[closed-ish] we live and dream in an ancient hallowed land

[eolasemah]

WHO: Sina with Nari, and with Korrin and Araceli (let me know if you want a specific starter)
WHAT: the aftermath of this thread
WHEN: the following night and a few days after
WHERE: the Dahlasanor tent, the tavern, wherever others want
NOTES:The third prompt is open to all!

Directly after her argument with Pel, Sina made a beeline for the tent she shared with Nahariel and all but dove inside, immediately flattening herself against her bedroll and burying her face in her modest pillow. Small, angry crying sounds emanated. (Nari)

The following day, Sina went to the tavern of her own volition for the first time. Not to drink, of course; perhaps it was because it was the last place anyone would look for her. She sat by a window with a cup of tea, her knees drawn up to her chest, melancholy emanating from her very being. (Korrin + Araceli)

Over the next few days, she could be found ghosting around Skyhold, avoiding most people, particularly Clan Ashara. When not out and about, she threw herself into her gardening with a tenacity unusual even to her. (errbody else)

Comments

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin, intending to meet up with Araceli after training, pauses on the way to her usual table as she catches sight of Sina. She had joined them before, true, but it's still strange to see her at the Herald's Rest, even more so on her own...and in a mood. That melancholy hardly goes unnoticed, and she pauses by the bar to request a drink for herself and another cup of tea before settling down in the chair opposite the slight elf.

"What's wrong, Sina?" She might as well get right to the point, as whatever this is has Sina visibly distressed, and she can't ignore that.

[eolasemah]

Sina looks back at Korrin, blinking her reddened eyes with a tired, not-quite-there smile. "...nothing," she decides, and ducks her head lightly. "Something stupid. I'm being stupid."

[gatheringstorm]

Her voice is unusually gentle when she responds.

"I really doubt that." Leaning in, Korrin rests her larger hand atop Sina's, giving it a light squeeze. "And whatever it is, it's not nothing or you wouldn't be here. Did someone hurt you?"

[amygdalae]

Working with Sina was a pretty common occurrence by now, and after all this time Bruce had gotten familiar with her usual mannerisms. Which was why in the last few days he had noticed that there was something just a bit... off with her.

He wasn't one to really pry into other's affairs, so rather than going around to try and probe into whatever it was that was bothering her instead on this day when she came around Bruce was already there with some tea that he left sitting on a nearby bench.

"Hey," he starts, once she's close enough to hear him. "How about we rest a little first before we start working? I've got some tea."

[eolasemah]

Sina had been single-mindedly absorbed in their work, but the word from Bruce brought her out of it with a start. She stared at him a moment, then noticed the tea. She seemed to consider, then rose to her feet and made her way over to the bench.

"That's lovely, thank you," she said, gratefully but still sounding rather worn down.

[amygdalae]

It's easy enough to hear the weariness in her voice, but Bruce doesn't point that out, knowing that it won't exactly help anybody. Instead he just waits until she's settled down onto the bench before he pours out a cup of tea and passes it over carefully.

"Just give it a moment to cool before you drink it." It was still pretty hot, and with how tired she looked Bruce didn't want the elf to accidentally scald herself.

[serannas]

Ellana has no idea what's transpired, and so she goes to the usual meeting place for Sina's lessons, not yet knowing that she's being avoided. When Sina doesn't show, she's worried, thinking maybe her shard is hurting her more than usual. She searches around, but can't seem to find her friend, nor anyone who has seen her. But if something was really wrong, surely word would pass to her through one of the other Dalish in Skyhold, since Ellana is usually the last to be told anything. So she waits.

The next day, she searches again, starting with the garden. But Sina isn't there. Now Ellana is really worried. However, when she comes across the young First sneaking around like she's trying to avoid being seen, her first reaction is relief. She's well enough to be up and moving. Quickly jogging towards her, Ellana stops off to Sina's side.

"Sina?" she asks gently. "Is something the matter? You didn't turn up for our lesson yesterday."

[eolasemah]

Sina is at first startled and then mortified by Ellana's question. As gentle as it is, she's calling her out, and Sina knows she's failed at being subtle about the situation.

"Ir abelas," she says, blushing and looking down, "I... I don't know." Based on Ellana's question, it sounds like Pel hasn't been talking much about what happened, but one can never be too certain.

[serannas]

"It's all right. I'm just glad to see you up and moving. I thought perhaps the shard... well. I'm glad I was wrong." Ellana tilts her head, trying to get Sina to look back up at her. "Is it something I can help you with?"

[arlathvhen]

Beleth would like to think that she's good at reading people--particularly other Dalish. She would like to think that she would notice if she had upset Sina. So when Sina starts avoiding her, she was fairly concerned. With other people, she might try to form some elaborate plan to try to figure out what had gone wrong, but with one of the People, surely Beleth could just approach her.

So that's exactly what Beleth does, in the garden. She waits until Sina is preoccupied with the gardening for her to approach from behind, moving as quietly as she can, until she speaks.

"Do you need any help...?"

[eolasemah]

Sina gave a start when Beleth spoke behind her, and turned quickly to see the other woman standing over her. She blinked a few times, then shook her head.

"I'm... thank you, I'm fine," she said, forcing a small smile, her eyes darting over Beleth's form as if looking for any sign of aggression.

[arlathvhen]

"..."

There's no aggression, but a little exasperation. She waits patiently for Sina to say anything else, but when it's obvious that she's said all she intends, Beleth just raises an eyebrow. So she just plops down on one of the benches, so Sina knows she's staying there.

"Are there any other problems I can help with, then?"

[nadasharillen]

Nahariel looked up sharply from the rough sketch she'd been doing as her clansister fairly flew through the flap and launched herself into her pillow.

"Sina? Are you--" concern etched the hunter's face as she realized the younger elf was crying in small violent jags, and she discarded the half-finished sketch immediately, scooting over to kneel next to the prone mage. Nari reached out to lay a hand on her back, hoping the warmth and light pressure would be a comfort. She rubbed her thumb back and forth in a gentle, soothing motion, and her mind churned; yes, Sina got misty eyed over bunnies, and a few sniffles were nearly routine--both parts of why Nari loved her so dearly. But she hadn't been this upset since... almost ever. Since she'd been a child, and one of the halla had broken it's leg so badly they'd had to end its suffering. What in the Creators name had happened?

No matter her curiosity, she didn't want to make Sina try to talk through the storm of tears. Instead, she lay down beside her prostrate First like she had when they were younger, hand still moving in small circles on the other elf's back, and simply waited for a lull. When Sina was ready to look, she'd find her clansister there, green eyes dark with love and concern, doing her best impression of something steady to cling to.

[eolasemah]

It took Sina some time, but when she finally finished crying long enough to acknowledge Nari, she still couldn't articulate why she was in such a state. Instead she wrapped her spindly arms around her friend, burying her face in the crook of the hunter's shoulder and holding her as tightly as though she feared Nari would float away. "Vhenan," she whimpered, suddenly more glad than she'd ever been that her clanmate had come with her.

[nadasharillen]

Nari returned the hug with equal strength, stroking Sina's hair as the dampness of her clansister's misery slowly made its way through the thin fabric of her undershirt.

After a long moment, the sound of the younger elf's hiccuping whimpers was joined by the hunter's rasp of an alto, softly singing an old lullaby. Though her voice was rough, she hoped the low vibrations through her chest and the reminder of home would be comforting enough.

Tea in the Library?

[fleurdesel]

Even for Sina, this is quiet. Other than the obligatory social niceties that their joint tea offered, she's spoken little and Adelaide finds herself concerned. After a particularly loud sip (it isn't loud at all, the relative quiet makes it deafening), she sets her cup in it's saucer with a decisive clink.

"What is it?"

Re: Tea in the Library?

[eolasemah]

Sina has been staring off into the center of the room, the giant empty void that the tower is built around. Adelaide quickly breaks her out of her reverie, however, and she turns to blink at her in surprise. "What?"

[fleurdesel]

"That is what I am asking you, Sina." The lack of gentleness in Adelaide's tone might give most pause- but truly it is the surest sign of her comfort and confidence in someone's ability to stand her usual rough edges. No mask, no grace, simply her. "You are preoccupied."

[chainlightning]

It's back in the gardens, of course, that Merrill finds her again. It looks better than when she had first arrived, the evidence of the abomination attack now harder to find -- stems supported here, blank spots there. She isn't there to interrupt, footfalls soft as she strokes her fingers against stone, looking at the garden.

[eolasemah]

Sina is busy with the usual, the current task being working on her checklist of the garden's occupants and their health status, but her eye is caught by a person in the corner of her vision.
She turns to see Merrill standing nearby, and immediately her expression chills, her eyes narrowing.

[chainlightning]

She's used to being glared at, really. For being an elf, for being a mage, by strangers and by Fenris and Anders and her clan -- it's been a lot of years of being glared at. She's not used to being glared at by people who, as far as she knows, have no reason to glare at her. That makes her look up more than anything, the feeling that she's being negatively eyed and with absolutely no idea why.

Especially because she's pretty sure they were both far too sad about the garden, last time, for her to be at all offensive.

Merrill blinks and then stares back, mostly just looking extremely confused, but with some definite wariness underneath it.

lmk if this works!

[harthad_uluithiad]

Sam was just checking up on the new plantings in the garden - they were doing very well, and he'd stopped to admire the green shoots and tiny buds with a touch of pride when his attention was caught by a commotion a few yards away.

He turned at the sound, doing a double take when he realized who its source was. Now that he thought of it, he hadn't spoken to Sina in a day or two, though he'd seen her once or twice from a distance. She'd always seemed fully immersed in her work, and he'd shied away from interrupting her.

Now, though, she was positively glaring down at the dirt, yanking a weed out by the roots, and from the looks of things, about to either start smashing things or burst into tears (and Sam knew bursting into tears). He hurried over, still feeling reluctant to disturb her if she didn't want it, but unable to simply sit by and do nothing.

"Miss Sina...Miss Sina!" He dropped to one knee beside her, peering at her with unmasked concern. "Are you all right?"

it sure does

[eolasemah]

Sina's eyes lifted quickly to meet Sam's, her own brimming with tears. She sat back and wiped her face with the back of her hand, smudging dirt across her nose in the process.

"Ir abelas," she said in a quavering voice, and lowered her head to stare at the weeds she'd been decimating. "It's all right, Sam, don't worry about it."

Aaah I hope this is okay.

[laurenande]

There was very little that escaped Galadriel's notice. Sadly, her senses were limited to the mundane, but that hindered her little. She was quiet and observed the world closely; that was often more valuable than anything else could be. The young elf was familiar in a distant way; Galadriel had seen her in the gardens, had watched her skirt the halls of the fortress from time to time. She was an unobtrusive creature, gentle in her demeanor and skilled in her crafts. Lately, when Galadriel chanced to spot the girl, she was moving hastily, darting through ill-used corridors and shooting leery looks at the doors ahead.

She was not afraid, but she was uncomfortable and her steps quick. It seemed almost cruel to catch her unawares, to risk startling her as she went about her morning tasks, but Galadriel had seen enough of her to know where she spent her time. The garden was her refuge and Galadriel would not corner her there, to do that would be truly unkind.

She had no idea what Sina's task consisted of, as she darted down the stairs toward the kitchens, but Galadriel caught her in the quiet hall downstairs. It was a private place, insofar as anywhere in Skyhold was, and she needn't raise her voice much to be heard.

"Does something hunt you, sell'nin?" Galadriel asked, her casual gait drawing her along Sina as she entered the hall. "Or have you simply grown weary of all company?"

This is lovely!

[eolasemah]

Sina hadn't interacted with Galadriel since the first time they'd met, but she had glimpsed her from time to time, always finding a strange comfort in the woman's mere existence.

She stopped fast when Galadriel hailed her, and looked up into her face, finding it difficult to evade a question from one so open. "...asha'dhea," she whispers, "..I... struggle with a burden beyond my mortal understanding."