'Are you sassing me?"

"You walked right into it."

"That is my line, young lady, and I staunchly defend it."

Cia looks up and giggles. "You're both preposterous."

"Says you," Anders says, poking his tongue out at em.

"Oh, now, I never said I was wasn't."

"Oh, you were just confirming we all were, for posterity?" 

"Someone has to remind you two that you are."

"Between you two and Karl, I think I will never forget." He swoops down, to kiss eir forehead.

"That's our job!"

"Yes, well, remember that in a year's time, when you're bailing us all out of something ridiculous." 

Anders goes back to teaching, but looks back at Cia after a while. "Where did you all disappear off to earlier?"

"We went with Merrill to see her Keeper to try and get that spell for Fade-walking."

“Fade-walking? Who’s going into the Fade?”

"Karl and Blaise were talking about it, to try and find out more about Blaise."

"Bloody scholar calls 'me' reckless." Anders doesn't sound any less fond though. "Takes a lot out of you, spells like that, and that's when you have a spirit passenger."

"Yeah, it looked kind of involved? But like...it's not a bad thing to do right?"

"Karl's smarter than me. He'll do it right. If not, well. Justice and I can reach in there and pull everyone out." 

"I'm sure they'll be fine. They're both pretty strong. And if anyone's gonna know how to do this, it's gonna be Karl."

"So, it's just gonna be the two of them?"

Anders brow furrows, and Ilska's flames jump in response. "Sorry, Ilska." He tamps himself down. 

"I don't think he's decided yet," Ilska says, flexing her fingers and dismissing the flames from them.

Anders' frown deepens, but he doesn't say anything else on the matter, instead turning both their attention back to magic.

Cia looks like ey wants to poke him, but ey lets him distract em for now.

Study passes well, and Anders seems very pleased with both of their progress, though he does laugh at Ilska's ease with the more destructive magic.

"Hey guys, it's getting on, maybe stop for now? Have some food?" Karl's voice says, teasing. 

Mostly directed at Anders. He's very familiar with Anders getting lost in his work. 

That's probably a good idea. 

"Cia, Ilska, you heard my Karl. Go eat." He's still rifling through a book, folding corners where he sees appropriate spells.