Who: Alistair Theirin and Maia Amell What: Getting together for drinks When: Backdated: End of March: Evening Where: A Bar Rating/Warnings: Family Friendly Status: Complete!
Alistair had been wanting to get together with Maia ever since she’d returned to Orange County, but it seemed like every time they tried to make plans something happened; whether it was OC related or simply bad timing. What he’d really wanted to do was get together before she’d started dreaming so that he could maybe try and prepare her for the dreams, but she’d started dreaming much faster than he’d expected and now she was up to the Urn and saving Connor. At least that was the last thing she had posted about.
And now with Cullen dreaming about the incident at the Circle Tower, Alistair was curious if Maia had dreamt of it too. So he’d made sure that when they made plans again, to get drinks, this time nothing would get in their way.
Bad timing, certainly. Crazy things, or just work things. But she’d been wanting to spend time with her old friend since she’d gotten back and finally, finally she’d thrown aside her address book and gotten it done with.
She was a little further along since her last post, and last she’d checked they were lost in the woods with the Dalish.
She spotted him and came over, skipping all formalities and giving him a hug.
Alistair smiled when he saw Maia and returned her hug, “Hey. How’s it going?” It had been so long since Alistair had seen his friend and they had so much to talk about. “I’m sorry it’s taken so long for us to get together. First round is on me cause it took so long.” He said as he led the way over to the bar.
She grinned at him. “We should have done this the day I got back, but things happened, you know. I think maybe it worked out, it’s probably easier for you now that I remember some things.” She took his arm for the walk to the bar. “And fair enough, but I’ve got next order.”
“Yeah, at least now I won’t seem like a weirdo if I start talking about the dreams before you have them. I thought Zevran was crazy when I first met him cause he talked about how he knew me and I hadn’t even started dreaming yet.” Alistair sat down at a stool at the end of the bar, leaving the second one free for Maia then proceeded to try and get the bartender’s attention, “And that’s fine with me.”
“Yes, I would have thought you were nutters.” She grinned at him, hopping onto the stool and leaning forward to help get the bartender’s attention. Maia winked at Alistair. “So how have you been?”
Once they got the bartender’s attention and had ordered their drinks, Alistair sat back and turned back to Maia, “I’ve been pretty good. Mostly been working and helping a friend deal with his dreams.” He figured now was as good a time as any to find out if Maia had dreamt of the Circle Tower yet, “Speaking of which, have you dreamt about the Circle Tower yet?” If she had then she’d know about Cullen and it’d be easier to bring him up.
Maia frowned, and nodded. She hadn’t been happy about the tower in general. “Both growing up there and my harrowing, and returning there when all hell broke loose.” She was...familiar with Cullen, though she tried to keep her opinion neutral.
Alistair took a sip of his drink as Maia spoke, “So you know about Cullen then. About finding him in the Harrowing Chamber.” Alistair wasn’t sure if Cullen and Maia had talked at all on the net and he’d yet to mention him as someone he was kinda sorta seeing. “Did you know he’s here too?”
“Yes, I know he’s here too.” She folded her arms, shrinking a little. “I’m not sure what to do about it, honestly.”
Alistair’s brows rose slightly as he watched Maia as she talked about Cullen, “What do you mean? What would you have to do about him?” He had a feeling that she was referring to the whole Templar and Mage thing, but he wanted to make sure.
She waved a hand, trying to find the right words. “I’m sure he’s a good bloke, but the templar situation in my Circle was untenable.” And some of that was based on personal experience. “It’s no surprise they rebelled. I’m disappointed to what they resorted to, but then there was always a great deal of infighting among the different factions the mages of our circle separated themselves into. So you could say I have a neutral at best opinion of templars.”
Alistair took a sip of his drink and placed it down on the bar, “Just cause he’s a Templar in the dreams though doesn’t mean he’ll start going after Mages in the waking world. I mean, I was almost a Templar and we got along fine.” He wasn’t about to mention the part where he and Cullen were on the verge of something; not just yet.
“Fair enough. I’m willing to give him a chance.” Maia smiled at him. “Hopefully he’s one of the good ones.” Alistair certainly was one. Maia just felt a little paranoid at the idea. The Ferelden Circle had been all around horrible - she just tended to bury it all. But she was willing to not condemn someone.
“I’m sure you don’t have to worry about him,” Cullen was in no shape to hunt Mages right now, nor did Alistair think that he would do it even if he wasn’t freaked out as a result of his dreams. “He’s actually pretty freaked out after dreaming about the Circle. “He probably won’t want to be around any Mages for awhile.”
“That’s good.” Maia could breathe a sigh of relief, really. “And I’d be willing to chat him up sometime when he’s ready.”
“I’ll let him know that.” Alistair knew that Cullen knew others from their world, especially since he ended up with the Inquisition, but he was far from dreaming about that yet and even though Maia was a Mage, he thought it’d be good for them to meet eventually. “So what else are you up to? Still teaching, right?”
“Yes, still teaching. Doing some research on the side, and I’ve been furiously scribbling down everything I can remember from my dreams about Thedas and the myths and legends there. Morrigan and I have been working on comparisons.” It was a fun little exercise, really. Maia wasn’t sure how much others from Thedas really cared about that sort of thing.
“Well, if you need anymore comparisons, I’d be happy to help. I finished dreaming awhile ago,” Alistair sometimes missed having new dreams, but at the same time, he was glad that he didn’t have to dream about any of the horrible things that had happened, “I’d probably also be a lot more agreeable than Morrigan.” Alistair still wasn’t exactly thrilled that the other woman was around, but he knew that was all a result of the dreams and he had to remember that she had never done anything to him in the waking world.
Just wait until they remembered the whole mess about the old god baby. Morrigan had confessed to Maia that that was her plan, but neither of them had dreamed about it happening and Maia didn’t quite know what to expect, now that she’d calmed down about the deception. “That would be wonderful, I think.”
Oh, Alistair knew all about the whole baby thing and he still wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about it. Sleeping with Morrigan had been the last thing he’d have expected he’d ever have to do and no offense to Morrigan, but he hoped it wouldn’t ever come to that in the waking world. “Just let me know when you want me.” He smirked and finished off his drink then motioned to the bartender for another one.
Maia bit her lip. But then it came out. “That’s what she said.”