Got no credit and I got no fear

[arsebiscuit]

WHO: Sera Mai Bhalsych of Korse and OPEN
WHAT: Sera comes back to Skyhold
WHEN: Last few weeks of Drakonis
WHERE: All over Skyhold
NOTES: If you'd like a personalized starter or have any questions, feel free to contact me via PM or at thepenguinred

Herald's Rest

While her room's been mysteriously stolen by a mysterious shiteface, the tavern is still Sera's home in Skyhold. Drinking, playing cards, trying to avoid the weirdly intense gaze of the lady bard, Sera can be found doing them all now that she's finally back. As the night goes on the cheating becomes more flagrant and the stories louder, accompanied by wider and more dramatic arm flailing and occasional reenactments. Eventually, she tells the Tale Of The Time Cassandra Punched a Bear's Heart Out And It Got All Over The Herald's Clothes And I Laughed Then Shot Other Bears With Arrows. During her demonstration of the punch, she throws her hand back a little too hard and fast, hitting someone or knocking a drink over. But dealing with that has to wait until the story's done.

Out and About

Sera hadn't spent much time in the old fortress since she'd had to go off on Very Important Jenny Business (Possibly Involving Fire Ants and Honey), so it's time to get to know the place by the back of her hand again before starting up her services to the local community. Every hidden passage and unlocked (and unoccupied locked) room gets poked and prodded as the week goes on. All expect for one very specific room where she knows Creepy Cole likes to linger in, like some stupid ghost of the attic. Unless there's a juicy conversation to be overheard, she doesn't bother with stealth, just walking in and up to anything and anyone that strikes her. Anyone looking particularly servant-like will be getting chatted up whether the like it or not, along with most everyone else she comes across.

Comments

[dragoon_pride]

The parrot is very pleased at the attention, making some happy squawking noises, then repeating Sera's words enthusiastically, "Fuck beak! Fuck beak!" It's really getting to the point Kain can tell the bird's general mood just from its tone. Always hard to tell with its preferred language otherwise, after all.

"Careful, you may give him new ideas... He calls himself Bastard, though." Kain sighs. "Or so he says, every time I've asked for a name, it's always 'You Bastard', repeatedly."

[arsebiscuit]

"Pfft, that'd be you. Your job to give him a name. That's how this pet thing works, yeah?"

She'd never had one herself, wouldn't know. But she's all to happy to offer up some of her ale to the bird.

[dragoon_pride]

"He's not my-"

He's been saying these words all along, but lately he's starting to realize that this Bastard is truly becoming his. Kain stares at the bird, crossing his arms a moment, uncertain whether to be annoyed at the creature or... grudgingly affectionate.

"Well, he didn't start out as my pet. Someone else owned him before, as far as I can tell... I spent some time trying to find the owner to no avail. He's... starting to get attached, though." Kain will swear until the end of time that he himself is certainly not attacked, however. (Yeah, right).

As for Bastard, he squawks, gives a happy exclamation of "Bronto shit!!" before giving that ale a try.

[arsebiscuit]

More cackling as Bastard reveals itself to be just her kinda bird.

"That's right! And we've got these crystal things now...weird magic shit. Still, if he's got a first owner around, they'd speak up. All yours now."

[dragoon_pride]

All yours now... Everyone keeps saying that, oh god why does everyone keep saying that? Though Kain has been moving gradually toward 'acceptance', especially because the parrot is always waiting for him, everywhere he goes.

"Just my luck." Kain watches Bastard a moment, who actually laughs whenever his head comes up, in between taking sips of the drink. Yeah, he seems way too happy about all of this. "Crystals, glowing shards, demonic threats... all of that I understand. An obscene parrot is the last thing I'd have expected to face, when ending up in another world."

[arsebiscuit]

"Oooh, you're one of those sky babies? Less demony than I figured. For now."

It's a good thing she's nice and drunk herself, so she doesn't react too badly to the news. She doesn't even stop giving the bird his drink, just watches the man out of the corner of her eye.

Hmmm.

[dragoon_pride]

"A rifter, yes... I've been here a few months now, but there's still much to get used to." Kain sighs, wondering what will come of it all, eventually. "As long as I'm stuck here, I'll make the most of it, fighting for the Inquisition."

The parrot seems to be enjoying the drink, lifting his head and bursting out with more laughter. Never before has he sounded so amused. Could that be a good thing? Bad thing? Kain is afraid to know.

[arsebiscuit]

'What for?"

It's not accusing or anything, just pure curiosity. Get dropped into new world, pick up their war? Not what she'd call making the most of it.

[dragoon_pride]

The question doesn't bother Kain too much, he gets it. There's no reason whatsoever to get involved in some foreign world's problems, and yet... His expression turns serious and stern, and he can almost ignore the cries of "NUGHUMPING DUSTER!" in the background.

"It gives me a purpose. If I'd not joined this, what else would I do? Wander aimlessly? Besides... I've done things in my past which I'm still atoning for. Battling even some other world's evil is the best way I can work toward achieving it, for now."

[arsebiscuit]

"So if you'd stumbled out by the cult of Rift wackos, you'd be all starry eyed for them?"

It's the same tone, curious and maybe a little amused. The only way you got to know about people was talking to them, after all.

[dragoon_pride]

"Hardly. It's not like that at all." But it is. It's exactly like that. Kain is a bit freaked out, but she seems to have already pinned down his questionable loyalties. He struggles not to listen to his darker side, but now he has to wonder how different things might have been had someone else found him first.

He folds his arms, watching Bastard for a moment. The bird is already looking a little wobbly, ha, serves him right! "I would always do my best to commit to a worthy purpose... I doubt I would have been led so far astray."

...Maybe.

[arsebiscuit]

"Worthy, ha! There's a bendy word. Means all sorts of things to different sorts. Depends what kinda good you like best."

Nobles loved the word, and he had all the proper and hardly to back it up. Not that he had much of anything here. No point blaming old habits.

[dragoon_pride]

Kain wouldn’t consider himself a noble like that, they’re the sort who enjoy all of that socialization and gossip and attending royal balls and such. He’s of the knight class, which is something else entirely from those sorts. But he definitely can’t change the fact that, well, he was partially raised by a king.

“I prefer the greater good. It’s not easy to achieve it, though, I realize that.” He sighs. Maybe he needs a drink. Kain and talk of morals and ethics is always a bit of a headache even to himself. “Sometimes… sometimes it’s necessary to use any means possible to get there, though… no matter how it may seem.”

No matter how many laws are broken or backs are stabbed, yeah. Doing bad to do good is… probably not the best approach out there, though. He knows it.

[arsebiscuit]

"Yeah, yeah. The age old debate: how many peasants equals a royal ass."

She gives a small scoff then looks down at her own (bird fed) ale. Then nods to herself that a new round is clearly needed by all. The two of them and the bird.

[dragoon_pride]

“I don’t know that I’d put it that way. It’s more that I’m willing to make personal sacrifices to get there... and perhaps do some things others might question.” Though he probably won’t be able to explain the whole gods’ war and backstabbing alongside kidnapping people for the greater good. Yeah. No. Too weird, he thinks. It was hard enough getting the Warrior of Light in on the plan.

Yes, Kain definitely could go for that round, and he glances over to his bird friend when- “MAKER’S BALLS! MAKER’S SAGGY BALLS!” The bird chuckles maniacally, a totally crazed sound.

“And here I thought drinking would make him quieter.”

[arsebiscuit]

"Well, throw yourself on the sword when it comes down to you or the cook, eh? I'll believe the 'personal' line when that happens."

Sera's laugh is almost identical to the birds- the two of them feeding off each other with the sheer hilarity of their mutual cackling.

She is a bad, bad influence.

"Andraste's perky tits!"

[dragoon_pride]

“I’m a dragoon, and a warrior of Cosmos, of course I’d put myself out there first and foremost when it comes to defending something.” All of the backstabbing he’d once had to do was really for good reasons, in the end. Ugh, it’s complicated. He takes a swig of his drink. “Surely I’ve given no reason to doubt me. I’ve given up everything before to achieve victory…” He sighs. “Though I’m no closer to redeeming myself, so who knows if I’ve made the right choices?”

While Kain is all busy being serious and going on about this, the parrot is having the time of his life. Bastard laughs yet again, his own voice definitely getting even closer to Sera’s, purposefully imitating her. “Andraste’s perky tits!!!”

[arsebiscuit]

"Didn't see it. So don't know what's been given or taken. Most people pick their own hides, don't they? Nothing personal like."

Good bird, though. It's getting a nice scratch behind the...where ears should be bits as she croons at him wordlessly.

[dragoon_pride]

“Some people may be that selfish… hm, I suppose it depends on the situation.” He shakes his head. “But I’m no coward. I’d fight to defend others if and when it comes to it. That's a warrior's way.” He has a lot of reasons for that really, but that need to serve a penance of sorts is a big one.

Kain looks at Bastard, watching him lean into the scratching, making pleased sounds in between random outbursts about tits and asses. “You magnificent asshole of a bird…” Yes, he really is growing to like him despite everything. He adds, to Sera, “It appears he likes you.”