bunko: (38)
Scipio the Marvel ([personal profile] bunko) wrote in [community profile] faderift2015-12-04 11:52 am

away, I'd rather sail away || OTA

WHO: SCIPIO + VARIOUS
WHAT: Paule di Simone is the best bard in all of Thedas and you can fight me on that. and this is ANOTHER CATCH-ALL, this one with a lute. Scipio has 1) stuff to get for people, 2) stuff to bring to people, 3) something that he's stolen, 4) a lute to play, 5) a song in his heart, 6) four loose gold teeth. I had some vague preplanned stuff with people but please feel free to be here. especially as an accomplice to petty theft.
WHEN: midway through the Fallow Mire plot + onward!
WHERE: SKYHOLD (battlements + tavern + on the run + wherever!!)
NOTES: prepare to be charmed. be an accomplice. you know you want to.



The people of Skyhold--the Inquisition, the pseudo-refugees, the fellow wardens, the mages, the Templars, the elves, the volunteers and the barmaids and the kitchen drudges and the stableboys and everything in between--have, to a man, never heard of the great bard and balladeer, Paule di Simone.

Unthinkable. Scipio has learned this unthinkable only after arriving in Skyhold. His frozen feet thawing out by a tavern fire, he had called for one of Simone's fine tunes, and had received... nothing. And while it would be too much to say that he would have avoided Skyhold, had only he known of this great gap of knowledge (which he might carelessly pronounce gap-e, in quick conversation), he still finds himself disappointed.

But disappointment, in Scipio the Marvel, is not a thing that lasts. Paule di Simone cannot bring his ballads from beyond the cold grave, and so Scipio will do the work for him, in his memory. In humming, in singing, in whistling, in playing. His quest, it is tireless, and of far greater worth than any task the Inquisition might set. All will know the ballads before the season's end.


[ diamante soles - Skyhold and its battlements, in the morning]
The morning is for humming.

Gone are the days when Scipio might sleep past the sunrise. Now he is awake long before that, plagued by nightmares whose theme he now well knows. Restlessly, he wanders, with his lute slung over his back and his six pairs of socks on his feet. In kitchens and beside bread ovens, he has made friends. No surprise there. He makes friends very easily, and his friends like to give him things: and so each morning, Scipio leaves with a little loaf of bread all his own. Sometimes there's raisins baked into it. Sometimes, there's cheese. Sometimes there's wine--it is never too early for wine--but each morning finds him on the walltop.

Above it all, he sits on the stone of the battlement and rests his back against the stone. The wall protects him from the worst of the wind, lets him peacefully eat whatever he's won by his charm. And as the sun rises, he takes up his lute and coaxes the tune back into her strings, so he might play a few snatches of some tune and hum to himself. The breaks in the music are so he can blow on his fingertips, trying to warm them.

"Gloves," he remarks, aloud, to no one in particular, "gloves without fingers. That would help."


[ la moglie del figlio di Robin - around Skyhold, in the afternoon]
The afternoon is for whistling.

Most of the company he keeps is the company of Rafael. Inseparable, they wander the keep together, fulfilling the tasks that have been requested of them. Unlocking chests, retrieving books, collecting valuables, bartering for socks--delivering the goods, waiting for their payment. Some of their work is innocent, and some of it is a little more treacherous, prying open shuttered windows so they can crawl over the sill--but all of it, Scipio does cheerfully, whistling as he works. The needs of the people are few and simple so far, like the games of children to two experienced thieves and brigands such as Scipio and Rafael.

Although...

Late afternoon sees him running, full tilt, head bent and some object wrapped in rough sackcloth under his arm. He is alone, he is desperate, he is being pursued, and he is still smiling, and as he careens around a corner, he finds some hapless soul and presses upon them the sackclothed object, with a gasped, "Here! Hold this--" And that hapless soul's only choice is to take the object, heavy, square, under the wrappings, take it and follow, as Scipio slaps them on the arm. "And hurry! Follow me, quickly!"

A shout from around the corner should do the rest, to spur his new partner in crime to action. Pursuit.


[ il suno del silenzio - a tavern, at night ]
A tavern is for playing.

Scipio's skill at the lute is legendary. Not here, in Skyhold. Not yet, anyways. In Antiva City, he knows only praise. Dita d'oro, and not just for his skill at the lute. The tavern at Skyhold is usually noisy, full of people, and warmth--and drink, most important of all, that which attracts people the most.

Scipio, installed at a corner table, plays. Not for anyone, and not for coin, but people stop to listen anyways. He can talk as he plays, and carries on a conversation without missing a note. He strums harder or softer by turns, when the topic requires punctuation or emphasis, plucks out light little melodies like lace at the edge of a shirtsleeve when the conversation turns sad.

When he sings, he sings under his breath. The words are all in Antivan, but the tune is wistful. A man who would rather be un gorrión, un basque--nonsense, even if you understand it, but pretty nonsense.

As the night goes on, as the crowd thins out and he is more assured of being alone, Scipio sets his lute aside and gets out some little treasure out of the pouch at his belt. The songs were to be shared. This is not, whatever it is. A secret. He should not look at it here, but he can't help himself, as he lays out four gold teeth on the scarred tabletop. One, two, three, and the fourth he keeps in his palm, to admire more closely.

Que bella. For teeth, anyways.



- OR - just write me something and I'll tag it.
eolasemah: (uncertain)

la moglie

[personal profile] eolasemah 2015-12-04 07:10 pm (UTC)(link)
"what--"

Her basket dropped, a new burden in her arms, and a summons from the strange human who just darted passed. Sina looked back in the way from which Scipio had come, then confusedly followed him, unable to run at full-tilt due to both the weight of the object and her health considerations, but she obeyed as best she could. "Wait!!"
serannas: serious (renan)

morning

[personal profile] serannas 2015-12-04 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Ellana walks up on the battlements, taking in the view of the mountains. She's seen a bit of the world now, finally, but she wants to experience even more. It makes her wonder where she'll go next in the name of the Inquisition, and what good she can do there.

The strains of music from the lute catch her attention and she turns to see the man hiding from the wind.

"You have a lute! I'm learning to play. I already know an Antivan love melody." Thanks to Zevran's tutoring.
foxsays: (Look inside for a place to hide)

afternoon;

[personal profile] foxsays 2015-12-04 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
The problem with Skyhold is that it's too damn quiet for the most part. There's no market, they're untold miles from any docks or ports, and people drilling in the yard becomes a constant background drone Araceli's learned to tune out once again.

Apparently that's about to change when something is thrust into her arms and she finds herself running, old thief instinct kicking in immediately when you ran like your life depended on it. And really, sometimes it did if the person chasing you was possessed of a rather vicious temper.

"Amico, if I am shot in the arse with an arrow here and not the Mire," she huffs as she runs, lengthening her stride to keep up because damn all you tall folk, "I will find someone who will pay a pretty sum for your hair."
the_effect_she_has: (Quietly happy)

Morning

[personal profile] the_effect_she_has 2015-12-05 01:08 am (UTC)(link)
As if from the sky, a pair of gloves fall down and into the other man's lap. Above him, sitting on the inset of one of the towers, Katniss looks down with a faint smile.

Then she disappears inside of the tower, singing softly the song he had been strumming before. Lilting the notes with a pure and beautiful tone, as she practices her climbing down from somewhere.
eolasemah: (horrified)

[personal profile] eolasemah 2015-12-05 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
Well that was all she needed in the way of convincing. Seeing a large human barreling towards her gave Sina incentive to turn and book it after Scipio, her heart hammering in her chest.
serannas: amused (isala)

[personal profile] serannas 2015-12-05 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
"Well, it was my first lesson. I'm sure I'll learn many more with time!" She watches his fingers work, hoping to pick up a little something from it for her next lesson.

"I'm Ellana," she continues. "And I haven't seen many Antivans around here yet."
eolasemah: (uncertain)

[personal profile] eolasemah 2015-12-05 05:44 am (UTC)(link)
They weren't exactly her streets either; if Sina had had time to make any kind of decision on the matter she likely would never have followed him, and would have alerted... someone?? A guard? ...maybe not. But here she was.

She skidded past the alley opening and then darted in after Scipio, at the very least equally small and able to make her way through without any trouble. "What... is this..!!" she wheezed, her weakened lungs complaining with every breath she took.
the_effect_she_has: (elvish)

[personal profile] the_effect_she_has 2015-12-05 06:37 am (UTC)(link)
Katiss can still hear the lute playing, a few chords here and there, and suddenly she gets it. He is trying to make out the song she is singing as she moves.

So she drops down another level, and sings through an open window, and sings the first verse for him.

"I feel sun
Through the ashes in the sky.
Where's the one
Who'll guide into the night?
"
amygdalae: the alternative is getting angry (this is me trying to be nice)

[personal profile] amygdalae 2015-12-05 12:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Bruce, as almost with all mornings, is up bright and early, preparing himself for another day of treating the sick and injured as he had come here to do.

Before beginning the day's work, however, he had made a trip up to the ramparts first, though not because he wanted to take a walk there. He had come up here late last night to do a little extra brewing of his potions and this morning found that he had left something here. Hence him being up here, so that he could find it.

He pauses in his search though when he hears some music playing nearby. A quick look around shows that its coming from a person sitting on the battlements, and a closer look reveals a familiar figure.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Bruce says, just loud enough for the other to hear as he walks closer.
foxsays: (And aimless at best)

[personal profile] foxsays 2015-12-05 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
"All's fair in love and war amico."

It's hard not to laugh at the look on his face but she knows that if she does then she'll be caught by the bellowing ox behind them and no, she would rather not have her day go so south.

"All this over a box? I can understand if a lover had been stolen or you'd been found in bed with their darling of age child but-" Okay that man is shouting a lot but the good thing about really big men when you're slender is that big shouting men tire out. Eventually. Climbing with a box might be a bit of a challenge should it come to all that and it only makes her much more curious about the contents of said box.
serannas: serious (Default)

[personal profile] serannas 2015-12-05 06:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Her lips quirk up, wondering what he's getting at.

"I did," she replies, moving to sit down beside him. "And I saw rams on the mountainside. What tune would you play for a ram?"
ombranera: (Default)

Il suno del silenzio

[personal profile] ombranera 2015-12-06 12:59 am (UTC)(link)
From the next table over after a few strums of a particular song Scipio will find he was no longer playing on his loathsome, a harmonious counterpoint layering itself under his melody. If he looked to the source he would find Zevran perched happily on the table, legs crossed at the knee, picking away with a wink to the nearest girl and a tip of his head in Scipio's direction.
rathercommon: (disapproving)

the eighty-seventh accessory to his crime

[personal profile] rathercommon 2015-12-06 05:57 pm (UTC)(link)
There are problems with having been a thief. One of these - and it is a considerable problem, truly - is that it's never wholly a past-tense proposition. You might not steal any longer, maybe out of a desire to walk a better path or maybe just from a recognition that getting hung up on things is incredibly stupid and pointless and useless, but you don't ever forget the skills that served you well back when you were shimmying through cracked windows and lying in ambush for well-off passers-by. And often this is okay. Often it's good, truthfully, especially when you're a small girl who can't outfight ninety-five percent of what's out there. A thief's skills make for the ability to run the hell away.

But sometimes, someone shoves clearly stolen goods in your arms, and your instincts take over and instead of playing the part of the good, law-abiding, honest young maid, you find yourself running alongside him and searching your memory for the nearest bolt-hole, the location of which you'd of course instinctually memorized weeks ago.

"Here."

She pivots into a store-room. There's no time to consider loyalty or prudence; instead, she scans Scipio up and down and then jabs a finger at a half-hidden alcove off to the side of the room. Big enough to provide concealment.

"There."
paperwing: (and i'm a lionheart)

night.

[personal profile] paperwing 2015-12-06 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
She is not here by choice. Taverns are loud and noisy and unpredictable and far from her usual places of refuge, but Sabriel has found herself here more often since returning to Skyhold. First had been by suggestion, then as a meeting place, and then, even if she sat and did nothing, as a place to drown out the song in her head when concentration and focus failed her, and she allowed herself time to do nothing.

Tonight is different; tonight, a different tune given by a different player has her undivided attention.

Skyhold may not know his skill with a lute but she does, able to pick it out from long nights under the stars when it was the only fireside company any of the fleeing Wardens had. Sabriel is a few tables over, in the centre of things, many tables and heads and tankards and chairs over, but she can still listen. And notably, Sabriel still watches, even in the moments she can't see, and can only imagine. But she pictures it perfectly, and clearly -- the lute, his fingers, the curved smile.

She is young, and foolish, and charmed, not that she knows these things. But she could watch, and listen, and forget what troubles her, for the rest of the night - or however long this next song lasts.
amygdalae: I think I'm angry (oh you think you're funny)

[personal profile] amygdalae 2015-12-07 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Bruce, in his own stride, takes the response without question, nodding as always. His guess was probably something to do with the Wardens, which as with other things, would not pry into because he knew better than to poke at things people didn't want to talk about. But as long as the other was fine, then so too was Bruce.

"I hope this is a well-deserved break, then." He glanced at the instrument that he was playing, silent for a moment as he heard the melody that was being played out. "That sounds very nice, by the way. Where did you learn that tune from?"

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