[open] we sit and grow our roots into the floor

[onlyhymns]

WHO: Cade and his many friends and admirers
WHAT: a dumb sulky baby got hurt at the Winter Palace because he was dumb and now he is sulking about it
WHEN: post-Halamshiral, simultaneous with red lyrium plot hell
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Injury stuff, nothing ridiculous



The Healing Tents

For the umpteenth time in the span of two years, Cade is under supervision. But this time it's not because he was violent-- well... it was, but indirectly-- it's because he got a couple spikes of red lyrium through the thigh after flipping out and battling Red Templars completely unarmored in the Winter Palace.
He ingested red lyrium once before, and from what anyone can tell it caused him to smack an elf. This is a lot more of the stuff, and Cade is notoriously unstable, so he's being watched to make sure it doesn't alter his personality.

He's the first to reassure the healers that lyrium doesn't work like that, you have to take it daily and it slowly builds up in you and so forth, but, you know, caution is caution. He respects it. But he hates being fussed over, so periodically he'll sneak off a small ways just to have a bit of solitude.


Near the Healing Tents, Being a Renegade

Usually this means sitting up on the ramparts and watching people, reading, anything that gets him a little peace and quiet. For someone who seems to thrive on being told what to do, no one can tell Cade what to do and he will be stubborn for as long as it takes for him to be deemed Safe again.

This is pointless.


Choose Your Own Adventure

Whatever else! Hit me up if you want a specific scene, or just start one here and I will accede to your whims.

Comments

healing tents

[arlathvhen]

Within the first day that Cade is in there, a visitor comes while he's sleeping, and has a quiet fight with the healers. Apparently, they were worried about the very elf that he smacked last time triggering another attack. But Beleth is persuasive, and eventually convinces them that she won't do anything that will result in her getting smacked.

Hopefully.

She'll be patiently waiting there until Cade wakes up, a sandwich by the stand next to the bed, indicating she's ready to sit there for a while. Luckily, she has a book, and she reads it while she waits next to his bed, humming quiet.

[onlyhymns]

The red lyrium spikes had to be actually surgically removed from Cade's leg, which was not a quick or pleasant process. It took a long time, several attempts, and even now the healers can't risk magically closing up the gaping wound, in the event that they seal traces of red lyrium inside. It's a mess. It looks and feels horrible, though at least at the moment it is heavily bandaged.

Cade has been blissfully out of it since before this began, at least, and by the grace of herbal painkillers he is still mostly numb. His brain is in that strange limbo between consciousness and sleep, so when he hears humming, some tiny piece of person in the very depths of his brain draws a conclusion.

"Mama?" he mumbles, barely coherent, "can we go home?"

[arlathvhen]

As soon as he starts speaking, Beleth's head jerks up from her reading. A look of worried surprise soon crosses her face, however, when she realizes the mistake. He wanted his mother. Well--he wouldn't get judgement from her, she understood. But--what to do? Ignore it? Correct him?

Looking left and right before slowly scooting the chair up to the side of the bed, Beleth reaches to gently brush her fingers against his hair. She continues it as she speaks, a gesture that she hopes brings him comfort. "Only when you get better. So you have to focus on getting better, okay?" And, after a moment of hesitation, she figures she has nothing to lose.

"I can't stand the thought of you being hurt, you know."

[onlyhymns]

Cade has not actually seen his mother for about twenty-five years, but there are still things that call her to mind-- it's been the same amount of time since anyone has pet his hair this way, or spoken softly to him when he isn't feeling well. It checks out.
"Sorry," he murmurs, "I didn't mean to."

Near Tents

[conqueredhearts]

Iskandar had been out for a walk when he'd seen the young man. Since it was someone he didn't know he went with the very obvious conclusion of what he should do. Of course, this was the opposite of what the normal reaction was which would have been to continue walking and minding his own business.

Hence why he now approached him with a big smile like they were old friends. "Good day, my friend! And what is it you are doing here on your own?"

Yep, one would think he knew whoever this was very well.

[onlyhymns]

Here comes a large, loud, and aggressively red-haired man, and Cade is instantly terrified upon the moment of being greeted. He has a book open in front of him, which he almost forgets to hide behind his back as soon as he realizes it is visible to other people with eyes.

Rather than answer or stand or smile or greet Iskandar back like a real person would do, Cade stares at him like a frightened rabbit for several long moments, then whispers "hello" in return.

[conqueredhearts]

Well that was the most timid reaction he'd ever received in his life. Iskandar blinked in surprise then actually went to sit down in front of the young man. On the ground. He was obviously trying to make himself look smaller to help here even though he knew he was still going to be quite intimidating just by existing.

"What is it you are reading there? Is a book of stories?"

healing tents

[sulena]

At some point during the day there is some noticeable singing that begins near the healing tents. Whomever it is seems to be moving through each tent, continuing to sing familiar Chantry hymns both brightly and happily. This continues until she reaches where Cade has been set up as she pushes the flap aside, a vase full of flowers in a small vase and continuing to sing.

Saoirse assumes he is sleeping as she arranges it on the nearby stand but is quite surprised when she looks over and sees that is not the case.

"Oh! I'm sorry," she says, quietly with a noted Starkhaven accent. "Did I wake you?"

[onlyhymns]

It's actually the singing that gets his attention first, and Cade opens his eyes, though it's really no surprise Saoirse didn't see him-- he is very quiet, after all. Watching her place the flowers, he blinks at her in mild confusion, then shakes his head. Perhaps it's just the sleep-inducing herbs, but he seems to be having trouble processing her existence.

[sulena]

"I hope you don't mind," she says looking to the small vase of flowers. They are not anything special, whatever she could pull together given both the season and the high attitude of Skyhold within the mountain range of the Frostbacks.

"I thought some color in these tents would do some good." Saoirse offers a small smile. "I am sorry for waking you though..."

Healing Tents

[justice_is_blond]

The tents are pretty full after the mess in the Winter Palace, which means Anders isn't entirely certain when the red-lyrium-exposed Cade snuck out of bed. He just knows it happened when he finds the bed empty.

"Maker's breath." Templars can cage mages, but they can't be bothered to stay put when it's in their own best interests. He emerges out of the tent to find the Templar thankfully not too far away, and he shakes his head.

"You're supposed to be resting. You've a hole in your leg, in case you've forgotten."

[onlyhymns]

Cade's first inclination, when caught, is to apologize. "I'm sorry," he says quickly as he turns, but when he finds himself face to face with that mage, all of his contrition goes straight out the window.
Though he doesn't verbally shoot Anders down, Cade seems to have trouble processing this moment, his expression abruptly torn between fear, outrage, and plain stubbornness. Who is this man to tell him what to do? Anders is the whole reason he's here.

[justice_is_blond]

The apology is a start, but the look on the Templar's face is the opposite of that. Anders raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"Get in the tent. Lay down." What? Is it that a mage is giving him instructions? Cade had best get used to no longer having authority over them. Every Templar had best do so.

the healing tents

[inagutterson]

Do you know what care and responsible ownership of nugs involves? Probably not because most people don't own nugs beyond wanting to eat them or wanting to race them or they're the shame of Orzammar, hidden away because Orzammar is shit. But anyway, he's getting away from himself.

Point is: you need to walk the nugs. For Yngvi this just means you unleash them and then go looking for them which is what he's doing.

Or that's what he's going to say he's doing. Because what he's actually doing is--

"Who needs this much witherstalk? Who has the time to be requiring this much of it? We all know why people need witherstalk. And elfroot. Because we also know what everyone does with elfroot too. Coincidence, I think not." Hi Cade, he is here to brighten your day.

[onlyhymns]

Oh no. It's him.

Cade doesn't remember the dwarf's name, or even how they met, but he remembers him the instant Yngvi appears in his line of sight, and he immediately sighs in a sort of helpless desolation. He's trapped here.

"....dull pain..?" he guesses timidly, for the sake of ensuring Yngvi doesn't think he's ignoring him and push harder. He does not know what Everyone Does With Elfroot.

[inagutterson]

The dwarf form of herpes.

Technically, since he has all his limbs still attached to him and not tied to anything or snared by something, can you really say he's trapped? He could make a valiant attempt. Yngvi would applaud. Raise a toast in the tavern. It would be lies and bullshit, but with just enough truth for people to recognise the person being toasted.

"S'pose the pain is dull if you've floated so far away you can't feel your arse anymore. I knew someone who lost half their arse once. Sat on a trap, had to come up with some pretty unique solutions to that one." He replies with a grin before he sidles over to get a good look at the patient although he's still used to Asher who was, as you know, blood explosions everywhere and a limb hanging on by a thread until his blood got punched back in. "What happened to you then? Was it scandalous? Someone slip something in the lyrium rations? Feisty mage greasetrap the floor and send you skidding in your skirts?"

Near the Healing Tents

[lettersfromhome]

Well it was very brave of him, if very foolish as well, but truth be told neither of those things seems terribly out of character for him.

Doubtless he's growing tired of all eyes constantly being upon him in some form of judgement, but there are few things that honeycakes can't soothe the bitterness from. So naturally, she's come to visit, drawing closer upon the ramparts with a faint smile perched at the corner of her mouth.

"Escaped, have you?"

[onlyhymns]

It's been a while since Cade spoke to Mia, and he honestly hadn't expected to see her here. He immediately looks sheepish, curling his legs a little closer toward himself while he leans his back on a battlement. It's a quiet place to read, he has a blanket... he's fine, really!

He almost looks like he wants to lie, but he can't bring himself to disobey the Maker so egregiously. He nods, shrugs, and gives Mia an apologetic look. "Just for a while," he answers, as though that's a good excuse.

[lettersfromhome]

"I see."

He hasn't gone far, he isn't causing anyone any harm. There's no reason to turn him in when he's up here just enjoying the fresh air, and the peace and quiet. She tips her head slightly. "Shall I leave you to it?"

healing tents

[tactical_alert]

It's Malcolm's turn to visit Cade, after much debate on whether he even should. He'd had to spend a little time with healers himself, the gash in his side, the arrows along his arm, a few more injuries fighting through the night. Nothing near so grave as Cade's injuries. Much less injuries of the mind and spirit--hard not to notice the way Cade threw himself so viciously and recklessly at the enemy.

He shows up on the pretense of having his wounds checked out, make sure they're healing. Normally he wouldn't bother unless something's wrong, but this way he can stop by Cade without it seeming like he came deliberately to check.

The Seeker says nothing at first, merely stops at the foot of the disgraced Templar's bed, observing. Maybe even worried.

[onlyhymns]

Cade is awake but reading, fortunately not a smutty novel this time: just an excerpt from the Chant of Light, which he keeps on him for times when he's bored and needs to be reminded of how much Andraste loves him or something.

He doesn't immediately realize that someone is there, but when he sees the silhouette in his periphery, Cade gives a small start and looks up to see the Seeker there. He's too surprised to greet him, and is instinctively nervous that he's about to get a tongue-lashing, searching through his recent memories for anything he might have done wrong.

[tactical_alert]

Malcolm doesn't apologize for the start. "How are you fairing?" A nice and innocuous question, and genuine honesty. Not that he hadn't asked the healers about it first, because Maker knows Cade would probably lie about it anyway.

near the healing tents

[samahl]

After Merrick announced that Metaari has disappeared, Cyril is curious about what people have seen. He is curious if Cade saw anything, but he waits until Cade is at least healed enough that he can walk around. When he sees Cade he comes closer.

"Hello Cade," he offers with a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

[onlyhymns]

There's no reason for Cade to find this ominous, but he can't help putting his guard up when a Dalish approaches him, especially after his recent interaction with Beleth.
He looks at Cyril for a moment, verging on suspicious, then shrugs evasively. "Fine," he answers, glances away, then back. What does he want?

[samahl]

Cyril is careful to keep his hands in view and his distance. "You were in the fight at the Winter's Palace, right? Did you happen to see a qunari named Metaari there?" He thinks getting to the point is the best for Cade.