— (open) do you see it clearer

[ichaer]

WHO: Ciri + OPEN
WHAT: In which Ciri is a huge dork about love, is adopted by birds and fights a drunk among other fun adventures
WHEN: Beginnings of August
WHERE: Kirkwall, various
NOTES: Nothing to mention, will update as needed if anything does come up.

— ｇａｌｌｏｗｓ.

It's not an unfamiliar sight these days to see the ashen-haired Warden practicing in the area segregated off for training. Usually she gets helps from the many of the Inquisition foot soldiers wandering about to practice with or perhaps even one of her mage friends. Today is no different except that the person Ciri is training with is not such a familiar sight on this side of the Gallows, armed with a pair of daggers in hand and holding off the strikes from a long-sword. It's not the usual sort of practice, as Ciri yells commands every so often and follows up with timed strikes from someone who is clearly teaching rather than pushing all of her skill into the session.

Avery, the Inquisition's Head Cook to some, seems to be holding up well under the directions even as Ciri's presses in and invades the other's bubble of space for both closer, faster strikes from her sword. It goes on until Ciri hops back, pushing forward with more strength than intended and the force knocks one of the daggers from the other woman's hands. Instead of steel meeting steel, her blade cuts across Avery's hand and os immediately dropped as blood begins to pour from the wound.

"Shit, shit!" Her sword, usually so well-cared for is forgotten as she reaches out and takes Avery's cut hand into her own. "Maker, shit. Sorry, I wasn't bloody thinking and—"

If Avery was going to speak, it's rather hand with Ciri mumbling and worrying like she is in the present. It probably doesn't help when the Warden chuckles, lifting the other woman's hand and kissing her fingers with a stupid grin. Leaning in with another kiss to Avery's nose and cheek, chuckling despite the grumbles that might be bubbling up inside her companion now.

What a pair of dorks, right?

— ｒｏｏｓｔ.

The griffins, much like the Wardens themselves, are a familiar sight around the Gallows. The griffins likely moreso than their fleshy companion if just because it is not unknown to here about some poor servant having one swoop down to steal food or something shiny from their unsuspecting hands. Feathery terrors, the lot of them and Ciri could not agree more with the assessment given to their thought extinct bird children. Especially now that their usual feeding time (already a workout in itself) has turned into Maker be damned play hour instead.

Anyone walking into the roost should be careful of food being thrown because children as Ciri sits in one of the cleaned areas as one griffin needlessly plays with her hair, it would almost be affectionate if not for the fact that she was sure the griffin was only looking through her hair thinking she was hiding more food. Another griffin, one of the... hefty ones, has made a roosting mate of the young Warden. Ciri can only tiredly pet down puffs of feathers, and listens to the happy little calls that almost make you forget they could easily rip someone open.

If you've stayed this long, the new visitor might get a look from both birds and their captive.

"You best have bloody brought them something to eat else they're gonna peck your feet."

— ｈｉｇｈｔｏｗｎ.

Ciri takes pride in avoiding fights with the locals since arriving in Kirkwall. After all, everyone had an opinion and Kirkwall was just a powder keg of opinions. Currently, all talk seemed focused on the forest that had sprung up in the place of the former Chantry. Already a place full of explosive opinions, now several times worse and leaving the city feeling on edge as if everyone was waiting for something else to happen to ruin everything.

She doubts it would have been some drunken man, angrily swinging a bottle in one hand and an axe in the other as he gestures wildly at the new forest. He yells about a lot of things, mostly mages and elves with a colorful whirlwind of slurs that leaves her slightly reeling by the sheer number he manages in such a short amount of time. He's gathered a bit of a crowd but most seem interested in just moving along and avoiding confrontation.

Admittedly she is of the same mindset, deciding to leave it to the stationed guard if he went after the forest and continue her walk. It isn't the forest he swings his bottle at though, and instead it smashes at the feet of a small elven woman who cowers as he reaches out to grab her collar. It's in that moment that she decides she can't ignore it before rushing forward. Again, she considers the guards but it's all shoved aside as makes a grab for the man's hand and pushing the woman back.

There's a flash of pain followed by the sharp taste of blood as his fist connects with her nose and mouth. Once more, she thinks of the guards: they could arrest him or something fitting but her body moves before the rational part catches up. Instead the Warden grits her teeth, striking back and throwing her head forward in a headbutt with enough force to spend both parties almost toppling over. Right, okay, no one wins with a headbutt.

Though... maybe someone should hop in before this becomes a brawl?

— ｗｉｌｄｃａｒｄ.

For anything not mentioned above! Feel free to find her around the Gallows, along with being found both inside and outside the city. Hit me up through a PM or on plurk at kaldwin if you'd like something set up.

Comments

gallows, obvs

[thecookery]

Hey, on the bright side, maybe if Avery blushes hard enough, all the blood will rush to her cheeks and the cut will stop bleeding!

Any cursing of her own that may have begun immediately after the botched strike quickly devolves into tight-lipped assurances that "it's not that bad, really" in response to Ciri's fussing, and then further into general flustered sputtering not long after. How do other people handle PDA without just spontaneously combusting on the spot?? At least nobody's around to see her suddenly go from fighting fit to soft and red-faced in about zero seconds flat...... right?

"Come on now," Avery eventually manages to mumble out, standing kind of stiff but (perhaps tellingly?) not pulling away at all. "First you stab me, now you're laughing at me? How's that right?"

[ichaer]

Wrong. Absolutely wrong, but Ciri isn't having much care in the way of worrying about onlookers or anyone wandering by if that wasn't already obvious in her actions. She is nevertheless glad that Avery, besides standing oddly stiff, does not move and allows her to remain close.

"Oh, hush." Ciri says in response as she glances back to the cut. "I cut you, absolutely different from stabbing you and I'm laughing because I didn't stab you. It's a laugh of relief."

[thecookery]

With a quiet huff that's almost a laugh, Avery responds, "That's what you say. Facts remain: You? Laughing. Me? Hit with a sword."

She's relaxed slightly now, but still feels kind of out of her element and unsure of what to do with herself, really.

[ichaer]

"But it's not like I meant to hit you." Ciri says with a small grin, breathing out a sigh. "If I let you hit me, would you feel better?"

She says, jokingly but perhaps with a quiet bit of worry that the other woman might just take her up on it.

Gallows

[circleprodigy]

Such antics don't go unnoticed, not for long. Inessa and Garahel are passing the training area when the sight of the pair catches their attention, and the elf mage alters course to observe, gesturing for her mabari to keep up. They reach the pair just as things get more interesting, naturally. The cut across Avery's hand provokes a wince, and Inessa's about to speak up when Ciri showers affection upon her grumbling companion. She fights the temptation to slip away and give them more privacy...mostly out of a sense of duty to the injured. But she also has a duty to her best friend, and that duty is to tease her at times like this.

"In public? Disgusting." She tsks at Ciri, with a grin even as she's aware of being a total hypocrite. The grin softens into a warmer smile as her gaze shifts to Avery. "I can heal that, if you like. Or I can retrieve a poultice." People can be skittish about magic, and she's made sure to anticipate this by now. Garahel merely wags his tail and barks happily at them.

[ichaer]

"Sorry, I'll make sure there's a huge dead dragon in the background next time." She says, sticking her tongue out playfully before looking to Avery with raised brows. "Can you believe this one? Makes out in front of a dragon and tsks at me like that. I'd say more but Nessa might freeze my bathwater if I keep it up."

Ciri nonetheless keeps a careful grip on Avery's hand before nodding happily. "Her vision of a night on the town aside, she's right good with her healing magic. You just have to ignore how cold her hand are, alright?"

[thecookery]

WHY?! Why do they suddenly have an audience? And a sassy one at that??

Avery stays where she is but grimaces slightly and looks away, both because of the interruption and, yes, also to some degree the magic. She knows it's not all terrible and is certainly necessary for what they do here, but her instinctual response to the idea of it being used on her is probably always going to be discomfort now.

At least she tries not to show it overmuch, but the hesitation is still there before she can answer, "Mm, suppose that's the quickest fix."

[circleprodigy]

Blame Ciri, Avery. If were anyone else, Inessa would have quietly left a poultice or potion and said not a word. But sassing a best friend is imperative and who knows when she'll have a chance like this again?

Besides, Ciri gives as good as she gets. Inessa rolls her eyes, but her normally pale cheeks grow slightly pink at those words. "You're toeing the line as it is, you know." Yet she denies nothing. ANYWAY, yes, healing that hand. She smiles again at Ciri's endorsement before turning her gaze back to Avery. "It is, I promise." It just takes a second to focus her mind before sending that blue energy Avery's way.

Roost

[kartereo]

"Actually yes?" Was the response.

It came from Waver, who seemed a little winded from dragging a bucket behind him (it was definitely griffin food), but beyond that, he was in pleasant enough spirits. He didn't so much lift the bucket out to be taken as just let it rest next to his feet, but all the same.

"I ran into the person who was supposed to bring this up, I was going the same way, and it got foisted off on me. Is it okay if I just leave it here?"

[ichaer]

"They foisted it on you? Maker, I should hang them from the roost by their laces."

Who could deny these adorable faces? A pair of those adorable faces happen to inches closer, sniffing at Waver and then curiously peeking at the bucket of food like the nosy children they are. Ciri, in turn, just chuckles as one continues to groom her ashen hair.

"You ever met our feathery friends? Gone forever, we thought but now we have these guys. It's one of the few goods things to come out of this mess."

[kartereo]

"There are worse jobs."

Waver stayed still. He wasn't sure what the right way to approach the griffins to make it clear he was a friend. They were pretty cute though, especially the one working on Ciri's hair.

"I can't say that I have. What's the best way to make sure they know you're a friendly face?"

[ichaer]

"You'll change your tune after dragging a couple of sacks of offal up all those stairs."

Ciri just watches quietly. Watches as the two most curious griffons sniff and tilt their heads at Waver as if waiting to see what he does. This is food for them, right? Right?

"Food is a good starting point. It's honestly the best point, and not taking their food also helps. Basically the way into these once-extinct creature hearts is through food." She says, shaking her head. "I suppose they are still growing, after all."

Hightown

[conqueredhearts]

Someone did need to step in and why not a man nearly seven feet tall and with muscles that had muscles? Iskandar grabbed the man by the collar to yank him away from her. Drink made people do foolish things and apparently this was one of them. Eyes narrowed, he frowned at the man before glancing at the woman.

"What is he so angry about?" She seemed sober even if she was bloodied. That meant she'd probably solve this...

He shifted to avoid the axe and decided it was time to relieve him of that. Reaching for it, he grabbed hold of it tightly to yank at it. "I think you've had enough of that. Alcohol and weapons rarely mix well and you are proving this fact admirably."

[ichaer]

Ciri is glad for the distraction because Iskandar is a distraction. The man yells, trying to free himself and lets out another string of colorful language. Ciri, meanwhile, pinches her nose and bends forward with a deep breath of air.

"Maker's balls, that fucking hurt..." She mutters, idly wiping blood from her face with the back of her hand and eyeing the guy with a cross look. "He's pissed off about the newest addition to Kirkwall here. Forests don't appear overnight, you know so its obviously gotta be magic and our friend here don't much care for it."

As if on cue there is another string of less than pleasant language toward mages, oh and elves. We can't forget all of that wonderful racist language. "He don't like elves much either, if I had to guess."

(mind if I join in? if not just lmk)

[doneisdone]

As Iskandar lunges past to take care of the drunk, a second presence sweeps in, grasping Ciri firmly by the shoulders and moving to steer her away from the debacle. "Few do," Teren darkly comments, releasing the girl and peering down at her face. "How's your breathing?" If it's a broken nose, the sooner they deal with it, the better.

I don't mind!

[conqueredhearts]

"That so." It wasn't a question at all and Iskandar disarmed the man and actually tossed the axe to the ground near the women. They were being sensible so they should have it. The bottle came next and he actually looked into the bottle before tilting it and drinking the rest of the contents down himself.

"There. That should solve you drinking the rest of this." He ignored the cursing as he carried the man over to a spot some feet away from the women and dropped him down onto his ass. "You stay there before I knock you out and make you do so."

With that, he looked back to the other two. "How fares her nose?"

roost;

[inagutterson]

Given that Yngvi's trying to avoid most of his usual haunts, he feels safe enough in assuming that most people who might be looking for him aren't going to go looking for him here. It's all well and good to sit and work on traps and mechanisms in the quiet of the room he shares with Wren because no one will bother him there instead of his own where people would find him, and he's had a grand time rolling around with Hardie and doing whatever he thinks is helpful at the Vauquelin estate as well as some continued investigations but he needs a bit of excitement.

Some flavour. Something. Watching someone with this monstrosity because really, were doglords and the dogs and the Qunari not enough, did they need to bring angry birds everyone seems to get very emotional about to Kirkwall? Dogshit you might step in, he doesn't want whatever one of these shits out to possibly take him out from above.

"If your overgrown pigeon makes a move on Stroganugg I'll fight him." He's not afraid of an overgrown pigeon with anger management issues, he'll kick it's his, he'll kick his own ass, he's been doing a grand job of that since the Inquisition came to Kirkwall for all and sundry to hear if evidence is required.

[ichaer]

The sudden sound of someone entering the roost is enough to get Ciri to open her eyes, peeking at the unfamiliar face as Buggie continues to nose and part her hair with her beak. An unfamiliar face but she seems to remember the voice from some crystal message back in Skyhold, a question of some sort? Something about doglords and eating mabari?

His statement earns him a raise of her brow as she glances to Stroganugg and then to the dwarf. "Unless your friend is secretly sentient roasted potatoes in disguise then unfortunately there won't be no fighting, despite my want to see it." Griffons beaks could break bone, as the old tomes said but who really knew in this age when they had just become un-extinct? "They're a bit too big to bother with the smaller creatures now, you know?"

Kicking her legs, she glances down the edge of the roost and to the ground far below. Somewhere she can hear the other griffons playing out on the harbor. She has to wonder what the people of Kirkwall might think about it all. She doubts the Inquisition might have done much in their favor since they are, after all, still not part of the group proper. Just long... long outstanding visitors.

[inagutterson]

That was a very scientific and philosophical survey carried out on the behalf of an Orlesian lady who couldn't ask herself on account of being an Orlesian: let the record show that Yngvi is not discourteous in being rude because that rudeness came from doing a good deed and he reported his findings back promptly.

"I forget how little anyone but a dwarf knows of nugs. Ever seen dwarf potatoes? That's what a nug is." Yngvi says as haughtily as he can but all his attempts at haughtiness come through the highborn ladies he's worked for and the one he shadows so it's very much Yngvi-attempts-Gwenaelle-Vauquelin which doesn't really work so well. (Yngvi she is a Grey Warden, the odds of her having seen a dwarf potato if there was such a thing are stacked far higher in her favour than yours because you're a surface boy from Kirkwall who got smuggled into Orzammar for a few jobs and some experience.) "Big things always bother with small things if they think they can. Orlais, Celene, Halamshiral."

If he keeps a smile on his face, does that sell the line? Like he doesn't actually care? Moving swiftly on.

"This is what all that fuss was about though? Just. Overgrown pigeons with sharp bits? What happens if they eat some of the mouthy folks? I was growin' up when the doglords and the Qunari moved in - moved out when the Arishok set things on fire - and they could speak and some of them allegedly had table manners." If they eat some people then he might not mind, but that's probably not actually going to help but he could give a list of recommendations as long as his arm.

Roost

[in_death_sacrifice]

"I would never come to this place without food in hand. Believe me, I once learned the hard way, too."

Kain approaches, some meat in hand. He's got extra for his favorite griffon, but also plenty more to give to the others. He approaches Potato first, though, since he'd never want to make her think he's favoring anyone else. She gives a delighted screech as he offers her the food, taking it eagerly. He pets her head as she leans in on him... she's never quite gotten out of that 'lap griffon' phase entirely.

"Have you had a chance yet to ride any of them?" Though he knows the griffons themselves are picky about that sort of thing... Potato had chosen him and Inessa more than they'd really made that decision themselves. He hopes Ciri will have the chance too, as a Warden.

[ichaer]

"They destroyed a good pair of boots once, the little monsters. They were just little ones then so I can't imagine what they'd do to me now."

The others seem interested as they smell food, fluffing up their feathers and making happy little sounds in the back of their throats. Buggie still continues to play with her hair as Buttons, ever their lazy mascot, continues to doze cuddled up at Ciri's back.

"I haven't. Kelpie would be jealous, you know?" She isn't sure it would be the sort of thing for her honestly. Warden or not, more than enough didn't become Griffon riders. Perhaps that would end up being her path in this short life.

[in_death_sacrifice]

"But they're magnificent monsters, you can't deny that." Though Kain has indeed learned the hard way to be careful what he wears around them, because they're always bound to pluck off a hat or pull at shiny things, anything that catches their eye, really. He ties his hair back, usually, too, not that it's always helped. They really like hair, and they remember his.

He watches as one of them is definitely enamored with Ciri's hair right now. Meanwhile, Potato continues to cuddle up against him. She knows the 'no laps' rule, but it doesn't mean she'll respect it.

"You don't know what you're missing." Though he holds a special attachment to the sky, so it's different for him. "But I suppose we can't have anyone getting jealous. That wouldn't be fair. At least you can still enjoy their company, like this... they're all fond of the attention."

The Gallows

[youwonscience]

Avery might have hoped that her roommate would have missed the entire exchange. Or, as a second choice, that if she saw she would have had the decency to just pretend she hadn't and just keep walking.

Unfortunately, her roommate is Cosima, who instead shouts from the other side of the fence, "Oh good, are you going to protect us now if someone breaks in at night?" That is, assuming she's in their room and not elsewhere, which increasingly looks to be an unsafe assumption.

And also, because they haven't been formally introduced, sunnily to Ciri: "I'm Cosima, hi." (This in a more normal tone of voice as she's approached properly.)

[thecookery]

Oh, Maker, what has she done to deserve this? Truly it must have been terrible.

Red-faced and sighing, Avery first looks to Ciri and informs her, "My roommate," before turning in Cosima's direction and continuing, "Who sounds to expect my life put on the line for hers?"

She is trying her best to keep a straight face and looks like she is completely comfortable and neutral in this entire situation right now... but really it just kinda looks like a tight grimace.

[ichaer]

Ciri perks up at the voice that shouts out to them, blinking and turning curiously before she spots the unfamiliar face. Clearly, it is a face that Avery knows and she looks back to her companion with raised eyebrows.

Oh... a roommate. She can work with this.

"Cirilla," she says with a goofy bow. "Though I'm more fond of Ciri. Grey Warden, as it were so I am all about protection whether it be a Blight or a cold bed."

Avery, end her.