[Open] Remembering one of the good guys

[justice_is_blond]

WHO: Anyone who knew/cared about Herc!
WHAT: A wake for Herc
WHEN: Around now, the 10th of Egg
WHERE: Tavern!
NOTES: Drinking, grief, etc.

There aren't any formalities here. The Calling has taken another Grey Warden, but for once he was known to more than Wardens and mourned by more than them too. The music is lively to start with, mostly because Herc probably would have grumped if it had all been sad and there's a tab at the bar open to anyone worthy. Granted, one has to manage to be polite to all the Grey Wardens for the duration of the wake to be deemed worthy, but that's not too hard, is it?

Hit up the bar, share a story, complain about how he owed you money, and remember someone who deserves it.

Comments

merrill | ota

[chainlightning]

She had been injured, the last time she saw Herc. Injured but still full of hope, curled up in a familial embrace with him and with Max. Now it's just her and the silver locket he gave her, a griffon on the front and a compass on the inside. Merrill holds it tight, tight enough that the griffon figure is embedded on her palm when she pulls it away long enough to grab a drink with both hands or to hug someone.

While she tries to keep herself upbeat, cheerful -- the way she thinks Herc would have wanted -- it's hard. More than once in the night, Merrill might be found crying, either sniffling in a corner or silently at the bar with tears streaming down her face. Everyone leaves her. Everyone dies. Even her found clan, her found family, is broken apart. Was there anything she could have done? Did he truly know how much he meant to her? Why didn't he tell her? She doesn't have any answers, and she's fairly certain no one else has them, either.

[circleprodigy]

Merrill's sorrow doesn't go unnoticed and though Inessa feels a little out of place, not having known the Warden who went to his Calling, she lingers as an act of solidarity. As long as the wake continues, she is there though her consumption of any beverage is light and very slow-paced. As that sniffling begins anew, her mabari heads over and nuzzles the Dalish woman, with a sympathetic grumble.

Looking over with a sad smile, the pale elf in Grey Warden armor gestures to her companion. "If Garahel's intrusive, please let me know. He just can't see someone hurting and not try to provide comfort."

[chainlightning]

The sudden nuzzling of a mabari almost makes Merrill jump, and for a moment she's expecting Max, or Jayne, or some other known mabari. This one is new, but clearly friendly, and it's just about all she can do not to melt down to the floor to wrap her arms around him. Instead, she turns her hand over so Garahel can sniff and then goes to pet him.

"Oh, no. It's- very much appreciated, actually." There's a little flicker of a weak smile. "He must be a very good dog. Aren't you, boy?"

[serannas]

Ellana had been fortunate enough to fight beside Hercules in battle several times. Beyond that, she really only saw him around the Warden camp, and unfortunately didn't get to know him well. But the man who protected her with his shield has her respect, and she raises a cup in his honor tonight. Yet it's clear to her that he meant a great deal more to Merrill, and so she finds her friend alone in a corner and offers her a hug.

"Oh, Merrill," she says quietly.

[chainlightning]

A hug, a friendly face, and Merrill can't help her reaction. Her hug back turns into a cling, her sniffling on the edge of sobs against Ellana's shoulder. She can't articulate just now what Hercules had meant to her, the significance of the griffon locket around her neck. For a moment, she just needs to cry, to know that she has a friendly shoulder to do it on.

Re: merrill | ota

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Bethany comes up beside Merrill, and puts one hand on her shoulder. Nothing too intrusive, just that hand to let her know that she was still here. She wasn't going anywhere, and wasn't planning on it. Then she slipped her hand down Merrill's arm, to look at her palm.

Her gaze shifted from the imprint, to Merrill's hand. "There's nothing you could have done, Merrill. You know that, right? And you know he knew you loved him."

[chainlightning]

She tries not to begrudge any of the Wardens their secrets, she really does. But 'nothing you could have done' makes her shake her head, anger bubbling up for a moment. "I don't know that. I don't know because he didn't tell me, because there are so many secrets that no one knows what they can do for the Wardens they love unless they might be one, and even then-"

The anger vanishes as quickly as it came on, and she turns her hand to grip at Bethany's, almost desperate. "You're not still hearing it too, are you?"

[sistertohermen]

The Wardens are expected, of course, and Rachette expects even the ones who don't look it are probably wardens, but...some just aren't. Like her, some are just people whose lives he'd impacted even in some small way.

Somehow that makes her feel even more out of place. This small (even for an elf) woman, for instance, looks like she's having an even worse time than her. (Not that hard. Chette is not one for blatant public emotions if she can help it. And sometimes she can't.) And, right, sure, as a place for people to remember the dead, of course there's going to be tears. Even being here and listening to the stories and the emotions make it hard to keep the anger and sadness at bay.

She climbs up on the barstool next to the elf at one point and only looks at the teary face for a moment before focusing on her own drink. Just...water, just water because if she really starts drinking where a hearty supply is, she doesn't really want to know how much like her mother she'll be by the end of the night.

"Hey." It's quiet, for the two of them. She doesn't know the elf, but...they share at least one thing in common. "He'd probably think this whole thing's unnecessary, huh. Maybe we should go find some darkspawn to stab instead."

[chainlightning]

It's been a rough night. There are familiar faces and strange ones, but every gesture of kindness is appreciated. That includes this attempt at distraction, at talking about how Hercules would have acted if he knew about- well. His own wake.

There's a snort mixed in with a sniff, an embarrassingly wet sound that makes Merrill awkwardly giggle.

"He really would. In fact, he'd probably come in for a little bit, get a drink, stand in the corner or the door, and then try to sneak out. And of course, none of us would let him, or let him go alone."

She shakes her head, fingers absently tracing the griffon on her necklace. "I suppose I wouldn't mind electrocuting a great deal of darkspawn in his honor."

OTA

[circleprodigy]

There's a new Grey Warden amount crowd, a small and pale elf woman with a staff propped up nearby and a mabari at her side. She doesn't know the man in question, but listens respectfully to any stories shared, wanting to pay due respect to the Grey Warden who had left for his Calling. It puts her in mind of what she will have to do one day. It's the price all Grey Wardens pay, though she can hope hers will be paid later than sooner.

If anyone approaches, she'll smile and make room for them, and undoubtedly her mabari will sniff and wag his tail hopefully. Either petting or treats will make him happy, though if there are too many of the latter, Inessa will cut him off. He has to remain fit for battle, after all.

[justice_is_blond]

Anders joins the new Warden, giving her a friendly nod, side-eyeing the mabari and shifting his kitten from the crook of his arm to his shoulder.

"Welcome, though it's quite the time to join." Then he pauses and blinks. "Do I... recognize you?"

[circleprodigy]

Garahel just wags away, sniffing at Anders though well-behaved enough not to jump at him. He's well-aware there would be no treats allowed if he did. Only when he's satisfied will he return to Inessa's side.

Glad to have more to do than hold her drink, Inessa straightens as she sizes up Anders. It's been a long time...or would have been, if it weren't for recent events. She nods politely, starting with the most recent stuff before backtracking. "To begin with, we were both at Weisshaupt during...certain events. My thanks for your part that; it had grown far too hostile for my liking." True, it wouldn't have been hostile if she'd cooperated, but blood magic and demon-summoning were very firm lines for her. So, she endured until the Inquisition's arrival.

Re: OTA

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Bethany gives the new Warden a quiet smile, and a nod, as she goes to sit by her. She had seen Anders with her earlier, and was proud of him to make the effort to comfort the new Wardens amongst them.

She reaches out her hand, to let the mabari sniff her, before she pets the dog affectionately, "I have a mabari, as well. Well, our family had one, but he sort of imprinted on all of us."

Nathaniel | open

[pinprick]

Nathaniel is lucky to attend, and was only able to arrive with help. He can't stay late. But it feels right and wrong to be here. Right because he can't be anywhere else while this is going on, and wrong because it's the first time having to face the fact that everyone but Herc is here.

He drinks in silence and in pain. Soon he is drunk indeed and still quiet, and still on the march to the Calling that took Herc.

[justice_is_blond]

"How are you feeling?" It's about a half-hour after he's helped Nate here. Anders reaches over to rest a palm on Nate's forehead, checking. Maybe this isn't the best move ever, having Nate up and out and about, but he doesn't think Nate should have to miss it.

Re: Nathaniel | open

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Bethany came to sit by Nathaniel, giving him a long look, before she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I don't know what you're thinking, older brother mine, but remember ... there are people here who care about you."

Kaisa | ota

[unbrokenoath]

It's not her first time having to mourn someone who left on their Calling. It's the doom of every Grey Warden, as inevitable as death. If something else doesn't kill them first. Every Warden she knows will have one of those two choices, even Kaisa herself. But Hercules was different, unexpected, and the place he had taken for her made his loss sting that much more.

Kaisa seems unsure of how to act exactly, her moods shifting like quicksilver. She'll be even louder and more rambunctious than normal for a little bit, calling for drinks and shouting loud enough to be heard above the din of the rest of the tavern. Then something clicks in her head, and she'll be sullen and withdrawn, staring into her drink and ignoring the rest of the gathering. Occasionally she has bursts of restless energy where she moves all around the tavern, greeting everyone and never staying still.

Puppy seems unsure of how to handle the odd moods of his owner, nosing her hand in the more somber moments, and following after her when she has energy that she needs to burn. Towards the end of the night, Puppy has elected to sleep the poor attitude off. Meanwhile, as it gets later, Kaisa gets more drunk and on edge. Her words are sharper, incitive, and she's cruising for a fight to pick. Just give her a reason.

[circleprodigy]

During one of those bursts of restless energy, Inessa glances over as Garahel perks up as they're approached. Her mabari barks happily, though as his mistress motions to keep it down, he settles for going over to sniff at the other dog and its owner. If they're friendly, he'll gladly lick and nuzzle away, because he's all affection when not tearing into darkspawn.

Watching him for a moment with a faint smile on her lips, the slight, pale elf nods to the much taller, senior Warden. There's a spark of vague recognition after a moment; it's been a while, but the familiarity clicks. "Warden Kaisa, right? I remember you from Weisshaupt."

Re: Kaisa | ota

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Bethany's gaze narrowed on Kaisa, as the night wore on. She could see the strain her fellow Warden was under, and she decided to see what she could do to nip off possible violence in the bud. So she lifted her voice up, calling out to the woman.

"Kaisa, do we know any songs, that Herc would have liked to hear? I'm willing to assault everyone's ears with a few verses for him."

[justice_is_blond]

He watches her as she drinks, lingering in her vicinity a time or few nervously before moving onward. He's not great at comfort, but as time goes on it becomes pretty clear that her drinking isn't helping. When she frantically starts around the tavern again, Anders holds out a hand.

"Join me for a dance? Or simply for a seat. It wouldn't hurt to rest a time and simply be. To breathe." A beat. "On second thought, it could hurt a lot to stay still and breathe, but it's a pre-healing sort of hurt."

ciri | ota

[ichaer]

The second of the new Wardens appear not long after the... well, the event begins. Ciri had not been sure of her attendance considering she did not know the Warden in question and this was more than just Wardens mourning of their own. There are people who deeply cared for the man in question and she feels out of place in the mess of emotions, fighting the urge to just leave when some begin to cry. Instead, she listens in silence to the talking around her and tries to paint a picture in her mind but drifts off into her own thoughts more than once as she considers her own future.

She quickly pushes herself past that miserable state, ordering a needed drink and challenging a few passersby to games of Wicked Grace. It helps to keep her mind of the inevitable future she had if she didn't die like the Wardens in Weisshaupt or even the ones that came before them: sacrificed in some shit ritual. She forces herself to laugh instead, enjoying new company and getting to know this attendance including the unfamiliar Wardens by offering them her name in introduction. The drinks helped too, thankfully.

Yet at one point during the night, she moves off to the side and takes out a folded piece of paper. Yellowed slightly, it has obviously been folded open and closed many times before. Carefully, she scans over the piece filled with names and dates. The vast majority are recent dates but they are all needed, she needed to remember these names and remember why she was here. As a reminder that she couldn't die yet and how she couldn't let this scare her.

Re: ciri | ota

[sunshinethroughgrey]

"What's that?"

Comes Bethany's voice from behind her, and Bethany lifted up her hand immediately. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you. I just wanted to say hello. You must be one of the new Wardens, yes? I'm Bethany, Bethany Hawke."

[justice_is_blond]

He circulates, because why wouldn't he? It's a wake for one of their own, and while sometimes he still feels nervous, he knows he has every right to be here. As do the new Wardens. After giving her plenty of time to mingle with people she might want to know a bit more than him, Anders comes over during Wicked Grace. One of her cards gets tapped by him after a moment of inspection.

"You could discard that. But you'll probably want to hold on to it because I'm awful at the game and lose almost every time I play. Going by the opposite of my choice could help you win. Potentially. And hello, I'm Senior Warden Anders." Please let him not get a drink thrown at him today. That would be nice.

Bethany - OTA

[sunshinethroughgrey]

Bethany has a cup in her hand, and she's sitting on one of the tables, when she starts to tell her story. She's not even sure who she is telling it to - but the cup reminds her of a memory that makes her smile.

"You know, the first time I ever met Hercules, I was actually out on mission with his son, Chuck. Nathaniel had unwisely left me to my own devices, so I went on a Deep Roads mission with Chuck to find some old thaig that a Warden patrol had gone missing from. Of course, Chuck downplayed out dangerous it was and of course, I went along with it. Just the two of us, no problem, we were Grey Wardens after all. We could handle it."

A shake of her head, "Not an hour later we're hip deep in deepstalkers. Chuck had gotten us lost, we went left instead of right and right into one of their nests. I'm running out of lyrium potion, Chuck is running out of steam - and then through the little monsters this mabari comes crashing through -- and the look, the look on Chuck's face. Like he just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Then Hercules comes in after, sweeping away the deepstalkers like they were just pieces of dust and his sword was a broom, and with him was about four or five Legion of the Dead members ... Maker's Breath."

She laughed then, "After we finished cleaning up, Herc turns to us and chews us both out, and all we could do was hang our heads in front of the Legion of the Dead members -- like we were five years old. Maker, those Legion of the Dead soldiers had a lark that day. Then he made us march all the way back to Orzammar, covered in deepstalker blood, wash behind our ears and all..."

She looked up then, her gaze soft, "He was a good father, to whomever he was a father to."

[sistertohermen]

The whole party-wake-thing hurt in ways Rachette wasn't expecting. She wasn't expecting the news of Hercules, and she wasn't expecting that to hurt near so much either. She'd lost people before, dear people, which was in no small part why she distrusted Wardens so instinctively, treated most with wariness if not disdain.

And yet somehow he'd been different. And Blackwall, and Bethany hadn't been bad. Some she could certainly do without even if they aren't crazy blood mages or whatever. So she listened to stories, because she hadn't known the man well, hadn't really known him at all, and yet was so tempted to treat him as her own kin. "I didn't know he had a son," the dwarf said at last, fighting a smirk at the story. "It shouldn't surprise me. He seemed really fatherly." She guessed. She wouldn't really know, in the end.

"You shouldn't have left the side of the Legion members; they know the Deep Roads better than any of our miners or researchers, I'd bet. Or they know all the places you shouldn't be. He'd have never found you on his own."