top level here

"I can start a fire if you need it. And if there is a tub, I should be able to whip up a bath as well."

A simple matter with the formulas he's been working on. Pull moisture from this damp place and the air, add some heat with a bit of fire magic, simple. Of course he couldn't exactly join Alistair in heading downstairs, not yet.

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[plate_builder]

“Yes, that would be preferable. I...”

He can’t handle when Alistair is upset with him. The fear still twinges at him. He still doesn’t know what to do. How to make it better again.

“Save the world, yes. I can agree to that. I just need to know... what happens to me if I fail? Or if I succeed? What am I then?”

[nobroth]

He blinked. They were reasonable questions. They just weren't questions he'd expected. A moment and he said, "Well, if we fail, I guess we die. I mean. If we don't save the world... what choice do we have? I intend to go down fighting, but what you do at that point is up to you. If we succeed..." Alistair shrugged, sitting back a little in his seat. "I--

"Oh."

That was it. That was when it hit him what Reeve was really asking. What would happen to his freedom? Or was he even free now? Alistair tended to consider everyone free, but his background... Well. There was a reason why people called him shortsighted. This was part of it.

"I... If you succeed, you'd be a hero, I'd think. I'd offer to try to make you a Warden, but I don't think that's the greatest idea anymore. Maybe you should go to Ferelden. They did free their mages down there, even if the Chantry didn't like it. They helped so much during the Blight that that was what Anora decided."

After she'd exiled Alistair. But that wasn't pertinent.

[plate_builder]

Well, they were more or less in Ferelden, but Reeve hadn't found it that welcoming. The people that employed him as a free mage had been using him for evil it turned out. And he frowns at the idea of being a hero. No one would ever accept a mage as a hero.

But he sighs and nods along.

"That seems a pipe dream."

[nobroth]

"Right now, a lot of things do," Alistair agreed, exhaling a sigh. "I...

"I don't know what to tell you." It was the truth. Or at least as close to the truth as even he, himself, could figure out. "I want to be able to say you'll be hailed and praised and celebrated, but we both know that mages tend to be looked at sideways as if someone let out a massive fart, no matter how ridiculous that is. I've... I've seen even perfectly sane blood mages, honestly." His mind went to Kirkwall. Yes, there were plenty there who were gone past blood magic and straight into Abomination, but there were also the ones who only used their own blood and were careful to keep their sanity close. "But I've also seen the opposite. It's not an excuse to doubt everyone, but it's... It's why I wish I could tell you people wouldn't be so..."

So.

So what? Prejudiced? Bigoted?

"So... ass-ish."

[plate_builder]

Reeve chuckles and shakes his head. It's so beautiful to hear that word in Alistair's accent. It sounds... strangely formal.

"That will never happen," Reeve smiles, but he offers it softly to Alistair, like a gift. "Thank you. I'm grateful to you. For giving me this chance. I will work diligently and leave you alone otherwise."