therookery | [ OPEN ]

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[ OPEN ]

FORM: sending crystal
SENDER: Minka
RECIPIENT: Everyone with a crystal
WHAT: Minka's trying to get her bearings
WHEN: Mid-Firstfall, during the Nevarra expedition
WHERE: Shes in Kirkwall, but this message is going out to all.
NOTES: Reminder to check out her permissions post if talk of abuse is something she shouldn't bring up to your character. Not saying it will in her first post, but just to cover my bases.

[ Well this is just great. Here Minka thought she'd show up, they'd put a pair of tweezers to her hand, and out would come the bit of green Fade magic bullshit. Not so, she's now learned. And she's stuck here unless she wants to be in excruciating pain. Super.

It takes her several tries to start up the crystal correctly and when it is, there's the sound of deep breaths and whispered words: "Okay, okay, I can do this. Okay. Just fucking get it over with. Do it, you fucker. Do it. Okay, okay.... okay." ]

How does anybody find anything around this damned place? Like, yeah, I know how to find the stables: just follow the smell. Same with the kitchens. But you lot have completely changed this place since I was last here and I can't find shit. I'm lucky I ran into someone who knew someone who handed out these crystal things.

Would it kill you to put up more signs? And by signs, I mean signs with pictures on them. Not all of us got a fancy schooling to learn how to read.

[ She mutters under her breath. It's something about nugs. ]

Anyway, does anybody do favors around here? I need someone to write a letter for me. Preferably a dwarf, but I'll take who I can get. In exchange, I'll run messages for you in Kirkwall for a week. I just have to let my employers know I ain't coming back for awhile.

[ Because of this stupid freaking shard in her hand, but she doesn't say that. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Boy, Korrin isn't wrong. You don't waste the Carta's time, especially not the higher-ups'. ]

Okay. Okay, good.

[ She licks her lips and leans on the table a little as she watches Korrin. Though Minka can recognize the familiar symbols that make up the letters of several cities and roads, should she have to recreate them on paper, it'd look awful. When it comes to words you wouldn't find on a map, it just looks like scribbles to her. ]

And once you get that down, say that the Inquisition collects people with the green stuff in them and won't let me leave. Say they watch me all the time, otherwise he'll be mad I didn't run away and come back anyway. I can't tell the truth 'cause he won't care about me having to stay so I ain't in pain from it.

[Korrin frowns at that, but does as Minka says. She won't take away Minka's agency when she can't write it for herself. She huffs, shaking her head while continuing the letter.]

They sound like real assholes. I'm glad you have some distance from them.

Well, yeah, they're Carta.

[ Here in the Hanged Man she feels confident with saying that, where within the Inquisition's walls she feels... weird about it. Like someone fancy is going to call her into their office and question her about the Carta's dealings. Maybe they stole Inquisition goods or something; she doesn't know. Mainly it's just her blowing things out of proportion in her head. ]

I don't know how I feel yet about the distance. Like I get plenty of it when I'm on the road running messages. But I always got some place to come back to. It ain't much, but it's what I know. I don't know the Inquisition.

[ She runs her fingernail against a scratch in the table, a little self-conscious with admitting that. ]

At least I get to keep shit that I find, right? You said they'd let me do that. Back at base I never got to keep anything.

[Korrin nods, grinning as Minka's latched onto that particular detail.]

As long as it's not dangerous or something the Inquisition needs to research, yeah. No one's going to care if you find a shiny new crossbow and keep using it, for example. Though Varric might get a case of rivalry from wherever he is nowadays.

...and I know the new can be intimidating, but this could also be a good chance to expand those horizons a bit. The Inquisition won't last forever, at least if it does its job, but the contacts you'll gain might help you later.

Hey, do you want to learn how to write?

Don't know how to use one. [ She snorts. ] That rich guy probably doesn't get jealous of people like me.

[ That's just a simple fact. ]

Expand my horizons? [ She groans. ] But I like the size of my horizon. It's good where it is.

[ As to learning to read, she shakes her head no. ]

I ain't smart enough to memorize letters.

[Korrin shakes her head, her answer very prompt.]

Bullshit. I've met nobles as dumb as dirt and they still knew their letters. You're already sharper than those idiots, I bet you could learn if you took the time for it. Not that you have to do what I say, but it's something you can easily take the time to learn here.

[ Minka just stares at Korrin, squinting slightly like the words "You're already sharper" have no meaning to her. She's only roused from her suspicious gaze when their ales are set down before them and she takes a gulp. ]

You don't really know me yet. Trust me; I'm good at one thing: running letters and packages. So that's what I do.

[ It's why she's still alive. The Carta have no use for people who can't do something for them. ]

[Taking her own ale, Korrin pauses for a swig.]

Nothing wrong with any of that, but I stand by what I said. I think I'm a decent judge of character; if I wasn't, I wouldn't have lasted this long. Mercenary life isn't kind, either.

[ Huh. Well Minka still thinks Korrin's off the mark on this one, but she doesn't think she'll get anywhere arguing her point. Who wants to go into detail about how trash they are anyway? ]

So you kill people for money, right?

[ Being blunt when she knows she's safe is common for her. ]

[Not minding bluntness, Korrin makes a so-so gesture.]

I fight people for money. That can end in killing, but not always. If killing was the whole point, I'd be an assassin. And I'd make a terrible assassin, they're all about stealth and subtlety, and I have neither of those things.

Oh, right. Cuz you're tall.

[ Clearly. ]

So why do you fight them? What'd they do?

[Korrin shrugs, taking a swig.]

It depends. Sometimes, a caravan needs an escort and we're there to fight off bandits. Sometimes, a noble's stupid son is kidnapped, and we're hired to rescue him. Other times, we're asked to clear out monster-infested mines. You learn to expect all sorts of shit.

Huh. Sounds dangerous. But I guess you're used to it. Dangerous stuff happened in the Carta too, but I mostly stayed out of it.

[ Or ran away. ]

Not a bad call, I've heard Carta life can be pretty brutal. But yeah, I'm used to it. And I know that when I'm with the Valo-Kas, they'll have my back like I have theirs. [She grows a little wistful, not having that that camaraderie in person for a while.]

You heard right.

[ She's lucky scars are all she has from it all. ]

Is that the name of the merc company? What's it mean?

[She nods, taking another swig.] It's Qunlat for 'greatsword'. Not my personal fighting style, since I'm a mage, but we have enough two-handed sword fighters for it to make sense.

...of course, I'm not active since I'm here instead. But they understand, I've never gotten any shit for that.

Oh, fancy.

[ At least to her, it is. It's the name of a weapon in another language. ]

How come you're here? You don't have a green thing stuck in you somewhere, do you?

Nope! [Korrin raises her intact, shardless hands briefly.]

I'm here because that Corypheus asshole took out some of my company when he blew up the Temple of Sacred Ashes. He's not going to get what's coming to him without a member of the Valo-Kas being there, I'm going to guarantee that.

Oh. Sounds as good a reason as any.

Some people blew up our Vimmark Mountains base, but I don't think I'd go after them even if I knew who it was.

Really? Not a vengeful bone in your body?

What would be the point? We were a bunch of grunts living there. It's not like we were friends, and those guys that blew it up are probably people I don't want to mess with, if they can do that.

[ Minka's not used to forming bonds with people. Maybe if she'd been beside the others, digging out those tunnels, there would be a common bond to unite them, but she was the messenger always running to and fro. ]

Vengeance is for people who can handle the consequences.

That's...a fair point, I'll give you that. I'm not encouraging vengeance anyway, just a little surprised when it's not a thing. I meet way more people for who it is, one way or another.

[ Her brow lifts a little in surprise. She wasn't sure if this was going to spark a whole discussion or not. ]

I guess because a bunch of you guys here are fighting in a war, right? I'm not about that life. If I didn't have to be here, I wouldn't be.

Yeah, I hear that a lot from shardbearers, especially the rifter ones. It's not anything anyone should be forced into.

[She glances down at what's written, then back over to Minka.]

Is there anything else you want me to add?

Oh!

[ She nearly forgot about the letter. ]

No, it's good. You got down everything I said, right? And you think it sounds good?

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lol, mine is L E G I T

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