Participants:

Katerina_icon.gif Isolde_icon.gif Seren_icon.gif Valentin_icon.gif

Scene Title The Circle Petting Zoo
Synopsis Animals and people meet in the Circle.
Location Circle of Magi
Date July 10, 2016
Watch For Pets!
Logger Seren

Normally, Seren does one walk around the boundaries each day with Revas. The explanation is that he's getting her used to the mix of humans and elves present. Now that it's evening, he's doing his second walk. This time to burn off nervous energy. Which would be great, except his focus isn't on the walk (where it would do the most good), though Revas occasionally gives a tug on his hair to bring him back to the now (and to avoid walking into people). Sometimes the floofbird is less floof.

As luck would have it Katerina also tends to pace the halls of the tower when she's anxious, and thus pacing she is. She rounds a corner moving towards Seren without realizing that it's him, only stopping short of a collision due to the barking of, strangely, a Mabari that seems to have taken to following her when she does things like this. "What. Dane?" she says quietly, looking down at the dog and only after a moment noticing Seren standing in front of her. She sighs, "Ir abelas, Seren. I should look where I'm going."

Seren looks up, blinking in confusion for a few seconds before shaking his head. "I should have been … that." He reaches up to brush back the hair that Revas has displaced while the nightwing tips her head to get the entire view of the dog- the owl view, complete with that odd head-upside-down look. "I found it hard to sit still, but I'm glad we nearly ran into eachother. I met a man… I've met two men, but let's start with the first. A Warden mage that says he knows you. Anders?"

Katerina nods, though the expression on her face implies that she might be rather grumpy at Anders at the moment. "I do." She says, one of her hands idly reaching down to pet Dane's head. "When did you have occasion to run into anders? I can't imagine him going near this place with a ten foot pole."

"Yesterday. He looked uncomfortable with the place, but Revas intervened." Seren's glance goes toward the Mabari and he nods. "Hello." Look, he's heard about them. He just never thought he'd see one this close. "He mentioned that you knew a man named Rylan," he holds up a hand to fend off questions until he explains. "I didn't know his name, but I offered a ceremony for the dead to Cenn. I mistook his unwillingness to look at me as being because of what I am, had I been less angry I might have paid more attention. …but Anders mentioned that you may want to be present."

Dane comes to sit at Katerina's feet, quite enjoying the attention he's getting. Wherever this mabari came from Kat seems to have a fondness for him by the look on her face. That fond smile takes on a heavy note of sadness at the mention of Rylan, though. "I did." she says with a nod. "He's the one who helped me put together the bits of elvish my mother taught me." Which is not untrue, but not the whole truth either. "And was supportive of my learning about my history despite being a city dweller." She's trips over that name for herself, like she's not used to using it. She looks up to Seren again, "I'd be honored to be there, thank you." She says before asking, "Was it Anders who was unwilling to look at you, or Cenn?"

"Cenn," Seren answers just before Revas drops from his shoulder to the ground in an awkward movement of wings- If the big thing is going to sit there, she's going to investigate (run while you're still ungroomed, Dane). "Although I appear to have given him some trouble as well. It must be a gift." See how happy he is to say that? He's also going to pass over the half truth without mention, merely nodding. "Had I known I would have been less… well, perhaps I wouldn't have been less angry, but I would have been less confrontational. It's not why I offered the ceremony. It should be done."

Dane sniffs at Revas for a moment before standing, dropping forward onto his front paws with his tail wagging in the air. He barks a few times, accompanied by small jumps from side to side and turning himself around in a circle. Revas may want to investigate, but Dane wants to play with his new floofy friend.

"Rylan meant a lot to Cenn." Katerina remarks, because really, the knight didn't hide his pining all that well. "We'll have to find an out of the way place for the ceremony." She says looking around with apparent disdain for the walls around them, almost like she could glare at the concept of the Circle. "I'm sure there are quiet a few of our peers as well as our jailers who will become… distressed to see that not everyone around them is a good little Andrastian." a phrase uttered with about as much scorn as she can manage. "Again, Anders trouble or Cenn trouble? Not that I would weep for either." There's a breif glance down at the excited Mabari. She'd never seen Dane be hostile, and this was certainly not it, but Revas may not know that.

"Anders," Seren sighs. "I also assumed it was what I am. It's hard to not make that my first conclusion, the last place wasn't exactly friendly to our kind. Less so to mine." He looks around. "It will have to be away from notice. It involves magic. If there were a body…" He shrugs that off. "But there isn't." As for Revas? She keeps edging closer, making those goofy coo sounds that birds often do toward their young, before ending up right beside him. Oh she's waiting, but she's already sizing up the Mabari (run, Dane. She's looking for a starting place for the grooming). "Are we required to bow down to their Maker as well? After the payment they've taken from me, they can bow to him on their own behalf."

The Knight Captain is done with meetings for the day, and is out to stretch her legs. She's even opted to not wear her armor right now. It's not official patrol, and she's just out for a breath. When, however, she comes upon Seren and Kat, and thus Revas and… "Oh, that's where you've gotten off to…" The Ferelden woman says with a sigh, shaking her head and making her blonde braid swing. Dane, for his part, looks up when his mistress walks in, wagging his tail so much he practically bends himself in half. Darting over to the Templar, he circles around her twice before bounding back toward Revas with a bark over his shoulder. 'Look mom! Look I've made a friend!' all over that bark.

Katerina nods, "I've had a similar experience with Anders. He seems to be fond of projecting his troubles onto others." She says, bitter about something. The comment about bowing to the Maker makes her smirk. It's not a nice expression. "Depends on where you are. But always, not being Andrastian leads to persecution, usually in the form of the olrder being more suspicious of you." She sighs, "They fear what they do not understand." But, speaking of Templars, there's Isolde. Kat smiles as Dane darts over to her owner, trying to pass off her the fondness in her look as being for the dog, not for the woman. "He decided to keep my company on a walk." Katerina says to the Knight. "Good evening, Captain." The cue is for Seren, who may not know the woman for a templar out of her armor.

Well, if Seren had relaxed, he's not now and he turns to put his back to the wall and nod in Isolde's direction. Revas doesn't appear to care who's been announced. That dogthing is moving and moving dogthings are hard to groom. The solution is obviously to take to the air to try to land on the dogthing's back! At least she'll give it the old birdy effort. "Evening." If he were less tense, he'd probably add in a title or the word 'good'. It'd be a lie, but he'd try it.

Isolde laughs at the mabari's antics. Dane, for his part, seems alright with Revas deciding to use him as a perch. Though he's a rather wiggly perch, with all the magging he's still doing. "Oh, did he now?" Isolde says to Katerina, still smiling, "I hope he wasn't too much of a pest for anyone." A nod to both mages, then. "Good evening." And she glances to the bird upon her dog's back, "Is the bird yours?" She asks then, looking to Seren, nothing but a bright curiosity in her eyes.

Katerina shakes her head at Isolde, "Stopped me from running headlong into Seren, actually." she remarks regarding Dane. Kat is not often one to feel at ease around templars, but in this instance not only is she at ease, she might even be happy to see the captain. She looks towards Seren, not begrudging him his back to the wall, Creators know she'd do it too if she didn't know this woman /quite/ well. However, there is a gentle look, a silent attempt at being reassuring.

"Revas is with me. She could leave if she chose. So far she hasn't." At least Seren is couching all those references to the freedom he doesn't have. He may not be going it well, but he's doing it. "She's been with me since I found her in the ruins of her nest." At least he catches that look from Katerina and the guard goes down a little, along with the edge in his voice. "Your Mabari are said to be like our Nightwings. They understand your words. Revas may have a larger understanding since she's been spoken to for so long." As for said Nightwing? Look, she can keep her balance, but that would requite holding on, which would require talons. Instead, she's going to fluff out her feathers and sit. Congratulations Dane, you're being nested.

"Oh, well, good for him." Isolde says with a laugh, "He's normally the one running into things, so that's fairly impressive. Aren't you, you big oaf?" Smiling, she takes a knee. Dane turns, notably much more slowly this time, aware of the bird on his back, and moves over to the Templar, pushing his head against his mistress's shoulder. "Ah, I see. I apologize, I didn't mean to offer her, or you, any offense." She says to Seren, voice going a touch more serious, but still kind, "And if that is true, I am sure she is a wonderful companion. Though Dane may decide she's one of his people if that is the case. It only takes a little bit of affection and a good serving of intelligence."

"I wouldn't call Dane an oaf." Katerina remarks in the Mabari's defense. She crosses her arms over her chest, eyes following the dpg and bird pair in their antics. "How old was Revas when you found her?" She asks of Seren, suddenly but idly curious. The between-the-lines references to their own cage are noted by the mage, who tries to hide the sardonic smirk which fights to spread over her face.

Revas was quite comfortable on her new wigglybirddog, but then there's another of those tall things and- after a brief grooming over a section of Dane's back, she moves over to work her way toward the templar. At least she's better at making friends than her elf? Seren, of course, catches the intent and takes in a deep breath. "She might be considering you for her next perch." Really, bird? REALLY? Traitor. "Not more than a few days. I had planned on trying to find an older bird to ask if it would consider… but Revas was on the ground and in need of healing and care." He shrugs. "It might have done things to her ability to bond with other birds." At last it's probably not brain damage. "She might not mind it as much. Anyone who shows interest and doesn't open with offending her is usually a friend until they prove otherwise. She's always free to make her own decisions. …it's what her name means. Freedom." You know, the stuff they no longer have.

"Oh, that's because you haven't seen him find a mud puddle yet. I assure you, he is most definitely an oaf." Isolde says, amused. She nods, then. "She is welcome. I will try and make an effort to be a decent perch." And really, she does. Staying still and everything, aside from a small avian bob of her head toward the approaching Revas. While she owned a dog, Isolde had always had relatively avian behavior herself. "It is a fitting name for a winged creature. Beautiful, as well." She comments, though it is almost idly.

It seems this evening is just the time for the gathering of the Circle's menagerie. Silent padding of still unsure rambling of a lionette cub leads the way. But while his paws are silent, the cub himself is not. He chirrups and squeaks, looking back over his shoulder with little flicks of his tufted tail. Which is likely a good thing for the man following him. "Where are you off to, you silly creature?" Says the Enchanter following him, sounding indulgent and amused. The question is met with another chirrup, as the cub glances around, then stops, tail swishing, looking over those present with wide, curious eyes. His tail brushes against Valentin's leg, causing the mage to stop, turning his head down toward the cub. "What have you spotted now?" He asks with a little laugh, which is also responded to, this time with a squeaking mrowl that pins the lionette's ears back.

More floof to get into trouble with is what tytos has spotted. But, digression aside, Kat scrunches her nose at the mention of Dane in a mud puddle. "Yes, I imagine that is a special kind of awful. What with the spray and all." she remarks. She tries, oh how she tries, to hide the affectionate quirking of her lips when she sees Isolde birding at Revas. Probobly only manages to keep it from Valentin. "She seems to be happy with you, at the very least." Kat says to Seren, regarding Revas. Then there is the adorablie meowling and Kat turns her head, "Hello Tytos." She says with a smile. "And hello Tytos' person."

Seren may or may not be quietly having an internal panic attack, but Revas has been invited and the birdthing that knows how to bird is going to be her next perch. She makes her way to Isolde's shoulder, careful of the talons, and settles in to work on those strange feather things (again, nobirdy's perfect). Except that it appears to be one big feather. Welp, she's worked on stranger. "She certainly never lets anything get boring," he replies, still a bit unsettled. "Hopefully she doesn't make it a habit. The goal is to get her used to this place, not make her get in everyone's way…" Oh and there's an actual baby thing and he groans. Yep, Revas has noticed.

Isolde laughs as Revas turns to her braid. Nimble fingers come up to pull at the tie at the base of her braid, letting it fall loose in soft ringlets. With a gentle hand, she reaches to the bird on her shoulder, returning the favor of preening by straightening crooked feathers and petting down ruffled plumage if she is allowed. It seems she is quite enamored with the bird. Dane, though, he has also noticed that there is a new, small creature walking in. As well as a new person. With a quiet woof he approaches Tytos and Valentin, keeping a few paces of distance, though he drops his nose to sniff at the lionette. Blue eyes lift to look over to the Enchanter, smiling faintly. "Good evening, Enchanter." She offers, having read this one's file, at least.

Tytos hears his name, and his head pops up and his eyes turn to Katerina and he squeaks at her quite proudly. "Good evening." Valentin offers to the room, and smirks at the sound of woofing dog. "Seems it's something of a party…" He says, sounding still amused. "Though, I wouldn't call myself Tytos's person, he just indulges me with tours of what he finds interesting around here. Rou's his person." Still not offering his own name, it seems. Probably doesn't even think about it. Tytos, curious about this large woofing creature (he's met a dog, she was nice) steps forward, sniffing back, tail flicking.

Katerina continues to watch the captain with the bird, tearing her eyes away when she can't physically stop herself from smiling. Instead she watches Seren, having a bit more of a care for her subtly distressed friend than Tytos and Dane, though they are bloody cute. "At least she is not particularly in the way at the moment." Katerina remarks before smiling, not at Valentin, but about his words. "Fair enough. I'm jealous, Valentin, no templar has ever brought me an adorable animal. Just a Grey Warden."

Revas can appreciate the change and now, human, you're gonna be groomed. "It's this way with everyone she decides she likes," Seren explains, though there's not much doubt the bird isn't a source of trouble at the moment. Which is at least something. "I'm afraid she's going to start seeking people out on her own. …I promised she wouldn't become a nuisance, but she moved about our camps freely." Now he's going to look over at the two furry things approaching eachother. Cute's distracting, right?

"Well, she's not a nuisance as far as I'm concerned. Does she get the hint when told to go away?" Isolde says, still seeming very caught up in straightening dark feathers. Revas could groom her hair as much as she liked, Isolde didn't mind. Then again, she likes animals, always has. There's a glance to Katerina at that quip about Templars and adorable animals, and then she laughs. "As in Lieutenant Garou? I knew I liked him for a reason…" She says over to Valentin, though she doesn't quite expect a direct answer to that.

Dane, for his part, drops down to play again, wagging and huffing and generally being excitable.

Valentin laughs, shaking his head. "Apparently you need to get shipped across Thedas before they bring you adorable pets." He quips, though there's no bitterness in it. Tytos, though, at this exuberance from Dane, is distinctly feline. This play seems undignified. So he sits, haughty, with his chin up and tail twitching.

Katerina wrinkles her nose again, "Hmmm. No thank you. I get the feeling the White Spire would not be good for my constitution." she says to Valentin. Center of chantry dogma, murderous chevs, other forms of blatant racism, functionally the largest slaveholding nation in Thedas. Yeah, no. The joke even makes her shiver.

Seren nods. "She understands." Almost to demonstrate, he reaches out an arm. "Revas." This time it's as if he has to force the bird's name out and he pushes away from the wall to walk in the direction that will lead him to the courtyard. The nightwing makes a sound that just might be apologetic as she takes off for her elf's shoulder. "Ir abelas. I mean no slight, but I…" Clearly need air. "Promised her she could hunt as soon as we were done with our walk."

"You have offered no slight, no need to fret. Do as you need. She is your companion, not mine." Isolde says with a smile, straightening back up when the nightwing alights from her shoulder. There's a nod to Seren, "Have a good evening. Happy hunting, Revas." She does try her best not to butcher that pronunciation, really. Dane, with the cat being, well, a cat, flops down with a huff through his nose, his head upon his front paws, wide dark eyes staring at Tytos. He will not force play, but he wants it.

Tytos cares not for the dog's want to play. He is a cat, and he is proud and he is Orlesian. He stretches, tail flicking, leaning forward. For a moment it just seems like a stretch. The only warning of his neck action is the little wiggle right before the cub pounces, landing upon the mabari's head and taking an ear in gentle, playful teeth with a chirruping growl of play. Valentin laughs, only hearing the antics, but amused none the less. "Good evening." He offers the departing Seren, before turning his attention back to Katerina. "The White Spire is a very… Unique Circle." See, there's this thing with him being blind which is that he has not the foggiest idea that Katerina is an elf.

How this woman managed to become a templar we mages may never know. Her head turns to watch Seren, a sympathetic look on her face. She's near certain they'll talk about this later. "Atisha aravas." Katerina offers to the dalish mage. It's not the standard 'dareth shirol' but the common farewell did not carry quite the wish of solace that the elf wished to impart. She watches him go before turning her attention back to Valentin, trying to ignore Dane and Tytos because the resulting 'eeee!' sound would not be dignified and, well, her nickname was Kat for more than one reason. "It is less the white spire, more Orlais that I take exception to." She remarks, which, with Valentin not knowing she is an elf, he might take to being about her being a Ferelden.

Isolde was a gentle woman, it was just her way, unless she was given a reason to not be. She laughs a little at Dane and Tytos's antics, but it is then that she notices the time. "I should probably head back in if I want to manage tea before bed…" She says quietly, and makes a small clicking sound that distracts Dane from his play with the lionette. Gently, he pushes the cub off of his head, noses at him, and then trots over to Isolde's side, ready to follow.

"Ah, well, that's a different issue all together." Valentin says to Katerina with a small nod. "It can be decent, but it can also be a terrible headache." Tytos chirrups at Dane as he trots off, but does not follow, just pads over to Valentin. Popping up onto his hind legs, he stretches up, paw resting on Valentin's leg until the mage bends, indulging him and picking him up.

"Living in a place where people like me are killed in the streets by drunken knights, even in a place like Halamshiral, sounds a bit more than a headache, Enchanter." It's pointed, though not pointed at Valentin. She kept hearing Rivain was great. She looks to Isolde, "I'm headed that way to pick up water for my dormitory." Kat remars, moving to fall into step alongside the Captain. "Dane will not be rid of this mage he spoils him so easily." because yes, it is definitely about the dog, and not about the wolf.

She is not going to touch that topic with a ten foot pole. Nope. "Well, that is convenient. He might get bored of me." Isolde says with a laugh. "Good evening, Enchanter. And he is precious." She says before moving to head down toward the kitchens.

It takes Valentin only a moment to catch Katerina's meaning, and when he does, he winces a little, and sighs. "Yes, that it does. I apologize, I did not know. You are most correct, the White Spire would likely not be a great relocation for you." Valentin says, truly sounding apologetic. Such were the inconveniences of the loss of his sight. Perhaps just affectionate, perhaps sensing his person's (because as much as he said otherwise, Tytos, at least, seems to have decided that Valentin is his as well) subtle distress, the lionette nuzzles under Valentin's chin, purring. "Good evening to you both." He says with a nod in their direction.

Katerina ceases her bristling for some reason, perhaps in part to remembering Valentin is blind, perhaps for his sincerity, perhaps for Tytos being so fucking cute. She pauses in her following of Isolde for a moment, speaking. "No apology required, Enchanter. I am sorry for being unfair. Ir abelas, dareth shirol." I am sorry and safe travels, not that that may discernible to those present. Katerina offers a small wave goodbye to Tytos before turning to catch up with the Knight captain.


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