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(( 20 Harvestmere, Evening - @Aveline Vallen ))
Edwin didn’t head to the Viscount’s Keep right away. No, that would be the action of a man who was suave and confident--or at least a man who cared little about the outcome of this meeting.
He could admit to being none of those things right now, and so he wiled away a little over an hour in the common room of the Hanged Man, joining in a rather intense game of cards. He may have cheated. He definitely cheated, and still somehow the danger of being found out by his opponents seemed altogether preferable to speaking with Aveline about this tangled mess of something between them.
In the end, though, Edwin knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he didn’t at least make an effort, and Josc’s words kept playing through his mind. Aveline was distracted by this. More than distracted. It was affecting her work, which could affect her safety. The last thing he wanted was for her to get too in over her head with regards to this Coterie investigation just because of him.
Of course, Varric snatching him up and playing the concerned… friend? Brother? Edwin wasn’t sure what to call the dwarf’s interest in the whole thing. But it helped that he’d suggested Edwin clear the air. While he wasn’t sure how many truths he felt like unburdening himself of tonight, there are at least a few he needed to get off his cheat.
So he made his way to his flat, changed into something that didn’t smell like the Hanged Man, fussed over how he looked for a solid ten minutes, then made his way to Hightown.
The steps of the Keep loomed, giving him ample opportunity to turn back. But Edwin kept on, his resolve firm. He was many things: A liar, a cheat, a complete fraud of a man. Yet he refused to add “coward” to that ever-growing list.
As he stepped inside, though, he realized he had no idea where the Guard Captain’s office even was. Thus far he’d only met with her in… every other place but this. Odd, but still something he could work with. He found the first guard who did not look familiar to him--a woman with short, light-brown hair who was perusing a posted list of names--and flashed her a smile.
“Excuse me. Guardswoman…?”
“Brennan,” she offered, giving him a pleasant but somewhat reserved smile in return. It was rather late for civilians to just wander into the Keep, after all.
“Guardswoman Brennan. I wonder if you could be so kind as to tell me where I might find the Guard Captain’s office?”
“It’s just through there,” she said, gesturing, “but if you’re looking for the Captain, she’s already retired for the evening.”
He should leave. If Aveline had actually gone to the barracks already, she was likely trying to put this day behind her. He’d come this far, though, and he supposed Josc did have a point: It needed to be her choice, one way or another.
“I need to speak with her, if she’ll allow it.” He tried to shore up his nerves, tried to act as if nothing was amiss. He mostly succeeded, but he suspected Josc would have been able to tell.
“...I can ask, Serah. Who should I say is asking, exactly?”
“Edwin Thatcher,” he said with a smile. “Thank you.”
“Wait here if you please, Serah Thatcher.”
After she left, Edwin blew out a breath and let his eyes fall briefly closed. He stood tall, his arms folded in front of him as he read what looked to be a list of guard postings and patrol schedules. He’d barely made it a quarter of the way down the list before names and places blurred, his thoughts overtaking the here and now.
Edwin didn’t head to the Viscount’s Keep right away. No, that would be the action of a man who was suave and confident--or at least a man who cared little about the outcome of this meeting.
He could admit to being none of those things right now, and so he wiled away a little over an hour in the common room of the Hanged Man, joining in a rather intense game of cards. He may have cheated. He definitely cheated, and still somehow the danger of being found out by his opponents seemed altogether preferable to speaking with Aveline about this tangled mess of something between them.
In the end, though, Edwin knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he didn’t at least make an effort, and Josc’s words kept playing through his mind. Aveline was distracted by this. More than distracted. It was affecting her work, which could affect her safety. The last thing he wanted was for her to get too in over her head with regards to this Coterie investigation just because of him.
Of course, Varric snatching him up and playing the concerned… friend? Brother? Edwin wasn’t sure what to call the dwarf’s interest in the whole thing. But it helped that he’d suggested Edwin clear the air. While he wasn’t sure how many truths he felt like unburdening himself of tonight, there are at least a few he needed to get off his cheat.
So he made his way to his flat, changed into something that didn’t smell like the Hanged Man, fussed over how he looked for a solid ten minutes, then made his way to Hightown.
The steps of the Keep loomed, giving him ample opportunity to turn back. But Edwin kept on, his resolve firm. He was many things: A liar, a cheat, a complete fraud of a man. Yet he refused to add “coward” to that ever-growing list.
As he stepped inside, though, he realized he had no idea where the Guard Captain’s office even was. Thus far he’d only met with her in… every other place but this. Odd, but still something he could work with. He found the first guard who did not look familiar to him--a woman with short, light-brown hair who was perusing a posted list of names--and flashed her a smile.
“Excuse me. Guardswoman…?”
“Brennan,” she offered, giving him a pleasant but somewhat reserved smile in return. It was rather late for civilians to just wander into the Keep, after all.
“Guardswoman Brennan. I wonder if you could be so kind as to tell me where I might find the Guard Captain’s office?”
“It’s just through there,” she said, gesturing, “but if you’re looking for the Captain, she’s already retired for the evening.”
He should leave. If Aveline had actually gone to the barracks already, she was likely trying to put this day behind her. He’d come this far, though, and he supposed Josc did have a point: It needed to be her choice, one way or another.
“I need to speak with her, if she’ll allow it.” He tried to shore up his nerves, tried to act as if nothing was amiss. He mostly succeeded, but he suspected Josc would have been able to tell.
“...I can ask, Serah. Who should I say is asking, exactly?”
“Edwin Thatcher,” he said with a smile. “Thank you.”
“Wait here if you please, Serah Thatcher.”
After she left, Edwin blew out a breath and let his eyes fall briefly closed. He stood tall, his arms folded in front of him as he read what looked to be a list of guard postings and patrol schedules. He’d barely made it a quarter of the way down the list before names and places blurred, his thoughts overtaking the here and now.