therookery | [ OPEN ]

Entry tags:

[ OPEN ]

FORM: Sending Crystal
SENDER: Adelaide LeBlanc
RECIPIENT: Everyone
WHAT: Questions for Shardbearers
WHEN: Guardian 22
WHERE: Emprise Du Lion, heard by all
NOTES: Research Questionnaire for people that have shiny things on/in their person.

This message is for anyone that has a shard in their hand, their chest, or otherwise on their person; Rifter or Thedosian or otherwise. If you are so fortunate or unfortunate depending upon your view of the shard as to have one I've questions for you in the interest of better understanding that which you have and what it means for your health, the world around you, and how likely it is you might attract demons in your sleep. At my current best estimate the odds are high in on last but I tend to err on assuming the worst and being pleasantly surprised when the world doesn't rain down fire, death, and the undead.

If you would rather speak in person and are in Emprise du Lion- I can be found in my healing tent. If not? I will return to Skyhold at the end of Guardian if you would prefer to wait to speak face to face or am available at all hours on the crystals.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( it's taken Ruby a while to get to Skyhold, then a while to get a crystal, and she's been fiddling with it and trying to get it all figured out. you know what was convenient about Storybrooke? Texting. That was convenient. This was like a voice mail and a phone call mixed together, and she's not sure how she feels about it.

Magic meets technology, and ultimately? She kind of misses her brick of a Nokia, because that came with Snake. Well, before iPhones happened. She does miss Angry Birds a little, too.

Ultimately she bails on the crystal idea, but uses the sound of the woman's voice from the crystal to figure out who she's listening for, and then tracks her down based on sound. That's probably creepy, and not something she plans to share right away.

With a bit of a knock at one of the tent posts, Ruby sticks her head into the healing tent. It smells the way so many of these places do, a mix of cleaning herbs and soap, the too sweet smell of corrupted flesh that's actually in the next tent over but still offends her senses, and the sweat of the people who've been here before, as well as the current sole ocupant. She kind of really didn't miss army camps, but, go figure. )

Hi. ( A bright smile, and though Ruby's hands are wrapped in red leather gloves, her fingers curl into her palm self consciously. ) Are, uh... are you the lady who spoke about people with the shards, on the crystal thing?

[ Dried herbs, honey, the dust of books, parchment and ink all layered over lavender oil and soap; the odd note of tea long gone cold weaving around the rest- there isn't anything wholly remarkable. Adelaide blinks at the young woman for a moment as her eyes adjust before she motions for her to come in.

There's a chair and a side table- the rest of the tables and boxes are covered in books and parchment and poultices; reference materials and healing implements. ] I am, yes. Please sit. I've tea if you want any.

( Good smells. The kind of smells that make her think of Belle when she's pouring over an old manuscript she's found buried in the library, and the lavender Granny always tucks into her laundry. Smells feel more useful to her than sight, sometimes, like they could pull her back in time and she could live a moment over again. The scents set her a little more at ease, this time, and Ruby undoes the clasp that holds her cloak about her throat, letting it slide from her shoulders and bundling it up to rest in her lap as she sits. )

Tea would be great, actually. Thank you.

( Ruby sits with her hands bracing on the chair on either side of herself, shoulders and back curled forwards just a little as she watches Adelaide. ) I'm Ruby. Lucas. Ruby Lucas. How can I help?

( Or how can you help me help my friend and how can I help with that? but, you know, baby steps. )

[ Hot from the kettle at this time of day- not that she often left it to steep and cool into a bitter brew on purpose; preoccupation did that work for her. But this pot is fresh and she has, even, a few sweet rolls sliced for her lunch. More than enough to share. Adelaide pours Ruby a cup and prepares a plate without asking, offering over both. There's a weary efficiency to her motions- someone that has done much the same for a fair while; enough to do so quickly and simply. ] I am Councilor LeBlanc- or Adelaide if you are more comfortable with given names.

I have questions about the shard in your hand and your world, if you are comfortable answering them.

Well, ( and she grins, a little, ) I don't have a problem with titles, but I'm kind of used to associating them with the less friendly people in my world. The Queen. The Dark One. Although that last one pertained to Emma, now, but she could see herself calling Emma 'The Dark One' even less than she'd see her calling her 'Your Majesty' outside of teasing.

It could be worth mentioning that she was on the War Council for a King and Queen back home, but that was so many years ago that she's not sure it's worth touching on. As it is, Ruby tugs the red leather glove off her left hand, revealing the glowing shard that cuts from just above her thumb down to her wrist. )

I'll do my best. The world part could get sort of... complicated. Just as a warning. Magic's kinda, uh, well. Let's just say that 'curse' is sort of a buzz word, back home.

Simply Adelaide should suit, then. I am less a Councilor in this than I am a researcher and healer.

[ Whatever she learns will be of use to the council, yes, but more than anything else she wishes to ensure these shards will not harm those that carry them. Any and all answers will be of use in determining this. Gentle as possible she reaches out to cradle Ruby's hand, thumb resting light against the skin just where the shard begins to glow. ]

Then we shall save the world questions for last, yes? Has this caused you much pain since you arrived?

Okay. Adelaide it is.

( That's kind of a relief, weird as it is to admit. People who get pushy about their own titles make her... uneasy, sorta kinda. )

This thing?

( Ruby looks at it, pursing her lips a little as she thinks about it. ) It's not my favourite thing in the world, but... there's been a lot going on.

( I've been trying to focus on anything else, she could say. ) Nothing I couldn't handle but it aches, sometimes. Little flare ups sometimes. Is that... normal, do you think? From what other people have said, I mean.

Does it ache now?

[ She could do something for that- between exhaustion and her own stress Compassion is not quite as attentive to the pains of others. It is a sad state of affairs. ]

Most have said it settles within a few weeks after arriving- flare ups tend to happen around rifts or veilfire. But as every person is different so too, I expect, are the symptoms.

( Taking a moment, Ruby glances down at her hand, looking down at it and flexing her hand a little. ) Not. Not even a little. ( Her smile is lopsided, a playful deflection of how weird this is. ) It just looks kind of creepy.

( But-- Ruby's head cants to the side, and for a brief moment there might just be a hint of curious puppy in her gaze. ) What's veilfire? I mean, I heard the... veil? That's what keeps the demons back, or something?

[ Much as the comment earns an answering twist of Adelaide's lips, she does write dutifully next to Ruby's name 'looks kind of creepy' under personal observations.

She is nothing if not thorough. ]

Fire that is green, is conjured where the veil is at it's thinnest and connected to it somehow- at the moment I do not know more but another researcher in the Inquisition is looking into it.

( Green fire. She makes a little face, just a little flinch of her nose, displeased. )
Sounds kind of like something some of the scarier people from back home would be into, honestly. They're really big on colour schemes.

( Anyway, that doesn't really matter, does it? Though she is sort of curious, and smiles as she realises what Adelaide wrote down. )

Do all the people who come through the rifts come from worlds with magic?

Veilfire is frightening for how little we know of it- Pel Ashara is the researcher studying it as it seems tied deeply to her people. [ Somehow or another. Adelaide isn't going to ask, it isn't her area. ]

A fair amount seem to, a few have come through that were quite skeptical due to the lack of it in their own worlds.

Yeah, I know how that can be.

( Well. She-- hmm. )

Remember how I said the world situation was sort of... weird?

( it was like three minutes ago, tops, but you know. just... checking. )

...You are more than welcome to elaborate on what you mean by...'weird'.

When I say 'weird,' what I mean is that I've lived in two different worlds. One with magic, and one which... well, we imaginatively call it 'The World Without Magic.' We were trapped there without memories and magic. It was kind of a whole big deal.

( :D.... yeah no she knows it sounds crazy )

...

[ Adelaide makes a note on Ruby's chart and flips to a fresh section of pages, labeling them accordingly. ]

Could you start from the beginning? That sounds...incredibly complicated.

The beginning?

( Does she even really know the beginning? Maybe the doubt shows on her face, but she drags her bottom lip through her teeth, nods a little, gaze focused on her hands rather than Adelaide, and then looks back to the healer. )

I'll try. ( Just how much slack should she cut Regina? ) Someone who was broken hearted and desperate became so... twisted and let their heart get so dark that her revenge and what she thought was justified just kept escalating more and more. Killing someone wasn't enough, they had to suffer. And then it turned into everyone having to suffer - to lose their happiness and their identities, everything. And she was able to cast a spell strong enough to make that happen.

( Tentatively: ) Any questions so far?

[ Adelaide wrote this, word for word, as best she could. The tale sounded familiar enough save for the splitting of lives and worlds and..

And... ]

...Could you explain how a single spell erased everyone's memories and split lives and worlds in twain?

I'm no witch, ( Ruby has to admit, shaking her head apologetically. ) From what I've heard about it? It took sacrifice. Big sacrifice. I think...

( God, what had Snow said? ) The death of the one you love most, or something.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ OPEN ]

beginning of drakonis y/n

y/y

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

oops idk what happened in that last tag, I must have destroyed some html :')

s'awright i figured it out! ^_^

bless u friend

i am an html fail ninja, i do it to myself all the time i feel u

if you are the ninja, am i the pirate

noo then we're mortal enemies

no it could be like a buddy cop situation where we overcome our differences and are unstoppable!

Red and White, together they fight CRIME

this actually sounds pretty close to her canon

I might have to watch it now

you will probably regret it negl but the first season is good times

no subject

no subject