tonight, we burn it (but not all of it)

[kantikoy]

WHO: All of Riftwatch is invited
WHAT: A burning of things/ideas for the New Year
WHEN: Mid-Wintermarch (nowish)
WHERE: The Gallows main courtyard
NOTES: Mobius' post inviting one and all to come burn stuff (but no bodies or large fabrics or explosives, s'il vous plait.

It's not exactly raining but it is cold on the island housing the Gallows this night. There's fresh snow on the mountains viewable beyond Kirkwall, and earlier in the week there was even snow in the city proper —typical for this time of year.

The bonfire is in the middle of the courtyard, with some benches and seating pulled far enough away that stray flames shouldn't pose a problem to anyone seated there. Adrasteia is also on hand, with several large barrels of water and buckets placed near every building entrance within sight. Just in case.

Comments

adrasteia / open to all

[kantikoy]

Adrasteia is here for a few reasons. Firstly, to ensure that the bonfire doesn't get out of hand and bring the wrath of the Seneschal (and who knows who else) onto her head. Secondly, she's curious to see what Mobius is up to since this was mostly his idea. Thirdly, well. She has a few things to burn. Scraps of fabric, torn pages from books that have fallen apart. These things, along with some scented herbs, are fed one by one to the flames, floated on a small puff of air into the pyre.

She smiles, and the elven mage tucks her arms into her sleeves. This was a good idea.

She spends the rest of the evening offering tea and water to those who have gathered, occasionally singing songs, occasionally tucked into a seat and reading. Come bother her!

[favoriteanalyst]

Oh, she will be bothered. Because this only happened with her help. She seems just a bit lighter for unloading some burdens to the flames, and even singing. Which...he's not sure why that surprises him. Her Warden-ness, maybe?

But she's between things at the moment, offering tea, that he gladly accepts with a polite bow. He can feel the warmth through his gloves. Delightful.

"Thank you." Not for the tea. But also for the tea. "For humoring me and endorsing this idea."

[kantikoy]

People are always surprised that a Warden could be this cheerful, especially with a decade or so of being such under her belt. She's kind of used to it, and kind of sad that other Wardens are so much of an antithesis by comparison.

However; tea. And Mobius, who thanks her, and gets a smile and a bow in return. "Of course; it was a great idea." Clearly, as there's been a decent turnout, and people seem a little less burdened by things as a result. "If you have further ideas for improving morale, my office is always open to you."

[favoriteanalyst]

"I won't take the job from you. It seemed in the--spirit," he eventually decides to say with a quirk of his mouth, "of the season. But I'll be sure to share any further ideas, if I'm struck with them. If this sort of...thing is as common and occurrence as some made it seem, we might need more of this."

[kantikoy]

"It feels like roughly every other month or so, something goes sideways involving Riftwatch." Adrasteia makes a wry face. "I suppose, considering the state of the current conflict, that shouldn't be as surprising as it is. Not to mention the various tasks we might be assigned to and their repercussions. Not everything can be solved by a dance and a tea social."

Someone needs to get on inventing ice cream, stat.

[favoriteanalyst]

"Or a little bit of weekly prayer." To poke fun at the Seneschal. "So what do you think, then: do things go sideways because the world is in turmoil and we just happen to go poking around, or do things go sideways because we actively invite it?"

[kantikoy]

A small laugh. She misses the old Seneschal, but to say as much might be inappropriate.

"Oh I'm willing to bet it's a bit of both." Adrasteia shrugs, but she's smiling. "Individuals, I'd say, might actively invite terrible things by their own behaviors, but as a whole? The world is a mess."

[favoriteanalyst]

"And we're here to try and keep it a little less messy," he concludes. "Even if it means--as I understand it, getting trapped in a house in a blizzard that was exceptionally haunted."

He's trying really hard not to think about the guy on the crystal who took the 'burning your ghosts' thing really, really literally.

"I can't wait to get my obligatory dose of fucked up," said as flatly as possible.

[kantikoy]

"Yes, that didn't sound... ideal by any stretch of the imagination." She shakes her head a little. "I'm not sure if I feel glad not to have experienced that firsthand or upset that I couldn't have been there to mitigate some of the sufferings it caused."

A wry expression and a shrug. One Warden can only do so much. One mage, the same. One templar, also.

She laughs at his last statement. "Well when you sign up for a mission, let me know."

[armd]

Hoping it won't be too bothersome, Abby sidles up. The nature of the burning has left her feeling melancholic and thoughtful, wanting company. She takes the seat beside Adrasteia, trying to keep from craning her neck to have a look at her page.

"What are you reading?"

Damnit, she should have brought her book with her.

[kantikoy]

"An old and well-loved copy of an early edition of the Randy Dowager Quarterly. It's, uh... romance, I guess, is the genre." In case Abby hasn't heard of it. "Bawdy, very much so, but still a favorite. There are copies in the library, I'm sure, but. You can borrow mine if you like."

She sticks a bit of aged lace in the page and turns her body towards Abby.

"How's your arm?"

[armd]

"... Randy, huh." Her voice dips a little in amusement and she waggles her eyebrows, stealing a peek at the cover as it's closed. Sounds like fun, at any rate. "That'd be cool."

Maybe they could even talk about it?? Nobody at the stadium ever wanted to talk to her about books, they just wanted to borrow her favourite paperbacks and then take forfuckingever to actually read them.

She makes a thumbs up with her left hand. The motion is only a little stiff. "Getting there." It still aches in the cold, but it's nothing she can't handle. "You set it perfectly. Thanks."

[kantikoy]

"Here." Adrasteia holds out the book towards Abby. "Take it, tell me if you like it. Or even if you don't. Romance novels are my weakness, but this is one of the better serials for certain."

She smiles at the thumbs up, nodding appreciatively. "Looking good. I'm glad it's healed well, you've done a great job following the regimen. Was Val Chevin your first battle?" Something (the size of Abby's arms and her general state) tells Adrasteia the answer is no, but.

It's always good to ask.

[armd]

She looks surprised, but pleased. "Don't you wanna finish reading it?" Still, she's taking it. Abby has a secret weakness for romance novels too, and soon she flips the book, scanning the blurb curiously.

It sounds good...

"No," she answers, still looking at the book, "Far from. I've– done this shit before." The song and dance of dealing with a long-term wound, that is. "I've never broken anything this badly before though, so that's been fun."