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"That is a fault of the Wardens, not ours. He is their problem. I mind him when he is in the healing tents of Skyhold, but I cannot watch him at all hours of the day." She has her own work to do and little enough time in which to see it done.
The offer of the chair is appreciated, she shifts to settle, straightening out her leg with a grimace. "I am aware of this, yes. It was foolish to think that in removing the spirit of Justice that possessed him he might see the wrong of what he'd done but- it felt worth trying."
The offer of the chair is appreciated, she shifts to settle, straightening out her leg with a grimace. "I am aware of this, yes. It was foolish to think that in removing the spirit of Justice that possessed him he might see the wrong of what he'd done but- it felt worth trying."
Raylan gave a frustrated sigh, extending his injured arm again. "Little maggot's lucky this was the table, not his face," he said. He wasn't even going to give Anders the dignity of calling him a man. Even if he hadn't thought the circles ought to stand, Raylan was pretty sure he'd never condone killing hundreds of innocents.
"Whatever you can do for this hand, I'd appreciate it. Writing with the left sucks."
"Whatever you can do for this hand, I'd appreciate it. Writing with the left sucks."
"Let me thank you for sparing us all the headache that would have caused." Touch light she cradles his arm in her palms, a faint blue glow growing where their skin meets and blooming in her eyes. A cooling wash of Rejuvenation for the pain- setting the bone will be uncomfortable even so but it must be done none the less.
"How long has it been-" She squints, probing the bruising. "...how long did you wait before contacting me?"
"How long has it been-" She squints, probing the bruising. "...how long did you wait before contacting me?"
Raylan sighed as the pain receded, closing his eyes for a second. He didn't want to admit how much it had been hurting. "Thank you."
He was quiet for a minute, and at least had the grace to look a little ashamed. "A little while." He paused. "A while." Another pause. "What time is it now?" He'd punched the table mid-afternoon, and the sun had been down for a while.
He was quiet for a minute, and at least had the grace to look a little ashamed. "A little while." He paused. "A while." Another pause. "What time is it now?" He'd punched the table mid-afternoon, and the sun had been down for a while.
"...manly stoicism. My favorite." It is very much not her favorite, honestly, as though her wry, dry tone were not proof enough. Her hands slide from arm to wrist, feeling for the break, nudging the bones back into alignment with firm presses of her thumbs. "This is going to be uncomfortable, but please hold still."
Raylan made himself breathe through the discomfort and did as he was told. He was glad, at least, that the discomfort never quite reached pain, with the spell Adelaide had put on him.
"So what happened to you?" he asked, once she'd completed that task. "I'll go ahead and assume you didn't kick a table in anger," he said with a little smirk.
"So what happened to you?" he asked, once she'd completed that task. "I'll go ahead and assume you didn't kick a table in anger," he said with a little smirk.
"I took part in a ritual to remove a spirit from an abomination. The spirit did not wish to leave and became an irate demon. If I remember correctly it took me by the leg and threw me like a ragdoll." It had not been terribly fun. "It is also how I know Anders is no longer an abomination."
She cured him. After a fashion.
She cured him. After a fashion.
Do you think I'm the same as a shape shifter?
( she sounds Aggravated. Upset, maybe? Definitely aggravated while trying Not To Be Aggravated. )
( she sounds Aggravated. Upset, maybe? Definitely aggravated while trying Not To Be Aggravated. )
That was a lot of information to take in all at once. Raylan was going to need some time to chew on that, so he pushed most of it aside. "It ain't hardly worth that." Raylan honestly didn't understand how someone who'd committed such a crime was walking free, spirit or no.
Ah- no? Not at all. A shapeshifter must study to become so- you simply are. You had no choice in the matter.
Right! I'm a Wolf. I'm as much a Wolf as a human being, and--
( She sounds too frustrated, she feels whiny, and she cuts herself off. )
I mean, I should be grateful that apparently people can just take it in stride, I guess, but...
( But she's not. And she feels stupid for it, honestly. )
( She sounds too frustrated, she feels whiny, and she cuts herself off. )
I mean, I should be grateful that apparently people can just take it in stride, I guess, but...
( But she's not. And she feels stupid for it, honestly. )
"It was more about learning if it is possible to cure an abomination without walking through the fade to slay a demon or spirit in it's home turf and less about curing him in particular. He simply was the only abomination on hand for the testing." And therefore, worthwhile.
But it seems as though their causal acceptance isn't of you at all, but the thing that you are able to do. They see a trick where you have endured pain- yes?
[ Is that the gist? ]
What brought this about, Red?
[ Is that the gist? ]
What brought this about, Red?
They think it's a trick, and people think that a wolf is just some useful thing you can teach yourself to be, and--
( She exhales, and there's the sound of Ruby sitting, a chair scraping. )
I don't know. I shouldn't feel this way about it. I was talking to, uh. Alistair? On the network, and I tried to explain it to Anders one time, and... honestly I think people here think I'm crazy.
( She exhales, and there's the sound of Ruby sitting, a chair scraping. )
I don't know. I shouldn't feel this way about it. I was talking to, uh. Alistair? On the network, and I tried to explain it to Anders one time, and... honestly I think people here think I'm crazy.
Ah. Alistair thinks everything is a joke and Anders- means better but he sees magic in almost all of its forms as a gift. That someone's innate nature might cause them pain does not seem to sit well with him.
[ There's clink, a teacup resting back neatly in its saucer. ]
It is like being a mage. There is a price. You have taught yourself control but you cannot be rid of it without losing a part of yourself. Where you are from it has caused those to fear you as we are feared here.
[ There's clink, a teacup resting back neatly in its saucer. ]
It is like being a mage. There is a price. You have taught yourself control but you cannot be rid of it without losing a part of yourself. Where you are from it has caused those to fear you as we are feared here.
At least you have more of your kind.
( Quiet, but there's that catch in it that tends to come before Ruby trying to gear herself back to being Totally Fine. )
But, yeah. You're right. You're totally right. It's not a big deal.
( Quiet, but there's that catch in it that tends to come before Ruby trying to gear herself back to being Totally Fine. )
But, yeah. You're right. You're totally right. It's not a big deal.
That makes it more difficult for you, not less.
[ Faintly chiding. ]
That is not what I was saying at all, Red. For you this is a burden that you have hammered into purpose, but that does not mean it hasn't caused you harm. To have others make light of it must be painful.
[ Faintly chiding. ]
That is not what I was saying at all, Red. For you this is a burden that you have hammered into purpose, but that does not mean it hasn't caused you harm. To have others make light of it must be painful.
( She is trying to gear up to continue the path of Relentless Optimism™, but slowly deflates with Adelaide's words. There's silence for a couple of moments. )
It's not... the best. ( Trying to sound not-hurt at this point is probably ridiculous, and yet she is staying the course. ) I just-- I'm so tired of being told what I am. Or being told that I have to choose what to be. I try to be honest about it but, um. Sometimes it seems pointless.
It's not... the best. ( Trying to sound not-hurt at this point is probably ridiculous, and yet she is staying the course. ) I just-- I'm so tired of being told what I am. Or being told that I have to choose what to be. I try to be honest about it but, um. Sometimes it seems pointless.
One day you will learn that no one will be upset with you for being upset. You are permitted to feel wounded by those that make light, especially if you have asked that they not. I will have words with Alistair.
[ At the very least, he deserves it. ]
You are what and who you are. To me, you are Red- my assistant and a dear friend. You are a wolf, you are a companion, you are invaluable.
[ At the very least, he deserves it. ]
You are what and who you are. To me, you are Red- my assistant and a dear friend. You are a wolf, you are a companion, you are invaluable.
A lot of people have it worse than me, Adelaide. I just... try to keep some perspective.
( Also she spent twenty-eight years being yelled at for negative emotion sooooo )
You don't have to have words with him, I mean-- he's just-- he was just being a guy.
( That sounds even less out of her head than in it. And a little pause, surprised. It sounds more-- more surprised than she expects, and she regrets saying it in the next moment, )
Why are you so nice to me?
( Also she spent twenty-eight years being yelled at for negative emotion sooooo )
You don't have to have words with him, I mean-- he's just-- he was just being a guy.
( That sounds even less out of her head than in it. And a little pause, surprised. It sounds more-- more surprised than she expects, and she regrets saying it in the next moment, )
Why are you so nice to me?
...I am not being nice to you- I am being decent. That it seems 'nice' to you is a sign of what poor company you must have kept in the past and as you well know I hold the world and myself to a higher standard.
[ Does she sound irate? Perhaps she is on Ruby's behalf, even more so than she might be against Alistair. ]
[ Does she sound irate? Perhaps she is on Ruby's behalf, even more so than she might be against Alistair. ]
Hey, that's not fair. ( Not angry, not at all, more reasoning. ) My friends are good people. Snow and David believed in me when no one else did. And Emma saw some scared waitress and believed in her enough to give her a shot. Grumpy, he's just... like that, and...
( They just--
They forgot. )
( They just--
They forgot. )
All Raylan really had for that was a vague harrumph. He couldn't deny that this was interesting information, even if he disagreed with the method. "Hope the leg gets better, then," he said, that being about the nicest thing he could muster.
"Given another month or so it should be mended. Your hand, now-" She flicks her fingers at him. "Will be stiff for a few days more and you will want to not overwork it, but before the week is out? You should be fine. If there is any lingering aches or twinges after that time has passed find me."
I have never been accused of being fair, Red.
[ Nor outside of politics is she terribly interested in what may or may not be fair. ]
You are being given the courtesy and consideration you are owed, here if nowhere else.
[ Nor outside of politics is she terribly interested in what may or may not be fair. ]
You are being given the courtesy and consideration you are owed, here if nowhere else.
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