Clan Ashara, assemble!

[serannas]

tag me, you cinnamon rolls. app is here, if needed.

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[samahl]

Cyril came and sat next to her, comfortable in the idea that she wouldn't mind the company too terribly much. "They've yet to create a creature that can best Merrick," he said with full confidence. He wasn't confident that there was a 'they' that created the creatures of the world, but he knew that Merrick could handle anything that the world tossed at him.

"I wanted to show you what we got today." He shifted his weight a bit so that he could pull out a book. On the cover was a drawing of a very handsome human man holding a demur, brown haired elf. It was a classic, cheesy romance novel made from a little known artist. "The sex in this is terribly written, but I thought you might get a chuckle or two."

[serannas]

Ellana looked down at the book and gasped. It was something that would get them in trouble if it was found. Quickly, she looked around them to make sure no one else was up and about, then she scooted closer, excitement practically brimming over.

"Even so, I want to have a peek. What do they think sex with an elf is like?"

[samahl]

He grinned at her excited reaction. That was what he was hoping for. Even if he had found the book a little more than hilarious, he thought she might enjoy some of the more romantic aspects.

"You'll have to see for yourself as I'm not certain I can do it justice. I will say that they seem to think city elves faint quite a bit," he explained, still smiling a bit at the amusement he felt over the book. "Or swoon. Do you think that's a real problem in an alienage? Perhaps being away from fresh air causes poor circulation?"

[serannas]

Ellana exhaled a laugh, taking the book from him to flip through, searching for any words that struck her as being from a sex scene.

"Perhaps they do, but more likely than not, it's because we're smaller than humans. They must think we're dainty." Finding a passage, her eyes widened and she drew up her knees to set the book against her thighs.

"Oo, here's one." She read for a moment, a flush spreading across her cheeks. "Oh. That's... highly unrealistic." But intriguing all the same. Still, as she read the next line, her lips curved up into a smile. "No man could do that, human or not. They'd break something."

[samahl]

Cyril chuckled a bit. "Careful, I might take that as a challenge and try it on the next human man I find." From his tone was clear he wasn't actually going to do such a thing. It was really hard to take anything in that book seriously.

[serannas]

"And then when you're hobbling around camp and they ask what happened, you'll say 'Ellana made me do it!' Right?" Chuckling softly, she returned to the book, flipping through. But after a moment, she added, "They can't all be bad. Humans. I know we're supposed to keep away, and I know plenty must be awful to elves, but they can't all be. Or there wouldn't be books like this."

[samahl]

Cyril considered that. From his interactions with them, he didn't think they were all bad either. Just very stupid.

He shrugged after a moment. "You could always come with Merrick and I next time. It might be easier to have a woman with me."

[serannas]

"That depends on how far you travel. I can get away with gathering kindling in the woods, but if you go farther out to hunting grounds, the Keeper won't allow it. She'll say it's too dangerous for mages." She knew Keeper Deheune just wanted to protect Ellana from Templars, but it didn't help her wanderlust any to be confined so close to camp.

[notyourherald]

Cyril frowned a bit. "Too far then," he commented. After all, it wasn't like they could target humans anywhere near the camp. "I'm sorry lethallan, I shouldn't have suggested it." That last part was actually sincere, as he felt guilty for giving her the idea when it wasn't possible.

He couldn't imagine the burden that magic brought.

[serannas]

She smiled faintly and offered the book back to him.

"It's all right. Maybe someday..." Her voice trailed off, since she wasn't sure she believed it. It was what she hoped for, though.

"Well, until then, I can just listen to all your stories!"

[samahl]

"I'll be happy to," Cyril replied. He took the book back but held it carefully in your hands. "Do you want to keep this?" he asked "It's terrible, and it could get you into trouble, but I won't tell if you do."

[serannas]

The offer was tempting and Ellana weighed it over in her mind for approximately a second before taking it back.

"I can hide it and take it out into the forest to read," she said decisively. If he said it was awful, it probably was, but it was a story about a human and an elf, and she wanted to see how it ended.

"Thank you."

[samahl]

Cyril gave her a sweet smile and handed the book back to her. It wasn't really a gift, he told himself. Not in the sense that other Dalish would consider it. Just more of a small comfort. It was a secret, an acknowledgement that they both had similar interests. Hers might have been more romantic than his, but it was still important, he thought, that she knew she had a safe place to talk about it. If she needed it.

"I should get some sleep," he said. "There's an early morning hunt and I've already stayed up for too late to be of use." That wasn't true, of course. Cyril wouldn't have gone out if he had thought he'd be useless in the morning. It was simply easier to make fun of himself than acknowledge that there was any sort of meaning behind his actions. He didn't do well with that sort of thing.

[serannas]

Ellana squeezed the book to her chest, pleased she could add it to her hidden trove of trinkets that Gavin had given her. She was always interested in the things the humans made, even if they were just little figurines the same as any Dalish could make.

"You say that, but I'm sure you'll be the one to bring back the most. Good night." She was going to stay up a bit longer, just to see how the book began.