Truth or Dare: Side Party for Servants and Scoundrels

[faderifting]

WHO: Anyone!
WHAT: A party for people who might scare the nobility, are deathly afraid of chandeliers, or fled the soiree with cheeses hidden in their clothes and need to make a clean getaway.
WHEN: During (and after) the soiree.
WHERE: The valley beyond Skyhold.
NOTES: Drinking, revelry. People might make out or something. We're not responsible for your actions.

The soiree might be fun, if you're into that sort of thing, but that isn't what it's for. It's for impressing the powerful and opening their pockets—and, necessarily, some people aren't invited. In some cases that's personal. In others, it's just understood. When they're done helping to set up, most of the servants and workers who aren't needed to serve make themselves scarce. The usual trickle of refugees to and from the fortress slows. Some people used to sleeping in the stables may find their "beds" occupied by nobles' horses or the rooms they had been squatting in cleaned and prepared for someone else to stay in.

There's no resentment. (Or at least very little.) That's how these things go. And in the valley outside the fortress' walls, there are foot soldiers and refugees and a number of miscellaneous exiles who welcome the company with large fires, cheap but freely flowing alcohol, and whatever music can be wrung out of instruments exposed to such low temperatures. The crowd thins and dwindles as the night wears on, but even after the last person has left the Great Hall in Skyhold, there's still a sizable gathering near the river with no intention of going to sleep before sunrise.

No masks allowed.

Comments

[aintwejust]

Knew his face, knew what he called hisself, didn't much know what the fuss was about. He was pretty far north when Kirkwall happened, still don't much know what the whole story is. But when that hand is offered Mal takes it without so much as blinking, tugging Det-andr-lef out with a hand on his waist and a swing to get them moving in the right direction of the dancing circle.

[justice_is_blond]

Mal gets a small smile as Anders falls in with the man, taking the following role as they join the circle. He needs this, something with no meaning, no expectations, no strings. Just a dance.

Well. Just a dance and a semi-flirty look up and down for Mal. He has no idea what Mal's into, there's an entirely decent chance it's not men, but Anders isn't going to be aloof with a dance partner.

"Come here often?" It's far more teasing than flirtatious. "I'd think it not likely, because otherwise your dog might get jealous."

[aintwejust]

Said flirty look goes right over Mal's head. Women? That he can and does respond to in kind. Men flirt'n- he's used to Asher who's all hands and waggled eyebrows and blatant 'you wanna go?'. Looks? A little subtle for the good Captain. "Only when the music's good and the ale's free."

Jayne was sleep'n somewhere. Malcolm had no idea.

[justice_is_blond]

Mal appears uninterested. That's fine. It's even more than fine. Here might actually be someone who doesn't give a care about him one way or another, and Anders feels like he can breathe.

"This does have both of those going for it, doesn't it." Free ale, good music, those were things he'd been free to enjoy when running away and it's entirely possible his pausing to enjoy them were how he'd gotten caught so many times. He'd wanted a 'normal' life so much that he'd shot himself in the foot trying for it.

"But something else had to have brought you to the inquisition. Right?" Is anyone really able to have a simple life? He doesn't know if he believes it.