The secrets in the snow

[foxsays]

WHO: Araceli Bonavenuta, Morrigan, Yngvi; open
WHAT: Catch-all for Wintermarch
WHEN: During Wintermarch
WHERE: In and around Skyhold
NOTES: Yngvi threads might have discussion of previous character death. Starting in third person but action spam welcome! If you want a closed starter, let me know on plurk or discord!

Comments

[foxsays]

"The little fennecs here, I did read about them but I don't think I could ever train one of of them to do what I did with Lux, not even now that I'm older. And I had Lux when I was a girl so he just followed me about, grew up with me to copy or to do as I asked." Some people make jokes at home but this is Thedas where people might read too far into jokes, Inessa someone she doesn't know quite well enough to share them with so she keeps them to herself for now as the fox creeps off to see if he can pounce at Garahel. "I could smuggle them in my pockets but I think they'd object to being slung over my shoulders and carried up the walls I'm climbing, or I set him to be my lookout and he's never done me wrong."

Maybe that's just loyalty though, all the years of her childhood with him paying off but they've been through some scrapes both here and in Thedas. Whatever she asks him to do, he does it. Doesn't fuss much unless they're both frightened about the thing looming ahead of them. If she has to bribe him then so be it, her parents both taught her how the world works before Felix Bonaventura swaggered off his ship to press a ball of terrified squawking fur into the waiting hands of his daughter.

"Don't remind me, I learned all their heraldries," she says it as though that was a hardship, as though she didn't enjoy that part but sometimes you need to maintain illusions about yourself.

[circleprodigy]

The image of Araceli smuggling fennecs in her pockets gets a chuckle from Inessa, and when she notices what Lux is doing. If Garahel remains focused on The Walrus to the exclusion of his fox buddy, it's his own fault for getting pounced. "That must have been wonderful, having such a childhood companion. I always wondered what it would have been like, but what cats we had in the Circles were mousers, not pets. Even outside it, the chances of me being anywhere near a mabari were unlikely. They try to reserve those for the nobles...or at least, humans."

But mabari will imprint as they please, in the end. It's the great equalizer, to the annoyance of those focused on station. Being a Grey Warden at a time when the Fifth Blight is still fresh in people's minds helped a great deal. Without it, even access to a kennel may not have been possible.

"It's a lot to memorize, isn't it? But I always thought those books interesting, even if it seemed very unlikely at the time that they would see any practical use." Well, unless she requested a transfer but there was really not real reason for that at the time. "Imagine if we could gain their support. A region, known for its squabbling, uniting to stand behind us. It would send a powerful message." Which is why it seems unlikely, unless Corypheus directly creates chaos there. Oh well, at it's not currently at war with itself, unlike a certain empire.

[foxsays]

At least both beasts stand out equally since Lux is doing his whole change from dark to russet at the moment, slinking low on his belly, furtive little steps at time before halting, checking, all the signature moves he picked up ini Araceli's shadow. "Not so much when they're biting your fingers for fish and pissing on the carpet. Or in your bed. Or chewing anything they think looks like something they might wish to chew. We don't really have cats for mice and rats in Castileos - too much water for them, we've got dogs since they're better for swimming but would they just ignore you? Or was it a Circle rule? Because I can imagine that, from what I have heard of them." Not all Circles were the same but too often she's heard it repeated that attachments were discouraged, and even with an animal she imagines it could be something the overzealous would soon put an end to for whatever reason they dreamt up. "A dog is a dog. Don't mabari do that-- they pick. People say how wise and intelligent mabari are, and that they pick their people, surely it makes no sense to do any of that if the dogs can pick the person they wish to be with."

In general, she doesn't really 'get' the dog thing. People probably don't get her whole sea thing and they especially wouldn't get the whale part so maybe that's the balance but she doesn't go to bond with a whale, and no one would stop her if she wanted to get close to one. Just another way that Thedas is terrible really.

"I learned flags from ships in port; what country, is it a merchant or not, are they important people and so on. People here are so attached to where they come from for the most part, maybe more for humans than elsewhere I think, and I would trust it more for those not mages but what I have chosen here? As much as I can learn quickly? It might save my life." Bards keep their knives up their sleeves after all and behind every friendly smile is someone waiting for her to slip up.