[ OPEN ] Now I need to grease a palm

[fleurdesel]

WHO: Adelaide LeBlanc & You
WHAT: Letters & a Loot Crate
WHEN: Current
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Political Pandering

[ Courtyard ]

The letters she'd expected more or less. Those from her family she certainly expected. The note from Baron Jean Bonnot less so- but she might as well see if there was anything particularly terrible that was worth mocking in the latest note. When she was asked to sign for something Adelaide grew concerned, but did so. And found herself in the possession of an unwieldy crate stamped with her family crest- at least the courier was kind enough to leave her a crow bar before shuffling off for a hot meal and a quick rest. Stacks of letters in her hands she hasn't even gotten around to reading but this? Needs investigation. She can be found attempting to pry the lid off the crate and failing due to a lack of proper leverage. Assistance would be lovely.

Once open the contents of the Crate are as follows:

• A small case of horn balm
• Assorted carvings of Halla
• Assorted carvings of griffons
• An hourglass with heavy templar/chantry iconography
• A set of ornate pens
• A bagged pipe in Plaidwave
• An assortment of small bottles of Orlesian Wine
• Contracts for litters of Mabari from the Lowell family
• Assorted small fine cheeses
• A box of assorted chocolates
X2 - 1 remaining
• Assorted stationary & inks
• Assorted oils for leathers & Polish for armor
• A tome on Magical Theory
• A few small bags of coffee beans
• Maps for the Inquisition & Trade Agreements with the branches of the LeBlanc family
• Rifter Care Packages containing:
  
  
  • Tins of biscuits
  • Packets of bagged tea
  • A written pamphlet 'Welcome to Thedas- a primer' a basic rundown of races, countries, the chantry, some loose and very simplified notations on mages & templars; all biased heavily by Orlesian sentiment.
  • Salve for the aching hand
  • Woolen knit socks
• A smaller package wrapped separately for Adelaide alone.

Adelaide will spend the remainder of the afternoon distributing the tokens of support from the branches of her family to their intended recipients, Dalish, Vashoth, Qunari, Templar, Mage, Scholar, Rifter, etc. Afterward she will take the case for herself and get a much needed drink to read her letters.


[ Tavern. ]

Once everything is distributed to her satisfaction or at least to the best of her ability, Adelaide spends a well earned evening in the tavern, glass of wine at her elbow, looking over a series of letters from her family and from the Baron, catching up on news of the world beyond Skyhold, why she received a crate of what was effectively sanctioned bribery, and trying to decide if opening that last little case is worth the trouble.


[ ooc: Loot for the loot god- swing by and grab swag. ]

Comments

[motherfucking_ghost]

Church had heard tittering about some big box-o-goodies, but hadn't actually seen much of anything except an occasional person with a friend or two, showing off a trinket. So when Adelaide stops him, he's a little surprised. And also already has an idea what this is about. He raises an eyebrow at her.

"So all the handouts, those are from you?"

[fleurdesel]

"My family. I wrote of the Rifters and they felt you ought to be adequately prepared for life in Thedas." She offers him his bag with the cookies and tea and socks and everything tucked safely inside. "Take the pamphlet with a grain of salt, my mother is quite biased."

[motherfucking_ghost]

"I've been picking up plenty of information just blundering around here with my lack of understanding anything." He takes the bag and peeks inside. Tea? Huh. He's never had tea that isn't sweet and iced. ...Wait, he's never had that, either. Some kind of lotion? Balm? Thing? Oooo there's a tin--

"Haven't had someone's mom dote on me before. Well, you can tell her thanks from me, Addie."

[fleurdesel]

"Well consider this a brief primer." SHe shifts the considerably lighter bag of bags in her grip, gaze out for any other Tifters she might have missed.

And then the name.

Her reaction is more than it should be, harder, harsher than she's ever spoken to him she snaps. "Don't."

Only three people in all of Thedas might call her that. Church is none of them. "I have a full name. Make use of it."

[motherfucking_ghost]

Hands up, lean back. "Whoa." He's seen her frustrated but not...snappy. This is definitely snappy. (It is also, in plenty of ways, much more expected and familiar.) "Okay, message received. Adelaide. Sure. Fine. No nicknames. Got it."

[fleurdesel]

"Not that one. That is not for you or anyone else." Her father's- Robert's. I isn't something she would gladly hear from anyone that simply thought them familiar.

[motherfucking_ghost]

"I said I got it, you don't have to harp on it. Not coming out of my mouth again."

[fleurdesel]

"Good." That- she sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "You had no way of knowing."

[motherfucking_ghost]

"No," he grouses, not quite keeping a scowl off his face when he finally lowers his hands, "I didn't. Whatever, you don't like it, or someone special called you that, names have meaning, it's not for me, all right. Adelaide. 'Laide? Lady? Adele? Adelaide.

[fleurdesel]

"Adele, laide, Lady LeBlanc, Councilor LeBlanc, etc." A beat. "Adele is...new."

She hasn't been called that before.

[motherfucking_ghost]

"...And is that, like...okay? Or do I need to stick with Adelaide? Cuz I will if you want." Unless she pisses him off, then any normally off-limits name is, generally, on-limits again. He can be petty. "Sorry, I don't really know if etiquette is like all sort of different or whatever here. Too familiar? Do we need to go on a date first, I mean...don't really know the boundaries here."

[fleurdesel]

"I- what? No. You may call me Adele. Addie, Addy, Adde- things my father used to call me before my magic manifested. Things something someone dear called me before I lost them." She waves a hand, now that she isn't shocked by them it's easier to move past it. "So long as it is not those and it is not disrespectful or vulgar? Call me what you like."

[motherfucking_ghost]

It's not a funny situation. He swears he gets that it isn't. But. She's literally just given permission to call her anything else that isn't shitty. "You got it, Snow Queen."

[fleurdesel]

"...I've heard worse." She snorts what might have been a laugh and shakes her head. "I was being called that when I was a teenager. I'm certain you can do better."

[motherfucking_ghost]

"Frozone. Captain Cold. Miss Freeze. Storm. Storm warning? Ice Storm Warning. Ice Road Trucker. Set Fire To The Rain--okay, no, maybe don't start doing Adele songs. Uh. Lady A. Lady Antebellum? Lady Laide--Lady Lady--Lady and the Tramp--Lady Marmalade. All The Single Ladies. Adele--Adore. Advil. Adapt. Adorn. Tropical Storm Adelaide. All's Well That Ends Adele? Frosty the Snow Mage. Look, I can keep rattling them off if you want, I've got all day..."

[fleurdesel]

She should have expected this- but it comes in a flurry, one after the other, some baffling and some foreign and most just on this side of amusing. It's 'Frosty the Snow Mage' that has her pinching her lips together to muffle a snort of laughter. "As do I. Go on."

[motherfucking_ghost]

"Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Katara, Cold Shoulder, Cold Front, Doctor Strange. You got the touch, you got the power. Hello from the icy side. Doctor Dolittle. Frostbite. Casper the friendly spirit. Blue Lantern, White Mage, the Abominable Snow-mage, Snow Miser." Don't make him think too hard now.

[fleurdesel]

"..." She holds her composure as long as possible but by the time he hits 'Abominable Snow-Mage', she's lost it, crackling with laughter. "That is ridiculous- how are you- where are you getting these?"

[motherfucking_ghost]

Bingo! Good, he was starting to run out of steam. "I'm just full of it. And by it I mean ideas." He winks, he actually fucking winks, something he's never physically technically been capable of before. And in that moment, he realizes he's spent way too much time around Tucker. "Plus, we have a lot of stories to pull from where I'm from. A lot of stories." Best not try to explain the idea of tv just yet. "Helps that you give me the ice queen trope to work off of. Even if that's totally not what you are."

[fleurdesel]

"No, you are full of hot air as much as ideas." He winks. He winks and she actually rolls her eyes as though she were not a woman of thirty- but then he was not acting much like a man of the same either. "I shudder to think what it is you see in me if not an 'ice queen'."

[motherfucking_ghost]

"Uh, well, you were just giggling at all of my hot air names, and you snowboard like a pro, so obviously I also see a skilled and pretty woman who needs to smile more." Because chicks obviously dig dudes telling them to smile. "Also a doctor. Granted, a doc that doesn't take anyone's shit, but still. Compassionate that way. Doesn't seem all icy to me."

[fleurdesel]

"I smile when it pleases me to do so, Church, and when there is something that warrants smiling." Which is- rare as of late, but not so rare as it might have been. Mostly in part by having somewhere relatively safe to sleep- something to do that feels productive. "I do not know why any doctor should have to take anyone's shit. We are here to heal broken bones, not hurt feelings."

[motherfucking_ghost]

"Sooooo me and my antics are worth smiling about. Is what you're saying." Awww yeah. Totally what she's saying. "You know, with all the war and shit going on, we could probably use a therapist around to take care of the hurt feelings that are around. I dunno if you guys have psychologists yet. Is that a thing here?"

[fleurdesel]

"Perhaps a little." Perhaps a great deal. She is not about to say. "...A...what?"

Therapist. This is something she has not heard of. "what is a Psychologist?"

[motherfucking_ghost]

"It's someone that studies and helps people understand, like, emotions and stuff. Mental development. Get people to work through issues that might be hindering them in the head. Stuff like that. Kinda figured you wouldn't have that here."