HORNS POINTING UP.

         A LOW HUM of a chuckle slips past his lips, krem tilting his head to one side while his face is dusted a pretty pink. to gain the affection of the inquisitor herself is quite the feat. honestly, he would have expected her to go after someone... well, more. krem can’t offer her much outside of his loyalty and love.

       but, maybe, she doesn’t require more than that.

       maker, he’s sure his breath stinks of alcohol right now but he doesn’t care. the pint is set aside and he leans in, lips parted just so and a grin pulling at the corners. krem touches her cheek, smooths his hand out across it with fingers lightly combing through the hair that covers finely tapered ears.

   she follows him  to the tavern without further question or remark, a comfortable silence falling over the two until they reach the building in question and step inside. it’s always occupied by some sort of noise, be it glasses clinking, or bards singing, or even the soft chatter of patrons. it was monotonous, in that way, and as such, she thought it comforting. once they’re seated ( and, of course, once they’ve given iron bull a salutatory nod ), she releases a breath of relief. ‘uplifted’ or not, it felt good to give her weary feet such a reprieve. in response to his question, she quickly shakes her head.

    ❝ please ——- just ‘aralae’ will do; there’s no need for titles among friends. espe-     cially not if they’re anything like the last one on your list. you haven’t really called     a noble something like that to their face, have you? ❞

   eyes alight with curiosity ( which means to attempt to disguise the underlying amusement such a thought brings her ), she awaits his response to the question, half-expecting a story to go alongside it. it’s unheard of, to her — setting aside the fact that she was the inquisitor, and was obligated to act diplomatically as such, she’d always been the polite sort.

    ( … well —— that, and it would take a very, very great deal to make her so upset. )

        ` IN THE ARMY we’d call the higher-ups all sorts of things. some less kind than ‘fuckhead,’ but all in good nature... usually. the chief isn’t spared, either. he gets an earful when i’m angry, ` a low laugh follows, krem bringing his pint to his lips and taking a swig. yeah, that’s definitely strong. it burns his throat going down and he can still feel the burn in his gut. good stuff, he thinks. definitely will have to try this out later.

        it occurs to him he’s rarely seen aralae drink, save for the few times the bull has invited her. he hopes she can handle this, he paid good money for it. and also because he does actually give a damn about her well-being.

        she’s a friend, after all, and she’s the inquisitor. krem would rather not be on the bad side of any of the advisors for accidentally giving their leader alcohol poisoning.

‹« ♟ »› ——

         ❝ there’s not much to it besides aim, toss, & pray to the maker that             you actually hit something. if you think you’re up for a bit of training, i             wouldn’t mind showing you a thing or two. ❞

        ` COULD BE GOOD. maybe i can teach you how to swing around this hammer. think you can even get it off the ground? `

god just imagine the pain and betrayal krem felt after he came out to his family, how enraged his mother was and seemed more concerned about getting him married to a wealthy merchant rather than supporting him and his choices. sure, you could say she wanted the best for him, but all the same being rejected by a parent when you come out is really, really painful and upsetting and just. imagine how he must have felt. this is the woman who gave birth to him. who helped raise him. and she ends up wanting to throw him out because he’s not who she wanted him to be. because he won’t marry who she wanted.

and he mentions how he’d hate himself when he still presented himself as a woman. i know that hate and it runs deep; when you have to present yourself as something you arent. when you have to lie to yourself and to everyone around you. when you just dont feel right and you want to hide away forever because of it.

   she had thought  her initial response to be brazen, and had half-expected krem to return fire with another retort as a result. when this does not turn out to be the case, however, aralae finds herself feeling both mildly surprised and relieved. matching his smile with one of her own, the inquisitor cants her head slightly to the side as she responds. 

    ❝ are you saying that because you’d like a drink yourself, or because you think     that i might desperately need one, all things considered? ❞

   laughter falls from her lips then, gentle and airy; not the sort of sound one would expect from a woman that looked so terribly weary. if she had been aching prior to her return to the fortress, if it had felt like she could not take another step without losing consciousness now, it certainly did not show. something about being back at skyhold — among her inner circle, her advisors, her friends — uplifted her, if only for the time being. the emerald graves had been harrowing, yes, but they were a ways away now. 

   for the time being, she was home. no need for hostility, for sharpness.

    ❝ whatever the case, i’d be more than happy to join you. please, lead on. ❞

        TEETH ARE BARED in a grin. krem nods, turns completely and heads towards the tavern with long strides, though he’s sure that’s she’s following before he heads off. spending time with the inquisitor herself, even the orlesian nobles can only dream of that. and here krem is, living their dream. the thought makes him bite back a laugh.

        slapping down a few coins on the bar, he says, ` two of the strongest, yeah? ` and the barkeep laughs once, nods and pours them both a pint before scooping up the payment. krem picks up his own, moves over to a vacant table. the chargers aren’t lingering around, probably off around skyhold doing their own thing. bull, however, relaxes in a seat against the wall and gives him both a nod in greeting, quirking his brow curiously but not questioning it.

        and krem has to thank him quietly, with a smile out of the corner of his mouth as he sits.

touch meme / selectively accepting.

θ: For my muse wanting to show that they are worried about your muse

        AND HE WILL lean over her shoulder as she sits, where she sighs and stares with her thousand-yard stare at the wall of the tavern. krem does not break the peaceful silence that falls over the tavern for once. there’s only the clinking of pints, of dishes and silverware. no one speaks right now. perhaps everyone can sense the inquisitor needs a bit of quiet.

       but why? krem knows she holds the fate of the world in her hands... but she’s been doing so well. they’ve managed to drive corypheus back every attempt he’s made at inciting war, at bringing them down.

       the charger sinks into the chair beside her, crosses his ankles and reaches out to brush fingers over the inside of her wrist. a tender, gentle touch that does not fit his usual rough demeanor. but he knows to be soft when the situation calls for it.

Touches are none verbal forms of communication. Send me a symbol to see how my muse would convey their feelings to you only through a touch. My muse will say no word and only try to express their feelings physically.

α: For my muse wanting to show that they love your muse

β: For my muse wanting to show that they hate your muse

δ: For my muse wanting to show that they need your muse

ε: For my muse trying to seduce your muse

ζ: For my muse trying to comfort your muse

θ: For my muse wanting to show that they are worried about your muse

λ: For my muse wanting your muse's attention

μ: For my muse wanting to ask for your muse's comfort

ξ: For my muse wanting to show that they are afraid of your muse

π: For my muse wanting to show that they are scared in general

ρ: For my muse wanting to hurt your muse

ς: For my muse wanting your muse to stop hurting them

ψ: For my muse wanting to welcome your muse back

ω: For my muse wanting to show your muse that they miss/missed them

kremfilled

As far as she could tell, all taverns across Thedas were the same. Dim lighting, uncomfortable wooden stools that wobbled no matter how still you tried to sit on them, and cheap ale. All in all, they were exactly the type of place that suited Mic though her appearance might say otherwise. That worked well enough for her. 

There was a palatable tension in the air of the crowded room. It had been that way everywhere she went lately. The tear in the sky had turned the world upside down, another thing that perfectly suited Mic. 

The barkeep handed her a cracked clay mug and swiped her coin off the counter as she turned to move through the room. At the same time she passed by a table, a young man stood up and bumped into her. Rank ale spilled down her front, soaking her clothing. The calm demeanor that she carried from earlier disappeared. Taking her elbow, she slammed into his shoulder.

“HEY! –Watch where you’re going.” 

        MAYBE IT WAS his fault that he didn’t notice her walking past the moment he tried to stand. and this woman isn’t the only one who gets ale spilled on them, because when his elbow is slammed into his own half-full mug splashes across his arms and clatters to the floor. the chargers burst into raucous laughter, all but krem.

        ` for fuck’s sake, ` he grumbles, not even thinking to apologize and instead stooping down to pick up the mug and place it back onto the table. ` shut it. the lot of you, ` the lieutenant barks it his men, then turns to face the woman with a defiant sort of look on his face.

        krem won’t become confrontational unless provoked... usually. he can be assertive, yes. a bit brusque, but he does not go picking fights out of the blue and without reason. maybe he would have even apologized had she not reacted so... aggressively.