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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After the intense battle with those demons and mages, Kain had to get a minor repair job on some of his armor. Nothing that couldn't be fixed up readily enough, so he'd brought it in. Now he's returning to collect it, and hopefully resume training. He's noticeably walking slowly and with a slight limp, but of course, has he rested properly since returning? Hardly.

He's astonished and appalled when he sees the whole place is taken over by... tailors. Not just any tailors, ones who are working on fancy clothing. Riiiiight. He vaguely remembers talk of a ball or some such, but has largely ignored it. He's just going to attempt sneaking through all of this madness and go grab his chestplate and greaves, and get out of here fast.

Unfortunately for Kain, Josephine is in attendance at the Undercroft that day. When she sees the man, it does not occur to her that he may simply be trying to retrieve his armor before making his exit. Or perhaps it does, but simply does not care.

Sometimes it's hard to tell with Josephine. She reaches out to lay a hand on his armor, asking, "Are you here to get a fitting?"

Kain has been following one simple rule: don't make eye contact. He figures the people bustling about are all too busy with their work, anyway. Surely he can escape before... Nope. Caught. Now he has to see if he can make a good excuse before making an exit.

"Fitting? What for?" Right, so maybe he has an idea what it's for, but he's so baffled as to why it should apply to him. "No... I was just coming here to retrieve my armor."

"Oh." It's as though in the midst of all this planning that Josephine has forgotten the original purpose of the Undercroft. Well, she hadn't forgotten it entirely but it had not precisely been at the forefront of her mind. "Well, I'm sure you will find it here somewhere. Please do forgive the mess." She might very well leave it at that, but she cannot help herself from asking, "Does that mean you're not coming to the soiree?"

Kain glances around once, quickly, seeing the tailors hard at work, various people coming and going to be fitted. He wonders if this is all something he can escape entirely, or does he have no real way out? All of a sudden, he's strongly reminded of home, and all of those royal balls he had no choice but to attend, especially as commander of the dragoons.

"I hadn't planned on it... but I suppose it'll be hard to avoid." Especially now that he's ended up quite literally in the midst of the preparations. He can no longer claim total ignorance about the upcoming event.

"Oh, it wouldn't be entirely impossible," Josephine counters, although there's a mischievous glint in her eye which leads credence to the theory that such avoidance may, indeed, be incredibly difficult. "If you are content to remain in your quarters for the evening, then there should be little chance of stumbling upon it."

While Josephine intends for the event to show off as much of those who have gathered in support of the Inquisition as possible, she won't truly force anyone to be there who does not wish to attend. They will surely only cause trouble, and trouble is what she would like to prevent if she can help it.

Ah, that glint in her eye. Kain has seen this glint before, in others back home. Usually when they were conspiring to get him involved somehow, make sure he wasn't planning a camping trip during the time of any royal balls.

"That's a relief," Kain seems a bit more relaxed when he says this, but it's probably not noticeable... his "relaxed" is still very stiff. "But I suppose if it's important for loyal rifters to be there..." He still sounds reluctant, as he can't bear socialization, but at the same time, well, he's not fully blind to some of the tension around here, even if he does his best to avoid it.

Josephine knows a potential hook when she sees one, and as soon as Kain presents it to her, she jumps upon it immediately. "If it would not be too much of a bother, it would please me greatly to see more of the rifter population there. We can not speak to the Inquisition's strengths without broadcasting its diversity."

Her gaze becomes somewhat more intense as she speaks. This is something she feels rather strongly about.

It really is too late to back out now, then, isn't it? Kain sighs, knowing it could be worse. He might feel out of his element at social events, but he'll do what must be done. Even if part of him wants to go running off in the other direction, looking for something to fight instead.

"I cannot promise I'd stay long... I've been to enough balls back home," which is probably a bad thing for his sake to mention that he has experience with this sort of thing, "But I suppose... for the sake of making an appearance, as a rifter... it's important that others see us as no different from them."

She flashes him a delighted, grateful smile. "Oh, even a brief appearance would be truly appreciated!"

Kain sighs, but nods. It’s not as if he’s any stranger to this sort of event. He knows what they entail and what’s generally expected. He could show up for a short time before making his exit. “Then… I’ll be there.”

"Excellent. I will see you there."

“Very well… now if you’ll excuse me, I have some armor to get ahold of.” He nods to her, polite yet stiff, before he heads to finish up what he’d started by coming here.

There will be no successful sneaking out for the dragoon. Vivienne comes sauntering through the door for her daily check on the proceedings and espies his presence. Which is marvelous. They could stand to have some handsome rifter eye candy at this little event. Already her mind is a-whirl with potential ways to take advantage of having him attend.

"Ah! There you are, darling. I had wondered when you'd come by for a fitting." Actually she half wondered if he'd simply wear the Wintersend gift she'd given him, but new clothes are always a pleasure. "Have you made your decisions yet, or are you just beginning?"

Uh oh... Kain had gotten increasingly wary of the presence of all of these tailors here. He has no fear when he steps onto a battlefield in the face of so many terrible creatures, but socialization on the other hand... While not exactly afraid of it, the whole idea is still unsettling. He's been to too many similar royal events back home.

"I was just down here to collect some of my armor... I had repairs done on it..." But he has this sneaking suspicion she won't buy the excuse.

"Oh, I see." Is that disappointment in her tone? Yes it is. Vivienne can be manipulative even with people she likes and approves of, if it suits her purposes. Still, she knows he has something entirely suitable to wear, so she doesn't suspect his intention to skip out entirely.

"And have you given thought to the mask you'll wear? I feel something dragon themed, like your armor, would be thrilling and breathtaking."

No. She is not giving him the opportunity to bow out of attendance.

Uh oh... she really does have him now, and there's no way he'll be able to escape readily. Kain may have his moments where he's an ass, but not even he can manage that here and now. He sighs, a little bit defeated. After all, he doesn't care for the ball part, but the "see, rifters are loyal and normal people" is sort of important.

"...Masks? Is that something common for these balls?" Hmm... well, that does mean hiding most of his face, right? That's what he does all the time, anyway. "...well... dragons are my favored creature, always... I suppose..."

Edited 2016-03-17 06:34 (UTC)

"Masks are commonplace in daily life for Orlesians, my dear." But perhaps he requires more of an explanation. "All of us wear masks. We are children, lovers, parents, teachers. Orlesians choose which aspect of themselves they wish to have on display with their choice of mask. It codifies it for others. Even the servants will choose masks and colors to match their employer so that they are recognized for their ties, as they go about their business, buying bread, having shoes mended."

Vivienne shrugs one shoulder, as this is really no big deal whatsoever. It's part and parcel to life, like breathing. But not really as your mask, your front, absolutely is weighed and measured in the Game. But that seems entirely too much to discuss at length with a rifter.

"What an odd culture... but I'd certainly like that idea." He hides behind his helm and the rest of his armor all the time, after all. Of course, there's more to it than that, there's the whole political angle for them. He may not have any sense for politics, but he understands how they involve a whole lot of... manipulation. Which is probably why it's not his thing really. He frowns a moment, but then an idea dawns on him, and he gives Vivienne a thoughtful glance.

"Then I know exactly what sort of mask I'd choose. It's probably obvious... but if I could have one with a dragon's face..." Sure, it wouldn't be his typical armor, but he'd still feel... a lot like himself, wearing something like that. He's a dragon in his soul, honestly.

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Open: Party Preparations

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