The Winter's Queen [Magus AU]

[Carver Amell]

Why in Astea's name would I have thread? Every moment, he's feeling a little more solid, a little more comfortable. This bantering, this bickering, this feels comfortable to him. His knees enter the hole, and he takes note of a small shelf his left foot's found, that he needs to be aware of as he routes around it. 

[Tethras Clan]

~Bachelors often fix their own clothes. So do a lot of mercs and adventurers. Good for trap-making too,~ Varric replies. ~Or sutures.~

[Carver Amell]

Sure, but all that's at my home, not here on a crazy lich adventure. He wriggles in up to his waist, holding his arms above his head. He has to take a moment to breathe, quelling the fear of being stuck with his arms above him like this, unable to get leverage. I can do this.

[Tethras Clan]

~Not doing too bad for a human,~ Varric comments. ~Sure you don't have any dwarf blood? Well, not with that smooth chin of yours. Maybe some gomish in ya?~

[Carver Amell]

Get bent. I'm pureblood human and proud of it. He keeps wriggling, feeling the way forward with his feet. 

[Tethras Clan]

~Touchy, touchy~ Varric replies. ~Hey, I have some oread blood in my a few generations back. Too far back to really show but it's there. Nothing wrong with it.~

[Carver Amell]

That explains why you're full of fertilizer, he crows, proudly. A moment later, his train of thought dissolves into a shout of fear; it takes a second for him to puzzle out what happened, which is how Varric can really tell since he can't feel what Carver feels. I slid a foot or so. Lost purchase. Came to a stop, so I hit something. Feels... slick, under my left foot there, but my right wedged into the rock well enough. I'm okay. I'm in the tunnel, but I'm okay.  

[Tethras Clan]

~One sec, shifting my perspective,~ Varric say, moving his 'eyes' to Carver's feet. Stupid, should have done this to start with, he berates himself as he goes to see what happened.

[Carver Amell]

There's a bit of dragonglass, slick, under his feet; he had tried to find purchase where there wasn't any. The bad news is, a few feet ahead, the tunnel starts to curve upward. 

[Tethras Clan]

~Alright, you're standing on dragonglass- black stone, slick like glass. Nothing dangerous, just very smooth.. Varric studies the bend up ahead for a moment, then, ~you're going to want to turn to your right about a quarter. The tunnel bends and you'll want the bend to be across your waist, not your hip. Wiggle slow, I'll say when.~

[Carver Amell]

Carver swallows, starting to wriggle further down the tunnel. 

[Tethras Clan]

~There we go, that's good, you can start moving downwards again. The bend coming up is a curve upwards but it should be just shallow enough to angle your blade through with you~ Varric observes. ~What made you go with greatswords, out of curiosity?~

[Carver Amell]

They seemed manly. Made me look tough. No, don't tell him that, that's a stupid reason. So is picking up chicks. Tell him the line about having long arms and being well suited for that style. Crap.

[Tethras Clan]

~Eh, people can do some really dumb things to try and find a mate,~ Varric sends him. ~ At least you were smart enough to pick something you're actually suited for in order to impress people. Hells, you should have seen H-Hawke make a fool of herself trying to impress Aveline.~

[Carver Amell]

There's a pause, his thoughts a bit muted. Then: I want to know. But this is going to end in ruin. But... It should be fine. I will be on my best behavior. Okay. What... What did my sister do to impress Guardswoman Vallen?  He's not able to firstname her, not even in the privacy of his mind.