[Open] Where There Is No Wine

[judgemewhole]

WHO: James Norrington and You. Yes you.
WHAT: Drinking wine solves everything. Or at least that is what James is trying out this month.
WHEN: After the Tevinter debacle
WHERE: The Blooming Rose - he's only there for the good vintages and the chess games, kids.
NOTES: Warnings for talk of torture, bloodshed, and general warning for drunk James

There are times in one's life where one simply wants to blot out a few of the worse hours of their lives. For fewer, it is days, perhaps even weeks. Very few want to blot out about four months worth of time from their memory, but after returning, barely, from Tevinter?

James Norrington, Knight Commander and 'fed-up with being calm, polite, and gritting his teeth', had decided to get absolutely and totally shit-faced. He was also going to get shit-faced in the best brothel in all of Kirkwall, but honestly it was because their wine cellar was second to none, and all of the ... employees of the establishment were more than willing to get 'paid' for their time with a glass of wine and a good chess game.

He didn't just disappear from his office. He wasn't off to have a bender and never be seen again. There was a note tacked to the door of his quarters, and his office, in the same bold print so anyone could find him if they really desired to.

It said simply, Off to share the Maker's love at the Blooming Rose. Blessing the fallen with holy wine. Please join if you are looking to save the sinners and enjoy a good Red from Antiva. - J. Norrington

He was saving them, persay. They wouldn't have to sell their bodies for at least an hour or two while playing chess with James. It totally counted as an act of charity from a member of the Templar Order. If he got to drink wine along with it, well, he was just blessing himself.

He needed a lot of damned blessings.

Comments

[zombra]

James won't see Tessa first. Instead he'll see a winded whore stop beside the bar and fiddle with the pouch on her belt before her head rears back as Tessa appears and yanks her back by the hair.

"Give it back," she growls at the woman, grabbing her arm with the other hand in case she secretly has a weapon. The bartender just looks on in surprise, while the whore snorts.

"You're in my territory now, dearie, so I'd watch who you're accusing."

Tessa's grip tightens. "Give it back, or I'll slam your face into the bar until your nose breaks, and you bet your ass I can do that before your friends take a step towards you. So I'd think on whether you want to be out of work for weeks while your broken nose heals."

The woman tries to look around to see if she has backup, but Tessa doesn't allow her to turn her head. Finally, she sighs. "It's in my belt pouch."

"Great," Tessa says, hand diving in and out to pull out a smooth, black rectangular object. Then she gives the woman a shove away before she turns to the bartender. "What you got to drink here?"

A minute later and Tessa takes a seat near James and whoever he's playing chess with, holding a glass of wine. "Kinda weird this place has a chess table, isn't it?"

[judgemewhole]

James is currently playing a round with the Madam herself - and he is discussing the Templar Order's particular rules on fornication as Madame Lusine had been curious about them for years but 'Captain Cullen was way too embarrassed to stick around and explain it all'. James, while sniping off her pieces, was just getting to the part where Templars could even marry if they wanted ...when the winded whore came running into the bar.

Then Tessa was suddenly there, and the room suddenly became a great deal more tense as knives started to appear briefly. James raised a hand to them all, and tapped the badge on his permission, before nodding at Tessa. She was Inquisition, and she had a reason for this. Sure enough, the second they all saw that their fellow whore had tried to rob the other woman, they all snorted and shook their heads. It was one thing to steal from a client - it was another to get caught at it.

Madame Lusine excused herself - to berate said whore for such actions (but mostly getting caught at it) - and James just shook his head as he leaned back and waited for Adriano to finish with his latest flirtation of 'touching' so he could pick off where Madame Lusine had left off. Which allowed him to give Tessa his full attention, and that followed a lazy smirk.

"My dear Tessa," he drawled, like a man who was comfortably into at least his second bottle, "This brothel has a library and a dining room for formal entertaining. A chessboard is the least of it's amenities."

[zombra]

"No shit?" she replies in a tone of surprise and slight disbelief. But she can clearly see the chess set here, so he must be on the level. She takes a better look around the space and shakes her head vaguely.

"Not really my scene. I just followed her in after she lifted my phone. But it's not bad. You look like you're having fun, though. Come here often?"

The question is coupled with a smirk of her own before she takes a sip of her wine. Maybe she should have gotten a bottle to reward herself for getting her shit back. Her worthless phone that she can't do anything with even if the battery wasn't dead. But it has sentimental value and one never knows what will drop from a rift next, like cell phone batteries.

[judgemewhole]

"No shit." James stated with an amused tilt to his mouth. He plucked up his own glass of wine, as he swept a gaze around the room once more. Then he jerked his gaze back abruptly towards her at the word 'phone', confusion moving over his expression.

"What is ... a phone?" Another pause, and he answered her question afterwards. "Not for pleasure. Usually I come in here to pluck Templars from the whores's loving arms."

[zombra]

"Eh, it's like a crystal but you can store stuff on it too." She waves a hand, not bothering to take it back out in case someone else here gets a case of sticky fingers. "It doesn't even work anymore. I'm just hanging on to it in case a magical rift spits out what I need to make it work again."

She does wish she could just turn it on and get to see those pictures of her family again. If she had known what was going to happen, she would have taken so many more. But no, she has a couple of her family and a bunch of dumb shit like plates of food to put on Instagram or the neighbor's dog. And a few of Mike, though she honestly wishes she'd taken more. Not that she can see any of this anymore.

"Aww, hopefully not before they get their money's worth, my dude."

[bouclier]

Evie has had her hands full with her sister since those that went to Tevinter returned, but she made sure not too much time had passed before she went to check on James. The note on his door had given her a moment's pause, before she decided to make her way to the Blooming Rose.

She spots him fairly easily, and ignores anyone who tries to approach her before she can get to the table he's playing chess at.

"I'm hardly an expert when it comes to establishments such as this, but I don't entirely think you're using it right."

[judgemewhole]

James is eying the move that Adriano has left him, before going to 'attend' to one of Madame Lusine's 'Special Clients'. It was a rather clever use of the Nevarran Double Bind - a move he had only ever seen when visiting Orlais some years ago. He pursed his lips together, hands folded over one another, frowning at the board as he tried to figure out how to save his Queen and Not get into check in five moves.

The frown turned into a brilliant smile - helped by two bottles of wine - at the sound of a familiar and lovely voice. "I am paying for my services and not abusing the staff. I say I am using it more correctly than most." He waggled his eyebrows at her, "Besides, no one would tussle a Knight Commander. They're all afraid of bringing down the Maker's fury upon their heads. Or at least Ser Coupe."

[bouclier]

She can't help but smile in return at the change of expression at her appearance, sliding into the vacant seat at the table but not touching the pieces in front of her. Raising her eyebrows at him, she tilts her head before letting out half a laugh at his assessment of why he's not here for the full range of activities the Blooming Rose offers.

"I hardly think that's true. Ser Coupe has better things to worry about than who her templars are sleeping with. Unless of course you two are involved?" That's definitely a thought.

[judgemewhole]

James stared at Evie for a moment, something dark flashing through his gaze at the very thought of allowing Ser Coupe have any access to his body like that. After what she had done, after what she had allowed to happen --

He plucked up his glass of wine, and stated firmly, "I would rather have blood mages hack off my genitals and use them for dark rituals, then to ever let that woman into my bed."

He breathed in the bouquet of the wine, sipped, pulled the calm back around him from the comfortable numbness of fine grapes. "Beyond that, she is not on my list of possible companions in the future. Maker's Breath, the list is not that long to begin with and she would be ... the second to last person in all of Thedas I would consider."

[bouclier]

The curious look on Evie's face fades as she takes note of how very opposed to the idea of Coupe sharing his bed makes him. She'd heard some of what had happened in the catacombs from Lexie, but she'd been more concerned with the things her sister had ultimately been forced to do. Things she'd always hoped that Lexie would never be subjected to.

Holding up a silver coin in the air she catches the eye of the barmaid, signaling she needs her own glass, before turning back to James. Inhaling and straightening her posture in a deliberate manner of trying to refocus on keeping the conversation lighter.

"Ah, you have a list?"

[chainlightning]

It hasn't taken too long for Merrill to return to a few of her Kirkwall routines - minus the adventuring with Hawke, of course, but adding Inquisition duties. Visiting the Blooming Rose to talk to the girls and do each others hair was one of those routines - as was hearing their dirty stories and indulging in a bit of gossip. She had no idea that James was going to be there - she didn't actually even know for certain whether or not hew as still with the Inquisition.

That bad the surprise that much better when Merrill, walking with her arms linked with one of the girls, came into the lounge to see him.

"Oh!" Gently extracting herself from her friend - whose hair was currently braided in a distinctly Dalish fashion - Merrill tried to hurry over, but it was a bit hard to hurry anywhere when she had also had a bit of wine and there were pillows strewn about for people to lounge on. "James!"

[judgemewhole]

James had his gaze firmly on the board in front of him - until he heard a voice calling his name. A familiar voice, one he hadn't heard in what seemed like ... had it been over a year? He jumped to his feet, swayed slightly for the worse to wear of wine. He caught sight of the dark hair, the bright eyes and the warmest smile, and it was met with his own.

"Merrill, by the Maker, I never thought to see you again in this life." He eyed the obstacles before them, before manfully braving the pillow maze to reach her and grab her up in a tight embrace, without stopping to think of ... well, of a lot of other proper things he might have thought of before he had so much damned wine.

He did of course, blink, then lean back to look at her, "... why are you in the most expensive brothel in Kirkwall?"

[chainlightning]

The embrace might not have been expected, but it was welcome. James was a friend, Templar or not, and personally, Merrill had always thought he needed to unwind a bit. She hadn't ever expected him to unwind with a great deal of wine and chess in a brothel, but it was good for him. Hugging was good for him, and she was happy to oblige, squeezing back. It had been too long.

"Oh- I got to know some of the workers here when I lived in Kirkwall before! We do each others hair and g- talk." Not gossip, Andraste probably doesn't approve of gossip, and then James would frown, which he already did enough of. "They're not quite sure why it's called a brothel either, as it doesn't have a thing to do with broth. Do you know?"

[judgemewhole]

Merrill, you would be very pleased with how much he had unwound tonight. He's not even wearing his armor, and his sword is his only weapon on him. A tunic, some breeches, his boots and he is otherwise just there with a wine bottle as an accessory.

Well, and now Merrill, as he is still hugging her tight and not letting her go. He leans back though, to give her a thoroughly amused look. "I see. Hair and ... Talk." He is here for wine and chess. He shall not judge. "Ah ...it has to deal with, oddly, how broth is common. Brothel's are filled with 'common' women and men who give themselves a way for coin."

[chainlightning]

Is that James Norrington or a Desire Demon? Only time will tell.

"Oh!" She hadn't been expecting an actual answer - no one yet had been able to give her one, after all - and her surprise and delight in getting one mean that James is getting another squeeze. "It seems a bit rude, but I'm glad to know the answer! How did you learn that?"

What is letting go? Merrill had been lost in the Crossroads, mourning on Sundermount - a hug, a friend, is nothing to let go of.

[pyrazine]

It was her nose that led her here, the smell of food - not much - and wine - a lot of wine. She comes into the establishment and sits next to the guy who smells the most like he doesn't belong here, the smell that says that he might have been here for a while but it wasn't all day. He's playing chess.

Aluisio plays chess, and he taught Luana. The Saci will talk to you like a chess game, he used to say. She's watching the game for a moment, watching the woman who is losing, miserably, who is now trying to flirt her way out of a corner, and her mouth presses together. Luana is no good at math, or science, or chemistry. She's not clever when it comes to literature. But she knows a lot about chess, because Aluisio won't let up on making her play him.

She probably isn't good enough to beat him, but she's definitely god enough to keep up, and maybe give him a challenge. "Hey," she says, nudging the woman who is staring at the board. "Move," she says, kicking a little more, and the woman - okay, she's probably a whore, but Luana doesn't judge - looks at Luana with the affect of a woman who does not want to lose money here. Luana nudges her again. "You're losing, move. Give the man a challenge."

There's a bit of a snarl, but eventually the woman moves, and Luana sits, resetting the board. "You're not too drunk for this, right?"

[judgemewhole]

James was peering at the board with all the intent of someone who is trying to pull out moves from the back of his mind, but honestly, he's starting to get bored. Sabina has tried to keep it interesting but honestly - her head is not in the game and she keeps giving him hungry looks. Like she'd love to get his silvers worth. So she's flirting, and not paying attention to her pieces, and he's already got her beat in about five or six moves.

That boredom is suddenly lifted when a young woman comes up and kicks Sabina's chair, ordering her to get out so she can play. He sits up, then back in his chair, watching this entire exchange with no little amusement. He takes up his glass of wine once more - from the third bottle - and eyes her. Street rat and a smart one at that.

"It depends. Are you good enough for me to sober up a little?" He drawled, arching one dark eyebrow at her.

[pyrazine]

She shrugs a little as she finishes resetting the board, her fingers long and nimble. Is she good enough for him to sober up? She's been playing for two years, but he looks like an old man. He's probably a couple years younger than Aluisio. Old men always have tricks that they don't share, until you're well in their debt.

He is drinking more wine. Luana isn't big on wine - she prefers spirits - and so she doesn't pour a glass of her own. "I'm okay," she admits, "but I'm better than that one," she says, nodding her head. She looks up at him, and there's a smile on her face now, and she looks both innocent and totally guilty at once. It's a rare kind of look. "So let's start with your-" she takes a breath. "Seventh glass of wine? Eighth?"

She doesn't know exactly, only that he smells like he's been at this a while. She opens the game, easily, her fingers tipping on the top of the queen.

[judgemewhole]

He gives the young girl across from him a keen look over his wine glass. Assessing her, assessing him. She was sharp, this one. Already looking for weaknesses she could exploit. She would make an excellent warrior. Of course she was probably more of a rogue - knives, that sort of thing. Sword-play might be too slow for her ...

A smile escapes his usually serious expression, and he puts the glass down. "Sabina wasn't looking for a game, though. You are. So I shall put aside my - eighth - glass of wine. Give you a run for your coin." He looked over the board. "Black, or white?"

First or second? He hoped she went first, knew she would probably go second. Testing him again.

[pyrazine]

She takes it easy for a long moment, leaning back, looking at the board. She's doing this on purpose, she's doing this to make an impression. This impression matters, although she couldn't say why.

Finally she turns the board so the white pieces are on her side. "I'll play white," she says, although she usually doesn't. She usually doesn't make the first move. She does it because she thinks that she wants him to think she's a little bit strange, and she is.

The rifter shard in her hand isn't hidden, but it's not enough for her.

[onlyhymns]

If he hadn't seen the note on James' door, Cade might have been able to ignore it. But because he did see it, he's been nervous all night, trying to force himself into the mentality that it's not his responsibility, he's not a Templar, and even when he was, James outranked him-- but he knows the inclination. He's been there. Something is clearly wrong.
And... the brothel?

When the hour is late, and Cade has already dozed off once but never heard James return, he quietly leaves the tower and takes a generously-paid ferry to the mainland. Though he never personally went to the Blooming Rose, as an active-duty Templar in Kirkwall for over a decade, he certainly knows where it is. And, sure enough, there's Norrington. Obliterated.

Trying his hardest not to look to either side, or to pay attention to any of the establishment's employees at all, Cade approaches James to peer down at his face. "Ser, I think it's time to go," he says with uncharacteristic confidence, prepared to drag him out if he has to. Maker, what will people think?

[judgemewhole]

James is well past his third bottle of wine at this point, but since he's been savoring for hours, he's still on that nice side of drunk where everything is just Fine. Light and purple around the edges - he's had more interesting conversations tonight than he's had in Ages. Beyond that, excellent chess matches, all about.

He's looking at the chess-board - it is the time of night where the Blooming Rose is absolutely filled to the brim with customers actually looking for some companionship - so he's actually playing a rather rich lord So and So while he waits for Serendipity. James can't remember his name - just that he is Maker-awful at chess. He knows he's drunk but this is just abysmal.

Then. There is. Cade. There. Suddenly. Looking frightfully competent for once. James stares at Cade, then stares at Lord So and So, and then back at Cade. He puts his gaze back on Lord So and So. "Is he actually standing there, or have I finally gotten to the delusional part of the drinking?"

Lord So and So is now peering blearily at Cade, "I dunno - is he a new boy?"

James's eyes narrowed, and he almost growled, "That is a former member of the Templar Order, serah." He pauses, then peers back at Cade, "Who, if you can see him, is real - wait. Cade? Why are you here?"

[onlyhymns]

On Lord So and So's comment, Cade turns a look on the man that communicates the jaw-shattering blow he's a split-second of self-control from giving him; thankfully, Norrington speaks up before that can happen, and though Cade's hackles don't exactly go down, he doesn't commit homicide right this second.
"Because you're drunk in a brothel, s--" he begins, catching himself before 'ser' makes it all the way out of his mouth. It's been a year, he's not a superior officer anymore. They're peers now. It's not a good feeling, but it is... better than being ranked under James in the current situation. "...and I think you'll regret it."
If not him, the Order. And despite no longer being part of that Order, Cade will never not be fiercely devoted to its reputation.

[judgemewhole]

James gave Cade a long, and intent look, before he went ahead and put down a small fortune in gold for all his bottles of wine. He pushed himself to his feet, swayed for a moment, before straightening out and gesturing for Cade to walk towards the door. The young man had enough emotional damage already. He wasn't going to subject Cade into more of the same."

He did snort, however, as he stepped outside into the cool night air. "The only thing I regret, Cade, is not bringing another bottle with me. As is, I suppose I can get just as drunk in my office as I can here."

[onlyhymns]

As always, Cade has a difficult time maintaining eye contact when it's being given so intently, so he loses it before long and looks to the ground. But at least it seems he succeeded, and that James can walk on his own, which, all things considered, is a small blessing.

Once they're outside, he glances at James with a tired look. "I think you've had enough," he mutters.