LET NO SOUL HUNGER FOR JUSTICE: SONG FOR THE SOUL

[fleurdesel]

WHO: Anders, Bethany, Nathaniel, Leliana, Kallian, Sina, Beleth
WHAT: The First Ritual
WHEN: 1st of Bloomingtide (May 1st)
WHERE: half an hour outside Skyhold
NOTES: plotting thread.

The clearing is not all that far from Skyhold- only half an hour's ride. They don't anticipate anything going wrong in this particular ritual but familiarity with the location and a fear that something might go wrong in the future is more than enough to give it a solid once over before they begin. On it's own the ritual is absurd- but there'd been notes enough to make it seem, if not entirely credible, worth a shot. After all it will work or it will not.

Won't it?

Comments

[eolasemah]

[Sina has gone a ghostly pale. She hasn't spoken herself yet, but she is holding the enormous dictionary and looking like she's just had a horrifying revelation.]

...ancient Tevene, [she chirps, in a high alto that would be pleasant if she weren't mortified,] ...FESS-eet. Do-SEH-beet. [Her large eyes dart furtively back and forth, not meeting anyone's gaze.]

I can fiiix it~

[She can't fix it.]

[fleurdesel]

Nos. Us- We should have-

[ She draws up short, clearing her throat- there's no tickle, no tingle, no glimmering geas or compulsion that she can feel. And yet she sings! They all sing. ]

Vos- you. Not us.

At least this is better than de~mons.

[fleurdesel]

[ All there is to do now is, well. The song. She gestures for the bards to go ahead when they were ready, looking over the song with Sina off to one side. Safely out of range.

Relatively. ]

[fightingale]

( Leliana is just. Not. Going to open her mouth.

But she is looking at Beleth, and then Adelaide, but only after a truly spectacular eyeroll.

She would probably prefer demons, actually, and she rests her hands behind her back, and steps closer to Beleth, setting a hand on her student's shoulder, brow arched in a silent question: are you all right? )

[fightingale]

( Hi Bardling

nbd just Leliana materialising out of the shadows, as she does. Doesn't matter if there are no shadows, she still does it. )

Beleth. How are you feeling?

[fleurdesel]

If we get into a discussion about Justice and his disregard for the body you share we'll get nothing else done today.

[ She drops her hand away, peering in his eyes, through them. All seems relatively well. ]

We will keep trying until we find something that works. If none of these come to anything I will look again.

[fleurdesel]

Double check these runes? [ She hands Bethany a sketch of the circle she's working into the ground for their protection. Honestly she's certain that she has them- but the more eyes she has on what she's doing? The less chance for failure. ]

[fightingale]

( The Nightingale so rarely sings with an audience, now. She rarely sings at all - it had taken longer than it should have to restring her lute, to tune it and make sure that lack of attention and the cold weather of Skyhold had not warped it beyond all recognition.

Something in her changes when she sings. This is for a purpose, for the ritual, but even so-- song is a wonderful thing. And so she sings, she plays her lutes. and she weaves a harmony with the others here for this purpose. A song must be felt, through and through, or it will not move, and it certainly will not work for a ritual. )

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Gladly. [Bethany took up the sketch, and then went around to each rune, to make sure they corresponded. It wasn't that she did not trust Adelaide with what she was doing -- but this was Anders. She wasn't taking any chances with his life -- or with theirs.]

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Boll-oooooocks.

[Bethany sang out, before she rubbed her forehead and then looked over at Anders, giving him a sheepish, and sympathetic look of Just a minor setback, we'll figure this out.]

[justice_is_blond]

Probably don't ignite the area.

[It's not easy to make jokes right now, and it shows in the tension in his eyes, shoulders, and voice, but he's trying.]

Or release, I don't know. A swarm of tiny gnats.

[sunshinethroughgrey]

I have perfect control over my fire magic, thank you.

[Is Bethany's wry statement, as she looks over at Anders.]

And I've never been able to do gnats.

[justice_is_blond]

[Her too. It worries him sometimes, how much Justice is disliked. The spirit saved his life, Nate's, was a part of saving the world, and yes. He's argumentative and causing problems, but Justice is Justice, not human.]

Thank you. I hope that more looking is not required, however. The latter ones are... intimidating.

[Dangerous.]

[justice_is_blond]

Well.

[This is ridiculous.]

We're not dead, and I've not swollen up and become fiery or with fifty writhing appendages, so it could be worse.

[Best. Song. Ever. Just call it the optimism song.]

[justice_is_blond]

I know nearly no Tevene.

['Somniari,' 'Venhedis,' and a few other scattered words don't count.]

I'd not mind changing this, if you wanted someone to learn and practice with. I've already got two languages under my belt. A third might not be too difficult.

[eolasemah]

[The offer is a pleasant surprise, and Sina stops leafing through to look up at him with a smile.]

That would be nice! ...what are the other two?

[eolasemah]

I can fiiiiiiix this~!

[It sounds like a refrain, but is pitched upward from the first time as Sina grows more flustered.]

I'm sorryyy, I'm sorryyy, I can fiiiiiix iiiiiiit!

[She snatches up the parchment on which the incantation is written, and flails it at Adelaide.]

Is there a couuunterspell~?

[justice_is_blond]

Well. We're set then.

[He wants this to work, but he's terrified to hope. Hope never works.]

A little magic, a little singing, and then nothing will go according to plan. As usual. We may as well say we've Marian along in spirit.

[justice_is_blond]

[He's never heard her sing before, and the look on his face is far less sheepish and more intrigued. There's not just song involved. For the first time, he can feel a power in it, and it's not merely magic. Even Justice is caught up in it, in the images carrying through, in the intention, and it begins to surround them.

For the first time today, Anders feels a small bit of hope. But thinking starts becoming difficult as the words continue.]

[justice_is_blond]

I'm fairly confident I can speak common well.

[He flashes her a small smile.]

The other is a little rusty, but oddly enough, the Anders speaks Anders.

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Precisely so.

[She gives him a slight smirk, which only deepens at his comment.]

Oh, come on now. We can't call this a Marian adventure until we've been ambushed by thugs.

[kallian_endris]

[Kallian's sweet voice rises with the music, blending with the others in lovely harmony. Hope is with her, evidenced by the faint blue halo around the elf. Whatever power she can offer, she pours into the song.]

[kallian_endris]

Maybe if we work together?

[Yes, Kalli's singing too, soft and sweet.]

[kallian_endris]

She is! She's a good friend. You really think the Wardens would like to hear us?

[arlathvhen]

[ Beleth turns to Leliana, and tries for a less horrified face than the first time, because she still has to look cool in front of her teacher. She checks herself over, and she seems to be physically just fine. Just the whole. Singing thing. So she nods to Leliana, then glances at the others. She hesitates to open her mouth, but decides that communication is worth the price. ]

Anders is right, this could have been worse--though I must admit, this is a strange curse. However I fear if we try our luck twice, the second effect could be not as nice.