♠ 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.]

[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]

Sort of my perspective on things. I prefer a life of games, adventuring, and pleasures; all this... holes in the sky, another Archdemon, and such is sort of a downer on things, don't you think?

Even if people are irritated at first, I think they'll be grateful.

[gatheringstorm]

I suppose it depends on what exactly you did to them. Care to elaborate?

[He wouldn't have pulled the same thing on everyone, she knows that much.]

[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?"

[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?

[wickedchase]

Nothing that I didn't think would be difficult to find amusing. Let me think... I convinced a class of mages to pretend to be ill to tease their teacher, I took all of a man's left socks and tied them around a dog, itching powder in a man's trousers, a beetle in an apple, cotton balls in someone else's armor, and poured goat's milk on someone else.

I didn't think it was particularly sinister, but you'd be surprised at how sensitive people can be.

[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."

[gatheringstorm]

[Korrin tries to hold it in, but she can't and ends up snorting with laughter by the end of it.]

I'm not sure which I love more, the itching powder or the cotton balls. Those definitely ought to take their minds off things for a bit. A little irritation is a fair price to pay for something like that...though admittedly, it's easier to say that when they didn't happen to me.

[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.

[wickedchase]

[It makes him smile in return, pleased that she enjoys hearing of his ventures.]

Well, I couldn't imagine making you itch like that, so admittedly there was some... preferences involved. Everything else was fair game, though.

Perhaps I'll come up with some more clever tricks when I get back. Suppose we'll see. In any case, let me buy you a drink that won't change your mouth's color. Hm?

[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?"

[wickedchase]

"Certainly not, no. I think they relished the chance to do something harmless in a world that's less than forgiving." A brow is raised at her, and he folds his arms. "I promise, I really have no intention in involving them in anything else. The play was for them, in as much as it was for you. Though perhaps the world's less than pleasant state of affairs has made it difficult to react to the play as well, hm?"

He tilts his head. "In any case, the mischief is mine. Not theirs."

[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.

[fleurdesel]

"Which is why I am scowling at you and not them. You...do not know me, nor do you know my fears, and you meant well." Which is the only reason she's not demanding an apology. He meant well- and an elf meaning well and bringing joy to her students is far easier to forgive than any human mage meaning well and seeing them all damned.

[wickedchase]

There's a pause as he considers his next words carefully. He closes his eyes and nods, the gesture gentle and humble.

"Of that, you're right. I don't think I made a mistake, but with you perhaps my games ought to be chosen more carefully. Scowl away, then, and I'll understand your disapproval, madame. I'm glad they enjoyed themselves, but I didn't expect to startle you as I did."

[fleurdesel]

"You made them laugh." Some of the frost melts at that. "I have not seen them so carefree since...before the war."

Before the Spire fell.

"As such it was no mistake. I do not think they know the depth of my fears either- nor should they." A teacher must be a rock. A strong, safe anchor in the middle of a chaotic life. "I would appreciate that, yes."

[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.]