all this time.

[ofkirkwall]

Who: hawke & open!
Broadcast: text, fleetwide.
Action: iskaulit, málum specifically.
When: a few hours after this conversation.



so i have a question
is anyone here good with plants??? im running low on elfroot and i was wonder if anyone can
grow it or cultivate it or something i need a lot of it a constant source
also uh
lyrium need that too but it isnt something you can grow
if atroma could be so nice to give me some?? pretty please
not actually sure if you can ask them for stuff or how to
balls

im at the malum if anyone wants me


[ Indeed if anyone does go looking for Marian Hawke or happens to wander into the Malum in the next few hours they will find the Champion of Kirkwall there, tucked away in the most isolated corner she can manage nursing a drink. It might be her fifth at this point, not that it matters she has an amazing tolerance. She is leaning on the table lazily, idly thumbing through her communicator as her mabari, fondly named Dog, sits protectively by her feet.

She looks miserable, or bored, it's a little tough to tell. But what a better time to bother her, right? ]

Comments

[bryces_pup]

[Riona remains composed on the outside, her expression the same as before. However, she does glance at the ice forming around the glass. She doubts it's intentional, and that act in and of itself says a lot more about Hawke's emotional state than anything else she's seen so far.]

I'll probably hold my breath anyway. Old habits die hard. [She wants to tell her that she needs to take care of herself and not shove her problems away, but there are too many emotions wildly spinning about right now, and the last thing she wants is to push Marian away.] As I thought. The question is, what's your favorite kind of hard liquor? Wine's not going to cut it for long.

[ofkirkwall]

That's stupid, you'll choke.

[ It's obvious by now Hawke has checked out of the subject, focusing instead on other things that don't make her chest hurt when she thinks. Riona literally holding her breath being one of them.

Fingers holding tight to the bottle she shrugs, taking a curious look at it before draining it further. ]

Not sure if I have one, not sure if I care enough to have one right now. Alcohol is alcohol.

[bryces_pup]

I can manage.

[Look Riona is champion of holding out for lost causes, it's how she got where she is in life.

She "hmmm"s before indicating for Hawke to wait a moment as she gets up and trots over to the bar. Her only criteria for the bartender is "literally the strongest stuff you have". It earns her a look but she insists and eventually she's handed a bottle of clear liquid. She pops open the lid and takes a sniff, her eyes widening.]

Well that's... phew.

[She nods and asks for two glasses. The bartender hands her two tumblers. And with that she's heading back to the table, alcohol and glasses in hand.]

This might be strong enough to strip the paint off a wall.

[ofkirkwall]

[ Frankly she would be happy if Riona just left her to her misery, incredibly happy even. She only ever goes to select people in her misery and they... well Varric isn't here anymore. Unfortunately it's clear that Riona has a different idea and Hawke doesn't have the energy to stop her. If she wants to stay she can stay, as long as she doesn't expect Hawke to be pleasant or sociable.

For a moment she watches the warden move towards the bar before shrugging, leaning forward to rest herself on the table. Maybe it is her misery or the alcohol finally getting to her head, but suddenly the table feels incredibly comfortable.

It's when she is entertaining the thought of falling asleep right there and then that Riona returns, causing Hawke to glance up awkwardly. ]

That so?

[bryces_pup]

Certainly smells it.

[She pours out a drink for them both before sliding a glass to Marian. Taking her seat again, Riona tentatively sniffs the drink again, nearly going cross-eyed. With a shrug and an attitude of "here goes nothing", she takes a sip. Surprisingly, it goes down okay, though it's definitely potent.]

Decent taste. Still not entirely sure what it-

[Okay, she spoke too soon. The after burn kicks in a bit late, but when it does, it's got Riona nearly in tears as she coughs, cringing and reaching for the wine bottle.]

Might also strip the lining of your throat, too.

[ofkirkwall]

[ Another person might look at Riona's reaction and think 'maybe it's a bad idea to drink that' but Hawke? She sits up a little more alert than before and takes the glass without fear nor hesitation.

She spent almost a year of her life subsisting on nothing but alcohol and whatever food Varric could convince her to drink, the stronger then better in her opinion.

Hawke throws back the glass fearlessly, the burn quick to assault her throat. Bloody hell it feels good, even as it makes her eyes water. It takes her a moment before she coughs, eyes clamping shut and shaking her head. Pushing the glass back towards Riona without a pause. ]

You've clearly never had Aqua Magus then.

[bryces_pup]

[Riona's glad Hawke at least has something of a reaction, because she was starting to feel a bit like a pansy there for a moment. And maybe in comparison she is, but at least she feels a bit less so.

She fills up Marian's glass without question, though raises a brow at her comment.]

Can't say I have, though I've heard of the stuff. Is it really as bad as they say?

[ofkirkwall]

[ She doesn't hesitate on throwing back the next one, warmth of alcohol spreading across her limbs as throat burns. ]

If you like your spirits infused with refined lyrium it is.

[ A dangerous drink to be sure, but one Hawke herself has a great amount of fondness for. ]

[bryces_pup]

[Riona pours out another for herself, holding the bottle in case Marian wants yet another one.]

You know, that means that one day, someone sat down and thought, "What can possibly make alcohol even more dangerous than it already is? Oh, I know. Lyrium! Let's add that shit to a drink." [She shakes her head.] Hard to tell if it was an inventive dwarf or a stupid templar that thought of that one.

[ofkirkwall]

[ Of course she takes another, shrugging flippantly. ]

Who knows. Whoever did was a bloody genius though, you can add a little dash of lyrium to even the shittiest ale and tastes almost 100% better.

[bryces_pup]

[Riona sips more carefully at hers this time, still unable to not wince as she does so. But at least her throat's starting to lose feeling so that'll help.]

...damn. That might have helped with drinking Oghren's ale. Maker knows the stuff could have used it. [She takes another sip.] At least this stuff smells okay. His was... you ever get a whiff of a chamber pot full of piss left in the sun too long? It's that smell.

[ofkirkwall]

The worst it smells the better it is.

[ Hawke, on the other hand, throws caution to the wind downing as much as she is able to. ]

Wish that could have been said about Darktown though, that place smelt... bad.

[bryces_pup]

Then you'd have loved his stuff. Homebrewed and foul smelling enough that even Kiter wouldn't go near it.

[Talking about the dog that loved chewing on socks. That had been worn all day, mind you.]

Well that's a... not very happy name for a place. A part of Kirkwall, I take it? I've never been, so I don't know it. Almost went there once, but Alistair wound up going instead.

[ofkirkwall]

Oh, I think he visited during that lovely time when Kirkwall was on fire. [ Ha... haha. ] Frankly it wasn't that much different before everything exploded.

[bryces_pup]

Yep, that's the visit I almost got to do. I thought it better if Alistair stayed home and I handled her, especially in case things really caught more on fire while up there, but everyone felt that Alistair's "gentler" touch was called for in dealing with Meredith. [Eye roll. She'd been miffed about that one. So much for being the diplomat of the duo.]

[ofkirkwall]

[ She laughs, shaking her head. ]

When it came to Meredith you could have hit her over the head with the flat edge of a sword and it still wouldn't have changed anything. She was insane.

[bryces_pup]

So I hear. But I really, really wanted a shot at hitting her. [She pouts as she takes another drink from her tumbler.] They don't let me have any fun.

[ofkirkwall]

Trust me, you really didn't.

[ Taking another swing Hawke scrunches her nose up as though she smelt something foul. It's been years but sometimes the memories of Meredith's screaming form enters her head. Pulsing red lyrium coursing across her now statue form.

Ugh. Gives her the shivers just thinking about it. ]

Be thankful you never had to deal with her, it was a nightmare even before she tried to kill me.

[bryces_pup]

I do feel bad for the mages and the people under her thumb in that city.
You as well. That really couldn't have been fun, dealing with her as a mage. [It felt awful being able to do almost nothing about it. Just letting the mages who escaped come to Ferelden, and even that was fraught with risk, as Alistair found out.] Eugh. Good riddance to her.

[ofkirkwall]

It was hilarious actually. She didn't find out I was a mage until after she tilted me, by then there was nothing she could do. Couldn't just off the savoir of the city.

[ Hawke can't help but snort at all, throwing back as much drink as she can. ]

You know, that was the worst kept secret in Kirkwall for ten years. I didn't even try to hide it.

[bryces_pup]

Worst kept secret in Kirkwall and yet she didn't manage to catch on? Maker's breath, what a dunce. [Sometimes she honestly wonders at the competence of Templars. The ones at Kinloch Hold couldn't get their Circle under control, but she managed to with just a ragtag bunch of people.] I suppose that's a pretty spectacular way to say 'fuck you' to the Templars: get titled and then drop that little tidbit.

[ofkirkwall]

Oh, it was! The best sort to, their expressions when they realized it was perfect!

[bryces_pup]

Did their skirts get all bunched up? Lots of angry glares behind those ridiculous helmets of theirs?

[ofkirkwall]

[ Hawke makes a hideous snorting sound as she laughs, banging her hand against the wood. ]

Yes! They did, it was─ Maker's breath, it was wonderful.

[bryces_pup]

[Good. She's laughing. Doesn't fix things, but at least it's something.]

It's moments like those where I wish we had these communicators back home. Capture it all for posterity.