faderift | Open -- Every rose has it's thorn

Entry tags:

Open -- Every rose has it's thorn

WHO: Marilaine and OTA
WHAT: Catchall
WHEN: Throughout August
WHERE: Skyold/ Sending Crystal
NOTES: Nothing expected? Will update if it become relevant.

I.The garden
Marilaine looked around the enclosed space of the garden, surveying the well-tended courtyard with an air of satisfaction. The people tending to it had done good work here, and the plants looked healthy, even well loved. She was here to make sure that this continued. Standing with her hands on her hips, a rare smile appeared on her scarred face. Unfortunately, Marilaine was unaware that she was blocking one of the entrances into the covered walkway that surrounded the garden. There are options to go around her of course: going the long way around to the next opening, scaling the low wall (it's only hip high at most). . . Or you could ask her to move.

II.Hot springs
Hot water was a luxury to someone who spent countless days out in the wilderness. Having enough hot water to be submerged in was a luxury that Marilaine attributed only to the wealthy who could afford wood to spare for such, or had the servants to cart hot water to a bath. It was with a sense of glee and reckless abandon that she stripped down, divesting herself of her travel-worn clothes. Kicking them off to one side, she all but pranced in place before testing the waters with a toe.

“Magnifique!”

III.Healing Tents
Marilaine wasn't a healer. Or more to the point, she wasn't one of the Spirit Healers or surgeons that frequented the tents. What little creation magic she did possess was her personal secret used on no one but herself. Marilaine however, was a skilled gardener and passably good at basic alchemy. She had with her a selection of healing plants, tinctures, medicament and poultices and was going from tent to tent offering them up to the healers within and occasionally a patient if it is something she actually can diagnose and has on hand (mostly things for fevers or low to moderate pain).

IV.Around Skyhold
Marilaine isn't just restricted to Skyhold proper. More than once she can be found trekking out over the surrounding areas looking for local herbs. Sometimes she comes back with nothing but a few dirt smears across her brow. Other times, she brings back small cuttings of wildflowers or elfroot. And once she was carrying a flower that looked suspiciously like Crystal Grace. Where does she go? Well, that is something she does her best to keep her little secret.

V.Sending crystal
[The voice that speaks has a decidedly Orlesian sound to it. To rifters familiar with earth, it sounds like someone speaking with a French accent.]

Inquisition, I am certain this request has been made before, but I wish to ask it again. If in your travels you come across any useful plants or seeds that you send them back to Skyhold. I assure you, I will make good use of them. I wish to ensure Skyhold's garden remains healthy and our supplies well stocked. I will take any and all herbs listed in The Botanical Compendium. If you are unfamiliar with the plants but still wish to help, you may stop by the garden, and I will show you anything you need to know. Just ask for Marilaine.

VI.Wildcard
If any of the above prompts doesn't work for you, feel free to pm me or contact me at

burningbrightly for a custom starter or feel free to make your own! I am very flexible.

I am a huge nerd who loves prose, but will match brackets, no problem.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Wrapped in her own personal fog, Korrin wasn't expecting anyone to approach her. Upon hearing Marilaine's voice, she snaps out of her dismal thoughts, surprised as she looks from the elf to the basket. There's an instant shedding of tension as Marilaine knows the reason for her presence; not that it's difficult to see the reason behind it, but Korrin's not in the mood to explain the current situation. There's a flicker of a smile, and some warmth surfaces in her eyes, dark with grief.

"How thoughtful. Thank you. My appetite's been hit-or-miss, but it's probably been a while since I had anything that wasn't tea." Tea, tea and more tea, all to aid in remaining awake for Asher, not that she could really sleep to begin with. But the last thing she wants to happen is to black out, only for him to need her...or worse, be beyond any need when she awakens.

Seeing the miasma of grief surrounding the woman and the others gathered there, it was understandable that Korrin might not be in the right frame of mind. Shifting her grip on the basket nods, momentarily causing the long fringe along the left side of her face to also bob with the action.

"I do not have much in the way of food, but I can run and get you some if you are willing to watch the basket for me?" Normally, she did not do such things as they were beneath her, but in these moments of sorrow, she could set aside her dignity. After all, the offer of help was genuine.

Korrin hesitates, not just because she doesn't want an elf thinking that she'd treat them as someone to be ordered around, servant or not, but also due to her independent streak. She's used to caring for herself, and it's not easy to let that go. But she also doesn't dare leave for the kitchen herself, just in case. "That's kind of you to offer. I...alright, as long as you're getting something for yourself, too. Don't do it just for me, not when I might not finish what I start. Like I said, it's hit-or-miss. But if they have leftover banana bread or hearth cakes or something like that, I'll give it a shot."

She'll hold out her hand for the basket, hoping that her mental fog won't cause her to forget her manners later.

After a moment's hesitation, Marilaine hands her basket over to the woman. "I will be back soon, not to worry."

She doesn't say if she is going to get something to eat for herself or not, figuring that Korrin will just have to assume she did. The trek to the kitchen was surprisingly quick now that she wasn't encumbered with her basket. As an elf, most people took her for a regular servant and didn't even give her a second glance as she slipped in and absconded with a few treats. Some hearth cakes, a wedge of cheese and handful of pears were all thrown together on a tray to which Marilaine then added a small carafe of leftover cider to it. It might be overkill to what Korrin wanted, but she was a big woman, and Marilaine figured that even if she didn't eat it all the others at the tent might like something.

Before she could be questioned, Marilaine slipped out the door and made her way a little more slowly back to the healing tents. Although she'd spent most of her time out in the gardens, she still knew how to walk carrying a tray so that the tray and the carafe were never jostled.

"Here now. I have some food for you. What you do not eat can go to anyone else who might want a respite but is also reluctant to leave. The carafe has a little bit of cider in it to bring some taste to this simple repast." She isn't about to tell Korrin to eat, but she does hold the tray up invitingly.

Taking the moments apart to clear her head, Korrin seems a little calmer though no more cheerful when Marilaine returns. The amount brought back surprises her, though she manages a small but genuine smile. She almost considers taking the tray from her, though the elf held it so steadily and Korrin's sure she couldn't handle it with the same grace, especially in her distracted mindset. Taking a hearth cake to begin with, she steps back to hold open the tent flap for her.

"A sensible idea, thank you. And cider sounds perfect. I'm Korrin, by the way; mercenary of the Valo-Kas and a member of the mage council. Sometimes I also teach Qunlat swearing." Well, it's more than that but guess what most people are interested in learning.

Quickly Marilaine ducks into the tent, casting about for some place to set the tray. She knows she is an outsider peering in with no knowledge of what has happened, but she will at the very least try to be respectful of anyone within.

Dropping her voice low so that it is but a whisper, she returns the greeting with a small nod, "I am Marilaine a Gardener." She flashed a slightly awkward smile to Korrin. "I also dabble in alchemy." S said pointing to her basket with a chin. If Korrin looked, she'd see a number of her potions and what not arranged in small glass vials and labeled carefully.

Once the tray is set down, Korrin brings over some clean cups from nearby, pouring cider for herself and Marilaine, if she wants any. It's quiet now, at least, and not as populated as it could be. For Korrin's part, she automatically lowers her voice as well.

"Thank you for your help, Marilaine." Her eyes stray to the potions as she takes a sip. "That's a vital focus here. I can't tell you how may times the creations of the Undercroft have saved my ass. Especially those healing mist grenades. I haven't gotten around to learning healing magic, so having those on me are a lifesaver."

Her smile is gentle as she takes the cup, turning it in her hands which are calloused and stained from gardening. "I only tinker with potion making. I never received any formal training but what Solemn could spare when he was not tending the Comtesse."

It was one of the many things she was thinking about seeking a more formal training over. Hearing Korrin speak of healing magic made Marilaine look at her speculatively as she continued to turn the glass in her hands, "You said you were a member of the mage council?"

Korrin nods, glancing over to her staff propped up against a barrel. "That's right. I was part of the Inquisition since Haven--since the temple blew up, really. When Haven was destroyed and we moved to Skyhold, it soon became obvious that the mages could benefit from some internal organization. Nothing like a Circle, and believe me I made it clear I'd never stand for that. But it'd be a way to pool or knowledge and a means to present a collective face to both Templars and the Inquisition. Every mage has a say in the council. It doesn't matter if they're Circle mages or Dalish or Vashoth, like me. I'm not going to lie and say it's been easy, but I'll take it over the alternative."

Looking down at her drink, Marilaine seems to focus on it before taking a small sip. "What of apostates and hedge mages? Do they fall under the umbrella of this Vashoth?" Despite her best efforts, to remain casual, there is an intensity in her question.

That intensity doesn't go unnoticed, and Korrin raises an eyebrow. "They could, yes. It's not as though there's enough Vashoth mages to really count as a separate group. So, anyone outside the Circle that isn't Dalish tends to get lumped together, for expediency's sake.

No one's going to force an apostate or hedge mage into a Circle, least of all me. It's kind of pointless when that system collapsed like a house of cards, isn't it? But there are no Harrowings here either, no forced Templar presence. Any mage in the Inquisition has the right to live as they please, provided they don't become possessed or use blood magic."

Some tension leaves her listening to Korrin talk of this new council, and of the changes made to how mages are treated. As much as Marilaine wanted to touch upon that, she shrugged it off, taking another sip from her drink. There would always be time to learn about the council later.

Slowly her eyes drift across the tent looking around. "Might I ask what is wrong with your friend?"

Korrin's shoulders sag as she glances in the direction of where Asher's laid up, though the view is blocked by members of his company. "He was in a fight against an abomination, and severely wounded. He seemed to recover for a time, but the wounds never healed, not internally. They became infected and ended up poisoning him from the inside out. The only reason he's lasted this long is because of that ludicrous stamina of his and the power of denial."

Edited 2016-08-14 15:55 (UTC)

"How horrible!" Her exclamation was slightly louder than she intended." Hastily she dropped her voice back down. "I am sorry to hear his is a slow suffering."

Abominations were boogeymen to Marilaine on the same level as the Dalish in terms of things that had been used to scare her when she was younger. Solemn spoke often of them to her, warning her that she had to keep her mind sharp lest she turned into one.

"Thank you. I keep thinking I should have been there. I'd learned knight-enchanter techniques and their barriers don't fall. I could have provided cover or...something." Not that she didn't admire the Boneflayers' techniques, but none of them had her exact skill set. It could have made a difference.

"I have heard of Knight-Enchanters. They are a favorite among the nobles of Orlais. Mages who take orders like a soldier. I heard many nobles expressed joy in holding such power." She wasn't going to mention how she'd heard this, but as an elf serving in an estate, it was amazing what people said without even realizing she was there. "Do not beat yourself up over the past. Plenty of others will do it for you."

There's a soft huff and she crosses her arms, some of her usual spirit returning. "Isn't that the truth. A Vashoth and a mage? It happens a lot. And fuck if I'm taking orders from any noble. My blade serves the Inquisition and the Valo-Kas and that's it."

"Good. the nobles already have enough without being able to tote you about like some figurehead or trophy piece. That would not suit you." She may have only just met Korrin, but already that is the supreme sense she is getting from the horned woman.

Korrin's lips twitch at that very accurate assessment. "Well, I learned from the best. There have been times when those hiring my company thought us little more than mindless brutes to cheat once the job was done. We quickly set them straight, in some ways less legal or less mature than others. But no one ever crossed us twice."

That amused her. She couldn't keep it from her face. Her eyes lit up as she grinned. "That is fitting. Anyone who thinks to cheat another of their hard work and effort deserves what comes to them."

"My sentiments exactly. What goes around, comes around. Maybe turning the other cheek works for some people, but I'm just not the type to let that shit slide." Not for herself or anyone else. And she couldn't help but think that those who recommended letting it go were those who could afford to do so. For those on the fringes of 'acceptable' society, it's a different situation altogether.

"It seems we're kindred spirits then in another way. My people have long been taught to take what is given to them and to not fight back... it's been beaten into them that life is easier if they do not resist and they present the other cheek until both are black and blue. This is something I do not do. I will not be talked down to or treated unequally because I have pointed ears."

She shook her head, trying to calm herself before she got too worked up. this place was not where she should get too impassioned. Not when others were in the middle of their grief.

"Forgive me. I do not mean to get carried away or to make you think of other problems when you've enough already to deal with."

Korrin shakes her head, untroubled by that of all things. "No, it's fine. You have every right to get 'carried away' by things that affect you, whatever anyone else says. Fuck 'em if they think you should just take it and take it and take it without snapping. As for me, it may not be the most pleasant topic but I'm not in a mood to dwell on pleasant things anyway." And focusing on something else other than her dying friend...well, it helps, even for a little while.

Marilaine nods as she again sips from her cider. Korrin's slightly abrasive words and attitude might not win her favors in Val Royeaux, but it certainly made her comfortable in her presence.

"If only more people could take this advice heart. Tell me, are all of your people so vocal about their beliefs?"

She shrugs, trying to elaborate. "Eh, sometimes? We don't always need to be vocal, since most people take one look at our height and horns and decide not to piss us off, at least to our faces. But then you get assholes trying to be big shots by showing others they can do their dick-waving and get away with it. There isn't much we can do about that, legally, since who cares about a bunch of 'oxmen'...but what goes around comes around, and we make sure of that.

I'm not going to say it's on par with what elves go through, though. Sure, we're on the fringes and treated like crap, but it's a relatively easier life when most humans know they can't beat us up.

(no subject)

marilaine - 2016-08-29 17:46 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

gatheringstorm - 2016-08-29 18:42 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only