{ CLOSED } An Unexpected Engagement

[aceso]

WHO: Christine, Church, a rival suitor, Korrin, Araceli, Sam, and Jim
WHAT: Christine's mother plays matchmaker and the groom has come to collect his bride-to-be. And to rid her of her current beau.
WHEN: mid-Justinian
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: No tag order. Just throw yourselves in as often as you want!

It's an hour before supper when an impeccably dressed man enters the Inquisition's holdings along the docks. Guillaume Thiebaut walks stiffly but with purpose, carrying a long, thin briefcase with him like a man on a mission. He stops the first person he sees to ask where one might find the man called Leonard Church. This random person doesn't know, and points the visitor along to someone else. Eventually someone has actually heard of Church, and directs Guillaume towards the Gallows. The man pales, adjusts his tasteful coral colored jacket, and offers to pay for someone to fetch the man from the island. He sets his briefcase down at his feet and waits, staring out towards the imposing group of towers, and sets his hands on his hips, turning out his foot like a true Orlesian gentleman.

But waiting is boring and his foot taps impatiently. His gaze turns shrewd as he looks about him at the members of the Inquisition. Perhaps a little more information on this man he's about to face is needed.

"I do beg your pardon. Would you happen to know a man named Leonard Church?" The first rule of battle? Know thy enemy.

Comments

/faaaalcon paaaunch! into the thread

[el_tybs]

The day has been rough and long, and all Sam wants to do is go to his room and relax. Course as he heads towards the Gallows it is very hard to not notice the postured figure in pink standing before the entrance. Even from a distance it is easy to tell that the man was Orlesian, who obviously seemed to be looking for something.

Great.

Just a bit curious but not wanting to get caught up in whatever this was, Sam gives the man a bit of a wide berth, being as nonchalant as he could be. It all but works until he hears 'I do beg your pardon' and instinctively looks-

Aaaand he just made eye contact. Sam sighs lightly and turns to face whatever ridiculousness was to follow. Course he was not expecting Church's name to follow that.

"Aaauuummm... yes?"

[aceso]

Guillaume looks rather pleased to hear this, though he wishes the man wasn't so... simple about it.

"And what sort of man is he? Is he much of a warrior? Is he very... big?" Not that being a big, lumbering fool will do Church much good here. Dueling is all about finesse and being quick. Guillaume just wants to know, and he's sure that Madame Delacroix likes to exaggerate things. Surely he can best Church in a gentleman's duel.

[el_tybs]

Sorry, not sorry that there wasn't more to his presentation.

Was he... big? Very big? Sam raises a brow and gives the man a simple, but noticeable once over. "Well I don't know him like that." He honestly doubts this fellow meant it in terms of hidden weapons, but he couldn't help himself in just going with it.

Or maybe Church had a way with Orlesians.

[aceso]

Ugh, this man is Fereldan isn't he? Guillaume cannot expect much from them in the way of brains.

Guillaume bristles a little at Sam's answer, a little color coming to his cheeks. "Height. I am speaking of his height. And if he is strong on the battlefield."

Honestly, no wonder it was easy for Orlais to occupy Ferelden for years, if this is what they spend their time thinking about.

[el_tybs]

"Sure you are," Sam says with a smirk, crossing his arms as he enjoys the way the man almost matches the color of his suit. He's going to let the comment of 'battlefield of love' drop though considering he had better things to do.

"He's 'bout as tall as me, and he seems to hold his own just fine on the battlefield. Why are you looking for him?"

[aceso]

How insufferable! Is this what Guillaume is forced to put up with in Kirkwall? He heard it was a shithole -- all the more reason to rescue Christine from it, per her mother's wishes -- but this is a bit much.

"I have a matter of importance to discuss with him." It's not like he's going to admit that Church is currently dallying with his fiancée.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Someone eventually has to go and get him. They're none too quick about it, or maybe it's Church who's none to quick about jumping at some random dude's say-so, but...if they're not Inquisition, then someone knowing his name makes him wary.

The short boat ride over is short and boaty, and Church, sword hanging by his side because motherfucking forces gotta force, bitch, catches sight of the stupidest looking man he has ever seen.

"Lemmie guess--" he starts with a finger point to the outfit, tone as flippant as anything, "lightish-red?"

[aceso]

Christine's mother described a scruffy, brutish sort of man, and this one seems to fit the bill. Still, it's hard to be sure this is, in fact, the man he is looking for. A little caught off guard, Guillaume brushes his hands down his jacket front.

"Well, I believe the tone veers more towards a coral myself. Perhaps salmon. But I supposed if you wish to be blasé about it, lightish-red works." Forgive him; his father is a textile merchant and Guillaume grew up around fabrics. And also grew up among fellow Orlesian assholes.

[motherfucking_ghost]

Church does not make a habit of explaining his own in-jokes, and he's not gonna start now with this guy, so he lets the color debate slide and crosses his arms. "So what do you want?"

[aceso]

Ah, so this is Church. Guillaume straightens his spine in the hopes of making himself look a little taller, since he is -- regrettably -- the shorter of the two. Taking a moment to clear his throat, he then says in his most formal tone: "I am here to request you break off all attachments to Mademoiselle Delacroix, as her mother and I have arranged that she is now my betrothed." Church gets one polite request before Guillaume starts pulling off his glove. He's actually hoping the man refuses, because he's itching for a duel. So many end up tied in negotiations and apologies and never get to the actual swords part.

[motherfucking_ghost]

His eyebrows creep up and up...and up. This guy's serious right now? "Her mom picked you? Yeah, that's nice and all, but it's a real damn shame you came all this way for nothing. Bye now."

Peanut Gallery over here

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin's passing through on the way to her new home, her mind elsewhere...at least until Church is spotted. She almost waves in greeting, but the punch he lands on the noble effectively derails that plan. Curious and not about to hide it, she crosses her arms and lingers against a nearby wall. Free entertainment isn't something she's about to shirk.

sips rum

[foxsays]

Korrin, unlike everyone else present, will remember the time Araceli had two men named Malcolm duel in Rivain at the end of a mission because she said that they had to decide who would be the one to hold the name. Or that was the truth she gave it when she just wanted to see a duel to first blood when she was thirsty for such a thing after so long without, because Thedas is a place of blood and violence and passion but a strange way of letting them out and settling differences.

"Finally," she breathes when she appears back at Korrin's side though it's no guarantee that she'll actually stay there for long. Her hip flask is offered out to Korrin because this is a duel, you need a drink in you. "This is where almost all of Thedas goes wrong, no one gets things out properly."

[gatheringstorm]

Duels are always better with refreshments. Taking a swig, she smirks while hand it back, her eyes never leaving the pair. "What's there to 'get out' this time? Who's the asshole that Church punched?"

Not that it truly matters, they know she'll be cheering Church on anyway.

[foxsays]

"No punching," Araceli replies as she pockets the flask again and takes Korrin's other arm to wrap it around her waist so she's settled comfortable against her side the way she likes. "A duel is never over a thing that can be settled with a punch, honestly sirena, this is something about honour. Passion."

This is something that gets Araceli's own blood racing from the way she's talking, glancing up at Korrin and if she touched her cheeks, she'd feel the flush on them.

"His name is Guillaume Thiebaut at any rate, Orlesian." Araceli stumbles a little over the name as ever, her accent and Orlesian still not getting along.

[gatheringstorm]

"I don't think Church heard the 'no punching' rule before, but I won't complain. The look on that other guy was priceless." Korrin smirks while holding her kadan, less certain of or interested in honor than some entertainment. And the way Araceli's eyes sparkle certainly have her attention.

She wrinkles her nose, not at Araceli's pronunciation but between the man's nationality and bearing she's already unimpressed. "Some Orlesian fop? All that it takes to offend one of those is breathe in their direction. At least in Orlais; seeing it in Kirkwall is pretty odd." Any disagreements in the City of Chains are settled in a myriad of ways that have nothing to do with finesse or honor. "Why does Church give a shit, though? He's not the dueling type."

[universal_charm]

Hey Korrin, want a viewing partner? Or anyone want a viewing partner? Because Kirk's here for this as well. He would probably be attracted to any fight involving someone who had been in the muck and some stuck up noble anyways, but it was Church and fellow Rifters came to support each other.

"Right, so, what did I miss?"

If only he had some popcorn.

[el_tybs]

Make that two viewing partners. Honestly the only reason Sam walks up is that he had been looking for Kirk, but as soon as he actually saw what was going on he completely forgot what he was going to say and instead found himself staring.

"Well it looks like that asshole I saw before found Church... aaand they're fighting." Big surprise. "Fighting about-?"

[universal_charm]

"Wait, so you know the guy Church just punched?" Kirk asked Sam, briefly touching his shoulder to Samouel's in a greeting as he continued to eye the pair.

[el_tybs]

Sam grunts lightly in return in way of greeting but still very much preoccupied with the events in front of them. "Know him as much to know he's Orlesian, an asshole, and that he wanted to know where Church was." So, no, he didn't know him.

[foxsays]

Given her whole new job pretty much involves still trying to get some sort of Inquisition navy in shape, Araceli spies him at the docks. But since she isn't expecting a man that matches his description and has other people on the agenda, she glances at him from the corner of her eye before she gets to work.

Lux follows at a click of her tongue because this is what a trained fox is trained to do.

But business doesn't always take very long when it's getting someone to sign a damned ledger finally because she's got enough authority to just sort things out herself instead of being just the go-between and it's back to the Gallows and--

"Señor? Araceli Bonaventura, at your service," a slight bow, for the sake of politeness and now because she really does have a reputation to care about when introducing herself to strangers. "May I ask why you are seeking out Leonard Church?"

[aceso]

Guillaume arches an eyebrow as he takes in the sight of the woman. While he considers himself a cultured man of the world as a successful merchant's son, the truth is he isn't as well traveled as he could be, and he doesn't know if this one is Antivan or Rivaini. He doesn't have enough experience to know the accent, and he really hates not knowing. Giving a bow in return, he replies, "I have an important personal matter to discuss with him. It is imperative that things be settled immediately."

He doesn't want it spread around that his fiancée is dallying with this Church person. People might get the wrong idea about Christine and think her a woman of ill repute, when in reality, she's just not yet aware she's engaged to him. Minor details. It's fine for parents to handle these matters for their children.

[foxsays]

Ah, the advantages of being a rifter pledged to the Inquisition first before all other things: Araceli can be either or both depending on whatever the situation might call for whilst always being very much neither. "You will forgive me if I do not take you to him immediately without knowing your name; this is the Inquisition, this is where we are all working. Unfortunately we must put our personal matters to the bottom of the pile, more often than not when duty calls, as is only right when there is so much to be done to ensure peace is restored and darkness vanquished."

Pretty words and a pretty lie since personal matters tend to crop up all the time but no, sir, she isn't going to just fall for that, try again please as she continues to smile so apologetically but well, bureaucracy, you know?

As far as personal matters and Araceli go? Oh dear Guillaime, the worst sort of person has found you. Dallying with fiancées (and wives and girlfriends) earned her something of a reputation back home at least as much as being a thief when it came to sneaking in and out of bedroom windows, this is clearly your lucky day.

[aceso]

Oh, she's good, and Guillaume eats it all up. He's just a small town boy who's been glued to his father's side when visiting the fancy Orlesian cities: Val Chevin, Val Royeaux, all the Vals. He's never been taken for a ride or swindled. And the fact he's so arrogant means he doesn't consider it a possibility, even in the middle of Kirkwall of all places. Her request is entirely reasonable, and though he's heard varying accounts of the Inquisition, after the aid they provided at the Winter Palace, he's inclined to think they're a force for good.

"Guillaume Thiebaut is my name, my lady. And I thought my timing might see him done with his duties for the day." It's not quite dinnertime yet, and he hopes to have Church stand down to him and meet with Christine in time to take her back to the upper class inn in Hightown for supper.

[foxsays]

If he were a lady, Araceli would offer her arm to him but even a man she thinks she might take in a fight isn't afforded such unless they're of ill-health, injured, or very advanced age. It's the principle of the thing. Instead she gives a little gesture that he might fall in step with her as she begins to walk.

"Are you a contact of his then?" She asks, leading the way to where they might possibly find Church or at least somewhere a little less likely to draw a crowd; the Gallows is hell for gossip, and Araceli is accustomed to counting the eyes that will take note of new faces, the mouths that will begin to circulate the gossip. "A personal matter at the end of the day so it cannot be business as part of our divisions or projects unless it is one of those things we wish to keep off the books and out of the records to spare someone blushes or to smooth all things over better than having it out where everyone can see. Not everything needs witnesses, no?" She's speaking of right now. Perhaps. Maybe. They're just a stranger and a polite young lady offering to help after all, that's all this is he doesn't know that she's a tiny shark in reality.