faderift | We're Back! A Gallows Tale

WHO: Athessa and YOU!
WHAT: Oh, you know. Getting back from the jungle and getting way too into her work.
WHEN: Now, Post-Jungle
WHERE: The Gallows & Kirkwall in general
NOTES: shrug.

I. Back on her Bullshit...or...not.

Athessa is quite possibly the best rested of the whole group that returns from the jungle, having found sleeping rough a lot easier than sleeping in a bed here. Weird. But in the few days that follow, she once again gets back to her habit of not sleeping well and prowling around in a cloud of root-smoke. She also has a small dagger strapped to her hip instead of going unarmed or strapping on her dual-wield blades, and an unusually heightened work ethic during daylight hours. Minimal antics, maximum...something else. Something like responsibility? Weird.

II. Can I Raas you a Question? (Closed to Raas, if that wasn't clear)

They don't know each other. They've never even interacted, at least as far as Athessa can recall. But where else is Athessa supposed to turn, when she doesn't know anyone else who speaks qunlat and doesn't want to snoop around unnecessarily before handing over what she found to the boss?

"'Scuse me..." She isn't timid, just a little awkward. It's not typical for her to introduce herself to someone just to ask a favor. "Do you have a minute?"

III. A New Kind of Office Visit (closed to Yseult)

Athessa knocks before entering, same as usual. But this isn't one of their scheduled check-ins or typical scout work that either of them expect from one another. They're barely settled after getting back from the jungle when Athessa is reporting to Yseult with a missive in one hand, and a qunari dagger in the other. Both are set on Yseult's desk.

"I...figured I should report this to you. I dunno if it even really matters, but I found these in De--in Sten's room."

IV. Wildcard

[ you know the drill ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sonia's stomach clenches just a little as the implication settles in, and then immediately feels silly for it. She's an adult. A real effort toward self-defense shouldn't be anything so scary; at this point, it's her responsibility, isn't it? To go out into the field again with no way of defending herself would only make her a liability. She rolls over on her bed onto her stomach, and the pause before her answer is full of hesitation, but there's no reluctance in her voice.

"I'm sure you'd make it up to me if it did." She rolls off her bed with a little whoosh. "What do I wear?"

Athessa hums thoughtfully. "Something comfortable, easy to move in. Nothing that'll get ruined by getting a bit dirty. I'm not gonna wrestle you to the ground or nothin' but the training yard is a bit dirty in general. And I'll definitely make it up to you if it sucks at all."

"Mmm, alright. I'll be there."

It isn't long before Sonia shows up to meet Athessa in loose-fitting trousers and a shirt open at the arms for the hot weather. Her dark hair, usually down, is pinned up in loose braids to keep it free from her face. She feels stupidly nervous, and smiles widely to cover it up.

"So, what are we learning here? Some secret Dalish escape art?"

Athessa stops the stretches she only just started because she peeked around the corner to see Sonia coming and then ran back to the yard to look like she hadn't just been lounging on a table.

"Not exactly, no," she chuckles. But...well...actually...she shrugs. "I mean I guess it's Dalish by being my technique but mostly it's just plain ol' escaping. No weapons needed, either."

Sonia doesn't quite look skeptical; simultaneously bemused and interested, maybe. All the violence she's been exposed to in the world seemed to need violence to stop it. But escaping...yes, escaping is, well, it's a start.

"Does it involve a great deal of wiggling?" Sonia demonstrates by way of vague wiggling herself. She looks very silly.

It's hard not to laugh non-stop around people she likes, but in this instance, Athessa just barely manages it. Nodding, grinning encouragingly, she strolls casually closer to Sonia.

"Actually yeah, but I don't think we'll be doing much wiggling today. First lesson is always the easy stuff. So, whenever you're ready--" Athessa holds her arms out in front of her, palms facing the ground. "Try to grab my arm. Or both of 'em, whichever strikes your fancy."

Sonia, proud as she can be, is not above a little indignity with friends, and she smiles at Athessa's clear amusement. The instruction, however, gives her pause. She taps a finger against her lips, looking suspicious.

"This seems like a trap."

"That's cos it is, a little. But only a little!" Very assuring, and kind of chagrined that Sonia is smart enough to suspect. "Come on, humor me."

Sonia concedes that for any of this to work, she has to trust Athessa. She does want it to work (in a sense), and she does trust Athessa, fundamentally. And, she concedes further, naturally it will involve a little embarrassment on her part. But she shouldn't be so self-conscious around Athessa. She's one of the easiest people Sonia finds to be around.

"Alright, alright." She clears her throat, looking a little sheepish, and makes a move to grab for Athessa's arm.

Sonia has a hold of Athessa's arm now. Easy as that. But now the lesson starts.

"A common instinct when someone grabs your arm is to fight the hold. You can struggle, tug on your arm, try to pry their fingers off, but the second you get your other hand involved in this zone--" She pats the back of Sonia's hand, then gestures to the air around their arms. "You're basically just giving them your other arm to grab onto. And if you pull back, they'll just grip tighter. I'm gonna show you the right answer but what do you think you should do in this situation?"

For once, Sonia looks like she is honestly at a loss for an answer. She knows that the point here is the learning, but she can't help but feel a little...well, uneducated.

"I...don't know," she finally confesses, brow knit. "I've never been in this situation before. A swift kick to the balls, maybe -- though that is predicated on the assailant actually having any."

"That's a good option, regardless of whether or not they have balls," Athessa agrees, raising her brow with a modicum of pride. Sonia's gonna be a natural. "But if they're heavily armored, it might not work. Watch my hands, ok?"

Athessa waves her hands to call attention to them, then twists them around, grabbing hold of Sonia's arms. "I could grab you, but that doesn't give me the upper hand or get me out of this hold. But if I push forward--"

It's a lot harder to keep hold, then.

Sonia, offering virtually no resistance, stumbles back a step, blinking in puzzlement. No, she is not a fighter of any sort, but this does seem counterintuitive.

"I...would not have thought to do that."

She grins.

"Exactly. It adds the element of confusion and surprise, helping you get away. I mean you could also grab them and head-butt them, but you're not a fighter. If you want to be, that's one thing, but this way you don't even have to draw blood."

We're Back! A Gallows Tale

these two are ripe for a 90s teen sitcom au

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