heaven, a gateway, a hope

[byblow]

WHO: Grey Wardens & You
WHAT: A daring and not at all ragtag group of Grey Wardens has walked all the way across Orlais to inform the Inquisition--just in case it hadn't already realized on its own--that everything is terrible.
WHEN: Harvestmere 22
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: This post has: (1) A single group "we just got here, we're freezing, who is in charge, what do you mean you haven't decided yet" starter that we'd like to keep to one chronological thread. (2) Open starters for individual Wardens set later in the day/week.

OOC Note: Regarding the first starter--threadjack away! Anyone is welcome to wander onto the scene to see what's going on and wander back out at their leisure, to fall silent for a while, etc. No tagging order. But let slower taggers get a word in edgewise!

Comments

[taiyny]

"Didn't take you for the type for bawdy tavern songs," she says from the shadows where she's lurking. The nightwatch aren't the only ones strolling the battlements. Natalia feels more at home out here at night than she does anywhere else in Skyhold, and tends to only sleep in the wee, grey, hours of the morning.

Natalia's on her way back to the Rookery from the tavern herself, a small bag of dried food for her to eat as she works on gathering information for the Inquisition from her contacts in Orlais and Antiva. She sticks to the shadows when she walks, partly out of habit born from paranoia, partly because she likes seeing if the watch can spot her. They never do; she might have to tell the Commander about that someday.

"Although I don't think that one is supposed to sound that sad."

[byblow]

No better than the watch, Alistair makes a fair attempt at jumping out of his skin, and a less fair one at hiding it by leaning casually against the nearest wall. "I'm exactly the type for bawdy tavern songs," he says before he's even managed to discern who was speaking. The instinct for banter is strong. "The Chantry thought it could train that out of me, but it only made my love for them stronger."

And that one isn't meant to be sad, no, but Alistiar ignores that. It is as subtle as a shield bash to the face, probably, but once he's looked his new companion over, he makes a decent attempt at a subject change:

"Oh, it's the unimportant redhead. At Skyhold. You're continuing to be unimportant, I hope. I've heard what they do to important people here."

Is it too soon for jokes about their dead Herald? Probably. But she was larger than life, and he won't feel sorry about it until he sees her perfectly normal-sized body on the pyre.

[taiyny]

The change in subject isn't lost on her at all, and Natalia files that away for later. What she'll use it for is anyone's guess, including her's, but still. It could come in handy for something.

"You should watch your back, then. You're probably one of the most important people here." She smirks slightly, tilting her chin up.

"Can't sleep? Like it's funny.

[byblow]

Alistair sighs. It's a very eloquent sigh. It says not important at all, or, if Natalia is especially talented at interpreting sighs, it might even say there are a dozen ginger Grey Warden warriors where I came from and at least half of them are more charming than I am. But arguing about how unimportant he is is a good way to make people insist he's important, so he doesn't.

"I can sleep," he says instead. (Sometimes for a whole three hours at once!) "I choose not to. There are just so many interesting people on the battlements at this hour."

[taiyny]

She'd just tell him it's the sigh of a king, regardless of actual interpretation. It needles him, and she can use that. Probably.

At his comment, she snorts, making a show of looking around.

"Really? Where? I haven't seen any. Just a guard that fell asleep and had to be woken up."

[byblow]

"Well. There's me."

He may not be important, but he is interesting. People are interested in him all the time. Mostly women, and--

Maybe he's not interesting, either. Maybe he's only handsome. But he's definitely that.

"And now there's you." He gestures to her with an open hand, like look at yourself. "And back the way I came there's a guard with the second most magnificent mustache I've ever seen."

[taiyny]

"That Tevinter mage has the most magnificent one, right?"

She's not going to dignify his calling her 'interesting' with a comment; it's not in her job description to be 'interesting' unless she has to be, and she definitely doesn't have to be right now. He on the other hand? No, he's definitely interesting. And probably handsome. That she's not saying either way.

Natalia crosses her arms, doesn't remove the smirk from her face.

"I don't think I've seen better."

[byblow]

"The Tevinter—no," Alistair says, shaking his head and looking nearly offended. "The curl is impressive, but he loses points in the volume category. Jean-Marc Stroud. There's a moustache."

He needs both hands to demonstrate the size and scope of the facial hair in question.