[OPEN] And so become yourself

[wheretheferngrows]

WHO: Fern + OPEN
WHAT: A catch-all kind of post for mid-September.
WHEN: A couple weeks before the island adventure, about a week after her last open post.
WHERE: Around Kirkwall and the Gallows, specifically the stables, the herb garden, training grounds.
NOTES: None currently, will update as needed. Also, if you'd like a specific starter, please ping me on plurk or discord and we can set something up!

I. THE STABLES


Fern likes the stables. It's the smell, she thinks--not that she's particularly taken in by the stink of horse manure or anything, but horses and dogs and animal smells in Kirkwall aren't so very different from those same smells back in Ansburg (and, more distantly, Ferelden). That's probably why, although the Inquisition has given her a place to sleep in the mages' tower in the Gallows, Fern prefers to bunk in the hay loft above Rooster's stall. It's a bit drafty at night, sure, but still so much easier for her to sleep here, with the animal sounds and the soft, ambient glow of the outdoor lanterns spilling warmly through the windows.

This is where she's sleeping one night when the sound of the stable doors opening wakes her up. Blinking sleep out of her eyes (and plucking some hay out of her hair), she sits up underneath her blanket and steals a tiny peek over the edge of the loft, trying to see who it is who's come to snoop about the animals so late at night. In his stall below her, Rooster swivels his large ears forward and drowsily sticks his head out of his paddock, curious.



II. THE HERB GARDEN


She tells herself that she isn't just spending her free time loitering about the Gallows herb garden because she's hoping to casually run into Sina here, but that's probably a large part of it.

Nevertheless, now that she's spent enough time here to develop a sense of familiarity with the plants, it's not that much of a hardship to go about the process of watering the plants that need it, harvesting from those at risk of going to seed, and placing a few warming glyphs near the summer plants that are at risk of dying when the temperatures dip at night.

At present she's up to her elbows in dirt trying to salvage a few wilting elfroot plants.



III. THE GALLOWS TRAINING GROUNDS


It feels profoundly unfair to Fern that even after being told no by that Senior Grey Warden, after crying in front of a bunch of complete strangers, after trying so hard to find other ways to keep herself occupied and make herself useful, she still ends up hovering on the outskirts of the training grounds when she doesn't have anything else to do.

It's afternoon on an unseasonably warm day; no one particular group has reserved the grounds for a session, so it's a mish-mash of soldiers, scouts, Templars, and other sorts (including, yes, probably some Grey Wardens) who are making use of the facilities now. Fern sits off to the side in a patch of shade with a sewing needle and some of her own worn socks that are in need of mending; with some longing, she watches the Wardens at their work--then stabs the needle through her sock grudgingly. (take that, alistair.)



IV. WILDCARD


(OOC: Surprise me!)

Comments

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

"What?! I didn't come down here to rob anyone. I couldn't sleep - I came to hang out with some of the animals if they were awake." His hand doesn't leave the blade handle, but it does loosen as he looks at the elven girl with him.

With ... the staff.

All right, weird. Probably not robbers, because why would robbers call for the guards. His hand moves away from his blade, and instead he snorts.

"Yeah, you go right ahead and call the guards. They'll be thrilled that we bothered them over three paranoids and a sack of apples."

[paladingus]

"No, this doesn't merit the guards," Simon agrees, glancing at the blade handle and away again. Templar armor has its vulnerabilities, but he's less concerned about them when he has a sword of his own at the ready. Right now, it would only be overkill to draw it.

"But it's the lady's mule you're bothering, so why don't you see how she feels about you trying to...'hang out with' him?"

[wheretheferngrows]

Simon's confidence in handling the situation seems to soothe some of Fern's anxiety, enough that she's able to turn a sharp, annoyed glare on Adasse--her expression alone should answer that question.

[gottakeeponejumpahead]

Well, give it up to Adasse, he at least caught on quick. His face fell a little, and he looked downright embarrassed. Ears gone red to the tips, he walked forward until he was a few steps away from her, and then held out the sack of apples to the young elven mage.

"I'm terribly sorry then. I didn't mean to bother you, or your animal. Or your ... " Huh. He frowned at Simon's chestplate. "Templar." Ugh. Either way.

He turned back to Fern. "There, spread them out as you like, or keep them for your donkey. He's a nice fellow, very calm."