Sixteen books on magic spells

[bookish_lioness]

WHO: Hermione Granger and rifters (or anyone who saw her note and wants to chat)
WHAT: Adelaide is having Hermione find out about magic in other worlds by interviewing rifters for SCIENCE.
WHEN: Mid-Drakonis and onwards. There's no deadline on acquiring knowledge!
WHERE: The default is Skyhold's library, otherwise note in the subject line if your character would have arranged to meet her somewhere else.
NOTES: Nothing comes to mind; will change if necessary.

Anyone frequenting the library has probably become used to the curly-haired young girl who's claimed a small alcove as her own. She can usually be found sitting in the corner, nose buried in a book as her brow furrows, attempting to bridge the gap between her worldview and that of Thedas'. It's not always an easy task, and sometimes names and dates get jumbled, which is why she can sometimes be found just a few steps away at the nearest table, books and journals and bits of parchment scattered about as she tries to make sense out of all the reading she's done.

Still, what at first glance appears to be a mess is actually rather organized, and for however engrossed she seems to be in her work, she's always been happy to talk to new people. After all, each conversation counts towards research, even if it isn't in the particular field she's been asked to study. Go ahead and ask around for her if you don't know where to find her; chances are she's hard to miss, and many will be able to point out the inquisitive rifter if she happens to be around.

Comments

[eviscerates]

There's the quiet swish of her skirts, and Ruby would have to admit she's not actually been up the library much. She loves books, but it reminded her of absent friends, and if she's entirely honest the smell of the Rookery - probably not noticeable to most, but intense to a nose like hers - wasn't all that appealing.

She's wandering happily as she looks for Hermione, and it's only at the last minute that she gasps a little and lunges forward. It ends with her standing behind Hermione, pressing her hand against a teetering line of books threatening to topple on Hermione from a high shelf, before she pushes them further back on the shelf, having to stretch a little beyond her usual reach, for all that she's already tall.

"Hey," she starts, giving Hermione a friendly nod. "Got your work cut our for you, huh?"

Maybe someone out there could give Belle a run for her money in the book and research department.

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione, for her part, is all too used to books falling on her, though usually it's just one on her toe or something hitting her in the shoulder. An entire stack collapsing over her head probably would have been a bit more serious, and so she's thankful for the preventive measure.

At least, she is after realizing that something had been prevented at all. Glancing up from the book she'd been peering through upon feeling someone behind her, Hermione frowns a little at the sight of the hand, as though wondering ow it had gotten there. When she follows it up to the arm and then the face, the frown turns into a small, polite smile.

"Oh! Hello! Yes, I suppose I do! But I've never been one for idle hands, so it's better than sitting around and hoping someone talks to me. How are you settling in?"

FINALLY BURSTS BACK IN HERE

[eviscerates]

"I know how that feels. Always thought I wanted some time off, until I realised how much better it is for your mind to be busy," Ruby replies with a lopsided smile, easing back once she's certain the books aren't going to actually topple. This place smells of dust and leather and that special scent that belongs to aged paper, a kind of oddly comforting mustiness.

And with the question, she smiles brightly. "Great, actually. I wound up running into a friend of mine from home. It's been... it's been really good having someone I know around. And I'm helping out at the tavern, so... sticking with the familiar, I guess. How about you? Doing okay?"

It's not like she and Hermione were buddies, but she seems like a nice kid.

\o/

[bookish_lioness]

"Time off is only special when you actually need it, not when you're languishing away doing nothing." At least, that's what Hermione's always assumed, since she's never really done much in the way of languishing. Even her time off is spent reading, or going to museums, or doing some sort of general learning.

At Ruby's response, Hermione's eyes widen in surprise. "Someone from home? Really? I haven't heard of that actually happening!" She isn't sure if that would be such a good development, since no one wants their friends stuck somewhere against their will, but at least it means those friends aren't left fretting over them back home.

"I've been... making do. Mostly I've been up here, reading what I can to find out as much about Thedas as possible. I've been finding that talking to people actually helps a bit more, though. Some of these books are so painfully obvious about how biased they are."

[nofury]

Maria takes a seat from the girl without seeking permission first, a helpful tranquil having pointed her out. A mage from the Rift researching new forms of magic. Possibly harmless, a simple scholar's lust for knowledge. But a mage untrained in the dangers of demons and blood magic was a danger in and of herself, no matter what her origin.

In short, a chat about intentions couldn't hurt.

"Hello, Hermione Granger. I'm Knight-Captain Maria Hill."

[bookish_lioness]

A little surprised by the brusque beginning to the conversation, Hermione sits back and blinks up at the unfamiliar woman across from her. She knows Hermione's name, leading her to assume she must be reaching out to her in response to those notes she'd put up.

"Hello, Knight-Captain Hill," she offers, managing a small smile. "You'll have to excuse me if that's not the proper way to address you; I'm still learning." Picking up a small notebook and her pen, she asks, "Are you here about the rifter interviews?"

[nofury]

"In a way. How informed are you on our local traditions?"

The polite response and instant reach for the paper was a small reassurance. Magical scholars seemed to be a running theme between worlds, at least. But while Maria's tone remained calm, she wasn't precisely relaxed just yet.

[bookish_lioness]

Given the fact that she'd said our local traditions, Hermione looked down at Maria's hand, clearly searching for signs of a shard. Even if she wasn't a rifter, though, there might still be something interesting to learn from her, since Hermione still didn't know nearly everything there was to know about Thedas.

"Not very, I'm afraid. I'm learning a little about the different kinds of people here - mages, elves, dwarves, Qunari and their various offshoots - but I haven't been here nearly long enough to be able to keep all the nuances straight. But I've been asked by my employer to find out more about rifter magic to try and figure out our current issues with the rifts. Do you know Councilor LeBlanc?"

[dragoon_pride]

Kain had seen the note addressed to rifters, and figured he ought to go talk to the one who wrote it. He's no mage, but he's had a great deal of experience with mages and magic, so he figures he can still answer questions about it. He heads over to the library to the spot that had been mentioned. He's without the usual helmet for the time being, though he's otherwise fully armored.

"You must be Hermione?" He assumes as much... she'd mentioned being involved in research, after all, and she has plenty of materials spread out. It's a sight reminiscent of mages back home too. Some things really aren't too different between worlds. "I saw your note... I come from a world that has magic. I'm Kain Highwind."

[bookish_lioness]

She looks up as someone approaches her, offering him a small smile. Her hand is already reaching for her notebook in which she'd been jotting down notes about rifters and their magic, even as he's introducing himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she says cordially, her free hand gesturing to one of the other seats at the table. "I'm assuming you've come because you wouldn't mind answering some questions? If that's the case, please sit down. Before we start, what would you like me to call you? A specific title? Ser Highwind? Everyone here seems to have different preferences."

[dragoon_pride]

"Just Kain is fine." As much as he's pickier about his title when it comes to home, he's gotten not to care either way when in another world. It's probably obvious enough given the armor that he's a knight of some sort, though. He also doesn't go anywhere without it.

He sits down, eyeing the materials set up around the table. "I'm no mage myself, but I can still tell you quite a bit about my world's magic... I've noticed that it's not completely like what they have here." There are similarities he's seen, yes, but the things that are different are huge. Especially summoning. But he'll get to that.

[bookish_lioness]

"Kain, then. I'll remember that." It's much easier to remember than many of the stranger names she's come across here.

Opening up her notebook to a clean page, she looks up at him, smile on her face and pen poised. "So you come from a world where magic exists out in the open? That's fascinating. What is the world called, and what can you tell me about it?"

[aintwejust]

"Hey there, li'l miss." He ain't a Rifter and he don't got much magic worth tak'n about- but he'd wanted to check in. See how she's settling, if she's settling, if anyone's been giv'n her trouble. Not for nothing just on account of having a vested interest in making sure no one is kick'n up trouble in general with these folk.

Shit gets stirred with one person with a shiny hand, soon the rest might get involved. Not that he keeps tabs on all of 'em, but the ones ask'n questions? Usually got poked.

He thinks, sitt'n here as the one pok'n. "How goes?"

[bookish_lioness]

The familiar drawl surprises her, since she's met so many new people that it isn't often she's faced with something familiar anymore. Looking up, she offers more than her simple polite smile when she sees Malcolm, grinning easily at the sight of him.

"I've been fine," she replies, genuinely pleased to see him as he sits down. "And you? And... Jayne, was it?"

[aintwejust]

"Do'n well. Jayne's...off begg'n scraps from somewhere, most like. He don't much like wander'n around the library. Too much dust, birdsmell bugs him." At least when it slips down this far. Mal himself is a fair sight better, scrubbed and shaved and decently rested. "I'm do'n well. Got a li'l work runn'n things around for this party thing that's gonna happen soonish, everyone wants things, no one wants to go out and get 'em. Easy money."

[bookish_lioness]

"Oh... yes, I've heard there's some sort of soiree in a few days," Hermione realizes. At least, she thinks it's in a few days. While she can figure out dates easily enough if she really thinks about it, it's not simply second nature to her, like the calendar system she's used to. "Will you be going? I wasn't planning on it, since I doubt I'd know many people there, but I have the feeling Councilor LeBlanc might insist upon it, since I've signed on as her aide."

[foxsays]

Despite not being a mage, Araceli has still managed to gather a decent amount of information about them and other matters, so the notice catches her attention. Besides, there's a stack of books she has to drop back to the library.

Her teacher's reading list is extensive, and she has to work harder to catch up with what Beleth knows by virtue of being a native.

"Señorita Granger?" She asks once she's set her books down, a stack of papers neatly folded under one arm because no, she's not going to even try that first name with her acccent. "Araceli Bonaventura, at your service."

And as ever, she bows before she sits.

[bookish_lioness]

The accent is an unfamiliar one, at least insofar as what she's heard here in Thedas. She doesn't presume Araceli is more comfortable with Spanish, though; not everyone who's come to her has been a rifter, and of the ones who are, not all of them are from the same world. After all, speaking French to an Orlesian likely wouldn't pan out quite right.

So she resists the urge to use her very limited Spanish in response, instead only smiling up at the young woman who sits with her. "Hello, Miss Bonaventura. Are you here about the interviews I'm conducting with fellow rifters?"

[foxsays]

"Araceli is fine, I...simply do not know how I would say your first name without likely insulting you." Right now, she would rather be honest, there are too many secrets and lies in Skyhold than she's comfortable with as she nods, setting the papers on the table between them.

"I am, I was in the first group of arrivals through the rifts, and I come from a place with no magic. Only sleight of hand and tricks, which I have realised falls very far from what Thedas would call magic, I will do my best to answer whatever questions you have."

At least this time she'll be interviewed by someone in the same boat.

[make_my_mark]

Lara too had more or less made the library her port of call. Taking one of the tables tucked into an alcove for her own, she'd hung her bow and quiver over a chair and stretched out a thin blanket on the floor. Her breast plate and chain-mail lay there, as she moved about the stacks in her street clothes, reading and learning, checking and re-checking.

Sharing the same small rotunda with the curly-haired young woman, it hadn't taken Lara long to notice the familiar mark on Hermione's hand, and while she knew there were apparently as many worlds as there were rifters, she was quick to approach.

"Hello," she greeted. "I'm Lara. I was just over there--" she gestured lightly across the room, "and I saw your mark, and..." She turned her hand back, showing hers. "I was wondering if I might ask--"

[bookish_lioness]

What fascinated Hermione was that there were so many similarities between her world and Thedas, and yet they were so different at the same time. And the differences that existed... well, it painted a rather stark picture, one that she was hoping to understand a bit better. And not just for the sake of research, but because most of the Thedosians she'd met certainly proved that they deserved a much better world than what they had.

As much as she would like to devote more time researching the world around her, her new employer had tasked her with discovering rifter magic, and given that it had mostly been her own idea, she couldn't rightfully refuse. Besides, any knowledge was useful knowledge, so long as one had the time and opportunity to apply it correctly.

Besides, when she looked up and found that she not only recognized the accent but that she was also speaking to a rifter, she couldn't help getting a little excited. What were the chances that she'd really run into someone else from England, much less the same England she called home?

"Oh! Am I rifter, you mean? Or am I... did you want to find out whether we're from the same place? I don't think I've heard of that happening yet, but anything's possible - if you at least know what the U.K. is, that's already more than most people here. Some of the dialects can be a bit-...." Babbling. Again. She really needed to stop doing that. "Sorry," she added as she offered Lara the hand that wasn't glowing. "I'm Hermione. It's nice to meet you, Lara. What was it you wanted to ask?"

[make_my_mark]

She started to smile, a small, gentle shift her mouth as the young woman began and quickly ran away with herself, but then, suddenly, her eyes brightened and widened.

"The U.K.?" It wasn't the question she'd initially meant to ask, but it seemed more important right at the moment. "London? Trafalgar square? God Save the Queen, fish and chips...?"

Her mouth rounded, half a smile, half surprise - a small bit of hope, as she reached to take Hermione's hand.

"Do you know what any of those are?"

[lennethvalkyrie]

Sorcerers.

If this young woman's habits could be ascribed to her peers in her world of origin, this would be, by Lenneth's count, the third world in which they kept the same voraciously disorganized--to her eyes--state. Referencing, cross-referencing, cross-referencing that cross-reference, all books open, some stacked, papers half filled with notes that meant nothing save to the one who wrote them.

It was all very... well. Arcane.

The valkyrie raised a slim silver eyebrow at the book Hermione was reading so intently. Then stood, watching, for a few minutes, until it became obvious the young woman was engrossed enough that it would take more than Lenneth's presence to get her attention--so she spoke.

"You wished to learn of the magic of other worlds?"

[bookish_lioness]

Hermione's head snapped up when she realized she was being addressed, blinking for a moment as she shifted from the world of her book to the real world. Smiling up at the unknown woman, she quickly moved to get a folded piece of parchment she'd been using as a bookmark, marking her place in the book as she closed it and set it aside.

"Yes, that's right," she told her, getting out her notebook and a pen before offering her hand. "I'm Hermione Granger. Are you what they're calling a rifter, too?"

She'd assumed so, given that introductory question, but Hermione has had more than one non-rifter come up to her, curious to know her intentions behind learning about other magic. She couldn't blame them, really, but she felt it best to clarify that matter right off the bat.

[lennethvalkyrie]

"I am," Lenneth replied, holding her left hand up so the telltale soft green glow of her shard could be seen.

"I am happy to provide whatever information I can, both about my world, and the few things I have learned about this one." She paused for a moment, eyes flickering across the myriad of books and pages full of writing again. "I wish a boon in return, if you will grant it."

"It seems the written word of this world is similar to your own. It is not so with mine. Will you teach me?"