{ OPEN } catchall for the month

[aceso]

WHO: Christine, Ellana, Minka, Julian + OPEN!
WHAT: A catchall for the month.
WHEN: whenever in Wintermarch
WHERE: various locations in Kirkwall

I'm putting starters in comments so I have a header for each character and get comments only sent to them instead of getting double comment notifs.

Also, if you'd like to work out a wildcard option, PM me or send a private plurk to megoom and we can play around with ideas.

Comments

[serannas]

The invitation is accepted without delay; Ellana scooting herself over to lie next to him. She rests both hands across her stomach and gazes skyward, feeling the night breeze roll over them. Haldir's presence doesn't disturb the tranquility of the scene, and she's content to stare up at the twinkling lights in silence for a moment before choosing to speak.

"Would you like to know any constellations?"

[hallabackdir]

"Every one," he said as he nuzzled into her temple, giving her a gentle squeeze too.

He was unfamiliar with the stars here, and he did very much like the sound of her voice. She was expressive when she spoke of her people's history, and because of certain developments he found himself quite hungry to know more about her, and the history of the place he now found himself in. Her adventurous spirit sparked his own intrepid desires that he had long since pushed away.

"Although, you do not have to tell me all at once. I expect there are quite a few."

[serannas]

That gets a laugh out of her. "I can't tell you every one; not until the seasons change and they come out. But I can show you a few from here." Lifting her arm, she then leans into him, to better see exactly where he's looking.

"Now, do you see that line of horizontal stars?" Her hand moves in the air as she maps out the line. "There are two vertical lines, just there... and there, that intersect it. To the elves, that constellation is Mythal. She's the mother goddess of our pantheon and that--" She waves at the sky, "Represents her scales of justice."

[hallabackdir]

"A mother seems ever bound to being the peace keeper, it seems, even here. Tell me of Mythal. You mentioned once that these are to honor her."

He ran his fingers along the tops of her cheek, over the lines inked there. He wished to know more about the being she had until the recent turn of events, devoted herself to. Perhaps she still did. Was Mythal like Elbereth, or perhaps more like Ivon? He would like to know more about her, so he could know more about Ellana.

"Do you also feel the need to be a peace keeper, tinu?"

[serannas]

"Mythal is the wife of Elgar'nan, the father god. He's the God of Vengeance too, which is why Mythal compliments him so well. She's the Goddess of Justice, and the only one who can calm Elgar'nan down from his moods. She's fair, and wise, a protector, and a goddess of love and motherhood too. She first appears out of the sea when Elgar'nan was in a rage, punishing his father the sun and leaving the world in darkness. When she convinced him to put the sun back in the sky, she created the moon to shine at night."

Ellana pauses to touch her cheek too. There are times she wishes she could remove her vallaslin, because they've come to represent more than her favored Creator. It's come to identify her to people in advance of her speaking, as they assume she's either a savage, or a stuck up Dalish who thinks she knows better than everyone else. It's no coincidence that she wanted the smallest pattern for vallaslin there was. She wanted Ellana to shine through; not be hidden behind blood writing.

"Not really. I'd rather avoid fights than get in the middle of them anymore. But at the time, I valued love and justice a great deal. I was young then, and things sort of got turned on their head shortly after. But I recovered."

[hallabackdir]

Her tone had shifted to one of sadness, and even rang of some bitterness. He turned on his side bringing her close to him. She had experienced great loss to do what she believed right, something he knew a little of, although not to the her degree. He wrapped his arms around her, hoping to protect her from that unseen hurt even a fraction.

"You are strong, Ellana. Love and justice are still dear to your heart, but perhaps the way those values are achieved has changed. People cannot remain stagnant, they must grow just as a tree does; Extending outward, reaching. I see you reaching, and it inspires me to do the same. I have been motionless for quite some time. I was happy in my role in Lorien, but I believed that everything I was rested on that role, rather than me as an individual. It took coming to a new world to illuminate that. Change is not so easy if you have blinded yourself to all other options."

[serannas]

She gives a thoughtful hum. "I know I've grown, and that's a good thing. I wouldn't want to be the person I was back then. I'm always moving forward, searching for my place and who I really am. I think this is the perfect opportunity for you to do that too."

[hallabackdir]

He thought for a moment before replying. "I admit I found the notes about your research did spark a sense of adventure in me I didn't really think I had. I would like to explore this new world to see what it has to offer someone like me." He got a little shy, and thought about leaving the next part off, but he decided to just come out with it. "I... especially would like to explore it with you. If-if that is something you would like."

He couldn't breath while he waited for her answer. They hadn't really talked about anything akin to future plans. He wasn't really sure what she wanted from him, but if he should refrain from such thinking, he should know now before he fell any harder.

[serannas]

"Of course you can come, if there's opportunity. I don't like to take off to explore too often while I'm working for the Inquisition, but it seems our enemy has an interest in elven artifacts, so maybe I can go explore for the Inquisition at some point." It doesn't occur to her that he's talking of the future; of a world after the war. Ellana's plans are really just to explore and find a good place as a home base. After ending her relationship with Felix, she really doesn't want to plan too far ahead now.