Open: Party Preparations

[madame_de_fer]

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.

Comments

[gatheringstorm]

"Is that an invitation to look, kadan?" The assistant currently helping Korrin -not the giggly one- chokes at that, which gets out a smirk from the Vashoth woman. It's increasingly difficult to behave herself the long she's here, in one way or another. Will she manage any better at the soiree itself? Only time will tell.

"Hm, I could use that silverite to craft a pauldron. That ought to be eye-catching enough. Maybe it'll even be dragon-shaped, to honor the Valo-Kas." That purely depends on how much effort she wants to put into this. Soirees are so not her style, but there is something to be said for showing off, even though it's not her usual style of doing so. "Pearls in your hair would be lovely. In mine, they'd be lost among all the white unless they're the rarer sort and rare is less guaranteed. But I'd be willing to give it a shot, and help you with yours. My style is simple, by I can manage more, with instruction."

[foxsays]

"Might be an invitation to go searching if you play your cards right." She raises her arms up at instruction to allow herself to be measured though she's correct that there's no huge difference in her measurements here compared to back home but it seems to satisfy the tailor and she's finally free to take a seat again as they confer, leaving Araceli to examine swatches of fabrics.

"There will be other parties, I'm sure, statement pieces are common enough that so long as the outfit changes, you can get away with wearing them again. Lots of ladies like to wear model ships in their hair where I come from, especially if their family owns one, so they wear them at all the parties and just change the gowns or the coats." Best not to mention the wigs that in some circles, wigs fashioned in the shape of an octopus are all the rage, in both natural and outlandish colours. Maybe when she's been in Thedas longer and she can just show up wearing one. "Somewhere in Thedas must have black pearls, and there's always a next time. But I have ideas. Surprises."

And she's got plenty of hiding spots in Skyhold.

[gatheringstorm]

That invitation gets a mischievous grin from the Vashoth woman, who might already be having thoughts about spiriting away this wonderful woman in all her finery to some dark alcove during the soiree. She won't be needed every single moment, after all. The thought is enough to get her through more measurements without a glower or eyeroll.

"Oh? Well, if your goal is to have me actually anticipating this shindig, you've succeeded. I can't wait to see what surprises you have in store." She chuckles at the thought of such outlandish hair ornaments. "I heard there used to be a noblewoman who loved the sound of her birds so much that she wore their cage in her hair. They were so nervous they shit all over it, though. At least model ships won't produce such a smell...I think."

[foxsays]

Korrin, her real dress is too fabulous for dark alcoves. Also so fabulous that she'll remove it herself just to be safe because there's a very real chance she's going to need to keep it in the best condition. Bards go to the parties, and she knows exactly how to do her job wearing even more restrictive garments.

Now that gets a very loud snort out of her, as well as a laugh that echoes in the underforge. "Really? I cannot believe anywhere would be so mad. Titsicles I can absolutely understand, those are naturally very beautiful and not at all shameful," so fuck you Cade, "but birds in your hair? Model ships only smell if you have them made with a little perfume compartment, it was a trend of sorts a few years ago actually, there was one merchant's wife that I still can call a very close friend and she filled the compartment of hers with saffron. Saffron, Korrin!" Korrin do you have any idea how expensive saffron is!

[gatheringstorm]

Having traveled all over Thedas, Korrin has a fair idea of just how expensive safforn can be, especially in places where not readily accessible. She snorts in amusement, though a reprimanding tap from one of the tailors has her straightening again so that she doesn't ruin their work. "It's all ridiculous, isn't it? Maybe that's what happens when you become insanely wealthy. The more you have, the less likely you are to remain touch with reality, unless you're fortunate enough to have someone to ground you. And when you're surrounded by like minds, it just a never-ending competition to see who can alleviate boredom in the most bizarre way."

Maybe that assessment is inaccurate with some nobles, but Korrin's seen enough of Orlesian elite to be fairly confident in her assessment from the outside. "At least model ships would be easier on the nose, though I think your hair is gorgeous enough without adding any to it." That does put her in mind for a gift for Araceli later, though.

[foxsays]

"If I became rich I'd have a ship and a good loyal crew so we could chase the horizon, and if I am to be trapped here then perhaps one day I'll find the people who'll want to go sail off to the edges of your map and come back with it filled in." That it takes so few pages to describe all of Thedas comfortably is upsetting, that there seem to be so few reports beyond what she's seen when she looks at their maps and compares it to home, to the great huge spread of island and archipelagos that make up Castileos, built on the bones of ruined towers that still extend deep below the waves until it becomes too dark to see and the pressure would crush a person.

Her mind strays to Leandra, to Arsenio. To Rajani, Brunilda, Eir, Argyris, and Nerissa. All of them are noble, all with sharp minds and the desire to do good but there are more conversations she needs to have one day beyond the details she mentions here and now to Korrin.

"But, I must take my leave, I have lessons to get back to." Not that she minds heraldry too much. "Behave for the tailors or you know I'll find out." And ignoring the assistants squawking, she cranes up as much as she can to give Korrin a kiss before she goes sashaying out the underforge.