faderift | Sieze the day

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Sieze the day

WHO: Sadira and YOU
WHAT: Various places around Skyhold at different times of day.
WHEN: Beginning to mid Solace before the shenanigans in Orlais takes off.
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: N/A

I.The Training Grounds- Early morning

Sadira was in the training yard, early enough that the sun was just beginning to caress down the mountainsides with light while she was busy flailing a training sword around. She'd gotten up early in order to have some small section of the training yard to herself, though there were others who had arrived earlier than her, and somewhere were just now arriving. It seemed the training yard got little rest, which seemed, to sum up, her appearance. She had the look of someone long used to functioning on too little sleep.

Despite her apparently poor sword skills-- she was overreaching as well as leaving herself completely open on the left side-- she at least had good footwork and showed little signs of tiring quickly. Clothed as she was in a simple linen tunic, brown knit pants, and worn leather boots, it was near impossible to guess that she was a mage unless someone had spoken to her previously about it. She was working with a will building up a good sweat while trying her best to perfect her abilities though it was apparent that she was in dire need of some instruction.

II.The Library- Mid-day

Tables were naturally at a premium with all the pet projects going on and research, interests and what not being done that Sadira had opted instead for a quiet spot surrounded by a stack of books that she was carefully trawling through. A casual glance through the stacks might have drawn more than a few puzzled looks as her interests seemed to vary widely from historical texts by Brother Genitivi to various copies of Hard in Hightown along with books on varying cultures, chevalier fighting techniques, constellations and southern plants. She also had a few scattered papers scribbled with and notes, annotations and page numbers that occasionally rustled when the odd draft caught them. Although she tried to keep her mess contained to her little haphazard area, it wasn't going to take much for some of it to spill over into someone's way.

She'd traded her training clothes for softer mage robes, though her staff remained hidden away. A lingering scent of soap clung faintly to her skin, signs that she'd visited the hot springs shortly before making her way here. The mess of black curls that she usually wore draped over one shoulder was instead pulled back into a loose ponytail that fell her back so the till damp ends might not accidentally drip down onto her work. Currently, she was scribbling a note using a charcoal pencil rather than a quill with one tome resting on her knee, and another one spread out beside her with her finger resting on the line she was currently copying down.

III. Battlements- Evening

Sadira has once again found an out of the way spot, this time on the battlements. As the sun dips further and further westwards, she is looking up with a book carefully cradled in her lap, and a sheaf of notes weighed down by a rock next to her. It appears that she is setting herself up to stargaze, or at least looking for the first stars that appear before it gets too dark to read or check her notes. Draped around her shoulders is a threadbare but still somewhat serviceable blanket. It seems she is settling in to be here for awhile. She even had an earthenware pot next to her that suspiciously looked as if it contained something to chase away the chills of the oncoming night.

IV. Wildcard!

She can also be found roaming around in varying places if that would work better. Feel free to PM me or

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"You'll get more 'magey' stuff than you'll know what to do with, in that case. All the headbutting aside, I feel similarly. I was mentored and whatnot, but I never worked with other mages on a scale like this before. It's pretty eye-opening." At least it is when things aren't happening that make her blood boil, like that one abomination or Anders.

Sadira smirked as she shifted her weight once more from one foot to the other, "That indeed sounds like the mage councils I knew before they were disbanded." She slowly shook her head sighing heavily as her arms slipped around herself in a hug, "A lot of people outside of the circles all thought we rebelled as one, when that couldn't be further from the truth. Many--" she hesitated to say loyal, "mages who opposed the rebellion were put to the sword along the fanatics who forced the issue."

Try as she might, she couldn't remain fully neutral. Her circle had been a sedate one, pushing for neutrality and moderation and it had still gone up in flames.

Korrin nods slowly, having heard as much by this point. "I'd been guilty of that thinking before, though to be fair I didn't really know much about Circles and didn't dare enter or go near one. It's different now, meeting such mages and getting to know them, what they've been through. I'll be honest; I still don't know if I'll ever come around to understanding why any mages would want things to continue as they were. That's not to say that all of it has to be thrown out, but the system hurt a lot of people, didn't it? That can't be ignored, either."

Despite everything, Sadira stiffens slightly. She can't help it, given that is something she wants more or less to happen. A guilty expression slips across her face, "Perhaps not exactly as things were, but something similar wouldn't be so bad. A safe haven where magic can be embraced and practiced without fear of turning half the world against us. One where templars serve in their intended goal, not as jailors but as protectors of the faithful."

The stiffening and the guilt are noted, and though Korrin can't agree with what's said, it's something that at least they can converse about this in a civil fashion. That hasn't always been the case, either due to Korrin's own stubbornness or those of loyalists determined to see her only as an 'unholy apostate'. Her expression is wary at mention of Templars, unable to hold back her doubts about them.

"You have more faith in them than I. I've met many things around them, but never safe. The Qunari do worse, I won't deny it, but that's not a great standard to live by. Maybe there are good ones, those who haven't strayed from that intended goal but the system that existed before sure didn't help give them enough influence. Whatever comes next, I just hope it doesn't perpetuate the problems of before."

Having gotten that off her chest, she sighs. "You didn't come here to have me go off on a tangent like that. Maker knows you'll have enough of it in the vault. Honestly, I just things to settle down so I can go back to being a mercenary and using my magic to help people or at least stop idiots. I like my freedom; giving it up isn't in the cards for me."

Her cheeks flushed a bright pink as she silently admonished herself for not thinking about Korrin's past. She hadn't grown up in a Circle, and chances were slim that she knew of the Chantry and its teachings. She didn't know what it was like to have a place to belong, and to learn, safe away from everyone who hated or feared magic.

Then again, Sadira realized as she looked at the other woman in silence for, she didn't know what it was like to be free, to live as normal a life as an apostate could. "The Templars of my Circle here more reasonable than most." She admitted finally. Yes, they'd hunted down apostates and maleficar, but they hadn't punished and tortured people there for simply having magic.

"As for the circles... the don't work for everyone, and they do need to change, but it is better than the total chaos freedom would allow." Tevinter was a perfect example of mages running rampant. The tales told of that country were too widespread and too common not to be heeded. She also sighed, bowing her head. They'd both said their piece and perhaps Sadira had said more than she should. However, Korrin was right, things settling down was the best result by far.

Glancing up at her again, Sadira again shrugged as a small smile ghosted across her face, "I don't think you should give up your freedom. You sound like you've proven yourself. Any mage who has done that should have the right to choose their own path."

Despite her misgivings about Templars, Korrin isn't one to become annoyed when her perception and another's experience don't line up, at least when treated civilly. "I'm glad your Circle was different, for your sake. I've heard far too many stories of them turning on mages when--well, you must have heard them, too."

The White Spire is only the most infamous example of what can happen between mages and Templars, but Korrin's heard of other Circles and similar disasters. During the war, it was all too common. At least now that it's drawn to a tentative end, that flood has slowed to a trickle.

Sadira's last sentiment gets a genuine smile of gratitude from Korrin, relieved to see that some Circle-raised mages can be flexible. "Thank you. I'd like to think so, too. I'm not against education, just unnecessary restriction. Being an apostate doesn't mean I'm supporting blood magic or the like, either. Relying on that shit never leads to anything good, and I've had plenty of jobs where I've seen that truth."

A grimace appeared as she nodded, "I heard more than stories sadly enough. I was in the middle of a transfer to a new circle when the rebellion at White Spire began." She stopped there, however, having no need to go into the details that were commonplace about mages on the run.

The grimace didn't stay long as Sadira forced aside those memories. Instead, she focused on the here and now and the genuine enjoyment she was getting from speaking with someone from outside the circle. It was interesting and also refreshing to talk to someone who had differing views from her. That Korin didn't devolve into a frothing rage machine over the two of them coming from two different places gave Sadira hope that mages had a future no matter what happened.

"I am fully in agreement with you there. Blood magic only harms mages and rarely does it help anything. It's one of the many reasons the Chantry teaches people to fear magic." She shook her head with a sigh. The chantry was another hurdle that mages needed to jump. That was another problem for another day, however. "Perhaps circle mages can have the freedom to leave and go about their lives once they've proven themselves in the Harrowing. Those who don't wish to leave can remain at the circle."

Mention of Sadira's presence at the White Spire has Korrin wincing, especially now that she's spoken with Adelaide and learned just how bad it was over there. Any mage who endured that has her full sympathy, whatever their leanings. And any Templar from there deserves never to see the light of day again.

"I'm so sorry you were caught in the middle of that. I wasn't anywhere close when it happened, as you might have guessed, but...I have friends who were in the thick of it. No one should have had to go through that fucking mess." She takes a deep breath, wanting to keep her calm instead of hurl into another rant. That isn't her right, not this time. "Fearing all magic isn't something I'd support, though definitely a healthy respect for it, but blood magic is definitely an exception. That shit shreds the Veil, and we've enough problems with that lately. We don't need more."

Practicality has to take priority for Korrin on that matter, though the end result is same. Chantry teachings or a distaste for the results, it all comes down to preventing irresponsible magic in the end. "I've...heard about Harrowings. The Council has talked about modifying them, making them less set-up for failure. Mages need to be taught how to resist demons, sure, but doing it in a way that leads to more transparency and more support. None of this 'let's throw them into the Fade and hope the Templars don't kill them' nonsense. For now, all mages under the Council's authority are required to attend a course with the intended purpose of training against demonic possession. Even for those of us with experience, it helps to brush up on such things."

Sadira can't quite bring herself to look at anything in particular as she glanced away, silent for a moment while she brought her emotions to heel. You'd think after a year those memories got easier, but they didn't. "I was lucky." Was all she'd say on the matter, at least for now. She pushed past it to continue their conversation, a little hastily perhaps, though not with the intent of rudeness,

"Again I am in agreement with you. Fear can only carry everyone so far. Harrowings are an ordeal I will admit that. Having known no other way to do things, I'll speak for their effectiveness at least if nothing else. But they too breed fear. I'm not sure why we were not allowed to prepare for it."

A year might have passed, but some wounds run deep and Korrin understands that pretty well. So she just nods, not about to prod and make a sort subject worse. There's sympathy in her gaze, though, Adelaide's tale fresh in her mind. And she was an experienced mage at the time; what the younger mages, newly Harrowed and younger, went through she can't bear to imagine.

"Well, that's going to change, at least if what we're doing here takes root. It can be effective without the previous baggage attached to it, and your suggestions could help as much as anyone's. No Harrowings are being required now, and they're not likely to be, but for those who want some kind of test, there can be a more supportive option than what went before.

And if anyone here makes you feel unsafe, speak up, alright? We're not going to let history repeat itself, not here."

"I sincerely hope the Inquisition can make something that works. It might not make everyone completely happy, but I'd rather settle for a compromise across the divide than perpetual war. I only hope people will understand that. If they are doing something here that works, then I won't rock the boat. The important thing has mages who are not going to submit to demonic possession or magics of a weak will." She still favored the idea of Circles, with changes made to give more freedom from the Chantry and Templars. The Council Korrin talked about sounded like an excellent place to start. "I think I'd like to join this council. I never had an active voice within colleges, but this time, I intend not to sit idly by."

And now for the most embarrassing part: "Mostly it is myself making me feel unsafe. I have a hard time trusting people who are not mages-- templars especially," which hurt to admit since she came from Ostwick. "I would have avoided you on sight before now as well." She gestured to her size and with a touch of a blush the horns, "I need to shed myself of such thinking, though."

That Sadira intends to take action and not be a passive participant pleases Korrin greatly. They don't have to agree on everything for her to support such a move, and that she's willing to compromise means less headaches in the vault. (Maybe Korrin can learn from that. She's slowly learning that skill, but probably not fast enough for some.) Any embarrassment is meant with a wry smile. "Well, thanks for not judging on the horns this time, I get enough of that elsewhere. It takes time to unlearn old habits, especially those that were gained with good reason. The longer you're here, the more you'll see that for all the variety there is, people are usually just people. Some are still assholes, but they're thankfully a minority."

"I I had been any newer, or if you'd been the first that I met, I might have unfairly judged you so. I don't want to be that sort of person but putting aside such prejudices is still hard." She grinned then looking somewhat impish, "It helps you're a Knight-Enchanter, or at the least learning to be one. As it is, I thin I've detained you long enough for now. I'm sure you've other tasks that I've kept you from."

She didn't want to say goodbye to Korrin, but she rather their first encounter end on a high note before she ended up saying or doing something that might upset the other mage.

Korrin reluctantly nods, having enjoyed the conversation but she doesn't have all day to hang out, unfortunately. "Not unwillingly, but I ought to begin said Knight-Enchanter drills. Vivienne's an exacting mentor and I can't have her thinking I've become lazy in my training. Feel free to stick around and learn, though. And I'll see you in the vault, regardless."

It's doubtful that Sadira's smile could get any bigger as she struggled to contain her enthusiasm. "I would love to watch you train. It'd be a far cry from watching Templars train when no one thought I was looking."

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