faderift | Open: Party Preparations

Open: Party Preparations

WHO: Josephine, Vivienne, OPEN
WHAT: Preparing the Inquisition for the Soiree
WHEN: 15 Guardian to 14 Drakonis (about a month's span before the event)
WHERE: Skyhold, varies
NOTES: * Josephine is the hostess of the shindig. Matters regarding invitations, guest lists, admittance, entertainment, food, or general complaints/suggestions should be directed to her.
* Vivienne has personally invited three tailors from Val Royeaux to assist with clothes making for the attendees. She is available to assist with design selections and/or advice on how to behave.
* YOU are open and invited to grab your nearest and dearest CR to complain about the party, ask for a date to he event, complain you have nothing to wear.
* Belinda Darrow has donated from her own private purse to the cost of clothing which people could otherwise not afford.

The Orlesian tailors arrived in great state, bringing with them a cadre of servants, workers, and snotty attitudes. They hate everything. It is cold in Skyhold. It is damp. Everything smells of wet dog. The working conditions are abysmal. The food is criminal. There's not a damned thing they don't complain about, except for the piles of coin they stand to make from this soiree. Yes, they are more than content to build a fortune with exclusive work that will be seen by some of the aristocracy's finest.

Harritt apparently doesn't much like them either. They've taken over his Undercroft with their fabrics and threads, designs and opinions. Oh they have opinions. He stays to one corner, attending his work, and grumbling under his breath about the poncy cheesesniffers.

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Belinda is also in the Undercroft, sitting on a barrel not far from the door and just watching the proceedings below. It reminds her too much of when she was a girl and the seamstresses would measure her and her sister for new dresses. Moira loved it, but Belinda didn't care what she wore as look as it wasn't itchy or long enough to trip on.

There are several people being attended too, and that gives Belinda time to determine whether or not she actually wants to go through with this. She's never really liked formal affairs. There are too many rules and no one seems to be having any fun. Why stand around in uncomfortable shoes, drinking bad tasting wine and speaking of nonsense instead of just having fun?

"Isn't there?" she asks, overhearing Korrin. "I'm still not sure if I'll attend. You could not go."

Korrin glances over, recognizing that relentlessly perky voice from the sending crystal. Belinda, the...no, wait, ex-Templar. That's enough to keep her social, though she still looks less than enthusiastic about the whole affair. The fitting, that is, not the company. Company is fine, it gives her someone to vent with.

"No, I must. Madame de Fer wants the Mage Council to attend, and she's teaching me to be a Knight-Enchanter, so I don't want to repay her with a snub. Besides, I have a girlfriend who will most definitely want a night of dancing. Refusing her is not possible.

Edited 2016-03-05 04:40 (UTC)

Now that Belinda recognizes Korrin in return, she smiles a bit brighter, like they're great friends. She tends to treat everyone that way until they tell her to stuff it or stop kissing ass. Belinda never kisses ass; she's just happy to serve!

"Aww, dancing with your lady! Well that's the best reason to go, isn't it? I don't have a lady or a gentleman, and I don't owe it to anyone to attend. I'm trying to sort out if it'll be worth the trouble. It could be fun, with dancing, and food, and friends. But it could be stuffy and a load of politics." Her nose wrinkles. "If that's the case, I'd rather stay in."

"Save yourself, before it's too late...unless you love tiny Orlesian cakes, because I hear there's going to be plenty of those." That might be one tiny mark in its favor, since as much as Korrin doesn't care for Orlais or its culture, they make excellent desserts.

"I suppose it also tends on how long you're willing to stand still and let the tailors grumble about all your faults like you personally went out of your way to offend them. I'm going to pretend I did, just because." She's already scandalous enough for them, as a 'qunari' and a mage. It really can't get any worse.

"I don't understand tiny Orlesian cakes," she replies, shaking her head at the idea. "Why not just make a big cake you can serve slices of to people? Cut it in advance and have all the plates set out at the dessert table."

Her eyes shift their gaze to the tailors, and she lets out a sigh. "They must miss home, to be complaining so much about Skyhold." Because clearly they're just homesick and not raging assholes, right? Belinda always assumes the best first.

"You're so asking the wrong person. I don't get it either, but they still taste awesome, so who cares...well, most of them. I heard about this awful deep mushroom and anise combination, so watch out." Korrin deeply hopes that Ambassador Montilyet's usually exquisite taste still holds and she doesn't add those to her banquet list.

"I'd have more sympathy if they weren't being paid truly ridiculous amounts just to be here. No doubt they'll be sobbing into their vast piles of money once they get home; what a difficult life." She rolls her eyes. "I was one of the first people here, and we spent weeks just getting it into shape. This is nothing compared to that, and they're complaining that the waterfall is too loud?"

Belinda thinks that the strange combinations in food exist because the noble class has money to throw away on food, and chefs like to one up each other. Some foods sound more like a dare than something you're meant to consume.

"I was at Haven. You were too, now I think of it. Now that was a tiny encampment! And there weren't even enough tents for everyone coming in everyday. Plus it was far colder there than it is once you get to Skyhold. Imagine the things they would be saying if we still had our base there." Nothing nice, that's for sure. Of course, nothing nice is really coming out of their mouths regardless of the location.

"I think the waterfall sounds lovely. It's peaceful."

Korrin nods at mention of Haven, a brief shadow passing over her face since it's difficult to think of their first base without also remembering its destruction. "The complaining would be epic, that's for sure. It'd almost be worth it, but I like where we're at now. We've a decent tavern and library, enough room to train, a huge place like this to craft...and yeah, I love the waterfall, too. Not as much as the hot spring, but still."

The only real complaint she would have is that the food of the South is never spicy enough, Skyhold included, but while the tailors are in earshot it might as well be the best place ever as far as she's concerned.

"Oo, a hot spring? That sounds like something I should see." Belinda's still getting acquainted with all Skyhold has to offer.

"I wonder if the First Enchanter thought to put them down here out of the way, where the waterfall would drown out their complaints. She always thinks of the little things."

"That or she really wanted to annoy Harritt because he didn't order enough royale sea silk to suit her. Also highly possible." Vivienne could be petty at times, though Korrin can't entirely blame her when it comes to the blacksmith, who can be testy at the best of times. "If we had alcohol anywhere near us, I'd be tempted to make a drinking game out of every time he says 'poncy cheesesniffers'...but even I would probably be hammered in due time."

And sadly, she'd better stay sober for this anyway. "After I'm done with this nonsense, I'd be glad to show the way to the hot spring. Everyone needs a chance to unwind there every so often."

Belinda giggles, head rearing back before dipping far forward over her lap. She raises a hand to stifle it, but it takes a minute.

"Cheesesniffers? Oh, that's too funny."

She's picturing Orlesians gingerly sniffing a cheese wheel before setting it back down with no intention of eating it.

"Thank you! I'd like that very much. This place is so wonderful, isn't it? I can't believe it's been tucked away up here so long."

That giggle makes her grin, despite her less than stellar mood prompted by their circumstances. "Give me time, I'll come up with better one." Now she regrets not having some of the Valo-Kas around; they invented quite a few terms for snooty Orlesian nobles, thanks to various jobs.

"I know, right? The fact that it's smack between Orlais and Ferelden would make this location hugely important, but this place must have been abandoned for a long time. It's just odd. It didn't even take that long to make some basic repairs."

Belinda nods along, but then adds, "There must be magic spells on the place to keep it from completely falling apart. Maybe it helped keep it hidden too?" Yet the Herald's friend Solas had known where it was. It must have had to do with all that walking through the Fade.

"Maybe? I'd love to ask Solas about that, but he's fucked off to Maker-knows-where. You'd think after the long trek just to get here, he'd stay to enjoy it." But she doesn't know the elf well enough to guess what might have drawn him away or why. It's not an urgent question anyway, just a random curiosity.

"Oh, I'm sure he's doing something necessary for the Inquisition!" Not that she knows him. Not at all. But he'd been a friend of the Herald and seems quite committed to their cause. Surely he wouldn't be off doing anything nefarious, selfish, and potentially world-destroying, right?

Right?

"Well, it's something to ask him on his return. For now, I'll just be thankful that we have such a lovely base of operations, even if the mountain pass is a bit of a pain."

Korrin can't bring herself to disagree with Belinda's general statement. Solas had been invested in the Inquisition since the very beginning, around the time she had joined. Departing abruptly seemed odd, but he must have a purpose.

She offers a wry smile and nods at mention of the mountain pass. "Oh, I know. It never seemed as arduous as that very first time, but I can't say getting used to it makes the path any more pleasant. I just have to keep reminding myself that at least we have more than tents here, and things like an actual tavern...and a crafting place, however co-opted at the moment."

Glancing around, she sighs, then her gaze lingers on a bolt of ring velvet. "That might suit you. The deep green would be a nice contrast to your hair."

"That's right! Something pleasant at the end of the journey. You can be welcomed by a drink, friends, and a warmer place than you just came out of." Belinda always looks on the bright side.

Her gaze shifts over to the fabric and she smiles. "You think? My mother always wanted me in powder blue. She said it looked nice with my hair too. I don't think I've ever worn ring velvet before."

"I'll drink to that, sometime after all this." Belinda's ever-present perkiness gets a small smile out of Korrin, who can't help but start to like this woman despite her Templar background. That idealism might well be crushed in the times to come, but for now, it's a welcome respite from the tension everywhere else.

"There's a first time for everything. Besides, the tailors seem to be fashion snobs without compare. If they think it unworthy I'm positive they'll let you know."

"That's true. Though I'm still unsure if I should go. And I shouldn't make them go through all the work of a fitting if I'm still undecided." No need to make the tailors even more cranky, right?

"But I'll be around after your fitting, so you can show me the hot springs."

Korrin nods and gives a thumbs up. "Absolutely. I'm going to need it after all this--" And then she sighs as one of the tailors gestures toward her impatiently. "Wish me luck...for their sake as much as mine."

"Good luck! I'm sure you'll get something beautiful to wear." Belinda smiles warmly, hoping to bolster Korrin's spirits a little so she doesn't feel so much like she's walking into battle.

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Open: Party Preparations

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