Truth or Dare: The Imperial Court

[madame_de_fer]

WHO: Select Orlesian and Fereldan Nobility and the Inquisition
WHAT: Josephine and Vivienne have orchestrated a good-will soiree in response to this dastardly rumor.
WHEN: Drakonis 15, Evening
WHERE: Skyhold Great Hall
NOTES:
- A list of nobles in attendance can be found here. The list was provided by the mods but there will be no npc support for them. Play away.
- A secondary outside party is being held in the valley in the tent town for anyone who couldn't/wouldn't attend and/or behave in the fancy pansty party.
- The goal of the evening is to clear up a spurious rumor about Cassandra and Leliana, with secondary goals of establishing the Inquisition as a respectable presence in Thedas (and fish for more money). Any major disruptions that would Game Over the court approval should probably be brought to the advisors and/or mods.



To say that Josphine has far outdone herself with this little soiree would be the understatement of the year. The Lady Ambassador has pulled out all the stops in providing a festive and yet elegant stage for this political intervention. Because sometimes gossip can be more deadly than a sword.

The Great Hall of Skyhold has been converted into a grand receiving hall, glittering with hundreds of lights around the room, in addition to the repairs accomplished to the original chandeliers. Of course, there has been artful placement arranged so there are a few shadowy corners for rendezvous of the more suggestive nature. Just in case. The majority of the floor has been cleared for dancing, and a fine troupe of musicians have been installed for the bulk of the evening's entertainments. Some members of the Inquisition have plans to entice attendees with their own artistic performances in addition to the group of mages performing illusory tricks to oohs and aahs.

For those who feel their energy flagging, there are chairs set against the walls, with a few tables interspersed between. Servers hired for the evening circulate the crowds with wine, fine Orlesian and Nevarran reds as well as crisp whites from Antiva. Refreshments are set out on buffet tables, tasteful and extravagant nibbles, including imported cheeses, spicy saucisson, dried fruits and nuts, and the highly sought after deep mushroom and anise petits fours that are all the rage in Orlais.

Comments

[onlyhymns]

At some point, Alistair might meet eyes with Cade, who may or may not be watching him longingly from his less populated corner of the hall. Of course Cade looks away immediately, rubs the back of his neck or fidgets in some other way; he isn't sure where they stand as friends, but he can't help but admire Alistair's ability to take any situation and make it his own.

It's an oddly, distantly familiar feeling, standing off in the sidelines while Alistair works his magic-- or at least what Cade interprets as magic. Except back then, his friend presumably didn't see him as a violent maniac. How times have changed.

[byblow]

That's so sad.

It's sad enough that Alistair—who is angry with him, in a pitying and bewildered way—takes additional pity and weaves his way through the crowd to Cade's side. The world is cruel enough for making Alistair be here. Making Cade be here is a step too far.

"Should have saved your violent outburst for this," Alistair says. So that would be a no on any instant forgiving or forgetting. "I think it would be an improvement."

[onlyhymns]

Although Cade does, on some level, want to talk to Alistair, he is also never fully prepared for the newest addition to tonight's endless parade of comments, jabs, and icy looks. Having taken a deep breath on the warden's approach, he seems to deflate the instant the man speaks, and just shakes his head despondently in reply. He doesn't want to have saved it for anything.
Instead, after several moments of agitated silence, and in the presence of the only person in his entire life he has ever called a friend, he reaches something of a breaking point. "I could have killed her," he says, quietly but brokenly. "I don't want to. I..." Looking abashedly downwards, he leans back against the wall, restlessly drumming his fingertips on the stones behind him. "I hate what happened. I hate that... this is..." he looks quickly around, but not at Alistair, "...how things are."

[byblow]

Alistair pivots to put his back to the wall next to Cade, looking out at the crowd rather than at him. "Have you tried, I don't know, not attacking unarmed elves?" he asks. His tone is still light, like he's only teasing—and he is teasing. Just not only. He doesn't actually wait to make Cade squirm his way through an answer before looking at him sideways, expression shifting away from irritated and toward concerned, though it's still a balance of both. "It isn't the lyrium, is it? You're young for that."

[onlyhymns]

Even when people are only joking, Cade has trouble seeing it that way. When there's less of an 'only', he sees straight to the point behind it, and in this case, it takes the rest of the wind out of his sails. He has no excuses to make, but luckily Alistair chimes in before he can.
Cade looks at him warily, his expression withdrawn and his mood verging on hopeless. He's certain this will be the death knell for any rapport they have, or once had.
"..no, I don't think so," he says quietly, giving a small shake of his head and looking at the floor. No, he's just insane. That's definitely better.

[byblow]

"Are you possessed?"

That's a joke, too. Cade's no mage.

"Because you can tell me, you know, if you are. I'll protect you."

And a third. Ha ha, isn't it hilarious how the Wardens are shielding an abomination.

He'll run out of good(ish) humor eventually.

[onlyhymns]

"No," Cade says again, a hint of exasperation creeping in. It takes him a moment to catch the meaning of Alistair's second joke, and when he does, he slowly turns his head to look at him, expression dark. "So you would," he remarks, his voice low and tense. Now there's a subject he has opinions on.

[byblow]

"So I would," Alistair echoes, with a faint smile and quick eyebrow quirk that ostensibly invite some sort of challenge—but wearily, beneath and aside the good humor. He knows Cade was in Kirkwall. He knows. "You'd have to become a Warden and all of that, of course, and promise not to hit anymore elves."

[onlyhymns]

"But I suppose I wouldn't have to promise not to murder a Revered Mother and everyone else inside the Chantry of a large city," he mutters, bristling. But just as quickly, he looks out at the party and realizes this is neither the place, nor the time, to have another outburst, whether it's violent or just emotional. He has to keep himself on a short chain, for the sake of everyone including himself, and he can't allow himself to feel provoked.
Just like that, he seems to deflate again, leaning back against the wall with a sigh.
"Did you come over here just to mock me," he asks gloomily, feeling he already knows the answer.

ok there sorry i'm on my phone and my finger slipped

[byblow]

Alistair's weary smile doesn't budge, through Cade's muttering, like he doesn't feel it. Like he's cracking jokes and tossing Hawke a ring on his way out of Kirkwall while the city burns around her. Special, separate. Not sorry. Cade contains his own feelings, anyway, without any help from Alistair, and he settles back against he wall to survey the room's other occupants some more while he says, "Yes."

He isn't serious. Not very serious. He nudges Cade's elbow with his elbow.

"Why, did you want to really talk about it?"

don't worry I like that I had three notifications all from you. 3x the mj

[onlyhymns]

Alistair's initial answer sends Cade into a scowl, but it diminishes at the nudge. He looks down at their elbows, then barely, almost gives the ghost of a smile as he looks down at the floor- though that too diminishes, and he shakes his head again.

"I don't even want to think about it," he admits, "I...'m not even certain I want to continue existing in a world where I've done it." He glances around the room, taking stock of every person here whose explicit purpose is to watch him. And of those who ordered it so. It's maddeningly humiliating, even if he is forced to admit its necessity.

"...how is she?" he asks in a low voice, shifting his gaze to Alistair's face. His look is imploring; he realizes that he's opening himself up for more mockery or another scolding by asking, but he hopes that at least this one person will just answer the question.

[byblow]

"Oh, she's fiiine," Alistair says, on reflex, because just answering the question—he'll get to it, but he can't change who he is, and who he is is a person who is absolutely going to take this opening for more mockery. "Humans attacking elves in Orlais isn't really an event. You were the fifth one to try to kill her that week. I'm sure it all bleeds together after a time."

There. That instinct sated, what Cade said before can actually sink in, and he can catch himself and frown a little, voice sinking back into deeper, subdued tones.

"She's afraid and she's angry. But she'll be all right, I think," he says, and is quick to add, "because she's tough. Not because you're not that big an asshole."

An asshole he's still standing next to, though.

[onlyhymns]

Cade can take a lot of abuse-- in fact, his personality has practically developed around it-- but even he has a breaking point. Continuing to stand next to Alistair would be equivalent to touching a hot coal over and over again, never learning from the first time it hurt. The coal can't be reasoned with, and it's his fault for getting near it anyway.
It's around this moment that he decides whatever connection they once had has been well and thoroughly severed, and any friendly overtures Alistair makes are just there to keep him around a little longer. He can't do it anymore, not tonight.
The word 'asshole' has barely left Alistair's mouth when Cade takes a deep breath, straightens up off the wall, and walks away as if he was never speaking to anyone at all.

[byblow]

Bye felelfbeater.