TEST DRIVE MEME!

[faderifting]

TEST DRIVE: ORLAIS EDITION

I. EVERYBEAR I GO

Believe it or not, there are bears in Orlais, too. Stuffed ones posed in noble salons casting intimidating shadows as lords tell unlikely stories about how they bravely stared the great beast in the eye before they slayed it with a single shot. One comtesse keeps bears as pets in large pens on her estate, much to the distress of her nearest neighbors. But most common are the dancing bear acts found on street corners here and there. Perhaps there is some sort of special bear communication network that has passed on a message, because it seems like the presence of the Inquisition has inspired these bears to finally make a break for it out of servitude, and that is how you find yourself being chased by a bear in a belled hat down a narrow cobbled alley lined with street vendors.

II. OUI OUI MON AMI

The Inquisition's efforts are currently focused on Orlais, where a civil war is raging and intelligence indicates Corypheus seeks to eliminate Empress Celene, while the oppressed elven population's discontent threatens to bubble over into a second rebellion. The Inquisition's activities here are mostly political and designed to gather influence and information: endeavoring to make a good impression at the ball of an influential comtesse with ties to the Council of Heralds, or assisting with the reconstruction of the alienage district destroyed by fire. There are rowdy soldiers in taverns to eavesdrop on, and restless crowds listening to streetcorner speakers preach Celene's virtues, or Gaspard's, or lament the end of the world.

But honestly, who cares about any of that? Halamshiral also offers great high-end shopping. Priorities. Gowns, tunics, fur-trimmed cloaks, sleeves slashed and puffed with layers of bright-colored satin. Tall boots with gold spurs to clink as you walk. Veils, lace-trimmed smallclothes, perfumes, necklaces worth your weight in gold. If you have the coin, the shopkeeps have time for you. The slightest whiff of poverty will leave them cold toward you. They might even pretend not to see you, but hey: they work on commission.

Even among decadence and finery, there are signs of unrest. In an out-of-the-way village square, little Orlesian children gather to throw thick gold coins in a gilt fountain, with whispered wishes and giggles. All at once, a thief pushes his way into their circle, breaking the idyllic scene. He leaps into the fountain and grabs a handful of coin. Thin, dirty, ragged, hollow-eyed and, under the hood of his cloak, elven, he scans the now-screaming children -- and then takes off running.

“Stop him!” howls one precious Orlesian cherub, her rosy cheeks streaked with tears. “That dirty knife-ear took my money!”

Kids are just the cutest.

III. SKYHOLD

Skyhold is where people who don't like fun accents and life being a constant masquerade hang around repairing walls, filling out paperwork, and, on rare occasions, engaging in elaborate, color-coded team snowball fights.

That last occasion? Totally over. Now the Inquisition will see you work, work, work, work, work. Working to save Thedas is not all fun and games, and there are plenty of things to keep you busy in Skyhold. See that roof over there? It has a hole in it. Climb up, someone suggests, and fix it. See that hole over there, in the wall? Some drunk from the tavern fell through it yesterday, and it needs repairs. See that floor over there? It’s dirty. And here’s a mop.

If these tasks seem too menial and demeaning, perhaps you’d like to head up to the library and reshelve some books. Perhaps you’d like to meet a special friend there? The stacks are warm and cozy, and at least a little out of the way. Secret spaces are at a premium. But be careful: you aren’t the only one in Skyhold, no matter how many people shipped out to Orlais.

If warm ovens are more your style than warm books, try the kitchens. They could always use a helping hand - especially because one of the baby griffons has made its way down there. A sharp-beaked competition for your plans to pilfer snacks, but you’ll prevail, right? The griffon loves chicken, and the taste of your blood. Get her outside before she gets too comfortable.

Or just feed the dogs, you dirty Fereldan.

IV. WILDCARD

Thedas is a big place. Do something else in it. Maybe in the Hinterlands.

Comments

[inuko]

He rose to his feet easily enough, snatching one of the clean rags as he stood. Barefoot, he picks his thoughtlessly careful way across the damp stones to hand it over, complete with a boyish smile.

"Germy's no good is what it is. Thanks!" As if that were an adequate explanation. "The outdoors are great, but it's better to invite a minimum of them indoors where people are living. It's even more important for the injured or ill. Germs are part of what make people sick, or lead to infections."

He shrugged, not knowing if his explanation made any difference or not here. Herbal tinctures and solutions of that kind were more Hamaji's line of interest than his. On the other hand, he was the patient too often not to recognise parts of the cure back home.

[marilaine]

Choosing a patch of corridor not soaking wet, she plopped down and began to wipe the mud off, unfortunately leaving a little bit of dirt behind in the process-- oops. At least she was trying to be considerate to his concerns.

"From my experience, wounds, poor work conditions and unsavory habitations are what lead to people getting ill or dead." It was stated bluntly as a matter of fact. Finished with one boot, she carefully began to wipe at the other, also cleaning her fingers with the cloth as best she could.

"You will forever be fighting a loosing battle with these germys. The outside will always end up coming in."

[inuko]

He smiled, offering a small shrug at the truth of what she said. He appreciated her consideration, as it related to his particular points of interest. "Unsavoury habitations tend to be dirty. Not keeping wounds clean, or environments clean, is part of it, you're right."

She reminded him a bit of Hamaji that way, though having run into few of those who were in the healing and herbal arts in Skyhold has more to do with his simply poking his nose in lots of places and not sticking around any of them for all that long. Too much to see, too much in theory to do.

"You're right about that, too. It's still a battle worth fighting for the ones it might save."

Someone please stick this kid over with the woman who insists on healing with science and not only magic, he'd be an excellent believer.

[marilaine]

That was the extent of what she understood about healing in a nutshell. She only knew the very basics of first aid. The rest was things she'd garnered through watching others and what little Solemn managed to instill into her. "Unsavory homes tend to exist in places where people can do little about the conditions. Then there is also the question of what is unsavory or not."

Although her boots were far from spotless, the soles at least had less risk of tracking in mud now. She stood up, again twisting her fingers into the cloth one last time. Dirt still clung to them, in desperate need of soap and water still, but until she could find a wash basin, she at leat would not be leaving smudges everywhere. As for the cloth, she was unsure if she should pass it back to him or not and so eld it balled in her left hand.

"It's rare to see human servants. They usually hold more coveted positions." She was curious what he'd done to get demoted to mopping floors.

[inuko]

He held out his hand once it looked like she might be done with the rag. He'd be dropping them all off for cleaning later anyway, and she'd listened when he'd asked her to clean up before coming through the area. It'd left him feeling more generous (and less bratty) than he was prone to feeling when people were being unreasonable.

Which was a hilarious hypocrisy given his own tendencies at times.

"Really? I wonder why... I don't understand all the differences here between peoples? Races?" He waved his hand, bandages over the soft green glow of embedded shard in his palm having slipped as he cleaned. The best word to describe the racial differences here escaped him, and he didn't care all that much about figuring out which word to use. "People were short handed. I offered to help out. There's only so much practicing swordwork and being confused by what everyone says is supposed to be important here I can take."

Brat. One who cleaned, but a brat at heart nonetheless. He smiled, lips closed, guileless as he shrugged. "I prefer staying busy while I'm waiting. Sitting around leaves me fidgety."

[marilaine]

She shrugged lightly handing the rag over with only a slight twitch of her scarred brow. She wasn't unreasonable-- at least most of the time. The glint of the shard in his hand did not go unnoticed. For the briefest moment, it looked as if she was about to inquire about it, then changed her mind.

"That is the way it has been for a long time now. It was not always this way, or at least that is what I have been told, but it is what it is now." Not that she didn't want to change it. She just learned long ago that humans generally didn't care. Besides, he was a rifter and not inherent to the problem that plagued her people.

"No matter what anyone tells you, the most important thing is to survive. Beyond that, it is up to you to decide how you will do that." This time, her curiosity would not be abated as she tilted her head, "What is it you are waiting for anyway?"

[inuko]

He carefully folded the rag into quarters, keeping what he could of the dirt turned inward where it was more heavily present. Ah, so there were historical differences. He had that feeling before, but he wasn't yet looking at what that meant. History was not usually his strongest point of reference, or even where he focused his efforts.

In ways, he was too simple in his approach to the world.

"The next opportunity for progress in solving both our problems. Ensuring this world doesn't end... and getting me back home." He wasn't smiling anymore, looking both more determined and more serious as he turned to start walking back toward where he'd left the bucket of water. "To the most important people in my life." He picked up the bucket and damp rag, dropping both rags into the bucket as he straightened.

"What about you? Why did you choose to join with this Inquisition?" He looked back over his shoulder, the curiosity on his face both plain and uncomplicated.

[marilaine]

"Ah, yes. I imagine that would be a priority." Although her boots were now as clean as she could get them, she was hesitant to progress down the corridor after him. Instead, she leaned against a wall, pressing shoulder and hip to the rough stone. Her arms she folded across her chest while also crossing one leg over the other as she watched him.

"The simple answer? I heard they needed gardeners." She smirked slightly, holding out one hand which still showed the remnants of dirt on the fingertips. "Beyond that, I wanted to choose my own path." There were other reasons, of course, ones she was hesitant to share to a stranger.

The curiosity she worked to keep repressed again seeped through as she tucked her hand once more against her arm. "What is it that that they are teaching rifters like you?"

[inuko]

He nodded, accepting both explanations. There was more to respect in someone choosing the path of their life than one who chose nothing; then again, his own relationship with that was complicated. Choices made had long echoing consequences. One of which this place had somehow suppressed.

He shook his head, long ponytail down his back exaggerating the movement. "Which kind of teaching? How to deal with the fragment of whatever it is in our palms, though no one seems to really understand what they are, or why they're there. Teaching us about this place. Requesting our assistance for mutual benefits. It's much more polite than the last time I was forcibly conscripted by a cause." Perhaps a dramatic way of putting it, but the Church was a strange organisation, and Satomi was a man whose goals Shino had no real insight on. Nor did he care overmuch. "The ones who've been here for longer are better for asking that kind of thing."

[marilaine]

Marilaine rolled one shoulder up in a lazy shrug as the corner of her mouth also rose up in equal measure. "I asked you because you are here. And you are the firs of these rifters I have met."

Quick as the smile appeared, it faded away, though her expression remained neutral if not slightly guarded, "A least they are teaching you practical things. Necessary for your time here. People can be very closed-minded and will fear what they do not understand. Showing you are of use is the best way to guarantee people see you as a person and not a thing to be feared."

It was practically a speech for her. Normally she tended not to say so much in one breath. Her former employers didn't like chatty elves. It had been a hard won lesson at that.

[inuko]

Ah, so he was. He supposed that it wasn't necessarily obvious. Not when so many people from so many different walks of life were all converging and moving through one location. Sky Hold might be remote, as far as he was concerned, but it stayed bustling for all that.

He listened when Marilaine spoke, focusing his attention on her in such a way as to indicate that he was fully hearing what she said. Understanding wasn't as immediate; necessary for his time here, closed minded, fearing what they don't understand. It was his life back home, only less insulated, and without Murasame to guarantee his health, and without Hamaji or Sousuke to guarantee his heart. He needed to understand this place well enough to survive. Thriving was irrelevant. He wanted to get home.

So he listened, and he heard, and he tried to decide what course that left him. "People will still find a way to fear you, when they want to be afraid. Or if they want an excuse or someone to blame. The things you understand the least are easiest to throw away. It's good advice, though." He smiled, looking more world wise than before and a little tired when he did so. "Thank you. I'll try to remember to be a good boy and wag my tail when they want." Woof. He can play at being a good dog if he must. A good tool? Sure, he was already being forcibly curtailed that way back home.

"What's your name? I'm Shino Inuzuka." Lacking both hands to use for shaking, and also proximity to make that useful, he offered a small bob of his head as a stand in for a bow. He appreciated her forthrightness in speaking without speaking down at him. It was not a trait shared by all involved with the Inquisition. Not so different than any mixed group setting, and part of why he didn't care for dealing with politics and the machinations involved therein. Way too much thinking involved.

[marilaine]

She snorted softly and nodded in agreement when he spoke of fear. That was all too true. Not just in having people be afraid of you, but also in being afraid as well. There was much to fear, even without the world turned upside down. Marilaine, was much in the same boat as him, needing and wanting to understand this place so that she might carve out a place for herself. She just had the home field advantage.

"Don't be afraid to bear your teeth either if you think it warranted." There was nothing worse than having your spirit crushed. Her people were a walking example of that. A broken people with nothing but fragments to call their own. Not that she felt like telling him that. That was something he would learn soon enough on his own.

She returned the nod with another small smile. "I am Marilaine. Sometimes I answer to Mari if I like you enough." She left it ubiquitous if he could call her by the nickname or not, figuring he could come to his own conclusions.

[inuko]

"Like this?" He gave her a toothy grin, knowing that wasn't at all what she meant. Bearing his teeth had a lot more bite behind it when Murasame was bound to him, and he to it. It was yet another adaptation he was making here. Survive. Make it back. Don't die. I don't want to be alone.

"It's nice to meet you, Marilaine-chan." A bit of an impish statement on his part; truly, what a maverick. (Or brat. Mostly, it's the brat.) His face falls back into a more serious countenance, shifting the bucket at his side. "I hope you find a path here that's worth walking. However often you need to bare your teeth to keep your feet planted there."

[marilaine]

She raised her scarred eyebrow at him silently as he smiled a toothy grin. That was one way to bear his teeth, and in some way, it was almost as frightening as an actual snarl might be. Although little showed visibly in her outward appearance, she approved of his attitude.

"I believe I have found a path to walk that will take me where I wish to go. Or at least it is a path that offers possibilities to me. Far more than where I was before." Then after a small pause, her eyebrows drew close as she tilted her head, "What does Chan mean? I am not familiar with that word."

She assumed it was a friend thing and not an insult to her as he did not seem the kind of person to fling insults after what had been a surprisingly pleasant conversation. It was a vague hope of hers after all that one human might not look down upon her for being an elf.

[inuko]

He went to rub the back of his head and ended up barely catching himself in time to prevent from smacking his own head with a dirty rag. Snorting, he shook his head and tossed the rag into the bucket alongside the other one. "Chan? That's right... where I come from, we have different endings we attach to names to mean different things. Honourifics, technically. Chan is one you'd use with women, usually friends or family. Kun's similar for men. It usually implies some level of friendliness or closeness. Other times it's because you're around the same age."

He shrugged, glossing past the other implications that he didn't personally mean. It was an oversimplification for the sake of making it somewhat understandable. That, and Shino didn't care enough about the particulars to get into them. Sousuke would have given her a better explanation, but Sousuke was thorough in ways that Shino simply didn't feel he needed to be without reason. "Usually we call each other by family name instead of given name, too, which seems to be paired with position titles when I hear the same around here."

He wasn't even certain everyone had family names. Maybe it changed from nation to nation? Mysteries of Thedas left to flounder in the dark.

[marilaine]

So long as it wasn't some racist or specist tag slandered at her, she didn't care. Whatever made him feel more comfortable. It was only fair since he could use all the comforting he could get.

"I think I understand the concept at least. It is not quite the same as our titles of rank and prestige though it is a good example." She pushed herself off the wall, standing once more. The floor looked dryer than before, so she risked taking a step towards him, testing to see if she left any smudges or marks.

"Would I call you Shino-kun then to keep in respect for your native customs? Or would I call you by your family name instead?" If he wanted to be called by that, she was going to have to ask to hear it again due to her unfamiliarity with how it sounded to her Orlesian ears.

As far as she knew only nobles, royalty and the occasional rich merchant or wise scholar had last names worth mentioning. Marilaine was none of those. She couldn't even claim to be in the retinue of a household, living independently as she had been for nearly six years before coming to Skyhold.

[inuko]

The floors were more obliging now, the water having dried enough to leave little dry oasis between the damp rivers running in the cracks of the stone. It would be much easier to walk through the area now than it would have been earlier.

For Shino's part, he wouldn't even realise his own gratitude at her effort until later. He was so used to being constantly off center with nothing feeling close enough to home to be of comfort, having anyone make an effort to remember customs that held no bearing in this world would, frankly, matter the world to him.

"Shino-kun is fine. Inuzuka-kun would feel too formal if you're letting me get away with Marilaine-chan." He grinned again, simply in good cheer. He was a fairly transparent person for the most part. "I think you're the first person who's even asked."

[marilaine]

She chuckled softly, focused more on the floor than upon him for the moment, so she was able to speak casually, her voice nonchalant, "I've no last name and no city to say where I am from. I am only Marilaine."

Looking up, she saw his grin and for the first time in a long, long while she actually felt happy to have made a human smile.

"I was raised to be observant." It wasn't a lie and it wasn't the full truth, but it was enough. "I don't know what plans the others have for you, but if you ever want to talk or want company Shino-kun, you can usually find me in the garden. That is if I'm not off collecting plants and seeds myself."

[inuko]

He seemed more at ease, relaxing his shoulders in that moment. People were people, regardless of where he was. There were a number of them who'd have good hearts and souls. He was glad to have run into one of them.

(Or commanded one to stop before destroying his self-elected hard work.)

"Thank you, Marilaine-chan. I'll take you up on that offer." Probably making himself into a nuisance, ultimately, but so are most ideas begun with good intentions before devolving into puppy please stop moments. "Seeds and things like that — would you like if I kept an eye out for interesting ones whenever I'm out camping across the continent?"

Though seriously. Someone could invent the steam engine any time now.

[marilaine]

Marilaine might debate that point. Marilaine had grown up with precious few humans who ever acted like they had hearts. Again this was not a burden she wished to inflict upon the stranger pulled into life here without a chance to decide his fate. She at least had that going for her.

"Good." She wouldn't mind if he visited, but she might just put him to work for the novelty of being able to order a human around and because there was never too many hands when it came to weeding.

"If you could. Even if it ends up being a common plant, I am almost certain I or another will find a use for it. Who knows, I might do my own looking as well." She had other skills besides gardening after all.

[inuko]

He refrained once more from running his free hand through his hair. It helped that it was mostly collected back in a ponytail, but for the inevitable locks that escaped and framed his face over time. "Hamaji-chan used to like us to bring in anything useful we found out in the forests... do you have any suggestions in what to look out for? I'm not used to the plants around here. None of them are quite like anything I recognise back home."

He'd make the effort as long as there was someone who cared for the end result. It gave him another focus when he was out there; likewise, while he'd doubtlessly grumble and whine about weeding, he'd still do it, especially to stave off loneliness and solitude. Those were things he wanted nothing to do with. It made it difficult to breathe.

"The library should have something... any recommendations?" He wasn't even sure how much he could read here. Not that he'd tried to so far... too much else to do that didn't involve feeling like he was calling back to days where he was read to at his bedside, too sick to even keep his eyes open to read on his own.

[marilaine]

"I can loan you my copy of The Botanical Compendium if you do not mind a few dirt smudges." The life of an outdoors person. "It at least has pictures of plants and seeds and I can show you some in the garden as well. As for plants themselves, Elfroot and Spindleweed are very common and easy to spot. They are almost always needed." Almost all parts of them could be used as well so she didn't fear him bringing any back like she might with more delicate plants.

She also figured it would be the least discouraging if he found common herbs to bring back rather than spending time and effort looking for rarer things. It felt strange asking someone to help her. She was so very used to people asking her.

[inuko]

He smiled, appreciating the offer for what it was worth. Not to mention the lack of mentioning anything about experimenting with interesting new teas. There was only so much of that he could really personally appreciate.

"Thank you, that'd be great! Much better than me trying to draw anything as a reference for later on." He grimaced, recalling some of his failed artistic endeavors in the past. One of many things he wasn't cut out to be. "Would it be something you'd have time to go over starting tomorrow? Whenever's convenient for you, really."

[marilaine]

Not that she didn't enjoy a fine tea every now and then, but no she wasn't going to throw tea at him unless it was to be a gracious host. Given her current lack of many personal belongings, water was just about her speed until she could get set up a little better.

"I am in the garden, or in the surrounding grounds most of the day. I will not be hard to find. You may stop by at any time though I suggest closer to noon when I will have finished most of the early morning gardening duties."

[inuko]

Actual tea would always be appreciated, but hey, he enjoyed the fine things in life. Like tea not purely made to cure ills while tasting terrible (if being effective).

He nodded, lifting his free hand and offering a small wave. "Around noon, got it. Should be easy enough to remember. I look forward to it, Marilaine-chan!" He really was. It was something to look forward to that was far more reachable, in far sooner time, than his home and his friends. Some sense of connection to the people he was separated from here in this world was important to him. Getting some of that here... he smiled, turning to head down the hall and find where he could dump his water safely. Today was feeling better than yesterday already.