A bottle of white, a bottle of red

[fleurdesel]

WHO: Open to anyone that wants wine and warmth and a little company.
WHAT: Wine and no whining.
WHEN: After the mage meeting wraps up.
WHERE: Close to the healing tents, specifically the Orlesian section.
NOTES: There will be wine, drinking, unwinding, and nibbles.

The meeting had been stressful for just about everyone involved. Tempers had flared, opinions made known, a few rounds of confetti and arguing before some manner of accord. Whether it would last or however long it might? No one could truly say. In the interest of being quite done with the stress and headaches such debate brought on the Orlesian healing tents clearing out the potions, bandages, and poultices in favor of what cushions and braziers they had on hand for light and for heat. The space was open, warm, and inviting with an odd assortment of tin mugs or clay glasses set around flat side tables propped up with stones to keep them from wobbling and tipping the whole mass onto the ground. There are some dried fruits and hard cheeses, dried meat and hard crusted bread- whatever scraps they could scavenge or spare and a few bottles of wine or brandy. Across the entrance to the tents there was a sign:

Bring a bottle or food to share for entry.

Tacked below was a list of rules:

• Everyone is welcome, don't make a fuss
• Don't hog the wine
• Don't hog the food
• Don't fight or argue
• If you finish a bottle open a new one, don't recork it for someone else to find
• Clean up after yourselves

Comments

[kremdelacreme]

Mostly, Krem was here to keep an eye on everyone, and perhaps stand up if any Templar or other rabble-rousing party decided they should break up the relaxation of the hold's growing population of mages. This was a good thing, and they should be left to it. Of course, everyone knew he wasn't a mage, but he had recently gotten into a tentative relationship with one, so that was almost as good, right? There was also that he was close, or at least friends, with several of them here.

So here the mercenary sat, closer to the outskirts of proceedings like a guard dog with a bottle of mead in hand. He'd brought a wooden crate of Chasind mead and set it down where everyone would be able to get to it, with a clear label noting what it was, then retired to his quiet spot with merely a few words of greeting to those he knew by name. He had a lot on his mind, but he wouldn't burden any of them with it. He just wanted them to eat, drink and be calm for a little while.

[gatheringstorm]

At some point, a less-than-sober (but still handling it far better than most) Korrin plops down by her favorite Charger after snagging a bottle. Before she has any, though, the Vashoth mage slips an arm around Krem and gives him an affectionate squeeze. And yes, she's still sober enough to realize her own strength and not crush him in the process.

"That's for the extremely mysterious figure who confetti-bombed the mage gathering. Thanks, we needed that."

[kremdelacreme]

Krem leans with the squeeze, letting his weight rest against Korrin as he raises his bottle.

"Of course. Everyone needs a sudden shower of confetti every now and then." He smirks faintly, his free arm wrapping around her back and returning the gesture. "Hopefully nobody got legitimately upset over the whole thing." He'd ducked out of the tower after the initial reactions, hadn't stayed to hear the rest of the meeting since it wasn't really anything for him to be part of.

[gatheringstorm]

Aw, Krem. Korrin will try not to slouch on him, though she's increasingly less concerned with remaining upright. She snorts at that last part, shaking her head. "It was an interruption when we needed it. There was far more to get legitimately upset over during the meeting itself. Fucking Senior Enchanter thinking I'd ever consent to join a fucking Circle...."

She lowers her voice at that latter part, though, not willing to sacrifice continued booze for the sake of venting.

[kremdelacreme]

"One of those lesser-known responsibilities of mercenary lieutenants is making sure their men aren't at eachothers' throats, and knowing how to do so in an improvised fashion. Sometimes confetti works, sometimes it's making a face at the right time and making someone laugh."

Listening to her mutter, Krem just leans into her a little more heavily, nudging her with his shoulder. "He's an ass, barely worth getting bloomers bunched over. Besides, if anyone decided to put you in a Circle or...make you that weird masked qunari thing... Well. They wouldn't exist for very long as anything but a very thin smear on the stonework."

[aceso]

Christine approached with a friendly smile, both because their last meeting had ended well and because she'd had plenty of wine already. Stopping beside his chair, she blinked down at him, taking note of the bottle in his hand.

"It is good, yes? The party? And that?"

[kremdelacreme]

His head tilted some as he looked up at her, offering her a smile in kind as he pulled his leg up to prop his heel on the edge of his seat.

"It's nice," he replied, shrugging some then holding up his bottle in case she might want a sip. "Glad you all are taking a moment to wind down. You're having a good time at least, I take it."

[aceso]

She waves a hand vaguely at the offer. "Oh, no, no. I must take a break. And yes, I am. The meeting was stressful, but we accomplished something, which is good. Oh! And I have found fabric for you. I will give it to you another time. Now is the time for enjoying ourselves."

[kremdelacreme]

He nods at the offer of eventual fabric; had she not reminded him, he might have actually forgotten that he had promised to make her a gown, or some other clothes so that she wouldn't have to wander around in mages' robes. "When we're both sober and life settles back down again then," he says and lifts the bottle in a small cheers before taking another swallow. "Have you got any ideas for what you'd like, when we're able to do that?"

[fleurdesel]

The gathering wasn't limited to mages, honestly- that's simply how it began. With several non-mages and even the Knight Commander in attendance the crowd was wide, varied, and most importantly? Not arguing. About anything. Even the quality of the wine. No one seemed as though they were about to start either with the bottles passed around, the food shared, and the music now rolling through the tents and beyond into the courtyard.

Quietly- or as quiet as she was able on several glasses of wine and one of cider, Adelaide sidled up against Krem to murmur. "Do you want a plate of anything, Remi?"

[kremdelacreme]

Krem's immediate reaction was to reach up and lay a hand against Adelaide's arm to hold her steady.

"I'll be fine, mamman. You all should eat and have fun while we're all still able to do so." He offered her a soft smile, then patted around his person briefly before coming up with a deep flask, which he held up for her. It was filled with sweet, burning whiskey. something with a touch more bite than the rest of the drinks being shared here.

[fleurdesel]

"I am permitted to be concerned, am I not?" But if Krem says he is well? He is well. She'll set the worry aside in favor of watching the crowd. Mage, templar, civilian- even the cook that had been set on fire. Offer free wine and food with the caveat that no one fought and it seemed everyone was willing to cooperate. Or perhaps it was their very firm reminder of the Charger's presence with Krem in attendance. "Tomorrow is another day."

It'll be harder- with the headaches this night will cause, with the choices yet to come.

The flask earned a quirk of her brow but she accepted it in good humor, taking a sip and going all the more pink for it. "Now I know you are attempting to spoil me."

[kremdelacreme]

"Who, me? Nooo of course not," he replied with a chuckle, taking the flask back and taking a sip for himself before tucking it away. "You might want to slow down a little bit though. Or make sure you're drinking water as well. It'll help with the headache tomorrow if you do."

[laurenande]

Galadriel had been content to spend a long time beneath the tents, engaged in companionable conversation and friendly drink. Unfortunately, the constitution of the Eldar did not hold in Thedas and she had inevitably been more effected by the free-flowing wine than she'd expected to be. Her grace held, but only just, and her smiles were free and girlish.

Krem's post outside guaranteed that he would see her at the zenith of her inebriation. Despite the lack of company, Galadriel simply could not celebrate without taking a few moments beneath the open sky and, inevitably, that would be when she ceased drinking. She hadn't expected to find a familiar face outside the confines of the tent, but once she spied him she could hardly resist striding up with a beaming, tipsy smile.

"So far from the party, do you dislike wine perhaps?"

[kremdelacreme]

Krem had seen enough drunken nobles in his life to know that nobody of any status was safe from the siren song of good liquor. So, he wasn't surprised to see that even the odd noble elf from the rifts had partaken.

"On the contrary, I like it quite a bit, but for the moment I'm content with this," he replied with a quirked smile, holding his bottle up, half in cheers. "I see you're enjoying yourself though, my lady. Fereldan wine seems to agree with you."

I warned you.

[laurenande]

"Yes, I am learning that the spirits of these lands are quite persistent," Galadriel answered vaguely as she came alongside Krem.

She was taller than he was, by nearly a foot, and the difference was exacerbated by his being seated. It fascinated her briefly, but her attention quickly drifted to the unfamiliar and impressive cut of his armor. She had never seen him in it and she admired it for several silent seconds. In fact, she looked quite ready to comment on it, but whatever she had to say was, for better or worse, lost as the bard in the tents struck up a merry tune.

It wasn't a song Galadriel knew, of course, but it was one she had heard before, if only earlier that very evening. Recognition was a fond thing and her face lit up with joy as she cast a glance back at the tent. Without the warmth of the firelight or the braziers, it was that much more apparent that she exuded light. Her joy seemed to intensify it and, when she looked back at Krem, she was quite literally alight.

"Come," Galadriel encouraged him and bent to grasp both of his hands, bottle and all, in her own. Her enthusiasm was obvious and, before he could offer any answer at all, positive or negative, she drew him up to his feet. "Dance with me."

Yes good.

[kremdelacreme]

Krem might have asked what she was looking at so intently, had she not moved to pull him to his feet. He stumbled a little bit once he was out of his chair, squeezing onto her hand a little more firmly with an expression of mild bewilderment. He pulled back briefly to put his bottle back down on his chair to keep it from spilling, then turned back to her.

"Can't guarantee I'm any good at it," he warned her, following behind her and looking down at their feet then at their hands, trying to at least orient himself so that they could do this with ease. It wasn't that he was really a stranger to drunken dancing; sometimes it happened among the Chargers when spirits were high.

[el_tybs]

'He's somewhere near the entrance, I think.' That's what she had said. I think. Yeah right, she knew where exactly the man was. Probably also knew exactly when Krem had shown up too. On top of that she probably had been keeping tabs on where both of them were, and that was why she had pointed all of this out to Sam, including a drink. Sneaky.

Course now that he knows and sees Krem was actually sitting there, Sam wasn't quite sure how to approach the other man. The two of them hadn't talked much since that evening. Some of that was due to Krem working on his project and Sam didn't want to interrupt him again since he had a due date, and mostly because Sam had been keeping himself busy with different things during the morning and not stopping in the tavern during the evenings. So he wasn't sure how to approach Krem at all.

Was he supposed to just go up and start a conversation like he normally did in the past? Flop down into a chair, maybe patting Krem on the shoulder, and talking about current events? Or was he supposed to be a bit friendlier than that? Some reason Sam feels like he would get a punch for that. Well maybe a bit more then that considering there was a crowd.

Huffing at all the uncertainty, Sam looks at the wines, considering Lady LeBlanc's suggestion. After a bit of time he eventually goes and pours himself a couple mugs of the mulled wine she had suggested.

He's slow as he moves through the crowd, but once he gets close enough he can see Krem already has something to drink. Great. Well he can't back out now, because he's already made eye contact. Slipping a smile onto his face he closes the distance, stopping just short of standing by Krem's feet.

"...Hey."

[kremdelacreme]

Whatever Sam might have expected or been worried about, Krem's immediate reaction is little more than a smile and a nod to a nearby chair.

"Hey," he echoes, putting his first bottle aside and sitting back, hands coming to settle in his lap. He doesn't really know what else to say. But it's...nice. He's fine with quiet between the two of them, as if nothing had really changed.

[el_tybs]

The smile puts him a little bit at ease. Nodding at the invitation, Sam adjusts the mugs so he can hold them in one hand while pulling the offered chair a bit closer, so that it would be easier to... talk? Just to be closer? While it is nice that they can fall back into their usual routine it still leaves Sam unsure of certain things.

Regardless of his uncertainty, Sam holds out one of the mugs he had brought over towards Krem. "It's mulled wine. I-" There's a moment of hesitation as he tries to figure out what to say. Crap. Was he supposed to say that Lady LeBlanc suggested it, or was this supposed to be purely his idea. "I heard it was good. Figured you'd like to try some before it's gone. After all I 'don't' owe you one for that bit of interruption during the meeting."

[kremdelacreme]

Krem looks down at the mug, laying his bottle aside and taking the wine. "Didn't know we had any of it, unless someone brought it in recently," he comments, taking a small mouthful and moving it around a bit before swallowing it with a nod.

The mention of his impromptu derailing of the meeting of mages before made Krem smirk subtly. "I've got no idea what you're talking about," he replies and raises his mug.

[perseverances]

Cullen had originally come to check out the gathering to make sure no one was causing any shenanigans, because clearly that's what people were doing lately. He really should be catching up on the reports that seemed to continuously pile up on his desk, but even the Commander needed a night off.

He doesn't mean to intrude, but Krem is one of the few people he needs to speak with, especially after the small little stunt in his office. He's not mad, not even remotely close, but he does have a few questions. He stops close to Krem, hands clasped behind his back. "I hope they were put to good use."

[kremdelacreme]

The two of them had been of like mind for their reasons for coming to this gathering to begin with, at least. When Krem looks up to see the commander approaching, he already has a good idea what's coming.

"The breeches, or the nugs?" he asks with a quiet huff of a laugh. "I'll have your clothes back to you soon, by the way, just have to have the time. Other than that, what can I do for you?"

[perseverances]

"Either, quite honestly." Cullen responds with a light chuckle. He knows Krem had his reasons, and he doesn't fault the man for needing anything. "Take your time with them. I'm not wanting for breeches."

He's quiet for a long moment after the question, but it's not pause to think of an answer. It's to look out on the gathering, on the mirth and joy people are starting to finally feel around Skyhold. It's been a very long time coming, especially after Haven. "You have a better chance of getting someone's truer thoughts than I do. What do you make of the tone around here? Are people getting along?"

[kremdelacreme]

Krem raises his bottle at the first comment, then thinks better of it and picks up another one resting at his feet, handing it up to Cullen.

His brow arches slightly at the question, and he glances back at the gathering. "It's...a good deal calmer than any of us could have expected. Rough patches here and there, minor infighting, and I'm sure you know about the scuffle at the tavern. But nobody's died, or gotten worse than a bloodied nose." He pauses, spotting a couple of the elves, as well as the mage that had cozied up to him personally. "They're all good people. Tempers are always going to be variable, but I trust them to make good decisions, for the most part."