— vashoth.

[vcshoth-blog]

— sera.

       in fact it bothered her how many looked at herah, some negative while others fall to light ( as they should ). many times herah has stood up for sera, sera knows what people say behind her back, and sera only felt it was right to stand up for herah in return; that and the whole feelings thing, but she was not trying to get mushy here. ‘just try to ignore ‘em, I suppose. if I ever find myself ‘round it when it happens though, i’ll be certain to call ‘em a few names myself.’ a confident nod, a gentle squeeze given in return and a smile that paints bright. ‘i’m not gettin’ in the water though, nope — too many critters.’ 

          While she’s known Sera to be blunt and indeed very frank, to hear her say she’d so confidently stand up for Herah does thrust a certain silence onto her. They’re both OUTCASTS, but this feels a touch more personal than something pertaining only to that. This, or she’s imagining things ( wishful thinking––– which she just caught herself engaging in ). ❝ I don’t mind the comments about my race and all that. I’m used to it, but they’re wrong all the same and it’s just ... annoying, is all. ❞ Well, not necessarily, but she won’t get into semantics here. ❝ You’re scared of the fish swimming around in there, huh? ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— sera.

     ‘oh, spendin’ time alone with the herald. what ever would the gossipers think?’ it is only to tease, hand taken as she pulls herself up; but, she does not let go of herah’s hand, she liked the contact actually ( hoping herah did not mind it ). ‘so, what you go mixin’ plants with powders and it makes for colors?’ she would start, swinging their hands between them – she couldn’t help it. ‘‘cause i’m still thinkin’ blues and greens, somethin’ to pop.’ 

           ❝ They’ve said plenty of bad things already. I don’t think their thoughts could get much worse than they are already. Plenty still label me a heretic and all that, ❞ she shrugs. Such nonchalance doesn’t maintain itself when her attention wanders to their hands still clasped together, for Herah finds that she quite likes it. Thus she gently squeezes Sera’s hand to affirm that whilst taking the first steps away from camp. ❝ Pretty much. I’ve got the powders on me; I think we can find the rest we need by the water. ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— ser thrask.

          Thrask blinked and wet his lips. The fact that the Qunari had remained in           Kirkwall for years didn’t mean that he had ever had the chance (or,           truthfully, the will) to engage them in a conversation about the specifics           of their race. Isolated in their compound like he was stationed in the           Circle most of the time, the only extended meeting had been a casual           encounter in Hightown. After that, he’d only had the occasion of meeting           their blows with his sword and shield during the fateful night of their           attack. 

          And the Herald, now, did not seem to be pleased. He met the reply with           an initial cautious silence and crossed his arms over his chest. 

          « …I see, your Worship. » Truly, she did not appear to be like them, in           that she was certainly telling the truth. « I knew of… the Tal-Vashoth, I           heard of them often enough when I was in the Free Marches. They           roamed the Wounded Coast too. But I assumed they were groups of           mercenaries, as the Qun is a… » A set of rules regulating the people of           Par Vollen? An army? A religion? He was not quire sure of the correct           definition. Trailing off, he moved his hand across the air and           surrendered to a sigh. « I did not wish to offend, Herald. I do see the           difference. »

         Admittedly, she might have been better off letting it slip. Yet her time          in the Inquisition has so far been loaded with a lack of respect or some          form of discrimination for the mere fact that she stands about a foot a-          -bove the average figure here and has a pair of horns growing out of          her skull. She recalls it had been one of the topics her community of          Vashoth had been able to bond over with the Dalish her ilk traded with. 

         Now, she well enough knows that it was not his intention to insult ( any          person with functioning ears and working eyes could come to that con-          -clusion ), yet the ignorance-based slight had been there all the same.          She gives the other a long deadpan before a sigh finally flees her lips          and certain DEFEAT finds her. ❝ The Tal-Vashoth often are mercenaries,           and sadly the sort that earns the scorn of both the Qun and the people          of southern Thedas. ❞ She waves him over with the flourish of a hand, in-          -viting him to walk with her. 

     ❝ You’re one of the few who can tell the difference then, in any event. To         most, we’re all one and the same. Barbarians; savages––– you name it.          While my purpose here is primarily to seal the Breach, I intend to prove         to those who turn their noses up at us, that they’re wrong about us. ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— sera.

     ‘we don’t have to, we can do anythin’ you want really. I just thought it’d be able to give us somethin’ to do.’ that and the fact that she wanted to do something with her, better than sitting around the camp fire and listen to another boring story from one of the companions. ‘or, we could just stay ‘round ‘ere and do somethin’, I dunno!’ she would emit a small groan as she sits back against the log, arms spread out for better comfort. ‘– anythin’.’

            ❝ Point taken; you’d rather not hang around here, ❞ she concludes, perhaps a little brazenly so. Whereas the other slumps against the log, Herah gets back on her feet. She then steps nearer and extends her hand toward Sera. ❝ C’mon. Let’s get away for a little bit. I’ve still got the powders on me in case we want to try out some new colours and all that. ❞ In truth though, she’s much more so interested in spending time with Sera as is.

[vcshoth-blog]

— sera.

      good thing sera could not see up that high or she just might of commented on such a color that rose to skin too. this was f u n though, being able to shoot compliments back and forth, and yes the one that herah shoots back causes sera to smile quite sheepish, hand waving towards the other, ‘pfft – if you’re talkin’ ‘bout me, well, uh’ she has nothing to say to that, she just grins instead. nice cover. ‘well. we need to get to work then!’

           Herah performs the simple thing that is silence with a most expressive GRIN on her face; it speaks for her just as Sera’s sheepishness does during her own speechlessness. This may well be the first time she’s been able to relax in days ( ever since arriving in these lands, in truth ). ❝ Oh, you want to get to it now? I mean, we can–– till sunset comes around, at least. ❞ A short silence interrupts her. ❝ We should head to the nearby stream if that’s the case. ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— sera.

     ‘you’re pretty, yeah? so, you add some color to your vitaar, makes your eye color pop out ‘cause of the color, and – pfft, yeah.’ there she said it, not like she has never complimented herah before, just had a hard time saying it. ‘but, uh – yeah! i’ll go with, enjoy the view and all.’ she had to add in a teasing wink, such a sera thing to do.

   Oh, no–– she feels the heat of unexpected agitation take to the base of her horns, prompting her to rub away at one of them before she tosses the cloth aside with her other hand. She should really come up with a counter of some sort ( even if the wink’s left her exposed already ). ❝ Good. That’ll give me something pretty to look at in the meantime as well. ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— sera.

       ‘elfsnake.’ she like the way it sounded, of course she did not know of it nor its properties. a shrug is sure to follow, a grin painting over her features, ‘dunno, why you so worried why i’m so interested? maybe I just thought i’d compliment you.’ way to throw it back, not that she would ever admit to anything – the truth. ‘just try blue or green, get all fancy and what not. i’ll even help! if I can of course.’ and, she wanted to.

        ❝ Worried? Oh, no. I was only curious, ❞ she lies––– all in good fun though. Herah wonders just how obvious it is. ❝ All right, all right. This stuff’s poisonous to anyone who isn’t of the qunari race though, so you’d have to wear gloves or just ... sit back, watch me do it and enjoy at a distance. ❞ Her impishness manifests yet again, both in terms and in a smirk. 

[vcshoth-blog]

— sera.

    ‘oh,’ she almost sounded upset, she would like to add some color to the vitaar - a bit of “boom” as she so delicately put it. ‘we need to figure out the properties then, yeah? ‘cause i’m thinkin’ some green or blue?’ she would hold up a classic “okay” symbol with her fingers, her grin only growing wider. ‘brings out your eyes and all that cheesy stuff.’

          She shuts her eyes, drawing the wet cloth over her brow, followed by the lower half of her face. ❝ Don’t worry, I know the properties of most materials used for vitaar. This composition along with the patterns is called Elfsnake, ❞ which she presumes Sera didn’t care to know, so she quickly moves on with a grin. ❝ Just a little cheesy ... can’t help but wonder why you’re so interested in bringing out my eyes though. ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— sera.

     she does not reply verbally, leaning over to reach for the cloth and handing it over to herah, ‘I like it.’ finally she replies, a smile crossing her features as she looks the vitaar over; never gets to see it up close that is. ‘i’d add more color though, make it go boom.’ if that was even possible.

             She dips the fabric in the water she’d collected from a nearby stream, wringing it between two hands thereafter. ❝ I could add more colour, but doing that would change the properties of the vitaar. ❞ Her reply comes slowly as she swipes across one cheek ( aptly hiding her grin in doing so ). ❝ Any colours of preference you’d like to see on me though? ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

                  ❝ Could you hand me that cloth? ❞ Herah poses in passing, putting her bow aside and reaching for the quiver to take it off her back. ❝ I should take this – ❞ she points to her vitaar, ❝ – off my face. ❞ Better to do so before going to sleep later, she figures.

                                            closed / @rebelliontales

[vcshoth-blog]

— ser thrask.

          « I hope the same », he replied, nearly taken aback by a sense of           surprise. « I truly do. »

          Thrask glanced down, towards her hand. Right there was the proof of a           divine touch, though, in the course of their conversation, he’d nearly           forgotten of its existence. Erased by her appearance and race, to his           shame. He swallowed and pursed his lips — reconciling the two aspects           of the Herald had proven itself difficult, and apparently he was not the           only one who had struggled with that. 

          Had she not just nodded to him as a sign of gratitude? « I must… I must           say, your Worship, I probably will not be the last. I have met Qunari           before, when I still served in Kirkwall, but it was a… well, the           circumstances were not ideal. » There hadn’t been anyone back then           who advocated for compromise instead of extremism; strangely enough,           rekindled hope now caught him nearly unprepared.

         Ah, and there sounds old misconception she’s so often been fed in the south.          Had he caught her in a bad mood, Herah’s expression would certainly turn          sour. However, the positive note that this conversation has taken on since the          beginning mellows her response by some measures––– even though she’s still          mulling it over, for now. ❝ I am assuming that by Qunari, you mean those that          actually followed the Qun rather than the race. ❞

         The two go hand in hand down here, she’s realised. She hopes that her actions          will speak loud enough to counter that skewed manner of thinking. That, and          her rather VOCAL denouncement of the Qun ( and any other religion so far ) as          is. ❝ The two are not the same, ❞ she continues matter-of-factly. ❝ I am Vashoth.          Those that you met in Kirkwall, from what I’ve heard from Varric, lived under the          Qun. ❞ She exhales steadily, nostrils flaring and remaining shut until she carries          on again. ❝ The Vashoth are nothing like them. I am nothing like them. ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— ser thrask.

          Thrask looked up at her with slightly widened eyes and stared with a           glint of genuine surprise in his eyes and perhaps even a spark of hope.           He didn’t know how the Qunari called those outside of the Qun, but she           remained of the same race; and whatever he’d expected of her… Truly,           he did not know himself. She was divine, touched by the Prophetess           (was she not?), and yet this request for moderation, this seemingly           sound judgement managed to surprise him. He opened his mouth and           closed it again. « I am… relieved to hear that, your Worship. Even if           perhaps it is not my place to comment on that, I am relieved that you           think so. I have seen enough of extremism and sometimes there is no           worse mistake than the unwillingness to compromise. So I will… probably           talk with the Commander, sooner or later. And I am glad to find such           understanding here, as well. You have proven me wrong. »

           This time, unlike many others, she allows a smile to win the battle with             her taciturnity. It feels so strangely satisfying, too, the sense of mirthful            amusement that she dare give in to ( for the moment, at least ). ❝ You            are not the first one to say something along those lines. ❞ But she knows            when gratitude is in order, so her head tips forward in a silent gesture            signalling toward exactly that. ❝ Everyone has a right to their opinion,             so don’t worry when expressing it. If anything, especially the thoughts            of those seasoned in their professions are valued. ❞ So STOIC she is            most of the time, but she’s found that people confuse it with unkindness            alarmingly often. ❝ And I hope I and the Inquisition in general can prove            you wrong in the future, if it benefits yourself and us as it does now. ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— sera.

who needed filters when they were in such a situation like so? might as well get out what she feels and not keep what she THINKS locked up inside of her head, not that she ever does that to begin with. it was an attempt to make the situation lighter, when in reality the thought of a haunted mansion lingering with skeletons without any real cause was not settling well with the rogue. push on and push through it, she figured.

      ‘I’ll be leadin’ ‘cause you’ve proven that you’re scared and I need to protect you.’ a small pat is given to her partner’s bicep as she walks past her teasingly, turning around the corner that was nearing the library. ‘we could just leave, y’know. I understand that the villagers wanted this placed looked up and for the mystery to be solved, but…’ an awkward chuckle escapes between words, bow drawn for a precaution.

       ‘all for savin’ the people, but this shite is a mess. & we know nothin’ ‘bout magic.’ it has to be magic that is fueling this, powerful mage — something. ‘when is fancypants when you need her?’

                      Whereas usually she’d shrug such jokes off and deem them petty at best, she actually manages a smirk upon being made victim to Sera’s sense of humour. In truth, the pat to her arm makes for a welcome salve to the superficial wound inflicted upon her EGO. On one hand, it irks her not to have a reasonable explanation as to why even the meekest touch sets her heart aflutter ( even in a haunted mansion ). On the other, she knows that logic will never explain it and that she should give up on picking apart her thoughts ( and enjoy instead ). 

                      She follows after clearing her mind, bow and arrow at the ready for any skeletons that may decide to scare off the intruders. It’s not the thought of that which draws a rough snort from her throat in the ensuing moment ( how could it? ), but Sera’s ostensible attempt to leave the premises. ❝ Wait, ❞ Herah mumbles and points an arrow toward the other, ❝ you want to bail now? I thought you were all about excitement. ❞ She catches up with the elf only to return the taunting pat to her bicep. 

                   ❝ Right?   Ah, shit. Why did we even split up? ❞ A near painful realisation sends her eyebrows toward her scalp and her thoughts toward Vivienne and Cassandra–– wherever they may be at the moment.

[vcshoth-blog]

— cassandra.

Despite all her apparent confidence, Cassandra is no stranger to the nagging darkness of suspicion brooding in the back of one’s mind–––but there’s a time and place to disclose this, and it is not now. When she smiles at Herah, it is with the intention of well-meant assurance. “You’re concerned. That’s good. I’d rather you be concerned than careless.” And even as she says it, the Seeker hears the echo of many guiding lessons of apprenticeship thundering through her mind. She gives a slow nod. “We do. And so does he, for the time being. If he weren’t genuinely interested in our cause, I would’ve trusted Leliana to have found out by now.” A moment’s pause–––she looks at her, a pensive, sideways glance–––and Cassandra is plainly chasing after thoughts. “How did he react? When you tried to connect with him?”

                Cassandra just may be the only person around here she feels she can let down her defences with. They’re similar in some ways, Herah has observed. They are both stoic, both problem-solvers at heart, and both ( much? ) more emotionally compensating for those who reach out to them than it may appear. ❝ You’re right. ❞ She has barely been part of this incredible movement for more than a few weeks, and already she finds she must look over her shoulder every time she takes a turn or makes a decision. The Seeker’s question puts her overly cautious attitude in perspective, however. Her lips purse, nose crinkling and a weighted gaze leaping for the sky. ❝ Kindly, honestly–––– but without emotion. I can’t blame him for that, ❞ since she employs the exact same tactic. ❝ The topic of Tal-Vashoth and how he reacted to it took me aback somewhat, though. ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— ser thrask.

          « He was. » Bitterness brought a deeper frown to his face; the days in           which he’d look younger than he really was were long past. Thinking           about Cullen as he was when he first arrived to the Gallows and as he           was years later, promoted Knight-Captain grieved him and not even in           front of the Inquisitor he managed to hide that feeling completely. Thrask           glanced away towards the heavy walls of the Chantry and then up again,           towards her eyes. « The Knight-Commander groomed him for years,           and he was very young though he did not look it. Perhaps if I had tried           to… » Remain closer to him? He pressed his lips together and shook his           head, remembering that he was still talking about the Inquisition’s           Commander. « But this is not a Circle, your Worship. My worries are…           unfounded. »

          With what she’s been told about the FIASCO that was Kirkwall’s general           situation in the back of her mind, Herah can see what would etch those           lines into the other’s face. Admittedly, much of the details she didn’t know           about until confronted with those who were involved in one way or another,           including Cullen.      ❝ No, I wouldn’t say your concerns are unfounded. ❞           Another beat passes, punctuated by the shift of weight from one leg to the           other. ❝ But they are unnecessary at present time. I dare say that his loyalty           lies with the right people now. ❞ Which Knight-Commander Meredith must           have said at the time, too. ❝ I think it’ll help, having all these different minds           working together. Extremism is not an option here, if we want to succeed. ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— ser thrask.

          He pursed his lips first, hesitating for no good reason. Seeker           Pentaghast knew of his story, and if he’d received her pardon… but this           was the Herald, despite the appearance, wasn’t she? Her word mattered           more. It was an upsurge of honesty mingled with bitterness that made           Thrask turn his eyes over the woman once again. « The last time we           saw each other was in Kirkwall and he came to arrest me. I… was trying           to unseat the Knight-Commander. The situation was unbearable, she           had lost whatever good sense and pity she had before. Rutherford was           Knight-Captain, I am sure you know this, your Worship. He did not agree           with my attempts. »

        ❝ I’m aware, ❞ she responds, allowing no silence to settle between allusion            answer. A searching gaze drops to the ground for a moment, grazing the            dirt by her boot before it climbs back up to him. ❝ I heard he was... very            dedicated to Knight-Commander Meredith. ❞ For all intents and purposes,            Herah AGREES with Ser Thrask and his actions. This is not something she’s            willing to voice, however, given the precariousness of doing such a thing in            her position–––––– let alone when she wasn’t even there to see the disaster            in Kirkwall happen. ❝ Until the bitter end, at least. From what I heard, his            loyalty burned more fiercely for the Templar Order than it did for his frenzied            Knight-Commander. For the better, I imagine. ❞

[vcshoth-blog]

— sera.

      grin that is painted along full lips has yet to fade, it’s AMUSING to see a woman so fit be so scared. despite the fact that sera had no reason to act like she was the brave one here ( she was just as scared ). hand rested on her hip as she watches herah, scoff and denial all noted and present, sera suddenly bursting into a fit of giggling.

       ‘you screamed! you did scream. I just heard you. you should’ve seen your face –’ the rogue might be enjoying this a little too much, form eventually pushing off from the banister and swaying her way to meet up with herah. ‘it’s okay, buckles,’ she would start, hand rested on their bicep, ‘I will protect you. just save the screamin’ for the bedroom.’ now was not the time for jokes and yet she is bursting into more giggles. 

     ‘skeletons though, yeah? find the fucker who is controllin’ these.’

                    Herah’s lips flatten into a line as she clings STAUNCHLY to her own convictions. It wasn’t a scream. It was a sad yelp at most–––– in her mind, at least. While looking right down at Sera, a lone eyebrow cocking sharply in express skepticism before her facial expression almost dissolves into one befitting of an anticlimax. 

    She’s met with the complete and utter opposite when the other decides to bring up bedroom behaviour. Had her throat not been as dry, she might well have choked on her own saliva in a snort of shock. Well, said noise still leaves her—— just without the inconvenient side-effects. SPEECHLESS she stands still, observing Sera with an expression of incredulity written across her face. ❝ I can’t believe you just ... ❞ She doesn’t have the heart ( or guts, more like ) to repeat the words said. Instead she rolls her eyes and lets a lopsided grin take her lips. 

                 ❝ Let’s. Suppose you’ll be leading, given your insurmountable courage? ❞