the start of something new

[theladyofwinterfell]

WHO: Sansa Stark
WHAT: Sansa learns about the changing of the years in Thedas; Sansa works on her sewing.
WHEN: 1 - 8 Wintermarch
WHERE: around Skyhold
NOTES: A general catch-all for Sansa to start out the new year.

i. the changing of the year.

Sansa has slowly been learning how life in Thedas works since arriving through the rift two moons prior and one of the things she's learned about this month, actually, is that they celebrate the change of the year in Thedas with a holiday called First Day. It's a simple thing to celebrate, really, and somewhat arbitrary but Sansa likes the idea of visiting others throughout Skyhold and drinking with them, breaking bread with them and generally making their acquaintance.

She's been terrible at making acquaintances since coming here, after all, and so First Day and the days after give her a chance to work in the kitchens and make simple little cakes to pass along to others. It's nothing taxing, certainly not for her since she isn't much of a cook, but it is a kindness that she wants to bestow upon those who have made her feel welcome since coming to Thedas and she wants to demonstrate she has an interest in learning how their world and celebrations do work.

ii. slip a stitch into something new.

In the afternoons, Sansa likes to work on needlework. It's become a way to make a bit of coin while she stays in Thedas and she's always loved her embroidery besides so making clothes and mending cloaks has become a way to earn money and pass the time. It reminds her of long, cold days at Winterfell when she'd sit by the fire with her mother and the septa, learning how to make her stitches small and neat, and oftentimes she dreamed of mending things for her lord husband someday. It's a mundane dream but, funnily enough, one afternoon it occurs to her that she's done that very thing and sometimes she smiles to herself or laughs just a bit.

Yes, the shirts are much smaller than she expected of a lord husband and often they are in shades of Lannister red and gold but she doesn't care about that. Here in Thedas nobody cares about Lions or Direwolves or Stags and when she draws her needle in and out of her mending, it's a soothing and calming activity that she doesn't have to worry about. No one cares about the subject of her embroidery now and she's free to do whatever she likes. The freedom is exhilarating.

iii. the frost falls upon the ground.

When the weather is clear enough, Sansa takes the chance to walk around outdoors. It's cold still, even to someone with Northern blood like hers, and the ice is still evident upon the grounds. Sometimes there's ruts from horses or wagons, crusted over with mud and ice and Sansa is careful to keep her skirts clear of them; she still doesn't like to be dirty even if she's much less squeamish about it than she was as a child in Westeros.

When a bit of ice falls from the edge of a roof, she dodges it carefully and when snow slides into the back of her cloak after shifting off the eaves of Skyhold proper, she squeals in surprise but it doesn't drive her indoors. The winter sunlight is weak and thin but she soaks up as much of it as she can and when snowflakes alight on her cheeks, she often pushes back her hood so that they can catch in the shimmering auburn of her hair.

Comments

[theladyofwinterfell]

Sansa nods to one that's nearby where she's been working. "I assure you, I'm keeping an eye on it. I am not so experienced a cook that I trust myself to wander off from it terribly far. I want to be close so I can mind it."

As to the other, she smiles a bit. "Well, I am quite the seamstress. I have always been able to sew well, ever since I was a small girl. It seems that Thedas has need of tailors as much as Westeros did."

[kartereo]

"Then you'll always be in luck," Waver said. "That kind of spatial skill is a blessing."

Waver had some talent for it, but it extended into drawing elaborate circles and sigils for magecraft rather than something practical and useful, like sewing, construction, or really, just about anything else. Within his world, he was adept enough to function. Thedas was a rude reminder that beyond that, he was quite ill equipped for much of the world.

"Although now I have to ask, how much does clothing generally run here in terms of cost?"

[theladyofwinterfell]

"Well, I'm happy to make a new suit of clothing, fully tailored, for twenty gold," Sansa says, giving him a bit of a smile. Perhaps she's undercharged a bit, as she's no keen businesswoman, but it allows her to make a bit of money over the material cost.

"Bits and pieces are, of course, accordingly less."

[kartereo]

"I'll probably take you up on it once I figure out a steady way to make income," Waver said, not exactly proud of the fact he's been in Thedas for two months and hasn't quite figured out the best way to integrate himself yet. "God knows I'm probably going to wear everything I have out sooner rather than later."

[theladyofwinterfell]

"I'm grateful I know how to sew. It's something I can easily fall into the rhythm of here, as well, and earn income. I never had to before."

Still, she'd rather be a seamstress in Thedas, working her fingers to the bone in embroidery, than Ramsay Bolton's ill-fated wife. That's something to remember.

[kartereo]

"You're from a well off family then?"

Waver managed to keep any sort of distaste out of the question. The tone was mildly curious at best, but it wasn't as if Waver didn't have strong opinions on the kind of families where people didn't have to work. He grew up with enough magi from such circumstances, never mind often ran into the types in his teaching career.

[theladyofwinterfell]

"I was, once," Sansa admits. It's strange to think of House Stark as a house in the past and to think of herself now suddenly made irrelevant but it's true. She is. No one cares about her claim here in Thedas.

"I was the last true claim on an ancient seat and the holdings around it. I was the last of...of a great house. Now I am no more. My claim doesn't matter here."

[kartereo]

"My condolences on your losses back home and here."

There wasn't actually a good way to respond, as far as Waver could see from his perspective. He was fake nobility back home, granted the title of Lord by another who'd take the title back once she was of an appropriate age, and he rather detested the position these days. Talking about how even if such a title was preserved, the systems within Thedas might make it meaningless anyway was even ruder. If anything, picking the next damn topic was probably the smartest way and-

--Idiot. Waver gave a light tap of his forehead with the palm of his hand. "And I apologize for not giving my name right off the bat. I'm Waver."

[theladyofwinterfell]

"A pleasure," Sansa assures him. "I'm Sansa, if I didn't remember to say before. Sometimes one can get caught up in a good conversation and forget pleasantries."

It's happened to the best of them, after all, and she's been guilty of it more than once since coming to Thedas.

[kartereo]

Waver extended a hand, hoping that such a gesture was also consistent across worlds. "A pleasure, Sansa. And you're right - it seems to happen a lot in Skyhold in particular."

Magi back home were insular and usually knew of each other before meeting each other.

[theladyofwinterfell]

"Too much going on to pause and think of something so trivial as a name," Sansa agrees, laughing a bit. She takes his hand and shakes it once, having learned that apparently that is a greeting in some parts of the world. It's not familiar to her, coming from Westeros, but she's willing to adapt.

"I feel like my life has been a whirlwind since I arrived here."

[kartereo]

"I'd hardly call a name trivial, but I can agree with the sentiment." Words and power. Always. Waver knew it better than most, given how Grail Wars relied on hiding and identifying names.

Waver gave a little headtilt at the second part though. "Sounds like you've been doing way more than I have then."

[theladyofwinterfell]

"I just want to do my part to contribute. I think I fear that they'll oust me if I don't," Sansa says, laughing quickly.

"I doubt it, of course, but I want to be of use. It helps when I'm not idle."

[kartereo]

Waver nodded in agreement. He knew the feeling. "I don't blame you. May I ask if you've been beyond the immediate area though, and if so, what have you made of it?"

[theladyofwinterfell]

"I haven't traveled much beyond here. When I arrived through the rift, it was into a canyon some distance from here," she explains.

"I haven't been much beyond Skyhold's keep and lands since then. My lord husband prefers that I keep within the safety of the walls and I don't really disagree with him on that front. I've had enough of adventure for a lifetime."

[kartereo]

Waver kept a very tight lid on his gut reaction of blurting out husband in the kind of baffled tone that screamed ignorant of another culture. But there was a far better angle available, and he pursued it.

"Home, then, must have provided you with an overwhelming overabundance. Some of it positive, I hope?"

[theladyofwinterfell]

"Some positive," Sansa says. She doesn't want to complain, especially not to someone she barely knows. "It's just been a long time that we've been at war. It's hard to remember the positives when you've been fighting for a long while. Surely you can understand that?"

[kartereo]

Waver nodded. He did, although he was mostly used to the battlefield being the halls of the university rather than a proper battlefield - save the Grail War.

"I do. I apologize if I brought up bad memories."

[theladyofwinterfell]

"No, not at all. It is simply my life, for good or for ill, and speaking about it doesn't upset me," she assures him.

"Granted, it's a topic I wouldn't prefer to speak on overly much, if I can help it, but mentioning it doesn't upset me terribly."

[kartereo]

"Then I'm happy to move on," Waver said, pausing to sniff the air. "And maybe suggest checking the oven?"

[theladyofwinterfell]

"Ah, yes, the oven," Sansa says, quickly heading over to pull out the latest batch of cakes. She burns her wrist a little as she pulls out the pan and purses her lips.

"Ouch! It's still hot, naturally. Let me get some cool water to run over this burn, all right?"

[kartereo]

"Permit me to make myself useful and get it for you."

It was the least that could be done after monopolizing her time.

[theladyofwinterfell]

"Oh, if you wish. I wouldn't want to put you out, though," Sansa says, biting her lip a bit.

"But I won't deny the help."

[kartereo]

"Give me a second then."

Really, it wasn't as if it took too long. Running around in a lab like setting was one of Waver's strengths. A kitchen was just a labratory for food, and moments later, he returned with an entire bowl of cold water, plus a damp cloth that was ice cold. Both items went down on the counter.

"I figure you can keep the cloth on your person when you need to make use of it."

[theladyofwinterfell]

"Thank you," Sansa says. "You have been most helpful, actually, so I could not have asked for more." She takes the cloth and dabs it on the wound. The cool water helps quite a bit.

"Oh, I hope I don't need to see a healer."