faderift | Skyhold

Skyhold

WHO: Anyone & everyone
WHAT: Open post for business as usual around Skyhold
WHEN: The first couple weeks of Harvestmere, 9:41 (aka October)
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Please mark any necessary content warnings in thread subject lines. Also, make sure to check out the other log posts already made!

Far from the glamorous adventurous world-saving people signed up for, most of the hustle and bustle in Skyhold at present is cleaning. The Great Hall is a disaster, and crews are assigned to haul out the cracked and rotting planks fallen from the wide-open roof, and tear down the vines covering the walls. Ivy encrusts the main staircase outside and many of the fortress walls and is cleared in section while other groups assess or begin shoring up the stonework as it's revealed. There are scaffolding to build, materials to sort, crates to unload, tents to stitch together or set-up, and on and on and on, endless mundane chores vital to the survival of the organization.

When not hard at work, people cluster around fires across the courtyards. Many mingle freely, going about their business, running errands and messages, planning scouting missions, tallying up supplies, distributing or playing with the sending crystals that were found in a basement vault and which a group of mages have just today finished preparing for use. Once a good number have been passed around and the first Inquisition-wide transmission made messages start being broadcast; maybe you can help someone out.

The rebel mages and renegade templars mainly keep to themselves at opposite sides of the complex given the choice. Mages assist with healing and research and bicker amongst themselves about their options and their fate. Templars help train recruits in swordforms and basic combat techniques or spar with the more advanced and bicker amongst themselves about their options and their fate. Despite having all pledged themselves to the Inquisition, they still feel like separate factions and tension between them is palpable wherever they cross paths.

Like at meals, or the communal message board in the courtyard, or at the Herald's Rest. The mess hall/tavern is so new it still smells of sawdust, and its stock has been limited to one type of strong ale until today, when a shipment of West Hill brandy has finally arrived. The mood in the place is convivial in celebration of that, but there's still plenty of muttering, especially as the night drags on and the discontented get further into their cups.

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[He heads after the younger qunari with a slight smile, passing past patrons and barmaids and then heading up one stair to a free table. Taas takes a seat, making sure the furniture held for him before he settles with his ale and good company.]

Hah, I'm no hero. I was paid for it; well enough that the drinks are on me today.

[Chuckling a bit, he takes a sip from his mug.]

Guys like you are the real heroes.

Edited 2015-10-26 23:02 (UTC)

Well thank you kindly, Taas.

[Gorse takes a slow sip from his mug as well. It's crowded and a little loud in the tavern, but it's nice. He likes the whole overwhelming reminder that people here are alive aspect of it, even if all he's had to deal with out in the field so far are bodies long past the point of death.

He's not entirely sure how he could be considered a hero, but he still smiles just the same, even if it is a little wry and self-depreciating.]

Well I will make sure to tell the caterpillars I saved earlier that you said so.

[The warrior smiles, enjoying the easy camaraderie of the other man. He wasn't sure if he'd consider them friends, yet, but it was getting there. Gorse seemed to be the kind that could worm himself into any heart by just being adorable and kind.

That's why he's definitively not down with the self-depreciating part of that line.]

You make a difference, kid. To more than just caterpillars, even if I'm sure they're quite grateful as well.

[If the Dalish didn't already eat them.]

[Gorse already considered them friends, but it took precious little to be considered a friend in his book. He came into this world prepared to love everyone in it, and that's what he was going to do even if it killed him.]

I think I'm much more hero support material than hero material, but every job needs doin' even if it isn't glamorous. Makin' live a little easier for the people that gotta struggle more is enough for me.

[Gorse sweetheart you're such a Disney princess.]

That's right. All heroes need support. Look at the Herald.

[He takes another swig of his ale, smiling.]

You'll do well here.

[It's true cartoon birds braid his hair in the morning as he sings with them.

As for the Herald while Gorse would never consider it, the narrative would like to point out, yes, look at the Herald. The currently very dead Herald.

This is fine.

None the wiser, Gorse smiles broadly just the same, a bit bashful.]

I certainly want to... I think you would too.

[He could literally see that happening. Gorse and Merrill would probably get along.

As for the Herald... well. Topic change!]

Things turn bad when I try to work with others. I'm not sure I can.

[Taas shrugs.]

This Inquisition thing is growing one me, though.

[Gorse does not ask 'bad how' or make a dismissive comment about how it can't be that bad. For all that he's pretty innocent and naive, there are some things he understands. Like how when a Tal-Vashoth says things turn out bad when they try to work with others, it can in fact get very bad.]

Well, I'm glad to have you around. Always nice seeing a friendly face someplace new, helps calm the nerves.

[Smart guy. Gorse's parents deserve a medal.]

Heh. Well, I appreciate that.

[He takes another swig and makes a bit of a face as the bard starts playing the same song again. It's both annoying and comfortable.]

Made any other friends?

[It's like the bard only has five songs so far and they're on an auto repeat or something.]

Oh, yeah, lots! There's another Vashoth named Korrin. she's a mage, real nice, helped me out in the field before. Also a kid named Kas, he's gonna be a scout so I can try keeping an eye on him sometimes, he really needs a hug and a family but can't rush people on what they're okay with, y'know? I got to help a human named Max in the gardens, that was fun, oh! And an elf named Zevran - he helped the Grey Warden that stopped the blight ten years ago! Real friendly guy.

[Even deaf people dislike repeats. He could really do with a new kind of vibration under his feet from the way she tapped her own as backup, and he's probably lucky to not hear the lyrics.

Poor Sera.

Taas leans back a bit, chuckling as Gorse mentions the people he's made friends with.]

I've spoken to the mage, she seemed okay. Told me about the sending crystals... and will give me an update on them now and then. Saw the kid, too, but he seems scared. I'm not the best with kids.

[They were weird little buggers.]

Zevran stopped a Blight? Huh. I must have missed that part in the story. It's not very spread in the Qun, and I was still a part of it back then. They say our Arishok helped, though. Apparently knew the Hero well.

[Gorse actually likes this one, alright. It's bouncy and catchy, it is so going to get stuck in his head all the rest of the week. He doesn't press on the kids thing either - again, momma taught him right.]

Oh! That must have been the Sten he mentioned! We only had one darkspawn attack where I was... I was, oh geeze, like twelve at the time. All I'd heard was there was a blight and it was stopped. It's great getting to hear about it from someone who was there, 'specially since it seems like everyone else knows about it.

[Taas is seriously impressed with momma Hissera-Iss. He wants to meet her and congratulate her for making a perfect little fluffball.]

Ah, yes! he must have been Sten back then. Small world, and all that.

[He'd fucked one of the Arishok's war comrades. That's kind of intense.]

It sounds like your kith was very lucky, to only have one attack. I heard it was bad.

[Taas will definitely end up adopted if he comes back to the commune with Gorse. .... ... Gorse is sort of planning on if there's ever enough downtime to allow for it.]

Real lucky. We had some help at just the right time too, still lost a couple people to it. Hearing how whole villages got wiped out though... 'Parently most of the south was just written off as lost. We had no idea.

[It would be really good for him to meet with Tal-Vashoth that weren't mad, roving bandits.]

Well, I'm glad that you and yours made it through that relatively unscathed. Is it a stationary community or a wandering one?

[No mad roving bandits there, but it does include a small gaggle of fearless Vashoth children.]

Stationary, far as I've lived there anyway. Crops and livestock, whole setup. Also enough forest and field between us and anyplace anyone else goes that it's damn near impossible to find without someone who already knows where it is. Adults were real worried about being followed, I guess.

[No shit, plenty of them knew what would happen first-hand if they were caught because they dealt with people who attempted the same.]

[Taas and children... well, at least he won't hear them yell and scream while climbing all over him. Essentially this.]

I can understand that. It sounds like a good place, Gorse. I'm surprised you left it.

[They will adore Taas.]

Ain't gonna be gone forever. Guess I was goin' a little stir crazy, everyone there's either ten years older or ten years younger'n me.

[They've gotten new blood in occasionally, others seeking a similar life. There was still a very clear generational gap which Gorse fell straight into the middle of, everyone's child, nephew or big brother.]

I'm gonna definitely go back home, but I wanna see more of the world first. 'Sides, if I didn't leave I couldn't have ever met such great new friends, like you.

[He will be the most nervous jungle gym.]

Stuck in the middle, then? I guess I could see the need to find some friends your own age. In the Qun, there's at least one or two your own age so you can socialize on equal levels as kids. It's more effective that way.

[The warrior shrugs slightly. Effective was the way of the Qun, and unlike the bas, every child was planned, wanted, precious. Nurtured to their full potential.

It's nice to see that others could do the same, managing to make someone like Gorse.

Still, what he hears next isn't quite what he expected, already about to ask if his parents sent him letters. Instead he looks a bit shocked, eyes widening.]

Like me.

[The other kids get the socialization. Gorse was the tester-baby after all. The desperate hope that they would be safe but too terrified to subject more than one small life to the possibility that they would not be, even that filled them with a sort of terror.

So he had adults, little siblings, and pretty much no peers. Might be why he takes to the ones he finds now so quickly. He grins when Taas asks for clarification, like Taas is joking maybe?]

Well, yeah. Of course. We're friends, aren't we? Any day I get to talk to you's a good day.

[Perfect tester baby. A+]

We're friends.

[That makes him grin, something that soon breaks out into a soft rumbling laughter.]

It's... been a while since I heard that.

[Gorse reaches out and pats Taas on the shoulder in a friendly manner. He'd go for a hug but he's not sure they're There yet and he doesn't want to cross a line. His smile could light up the room it's so bright though.]

Then I'm glad I got to be the one to say it.

[Hugs aren't really his thing, but the pat on the shoulder is really appreciated.]

You're a good kid, Gorse.

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