faderift | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Pleasure," he replies and offers a hand. "Cremisius. You ever need anything, you can usually find me here. Or ask Bull, the Chief usually knows where to find me."

All it takes is a glance around to know who the Bull is. She nods.

"Thank you." That name is so unfamiliar that she avoids saying it for now. "It means a great deal to hear. Some of my clanmates came with me. I was afraid we would be completely alone here, looking out for ourselves."

"Stick together, people will probably get nasty at you. I know we've got some refugees from the broken alienages, city elves looking to help here. I'd like to avoid brawls starting here until we're a little better established, if it's all the same to you."

She frowns thoughtfully, considering this.

"Cyril and Ellana will make plenty of friends, at least. And now I've made one, too." A brief smile.

Krem raises his bottle to her with a mild little smirk. "You're good with me, you'll be good with the boys too. You've got an entire mercenary company at your back."

"You're too generous." Either he's trying to get her into bed or he's actually a good person. She hopes it's the latter. She has never had reason to think she's attractive enough to warrant immediate pursuit, so.

"I suppose everyone in the Inquisition has to look out for everyone else," she hazards.

"Even if they don't admit it, everyone fares better when they have people looking out for them and theirs," Krem adds, though he can feel that touch of wariness. Was it something he said? Shite.

"I...didn't expect any shems would care about some elves happy to live free of their control. Beyond not wanting us to exist, I mean."

Krem frowns deeply, leaning forward with his hands together in front of his chin. elbows on his knees.

"I grew up a step above slavery, saw a lot of people, both elves and human, getting stepped on and fucked over by everyone else. Made friends with those few elves that'd even look at me without wincing. Don't like seeing that here any more than I did there. Doesn't matter what flag you're flying, you're still people worth protecting."

She's so deeply moved by that that she's silent for a moment. She's not sure what an appropriate gesture would be to express this. She's not always good at expressing, period. If he were a clanmate, she'd hug him, but that's a terribly familiar thing to do to someone she just met.

She reaches out to squeeze his hand, just once.

"Ma serannas. I'll be looking out for you, too, Cremissus."

Close enough?

Krem's hand rests over hers briefly, offering that small comfort before drawing back and giving her a small smile. Close enough.

"Krem's easier to remember," he points out, tone casual. He sits back and puts a hand up, summoning a serving girl with another couple of bottles. He hands one to Pel then leans back again, his heel coming up on the brace of his chair's legs. "Try not to let all of this get under your skin. It's hard, yeah, but not quite the end of the world."

She nods.

"I've a clanmate who joined some time ago. I think what happened at Haven still troubles him."

"Everyone is still a little shaken. Can't blame them, it was a damned massacre. We tried to get people out quick as we could, but...well."

Krem is still troubled by it too. He's just got a better poker face about it most of the time.

"I'm sorry."

She lets the topic go and sits with him for a moment in silence. Then, a huff.

"I need to go to bed. I'll speak with you tomorrow, I think?"

Krem sighs and reaches out, laying a hand over her wrist, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Try not to worry for a little while. There'll be plenty of time for it later.'

Skyhold

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject