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portalling) wrote2022-04-02 01:17 pm
portalling) wrote2022-04-02 01:17 pm
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( Man, he’s still not used to serah. )
‘Doctor’, please, if you’re going to be standing on ceremony. You’re too old to be calling me sir. Probably.
What’s up?
‘Doctor’, please, if you’re going to be standing on ceremony. You’re too old to be calling me sir. Probably.
What’s up?
Am I in trouble? ( Light, joking, because it’s still unusual getting accustomed to being summoned by magical beeper. But Strange sets aside his work with an obliging crack of his knuckles and stretch of his shoulderblades. Reaches for his cloak and the crystal to add: )
It’s surprisingly mild outdoors— I’ve been cooped up in Research all day and could do with some fresh air, if this doesn’t need to be inside. A walk in the gardens?
It’s surprisingly mild outdoors— I’ve been cooped up in Research all day and could do with some fresh air, if this doesn’t need to be inside. A walk in the gardens?
Aye, the gardens will suit. We will meet you there.
[ Strange could be forgiven if he assumes that we refers to a second person.
What Ellis actually means is the large, muscular mabari ranging away from him down the path ahead. Ellis is waiting with hands in his pockets, seemingly at ease. ]
[ Strange could be forgiven if he assumes that we refers to a second person.
What Ellis actually means is the large, muscular mabari ranging away from him down the path ahead. Ellis is waiting with hands in his pockets, seemingly at ease. ]
After the stuffiness of a stone room filled with books and papers and distressing magical instruments, it’s nice to get outdoors; Wintermarch in Kirkwall has, so far, meant either startlingly nice days or some blistering cold mornings which make Strange’s fingers ache.
Today is thankfully one of the former, as he saunters down the barren garden path with his hands gloved, expecting to meet Ellis with— he doesn’t even know, someone else from Forces? Tony or Wysteria? — but apparently ‘we’ means, instead, a dog.
“Oh, hello. Who’s this?” Strange asks as he draws up to them, his blue-green eyes on the mabari. Probably not the most important question at hand, but the other man doesn’t seem like it’s an emergency, so Strange is gonna ask about the dog. He likes animals.
Today is thankfully one of the former, as he saunters down the barren garden path with his hands gloved, expecting to meet Ellis with— he doesn’t even know, someone else from Forces? Tony or Wysteria? — but apparently ‘we’ means, instead, a dog.
“Oh, hello. Who’s this?” Strange asks as he draws up to them, his blue-green eyes on the mabari. Probably not the most important question at hand, but the other man doesn’t seem like it’s an emergency, so Strange is gonna ask about the dog. He likes animals.
"Ruadh," is punctuated by an unimpressed chuff of sound from the mabari in question. Ellis' voice inevitably warms over the syllables. Roo-ah, accent thickening over the name even as the massive dog lifts his head to sniff at the air and let the scent draw him up along the path further. Ellis makes no move to stop him, turning more fully to Strange instead.
"I am not interrupting?"
"I am not interrupting?"
“Nope.” A lazy plosive snap of the P, a smack of the lips; still those loose and modern affectations which would Ellis would have seen and heard more of back on Earth. “We’re examining that artifact we constructed from the Crossroads, but it’s nothing time-sensitive as far as I can tell. I needed a break, and I doubt I was on the verge of some groundbreaking revelation in the next hour.”
Plus, he’s giving himself a bit of a breather from their weeks spent jaunting universes. (And yet— only five days had passed back here, which might have been mind-melting to some, but this is Strange’s third go at it. Time is malleable. He knows that well.)
“Is everything alright?”
Plus, he’s giving himself a bit of a breather from their weeks spent jaunting universes. (And yet— only five days had passed back here, which might have been mind-melting to some, but this is Strange’s third go at it. Time is malleable. He knows that well.)
“Is everything alright?”
Well, this just took a turn. Strange had been looking at the dog, but now his head tilts, full attention wired back to the other man.
“Not yet,” he says. That yet is operative. “But I miss flying — you’ve seen what the Cloak used to do, back where I’m from — so I’ve considered getting trained.”
“Not yet,” he says. That yet is operative. “But I miss flying — you’ve seen what the Cloak used to do, back where I’m from — so I’ve considered getting trained.”
A slow blink. This conversation feels a bit like a stairwell with a missing step; his metaphorical foot’s plunged through and now he’s just dangling there, lost.
“What, for a… holiday? Are the Hunterhorn Mountains very nice this time of year? I tend to get to know someone a bit better before we vacation together.”
“What, for a… holiday? Are the Hunterhorn Mountains very nice this time of year? I tend to get to know someone a bit better before we vacation together.”
This is very obviously not the response Ellis had been expecting.
A moment's pause, slight frown shadowing his face before Ellis shakes his head.
"Not for a holiday. We would be seeking members of my order. I've permission from the Commander to bring others along with me, in case we are met with trouble."
Like dragons. Or Imperial soldiers. Or Venatori. Or simply the kind of inhospitable creatures who make their home among the Hunterhorns.
"I would ask for your discretion, before you decide whether or not you would join us."
A moment's pause, slight frown shadowing his face before Ellis shakes his head.
"Not for a holiday. We would be seeking members of my order. I've permission from the Commander to bring others along with me, in case we are met with trouble."
Like dragons. Or Imperial soldiers. Or Venatori. Or simply the kind of inhospitable creatures who make their home among the Hunterhorns.
"I would ask for your discretion, before you decide whether or not you would join us."
And obviously this isn’t the invitation Strange had been expecting (he had, after all, no idea what to expect). But now that Ellis has clarified, Strange’s mouth shapes around a little oh, and well, that makes a lot more sense.
And he does the request the respect of not immediately launching back into habitual sarcasm, either. He stops to consider it, arms folded, shoulders steeled against a breeze coming in off the water.
“I’m honoured to be considered,” he eventually says, because it’s the truth. The request seems like it entails a certain level of trust. “And I’m certainly willing, with a bit more information. What kind of discretion, and why? Isn’t this the sort of thing Riftwatch does all the time?”
And he does the request the respect of not immediately launching back into habitual sarcasm, either. He stops to consider it, arms folded, shoulders steeled against a breeze coming in off the water.
“I’m honoured to be considered,” he eventually says, because it’s the truth. The request seems like it entails a certain level of trust. “And I’m certainly willing, with a bit more information. What kind of discretion, and why? Isn’t this the sort of thing Riftwatch does all the time?”
"This isn't Riftwatch's business, not truly. I have the Commander's leave to pursue it, but it is Grey Warden business."
And Ellis wouldn't have asked for anyone to accompany him, if it weren't such obviously dangerous terrain. The Hunterhorns is not exactly easy territory to travel in the best of times, and these days the entirety of the north and the Anderfels is unsettled territory.
"I've heard rumors of a Warden encampment in the Hunterhorns. Wardens who have broken with the force in Weisshaupt Fortress. I want to know if there is any truth to word they've set up in the Hunterhorn Mountains."
The look he lifts up to Strange is expectant, assessing his reaction. Rifters are a mixed bag; whether or not what Ellis has said so far means anything to a rifter is anyone's guess.
And Ellis wouldn't have asked for anyone to accompany him, if it weren't such obviously dangerous terrain. The Hunterhorns is not exactly easy territory to travel in the best of times, and these days the entirety of the north and the Anderfels is unsettled territory.
"I've heard rumors of a Warden encampment in the Hunterhorns. Wardens who have broken with the force in Weisshaupt Fortress. I want to know if there is any truth to word they've set up in the Hunterhorn Mountains."
The look he lifts up to Strange is expectant, assessing his reaction. Rifters are a mixed bag; whether or not what Ellis has said so far means anything to a rifter is anyone's guess.
“Ah,” Strange says, thoughtful.
He doesn’t have the intimate history. But some of it catches and snags on faint familiarity, as he quickly scrolls through the mental rolodex and what he can remember about words like Grey Wardens and Weisshaupt Fortress. It’s the mere basics, a Cliffsnotes to the Anderfels’ armed conflict, but —
“The ones in Weisshaupt are allied to Tevinter, right? So we’re looking for potential deserters who might be able to join our cause?”
He doesn’t have the intimate history. But some of it catches and snags on faint familiarity, as he quickly scrolls through the mental rolodex and what he can remember about words like Grey Wardens and Weisshaupt Fortress. It’s the mere basics, a Cliffsnotes to the Anderfels’ armed conflict, but —
“The ones in Weisshaupt are allied to Tevinter, right? So we’re looking for potential deserters who might be able to join our cause?”
"Should we find Wardens in the Hunterhorns who have departed Weisshaupt Fortress, I would like to know what their intentions are. If they have not come south yet, there will be a reason."
Maybe not necessarily one they care to share with Riftwatch. Maybe not necessarily one they care to share with Ellis.
He does not say this.
"If they are working against Tevinter, we may be of use to each other. Allies."
A specific choice of word. Not recruits.
Maybe not necessarily one they care to share with Riftwatch. Maybe not necessarily one they care to share with Ellis.
He does not say this.
"If they are working against Tevinter, we may be of use to each other. Allies."
A specific choice of word. Not recruits.
“And it sounds like we could do with as many of those as we can get.”
The severity of the war has been drummed into him, over and over. This has been going on for years. It’s attrition, not one giant fuck-all heroic battle and then calling it a day.
Strange’s gaze drifts down to that dog, still snuffling around by Ellis’ feet, then back up to the other man, considering.
“Alright. I’m in,” he re-affirms. Partially because he likes to meddle, likes to be in the room where it happens, can’t stand to sit on the sidelines, and partially because this guy seems to matter to Tony — “I’m probably missing a lot of the context, but whichever way I can help. It sounds like there’ll be time to catch me up on the necessaries while we travel, anyway.”
A thinning of the mouth, and: “Also. If it turns out that they’re still a threat, or their motivations remain antithetical to our own. What’s the plan of action?”
He has to ask. For clarity.
The severity of the war has been drummed into him, over and over. This has been going on for years. It’s attrition, not one giant fuck-all heroic battle and then calling it a day.
Strange’s gaze drifts down to that dog, still snuffling around by Ellis’ feet, then back up to the other man, considering.
“Alright. I’m in,” he re-affirms. Partially because he likes to meddle, likes to be in the room where it happens, can’t stand to sit on the sidelines, and partially because this guy seems to matter to Tony — “I’m probably missing a lot of the context, but whichever way I can help. It sounds like there’ll be time to catch me up on the necessaries while we travel, anyway.”
A thinning of the mouth, and: “Also. If it turns out that they’re still a threat, or their motivations remain antithetical to our own. What’s the plan of action?”
He has to ask. For clarity.
A brief, measured pause. Ruadh stills in turn, pausing in his circle around Ellis to look up at Strange from Ellis' hip.
"You should understand, there is little chance of that. If their motivations are as you fear, they would not have fled, much less hidden themselves."
Though the question deserves an answer.
Ellis has to wind his way towards one, because it is not so simple. Harder, for a rifter, perhaps.
"But if it is so, then I will try to convince them otherwise," is a steady, quiet assertion. "And if not, then we will need to decide whether or not we can leave them be."
"You should understand, there is little chance of that. If their motivations are as you fear, they would not have fled, much less hidden themselves."
Though the question deserves an answer.
Ellis has to wind his way towards one, because it is not so simple. Harder, for a rifter, perhaps.
"But if it is so, then I will try to convince them otherwise," is a steady, quiet assertion. "And if not, then we will need to decide whether or not we can leave them be."
Makes sense, to punt the decision further down the road. They don’t have to make it now — and shouldn’t, with so little information at hand yet. So Strange just nods, crisply. Accepting that interim answer, for what it’s worth.
“Just wanted to hear if you were open to the notion that they might not be friendly, and hard decisions might have to be made. Sometimes old loyalties can get us into hot water. Sometimes the loyalty helps. Sometimes it’s not worth for shit.”
There’s something brittle there, a faint touch of speaking from experience.
“But we’ll have we see when we get there.”
“Just wanted to hear if you were open to the notion that they might not be friendly, and hard decisions might have to be made. Sometimes old loyalties can get us into hot water. Sometimes the loyalty helps. Sometimes it’s not worth for shit.”
There’s something brittle there, a faint touch of speaking from experience.
“But we’ll have we see when we get there.”
"Aye."
Old loyalties indeed. There is a chance that Ellis will not be so warmly welcomed. He knows this.
"I've others to speak with, before we go. But once I've answers from them, and we can be reasonably certain we can be spared here, we will go."
And then, almost as an afterthought—
"You've no fear of heights?"
Old loyalties indeed. There is a chance that Ellis will not be so warmly welcomed. He knows this.
"I've others to speak with, before we go. But once I've answers from them, and we can be reasonably certain we can be spared here, we will go."
And then, almost as an afterthought—
"You've no fear of heights?"
( strange waits to reply until there’s a good stopping point in his latest experiment (best not explode your face by abandoning all the arcane energy at once—). then he carefully sets down his work, and goes to each edge of the tower, craning to see through each nearby embrasure until he can locate gwen’s houseboat and catch sight of it. a beat, then, dryly: )
Are there supposed to be?
Are there supposed to be?
Ah. The nun.
( something halfway between wariness and withering disdain, like he bit on something sour. but that wry humour creeps its way back in a moment later: )
By that token: half-naked elves gallivanting inside your boat is probably fine, right? As long as they’re not within view of a scandalised older woman, taking her morning constitutional along the riverside?
( something halfway between wariness and withering disdain, like he bit on something sour. but that wry humour creeps its way back in a moment later: )
By that token: half-naked elves gallivanting inside your boat is probably fine, right? As long as they’re not within view of a scandalised older woman, taking her morning constitutional along the riverside?
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