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

[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.]

[Ah. Surgeons aren't mages, usually, from what she's seen. Certainly no healer from the wizarding world would consider cutting a person open to try and fix them. She'd been a little excited about the prospect of having something in common with Bruce - in a roundabout sort of way, since she's not precisely a mage - but she's certainly not going to fault him for using practical medicine.

For now, though, she's willing to let that whole bit go as she tries to work out Bruce's comfort zones, or at least getting him comfortable with admitting his comfort zones.]

I'm on your dracolisk. If you'd like me to leave, you're certainly within your rights to tell me to dismount and walk away. Of course, that means he is going to be a bit pushy about getting your attention again, but if you don't mind that....

[To that Bruce just... well, he scratches the back of his head, actually.]

I don't mind. [Wait, no, that didn't come out right.] I mean, its fine for you to stick around. You don't have to worry about me.

[He knows he's the one being strange here and he does feel bad about it. Bruce is just terribly unused to situations he doesn't know how to handle and this certainly qualifies as one of them.]

[She understands what he means without him clarifying; her best friend is Harry Potter, the Boy Who Spent His Childhood Locked Away in a Cupboard. Besides, awkward is something of a way of life when you spend most of your time around teenage boys. Then again, Bruce is far from a teenage boy, but she can overlook that.]

Of course I do. We might not be close, but it's natural for people to worry about one another.

[And besides, it's just polite. But it's not polite to beat a dead horse, especially when it's clearly making him so uncomfortable.]

Is there anything else I should know about riding? A dracolisk in particular, since I expected him to be much more finicky than this.

[People worry about each other, yes, but Bruce is pretty sure he doesn't qualify as one of the 'people'. Not that she knows, of course, but still. Things like that tend to stick.

He's grateful for the subject change, however, and takes it for what it is.]

Just keep your wits about you. They're just wilder than horses due to their environments, but once they're used to you, its about the same as being on a horse.

[Bruce is sentient. He's people. As for what kind of person he is, Hermione's still trying to figure that out, but he hasn't made a menacing move or gesture towards her, so she's going to lean towards him being one of the good guys, at least for right now.

Absently petting the dracolisk's neck, she seems to think it over for a few moments before speaking again.]

I accept that you don't want to ride with me now, but perhaps next time we can both do a little trip around the surrounding area? I'd really rather not ride too far with him without someone more experienced nearby to rein him in if he needs it, and since I doubt you'd want to sprint along behind us....

[Bruce takes a bit more than a couple of moments to think about that - people asking for his company for reasons not related to his work here is still a rare enough thing that he's surprised by it. Not to mention unsure. But she did ask nicely, and he doesn't really want to make things harder for her than they already were.]

...I can make some time. [He can make some time somewhere.] And I don't think I'd have the stamina required to catch up with a dracolisk.

[She's not being insistent about his company at all, but really, it's for his own good. Especially if he'd like to get his dracolisk accustomed to other people. Once she's adept at riding him, maybe she can take him out for an extended ride sometime and give Bruce some space to breathe.

So she smiles broadly at his concession, giving him a nod.]

I'll hold you up to that, then. And I'll believe you on the second bit. Though again, I'd want you on a mount of your own if I'm going to be going anywhere with your dracolisk at a full gallop.

We can cross that bridge when we get to it. [It's probably still a while off, anyway. No point dwelling on it for now.] There's no real rush.

[This is, after all, supposed to be done in their spare time, and there exactly was not a lot of that in the Inquisition.]

I wouldn't think so.

[While Bruce hasn't given her any indication that she's made him uncomfortable, she's aware that the whole prospect of company makes him feel that way, so she can at least let him off the hook relatively quickly for now.]

Is there anything special I need to know about dismounting? He won't buck me off if he feels me getting ready to get off of him, will he?

[Bruce thinks about the question for a while, but he quickly shakes his head.]

Nothing that comes to mind. But if it does try anything just make sure to keep a hold - it'll calm down eventually once it knows you're not the threat.

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