Mini Event! the spider and the mistletoe

[nopattythepider]

Across the Keep runs a rather large spider, scampering from building to building, room to room and carrying with him a decent sized branch of mistletoe. One might catch him skittering up a wall to build a web above a doorway, or stringing mistletoe up from various points on the ceiling.

He doesn't linger in any particular place for too long, save

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[sayhitobianca]

Varric hadn't exactly been thrilled at seeing the big spider that apparently lurked around the Keep. He'd run into way too many of those to ever be even neutral at spotting one - it tended to bring around an instinctive grimace by now. Spider guts were hard to get out of clothing. But at least this was just one of them, and probably wouldn't attack them.

Probably.

Besides, it was kind of nice, in a weird way, to see something familiar. And a spider intent on hanging up mistletoe to get people to kiss was a hell of a lot more entertaining than the previous darkness, and being stuck in a small room.

So Varric was out, heading from the barracks across the green to the Keep, and being mildly amused at every little green plant he passed.

[bondedgryphon]

Zhaneel hadn't left the safety of the barrack common room when the madness with darkness and tunnels began, choosing to listen to he advice of staff and keep herself safely stowed away in the company of any whom joined her there. It had been a seemingly long, by uneventful six days but she'd been glad when it ended.

Her first step upon there release was to take to the air and stretch out properly.

The announcement about mistletoe hadn't drawn much notice from the gryphon, because surely it didn't count for gryphons as well; and she'd never heard of the custom before in Valdemar so, while amusing, it was no matter.

She passes any number of the berry covered plants as she flies, catching sight of a familiar figure as he walks. Thrumming low in her throat she fans her wings and heads to the ground, callin out as she descends.

"Varric!!" She's happy to see you, bro! Her beak gapes happily as she hits the ground with a thump, padding toward the dwarf.

[sayhitobianca]

He looked up when he heard his name called, recognizing the voice immediately, as well as the growingly familiar sound of Zhaneel's winged descent. Varric smiled, not bothering to hide that he was pleased to see her.

"Hey, Feathers. You make it through the darkness okay?"

Yeah, he'd been worried, and it probably actually did show, since Zhaneel was one of those who knew him well enough to pick up on it.

For the moment, he wasn't paying attention to the mistletoe above his head.

[bondedgryphon]

Zhaneel trots over to where Varric is standing, pleased as punch to have found him both quickly and in one piece. The smile makes her feel warm down to the tips of her toes, never having had he pleasure of someone concerning he self over her before coming to the Keep.

Yeah. Sure. That's it. Because anything else would be weird and strange and she'd gotten it all wrong with Amberdrake before and... why was she even thinking about this??

She doesn't stop as she hears Varric's tone, the concern discernible as her ears flick forward to him. She only stops when she's fully reached him, planting her head almost possessively against his chest. She closes her eyes and just allows that initial contact to sink in, wings rustling along her back as they fold into place.

"I kept to the common room and the light," she says softly, shifting only enough to allow herself to look up at him. "You kept yourself safe as well?"

[sayhitobianca]

Right, that was absolutely it. Just like Varric's affection for her was over her sense of humor, her concern for others and her bravery and strength when it counted...and he forgot where he was going with that. Probably a good time to move on, then.

It wasn't the first time she'd greeted him this way, so he wasn't surprised at all at her head butting against his chest. Instead he kept his smile, resting his hand on her neck.

"I'm glad you made it through all right."

That last part, though, was a bit harder to answer.

"Safer than some others I've heard about, though not as safe as I could have been." Because it's Zhaneel, it wasn't an outright lie, but he wouldn't be Varric if he didn't bend the truth a bit. "Found myself stuck in a somewhat unexpected place, but I had company and alcohol."