[open] Two Tevinter Mages Walk into Kirkwall

[thorndergod]

WHO: Thor and Loki of House Asgard, you!
WHAT: Joining the Inquisition
WHEN: Current
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: Racism likely.

1. Open - In the Gallows

It's bright and early when two unknown men stroll into the Gallows, heads high. The taller, blonder one seems cheerful as he looks around.

"Grim and cold! We are truly in the south now. Which ones do you suppose are the... servants?" It's a narrow save.

"The ones with the pointed ears, as always," the dark haired man replies and settles his arms across his chest. He regards the courtyard with open distaste and his expression becomes one of resignation, after a beat. "Though we are in the south, so perhaps it is merely the poor that serve them. Their shoes should be sufficient indication."

"Shoes. Of course." The blond man starts peering at people's feet openly, making no effort to hide his scrutiny or lower his voice. "All of their shoes are poor, so perhaps all of these are servants. You there! Who is in charge? Who do two new allies need to speak with when joining?" He points at someone mostly at random.

2. Closed to Beleth

Beleth Ashara. It is an elfy name. Thor holds his misgivings close to his chest as he leads the way up the stairs as directed. Has the Inquisition already started its fall? What aid will they be in the fight against Corypheus and the Venatori if they've begun to falter? They are questions he'll ask his brother later. For now, he's approaching the open door of an office and knocking hard on it, breaking into a wide smile despite his assumption proving true.

"Greetings! I am Thor of House Asgard, this is my brother Loki, and we are here to join the Inquisition! I have papers of introduction from my father." With full confidence he holds them out. There is no way an elf could find fault or flaw in the words of Odin.

3. Open - In Hightown

Kirkwall is...tolerable, in the right light and in the right neighborhood. Where the docks and the lower levels of the city had been unbearably diverse and grimy, the finer neighborhoods are far less of both. Hightown is decorous, lovely, and well manicured. The air is clearer, the sun is brighter, and there many, many fewer of the lower classes meandering about. It isn't Tevinter but, overall, it's not a terrible place to spend a few months...or however long this whole situation takes to resolve.

It can't be terribly long, not once they've contributed their own talents to the cause.

"I imagine the view would be excellent if we can see that portion of the harbor," Loki comments and gestures down toward the sprawling ocean view beyond. It is mostly obscured by mansions. Mansions that Loki would like to own in the near future (ideally to demolish to construct a proper villa, but that was a plan for another day).

"What say you, brother, shall we purchase that one?" Loki asks and Thor, at his side. Thor, to his credit, takes a moment to peer at the house, to give it a proper amount of scrutiny, and then all but shouts:

"Yes! I like it! We shall take it!"

The owners, leaving their house and headed toward the market, seem utterly confused by the announcement.

--

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Comments

i.

[thunderproof]

Adalia's just minding her own business, walking through the courtyard all bundled up against the cold, Charis flying above her, when some booming voice catches her attention. When she looks up at the source of the voice and finds a large human pointing at her, she blinks, caught off-guard... but that only lasts a second.

"Maybe 'you there' isn't the way you want to address me, goodsir. Try again."

[thorndergod]

Thor shrugs. He can try again.

"Elf! Where are your superiors?" Much better. "And are you growing dragons here for future contests?"

[hwaaaitsme]

Loki, for what it's worth, is rather more fascinated by her flying companion than her or Thor's questioning. He is distracted and watches the small dragon dip and weave through the air. After a long moment he waves Thor's question off and (quite forcibly) tears his attention away from the beast to aim it at his brother.

"Now, now, no need to be overly insulting. She is obviously the beast's caretaker." He glances sidelong at the woman and then turns to face her.

"We wish to join this rabble, tell me, where might we find the leaders of this Inquisition?"

[thunderproof]

If she'd looked pissed when Thor spoke to her the first time, it's nothing compared to how she looks now — nevermind that she's only half an elf, she's accepted that screaming that from the top of the Gallows won't convince anyone who's determined only to see that her ears aren't blunt, but being called elf as though that's what, something inferior? She has half a mind to strike the human in front of her with a lightning bolt.

His companion interjects before she can make up the other half of her mind, and Adalia narrows her eyes at him, considering. After a long moment, she whistles sharply and Charis dives down to land next to her, looking between Adalia and the humans warily.

"The division heads are who you'd like to speak to generally. Tell me, is your companion always so buffoonish and insulting, or is it the travel that's done him in?"

[hwaaaitsme]

Loki, despite himself, smiles on reflex. He bites back the expression, sure enough, but she has already seen it. He politely clears his throat and, once he has, his face is the very picture of polite disinterest.

"My brother has...a large personality." He looks back at Thor and then regards the beast between them. At least he hasn't tried to wrestle it to the ground yet.

"Would you tell us of the division heads? We are very keen on providing what aid we can and, in truth, we have the ability to provide a great deal. My brother is eager to get on with it."

[thorndergod]

She's adorable. She's angry. She's angry about being called what she is, no less, and that is a mark of the conflict in the South more than anything else. Thor grins at her.

"There is much to do," Thor confirms, letting Loki work his words. It is what his brother does best, and why he'd wanted Loki along so very much.

[thunderproof]

"Brother," she says, looking between the broad blonde and the lithe brunette with a raised eyebrow. She's seen weirder things, probably, though little comes to mind at present. Still, at least one of them has both manners and sense.

"Clearly any sense of how to speak to strangers skipped down the family line. I applaud your mannerly way of saying that your brother has none."

Yeah, she's angry, fucking fuck you, kid, she hasn't slept in days and you just asked if she was raising her son to be hunted. She refuses to address or even look at the blonde now, snubbing him entirely to speak only to the brunette.

"There are four divisions in the Inquisition, forces, diplomacy, research, and scouting. I report to forces, personally, and our head is a templar by the name of Coupe. She is the only one to whom I would suggest allowing your brother to speak; the other three heads are a Rifter elf, a native elf, and a Rifter witch."

[thorndergod]

She's recommending speak with a Templar over a Rifter witch? To two from Tevinter? He squints at her before realizing the implication - she may herself be a Rifter.

"We do not hold with Templars where I come from." He is still chipper despite how she's not looking at him. "Only the foolish choose to limit what progress and invention comes from magic, and the better life it brings. I want to know about the... rifter elf."

The witch, actually, but she's absolutely not going to tell him about who he asks about. Maybe this will get him more details about the other.

[hwaaaitsme]

Thor's request is...not unreasonable. Ultimately it would do to learn about all of the division leaders, templar or otherwise. Unfortunately this woman is very unlikely to tell him much of anything, especially on demand.

"Templars are different where we are from, they hold less clout and we are markedly less fond of them," Loki explains or rather, repeats. Though how anyone could be less fond of templars than the section of the continent currently at war with them is left unsaid.

"But we will speak to whomever is available. I am a mage of some talent...as is my brother, and we are very wealthy and well connected. I suspect diplomacy might have some use for us, but research is not a terrible option either."

[minrathousian]

Those were accents he had not heard in some time--beyond Benedict's whinging... which, frankly, he also had not heard in some time. (A blessed respite.)

Atticus comes down the stairs leading to the bright area where the three of them are gathered... or, rather, where Loki and Thor of House Asgard have a familiar elven girl cornered for some purpose he can only guess at. It's a displeasing visual. And Atticus has never particularly liked that younger one.

"Avanna, gentlemen," he greets them with a clear, unpleasant smile, and stops beside Adalia. "I hope you've not chosen to ingratiate yourselves with the Inquisition by antagonizing my apprentice."

[thorndergod]

Atticus. Thor gives him a look of surprise, though he's not actually surprise. Rumors of Vedici's captivity are everywhere throughout the Imperium.

"Your apprentice?" That has to mean Atticus has a scheme going, but when has he not? He gives the magister a smile anyway while deciding to be a little nicer to the elf if she ever gets less angry. There is no way she knows what she's stepped into.

"She doesn't like me," Thor says cheerfully.

[minrathousian]

"She doesn't like me."

Atticus remarks, "I'm shocked to hear it."

He is not shocked to hear it.

[hwaaaitsme]

Loki, despite the barbs that have been exchanged between them, has no strong feelings one way or the other on the subject of Atticus Vedici. He offers up an incline of his head as greeting but otherwise says little. When he names this elf girl his apprentice, that earns a cocked brow, but no open comment.

"Yes, we are all quite surprised," Loki says and some of the placating nature of his speech wears away. He is a very good actor but be has always had trouble really committing to obsequiousness when dealing with people who dislike him. He is almost certain that Atticus falls into that group.

"Have you given up on Benedict Artemaeus?" He asks and glances back at Adalia. She is very clearly an elf with a dragon pet. Loki offers her a charming smile that is entirely at odds with his internal monologue. "She is a definite improvement, of course, but I imagine his mother didn't take that well. If I recall she was a very...aggressive personality."

[thorndergod]

Thor laces his fingers behind his head, smiling for all he's worth.

"I'm surprised she likes you," he returns with good humor. "Most have better taste than that." Loki can be charming. Thor will be honest. He's rather certain that Atticus would not only not be an ally, he would be a lodestone around their necks if they even tried to work together. The man is too shifty to be trusted.

[thunderproof]

"She is right fucking here, and next person to talk about her like she isn't is getting a lightning bolt in the eyeball!" Adalia snaps. She has enough self-control that she can give a warning, at least, but she really is just about at the end of her tether when it comes to these strangers. Atticus, at least, is a known element, one who has never made her feel less for her pointed ears. That he's called her his apprentice is — new. But she's not about to question an ally against these two assholes.

"Atticus has had the good sense not to call me elf like that describes the entirety of my being, so yes, I like him. A good deal more than I like you, you little —"

Charis sits up on his hind legs and puts a paw on Adalia's knee, stopping her just shy of a cure-ridden tirade.

[minrathousian]

"Benedict attempted to hex me during our shared tenure in the Gallows dungeons, in fact," Atticus responds to Loki mildly, having little compunction over being transparent regarding his imprisonment. If they didn't know before now, surely all it would take was a little gossip to reveal the truth. That one is hardly a card to play close to one's chest. He gestures vaguely with one hand. "As you can imagine, I had little say in the matter after that. He remains in the custody of these Southern Templars."

Whereas Atticus, it is neatly implied, does not.

He makes no attempt to curtail Adalia's righteous tirade against the two in front of her; in fact, it causes the barest of smiles to curve up the corners of his lips. Yes, he's selected a veritable viper in their midst, hasn't he?

[thorndergod]

Good sense. Thor wonders what Loki could do with Adalia, if there is room to maneuver, if Loki could out-manipulate Atticus. He might pay to see a show of that, though Atticus has the advantage of time here.

"Little Benedict has grown something of a backbone?" he asks, amused and also curious. He's not familiar with all of Loki's hangers-on, but a few had stood out enough for him to mark. ...And then avoid if they'd gotten involved with Atticus or a few other magisters Thor doesn't exactly care to deal with. Tevinter is large and populated with enough people that he can avoid the ones he feels could turn on anyone around them.

Loki is a special exception.

But continuing with the curious, he glances at Adalia. "Is lightning your specialty?" Primal is his strength; he has yet to find an elf who can match him in it.

[hwaaaitsme]

"Ah but my apologies, I meant no disrespect," Loki says to Adalia, heedless of Atticus's presence nearby. "My brother is...he has trouble with words upon occasion."

She is skilled in lightning, Maker help him if she gets it in her brain to attack them. He has had enough trouble with lightning for one lifetime and he'd rather not suffer a bolt of it with Vedici standing by.

"My brother is very skilled with lightning magic, if that is your skill, I am certain he would love to discuss it with you." Loki translates to try to placate the elf. "I, unfortunately, have no taste for such things...but I would not be opposed to discussing your..." He looks down at the creature, the dragon, at her leg.

"What was it's name again?"