[ OPEN ] Take a Break

[fleurdesel]

WHO: Adelaide & The Healers of the Inquisition & friends
WHAT: Informal gathering, refreshments offered.
WHEN: nowish
WHERE: Skyhold, Orlesian Healing Tents
NOTES: Drinking, swearing, bitching about troublesome patients, etc. Announcement post here

It has been a difficult few months for the Inquisition- terrible battles, dangerous missions, strange illnesses. The Healers are well overdue a moment of semi-organized rest and relaxation. Much as she had before on behalf of the mages nearly a year ago, Adelaide takes the time to arrange for said respite. The Orlesian healing tents have been cleared of the potions, bandages, and poultices in favor of chairs, cushions, and braziers. Lanterns and the odd throw of fur or knit wool warm the space. Having more time to settle in and become established- there is more room, more places to sit, more tables propped up for holding glasses and mugs. The space is open, warm, and inviting with an elegant assortment of copper mugs and porcelain cups set around flat side tables arranged with an assortment of teas, honey, and small pots of cubed sugar and carafes of cream bribed from the kitchen. To one side there are bottles of wine and a small keg or two of ale and mead, tankards and glasses waiting. There are dried fruits and hard cheeses, dried meat and hard crusted bread, butter and sausage and a few odd baked tarts here and there. Across the entrance to the tents there is a sign:

Must be a healer or a friend of a healer for entry. Unless urgent (imminent death) no patients will be taken at this time.

Tacked below was a list of rules:

• NO WORKING
• Tea and coffee are to the left, wine on the right, food in the center. Please keep things in their proper place.
• Don't hog the wine
• Don't hog the tea
• Don't hog the coffee
• Don't hog the food
• Serve yourself and whoever else is waiting for a glass
• If you finish a bottle open a new one, don't recork it for someone else to find
• Brew a fresh pot of coffee or tea when you finish what is available
• Clean up after yourselves

Comments

[fightorfright]

If there's something that Amélie can't resist, it's puppy-dog eyes. The mabari only has to stare balefully at her for several moments before she's tearing off a small strip of her meat to feed it. "Now, you're not the Commander's... is your owner around here somewhere?"

And will said owner mind that Amélie has taken the liberty of feeding their hound? It is a pointless question to the ask the dog itself, for she is sure its answer will be whatever will get it fed more food.

[circleprodigy]

Pouring herself some more tea, Inessa looks over as Garahel jumps up to take the strip of meat. He practically inhales it, tail wagging in delight. Shaking her head, she smirks. "Now you've done it. Once Garahel gets attention or treats, he'll keep coming back for more. You'd think a trained war hound would have better discipline, but...."

[fightorfright]

Amélie makes a surprised noise at the back of her throat, jerking back slightly in her seat, away from Gaharel (who sits heavily on his rump, looking hopefully at Amélie in anticipation of more treats).

"I- I hope you don't mind. He was just looking at me so... " She trails off, her eyes widening with plates in attempted imitation of the Mabari's expression.

[circleprodigy]

That gets a soft laugh out of Inessa, before she takes a sip of the freshly-brewed tea. "I don't mind at all, just be warned he does that a lot. No matter how much I give him, he's always starving. Garahel does pull his weight, though, so I can't say some spoiling is out of line."

[fightorfright]

She laughs in return, tearing another strip off the meat on her plate. "Here you go, boy," she says, offering the treat to Gaharel, who snaps it up as eagerly he had her first offering. "I don't doubt it. If he were overeating, I'm sure you would soon know it."

[circleprodigy]

Taking another sip as Garahel inhales his treat again, Inessa then nods. "I suppose so. It's not as though he isn't active enough to compensate, at least for now. Everywhere I go outside Skyhold, he goes. Thus far, we are not lacking for action."

[fightorfright]

She shoots Garahel a quick, delighted smile before returning her attention to the woman. "Do you do many missions for the Inquisition, then?"

[circleprodigy]

Garahel responds with a happy lick to her hand, tail wagging enthusiastically. If he's tempted to roll over and beg for a belly rub, a glance from Inessa soon settles him down. There isn't so much space that he won't be in the way if that happens.

"It certainly seems so. Orlais is not a restful place of late, or lands beyond. I go wherever I am requested, to repay the debt incurred when they facilitated our escape from Weisshaupt."

[fightorfright]

Amélie laughs again, this time more out of surprise than anything else. The Mabari's wet, slobbery tongue against her hand tickles. "I've only been on the one, myself. Guess a Warden's more useful than an apprentice mage." She shrugs with that admission, still feeling at odds with the fact that she can wander around and go about her business when for all anyone knows, she struggles with the temptations of demons.

[circleprodigy]

The mabari follows that up with nuzzling, though he's careful not to knock her over as a result. At this this time; sometimes his enthusiasm gets the better of him. For her part, Inessa shrugs. "Only if the enemy we're facing is darkspawn. Otherwise, I would think an apprentice mage would be just as valuable. There aren't nearly enough healers to go around out there, and healing or not, magic always has its uses."

[fightorfright]

"Yeah," she agrees, absently petting Garahel's flank, "magic has its uses." It's taken her time to admit that much, but even she can't ignore it any longer. "But it's also dangerous." Her fingers still in the Mabari's fur as she mulls over her next question, wondering whether to give voice to her concerns.

Eventually, she does. "What if that happens to me here? You can't say for certain that it won't."

[circleprodigy]

Inessa doesn't seem to mind the question, just glad to see Garahel put her more at ease. That's why she brought him along, despite knowing available dried meats might vanish quickly with him around. "No, I can't. That's the risk we all take, harrowed or not. But I also believe that there is a good support system here, once that cannot be ignored. We cannot avoid all risk, but we can learn to lessen it, and thrive despite caution."

[fightorfright]

"I will try my best to prevent it from happening." She smiles crookedly. "It is after all in my best interests. But, if the worst was to happen, and I were to fail, who will be there to cut me down?"

[circleprodigy]

"We do have Templars here; they may not hold authority over us any longer, but they cannot ignore threats to Skyhold. I have heard that is what happened some months past, that a mage had turned. That was before my time, but some still mention it."

Inessa shakes her head sadly, wishing it hadn't come to that and eternally grateful she hadn't seen it in person. Witnessing what she did in the caves recently has her rattled enough. "Not that it even takes a Templar, if need be. They are merely the most efficient means, not the only one." She swallows and stares off, biting her lip and looking decidedly less stoic than before. Thus another sip of tea.