faderift | Skyhold

Skyhold

WHO: Anyone & everyone
WHAT: Open post for business as usual around Skyhold
WHEN: The first couple weeks of Harvestmere, 9:41 (aka October)
WHERE: Skyhold
NOTES: Please mark any necessary content warnings in thread subject lines. Also, make sure to check out the other log posts already made!

Far from the glamorous adventurous world-saving people signed up for, most of the hustle and bustle in Skyhold at present is cleaning. The Great Hall is a disaster, and crews are assigned to haul out the cracked and rotting planks fallen from the wide-open roof, and tear down the vines covering the walls. Ivy encrusts the main staircase outside and many of the fortress walls and is cleared in section while other groups assess or begin shoring up the stonework as it's revealed. There are scaffolding to build, materials to sort, crates to unload, tents to stitch together or set-up, and on and on and on, endless mundane chores vital to the survival of the organization.

When not hard at work, people cluster around fires across the courtyards. Many mingle freely, going about their business, running errands and messages, planning scouting missions, tallying up supplies, distributing or playing with the sending crystals that were found in a basement vault and which a group of mages have just today finished preparing for use. Once a good number have been passed around and the first Inquisition-wide transmission made messages start being broadcast; maybe you can help someone out.

The rebel mages and renegade templars mainly keep to themselves at opposite sides of the complex given the choice. Mages assist with healing and research and bicker amongst themselves about their options and their fate. Templars help train recruits in swordforms and basic combat techniques or spar with the more advanced and bicker amongst themselves about their options and their fate. Despite having all pledged themselves to the Inquisition, they still feel like separate factions and tension between them is palpable wherever they cross paths.

Like at meals, or the communal message board in the courtyard, or at the Herald's Rest. The mess hall/tavern is so new it still smells of sawdust, and its stock has been limited to one type of strong ale until today, when a shipment of West Hill brandy has finally arrived. The mood in the place is convivial in celebration of that, but there's still plenty of muttering, especially as the night drags on and the discontented get further into their cups.

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...shit.

[He should probably apologize, but there was something stubborn in his spine, a long-time dislike for humans that kept nagging him even after he came here. So instead he glares, as if that is in any way helpful to the situation.]

What? I'm checking the... stonework. And stuff.

[He crosses his arms, trying to look like he had any idea what he was doing - but that made him lose his balance and he comes tumbling down in front of the poor healer.]

[Bruce has faced more fearsome individuals than a youngster Qunari (Tal-Vashoth?) who just happens to be a little rude. So he takes the glare with little more than a mild blink, managing not to react at all when the poor thing tumbles down in his attempt to... well, Bruce wasn't exactly sure what he was doing.

Still, he can't just not do anything when somebody falls down in front of him like this. Bruce closes the book he had been reading and tucks it at his side as he goes over to the Qunari, reaching out to try and help him up.]

Are you alright?

[Kas groans, brushing off his knees and wiping his mouth, frowning at his split lip. Any attempts to seem strong and powerful was ruined, and the teen grumbles a bit to himself.

Looking up at the offered hand, he looks suspicious for a moment and then slaps it away, getting up on his own.]

I'm fine.

[He's got a split lip and he's still impressively malnourished, but he's an adult, dammit!]

[Oh, well then.

Bruce backs away at least, giving the obviously annoyed Qunari his wanted space. Though he certainly doesn't stop hovering around, especially now that he's managed to take a closer look. He certainly didn't think Qunari could be this... small. In a manner of speaking.]

I never doubted that. [He replies, managing to keep most of the wryness out of his voice for the most part.]

Well... good.

[He crosses his arms, trying to regain his composure.]

What are you doing up here, anyway? You don't look like a soldier.

[Look at him, trying to be social and maybe a apologizing a little for his shit attitude. It was so weird to see someone not being an ass or overbearing.]

[Bruce will make no mention of any loss of composure.]

I'm a surgeon. [He replies, then holds up the book that had been tucked at his side.] And I had been up here to read. It's quieter.

[Oh. Well, that made sense, he supposed.

...and he was definitely intruding on that, wasn't he? It was weird for Kas to get used to this stuff, more at home on the streets than a place like this.

He had gotten here to change, though, and he would have to suck it up. Be polite.]

Sorry for... interrupting.

Don't worry about it. [Bruce returns with what he hopes is a reassuring smile.] There was no harm done, and this is a public space.

[Just one... a bit further way from the rest of the public. Which was the whole reason why he was here in the first place, anyway.]

Yeah... it is.

[Dammit, why is he all meek all of the sudden? Kas tries to pump himself up again, reminding himself that he's a scout now. Something important.]

Well. You should watch for falling rocks!

[Falling... rocks? Bruce isn't entirely sure if that will ever happen, but he supposes being prepared is better than not bring prepared at all.]

I'll keep that in mind, thank you. [He will do his best to stay away from any kind of falling rocks, yes.]

[Falling rocks, mortar, bricks, young qunari...]

Yeah... uh... yeah. I should... not bother you or something.

[There's a small, hopefully reassuring smile here.]

It's alright. [Bruce gestures to a space besides him.] Do you want to sit down here with me? I find that being away from the hustle and bustle helps sometimes.

I dunno...

[He crosses his arms over his chest, thoughtful. He was a bit tired from running around and this guy was nice, he guessed?

He didn't seem like he'd try anything.]

...alright. No 'funny' shit, though.

I've been told I'm not a typically 'funny' sort of person- [mostly from a certain elf from Antiva] -so you don't have to worry about that.

[Bruce shifts a little to give the Qunari some space, even though there's a lot of space in general around them both. But its the thought that counts. Hopefully.]

[That earns Bruce a slightly amused snort as the teen moves the tiniest bit closer and sits down in one of the indents on the rampart walls.]

...what's the book about? Cutting people up?

[Bruce manages not to react to that question beyond a blink, although he is a little bit amused. Its not exactly a common question, even if its not the first time he's heard that.]

It's a book about medical procedures. [He tilts the book so that the Qunari can see it - words and texts about illness and how to treat them.] So that I can help people get better after they get cut up.

I thought that was what surgeons do. Cut people up and take out stuff and sew them up again. And balance humors.

[Most his interactions with healers over the years have been 'so I broke my arm again' and 'my friend has the white cough'. Nothing fancy, just the local wise woman

He seems a bit excited to be allowed to take a look, reading the words on the offered page.]

...ew.

I try not to do that as much as possible.

[Mostly because the conditions Bruce works in sometimes isn't very good for surgery like that. More often than not it'd probably worsen the patient's condition instead of making it better if he did so.

Which is part of the reason why he's research as much as he can when he's able - surely, there had to be a way that was better than just cutting into them.

He quirks a smile at the Qunari's response, amused, but not that he can blame him. Bruce pulls the book back and glances through it himself.]

It's not the most pleasant reading material, I admit. But at times its necessary.

Does... everyone have that in them? The name even sounds gross!

[He shudders a bit, but then has to get his man card back by telling about weird medical things he 'knew'.]

One of the people I ran with told me about a guy who got an arrow through his eye and he survived. Talked really funny, though.

He swore it was true and everything.

Most humans, at least. I'm not very familiar with the physiology of the other species myself.

[But he is trying his best to know. The Inquisition, with all kinds of people around, will help Bruce with that pursuit.

At the story, though, Bruce can't help but raise an eyebrow.] Is that so? Well, the human body can be surprisingly durable at times.

[He's not doubting the story or Kas, but it would be interesting if he could meet that person himself.]

I think dwarves an' elves are kinda similar to humans. I got horns and stuff that might be real weird.

[Sage nods.]

There was a guy in my kith that ripped his own arm off once. That was really gross but I guess he had to. Got stuck under a rock when the Ben-Hassrath came.

[Kas honey that was way too many weird words.]

[It's okay, Bruce has hung around places enough to have picked up some very rudimentary Qunlat.]

Desperate times always call for desperate measures. [A pause.] I hope he got of of that fine, at least?

I think so, he was running with the rest when I left. Didn't even scream or nothing.

[His kith were marauding assholes, but they were cool marauding assholes.]

[Well, at least that sounds promising, if anything.]

I hope he managed to escape then, if you didn't get to see him after.

Yeah. Me too.

[He kicks his feet a bit on the wall he's sitting on, a gesture so childlike it doesn't quite fit with the rest of him.]

Have you fixed a lotta people here?

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