[ Dorian nods, hugging Barcus a little closer to him and gently rubbing his back. ] All right.
[ It really is all he can ask for at this point. And he knows he doesn’t have any room to talk, considering how long it took him to actually talk about his own feelings. He knows how hard it is, and that these things take time. All he can do is offer his support wherever he can.
He can’t help a soft chuckle as he glances over to where he’d seen Barcus’ cat. ] I find animal companions are great at listening except when it comes to food.
[ A certain monkey fire spirit comes to mind, though in all fairness Mister never really needed to listen to him.
He lets the silence settle over them for a moment, before he clears his throat, a bit awkwardly. ]
There was… something else I wanted to talk with you about. Not quite as heavy or serious as the previous subject but… if you’re not in the mood I can always leave it for another time.
[ He’d understand if Barcus would prefer to be alone right now. And honestly, the anxious part of him worries that he might have just made things worse instead of better. ]
I never really had any pets before. They don't allow dogs in the part of the city I was living in. Can't remember why. I could have had a cat, I suppose. Just didn't. [Dorian may notice, despite the verbal tension resolving only slowly, that Barcus is relaxing fast under the physical contact, going slack against his side like a marionette whose strings have been cut. Whatever's going on in his head, at least he's capable of accepting this type of affection.]
But there was a hairless cat in the Last Light Inn. His Majesty. He rather sold me on animal companions.
Anyway...um. Yes? What is it? I can...I can talk. About other things.
I didn’t really have any animals growing up either. Our home wasn’t really suitable for most animals.
Cyrus, my brother, did have a pet rock for a while, though. That he… somehow managed to let die.
[ If anyone ever asked what kind of person Cyrus was, Dorian would lead with that his brother was a good, kind person. Then he would follow up with that. ]
Well, um… you have that gem manipulation ability, right?
[ Dorian laughs, even as he feels the familiar ache in his chest whenever he talks about his brother now. Beside him, Cyrus perks up, a soft, sympathetic trill rumbling from him as he rubs his head against Dorian’s side. ]
I honestly don’t remember, I was pretty little and it was a long time ago. He might have broken it in half? In any case, he was very upset when Rocky died.
[ A rock named Rocky… easy to see who inherited all the creativity. ]
Ah, no actually, I… I actually have it now myself, and I was wondering if you would help me with it. I’ll admit I’m… not entirely sure what I’m doing.
[ As someone born of the wind, rocks and minerals weren’t exactly his domain. ]
...then you just have two of them. [Barcus is mystified, here!
But that's not the matter at hand. He watches Cyrus for a second, wondering if having an empathic dragon as a constant companion would be good for him, or the worst possible thing.
Glancing back up at Dorian, he sighs and straightens, sitting up again and brushing off his tunic unnecessarily.] Well go on, then. Tell me about the project.
[Barcus looks at him blankly for a moment before it clicks.] You...oh. OH! You mean you obtained the ability from Terra? I thought you meant you had something with you that needed to be worked on.
[This is probably a reasonable diversion, but Barcus' focus isn't exactly what it should be, evidently.]
Of course! I'm happy to help with that. Let me...mm, you'll have an easier time starting from an existing crystal, hold on. [And just like that, he's on his feet and off like a shot, headed for the workshop.]
[ Dorian nods. ] Well, from Cordelia technically, but yes. I have some spells that require gemstones for material components, so I figured it would be useful, but I also wanted to see what else I could do with it.
[ His mind thinks to Ashton in his Titan form, and the moment that they had pretty much turned into a diamond, invulnerable to any attack.
As Barcus heads off, Dorian gets to his feet to follow him, though he doesn’t quite enter the workshop. ]
I would recommend reading up on geology and chemistry, then. The more you understand about the mineral components and the structure of the elements you're working with, the easier it is to manipulate them. [It's like flipping a switch. He can go from shakily emotional to pragmatic and excited about his work in a blink.
He crosses over into the workshop, still talking:] And if you're going to do anything beyond decorative materials, then you'll need to understand the properties of the stones you're proposing to work with. Not just hardness, but flexibility and the ability to bear impacts without shattering. Jade, for exam--why are you just standing there, there's nothing dangerous in here.
[He beckons insistently. This is the workshop. We do work in the workshop here, Dorian.]
[ Dorian believes in having sacred places just for oneself, so he hadn’t been sure if it would be okay for him to be in the lab. But when Barcus motions for him to step in, he does so, walking over to the gnome while marveling at how quickly his mood picked up. ]
Sorry. You were saying about jade?
[ Honestly, this sounds like a lot more work than he’d expected, but then this is why he’d come to Barcus in the first place, to get a better idea where to start. And while he wasn’t expecting to get homework, it does at least give him something to work on. ]
[Technically, this is him masking, not that Barcus would refer to it that way. Shifting focus onto work, or anything creative, is calming. The more technical, the better.] There you are. Sit wherever you like, I don't have the forge running today.
[The room is quite large, an L-shape that takes up the entire end of the house, plus a good portion of the back. Within it, the forge that Barcus and Solas have constructed together takes up about a fifth of the space, but as its design is seek and downright beautiful (Solas has an eye for aesthetics), it rather ties the place together. The rest is benches, shelves, books and well-organized ingredients.
And gems. Barcus plucks raw ruby the size of his fist off one of the shelves, then selects a couple other, smaller pieces, and brings them over to Dorian.] Jade isn't as hard as diamond, but it absorbs impacts much, much better. Hit a diamond with a hammer and it can and will shatter. But you can make hammers, and anvils, out of large blocks of jade. They can tolerate blow after blow without breaking.
[Has he thought about this in relation to the mineral components that appear to make up Ashton's body? Damn right he has.]
On the other hand, diamonds are superlative for use as grit for the edges of tools. They'll cut and score through nearly anything.
Obsidian blades are very, very fragile, but for fine precision work, they're hard to beat. I've made dozens of tiny sapphires for ball bearings in fine machinery. There are all sorts of uses for gems, not just beauty. Where was I going with this? Oh. Here.
[He places the ruby in Dorian's hand.] Can you build off of that? Make it grow?
[ Dorian takes a seat at one of the benches, glancing around the workshop until Barcus comes over with the gems. And he listens, fascinated by Barcus’ explanation. He’d always had a thing for gems himself, but certainly more for the aesthetic of them.
But as the gnome describes their different properties, Dorian’s mind also thinks to Ashton, wondering how such things could be applied to them.
As Barcus places the ruby in his palm, he frowns a little. He’s had a bit of practice with the ability before coming to Barcus, but not a whole lot. But he’s at least familiar with what he’s being asked to do, and after concentrating for a few moments more jagged pieces start growing from the ruby in his hand. None of them very big, the whole piece is still small enough to fit in his hand, but it’s still something. ]
[Barcus actually steps onto the bench Dorian's seated on, sitting on the tabletop next to him to be slightly over his eye-level, so he can watch what he's doing.]
Good, good! Now, see, what you're doing there is building on top of the structure the crystal naturally assumes. So what you're really doing here is accelerating a process that takes hundreds of thousands of years in nature. [Which is cool as fuck, isn't it? Eons of growth in the palm of your hand!]
With practice, you can reshape it some. I've made ruby lenses in circular shapes. The microscopic structure is the same no matter what, but you can nudge it to follow certain pathways.
[ Dorian’s concentration does falter a bit when Barcus leans close to observe his work, but he recovers quickly enough to continue, even as he listens to what Barcus was saying.
And honestly, it is pretty cool, being able to do something that would normally take hundreds of thousands of years to achieve naturally.
He’s still new to the ability, though, so the ruby still doesn’t get very big before Dorian feels his concentration slip completely. But there is noticeable growth compared to when he’d started, so he’ll take that as a win. ]
That is pretty amazing. It does seem like I have quite a ways to go with it, though.
It took me three or four weeks before I was able to construct the pendant you saw me wearing at the Valentine party. It will come, with practice. Sadly, no one can be perfect at something on the first try. It's the burden of those of us with perfectionist tendencies to remind ourselves of that and just keep going.
[Has he ever seen evidence that Dorian's a perfectionist? Not exactly, but the history and burdens he carries seem likely to drive him in that direction. He's pretty sure of his guess.
Gently, he takes the ruby from Dorian's hand and turns it between his fingers, studying it with the eyes of a lapidary.] See, you've done well with the color and the overall shape, but there are a few flaws here and there where you still need to get used to the structure. That's exactly how my first several attempts turned out.
In time, though... [He sets the stone aside and holds out one hand, empty, palm down. For a second, it looks as though the crystals are growing directly out of the surface of his skin, a wave of glittering silvery ore, black jade, crimson spinels, that flows up his arm like water, twining around his shoulder and settling into the shape of a gauntlet, vambrace, rerebrace, gardbrace and pauldron.]
It gets easier. And you'll start to have fun with it.
[ Dorian gives a sort of wry laugh. ] If only. But I’m not adverse to needing to practice.
[ He certainly does have some tendencies leaning towards that. But it’s the sort of thing that’s been imparted in him more than it’s his own inclination. As a musician, he understands better the benefit of needing practice and making mistakes.
As Barcus assesses his work, Dorian nods. Honestly, having a goal in mind does help keep his mind from overthinking things too much. But his breath catches as he watches Barcus, impressed not just with the scope of what the gnome creates, but how easily he manages it. ]
That truly is incredible. [ Glancing at the ruby he was working on, he picks it up with a soft laugh. ] I hope you don’t mind if I come bother you with questions now and again.
[ Because he is interested in learning, but with the topics Barcus suggested he read up on, he knows he’s going to need help. ]
This is so theatrical. [He says with a smile, flexing his gauntleted fingers.] And a little heavy. I think on the whole I prefer to use the ability to create and summon the gems I need for my work, but there are a host of possibilities.
I'm reasonably sure I could, for example, create a geode large enough to use as a bomb shelter. Or generate crystals of a mineral small enough to slip into someone's drink. I can throw stones without a slingshot, or load a sharp gem into the sling and fire it across a long distance.
You should keep the ruby. Work on it more in your downtime. [His smile is gentle.] I don't mind a bit. I'm always happy to talk about projects.
[Projects good, feelings bad. He's a simple gnome. Also obstinate.]
I think I have a window into how to use stone and crystal because of my own background. I love the earth and what grows beneath it. Even having left the Underdark forever, it's part of who I am. But I'm sure the theory can be taught. I'll help gladly.
[ Dorian nods a little as Barcus lists the possibilities of what he could do with an ability like this. It certainly gives him ideas, though he knows he's nowhere near being able to do any of that yet.
Looking at the ruby again, Dorian nods again and picks it up, tucking it into the grooves of his shoulder pauldron. ]
I think that's a big reason why I need the help. As someone born of from the air, I don't have as much knowledge about the earth or minerals. So I really do appreciate everything you could teach me.
Of course. [Barcus nods his understanding.] But if you think about it, that gives you a leg up over a lot of other people, when working with an element. You know what it's like to have the wind in your bones, the same way I'm used to living with stone. It's my home, no matter where I go. There are some legends that deep gnomes were made from rubies like that one, our very blood sprung from liquid gemstones.
I don't believe that, personally, but it's a good story.
Anyway, think of how you relate to the wind, and think of how it feels to compose music. There's an ebb and flow and energy in all forms of art, whether you're writing a song or smithing something as humble as a horseshoe. You'll get there. I have no doubt.
[ He has felt a connection like that before, the wind in the air and the flow of music. The way music can drift on the breeze, or the way wind can whistle a tune of its own. He wonders if he can find a way to connect those things with working with gems.
It might be a more difficult connect… but it could be fun to find as well. ]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2025-05-06 08:34 pm (UTC)[ It really is all he can ask for at this point. And he knows he doesn’t have any room to talk, considering how long it took him to actually talk about his own feelings. He knows how hard it is, and that these things take time. All he can do is offer his support wherever he can.
He can’t help a soft chuckle as he glances over to where he’d seen Barcus’ cat. ] I find animal companions are great at listening except when it comes to food.
[ A certain monkey fire spirit comes to mind, though in all fairness Mister never really needed to listen to him.
He lets the silence settle over them for a moment, before he clears his throat, a bit awkwardly. ]
There was… something else I wanted to talk with you about. Not quite as heavy or serious as the previous subject but… if you’re not in the mood I can always leave it for another time.
[ He’d understand if Barcus would prefer to be alone right now. And honestly, the anxious part of him worries that he might have just made things worse instead of better. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-05-06 09:24 pm (UTC)But there was a hairless cat in the Last Light Inn. His Majesty. He rather sold me on animal companions.
Anyway...um. Yes? What is it? I can...I can talk. About other things.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-06 11:18 pm (UTC)Cyrus, my brother, did have a pet rock for a while, though. That he… somehow managed to let die.
[ If anyone ever asked what kind of person Cyrus was, Dorian would lead with that his brother was a good, kind person. Then he would follow up with that. ]
Well, um… you have that gem manipulation ability, right?
no subject
Date: 2025-05-07 01:01 am (UTC)...yes, I do. Did you want me to make you something?
no subject
Date: 2025-05-07 01:27 am (UTC)I honestly don’t remember, I was pretty little and it was a long time ago. He might have broken it in half? In any case, he was very upset when Rocky died.
[ A rock named Rocky… easy to see who inherited all the creativity. ]
Ah, no actually, I… I actually have it now myself, and I was wondering if you would help me with it. I’ll admit I’m… not entirely sure what I’m doing.
[ As someone born of the wind, rocks and minerals weren’t exactly his domain. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-05-07 01:42 am (UTC)But that's not the matter at hand. He watches Cyrus for a second, wondering if having an empathic dragon as a constant companion would be good for him, or the worst possible thing.
Glancing back up at Dorian, he sighs and straightens, sitting up again and brushing off his tunic unnecessarily.] Well go on, then. Tell me about the project.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-07 02:03 am (UTC)[ As a child, it kind of made sense that breaking a rock you were attached to would “kill” it. In that way that only makes sense to a child.
With a frown, Dorian shakes his head. ] There’s no project, exactly. I just meant practicing with it.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-07 02:30 am (UTC)[This is probably a reasonable diversion, but Barcus' focus isn't exactly what it should be, evidently.]
Of course! I'm happy to help with that. Let me...mm, you'll have an easier time starting from an existing crystal, hold on. [And just like that, he's on his feet and off like a shot, headed for the workshop.]
no subject
Date: 2025-05-07 03:13 am (UTC)[ His mind thinks to Ashton in his Titan form, and the moment that they had pretty much turned into a diamond, invulnerable to any attack.
As Barcus heads off, Dorian gets to his feet to follow him, though he doesn’t quite enter the workshop. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-05-07 04:11 pm (UTC)He crosses over into the workshop, still talking:] And if you're going to do anything beyond decorative materials, then you'll need to understand the properties of the stones you're proposing to work with. Not just hardness, but flexibility and the ability to bear impacts without shattering. Jade, for exam--why are you just standing there, there's nothing dangerous in here.
[He beckons insistently. This is the workshop. We do work in the workshop here, Dorian.]
no subject
Date: 2025-05-07 08:33 pm (UTC)Sorry. You were saying about jade?
[ Honestly, this sounds like a lot more work than he’d expected, but then this is why he’d come to Barcus in the first place, to get a better idea where to start. And while he wasn’t expecting to get homework, it does at least give him something to work on. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-05-07 09:44 pm (UTC)[The room is quite large, an L-shape that takes up the entire end of the house, plus a good portion of the back. Within it, the forge that Barcus and Solas have constructed together takes up about a fifth of the space, but as its design is seek and downright beautiful (Solas has an eye for aesthetics), it rather ties the place together. The rest is benches, shelves, books and well-organized ingredients.
And gems. Barcus plucks raw ruby the size of his fist off one of the shelves, then selects a couple other, smaller pieces, and brings them over to Dorian.] Jade isn't as hard as diamond, but it absorbs impacts much, much better. Hit a diamond with a hammer and it can and will shatter. But you can make hammers, and anvils, out of large blocks of jade. They can tolerate blow after blow without breaking.
[Has he thought about this in relation to the mineral components that appear to make up Ashton's body? Damn right he has.]
On the other hand, diamonds are superlative for use as grit for the edges of tools. They'll cut and score through nearly anything.
Obsidian blades are very, very fragile, but for fine precision work, they're hard to beat. I've made dozens of tiny sapphires for ball bearings in fine machinery. There are all sorts of uses for gems, not just beauty. Where was I going with this? Oh. Here.
[He places the ruby in Dorian's hand.] Can you build off of that? Make it grow?
no subject
Date: 2025-05-08 01:23 am (UTC)But as the gnome describes their different properties, Dorian’s mind also thinks to Ashton, wondering how such things could be applied to them.
As Barcus places the ruby in his palm, he frowns a little. He’s had a bit of practice with the ability before coming to Barcus, but not a whole lot. But he’s at least familiar with what he’s being asked to do, and after concentrating for a few moments more jagged pieces start growing from the ruby in his hand. None of them very big, the whole piece is still small enough to fit in his hand, but it’s still something. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-05-08 01:15 pm (UTC)Good, good! Now, see, what you're doing there is building on top of the structure the crystal naturally assumes. So what you're really doing here is accelerating a process that takes hundreds of thousands of years in nature. [Which is cool as fuck, isn't it? Eons of growth in the palm of your hand!]
With practice, you can reshape it some. I've made ruby lenses in circular shapes. The microscopic structure is the same no matter what, but you can nudge it to follow certain pathways.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-08 08:38 pm (UTC)And honestly, it is pretty cool, being able to do something that would normally take hundreds of thousands of years to achieve naturally.
He’s still new to the ability, though, so the ruby still doesn’t get very big before Dorian feels his concentration slip completely. But there is noticeable growth compared to when he’d started, so he’ll take that as a win. ]
That is pretty amazing. It does seem like I have quite a ways to go with it, though.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-09 12:09 am (UTC)[Has he ever seen evidence that Dorian's a perfectionist? Not exactly, but the history and burdens he carries seem likely to drive him in that direction. He's pretty sure of his guess.
Gently, he takes the ruby from Dorian's hand and turns it between his fingers, studying it with the eyes of a lapidary.] See, you've done well with the color and the overall shape, but there are a few flaws here and there where you still need to get used to the structure. That's exactly how my first several attempts turned out.
In time, though... [He sets the stone aside and holds out one hand, empty, palm down. For a second, it looks as though the crystals are growing directly out of the surface of his skin, a wave of glittering silvery ore, black jade, crimson spinels, that flows up his arm like water, twining around his shoulder and settling into the shape of a gauntlet, vambrace, rerebrace, gardbrace and pauldron.]
It gets easier. And you'll start to have fun with it.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-09 01:11 am (UTC)[ He certainly does have some tendencies leaning towards that. But it’s the sort of thing that’s been imparted in him more than it’s his own inclination. As a musician, he understands better the benefit of needing practice and making mistakes.
As Barcus assesses his work, Dorian nods. Honestly, having a goal in mind does help keep his mind from overthinking things too much. But his breath catches as he watches Barcus, impressed not just with the scope of what the gnome creates, but how easily he manages it. ]
That truly is incredible. [ Glancing at the ruby he was working on, he picks it up with a soft laugh. ] I hope you don’t mind if I come bother you with questions now and again.
[ Because he is interested in learning, but with the topics Barcus suggested he read up on, he knows he’s going to need help. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-05-10 09:20 pm (UTC)I'm reasonably sure I could, for example, create a geode large enough to use as a bomb shelter. Or generate crystals of a mineral small enough to slip into someone's drink. I can throw stones without a slingshot, or load a sharp gem into the sling and fire it across a long distance.
You should keep the ruby. Work on it more in your downtime. [His smile is gentle.] I don't mind a bit. I'm always happy to talk about projects.
[Projects good, feelings bad. He's a simple gnome. Also obstinate.]
I think I have a window into how to use stone and crystal because of my own background. I love the earth and what grows beneath it. Even having left the Underdark forever, it's part of who I am. But I'm sure the theory can be taught. I'll help gladly.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-14 11:44 am (UTC)Looking at the ruby again, Dorian nods again and picks it up, tucking it into the grooves of his shoulder pauldron. ]
I think that's a big reason why I need the help. As someone born of from the air, I don't have as much knowledge about the earth or minerals. So I really do appreciate everything you could teach me.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-14 02:20 pm (UTC)I don't believe that, personally, but it's a good story.
Anyway, think of how you relate to the wind, and think of how it feels to compose music. There's an ebb and flow and energy in all forms of art, whether you're writing a song or smithing something as humble as a horseshoe. You'll get there. I have no doubt.
no subject
Date: 2025-05-14 08:29 pm (UTC)That’s a nice way of looking at it.
[ He has felt a connection like that before, the wind in the air and the flow of music. The way music can drift on the breeze, or the way wind can whistle a tune of its own. He wonders if he can find a way to connect those things with working with gems.
It might be a more difficult connect… but it could be fun to find as well. ]
Thank you.