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!]

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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.]

[Even if its said as more of a suggestion, the dracolisk does come to a stop after a bit. It slows down its pace at first then comes to a complete stop. Once it does it throws its head back for a bit, letting out a snort, and its tail flicks as it waits for whatever happens next.

It doesn't stop that far away from Bruce at least, so he quirks another smile as if to say 'now do you believe me'?]

[She hadn't necessarily doubted Bruce, and she's pleased to see that it really is that simple. Gently petting the dracolisk's neck, she glances back at Bruce and offers him a smile.]

It seems simple enough. Would you like to mount a horse from the stable and ride around with me? Or do you think he'd be able to support two people? I wouldn't want to weigh him down....

[Oh, uh... that offer is certainly unexpected and it probably shows on his face, but it quickly passes by and Bruce shakes his head, turning it down as politely as he can.]

Oh, no--its perfectly fine. I'm alright. [A small smile??] But thank you for asking, though.

[She's surprised by his surprise; if she's going to learn to gallop at any point in time, wouldn't it make sense for him to be able to ride alongside her? Watching her from a distance or running to keep up doesn't seem practical. But she can only assume that he doesn't intend to teach her anything of the sort just yet, so after a brief moment of puzzlement, she smiles again.]

It just seems the easiest way to keep up if he decides to dart off and try to get me stranded in the middle of nowhere. But since he doesn't like to be too far from you, I suppose that isn't an issue. Maybe next time, then.

[Bruce just doesn't think that... well, he just thinks that keeping his distance is just the best way. He's weird like that.

Still, he supposes he can see where she is getting at, especially after her words.]

Ah... yes. [A blink.] You have a point. [But also... yes. It really doesn't like to be too far away from him, unfortunately.] Next time sounds fine.

[He lives in a giant fortress where walls and doors are often more of a suggestion than actual concrete means of privacy. One would think Bruce would be used to being close to people by now.

At any rate, Hermione's not one to challenge boundaries. Carefully guiding the dracolisk back towards Bruce, she maintains that vaguely bewildered smile as she regards him curiously.]

Are you-... sorry, it's probably not any of my business, but are you a bit... well, wound up? I had thought you'd been tense when we'd first met because we were in the Fade, and last time your friend here had been causing a bit of a ruckus. But... if there's something weighing on your mind....

[It's complicated don't judge him!! :c

As for the question, Bruce does at least look a little apologetic about it, being called out like that, and he shows as much through his expression and his smile.]

Ah--no, I'm fine. [The smile turns wry, here.] Just--well, I admit I haven't really spoken much to people like you - [he doesn't want to say Rifters since that seems rude] - and I'm not really... a people person in general.

[So yeah he's just kind of... awkward. In general.]

[She's not judging. Much.

Hermione doesn't remember if she'd ever mentioned to Bruce that she can do magic and she probably would have bristled less if Bruce had simply used the word "Rifters" since everyone else does the same, but she still manages not to look put out or anything of the sort. After all, he's not being judgmental. And if he is, at least he's being polite about it. So as the dracolisk comes to a stop besides Bruce, she decides to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he isn't among the locals who believe that Rifters are secretly demons in disguise.]

Is that why I always see you with a dracolisk instead of people? Because that might be what's giving him the wrong idea about how much time you'd like to spend with him.

If you'd like to start talking to people like me... well, I'm right here. Of course, I wouldn't try forcing my company on you if you'd rather be on your own.

[There's a small amused sound from Bruce at that, and a wry smile crosses his face before he shakes his head.]

You somehow tend to see me whenever I'm with it. Usually I spend my time working at the healing tents. [Being here is... well, its not exactly a break, but at least animals don't judge you for being quiet or being a mage. Or both.

That aside, however--]

I... appreciate the offer. [Brief pause.] I've just always fared better being by myself. Even until now being with people can be... tiring.

Healing tents? Are you a healer?

[Hermione hadn't cottoned on that Bruce is a mage, but she supposes that would make his more antisocial tendencies a little more understandable. While every mage she's met has been different, she can't imagine that living in a Circle would have really helped turn someone into a social butterfly.

And she's very much on board with animals being less judgmental all around. Or most of them, at least. Cats can be awfully judge-y.]

If you get tired out, you can tell me to leave. [Her voice is soft now, since she genuinely doesn't want to overstep her bounds.] Though if you don't mind me saying so, having a friend or two isn't all bad, so long as they respect when you need some time to yourself.

[Well its certainly not like Bruce advertises it. From the fact that he doesn't keep a staff to mostly sticking to surgeon duties, its not surprising that people don't pick it up. In fact, Bruce would rather keep it that way.]

I serve as a surgeon, mostly--but yes. [The distinction is important for Bruce, yes. He... really doesn't like talk about the fact he uses magic. He likes understanding it from a purely academic standpoint, but when it turns practical? That's another thing altogether.

But that's neither here nor there. Bruce stays silent as Granger continues to speak, only speaking a while after she's done.] I appreciate your concern, but you don't need to worry about me. [...] And you don't need to leave. This is a public space after all.

[Not like he has a right to tell her to do anything.]

indeedly. :'D

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