[open] angry dooting

[arlathvhen]

WHO: Beleth and YOU
WHAT: Beleth trying to help out around Skyhold and not trying to help out around the Warden Camp
WHEN: Late Justinian, around the time Leliana is sick.
WHERE: The rookery in Skyhold and the Warden Camp
NOTES: Verbal abuse aimed at ravens, cat bribery, and bacon theft.

1) The Rookery

With Leliana out of commission, there's a lot of information, notes, and reports that are piling up. Nothing important, of course, Beleth hasn't seen anything above her paygrade. She supposes that all of the serious information gets funneled somewhere else--Maria, or the other advisors, or maybe a chain of messenger nugs. In any event, she has a pile of fairly mundane information that Leliana will still need to sort through at some point, and unable to aid her mentor in other capacities, Beleth has taken it upon herself to try to organize the information for her. Everything is numbered and sorted into folders, and most of her time is spent writing a series of summaries with the sources noted, so if Leliana wants to read the original report, she knows where to look.

It's tedious, but fascinating, in a way. It feels good to help out Leliana in any way she can, keeping her from getting mobbed by the day to day information that would pile up otherwise. And it's good practice, if Beleth ever wants to be a real bard some day. And it certainly doesn't hurt to get a chance to be one of the first people to learn interesting pieces of gossip.

She can be found at Leliana's desk, with a pile of meticulously piled paperwork, scribbling away at a piece of parchment. She can also be found having an argument with a raven, trying to wrestle a cannister from him while the bird squawks and flaps and carries on like Beleth is personally attempting to murder him. And later on, after a failed attempt at bribing the raven in question, she can be found sitting again at Leliana's desk, this time with other ravens covering the desk and her, with a particularly fat one laying on her head. She's apparently given up on writing for now, muttering to one of the ravens in question.

"You can call me...Agent Belladonna. Hmm. Bard Belladonna. Hello, my name is.........Belladonna."

2) Camp Shady Fuckers

Having accumulated more raven feathers than anyone would ever need, ever, it is quite simply a crime to just let them lay around and gather dust. Luckily, there are ways to creatively use them for good causes. It is with this good cause in mind that elf slips over to one of the cooking fires in the camp, one that has bacon cooking over it, completely unattended. The bacon is liberated into a pouch, with one piece stuffed into her mouth. Then from another pouch, a bunch of raven feathers are taken out, and thrown around on the ground.

It's the perfect crime, probably. Until Beleth hears a meow.

She turns around to discover a familiar-looking cat, staring at her, in what is undoubtedly accusation. She looks left, right, then bends down, pulling a piece of the bacon from her pouch, and holding it out for the cat.

"You didn't see anything."

Comments

[gatheringstorm]

It's not an easy subject to discuss, but Korrin won't have Beleth thinking that she can't talk about it with her, at least. Whether she brings it up to anyone else is her own business. She nods, relaxing a touch at hearing the good news about her brother. And she shakes her head, expression sympathetic.

"Would it help to know that even experienced mages get duped? That's what those kind of demons specialize in doing, fucking with people. It hurts even when you know it's a sham, but at least we can put that to good use for next time. I'd bet you won't be as quickly drawn in should we face one of those things again."

[arlathvhen]

It's still a little odd, knowing that she did something wrong, that she failed in some way, and not getting criticized for it. Getting sympathy, and being told it was okay. It feels like she's being let off too easy, but Beleth trusts Korrin, and the mage would know better than her about these things. So she just nods.

"Yes. I won't...let that happen again. Not that I can foresee myself ever being in that situation again. Being in the Fade was very..." On one hand, it had been strangely energizing, colorful and vivid. But it was also...kind of creepy. And also demons. "...Well. I guess we should just be glad that none of us reached the black city."

She stops for a moment, then turns to look at Korrin. "What about you? How are you doing?"

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin lets out a sigh, leaning back against the wall. "I still have dreams about it, about finding that desire demon and killing the crap out of it for impersonating Araceli. Maybe I shouldn't have told her about that part, now my kadan wants to destroy every desire demon out there. And I honestly can't blame her even as I worry for her safety."

Not that there are desire demons pouring out of the rifts, as far as she knows, so Araceli is probably okay on that front. But still, they're out there, and Korrin doesn't doubt that they'll run into one again at some point.

[arlathvhen]

"As far as life goals go, killing desire demons isn't the worst that someone could come up with." Beleth points out, but reaches out to pat Korrin's arm anyway. "I'm sorry, though. It's not fun, having someone you love used against you like that. But Araceli is a strong woman." She's a better bard than Beleth, a better climber. She's never seen her fight, but she's sure that the rifter could handle herself. "I know you'll still worry, because you love her. But...it'll be okay." And with that, she gives Korrin an encouraging smile. "And she'll have you."

[gatheringstorm]

That reassurance brings out a small but genuine smile from Korrin, who draps her arms around Beleth's thinner shoulders to give her a (gentle, promise) squeeze. "Damn right, she will. You're right, though. She's strong, one of the strongest people I know, even considering my family and Shokrakar and their Qun-fleeing asses. They left everything they knew behind...but they landed on their feet. So did she."

At least they chose that, Araceli didn't even have that luxury. Which makes her adapting so well even more powerful, in Korrin's mind.