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WHO: Anders and You*! (*unless you are someone who will turn him in. ONE DAY THERE WILL BE CR. /reaches sadly)
WHAT: Detlef going about his days, helping out, being argumentative, everything
WHEN: Mid-Wintermarch
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Probably nothing? I'll edit if that changes

Healing tents

Anders is found in these most often during the day. Everything's easier when he works, really, when he and Justice can both be on the same page. They're doing good. They're furthering the cause of mage freedom. And more importantly, no one is being hurt. Are you a patient? He's probably checking you over before getting to work. Co-worker? Hand him the elfroot salve, please? Or just drop by and find him where he's most willing to be chatty as he works.

Garden

There's nothing like seeing a mage seemingly talking to a tree. Considering previous events, it's probably a little worrying. But upon closer approach one can see that there's a terrified cat clinging to a very small branch that's just barely supporting its weight, and they can hear the mage trying to talk the cat down as if the cat can understand anything that's being said.

"You can do it. Just step... Come on. A little lower. Please?"

Just outside Skyhold

There's a garden inside the walls. It has plenty of things growing in it, including basically everything Anders is looking for. It's hard for him to stay inside the walls for too long, though. He needs to be outside, to wander some, to remind himself that the walls aren't keeping him in. While it isn't the healthiest method of coping, there are certainly worse ways to go about it.

Anyone running into him out here gets a look that's a mix of surprised and bashful - the latter due to him not really having any way to explain why he's out here with a handful of easy-to-get herbs in hand.

Library

He's seated in the Library, head buried in a book the way it never was when he was at the Circle, with a pair of large tomes next to him. They're probably not that surprising for a spirit healer, treatises on spirits and their nature, but he doesn't look pleased. And he isn't. He's not finding anything that will help with his situation, and Anders is aware that he might not have a lot of time left for the looking.

Approaches from strangers get a glance up and a nod, before he'll ask if they need to get to something past him. Known people get asked a little absently how their day is going before he turns another page.

[Or] Alternately, he's curled up off to the side, on the ground, paging through a book on obscure magic that talks about various rumored spells that the author doubts really exist. His attention is primarily on the shapeshifting portion, and he looks a little wistful. Anyone approaching who glances at the book get a half-smile and asked if it wouldn't be fun, being able to transform into animals.

Wildcard

[Hit him up wherever? He grabs food in the kitchens on the go, sometimes is at the tavern in a corner near the back, sits on the walls and looks out sometimes, surreptitiously feeds the stray cats around skyhold (and scolds any dogs that try to take the food,) and may, every now and then, see if he can zap armor in just the right way so straw and fabric and all sorts of things stick to it.]

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While Jamie is no healer - by any stretch of the imagination - it still seems that he spends a fair amount of time around the healing tents. Mostly it's because he happens to know the people around there, whether they're friends who are healers, like Adelaide, or friends who happen to have to stick close to the tents for other reasons, like Sina. Lately he's been coming down to visit Kallian, spending some time helping her out by carrying things or cleaning herbs or doing small useful tasks that need doing. It gets things done that need to be done, and if it also means he can spend some time talking with her...well, he can't say as he minds that so much.

It's more or less that general idea that brings him down to the tents today, but when it turns out that she's not available, he decides to take a quick turn through on the off chance that he'll run into someone else familiar. While Detlef is someone he doesn't know terribly well yet, he's someone that Jamie likes well enough - and someone who he's more than willing to greet, which he does by lifting his hand in a wave and adding in a friendly smile.

"Detlef! Hullo! I'd not realized you worked around here too."

Anders flashes Jamie a smile as he finishes up with the latest patient and sending them on their way.

"I'm a Spirit Healer. For some reason they feel the tents are far more useful of a place to have me than the kitchens. Though I can roast an excellent potato if I do say so myself."

He washes his hands quickly before turning to the man fully. "I've seen you around the tents some, though I've always been busy. ...And you've often been around Kallian. But she's not here at the moment, so what brings you over?"

Very close to Kallian, actually. She's not Anders' responsibility, but he cares. More than he'd expected.

"Well, I can't say as I'd say no to a roasted potato if one happened to turn up, but maybe you've a point there."

Admittedly, if Detlef is a spirit healer, he could help if someone did get injured in the kitchen, but all in all having him working at the tents did make more sense. More sense than it did for Jamie, in a lot of ways, but he's not all that bothered by that part of things, and simply shrugs at the question as a result.

"Aye, well, I was looking for her to see if she needed a hand with anything," he admits. "Figured until we get sent out again I'd see about doing something useful. And she's helping me out with a few things in return, so I thought I'd see about asking her first."

But it doesn't sound like she's around, and he finds himself strangely disappointed by the thought - at least for a moment before he pushes the thought aside and offers a smile of his own.

"And I'd not realized you knew her, actually. But since she's not around and I'm free at the moment, do you need a hand with anything? I'll not say as I'm any sort of a healer but it'd not be the first time I've hauled around supplies or held things for people."

"Do you know the difference in herbs? The latest shipment is jumbled and I was about to set to sorting them. I could use a hand with that, if you're able. If not, we can find something else. Perhaps you can tell me what she's helping you with."

She's not his student, she's not his aide, she's not... the list goes on, but he's saved her life once and she needs protection. It's one of the few things he can try to provide for as long as he's known as Detlef. Once that's over, all benefits of his aid are gone. For now, though, he'll help mages who need it. And she needs it. Not that Jamie seems like he'd hurt her. He seems nice. That just means Anders needs to get to know him better.

"I'm not an Elf, but I've knowledge in a few areas that aren't simply healing people. Like the potatoes."

"Some, aye. Don't know as I know all of them but I know what elfroot and blood lotus look like, and that spindleweed stuff. I've heard of something called crys...crystal grace, too. Can't say as I've seen that one yet, though."

Whether or not that was good enough when it came to sorting, he wasn't sure. But as long as there wasn't anything too rare in the shipments - or if Detlef was willing to help out with the odd description when it came to something he didn't recognize - likely he'd get by alright. It was up to Detlef, though, and he gave the other man a small shrug while waiting to see if that would work for him or not. In the meantime, he figured he might as well answer the rest of it, even if he wasn't sure why he was being asked about that.

"Don't know why you'd need to know the rest of it but...alright. If you must know, she's teaching me to read. Er, how to read what you use for writing here, anyway. It looks a bit different back in my world."

He nods at the list, grabbing one of the boxes and setting it down between them. He can grab the ones that Jamie doesn't recognize and sort them and still come out ahead thanks to the help. The challenge about why he's asking gets a slightly sheepish look. Why? He can't really say. But he's done right by one mage and he'd like to see things still go right for her.

"I didn't think about that. You seem to be speaking fluently. That you might not read it..." He shakes his head. "Learning how to write in a whole other language can be difficult. But she seems like she'd be a patient teacher."

His teachers in the Circle had not been so patient. No matter. He speaks and reads and writes quite well, now, and he's not going to dwell on the teaching because that might bring questions he just can't answer.

"If you don't recognize something, set it in on the tray over there and I'll gather those ones after. And the ones that you do sort will be helpful." It saves him time, and also means that if a patient comes in, the herbs are still getting sorted.

Even before Anders mentions where to place the herbs, he takes the box being set down between them as enough of a sign that he starts to glance around for something to sit down on. Once that's found, he sets it up so he can reach both the box and the tray easily and settles in to start sorting.

It doesn't stop him from shrugging at the first part of the comment, although it's a brief one by necessity.

"I'd not actually known how to read at all a few years ago, so maybe it's something to do with that. I've no idea. All I know is that I'm lucky I found someone here who was willing to help me out, even if she wasn't so sure about me when we'd first met. Can't say as I blame her for that, though."

And there. He's found the one single good thing that the Circles do. They teach writing and reading. It's not like they even do it altruistically; it's so mages can slave away better. But at least every Circle mage he knows has learned more than most of the people had in the village he came from.

"I suppose I've gotten used to people knowing how to read and write. I hadn't really stopped to think about those who don't have the chance to learn. Are there many more who don't know, do you think?"

He's working as he talks and thinks, wondering if there's a need to set up full-on classes. Everyone being able to read and write might also help them break fully free of the Chantry.

"Out of the rifters, you mean? Or in Skyhold in general?"

It's not anything he's given a whole lot of thought to, since he's seen the posted notes tacked up here and there. He's simply not been able to really make heads or tales out of them until recently, and just sort of wound up assuming that that was his problem and not really anyone else's...until now.

That gets him to purse his lips thoughtfully, although given he's also picked up something he doesn't recognize, the expression could easily be interpreted as being because of that rather than the topic at hand. But it's still there even after he deposits the herb on the tray Anders indicated, and there's even a slightly thoughtful undertone to his words when he gets around to answering his own question.

"Well, I think some of the rifters might know how already. I've seen a couple of them in the library reading, so they must've figured it out themselves somehow. Maybe some sort of magic or something, I don't know." If people can figure out spells for fighting and protection, likely they can figure out spells for other things, too - at least as far as he's concerned. "But not all of us have that, so I daresay there's likely a few rifters around here who might also not know how to read and write the language here. Maybe some of the regular folk, too, if they're not the intellectual sort. Why'd you want to know?"

"Either, really. And to see if there can be help." It's not just that someone who can read and write would get further, be more productive. There's also the fact that an educated populace may well feel more free, and let others feel more free. It might help everyone. Except the Templars.

He grabs the one Jamie doesn't know and gently begins pulling the petals, the useful part, off.

"I can assist with teaching, from time to time. I'm not sure I've enough spare time for steady lessons, not with the healing, but I could give pointers. Advice. You're here, you may as well have a shot at understanding. It isn't like you chose to arrive, or can choose to leave."

"Aye, well..."

His eyes flick over to where Anders is pulling off the petals, watching that part of things for a few seconds before going back and sorting through to pull out more of the same plant. Might as well get all of those put in once place to start, and then he'll know that the petals need to come off them once he's done with everything else.

"There was a time where I might've said I'd not have seen the point to it, but I'll admit it'd be good to know what's going on around here." Being able to read and write would help considerably there, and he pursed his lips for a moment. "But that was a while ago. I'll not say no to any pointers you'd care to send my way. Hey, maybe if I figure this out sometime I'll be able to figure a way back, too!"

Well, probably not, but it was a nice thought, and the expression on his face said as much a few seconds later when he gave Anders a shrug.

"Although if you ask me mostly I'll just be able to figure out what's actually in those messages that wind up having people drawing things all over them. Have you seen some of those?"

Anders nods in thanks for the additional flowers, continuing his work as Jamie talks. His expression changes pensive at the way-back comment, but then there's a grin at the question.

"I've seen them. They get... interesting. I particularly like it when someone starts illustrating dicks. Clearly we reach a very high level of discourse here." The grin drops down to simply being a smile. "I may have participated a little in one with a bragging bard. Not the dick-drawing, but the discussion on the board. And it will be far easier for you to feel included and involved once you can read the casual notes and things."

There's a beat, and then he looks over at Jamie. "Do you think there might be a way to get back, then? Have people mentioned that possibility? Or contemplated the risks of possibly being trapped in the Fade?" If they came through the rifts, and demons came through the rifts, it seemed a logical progression.

There's a snort from Jamie as he picks up a couple of plants that've gotten tangled together. Very carefully, he starts to disentangle them, figuring that'd make things easier.

"And here I thought for a moment you were going to admit to drawing the one that'd looked like it'd had a mask on over it. That one I think I might've understood what was going on without needing to read it."

That one was likely a dig at someone in particular. Why it was a dig, though, he wasn't sure. Being able to read what had been posted would probably make it make more sense. And other things would make more sense too, for as long as he continued to be stuck here. That was something he felt fairly certain was the case, but he had to admit he'd given it some thought - and at the comment, he paused in what he was doing to look up at Anders.

"Some people've been talking about going back, but I'm not so sure that it'd work. Not with these shard things in our hands."

"I've yet to assist with any illustrations." The grin levels out and becomes a lingering smile as he watches Jamie work carefully with the plants. He's good with them, patient, and Anders wonders if the man's interested in a regular shift at the tents. If anything counts as a regular shift around here, really. "If cats start getting added, that will be me."

Especially if they're biting Templar heads off. He'd always been proud of those particular illustrations, no matter how much trouble they got him in every time they were discovered. But now's not the time for fond memories, not when Jamie's future here is the topic.

Anders looks at the man's hand and frowns. "I know nothing about them. I've not examined any of the shards as I don't want to risk triggering anything, but it's a valid concern. Those are, I'd guess, tied to our world. Unless yours has a Fade and a veil as well?" The casual conversations around the place have made it sound like that might be unique to Thedas.

"Cats, eh? I'll keep that in mind if I see any," he comments with a grin.

Patience isn't always necessarily one of Jamie's virtues, but in this case he's at least trying, just because he knows the plants are delicate and some of them are rare enough that they won't be able to be easily replaced if they're damaged. Whether that would qualify him for a regular shift at the tents, he wouldn't know. But it's something he doesn't mind doing for now, just as he doesn't mind answering the question - although given his shrug, it's possibly not going to be all that helpful an answer.

"The only veils I've seen have been wee bits of clothing, and while I'll admit I've been a fair few more places than most, I've not come across anything anyone calls the Fade. Think you'd have to ask the Doc- er, my friend, but he's not here. If there's any place in our world that's like that, though, he'd know about it."

"Wee bits of clothing," he repeats in an amused voice. There are times Jamie's voice and accent reminded him of Sebastian Vael, and times it was humorous. This is definitely a case of the latter, though the hasty correction got raised eyebrow as Anders started the process of pressing the flower petals.

"There's no shame in knowing a doctor, unless they're one of the sorts who believe bleeding cures everything despite what healers say. One that knows your world well likely isn't that kind." He has an issue with people claiming to know how to fix bodies and making things worse. Then again, he takes issue with more than a few types of people. "Though it might help you too know that if you've seen a twisted landscape in your dreams, with fogs and mists and misshapen creatures, you may well have seen the Fade. Dreams touch it, mages are all connected to it, and it's where spirits and demons tend to reside. The Veil is what separates us from it." There's a beat before he shrugs with a wry look. "Most of the time. When it's not being torn like an old garment."

"Ah, no, it's the Doctor. It's his name." Or what he calls himself, but it's close enough as far as Jamie's concerned. There is a difference, though, and when he says 'the', it's with a little more emphasis than he would have otherwise normally used. "And he's not exactly a healer, but he knows about healing. And not bleeding. He told me a long time ago that's not what you're supposed to be doing."

Which had seemed rather daft at the time, and then on top of that he'd gotten into the whole explanation about germs and how they weren't actually German and...well, it'd taken Jamie a while to catch on. He thinks he's gotten the idea now, though. Sort of. In a way. Close enough, at any rate. He shakes his head at the description, however, knowing that, at least, isn't anything he's ever experienced while sleeping. During his travels is a whole other story, though.

"Can't really say as I've seen that sort of thing in my dreams, no. I've been plenty of places with fogs and mists, and places I suppose you could say were twisted, but not in the same way you're saying. And I happen to know I was awake at the time anyway, so it couldnae have been the same place." It's his turn to shrug, giving Anders an equally wry look. "Although I have seen my fair share of beasties in this places too, so I think that we've not got anything like the Veil either. Unless it's gotten torn worse than the one here, of course."

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Healing tents

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