faderift | Relaxing with a smelly drunk

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Relaxing with a smelly drunk

WHO: Oghren and whoever comes along
WHAT: Oghren's down times when he's not doing Warden stuff...
WHEN: Throughout the month
WHERE: Various Kirkwall locations
NOTES: Oghren, Oghren vs Teren, Mostly just Oghren but definitely Oghren vs Teren.

Drinking Games

There was something to be said about the fact that there were a couple of people passed out at the table Oghren was sitting at. Passed out and without anymore coin to spend because it was currently sitting in front of a red-headed dwarf who was downing another ale. He belched after then gave a laugh as he raised his hand to order more drinks...

Only to stop. "Oi. You. Care to challenge me?"

He gave a sauced grin. Apparently one might have an advantage here? He was certainly drunk enough that maybe they'd be able to out drink him. But this was Oghren...

Training Times

When Oghren wanted to get a good workout in, he could be found at the training grounds. His axe was a dangerous thing which meant a lot of these poor things would have to be replaced but he figured that wasn't his problem. If they didn't want these things destroyed then they shouldn't put them here. Or make them tougher. Or have some rule posted for Oghren to ignore that says to only use training weapons.

Whatever the case, he took a moment to pause with his axe planted next to him, grinning at his work. That was some fine berserker destruction, that was for sure.

Of course the second he saw someone. "You. Do you spar?"

Eh why not.

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They usually tried to avoid each other but things would happen where they'd be forced to interact. Like crossing paths in the market. Oh sure they didn't HAVE to interact but these two just couldn't help themselves could they. Nope.

"What? You here to judge me for doing some shopping again?"

His eyes narrowed up at her, arms crossing. He just did not like this woman at all.

Oghren stopped outside the door of the married couple's place. He thought about knocking but in the end just sort of opened the door up without a care. He couldn't hear them shagging away in there so he figured they couldn't possibly be doing anything too majorly private. Besides, he needed to talk to the mage.

"Anders, you here?"

He wanted him in on this rather than anyone else.

He was in the middle of eating fish he'd been making for days now (really it looked like gelatinous sludge that smelled like death) when he saw the Templar woman. Though she didn't get along with Anders, like most Templar, he could say he liked her. They got along in their own way and he could even call her an ally. Besides, she had a fine sense of humor about her that he appreciated.

So he gave her a wave to let her know she could sit at his table if she wanted and even held up his bowl.

"Fish?" She probably didn't want to touch that though honestly...

She pauses midstep, narrowing her eyes. "If I said I'd hoped to ignore your existence until your inevitable transformation to darkspawn food, would it hurt your feelings?" Teren has a few bolts of coarse fabric over one arm, no doubt shopping for ways to mend the various mistakes Wardens make in wearing their clothing.

"You're more likely to be their food than I am. Though with how little meat you have you'd be more like a toothpick." Seriously, he had no idea how a woman could eat more because of being a Warden and still be so skinny. No meat for anyone to grip onto if they wanted her.

Not that he could figure out why anyone would. The woman was just miserable vulture.

"Better than too much," she mutters, glancing meaningfully at him. Far be it from Teren to judge anyone by their size, but if the gauntlet is thrown, she's going to accept it.
"Either way I can't imagine why you'd think me interested in discussing it with you, so I'll be off. Unless you have something worthwhile to say." Which she doubts.

"What are you even doing with that anyway?" The fabric. It didn't look like it would be pleasant to wear and he knew she did sewing things. It was probably the most feminine thing about her honestly. Not that he ever got any of his things fixed up be her. No telling what she'd rub on his clothes if he did that. He'd learned his lesson after accepting help from Velanna.

"We don't use tents these days that much."

Teren looks at the fabric when Oghren points it out, furrowing her brow. "Making the sack to put over your head," she decides, since if he's too bloody dense to think of the real reason, he might as well believe her.

"What? You think about me so often you actually make sacks for my decapitated head? Flattering that." Of course she didn't. It was probably for mending...something. What though he couldn't be sure because who would want to wear rough fabric? Not him anyway. Would make all his weird patches itch worse than they did already.

She wrinkles her nose in a sneer, looking at least a little confused by the assertion. That's... fucking vivid, Oghren, thanks for that.
"Are you in the market for being decapitated?" she asks, a little rattled. Maker, she was just threatening to blackbag him and throw him in a river.

What? He went for creativity. That was way more creative than the whole body in bag for a river. Well, he thought it was anyway. Certainly had more nightmare fuel to it. Still, this was actually the first time he'd seen her rattled like that around him. Usually she had a really snappy comeback by now. "Uh...that wasn't what you meant was it."

Hard to enjoy a victory when he was surprised he'd managed to do something.

"Most people would knock," Anders says with a little amusement in his voice. The fireball in his hand vanishes as he sits back down in the desk chair and nods to another. "Just remember to never charge in. That... won't go over well. And what can I do for you?"

He closes the books on the desk, marking places in some before stacking them out of the way just in case Oghren needs another letter written.

"Was wondering when you have some free time." Coming in, he plopped his ass down in one of the chairs. Sure he'd take that warning into consideration (and follow it) but right now he had other things he wanted to talk about. Important stuff.

"Thinking of making a trip at some point and I thought I'd see if you wanted to come."

"Mm." It's a thoughtful noise as he fishes for a calendar buried underneath a more than a few pieces of parchment. Once retrieved, it gets a frown because it's a mess. There's all sorts of notes about projects and leads. Anders shakes his head with a snort.

"I'm trying to pull together a group for a research venture that's important to me, but I've no idea when it will happen. Name when you're going on this trip and I'll find the time to join you." This is important to Oghren, and Anders would like to support his friend. "...This is for visiting your child, right? Or is there another trip you're planning?"

"I just want to make sure they're doing alright. I was thinking more to the end of the month so we could get supplies and so on. We'd be gone a few days so we've got to have food and drink." He wasn't the best at responsibility most of the time but he did actually understand the basics of it. Oghren scratched his beard then glanced curiously at the calendar Anders was looking at.

"What's this project you want to do by the way?"

He nods, relaxing back in his chair.

"The end of the month should do well. And the project... Do you mean the notes on the calendar, or the group I'm gathering? Because the latter is the one that would be relevant to you. I'd like to take a group of Wardens to Soldier's Peak. If he's still alive, there's a Warden I need to speak with there. You may remember him."

Avernus. He doesn't expect Oghren to be eager to go speak to an ancient blood mage, but the company would be welcome so he was mentioning it just in case.

"Soldier's Peak, huh? That was that Avernus one. Blood mage." He frowned some wondering why Anders would want to talk things over with him. What with blood magic being a bad thing and all that. Dangerous stuff.

"Alright so what's the stuff on the calendar? Then you can tell me why you want to go to Soldier's Peak."

Anders' expression lights up as he taps the calendar and verbally launches off, speaking rapidly.

"My clinic and school. It's begun, there's a building that was claimed by two Darktown gangs who feel they owe me for the healing I've given them before, and granting the building to me was a compromise they could agree on. But the building is small and damaged so we're working on it. What extra coin I get, what extra healing I can do for craftsmen, is being filtered into making this a place of health and learning both, for anyone who needs either. If I can, if it does well, if people see it succeeding, maybe it can spread. And it's not simply booklearning, there's magic teaching there too. The common people are being exposed to mages and seeing what we can do that can transform their lives for the better, and..."

Anders breaks off and looks slightly amused suddenly. "Sorry. I'm a little... It's a possible path to the future that could keep the Circles from returning so I'm passionate about it."

He shrugs, rubbing the back of his neck. "And Avernus has kept off the Calling for longer than anyone else, and may be able to help me figure out a cure for Nate. The other thing I'm passionate about. I'm hoping there's one that doesn't require blood magic."

But as time goes on, he's becoming slightly more open to the possibility.

Alright he'd have to get back to the clinic and the school. Because right now... Oghren frowned as he listened to why the mage wanted to talk to Avernus. For Nate. No, this wasn't for Nate at all. This was all for Anders.

"We've known each other awhile now, Anders. Just say it like it is with me. You're doing this for you. Because you've got it in your head that it's all over with him gone."

Oghren leaned back in his chair to watch him, crossing his arms. "That's what this is really about isn't it."

He wasn't scolding him for desperation or fear. Just not admitting that this was the case when talking with him. He wanted that honesty about something this serious when they were clearly alone in this room together.

He crosses his own arms, a little defensively.

"It's not something I've 'got in my head.' For me, it is over if he's gone. I don't have the strength to lose again. Either we go down into the Dark Roads together or I cure him. I have lost too much and I am done, Oghren. I'm finished. I will save him or we die."

Oghren's opinion, unlike many other opinions, matters to him which is why he's bracing himself. He won't change his mind on this which means Oghren could hurt him quite a lot depending on what he chooses to say here.

He frowned some more. Stubbornness, he understood it well. He also understood loss, perhaps better than most realized he did. Oghren was rough around the edges but he'd been through a lot of pain, had made so many mistakes in his life. Sure he hadn't gone through the sufferings of mages and wouldn't understand losing people that way but...

"If you're going to be telling people that you're looking for a cure then you may as well say it's for all Wardens. You aren't going to get enough support if you make it all about Nathaniel. Especially when you've already got a reputation."

Oghren leaned forward then, putting his hands on his knees as he looked at Anders.

"I don't like a lot of this blood magic business and only sort of put up with magic. Us dwarves have trouble understanding it because of what we are. But you're not the only one who has lost so much in your life. I'm just telling you that when we're alone like this don't give me this sodding mess of it being for Nate. This is about you or I bet he'd be in on this and I don't hear you mentioning him working on it."

No way was he going to stop the mage from doing this but the least he could do was tell him a better way to get support for it. And to ask for honesty when they were alone like this. He figured he deserved that much anyway.

"You get what I'm saying here?"

He blinks.

"You're wrong. He knows I'm working on the cure, and for everyone and not just Nate, but I'm a spirit healer. I'm possibly the only spirit healer who has ever turned serious attention to the matter. He'll come with to Soldier's Peak, but he can't work on it. You can't work on it. It's going to be magical if there's a cure to be found, because there's elements of magic to the Blight itself. He knows my intentions, he knows that I will die with him if I don't find a cure. This isn't some sodding mess, because I want to save the life of my husband for him as much as I want to save him for myself, Oghren. He deserves better than to give his life so early after all he's done."

The implication that he's just doing this for himself rankles, as well as Oghren thinking that he's trying to deceive the Dwarf.

Well, there was no point in getting someone to see they were in this for themselves if they were going to be blind to it. He'd already learned what that was like with his first wife. Once they blinded themselves there was only keeping an eye on things and hoping it didn't all go to piss.

"Alright then, any ideas on what kind of team you want? Do you want other healers in on this? Don't know if there are other spirit healers here but there's probably some mages here who'd be able to help right?"

Might as well turn this topic around. Wasn't like Anders was going to listen to the other part.

The way Oghren changes the subject suggests that he doesn't believe what Anders is saying and that stings. He presses his lips together for a moment as he fights the urge to pursue the topic; down that path just rests more pain.

"I think I want everyone who comes to Soldier's Peak to be a Warden. That Jonas left him to do his research is a secret that shouldn't be spread about, and the place could hold other Warden secrets as well. Bethany and Inessa are both healers, with Inessa seeming... a little more, mm."

He doesn't want to say sane. "Together," he finally says as a compromise.

"Yeah I was there when that happened. The leaving him to do his research business. Sort of looked like a walking corpse to me at the time." Old he meant he looked really old. But eh whatever. Not like old people couldn't do things too.

"I'm not sure I like this whole talking with him thing but I'd go with you. I was there before so I know the layout of that place. Even if it's been a long time."

"If he's found something out it will be worth the trip." To him, at least. Maybe not to Oghren.

"I could use what you remember of the place, because Jonas implied there were a lot of traps that likely were reset. Between you and Nate we should be able to deal with those, and hopefully the trip and conversation will go fairly smoothly."

Nothing ever really does, but there's no point in being too pessimistic. Or realistic, as the case was.

"You should see if any of us from that original trip can come. Even Morrigan. Sure she's no Warden but she knows things."

And having them around meant that they'd be able to know the layout and the possible traps with greater ease. It wouldn't make things easy but it could help. And if nothing else they all had seen the blood mage before too.

"If Morrigan chooses to come. I'm not altogether certain she doesn't hate me."

He knows she doesn't like him. He can't figure out if she dislikes him is the issue, and he'd like to not bring along people who actively don't like him. Trips are far more smooth when people can tolerate each other.

"I'll ask Alistair what he thinks when I invite him, since he seems close to her. Ish." HEes pretty sure Oghren isn't. Oghren has a habit of annoying women.

"I could talk with her. I was going to see if she was up for having drinks together sometime. Figured if I was going to make a trip to see my nugget then I should see if hers wanted to send anything with me."

Because he actually was rather good friends with Morrigan. There was a bond between them that had formed by them both having kids honestly. Something not understood by most who didn't understand the trials of fearing how bad they'd mess up their kids because of who they were. Of being the last people anyone would believe would have kids but did.

It's not that Teren doesn't appreciate morbid humor in the right time and place, but for one thing she rarely appreciates Oghren's humor, and for another she just... wasn't expecting it.
She shakes her head with an avoidant sneer, and starts to continue in the direction she was going. Good talk, good talk.

"Ugh. You're such a frustrating woman! You're more sodding difficult that my first wife and she was a nightmare!" He actually threw his hands up in the air because why did he ever bother talking with Teren ever. Good talks or bad ones. They just all turned into ruddy messes like this.

Though her back is turned to Oghren by now, Teren smirks. That conversation threw her for a loop, but as long as he's the more frustrated party in the end, she counts it as a win.

"It's a wonder that didn't work out," she calls flatly over her shoulder, on her way away. She doesn't know about Branka, but to be fair, they probably would have gotten along pretty well.

"It didn't work out because Branka died." Okay so it had actually stopped working ages before that buuuuut that was a minor detail. Only not really. Only it was amazing what things people didn't mention when it came to trying to one up someone on being irritating.

"Going to..." He blinks, surprise written on his face. "You're on drinking terms with Morrigan but brawling with Teren? How does that even happen?"

Except, on second thought, maybe he shouldn't be too surprised. Jonas had a way of uniting the people with him, after all.

"Ah," What is that, Maker. Even Averie never managed slop of that caliber. "Very kind, but I've eaten."

She absolutely hasn't — but as little as she's ever enjoyed wasting food, this concoction clearly fled the food category several days ago and hasn't looked back. Literally. Even the eyeballs must have long since melted down.

(A pity, those are best whole.)

Wren slings the pack from her shoulder with a short huff of breath and eases herself down to the table. She hadn't quite been looking for Oghren, but she's not about to quibble over a meeting she'd only need seek later.

"Angling for a chef's position?"

Angling. Fish. She's hilarious.

Edited 2017-08-12 08:35 (UTC)

Teren is, at the very least, not low enough to mock someone's dead wife. Or to mock him about his dead wife. She continues on, pretending she didn't hear him.

"Sodding woman and her sodding vulture face," he grumbled under his breath as he went to turn the other way. Seriously, she always left a sour taste on his tongue. Always the arguing with her.

"Course I am. Teren is a sodding nightmare. Morrigan has some decency."

That was right. He was talking about Morrigan like she was a person and not bringing up her more physical assets. Not that he hadn't noticed them, he'd commented on them plenty in the past. It was just the point where he was with her currently.

"Nope. Not interested in feeding the lot of you. I'm not your father. Or your mother for that matter."

He slurped up some of the fish and then gave it a swallow. Slide down juuuust right. He'd done a good job on this particular batch. Really he was going to have to get some more white fish so he could make more of this.

Maybe store the fish somewhere near Teren's room. Have her wondering what the smell was all the time.

"So what are you up to? Doesn't look like you're busy."

"Maker, at least I look it." She rummages through the bag, "I returned from Orlais last night — in my absence we’ve acquired two Venatori prisoners, a magical forest, and an idiot in need of bail money."

To say nothing of whatever’s lately crawled up Gwen’s ass. Wren pauses, realizes belatedly that she’s been unfair.

"My apologies," A gesture, shorter than it ought to be. "I did not intend to present you with a list of complaints."

Rather the opposite. Finally, she seems to find what she’s looking for, fishes out a few papers and passes them across the table: Cheap prints, sold by the sheet (a book, however poorly-made, is something of an investment for someone on a Chantry stipend, and Yngvi’s shlock had already spoken for that piece of her savings). The lines wave in places, smudge in others, but the illustrations are curiously intricate. The type beneath each instructs the viewer — in Trade and Orlesian — to find a number of hidden objects.

Puzzles. Wren leans back in place, massages her jaw.

"I thought you might do better with these than I."

She obviously doesn’t mean that he ought to solve them.

This is a day, isn't it. Oghren doesn't believe Anders wants to actually help more than himself with the Warden cure and is a drinking buddy with Morrigan. Neither are things Anders had seen coming.

"Well. If you want to ask her, you're welcome to. But let her know who will be leading it. I doubt she'll have any interest then." His tone is slightly distant as he sorts through his papers again. When even people he counted as friends had issue with him, how could he expect others to give a care? Honestly, he would have thought her as likely to be absolutely against Circles and the Chantry, and maybe to have warmed up slightly from absolutely frigid after he'd saved Leliana's life, but he doesn't know Morrigan.

"I'll thank you to not insult Teren anymore in my presence. I've no objection to complaints when she's done something recently you take objection to, but she's my friend and I don't like hearing her be called names."

"Sounds like business as usual with this place."

Oghren slurped up some more fish then was surprised when she actually handed him some stuff. Curious, he flipped through the pages and blinked a few times. It took him a moment before he realized what exactly she was giving him. With a laugh, he flipped through a few more then gave her the most cheerful grin in the world.

"My nugget is going to love these! They'll keep that mind of his busy for a good while!"

Another laugh and then he reached into his armor to pull out a flask. "Here. Have a drink. I promise that's good tasting stuff and not some of the piss I usually drink. Can't remember which bottle I grabbed but I keep my collection well organized."

"I'll insult her if I please. You may not have a problem with her but I do. It's not like she'd show me the decency of not insulting me behind my back if talking about me. Besides, I only said she was a nightmare. That's not at all bad as what I actually think of her."

Seriously, getting Oghren to stop talking poorly about someone he didn't like was more than a challenge. Especially when he had every reason to talk poorly about that person like he did with Teren. Nightmare of a vulture woman.

"Morrigan isn't big on Wardens to begin with far as I can tell. Can't say I blame her given the sad state I see most here. But she and I have a thing together. Keeps us close."

Anders shakes his head.

"I'm not asking you to not insult her. I'm asking you to not insult her to me. And I'd ask her the same thing in regard for you, because you're both my friends and hearing someone badmouthing either of you doesn't sit well with me."

He understands hating someone, understands it quite well, in fact, but there's a reason he doesn't gripe about Korrin around Araceli, Aleron around Bethany, and so on. No one likes hearing their friends insulted.

"If Morrigan wishes to come, I think she could be an asset. But again, make certain she knows who is leading it. I don't want her to be surprised and upset."

"Then don't listen."

Oghren wasn't about to stop, after all. He figured if someone didn't like it then they could just not pay attention to him. Worked pretty well for all of Orzammar anyway.

"Yeah sure. I'll see if I can bring it up with her. Though it wouldn't be the first time a woman was upset with me if I mess up."

He takes a slow breath in and releases it.

"I don't want to hear it, Oghren. She is my friend, as are you, and I don't want to hear someone badmouthing my friends. Either you don't badmouth her again, or you accept that the moment you do, I will consider our conversation over."

The people who put up with him mean a great deal to him, and Anders feels that at the very least he can avoid any conversations against them behind their backs.

"Alright look here. You were the one who mentioned I got along with Morrigan but not Teren. That opened you up to getting to hear what I felt about them. If you didn't want to hear it then don't bring her up."

No way was he just going to let himself be chewed out when he hadn't even brought her up in the first place. And hadn't even been that creative with what he'd said about her. A nightmare was way low on the list of things he could have said.

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Relaxing with a smelly drunk

Teren

Anders

Wren

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sorry for such the egregious delay on this!!

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watch me not be much better

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