Moments

Moment of Satinalia Eve

"Shit! Bollocks! Arsebucket!"

Jumping out of my bed, I dashed down the stairs, my feet sliding upon the steps, the twisted blanket following. I yanked back the door, my hands searching for a weapon I didn't have, when a mass of blonde hair flopped before my face.

"Oh, it's you."

Shaking my head, I glanced up to find the elven face flipped upside down, one hand dangling free while the other clung above her.

"Sera...?" I started, ducking below her dangling head and stepping into the empty hall.

"What?" she asked indignant, as if it were perfectly normal to find someone trussed up and hanging upside down above a doorway.

"Explain."

"Well, it's like this, see. It's supposed to be Satinalia, right? Big day. Lots of eating those little sticks with cream in 'em, and breaking open casks, and spinning around until you vomit the sticks all over the floor."

"Yes...?"

"But it's not a proper Satinalia, a right one, without embrium knotted in those balls. Hee, hee, balls."

"I thought Satinalia was about masks, and feasting, and something about an important speech." One I kept putting off, no matter how many times Josephine asked how it was getting on.

"Who told you that rot? Nah, nah, got to have the embrium. Only...we ain't got any embrium in the alchemy stores, so I'm making due."

"And that's why you're hanging upside down?" I asked.

"Don't be daft!" she shouted, kicking her legs as if I were the fool.

"Do you want help getting down?"

She kicked her legs together again, banging her shoes as if that could free her and shook her head, "I got this."

I eyed her up, the knots digging deep into her flesh but only nodded, "If you're sure..."

Sera looked about to argue when her lips smirked, "What the tits are you wearing?"

I looked down to find myself still in my pajamas. Fear of another invasion from Corypheus' army kept me from bothering to dress. The tunic was soft and long enough to reach almost to my knees, perfectly acceptable sleepwear, but what stood out was the sunburst symbol of the chantry large enough to cover the chest, my stomach and almost my thighs. Josie found it amongst some leftovers from Haven. Finding a replacement had been low on the priorities.

"It's the night robes of the Inquisitor," I said, steadying my shoulders.

"Psh, looks like yer chest's about to spawn out a demon...It can't do that, right?"

"No," I said shaking my head, "at least, not yet."

"Shite!"

The hunger of being roused from a deep slumber knotted up my stomach. I patted the sunburst and stepped towards the kitchen doors. Before opening it, I turned back towards Sera, "You're certain you're all right?"

"Stop being such a fusspot. I got shit to do!" she shouted. Sera didn't twist or rise from her predicament, her only free hand still dangling. Well, if she was still like that when I came back later I could cut her loose. I opened up the door and left her to her own decorating machinations.

Sliding down the stairs, warm scents of roasting sage and jellied things swam through the air. A few of the kitchen help dashed past, still checking on things despite the late hour. This was the first real holiday the Inquisition would host and Josie took it upon herself to impress every dignitary that wandered by to see what the fuss was about. The pilgrims cluttering up the courtyard didn't help much either, everyone insisting what was the proper way to celebrate the moon.