In the summer, I remember

[rowancrowned]

WHO: Thranduil, Legolas, anyone good with a bow or who enjoys the wine on offer.
WHAT: ROOTY TOOTY POINT N SHOOTY ARCHERY CONTEST
WHEN: 8th of Bloomingtide, midmorning until sunset.
WHERE: Valley
NOTES: log for a friendly wager! 

The eighth of Bloomingtide began as a chilly morning; not quite cold enough to leave frost on the budding flowers and fresh-sprouted plants in the heights of Skyhold, but nearly, nearly.

By the time the sun was been in the sky for a few hours, most of the early-morning chill had burned off, leaving a day that promised to be nearly too-hot for those who would be stuck in full-plate and in direct sunlight. Thranduil wasn’t expecting any to come clanking down to his little fete, but had none the less secured a spot in the shade. Varric had apparently found him while he was still working on organizing—the target launchers are set neatly in line with everything else. Along the clay pigeon launchers were the standard, stock targets, blindfolds—and on a table off to the side was a few bottles of sweet wine beside loaves of brown bread and hard cheeses.

The contest did not pretend to be anything other than what it was; a chance to meet, and mingle, and possibly show off archery skills. The purses wrested next to the wine and cheese and Thranduil himself. He had found a chair to rest in while waiting for the contestants to arrive, dressed plainer than he had so far allowed himself to be seen. On his fingers, four rings glittered—but his confidence in Legolas was so absolute, he doubted he would lose even one before the days was out.

Comments

Korrin Ataash OTA

[gatheringstorm]

Given that the majority of Korrin's time is taken up with learning and controlling new magic forms, she probably isn't the first person anyone would expect to see taking place in an archery contest. For her, it's a hobby, not a way of life. While her stance and aim are decent, she has no illusions about winning anything during this contest when there are professional archers about, some of incredible talent.

No doubt the Vashoth mage is weeded out early on, and she'll take that with good grace, glad to step aside and watch those of greater skill than her own. Stretching out in the shade wherever there's room, she'll sample some wine and cheese, and cheer on whichever friends decide to participate. Any of them choosing to step aside will be waved over to join her, as well as those just content to be spectators.

[onlyhymns]

While Korrin competes, she has at least one glowering spectator who laments the fact that he can't compete, but she can. Cade tries not to look at her too pointedly, and averts his eyes if ever she looks back, but he's relieved when she loses.

[gatheringstorm]

Cade's glowering is noted and Korrin indeed does look back at times, because she likes making the man squirm. As for her own loss, the Vashoth woman doesn't seem at all surprised or upset, waving good-naturedly to her fellow competitors as she strolls off to find a good vantage point to observe them...after getting some refreshments, of course. Naturally, her path takes her close to Cade because if there's one thing she loves, it's looming over Templars, armed or not.

"Ah, you again. Beat up any other elves, lately?" Her tone is deceptively calm, almost amused, though there's a hard glint in her eyes. Maybe Beleth has forgiven him, but she sure hasn't.

[onlyhymns]

Cade leans away from her slightly, both because she's significantly larger than he is and because he's afraid she might flash him again.

"No," he says sullenly, keeping his gaze averted. He's half-tempted to make a comment about her shooting, but decides against it.

[suplexpert]

"Oh! Who's this?"

Taaranda is all to glad to come over. Sure, Korrin is glowering, but that could be for any number of reasons, right?

Not at all frowning at the man right here!

"Hello! I'm Taaranda." She holds out her hand to Cade cheerily.

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin had actually just meant to pass by Cade after uttering that, maybe with a slight 'accidental' shove on her way to elsewhere, but then Taaranda's voice catches her off-guard. She just sighs and shakes her head at her companion's neverending friendliness, certain Cade doesn't deserve it.

"Careful, you know how we accidentally convert people to the Qun through skin to skin contact."

[fightingdirty]

After watching for awhile, Lena had left her spot near Cade to rustle up another drink, and when she returns, finds her sisters-in-arms talking to him. She bumps hips with Korrin and raises her drink, smirking behind it at both Taar's friendliness and Korrin's comment.

[onlyhymns]

Now there isn't just Korrin. There's three of them, and the other two seem to be her friends, and Cade doesn't know what to make of that.
Looking between them, and with a dark glance at Korrin, he takes Taaranda's hand to shake it politely, perhaps just to show Korrin that he knows she's full of shit. He doesn't say his name, however, figuring it's probably best if they don't know it.

[suplexpert]

Taaranda smiles brightly at Cade and gently shakes his hand.

"Oh, you know she's just kidding, right? We don't follow the Qun at all or anything." There is a pause; she's wide-eyed and friendly, but Taaranda isn't stupid. She recognizes that there is tension, though she doesn't know why she doesn't see any point in keeping that going forward.

They're all working together, after all.

[universal_charm]

Kirk is surprised to see Korrin among the competitors, but when he does he makes certain he cheers loud and claps for her, no matter the showing. She was his friend, after all - or so he liked to think. He stays a little longer after her turn to watch the next round or so before going to fetch himself more wine and bread and join her in the shade.

"I didn't know you could shoot," he grinned at the horned female, settling down beside her and glad for the cooler shade as the heat of the day crept in. "How did that never come up while you were fleecing me at Wicked Grace?"

[gatheringstorm]

Laughing at that, Korrin stretches out and takes a well-earned sip from her glass. The shade is definitely welcome, and she's not about to move any time soon. This is a perfect way to spend the day, as far as she's concerned.

"You never asked? Besides, it's a nice side-hobby, not anything I obsess about. I did at one point, but I was a kid...and then I came into my magic. Learning to control that tends to derail other paths pretty damn quickly."

[universal_charm]

"Maybe I should start betting secrets instead of coin," he chuckled, not begrudging her her position in the shade, glad there was enough left for him. He rolled a bit of bread and cheese together, trying to make it a bit more exciting.

He swallowed, looking down at her. "Was it shocking when your magic came? I mean, is it unexpected for everyone when they get it or is it, like, expected?"

[gatheringstorm]

"Sometimes it's expected, if it runs in the family. Magisters in Tevinter base their great houses on magic-rich bloodlines and all that rot. The further back they can trace it, the more prestige or something like that. But for me, no, I didn't expect it at all. Neither of my parents are mages. Maybe one of theirs was, but they'd never know since Qunari don't have families. They have breeding programs, assigned caregivers, and those people -Tamassrans- are the one who keep track of bloodlines so that there's no inbreeding or whatever, but most people never know."

She just shakes her head, deeply unimpressed with the Qunari way of doing things. "I was just a kid, twelve, and I'd wandered off alone after my parents' group decided to set up camp. I wasn't planning to go far, but when you travel with people all day, sometimes you just need a little space, you know? Anyway, some wolves ambushed me on my way back. I didn't bring any weapons and I would've been screwed, but suddenly lashed out at them with a Chain Lightning spell. That saved my ass, and made lightning my most favored element."

[universal_charm]

Genetic trait. That was what he thought, hearing that - possibly a recessive one, like red hair, and one that appeared later in life. It was an interesting thing to consider, and he had to wonder if he got a mage's blood beneath a microscope or put through a genetic coder what he might find.

Even more fascinating was the Qnari culture system. He could not tell if she spoke fondly of that system, or felt it lacking. It seemed... clinical, somehow, but it was not the first culture he had come across that imposed strict reproductive policies. He had the feeling, though, she did not quite approve of the situation.

"So yours appeared in a moment of intense desperation," he said softly, tipping his head slightly at the end though. "Your spells have names?" he asked.

[gatheringstorm]

'Not quite approve' is an understatement, but Korrin's rushing through explanations in order to get to 'the good part'. She might backtrack and rant about the Qun afterward, but Kirk might end up regretting it. The subject has long been a hot-button issue for her.

"Oh, yeah. And no, I didn't name them, that's just what they're called by everyone. Chain Lightning's pretty self-explanatory, too. It arcs from one enemy to the next, frying everything within range. Well, except my allies. Don't worry, I know how to avoid friendly fire."

[universal_charm]

"Always good to know," he chuckled, imagining such a spell - the lightning arching between people, or beasts. It made the hairs on his arms stand on end and he shivered, not even able to imagine what that much electricity would do to a body.

He glanced upward through the leaves of the tree shading them. "If you could, would you give up your magic?" he asked her.

[gatheringstorm]

"Andraste's perky tits, no." Korrin recoils at the very thought. "I don't care what garbage the Chantry spews, it's not a curse. It's who I am, and I'm damn proud to be one. Fuck anyone who has a problem with that."

[seesobserves]

There aren't many people whose greetings from a distance Sherlock would even acknowledge, much less answer. But when Korrin waves him over, he goes to join her, casually plucking another grape off the small bunch in his hand.

"Well, you've worked out your priorities for the day."

[gatheringstorm]

"Indeed." Korrin raises a glass before tipping it forward, taking a sip. "I had a good time competing, but it's more fun to kick back and watch masters at work. Gotta admire that kind of skill, even though I'm nowhere close to sharing it. Not in archery, at least."

She's not being humble, just honest. If it was a mage competition, she'd be a lot less easy-going about the whole affair.

[seesobserves]

"There are much worse ways to spend the time, now that the weather's turned."

And now that everyone is well again, although he leaves that part unspoken.

[gatheringstorm]

"Like trudging about in gross corpse-ridden swamp water, hm? Such fond memories." Korrin figures she doesn't need to add that the recent plague-weather was uncomfortably close to the mire's, but anyone who visited that hellhole had to have been thinking it at some point. "Sit down, have some wine. This is one of the better vantage points and I'm happy to share both."

[seesobserves]

The comment about swamp water got no more than an eyebrow-raise of commiseration. Sherlock had found the Mire fascinating in its way... the plague-weather less so.

There was a brief pause of thought before he answered her offer. He had been competing quite a while at this point, and she wasn't wrong about the view.

"Why not?" He settles into the grass next to her. If she has a spare cup for wine, he'll take it - otherwise, straight from the bottle will do. He does grimace slightly after the first drink, only because it's terribly sweet.

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin offers a glance, then smirks a little at his grimace. "It's a lot sweeter than I'm used to, so you're not alone. But I guess for free wine, it could be a lot worse."

She stretches out taking some more for herself. This isn't going to dent her sobriety at all, neither the vintage nor the lazy pace with which she's consuming it. "That was some nice shooting, by the way. I liked your technique; no holding back, either." That matters more to her than if someone wins or not. Otherwise, what's the point of competing?

[seesobserves]

"No point in doing so," he agrees, still looking out at the field of competition. "All the better to learn who the true masters are."

Likewise, he has no illusions about being the very best in Skyhold when it comes to archery. Give him a mystery to solve, a puzzle to piece together, and it'll be a different story.

He's already learned about a few. He finds Katniss in the crowd, nods toward her.

"The young woman from Redcliffe could probably pick off an enemy raven in pitch dark."

[gatheringstorm]

Glancing over, Katniss grins. "Yeah, Katniss is one of the better archers I've seen, not just for the competition. Her archery saved our asses in Emprise du Lion. Metaari's supposed to be pretty damn good too, but I haven't had much time to observe him yet." She takes a sip, resolving to change that. "But I'll become the next Divine before Legolas is bested. His reflexes are just too good."