After Unreliable Sources.
Ymiden 37, Arc 722
Doran had never been an animal person. If someone had a nice cat or dog, and their owner gave him permission to or wanted him to, he stroked them. He didn’t approve of animal cruelty in any way either. Back when he had worked with lab animals, he had made sure that they were treated ethically, regularly saw a veterinarian and had time to play, but he had never felt any desire to actually keep animals. The thought of owning a cat or a dog, or riding a horse, had never occurred to him. It just hadn’t been a part of his personality.
He had warmed up (or chilled up?) to the companions that he had acquired when he had received Frosvinndur’s Effigy though, to some extent. He would never be all lovey-dovey and use that strange baby-talk that he wouldn’t even use when he was talking to a humanoid baby as he found it utterly degrading, for the one using it as well as the recipient, but he had come to appreciate their presence. They made him think of his home in the frozen north and of the extraordinary adventure he had had behind the barriers.
It was a good thing that Harold Shaw, the same man that had helped him with the lab animals back in Viden, had accompanied him to Scalvoris and helped him take care of the Kaldvind and the Snokovind now regardless though. Doran was an exceptional researcher and alchemist, but he had no doubt that he wouldn’t be able to do those magnificent creatures justice on his own. He still knew comparatively little about the proper nutrition and the psychological needs of animals, let alone of animals that were as extraordinary as those.
Brown-eyed and dark-haired Harold Shaw accompanied him now as well. Doran had promised Professor Fridson a little demonstration and a little glimpse of what had happened behind the barriers in exchange for his help; and besides, he was curious as to what the man would say to his story. Tag Fridson had proven to be quite insightful so far.
While Doran led the way to the garden, the two mortals walked behind him and chatted quietly.
“So, how long have you been working for the professor?” Tag Fridson wanted to know. He had known Doran for over an arc now – they had met for the first time when Doran had asked him for his help in regard to Slag’s Deep – but he realized that he still knew very little about him, at least as far as his private life was concerned. He was quite sure that he wasn’t married, for example, but he had the feeling that he understood grief.
And he couldn’t even come to guess what kind of hobbies he had.
As someone who didn’t only study the Originals, but was also a psychologist of some skill, Tag Fridson was quite interested in the person behind the professional façade. He wanted to know what motivated people.
“Since he started working on his thesis”, Harold replied and smirked before he revealed, “I actually didn’t know that he was a Mortalborn back then. I thought he was just an ordinary human from Rynmere. He didn’t really come out as a Mortalborn until around the time of the Forging, if I remember correctly. Looking back, I don’t know how I could ever have thought that he was just like me”, he admitted and chuckled.
“And how long have you two known each other?” he then asked Professor Fridson. “And even more importantly, do you play chess? I’m always looking for new people to play with, especially now that Professor Thetys is so busy with all his jobs”, he admitted which caused Doran to shake his head in amusement before he focused his attention on what lay ahead. He wondered how his new companions would react to his colleague.
Ymiden 37, Arc 722
Doran had never been an animal person. If someone had a nice cat or dog, and their owner gave him permission to or wanted him to, he stroked them. He didn’t approve of animal cruelty in any way either. Back when he had worked with lab animals, he had made sure that they were treated ethically, regularly saw a veterinarian and had time to play, but he had never felt any desire to actually keep animals. The thought of owning a cat or a dog, or riding a horse, had never occurred to him. It just hadn’t been a part of his personality.
He had warmed up (or chilled up?) to the companions that he had acquired when he had received Frosvinndur’s Effigy though, to some extent. He would never be all lovey-dovey and use that strange baby-talk that he wouldn’t even use when he was talking to a humanoid baby as he found it utterly degrading, for the one using it as well as the recipient, but he had come to appreciate their presence. They made him think of his home in the frozen north and of the extraordinary adventure he had had behind the barriers.
It was a good thing that Harold Shaw, the same man that had helped him with the lab animals back in Viden, had accompanied him to Scalvoris and helped him take care of the Kaldvind and the Snokovind now regardless though. Doran was an exceptional researcher and alchemist, but he had no doubt that he wouldn’t be able to do those magnificent creatures justice on his own. He still knew comparatively little about the proper nutrition and the psychological needs of animals, let alone of animals that were as extraordinary as those.
Brown-eyed and dark-haired Harold Shaw accompanied him now as well. Doran had promised Professor Fridson a little demonstration and a little glimpse of what had happened behind the barriers in exchange for his help; and besides, he was curious as to what the man would say to his story. Tag Fridson had proven to be quite insightful so far.
While Doran led the way to the garden, the two mortals walked behind him and chatted quietly.
“So, how long have you been working for the professor?” Tag Fridson wanted to know. He had known Doran for over an arc now – they had met for the first time when Doran had asked him for his help in regard to Slag’s Deep – but he realized that he still knew very little about him, at least as far as his private life was concerned. He was quite sure that he wasn’t married, for example, but he had the feeling that he understood grief.
And he couldn’t even come to guess what kind of hobbies he had.
As someone who didn’t only study the Originals, but was also a psychologist of some skill, Tag Fridson was quite interested in the person behind the professional façade. He wanted to know what motivated people.
“Since he started working on his thesis”, Harold replied and smirked before he revealed, “I actually didn’t know that he was a Mortalborn back then. I thought he was just an ordinary human from Rynmere. He didn’t really come out as a Mortalborn until around the time of the Forging, if I remember correctly. Looking back, I don’t know how I could ever have thought that he was just like me”, he admitted and chuckled.
“And how long have you two known each other?” he then asked Professor Fridson. “And even more importantly, do you play chess? I’m always looking for new people to play with, especially now that Professor Thetys is so busy with all his jobs”, he admitted which caused Doran to shake his head in amusement before he focused his attention on what lay ahead. He wondered how his new companions would react to his colleague.
