faderift | [OPEN] It's thunder and it's lightning

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[OPEN] It's thunder and it's lightning

WHO: Bruce Not-Banner and anybody else
WHAT: Somehow its business as usual. And also a dracolisk who continues to makes his life interesting in all the best ways.
WHEN: Across all of August, 9:42 Dragon
WHERE: Orlais or Skyhold. Timey wimey ball in effect.
NOTES: Catch all and stuff for this month. Like before I'm starting in brackets, but feel free to switch around to prose and I'll follow. If you want to plot stuff or request individual starters, feel free to either PM me, get me on Plurk @

knightblazer or Discord @ knightblazer#8835.

one. fancy roads and fancier people (orlais)

[Orlais is, and will most likely never be, Bruce's cup of tea - to put it mildly. The people here felt too... fake, hiding behind their masks and whispering as if nobody could hear them, could see the way they were so clearly scheming. Things they could all so easily less do of and focus on more important things, like helping the countless people living in constant poverty. Not that he was expecting anything like that anytime soon.

The nerve of these people sometimes.

Though he is but one person Bruce does whatever he can to help still. He goes around lower districts and out into the countryside where the sick, the old and the poor need help the most, and can be easily found giving consultations for those who come to seek for it and medications to those who do need it using his own coin that he gets from working in the Inquisition.

In fact, if you're lucky (or unlucky) enough, you can chance him up in the high quarters, where he grudgingly goes up there in order to shop for all those needed herbs and medicines, some of which only can be found here in the heart of Orlais. Not that knowledge helps him sometimes, because some of these shopkeepers really want to suck people dry and Bruce finds himself having to bargain one too many times. It can get kind of draining after a while.

And yes, while he's here, he's still stuck in the armor set that the Inquisition loaned him.]

two. no more fancy streets for me (skyhold)

[Bruce never thought he'd be thinking it, but it was good to be back in Skyhold. If only because that meant he wasn't in Orlais. For now, anyway.

Either way, its good to be out of that armor.

It's easy enough to settle back into his usual routine once he's settled back down. Bruce can be found in his usual places for the most part during the day - the healing tents where he tends to most of the patients under his care, around the courtyard when he makes his daily rounds to attend to those who can't quite come to him, the gardens where he works however he can to ensure that the herbs and plants continue to flourish and for those who want to seek him out during the night - the battlements, where he dwells up there more often than not and uses those restless nights to experiment with some potion making.

On some nights though instead of the battlements he's instead in the library, perusing through numerous texts and jotting down notes in his worn leather journal. If there's at least one good thing that came out of his mage status being revealed, its at least the fact that he no longer has to sneak around just to read a magical tome or two. Not that it makes him feel any better, but it does help that the rumors around him aren't as strong as they used to be, now that the people have other things to be occupied with.

And finally, he can be sometimes found at the stables, reluctantly tending to the dracolisk he's more or less stuck with at this point. And maybe sometimes taking it out to try and train it. And speaking of that...]

three. you sir are not a dog (skyhold, stables)

--no, I said, stay.

[It's definitely a bit of a sight should one chance upon it - Bruce with a hand raised, making the universal gesture of stop towards the dracolisk that's apparently determined to follow him around. Or at least, as evidenced by Bruce dropping his hand, taking a few steps backward... and sighing when he sees the dracolisk following him still.]

I said, stay. [Bruce runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head.] You can't follow me all around Skyhold.

[He steps forward now, closer to the dracolisk, and it only backs away a little when Bruce comes it too closely for it to really be able to take a good look at its human. It snorts and flicks its tail when they both stop moving, and Bruce is left to stare at it for a good moment.]

Alright, let's try this again. [He raises his hand once more.] Stay.

[He clicks his tongue after that, slowly lowering his hand... and then the dracolisk leans back on its hindlegs, eventually assuming--well, like this.

A few moments pass as Bruce stares at what had just happened. Then he lowers his hand.

--he supposes its close enough.]

wildcard.

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Hermione really isn't the best at naming things, and would much rather name someone after someone else. The store clerk had come up with Crookshanks, honestly, or else he might have been named for one of her favorite Muggle authors, and the poor cat likely wouldn't have taken to that at all.

But right now, she turns her attention from the dracolisk and looks to Bruce, almost certain that he's trying to find some way to change the subject away from naming the unorthodox creature. Even so, she's not about to leave a question unanswered once it's been posed to her, not if she has the answer readily available.]

It's a half-eagle, half-horse creature. They're related to griffins, which I'm told exist here. I had to ride a hippogriff before, and it was a bit... well, more than a bit terrifying, really, if I were to tell the truth. But Buckbeak was really rather sweet once he got to know you and felt he could trust you. [She glances back at the dracolisk, then, smiling a little as she reaches out to pet him again.] I wonder if this one has that in common with him. He's certainly been sweet enough once he's calmed down a bit.

[Half eagle and half... horse? Bruce frowns a little, attempting to picture it, but not quite succeeding. All he pretty much sees in his mind are griffins which he only knows how they look like now due to the fact that the Inquisition has them now.

He takes a minute to try and ponder that, although he pauses as he sees the dracolisk happily taking in the attention its getting now, tail swishing excitedly as its ears flick several times in quick succession.]

I think its just learned that being nice means its more likely to get food. [Though he has to admit that it has calmed down a fair bit since it first came here. There are still some days where it still thinks breaking fences and kicking down gates are hilarious, but they're not as frequent as they had been last month.

Mostly now the main problem Bruce has is the fact that it won't stop following him around.]

[She's yet to meet the Inquisition's griffins, so she can't accurately compare them, though they're remarkably similar. Hippogriffs are somehow less regal, though. It's tough to be noble when you're one of the more unfortunate-looking creatures in the magical world.

Not that dracolisks are overly pretty, but Hermione's grown a bit fond of this one, given that she's likened him to a child that's slowly growing up. For now, she's going to keep gently correcting Bruce on his pronouns as she tries not to faun over the animal at her side.]

He. And he's likely learned that being nice means he'll get more positive attention. Maybe that's all he really wants from you.

[In other words, maybe he'll stop chasing after Bruce if it didn't take that and a few broken gateposts to get some attention out of him.]

[Another deep frown from Bruce, because he can see where she's trying to go with that and it certainly isn't helping him. Having something to take care of... that kind of responsibility is the last thing he needs, not with the life he has.

But of course, its not like he can state that.]

I can't be around all the time just for it. [His issues aside, he does have a job here in the Inquisition. Making his potions, tending to the injured, helping at the garden--many other things that does not involve a dracolisk trying to follow him all over Skyhold or make him fix all the fences and gates that its broken.]

Which is why you should make some time for him and find other people who can keep him company when you're unavailable. I can spare some time for him, especially if I learn to take him out for a ride.

[And no, she's not cooing at the dracolisk again, because she doesn't coo. That's just silly.]

That is, if he'll consent to a ride every now and again. We can always just walk together.

[At least Bruce is more concerned about... other things than to note if she's cooing at the dracolisk or not. Though it doesn't matter to him either way.]

I don't want to inconvenience others. [The dracolisk like it or not is his own problem, and he'd rather not involve other people into this - especially when he can manage it himself for the most part.] Considering everything else, this is the last thing people need to be concerned about.

[They've got more important things than a dracolisk that likes to demand for attention.]

It's not inconveniencing if I'm offering!

[Yes, there are more important things to worry about, but until Hermione learns of some way to send the rifters home or there's some sort of crisis erupting or Corypheus decides to knock on Skyhold's front door, she doesn't exactly have anything overly pressing to take care of. She can do with a regular, active reason to get away from the dim library filled with musty books.]

Besides, some people really quite like animals, especially unusual ones. It shouldn't be too hard to find one or two other people who would enjoy spending some time with him. Even I know that spending all of your time working can be draining if you don't have the occasional break to smile.

[There's a bit of a conflicted expression on Bruce's face at her words. It's not like he's a workaholic except that he is - its just so much easier to put himself into a job that he came here to do and focus on that. At least with that things aren't as complicated. Less grey areas, more black and white. Things there don't give him as much of a headache as the rest of his life usually does.

Again, however, its not something he can just voice out aloud.]

I still would rather not trouble others if I can help it. [A brief pause after that as he does give Granger something of a smile.] But I appreciate the offer, though.

[She can keep arguing about how it isn't any trouble and really, there's no reason for him to be so stubborn about the whole thing. But she won't, because she's not nearly familiar enough with Bruce to talk that way to him, and besides, she knows how it can be dealing with stubborn people. The more you tell them to stop behaving a certain way, the more likely they are to keep persisting.

So instead, she lets him off the hook easily enough, especially given that that smile shows he's at least trying. The least she can do is return his smile and not risk giving him a headache before too long.]

I wouldn't offer it if I didn't mean it. And if I happen to find anyone who mentions wanting to spend more time with dracolisks, I'll point them in your direction. In the mean time, if our nameless friend here is agreeable to it, I wouldn't mind that riding lesson you'd promised. Assuming you're still willing, of course.

[It is nice that she doesn't push, even though part of him had expected her to do so. He tries not to think too much into that; he knows there's nothing to it but years of paranoia doesn't go away so easily.]

I doubt there'll be many who will be interested, but I guess if they're really keen on it... [A small shrug. Bruce isn't entirely sure if he's going to be ready for something like that, but he'll deal with it when he comes. Until then, however--] But yes, I did promise a riding lesson.

[Bruce certainly would feel bad if he didn't keep up to the things he had promised. He reaches over to the dracolisk and pats its flank twice, and it takes it as its cue to stand back up from its sitting position.]

Rifters and others who've never seen a dracolisk before would be more than willing to spend some time with him, I'd think. Otherwise, I'd be the odd one, and I'd like to think that's not the case. [Spoiler: that's usually the case.

She backs away from the dracolisk a bit when Bruce signals him to get up, but she doesn't exactly go too far. She's spontaneously ridden all sorts of magical creatures that she'd prefer not to think about, since she usually only did so under times of duress, so it would be nice to get a proper lesson on riding something without the threat of death looming over her.

Besides, it can't be worse than riding an enraged dragon out of a vault while Death Eaters close in on you.]

Is it much like riding a horse, or is he a little more finicky than that?

Well, just keep an eye out if there is somebody, I guess.

[He kind of doubts it, but there's a lot of people in the Inquisition, so who knows.

Once the dracolisk is back up on all fours Bruce gestures for it to get closer to Granger, which it does so easily. It doesn't have a saddle on it at the moment, since they're in Skyhold and all, but considering its only for a while there shouldn't be any problem.]

It's pretty close to riding a horse. [The dracolisk lowers itself as Bruce says that, letting Granger get on when she's ready.] A bit wilder, generally, but I don't think you'll have that issue here. [Since its clearly calm enough to not do that, along with the fact that its not going to go fast or anything.]

I'll let you know.

[And she manages the extremely difficult task of appearing far more optimistic than Bruce, oddly enough.

Now that she actually has a moving animal positioning itself by her, Hermione feels the familiar set of nerves she usually experiences whenever she's about to mount a creature, though she's certain her experience with the dracolisk will prove less nerve-wracking than when she'd ridden a thestral. For one, she's not taking part in an undercover mission to extricate her best friend from one safehouse to another, and secondly, the dracolisk doesn't have wings. Riding something that can't fly will feel novel for her.

So she sets aside the trepidation and gingerly mounts the dracolisk, careful of some of the spinier parts of its skin. It's not the most comfortable she's ever been, but she's never exactly been comfortable during any of her other brief rides, so once she determines she's at least not going to fall off, she seems to be fine.]

What would I be able to hold on to if he does start getting a bit more rough than I can handle? I don't want to grab something that might hurt him. [Or herself, considering the impressive spines protruding from his skin.]

[Once she's settled in the dracolisk slowly stands back up, careful not to jostle its passenger. At least it has some experience with Bruce so it has a faint idea of what to do and what not to do.

But of course Bruce keeps a close eye to ensure that nothing goes wrong, and at the question he gestures to the lower portion of its neck where there are no spines.]

Tuck yourself and bend down. Grab the lower part of its neck. [Not exactly the most comfortable, but at least it safe. Somewhat.] Dracolisks stretch out their necks during a full gallop, so you'll have more space for the most part. Their skins are tough, so don't worry about injuring them - it takes a lot to even break through the skin.

[Considering how wild the dracolisk had been when she'd first seen him, he's being remarkably calm and is acting fairly well-trained. Hermione appreciates that, especially since she doesn't have a set of reins to cling to. And grabbing at the dracolisk - even with Bruce's instruction - seems like it might hurt him.

Even so, she does gently place her hands where Bruce tells her to, though for now she's going to rely on her sense of balance and on her legs squeezing around the creature's middle to keep her from flying off. Sure, it's easy enough now, but the dracolisk isn't moving yet, so that's to be expected.]

I doubt I could injure him; it's hurting him that I'd rather not do. Even people can withstand quite a bit of pain before they manage to sustain any injuries.

[She's learned that the hard way herself thanks to a certain psychotic witch from her past, but luckily she's too focused on the dracolisk to think too hard about that.]

[The dracolisk's only response is to snort, shifting a little to keep itself occupied as the two humans continue on with whatever they're doing.

And what they're doing right now is to get Granger used to the dracolisk. Bruce makes sure that she's well-balanced enough, though he snorts himself at her comment.]

Trust me, it'd take a lot more than your nails to even hurt it. The scales of a dracolisk are exceptionally thick. [Not surprising, since they are somewhat related to dragons, but still. He figures its better to let her know.]

That's no excuse to claw at him!

[Sorry, Bruce, she's going to be very stubborn about this and is probably taking more care riding the dracolisk than she would if she were being carried by a person. Choking someone as she clings to them seems tolerable, since she can at least tell when they've had enough; that's not always the case with animals, since they have no voices.

But she's more or less settled on the dracolisk, and so she takes a slow, deep breath as she tries to relax her body language a bit.]

If he has no immediate objections, we can continue. Just... slowly.

[Bruce kind of frowns a little because he certainly didn't tell her to clawL at any point in time. He understands her concern, being wary of the dracolisk's well being too for the most part, but even that was a bit... extreme. Then again, its not like she knows a lot about dracolisks, so he can't blame her either.]

It'll be fine. Honestly. It won't even feel a thing. [But he's not going to force her if she's adamant about it - just don't come blaming him if she falls off or something.

Once she gives the okay to start Bruce hums his affirmation and nudges the dracolisk lightly. It takes the cue and begins to to walk--slowly, as Granger requests.]

[She knows that Bruce doesn't expect her to actively hurt or mistreat the dracolisk in any way, but she's still gong to be overly careful. It wouldn't do to build up a kinship with the animal and then accidentally scratch at him or make him uncomfortable.

She jostles a little when the dracolisk begins to walk, but she's more or less able to maintain her balance so far. It's almost like a horse, only... about a thousand times more intimidating.]

Does he usually have reins when you ride him? Or would he respond to me leaning one way or the other? Preferably without me falling off in the process?

[Its like a horse, except thinner and... scalier. Also yes, kind of terrifying. But she's doing pretty well so far, which is all that everyone needs right now.]

It's supposed to be done with a saddle and reins, especially for long periods and long distances. But for now you'll be alright. [They do have to put it one though eventually if she's going to be sitting on it for a long while - thick scales aren't exactly very comfortable after a period of time.] But yes, it can understand that. If you don't feel comfortable with that, you can gesture with your hands too - just make sure you stretch out far enough so that it can catch your hand within its peripheral vision.

[She can't imagine riding one of these bareback for an extended period of time. It would certainly account for why she's seen so far children in Thedas, if adults routinely put up with such uncomfortable rides, but she'd like to think that common sense would have won over before the population could risk dwindling.

For now, she takes Bruce's advice to heart, shifting a bit forward so she can reach out a hand far enough so the dracolisk can see her gesturing to the left.]

So... like this?

[She'll be impressed if he actually follows through; most of the other animals she's ridden certainly hadn't been the type who can be trained to follow hand movements.]

[What do you know--she's got it down. The dracolisk throws its head back a little for a moment, but then starts to turn as it walks, slowly so as to not jostle its rider.

The dracolisk makes a full 180 degree turn and eventually walks back to where they pretty much started, coming to a stop after that and snorts loudly.]

[All things considered, the dracolisk is probably among the gentlest creatures Hermione's ridden, which makes it seem sort of silly to have worried about it. But only sort of, since it's still one of the more intimidating beasts in the stable.

Still, she's smiling when she makes it back to Bruce, straightening up a little; of course, it's then that she realizes that she has no reins to tug on, and "whoa" might not carry the same meaning here, so her smile falters a little as she looks to Bruce.]

And, er, to make him stop...?

Just say 'stop'.

[A surprisingly simple answer, and Bruce knows as such because there's a smile on his face that shows some hint of his amusement.]

It does take a while to get it though, so make sure you say it in advance.

[She huffs out a small laugh, almost wondering if he's pulling her leg. The dracolisk clearly isn't listening to anyone but his rider, so before he can trot off too far, Hermione takes Bruce's advice, even if she's still quietly chuckling.]

Stop. Whoa, boy, stop.

[It's more of a suggestion than a command, since it doesn't look as though they're in any immediate danger of running into a tree.]

Hermione deserves ALL THE LOSERS \o/

she doesn't need this one

smart losers should stick together

:'| she's too good for him

nah. He's like an older, more standoffish version of Ron. She can deal with his moodiness.

LMAO that's probably the best compliment yet

he's also smarter. so. take that as you will.

smarter is relative now since he's not from canon

the potential to be smarter, then. not that Ron's a dummy, but y'know. sometimes he acts like it.

this is very true. but tbh they're all dumb in their own special way.

yes. this is the truest statement.

indeedly. :'D

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