[closed]

[thereneverwas]

WHO: Barrow and Wysteria
WHAT: doing drugs for science
WHEN: gestures vaguely
WHERE: the Gallows, probably Barrow's room
NOTES: needles/injection, addiction and chemical habit discussion

Although the oversight would have been welcome, there's something about shooting up lyrium in front of an unwitting audience that still (remarkably) does not appeal to Barrow, so he's suggested for Wysteria to meet him in his chamber instead.
He'll open the door to admit her, gesture her to a chair he's set out, and then take a seat on the end of his bed, careful to avoid the oblivious ball of ginger fur that is one of his cats sleeping in the center.

"All right," he sighs, "tell me what you want to know."

Comments

[thereneverwas]

"Bit of both." The cat on the bed has become aware that he has company, and stretches deeply before coming to stand on Barrow's leg, paws kneading contentedly back and forth. Absently, Barrow scratches behind his ears.

"Sort of like a person's first time getting drunk. Feelings like pain and cold are duller, gives him the idea he can do just about anything, to anyone. Take a substance that does actually make him more powerful, someone with the wrong head on his shoulders becomes a real liability."

[heirring]

Wysteria makes a prompt, brief note on the page across her knees. To her credit, she does underline it.

"It is interesting, don't you think, that lyrium effects mages and Templars such similar fashions. It's always been a little funny to me that Thedas doesn't think of its Templars as doing a form of magic."

This has nothing to do with her inquiry and is clearly a sort of throw away remark as Wysteria surveys the sum of the notes she's made thus far for any gaps which might need filling. To wit, she busies herself with making a series of little marks on the page.

"Perhaps we might review your instruments and the process itself now."

[thereneverwas]

"...I..." Barrow begins, but pauses, as it's not something he's thought about in too much detail-- but she's right, isn't she. "...yes, I suppose they are." Even if Templars require the extra chemical boost for their extraordinary abilities.

At Wysteria's prompting, he nods, reaching for a wooden box on his bedside table. Opening it reveals a kit with all the accoutrements necessary for injecting oneself with the telltale blue substance, which he angles toward Wysteria so she can get a look at it.

[heirring]

Lest he suddenly become shy about the semantics of this process and her study be cut unceremoniously short, Wysteria scoots a little closer to the edge of her seat so she may peer more closely at the contents of the kit. With a few hastily jotted down regarding the various items on display—

"Very good, thank you. Now feel free to do as you usually would. You may even pretend if I'm not here, if you like. I will interrupt you only if I have any questions."

[thereneverwas]

Though he opens his mouth as if to protest, or perhaps just answer, Barrow concedes without a fuss-- that's why she's here, after all.

Trying not to look at Wysteria or remember too intently that she's here, he goes about the business of preparing the syringe, tying off his arm, and finding a vein. He doesn't even flinch upon insertion, the scar tissue around the inside of his elbow explanation enough; he's been doing this for most of his life, at this point, and the body grows accustomed to such things.

[heirring]

Wysteria remains shuffled up toward the edge of her seat during the whole of it. She watches with the singular focus of the hawk preparing to stoop on her prey; even the scratch of that pencil over that little collection of all important notes has obediently stopped. This is important work. It's vital that she understand the mechanics of the thing.

Only once Barrow has finished does Wysteria's attention drop swiftly back to her pages so she may hastily dash down a collection of shorthand notes for her own reference. This, apparently, doesn't require her full concentration. With her head bent, she asks—

"I know that sometimes lyrium is also taken as a draught. Is there a benefit to the injection rather than to simply drinking it?"

makes shit up and pretends it’s magic science

[thereneverwas]

“Don’t quote me on this,” Barrow muses, “but I think it hits a bit slower this way, stays in the system longer. Mages’ll use it for a boost in their natural casting ability, we need it to do anything at all.”

He’s a bit nervous about the rapid scribbling, and tries not to be too obvious about glancing at Wysteria’s journal—- he can’t see its contents anyway, and isn’t sure he wants to.

[heirring]

"Oh yes, I suppose that makes some measure of sense. It takes some time to feel liquor, after all," is a mumbled, musing sort of agreement and punctuated by a last deft scratching on the page.

Wysteria's attention snaps abruptly upward, suddenly meeting Barrow's eye.

"Very good, sir. This has been entirely informative."