♠ TRICKS OF THE TRADE ♠ round 1

[wickedchase]

WHO: Twisted Fate, Samouel Gareth, Adelaide LeBlanc, Korrin Ataash, Simon Tam, Lenneth Valkyrie, Kain Highwind, Sina Dahlasanor, and potentially open depending on how one wants their thread to go down.
WHAT: Twisted Fate has some tricks to play.
WHEN: After everyone returns from the Mire, and before the inevitable split off for missions.
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Every prank has its own prompt for people who had asked for it!

♠ SAM ♠
Someone, it seems, lined your breeches with white powder this fine morning, something you may or may not have noticed. In any case, it seems harmless enough until in the late afternoon when it seems incredibly itchy. Can you stop yourself from scratching yourself in public? Oh, the indecency!

♠ ADELAIDE ♠
It'd been easy enough to get her students involved. One would be surprised at how mages do look for ways to make things a little less grim, especially in the face of what they've had thrown at them.

During a lesson in learning how to properly make a poultice, Adelaide will find her students all gasp in unison before abruptly collapsing onto the ground at once. They'll be silent until one of them starts giggling. And it could be that Fate is watching from around the corner, curious at the results.

♠ KORRIN ♠
Twisted Fate will certainly miss you, Korrin, and he's made that clear. So, he's left you a gift! A bottle of cider has been left in your belongings. Should you take a sip, your mouth will be a curious shade of lime green after awhile. With lots of love! (The color will fade after a day.)

♠ SIMON ♠
Simon Tam certainly has some socks. So nice that all of his left socks are mysteriously missing. And all those left socks have been tied together in one long line of socks, and that long line of socks has been tied around a mabari's neck. Dare you interact with the pup?

♠ LENNETH ♠
The next room in Skyhold that Lenneth walks into, whether it's the hold or the tavern so long as it's a place with a door, a bucket of fresh goat milk will spill on Lenneth. Ta-dah!

♠ KAIN ♠
Cotton balls have been aligned along the inside of your armor when you try to put it on this morning, Kain. Including your boots. The nerve! Who would ever? Who indeed.

♠ SINA ♠
An apple has been left for Sina. Thoughtful, but the apple seems to be moving on its own, shaking back and forth, wiggling. That's no normal apple. Could it be possessed? With enough investigating, one might find a beetle inside.


♠ TWISTED FATE ♠
And should anyone be clever enough to determine that it was indeed Fate -- which, really, is a no-brainer for Korrin, at least -- they will find the elf calmly seated in the tavern at the end of it all, drinking while playing a game of cards with one of the other patrons in the bar.

Comments

[gatheringstorm]

[The bottle of cider's appreciated...until Korrin takes notice of her mouth in the mirror. Lovely. Heading straight for the tavern, the Vashoth mage plops down right in front of him, not caring if he's busy with someone else.]

Cute, by the way. Green has always been my color.

[She rolls her eyes, but nah, not going to be wearing the walls down for something silly like that.]

So, am I just special or are you spreading the love around?

[wickedchase]

[He pauses mid-shuffle, then glances at the patron he's playing with. With a wink, he says the other man:] Another time, hm? Find me later.

[Fate settles his gaze on Korrin.] Why not a bit of both, spitfire? You can be special and I'm sharing a bit of my... affections for others in the Inquisition.

After all, you're the only one I left a note for.

[gatheringstorm]

[She sighs, placing a hand to her heart.]

I'm touched, truly. It's probably a good thing your mission is soon, before the results of your affection come back to bite you in the ass. Assuming they find out from another source, that is.

[Nah, Korrin won't tell as long as it's harmless stuff like this.]

[wickedchase]

You should be touched! I don't leave such a blatant indication for just anyone. [Fate grins and orders some mead -- being sure to get an extra mug for Korrin.]

I'm a man about timing. So, if anyone figures it out, it's off I go tomorrow anyway. If not, I'm good regardless.

I appreciate your discretion, for the record. I knew you had a good sense of humor.

[gatheringstorm]

[Korrin shrugs and smirks.]

With everything that's happened, people need a little silliness to distract them from it all. If it's always deadly serious around here, you know we'll buckle before long. That kind of pressure never leads anywhere good, not without some way to relieve it.

[el_tybs]

The slight itch barely bothers him in the morning when he's at magic lessons, figuring that maybe it's just hay dust. He does get a few curious looks though towards the end of it, since he's started to pull at his pants a bit more frequently.

It isn't until he gets to the stables that Sam really starts to feel the itch, cursing lightly when it becomes a bit more then uncomfortable. Enough so that he can't make it all the way back to his room get out of his clothes.

Thankfully there is a tent open for healers at the courtyard that he can use. There isn't any white powder on the pants now for him to tell what had caused the itching, but now that the pants are off it's bearable again. Course now that he is without pants, Sam's kind of stuck in the tent until he can get someone to find him something to walk back with.

[dragoon_pride]

[As he puts on his armor and notices something amiss, Kain scowls in total annoyance. Everything feels tight, or... wait, what's that? He takes off a boot and shakes it out, watching the cotton fall from it. It's much the same with the other, and with other pieces of the armor as well.]

[He manages to get most of it out, though every so often he still realizes there's a stray piece here and there and has to stop to get rid of it.]

[Carrying a bunch of the cotton in a big ball, Kain goes off in search of the responsible party, first stepping out into the courtyard and glancing around warily.]

[wickedchase]

[Out in the courtyard, Fate is sitting calmly on a tree trunk, one of his novels in his hands. The Princely Groom is an old favorite of his, and he certainly could use the diversion as he can practically hear Kain some stomping in a huff.

It takes all of his willpower to not smile.]

You seem troubled. [He glances at the wad of cotton.] Looking for a pillow to stuff?

[dragoon_pride]

[Kain glances over and his frown somehow manages to deepen. He has that total agitation of someone who really, truly has no time for fun or frivolity. He holds the cotton pile up, a few stray pieces falling to the ground. Then he points at it as if it's the most offensive thing in the world.]

Hardly... but someone saw fit to stuff all of my armor with this.

[Such a nuisance, ugh.]

[wickedchase]

[An exaggerated gasp is performed and Fate's eyes widen.]

What? No. The absolute worst!

[dragoon_pride]

An incredible nuisance... and I'm still finding more of it, even now. I must find whoever is responsible...

[Kain eyes Fate closely then. Something about him is... suspicious, maybe... but he isn't certain. He could just be jumping to conclusions.]

[fleurdesel]

She's been helping Henri grind the root into a paste when Roul coughs behind her. Concerned more than ever over the harsh weather and their health she stands to check on her eldest student- only to be struck dumb when they all gasp, clutch at their throats, and fall over.

Light flares around her as she rushes to Roul, Compassion's blue power trailing from her fingers to his skin but there is...


Nothing. Wrong.


What?


Sabine snorts a laugh on the other end of the room and that gives the rest leave to giggle and chortle and otherwise break panic's hold over Adelaide. She gives them a moment to be youthful and childish and laugh at her for her panic- it's been so long since they've last done anything of the sort- before putting on her most stern expression and fussing at them.

Their punishment is being sent off for the rest of the day- no grinding, no brewing, no chores. Time to speak with their new friends (as they have them) and leave her a moment to clean up.

She even manages a thin smile, one that grows somewhat when she watches Henri pass around a corner and say something to someone just outside her view. Curious, she follows, watching him before quirking a brow at this gentleman. "Was this your idea?"

[wickedchase]

Fate smiles brightly at Henri, nodding to him, pleased with himself at how well the trick had gone over. In most cases, he usually didn't stick around after set up, but this was...

Well, it was important.

When Adelaide speaks to him, Fate removes his hat, pressing it against his chest as he gives a little bow of his head.

"Guilty as charged," Twisted Fate says, grinning. "I hope it was well received?"

[fleurdesel]

"My students enjoyed themselves." She's still fighting down that initial surge of panicked adrenaline and the racing of her heart- but to hear them laugh like that? Watch them smile when they've had so little cause to do so in the past year? Worth a little fear. "I do not know how you convinced Sabine and Henri to play along- but I must say I am somewhat impressed."

[wickedchase]

"Then I think I'll call it a success."

The hat is replaced to the top of his head, and he grins at Adelaide. "I can be very persuasive, and I think we're all looking for a little relief from reality. Yourself included, I should say."

[fleurdesel]

"I am thanking you for giving them a laugh but I will say this but the once." Her smile thinned out into a faint glare, her jaw tense. "Do not involve my students in mischief like this again. You meant well and I appreciate that. You brought them joy and for that I thank you. But something like this makes me think less 'harmless fun' and more 'maker they've been possessed, enthralled, or poisoned.' Which I do not think was your intention, yes?"

[eolasemah]

At first glance, Sina assumed the apple was someone else's, and she left it alone. But then it moved, just out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look at it, and it moved again.
She watched it for a while, giving a small jump of surprise every time it shifted. After a good ten minutes, she poked it. Nothing happened.

Over the course of about half an hour she came to determine that the apple was not imbued with magic of any kind, but there was a small break in the flesh of it as though someone had carved out a tunnel and then replaced it. She extracted it, peered inside, and then dropped it on the ground when something shuffled towards her eye.
A beetle crawled out of the apple's tunnel. Sina stared at it, looked up, looked around, and left it there, to be thoroughly bewildered for the rest of the day.

[lennethvalkyrie]

As fate (and Fate) would have it, it was indeed the entrance to the Herald's Rest that held that particular surprise. Lenneth hadn't gone to the tavern yet, but she'd heard it suggested several times at the Mire camp as a nice warm place to rest, and she rather missed the festal atmosphere of the einherjar's halls in Valhalla.

She allowed herself a small smile at the sound of boisterous Inquisition soldiers and staff, and at the candlelight as she entered--which was abruptly turned into darkness as something landed with a wooden thunk on her head. She let out a short undistinguished shriek of surprise, which echoed hollowly from the bucket, the noise creating a nice harmony with the contents that didn't soak her landing with a wet splatter on the floor beneath her. The creamy, slightly sweet scent of goats milk filled her nostrils.

Lenneth stood stock still for a moment, and then whipped the offending object off her head, and leveled the gaze of a bull readying its charge at each visible patron in turn in search of a culprit.

[wickedchase]

Oh. Maybe that didn't go as well as he'd hoped. It seemed harmless enough, but he could have been mistaken.

So, from above, Fate glances down, cringing a little before he decides it might be best to find the closest window and vault out of it.

And so he does, not eager to find Lenneth's wrath.

[lennethvalkyrie]

The quick flicker of movement caught her eye--and the Valkyrie was after it. Not directly through the tavern of course, but out and around, still dripping, the bucket in her hand.

Then, halfway through her sprint up to the battlements, hoping to spy and catch the mischief-maker from there, she looked down over Skyhold and slowed. Then stopped. Then sat. The lights from below twinkled, the sound of metal on wood from the practice ring, the murmur of conversation resuming in the Herald's Rest after the hush that had fallen when she'd screeched.

Why was she so angry? What great height did she have to fall from here, in this world? She was no general here, no goddess, no unassailable battle-maiden. She had no great respect to maintain. Here she was an outsider. And now a bad-tempered one. Sitting on the cold step, she found she didn't much like the thought of being known that way.

Perhaps here... she could play at an einherjar's games.

She flicked her tongue out to taste the milk and smiled slightly. At the very least, it seemed that the milk of goats tasted the same no matter the world.

Then she eyed the bucket that was still in her hands. Perhaps... She stood slowly, straightened her back, and made her way back down the steps to the tavern--with the intent of procuring some ale for the bucket, sussing out the perpetrator, and returning the favor.

[wickedchase]

When he finds that he is no longer being pursued, Twisted Fate waits patiently by the stalls of the merchants, just in case. Could never be too careful, after all. Still, when it seems that Lenneth doesn't choose to chase him, he warily makes his way back towards the tavern.

Likely, more than enough time for her to have filled that bucket to the brim if she wanted.

[lennethvalkyrie]

When he returns, he'll find her sitting at a table near the entrance, watching the door rather expectantly with a full bucket of ale on the tabletop and two mugs beside it. Although she looks at him when he walks in, there's no flash of recognition--apparently he got out before she could see enough to identify him as the culprit.

Sorry for the delay.

[noleechesneeded]

It wasn't a big deal at first. Annoying, but nothing to be suspicious of...but that was when Simon only thought one was missing. Then he noticed two and three and (he really had a lot of socks, now that he was going through them) all of them were gone. This wasn't a case of him being forgetful, someone had gone through the trouble of taking them. Who would do that? Why?!

With an irritated look Simon went searching, at first for River...but even in her current state she wouldn't go through the trouble of stealing all of his left socks and hiding them somewhere. Would she? As revenge for the boots, perhaps...no. No, River wouldn't have done this.

Though when he finally found them, draped almost decoratively around some mabari's massive neck, he had to wonder.

It also left Simon hesitating, because the beast had started gnawing on the end of his new scarf, unraveling his socks and turning them into soggy piles of ruined yarn... Did Simon dare? Considering the fact that the moment he took one step too close and reached down he was growled at, no he did not dare. Clearly he needed a bribe. Simon hurried to the tavern, leaning against the counter to ask for a mutton shank--to go, please.

The mage didn't notice anyone who might have been watching, certainly not any elves, especially not while he kept getting distracted by how uncomfortable his left boot was without a sock...

np np!

[wickedchase]

Across the tavern, Twisted Fate watches, delighted behind his mug of ale as he observes Simon. The way he shifts just so because of his left foot, and he knows exactly why that is.

Clever idea, the order for the mutton.

Fate finishes his mug, and he rises slowly from his seat to slide up next to Simon, ever so curious.

"Bit of a large chop for someone of your stature," the elf remarks, feigning innocent curiosity. "Unless you're sharing it with someone?"

[noleechesneeded]

This early in the day an order like that needed time to prep, leaving Simon to nervously tap his fingers on the bar top and try to guess how many socks he was going to manage to save at this rate. Twisted Fate was given a distracted glance as he approached, then a second one when he spoke. The mage forced his fingers to still, hand flat over the table.

"It isn't for me," he answered, managing to fall for the innocent act completely. Still, he wasn't sure how much of the embarrassing story he wanted to share...

"Someone thought the dogs needed a better breakfast," he added, false smile tugging at his cheeks.