faderift | { OPEN } catchall for the month

"Get off!" the dwarf yells in a rough, gravelly voice. "I ain't done nothing!" He struggles in Elros's grasp to try and free himself, but though he puts up a good fight, Elros is stronger and Christine appears before he can break free. She's holding one hand palm up, a small swirl of snow and ice crystals nestled there.

"Give it back before I freeze you solid!" she says, doing nothing to hide the anger lacing her voice. The dwarf stops trying to get away, eyes narrowed as he tries to read her.

"You wouldn't, he begins, but before he can get out a word more, Christine turns her hand and moves it towards his arm, ice vapor reaching out in tendrils. She doesn't yet blast her cold spell at him, but it's more than enough for the dwarf.

"Take it! Take it!" he yells, shoving a necklace at her consisting of a blue teardrop shaped gem on a fine silver chain that's broken at the clasp. "Bloody mages," he grumbles.

Christine snatches it back in her free hand and glares at him. "It would be fitting punishment if I did freeze you, but I would have settled for a punch." Nevermind that she'd probably break her hand trying, but she's that angry. Looking up at Elros, she sighs.

"Thank you. You may as well let him go. The city guard would probably do the same."

The lady disagrees!" Elros shakes him, once. Firm without being overly cruel.

He eyes the magic with curious interest.

"And it seems she was right! You shame your people to stoop to such acts." But he lets him go with only a light shove.

"Run. And be grateful for the lady's mercy."

The dwarf snorts, not caring in the least about shaming the dwarven race. He's hardly the worst they've got in Kirkwall, much less the world. He makes a point to saunter away from the pair, but once he reaches the other side of a stack of cargo, he does take off in a run, lest the mage change her mind and send sharp icicles after him.

"Thank you, Elros," she says once the thief is gone. "I do not believe I could have caught up to him. He was remarkably fast." She lifts the necklace and brushes a finger over the jewel. "I would have been distraught, had I lost this."

Elros watches him go narrowly before relaxing.

"If he steals regularly he would have to be, or he would have been stopped long before now." He says wryly. "It is a lovely piece - but it clearly means much more to you than just the value of it!"

"Yes, it does. My love gave it to me." Christine lets out a breath of relief at having it back with her, but a wrinkle appears across her forehead as she examines it. "He broke the clasp. I will need to get this fixed." Looking up at Elros, she adds, "Might I repay you somehow? Buy you a drink or perhaps cook you something?"

His eyes gentle.

"Very valuable then indeed. Ask Maedhros?" He suggests. "He might talk as if all he's good for is making weapons and armor, but I know for a fact that they started with jewellery. A clasp is easy to fix."

He shakes his head with a smile. "Only if you are up to it! I was glad to stop him, I don't need repayment."

"Maedhros," she repeats, nearly getting it, but not quite with her Orlesian accent. "Thank you. I will do that."

His easy manner has her smiling faintly in return, and she moves to put her necklace in a pouch on her belt. "I am always up for cooking. I do love it so. I can make you something and give it to you at a later date, or you could come with me if you have the patience to watch me make it."

Eh, close enough!

"I am never going to refuse a free meal." He laughs cheerfully. "And I have nothing that needs doing, although equally I have no wish to unduly inconvenience you!"

"You would not be. Rest assured, I am the type to let a person know when they are being a nuisance." But Christine is all smiles right now, glad to have an item that has so much meaning returned to her. Pointing towards the street leading from the docks, she adds, "Now, my house in Lowtown is but a few streets away. Shall we go?"

"As the lady wishes." He grins and offers his arm as an escort, if she likes.

"Thank you for indulging me!"

What a gentleman! She takes his arm gladly and leads the way to her place.

"Oh, I am pleased to do it. I do want to pay you back in some fashion, though you do not require it be so. It is how I prefer things." She doesn't like to be in peoples' debts, like she might owe them a favor at a later date when it'd be inconvenient to her. Settling things quickly is far more her style.

It's not long before she leads him up the outside stairs of a large set of apartments to the second floor and releases his arm to pull out her key. As soon as she sets it within the keyhole, high-pitched barking is heard from the other side of the door. Christine smiles fondly.

"Do not mind him. His bark is far worse than his bite." Opening the door and quickly bending down, she shoos a barking papillon back into the space. It's a general living area, with a fireplace against one wall and a door to the bedroom on the opposite wall. There's a kitchen/dining space and an old armchair tucked into a corner. It's homey enough, but clearly a place that belongs in Lowtown.

He tries!

"Then far be it from me to refuse you." He smiles back.

Elros looks around curiously as they come up the stairs and laughs at the dog.

"Ah! A very brave guard indeed." He crouches down and offers his fingers, politely curled down and away so as not to be threatening.

"I promise I mean your lady no harm."

The dog, which Christine informs him is named Ponce, backs up from the offered fingers before curiosity gets the better of him and he stretches his head forward to sniff. There's a pause, then he steps closer. Another sniff and he skitters back again, tail wagging.

"He is trying to decide if you mean good or ill," Christine says with a laugh. "He is a dear, but has only a little brain. Have a seat. I think I can whip up something."

Elros laughs cheerfully.

"He's very small, and perhaps that is why." He agrees and bobs his head. "I will, although I might stay on the floor so as not to intimidate Ponce!"

And he does, settling crosslegged away from the door and out of (hopefully) Christine's way, teasing Ponce fondly by drumming his fingers on the ground to attract his attention.

"Although I think that's a good sign, for a guard dog!"

"He is very alert, it is true." Christine rolls up her sleeves and sorts through the various jars and bowls on her counter, deciding what to make.

"Are you fond of fry cakes? I can make you some with fruit preserves."

"I don't know if I've ever tried them." Elros considers, sitting very still apart from his fingers, which he is using to tempt Ponce.

"But I'm not one to shy from new experiences either, if you don't mind!"

"Oh, then you must!" Christine gets to work straight away, mixing ingredients in a bowl as Ponce dances around Elros, trying to find the best way to attack.

"How have you settled in since last we spoke?" Christine asks from her place at the counter, adding wet ingredients to dry and stirring.

"If you are so enthusiastic about it, clearly I must!" He agrees cheerfully.

Elros teases by keeping still and then darting the hand out, fingers wriggling or tapping on the ground.

"Mm, getting there! Still have to work out if I want to work for the Inquisition on their baby Navy yet, or if I'll content myself with going out with the fishing boats."

"Oh, that seems like a hard choice to make," she says, head bent over her work. "Being part of a budding navy would be a challenging thing, but a rewarding thing as well. On the other hand, working on fishing boats means having an impact on how well the locals eat, yes? I can see arguments for both."

Turning from the counter with her bowl and a ladle, she sets up a pan on a little stand that can swing out over the fire in the fireplace and adds a square of butter. She smirks down at her dog, asking, "What are you doing, hm?" Ponce looks up at his mistress with distress. This person is tricking him with his fingers. He can't catch them!

Christine pours several ladles worth of mixture into a hot pan and clicks her tongue.

"I think you may have met your match, my Poncelet." But the dog is determined and turns back, growling at the dancing hand.

"Exactly!" Elros agrees. "Also, much less politically fraught. I like doing work with my hands, and it's a good way to get to know the locals. Fishermen are much less likely to care where you're from, if you can reef a sail and pull a line, after all. But... I might be able to do more good, working on a navy. Hard to say, really!"

Elros shakes with laughter, but eventually, he does let Ponce catch his fingers.

Like most dogs, Ponce only wants to play bite these fingers. He takes them into his mouth and gnaws lightly, lifting a paw to rest on Elros's wrist. he's quite content now that he's captured these wriggling enemies!

Christine continues to cook and gets out everything needed to sit down to a meal at the table. Before long, she's plating up what looks like pancakes with a jar of fruit preserves on the table and a small plate of butter as well.

"Here we are! I do hope you enjoy these. Ponce, give him his fingers back. Here; I have a wash basin here to wash your hands."

Elros chuckles, letting Ponce gnaw, using his free hand to reach up and sratch soft ears.

"Thanks for my fingers, brave defender!"

Elros laughs as he withdraws his hands and moves to stand.

"Thank you. Mm, that smells divine!"

"Oh, stop," she says with a laugh, though it's clear she sounds flattered too. Taking a seat on the opposite side of the table, she makes sure to move dishes and jars towards his side so he can take what he wants first. However, she'll sit and share the meal with him so he doesn't feel awkward being the only one eating.

"If Ponce becomes a nuisance while you eat, I will put him in the other room. He has been known to be quite the beggar. Spoiled rotten by my mother before he ever came to me."

He grins.

"As the lady wishes!"

He settles down and makes an appreciative noise.

"But by the same token, it really does smell lovely. I don't mind Ponce! He's been quite good so far"

"He somehow manages to charm people, it seems. You too have fallen under his spell." Ponce wags his tail and sits patiently beside the table, staring up at one of them and then the other. Surely some food will drop at some point.

[ ooc: good spot to wrap it up with them eating? ]

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tar_minyatur - 2018-01-31 04:34 (UTC) - Expand

{ OPEN } catchall for the month

yay

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