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Matteo Dellamorte was a lot of things. Heir to the Dellamorte fortune, half elf, and about to set out on the contract that will determine if they get to become a fully fledged Crow, for starters. They’re also uncertain about themself, excited about their first proper contract, and nervous about traveling on their own. They’ve been out in a few with Dad and Fey, but they’re still uncertain.
Why did they have to listen to that hag? They didn’t even like her!
“All set, kiddo?” Dad asks, pride lining his expression. It’s weird, but in a good way. He didn’t used to make all these expressions before a few months ago.
Teo nods. “Yeah.” They’re full of nerves. They can’t fail this. They won’t be any good as a Crow if they do.
“Remember what we told you?” Papa asks, coming to stand beside Dad.
“It’s okay if I fail if it means I live another day?” They don’t quite understand, since the job of a Crow is to get their target at all costs, but they suppose that being First Talon means Papa can make whatever rules he wants.
“Right. And what else?”
“Make sure my contract is complete before leaving or they could come after me?” Papa smiles at them, pride slipping into the pretty purple that signals Mom’s appearance.
Dad messes up their hair. “I know you’ll be fine. Take the Eluvian to Minrathous, and there’ll be a boat waiting to take you to Seheron. Do you remember your target?”
“A Bas-taar running a small Qun conversion camp on the eastern most part of the island. He’s got a massive, jagged scar on the left side of his face and he’s missing a horn.” Dad smiles at them, warm and soft.
“You got this, now go before Luca gets too attached.” Teo smiles, grabbing they’re pack and moving towards the Eluvian in the secured storage room. They pass Grandpa standing at the door to the room, looking at them judgmentally. He doesn’t say anything, but that’s just how he is when it comes to the family business so Teo can’t really blame him.
It’s a brief walk through the Crossroads to the Minrathous Eluvian. They’ve not been in Tevinter much, but the salty sea air here always seemed so much harsher than home. At least it’s not constantly raining like in Dad and Papa’s old tales. Teo doesn’t really like rain.
“Teo!” They blink, finding Uncle Moni and Auntie Neve and Sofia a few feet away. “What brings you? Is it already time for your first solo contract?” Uncle Moni asks. They nod. “Be careful, alright? We all want to see you come home. You’re more important than whoever my brother sent you to kill.” Is it really going to be that dangerous? Sure, they haven’t really fought many qunari, but still. It doesn’t matter how hard someone is to kill if they die in their sleep.
Dad even showed them the easiest way to kill a man in their sleep! All they’ll have to do is sneak into the camp and stop his heart before they’re noticed.
“I’ll be safe!” Teo promises. Their cousin looks at them curiously. Teo, for their part, walks off just as Sofia asks her first question.
It takes a few minutes for them to find their way down to the docks, but there’s a ship waiting just like he was told. Teo knows they’re going to have to arrange their own transportation from this point forward, but that’s alright. It just means they have to get a little more creative.
“Dellamorte?” The crewmate asks as they approach. Teo nods to the woman. “You ever been on a ship, kid?”
“No?”
She rolls her eyes, leading them forward. “Good luck, then, kid. You’ll need it.” They’re lead bellow deck. “This cabin’s yours. Just don’t do anything to it that can’t be fixed in five minutes.” They nod, suddenly left alone to their own devices before they’ve even finished the gesture. It’s fine. They have time to unpack and time to plan. It’s all they could ask for right now.
Teo lands in a land full of trees, muggy weather, and feeling far too wet to be comfortable. Why does the air itself have to be wet? It’s never been this bad anywhere along the coasts back home.
“Dunno why you’d want to go there, but the camp your looking for is a three day walk along the coast from here.” The deckhand points off in the distance. “You’re likely to encounter a few patrols between here and there, so be careful. Qunari trackers are scarily good at their job. They find you, and you’ll wish you never came here.” She points to an island a little ways off the coast. We’ll be stopping at that island in two weeks for three days. You miss that window, and you’ll be stuck here another two months.” Teo nods. The deckhand returns and the ship departs.
Three days there, three back. Means they have a week to kill their target and find a way over to that island. It’s not too far. They could swim it if they have to, though it would be infinitely easier to steal a small boat and paddle over. There’s also their magic. They’re not nearly as good at it as Dad, but they could create themself a platform to carry them across if they really need to. It’s probably a mile or two. Could probably run it in half an hour.
They shake their head. They need to focus on the contract at hand first. No use in worrying about escape until they’ve completed the job.
They take a deep breath. They can do this, right? They’re supposed to walking straight into a Qun conversion camp and come out of it unscathed. They won’t get caught, right? No. No, Dad and Papa wouldn’t have sent them here if they didn’t think they could do it. They’ll be alright. They just have to be careful.
… Should they even walk there? If the trackers are really that good, then they’ll be certain to find their trail long before they gets to their destination. Should they travel the treetops instead? They don’t have much experience with trees, let alone traveling in them, but would they really look all the way up like that? Even in Treviso, most people don’t look up and there’s Crows everywhere there. They could use their magic to stay up there, but what if someone picks up on that? Qunari despise and fear mages. It won’t go well for them if they’re caught.
They doesn’t hear anyone nearby, but a skilled hunter wont be sensed anyway. No. No, the first thing they should focus on is removing any trace of themself. The more they leave behind, the more they can be tracked by. There’s a nice sturdy looking branch a few dozen feet up. Their magic might be a little unstable for this particular spell, but they can do it. It just has to last a moment.
It’s shaky and weak, and Teo might nearly slip off the branch, but they manage it with a single attempt! Great! Now they just have to make their way there!
Teo scouts the area around the small camp carefully. They’ve already spotted six guards, four lookouts, the Bas-taar, and someone with a massive bow. Should they try to take all of them out? Just the Bas-taar? There’s at least two dozen people trapped in that camp. Surely, it would be better to give them a chance at freedom, right?
Where would they go even if Teo saves them? There’s so many qunari on this island that they’ll no doubt be captured quickly and there’s no way they can get everyone through this thick forest while trying to escape.
But… There’s no way they can’t get that far with everyone, right? Papa would want to save everyone. And Dad would have already done it.
Can they even do it?
Teo steadies their hand, ready to pounce as soon as the Bas-taar settles down for the night. All they have to do is get this one single job done and they can go home. They secure their hood and pull on their mask. They’re well aware of how unique they look. If something happens, it’ll be a lot better for them that their target doesn’t know what they look like… Their bright white hair and mismatched eyes stick out like a beacon in a crowd.
They can do this. Their contract is for one single guy. It should be simple enough. They wait, watching. The Bas-taar’s already in his tent. Has been for at least two hours. The sun’s long since gone down. There’s no light in the tent.
One deep breath, then two. Their hands still, their emotions cool into unshakable steal. They can do this. It’s just like training. There’s nothing to be worried about.
Silently, they shuffle down the tree and sneak over to the tent. Silence. No. Not silence. Quiet, slow breathing. He’s asleep. Now is the time to act. They could go around the front, but that’ll just make it easier for them to be caught.
A little bit of controlled magic will make it easy. Pulling just a bit of magic to their finger, they slice through the seam keeping the back of the tent together. It falls out of place silently, revealing their prey. With their gaze cool as ice, they inch closer, preparing with their magic surrounding their hand. It will only take a touch.
A moment, then they touch their hand to the Bas-taar’s chest. Their lightning stops his heart in moments. They take a moment to double check that the target is dead. One beat. Two. Three. Nothing. They wait a little longer. One minute passes, then two. There’s no sign of life from their target.
Scurrying out of the tent, everything is going—
A blade slices through their arm. They back away, slapping their free hand over their injured arm as blood rushes down to drip into the dirt below. The big qunari growls something they don’t understand.
Tsk. They should have left sooner. They can escape into the forest, but they’ll have to be sure to stop the bleeding or things are going to go horribly for them.
An axe comes for their head, so they slide under it, reaching for the big qunari and manages to slam their hand into his chest. Their attack falls to the ground, dead, moments later. They release a breath. That was lucky.
Scurrying off into the forest, they wait until they’re a distance away before gritting their teeth as they let their lightning cauterize the wound. It can be dealt with properly later.
Carefully climbing up to the treetops, Teo waits until they has some breathing room before peeling themself out of their gear. It won’t do to be found wearing all this stuff after going through the effort of hiding their appearance.
They sway. Shit. Their head doesn’t feel right. That axe must have been poisoned. They need to find somewhere to rest that’s not going to get the—
Teo blinks awake, finding themself staring at an elf with pretty red hair and a horse. It stinks here.
“You’re awake!” The elf whispers. Teo feels ill. Their arm’s burning up. It must be infected. “I was worried you wouldn’t wake up again.”
“Where—“ It’s all they can manage at the moment, thirsty and off as they feel.
“You’re in a place of learning for bas. No one else knows you’re here.” Teo blinks. Why would this elf go through so much— “I don’t know who you are or why your here, but you’re clearly not Qunari. I want you to take me with you when you leave.”
The elf freezes at the sound of a door opening. “Eva-bas! Get back in here and attend to your lessons.” The elf flinches.
The pretty redhead takes a deep breath, then moves over to the horse before standing up. “Forgive me, Tamassran.” They’re clearly not happy even as they leave the stable. “I simply felt tha—“
“It is not you’re place to think, Eva-bas. It’s your place to learn while I learn what you’re place within the Qun is.”
“Yes, Tamassran. I apologize. I’ll do better.” The door shuts as the pair end up inside. Teo waits a few moments before shifting. It won’t do to get caught after that pretty elf did so much to protect them.
Teo does their best to get to his feet, being certain to stay below the level of the stable walls. It’s the least they can do, given everything. They listen as best they can, given their condition. Shit, they really need to treat their arm before it gets any worse. Their dads are going to be so disappointed in them like the hag used to say. They should have left sooner.
Its pretty dark out, now that they have a proper view of their surroundings. Still, with the lanterns lit, it’s easy enough for them to see that they’re near the edge of the settlement. It shouldn’t be too hard to make their way out to the tree line. Then they’ll be able to find a source of water and get the mess in their arm cleaned out.
It takes much longer than they’re comfortable with given that their legs wobble with each step, but they manage the trip well enough. They can hear a river nearby. As long as their quick and quiet, then no one should have a reason to start searching.
Teo wakes with the sun beating down on them, sweating and thirsty. They’re not doing well. They’ll be able to make it home, right?
“Here.” There’s a skin of water in front of them. “I know it’s not a lot, but I know you must be thirsty.” The pretty elf looks down at him with those prettier brown eyes. “Who are you, anyway?” Those brown eyes look around carefully.
They swallow the water greedily. “T-Teo.” They manage. “You?”
Their rescuer looks sad. “I don’t remember anymore. I haven’t really had a name since I was little.”
“That’s… Sad.” They manage, somehow getting themself into a sitting position.
There’s a rustling nearby. “Here. These are healing herbs. They’ll help if you can mix them up.” The elf is gone a few moments later. Auntie Aloe and Nonno did show them how to mix up a simple healing poultice. And it does look like they were given the right things.
They can do this. That guy? Gal? They’re not actually sure. That elf left the water with them, and they’re not that far from the river. If they can scrounge up some energy, they’ll be able to help themself.
Using the rest of their water, they wash out the wound that sliced through their upper arm. It hurts, but they need to get all the sick out of there if it’s going to heal properly. It’s not enough, not really, but it’s all they can manage right now.
Teo blinks awake to shuffling around them. It’s their new friend. You’re not doing well. Can you eat? You need strength.” They’re handed a bit of dried meat. They can handle that much, right?
It’s nearly an insurmountable task to raise their hand to their mouth, but Dad and Papa didn’t raise no quitters even if they barely have the energy to chew.
“You must have had a plan to get off Seheron, right?”
“Meet a ship. Small island to the south.” How long have they been here? Surely they haven’t missed it, right?
“Okay. I think I know which one you’re talking about. I’ll do what I can to get you there, okay? Just… Promise I get to go with you?” They nod. It’s really the lest they could do for the person putting in so much effort into rescuing them.
They smile at them. It’s pretty. “I don’t know much about healing, right now, but I think I managed to clean this out pretty well and I gave you some painkillers.” When did their arm get strapped to their chest? “Come on. I’m going to get you there no matter what happens.” They’re surprised the smaller elf can pull them off the ground, given how malnourished they look.
“Why are you doing so much?” It barely comes out, but they have to know.
They freeze, looking to the ground. “I’ve hated it here since my parents left me when I was five. As far as I can tell, your the best bet at getting out of here even if I have to pull most of the weight.” There’s nerves lining that tone, but it’s a lot braver than most. Teo feels their heart swell just a little bit.
“Teo?” He asks, uncertainty welling up in his chest even as he all but drags his half-conscious companion through the thick jungle. “Teo, wake up. We’re almost there.” He can see the coast coming up. It’s just a few dozen more feet, and they’ll be able to rest for a bit.
“Huh?” Teo’s mismatched eyes crack open. He wonders what his parents look like to have given him such handsome looks. Teo’s not doing well. They need to hurry. Even if he’s not sure where he’s hurrying to.
“Teo. Where are we going? Is that the island there?” Why is he even doing this? He should have just stayed there with the Tamassaran. At least then he wouldn’t be a fugitive even if he hated every second of that life. How’s he suppose to live as a girl when he’s not? Stupid Qun with its stupid rules.
Teo blinks tiredly. “Yeah.” Teo’s sweating. It’s not even that warm today.
“Drink.” He states. He won’t let Teo die of dehydration, let alone anything else. He’s lucky Teo can still understand him with how bad that wound is.
Now, the real question is how he’s supposed to get the both of them over to that island. …There’s a ship waiting there. Is it for Teo? It would have to be, right? That’s why Teo wants to go over there.
He… He can’t waste time. What if they miss it? He doesn’t know where Teo’s from and even if he did he doesn’t know anything but this island.
He freezes. There’s a small, two person boat right there. The problem is there’s a pair of Qunari patrolling the beach. Why did they have to run into issues here? They were almost home e6 free.
“What’s… Wrong?” Teo manages.
“There’s guards. They must be hunting for us.”
Teo’s quiet for a moment? Then pushes off him. “Give me a minute. I can deal with them.” But! But he’s injured! And barely conscious! How’s he going to do anything like that?!
Something buzzes around them, prickly and numb like lightning. What’s going on? He looks to Teo, only to find his rescuer surround with purple lightning.
He falls to the ground, heart seized by fear and legs unwilling to support him. Teo’s a mage. But magic is dangerous and should be eradicated. How can he trust him? No. Why did he ever trust Teo when all he knew about the man was that he stumbled into his village and passed out that night.
Swallowing harshly, he watch’s as Teo points at the guards. That purple, crackling electricity shoots from Teo’s finger to his targets, lighting out the area as the stench of burning flesh reaches them.
Three seconds. It took three seconds for Teo to take them out. “Let’s go.” Teo mumbles, slumping to the ground against a tree. He… He doesn’t really want to, but what’s the other option? Go back to Tamassaran and get shipped off to be re-educated again?
No. He refuses to go through that again.
He might be scared, but at least if he gets Teo some help he’ll be able to make a break for it and find somewhere easier to live. As hesitant as he is to touch the mage, he has to if he wants to get out of here. He’ll just have to make it quick.
“Who are you? And what happened to Dellamorte?”
He swallows, anxious but determined. “Does it really matter? Teo needs to get back! He’ll die otherwise!” The woman mulls it over for a moment before shrugging and telling across the ship.
“You know what? Not my problem. We’ll just bill Dellamorte for the extra person later. ‘Sides. Looks horrible to have a client die on us.” She helps him get Teo into one of the room below deck. “You got a name, kid? Need to know who’s on the ship.” He shakes his head. “Well that’s too bad. You should figure out what you wanna be called then. Names make everything a lot easier.” He should come up with his own name? But what if he chooses wrong?
“Do you have any herbs or potions I could use?”
“Nah. But we’ll be making land here in a couple of days. They’ll last that long.” They? He blinks. Teo uses they? Has he been doing the same thing to them as everyone else does to him?
Guilt eats at him. It’s so important to him and he didn’t even bother to ask!
He drags Teo through the city they landed in with no idea where he’s supposed to be going. The dock hand had told him there were some healers a few streets away, but he got lost within five minutes and Teo’s getting worse and worse.
He can feel someone watching him, he’s just not sure where. Is it because of him? Do they somehow know what he is? Are they going to turn him in? Or is it because of Teo? An injured person has to draw attention. He knows it would back home. Or at least it does for those who don’t go into combat paths.
Maybe if he keeps moving, whoever is following them will leave. They’ll either eventually get bored of gawking at them, or they’re spying to figure out what to report back.
It takes a while of dragging Teo’s mostly deadweight through this unfamiliar city before he manages to find a lift that takes him to a higher level. This city doesn’t make much sense to him, but then again, all he remembers is the small forest village he’s been in since his parents abandoned him.
There, out of the corner of his eye, is a small bird he hasn’t seen before., It stares at him, cocking its head in a curious way that none of the birds on Seheron ever did. Is that how the birds here act or is this one just weird for some reason?
He must stare at it for a bit too long, because the bird turns into an elven girl. “What are you doing with my cousin?” She seems almost as anxious as he is. Weird. he didn’t really think that was possible.
“Teo’s your cousin?” She nods, looking over the mostly unconscious elf in his arms. They both have those weird short pointed ears and the mismatched eyes, so he supposes it makes sense. Besides, if she was the one staring at him the whole time, that would explain why she’s doing it. “We have to get them help.”
She nods, coming over to help take some of Teo’s deadweight off him. “Dad will know what to do.” She… She almost sounds like she’s trying not to panic even as she leads the way to wherever her dad is.
They end up in front of a tall man with hair every bight as bright white as Teo’s and eyes to match the girl beside him. If this is her dad, then it makes a little more sense of how Teo got their looks. “Sofia? Teo!? What happened?” The man takes Teo from their arms before he has a moment to understand whats happening.
He can feel eyes on him as he follows the man inside. Guess he has to be the one to talk, then. “I dunno. I just found him with a big gash in his arm and—“ Whoops, he’s doing it again. “I’ve done my best to help them but I’m not very good at healing.” The man mumbles about something for a few moments before turning to the girl he’s pretty sure is called Sofia.
“I know you’re scared for your cousin, but I need you to do two very important things for me while I try to get this under control, okay?” She nods. “First, I need you to run over to the Shadow Dragons and request that they send over their best healers, alright?” Sofia nods again. “Once you’re done with that you need to go tell your uncles what’s happened.”
He’s not really sure what he should be doing, but he wants to stay with Teo, so he tries his best to stay out of the way and in the shadows. It would be best if this man forgets he’s here. At least then he won’t have to deal with any awkward question.
“Trouble? What’s going on?” A woman who could be no one but the man’s wife based on her similarities to Sofia, inquires. “Isn’t that Teo? What happened?”
“They were injured on their contract.” He’s not quiet sure what the man’s feeling right now, but it makes his old friend Anxiety swell in his chest. Adults being emotional doesn’t usually go well for him.
“What do you need from me?” The woman asks.
“Right now I need to find the source of this,” The man pulls at the roughly placed torn tunic covering the festering wound. “Okay. So we need to clean this out.”
“You got it.” He’s left in the corner as the adult work to clean out that stinking, oozing wound in Teo’s arm. That anxiety in his stomach slowly changes to guilt. If he was just better at being a healer none of this would have happened. Teo would be fine and moving and not lying there shaking weakly.
“They’re in terrible shape…”
“I’m surprised they’re still fighting.”
He should have done more. If he was just—
“Hey,” The man starts. “What’s your name?”
Him? But he— He swallows, uncertain if the one he’s been thinking of even really counts as a name. “Ar-Arwin…”
“Alright. Arwin. How long has his arm been infected?”
Well, it was a few days on that ship, and they were in the forest for a few days, and Teo was unconscious in the stable for at least four. “A- A week or two?” He tries. “I dunno for sure.” The man goes back to mumbling under his breath for a few moments as another man, this one dressed in fancy robes, barges in.
“This is the patient?” Arwin watches as the new man takes a short look over Teo, then brings his hands up to hover above them. He watches as bright green light flows out from those hands, covering Teo in a light green fog. Is this magic too?
But… Magic is supposed to be dangerous and harmful. Magic only hurts. It never helps. That’s why mages need to be persecuted and contained so they don’t hurt anybody.
“The infections deep into his blood at this point.” The mage states. “I can draw some of it out, but he’ll have to fight the rest of it himself.” Teo’s weak. They haven’t even been conscious for days now. Not since Seheron. He’s scared Teo’s not going to make it and then they’re all going to blame him.
The mage gets to work as the air starts to buzz around them. The white haired man sighs, then rushes to open the door. In the same instant the door flies open, a pair of men fly inside, followed by a tired Sofia after a few moments. “Teo?!”
Arwin sinks into the shadows as much as he can, watching the tall white haired elf with the spooky eyes and the shorter human man with the greying hair worry over Teo. Teo looks like them. Are these their dads?
Wait. If Teo looks like both of their Dads then who’s their mom? Teo had to come from somewhere right? And the Tamassaran told them that babies come from a man and a woman. But Teo didn’t say anything about a mom in the brief conversations they had before Teo’s condition got worse. Or… At least he’s pretty sure they didn’t? There was that one spirit Teo called mom, but that seemed like a different thing altogether.
Arwin doesn’t really understand as much as he thought he did, but that doesn’t really matter right now. Right now, he’s going to watch whats going on so he can learn more about healing and see what Teo’s dads are like.
Arwin’s not really sure how long it is before the healer finishes, but that mostly naked man talks with the other elf. He’s pretty sure they’re brothers, but Arwin isn’t really sure.
“My patient is stable for the time.” The healer states, going through a brief list before departing. The man with greying hair smiles sadly at Teo, touching his cheek. It’s tender and loving in a way that makes Arwin wonder if that’s what it’s supposed to be like to have parents. He shivers violently, suddenly freezing.
“Luca?” The naked man asks. The dark-haired man looks up at the elf, eyes visibly wet even from this distance. “They’ll be alright. Teo’s strong.”
“I know, mi amor.” They share a kiss? People actually do that? He thought that was just for relief but those two aren’t even getting handsy at all! “Now, why don’t we get home and let Teo rest properly?” Those dark eyes land on Arwin for just a moment, followed by a flashed smirk, before the man turns back to Teo.
Anxiety bubbles up for a moment. They know he’s here. Why haven’t they done anything, then? Surely, they have some plan for him, right. They have to. All adults do.
Oh! Teo’s being carried away by the naked man! He… He should follow, right? He doesn’t really know what to do here without Teo and he’s never been here before and everything’s so confusing and new and—
“You can go with them, you know.” Sofia’s dad states. “My brother and Lucanis won’t mind, and you clearly want to.” The man smiles at him. “Go on.”
He hesitates just a moment more, rushing out the door. He’ll just keep his distance. He can do that much without getting caught. He thinks. These people are apparently better at finding him than everyone else he’s dealt with. It’s weird.
Arwin has to hurry to keep up with Teo and their dads as they make their way through the crowded city that smells too much like salt and shit. They end up slipping into a busy shop, then back into an area Arwin’s almost certain he shouldn’t be in. He’s full of anxiety, doing his best to stay unnoticed.
No one seems to notice him all the way to the room with a big mirror. A big mirror he watches Teo’s dads walks right on through without a moment of hesitation. What? How?
He doesn’t want to, but Arwin skitters up to the mirror, placing his hand on it only for it to pass right through. He has to keep going, though, because even though he’s scared he doesn’t want to be separated from Teo when they’re the only person he knows.
Pushing through his fear, Arwin moves through the mirror. It’s cold, and feels weird, but he doesn’t hate it. Opening his eyes, he finds himself in a place that he doesn’t quiet know how to describe. Things are floating, the air feels weird, and there’s more of those weird mirrors.
Oh! There they are! They’ve already nearly made it though that mirror over there, so he has to hurry! He’ll have to keep this place in mind in case he ends up having to hide, though. He could probably disappear quickly if he has to.
Rushing up to the mirror, he goes through without a moment of hesitations. A hand grabs him as he pops out on the other side. “You’re pretty good at hiding.” His mouth goes dry. This wasn’t part of his plan. “Why don’t you tell me how you know my kid?”
Arwin finds himself looking up at the man with the wet eyes. He swallows harshly. This is it for him. He’s going to be killed, or worse.
The man sighs, letting him go and crouching to his level. “Look, I’m not going to hurt you.” The man says. “I just need to know who you are and why you’ve decided to track us all the way across the Fade.”
“A-Arwin…” He manages.
“Arwin, then.” The man smiles at him. “Where did you come from?”
He backs against a wall. “S-Seheron.” It’s barely even a mumble.
The man seems surprised. “You’re clearly not a spy,” he muses, “which makes me think Teo rescued you from somewhere. So, why don’t you tell me what’s going on, and we’ll go from there.” Maybe he’ll be believed after all.
“I… Found Teo when they stumbled into the stables me and the girls were made to tend. I know a bit about plants, so… So I tried to help them…” He swallows again. At least the man actually seems to be listening to him for the moment. Though there’s no telling what the man will do to him once he’s done. “I asked them to get me out of there. They, um… They kept getting worse so I had to help them through the forest…”
The man’s face softens. “If that’s really the case, then thank you.” He places a hand in Arwin’s too-long hair, causing him to flinch. “Tell you what, why don’t we head back to the estate, and we can wait for Teo to recover before the four of us decide what to do with you.” He gets to stay? For a while, at least?
Arwin nods, following the man through a whole different city that’s suddenly much darker than the one they’d just left.
Arwin stays in the shadows, watching as a few other people visit Teo. One of them looks weirdly like Teo and their white-haired dad. Are they brothers? Then again, this family is really weird to begin with. Most of them have mismatched eyes and white or red hair and only a few of them really seemed normal.
Oh! Good, they just left. It’s late. There shouldn’t be anyone else coming!
Arwin yawns, rubbing at his eyes. He can rest here, right? He’ll still be okay when he wakes up, won’t he?
Debating his options, Arwin decides that Teo is safe enough, so he carefully climbs up into the bed beside them.
“Hey.” Someone’s nudging him. He blinks awake sleepily.
“You’re awake!” It’s Teo! He’s okay! Arwin hugs him with tears stinging in his eyes. “You worried me!”
Teo smiles, pushing him off enough to sit up. “Sorry. I hope my family hasn’t been giving you too hard of a time?”
He shakes his head. “They’ve mostly been leaving me alone. Though your dad, the one with the beard and the grey hair?” Papa? Did he do something to their friend? “He did catch me following you guys home. He said they’d figure out what to do with me once you woke up.”
“Well, neither Dad or Papa are going to hurt you. I’d be surprised if they haven’t already decided to adopt you.” Adopt? But why? He’s nothing but a failure of a woman that can’t even do their role properly.
“But…” He stares at his chest. It might be flat, but that’s only because he’s always so hungry that he isn’t growing right.
Teo smiles at him. “Hey. I promise you that they aren’t going to care. So what if you’re not the gender you were born as? They’re perfectly fine with me being nonbinary, after all.”
“No one just adopts someone just like that.” He complains.
“My dads do.” Teo smiles. “I have three older siblings who were all adopted on sight at my parents whims. Dad and Papa hadn’t even been together a year when they picked up my oldest brother and now they’ve been together for two decades. Trust me. You’ve already been adopted into the family.” He’s not so sure, but he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.
There’s a few moments before Teo seems to remember something. “Oh! Right! I never got your name!”
He blinks. “It’s Arwin…”
Teo smiles. “Nice to meet you properly, Ari!” Ari? That’s a nickname, right? He… He thinks he likes it. “You’re pretty cute, too. Would you want to go on a date with me?” Huh?
His face is warm. No one’s ever called him cute before. “What’s a date?”
“It’s where you go out and do something with someone you have romantic feelings for.” Teo’s smile does make him warm. Maybe…
“It’s not going to include… Sex, is it?” He’s pretty sure that’s what qunari do when they go on dates, but he doesn’t want to. The thought makes him feel icky and he doesn’t like it.
“No!” Teo decides quickly. “No! I would never make you do anything you don’t feel okay with! Papa says consent is important and I’m not going to break that rule!”
He hesitates. “Then… What are you supposed to do on a date?”
Teo rubs the back of their head, their fingers only just brushing their short hair. “I was hoping we could maybe go see the city, or that you’d be open to visiting a neat little cafe I know of.”
“Oh…” That doesn’t sound too bad, then. “… Okay. That sounds like it could be fun.”
Teo grins. “It’s a date!” He feels warm, inside. It’s weird, but he doesn’t hate it.