4. Feeling
Arganan, after much thinking, decided that he might as well try taking up the invitation to drink with the Iron Bull. Wasn't like he could do anything at the castle anymore-Calista was in charge, and Arganan himself couldn't do anything about it. And he was a bit exhausted from all the fighting-maybe a drink would help to settle his nerves and relieve him of all that fighting.
Approaching the guest room where the Iron Bull was staying (apparently the Bull had requested a straw mattress for his room, with the sturdiest bed frame possible (probably so he wouldn't break it when he went to go sleep, Arganan guessed; the qunari did have quite some muscle on him) and, well, yeah. It was interesting...), Arganan looked around (just in case, it would be hard to explain to Calista about this if she ever saw or heard about it) before knocking on the door.
The Iron Bull grinned as he opened the door. "Arganan! Nice for you to drop by!" The qunari cheerfully exclaimed, letting him into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Come, have a drink!"
Arganan nodded. "Thank you for the invitation, Bull. I appreciate it."
The Bull laughed heartily (and that reminded Arganan of the late General Asthar-he heard the man laugh once or twice at something amusing before) before pouring something into a large mug, handing it to him. "To killing a high dragon like warriors of legend!"
Arganan glanced at the contents of the mug, before looking up at Bull. "What exactly am I supposed to be drinking...?" He started, but Bull interrupted him.
"Maraas-lok."
Arganan stared him right in the eye. "What? What does it mean?"
The Bull merely gave a sheepish grin as he responded. "It means drink!"
Arganan managed a grin, deciding to drink the contents of the mug a bit. He took a good swig and tasted beer, before he felt his throat go on fire. He coughed, settling the mug onto the table in front of him.
Bull chuckled, taking a swig of his beer. "I know, right? Put some chest on your chest." He remarked, before continuing. "Heh...that dragon from earlier. That little gurgle before it spat fire? And that roar. What I wouldn't give to roar like that. The way the ground shook when it landed. The smell of the fires burning...Taarsidath-an Halasam. You know Qunari hold dragons sacred? Well, as much as we hold anything sacred." He refilled Arganan's mug of beer, pushing it towards him. "Here, your turn!"
Arganan thought back to the fight with the dragon, remembering that there was a lot of shouting. And that phrase Bull just said...didn't he...? "That thing you just said. You shouted it during the fight, too. What exactly does it mean?"
"Oh, Taarsidath-an Halasam?" Bull sniggered at the saying. "Closest translation would be, "I will bring myself sexual pleasure later, while thinking about this with great respect."
Arganan stared at him. "You...shouted that while it was breathing fire at us." He managed awkwardly.
"I know, right?" The Bull grinned, taking another swig of his beer. Arganan decided not to answer, taking another swig of beer himself, coughing less than last time.
"Yeah, the second cup's easier! Most of the nerves in your throat are dead after the first one." The Bull refilled Arganan's mug, before lifting his own mug. "To dragons!"
Arganan couldn't help but smile. The Bull seemed so positive and all, making up for that while lacking in manners of the nobility. It was actually kind of nice. The Count raised his own mug. "To the Iron Bull." He spoke up.
Bull chuckled at that. "And the ass-kicking Count Arganan." He finished, the two clinking their mugs together before they each took a swig of their beer. The Iron Bull paused, before speaking up, making eye contact with him."Hey, listen. I always want to say this, but I never can when we're off saving the world." He took a deep breath, before roaring, "You've got a fantastic ass!"
Arganan couldn't help but let out an amused laugh at that (probably due to the beer, he would tell himself later).
Arganan stumbled slightly as he walked to his room. He forgot that drinking three beers and more gave him headaches faster than four glasses of wine, and thus he wasn't exactly feeling too well, despite sobering up with some medicine the Bull had on hand and a glass of water. He was definitely going to sleep a bit in his room once he got there, if he could.
However, his journey would be interrupted by a shrill snap of a woman from a room nearby.
"You will answer me, young man. What exactly do you think you are doing?!"
Arganan's good eye widened at the sound-he was sure it was Chantry Mother Giselle, part of the Inquisition that Evelyn led. He'd heard of the woman before, being part of this questionable organization called the Chantry previously before joining the Inquisition, but he had done his best to ignore her presence. She always seemed like a nosey type.
And now she seemed to be proving it, in Arganan's eyes. The Count of Lazulis walked a bit faster, approaching the library and opening the doors to reveal none other than Mother Giselle and Dorian arguing with one another. Both of them looked peeved at the other, impatience framing their faces.
"Evidently," Dorian replied to Giselle, his voice raising and forming a snap, "I'm being clucked at by a hen!"
The Revered Mother looked shocked for a moment, obviously not used to being snapped at in this manner. She scowled, her voice just as sharp. "I see quite clearly what your intentions are." She hissed. "Do not play the fool with me, young man!"
Dorian seemed to merely smirk. "Ha! If I wanted to play the fool I could be rather more convincing, I assure you! Maybe I could take some lessons from you, Revered Mother." He retorted coolly.
Giselle looked like she was scowling. "Your glib tongue does you no credit!" She hissed, glaring at him.
Dorian simply laughed at that, running his tongue over his lip lasciviously to make her cringe with distaste. "Oh, you'd be shocked by the credit my tongue gets me, Your Reverence…" he taunted, and Arganan was sure that Giselle was possibly blushing out of shock by now, possibly disgust.
Arganan found it a good time to butt in (especially since their arguing was making him completely but giving him a headache now), and so he did. "What exactly is going on here, Dorian?"
Dorian turned and answered before Giselle could, glaring at the woman hatefully before he turned to face Arganan. "Apparently the Revered Mother," That came out in an almost sarcastic way, and Arganan noted Dorian's face turning his expression to something different but yet still emanating frustration (Dorian was always so expressive, really), "is concerned about my 'undue influence' on you." He finished in a hiss.
"Is it not a justified concern?" the Revered Mother stated, obviously trying to keep her cool but failing. She's keeping her distance from Dorian even if she's not outright retreating. "You must realize how it all looks. It is quite suspect, how this young man has ingratiated himself with you, Count Arganan."
Arganan frowned. He's heard of blood magic briefly from Dorian once during the time that Arganan was recovering from dying from the power of the Outsider. Blood magic can influence people, but judging from how Dorian told him about it, it was obvious that a Tevinter mage despised it entirely. "Dorian would never practice such an art. I know this." The older man responded, frowning. "There is an explanation and I am more than sure that it does not involve blood magic, Mother Giselle."
"This man is of Tevinter." The Chantry mother insisted. " Blood magic is a common practice among his people. I see even you allowing him to be… familiar with you, Count Arganan. Even if the young man has no designs on you, the rumors alone…" she insisted, but Arganan just kept going.
"And just because he is Tevinter, he's using blood magic on me to win my good favor? Really?" He spoke, letting a bit of bite get into his voice.
The Revered Mother sighed. "I am aware that not everyone from the Imperium is the same, Your Grace." She muttered quietly.
"Oh, how magnanimous of you to notice!" Dorian spat out bitterly, shaking his head. "And yet you still cow to the opinion of the masses?"
"The opinion of the masses is based on centuries of evidence, Monsieur Pavus," Giselle responded, glaring at Dorian once again (Arganan started to hate Giselle immediately, if he hadn't started doing so earlier), "as well as your own particular… proclivities. What would you have me tell the people?"
"You tell them the truth, preferably!" Dorian snapped, he and Arganan glaring daggers at her now.
"The truth is I do not know you, and neither do they." Giselle says testily to Dorian, looking then to Arganan, "Thus, these harmful rumors will continue."
"You seem quite knowledgeable about these rumors, Revered Mother." Arganan raised an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest. "May I inquire as to how they began?"
"I…" Giselle faltered at that, "I could not share that now, Your Worship…"
Arganan let out a soft breath, shaking his head in dismay towards her. "Ah, so you've shared in their conception, then." He responded sharply. "Only a fool would believe the mere assumptions of others instead of looking for the truth."
The Revered Mother quieted immediately at that, a guilty look in her eyes. She straightened herself, clearing her throat as her face flushed. "I… see. You have already made up your mind on the matter. I suppose I must trust your judgment, Count. I meant no disrespect—I merely meant to, ahem, inquire about this man's intentions. My only concern is for you, Count. If you feel that he is without ulterior motive… then I… humbly beg for your forgiveness. As well as that of the young man."
Arganan shook his head, waving his hand at her to go away. "No forgiveness comes from me to someone who dares to sully my friend with lies, Mother Giselle." He drawled slowly, his tone of voice turning to a snarl. "Good day."
She glared at him, before leaving.
Dorian seemed to blink in surprise. "Well, that's a first. Rather aggressive, aren't you?"
Arganan let out a breath, turning to face him. "I have to be sometimes, to get what I want. It's a Count thing, sadly." He responded quietly. "At least I restrained myself this time. I honestly wanted to set her hat on fire."
The Tevinter mage chuckled, grinning. "That would have made quite a spectacle in the library." He moved to put a book away as he spoke. "I can imagine her screaming and running around while the two of us merely stared in horror until one of us would douse her with a bucket of water. And then we'd run for our lives while she yelled obscenities at us."
Arganan couldn't help but laugh at that. "I can actually imagine it." He managed to choke out among the laughter. "That would be damned brilliant."
Dorian looked to him, his laughter dying but a grin remaining. "You actually want to do it? My, how violent of you, Count!" He exclaimed, faking mock surprise.
Arganan smirked, looking to him. "Thank you. I'll take it as a compliment." He responded, the both of them chuckling a bit. Thank goodness there didn't seem to be anyone else in the library at the moment, otherwise they would have been shooed out by now. He then thought back to Mother Giselle, before looking to Dorian. "Are you alright? I doubt she knew anything she was talking about."
Dorian nodded, crossing his arms. "She does, actually. There are rumours and her concern is well-meaning, if misplaced. I don't know if you're aware, but the assumption in some corners is that you and I are..intimate."
ARganan had to think for a minute before responding. "That's not the worst thing, is it?" He asked.
Dorian put on this innocent look, shrugging. "I don't know. Is it?"
The Count gave him a look. "Do you always answer a question with a question?"
Dorian mirrored his look. "Do you want me to answer in some other fashion?"
Arganan grinned. "If you're capable of doing so, Dorian, then yes."
The Tevinter mage merely seemed to smile, before he took a step forwards and pressed his lips to the Count's own. The kiss was gentle, but Arganan could feel the passion in it, too. Dorian pulled back after a moment, chuckling a little.
"If you're capable. The nonsense you speak, Arganan." Dorian smiled slightly, before frowning slightly. "And I'm guessing you probably had no idea I preferred the company of men until now judging by the look on your face, did you?"
Arganan blushed. "No, not really." He muttered awkwardly. "Is it bad that I didn't know? If so, I apologize."
Dorian shook his head, smiling at him reassuringly. "No, it's quite alright. Though I suppose that part of me is something we'll talk about another time." He looked to the clock. "I suppose I'll go check in with the Inquisitor now, if you don't mind. Evelyn wanted everyone to gather so she could ask us about how we're adjusting to being in Lazulis."
Arganan nodded. "Of course. We'll talk some other time."
Dorian grinned. "Of course." He turned, moving to leave.
Arganan put a hand to his own mouth, thinking as he looked to Dorian who was walking away.
...Damn, he was sure by now that he did feel a definite something for the Tevinter mage. Arganan had never been with a man (or woman, even, for that matter-no one was generally interested in the massive amount of scars he had, the fact that he lacked limbs but Dorian didn't mind it at all, or Bull, or anyone in the Inquisition). And yet...he was sure that the things he felt for Dorian were...
"Dorian! Wait!" He rushed to the mage, pulling him back by the arm.
Dorian turned to him, blinking. "What is it, Count?"
Arganan felt his face heat up again. "You said you, erm, were more interested in the company of men, correct? I..." He couldn't quite look the Tevinter mage in the eye. Thankfully, the younger man seemed to get the hint, chuckling slightly.
"You're the same?"
Arganan shrugged slightly, trying to recompose himself. "Perhaps. I honestly don't know."
Dorian smirked. "Considering how you've been making eyes at not just me but Bull as well, I think so."
Arganan stared at him slightly. "I take it that you saw the Iron Bull and I drinking earlier?"
"Yes. And overheard the 'fantastic ass' compliment, too. I can't help but agree that your posterior is a pleasant sight."
Argaanan let out a little growl of mock anger, though he was smiling. "Well, that's...rather nice of you." He drawled, before seizing the mage by the shoulders and kissing him. Right at that moment, Mother Giselle came back into the room, presumably to yell at Dorian to go see Inquisitor Evelyn. She gasped, and Arganan broke the kiss to turn to her, raising an eyebrow and giving her a look.
"Do you mind? This is more than a momentary diversion and Dorian and I intend on continuing." He spoke, smirking. Giselle merely stuttered an apology and ran out of the library as both Tevinter Mage and Count of Lazulis burst into laughter. Arganan couldn't remember the last time he smiled or laughed, or felt something akin to friends (quickly turning to something possibly more) with anyone. He appreciated this, being with Dorian, feeling something that was usually so unlike himself but something that should be part of himself.
"That-" Dorian laughed a bit before finishing. "That was even more damn brilliant."
Arganan grinned, closing in for a third kiss, before pulling away. He then couldn't help but blink in surprise as he heard Dorian chuckle.
"You've been drinking lately? Beer of all things? Never thought that was like you."
Arganan blushed slightly. "I was drinking specifically beer with the Bull for a little while. Though I'm rather sober now, thanks to you."
Dorian merely smiled at him. "Glad to hear it."
