ᴀʟᴛᴜs, ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇʀ, ᴍᴀɢɪsᴛᴇʀ (tevene) wrote in valloic, @ 2020-08-22 12:52:00 |
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Everyone was so open with their magic on this island - it was a refreshing change of pace, though Dorian supposed that people were open with magic in Tevinter too, just in a different way. A constant power struggle, vipers raised from the cradle - all of that went well with the craggy cliffs and stormy skies, and the violent turbulent storms. Magisters who coveted power and who would kill anyone they needed to, in order to keep that power secured - blood magic practiced in secret, slave sacrifices, literally buying and selling elves in marketplaces. There were a lot of aspects about Dorian's home that he wasn't proud of - like how those who reached the top cheated to get there. Like how elves were considered pretty dolls to collect and keep, and often expendable, the blood of slaves used in rituals. But for all the bad, there was a deep love for his homeland too - he wanted to save Tevinter, wanted to do all he could to plant the seeds of change. That was what he’d been doing, before he arrived here - it had been slow and steady work, but meaningful work. Obviously he couldn’t continue that from a world away, but he supposed he ought to make the most of his time here, while he was here. That included attending a meeting with a group of magic users, and finding someone who was willing to teach him the art of shapeshifting. He didn’t know many shapeshifters back in Thedas, save for the swamp witch, but she was not present and he doubted she’d be willing to teach him anyway - so here it was. Here they were. “Well then,” he spoke up, glancing at Atreus - it was pleasant out in the clearing, a section of the forest near Skyhold, whispering trees and velvety green sprigs and a sprinkling or two of white flowers. “Where do we start, exactly?” Atreus grinned, unashamed at his lack of teaching knowledge, and spread his arms wide. That really was the question, wasn’t it? Where do they start. He had done research with a few Vanir, and taken their knowledge into his own, along with Jotunn texts he had found over the years and Mimir’s stories… and a lot of practice. A few accidents, as well. But now he was confident in the ability, he’d had a few years under his belt and more than a few animals he was good at. But he still brought Bessie along, just in case Dorian needed a reference. The fox was happily running around the clearing, chasing off any bugs he found while Atreus was trying to think up the best way to do it. “RIght! Okay, so, I spend a lot of time studying animals and people, and it’s a lot of being in-tune with your body.” He relaxed his muscles and let his arms fall, stretching out with limbered ease. “I find it helps if I’m relaxed and not tense, trying to clear my mind of everything.” Atreus shrugged one shoulder, “I’m not as great at that part, so it’s not a dealbreaker. What’s your favorite animal?” So many quips to be made. So many jokes. In-tune with your body. Well, he could watch Atreus be in tune with his body, that didn’t seem like a bad thing at all. He squinted grey, stormy eyes, the color of a gravestone - a whole row of them. “I - don’t believe anyone’s ever asked me that before?” Dorian hedged, and it was true - wasn’t as if he ever had a pet growing up, not in his household. His mother and father would have never gone for such a thing - a frivolous thing. Having a pet seemed like something a family did anyway, and they were no proper family - his parents were what happened when you went with the idea of an arranged marriage just to breed and keep the bloodline ‘pure,’ and yet despised the other person. But alright. He did some stretching of his own, attempting to think of an answer and considering all the mammals and birds he knew of (because fish and amphibians were out, no thank you). Too slimy. “A lynx, I suppose?” he settled on. “They’re quite sleek and graceful. Like yours truly.” Or was that too ambitious? He could always go with a smaller cat, if necessary. Dorian didn’t really need Atreus’ approval, since the shapeshifter had found it was always easier with something you wanted to be over anything a person forced you into, but he still gave a little nod, looking impressed at the choice. “I like it. I think it fits well.” He hopped a little in place with barely contained energy as it practically flowed around them. That was one of the magics of this forest, everything felt alive. The warmth of the sun filtered in overhead, beams grazing across skin, across leaves that fluttered to the forest ground. Bessie was busy trying to play in one of those such beams, chasing it across the clearing with enthusiasm only a fox could muster. “Okay so, fair warning, I’m self-taught? But I’ve been trying to figure out here how to shapeshift with my clothes. It’s been very hit-or-miss, and I have no idea how it’ll work with you.” It was better to be honest, right? Even if he knew about the other Dorian’s relationship with Fenris, it still served to give this one the benefit of the doubt. “But I try to picture myself as the animal, and focus all of the energy and magic in my body towards that one thing.” “Well, that’s certainly the most unique way someone’s gotten me naked before,” Dorian quipped - or potentially naked, whichever. No need to worry, he was quite unattached - Anders had only mentioned Fenris once, but Dorian didn’t know who he was or what Special Secret Project they had been working on in Vallo, since those from his homeworld didn’t seem to want him involved in much of anything. He kept his nose out, then. There were other projects to focus on. Like shapeshifting - he was wearing comfortable clothing, the delightful invention known as denim (not a material he was familiar with) but blue jeans fit well and so did the grey top he had on, sleeves pushed up to the elbows. “There was a ritual one must undergo, to become a Necromancer - for shapeshifting, not so much. I just...focus?” There were manuals too, but they were unhelpfully back in Thedas. He was just ‘going with the flow’ here. “Is it similar to casting a spell?” he asked, watching the fox play for a moment before glancing back at Atreus. “I’ll put that down as a reference,” Atreus joked back, knowing that his cheeks turned a bright pink even if he was trying to be casual about the joke. There was nothing truly embarrassing about nudity for him but involving it with new people had been a fun and exciting experience here in Vallo. People were still a fun and exciting experience here in Vallo. He had too many questions about necromancy for someone without a desire to study it, and opened his mouth to ask, and then closed it again, before finally nodding. “That’s what I do- Focus.” His shoulder harness left his arms bare and free, runic tattoos on full display. “It is for me, but I don’t do magic half as impressive as yours. Your magic reminds me of full Vanir, drawing from a realm beyond. I knew someone who could do it very well.” Thinking about Freya now wasn’t a great option, and Atreus had to clear his throat and shake his head. “Do you want to see me do it and then we can try from there? I’m told it’s impressive to watch.” Well, that was sweet, hearing his magic was impressive. Dorian almost preened about it - but he managed to refrain, settling on a soft chuckle instead. It was different, learning this way - out in the woods, away from Skyhold. Though admittedly, having Skyhold plopped into a strange new universe was odd in its own right; the courtyard, in that area facing the stables, was somewhat empty - dirt crunched underfoot, but the stalls with the thatched roofs, there weren’t any merchants peddling wares. No Bonny Sims, head of the Tradesmen Guild, or Farris - who specialized in wheeling and dealing, in contracts. There were others too, various merchants who sold weapons, armor, or ingredients for crafting that were difficult to get elsewhere, even mounts so the Inquisition could travel in style - which was why it seemed strange to not have that ‘people milling about’ vibe there now. But at any rate, he was eager to see what exactly could be accomplished in this clearing. “I would like to see it, yes,” he nodded. “So I have a good idea about....what it looks like.” And what he’d look like, attempting such a feat. No doubt he’d stumble the first few times he tried it, however. At that, Atreus laughed and unclasped his shoulder brace. He dropped it on the ground, where Bessie immediately tried to use it as a climbing post as Atreus flexed. “I promise I won’t take a picture of you looking foolish when you try!” With that, his tattoos flared up with jötunn magic, glowing a faint blue as Atreus shifted into his standard black wolf. It was a smooth process, now, but it hadn’t always been. There had been times he’d shifted badly, was too small, too large or stuck with some human-shaped part of him. The time he’d had an arm for a tail was strange, but it’d made his father laugh and that was hard to complain about. Now, he had enough practice and skill that his transition was almost breathtaking, the magic shifting through each muscle as he turned in a delicate way, before ending up on all four paws, joyful, puppy-like expression on his otherwise menacing face. Oooh. What a delight - Dorian was thrilled, even going so far as to pat that fuzzy head, scratching under Atreus’ chin. “Well, alright, I’ll give it a try - “ The key was to focus, he assumed. To focus on the mental image of a lynx - a large cat with beautiful, thick, brown-spotted fur and large paws and he tried. He couldn’t seem to hold it, however, because he was too concerned with whether or not he was doing it right - not to mention his mind kept pinging off in different directions, tugged here and there, just by little things. Which was silly because he had cast many spells before, and that required some semblance of concentration. Magic rose and shimmered like heat waves, the glare of it very present to those who could sense such things - he called upon this force, reaching out and holding onto his connection with the itty bitty, teeny tiny Fade here in Vallo, feeling the pulse of it and the way it beat against his ribs. But still. Nothing yet. Grey eyes snapped open. “It’s so different than summoning fire,” he huffed, looking sheepish. “I just...need to make a clearer picture of a lynx in my mind, maybe?” Atreus bumped his head into Dorian’s hand before backing off, he let the mage spend some time focusing, watching with intent wolfish eyes. It was easier this way, because even if he had his own mind, he couldn’t speak about it in his normal way. And Atreus really was known for rambling about things when his opinion wasn’t welcome. He was supposed to be a teacher, though, so Atreus shifted back to a human - pants intact, huzzah! - and reached out to bump Dorian’s shoulder gently. “Don’t feel too bad, it took me years to learn and that was from nothing. I can’t summon fire like you can, you’ll get this.” Atreus gestured to his shoulder armor and the phone sticking out of it, and looked back helpfully, “If you want, I can either bring up pictures on my phone for you, or I can turn into one myself? Or I can act out cat movements like it’s a game.” Dorian was determined to get himself shifted into some kind of cat - he’d even settle for a housecat at this point, despite it not being a majestic lynx. But a little bit of progress was better than none. Also what a shame Atreus’ pants were intact. Were Dorian to pull this off, he doubted he would be so lucky. Moving along. “Let’s try the cat movements,” he suggested. “I’ll look ridiculous but perhaps it’ll help me get into it and I’ll be able to shift.” He curled his fingers, offering up a very teasing sort of cat sound. “Mrreow?” He got back a loud laugh in return, and Atreus was sure his cheeks were flaming even as he did it. “I was mostly joking, but I deserve this.” And Dorian was right, it might help, which left the norse man unable to to do anything but play along. Helpfully. Well, as helpful as it was when he was still laughing through the idea of pretending to be a lynx. “It’s a good thing you have many other talents,” he teased in return, but gave in and schooled his face to something far more ferocious and almost feline. He arched over and made a noise that was almost other-worldly, but accuracy fell a little to the side. It was so much easier to talk as a cat when he was a a cat. Funnily enough, it did help. Magic was a natural force, like gravity - their magic may be different, but they both knew what it felt like to tap into a pool of energy; you had to be aware of what was around you. You had to have that extrasensory perception to even know where to begin. And you had to be relaxed enough to get into it. To make cat sounds and try to mimic the look of a cat on your face. Moving and shaping, shaping and moving. Dorian focused, centering himself - and in his mind, he began to create a picture. Not just picturing the lynx as it ended up, but imagining every single piece of the puzzle from the inside out. What went into a large cat? Well, there was the skull. The neck bones, jawbones, shoulderblades, clavicle. They had ribs, backbones, claws - those bones all began to connect and when they did, when they fused together, the muscles came next. Those muscles and tendons stretching over bone, followed by the organs that were life - fur and colors pouring in were last, creating the whole picture. Then he had it. A bright, bright flash of light with a flicker of violet that colored what looked to be him exploding - but it wasn’t that, it was merely a change. For a moment, there was a sleek grey cat there, yowling. Certainly no lynx, but he tried. Rrrrreeeeeow It shocked the ever-loving shit out of him, which was probably why he didn’t stay in that form for very long. Another bright burst of light, air compressing and almost stretching, and Dorian was back to his human self, swaying a little. “Oh, Maker’s balls, I think I almost pissed myself.” And his pants were gone too, so there was that. Atreus made a triumphant noise, gleefully cheering and pumping a dorky fist into the air as it was done. His grin was blinding when Dorian turned back, and he moved in just in case a steady hand was needed. Ah-- the lack of pants was noticed, and Atreus politely averted his eyes after a quick once-over. And, perhaps, if Dorian were to notice, an appreciated pause of his eyes. But Atreus had been raised with manners and was still too excited over Dorian’s magnificent display of magic that he didn’t let it distract him long. “That was amazing!” He reached out to clasp the mage on the shoulder, warm hand squeezing with reassurance. “It might not’ve been exactly what you were going for, but it’s an incredible start! And you make a very good looking cat, if you don’t mind me saying.” “Ah, thank you,” Dorian replied sheepishly, a flush creeping up to stain olive-toned skin. From what he recalled, the swamp witch didn’t lose her clothes when she shifted into animal form, so why was he here lacking clothes? It was fucking embarrassing, but Atreus didn’t seem to mind so he’d take it. He’d also try to resist scenting against the other man’s hand like he really was a cat. A little jarring, however, shifting back to human form - as soon as he’d become a cat, everything was just a lot sharper, more clear. Not to mention the vantage point of being so close to the ground and the feel of paws instead of hands - very strange. The whiplash was difficult to get used to. It was intense, and he had no other word to describe it - necromancy was a ritual, magic sort of imbibed into your very being, your soul. This was taking the magic that was a natural force and literally shaping it, turning it onto yourself. Definitely a lot different than those outward displays meant to dispel magic. “Do you think you could shift too?” he asked. “And I could try again. And we could - go run around or something.” That might make him feel more comfortable with everything too. Atreus nodded, not wasting any time over debating an answer to that. “Yeah, yes-- Definitely.” It was one of his favorite things, losing himself as an animal and running through the woods. Everything was both more vivid and sharp, but also quieter, and simple. It took away the voices, the chattering, and most of the spirits he heard on a daily basis. Instead, it was just him and the wilderness. The sound of nature keeping him company in a way that others never could. Bessie might’ve queued in on his thoughts, as she ran over his feet and he was able to lean down a snag a quick kiss to the fox’s head before she wiggled out of his arms and ran off again. He backed up and turned his grin back on Dorian, excitement flickering across his face even as it was just starting to change. “We’ll go explore and get you used to running on four legs.” The magic wrapped around him even as he spoke, excitement merging with magic to engulf him as the words died on his lips, Atreus helpfully shifted in full view, to a much more manageably sized ocelot. It took Dorian less time, the second try. He was still concentrating so hard he just about burst a blood vessel, but that would ease up the more he did this - and Atreus was a lovely teacher and animal running companion. Elemental spells were ones he knew, fire and ice and lightning, but Necromancy was a craft he dove into because it was a little taboo. Forbidden. Not in the way blood magic was, but very close. There he was again, Dorian the Cat, yowling from his vantage point on the ground. What did cats do besides make nuisances of themselves? They rubbed their face on things. On each other. Hence why he gave Atreus the ocelot a friendly and affectionate headbutt, purrrrrrrr. Then took off running. Time to test his literal cat-like reflexes. This was going to be an interesting afternoon. |