faderift | You're easier to love from afar (open)

WHO: Cosima and open
WHAT: Open post/catchall for Wintermarch
WHEN: Throughout the month; if you need to back or forward date due to Orlais plot, feel free
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: No warnings to start except for the potential of sad Cosima in some threads.

Tavern

Cosima's been moping long enough. She says this silently and firmly to herself several times a day, in fact. Enough moping. Get out, do some good, meet some people.

And while she's generally inclined to constructive action, Cosima isn't made of stone. After all, she's seen with her own eyes how possible it is she could be gone any moment without warning. (Home or ... wherever.) Carpe diem.

Which, loosely translated, means "have some wine at the tavern and flirt with ladies, because fuck it, you're in another world and you might as well." (Unless she sees a friend first, of course.)

Barracks (semi-closed; you know who you are)

While Avery is at work, Cosima has the room to herself. This makes it an excellent place to hold a meeting, and there's some unfinished business to attend to. She gathers Church and Jamie and does some digging to see if there's anyone else Ruby had roped into this idea before she left. Cosima is, by no means, a natural entrepreneur. But it felt like something she owed her friend.

"So. Who's ever run an eatery before?"

Points Around Skyhold (choose your own adventure)

As far as Cosima can determine, there's not just one place to declare: "Hi, I'd like to formally join the Inquisition" if you're not a fighter, a healer or a mage. She knows she can be useful, surely, but she doesn't know exactly where and she isn't entirely sure who to ask.

But she's seen a little of this world now - run up against Venatori and seen some of the effects of rifts that are much more destructive than spitting rifters into Thedas. She's determined to help.

So she'll keep trying to find a way in. There's a lot of research that goes on in Skyhold; surely someone can use an off-world research assistant.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Cosima glances over the question of what was or was not her fault. Instead: "I'm glad Araceli's feeling better. I've been cleared too - or, I mean, as cleared as I'm gonna be. No worse off than when I left, at least. I'm trying to get more exercise in, but I've really been the athletic type."

Then again, just the number of stairs in Skyhold is giving her a bit more of a workout than she was used to before arriving.

"Hey, you start where you can. We have some classes for that around here, mostly combat-related." They are in the middle of a war, after all. "Though if that's too much, I don't mind taking on hiking buddies if you're interested. Nothing that strenuous, but sometimes you just have to get out of the fortress for a while, you know?"

She smiles at that. "Hiking sounds good, actually. I could use more fresh air. Not that I'm not grateful that Skyhold is, you know, an impenetrable fortress, but."

A pause, then: "I wouldn't mind learning to defend myself a little, but I'm not really a fighter type. Physically or by temperament. I don't even eat meat, so stabbing a person who's undeniably sentient seems, um. Pretty much a last-ditch plan. For me."

She doesn't want to sound judgmental, or ungrateful. The fact remains.

Korrin nods, not judging as she's of the mind that no one -rifter or otherwise- should be forced into the soldier role. "Hey, that's fine. You know what you can handle and what you can't, I can appreciate that. Actually, my alchemy class might help you out with self-defense of the kind you prefer. I'm focusing on grenades, but it's not all about blowing shit up. There are different kinds, that slow down enemies long enough for you to escape, or envelop them in a mist that confuses them, and there are some that outright heal you and other people close enough. So if you want to defend yourself without adding to a body count, that can happen."

"That sounds great actually, yeah. I wasn't half bad at chemistry." Disabling sounded much more up her alley, so to speak. "Do you have, like, registration for classes, or is it more a thing people just show up to?"

Smiling, Korrin shakes her head. "Nah, nothing that formal. People can show up whenever they're up to it. I was thinking of maybe two or three times a week, in the Undercroft? I just show up to restock anyway and whoever joins me helps get to decide what we'll work on that day. The practical part should probably be somewhere else, or Harritt will make a complaint."

"Awesome. Well, count me in for both hiking and alchemy then. Thanks." She laughs a little, then adds, "You know, sometimes I think the Fade definitely grabbed the wrong sister."

Sarah, while much angrier about being stuck, would almost certainly be more useful in demon fighting.

That gets Korrin's attention and she raises an eyebrow, curious. She tries not to take the initiative on prying, but once people bring up things on their own, it's fair game. "Why's that? What's your sister like?"

"Oh, um." She smiles despite herself. "It's just way easier to picture her punching a demon in the face metaphorically. Or, you know, literally. She's a lot more street smart than I am, I guess. We weren't raised together."

"That's too bad. I always liked the idea of siblings, but my parents had to deal with the hellion that was me and must have decided one was enough. I can't blame them." Chuckling at that, Korrin takes another sip. "At least you met up later, though."

"Yeah, it's kind of a crazy story but ... it's nice. She has a kid too, so I got a niece out of it at the same time." Which was probably why it was for the best Sarah wasn't in Thedas -- among other reasons -- but Cosima lets herself indulge in a moment of missing the weird, ad hoc family she'd found recently.

Korrin smiles warmly at that, raising her cup a little. "Nothing wrong with craziness, as long as it brings you something good. That's what I've always thought, anyway. And family can definitely be that." Not everyone is as fortunate, true, and Korrin knows just how lucky she is in that respect as well.

"I'm glad you have those memories to keep close. Hopefully, you'll see them again in time."

"I hope so. It's sort of weird, knowing I might just..." She snaps her fingers. "I could go back with no warning, or I could be here for years. No one seems to see any pattern, with rifters, at least not as far as I've heard."

She nods, smile fading as she stares at her drink, considering that horrifying possibility. "There isn't a pattern, that I've seen. I'm not sure if that unnerves me more than if there were one. Araceli's been here since the beginning and I hope she stays, selfish of me I know, but...there's no way to ensure that will happen. Not unless we get Corypheus and close all the rifts, maybe but then where does that leave everyone else?"

"Yeah, it seems like some of us would rather stay. It's complicated, too, the longer you're here." Cosima shrugs. "I try not to worry about it while I can't do anything about it, but I keep my ears open, you know? I've got family to get back to, but for now ... I'm here."

You're easier to love from afar (open)

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