There's a quiet laugh that leaves them as Connor mentions that he prefers the nickname Per for them instead. " That's actually a new one I haven't heard before. I'm not against it though. " Fingers gently UNFOLD the antiseptic wipe, peering at the wounds while chewing the inside of their cheek in thought, considering for a moment if she should have some backup in case the pain winds up being too much and causes Connor react badly out of pure instinct.

a strangled whimper bubbled in his throat, hating this more than anything he'd felt in a long time. it felt like it was making his entire body SCREAM. connor's teeth chattered from the pain, feeling whatever they were putting on his body lancing through him like something invading his very core.

part of him wanted to attack the human, but they were helping him despite everything. even with the warnings they were given.. and he wasn't about to prove them right. his fingers gently squeezed against the arm, his forehead pressing gently against the shoulder as something soft was wrapped around him. "what is that…?" he tried to focus on something. their voice, their movements. anything. "the soft stuff…" he supplied, already knowing that question was TOO BROAD to know what he meant. at least he assumed.

Upon noticing the DIFFICULTY the other has with saying their name, Perpetua smiles slightly to themselves and loosens their grip on the first aid kit as they make eye contact with him through the bars. " Some people call me Vee if you'd rather call me that instead. Easier to say and remember. " Perpetua offers. It wasn't their absolute favorite nickname in the world, but right now they were focused on building up TRUST. Only when Connor gives them clear verbal permission to enter the same space as him do they finally unlock the door and step in to join him, not making any sudden movements to avoid frightening him more than he already had been.

Confusion settled on his face when they asked for his name - something else he wasn't accustomed to. Manners were a foreign concept, rarely used with him at least. Connor shifted slightly, studying them as though expecting a follow up before deciding they must be serious.

"Connor," he supplied hesitantly. "You won't be able to understand or speak the other names I have been given over the years." and he had a feeling this human might not be a fan of them either. Connor moved closer, still studying Per as though they were an oddity before focusing his attention on the box in their hands. Stars above, he hated being around these kinds of things.

Taking a deep breath, he growled from the pain of removing his clothes - an inhuman noise that could shake someone to their core. The pain evident on his face - having made it worse to make this human's job easier. He bit his lip, a fang poking out in an attempt to not break skin as he sat down near them, trying to seem as passive as he possibly could.

The abbey had erupted into CHAOS as soon as the news had spread around of some sort of unknown creature trespassing on the grounds. They had been warned ahead of time that whoever it was had been hostile upon people approaching him, that left alone with whatever this individual was might result in Perpetua getting injured or worse. However intimidating that all sounded, she still found herself proceeding forward to the room they had locked the stranger in. To the DISMAY of the ghouls and Siblings of Sin, Perpetua had insisted they speak to him and tend to his wounds in order to establish trust. Perhaps there was more to this tale than meets the eye, there usually was.

they weren't afraid like the rest.

"Perpet…" the Scottish accent inherited from his father rolled around his tongue, trying to pronounce the name - albeit poorly. He didn't have the patience to try right now. Not with the roaring pain thundering through him. Connor moved closer to the bars, studying Perpetua like they were a curiosity more than a threat. "I don't smell fear." As skeptical as he felt, there was a fascination just underneath the surface. "Fine. Come in." He stepped back towards the wall again, facing the other with his arms out to show he wasn't going to be a threat.

❝  i’ll always want to listen to you.  ❞

❝  any time spent with you is time i treasure.  every second.  ❞

❝  my favorite color changes but it’s always the same,  whatever color you’re wearing.  ❞

❝  whatever matters to you matters to me,  you’re important to me.  ❞

❝  you’re so strong.  and brave—but i wish you knew you don’t always have to be.  i’m here,  if you’re ever willing to let me help shoulder those burdens.  ❞

❝  i’m not staring,  i’m admiring.  ❞

❝  i’ll always be yours,  in one way or another.  ❞

❝  you don’t ever have to worry with me.  i’m here for good.  ❞

❝  you are more beautiful than you know.  ❞

❝  you have a beautiful mind and a wonderful soul,  don’t ever let anyone make you think differently.  ❞

❝  i’m happier when you’re here.  ❞

❝  you’ve become my joy.  ❞

❝  whatever else happens,  if i have you,  i’m content.  ❞

❝  well,  i do feel a little better now that you’re here.  ❞

❝  you do make me happy,  it’s important you know that.  ❞

❝  you will always be my priority.  ❞

❝  i love you forever.  ❞

❝  you don’t know how glad i am to see you.  ❞

❝  you look wonderful.  ❞

❝  i want you to feel safe with me.  ❞

❝  i’m not letting you go until you say it out loud.  you’re beautiful and strong.  you deserve to believe it.  ❞

❝  sometimes you amaze me—i mean you always do.  but you have such intuition and real wisdom about things.  i like understanding the way you see the world.  ❞

❝  you carry yourself with such grace.  ❞

❝  you have a way of lighting up even the darkest moments.  ❞

❝  a tender heart is a courageous thing to preserve.  don’t ever be ashamed of having one.  ❞

❝   being around you makes me a better person.  ❞

❝  i hope you know just how full of worth you are.  ❞

❝  you always make me see things differently.  i appreciate your perspective. ❞

❝  i’m just enjoying you.  you look happy today and i like seeing that.  ❞

❝  you’re very valuable to me.  ❞

❝  you can come to me with anything.  anything at all.  ❞

❝  there is not a place in the world i would rather be than right here with you.  ❞

❝  come here,  come sit in my lap and tell me about your day.  ❞

❝  come put your head in my lap and tell me something new.  ❞

❝  i love it when you smile at me like that.  ❞

❝  i don’t think i can share you with anyone today.  ❞

❝  i’ll take you anywhere you want.  just tell me where.  ❞

❝  bored? of you?  impossible.  ❞

❝  if you like it i’ll get you one.  ❞

❝  your happiness matters greatly to me.  ❞

❝  you deserve to reach the goals you want in life.  you deserve to obtain anything you wish.  ❞

❝  you’re doing well.  you’re just discouraged and tired.  ❞

❝  you need to rest,  you don’t have to do it all today.  ❞

❝  the way i love you goes beyond description.  even those words don’t seem like enough.  ❞

❝  you come first.  you’re always my first choice.  ❞

❝  no,  if you’re upset that’s what matters right now.  talk to me.  ❞

❝  i want to share in your joy.  i want to be part of all things that make you happy.  ❞

❝  all of my best moments are the ones that have you in them.  ❞

❝  i would give you anything you ask of me. ❞

[ COMFORT ]  sender discovers receiver brooding and quietly approaches to carefully hug them from behind. 

[ SOOTHE ]  in the midst of a tense moment,  receiver turns away to conceal their emotions but sender wraps their arms around them and holds them from behind. 

[ CLOSE ]  sender reaches out and pulls receiver into their lap as they’re walking by. 

[  STOP  ]  sender reaches out and takes receiver’s face into their hands,  drawing them away from what they’re doing so they can just look at receiver for a moment.  

[ GIVE ]  sender greets with receiver with a gift. 

[ BRING ]  sender takes receiver out for the day to pamper them. 

[ ATTENTION ]  sender peppers a series of caresses over receiver’s face in an attempt to make them laugh or smile. 

[ COAX ]  sender knows receiver has had a lot on their mind,  so they hold them for a while to help them relax and hopefully open up. 

[ CARESS ]   sender sits by quietly while receiver works,  petting their hair and simply providing company. 

[ RELAX ]  sender gives receiver a massage. 

[ LOOK ]  for receiver to catch sender gazing adoringly at them.

Well that was good enough for him he supposed. And if he failed, there was always his age old tactics to test. The world was in such shaky standing with the whole hole in the sky, perhaps there would be a few fanatics he could reach and sway. It was easy to make a fanatic, and even someone who wasn't too mentally well, dance along to any tune so long as you could find the right cord to start with.

The question comes with a look as if he was trying to gauge as if it was a joke or not. How was a mage with ranged attacks..? Restraining himself from calling the other "child" was probably more difficult than any attack they might face.

❝I'm a mage, Connor, how do you think I am with ranged attacks?❞

A tilt of the head as he questions in response. With a sigh he's preparing himself for any kind of attack the other would like to carry out, strategy was never something he considered a strong suit of his. Stabbing his staff into the ground as spindly hands rolling up long white sleeves to reveal milky white skin littered in small scars, fetching a small twisted looking knife from down in his boot once he's comfortable. Gesturing for the man to begin.

Connor listened carefully, his protector telling him they couldn't sense many - enough for the two of them to handle. There was a pause between Connor and Nox whilst he listened, a look on his face giving away he was clearly listening to something while calculation settled heavily in his eyes.

"I intend to draw attention to our unwelcomed friends, whatever they may be. Use whatever is most effective to eliminate the problem." Connor's eye's shifted to the other, his demeanor far more serious than it had been since they began traveling together. He hoped it was enough for the other to understand he knew of the less than favored methods, and that Connor wasn't about to give grief about it either.

Just a little stargazing , don't you think?

Indie. Selective (low to medium activity) & mutuals only rp account for my original character, a half alien born in the andromeda galaxy. Please read rules before interacting! I do not interact with muns under the age of twenty one. If there's no age, I won't follow back! cross-over/ au friendly. Fantasy and sci-fi verses present!

( #ANTICRISTVS )  —    it's the cruel beast that you feed. it's your burning yearning need to bleed. through the spillways. you keep a casket buried deep within. you try to mask it, but fall back in sin. you wanna shake it off, but you're stuck inside. when stripped of rags of skin and spine, human decay, corpus dei, terminally dispelled. and it's such a ride. all your faith, all your rage, all your pain, it ain't over now.

                                                          —    and i ain't talking about forgiveness

Mention of an elven god does prick up his ears ever so slightly, most people had always mentioned the Maker regardless of race. It was only the few times he had run into a dalish that he had heard anything but. Ah, and of course his gods, but that came naturally. Eyes all but piercing in nature as he tries to glean anything from the other's appearance, perhaps it was that hang in the air near him that was the source of that little odd trait.

The mention of being fine with mages takes him out of his scan, any slight interest or amusement completely taken out of him. Of course the other might feel compelled to say so, this era was so critical on mages with their little war.

❝How benevolent of you.❞

The words rolling off his tongue as if they were drenched in ichor. At least this time it was not a fault he found in the other alone, but one it seemed many had. Though they may have no issue with mages, to state it felt like there was still a step between them. That's all it was. Nothing personal.

Ah, messing up already. He'll mark that one down for the records. He'd loaded his bag in the cart this morning and barely noticed the other bag - only bringing the bare essentials and a few sentimental items he'd hoped his traveling companion didn't pick up on. Dalish trinkets his mother insisted he brought for protection while assisting - sacrifices she and his father surrendered in his favor. Still doting on him after all these years…

"Well enough for us to complete this task…" He answered just as gently, now beckoning the other to follow. Keep his mouth shut while they traveled may be best, he figured. It seemed to work well until his companion warned him to stop moving. Potential danger ahead, she advised. A prickling ran up his spine, now attempting to find a way to make this seem like it was his own instincts and not the outside help.

❝I don't really think, that'll be a problem.❞

At least not in the way Connor might be thinking it! At least in the way Grief was trying to think of it too. Ignoring the creeping tendrils of fear and doubt spreading throughout his mind with a smile on his face. Yes, always the bright side, always the fool making jokes and hiding behind a painted face.

❝My master's been dead for a while now.❞

Oh, how it made his stomach flip to utter the word "master". Bile threatening to rise up his throat all the while he plays pretend that it's all perfectly fine- that it's even a good idea!

❝If you think that going to Vyrantium is helpful, then I will be your willing guide. Though, I only know so much about it, it was a summer home after all. But if you're interested in fashion, it is the perfect place.❞

Help people in a way his nature allowed, even with the cost he steadily realized was his life. The sacrifice was worth it. It had to be worth it. It was the mantra he told himself often.

How very interesting it was. He hadn't been expected to be told outright, he was a stranger after all, but it was interesting to see that guard put up. He wasn't going to poke, nor prod, he would get reprimanded like a child does if he did. Something he'd rather avoid today, maybe if the sun was just a little bit hidden in the sky he would try his luck, less of an annoyance about being outside in the fresh open air and he was bolder for it.

❝I should be asking you that.❞

Pulling back to lean against his staff with a tired sigh. Half-lidded eyes staying on the odd stranger as he tries to recall exactly what he had been told about his greeting duties.

❝I am Nox, mage of the Inquisition.❞

Annoyance no doubt clear in his voice as he speaks "inquisition". He chose to come here. Chose to align himself with them for the time being, and yet? He had only been delegated to greeting duty, to warding off darkspawn duty, to anything and everything but what he had wanted. What he was most useful at. Their enemy? A darkspawn magister. Him? Not allowed to learn more than that, despite being the most knowledgeable about the subject in this entire keep, perhaps in all of Thedas.

But he could be annoyed about it another time. Brushing aside the growing irritation he fostered. Letting one hand go off his staff as he gestures towards the other.

As much as the corruption sank itself into this Nox, he had to focus his concerns elsewhere. Like helping stop the spread of the tears in the sky. It wasn't just for the benefit of thedas, but the spirits pulled from their own places of comfort and twisted against their own nature. While Connor knew he may never know the answer behind who was responsible for this mess. If only to give them a piece of his mind for causing such unnecessary harm - but that wasn't information to supply to this stranger.

Especially after feigning ignorance of his spirit companion. It would only increase the suspicion.

He cleared his throat, his good eye locking with the slightly fogged ones - a chill dancing up his spine again. "I'm Connor. Though you may already know that. For what it's worth… I don't find the company of mages an issue." He spoke more gently, hoping to reach some sort of amiability with the other.

It wasn't too often that he was placed with new faces, perhaps as a way to keep those new faces around longer. So imagine his surprise as he is asked to greet someone. Imagine his boredom at that too. That is... until he actually finds this stranger. Slightly foggy eyes narrowing as they fall upon the warrior.

❝There's something off about you.❞

Low and gentle voice offering his "greeting". Yes, he lacked manners and was heavily aware of it, he just didn't care. When all your companions through life have been cultists and darkspawn, you don't really have a need for pleasantries. Hands tightly woven around his staff as he leans in a bit, still keeping a relatively kind distance.

❝There's a hang in the air.❞

Albeit Connor could tell- he looked like the stories of people infected with darkspawn taint. Though the progress was more significant than his knowledge. It made his stomach do flips, noticing the staff; Mages brought him a sense of comfort. He wasn't raised Andrastian and taught to view magic and spirits the same as the dalish by his mother. This one made his instincts turn, and a fleeting thought of how wardens must feel came to mind.

"I'm not sure what you mean," a thick Starkhaven accent rolling off his tongue. He shifted his feet, careful to keep his body language neutral. Seldom did others notice he had a spirit attached to him, but he'd practiced enough to deflect convincingly. Or so he believed.  Connor preferred disclosing nana to those he trusted. Not strangers bold enough to point out his abnormalities.

we   both   know   how   this   ends

to   you   it's   something   real

to   him   it's   something   physical

no   girl   don't   fuck   with   him

don't   go   back   again

don't   tell   me   you're   still   seeing   them

are   you   sure   this   is   what   you   want?

don't   go   back   to   them

baby   girl   give   me   the   phone

you   know   you   should   leave   them   alone 

we're   too   close

i   know   your   type

do   you   remember   what   happened   last   time?

what   are   you   thinking?

do   you   think   that's   a   good   idea?

this   feels   familiar,   doesn’t   it?

you   deserve   better   than   this

don’t   let   them   in   again

i’ve   seen   this   before

tell   me   what   you’re   really   feeling

why   are   you   still   answering?

that’s   not   your   responsibility

do   you   even   like   who   you   are   with   them?

they   don't   get   to   hurt   you   twice