faderift | [OPEN] Running with my roots pulled up

WHO: Bruce ~~Banner~~ and whoever else
WHAT: Rumors abound. Bruce is good at pretending he can't hear anything. A dracolisk makes everyone's life hell.
WHEN: Across Justinian
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Belated open log thing for the remainder of June; prompts and such are under the cut. Starting in brackets but feel free to switch to prose and I will follow. If you want specific prompts/starters, let me know @

knightblazer or PM this journal!

one. trouble on four hooves. (stables)

[It's not exactly the first time the horsemaster is on his case and it probably won't be the last as well, if the current situation is to go by it.

Horsemaster Dennet wasn't exactly thrilled with the dracolisk that had decided to trail all the way back here with him (muttering along the lines of 'as if one of them wasn't enough'), but the one that Bruce... was stuck with had a tendency for more collateral damage. Nothing major, at least, but after breaking three gates and four fences in its apparent nightly ritual of getting out of the stables there were some lines that needed to be drawn. Thus, this current situation.

The hammer in his hand pounds loudly against the nails as Bruce does his best fixing up the damage the dracolisk had caused in the last few nights. The sleeves of his threadbare shirts are rolled up, for even with the chill here pounding away like this still made him sweat quite a bit, especially as he continued to toil away the hours.

Beside him the dracolisk chewed delicately on some hay, clearly much calmer and less prone to violence now that its human was around.]

two. not quite back to business (healing tents, courtyard)

[It was impossible to ignore the rumors, even if they weren't that hotly circulated, for better or for worse. But still the damage had been done and it would be a lie if he said that things were the same as before.

Nothing was the same as it used to be. After the fallout with Adelaide things didn't really quite look up. Patients who once came to him for help now avoided his gaze entirely and went to others, and the new ones who came in now looked at him with wariness, with all the suspicion that frustrated Bruce more than anything else. This was one of the reasons why he hid his magic away, why he stuck to herbs and what he could do with nothing but his head and his own two hands. He was here to help and he didn't need his magic to do it. It wasn't worth any of this.

(But of course, he deserved it. He knows that. He deserves every bit of this.)

Still, regardless of everything, he came here to do a job and despite all that had happened, there were always going to be people who needed help. So Bruce does the best he can, going around the courtyard to treat whoever was willing to accept his help and aiding anybody who came to his tent while he was in there.]

three. midnight mulling (battlements)

[The battlements had, in a way, become something of a sanctuary to him now. When the night gets this dark and most of Skyhold is asleep, the biting chill of the cold and the silence of the night comforts him well.

On most other nights he'd have the excuse of potion brewing to be up here but tonight that desire isn't there. He sits on the floor, back against one of the walls as he glances out to the mountains that surround them, the sky above that twinkle with countless stars. When everything feels so vast and overwhelming its easy enough to lose himself into the sight, to let them take him away from the chaos of his mind and his soul. To find that momentary peace within himself again, when every part of him rages for something else otherwise.]

wildcard.

[Feel free to throw in your own prompt or PM/contact me to plot out stuff!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Kaisa immediately thinks of at least ten ways to reply to that, each more obscene than the next, with a particular focus on what his ointment might be. However, she restrains herself, and instead just pouts at him, puffing her cheeks out. ]

Ointments taste weird. I think my idea is better.

[Good thing Kaisa doesn't say of those, because it would be pretty awkward on Bruce's end.

Even so, the face she makes is... something in and of itself. Bruce bits down another sigh that threatens to escape him.]

There are no healing properties in spit, no matter what anybody else might say.

[ She snorts at that, then pauses, thinking for a few moments. She seems to come to a decision and turns to face Bruce, palms pressed together. Her expression isn't quite somber, but inquiring. ]

Okay, okay, I got to know. Is this obtuseness on purpose, or not? Because if you want me to cut this out, just say something. I'll back down, if that's what you want. Or if you just like playing this game with me, I can keep doing it, I just want to know you're actually on board.

[ She's fine with playing around, but she wants to make sure that he is too, and it's not just that he doesn't want to cross the amazon warden who's nearly half a foot taller than him and lugs around a giant sword. ]

If you're just playing hard to get, though, I'm sure I can bust out some real suave moves. Blow any of the Antivans around here right outta the water. They'll stand there and gape and be like 'Well shit, I guess Fereldans really are the superior seduction masters'.

[ She says that bit with a wry smirk. ]

[Well that was... probably the last thing he had expected to be confronted with, especially considering the situation.

The surprise shows through by his blinking, a baffled expression on his face as he stares at the Warden for several moments. It takes those said moments for him to find his voice and formulate some sort of response.]

I... well. [Another pause.] I'm--flattered, I suppose, if that's the term to use, but I'm just not that kind of... person.

[There's a bit of a helpless shrug at the last part. With the life he's lived thus far Bruce hasn't had many occasions to talk about things like these, so its quite clear how lost in the dark he seems to be. It's all very left field for him, to put it mildly.]

[ That's adorable. Bruce you're adorable. ]

Not that kind of person as in...you don't flirt, you don't like flirting, or you don't mind either but you're not good at playing around, or...?

[ She makes a 'keep talking' motion with her hand. ]

Like, do you want me to stop altogether, or do you want me to ask you out to dinner, or what. I mean. Not that I can make dinner. But I can find dinner. Tell someone we need that pot roast to stop the Blight, or something.

[ Pause. ]

That's a joke.

[Please call him adorable to his face, he will have no idea how to respond to that.]

Um-- [Give him a minute here, Ser Warden, this is all very sudden and he needs a bit to process all of this--] --I can make my own dinner.

[...yeah, that's all he's got.

See: his currently very unsure expression.]

[ Right now he's not being adorable, he's just being confusing. She squints at him, then slowly glances to the left and the right, as if perhaps hoping to find some meaning in other directions. Having found none, she returns to looking at him, and cocks her head to the side. ]

Are you...asking me out to dinner?

[ ?????? ]

[??? What is even going on]

I--what?

[How did anything he said translate to that??]

...

[ This was not smooth flirting it was awkward and weird and Kaisa did not like things being awkward and weird. Especially her flirting. ]

So...are we having dinner, then?

[Why is she even asking him that question what is going on--

Is this what flirting is like, he has no fucking clue. But he doesn't want to be rude and say 'no'...]

...if you want?

[HE'S SO CONFUSED, BUT HE CAN COOK IF SHE WANTS FOOD SO... OKAY??

~~help~~]

[ She blinks a little at him, tilting her head to the side. Then after a few moments, she decided that this was a good thing--and honestly, if anyone needed a break and to get treated to a dinner, it was Bruce. It was just a dinner, anyway.

She's not exactly good at wining and dining people, but it can't be that hard, right???

So she smiles, and reaches over to give Bruce a friendly thump on the back. ]

Excellent! I'll get all the food and stuff together, you've got enough to worry about.

[ She pauses for a moment, then decides to toss in, just in case: ]

...By the way? If anyone bothers you about the whole mage business--If you ever feel threatened or anything like that? Just come find me, alright? I won't let anyone give you shit. And if you want to, you can always come stay in the Warden camp. We allow people who aren't Wardens there, and a couple people who like to keep a low profile stay there. And also Anders, like, repels Templars, so they aren't an issue.

[Bruce maybe stumbles a bit in surprise from Kaisa thumping his back, and said surprise lingers at the words that she says next. The gesture was, well, appreciated, although he really didn't need it - and the last thing he wanted was to get anywhere near Anders. It'd just cause more of a headache and more unnecessary arguments he'd rather avoid.]

I'll be alright, Ser Kaisa. [He starts once the surprise wears off.] It's not the first time I've gone though it. I can handle myself. But I appreciate the thought.

People got their smallclothes all twisted up in knots, lately. Particularly with mages an' all the political bullshit mages get bogged down with. Shit's going down, and people love their scapegoats. Just be careful, alright?

[ She stands, and gives Bruce a cheerful smile, reaching to pat his shoulder. ]

You don't have t' do it alone, even if you can. Nothin wrong with getting help, yanno?

But anyway, uh. Thanks for accepting. I'll get everything arranged, yeah? Don't worry about anything.

[It's hardly the first time Bruce would have to experience something like that, really, but he knows better than to say that. It's not like it'd change anything, anyway, so why bother.

...but he really does kind of appreciate her trying to go out of the way to do all of this. Even if it is probably kind of--unorthodox? Was it unorthodox? Bruce certainly has no clue in this regard.]

Ah--okay. [...still kind of ??? about this 'date' thing but. Okay. Especially since she's trying and he doesn't want to... uh, hurt her feelings.] Just... take your time. There's no rush.

[Maybe if its long enough she'll forget and this can all pass as some weird incident to never be spoken of ever again.]

[ She shoots him a grin, and stands, stretching carelessly. That didn't go so badly after all. She may have no idea how to figure out this dinner thing she just asked Bruce to, but. Other people would know. She has an entire camp of Wardens to ask. ]

Alright, Bruce. I'll get a hold of you when it's all set up. Seeya then!

[ And off she goes, sauntering like she owns the entire hold. ]

[OPEN] Running with my roots pulled up

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