faderift | OPEN: this will be a better year

OPEN: this will be a better year

WHO: Everyone
WHAT: First Day
WHEN: Wintermarch 1 (forward-dated)
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Scouts from both the Western Approach and Emprise du Lion are welcome (but not required) to have returned to Skyhold in time for this event.

There have been better First Day feasts, and less crowded ones, and cheerier ones. It isn't a good year for many to look back on, and this one isn't starting any better. Reports from both Eastern and Western Orlais are grim. Many in the Inquisition can't afford to take more than a few hours away from their work, if that.

But for those who can, the ambassador does her best. At lunchtime some tables, hot food, and finery are reserved for visiting nobility and wealthy pilgrims--cause for grumbling in some quarters, perhaps, but they're the people filling the Inquisition's coffers, and allowances must be made--but there's plenty of stew, bread, and ale for everyone, even with the soldiers and refugees who stay outside the fortress invited inside for the holiday. The recently repaired garden and its carefully tended plants aren't off limits, but anyone noisy and holding a drink will be stopped at the door; the battlements, with their potential for deadly falls, are blocked by Inquisition guards. But the courtyards brim with people, most of them happy despite the possibility that the world might end before another First Day arrives.

If the courtyards are too full of tipsy visitors for comfort, there's also the valley beyond the fortress, expansive, barren, and covered in snow. By the river the soldiers help the refugees make a bonfire larger than would ever be allowed inside Skyhold's walls, and some lend their shields to use as sleds down the embankments. A group of scouts start the most intense game of hide and seek Thedas has ever seen, with snowballs to the face for whoever is found first. In the camp, a refugee girl with her hand wrapped in a green scarf chases other children around the tents, shouting raaar, I'm from the rifts!

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It's not that she actually means to bump into Kas of all people, it's just that she's busy trying to juggle a few things at once with so many people around and a fox underfoot always complicates matters. She's likely as much to blame when she bumps into someone seeing as she's going backwards but still.

At least she doesn't spill the wine, that'd be a terrible waste but she does swear, more out of surprise than any malice.

"Forgive me, it was not..." It trails off when she finishes turning, the smile on her face twisting before she salvages it. "My apologies, nothing spilled or damaged?"

Trying to avoid other people thankfully also meant he was keeping an eye on his food, so when he's bumped into, it's not a disaster. Just a bit of gravy on his fingers.

It's more of a disaster to see who it is, and Kas' eyes widen. Shit, the Rifter girl. The Rifter girl Korrin liked, and who he'd been a right ass to.

"Uh... no... it's... um... it's good," he stammers, trying to keep his voice level. The teen knows he should be apologizing or something for before, but that would be unmanly, right?

With Korrin only just back and knowing that they've got a few serious chats to come, she isn't really much better, opening and closing her mouth a few times as she tries to figure out what she should actually say.

Kas is dear to Korrin, she's dear to Korrin, there's a peace to be maintained because she never wants to come between anyone.

"It's good that everyone managed to return before the year here came to an end, no? Especially Korrin."

"Y-yeah," he agrees, sucking his fingers clean of the gravy while pointedly not looking her in the eyes. "I'm... uh... glad she's okay." The teen then adds, sincerity in his voice despite the awkward stammer. It seemed they both cared deeply about Korrin, no matter how much Kas would deny it if asked.

"She told me you and her are... friends and stuff. I didn't know." That is as close to a 'sorry' he's ever going to get. Take it or leave it, Ara.

"I don't know what red lyrium is," or regular lyrium actually so she'll probably have to make a point of finding that out pretty soon, "but there are some awful people in this world who need to pay for harming innocents in such a way." Particularly what sound like people already struggling. And for those who had to witness it and retreat.

Perhaps surprisingly, her cheeks go red and she looks down at her boots for a moment, but she didn't know what Korrin might have said to others about them. "It's early days but I care for her a great deal, she told me that the two of you were close too and I have no desire to come between that. And I did not know your age, you are so tall, I think I took you for older than you are." Or he's tall compared to her and that was pretty much the best way for her to figure out ages back home running around with thieves.

"Lyrium is... weird, even when it isn't red. The red part just makes it creepier." He had missed Korrin's crytal post about it, and that was probably a good thing. All he knew came from rumors.

Rumors alone already made him feel sick.

Then he notices how she looks and blushes when he mentions Korrin and he flushes a bit as well. Oh. Kas might be a stubborn brat, but he wasn't stupid. He's not sure if to he happy for Korrin or wigged out that she liked a Rifter in that way... but then it all crashes and burns with Araceli's next words.

"W-what does my age got to do with anything?!" He snarls, glaring at her. "I'm not a kid!"

"Hopefully the Inquisition can move in force to help them before it's too late." She might not have a choice about being here but if she is trapped for the time being, she's not going to just sit about and do nothing when she can offer aid.

For Korrin's sake, she said she would try. And it's not as if she can be that much older than him but the mutter of 'calma' escapes her before she can help it so she takes a moment to eat something, buying time to think, to try to head this one off.

"I never said that you were a child," she starts, diplomatic enough. "All it meant was that I will not count your tempers or moods against you as I would someone older, I am still as guilty of my own getting the best of me."

All his defenses were up again and he's still scowling like an ass while she eats. So desperate to prove himself, the teen wasn't exactly good with having his age and maturity questioned. Which, incidentally, was a complete proof of that he wasn't that mature to begin with.

This was a trainwreck. It would probably have gone better if Korrin could have mediated.

Still, that diplomatic reply does smooth his hackles down a bit, and while still frowning, it's not as bad as before. "I'm just as good as everyone else around here, no matter how old I am. Just remember that."

"I never said you were not - I haven't even started archery yet," which she really needs to do, not having anything ranged beyond throwing knives that need replaced makes her feel almost naked. "When we are young, we might not have as much wisdom but we are the fastest to learn a new skill and in a situation such as this when it's all hands on deck? People in charge love that."

Or they should, she sees no reason why that part should be any different here. If they have to do this again she's definitely going to either plead with Korrin for help or butter her up with dinner first and then do some wheedling.

"And of course we are faster in general. And we recover quicker, another advantage given that pretty much everything I've ever heard about here apparently wants to murder you."

Kas actually brightens up a bit at that, fully agreeing with her. Yup, teens were the best! They just needed a chance to show it, right? Quicker, hardier, smart? All the best things.

Okay, so he's mostly placated by now. Still a little uncertain, perhaps, but not angry. He had promised Korrin to get along with her girlfriend, after all.

"So... um... where's the fox?"

Tentatively, she lets herself relax, wondering why it is that she can wander around the nobility trading veiled insults and barbed so easily whilst here she looks like a rank amateur at best.

"His tail got stepped on several times, people here are less careful about foxes scampering around so now he's in the huff, curled up in my bed with it tucked safely around him. I'm going to have to find as many leftovers as I can to soothe his poor bruised ego." If foxes all have egos she can't say but Lux?

Well someone might have to sleep on the floor and it's not going to be Mr Huffypants.

Kas is not sure how to react to that. he feels a bit bad for the fox, but... it was just a fox, right? Araceli talked about it like it was a good friend. The teen's experience with pets wasn't exactly the best - guard dogs tended to bite, and if it was an edible animal, you ate it.

Better than starving.

"Um... I guess that's good. I think there's some pulled pork somewhere. It's nice." He tries, not sure what to say.

Kas that is her son! Or as close as she ever wants to get because raising a baby fox was almost biting off more than she could chew when she did and babies are more demanding. And louder. And smellier.

Babies eventually talk back too.

"Everything here is so bland though, it's like they're afraid anything more than pepper is going to set most of the dishes on fire. You know they have fresh spices in the kitchens and plenty of ground stuff in jars? You wouldn't know it from half the things. I'm glad I lifted some of the fancy wine earlier now, it was wasted on the nobles."

You have a weird fuzzy family, Ara... but he could probably see the choice between baby and fox falling in the fox's favor. At least they were soft and didn't scream.

Much.

"I noticed that, too! I figured they were just out of spices..." He sighs a bit. "When I was a kid, there was this spicy chicken dish that we made in the kith that made your tongue all tingly." Look, you found something take makes the kid talk instead of snarl.

"It made the meat red, too. It looked like you were eating blood."

"If you think you could figure out bits and pieces, I could try to make it, Korrin mentioned she was missing real food when I cooked for her and you sound just the same." Honestly the next time she goes away on assignment she's taking some spices and at least cooking for everyone at whatever camp she ends up in. "We have more seafood than chicken, chickens are expensive to keep right on the sea but red pepper sauce with saffron and paprika with fresh bread."

Why is she doing this to herself, she's just going to make herself hungry enough that her stomach makes embarrassing noises.

"Speaking of which: if you can help me figure out Korrin's favourite food, I can absolutely make it worth your while."

"I could ask, next time I send them a letter..." Yes, Kas. Ask the Ben-Hassrath about tandoori chicken. "I don't like fish much, but shrimp is nice."

Seriously, growing teen boys can talk about food forever. His stomach is about to be rumbling just as bad as Ara's.

"Korrin's favorite? Yeah, I could find that out, I guess? Are you gonna... um... make it for her?" Domestic girlfriends. Weird.

“Please do, I’m in good with all the cooks except the head cook but I get a shot at doing things if I help out with what has to be done for the day. A shame we’re not somewhere we can get everything I would like to get but perhaps the Inquisition will head somewhere with big markets soon.”

If she can convince a mage with ice magic to keep things fresh for the journey back though…

“I think that would only be fair when I made her one of my favourites, don’t you?”

"You're good with the cooks?" Gasp! "Lucky. I think I overstayed my welcome with the kitchens." He was doing good for a while, but he's pretty sure they were super annoyed with him popping in all the time looking for scraps and snacks. Maybe he should try doing some dishes or something to help out and get back on their good side.

At her next words, he nods a bit. It sounded totally fair, to him. "What's your favorite?"

Look at them, bonding!

"All but one and she's a harridan, heaven forbid you drop a spoon, she acts as though you slapped her mother clean across the face, ridiculous!" Not that Araceli drops anything and if she's able to, she tries to catch what she can just to spare others the scolding whenever she's working there, always glad when the woman leaves to take care of something else so they can all relax.

At least with all the leftovers from this she can do a bit more cooking herself with minimal fuss. "Fish stew; chili, tomatoes, white wine, preferably with prawns and clams with some fish but fish was all we had here. You serve it in a bread bowl and when it's done you break the roll apart to enjoy the sauce that soaked in. When she was going somewhere so cold, the least I could do was give her a good last meal."

Korrin will be so proud when she tells her they've found a topic to agree on.

"Oooh, the one with the hair bun that looks like she fastened it with tacks? She always gives me the weirdest looks!" He's not sure if she's constantly annoyed with him, worried that he'll shank her in her sleep or just waiting to catch him doing something he shouldn't. "She yelled at the scullery maid the other day and made her cry." All for a dropped plate.

Ara's description of her favorite food makes Kas' stomach growl loudly, and he flushes a bit. "Aside form the fish part, that sound great. Bread bowl soups are amazing! There's one with potato and onions and bacon..."

Okay he needs to find some food now, this was getting silly.

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OPEN: this will be a better year

courtyard;

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