faderift | Open log for Wintermarch

Well. Nevarra sucked. He's not entirely surprised with how things turned out, but it's still frustrating. At least they're back in Kirkwall now.

A. Not exactly a scholar

Oh yes, this is a rare sight. Carver Hawke, in the library. Reading. Well, attempting to anyway. The rather tall man is almost dwarfed by the stack of books around him; clearly he's been here for awhile, judging by the stacks and the empty plate next to him. His brow's creased in a perpetual frown as he pages through the book in front of him. Occasionally, he'll jot down something in a little piece of parchment next to him. But often he'll just cross it out later. Whatever he's trying to discern, it's not going well.

After awhile, he shoves the book away from him, blowing out a frustrated breath. Calloused hands run over his face, scrubbing at it. "I'm not cut out for this," he mutters.

B. Gotta keep in shape

Now this is much more his style. Despite the cold weather, Carver's still outside, practicing his sword form. He whet his blade plenty on the undead that swarmed them in the Grand Necropolis, but that doesn't mean he gets to slack off. And really, it's more something to just keep his mind occupied and feel somewhat productive. For now, he's practicing on one of the dummies set up... somewhere. Someone probably propped up a few somewhere, right? Right.

Of course, a real partner that can react and swing back would be ideal. But Carver's never been much of one to ask for a sparring partner; too used to doing it on his own and all. Still, he won't say no if someone offers. If he knows you, he'll wave in greeting. If not, he'll either likely ignore you or just nod. Or if you're REALLY lucky and he likes you, you might just get a smile.

Or just don't let him know you're there and ogle him from a distance. He's getting warm from the movements, so he's ditched the coat. Now he's just rocking a threadbare shirt and pants, so.

C. Griffons are better than people

Because fuck people, honestly. Griffons don't care about politics or image or whatever. They just want food and head scratches. And after the Grand Necropolis debacle, Carver's happy to spend time up there with the beasts, giving them bits of food and learning about them. They're used to him enough now that they're not quite as rambunctious and screechy when he comes up, though that might have more to do with the fact that he always comes with food.

Carver's also wisened up; most of the shiny things on him are hidden or just entirely absent. Still, it doesn't stop one from trying to pick at a button on his shirt. Carver gently whaps its beak. "Don't you try it. Beth will give me that look and chide me, and I can't sew for shit." A protesting squawk. "Look, I'll bring you something big and shiny to play with next time. Knowing our luck, you'd swallow this thing and choke on it."

He gets perturbed look.

"I'm right and you know it."

D. Wildcard

You know the drill

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's understandable. Many of them, even Wardens, have had to catch up on some of that information. Everything had been purely history and conjecture until this point. It's different with the living, breathing creatures right there.

"As far as I know, none yet, but there aren't too many of us that they've chosen to bond with. Only time will tell how the rest of their partnerships turn out. I wouldn't trade Potato for anyone else." Well. Maybe her name, but that's really stuck by now, as hard as they'd tried to make it be otherwise. He looks curiously at Carver. "Are you hoping to bond with one, someday?"

"Around how many are bonded, do you know?" Asked out of simple curiosity, so Carver can wrap his head around it all. He knows of a few, but he doubts he knows them all.

At Kain's question, Carver tries to play it off casually with a shrug. "If one will have me, sure." More like, YES PLEASE MAKER THAT'D BE A DREAM WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE BONDED TO A GRIFFON WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT. "Not going to say no to a griffon, of all things."

Kain looks around at the griffons as he considers who's been bonded already. It's easy enough to remember when he looks at the griffons themselves, since he thinks of them more readily than he does people. "Hmm... Blanche with Natheniel, Buggie and Anders... I believe Butterball is now bonded with Bethany... Little White Monster has someone too. Melys, I believe. So that makes five in total, including myself and Inessa with Potato. It's all happened gradually over time, as the griffons get closer to us."

He gives Carver a sympathetic expression and nods. He knows that feeling of waiting, of hoping that it'll happen. He'd felt more Wardeny the moment it did. "It's an honor when it happens, that's for certain. Your time will come, especially if you keep visiting them."

"They sure liked their names that begin with 'B'. A testament to why Wardens shouldn't be allowed to name anything alive." At least not the Weisshaupt variety of Warden. Maybe the lot of them here would do better, if they can manage to get a second brood of griffons from the current lot.

Carver guards his hope carefully, lest he be disappointed and that hope turns around to strangle him. It's happened before, and he's not naive enough to think it won't happen again, even in his now limited lifespan. Still, he wants that to happen. Badly. "How do you when it happens?"

"They really shouldn't be allowed. Inessa and I have tried to change Potato's name, but it's been a futile cause, so now it's... stuck." He'd have hoped for something much fiercer, but so be it. He loves her too much now to mind it as much, anyway.

He looks thoughtfully at Potato now, the griffon giving him an inquisitive stare right back, before she makes a rather cute griffon noise, nudging him to ask for more food. Of course. Kain gives her some, petting her head vigorously, just in the way she likes it. He glances back over toward Carver. "It's an instinct of some sort... you feel it inside, the same way you feel..." He pauses, looking uncomfortable, because he is not usually inclined to discuss feelings. "If you've ever been in love, it's similar to that. You just feel this sense inside that you know to be true. The griffon will also make it known, too, they'll become more affectionate, and will let you know it's time to ride them. They'll never allow it before, it's always their call."

"I heard about that." Inessa told him the same thing. The names stuck, and there was no changing them. That's going to look interesting in the history books, Carver muses. "If anyone cares to write this all down, people in the future are going to read about them and their names and are going to wonder if the Wardens went daft." Then again, given Clarel and the First Warden's idiocy, maybe they really had.

Sadly, Carver's never known the feeling. But like Kain, he's not fond of talking about his feelings all that much, so he keeps it to himself. Besides, he can probably make a good guess as to what it's like. Right? "Almost like mabari, then." Not that he's experienced that, but at least he knows of it. "Good to know. We'll see what hap - PAH!"

Ghostface decides to headbutt him there, cawing affectionately before nipping at Carver's fingers. "Oh for - they're not sausages! I brought you some before, and you ate all of them."

"My thoughts exactly. The brave Wardens Kain and Inessa astride...Potato. It doesn't have the majestic ring to it that I'd prefer, but not much can be done about it now. I suppose what counts more is that they do live up to expectations in personality... Have you watched them hunt?"

Actually, that makes just as much sense, and Kain nods. "It's a lot like that. Mabari are also highly intelligent, only bestowing their trust upon those they consider worthy. You'll know in the same way if a griffon gives you such an honor." He pauses, a wide smirk growing on his face as he watches, alongside a dry chuckle. "You can't drop your guard for a moment around them."

The historians really were going to have a good laugh about it. Well, at least it's something worth laughing about, and better to be laughed at for something silly than even more disparaged than they already were. Hopefully the Wardens' reputation will recover in the decades to come. "No, I haven't. But now I want to."

The griffon, clearly picking up on Carver's mild annoyance, squawks pitifully before rubbing his head against his shoulder. Siiiigh. Carver rubs his head. "You lay on the guilt better than my mother did, and she was a champion at it." He glances at Kain and huffs out a laugh. "You'd think I'd have learned by now."

Kain sure does hope their reputation will improve. He’s determined to help that happen, he just believes in the Wardens that much. But it’s not easy, he knows that, too.

“You should come out sometime when Inessa or I take Potato out… She’s a joy to watch as she soars through the sky, bringing down her prey…” He may sound like he’s talking about his own child, with that prideful tone that he takes.

Giving Potato some more pets and scratches, Kain also smirks, “They’ve experts at the guilt trips, though… even when you get used to it, they still manage to all too often get their way… As they should. I rather like that they’re so proud and confident.”

"I'd like that, if you wouldn't mind. She's got to be an amazing sight." He can picture it, too. For all the awfulness that's comes out of Weisshaupt and the Wardens lately, at least they got the griffons out of it.

Ghostface screeches, a bit jealous and feeling left out. He butts Carver's shoulder again, this time harder. He's not normally the possessive sort, but there's little worse feeling than being left out, or so it feels like. "Well, I'd like to watch you hunt, too, but you can't exactly tell me when you're going to, are you?"

There's a miffed huff, and a ruffling of feather wings. Clearly that's not a good excuse.

Maker preserve him. "Experts, indeed."

"I'll be sure to let you know when we're next going out, then." Which is frequent enough, their girl has to practice and keep her skills sharp, after all. He smirks a little, watching them closely. Could it be...? But it's hard to tell if a bond might be forming or not. It's not something anyone else can readily see. The griffons are rather friendly, anyway.

Kain nods in full agreement. "You may have to give in to his demands, eventually. They're hard to resist."

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