[Open]

[lyriumcarved]

WHO: Fenris and YOU!
WHAT: Fenris is back around Skyhold, catch-all prompts for the month!
WHEN: March/Drakonis
WHERE: Around Skyhold
NOTES: No warnings likely, just the occasional grumping from a certain elf here.

Herald's Rest

Not long after he returns to Skyhold, Fenris inevitably ends up in the tavern. He's been exhaustively busy over the time that he's been away… so of course some drinks are in order. His own stash is largely depleted, and who knows when he’ll next get a chance to replenish it? He orders a bottle of wine, but refrains from using the glass that he’s given. Nope, this is one of those times. Fenris simply grabs the bottle and starts drinking it down…

Stables

At the moment, Fenris isn’t really planning to get a mount. It’s something he may consider if he does stay longer at Skyhold, however, because it could come in handy for getting around the expanse of Ferelden or Orlais, for that matter. Who knows where the Inquisition may take him? Not that he's planning to be anything more than loosely affiliated with it. It's his choice to be here and it'll be his choice if he wants to leave again. That's essential for him to keep in mind. He'll always make sure to have an escape route, when it comes to this sort of thing.

So he’s wandering through the stables, glancing curiously at what’s there. The nuggalopes get particular attention, since they’re totally new to him. "Imagine that… Giant nug-beasts."

Gardens

“I still don’t trust that demons or spirits cannot listen in on this thing…”

He mutters to himself as he’s settled in the garden, staring intently at his Crystal as he looks through the most recent messages. He’d rather not speak into it, at least for now, so instead, he’s just getting himself caught up. Sure, nothing bad has come of it so far, and it didn’t before… but he still doesn’t entirely like it.

Wandering: Wildcard Location!

At some point, Fenris decides to get a look around, mostly to see if anything has changed. But he’s actually quietly trying to see who's still around that he recognizes, too. There are people he’d like to see if possible… and also people he’d like to avoid if he can. He’s not one for formally announcing his presence, preferring to remain down low about being around. Like a ghost or a stray, he’s kind of just slipped back into life here without making a big deal of it.

So he’s on the prowl, so to speak, looking for familiar faces all over Skyhold. He’ll drop by most anywhere, approaching those he knows, and eventually interrupting whatever they’re doing. “It’s been a while.”

Comments

[lyriumcarved]

What!?!? One moment, he's studying the peculiar beast closely, marveling over the thought of nugs actually growing that large, the next... something is touching him, what is it!? It immediately activates his flight or flight instincts, which are always already on the verge of erupting, anytime. He turns and immediately takes a defensive stance, his lyrium-brands already glowing, an eerie bluish-white color...

Oh.

Oh.

The tension gradually leaves Fenris and the glowing starts to dim as he realizes he'd... overreacted. "What are you doing out? Might someone be looking for you." He puts it together, based on the shout he'd heard.

[amygdalae]

Fenris doesn't need to wait for long to find the answer; a few more moments is all he needs before Bruce stumbles to a stop in front of him, looking like he had just run across all of Skyhold chasing after something.

"Finally," Bruce huffs out in between gasps, trying to catch his breath and not look so harried as he glares at Fenris - or rather the dracolisk that was now trying to hide right behind him (not that it really worked, since even while small for its standards it was still much bigger than Fenris). "I already told you to stop stealing things from the patients. Now return to me what you stole or I'll tell the horsemaster to not feed you tonight."

[lyriumcarved]

There's another tense moment- but it's only a matter of seconds, before he realizes the dracolisk is the one being addressed. And it sounds like he's in a great deal of trouble, from what the man is saying. Fenris takes a cautious glance back at the creature. "Why must all things from Tevinter cause nothing but strife and distress?"

He returns his gaze to Bruce. "Not that I know where this individual comes from, but their kind is especially popular there, as cavalry, mostly. Is he yours?" Because for all he knows he's just some random dracolisk bothering whoever makes for a good target.

[amygdalae]

At first Bruce blinks when the elf talks about Tevinter because that's certainly a leap but then is less confused when he continues. That... makes a fair bit of sense. Still a bit of reaching, but he can see the connection.

"It... is under my care, yes." He replies slowly, mostly since Bruce still tends to struggle a lot with that idea. Having something under his care is a completely foreign concept when it doesn't involve his work as a surgeon. And since it is under his care... "And I apologize if its bothered you in anyway." He puts on an apologetic smile at this point. "If it has, than please pay it no mind. It tends to get frisky when nobody gives it any attention."

While all of this is happening the dracolisk has decided to shift its attention from Fenris to Bruce, and soon enough now Bruce is the one who has a dracolisk's snort pressed into his hair from the side.

[lyriumcarved]

"Not in any way that caused harm... though his presence was startling at first." He's just glad it seems that the other man didn't see him glowing for a brief instant. Not that it's anything he keeps hidden- he can't really, with the parts of those brands that show- but he's not in the mood for explanations at the moment.

He watches the dracolisk as he makes his way to Bruce and then presses against him. "He apparently has a wild streak. Has he been in your care very long?"

[amygdalae]

'Wild streak' is probably putting it lightly to be honest. Bruce manages not to sigh, though the exasperation is still in his voice when he replies. "A bit over half a year now, I suppose. It followed me all the way back from the Approach when I was there with the Inquisition." And after traveling that far, it was kind of hard to get it to go all the way back. So here it was now, and Bruce was stuck with it.

For better or for worse.

With the dracolisk still pressing its snout into his hair Bruce reaches up and gently pushes it away, at the same time grabbing what seemed to be a length of rope that had been held in its mouth. Bruce studies it with a bit of a grimace - he definitely needed to clear up all that slobber later before returning it to where it had been taken from.

[lyriumcarved]

Yes, he can definitely tell there's a lot of frustration there. "Dracolisks are stubborn animals. Though that can make them useful in their way as well." It takes a certain patience that Fenris isn't sure he'd have, either. He watches the animal interacting with Bruce, making a bit of a face at all the slobber.

"You could commend him for loyalty if nothing else." Probably not so much discipline or good behavior, but it seems this creature is very attached to Bruce, it's easy to see even from just meeting them. Sorry, Bruce.

[amygdalae]

Bruce doesn't snort, though its a close thing. Stubborn, yeah -- that's one way of putting it. Not for the first time he quietly regrets giving it that apple - but its too late to go back and change that decision. He really has to come and live with it eventually.

"It's just out for food," Bruce raises a hand and stops the dracolisk from placing its snout into his hair again, trying to wipe the slobber off the rope with his other hand. It's not wholly successful.

[lyriumcarved]

Fenris watches the interaction between the two. He's never really had anything like that, but he's aware that such bonds can be very useful, whether in battle or trekking across Ferelden or Orlais. It's something to keep in mind, anyway. He's not so sure he'd go for one of these dragon-horses himself, just because they're so favored where he's from.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. If he just wanted food, he could get that from anyone. Yet he followed you all this way..." There's oddly something almost amusing in Bruce's insistence that he's not his dracolisk.

[amygdalae]

"I'm an easy source of food, how about that." Which is true, since Bruce did still feed it from time to time... but still. He really shouldn't have given it that apple.

Either way, that was enough about stubborn dracolisks. Bruce gently pushes its face away from his own (a new attempt by the dracolisk to get his attention) and uses the slobbery rope to leash it temporarily.

"Anyway, I won't bother you any more." Bruce takes his end of the rope and starts to nudge the dracolisk into moving along with him. "I should get it back to its stable before the horsemaster shouts at me again."

[lyriumcarved]

"It's no bother. I doubt you could have stopped him if you wanted to." If anything it's given him a... good closer look at the dracolisks, and a reminder of just what stubborn creatures they can be. He's not so sure that it would be the right kind of mount for him, considering this interaction and the associations he has for them. Still, it's... helpful to know.

"Best of luck with him." Though in a way, he understands what Bruce is dealing with. He's been there, though not with a mount. "Unfortunately, we can't always choose the companions we're stuck with. We can only deal with their presence as best as we can."

[amygdalae]

That last statement brings out a wry smile from Bruce. "I suppose you have a point." He has never really been able to choose, even until now... but in a way, right now is perhaps the best he has now. And he knows that will end too one day, but until then--

The dracolisk starts to shift closer towards him once more and Bruce knows its time to move before it attempts anything funny again.

He gives a nod at the elf. "I'll see you around," he says in parting, then takes his leave, making sure to tug the dracolisk back along with him. Back to the stables with this one.

[lyriumcarved]

"Likewise," Fenris says, watching them as they head out. It really does seem that Bruce has a handful to deal with in that dracolisk. Here he thought mounts were supposed to be useful, but this one seems to be more trouble than it's worth, perhaps... It's hard to say. Still, maybe he'll just... give it some more thought for now.