![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
i. Ambassadorial duties
[ The Ambassador is, perhaps a bit surprisingly, a gracious host. His office is well-appointed, and guarded by a soft-eyed, soft-eared hound whose presence makes the atmosphere quite cozy and delightful. When someone comes into his office, he offers them a seat at once, and offers them a beverage of their choice. And he has fine beverages aplenty - good brandies, good wines, good coffees, even decent water if you’re the sort of perverse monster who drinks water. This is true both for those who come into his office on pleasant business and for those who come because they’re in trouble.
And, regardless of which category his visitor falls into, he offers them a smile. ]
I presume you know why you’re here.
[ ooc: please, when you tag, specify why your character has been called in to speak with the ambassador. Are they in trouble? Are they getting a medal? YOU DECIDE. ]
ii. Lowtown
[ Byerly is not an infrequent sight in Lowtown. So it’s not a surprise to see him out tonight, in a rather run-down pub, playing fiddle for the house band; he’s often taking the opportunity to play to a crowd.
What is a bit more surprising is that, this evening, he turns away his usual payment (a bottle of whiskey) with a shake of his head. Instead, when it’s brought over to him, he scans the crowd - and then, upon recognizing a member of Riftwatch, points to them.
And that is how you end up with a bottle of complete rotgut on your table. ]
[ The Ambassador is, perhaps a bit surprisingly, a gracious host. His office is well-appointed, and guarded by a soft-eyed, soft-eared hound whose presence makes the atmosphere quite cozy and delightful. When someone comes into his office, he offers them a seat at once, and offers them a beverage of their choice. And he has fine beverages aplenty - good brandies, good wines, good coffees, even decent water if you’re the sort of perverse monster who drinks water. This is true both for those who come into his office on pleasant business and for those who come because they’re in trouble.
And, regardless of which category his visitor falls into, he offers them a smile. ]
I presume you know why you’re here.
[ ooc: please, when you tag, specify why your character has been called in to speak with the ambassador. Are they in trouble? Are they getting a medal? YOU DECIDE. ]
ii. Lowtown
[ Byerly is not an infrequent sight in Lowtown. So it’s not a surprise to see him out tonight, in a rather run-down pub, playing fiddle for the house band; he’s often taking the opportunity to play to a crowd.
What is a bit more surprising is that, this evening, he turns away his usual payment (a bottle of whiskey) with a shake of his head. Instead, when it’s brought over to him, he scans the crowd - and then, upon recognizing a member of Riftwatch, points to them.
And that is how you end up with a bottle of complete rotgut on your table. ]
i. Training yards
[ In the Gallows’ training yards is a small, slight elf of some years. His shoulders are slightly hunched, his back slightly stooped; his face wears an expression of constant stress. His clothes aren’t fine, and his hands are careworn, and he generally just looks like someone who’s never slept a full night in his life.
When he raises a hand, electricity crackles around it. He lets loose a bolt of lightning at a training dummy - or perhaps bolt is overstating things a bit. A zap of lightning is perhaps more apt. It does not blow the dummy to bits, the way that other mages sometimes do; instead, he just leaves a blackened, smoldering mark on it.
He lets out a heavy sigh, but doesn’t seem particularly frustrated or disappointed. This is, apparently, what he’s able to do. ]
ii. Dining hall
[ Linden lingers over his meals. It’s not that he eats slowly or elegantly - on the contrary, he inhales his food like he thinks it’s going to be taken away from him - but more that once he’s eaten, he sits for a long time with a book and a cup of coffee, occupying the space silently even as his stablemates come and go.
This book, evidently, is of particular interest, or at least particular curiosity. He frowns at it as he reads. ]
[ In the Gallows’ training yards is a small, slight elf of some years. His shoulders are slightly hunched, his back slightly stooped; his face wears an expression of constant stress. His clothes aren’t fine, and his hands are careworn, and he generally just looks like someone who’s never slept a full night in his life.
When he raises a hand, electricity crackles around it. He lets loose a bolt of lightning at a training dummy - or perhaps bolt is overstating things a bit. A zap of lightning is perhaps more apt. It does not blow the dummy to bits, the way that other mages sometimes do; instead, he just leaves a blackened, smoldering mark on it.
He lets out a heavy sigh, but doesn’t seem particularly frustrated or disappointed. This is, apparently, what he’s able to do. ]
ii. Dining hall
[ Linden lingers over his meals. It’s not that he eats slowly or elegantly - on the contrary, he inhales his food like he thinks it’s going to be taken away from him - but more that once he’s eaten, he sits for a long time with a book and a cup of coffee, occupying the space silently even as his stablemates come and go.
This book, evidently, is of particular interest, or at least particular curiosity. He frowns at it as he reads. ]
( not anticipating the arrival of the bottle — the ale in front of her is only halfway through — tsenka is in the midst of lighting her pipe when it lands on the table, eyebrows going up. it's far enough across the room that the conversation isn't immediately audible, but upon consideration and following the server's pointing finger back over to what she's about seventy percent sure is one of the division heads,
tsenka signals two glasses, relaxing back into her seat and pushing out a second with her boot. probably if byerly doesn't join her, someone else will, and she's willing to play the odds that either way it'll be an interesting evening. )
tsenka signals two glasses, relaxing back into her seat and pushing out a second with her boot. probably if byerly doesn't join her, someone else will, and she's willing to play the odds that either way it'll be an interesting evening. )
[ He does, of course. Not that he wouldn't just donate a bottle of liquor to someone and then flutter off into the night, but - generally, it'd be someone he could be sure would get the joke. And he doesn't know Tsenka well enough yet to be sure that she will.
So he comes over, and without waiting for an invitation, drops into that second chair. ]
First -
[ Not even so much as a how-do-you-do. ]
I will only hear praise of my playing. I was exceptional tonight.
So he comes over, and without waiting for an invitation, drops into that second chair. ]
First -
[ Not even so much as a how-do-you-do. ]
I will only hear praise of my playing. I was exceptional tonight.
I'll take your word for it, ( amiably, ) I wouldn't say I've an educated ear.
( not many musicians in the circle, or anywhere she ended up afterwards— there's humour to that, though, not some bleak and maudlin plucking of the world's tiniest violin. tsenka thinks she's funny, and has never much bothered with whether or not anyone else agrees.
when the glasses land, she pours, and slides the second to byerly. )
I only know dirty rhymes and the Chant.
( not many musicians in the circle, or anywhere she ended up afterwards— there's humour to that, though, not some bleak and maudlin plucking of the world's tiniest violin. tsenka thinks she's funny, and has never much bothered with whether or not anyone else agrees.
when the glasses land, she pours, and slides the second to byerly. )
I only know dirty rhymes and the Chant.
Not bad at all.
[ He clinks his glass with hers, frowning appreciatively. Then he lifts the glass to his mouth to wet his lips - but does no more than that.
Then - ]
There's something I've always wondered. Slap me if you want to for asking it. But could a lady blood mage...? [ He gestures vaguely downward to capture the uterine/menstrual nature of his question. ]
[ He clinks his glass with hers, frowning appreciatively. Then he lifts the glass to his mouth to wet his lips - but does no more than that.
Then - ]
There's something I've always wondered. Slap me if you want to for asking it. But could a lady blood mage...? [ He gestures vaguely downward to capture the uterine/menstrual nature of his question. ]
[ He doesn't seem put out by her interruption. Instead, he looks up, and answers bluntly: ]
No.
[ But - ]
It's interesting.
[ He flips the book to make visible the cover: Hard in Hightown. ]
No.
[ But - ]
It's interesting.
[ He flips the book to make visible the cover: Hard in Hightown. ]
( tsenka laughs, abruptly— not offended, certainly entertained by the boldness of the question. certainly one she'd ordinarily assume anyone who'd ask would reserve for someone they'd probably not have to see again with any frequency.
she breathes out a wreath of smoke, considerately not in his direction. )
I'm by no means the expert to ask, though I can see where you might think.
( the scars around her wrists are old enough to look more like bruises or discoloration; tevinter sure was a time. )
To what I've heard, doubt it.
she breathes out a wreath of smoke, considerately not in his direction. )
I'm by no means the expert to ask, though I can see where you might think.
( the scars around her wrists are old enough to look more like bruises or discoloration; tevinter sure was a time. )
To what I've heard, doubt it.
No such thing as a harmless source of power for blood magic, ( is matter of fact. she tilts her hand— )
It's not the blood that makes it powerful. D'you ever see the statues, before your lot all cleared them out?
( a tip of her head, toward the gallows. she's wearing a scouting pin, but they're not at we or our yet. )
What makes blood magic strong is the pain and the fear. That's what's wrong with it. You can't make that good. Blood magic does harm by its nature; it derives its power from harm. Not as popular up north as you'd think— but where would that end, if it was?
( a tevinter that endorsed blood magic would be a tevinter that tore itself apart, that ripped its own throat out. corypheus's tevinter.
reflectively, )
Mind you, I've had some bad months.
It's not the blood that makes it powerful. D'you ever see the statues, before your lot all cleared them out?
( a tip of her head, toward the gallows. she's wearing a scouting pin, but they're not at we or our yet. )
What makes blood magic strong is the pain and the fear. That's what's wrong with it. You can't make that good. Blood magic does harm by its nature; it derives its power from harm. Not as popular up north as you'd think— but where would that end, if it was?
( a tevinter that endorsed blood magic would be a tevinter that tore itself apart, that ripped its own throat out. corypheus's tevinter.
reflectively, )
Mind you, I've had some bad months.
Edited 2022-02-13 03:28 (UTC)
Oh, it's a dangerous business asking questions.
( you simply never know the answers you're going to get. tsenka crosses her ankles, legs stretched to the side of the table, the louche elegance of someone about six inches taller than she actually is. tips the hand with the pipe in it, easy. )
What'd you rather talk about?
( you simply never know the answers you're going to get. tsenka crosses her ankles, legs stretched to the side of the table, the louche elegance of someone about six inches taller than she actually is. tips the hand with the pipe in it, easy. )
What'd you rather talk about?
( she does not wrinkle her nose, nor decline to answer; she lifts a hand and points, sort of vaguely, toward somewhere between the door and the wall— )
I live here.
( she didn't miss all the extremely public displays of affection, so she is presumably not expecting him to bite when she quirks her eyebrows and the corner of her mouth, ) Happy to show you, if you like. Seneschal recommended to me some fascinating interior decorating.
( he asked her back to his bedroom to show her some art and they fucked is what happened. )
I live here.
( she didn't miss all the extremely public displays of affection, so she is presumably not expecting him to bite when she quirks her eyebrows and the corner of her mouth, ) Happy to show you, if you like. Seneschal recommended to me some fascinating interior decorating.
( he asked her back to his bedroom to show her some art and they fucked is what happened. )
He certainly does.
( and he's a shockingly good lay, which would probably be more annoying if tsenka had a different outlook on political differences between mages. or if she found his personality more irritating, instead of sort of entertaining to watch happen.
possibly the fact cassius black's personality isn't a deterrent to her explains a lot about how primed she is to apparently get along fine with byerly rutyer. )
Well, you know what the pay is, I've nothing so fancy as his like. But Lowtown is as good a place as any to be.
( and better by far than the gallows. )
( and he's a shockingly good lay, which would probably be more annoying if tsenka had a different outlook on political differences between mages. or if she found his personality more irritating, instead of sort of entertaining to watch happen.
possibly the fact cassius black's personality isn't a deterrent to her explains a lot about how primed she is to apparently get along fine with byerly rutyer. )
Well, you know what the pay is, I've nothing so fancy as his like. But Lowtown is as good a place as any to be.
( and better by far than the gallows. )
You've read it?
[ His head tilts just a bit to the side. He listens very intensely. ]
[ His head tilts just a bit to the side. He listens very intensely. ]
S'not bad.
[Matthias' staff is laying on the ground behind him. He's been practicing with a sword for today, repetitive drills meant to fix the motions in his mind so it isn't just magic that he reaches for each time. Magic will always be better, yeah, but it doesn't hurt to have a second option in case you get Silenced. Or so you have it as a surprise, even.
Taking a break to catch his breath has given him a moment to observe the other mage. He gives him a little grin.]
If you want to brand your enemies, like. Is that what you're after?
[He's teasing a little--but good-naturedly, nothing meant by it.]
[Matthias' staff is laying on the ground behind him. He's been practicing with a sword for today, repetitive drills meant to fix the motions in his mind so it isn't just magic that he reaches for each time. Magic will always be better, yeah, but it doesn't hurt to have a second option in case you get Silenced. Or so you have it as a surprise, even.
Taking a break to catch his breath has given him a moment to observe the other mage. He gives him a little grin.]
If you want to brand your enemies, like. Is that what you're after?
[He's teasing a little--but good-naturedly, nothing meant by it.]
[ Linden turns, looks at the human boy with the sword in his hand, starts to frown - and then sees that there's a staff behind him. Instead of answering the teasing, he looks at the child, and then flicks his eyes down to the staff. ]
Is that yours?
[ He still isn't smiling. But his manner isn't defensive or hostile, either. ]
Is that yours?
[ He still isn't smiling. But his manner isn't defensive or hostile, either. ]
Page 1 of 7