004 // the house of sin

[serpentis]

Who: Dorian and assorted guests
Broadcast: Fleet-wide, 3/10
Action: In a villa practically in the forest (THE HOUSE OF SIN)
When: Broadcast- 3/10 // Action- 3/9-3/31? Until we leave.

Broadcast:

[The broadcast goes out on 3/10, and Dorian smirks a bit into the feed.]

I believe I've secured lodging for myself, with room enough for several others. If you need a place to stay, do let me know. It's a quaint little villa a bit outside of town. ...please don't mind the suspicious glances, I assure you, I've done nothing entirely against the guidelines that were set.

---------

Action:

[Dorian has secured a villa, but the residents of Mor don't seem too keen on having an evil mage for a neighbor. As the month goes on, more and more villagers will show up to stand at the gates of the villa and threaten to come in after the "evil wizard".

Maybe he shouldn't have gone so overboard with the whole "contacting the spirits of the dead" thing.]

((OOC: Mingle post for the House of Sin. We'll pretend there are enough rooms in here for everyone! Even if you character only drops by to rest their feet a bit, everyone is welcome to visit and stay the night if they want.))

Comments

[serves]

[It takes him a moment longer than it should to realize what she's doing. The instant he does, he's leaning down to gently grasp her shoulders and pull her up.]

Maker, no. Jove. [He didn't need to be dressed like a child, and the Inquisitor should not be on her knees. Especially before him.] Let's go for that walk. I haven't felt grass beneath my feet since I was a boy.

[dawnwillcome]

Since you were a-

[She sounds painfully incredulous because that seems impossible, how can anyone go that long in boots? She's almost got the whole sentence out, but as he pulls her up her balance is lacking and she ends up leaning very, very close to him. It's only reflexes that keep her from stumbling into him, but she chooses not to pull away completely. She's done that to him enough this week.]

I'll never understand humans. Next you'll tell me you've never bathed in a stream or slept outdoors without a tent.

[serves]

[He lets his hands stay on her slender shoulders, fur collar brushing against his knuckles. Who would have known a woman so small would be the one destined to lead them.]

I've done both of those things. [He says with a small chuckle.] Though it's been some years.

[dawnwillcome]

[There, a laugh. That's much better. She'll take a quiet laugh over his lips pressed into an unhappy line any day.]

If the weather improves here, maybe we'll gather some supplies and camp, then. You always got the comforts of Skyhold while we trekked around in the wilderness, it's only fair you reacquaint yourself with what it's like.

[serves]

Templar life wasn't a pampered way of living, you know. [Camping in the wilderness is heaven compared to cramped barracks.]

[dawnwillcome]

This may surprise you, Commander, but- [She looks over her shoulder, leans around him a little to look past him, and then cups her hand beside her mouth and leans up to mock-whisper in his ear.] I'm Dalish. Not a lot of experience with Templars.

[serves]

I can't say I'm sorry to be reminded. [He respects the men and women that chose to serve, but he knows how easily that power was abused. How often it occurred. He even let it happen, didn't he?

Cullen shakes his head.]

But perhaps we will have to plan something.

[dawnwillcome]

[And she takes that for the sweet sentiment it is, giving him a soft smile and bringing her hand up to cup his elbow, giving it a gentle squeeze and using it to lead him to the door.]

I would like that. There's no sure bet we'll see a forest again any time soon, so I've been trying to take advantage of having this one so easily reachable. What could be better than sharing it with the people I care for?

[serves]

[That's almost painful to hear. But Cullen gives her another small smile, shifting his arm so that he can lead the way. Doing things, even if it's just being a proper gentleman, helps.

And it's with some regret that he realizes oh. Of course it would be more than just the two of them.]

Our merry band of housemates out in the woods. Dorian will be thrilled.

[dawnwillcome]

I can't say how many would actually agree. Now that we're in a house with so much comfort, I can see why most of the shemlen would chose not to sleep on the ground.

[She sighs, because it is a shame, but if she notices that he's taking over guiding their path she doesn't show it. His coat does a very good job at keeping her warm, but she walks close by him anyway. To stay near his warmth, of course.]

[serves]

Perhaps the view will change their minds.

[He feels a little more vulnerable than he should, bare feet on the ground and sword left behind, but perhaps it's worth it to have her near like this. The fresh air helps cool his skin and distract him from the hollowness that nightmares leave him with.]

Naturally, you'd have to be our guide.

[dawnwillcome]

I think I'd do well enough, I've explored around the villa quite a ways. There's a lovely glade out to the north with enough room for a very small group and it's close to fresh water. There's fish in the streams as well, so we wouldn't hurt for food.

[She sounds wistful as she explains it, face turned up towards the night sky as she looks over the blessedly familiar view of a treeline topped with stars. They could be in Thedas now.]

[serves]

[Cullen pulls his arm away from her, only to put it around her shoulders... and guide her around some sharp rocks jutting out of the earth. The trek to grass is a dangerous one, and he feels better steering her like than than yanking her arm.

Of course, he soon drops his arm once the danger has passed.]

You've thought this through.

[dawnwillcome]

[Even as he guides her around the rocks, Jove can't quite believe he's actually doing this. She's walked through snow with no boots, scaled the slick and sharp cliffs on the Storm Coast with no boots, and here he is gently guiding her around a few rocks that she had been in no danger of walking on.

She looks back over her shoulder, leaning into his side for a moment, just to be sure that really happened. And yes, there's some rocks there and he's just delivered her safely to the lush, soft grass. That really did just happen. She laughs softly as she turns look up at him, distantly aware she quite liked his arm around her.]

You realize I've been without shoes nearly my entire life, don't you?

[serves]

[He pauses on the grass, partly to recall what it feels like under his toes, and partly to chuckle at Jove.]

I know. That doesn't mean you need to walk on rocks.

[dawnwillcome]

I hadn't intended to.

[This is much better, him out under the stars with his feet in the grass and the light breeze to cool him. To think he'd have stayed cooped up in that room with the lingering memories of nightmares, likely unable to fall back asleep. No, this is much better.]

Tell me about the last time you walked in grass. You said you were a boy?

[serves]

Ah. [He clears his throat. He doesn't often talk about his childhood, or--much of anything in detail about his life before the Inquisition.

But he'll tell her. Always.]

... my brother and I often played with wooden sticks, pretending they were swords, and we valiant knights. One of us was always the evil knight, of course. One day his sword broke, and I won. So he tackled me, stole my shoes after a short bout of wrestling, and ran off.

[That was a long walk home and Mia laughed for days.]

I was lucky to be left in a field and not anywhere else. I don't think I'd be able to handle walking on rocks, unlike you.

[dawnwillcome]

[As if he wasn't already terribly charming, now he has to go and add that.]

How terribly dastardly. Did the gallant knight at least get his payback?

[serves]

[Cullen has to look elsewhere, although his lips curve into a faint smile.]

I can't say. His shoes may have been cleverly hidden when he went to sleep, but I haven't the faintest idea of who would do that.

[And then he slept with them on for a month. Because Cullen threw them into a tree.]

[dawnwillcome]

I'm sure we'll never know. A mystery for the ages. Now then, come with me.

[As nice as it had been to walk side by side with him, now Jove reaches for his hand and starts to tug him out into the forest proper. She picks out a careful path, keeping his feet on nothing but soft grass.]

Would you like to see that grove? It's not far.

[serves]

[He'd been so careful not to tug her, but he'll gladly be tugged along.]

I would.

[He'd go anywhere she wanted.]

[dawnwillcome]

[With only the moon to light her path, the going isn't as quick as it could be if it were day and she weren't leading someone along who was much larger than she is. It's a light jog so he won't stumble, her hand tight around his so he'll know she won't let him get lost.

She'd been doing this on her own, running through the woods wherever her heart felt like taking her, almost since her feet had touched the ground of this planet. The homesickness was nearly gone after the first few days, but now? She hasn't been this happy since her arrival on the Marsiva.

True to her word it doesn't take them long to reach their destination, a small clearing with thick grass to make for excellent padding under bedrolls, the sound of running water indicating the stream is nearby. The moon lights up the grove well enough and when Jove stops and turns to smile at Cullen, it lights up the bright smile on her face.]

See? Isn't it lovely?

[serves]

[It's certainly lovely. But Cullen is more focused on her than their surroundings.

Carefully, lightly, his hand comes up to touch her cheek.]

It is.

[dawnwillcome]

[It's easy enough to blame the flush on her cheeks to the run through the woods, but there really is no explaining away how caught up Jove feels in the simplicity of his bare hand on her cheek. As far as she's concerned, this is a first. On the rare occasions Cullen had ever touched her, there had always been gloves on his hands.

She laughs, breathless, and ducks her head.]

I'm glad we agree on that, then.

[serves]

[His touch his gentle despite the callouses on his hand from years of training. Even with gloves, the skin there suffered.

He's feeling much better.]

Thank you.