video / action

[hymnals]

Who: Adrasteius, yourself
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Bishop; wandering (teleporting around) the halls
When: now

[It's a comfort to know that his wife and children won't actually be missing him, that whenever he returns it'll be as though he never left at all--but only to a point. He still misses them, after all, and he feels their lack more acutely with each passing day.

His wife often left him for weeks at a time on military campaigns, but he's rarely been separated from his children for more than a few days. He'd already been apart from them for too long when he woke up here, due to the problems in Orgrimmar, but the full weight of their absence hadn't hit him until today. Something about the season, or the week, or perhaps it was nothing specific at all.

He sighs into the feed.]

So, anyone else got kids at home? I'm suddenly sick for mine.

Comments

video

[dancingmd]

[Another parent feeling homesick? Of course Beverly's going to reach out, even if they haven't met before.]

Believe me, I know how you're feeling right now.

[She offers him a small smile.]

I'm Dr. Crusher. My son's at home as well.

[hymnals]

That right?

[He returns the expression warmly.]

Tell me about him, if you don't mind.

[dancingmd]

[Her face really lights up then, her smile becoming wider. She never minds talking about him.]

Of course! He's name is Wesley and he's twenty-two, brilliant - and I'm not just saying that because I'm his mother. He's doing things I would have never dreamed possible when I was his age.

[hymnals]

[The only thing Adra enjoys more than talking up his own kids is listening to other people talk up their own. He smiles at her obvious warmth, her pride.]

Yeah? I'd love to hear about it.

[dancingmd]

Well, to put it simply - as if such a thing could be simple - he's somehow developed the ability to move transdimensionally through time and space.

[See? She wasn't kidding: this is impressive whether or not you're his mother.]

[hymnals]

[It's not a foreign concept to Adra, despite his appearance; in fact, time and space are a mage's wheelhouse. But to do so personally is something interesting. Adra raises a long eyebrow.]

Through a spell, or a machine? Both?

[dancingmd]

Neither. It's almost like it's another sense for him, or maybe, a different level of existence would be a better explanation. To be honest, even though he's described the experience to me before, I don't totally understand it myself. I've been in other dimensions and times, but that was always with outside assistance - a machine, or a natural phenomenon - not something I could control just with my mind.

[hymnals]

[Damn.]

That is something. How old is your boy? Twenty-two? Barely born!

[dancingmd]

[She laughs.] I doubt he would agree with that but... it is a strange thing. Feels like yesterday he was learning to walk.

video;

[serpentis]

I should have known you were a father.

[Dorian gestures slightly, as if to say "go on". He doesn't ant to talk about himself, no, but he's curious about Adra.]

What are they like?

[hymnals]

I hope that's a compliment. I'm gonna take it as a compliment.

[He holds up three fingers.]

Two boys, one girl. My girl, Alrune, is the oldest. Still only about ten years old, though. Cheeky. Steals tarts.

video;

[diomedea]

Missing moons. They can't spin around your tides right now. Is the planet lost without their gravity?

Hello, how are you, she says.

[Her tone is gentle, concerned.]

[hymnals]

[Ah, this girl again.]

Yeah, that. I'm fine, River. Are you holding up okay?

video;

[peacockherald]

I do not have children, but I have a niece I am very close to a fond of. I know it is not quite the same, but I find myself missing her here as well.

_{[ Haha, liar, Van, she is your child, but she is not raised that way. ]}

[hymnals]

Hey, family isn't defined by blood, direct or otherwise. It's who takes care of you--and who you care for, in return.

[peacockherald]

Yes, you are quite right. I wish more people thought that way.

[hymnals]

Anyone who doesn't is short-sighted. And, you know, wrong.

[peacockherald]

_{[ Another soft laugh. ]}

It is sometimes a lesson that needs teaching in action rather than through word alone.

[hymnals]

Unfortunately. There's always a dearth of people with abstract reasoning skills.

[peacockherald]

I like to think they had a reason for being so inclined, though. To have a negative experience can often taint the concept.

[hymnals]

Honestly, in my experience, it's always been the opposite. But I know a lot of orphans.

[peacockherald]

I have spent time amongst them, though I was not one. But I admit, my relationship with my blood family has been strained for many years now. The Heralds are my adoptive one, in a sense, and the Companions as well.

[hymnals]

[Adra rubs the back of his head.]

Most of my extended family is long dead. Still, I have a wife, kids, a brother. I'm not wanting for that. But I'm glad to take in people who are.

[peacockherald]

A kind gesture of you. Heh, I have three brothers back home, all younger, and an older sister.

[forcemageure]

No, but I do miss my dog.

[ This is like 75% joke, but ...also he's Ferelden. ]

[hymnals]

That's clever, jackass. You have anything sincere to add?

[He wouldn't discount animals as family, per se; he has a menagerie of animals at home, but he's not appreciative of Hawke's tone.]

[forcemageure]

Goodness, that's awfully presumptuous of you. Do you have some kind of infallible sincerity measure device I can't see?

[ uhh what tone. ]

[hymnals]

No. But I'm not in the mood for jokes.

[forcemageure]

I'm from Ferelden. That doesn't mean anything to you, but trust me, we never joke about dogs, even when we are joking about dogs. Mine was with our family for more than twenty years before I ended up here.

[hymnals]

Okay. Tell me about your dog. What's his name?

[forcemageure]

[ Narrative is just blithely ascribing to canon that Mabari live exceptionally long lives, by the way, since that's the only way the Hawke family dog can possibly be present. Anyway! ]

Thud. [ He has no compunction at all about whether or not Adra really wants to hear this. You have asked a Ferelden to talk about his dog, sir. You are doomed. ]

I could've gone with something more majestic, I suppose, but that's the sound effect that accompanies him every five minutes. Mabari are ...special. Bred with magic to be smarter than your average Templar, as a measuring stick that also means nothing to you. Anyway, the point is you don't just pick out a Mabari. One chooses you, or not at all.

[hymnals]

[Adra loves to hear about dogs.]

It doesn't, but I think I can guess at the essence of the term. Bred with magic?

[He waves his hand.]

Can they talk? One of my cats can talk.

[forcemageure]

[ He is Hawke's new best friend. And not 'nest,' as was initially written. ]

Good question! They're still more or less the standard doggy-dog, thinking about sticks and squirrels and all the important things in life, not complex mathematics. On the other hand they do understand what they're told, beyond the usual 'no' and 'down' and 'oh Maker, my leg, my leg' and all. I suppose the answer's yes, just...not in words.

Well, yet. Who knows what might come down the line.

[hymnals]

I have cats, some moths, some little dragons and things ... no dogs, though. Wait.

[He rubs his chin.] There is the pug. She kind of comes and goes on her own. Not out of any special intelligence, though. I think she just likes looking for new places to drag her butt.

[forcemageure]

[ Ah, butt dragging. Uniting dogs large and small across many worlds. Hawke is, of course, immediately distracted, because: ]

I'm sorry, I could have sworn you said you kept 'some little dragons' as pets.

[ Not to mention moths, but never mind. Predictably: DRAGONS?? ]

[hymnals]

Whelps. Most of them are too aggressive to stay in the house, but Moonflitter sleeps on the pillow sometimes.

[forcemageure]

Moonflitter.

[ It's possible he has never been more impressed in his life, except for that time Flemeth actually de-dragoned and then re-dragoned in front of him. ]

What do you do when they grow up? Don't they, you know, eat people and cause property damage?

[hymnals]

Ride them, if they're of a temperament to tolerate it.

[He shrugs.]

Some do. But more than enough don't. They're sentient beings, after all, some of the oldest and wisest in the world.

[forcemageure]

In that case they must be awfully good-natured. Letting you ride them and everything.

[ None of these things fit the description of dragons in Thedas. Although you can bet if they did Hawke would give his eyeteeth to ride one. ]

Audio;

[justamobster]

A younger brother. Came to the city t'find me. Hopin' he ain't gettin' into trouble.

[ Ladon's still on the fence about Adra, but knowing he's a father gains him a few favorable points. ]

[hymnals]

Is he prone to trouble?

[justamobster]

He was runnin' with a gang of pickpockets for a few weeks. Found him when the cops finally caught up to 'em. [ A wry little chuckle. ] Guess it runs in the family.

[hymnals]

Oh? Do you also--run with a gang of pickpockets?

[justamobster]

Not exactly. Let's just say I'm hopin' he stops at stealin' wallets, instead of followin' big brother's foot steps.

[hymnals]

[Well, that sounds sinister.]

I hope that for him, too.

[justamobster]

Been tryin' to convince him to go home, but I ain't sure that's any better.

[ It's not something he wants to think too hard about, considering he can't fix anything from space. ] ... How many kids you got?

[hymnals]

Three. Two barely old enough to crawl. My ten year old, though, she sometimes nicks things from people's pockets.

[He cringes.]

It's not something I encourage, but she can blink away, so it's hard to stop her.

[justamobster]

[ He chuckles softly. ] She'll learn. Usually takes kids stealin' from the wrong person 'fore they get that it ain't just an easy way of gettin' what they want.