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THE GALLOWS/KIRKWALL
By and large, upon their return to the Gallows, James Holden carries on in the same ways he always has. He can be found at his usual haunts: working with Research, at the stables grooming or returning from a ride on his horse, training with the blue-bladed sword he brought back from Orzammar.
When he's not, he can usually be found in Kirkwall: drawn, always, to the refugee settlements. He spends a lot of time with building the temporary shelters, though he can also be found helping pretty much anywhere an extra pair of hands is needed, up to and including, if asked, some impromptu babysitting.
One trying to catch him during some downtime might come to notice that he isn't, actually, taking any downtime.
FERRY
The downpour didn't come on out of nowhere, but there wasn't much warning before lightning started flashing and the rain began. Maybe they're on a late ferry back to the Gallows, without much protection to keep them from being soaked to the bone. He sighs, comments wryly,
"I've been meaning to get a new jacket."
Or maybe it's late enough for them to realize they've missed that late ferry, which is currently sailing off across the dark, choppy waters. In which case he'll frown, then say, "Any suggestions?"
He's familiar with inns in town, of course, but mostly on a name basis. He's never actually had to stay at one overnight before.
OBLIGATORY COFFEE PROMPT
You might run into him either in, or in the vicinity of, the kitchens at pretty much any time of day or night. His purpose there is readily apparent; he takes down a bag of coffee beans with him, brews himself a fresh batch of steaming coffee. If he happens to notice anyone else around, or he's greeted, he'll nod towards the hot liquid with,
"It's nearly done. Do you want some?"
LATE NIGHT
He's in the habit of leaving his door open, whenever he's awake and at his quarters. What this means, lately, is that anyone who wanders past his room at night — or early morning, or the time in between — isn't unlikely to notice his door ajar, lamplight seeping through the cracks. More likely than not, he's sitting with a book, though he'll look up at the interruption.
WILDCARD
[ feel free to dm me for a bespoke starter or just drop something here or on the post ]
Edited 2021-08-01 20:43 (UTC)
"Yes," is the haggard response of the resident Vint, who stands holding two mugs and eyeing the pot.
"Is there enough for two?" One is, ostensibly, or Byerly.
"Is there enough for two?" One is, ostensibly, or Byerly.
There's enough for two and not much more — ready access to the kitchens and a lack of easy means to reheat means he's just kept making it fresh — but he doesn't hesitate before nodding. It's not like he doesn't have more coffee beans to grind; and God knows much of Riftwatch is burning the midnight oil right now.
As he starts pouring out coffee for the first cup, he murmurs a, "Careful." Benedict can see that it's hot, but warnings never hurt.
As he starts pouring out coffee for the first cup, he murmurs a, "Careful." Benedict can see that it's hot, but warnings never hurt.
Laura comes back to the Gallows on the last ferry for the night, sweaty and with a bruise rising on her cheek. It's likely to fade out by this time tomorrow night, and with it, the memory of breaking up a fight outside a tavern.
The scent of coffee reaches her long before she's on the threshold of the kitchens, peering inside at Holden. "Yes, please. Is any dinner left?"
The scent of coffee reaches her long before she's on the threshold of the kitchens, peering inside at Holden. "Yes, please. Is any dinner left?"
"Thanks."
Watching dully as Holden pours, Benedict struggles through the fog of his fatigue to be pleasant-- the man is doing him a favor, after all.
"You have assisted the war effort more than you could know," is what comes out, with a little smirk; the thing is, he means it.
Watching dully as Holden pours, Benedict struggles through the fog of his fatigue to be pleasant-- the man is doing him a favor, after all.
"You have assisted the war effort more than you could know," is what comes out, with a little smirk; the thing is, he means it.
Edited 2021-08-02 17:30 (UTC)
It is quite late when Derrica appears in the doorway. Outside, a thunderstorm is still raging, which likely explains her present appearance: sodden cloak, rain beading in her hair.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" is a little teasing, as she lowers the hood of her cloak.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" is a little teasing, as she lowers the hood of her cloak.
"No," Laura answers, coming into the room. Dinner's long since been put away, but there's usually something edible in the cupboards. As she goes to look, she explains, "The bruise will be gone tomorrow."
"I could ask you the same question."
He says and beckons her in, setting aside his reading material in favor of standing. There are a couple of chairs by a currently unused fireplace, and he moves to meet her there.
"Do you need a towel?"
She doesn't look terribly uncomfortable, but he'd rather check.
He says and beckons her in, setting aside his reading material in favor of standing. There are a couple of chairs by a currently unused fireplace, and he moves to meet her there.
"Do you need a towel?"
She doesn't look terribly uncomfortable, but he'd rather check.
"Coffee does make the world go round."
In his humble opinion. His agreement is good-natured despite the hour of night; and he quietly moves to filling the second cup once the first is done.
"Too bad we can't stop Corypheus with good coffee." He pauses. "Or bad coffee."
In his humble opinion. His agreement is good-natured despite the hour of night; and he quietly moves to filling the second cup once the first is done.
"Too bad we can't stop Corypheus with good coffee." He pauses. "Or bad coffee."
"That's how you can tell he's lost his humanity," Benedict muses, hunting around for a pitcher with cream in it (he's a weakling).
Adjusting the strap of his satchel, Ellis spares one last look towards the ferry before turning towards Holden.
"We spend a little coin to get out of the rain," is his suggestion.
Maybe there's some specific complaint to be leveled at Kirkwall's guard arriving late to relieve him, and landing Ellis in the position of being stranded on the docks. But without any place to lodge it, the urge is quelled.
"Unless you're planning to swim it?"
A Joke.
"We spend a little coin to get out of the rain," is his suggestion.
Maybe there's some specific complaint to be leveled at Kirkwall's guard arriving late to relieve him, and landing Ellis in the position of being stranded on the docks. But without any place to lodge it, the urge is quelled.
"Unless you're planning to swim it?"
A Joke.
"No," she reassures. "It's mostly my cloak, and it'll dry out soon enough."
After shucking it off, she refrains from shaking it out in the middle of his room. Instead, she drapes it across the back of the chair before settling herself, drawing up one leg to hook beneath one knee.
"What were you reading?"
After shucking it off, she refrains from shaking it out in the middle of his room. Instead, she drapes it across the back of the chair before settling herself, drawing up one leg to hook beneath one knee.
"What were you reading?"
"Assuming he ever had any."
The job done, he goes back to the bag of coffee beans he'd brought with him, starts pouring some out for a fresh grind. Whether Corypheus started out special magister or darkspawn — there are a lot of things that constitute humanity, besides physiology.
The job done, he goes back to the bag of coffee beans he'd brought with him, starts pouring some out for a fresh grind. Whether Corypheus started out special magister or darkspawn — there are a lot of things that constitute humanity, besides physiology.
"I'm not much of a swimmer."
Which is something he had cause to remember not so long ago, ha ha. Though at the time, rusty swimmer had proven to be significantly better than not one.
(He doesn't dwell on that.)
Instead, he turns, frowns faintly at what of Lowtown is visible in the gloom. His hair, open to the elements, is quickly flattening against his head. He shakes it, then says,
"If you have a favorite inn, now's the time to mention it."
Which is something he had cause to remember not so long ago, ha ha. Though at the time, rusty swimmer had proven to be significantly better than not one.
(He doesn't dwell on that.)
Instead, he turns, frowns faintly at what of Lowtown is visible in the gloom. His hair, open to the elements, is quickly flattening against his head. He shakes it, then says,
"If you have a favorite inn, now's the time to mention it."
He makes an acknowledging sound — she's mentioned her healing before, but it's strange every time he remembers it — as he goes to pour off the extra coffee into another cup for her.
"Cream or sugar?"
She seems like someone who might take her coffee black; and, equally, she seems like she might enjoy the novelty of not doing so. Better to check.
"Cream or sugar?"
She seems like someone who might take her coffee black; and, equally, she seems like she might enjoy the novelty of not doing so. Better to check.
She glances over at him from where she's climbed onto a countertop in hopes of reaching a cupboard that reliably has wedges of cheese inside it. "How do you drink yours?"
He glances back towards his desk at the question, breathing out.
"A few essays by Dante Adamos. He likes to argue why the people who have power and wealth should keep power and wealth," and his tone sure hints to what he thinks of that, "but it's got some insights into how Tevene society is structured. I'm learning something, anyway."
How it is, why it is. Jim 'all authority figures are bad, actually' Holden is emphatically not the target audience here, but there's value to understanding other viewpoints. Even, especially, now.
"A few essays by Dante Adamos. He likes to argue why the people who have power and wealth should keep power and wealth," and his tone sure hints to what he thinks of that, "but it's got some insights into how Tevene society is structured. I'm learning something, anyway."
How it is, why it is. Jim 'all authority figures are bad, actually' Holden is emphatically not the target audience here, but there's value to understanding other viewpoints. Even, especially, now.
Edited 2021-08-03 03:54 (UTC)
"Then I will, too." She has yet to settle on a preferred method of drinking coffee; every option seems to have its merits. It's most enjoyable, Laura's started to decide, to match soeone else's preferences for a cup or two.
Once she's acquired a suitable hunk of cheese, she finds some bread as well, slicing some off the loaf with a well-placed claw. Carrying both over to Holden, she starts making yet more slices, cheese and then bread, and then more cheese, and more bread. They stack up like an absurd sandwich, one layer and then another. It's enough for two people, not one. "How are you?"
Once she's acquired a suitable hunk of cheese, she finds some bread as well, slicing some off the loaf with a well-placed claw. Carrying both over to Holden, she starts making yet more slices, cheese and then bread, and then more cheese, and more bread. They stack up like an absurd sandwich, one layer and then another. It's enough for two people, not one. "How are you?"
"Oh, I mean," and Benedict pauses in the doorway, a cup in each hand. He turns with the kind of little smile that could only be described as dorky, this being a subject of particular interest to him.
"He did. He was a person once, thousands of years ago. I might even be related to him, distantly, though that's neither here nor there." He clears his throat, recognizing that may not be information he should be volunteering.
"...but he was very much a real person, and a Magister at that. A historical figure. Who perhaps enjoyed coffee, once."
"He did. He was a person once, thousands of years ago. I might even be related to him, distantly, though that's neither here nor there." He clears his throat, recognizing that may not be information he should be volunteering.
"...but he was very much a real person, and a Magister at that. A historical figure. Who perhaps enjoyed coffee, once."
A first impression: that is not the sort of book Derrica would find interesting.
But rarely does she find a book interesting enough to hold her attention, so that is not much of an impression.
So instead, she considers the entirety of the statement, what Holden is saying beyond that he is reading what is surely a very dry book.
"You wanted to learn about Tevene socity?" is a question posed slowly, Derrica turning towards him in her seat to catch his reaction. There's no immediate censure in her voice, just—
It's an unexpected thing. And maybe that's unfair to assume of him, that he'd be as shuttered in his views as the southerners in Riftwatch.
But rarely does she find a book interesting enough to hold her attention, so that is not much of an impression.
So instead, she considers the entirety of the statement, what Holden is saying beyond that he is reading what is surely a very dry book.
"You wanted to learn about Tevene socity?" is a question posed slowly, Derrica turning towards him in her seat to catch his reaction. There's no immediate censure in her voice, just—
It's an unexpected thing. And maybe that's unfair to assume of him, that he'd be as shuttered in his views as the southerners in Riftwatch.
It doesn't occur to him that someone might take issue with that until she doesn't, a here-and-gone flicker of defensiveness that doesn't have opportunity to materialize. Instead, he shrugs.
"Venatori isn't the same thing as Tevinter. We've got plenty of people at our doorstep right now for that reason. But I haven't always been good at remembering that."
Thanks, Herald.
"It's something I've been trying to work on."
"Venatori isn't the same thing as Tevinter. We've got plenty of people at our doorstep right now for that reason. But I haven't always been good at remembering that."
Thanks, Herald.
"It's something I've been trying to work on."
A flick of a smile, acknowledging the former statement while considering the latter question.
"Aye, there's one I know of that might have a room at this time of night," Ellis answers. The rain is soaking through his coat. "We'll pay more for it."
Which is a useless statement. Any place that let rooms would cost more in this weather, knowing full well that travelers would have few options but to pay. Ellis raises an eyebrow at Holden anyway as he turns from the sight of the departing ferry.
Satisfactory?
"Aye, there's one I know of that might have a room at this time of night," Ellis answers. The rain is soaking through his coat. "We'll pay more for it."
Which is a useless statement. Any place that let rooms would cost more in this weather, knowing full well that travelers would have few options but to pay. Ellis raises an eyebrow at Holden anyway as he turns from the sight of the departing ferry.
Satisfactory?
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