faderift | You'll fight and you'll make it through

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You'll fight and you'll make it through

WHO: Hermione and OPEN!
WHAT: Catch-all for the month (let me know if you'd like a particular starter)
WHEN: Wintermarch, going into Guardian if need be
WHERE: Throughout Skyhold
NOTES: Feel free to assume prior minor CR between them, especially if your character would have taken/taught any classes involving magic or Thedosian history/culture. I'm willing to handwave more major previous CR if that would make the thread move along more easily, but we can hash out those details either via PM or on plurk (

StarryOblivion).

Archery range

To her credit, Hermione was trying.

Her magic still wasn't coming along as seamlessly as she would hope, and so she'd bitten the bullet and decided that she'd need to learn other ways of defending herself, since she couldn't rightfully stay within the confines of Skyhold forever. Most weapons were too large or heavy for an untrained person of smaller stature, and the ones that weren't would force her to get much closer to an enemy than she would want to, especially if bloodshed was going to be involved. Given all that, archery seemed the best bet. She could stay a safe distance from most of the fighting and also run with her weapon without it tripping her up or throwing off her balance. And besides, she'd used a bow and arrow before.

Once.

For fun.

And she hadn't been very good.

Which explained why she'd raised the bow before the arrow was properly nocked, resulting in the arrow unexpectedly flying loose with an almost comical twang! and a gasp from the startled young witch. She widened her eyes as she instinctively looked around, hoping that no one had seen that, before realizing that she should be more concerned with where the arrow had gone and fervently hoping it hadn't managed to somehow hit someone.

Perhaps she should stay away from weapons for a while?

Training Grounds

She'd made it quite clear to anyone who offered to spar with her that she didn't know the first thing about fighting without any sort of magic, but even so, Hermione wasn't really going to leave anything to chance. She'd been tortured before, and while no physical injury could match what had been done to her, she still wasn't a big fan of pain and was in no hurry to subject herself to any injuries that may require more than a quick visit to the healing tents.

Long hair pulled back into a bun and wearing as much light armor as she could get away with without hindering her movement, Hermione always stood stiffly as she eyed her opponent, looking for weaknesses. She was small and fairly fast, so if she could assess her situation before the match even started, she could try to use that to her advantage and end things as quickly as possible. Still, she was here to learn, and one didn't learn without asking questions, so there was no shortage of those as she awkwardly went through the motions each and every time.

"Is my stance all right? Where should my hands be while I'm defending myself? You're not going to actually hit me hard, are you? I don't fancy a broken nose, and I'm not looking to hurt you. You know I'm only looking to defend myself, don't you? You'll stop if I ask you to, won't you? What should I be doing with my feet?"

On and on it went, and if she couldn't get herself used to any kind of bare-handed combat, Hermione was just going to have to get her hands on her own staff and start practicing a different sort of sparring, assuming that her mage friends wouldn't mind showing her how to use a staff in a less traditional sort of way.

The Baths

While she always did what she could to keep herself clean, Hermione had managed to avoid the baths for an extended period of time. It was easy enough when making water was one of the only spells she could still reliably do, and she'd been forced to get used to limited hygiene during the year she'd spent on the run. But now that she was actually involved in regular physical activity, she couldn't really make do with a quick wash or a mostly-clothed dip in the bath.

Though it always seemed like most of the people she would see down there relished their time in the water, Hermione had never exactly enjoyed communal baths. Still, she did happen to go down there while it was mostly empty, and there was no rule saying she had to be completely nude to get herself clean. She was a grown woman, and if she wanted to sit in a bath with her underwear on, she was surely entitled to it.

Besides, the hot water felt good on her sore muscles (she was getting muscles now; when did that happen?), and so it was easier for her to relax than she might have thought otherwise. So long as no one tried to engage her in conversation while their privates were less-than-private, she could almost enjoy soaking in there for a bit.

Library

The drawback to not having your own small, private, contained bath was that you couldn't read in the tub, and despite her newer hobbies, reading will always be Hermione's first love. While she might not be as much of a fixture in the library as she used to be upon her initial arrival, anyone looking for her could simply hang about the vicinity long enough and she would find her way back there before too long. These days, she mostly read for the various classes she was taking, but she still found the time to read one of the "lighter" books available in Skyhold's library. Sometimes, these books were written with a very marked biased, and whoever might be sitting close enough to the young rifter might be drawn into a heated discussion over said bias. It was all right, though; she usually kept her voice down, given that it was a library.

Wildcard!

Choose your own adventure!

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Hermione is much better off not knowing that there are those who drink dragon blood in Skyhold. It bothers her enough to know that her own wand's core is composed of dragon heartstring. If not for the fact that they're as patently terrifying in Thedas as they are in her world, she'd begin feeling sorry for the poor beasts.

"When you begin practicing, do you stay with your families and go to a special sort of school? Or is it... like the mages?" She's a bit uncomfortable asking that, since she does feel a personal bond when it comes to mages, but she's already familiar with the fact that young mage children had been forced from their families. Cassandra had expressed confusion early on over how Hermione could have been "permitted" to go back and visit her parents whenever she wanted, especially without finishing her studies or experiencing a Harrowing.

He does catch that uncertain tone. By now he knows that their practice of Circles is... pretty unusual for rifters. He has yet to meet any from worlds with similar precautions toward magic. Though he gathers that magic still has its dangers, anywhere.

"There tend to be more options for warriors to stay with their families. Of course, eventually one might need to seek more specialized training, so it's typical to go elsewhere later on in life... one may join the Templars, for instance. But it's fully possible to simply find an individual trainer and learn that way."

Magic is little different from a sword or even something as simple as a baseball bat: if one doesn't lean how to use it the right way, someone is going to get hurt. The extent of that pain depends largely on the person's common sense and intent, and so people should be properly trained before picking it up and attempting to strike blindly with it. The people of Thedas haven't seemed to quite pick up on that just yet.

"For warriors," she notes. "And, I imagine, for rogues as well." She doesn't need to mention that the only ones who seemed to have been left without options had been the mages, since that isn't a debate she needs or wants to start. Still, no matter how well she understands how dangerous magic can be in Thedas, she can't help feeling a little resentful at the idea that, had she been born here, she would have been forced from her family and tossed into a Circle without a word.

"Yes, for rogues as well. I won't deny that some of us just have more choices based on what we're born as." Whether it's being a mage or not, or even whether or not one is of a certain race... the place that one is born in can make quite the difference there. But it's a lot to get into, and he knows better than to overwhelm rifters with Thedas' difficulties. "It's changed, though, or very well could. With the Circles dissolved, who knows where things may go from here... it all depends on who becomes Divine and what they choose to do in the future." It's not something he's personally invested in, though he has enough mages he's close to, to at least want something better for them.

The conversation is grim and disappointing, but unfortunately it wouldn't be overwhelming. Hermione is quite familiar with the idea of certain people having more or less privileges simply because of where they were born or what family they were born into, or even something as superficial as how they look. She'd been called a Mudblood by enough people to know that there are some who would have been perfectly happy to see her killed or enslaved by the end of the Second Wizarding War; the fact that she'd faced those people and triumphed just goes to show that the same can happen here in Thedas.

"I don't know that I agree that one single person should be able to make decisions that will impact the lives of countless mages, especially when that person won't be a mage and likely won't have counsel from any mages, and will also be following a dogma that outright denounces them. But despite how long I've been here, I'm still just a stranger to Thedas and don't intend on staying long enough to see a new Divine, so my opinion on these things doesn't really matter, I suppose. Still, I'll just hope that whatever happens to the mages is an improvement over how the majority of them had been treated before."

Kain nods agreement. It isn't his fight directly, and yet, because he does have people he cares for who are very much effected by it, it's... a lot more within his interests than it may once have been.

"That's the way it's always been, with the Divine being the grand leader... but it doesn't have to remain that way. One would think. The problem is, Thedas as a whole is quite resistant to change." He ponders a bit, shrugging. "But who knows, a lot of upheaval has happened recently already. Perhaps there will be more yet to come. I'm sure the mages would agree that they ought to be the ones deciding their own fate." He'd never thought of a mage as a Divine before, but would even that be possible now? Who knows...

"Anyone would agree to that much," Hermione replies. "I can't think of anyone who would want his or her own fate in someone else's hands. Besides, who better to know the best way to minimize mage-related problems than mages themselves?"

It's why the wizarding world has its own government. The Ministry of Magic isn't more or less powerful than Parliament; they simply govern over a specific subset of people, and work alongside the Muggle government when it's in everyone's best interests.

Kain nods agreement. He's always made a point to step back and stand well clear of all mage-related things, just because he doesn't feel it's his place. He would have made such a bad Templar.

"Some mages are so used to it that they would see things continued as they once were. Not all, and surely not many, but it happens. The majority are as you say... they would prefer to take matters into their own hands, and who can blame them? Only fellow mages understand their struggles."

Hermione does have a tendency of becoming passionate about topics that may or may not concern her directly. It's simply her way whenever she sees an injustice being done, and Thedas is simply rife with injustices.

"The mages who would rather stay in Circles are the ones who either don't know anything else or who learned how to manipulate their way into positions of relative power in their Circle and don't want to start all over again from the bottom." Vivienne had been one such person, and while Hermione respected her opinions even when they differed from her own, she was quite glad when it was no longer insisted by Cassandra that she attempt to make friends with her or let her try and influence her way of thinking. "Change is always going to be difficult, but just because something is difficult doesn't necessarily mean that it's bad. Quite the opposite, really. That just means it's worth having, worth fighting for."

"I would be careful about speaking for the Circle mages... at least in front of them, anyway. They may object to the 'don't know any better' part. Not that it makes it any less true, but... some people don't want to hear the truth." He doesn't like to try and get in the middle of any of it for that reason, he isn't anyone directly affected by it all. But still. "Thedas is especially resistant to change. We're all very fond of our traditions... even the ones which may do us more harm than good." He ponders a moment. "Perhaps in a way... it's for the best that you rifters have arrived to shake things up."

"I only speak from observations," she points out. "I'm not one to put words into other people's mouths, and the conclusions I draw are my own. Besides, it wouldn't be impolite and presumptuous to tell someone that they don't know the truth about their own way of life, and I'm neither of those things."

Frowning a little, Hermione decides that she doesn't much like the idea that the rifters had arrived to get native Thedosians to think a bit more critically about the way of their world; they should be able to do that on their own. But rather than say as much, she only says, "Everyone needs a fresh perspective once in a while, especially when the old one has grown so stale."

"I'm just saying... be cautious. Not everyone in Thedas will necessarily understand what you're getting at, or want to hear it. Nor are many of them ready for such a fresh perspective. It doesn't make it impossible, of course, just... difficult." He's all too familiar with how it can be, moreso back home in Orlais really. Certain groups of people really are just much too set in their ways.

"You don't get to choose when you're ready for a fresh perspective," Hermione points out, still frowning. "The world changes every day. If people aren't willing to change with it, they're only hurting themselves... and future generations, of course." Thankfully, she's not belligerent enough to say such a thing to someone who would take true offense at it, but then, that's why she tends to stay away from most Orlesians, if she can help it.

"Perhaps not. It doesn't stop most of Thedas from resisting such change... though some areas and people can be worse about it than others." At least there aren't so many people going on about rifters being demons or similar. It's... a pretty good start, by Thedasian standards. "The mages really do deserve that change, though. After all of this time... they need it."

Hermione's lost at least two friends that she can think of who'd been perfectly happy to talk to her when they'd thought she was a mage, only to close off upon finding out that she also happens to be a rifter. While the theory that rifters are demons might not be widespread, the fact that it exists at all is still a painful thing for Hermione to put up with.

"And hopefully they're granted it. Them, and the elves, and the Qunari or Tal-Vashoth or whatever subsect one might belong to, and anyone else who's been treated unfairly over the years."

"When you put it that way... it sounds like nearly everyone has dealt with this. Everyone who's not a human non-mage. It'll take a lot of work, certainly. Some people out there still may not realize that there even are problems. I should know. I lived in such a place before." The world really can be difficult, and moreso in certain places compared to others. It's something Kain had to learn, to find out... mainly by being in the Wardens. Orlesian nobles are so detached from a lot. "The Inquisition is a good start for such things to happen, perhaps."

"Curious, isn't it?" Hermione asks, though she sounds more bitter than curious. "Those known as the minorities are always oppressed, and yet the privileged few are actually the ones in the minority. I wonder where the idea that being a human with no remarkable ties to magic was ideal came from." But that's a topic for a whole other day, and Hermione takes a deep breath to forcibly relax herself as she murmurs, "So long as it doesn't begin and end with the Inquisition, change will come in its own time. It usually does, for better or worse."

Kain nods agreement. He'd always wondered that, growing up, seeing how many servants and such there were in comparison to the nobles.

"It came from fear." He knows what they say about the magisters and their rule of Tevinter, and he knows what can happen should a mage be possessed. But there are other, better ways to live. He has too much respect for the mage he'd once crushed on to ever want to see her oppressed. "The Inquisition's existence is still a good start. If nothing else... it's the first step that we've needed toward becoming something new."

"Fear and greed, as do most things." She's seen the cycle of fear, and how it leads to a desire for power over that which makes a person afraid, only for that power to not be nearly enough, and soon the person becomes the very thing that breeds fear in others. It had happened with Tom Riddle and his fear of death, turning him into the most feared Dark wizard of his time. What a shame that the theme persists even outside of Earth.

"A first step is hardly as important as the journey as a whole, but as this is still early on in the Inquisition's story, it can go any number of ways. For now, I think I've taken up enough of your time. I don't want to be accused of monopolizing you."

Kain nods about the fear and greed comment. He's seen what either can do when taken to their extremes, and it's never pleasant. He's realistic enough to know that there may always be someone out there, looking to exploit either. Even if the mages' plight is resolved better, there will be something else. Always something else.

"We'll just have to keep moving forward. It's only the start, as you've said..." He nods agreement, knowing he's got some other things to get to as well. "If you ever wish to practice fighting skills, I'm often here training. Just let me know."

She hadn't expected their conversation to turn towards such a grim, dismal topic, but considering how easily they'd both fallen into the discussion, it had all been things that needed to be said. For now, she only nods in return, offering Kain a small smile.

"I don't want to keep you, then. Thank you for today, Kain. It sounds as though we both needed it, in our own ways."

Dark topics always seem to come up with him, he's pretty much used to it. At least he's started to find out that the rifters are... a but more equipped to deal with this world than he'd thought. That's encouraging in its way.

"It seems that we did... I wish you luck. And... you're welcome." Time to head off and move to the next thing he has planned.

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You'll fight and you'll make it through

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