{ OPEN } May there always be angels to watch over you

[aceso]

WHO: Christine Delacroix and OPEN!
WHAT: She's getting used to being a Spirit Healer and having a friend on the other side.
WHEN: any time after Drakonis 17th until month's end.
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Christine has a spirit of Faith in communication with her. It will be observing the world around her and asking her questions. If your character is having a crisis of faith, doubts, etc. Faith may nudge Christine towards your character to see if she can be of help, but she won't know what exactly is the matter without your character telling her. Also, Faith will just be really curious in general. Have your character dance a jig, lose at cards, mend a shirt, whatever, and Faith will be wanting to know more.

{ anywhere }
When she thinks back on it, Christine knows that the reason the spirit of Faith approached her in the Fade is because Christine had visited the chapel before her test, trying to erase her doubts. But it was having doubt that caught Faith's attention and cemented their relationship. It's hard for a perfectionist like her to admit that there are times when she isn't sure of herself because it's admitting to weakness. Yet already Faith is changing her perceptions. There can be no faith without doubt. If Christine was perfect in every way, she wouldn't need a spirit to help with her ability to heal. Faith is needed, because doubt is inevitable. Questioning things, missteps, complications -- Faith is drawn to it all, and as Christine sticks to her daily routine around Skyhold, she often feels the gentle nudge of her spirit companion against her mind, sending her towards a person.

Of course, Faith doesn't always use words and simply say why it's guiding Christine towards a person. Is it because they no longer believe in the Maker, or because Faith wants to know what they're doing with that rope, tankard, and a duck?

{ kitchens }
With the soiree over, Christine can head back into the kitchens to practice her cooking once more without Skyhold's cooking staff at their wit's end trying to get all the food prepared in time. Some days she makes bread, others she makes pie. Others still it's something completely different, but if anyone comes in looking for a snack, she invites them to be her taste tester.

{ healers' tents }
Just because she's now a Spirit Healer doesn't mean Christine is going to request the help of Faith for every little scrape and cut. The point is to use the spirit's power for much more complicated wounds, to save the healer's mana. So there are no glowing blue eyes to be found as Christine sees to patients. When the rifters arrive, she's available to use healing magic to lessen the ache in their hands until they get used to the shard, and is happy to fill them in on the world they've been dropped into. For anyone else, she's there to heal them with magic or bandages; whichever they'd prefer.

Comments

Kitchens

[el_tybs]

When he couldn't find her at the healers' tents he always came to check out the kitchen seeing as they had practically become her stomping grounds. At first spotting her, Sam doesn't address her right away, instead just silently watching and feeling out the new aura about her.

After a time though he smiles and lightly raps his knuckle against a hanging pot to signal that he was there. "Cooking again are we?"

Kitchen

[gatheringstorm]

After her daily training, Korrin often makes a beeline for the kitchen in order to relax and replenish. And perhaps see if she can snag some hearth cakes before Kas can swoop in and steal them all. He's a growing boy, but she's not going to let him get away with that all the time.

As the scent of pie reaches her, Korrin quickens her pace. Eager to satisfy that sweet tooth, the Vashoth woman enters and catches sight of Christine. Surprised but pleased, she stops short and observes for a moment before speaking up.

"I don't suppose you're planning to share that?"

[aceso]

Christine is still coming to grips with the changes to her life now that Faith is always there. She knew things would be different, because she read all about it, but all the first-hand accounts in the world still aren't enough to feel the change. When Sam enters, Faith takes notice. There's a gentle nudge against Christine's mind before the spirit retreats a little, allowing Christine to learn for herself. She does feel something more than just another presence in the room, and it stops her from turning right away to see who it is. There's something more there. A feeling not unlike Faith, but different. It's like having a sixth sense. With touch, feathers feel different from leather and steel different from wood. With taste, some foods are salty and some sweet. With this new sense, she slowly realizes that she senses a spirit beyond Faith, but she doesn't know which it is. She turns, and her face breaks into a grin.

"Sam," she says, stepping towards him. "This is so new. I can feel Fortitude with you." And then she nods her head. "Practice makes perfect."

[aceso]

Christine looks up and smiles at Korrin, because she is about to be her taste tester.

"The best cooks always share what they make," she replies, taking a knife to cut Korrin a wedge of pie. "You are just in time to test this for me. It's cooled and ready for eating." And enjoying. Hopefully. "This isn't my first pie, so you shouldn't be worried," she adds teasingly as the pie is put on a plate.

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin flashes a grin, hardly about to refuse when she didn't have enough pride to pretend like she wasn't interested to begin with. "All things I like to hear."

She won't waste time, digging in as soon as it's within fork range. A bite and a thoughtful nod later, and she'll speak up again. "Now this was definitely worth the kitchen trip. You're a lifesaver, Christine."

[aceso]

"A lifesaver? It sounds as though you were about to perish from starvation. What have you been doing today, hmm?" As she speaks, she watches Korrin eat, pleased she likes it. But she really can't resist having some herself. It's hardly fun to create something in the kitchen and not have any of it yourself. And so Christine takes out another plate for herself and cuts a slice of pie.

[gatheringstorm]

"Hunting and training, more or less. After all that political nonsense at the soiree, I've needed something that was more or less the opposite of that. Anything with a target I can directly attack, you know?" Given that Korrin had to behave herself all evening, surrounded by condescending (when not directly racist) nobles, the Vashoth mage feels she's earned the right to let go. In a controlled manner, of course.

[aceso]

"I suppose, in a way, that is what I am doing too. I am baking because I need something simple. Something that has clear directions and will come out perfect if you follow them. The soiree was full of underhanded measures."

Christine leans back against the counter, picking at the crust of her pie. At least she'd accomplished what she'd set out to do, which was to alert the nobles to this situation with the Red Templars in the hopes of getting funding for research. By the end of the evening, it seemed only the young Bann from Ferelden was interested, but that's better than nothing.

"Of course, wine also helps."

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin laughs at that, after taking another biteful. "Wine definitely helps. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't actually all bad. Getting to dance with Araceli -and others- was a highlight of the evening. But I have as much patience for the Game and all that rot as you. How people put up with that night after night, make it their life, I don't know...and I'm not sure I want to know."

[aceso]

Christine smiles a little, glad to see Korrin is happy with Araceli. Christine herself spent the night with Church, and it makes her wonder if Korrin's given any thought to the future and how Araceli fits into it. Christine doesn't want anything serious right now, and even if she did, it wouldn't be with Church. He's a rifter, and they don't understand these shards at all yet. What if it sends them back home? What if it kills them? She basically doesn't want to hitch herself to his wagon, even if he does make her laugh and loosen up.

But it's a sensitive topic, and it's hard to know just how to approach it. She knows Korrin is straightforward, and that she won't hold back her thoughts.

"You and Araceli are very close now, yes?"

[gatheringstorm]

Unable to deny that even if she wanted to -which she doesn't- Korrin nods as her cheeks brighten and a fond smile comes to her lips. "She is my kadan. I was not at all expecting to find that here, but I won't deny what I feel. Being together, sharing our living space...it just feels right. Even if that means I have parents and a grandmother threatening to march over here to meet her and embarrass me."

At least her parents are busy training people, but Tama has less restrictions, and it wouldn't be out of line for her to poke her nose in to see what kind of woman Korrin's hooked up with.

Healing Tents

[kallian_endris]

Kallian has always used mundane healing rather than magical in the tents, and today is no different as she organizes supplies, applies bandages and poultices, rubs on salves.

Normally, she's fairly cheerful, if a bit blandly so, around the patients, but today she's wary. Something prickles at the back of her mind, and she can sense Hope watching eagerly, sending out tendrils for a friend.

Faith.

A new spirit, here? Kallian is nervous for a reason. If Hope can sense her own kind, it goes both ways. Would she be able to trust the person it belongs to?

[el_tybs]

He knows he had gotten her attention by the way her head lifted a bit and turned ever so slightly, but not enough to actually see him. Christine was feeling things out, which he recognized from how he had done so when he had first gotten his partner. For that he stayed silent, waiting and watching.

The grin that he is welcomed with has his smile widening, and lowering his gaze when she comes up to greet him. Fortitude rumbles lowly at the presence of another spirit. "Isn't it? That's how I felt when I first... noticed Compassion with Adelaide."

[aceso]

With a reaction like this, Christine can't question Korrin as to her thoughts on Araceli being a rifter and what that means for their future together. It would be far too rude to pry. So she accepts that answer with a nod, still smiling at her friend.

"Oh, dear. How are you going to hold your family at bay?"

[gatheringstorm]

Korrin chuckles, shaking her head. "That...is a very good question. I'm hoping their work will keep them distracted, as will feeding them information so that they don't feel it necessary to charge on over here. Give them something and hope it'll be enough, you know? That'll work for the parents, but Tama's old and nosy. I think the only reason why she isn't here is because she hates the cold."

Surrounded by the Frostbacks, instead of the warm beaches of Rivain? No, Korrin can't really see it. Even if she made the trek all the way south, it would definitely not be for long. Her letters often inquired how Korrin herself could withstand the cold. The answer; bear blankets and the warmth of a sexy bedmate.

[aceso]

Christine is still learning what all this feels like: having a spirit watching from across the partition between the physical world and the Fade. There are so many questions as Faith becomes acquainted with things and now has someone to explain it instead of no answers. But as with Sam, when Faith senses another spirit close by, it nudges Christine to alert her and then retreats, allowing her to sense it herself.

The feeling brushes up against her mind and Christine stops organized a chest of supplies, sitting back on her heels. She processes this and then turns around, looking at the people gathered by. There aren't many, and some are further away. This feels close. Kallian sends a patient away and Christine's eyes follow them. No, not them. Her eyes focus in on Kallian and suddenly she knows. This spirit is strong like Faith, but doesn't feel like Faith. It must be Hope.

Now that they're alone, Christine gets up and approaches her.

"Kallian?" she asks, though there is a more loaded question there in what she doesn't say. This is the first day in Kallian's presence since Christine obtained the help of Faith. And now she can see clearer.

[aceso]

Now Faith lets her know it's there if she needs it, and there's a question about Sam in her mind.

A friend, Christine answers, and she's already explained to Faith what a friend is. The spirit is satisfied and simply observes.

"It's like a warm glow. Something welcoming and good."

[aceso]

"A blessing amidst all the chill surrounding us, no?" Christine chuckles before eating more pie. Once she swallows, she asks, "You write often to your parents?"

[el_tybs]

He wouldn't describe Fortitude was a warm glow, to him it was more of a weight, a firm presence that wrapped around him like an invisible shield. "Which spirit are you working with? I'm still getting a feel for what each one is like."

Whichever one it was it certainly had that welcoming feeling that Christine had been mentioning.

[gatheringstorm]

Snagging another bite for herself, Korrin nods before clearing her throat to answer. "Often enough to let them know where I am and what's generally happening. I told them that Araceli and I were attending the soiree, which will probably confuse the hell out of them since our kind don't go to those except as security. What about you, Christine? Did you get back in touch with yours?"

From what she understands, there was no contact for most Circle mages. Now that she has Christine's undivided attention, that curiosity about their different lives as mages returns. Perhaps this would be a good time to compare.

[kallian_endris]

The elf draws a ragged breath at her name, and her hands are shaking, but she offers up a small smile.

"Yes, Miss Christine? Is there something I can help you with?"

She's not dumb. Nor is Christine. But she can't. She can't say it out loud. She can't answer that question unless she has to. Her life has depended on that for too long now.

[lifeofendurance]

For once, Aleron is not mired in research in the library. He'd quite prefer to be. Instead, he's engaged in an intense training session in the courtyard. There is a determined glint in his eyes, his jaw is firmly locked. Whatever internal torments he's battling, he's doing it in a very physical way. A stab, a jab, a side swing of the sword. Foot kicks out at the base of the training dummy. Shield bash to its blank face.

It's pretty obvious with how hard he's training against that dummy that he'll drop from exhaustion before quitting.

Chapel under the Garden

[unharrowed]

Vasran was never the most pious person, back in the Circle. She would listen to the Sisters, and occasionally saw something of value in the Chant, but that was about it.

That was before she had seen so much death, before she'd been cast adrift into a war she hadn't wanted. Skyhold is a refuge, yes, and better than trying to scrape together an existence in the wilderness of the Hinterlands... and somehow, still, everything seems so scattered here. Fractured. Vasran had hoped joining the Inquisition would give her a sense of purpose again. So far, it has come up short.

With nowhere else, for the moment, to turn, she regularly kneels by the small statue of Andraste in an alcove below Skyhold's garden. Most days, she rises feeling only a little bit better, but it's something. Some days, she feels emptier than when she started. And sometimes, the anger nipping at her heels catches up, and she feels tears of frustration pricking the corners of her eyes.

Vasran breaks from her meditative posture to shut her eyes tight, not wanting to let the tears fall.

"Shit," she mutters under her breath.

[aceso]

Christine thinks that the way Faith feels makes perfect sense. Faith was meant to steady you, bolster you, and keep you believing. That is feels like a blanket across her shoulders is the way it should be.

"It is Faith."

[aceso]

"Our kind -- mages, I mean -- usually only attend as entertainment. Everyone agrees to not be uncomfortable around us for an hour or two, and once they have used our abilities for their amusement, it is back out of their sight." She rolls her eyes. "So much for magic serving man. Only if it is party tricks."

Christine has very strong feelings about Circle mages being allowed to enter the Game by serving as little more than marionettes for the upper class.

Her gaze lowers and she shakes her head at the question.

"Not yet. I will, just... I cannot find the words yet."