Snippet #1409677

“Enjoying myself? I must say, this has been a most splendid ball. En…Enter…Entertainment. Proper. Treatment for the servants. Of. Society, and wine which any wine lover would kill to get,” Bruce said, having to stop every now and then to actually be able to pronounce the words which he was searching for.
Was it with every glass or sip that Bruce was becoming another person? He was overly enthusiastic about…Everything, his slurring was worsening, and he was even starting to smile towards Blodwyn. Not to mention, he was starting to become rather tone deaf, his voice jumping up and down, almost yelling at one point and then he would return back to his normal voice.

“Do not feel. Off.ended. By my lady’s. Per.Spect.Tive. She is not used to the balls. ‘ere in ‘er.Elden.”
Could it get worse? Bruce was getting drunk, he was now also starting to sway around with his arms as if he was addressing the hole crowd, and now he was being polite to Blodwyn, even smiling at her when he had called her for, ‘my lady’.

Bruce stiffened. He was listening to the speech that Loghain was giving to the crowd and then he did the unspeakable. “Lovely, Loghain knows hows to address his…People, subjects…Supporters?”
Bruce was raising his glass to Loghain’s toast and agreeing to whatever that Loghain’s speech mention. Quite honestly, he hadn’t actually understood a lot of what had been said, but the word, ‘Maker’, had penetrated his ear filter and made random ideas about Loghain spin.

“Such a note.worthy speech must be. Celebrated and danced to,” Loosing sense of dignity, sense of mission, his voice was becoming more and more louder, Bruce turned his head and looked at Blodwyn. “Milady. Can I have your-” Bruce squeezed his eyes together and then opened them. Closed them and then opened them.

Bruce didn’t finish his sentence. A palm went up to his face and groaned. “Lyrium…Where’s my bag?” Bruce whispered and managed to open his eyes. In those few moments that his eyes had been closed, his eyes had gone from being absolutely normal to completely bloodshot. He kept scanning Blodwyn, then the dwarf before him, Blodwyn, as well as the other guests before he finally asked, “Where am I? Where’s my bag? Where’s my lyrium? I need my lyrium.”

All indications that Bruce was drunk disappeared in that instance. He didn’t slur, he didn’t speak with drunken confidence or fake bravado, he was fully aware of what was going on, however, he knew that in the next few moments, there were a lot of events that could take place; some which wouldn’t be…Appriciated.

His hand began to shiver violently and he needed to hold it before he could gain some form of control over it. By the Maker…Not. Now! Bruce was loosing control of himself already.

The Chantry used Lyrium to bind its Templars to it, for they controlled the Lyrium trade and thus also they controlled the Templars as they would become addicted to the Lyrium that they were provided. Bruce was addicted to Lyrium, however his addiction exceeded what was considered to being normal.
He could have hallucinations, sudden change in moods, and even go so far to mistake friends for foes, which was a reason for why he generally always had at least two bottles of Lyrium with him wherever he would go. However tonight didn’t allow the attachment of lyrium bottles, which was dangerous.

“Excuse me,” Bruce said, and marched away from the group, his eyes were locked to the floor and his pace was brisk. His left side of his shoulder, and chest, bumped into a servant carrying a plate of glasses; Bruce’s clothes were strained and the servant was knocked into a quick spin before falling to the floor.

Bruce needed his bottle of Lyrium, or else…It could end with bloodshed.