faderift | [open] we ask that life be kind

WHO: Sina, the greater Kirkwall populace (including you)
WHAT: dealing with the magic forest backlash
WHEN: early August
WHERE: the steps of the former Chantry
NOTES: with regard to this fiasco

It's early morning, but past sunrise, so many people are still on their way to their daily occupations when a small Dalish elf takes up residence on the steps of what used to be the Chantry and is now a very condensed forest. She's brought with her supplies to see her through the day: a few snacks and plenty to work on, mainly grinding herbs and creating poultices and tea blends, unremarkable and nonmagical activities to put people at ease.
Sina has paid little mind to the guards around the garden's perimeter, apart from offering each of them a bit of dried fruit for their trouble, and she has more of the same for anyone who comes to talk to her. To each, the message is the same: it was me, I did this for you, and there is no reason to be afraid.

Of course, there is a reasonable contingent of those who prefer to shout and carry on, some simply grieving over their chantry and their lack of control in repurposing it, some insisting this is Dalish trickery that should be punished. To both, she listens and says little, with apologies to the former group and polite deflections to the latter.

Over the course of the day she finds herself joined by an assortment of people from the street, who come and go in their efforts to make coin or simply occupy themselves: the occasional musician, bored children, beggars. Sometimes they interact with Sina and sometimes they don't, but regardless, she hold her vigil and, to a degree, actually enjoys it.

Perhaps it doesn't help at all. But whatever the case, the people of Kirkwall who care to look will find a face and a voice connected to the sudden forest, as well as a pointed listening ear and a giving hand.

[Feel free to approach sometime during the day, or we can arrange an interaction after!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

One of those that approached the forest without any caution at all was a large man with a smile on his face. He was admiring the plants as he moved through them, lightly touching a tree before actually going over to the small elf who was currently on the steps. Sitting down so he wouldn't be towering over her, he gave a laugh.

"I heard rumor of an elf who did this. Was it you? You are amazing if that is so! A wonder!" Seriously, he could offer her so much praise in this and he seemed quite prepared to continue. Others might be cautious about the sudden appearance of a forest through unknown magic but apparently Iskandar just wanted to celebrate it with her.

Sina is decidedly impressed by Iskandar's size, but nonetheless puts on a little smile for him before he sits beside her. There are people shorter than herself who are more frightening.
"Yes, it was me," she answers pleasantly, her cheeks coloring a little at his emphatic compliments. "I'm glad you like it."

"I do! It is like you created your own little world here. That is such an impressive thing to bring life into the world this way. It was with magic, yes? Magic of your people?" He had to assume it was an elf thing because he'd literally never heard of this otherwise. And from what he'd gathered the elves had their own way of doing things that they liked to keep to themselves. Likely to preserve what they had left to them in this world.

She laughs lightly, won over by the man's enthusiasm. "Yes," she confirms, "though it's not my own world, it's for everyone. It resembles mine, nothing more."

"I like this way of thinking! A world for everyone!" He laughed, his smile growing even more as he looked around at the plants around them. "Since it resembles yours, is this what it was like where you grew up? With all these beautiful trees?"

Another small laugh, with a snort this time, and Sina holds up a hand to block the lower half of her face. That's not... quite what she meant, but sure, why not? It's difficult not to be caught up in his joy.
"Very much so, yes," she replies, turning to look back at it, "though much more orderly. This patch of forest will require much less foraging, since everything is there for a reason and should be easy enough to find without much digging or climbing."

"I see, I see!" He looked over the forest one more time then laughed softly as his mabari came out and settled down at his feet. "He was exploring the new setting," he explained then returned his full attention to her. "Do you mind if I ask if you have done magic like this before? Grown plants like this? I apologize for so many questions but this is truly one of the most impressive things I've seen in a number of months."

Sina is still a little unnerved by mabari, but the dog seems friendly enough, so she smiles distractedly at it before looking back to Iskandar. "Yes," she answers simply, and doesn't elaborate. It's part of what she does.

"Ah. I see. They are the secrets of your people? If so I will ask no more." He gave a wave of his hand and then went to change the subject. "How have you been since we last spoke? It has been some time since Skyhold."

"Yes," Sina says again, with a bit more of a smile. It's a relief, that he understands and she doesn't have to explain.
"I've..." she begins, and lets her voice trail off, her eyes focusing somewhere in the distance. "...been fine." Good enough. "Busy. As we'd all like to be. And you?"

"Quite well! I've been exploring this place so I can aid others as new to this place as we are." He laughed a bit then reached down to pat his dog's head. The mabari lifted his head to enjoy the contact causing him to chuckle. "I've been training this one as well. He's made such progress as you can see by how he rests here with us."

"I see that," she answers, a bit guardedly. Domestic animals, sure; mabari, however, still make Sina nervous, what with their history of being used for war and the fact that they're probably bigger than she is. She smiles faintly at the dog, but makes no move to pet him.

"You know, this is the second time I've seen you guarded around him. May I ask why he seems to bother you? I promise you he would only ever protect you." He wasn't expecting her to be affectionate with his mabari. Mostly he just wasn't sure why she was nervous around him. He certainly hadn't done anything.

Sina's smile is sheepish. "I've never quite gotten used to dogs," she admits, very tentatively extending her hand for the mabari to sniff, "they're so like wolves, bigger even. I don't know their language."

The mabari looked up at the offered hand then actually gave her hand a lick before letting his tongue roll out like he was smiling at her. "They're surprisingly easy to understand if you give them a chance. Right now he's telling you that you've made him happy."

This merits a shaky smile, and Sina allows the dog to lick her hand, but not too comfortably. She understands wolf language, which is to say, the difference between 'I'm going to tear you/your halla to pieces' and 'I'm paying attention to something else'.

"That's good," she remarks, "I suppose he's made me happy too."

"It is alright if he hasn't. It can take time to warm up to an animal you are not used to." The mabari seemed to sense her discomfort and actually lowered his head then finally rolled over to expose his belly. Iskandar burst out laughing.

"Ah I see how it is. He's trying to put you in a position of power. This is a way of submitting among canines."

Sina has seen dogs do this before, but never to her. She stares uncertainly at the mabari, hands curled carefully up toward her chest. "He doesn't have to," she says uneasily, looking to Iskandar, "...what do I do?"

He chuckled a bit. "Would you like to try petting his belly?"

If she said no then he wouldn't make her. This was about her comfort and learning to be around a dog. It wasn't something that should be pushed.

It's too new. "...maybe next time," Sina says with a weak smile, folding her hands in front of her. That creature could probably bite her in half, and though she can see that he's friendly, instinct is instinct and she's never been one to ignore it.
"Thank you, though. For teaching me about him."

[open] we ask that life be kind

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