faderift | (OPEN) Breaking Ice Doesn't Mean There's Room to Move

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(OPEN) Breaking Ice Doesn't Mean There's Room to Move

WHO: Admiral Isabela and YOU!
WHAT: Catchall for late Guardian/all of Drakonis
WHEN: End of Guardian through end of Drakonis
WHERE: Mostly Skyhold, EDL
NOTES: It's Isabela. Anything goes.

Tavern

The Emprise was bloody cold, and not at all suited for a Rivaini temperament. True to the word she gave, upon returning to Skyhold, Isabela gets cozy in the tavern, not far from warm hearths and keeping the liquor flowing. She's had shipments brought in from her crew, so you know it's better than the usual swill, and she's happy to share. Card games are at the ready for anyone who doesn't mind losing.

Admiral's Quarters, Conveniently Just Upstairs from the Tavern

Wanting to get personal with the famous Admiral? Every now and again, she can be found in her quarters, and she usually is happy to welcome guests. But if there's a scarf on the door, consider yourself warned. Or invited, depending on how you look at it.

Courtyard - Sparring Ring

There's nothing like a good duel to get the blood flowing and the stresses out, and hardly a better teacher in the ways of one than Isabela. She can be found shadow-sparring, and helping out with the recruits for the Rogue School. Flashing blades and laughter are all part and parcel, along with teasing and possibly even insults if she's in the right mood. Care to try your luck?

Wildcard/Misc.

[Isabela can also be found in other places, like the library or the ramparts. Feel free to choose an adventure of your own!]

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He wasn't sure if he was fed up of being here, or fed up being here with Tevinter mages around, or simply bored. It was possibly a combination of all three, and it inevitably had him finding his way to Isabela's side at the tavern. He was silent other than to order a drink, content for now just to be with someone he trusted.

Isabela gets the feeling something's bothering him, but it's never really been her style to pry.
"Just the one drink tonight? That's unusual." That's about the limit of her line of questioning.

"One for a starter," he said with a bark of laughter - and not the happy kind. "I think I need to go out and hunt down some slavers."

"Did someone bring in news? I haven't been tracking those kind of shipments, but if you want, I could pull strings and see where they're crossing."

She took a long drink.
"Or is that just one option of many for stress relief?"

"Wishful thinking," he said with a sigh. "Though if you find out any news, I will go out and hunt them." At least it was useful. "This Inquisition is far quieter than I would like."

He wasn't saying no to any other kind of stress relief though.

"Don't I know it. And if there is action, they send you to frozen holes of misery to deal with it." She shakes her head.

"I'll keep an ear open. Just in case."

She watches him for a bit.
"Feel like letting off some steam, Fenris?"

He snorted in agreement. "Makes you wish you'd never left the seas?" he asked her with a bit of a smile returned, but he raised an eyebrow at her next question.

"What did you have in mind?"

"You know I'd rather be on the water any day. One of these days, I should take you with me."

She shrugs.
"There's a sparring yard outside. Or my room is right upstairs."

"One day, I might even be bored enough to agree to that," he said with a grin back at her. "I'm not even sure what I want to do." Sparring or sex. Both had an appeal.

Belinda doesn't know Isabela well by any stretch, but she thinks her lively and entertaining, so it's a delight to see her set up at her own table in the tavern with a pack of cards.

"Why, hello!" she says pleasantly. "It's very good to see you again." Though she has to wonder if Isabela remembers her. She is, of course, far less memorable than Isabela herself is.

"Belinda, in case you've forgotten."

Isabela just laughs a little.
"Belinda Darrow, the most adorable templar they've ever produced. I was wondering when you'd make it to Skyhold."

"After far too long a time, is the answer!" But she's glad to serve the Inquisition in any way she can, and helping the way she had in Val Royeaux felt good, even if the situation did not.

"May I join you for a game or two?" she asks, gesturing to the deck.

"Of course, Kitten. Pick your poison. What are you in the mood for?" She gestures to the deck.

"So, what finally got you to come over this far?"

"Wicked Grace would be fine with me," she says as she takes a seat.

"The Chantry in Val Royeaux has finally settled down, and the citizens are less afraid now. It's back to business as usual, so our group didn't need to stay to keep order any longer. I'm glad of it, because I so wanted to come see Skyhold!"

Isabela starts dealing the cards.

"Well, that's good. One fire out, anyway. Skyhold everything you hoped for, sunshine?"

"It is! Everything and more. It's so beautiful and spacious. I learned there are hot springs here, and that's been a great comfort for the aches and pains. The view is remarkable too!" And as Belinda gathers her cards together, she continues gushing about all the things in Skyhold she enjoys, finishing with: "But the chapel is my favorite part."

Isabela shakes her head in amusement.

"It would be for you, Kitten. Though it's a bit cold and too far from the sea to really be to my liking."

She plays her first card, the Angel of Virtue.

"Oh? But you've decided to stay, have you?"

Belinda rearranges her cards to her liking before setting one down face down. It's a song card and she has no others of that suit in hand. With her luck, she'll start picking up more song cards and then she'll regret tossing this one out.

"Only because the Inquisition is the best-paying game in town."

And, oh, whoops, there's the Angel of Death.

"Is it? That's good." Of course, Belinda is here because she believes serving the Inquisition to be the right thing to do. Surely the Maker would approve of their cause and deem it holy!

When she sees the Angel of Death, her eyes widen and she winces at her cards.

"Well that's unlucky," she states, setting down a pair of swords and three cards that don't make anything.

She doesn't drop by the tavern often, but she's often been told she needs to slow down and take a moment or two for herself. Often times that means chess in the garden. Tonight, it means wine in the tavern. Quietly, she finds herself missing the Antivan brandy and company she had the last time she stopped in, but she'd hardly say so out loud.

An empty chair is spied near Isabela, and there's a brief gesture is given to the seat. The woman has something of a reputation around the keep, even she knows that, but rumors rarely concern her.

"May I sit?"

"Of course." Isabela looks her over with a grin. "What brings you over, sweetness?"

"An available seat," she replies primly, arching an eyebrow but settling in just the same. Well. She's been called worse. That might even be what passes for friendliness for the woman.

"It's been quite the day."

The pirate laughs.

"Fair enough. That sounds like it deserves a drink and chance to tell the story."

"Story." Mia scoffs. "I doubt it would be the sort of gripping tale you imagine, dear. A lot of walking, carrying things, delivering food and complaints and making sure the people who've taken refuge with us are content."

Her lips thin. "In the wake of recent events, they're less easily placated. It can be a little tiring, all told."

Isabela might be getting cosy in the tavern, but Ruby is there to work. At least, she was, she's wrapping up the end of her shift. Sure, she might not be in Storybrooke any more, and working as a barmaid might not be the most exciting or adventurous, but it'd do. Means she can put together a little coin here and there, learn a bit about this world and hear some gossip (too much gossip, with wolf hearing) and figure out what she can do to keep Emma safe and maybe help this place out a little, too. Hopefully she can do one without jeopardising her chances of the other.

She's heading over to a pirate with a bottle of rum - her last order of the day, and there's something reassuring about this world having so much in common with home - and is about to make a friendly comment of greeting to Isabela when she gets a hand hooking about her waist and pulling her close to bad, whiskey-soaked breath, and just barely managing to keep the glass and rum balanced.

"I need to get this to someone," she starts, polite irritation working its way into her tone. "And I'm not interested."

It's generally not considered wise to keep the Admiral waiting. And, after watching her drink being held up for more than a few minutes, there's the distinct hiss of steel being drawn.

"I'm not always a patient woman, sweet thing," Isabela rasped in the drunkard's ear, a dagger at his throat, "So I suggest not standing between me and my drink."

The pirate laughs as she sends him scurrying off, and snags the glass off the tray.
"Mind if I take that off your hands?"

Well, there you go. She's not saying that she enjoys seeing a guy with a knife against his throat, but maybe her mouth is quirked in a poorly-suppressed smirk.

"Not at all," Ruby replies, holding the tray out to Isabela. "Thanks for all the swashing and buckling. Looks like no matter what world you're in, you still get plenty of creeps to deal with. Let's say this one's on me."

At least she doesn't smell like seaweed.

"I'm a pirate, my dear, and a thirsty one. It's what I do. And it's rather fun sending fools scurrying on their way like the rats they are."

She winks.
"Still, I can't let such generosity go unrewarded. Care to join me?"

"I..." Ruby trails off, hesitating a moment and glancing towards the bar. "Well, my shifts up. Sure, that'd be fun."

With a little bit of a grin, tucking her tray under her arm, fingers of both hand curled around its edge.

"My name's Ruby, by the way. Do I just call you 'Pirate,' or...?"

"Isabela," she supplies. "Technically, Admiral Isabela."

She gives Ruby a long look.

"Ruby, hmm? Well, you do look like you'd be someone's treasure."

"Admiral? Wow. And here I thought pirates could only be captains." Entirely unapologetic, although she's kind of delighted. "I bet you've seen a lot of this world. Or... a lot of the sea, at any rate."

Her own adventures went... badly, to say the least. Her own desire for adventure had killed too many people, but not everyone could have luck that bad, right?

"You know, I don't think I've heard that one before, actually. This isn't about to turn into a comment about 'booty' is it?" A moment of pause. Hang on, she's-- she's not entirely sure that joke will be funny here. "Sorry. Maybe that slang doesn't work, here. This inter-world thing is hard."

"Depends on how many ships you want to be in charge of," Isabela answers, and then laughs. "You're right, though. Two coastlines, four or five nations, and kicked out more taverns and brothels than I can remember."

She winks at Ruby.
"As I once told a friend of mine, sailors only care about a small number of very specific things: the sea, strong drink, and booty. Both kinds."

Ah. Aha. Ha. "I think my company was usually too delicate for brothels," Ruby replies, a little sheepish, "but we did get to hide out a lot. Sometimes in taverns. There were a lot of brawls."

See, now, this is actually fun. Overt flirting in Storybrooke was horribly skeevy, not entertaining, and then once people found out about the Wolf? Then a lot of them stopped talking to her outside of placing their order or asking for the check. "I'm really glad that the universal differences allow us to still appreciate puns," she replies, huffing out a quiet laugh before claiming a seat at the table which had been Isabela's before. Funny, when a woman pulls out a knife suddenly the risk of someone stealing her table in her absence decreases. "So, how does a pirate get stuck landlocked?"

"Really? A Tantervale red? Where did you get such a thing?" Norrington asked the barkeep, his dark eyebrows raising up with hope - and just a touch of wonder. He hadn't had this particular fine vintage since ... well. Since Ostwick.

The barkeep nodded over to the dark haired, rather - ah - loose woman in the back corner playing cards and Norrington went 'ah'. The dread pirate ... whatever her name was. He snorted softly, then shrugged as he put down his gold.

"The whole bottle, if you will, and please thank the lady by having her meal paid on me. I shall deeply enjoy this."

And he planned to, over his book and simple meal in the other end of the tavern.

After a while, she came over.

"Someone told me I wasn't paying for my meal today and that you were to thank you it."

He glanced up, before he saluted his goblet with wine in it.

"Someone told me I had you to thank for the fine vintage that I am drinking, so we are even."

There was no scarf on the door, no sounds of grunts or giggling, so Bethany just leaned against the doorway and knocked three times, waiting for a response. When answered, she'd flash her usually sunny smile, but it was clear that she looked tired, and a little sad. There would be a stronger resemblance to Marian, in the days to come, but Bethany wasn't going to let that stop her now.

"All right, I know I'm early for the card game -- but I honestly just don't want to be gawked at downstairs. Can I hide in here?"

Isabela looked a little surprised when Bethany came in, and she slows down cleaning the dagger in her hands.

"I always love seeing your smiling face, sunshine, but is someone bothering you downstairs? I could have a few... pointed words with him."

Bethany closed the door firmly behind her, leaning on it a little as she gave Isabela a harried smile, before she shook her head.

"Absolutely not. You'd end up fighting half the tavern at this point. They're either staring because I'm 'The Champion's Sister' or 'Another Mage', or 'One Of Those Asshole Wardens Who Done Let That Mage Rebellion Start'. Frankly, I didn't want to have to defend myself if some poor drunken sot got it into his head to take a swing at me ... or tried to sleep with my sister through me. Or any of you, for that matter."

She found a stool and dropped herself down on it. "Should make any parties we go to interesting, I must say."

"You'd be amazed how many parties I go to end up with me fighting half the people there," Isabela said with a half-smile.

"Some of them might have just looked your way because you're a pretty girl."

"You know, I have a feeling I wouldn't be amazed at all." Bethany rested her chin on the palms of her hand, smiling brightly.

"Ooooh, maybe one or two, but I am pretty sure most of them want to take a swing at me. Unless they're Venatori Chantry brothers, apparently."

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(OPEN) Breaking Ice Doesn't Mean There's Room to Move

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And just for a change of pace - Isabela's rooms

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