*Grunts*

[She holds up her now almost empty mug] It’s making everything a bit hazy, for one thing. Kind of fuzzy.

Mm. Fuzzy is good. Do you like it so far? [He took a sip of his own ale with a smirk.]

My Hands Are Not the Cleanest || Mei Lan and Cade

She studied the man for a long moment, wondering if he was, in fact, bothered. Once he spoke, however, she relaxed a little, accepting the name and offering her own. “Mei Lan,” she said lightly. “From Kirkwall, just to get that part out of the way.”

She was about as good at conversations as he was. After all, she had become accustomed to most of the talking she did the result of carrying out orders or receiving them.

#para #p: mei #mei #MHANC #(sorry i thought i replied to this)

“Pleasure Mei Lan, I am from Par Vollen. Since we are doing the unpopular origins thing.” he chuckled. Taking a sip of ale once he stopped, most people avoided him after hearing where he was from. Would this be different?

“I never was a fan of Kirkwall, no offense, too dirty and too crowded.” he grunted, “So what did you do in The City of Chains?” He asked in attempts to continue the conversation.

[She nods a little] I guess I could have been.

So how is the ale treating you? [He nodded towards her dirnk]

My Hands Are Not the Cleanest || Mei Lan and Cade

She studied the other man. He was big, definitely, built to be a warrior. And her certainly looked like one in other respects, as well. She highly doubted, given callouses and scars, that he was a mage. This looked like someone who fought up close and personal. Honestly, Mei Lan wondered how she hadn’t really seen him around. But then she recalled how she spent most of her time lurking in her hut.

Honestly, she wasn’t entirely sure what had compelled her to speak to the behemoth of a man, to interrupt whatever solace he found in the ale that he drank, but now that she had, she realised that she would have to speak.

“I’m sorry,” she said carefully, “if you didn’t want to be bothered. I was just considering how few people I knew here. And, well, you just happened to be next to me.”

Great, Mei Lan. An incredibly compelling start to the conversation.

Whether or not he didn’t want to be bothered didn’t matter. It was too late for that speech, even though he knew it was out of politeness. He took a sip of his ale before replying to her. “It’s fine. A little company isn’t entirely unwelcome. My name and Cade, and you are?”

He wasn’t too good at casual conversation with the people here. Heck most people tended to avoid him due to his size and looks. He wasn’t exactly the most approachable, and up to this point that fact didn’t matter.

#para #MHANC #p: mei #mei

My Hands Are Not the Cleanest || Mei Lan and Cade

Mei Lan was fine most days. Things with Adrian were weird but good, and honestly, Mei Lan didn’t feel as outcast from the other members of the safehouse as she had expected. However… that might be because she hardly spoke to the others. Really, she had spoken to Adrian, Felman, and the mage from the Kirkwall Circle who had seemed more frightened of her than she had perhaps wanted to let on.

Today, however, Mei Lan needed a drink as memories of things she’d rather not recall refused to leave her alone. Her time as a templar had never been mage friendly, but the last few years under Meredith, she had done some things. Things that she would probably never really speak of out loud. The worst part, she supposed, was that it was to some who deserved it… and many who hadn’t.

A good stout drink would at least give her something else to focus on. However, Mei Lan had never been one for taverns. Taverns asked for attention. And yet, had she not just been bemoaning the fact that she hardly knew anyone? So, she took a breath and thanked the vulgar dwarf for the ale before taking a seat at the makeshift bar. To her left, a massive man sat.

“Er… hello,” Mei Lan greeted awkwardly, hoping that he wouldn’t be bothered by a conversation.

Another day spent in the tavern, this was becoming a habit for him. One he wasn’t particularly proud of. He was use to drinking heavily from time to time but since arriving in Safe House he found himself partial to a seat at the bar. he didn’t always binge drink though, most of the time he nursed a single beer deep in thought.

Today was one of those single beer and deep thinking days. His thought’s traveled through the valleys of memories he had formed over the years. Tasting the cool streams that once tasted of happiness but were now tasting bitter. Bitter or not he tasted away, he found it important to taste these memories. For they reminded him of how he came to be living in a cave system full of strangers.

His travels were interrupted by a small awkward hello. He looked over towards the smaller, but tough looking woman. He could smell the battle on her. “Hello” He said with a tone of inquisitiveness.

#para #p: mei #mei #MHANC

Stranger Places || Tas and Cade

Tas groaned and tipped her head back, “Damn. Could’ve used the confidence boost.” She turned her head to the side and looked at him, “You alright?”

#para #p: tas #tas #stranger places

“I hardly doubt you need the confidence boost. You seem to know yourself pretty well.” He laughed, then looked back at her. “Yeah fine. Just thought’s on the past. You know how that happens.” He shrugged it off.

Stranger Places || Tas and Cade

“Oh but we’ve just met really and we’re stuck in a series of caverns hiding taking refuge from the growing war and we don’t actively hate on another, I’ve got time.” She shook her head, “Gonna tell me who that dream was about or can I just assume it was me and let it inflate my ego?”

#para #p: tas #tas #stranger places

Cade wasn’t really up for sharing, but he honestly had no intention of allowing someone he had just met think he was dreaming about them. He was trapped in between a rock and a hard place. “It was’t about you.” He said nothing more.

Stranger Places || Tas and Cade

She just shrugged, “Just wanna see what it takes to make you blush. And unfortunately I’m very determined.”

#para #p: tas #tas #stranger places #(Cade is like what are you up to?)

He chuckled, “You won’t be seeing that from me.” Even though he chuckled his face remained stone. What was this Adaars end game here?

rageof-alecto-deactivated201509

Mead Meeting || Cade and Isala

rageof-alecto-deactivated201509

Glad to see that she’d chosen a decent time to approach him, she relaxed slightly and explained: “I met the dwarf in charge of the tavern - Blume. She said she would have no problem adding honeyed mead to the menu. Apparently, she brews most of the stock herself.”

#Mead Meeting #p: isala #isala #para #OMG where is my mind #I posted twice to the wrong blog. hahaha

A smile slipped across his face, “Oh, that is the best news I have heard in awhile.” Blume, he’d have to remember that name. Isala had really brightened his day.

rageof-alecto-deactivated201509

Mead Meeting || Cade and Isala

A few days after Blume had agreed to look into brewing some honey mead, Isala had the good fortune of running into Cade again. She didn’t actively try searching him out, but she did keep an eye out, so when she spotted him on one of her few days up she looked for a moment - trying to judge his mood - before making her way over with a friendly smile. “I have good news,” she said.

just-eira

Cade was just walking, he wasn’t in any particular mood. He was simply in a Cade mood. He was contemplating making his way over to the tavern but he’d been there often enough these days. The sudden approach of the familiar elf caused him to halt in his tracks. “Oh do tell? Good news is always welcome here.”

#para #p: isala #isala #Mead Meeting

Stranger Places || Tas and Cade

Tas raised an eyebrow, “Woke up before the good part then?” She teased, biting at the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

#para #p: tas #tas #stranger places

He narrowed his eyes, he could see what she was doing. He was never one to be so easily teased. “What is it to you?” he said grunting.

So you understand my younger sibling pains to an extent, then?

[He shrugged]To an extent I suppose. At least you have someone here right? You could be here alone like so many of us.

I suppose it could be worse… [she takes another drink] You say that like you’ve met a lot of older siblings.

I have met a few, that being said my unit was like a bunch of siblings. I was far from being the oldest as well.

Stranger Places || Tas and Cade

Tas furrowed her brow and cocked her head to the side, “Nightmare? Because if so we can got get shit faced. I mean, we can do that anyway but the point remains.”

#para #p: tas #tas #stranger places #MERMAIDS ARE REAL #haha

Cade contemplated if it was a nightmare or a sweet dream, perhaps it was a little bit of both. He sighed “No, it was... another kind of dream. No need for alcoholic therapy.”

Stranger Places || Tas and Cade

“What is it the horns?” She nudged his arm with her elbow as gently as she could manage, “Alright why are you making that face. You look pissed off and mildly disappointed. Were you expecting a mermaid to come out of that water?”

#para #p: tas #tas #Stranger Places

“Of course not, mermaids only live in the sea.” he growled. His pissed off demeanor was a constant thing he was told, so why the she was asking this now beat him. Perhaps the dream affected him more than he had thought. “I was having a dream.” He said gruffly not wanting to say anymore about it.

Stranger Places || Tas and Cade

He saw the familiar figure approaching him, he nodded in her direction. Continuing to splash water over his face and neck. “If you were to push me into the water while I twas sleeping, you may not live to see the next day.” he shook his head with a light grunt.

With a shrug she moved to sit next to him, “Oh I wouldn’t have pushed you in while you were sleeping, I don’t want you dead. I’d wake you up first.” She shrugged, “Like I said, I’m gentle.“

#para #p: tas #tas #Stranger Places

“I have a hard time believing that.” He poked, thinking back to their night of drinking. Even though her company was welcome, he could still not shake the feelings left lingering from his dream. It was the same dream that plagued him since he had left Kirkwall and it was both welcome and unwelcome.

Stranger Places || Tas and Cade

Tas grinned as she walked closer to Cade, shoving any and all previous memories of him throwing her into the water to the very back of her mind where they belonged. “If I were a meaner person I’d push you in now, but I’m just a gentle heart really, so instead I’ll just ask what part of your head thought sleeping so close to the water was a good idea.”