[open] Grace is just weakness or so I've been told

[letoldthingsdie]

WHO: Kylo Ren and YOU
WHAT: Day to day stuff, reading in the library, trying to figure out how to raise his new Mabari, etc.
WHEN: Throughout Bloomingtide
WHERE: Gallows Library, training courtyard, around Kirkwall...?
NOTES: Nothing of note but I will update if that changes, including a prompt once we start doing Tourney things

Who doesn't want a Mabari?

[The cool air and the rain that had come about with it wasn't entirely unpleasant, but still Kylo was growing tired of constantly training when he risked getting soaked through at any minute by rain. Today he finds himself wandering by the kennel master's stables. The sound of excited, barking, puppies filled his ears as he stops to approach. He recognized them as being the same as Padawan, though smaller with stubby legs and scrunched eyes.

One of them in particular had already grown attached to him and the snacks he had in one fist, barking shrilly for more any time he tried to deny it. When he tried moving on, the pup had decided to follow him before he could get away, it's little legs bounding after him and black fur sticking up as he tripped and fell on his face more than a few times.]

Go back.

[The pup didn't move, head tilting in confusion at the command. Instead he moved closer, sniffing Kylo's boots and running his feet up his leg while crying to be picked up. Take me with you, it seemed the creature wanted to say, as if he could talk. The pup wasn't taking no for an answer even as he stopped every so often to shoo him back to the kennel master. He looks around, as if asking someone else to take the little dog away.]

Burning the midnight oil

[Later in the day, as the rain continued to beat against the windows, Kylo can be found in the library, A book on the table before him and a squirming Mabari in his lap, a little snout peeking up from beneath the table every so often to look for treats. Kylo absently scratched the top of his head while turning patches every so often.]

'Of all the dog breeds that the Fereldans have produced, none are so highly regarded or so widely famed as the Mabari. Justly renowned, the Mabari are intelligent war hounds fully capable of understanding speech and interpreting complex commands.' Hmm.

[He looks down at the dog in his lap, staring up at him out of curiosity.]

Closed to Rey

[The two of them were spending a moment together in meditation, eyes closed and legs crossed, as he tries to focus on the Force moving in and out of the residents of the Gallows. Caedus - as his new Mabari companion was now called - was having trouble getting the memo, shoving his nose under Kylo's arm in an attempt to get attention and moving on to Rey to whine at her when that didn't work.]

Knew I should have asked the kennel master to take him back.

[He mumbles, answered by a disgruntled bark from the pup who shoved himself against Rey more firmly. Sadly, Kylo was stuck with him. As much as he knew that and as impatient as the dog's need for attention made him, he still found him strangely comforting.]

Wildcard
[ooc: hit me up if you want your own prompt]

Comments

First one

[gotyourselfapilot]

[ The weather wouldn't be bothersome to Poe. It seemed almost peaceful even if the moods of others would say something else. He needed to explore more of Kirkwall even if he may have explored the city. Things could be different with the changing of the seasons. That would be another thing to figure out while being here. He walks mostly staring at the shops while keeping certain vendors in mind.

As his eyes turn from one vendor to the next he sees an interesting sight of a pup following Kylo Ren. Poe finds the scene odd for a moment. It's not everyday he'll come across a moment such as this. He changes his direction that he was going towards and approaches the taller man. He doesn't get close though while nodding at him. ]

You know, [ He gives a small point down towards the pup. ] Maybe you could try giving your little buddy some attention. [ After saying the line, Poe rubs the back of his neck because it makes him think about his droid. But the thought doesn't linger for too long. ]

[letoldthingsdie]

[The pup was more than grateful for the new friend showing him attention. It was nice, being able to get pets whenever he asked for them. As for Kylo? He just raises an eyebrow, arms crossed once he saw Poe approach them.]

He's gotten treats. He should go back to the kennel master, but I was told that once a Mabari chooses you that's it.

[Basically he's doomed. This goofy little dog chose him, the most feared man in the galaxy.]

[gotyourselfapilot]

[ There's a tilt of his head at the second part of what Kylo said. He raises a finger up. ] Did I just hear you say that this Mabari chooses you? If the Mabari has chosen you, you can give him attention.

[ The pup seems cute, even if he may have picked a scary man. ]

I doubt he'll be going back to the kennel master if what you say is true from what you've been told.

[ He's not going to ask Kylo if the information he was told could be trusted. Poe's not even sure if he trusts everything coming from the other. ] It's probably similar with being stuck with a droid you may not want to be with.

[letoldthingsdie]

[He makes an exasperated noise.]

Why do you care?

[Well, besides the fact that this dog was clearly attached to him and that might interest Poe a bit.]

He's not a droid. He's a living, breathing, animal.

[And of course while this entire exchange goes on, the pup looks between the two of them, barking almost approvingly when Kylo refers to him as an animal.]

I don't- He's smaller than Rey's.

[As if that explained why he shouldn't have him. He was still a fledgling compared to Padawan. It was better than admitting he had no idea what he'd even do with a war hound.]

[gotyourselfapilot]

[ Poe glances over at him while making a small gestures with his hands. ]

You don't have to tell me. I'll ask someone else whose more willing to tell me things. I was simply inquiring in the truth of what you spoke. To me it sounds as if he's yours now.

[ There's a small shake of his a bit while watching the dog staying close to Kylo. ]

Droids have a lot of personality. They may not be a complete living animal but they have feelings. He has feelings.

[ He makes a small gesture out towards the pup. Poe is stating things that he's seen or even maybe believes. ]

Rey's could be older. What does hers have anything to do with yours?

[ Why bring Rey into it at all? He lifts an eyebrow at that while keeping that question in the back of his mind. ]

library~ ♪

[nadasharillen]

Turning the corner with an armful of scrolls currently being balanced precariously on a couple of books, Nari is mildly surprised to see Kylo absorbed in the text of a book laid flat on the table. Although he was often quiet and absorbed in thought, it's just a little incongruous to see the imposing fellow bent over a table in the library rather than destroying her training dummies in the yard or flattening metal in the smithy. She's not intending to bother him, but then there's a little whimper, and she catches the energetic wiggle of a tiny tail just below the table.

He's got a puppy? That's the kind of perfect that both changes her plans and makes her unable to prevent a grin from spreading across her face.

"A new friend?" Nari queries, resting the load of paper she's carrying on the table across from him.

[letoldthingsdie]

"What?" His head snaps up immediately from his reading, his usual stern expression firmly in place. Once he realizes who it is, his gaze softens. Rolling his shoulders, he nods and scoops up the pup squirming in his lap. He could fit right in the bend of his arm like a child.

"He chose me, apparently. Thedas has some weird concepts of ownership." He didn't ask for this and yet he was taking it in stride. The pup seemed happy enough with his new master.

"What's all that?" He gestures to the scrolls and books sitting on her side of the table. It looked like a lot to carry but he wouldn't tell her what to do.

[nadasharillen]

The juxtaposition between Kylo's large frame and the tiny pup is thoroughly endearing.

"A mabari, isn't it?" Nari asks, although by now she's seen enough of the Fereldan war dogs to know the answer. "As far as I've seen, you can own other dogs here, but with a mabari, you belong to each other. Or sometimes they own you first," she grins as the little thing wiggles and noses its way around in his arms. "You'll have some new trust from anyone who knows the breed, I think. They don't choose wrong." And perhaps a little unconditional love and loyalty would do the man good.

"As to these," Nari indicates the scrolls with a quick nod, "just some light research on the development of siege weaponry and how the building of defensive structures have changed in response. Rey's work on the small-scale obstacle course trebuchets has me thinking."

Now that she's just casually dropped Rey into the conversation, back to the puppy: "What's their name?"

[letoldthingsdie]

"Ah. His name is Caedus, I think. At least he's been answering to it." As if on cue the pup seemed to stand to attention, mid scrabble trying to get up to his master's shoulder. He looked up at Kylo with intense brown eyes, as if waiting for a command. He was a smart pup, if a bit enthusiastic. With little training he might become as reliable as any other seasoned mabari.

"I was trying to learn more about him." He holds up the book he'd been reading, to show her the title, before setting it down. It had a myriad of other entries about various animals in Thedas, but mabari had been the specific topic of his interest.

"You're still working with Rey on the obstacle course?" He'd, of course, been helping Nari as well when she needed someone to do heavy lifting. On occasions when Rey joined in he couldn't help but watch her work, having to force his interest back to his own when he caught himself staring for too long.

While they had agreed to be open about their relationship, he still felt a sense of guarded trepidation at the idea of being so open about it. It hadn't mattered to him before, as he lacked any friends to even talk to about it, but now he wondered what the girl knew - if she had noticed anything at all.

[nadasharillen]

She peers at the book briefly as he lifts it and nods; a bestiary, as he said. Not one she'd read, but Nari is a woman of fairly singular interests and doesn't read much outside them.

"I am," she replies to his query with another nod. "It should be ready quite soon. In time to be used as training for the tourney, perhaps, although I didn't consider the need to practice horseback maneuvers while designing it." The elf's eyes dance with amusement, thinking about trying to run the thing on horseback. Good luck getting up the wall. "There'll be else than jousting there though, I suspect. Were you planning on joining in at all?"

[provenforce]

[ Rey smiles with her eyes closed as Caedus pushes against her, trying not to move as he attempts to get her attention. The pup is adorable, and she shakes her head slightly at Ben's grumbling. ]

He's here to stay, Ben. You'll just have to get used to it. Or maybe ask Padawan nicely to sit on him.

[ She hears Padawan make a groaning noise from the corner. She'd been wrangling the pup but he's clearly got more energy than she does. ]

[letoldthingsdie]

[Ben, for his part, has his eyes closed and is still trying to meditate despite still feeling frustrated and having his center disrupted by the rambunctious pup. He almost regrets having him here, disrupting what could be an easy session for the both of them.]

Yes, well... he's no where near as trained as Padawan. It would have been nice if a more trained Mabari had chosen me.

[A beat.]

Caedus, sit

[And immediately, the puppy plops his butt right beside Rey, head straight and his little brown eyes adopting a serious gaze not unlike their master's.


At least he listened sometimes. How long he might sit remained to be seen. He hadn't quite mastered it to the same degree Padawan had.]

He listened that time.

[Definitely still grumbling.]

[provenforce]

[ Rey cracks open an eye and looks down at the pup sitting next to her with a smile, settling back into her form again, hands resting on her knees. ]

They're smart dogs, he'll learn fast. You'll see. But remember he's just a puppy, he needs fun too.

[letoldthingsdie]

[As if on cue, once he spots Rey smiling at him, Caedus gives her a lopsided and toothy grin.]

Hm.

[Ben focuses, feeling the life energy around the two of them flow in and out, the balance ever present.]

Maybe Padawan should sit on him.

[If it kept him still. The pup was practically teeming with unused energy, ready to begin pouncing and romping about any moment.]

[provenforce]

[ Rey lets out a snort, opening her eyes again and looking over at Ben, reaching above the puppy to nudge his arm. ]

Or we could take him for a walk.

kennels

[tactical_alert]

[Malcolm has a habit of tending to the dogs--call it the Fereldan in him, but he's got a soft spot for the creatures. Plenty out in the city don't get the right treatment, and any dog could become a loyal ally if properly conditioned.

For a short time, he pauses in his work to watch this man interact with the mabari puppies and helplessly try to shoo one away. Eventually, he looks down at the peachy-furred, curly, lean poodle sitting at attention by his feet. She looks up, eager.]

Que pensez-vous, devons-nous l'aider?

[The dog gives a soft wuff and trots on over, sniffing at Kylo and the pup, tail a-wagging. Malcolm follows.]

It seems you've gained a friend. You should count yourself lucky.

[letoldthingsdie]

[For a moment he registers a mild panic as another dog comes to join him - How was this happening? He can't help but think. He relaxes slightly when the owner joins them.]

He seems more eager for food than a friend.

[And somehow he saw something in the pup, even though he didn't want to. It wanted affection - his affection, to be specific - or perhaps it had sensed something in him that attracted it to him.]

Lucky how? I can't- I can't keep him.

[He didn't have pets back home and that wasn't likely to change now. And he was small, still growing, and not quite as sturdy as any of the other Mabari he's seen. Perhaps he might grow into it, but it would take time and patience.]

[tactical_alert]

[Maybe you're just a dog person, Kylo. Milady paces around the tall stranger again and noses the pup before Malcolm catches her attention with a click, makes a motion with his hand, and she promptly sits nicely. Even if she looks like she wants to be doing otherwise.]

Mabari are very particular. Not everyone catches the attention of one. Quite rare, I would normally say, but perhaps the Inquisition is also full of outliers. Preternaturally intelligent, endlessly loyal, righteously strong in strength and will--you might want to start reading up on care if you've never cared for a dog before.

[letoldthingsdie]

[He's normally not even a people person so this is a new development for him. Still. The dog does seem to like him. Or he likes dog biscuits. Whatever the case may be, he's happily trying to chew on Kylo's boots, which are still attached to his feet. Good thing his boots are so thick, he supposes.]

It could be we're somehow different because some of us are Rifters?

[He's sure it's painfully obvious he is one, given he knows absolutely nothing about Mabari.]

The library in the Gallows. Would it have anything helpful?

[Is he actually considering this? The idea of having a strong and loyal beast like Rey's mabari, Padawan, was tempting.]

[tactical_alert]

I can't say I've noticed them showing any particular preference towards Rifters or natives. [Though he gives a short hum; might be worth looking into just for shiggles if nothing else.] And while it could be this one is just particularly feisty and hungry, I think if it was a matter of food, you'd have quite a few furry fellows in tow.

[The pup might not be his, or even might not be Kylo's depending on...how this guy takes to doggos, but Malcolm's comfortable enough scooping the wriggling puppy up in his arms either way. Physical affection! It's much easier with an animal than with...people.

Milady gives an audible huff, but remains where she is.]

It'd be a good place to start, at least. Though if what you find is lacking, you are, of course, free to ask the kennelmaster or those that own Mabari. Warden Inessa Serra in particular comes to mind; Garahel is very hard to miss and very good company.

[also rey but he doesn't know they know each other SO]

wildcard, that shit we talked about in discord

[tagartist]

[ Chloe couldn't sleep even on the best of days, but recent discussions were making it even more difficult. With curfew enforced (and the option of breaking it feeling off the table unless she wanted to give people more cause to keep up with their bullshit), it was hard to not feel caged, trapped, on edge - and it left her pacing the halls to just try and get some kind of feeling of being outside when she really wasn't.

What she hadn't been expecting was to see a familiar face while she was doing said pacing. She slowed in her steps slightly when she noted Kylo Ren's rather unmistakable figure in the dimly lit halls (the dude was Big when not so many people were), hands finding their way into her pockets as she got closer. ]

Night owl?

yaaas, come bitch with him chloe

[letoldthingsdie]

I could ask you the same.

[He'd left Rey to sleep, while his own mind couldn't seem to be quiet. It was better for him to work through the restless energy rather than impose it on her anymore than they could control. She was already afraid of what might come to pass. The last thing he wanted to do was let their connection fill her with his own worries too.

It didn't seem to matter that he'd been trying to be on his best behavior, that Rey had been here for a year and had been well established as someone trustworthy and good. They only ever saw the rifters as lesser than. Now it was becoming this.]

Did you hear about the messages going over the crystals?

[tagartist]

[ She couldn't help but scoff at the question. Chloe was more than sure that there wasn't a Rifter in Thedas who hadn't heard the cyrstals or seen the announcement about these blood tracking devices dressed up like some reasonable proposition that no one should be upset over. The look she gave probably conveyed those feelings as well. ]

I don't get why this shit is even on the table. We haven't done anything, not even a handful of us to earn this kind of suspicion.

[ Her hand rubbed at her forehead. ] It's like dealing with my step prick all over again. Guilty until proven otherwise and even then, it doesn't fucking matter.

[letoldthingsdie]

That's what I keep hearing, that none of us has done anything, yet that won't stop them from chalking this up as a good thing or some kind of precaution.

[Because they were a dangerous unknown and that automatically put a target on their backs.]

Step prick? [The corner of his mouth twitches a bit, as if he might smile.]

Sounds delightful.

[tagartist]

I'm sure they'll use our outrage as some kind of justification, like we're all unstable and ready to blow when things don't go our way. [ Spoken with the tone of someone who clearly hates authority a great deal; her opinion might have been a little biased, considering. Oh well. ]

Delightful's a word for him. [ She went to lean against the wall, chewing on the inside of her cheek. David wasn't a topic she'd talked about with anyone, really, but here she was. ] He liked to assume the worst about me, use my getting angry as 'proof' he was right because only guilty people get angry I guess, and then wonder why I didn't respect him or do what he told me to.