faderift | Player Plot: The Big One?

_{[ Kirk questioned Araceli being on this journey. She didn't seem to be in the physical condition for it, and being out here on this journey would only stress wounds that probably shouldn't risk it. Permanent damage would come a lot easier out here than it would in his own world.

He comes over to her and sits down in front of her, rubbing his own hands together to warm them up and makes a motion for her to give him her leg. ]}

Come on, let me help with that.

[Leaving her behind in Skyhold in empty quarters? Arguably worse. The healers had cleared her for it, perhaps reluctantly but getting out and away from Skyhold again helps her feel less trapped, less helpless than she's been since being helped out of the dungeons in Craintellier to the healing tents to her room.

Glancing up at Kirk, she hesitates for a moment because usually the only men handling her leg lately have been the healers or the Kestrels when she was well enough to 'escape' to them. Scooting closer, she stretches out her leg, wondering when she won't want to look at it as if it's betrayed her personally as well as insulted her honour.]

Gracias. I am glad we'll be riding back to Skyhold instead of walking. Lux won't but he doesn't get an opinion.

_{[ He could understand that. He was the worst patient imaginable, and
during his very intensive recovery from death, he had nearly drove Bones
and his other attending physicians insane. He'd wanted out of the hospital
as soon as possible and been very vocal about that desire. He takes up her
leg, laying it across his knees, recalling the therapies he had undergone
to help him recovery movement. Surprise, but dashing through a breaking
ship wasn't very kind to your lower extremities. ]}

Denada. That's assuming these nuggalopes will let us ride them, isn't it? They're not anywhere near tame, from what I gathered, just... tolerant.

[Lux flops over as Kirk keeps talking, one ear flicking up and an eye opening. All seems well enough for him that he yawns and rolls again to get himself closer to the fire. Araceli mutters that he's lazy under her breath until she makes herself relax, finding the dragon's tooth necklace to clutch in her left hand just in case it hurts.]

Korrin knows these Avvar, if she is willing to take their word then I can as well. [When Asher's loss is still fresh enough that Araceli doesn't like to speak of it too much, she doesn't want to cast too much doubt on them.] There are plenty of wild things that will let you close if you can be patient enough. I've swum alongside turtles, whales, dolphins, even sharks.

_{[ He works gently using the heel of his hand, paying attention to the way Araceli instinctually reacts to modify his pressure and where he's touching. ]}

I've had middling luck with wild creatures, myself. Seems like they either like me or they want to make me lunch. But I could say the same about some civilized ones too.

_{[ He chuckles, recalling some of his adventures and shaking his head. ]}

[Huffing out of her nose, she closes her eyes and tips her head back but it's better. Better than it was when she first started and the ache will pass, she'll stop hurting, but when the massage first starts? Never pleasant.]

Maybe because you are a man, plenty of things out there like to eat the males when they're done. [Only she laughs to show she's just teasing.] I would say that wanting to make lunch of you means they aren't so very civilised. At least people only ever chased me, shot at me, that sort of thing. What did you ever do that they wanted to make a meal of you?

Edited (paste the whole tag self) 2016-10-26 21:18 (UTC)

_{[ There was nothing to be done for that, unfortunately. But the pain was a good thing. One wanted to work in the areas that hurt, where the muscles were tightest and thus resisted the stretching and produced that stinging ache as they came loose.

He gave her a return laugh at the joke, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at her. ]}

Oh, I probably miscalculated saying or doing something that highly offended them in their culture. I try not to, really, but sometimes honest mistakes happen - but they aren't so quickly smoothed over. Or there's just plain misinterpretations. Things do get lost in translation quite easily.

Do you not have some sort of training? [Talking is a good distraction instead of thinking about her leg, and she can hear the proof that she's recovering; she doesn't trail off unless something cuts too close to what she went through, her mind is entirely hers again save memories that one day might not be quite so liable to hurt.]

In Thedas it's different, I know, I had to adjust to more than just humans, magic being real but we learn a lot of things growing up where I do, ways to avoid a fight, or certain kinds of fights and trouble. Still...some things? I can never get them out just right speaking here. The words come out but something of the spirit is lost in the translation, and by the time you explain it all, sometimes you wonder why you even bothered, no?

Oh of course I had training. The command track has quite a few classes on diplomacy, no matter how boring they can get. But when you meet a new people, a people no one else has ever met before, those kinds of accidents can happen. Most are forgiving, but some much less so.

_{[ He gave a half shrug and a little smile, working down to her calf.
]}

Yeah, I've had that feeling too. What about your friend there? Think he feels like that around us? I know the kittens must the way they look at me sometimes.

It's why everyone gambles where I'm from. You learn a tell at the table, you learn them everywhere else. There were plenty of things my other tutors as a girl didn't have to take so long to teach me because some of it was in my head already. Same with my pistol and duelling instructor.

[But then that's maybe more from her specific parents; Araceli can teach how to spot tells but there are plenty more lessons from the brothel that aren't nearly so simple to teach, not when you grew up knowing them and you do them without thinking.]

Lux? Lux thinks he's the lord of all he surveys when he can get away with it but I taught him to be a lookout. You ever see him working with me properly, you'll see how much he understands. When he wants to. Plenty of times he doesn't just to be contrary, I've heard that's often the way with cats.

Well, humanoid tells don't work when it comes to species that eschew emotion entirely, or who look more like birds than than anything, or may not have skeletal body forms at all. That's why it can be difficult and things get mistranslated.

_{[ Kirk wasn't much of a gambler though. He enjoyed Wicked Grace and
Poker well enough, but his game of choice was actually chess and other
strategic mind games that relied less on luck and more on skill (which
might be ironic considering a good portion of some of his plans relied on
luck mixed in with the skill). ]}

I'm finding that out for myself. Leonard and Nikita have their good and bad days, that's for sure. I've at least trained them to use a littler box or go outside to use the bathroom and to wear a harness. Which is really about all I can expect, honestly. I'm not pushing for more miracles.

Wait-- [Actually let her sit up properly and take a swig from her flask because what. The flask is offered out to Kirk too - watered rum, sailor's rations - as she takes a moment to think before she says anything.] How can...can 'people' not have skeletons? I know some creatures cannot but those are usually small. Usually in the sea for us too.

[If Araceli had years she couldn't explain even half of what lurks in the waters of Castileos and beyond.]

Leonard? [That makes her think of Church, getting to tell him about this adventure when he's back.] If I put Lux in a harness you'd just hear him shrieking, I tried it a few times when he was little so you're doing better there. Do you have toys? They're good for teaching them.

_{[ He took the flask and a swig, more not to be rude than anything. He
wasn't one for drinking on missions even though he had begun to take to it
a little since he didn't always trust the water. ]}

You're stuck on the idea of "people" looking like you and me - humanoid that is. On some planets, our form is a detriment, not an advantage, so some species have more in common with a jellyfish than they do us. Life evolves to best suit the environment it's in, so why form bones and gangly bodies when something more compact, light, and flexible is what means you'll survive?

_{[ He had no doubt about that. Some of Earth's ocean still remained a
mystery, and he actually liked it that way. Never mind all the mysteries of
the oceans of other planets. ]}

Yeah, we have toys, but it's more to tire them out than train them for anything. I like my sleep at night.

[After the water in Skyhold started making everyone hallucinate? Araceli trusts it even less.]

My people came out of the sea once, in some places they still have gills under their clothes. Not polite to go looking for them but I imagine you must be careful with anyone like a jellyfish, just an accidental brush from a tentacle and you would swear you were on fire. I wish I could see such places - the stories you must be able to tell, I'm so jealous. We shaped our way of life to suit us best though; in one land they faced a monster that would hunt you down if it knew your true name or face, and so it could only be defeated by twins who wore a mask shared a name, and the creature could not attack because it did not know the truth.

[Nerissa would explain this better than Araceli with half her head fuzzy from the climb, the other half unravelling from the relief Kirk's hands are bringing to her leg as she flexes it carefully, grinning when the muscles don't scream this time.]

I can show you a few things when we get back that I used to have. Drawings, I don't have any now and they're-- [home catches in her throat like it does sometimes now, more easily than it did.] Animals do plenty of things out of boredom. You can make toys to hide food or other toys, make life a challenge so they feel like brave mighty hunters. Kept Lux out of mischief when I was younger.

_{[ Boil everything. That's Kirk's golden rule. ]}

Heh, well, any time you want, I'll tell you the stories that I can. About jellyfish and a whole lot of in between. Though it sounds like you have quite a few interesting stories all your own to share. How about we trade off? I tell one and then you?

_{[ Seemed fair, didn't it? ]}

I just might need those ideas. Keeping those two from tearing up the loft can be a challenge some days, especially when I don't get to take them out on their walks.

Absolutely. I think here, for people like us? All the more important to share what's gone on in our lives too. If I hadn't told Sister Nightingale a story from my home she might never have thought to recommend tales of Rivain to me. So I might never have been in Dairsmuid to hear about how bad it was and to ask for the aid of others, including you.

[Maybe they don't know everything about Thedas but recruited into the guard to be the outsider perspective for it? It makes sense. Even if it's just them to start with.]

If I wasn't so worried about anything getting under my feet, I'd have to come spy on some of your walks I think. Maybe I will once I can get back on the rooftops.

[New year feels like such a long time away.]

I just have to hope my stories will be believed.

_{[ He laughed a touch wryly, because it was rather the truth wasn't it?
His stories sound unbelievable, he knew they did, but he didn't make them
up either. They were the true account of his life, but the things he did
were so far out of reach for the people here that they sounded like little
more than fancy. ]}

You don't have to spy, you're welcome to join if you like.

Player Plot: The Big One?

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