OPEN POST - there's a green glow coming from the library window

[mythalenaste]

WHO: Pel Ashara and everybody in Skyhold
WHAT: Pel returns from the Fallow Mire with crazy amounts of research and will wall herself up doing work and being totally antisocial unless you save her!
WHEN: 19 Firstfall...or is it the 20th? Today. Today and really, really late tonight.
WHERE: Skyhold courtyard and library
NOTES: This is prior to the general return from Skyhold, obviously. Pel just caught a ride back to Skyhold well ahead of the crowd.

Arrival

It turns out a large caravan full of pious Andrastian humans will leave a tiny heathen elf-woman alone if she carries herself like she's about to kick someone's ass. The trip from the Mire to Skyhold was uneventful. In fact, there was never a good enough reason to use her magic, so none of the van was tipped off that Pel is a mage.

Unfortunately, she had no pack mule, so she's having to haul a lot of crap around by herself. One of the nicer people let her keep her heavier things on his cart, but now she's having to get it all unpacked carrying it with her own two hands. She's too proud to ask for help, but you can offer it if you like.

Library

From the time she arrives, she's in the library. During the day, she can be found bent over books. Sometimes, she's asleep on top of one.

At night, long after the keep has gone to bed, a green glow can be seen in the library window, flickering like flame. If someone chooses to check this out, they will find Pel standing over a stone slab with a veilfire flame in her hand, held over her work like a candle. A rune on the slab gives a faint green glow in response. The fire reflects in the elf's eyes like a cat's as she stares suspiciously at you.

Comments

[eolasemah]

An especially painful night had Sina sleepless, and wanting to make use of her time rather than toss and turn uncomfortably for hours, she left her tent in shawl and nightshirt with the intention of checking on some of the herbs she'd left to dry. She hadn't yet made it to the courtyard, however, when she saw the green glow coming from the fortress window. She stopped, squinted, then hesitantly moved toward the doors of the main hall.

This was the first time Sina had been in the actual fortress since the meeting of mages, the third time in total, and she was amazed by how spacious it truly was when not crowded full of people. Her bare feet padded silently along the stone floor as she followed the glow through the crack in the door by the fireplace, and into the eerily-lit round room where the mages had met. She stood in the center, peering up at the flickering-- was it a flame?-- and although her usual sensibilities told her to turn back and not put her nose where it didn't belong, her chest felt heavy and pulled her forward.

She crept up the stairs to the library, squinting in the suddenly bright light of the veilfire. To her surprise, she recognized the wielder. "Pel?" she said, before she could stop herself.

Library

[the_effect_she_has]

Katniss had, through the kindness of Varric Tethras himself gotten a list of all of his books that were there. She went late at night, when she couldn't sleep, leaving Buttercup to hunt the mice in their tower.

Most of Skyhold is quiet, this time of night, and Katniss is able to avoid most of the servants and guards without disturbing anyone's rest or work. So she is faintly surprised to find green eyes glaring at her out of the darkness -- but the Dalish woman isn't the only one with feline in her genes.

She glares right back, offering up a challenge to question why she doesn't have a right to be where a Dalish elf is.

[mythalenaste]

Pel immediately looks regretful--of what, she's not sure, but startling Sina is some kind of special evil.

"Sina."

A beat, then she realizes what needs to happen now. A smile creeps over her face.

"I'm glad you're here. You should see this. It's our heritage."

She touches a candle to light it with veilfire, extinguishing that in her hand.

"Take the candle in your hand and look at the rune."

[mythalenaste]

There's a moment of tension between them, as Pel determines that this is not a templar, and Katniss is not immediately turning around to report her to a templar. Then her shoulders relax and square all at once, like they've come to an accord, an agreement to a mutual claim of this space.

"If you need light, I have candles," she says solemnly. "I'll light them with normal fire."

[eolasemah]

At first Sina was worried she had disturbed her, but she matched the smile with her own and timidly approached. Her large eyes widened at the word 'heritage'; that was always a good way to capture her interest.

She did as she was instructed, glancing from the candle to Pel as she took it, marveling at the strange green light that looked so similar to what she herself exuded. "What is it?" she whispered, lowering the flame to look at the rune.

[mythalenaste]

"A veilfire rune. I've read about them before, but they're everywhere in the Fallow Mire. It's the writing of our ancestors from Elvhenan.'

As Sina looks at the rune and holds the flame, the meanings trickle through; words, sensations, memories, feelings. A building sense of epiphany, excitement, desperation.

Library

[wickedchase]

There's a large amount of wandering Dalish here, which is not something he'd expected. He'll hand it to them; at least some of them can look beyond than their own little hovels and caravans, so there is that.

And this one, it seems, is researching something magically-inclined or some such.

Terribly exciting, he's sure.

Twisted Fate raises a brow at her, mildly curious as their eyes meet in the dark of the library. In his hands, he'd holding a novel, the cover all but reassuring that it's some kind of trashy love book. She can study runes, he can read his indulgence.

"Well now. Dare I ask what you've got there?"

[mythalenaste]

Her demeanor goes icy. Falon'din people are so frigging pretentious. Worse than Dirthamen fans, really. But that's not why she goes icy. He's asking her what she's doing like he's caught her doing something he wants to report to templars, who will bugger everything up trying to prove she's doing something wrong. Which she isn't, but they will interfere and set things back and be a pain.

"Official Inquisition research. Go about your business."

She bends her head to go about hers.

[wickedchase]

"Now now, there's no need to be so cold."

A small chuckle escapes him and he slides out of his seat, the motion smooth as he struts over closer.

"As it so turns out, we're both very official Inquisition agents." Holding out his hand, he forms a veilfire flame himself, his eyes gazing down at the rune. "Of course, you look like you're in a very official position here, officially researching. Officially."

The smile never wavers. "It must be terribly interesting."

[mythalenaste]

"Hold the bloody veilfire still and keep looking at the rune and you'll see what it's all about. I won't need to explain it." Him being a mage with vallaslin does not mean he won't fuck things up for her. Ugh, she hates it when people have a theatrical sense about shit anyone can do. Or. Shit any mage can do.

The rune communicates a building sense of epiphany, excitement, and desperation. A part of a puzzle, or complex code.

[wickedchase]

Usually, when it comes to this sort of thing, it's droll and boring for him. He lost interest years ago in discovering anything about their lost history. It's a point of need for most elves, and it's a point of irritation for him.

Twisted Fate studies the rune. The sense it gives him is not one he feels is pleasant. He takes in a deep breath through his nose.

Whatever he truly thinks or feels, he sees no sense in telling her.

Instead, the corner of his mouth quirks up into his typical smile. "Interesting, really." That's not entirely a lie. "Many of these from the Mire, then?"

[mythalenaste]

"Everywhere in the mire. All together, they had a cohesive message." She's not telling him what that message was. The first people who hear it--read it, actually--are going to be the Inquisition's leaders. "It's a lost art. Useful art."

She's not advocating bringing back elvhen frescoes, or anything.

[wickedchase]

"Well, if you've found something useful, certainly don't let yours truly stop you," he drawls, reaching up to tuck some hair behind his ear as he extinguishes the flame in his hand. "I suppose I'm a little surprised that there's something the Inquisition could gain from old runes laying around in mud."

Twisted Fate shrugs. "What could it even be used for though?"

[mythalenaste]

"Not for me to decide. But the messages themselves can be useful. A lot of ancient knowledge was lost, a lot of people thinking very hard for a very long time. Of course most of what they came up with is probably rubbish, but there were some geniuses among them. We can pick through the rubbish and find the gold. It's what I'm here for."

[wickedchase]

Fascinating, really. Though his expression does not waver, he is truthfully not invested in this remotely. Then again, that's not why he is part of the Inquisition, either; though a mage he is, those are the skills he's putting to use unless in the middle of a fight.

But he keeps his smile, unwavering in her explanation.

"Lucky we have you then, isn't it?" His book is tucked under an arm. "Well, while you're working through the night, don't suppose you need a late night snack? I tend to find I'm a lot less pleasant without something in my stomach."

[mythalenaste]

"You Dalish?"

[wickedchase]

A laugh is earned, soft and withdrawn. "What gave it away? Besides the vallaslin, I know I have that going for me."

[mythalenaste]

"Having vallaslin means you started Dalish. Doesn't mean you're still Dalish.

"I'm on the Council of Magi. My clanmate and I represent the interests of Dalish mages in the Inquisition. You ought to have a talk with her when she's back from the Mire."

[wickedchase]

"Then let's just say it's complicated."

Never a fun topic, but it's the best answer he can give.

"Why, I would love to. Who should I be looking for?"

[mythalenaste]

"Her name is Ellana. She has dark blonde hair--you know, just look for the prettiest little mage you've ever seen, perfect skin and hair and not a freckle in sight, branches on her chiseled marble cheekbones, she's impossible to miss. She'll also smile at you. She might be the only Dalish woman who does that, in the entire of the Inquisition."

[wickedchase]

"Well, that'll really stand out, then." At least she's honest about it. Twisted Fate nods his head once. "I look forward to meeting her. Still, my offer to you stands, if you're hungry. You seem the sort to be wrapped up in her work without remembering to care for herself. If I'm wrong, then I'd be glad to be so."

She seems a workaholic, in any case.

[mythalenaste]

She raises her head, opening her mouth to shoo him off, then stops. Looks thoughtful.

When was the last time she ate?

She took that one really long nap, she's been working since then...

It was light then. It's been dark for maybe six hours now. She ate a snack a few hours before the nap.

She is starving.

"All right," she says, faintly surprised, even a little humbled that someone she assumed would be completely self-centered took the time to observe such a thing.

[wickedchase]

He gives a little bow of his head. "Glad to hear it," Twisted Fate says, winking at her.

"I'll even take requests. Unless you have no preference?"

[mythalenaste]

"Erm. No, food is food." She follows him, hanging back just slightly, like she doesn't quite trust him yet.

[wickedchase]

"Ah, so be it." There's a dismissive wave of his hand as he grins to himself, turning to make his way down towards the kitchen. "Me, I suppose I'll just have to make do on biscuits and tea. Sort of the best thing to have while reading a book. Might suggest something a bit more, mmm... dried meat maybe for your work? Helps, anyway."

She can be as anti-social as she wishes. Clearly, Twisted Fate can talk plenty for two, and then some.

"Do you miss your clan? I suspect so." Sometimes, even he does.