[She smiles at him when she sees him, and now that she's got a target, begins to make her way over with purpose in her step. The Hanged Man isn't terribly crowded yet, but there's always people inside, grouped about the bar and gathered in knots about the tables and the hearth.
Barrow's table is somewhat out of the way, which she prefers. Tiffany takes the empty seat and begins to undo her cloak now that she's safely indoors.]
[His smile is sheepish, self-deprecating; this place is a shithole and everyone knows it, but sometimes a shithole is all a person needs to feel at home. Didn't they discuss something of that nature, early on? He catches himself smiling more warmly before he can control it. Oh well, he's a shit liar, as evidenced by... everything.]
Oh--just ale. At least to begin with. I always like to get an idea of the sort of conversation I'll be having before I commit to a menu. The Ambassador engaged me in a philosophical discussion the other day and I didn't have a glass of wine handy, it was awful.
[The smile she gives him in return has genuine warmth to it. As taverns go, the Hanged Man could be much worse. The company could be much worse as well, even if... Well.]
Before Riftwatch, did you spend much time in Kirkwall?
[Barrow smiles easily, then raises a finger to beckon to the barmaid, pointing at his ale and then at Tiffany to indicate that a second mug is needed.]
Had never left Ferelden until the war. To be fair, it's no secret Fereldans weren't especially welcome here until recently.
[He takes a sip from his tankard, raising his eyebrows amusedly at his companion.]
[Tiffany gives a hum of acknowledgement and leans forward, elbows on the table and chin in her hands.]
Before Riftwatch, I passed through Kirkwall, only twice. [She taps her little fingers on her cheeks for emphasis.] Seeker trumps Ferelden. You've adapted well, for someone less traveled and unfamiliar with the place. Well enough to be a regular at the Hanged Man, at least.
[His smile is kind, though his gaze diverts to the barmaid when she arrives, and he slides her a coin in exchange for the second mug.]
Sit and drink and keep your mouth shut, most people don't care where you're from. Not that... that works for everyone. [Some people, after all, have to wear their official insignia even when off the clock.]
Are you finding Riftwatch kinder, at least? I mean, compared to... [he waves his hand vaguely. You know, The Rest of the World.]
[She smiles at the barmaid as well, then picks up the mug and takes a sip--a small one, first, then a larger sip right after, as if having to test before committing.]
In some ways, yes. In other ways, well-- [And Tiffany marshals her features, adapting a mock-serious look.] Can I confide something in you?
[Also teasing, but also true. Tiffany wraps her hands around her mug of ale and peers down into its contents, a woman in contemplation.]
Here it is: for a Seeker, I haven't done much Seeking. Which means I haven't traveled all that much of anywhere, either. More than you, from the sound of it--I did leave Ferelden--but I was mostly training new recruits and helping everyone get by. I kept things organized, developed a cleaning rota... very important stuff, but not what everyone thinks when they think 'Seeker of Truth'.
[Tiffany holds up one hand, the other pressed gently to her chest.]
Please, ser, if you receive it in any way, receive it kindly. I didn't intentionally deceive anyone. I even made a report when I first arrived--I didn't write it on a public notice board, but I did report it.
Honestly-- [She sighs a little as she goes again for a sip of ale.] I wonder sometimes why I was the one sent to Riftwatch. I'm glad of it. But I wonder.
[He might be joking, but it occurs to him that the statement may have come out more hurtful than intended; scrubbing a hand over his stubbly mouth, he gives an apologetic little shake of his head.]
Riftwatch is its own beast. Not sure there's room for the kind of Seekers and Templars the world has come to know.
[He smiles faintly.]
It's right that you're here, in my opinion. Something new is happening, and you're just the sort who will help it grow as it should.
[Whatever minor offense she might have taken is wiped away entirely by the way that he finishes his thought. There is sincerity to it, something that makes her feel--honored, maybe, that someone would think that of her. Seen, in another sense--appreciated for who she is and what she does, more closely and clearly identified and articulated than she is used to.
Which is silly. She is a Seeker of Truth. There are only so many of them, one among many. Even in House Hart she is different than the others. A Seeker, not a knight. But even so, and a little pink comes into Tiffany's cheeks even as she smiles.]
That's kind. Too kind, [and she drops her eyes to her drink again, trying to give herself a moment,] but thank you. I would like to think that you're right, that we--Riftwatch--are different than all the versions of what we've been before. I really think that's what the world needs right now. Newness.
Newness. [He repeats the word, enjoying how it sounds, a little bit silly and a little bit hopeful besides.]
One might argue it's coming for Thedas whether we help usher it in or not. It certainly wasn't the idea of anyone here [OR WAS IT] to open up holes in the sky, but there they are. Pretending we don't see them won't stop them shitting out demons.
[She huffs a breath--a quiet almost-laugh--as she takes another sip of her drink.]
People, [she agrees,] are always a variable. And the demons, of course, which are admittedly another major variable, but maybe a little lower on the ranking than people.
Is this normal conversation for the Hanged Man, would you say?
[He laughs as well, but averts his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck-- it shouldn't be a surprise, really, considering his role in Riftwatch, but saying so when Tiffany has just admitted she hasn't committed a lot of violence feels a little off-balance.
Oh well, fair's fair.]
Increasingly heavy, [Barrow admits,] but that's the job, for you.
As long as it's job-sanctioned, there's no fault to be found there. Besides, I imagine all of our averages will go up, with, you know, the active war and all.
[She takes another sip of her ale and pulls a little face--not at the taste, but at the thought.]
I'll be glad when that isn't the case any longer for both of our sakes. For everyone's, really. Of course I know it's all necessary but I wish that it wasn't.
Well, I dunno about no fault. I'm sure not everyone on the other side feels all that passionately about what they're doing, all they know is they have to do it.
[He scratches at his stubble, realizing, the conversation is taking a depressing turn.]
...but then, when all this is over, there's always chicken farming.
[But the other side is bad, and we're good. Tiffany, fifteen years ago--by Andraste, maybe even ten years ago--might have said that, or at least thought it. But it's grayer than that, isn't it. Like a veil drawn over, making it difficult to draw lines in the sand.
She smiles back at Barrow and takes hold of that change of topic gratefully.]
Just chickens? Isn't it better to diversify your livestock?
[Tiffany squints up her eyes and points to Barrow.]
Well played, Messere. Cow shit is heavier. I think I just like cows a little better. They're sweet in a way that chickens aren't. Or maybe I just have more experience with mammals. My sister Rose kept a bird when we were small and I didn't know what to do with it.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2022-02-09 06:39 pm (UTC)[When Tiffany arrives, Barrow has already procured a two-person table in the corner, from which he raises a mug of ale in greeting.]
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Date: 2022-02-11 01:44 am (UTC)Barrow's table is somewhat out of the way, which she prefers. Tiffany takes the empty seat and begins to undo her cloak now that she's safely indoors.]
Come here often?
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Date: 2022-02-14 10:07 pm (UTC)[His smile is sheepish, self-deprecating; this place is a shithole and everyone knows it, but sometimes a shithole is all a person needs to feel at home. Didn't they discuss something of that nature, early on?
He catches himself smiling more warmly before he can control it. Oh well, he's a shit liar, as evidenced by... everything.]
What'll you have?
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Date: 2022-02-16 04:56 am (UTC)[The smile she gives him in return has genuine warmth to it. As taverns go, the Hanged Man could be much worse. The company could be much worse as well, even if... Well.]
Before Riftwatch, did you spend much time in Kirkwall?
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Date: 2022-02-17 12:42 am (UTC)[Barrow smiles easily, then raises a finger to beckon to the barmaid, pointing at his ale and then at Tiffany to indicate that a second mug is needed.]
Had never left Ferelden until the war. To be fair, it's no secret Fereldans weren't especially welcome here until recently.
[He takes a sip from his tankard, raising his eyebrows amusedly at his companion.]
Yourself?
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Date: 2022-02-17 04:11 am (UTC)Before Riftwatch, I passed through Kirkwall, only twice. [She taps her little fingers on her cheeks for emphasis.] Seeker trumps Ferelden. You've adapted well, for someone less traveled and unfamiliar with the place. Well enough to be a regular at the Hanged Man, at least.
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Date: 2022-02-17 04:24 am (UTC)[His smile is kind, though his gaze diverts to the barmaid when she arrives, and he slides her a coin in exchange for the second mug.]
Sit and drink and keep your mouth shut, most people don't care where you're from. Not that... that works for everyone.
[Some people, after all, have to wear their official insignia even when off the clock.]
Are you finding Riftwatch kinder, at least? I mean, compared to... [he waves his hand vaguely. You know, The Rest of the World.]
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Date: 2022-02-17 06:10 pm (UTC)[She smiles at the barmaid as well, then picks up the mug and takes a sip--a small one, first, then a larger sip right after, as if having to test before committing.]
In some ways, yes. In other ways, well-- [And Tiffany marshals her features, adapting a mock-serious look.] Can I confide something in you?
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Date: 2022-02-18 12:41 am (UTC)[He's playing with her, but it's also true-- she certainly knows enough of his secrets. Or former secrets.]
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Date: 2022-02-18 05:12 am (UTC)[Also teasing, but also true. Tiffany wraps her hands around her mug of ale and peers down into its contents, a woman in contemplation.]
Here it is: for a Seeker, I haven't done much Seeking. Which means I haven't traveled all that much of anywhere, either. More than you, from the sound of it--I did leave Ferelden--but I was mostly training new recruits and helping everyone get by. I kept things organized, developed a cleaning rota... very important stuff, but not what everyone thinks when they think 'Seeker of Truth'.
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Date: 2022-02-18 07:33 am (UTC)But still, reputation, and all that.]
You mean to tell me you haven't personally Annulled a Circle or sent rogue Templars to the block?
[He curls his hand over his mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to hide his smile.]
Well how am I supposed to take that?
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Date: 2022-02-19 01:08 am (UTC)Please, ser, if you receive it in any way, receive it kindly. I didn't intentionally deceive anyone. I even made a report when I first arrived--I didn't write it on a public notice board, but I did report it.
Honestly-- [She sighs a little as she goes again for a sip of ale.] I wonder sometimes why I was the one sent to Riftwatch. I'm glad of it. But I wonder.
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Date: 2022-02-22 06:45 pm (UTC)[He might be joking, but it occurs to him that the statement may have come out more hurtful than intended; scrubbing a hand over his stubbly mouth, he gives an apologetic little shake of his head.]
Riftwatch is its own beast. Not sure there's room for the kind of Seekers and Templars the world has come to know.
[He smiles faintly.]
It's right that you're here, in my opinion. Something new is happening, and you're just the sort who will help it grow as it should.
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Date: 2022-02-22 11:37 pm (UTC)Which is silly. She is a Seeker of Truth. There are only so many of them, one among many. Even in House Hart she is different than the others. A Seeker, not a knight. But even so, and a little pink comes into Tiffany's cheeks even as she smiles.]
That's kind. Too kind, [and she drops her eyes to her drink again, trying to give herself a moment,] but thank you. I would like to think that you're right, that we--Riftwatch--are different than all the versions of what we've been before. I really think that's what the world needs right now. Newness.
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Date: 2022-02-24 09:43 pm (UTC)One might argue it's coming for Thedas whether we help usher it in or not. It certainly wasn't the idea of anyone here [OR WAS IT] to open up holes in the sky, but there they are. Pretending we don't see them won't stop them shitting out demons.
And. You know, [he shrugs a shoulder,] people.
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Date: 2022-02-25 01:07 am (UTC)People, [she agrees,] are always a variable. And the demons, of course, which are admittedly another major variable, but maybe a little lower on the ranking than people.
Is this normal conversation for the Hanged Man, would you say?
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Date: 2022-03-02 10:55 pm (UTC)We could talk about all the people we've maimed, that might fit better with the clientele.
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Date: 2022-03-07 12:41 am (UTC)Well, if it isn't obvious from what I confessed--my record is a bit light on the maiming. You?
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Date: 2022-03-08 01:14 am (UTC)Oh well, fair's fair.]
Increasingly heavy, [Barrow admits,] but that's the job, for you.
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Date: 2022-03-09 04:30 am (UTC)[She takes another sip of her ale and pulls a little face--not at the taste, but at the thought.]
I'll be glad when that isn't the case any longer for both of our sakes. For everyone's, really. Of course I know it's all necessary but I wish that it wasn't.
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Date: 2022-03-14 08:57 pm (UTC)[He scratches at his stubble, realizing, the conversation is taking a depressing turn.]
...but then, when all this is over, there's always chicken farming.
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Date: 2022-03-17 03:18 am (UTC)She smiles back at Barrow and takes hold of that change of topic gratefully.]
Just chickens? Isn't it better to diversify your livestock?
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Date: 2022-03-17 05:43 am (UTC)Cow shit's heavier.
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Date: 2022-04-03 01:25 am (UTC)[Tiffany squints up her eyes and points to Barrow.]
Well played, Messere. Cow shit is heavier. I think I just like cows a little better. They're sweet in a way that chickens aren't. Or maybe I just have more experience with mammals. My sister Rose kept a bird when we were small and I didn't know what to do with it.
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Date: 2022-04-14 09:45 pm (UTC)[He pauses to consider his words.]
...frightening. Especially the ones who fly well. Chickens don't, at least.
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