driftfleet | [muffled spooky scary skeletons playing in the distance]

[ Hermione makes a noise that's almost a squeak of protest as she's showered in affection, and her nose wrinkles as she recognises, almost instantly, where the dog gets his name. He's far more... Damp than Godric was, but Godric was a touch smaller and he had his charming little wings. Drools, at least, lives up to his namesake. ]

Look at the mess you're making of my face! I suppose I did ask for it, though -

[ And she laughs, scratching him behind the ear before she looks up at Hawke. ]

And how's our owner today?

[At Hermione's squeaking and protest, Drools lays off the licking at least, instead just wiggling all over in her general space. At the question he looks at her conspiratorially, as if to gossip. Luckly he can't actually speak so Adalwolfe is spared whatever gossip his dog would have to offer about him.]

Oh I'm fine. Pretty good, actually. I have the high score on that damn unicorn game and our captain offered Anders and I his quarters, since they're bigger.

[He'll just leave out the part where it was after Adalwolfe attempted to drag his bed across the ship to Anders' room only to find it didn't fit in the small cabin.]

How about you?

[ She does, at least, make an attempt to look down at the dog, as if listening to him seriously, before her hand begins to pet him idly as her attention lifts to look at her friend. Expression softening, her lips curl into a smile, warm and happy. ]

That sounds wonderful. I'm glad the two of you are going to be more comfortable.

[ She hadn't been aware they were together, but it was hardly her business anyway, was it? ]

Oh, nothing too exciting has been happening. I've mostly been cooped up restocking my potions supply.

[Now that they're spending virtually all of their spare time together, it barely occurs to Adalwolfe that anyone doesn't know the two mages are a thing. It had certainly been Kirkwall's worst kept secret. Mostly because if asked about him, Adalwolfe could go on about his charming and selfless healer boyfriend. He could write a book about only his hands. To say everything he'd want about the man would take up volumes.]

It's good to get some fresh air then, if you've been leaning over a mortar and pestle so long.

[ Hermione, in turn, is much quieter about her own romantic attachments; she had kept her relationship with Viktor a secret because of how the papers were handling her already, and when she was in the Drabwurld she barely had time for herself, let alone romance - even if Gilgamesh and Dorian might have disagreed with her personal assessment. Now she's just happy that she can see the people she cares about happy and in love, and her expression is gentle and warm as she looks up at her friend. ]

It's definitely good - I feel like I can breathe again. I love brewing, honestly, but after a few days I just feel disgusting.

I can't imagine brewing a bunch of different things smells all that nice after. Anders' hands always stink after crushing herbs. Or, well, not always. A few smell nice but they all mix together and it just permeates everything, even your clothes.

[And that's no good on an enclosed spaceship.]

I'd still like to learn, eventually, but maybe it would be better out here in the fresh air.

It depends on what you're brewing. If I had the time and the ingredients I might be able to make Amortentia, and that'll be the nicest smelling thing in the world to you, but... I don't really think we need love potion on the fleet.

[ She smiles softly, though. ]

I can teach you, anytime you're ready.

I'm always ready for anything. But I think I'll let you recover first if you've been brewing that much. Still, we could talk about the basics, couldn't we? I don't even really know that much other than some materials are inherently magical. Besides elfroot and embrium I'm not really sure what, though. I wish I could have saved some of the books from the estate. I think I had a copy of a book on botany.

[He plunks down in the grass, Drools looking over but not moving from Hermione's lap where he's ensconced himself. He's quite happy to just lay there and be adored.]

Actually I probably had books on a lot of things. I never got around to reading many of them.

It's really not much of a problem, honestly. I'm used to teaching people in my spare time, and I think I got quite good at it.

[ Even under pressure, even in the middle of a war. Hermione had taught people to use their shards, to activate something deep inside of them, to use a patronus, to fight, to survive - and she had somehow managed to keep herself alive along the way. She knows just how much help she had in the Drabwurld, though, and she's not willing to forget that anytime soon. ]

Sometimes we don't get time to read, no matter how interesting the books are. I've studied Elfroot before, but I've never made a potion with it... Anders did tell me it was for healing, though.

Sometimes I think elfroot potions might be all Anders makes considering how often he makes them. It might be, here, considering we're lacking in most ingredients for others. There's no lyrium, for example.

[He glances up at the sky, glad it's there above his head instead a bulkhead, but unable to shake a vague feeling of being watched. Not malevolently, at least he doesn't get the sense that it is, but he doesn't generally like being watched overall. He's not going to mention it though, doesn't want to alarm Hermione, and they're safe near the hulking mass of the landed fleet ships anyway.]

Well, potions later, but what other kinds of things could you teach easily just now? I confess I know a lot of big flashy things but little charms and hexes I'm rubbish at. Anders has been trying to teach me a little but more teachers means better learning, right?

[Or so he assumes.]

Oh! Charms was my favourite lesson at school!

[ Hermione perks up a little, shifting forward. She doesn't want to talk too much about Lyrium, considering the things she and Cullen had worked on together in the Drabwurld and the effect it'd had on him, but she steps forward to look at Hawke anyway. Eyes bright, she draws her wand. ]

I'm not entirely how sure it'll translate between our magic, but I could try and teach you a few spells and incantations, if you'd like? The staff should work well enough as a wand, and it's more about the movement than anything else, and knowing the proper pronunciation, of course...

[Oh Hermione, if he knew you knew Cullen...]

I'm not sure I need a focus, or incantation once I've got how the spell feels, but we can start that way until I've got the hang of it.

[The staff is so large compared to her wand that he has to stand to draw it from his back and remain so to cast; sitting down and waving a long stick around is just going to end with someone's eye out.]

[ Cullen was a good, loyal knight to her and she would defend him to the death, thank you. ]

Well, we can try something simple and see how that goes. The very first spell I learned in school, actually.

[ Stepping to one side, Hermione draws out her and and says the incantation carefully with, of course, the perfect hand movement to go with it. ]

Wingardium Leviosa.

Wingardium Leviosa?

[He repeats it, careful to repeat her inflection as he hears it (though hardly perfect), but the words just sound so...]

Are you sure you're from somewhere else and not Tevinter? That sounds like Tevene.

I'm not sure what Tevene is.

[ She shakes her head, flicking her wand out and saying the incantation - and a little leaf begins to float. ]

It's latin.

It's the language they speak in the Tevinter Imperium. It's in Nothern Thedas, and ruled by mages. Sort of the polar opposite of the rest of Thedas. Their language sounds like that.

[He watches the leaf float for a moment, then wordlessly gestures with his hand instead of his staff and another leaf joins hers. He knows he should be trying to do it her way, but levitation is a part of Force magic and he's rather good at that.]

I think I might know that one already.

[He wiggles his fingers and a few more leaves join the first, floating in lazy circles. He's totally not making a smug face what are you implying?]

No one I met from Thedas in the Drabwurld ever mentioned Tevinter. Maybe I just never met someone who ended up going there at some point.

[ But she gives him a wry little look, lifting her eyes to shake her head. ]

But you didn't say the incantation! Alright, how about this -

[ She points her wand, whispers Avis and watches as a flock of canaries come flying out of her wand. ]

Maybe. I've only met a couple people from there and neither had very nice things to say, honestly.

[He shrugs, then watches the birds fly from her wand.]

Alright, that one I don't know.

[He lifts his staff and attempts to hold it out the way she pointed her wand, albeit two handed.]

Avis!

[...And nothing happens.]

Maybe one day I'll get to meet some people from Tevinter. Who knows who'll end up showing up here, after all?

[ She grins, though, watching the birds fly around before she turns her head back to look at Hawke. ]

... Hm. That's odd - you're definitely saying it right.

Hmm.

[He rubs his beard a moment then pulls up his staff again.]

What do you feel when you cast that spell? Maybe I'm not in the right mindset. I've only ever conjured ice, nothing alive. Or are you summoning? Did those birds actually get transported from somewhere?

I just sort of... Focus.

[ She frowns, tilting her head as she considers how to explain it. ]

It's a charm - they sort of summon them? Or creates them, I suppose... Maybe we ought to try something else.

No, no, I want to try this one, I just need to know if I'm trying to sort of... transport birds, or make fake birds. Are they illusionary?

[Don't give up on him Hermione, it's his first try at prestidigitation-type stuff. His magic is usually so much more physical.]

No, they're very real until they go away. It's almost like I create them out of thin air - it's not quite transfiguration, but it's a realistic illusion.

Ok, so conjured then, not summoned.

[That helps. It's actually a lot easier for him considering the only ones in Thedas he's aware of that can move objects or themselves from one place to another in the wink of an eye are blood mages who've learned it from demons. It's not a common skill.

He lifts his staff and breathes out, imagining the birds coming from the crystal in the dragon's mouth. A flock of small corvids, maybe. Smaller than the ones that shed Anders' feathers, but still black and slightly iridescent...]

Avis!

[He moves the staff how Hermione moved her wand initially, his muscles clenching as he completes the movement. For a moment a few wisps of light exude from the crystal, vaguely avian in form, but really looking more like oddly translucent mockeries than actual birds. They glide for about a foot and then vanish without a sound.]

Closer, I guess.

[He chews the inside of his lip, not sure what exactly it is that he's doing wrong. He's never used his magic like this before.]

[muffled spooky scary skeletons playing in the distance]

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