Fade Rift Inbox

[demonicbeauty]

State your business with Ariadne...

***

OOC: This post is an in-character inbox for anyone wishing to contact the character, Araidne, for faderift. To contact the mun, please PM this journal or send a private plurk to wizera.

Comments

written note;

[slaveking]

[When she next comes into the tavern, the barkeep has a note for her, slipped across the table. There's no wax seal or anything, but its contents aren't incredibly sensitive.]

Ariadne—

Wrote to Cullen Rutherford and heard back. Seems they have a need for your talents and supplies would be ready. No indication that the demands and stigma would follow us there. The leader of their healers is a woman by the name of Adelaide Leblanc. If you want to meet her, I'd be happy to come with. Or I can pitch a few more questions to Rutherford.

Bought you a slice of pie. Ask Cabot.

— M. Gerard.

Note

[demonicbeauty]

[Ariadne reads over the note three times. After a moment's consideration, she turns it over and scribbles out a response, which she leaves with the barkeep.

Her handwriting is terrible.]

Marcel,

I'm afraid I don't understand. Perhaps it would be best if you introduced me to this lady. I'm happy to help with anything, especially if it means elevating our este status.

And thank you for the pie!

[slaveking]

[Terrible, maybe. Charmingly so?]

Ariadne—

I just thought you deserved to see some recognition for your talents, and the Inquisition offers an opportunity to practice. I'd be happy to help you find out more. As always, I appreciate the way you look out for our fellow Rifters.

I'll set it up. Let me know what you think of the pie. Talk soon,

— M. Gerard.

Action!

[unharrowed]

While she'd now had plenty of time to get comfortable in Skyhold — she knew her way around the castle, and recognized most of the Inquisition mages by face, if not name — Vasran was not quite ready to be sent out into the field... or, at least, they hadn't seen fit to assign her a mission yet. Left in stasis for the time being, she was somewhat restless, a little bit bored.

But that was only in general. The good thing about Skyhold was, there was always something interesting happening somewhere: something to talk about, someone to talk to. Even lacking that, there was always people-watching.

Vasran was sitting on a crate in the courtyard, idly playing with creating and banishing lightning between her fingertips, when Ariadne passed nearby. Vasran smiled — her would-be twin was a little strange, but not uninteresting.

"Afternoon, Human."

[demonicbeauty]

Ariadne had just raided the dining hall. Nothing that anyone would miss, of course. A stray roll, a leftover scrap of dried meat. Anything she could fit into her well-worn pack, leaving it lumpy and heavy. It was for the refugees. One of the few contributions she felt she could make.

Which wasn't nearly enough.

But Ariadne had a bleeding heart.

She picked up the scent of her doppelganger a split second before she heard her. And turned with a bit of a smile. It was still strange to be considered a 'Human.' But she did like it. "Afternoon," she replied, offering Vasran a bouncy, little curtsy.

[unharrowed]

Vasran's smile quirked a little tighter at the curtsy. The girl really was too precious.

"Where's your feline rider today? Or has he traded you in for another steed?"

[demonicbeauty]

"I think he's off sulking," Ariadne replied, making her way over to Vasran. "He gets a little bit cranky whenever Katniss leaves. You know how cats are. You leave them alone and when you come back, they're excited to see you for five seconds, before they get resentful and want you to know that they're very disappointed in your behavior."

She folded her hands behind her back, tilting her head to one side. "How are you? I hope Skyhold's been treating you well."

[unharrowed]

"It has ceilings," Vasran responded dryly, shifting forward a little on the crate. "That's still a big improvement... although not a requirement of yours, I've heard."

What sort of human slept in trees, anyhow? That seemed more like a stereotype of the Dalish.

[demonicbeauty]

Ariadne laughed. "I like ceilings well enough," she said. "At least when it's raining or snowing." But really, she missed the thick canopies of Deleo, blocking out all but the worst of storms, smelling like the color green and the idea of comfort.

"It's a shame so many of them are crumbling," she added.

[unharrowed]

Vsaran gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Better than nothing." And crumbling ceilings could be repaired.

Her eyes wandered down to catch on Ariadne's hand — the one with the shard embedded in it. "How's that been treating you?"

[demonicbeauty]

She frowned down at the shard, its light so very much like her natural skin color. "Sometimes, I wonder if I should wear gloves," she said. "So it's not immediately the first thing that people see about me."

Which wasn't to say that everyone she met was unkind.

It was only...well...some of them made judgments. And some of those judgments weren't very nice.

"It doesn't hurt any more," she added, cheerfully enough.

[unharrowed]

Vasran pressed her lips together. She'd been hoping for a more... insightful answer. But she was probably going to have to bring up what she was wondering outright.

"I heard Seeker Cassandra was taking in rifters for questioning." Her tone was low, conspiratorial, concerned.

[demonicbeauty]

Yes, there was that. Ariadne found herself listening to Vasran's pulse. A slight elevation.

This wasn't a search for idle gossip.

She sighed, curling her fingers around the shard. "I'll tell you," she said, "Just as I would tell your seeker, that if any Rifters are getting out of line, it's only individual dispositions. We certainly don't have some kind of conspiracy. We barely even know each other."

[unharrowed]

She hummed, and leaned back again. "I suppose you are all a bit... rag-tag."

Vasran's eyes wandered again, but this time to the bag Ariadne was carrying. Had she been on her way somewhere? Maybe. But as long as she kept answering questions, Vasran was going to keep asking.

"What was it like in the Fade? I mean—" she went on hastily, giving another one-shoulder shrug, "—I know what it's like for mages, and what it's like in dreams, but... people don't generally go there under other circumstances."

Action

[colecomfort]

"I could still fly. Fly from the fire I didn't know was coming."

They hadn't spoken for some time, but he was beside her now: drawn in by the thread of a painful memory.

"The words still burn. There was no time to say 'I'm sorry.'"

Not for her, and not for her mother.

[demonicbeauty]

It was hard to sneak up on an Alastrian. Between her sense of smell and her ability to hear a pulse--to say nothing of approaching footsteps--Ariadne was very seldom surprised. And it was more from the surprise at being surprised than anything else when she yelped suddenly, dropping the bundle of table scraps she'd been collecting from the dining hall.

She whirled around, guilty at first, but then with confusion when she registered Cole's...well. Hat.

"You...you startled me!" she gasped, bending over to quickly pick up the stolen food.

[colecomfort]

Cole was used to people not knowing he was there until he spoke. They just didn't usually jump like that. He flinched a little himself before stooping down to help gather the food she'd dropped.

"You're used to knowing. Hearing the heartbeats, smelling the change in the air. Sorry. I could try to be louder next time."

[demonicbeauty]

She paused, briefly, to look at him. Yes. She was used to knowing. And she wasn't used to someone else knowing, someone else pulling many of the same parlor tricks she relied on.

It was unnerving.

Ducking her head, she started to gather the food again. "Back home, they used to joke about putting a bell around my neck, so they'd hear me coming. Maybe that would work for you?"

[colecomfort]

"...but then everyone would be able to hear me." That would be a bit too much.

[demonicbeauty]

Ariadne nodded slightly. "I think that's why it's a joke." But she had to admit, sometimes, humanoid humor eluded.

All right...most of the time it eluded her.

Wrapping up her bundle, she stood up straight. "What are you doing here?" she asked cautiously. "I mean, not that I'm not glad to see you. I always like seeing you. But...it's been awhile. I figured you were off doing something very important, I guess."

[colecomfort]

"I've been here. You haven't needed to see me." He stood, mirroring her — though ultimately towering several inches over her, shading her under the brim of his hat.

"I see you. You think a lot about the little people. You play them songs, and try to make them happy. Tiny hands, gratefully grasping at a crust of bread. It's good."

[demonicbeauty]

She frowned a little at that. Needing to see someone? That was a tricky consideration. Especially here.

But her frown melted away when he went on about the children.

"I try," she said, ducking her head modestly. "It's hard to be a kid in a place like this." It was hard to be an adult too.

[colecomfort]

"It's hard lots of places." He said it like he knew. Or it could have been just because he'd heard it elsewhere. "It matters when people try to make it better."

[demonicbeauty]

Ariadne tilted her head to one side, eyes running along the planes of his face for a moment. When she had to finally blink, she unwrapped her bundle and took out a sweet roll she'd pinched from someone's plate, offering it to Cole.

"Were you ever a child?" she asked.

[colecomfort]

He looked at the roll quizzically for a second before simply shaking his head. Still a bit awkward, figuring out how to politely refuse. Most of the time, he didn't have to worry about it — but she was going to remember him.

"I remember parts and pieces. That was the real Cole — before I was him."

He stepped toward the exit, assuming that she would follow. She wanted to deliver the food, didn't she?