all of nature wild & free

[eviscerates]

WHO: Ruby Lucas & various.
WHAT: Catch all
WHEN: from the beginning of the months until Orlais Adventures
WHERE: Various locations within and near Skyhold
NOTES: To be added!

starters in le commentios and to be added to through the month.

Comments

( closed ) Adelaide.

[eviscerates]

When she's human, Ruby doesn't howl. There's all manner of things she can do with her voice, but as a general rule when she's walking in this skin she doesn't add howling to the list - for one it would be weird, and it just wouldn't be as satisfying as when the Wolf howls. That isn't to say that Ruby Lucas is always on the quiet side.

On this day, Ruby started on the quiet side (humming, mostly) and as she's worked her way through a mental checklist of the Immaculate Collection (fudging her way through a couple of songs she never cared about as much) the usual mental checks on maintaining inhibitions and awareness have slipped a little as she's relaxed. It's escalated from humming and quiet singing to getting into it, using a bunch of lavender as an impromptu microphone. There's dancing (good dancing, still... dancing) and she's in her general summer state of not quite Thedas.

It'd be great to be able to blame the booze she's working on, but she's not actually had a drop. In the background there is a copper still, gin-to-be-hopefully steeping. She has a pile of books, a few different lush projects in hand courtesy of the supplies Adelaide ordered, and a scattering of fruit that she bribed various vendors and cooks for with favours already done or promised pick ups next time she's in this or that town.

"When you call my name, it's like a little prayer, I'm down on my knees, I want to take you there--"

Anytime, Adelaide. Anytime would be a good time to stop to dancing.

[fleurdesel]

It is a bit of a walk, hobbling down to the Undercroft where she'd had Ruby's tools and stills and books set up for this particular venture. Proper Gin and liqueurs and all manner of bottled things that are unfamiliar but potent to be produced and while normally she would expect notes and tests simmering away-

finding Ruby like this is not so terrible.

The song unfamiliar, the dance doubly so, but the joy, the energy? That is what she'd hoped for. Something to ground and uplift in ways she with her magic cannot manage. Something for those not of this world, something for those of this world to learn more of them. "Red-"

She calls out, laughter in her voice. "You sent for me?"

[eviscerates]

Ruby is capable of holding herself remarkably still when she's, oh, frozen in horror. after a moment she glances to Adelaide, one hand settling at her waist like that's what she was very casually always meaning to do.

"Hi." Be calm, be confident. "You know, it's kind of mean to sneak up on a girl. I could havd been doing something embarrassing."

[fleurdesel]

"Then you have my sincere apologies. I did not intend to sneak, though I thought the sound of my hobbling would be enough to alert you to my presence." Not when she is singing and dancing, apparently. Adelaide takes the next few steps down slowly, a thin smile on her lips.

"Is the lavender particularly inspiring?"

( closed ) Bruce

[eviscerates]

"Hey-- Bruce?"

Not so much questioning his identity - they've worked together before - so much as catching his attention and asking if he's free.

"Hi." Ruby waves add best one can when carrying a number of paper bags, which is to day not very well. Her smile, however, is bright. "I've got some new seeds for you."

Ruby's attire is Thedas but not quite, though arguably is it the flowers marking her path and the buttercups and clovers blooming underfoot that are a little more recent and a little more weird.

[amygdalae]

Bruce glances up from his journal at the voice, taking a moment to place a name to it - as well as the face that greets him.

"Lucas." He's seen her around often enough, usually with Adelaide, which is good because she needs much better company than him or Anders. As much as he can tell she's been good for her, and he certainly hopes that will continue.

He puts down the journal as she moves closer towards him, about to speak when then he notices the trail of... flora following her wherever she walks. That's--certainly new. Huh.

Not wanting to stare too long and be awkward about it, he quickly turns his gaze back up at her and flashes a smile. "You didn't have to, but--thank you. The garden will be better for your help."

[eviscerates]

"It's no problem. I try and get a whole bunch of cutting whenever I go to a different area. I can't always find seeds, but when I do..." She trails off, and shrugs hopefully. "I'm no gardener, but I tried to get a bunch of Crystal Grace and Arbor Blessing, so hopefully some of them'll take."

She holds out the carefully packaged and labelled seeds, and smiles before nodding to the garden. "It looks so much better than when I got here. Um-- if there's any plants you're ever looking out for, just let me know. Adelaide normally gives me a list of medical ones, but I'm happy to flesh it out with other stuff."

Ivy is growing a wall near them, and the proximity of Ruby and the ring make little orange flowers start peeking through the dark green leaves, which she glances at with a quiet sort of bemusement.

[amygdalae]

"Even if only a fraction of them last, its better than nothing. We can work with the surviving stock to get more." Between Sina's magic and the other assorted help that was given, the garden truly had flourished in the last few months - it also helped that there hadn't been any more destruction in the area since then. The progress was heartening to see, and his own smile widens a little more as he glances over to the garden as well.

He looks back to Lucas after that, ready to wave off her offer, only to pause at the sudden emergence of flowers poking out from the ivy. Those... certainly weren't there before.

Without much of a choice he finally turns his gaze to the ring of flowers that was surrounding her and pointedly raised an eyebrow. "Is there something I should know?"

( closed ) Samwise.

[eviscerates]

"Hey," she asks quietly, slowly unrolling a stretch of wire and not really able to glance in the direction of whoever she's talking to, "can I ask you a favour?"

Ruby is sitting at a table in the gardens, enjoying the sun on her back and the bright light for her task, which for now is assembling all the pieces she needs to make an alarming number of ice grenades. "I wouldn't ask," she continues, and her tone is apologetic, "but this wire is super determined to be curly and I need it stretched out for cutting the lengths-- yeah."

Buttercups and daisies and forget-me-knots and little purple and red flowers she doesn't have names for grow thick under her feet, ending a path of them that mark her steps across the garden.

[harthad_uluithiad]

Sam had noticed the woman sitting in the gardens, bent over her work, and had been curious, but not curious enough to let it overcome his manners and lead him to snoop and pry. He'd gone on with his own duties, weeding and watering and tending the plants, though always aware of the new presence in the familiar gardens.

He pauses, brow furrowing in confusion, at the sight of the new flowers trailing across the garden, even more at a loss when they seem to lead right to her. There are too many, and most are too small, to have been transplanted there - and who would plant a meandering trail of flowers across the neat rows of herbs and vegetables anyhow?

But it's nothing he can explain, and in the end he leaves them there, too softhearted to think of digging them up even if they had needed that space for other things. The royal elfroot'll just have to be planted somewhere else, that's all.

When she calls out quietly, he looks up immediately - not as wholly engrossed in his own thoughts as he'd appeared - and then approaches her, peering with confused interest at the strange assortment of things on her table.

"Of course, Miss," he says, and immediately reaches out, holding the wire taut.

[eviscerates]

"Thank you."

His response is so quick and so polite and so-- so gentle seeming that Ruby looks his way with a slight smile. "I really appreciate it."

As he holds the wire she grabs up the cutters and carefully snips, before measuring out the next length. "I don't think we've met before, which seems... really negligent of me, with the amount of time I spend out here. My name's Ruby Lucas."

She'd offer to shake his hand but they both seem to have their hands full. He seems extremely small for a human, and too small for any dwarf she's seen, whether from Thedas or Misthaven. The scent of dirt rolling off him seems warm somehow, comforting, although maybe not all the surprising given their location. It's endearing all the same.

[harthad_uluithiad]

Sam bobs his head, unable to give any more of a bow than that while holding the wire. "Samwise Gamgee, at your service. Only most folk call me Sam. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ruby." He watches curiously as she snips the wire and sets it aside, trying to guess what it might be for and coming up short. "Begging your pardon, but what is it you're making, exactly?"

( closed ) Anders.

[eviscerates]

She stands with a basket at the entrance of his tent. For all the warm sunshine and the brightness that comes with blue skies and green leaves and flowers blooming, the atmosphere around Skyhold has been miserable and wintery in some corners. It's only to be expected, really, when people lose someone important to them.

Quietly, she knocks on the nearest surface we can reach that'll provide a satisfactory knock. "Anders, is now an okay time?"

Her voice is gentle, and in her hands she holds a basket with a white cloth dropped over whatever's in it.

[justice_is_blond]

The voice is a little bit of a surprise. He's not sure why Ruby would be visiting... but it's not an unwelcome surprise. Anders glances over what he's wearing, makes sure Purrelden hasn't gotten herself tangled in anything, and only then responds.

"Of course. Come on in. Are you all right?" The tent gets a little straightening, small embroidered pillow tossed back on the bed from his little desk as he frowns at the papers he has all over said desk. It's not as orderly as he'd like it, but it's been a rough few weeks.

[eviscerates]

"I'm fine." Quick, though her voice stays soft. Calm, really, though empathy sneaks in along the edges of it and makes it more than just calm.. Calming, an optimist might say. She just hopes it isn't-- something. Annoying? Condescending?

"I just wanted to check in. I heard about your friend, Hercules," and she pauses, then, a complicated sort of expression on her face. "In my world, sometimes when people lose someone you try to help by bringing food. Like a comfort thing or just so they have one less thing to worry about, you know?"

Ruby glances down at the basket and feels markedly ridiculous. "I brought you this, but um. Mostly I just wondered how you're holding up? And if you need anything."

[justice_is_blond]

He looks up from the desk with a little surprise on his face. Kindness isn't really something he expects from most people he knows well, to get it from someone he's only acquainted with takes him a moment to wrap his head around.

"I... Thank you." Anders gestures at the chair near his desk, taking a seat on the bed. "Did you know him? He deserves to be known. He's... He was a good man. A good leader." And he's a little nervous about how Blackwall doesn't talk when the Wardens are together, doesn't let anyone know what he's thinking. Is Blackwall regretting joining them? If he leaves, then Teren's in charge, and she's... aloof. Anders doesn't know what she's thinking either. They may be in for a difficult transition here, as if his head isn't a mess already.

"He saved my life, you know." And then it clicks that she asked a question. "And I think I need better focus. That would help a great deal."

( closed ) Cosima.

[eviscerates]

Having outted herself as Red Riding Hood, Ruby is pretty satisfied that Cosima will be able to pick which one she is in the tavern, what with the crimson brocade cloak resting over the chair next to her.

She's idly making notes, two flagons of beer in front of her, and fiddles with one of five braided leather bracelets that are big enough to slip further along her forearm when she props her elbow on the table.

[youwonscience]

When Cosima arrives, she's probably no harder to miss, for all that Ruby's never seen her before. She certainly doesn't blend in. (She's idly imagined whether Sarah would try to pass, in her place. Probably, at least a little. Cosima, though, has neither a talent nor a taste for pretending to be anything other than herself.)

She sits down across from Ruby with a grin. "Whatever happened to a rose stuck in Anna Karenina?"

[eviscerates]

Ruby looks up sharply, and her mouth quirks with a smile, sunny and easy. A fellow misfit - Enchanted Forest native she may be, but she's currently forsaking layers of dresses for leather and loose shirts.

"Well, I tried, but the closest I could get was a copy of the Chant of Light and that seemed sacrilegious."

Flipping shut the notes, Ruby idly shakes out her wrists. "Nice to meet you in person. Weird how you can have like an internet friend here, huh?"

( closed ) Adelaide 2: The Orlesian Empire Strikes Back.

[eviscerates]

"Captain, I need you."

Striding into Adelaide's "office" with all the confidence of someone who probably spends too much time barging into this particular slice of library, Ruby seems prepared to head somewhere. Her red hood is nowhere to be seen, but she has a small pack hanging from her back.

She holds out her hand, expectant and hopeful rather than demanding. Assertive she might be, entirely lacking in manners she is not, although this is certainly not quite a match to everyone in the world's idea of manners. "Let's go. We have places to be and re-writing those notes can wait."

There is a tension in Adelaide's shoulders, in all of her that concerns Ruby, and while there's a lot she can't do, this at least she can attempt. Ways to help, to put people at ease, to drag them out of their offices.

This time it's PERSONAL

[fleurdesel]

"Mm?" Adelaide peers up from her notes, blinking her focus from 'paper that is almost too close' to 'someone standing on the other side of the desk.' "Red?"

Who else would it be, no one else calls her Captain, and no one else is quite so casually and comfortably entitled to her time. Yet she cannot find herself overly bothered by this, simply setting down her pen and sitting up with a grimace and cracking of her spine. Too much time hunched over the desk. She might be due asking a massage of Bull again. "Where is it we are going?"

She has not yet taken Red's hand but that she's set down the pen? Shows it is inevitable.

[eviscerates]

"That's a surprise."

Her smile is gentle, albeit slightly concerned. "You need to get out of here for a while and I found somewhere awesome, so."

Ruby shrugs a little, resting her weight against the corner of the desk. "Think of it as a health break."

( closed ) Ellana.

[eviscerates]

Ruby is balancing too many boxes as she tries to make her way towards the cellars. Some are from vendors, some are from favours called in with the kitchen and debts that she's going to need to remember to write down for her next trek. There's some herbs balanced on top, and she can feel one of the wooden crates starting to come apart--

"No no no, come on."

Hurriedly, she smooshes the box against the wall, pushing the nails back tight into place so she can adjust her grip on the whole pile.

"Uh, I am so sorry, Ellana," she starts, glancing over in the direction of the nearest person, smile apologetic as she looks towards her. "I totally already owe you one on the favour front, but could I trouble you for a hand? I've got a fruit emergency that might get out of hand."

[serannas]

It's one of those days that Ellana feels she has to fill with something productive, but for someone like her who isn't a skilled craftsperson, her help boils down to fetch and carry most of the time. Which is fine. Every little bit helps the Inquisition, after all. And here it looks like her latest drop off has left her at the right place at the right time, as she rushes forward to help Ruby.

"Here, what can I take? Some off the top?" Already she's reaching for the top of the stack to alleviate some of the weight on the bottom.

[eviscerates]

"Off the top," Ruby confirms, bending her knees to lower the uppermost boxes to a more reachable height. The top crate is the most delicate collection of fruits - berries, largely, and beneath that is a layer of peaches. It's not so much that everything is too heavy, at least not to a person with Wolf strength, more that the boxes can't quite cope with the other boxes on top.

Her smile is sheepish. "You're a lifesaver. Thank you," she continues, even as she glances around the crates she still has in hand, and awkwardly uses her foot to push open the door she'd been headed to, leading down to part of the cellar. "How've you been?"