Each stray reminder of your home life

[hlif]

WHO: Asher Hardie (in body); open
WHAT: Asher Hardie has passed, his friends return him to his hold
WHEN: August 15th-18th roughly
WHERE: Honey Badger Hold, Frostbacks
NOTES: Discussions of character death, language, probably all the things Asher has done so you know be prepared for some terribad things right there folks. I'll edit etc. Starters in the comments as per usual.
Feel free to NPC the hold and Boneflayers yourselves, but I will be using the journal boneflayer for all your NPCing needs, if you would like someone specific, let me know in a starter/plurk/message!

Comments

[el_tybs]

[Kirk doesn't need to stick with him, knowing that the man might have things he wants to do or look at himself, but he certainly appreciates the company, his hand finding the Rifter's every so often. He had dealt with his grief around the time Asher had actually passed, and now he was just morning, taking what Kirk offered in contact and comfort.

They've been standing at the forge for a bit, something Sam doesn't realize until Kirk speaks up, which has the mage blinking and turning his head curiously. He has to think about it, but it's the rumbling of his stomach that answers.]

Guess not.

[He cannot joke about it like he usually would, but he does smile slightly, perhaps a bit sheepishly, at the fact he's forgotten to eat.]

[universal_charm]

_{[ It seems somewhat impolite to wander around and stick his nose everywhere in a time of mourning, even though Asher's people do what everyone has to do - carry on with their lives. He explored a little bit, but as curious as he was, he held back out of respect. That, and he did want to keep close to Sam. Grief hit at the oddest of times in the oddest of ways, after all. It was why he did not fight the touch of their fingers, letting Sam take the physical comfort he needed as he needed it. ]}

Come on. Let's get something to eat. I thought I saw something interesting a little further back.

_{[ He tilted his head back towards the small market, stepping back a few paces to entice the other with a little smile of his own. ]}

[el_tybs]

[Giving one last glance at the forge, Sam sighs and allows himself to be led away. It was good that he had asked Kirk to come along, though he knew it was asking a lot, but the man was someone he had gotten accustomed to having around when either of them needed comfort. Right now he needed plenty of it.]

Interesting? I hope that includes edible.

[Even if they had only traveled a short distance, now that he was away from the smell of fire and metal, he could certainly pick out the scent of smoke and meat.]

[universal_charm]

_{[ Kirk didn't think it was asking a lot, not really. People shouldn't be alone in their grief, he knew that. Sam was a good friend to him, a very dear one. Of course he would come and be a support for him, and anyone else in the group who needed it. ]}

Wouldn't be very nice of me to ask if you'd eaten only to give you something inedible. My sense of humor is not that terrible.

_{[ Kirk made for said smoke and meat, his stomach growling its approval of the smell of dripping fats and whatever spices were used. He picked out some bits to trade in payment and got them both what Kirk would equate to sausages, but he wasn't sure what they might call them here, handing him one. ]}

[el_tybs]

[Sam snorts lightly in amusement at Kirk's logic, simply nodding in agreement that he wouldn't do something like that.

Standing to the side, Sam watches Kirk select the food and pay for it - he'd have to pay him back later. What he brings back and hands to him has Sam both looking sad and a bit amused. Sausages.]

He liked to joke about these.

['He' being Asher. And honestly half the time Sam couldn't tell if the jokes were honestly about the actual food or, well, something else.]

So this is where he got them from.

[universal_charm]

<sub>[ He could try, but Kirk wouldn't let them. It wasn't like they had cost some crazy amount, and at this point it just seemed like a thing to do between friends, didn't it?

He took his own bite, enjoying the fragrance and spice of the meat and the smokiness. ]</sub>

Were the jokes about people getting addicted to these things? Because they're delicious.

[el_tybs]

[True, but it wasn't like he wasn't going to try and offer to pay his share back, even if they shared the cost for a bunch of things at this point.

Sam gives a small huff, shaking his head a bit in amusement.]

He would joke about being addicted, but not really referring to actual sausages - more lewd.

[universal_charm]

_{[ Well, he could offer, and it would just end up like it was - them each simply handling things, like friends and roommates did. ]}

Oh? Come on, you have to have a favorite line of his referring to these.

_{[ He had never gotten to known Asher very well, though he had enjoyed their few encounters. It made him sad for what he had miss learning about the other now, the stories and the jokes he had missed. He would have been a good friend, he thought. ]}

[el_tybs]

I wouldn't say I had a favorite. Asher wasn't very subtle - saying that his dick was amazing then joking about wanting his sausage was the most memorable part.

[Not word for word, but pretty much how it went without getting into the same language Asher would have used.]

[universal_charm]

_{[ He laughed softly. ]}

Well, if this had been his actual sausage, I would have to agree with him probably.

[el_tybs]

[Sam looks like he's about to say something, but thinks better of it, clearing his throat slightly before beginning to eat his own sausage.]

We can see about taking some back with us. Probably won't be able to get it for a while or not at all.

[universal_charm]

Good idea. And the kittens could use a treat.

_{[ He smiled up at him, nudging his shoulder gently. ]}

[el_tybs]

You spoil them.

[Sam huffs again, nudging Kirk right back as he takes another bite, making a pleased noise at the mix of juices and spices.]

[universal_charm]

Well, maybe a little. They're only babies.

_{[ Okay, so he had come to love them despite his many protests early on. But shush, he would never admit to it, ever. He settled into a comfortable silence as they chewed, their soft moans mixing together as they ate. ]}

[el_tybs]

They're nearly fully grown.

[He points it out with a crooked smile, knowing what Kirk meant though. Even if they got any bigger they'll probably still act like when they were kittens, expect a bit more lazing around and getting into high places.

Sam cannot tell if it's because it tasted so good or if he was that hungry that he finishes first, honestly a bit surprised by how quickly the meat had gone while he wasn't paying much attention.]

Thanks.

[universal_charm]

Only a few months old. Still babies.

<sub>[ It made it easer to qualify his doting of them, his letting them get away with things yet. It was ridiculous, of course, but what could he say? He had come to love those stupid cats, and he would die if Anders ever found out. He just knew the man would be unbearably smug, and he would not suffer that.

He smiled and offered Sam the last few bites of his own sausage, licking juice from his other fingers. ]</sub>

You're welcome. I know it's easy to forget to eat during things like this.

[el_tybs]

[Sam lets Jim have that one. Cats grew up fast, but if it helped him rationalize what he did then by all means.

Seeing the last bit of sausage being offered to him, Sam gives an amused snort, pushing it back towards Jim.]

I don't need your sausage, Kirk. Could always just get another.

[universal_charm]

Hmm, but I hope you would prefer my sausage.

_{[ He looked to him with an arched brow, amused, hoping the other would hear his innuendo based joke and crack another smile. ]}

[el_tybs]

[Sausage jokes. Damn you, Jim. Even so Sam does crack a smile, a little lopsided as he's trying not to look overly amused. There might also be a bit more red to his cheeks that weren't just from the cold.]

It's a little small for my taste.

[His smile grows a little bigger at his retort, tapping his finger against Kirk's fingers that held his mostly eaten meat.]

[universal_charm]

_{[ There it was. His shoulders relaxed, seeing Sam smile. It meant things could be okay. He knew grief was hard, so he hoped to make this as easy for Sam as possible. ]}

Oh? You should mention these things before. I would have gotten you a thicker one.

_{[ He smirked, leaning slightly and bumping Sam with his shoulder. ]}

[el_tybs]

[He was still going to grieve, and things were going to be rough for a bit, but he's spent the whole trip here being upset. Seeing Asher being put to rest had settled him a bit though, and honestly hearing lewd jokes about sausages reminded him of the good times with the Avvar.

And turn down your kind gesture? That would've been rude.

[universal_charm]

_{[ Sometimes, in the grief, you need a little laughter. Kirk knew that lesson well, and he hoped to give a bit of it to Sam. He knew he couldn't take away all of his grief, but if he could lighten it a bit, he thought that would be a good thing. ]}

Well, hopefully my sausage satisfied all the same. Different types have their charm.

[el_tybs]

[If this was any other time this would probably lead into one of their usual games, that lead to a certain place, but while Sam is amused by all this he cannot bring himself to keep going.]

Thanks.

[He really needed this. Well food, but having a way to deal with all this that wasn't just grief and depression.]

[universal_charm]

_{[ He understood, of course, and he takes the cue and drops it. He touches their shoulders instead, and after a moment's though reached down and took Sam's hand. He was not one for public displays of that sort - the hand holding - but he could make an exception for Sam in this particular instance if he wanted it. His own discomfort was not enough in this situation to warrant his usual aversion. ]}

Want to keep looking around the market some?

_{[ Or did he want to go back to the forge? Whatever Sam wanted - needed - was fine. Kirk was sure he knew how to navigate his grief, even though he might need to step in now and then and make sure he had food in his belly. ]}

[el_tybs]

[After a moment he nods at that.]

I should take this opportunity to look around. Asher would be disappointed that he brought me to his Hold and then I didn't do anything worth while.

[His hand squeezes back slightly, not catching Kirk's discomfort in the small display. For him, he wasn't quite sure how he felt about public displays, since in the Circle such things were hidden and kept secret if something was going on, and in Skyhold there wasn't much of it either unless you looked.]