And I can't navigate the stars like my father

[foxsays]

WHO: Araceli Bonaventura; open
WHAT: Coping, coping, absolutely coping with life at present
WHEN: Timestamp for Haring
WHERE: Kirkwall and the Wounded Coast
NOTES: References to Sina's death, will update with others. Actionspam is good, I'll switch up to follow.

Kirkwall; the docks
For a change, there isn't work to be done at the docks. Or not all the time.

Or even most of the time.

No, most of it is Araceli with her boots off, trousers rolled up to the knees or skirts tucked back so her feet can kick back and forth water cold enough that it'd sting if she weren't used to it. A flask is never far from her hand (the fox isn't far either, an unhappy pacing creature ready to bark in alarm with his fur puffed up twice his usual size) that she might share if you ask nicely. You might not want it, why would she need a sailor's ration right now?

Most days there's a stack of letters getting smaller as the days go on, all with the same name on them being slipped into the waters to be carried to wherever they're meant to go. It was always time to get rid of them but as she holds up one - fumbles it, numb fingers from the rum or the cold or both - she stops, looks it, sniffs away her smile at it.

"Two years. More than that. Time to go where he went too."

The Gallows;
Life carries on the way life always carries on. When Martel died and word came she was the one to pick through his room for things people shouldn't get their hands on, with Sina she doesn't have to do that but she does have actual work to do that might swallow her if she's lucky. There are always shipping reports and forecasts, any strange sightings even if someone might have been drunk or just seeing things compared against anything the books here know about the sea, progress on what the Inquisition actually has that she can pass on elsewhere.

A volume on spirits is tucked away somewhere in the stack, light reading. Everyone reads strange things when they're grieving and wondering where dead people go when it isn't their own don't they.

The lute is in the office for now though and the afternoons find the door closed most of the way so she doesn't disturb anyone working nearby while she plays and sings because you can't let the bard skills go rusty, and it's one of the better ways of working through it.

The Wounded Coast;
Some days and Araceli doesn't want to be in Kirkwall. Wants to be away from the bustle of the city, from a job she's not putting her all into presently if she's entirely honest about it (given the circumstances-- she could be blamed, someone could point fingers but Sina is dead and she's not about to turn her heart to stone to make another person happy) so she makes for the stabels to saddle up her nuggalope.

The Wounded Coast isn't particularly special she can ride there without someone being offended by a great overgrown nug thundering along the paths, down to the water. The black fox goes scampering over the shingle to hunt down anything that he can scavenge or pick a fight with, the nuggalope follows sedately to the patches of grass.

Out here though she can kick off her clothes, weigh them down with her boots and most of her weapons - one or two stay strapped to her, this is Thedas and she's not foolish - to swim. Or to take a deep breath and submerge herself for a worryingly long time if someone strolls past at the wrong moment but sometimes the only place to be yourself is where you're from, and this is as close as she'll get.

wildcard
Pick your poison if you want something different and I'll roll with it!

Comments

[gatheringstorm]

Completely ignoring the small whatever-it-is that's slipping away (because unless it's something hostile, there's no reason to care at all right now), Korrin leans into that kiss eagerly, savoring the moment. Without breaking away, she gently tugs Araceli upward a bit; at least in the cool depths, their height difference doesn't have to matter in the slightest. It's almost enough to make her regret spending all the time searching when she could have had her kadan like this from the beginning, holding her close under the waves, in a setting that strangely feels even more intimate than their shared home. There's still some time left, however, and nowhere else she'd rather be.

[foxsays]

Eventually there's the dizziness that's the lack of breath in her lungs starting to make itself known but well, they can do this now so it's with only a little reluctance that Araceli finally starts kicking when she pulls back, breaching the surface, taking Korrin with her.

"Not bad," what a change that she's maybe found her humour and herself but things are always easier for her by the water, it's how things always are. "You'd have the guard instructors of Castileos tutting but I can arrange private lessons. For a fee."

[gatheringstorm]

By that point, Korrin knows there's minutes to spare so she doesn't think to resist. Breaching the surface makes her wince momentarily, when she steps ashore only to be hit with a chill breeze. And yet, she laughs breathlessly at Araceli's words.

"For quality lessons, I'll pay whatever milady asks. It's more than worth the price, I'm sure. But now I'd better make us a fire before we freeze."

Even Korrin's status as an eternal furnace is in danger when confronted with sodden clothing and chill air. It's time to be a mage and set something on fire. Once that's set, she's more than happy to sit back and hold her kadan, her heart a little lighter than before.

[foxsays]

This is why Araceli has a cloak: her nipples are in no danger of freezing off when it's warmer than leather, still wrapped around and sticking to her skin in most places now they've waded out. Folding it tighter around herself, she watches while Korrin contents herself with making a fire, whistling only to make sure Lux pops his head up from whatever he's been up to. No one else was out here from what she can see, the mounts are fine, but grabbing their clothes can wait until she's not dripping.

"Satisfied with your purchase though? These sort of things you can't tell until you test them and it does work. Today isn't the day to test how long it'd take, not yet. And you might last longer once you're used to it." The cloak is finally shrugged off with a resoundingly wet slap once the fire is going since normally Araceli would be petty enough to lean against Korrin wearing it but right now...no. Not quite. She did retrieve her flask though, passing that back to Korrin. "Here, this'll warm you faster."

[gatheringstorm]

Flask in hand, Korrin takes a swig before answering. Between this and the warmth of the flames, she'll recover nicely from the chill of the depths. "I think so. It does what I was told it would do; that's the important bit, right? If I need to dive for a while, I know it can handle that. Which isn't to say that I'm against more testing, just to be sure." She hands the flask back to Araceli and slips an arm around her. "Thanks for this, kadan. I loved exploring the world under the waves with you, and I'm happy to do it again, any time you like."

[foxsays]

Nodding, Araceli settles herself, twisting her hair over her shoulder in one long dark rope that should dry better until she can wash it. They can go home by way of the Gallows, have a proper bath with hair oils and the rest since there should be some in her office.

"Knowing you weren't swindled is always a good thing, especially when it was from so far away. We'd be better not testing it in the docks, the waters are fairly filthy but we can come out here? Get away?" It's a faintly hopeful note that they might have time just for them doing something that's entirely for themselves that they can put under the label of work if people ask. "You don't need to thank me for this, I love you, you wanted to share something I know of course I'm going to do it with you."