am I loud enough?

But yes I’m still alive everyone. Real life is just very hard right now. My dog of fifteen years passed away; a loss I’m still coming to terms with. That and organising things for my mother.

   For someone whose entire life had been built up around his career, Haise can understand the concept of keeping busy— to the very max, even. He himself has been attempting to fill the void that some might call ‘free-time;’ though by now he is in the middle of realizing that the effort does not quite translate (another thing Daylen says about main threats resonates with thoughts of ghouls), Haise has not yet done anything to aid that particular gaping wound.

   “It doesn’t sound stupid at all to me. I’m sure if you ever did change your mind about joining a force, we’d have the space for you. Of course, I understand if you’d rather not. This area of expertise isn’t exactly for everyone— and I’m sure your students and teachers would miss you if you left.”

   There is something else he wants to say, but in the way he is thinking it, such a thing would not be appropriate— his silence goes on for a few seconds before he can figure out a way to say it delicately.

   “I’ve been a bit uneasy. Just a couple of months ago, everything was in ruins. People were dying. Those things… it was like they spawned out of thin air. It makes me think something else is on its way. Things have been too quiet.”

Their situations are more similar than Daylen realises. Although he’s not exactly half-darkspawn, the mage still has the Taint flowing through his veins. It’s a slow process that will one day consume him. He has to die fighting in the Deep Roads before that happens. It’s unclear if being away from Thedas slows down the process. The Warden lifespan tends to vary from person to person. Hopefully he’ll get lucky and live an extra ten or twenty years.

For a moment he looks out onto the stage. It’s interesting to watch the staff set everything up. Daylen really shouldn’t have arrived so early. He’ll make a note of that for next time.

“If I had to guess, something will likely happen before Halloween. Of course it’s hard to predict when I don’t know anything about our captors. There isn’t a pattern yet to follow. We can assume they aren’t in complete control, but not why they aren’t showing themselves.

“I’m not sure!” He hums. Thinking of what else they could do. Looking at Daylen, what are the things he’s probably never actually done? “Hm….You know what, let’s not go. Let’s go somewhere else.” Something he probably hadn’t done. Something tells Romanus he wants to say Casino, or something. SOMETHING like that. Still, what if he has gone? “Wanna…consider this a date?” A friendly date, of course, but he won’t say that. 

BUT there’s a grin. Not the creepy kind. “How about we go where ever you want. Somewhere you’ve not gone. A place you wouldn’t dream about going.” Boom. 

“That’s a tough question to answer. I haven’t been everywhere on the island but that’s mostly due to work. I suppose the only place I’d actively avoid is the red light district? Even then that’s because I’m not interested, rather than being afraid or something like that. My apologies if this is a weak answer. I’m not used to being asked what I want.”

That was a pretty sad admission, but the mage is being truthful. Normally he has think about everyone else instead. Rarely does Daylen put his own desires first. So when asked a simple question like this, he doesn’t actually have an answer.

   A fair bit of pressure eases off of Haise’s shoulders as he and Daylen continue to speak of these normal things. The festival, their work, the show. Haise has never fooled himself completely when it comes to his humanity: only ever capable of being half of a man, always being half of something terrible. But in these moments it is easy to lose oneself in the comforting simplicity.

   “I wish I could say the same, some of us ended up pulling extra shifts to accommodate the festival crowds. Not that I minded at all! The station is still just a bit understaffed—”

   Nervous laughter followed his statement, and he quickly averted his eyes back to the stage setup crew.

   “Sorry, where do you work again?”

While the Warden could feel disconnected, it’s not because he wasn’t human. Having magic didn’t change that simple fact. Even if some people got carried away, treating those born with the gift like a curse. Although he should probably put things in perspective. The dwarves were dwindling in number, and elves on both sides were treated horribly. Daylen had it a little easier in comparison.

“Having time off is always strange for me. I’m not used to it. Back home there was barely an hour where I wasn’t doing something. So while having a rest is a good thing, it also makes me a little uncomfortable. I know how stupid that must sound.

Hopefully more people will sign up. I try to protect people when I can, but joining up with a force wouldn’t really suit me. The main threat we face back home isn’t even on this island anyway.”

The darkspawn had been spawned after the beacon test, but he was very capable of dispatching him. The whole incident had pissed Daylen off. He certainly didn’t hold a high opinion of their captors.

❝For some reason children keep marching up to me requesting that I trick or treat them.❞

❝I must admit, I’m at a loss on what to respond.❞

“I think they’re just practising for Halloween. Some children really look forward to it. After all, it’s an excuse for them to get free candy. I take it you’ve never experienced the holiday before?”

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Tagged by: @ilikebottombunk

   “It has, thank you,” the lie passes his lips easily enough. He has practiced his re-release into the world of the public for some time now, knowing that he must come back and have a presence within the community he has been protecting for some weeks. This does not, however, mean that he will pass any personal information to his acquaintances; they did not need to be burdened by his quiet thoughts.

   The Sunset Festival? Oh, from a few weeks ago. “I did, I’m surprised I didn’t run into you there. Though, I can’t say I attended more than a few events. Have you seen one of the shows here? I’m not quite sure what I’ve gotten myself into.”

Daylen might be a recluse at times, but he doesn’t purposefully isolate himself. It’s a product of how Thedas shaped him. The mage can at least still interact with others. Any help he does for others is on the down low. He doesn’t mind fighting and using his magic, but he also has a reputation to uphold. So there’s a balancing act between that and working at the University.

To be honest, he enjoys not having to fight as much. Combat was exhausting and boring. The same repetitive battles against darkspawn over and over. Some described it as glorious but honestly it felt rather mundane.

“I probably just blended into the crowd. The festival lasted longer than we expected, and I found myself going everywhere. Work went on holiday for those two weeks so I had nothing else to do.

 It’s not as if they’d been completely sheltered from the noisy mechanics of cars, trucks, and motorcycles (oh my) since arriving to either of the cities. Of course they’re all around and unavoidable. Visually and audibly, huge and their engines humming almost constantly all across the island.

 However, since getting a better and more accurate rundown of the inner workings to cell phones, proudly thanks to Zero, they find it time to maybe take the next step. Another stranger falling victim to her curiosity, who just so happen to have one of the more singular forms of this obnoxious transportation systems.

 “Do they…move with magic, or do they move more like cell phones?” their more ancient knowledge putting her in a position of not understanding the development technology had gone through, but still eager to learn the difference and everything around it.

Explaining modern technology could be difficult. It’s not that Daylen wasn’t an intelligent man. There was just a disconnect between coming from Thedas and the state of the modern world. Well, for some it was modern anyway. Others came from worlds which had far surpassed this island. To them phones and cars were basically antiques.

The Warden can’t tell you how a motorcycle is assembled. Still, he’s very good at actually using one. Driving around was a more efficient use of his time. You didn’t have to walk around a large city.

Some on the road could be awfully rude, so he’d stopped to gain his bearings. Daylen had thought everyone is taught proper road safety. Apparently some people don’t get the message. Soon he found himself approached by a curious stranger. The mage had become less of a tour guide here. His knowledge of the island didn’t quite compare to his wealth of Hive City experience.

"Magic has nothing to do with it. If I don’t control the motorcycle myself then nothing will happen. Of course, learning how to use them properly can be difficult. You wouldn’t want to be a danger to others.”

“A break?” And he chuckles. It sounds so impossible. Still, seeing how Daylen was at least trying, it’s something. Even if he has no idea what he should do. “You’ll get used to it, you know? The more you go with the flow, the more easier it’ll be. Before you know it, you’re going to be like the stream in a river or something. I don’t know.” Don’t ask him to talk all philosophical. It’s not his style. He’s silent for just a second. Thinking of what the mage could do for fun, at least. “Hey, do you want to go to the theatre?” It’s something, and better than going alone. Romanus has always liked live performances. Wanted to see the expressions and emotions that they would pour out into their acting. 

It was hard to try new things. He’d been forced to become a workaholic, smiling as it wore him out. There was a city to look after and the Wardens to lead. Of course it didn’t matter if he consented to any of it. Both positions had been forced onto the mage. Doing whatever he wanted in Hive was the first real choice Daylen was allowed to make.

Now he was on an island, knowing nothing about their captors. The Warden was frustrated and ended up burying his face in paperwork. He really needed to break this cycle. Unfortunately he’s not a free spirit like Romanus is. Although the dragon has their own demons, at least they’re able to have fun.

“The body in its natural form is nothing to be ashamed of. We would compete in the nude, you know, back in my time.”

“Should you ever feel like you want a boost in confidence, I would be happy to help, Lord Amell~”

“Still, we aren’t in your time. There are rules we have to follow. I wouldn’t want you getting arrested for this. Although it seems the authorities won’t be going after just one person.”

The mage came from a very conservative society. One that tended to see nudity as shameful, and so he sought to cover himself up. It didn’t help Thedas seemed determined to disrobe him. From having to remove most clothing for a trial of Andraste, to the darkspawn stealing his robes and stave.

Daylen admittedly does find the man attractive, but he’d never actually say it. He’d be afraid of looking like a pervert. Something tells him Rider won’t listen even if he says to get properly dressed.

“I’m not quite sure I would meet your expectations.”

He hasn’t seen Daylen in a hot minute! It’s probably why he greets the other with a smile. “Hey, what brings you to this part of town?” More like, what has Daylen been up to? Romanus finds himself wanting to know what the man had been doing. 

“I’m trying to take a break. Apparently some at the University think I’m working too hard. Given this island is essentially a clean slate, I find myself at a loss for what to do. But it’s been a few months now. Hive is over and this is where we’re at now. I should really stop placing restrictions on myself..”

Daylen didn’t want to repeat the apathy and sadness that came with the previous experiment. A few of the people he’d interacted with had already left, leaving him with a smaller circle of friends. It simply felt exhausting to repeat this cycle again. He’d been doing this for five boring years now.

Maybe he should emerge from his shell and get out more. By now people coming and going is to be expected. He’s saddened by it but isn’t surprised.

It was unusual for a mage to wear green, at least from Tral’s world it was. Mages wore blue or white robes. Red mages didn’t even have the decency to wear robes at all. No, ‘they got in the way of sword play,’ they would say. No sense of decorum at all. And don’t even get him started on their feathered hat. Could there be anything more garish?

Tral stopped this line of thought. It didn’t do any good complaining about red mages. Everyone had to live their life the way they wanted and he couldn’t help it if some people wanted to live their lives wrong. He just wished they didn’t have to be so smug about their versatility; as if it was some sort of achievement to be mediocre at everything.

“Most mages and wizards wear robes back home,” Tral gave a short laugh. “I take that back; that world may not even be my home, but I suppose I have no choice in thinking of it as home. In the end it may very well be home. I just haven’t found a single person who knew me before my amnesia.”

Daylen had no reason to associate colour with different mages. His robes were special indeed, but not because they were green. The Warden didn’t put much thought into fashion anyway. What he wore is practical and that’s what matters. Although maybe he should relax those standards once in a while. Putting on some modern clothing won’t kill him.

“Unfortunately I can’t help you there. I know of memory loss but have never experienced it myself. It’s unlikely but hopefully you stumble upon some answers here. If an environment like this is good for anything, it’s learning new things. At least you remember your name.”

Normally he wouldn’t intrude, but they’d mentioned suffering from amnesia without him asking. So surely asking a question or two wouldn’t offend Tral.

   Whether for good work behavior, or as a reward for exceptional work ethic, the ticket stub in his hand led him to this place: Theatre of Calliope, he understood it to be called. Perhaps he is too early, however, as less than half of the seats are filled and the stage setup does not seem to yet be finished. But the view is wonderful, so he does not mind.

   And after his solitude, he does not mind company either, glancing upwards to the person taking the seat just to the right of him. “Daylen, it’s nice seeing you here. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Daylen rarely had the opportunity to enjoy himself. Even here the mage had buried himself in work. At this point, not having anything to do would feel strange. Still at times he did need a break. 

He’d overheard staff members at the University talking about the Calliope Theatre. Daylen hadn’t seen many live performances that weren’t simply musical. From folk songs to these ‘idols’ that were strange to him but vastly popular. So this would be a new experience for him.

He’d made sure to arrive early, unsure of how popular this show was. Thankfully a lot of seats were still free. The Warden hadn’t intended on bothering Haise, but this seemed like a good place to sit.

“It sounds a bit similar to back home. As idols we’re forbidden from relationships, namely because it would cause an uproar from our fans and could cause a scandal that could ruin our careers. That’s why most of us steer clear of romantic relationships.” Though for Reiji there were other reasons too.

“Here the rules of my world don’t seem to matter, and if I wanted I could have one. But if they can disappear, as you said, then is it really worth it?” But was it really worth it to continue being alone, either?

“I won’t lie and say I’m an expert on idols. Still, it seems celebrity isn’t unhealthy in my world alone. If someone will throw a fit over you dating then they don’t care about you to begin with. Just the image they’ve created in their head. Your happiness shouldn’t be sacrificed for theirs.

While I’m certainly a pessimist, I wouldn’t tell everyone to avoid relationships if the opportunity is there. The time spent with others still matters. Even if they disappear or forget what happened.

"Sounds lonely, and look at that! So am I, wanna have a nice night? I'll buy."

It takes a moment to register the implication. Daylen isn’t naive about sex or anything. He’d spent enough time with Zevran to be properly educated. But he never saw himself as particularly attractive. If anyone did approach him, it would be for his status rather than anything else.

His only real sexual experience had been siring a child so he wouldn’t die fighting the Archdemon. Given that, he’s a little hesitant to go for anything physical.