faderift | { OPEN } i'll do what it takes

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{ OPEN } i'll do what it takes

WHO: Ellana Ashara + OPEN + closed starters for some
WHAT: Catching friends up on recent events/important meetings/random day in the life stuff
WHEN: The latter part of Drakonis, and spanning the entirety of Cloudreach; for the open section, please let me know what day or week so I can keep my time lines straight?
WHERE: around Skyhold

{ open throughout cloudreach; please specify date or week in the subject header }
The new month will hopefully be a reprieve from all the chaos of the last month. Every issue has been a learning experience for her, and that is really the only positive thing she can take from most of what's happened. She's never wished to walk around with eyes closed, and yet now she realizes she must have been, because some of what's happened has certainly opened her eyes. And that's starting to change her. In order to become more worldly, she needs to be less ignorant of the world. To be the type of person who abandons hope for cynicism has no appeal to her, but moving forward she definitely will keep a closer eye on things, and allow herself a cynical thought every now and again. To survive this world, she doesn't need to completely shed who she is, but she needs to be more aware.

On the surface, she appears to be the same. She can be found in varied locations sitting with her lute and an open songbook. Her brow is often furrowed in concentration as she places her fingers on the strings and strums a few chords. Other times she sets the book aside and plays the songs she now has memorized, only tripping up once or twice. If not out with her lute, she's usually spotted with a book, and the subject could be anything: what little is known about elven ruins, books on politics and debate, and even a volume of an encyclopedia on animals, as she reads through their traits to see what would suit her needs.

If she's simply out walking, there's an inexplicable smile gracing her lips that she doesn't realize is there. It makes her look like she's daydreaming, though she's in no danger of walking into a pole. It's just the smile of someone in the throes of a new romance, and very little can erase it when she's thinking of that special someone.

{ drakonis 16th: kallian }
The two had spoken at the soiree about meeting up to perform together the next day, and Ellana sends Kallian a crystal message once she's made sure the tower she's picked is abandoned. It's not that they can't perform in front of others, as Kallian showed last night, but it would be nice to have the privacy to perfect a song and just to talk as well. Ellana's still brimming with excitement over the confession of feelings she and Felix both gave the other, and as Ellana waits for her friend with her lute sat in her lap, there's a bright smile on her face, remembering that kiss.

{ drakonis 18th: sina, beleth }
Ellana doesn't want certain people to hear about her and Felix from third parties because of how they might react. The last thing she wants is for them to think she intentionally kept this from them. However, it takes her several days after the soiree to both work up the courage and find the time. So much seems to be happening at once in Skyhold, and she needs to get into the right head space for talking about a very sensitive topic. The first she goes to find is Sina, because Ellana knows she can be more easily found. She's usually in the gardens or her tent in the gardens, so she makes her way there to look.

Once things have been discussed with Sina, Ellana needs a little break, but then goes to find Beleth. She's the one person in Clan Ashara that Ellana feels might really be against this, but it's hard to know for sure since their interests have taken them in different directions since arriving at Skyhold and they don't speak much. And that makes her harder for Ellana to track down. Finally, she pulls out her crystal and contacts her.

"Beleth? Are you busy?"

{ late drakonis: benevenuta }
Ellana's goal at the soiree had been to not allow the nobles to get away with talking down to her, and in that area, she succeeded as much as she'd been able. Her refusal to either act demure or angry had confused the lot of them, because in their narrow-minded views, an elf could only be a timid servant or an angry savage, not someone who treated nobles as average: neither as someone superior or as a threat to be eliminated.

It had satisfied Ellana, but she knows moving forward that having confidence and being able to bat away derogatory remarks is only part of what she should be doing. At the last meeting of the Mage Council, she'd been lost, and had sat in silence for the latter part of the discussion. She needs to understand how to better navigate politics, and who better than a noble to whom politics comes as second nature? She asks to meet with Benevenuta in private, and like with their mage meetings, she arranges a tea set and some snacks. It's not as well done as one of the Circle mages would have prepared it, but she's done her best.

{ early cloudreach: sam }
They had discussed metalworking over the crystals while Sam was off in Emprise and Ellana was admiring the ring he'd crafted for her back at Skyhold. He'd said he'd teach her how to make designs in metal and she'd figured why not? There are so many things she has yet to try, and he'd said they would just use scrap metal, so she isn't too concerned about being wasteful. One day she goes to look for him at the forge, the air heavy with heat and the light dim inside the armory. But there he is, and thankfully there isn't a crowd of people around either. She doesn't want to get in anyone's way while they're crafting important things.

"Hello, Sam," she greets, already fanning her face in the heat. "What are you making?"

{ late cloudreach: morrigan }
A few days after the soiree, Ellana had sat down with Morrigan and discussed if the latter would teach the former shapeshifting. Ellana had explained her reasons for wanting to learn this specialization and Morrigan agreed to it. She'd been sent off to do plenty of research on the subject, and throughout the rest of Drakonis and into the next month, Ellana had slowly made her way through the readings to get herself into the right mindset.

Now the time has finally come for the practical part of the lesson. Ellana and Morrigan venture outside of Skyhold and down into the valley below, past the refugee camps and into the solitude of the mountains so Ellana can observe the wildlife and learn to copy an animal's soul. She is pretty set on a bird being her first form. To become a bird means she'll be able to see the world from above and can scout out areas on missions. It also means a quick escape if she finds herself in trouble. Here in the mountains, she expects to find brown or gray birds -- perfect for not attracting unwanted attention. As the pair enter under the eaves of the trees, Ellana can hear the songs of plenty of birds, so it shouldn't be hard to study one.

{ late cloudreach: korrin }
Once Ellana unlocks the way to shapeshift, it's an amazing thing. At first she sticks to the ground, learning how to hop along as a bird, but a stray cat coming towards her forces her to spread her wings and take flight. It's awkward at first, but she keeps at it, fluttering between several trees near the stables. Then she grows more brave and lands on the barn roof. Soon she's sailing around Skyhold to land on parapets and banner poles. When she spots Korrin, she figures she ought to let her know she's chosen shapeshifting as a specialization over rift magic, but she doesn't want to give her the shock of her life by shifting back in front of her. She flies into the barn, up to the hayloft, where she turns back into an elf, clothes and all. Then she climbs down and jogs after her friend.

"Korrin! I have some exciting news."

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"I don't doubt it. If anyone could do it, it would be someone like her, if even half the stories about her are true."

Ellana had been hoping Korrin wanted to see, and she nods her head in agreement. "I would be happy to. I need to find an out of the way space to do it. Shifting out on a mission is one thing, but here in the middle of Skyhold is another."

Her head tilts in thought and she makes a brief humming sound of contemplation. "I'm not sure if it depends on the person or not. Or the animal. I know for me, I worried it would be hard to understand, but then I went out there and everything seemed to fall into place when I observed that bird. Everything sort of... made sense?"

Korrin nods thoughtfully, as it makes sense enough to her...or as much as it can without her experiencing it directly. "Well, you said it was a smaller type of bird. Maybe that helped somehow, gave you less to work with so you wouldn't be overwhelmed. Or I could be talking out of my ass and it's something else.

Hm...maybe that grove just outside? I know people go there to bang, but they usually wait for the evening anyway. We should be alright." Not that stealth truly makes a difference; the gossip mill runs rampant no matter what.

That makes Ellana snort and laugh at the same time. Good think she hasn't been drinking anything, or she probably would have sprayed it all over Korrin. Out her nose, even.

"A-All right. We can go there." She giggles and presses a hand to her cheek. "Bang."

Ellana's amusement gets her to snicker, and she shrugs. "It's true, you know. That place gets more action than probably even Zevran. Though I'd be shocked if he isn't responsible for most of it." Said fondly, of course. She'd never judge for what consenting adults get up to, with or without her.

"I've just never heard it called that before! I mean, I've heard plenty of terms, but I tend to stick to... lovemaking." Because she's a romantic through and through.

"But now I'm imagining two bodies banging into each other and making clanging noises and we should probably just go out there so I can focus on something else." Thanks, Korrin.

"It's hard to think of it in more romantic terms when you see bare asses shining in the moonlight and...okay, I'll stop there. Promise." No doubt Korrin could go on, in great detail, but Ellana probably enjoys breathing. Besides, she really does want to see this shapeshifting magic, so pushes back from the table to stand.

Ellana rises too, shaking her head and giggling.

"Well, you make a good point. I wouldn't consider two people just having fun to be making love. That's different."

She leads the way down the stairs and outside into the fresh air. Now that she can become a bird, she takes notice of the wind more than she used to. It's just a light breeze today.

"Exactly." Korrin tilts her head up to feel the breeze against her face, automatically slowing her stride so that she wouldn't outdistance Ellana. "You must get a fantastic view of the mountains now that you have wings, even better than what we can get on the battlements."

"Yes!" she answers, grinning up at her friend. "At first it was a little frightening to be up so high, but once I realized that I'd only fall if I just stopped using my wings completely, I was all right. Skyhold is so beautiful from up high."

"I'll bet. That part makes it all a little tempting, I won't lie." But she's busy enough, so she really shouldn't. There's still knight-enchanter stuff to master, though the thought of soaring in the air...well. At least she'll get to view Ellana.

The trip to the secluded spot is quick, and thankfully no one is banging at this time of day, so Ellana picks a good spot and turns to face Korrin.

"Ready?" she asks, eyes full of excitement.

With that, Korrin can't even bring herself to make a smartass remark about the lack of hormones around them. Ellana's so eager and true be told, so is she. Nodding encouragingly, the Vashoth woman grins.

"Please, go ahead."

Ellana's first move is to take a step forward, almost as if she's going to rush into Korrin's arms, but then her form shifts as purple smoke rolls outward from her, coupled with what looks like purple lightning. Then suddenly there's a small bird flapping in the air, and it takes a sharp turn to the left to avoid actually flying at Korrin.

In bird form, Ellana feels more free than she ever has before. She makes a sweeping arc in the air and lands on a branch of a nearby tree, at about Korrin's eye level. Once she's settled, Ellana lets out a trilling call.

Edited (late night reread revealed a typo) 2016-04-08 07:32 (UTC)

Korrin hasn't actually seen shapeshifting in progress, so this is a new and fascinating experience. The smoke and lightning get her attention, but the appearance of that small bird is what truly draws her focus. She nearly takes an automatic step back to avoid any collision, but it seems Ellana's taken care of that.

Tilting her head up to watch, Korrin laughs in delight as Ellana lands. "Well done. And I can see why you chose that form, it's small and easily hidden.

...don't peck at me for saying this, but it's adorable, too."

She's still learning to express herself in this form, but she manages to puff up her feathers a little as she draws her head in, looking like an even more adorable ball of down and little feathers. She lets out a chirp that's meant to suggest a "Hey!", but really, it just sounds cute too. Obviously the bird version of Ellana has the same inability to look tough as the real version.

Now she takes off, flying around the grove. Her wings flap hard as she lifts higher and higher into the sky, before she levels out and sets her wings out straight to glide on the wind. But she only stays up there for a short amount of time, not wanting to leave Korrin with her head craned up for too long. Ellana comes back down, slowing herself as she nears the ground, and as her tiny bird feet touch the grass, there is once more a puff of dark purple smoke with lines of purple energy running through. Her position back as an elf is down on her haunches, a hand pressed to the ground, but she soon springs up to stand, herself once more. She grins up at Korrin.

"Well?"

Oh, Maker. That puffing up and indignant chirp only get Korrin to laugh, which is probably not the result Ellana was hoping for. But hey, it's not her fault that the Dalish woman chose such a cute first form. It was all Korrin could do not to pet it, but she'll let her friend keep some dignity.

Watching Ellana get airborne, Korrin's gaze follows the winged form up and around with a slightly wistful smile. She's not terribly keen on the idea of any form but her own, and yet the thought of actually flying is sincerely tempting. Maybe in the far, far future she'll look into it. Maybe.

When Ellana lands, the Vashoth woman smiles broadly. "That was amazing, Ellana. You fly like a natural, as far as I can tell. This path definitely suits you, that's for sure. I'm glad you found it."

"Ma serannas!" She beams at the compliment, because this journey has been full of intense study and practice, but it's all paid off in the end. Now the world is far more open to her. She can protect herself, escape danger, and do so much more than she could before.

"Morrigan says this discipline is far more suited to apostates than Circle mages. She was very open to teaching me everything I needed to know. I'm so pleased I have so much available to me now."

Korrin nods thoughtfully. "It'd makes sense that apostates take to it better. What use would Circle mages have to change forms when they spend their whole lives in towers? Or...well, did. Maybe now it'll be more relevant, but Morrigan's probably still right about that. What do you think you'll go for next? A halla or something? ...though that probably wouldn't lead to a low profile outside certain areas." Still, halla are swift. There's something to be said for land speed.

Ellana laughs and shakes her head no. "Tempting, but I don't think that's for me. The halla are our brothers and sisters, and our goddess of the halla, Ghilan'nain, was one of the People before she was saved by being turned into a halla, but I don't think I want to follow in her footsteps. Or hoofsteps. Not only would humans try to catch me for my hide and horns, but elves would try to bring me to their camp to keep me safe. Not the best form to take, for those reasons."

She pauses and moves to lean against the tree she'd previously landed in. "Something that has a strong attack. I want to be able to defend myself."

She tilts her head, giving it some thought. "Bears? They're not the fastest, but certainly strong. And no one would ever try to bring you back to a camp, that's for sure. Mabari are pretty damn tough, and won't have people in a panic, though you might have someone trying to make you into a pet." A silly idea comes to mind and she grins suddenly. "Nuggalope. Then you could join the horned and huge club, in a sense."

That last suggestion sets Ellana off giggling, so much so that she has to press her fingers to her lips to try and calm down.

"Nuggalope is an option. I could storm a keep's gates all by myself. Would I look good with horns?" She pats the side of her head, unable to picture herself as a nuggalope. It seems pretty extreme.

"Now that, I would pay to see." Korrin laughs and looks her over, nodding. "Hell, yes. Absolutely. And horns can do a lot of damage, you know. They're good defenses, not that I've personally used them a lot in that way." But then, with magic, she's rarely needed to do so.

"I wonder that the nuggalopes even need horns. They seem big and intimidating enough on their own. It might be fun, but I think I want an animal that can move faster in a fight. I'd rather dodge weapons than be hit by them."

She nods at that, understanding the logic behind that even though Ellana being a nuggalope is an endlessly amusing image. "You'll find something that suits you. Maybe you just need to travel with the Inquisition more, get some inspiration for new forms."

"That's what I'm hoping for, especially since I need to see an animal in person to learn to copy its soul." Which means all the books on animals in Thedas aren't going to unlock new forms for her. She needs to experience what the animal is like firsthand.

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