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[thecookery]

(sending crystal, notes and letters, surprise visits, etc. etc.)

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[ichaer]

( Ciri moves herself off the wall at the tug, following along with a slow steps and a tired chuckle. )

Thanks. It's not that fun of a story though, and most of it has to do with what happened before I joined up with the Inquisition.

[thecookery]

[In response, she just shrugs and tries to walk on like nothing's unusual at all right now.]

I can do mine first if you like.

[ichaer]

( She blinks once, squeezing Avery's hand before shaking her head. )

It's okay, I just don't know how to start explaining this. I guess at the very beginning? ( Tiredly, she rubs her neck with her free hand. )

You know that the Wardens went insane and tried to bring some giant army of demons in from the Fade. They bound the mages to demons, and sacrificed others for the blood magic too. Not all of us agreed with that, but there wasn't much we could do so for months we were held hostage out in the Anderfels, at Weisshaupt.

[thecookery]

Aye, I've heard something to that effect.

[She's not exactly high on the list of personnel who need all the details around here, but rumor was enough to get the gist of it at least her way.]

[ichaer]

( There is a quiet pause, one where Ciri simply listens to their steps before she considers how to explain all of this before just deciding to nail the main point. )

They thought we were all dying. It's part of the package deal of being a Warden, we don't have long lifespans and once it starts to near the end when start hearing... a song, I guess. It is the most beautiful and absolutely disgusting melody, it ate into our every pore. ( And sometimes, late at night, she's afraid she still hears it. ) Because of that things weren't easy at Weisshaupt...

( Which was putting it lightly. ) Every turn I made, I had to wonder if someone I shared this position with would murder me in my sleep. I watched seasoned fighters break down afraid they would be bound to demons or killed for blood magic. To find out there was this whole branch of the Order out there and know they didn't help? I hate it. I hate them and they still had the gall to ask us to join them.

... It's saddening, I think but I owe more to the Inquisition than I do the Wardens. I just can't trust my own Order anymore.

[thecookery]

[Avery takes a moment to absorb all of that. She's not the best talker, she knows, but listening at least she can manage fairly well, so she chooses to hold back on her own (many and vehement) thoughts for now.

Instead, she just asks a simple question.]

So where does that leave you now?

[ichaer]

( Again, she is quiet as if pondering the question because where does all of this leave her now? Her gaze shifts rapidly from Avery, to their hands, the wall and then to the floor. Right, the question... )

Here, and with you. ( Speaking of someone not holding back their thoughts. ) That's all that matters right now.

[thecookery]

[Okay, at some point the flustering has to start being deliberate, right? Avery's not THAT great, you know. She has gravy on her trousers RIGHT NOW.]

If you say...

[Would a subject change help? Maybe a subject change would help.]

My day wasn't near so exciting, but I did nearly brain someone with a saucepan.

[ichaer]

( Perhaps?? And gravy is worlds better than dark spawn... whatever. )

But I did say... ( She also sleepy. Don't confuse her!! ) Really? Tell me it was the jam thief trying to strike once more.

[thecookery]

[She snorts.]

If only.

Some old blowhard doesn't like my being in charge and near ruined hours of work deciding his "family recipe" was better than what I told him to work on.

[ichaer]

Just as fun, I suppose. I would have loved to see it though. Tell me you knocked him out.

[thecookery]

You know, it's funny, I was told by someone above not to do that sort of thing for some reason or other.

Had to stick to my words. Weren't nearly as satisfying.

[ichaer]

Boo. Not satisfying at all.

( She says, half chuckling but sorely saddened by the news. Superiors ruined everything. Nevertheless, she falls silent as their walk continues until they come to the door of the room that she shares with Inessa. Ciri knows her roommate is elsewhere in the city, dealing with her own issues so... )

... Do you want to come in?

[thecookery]

Oh.

Um.

[That is not a question she was expecting, and Avery's mouth sort of goes dry.]

Is that... alright?

[ichaer]

I think so. Well, I hope so.

( Just... sort of gestures with her free hand. )

Nessa is gone for the time. She's got stuff to take care of in town.

[thecookery]

[Slowly, she nods.]

Sure. For a bit then.

[ichaer]

For a bit then.

( Again there are gesture but ultimately she shrugs, pushing the door open and leading Avery in. For a pair that haven't been here long, they have certainly made the room very homey and over-all comfortable. Very Ferelden and very Grey Warden, to say the least. Ciri's space is mostly made up of comfortable throws and the wall is decorated in a child's drawings.

It's also clean... or was clean because Ciri is unceremoniously dropping her armor on the floor as she manages to unlatch it. The only thing treated with care is her sword. She nods toward the small fireplace and the smaller sitting space, enough to two people and one large mabari clearly. )

You can sit, if you'd like... might take me a moment to get out of all this.

[thecookery]

[Avery huffs, barely taking in the room just yet, and steps closer to start helping with Ciri's armor straps.]

You're the one that needs to sit, not me. You're near dead on your feet.

[ichaer]

I am fine, really! This is nothing compared to how I felt getting out of the Deep Roads.

[ You know when they made camp and slept for two days, swell. Still, Ciri isn't going to complain because some of those straps are a pain in the ass and especially so when she's fighting sore muscles and ugly bruises. ]

I was actually dead by then because the Deep Roads are just... gross. I still feel gross and this is after falling asleep in the tavern's bath twice on the way back.

[thecookery]

[Avery has less experience with this, but she's been around it enough to work at the armor without TOO much trouble.]

Aye, well, you can sleep a week after this if it suits, just don't pass out on me yet. Not sure I could manage this with your dead weight dragging me down.

[She also glances about to see if either Ciri or Inessa thinks to keep a pail of water and a rag around. It's not quite a bath, but Ciri could at least wipe her face and feel a LITTLE fresher before she sleeps.]

[ichaer]

Would you still come see me even if I did fall asleep for a week? I'd be really hungry when I woke up too, and I'm already hungry a lot of the time.

[ Nothing like that Grey Warden hunger. She is glad to get out of the armor though, rolling her shoulders and keeping herself from face planting straight into bed because they do indeed have a pitcher of water and a cute sink that was definitely stolen from a nicer room. Honestly, she should have had a bath fixed up but there really isn't a point in drowning now is there?

Tiredly, she unties her hair and starts to get some of the tangles out. ]

And come on, I've got to weight less than those monstrous sacks of potatoes you're always throwing around.

[thecookery]

[She rolls her eyes.]

As long as your gut's still growling, who'd need to check up on you then? We'd all know you're fine.

[Well, while Ciri deals with her hair, Avery'll just have to go retrieve all that stuff then, won't she?]

And potatoes don't wrap themselves in an hundred and an half buckles, do they? [She points to the bed.] Now sit.

[ichaer]

Ouch. You go right for the heart, you know.

[ She chuckles, tiredly running fingers through her mess of gray-white hair and trying to free the tangles. ]

You've never seen potatoes from Antiva then. [ Does Antiva have potatoes? Who knows. ] Besides it comes with being a Grey Warden. You sense darkspawn and you come to love the buckle, all one hundred and eight of them, thank you.

[thecookery]

[Avery grumbles quietly and mostly ignores Ciri's rambling to focus on pouring some of the water and wetting the cloth.]

Clench your teeth if you're gonna.

[And that's all the warning she gets before Avery starts wiping at her face, with a gentleness most people would never believe from her in a million years. She starts at Ciri's forehead, but soon moves to her bruised cheek, wanting to get a better look at how bad it actually is.]

[ichaer]

Huh—

[ Is all Ciri manages before the cleaning begins and although she does not clench her teeth, she does knit her brows together. She even manages to remain still for the most part with her only movement coming whenever she draws too close to the prominent scar on her face. It honestly isn't great. She'd be better if she had stayed with the group but between the two of them, and Inessa's less than stellar Creation magic only managed to keep her from turning into a swollen mess.

For once, she's quiet too. Watching Avery as she works with careful hands. ]