I see a mountain and I wanna climb it... [OPEN]

[demonicbeauty]

WHO: Ariadne "Everdeen" and YOU
WHAT: The aggressively cheerful demon attempts to make herself useful
WHEN: Throughout Cloudreach
WHERE: Around Skyhold
NOTES: None foreseen; will update as needed

There were days when Skyhold felt as far away from home as possible. Other days, though, it felt just like home completely. The refugees, in particular, reminded Ariadne of Valeria and dug up her inescapable urge to be useful. And while she held no position and had no responsibilities exactly, there were still all the little things she used to do back home. And while little things seemed like just that--little--she firmly believed that even the smallest pebble would create lasting ripples.

And so she'd developed something of a routine. She was always out and about every morning, doing her best to make herself useful. She would start her days in the medical tents, offering to fetch and carry anything the healers might need. After all, you didn't need any sort of special training for that. Her fingernails were sharp. She could rip bandages. Her legs were healthy. She could get water. And she certainly knew how to start a fire.

After each meal, she could be found in the dining hall, picking up leftover scraps of food, things that no one would miss. A roll here. A strip of dried meat there. She filled up her lumpy bag and took it all out to the refugees, passing it out to them without so much as a word.

Sometimes, she would try to make herself useful in the gardens. Ariadne had always had a talent for plants. They made sense to her in a way that humanoids never could. And there was something peaceful, something relaxing that came with plunging her hands into the dirt, aerating the soil and planting seeds. She would hum quietly to herself. Sometimes, she would sing an old folksong from Valeria:

The light in your eyes is my heart’s bane
One look from you and I go insane
You’re the beginning and the end of my pain
Now that I’ve seen you

Each word you say sends my heart reeling
The unfair cards that life keeps dealing
Mean I can’t escape this feeling
There is nothing I can do

In the evenings, she'd climb up into a tree. She'd developed a bit of a following among some of the children living in Skyhold. They were nervous around her; this mysterious Rifter with the face of an idol. They kept their distance, but at the same time, they managed to appear like clockwork. She would play her flute for them and they would dance beneath her tree until their parents called them in to bed.

After that, Ariadne would play her flute for herself.

Comments

[serannas]

"Why? They would be gods to you, but characters from a story to me. I couldn't be offended by that." Ellana was secure in her beliefs in the elven gods. After all, she had to endure talk of the humans' Maker every day.

"Unless you mean it would be offensive to your gods to speak of them outside your world? I wouldn't want you to do anything you aren't sure about."

[demonicbeauty]

"Oh, no!" Ariadne said quickly. "Nothing like that. I just...well, this is an Inquisition, after all. I wouldn't want to be caught saying the wrong thing when I'm only telling a story."

It was actually a constant concern. After all, 'Inquisition' had a very specific meaning back home. One that wasn't very nice.

"To be honest," she added, "the gods and I had a tenuous relationship back home. I had been thinking of changing over from worshiping the gods of my mother to the goddesses of the Elves.

[serannas]

Ellana inclined her head a little in understanding. Despite the diverse group that had come together here, many were still a conservative, suspicious bunch.

"As you wish. Maybe another day, you can tell me in private." She would like to hear about those gods and goddesses.

[demonicbeauty]

Ariadne ducked her head, her braid sweeping in the air between them. "I would be honored," she said. Maybe in the tavern. She felt a little less safe there, now that Marcel was gone. But it would serve.

And it felt somehow...outside.

[serannas]

"For now, I think I'd better turn in for the night, but it was good to meet you. I'll find you again, for those stories."

[demonicbeauty]

She gave the other woman a bouncy, little curtsy. "It was a pleasure meeting you, my lady," she said, quite honestly and earnestly. "I hope we can talk again soon."