( There is just the faintest hint of strain in her voice; she is in a lot of pain and taking considerable pains to try and keep it under control. Rain cannot be heard - she is out of the Fallow Mire, now, and in the Hinterlands.
Earlier today some Inquisition requisition folks will hopefully have also delivered an obscenely huge stash of herbs and seeds and other requested materials. )
[ Herbs and seeds mean inventory, mean discussing with the gardener what to save and what to plant, mean paperwork. And thus that is how Ruby's message finds her, weary, bruised, aching, and in the middle of paperwork. ]
Red?
[ She narrows her eyes at her crystal, as though that would better provide answers. ]
We do not know enough about the shards to take this risk, Red. What if you lose the hand? What if you tear a rift open on accident? What if you fall through? Until we know what it is that we are dealing with I do not intend to take any chances. IF it is reacting poorly outside of observed stimuli- something is wrong. If it is nothing I would rather know it now with you back than wait and see whether or not your hand burns itself off.
Quietly: ) Do you think whatever's happening to me could have happened to her?
( It doesn't sound like she's necessarily taking that as a prompt to not stay. In fact, she is very much considering the old fashioned Snow White tactic of hurtling herself into a situation head first. They got into some shenanigans back in the day, let her tell you. )
If a rift opened and she fell through it, I can't--
( An exhale, and she sounds so frustrated and so torn. Leaving Emma somewhere alone or hurt or whatever might have happened is horrifying. New and more terrible possibilities have been opened up. )
We do not know, Red. [ There's a harder edge to Adelaide's voice, here. Something cooler, something that is certain even in expressing uncertainty. The voice of a surgeon with a wound and no possible prognosis- so please quit asking and let her work. ] There is no way of knowing.
You wish her safe and fear for her and I understand this, truly I do, but we cannot take the risk of ignoring the shard.
( Quiet and flat, like something in her is curling inward, a leaf or grass peeling away from a flame. Not from Adelaide, really, more like she's twisting some part of herself.
This is Snow's daughter, one of her dearest friends, and she still hasn't found anything after close to a month of searching. And now she's got to cut it short. )
( She tries really, really hard to sound a little less flat, less defeated. To her credit, it sort of works. At least it's gentler, a note of optimism in there and spark, though it doesn't quite manage to make her convince herself that she feels any better about this. )
[ It is not a request and certainly isn't framed as such. Without any true basis or baseline to pull from every deviation from the norm must be treated as an emergency. It has, unfortunately, tipped Adelaide into locking down on work mode- she'll have to speak to Solas as soon as possible. ]
( And maybe that sounds a little more like Ruby and less like the Depression Edition. She really, really doesn't want to make Adelaide feel bad, or act like some kind of brat. The shortcoming is her own, not anyone else's.
She doesn't wait for a reply, just hangs up, because she needs to wallow for a little while. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
whatever, fight me; like a week after the last one.
( There is just the faintest hint of strain in her voice; she is in a lot of pain and taking considerable pains to try and keep it under control. Rain cannot be heard - she is out of the Fallow Mire, now, and in the Hinterlands.
Earlier today some Inquisition requisition folks will hopefully have also delivered an obscenely huge stash of herbs and seeds and other requested materials. )
Is now a bad time?
oh noes
Red?
[ She narrows her eyes at her crystal, as though that would better provide answers. ]
Not at all. How can I help you?
no subject
( Not quite as peppy as usual, it seems, despite an effort. )
IIII was just wondering if you were still the lady to talk to about shards and their, you know... quirks?
no subject
Yes. Is it behaving irregularly?
no subject
On, uh. ( she is very good at sounding very calm, as it turns out. )
If anyone has reported feeling like it was trying to burn them from the inside out?
no subject
[ Papers sliding, flipping- counting under her breath quietly in Orlesian until she finds her notes on the Rifters and their Shards. ]
Only...upon reception and proximity to a Rift. Are you camped near a Rift?
no subject
( Adelaide pls.
There's a breath of laughter that is very, very strained. )
Not near a Rift. Been moving all day and it's still like this.
no subject
[ If it was not a Rift and it was not Veilfire (a safe enough assumption to make) she cannot imagine what it could possibly be. ]
no subject
I only just got to the Hinterlands. I need to keep looking for Emma. I can-- I can work around the hand.
no subject
no subject
Quietly: ) Do you think whatever's happening to me could have happened to her?
( It doesn't sound like she's necessarily taking that as a prompt to not stay. In fact, she is very much considering the old fashioned Snow White tactic of hurtling herself into a situation head first. They got into some shenanigans back in the day, let her tell you. )
no subject
[ Don't be dumb, Ruby. Come back. Come back so she can poke your hand and make sure it won't kill you. ]
no subject
( An exhale, and she sounds so frustrated and so torn. Leaving Emma somewhere alone or hurt or whatever might have happened is horrifying. New and more terrible possibilities have been opened up. )
I hate this.
no subject
You wish her safe and fear for her and I understand this, truly I do, but we cannot take the risk of ignoring the shard.
no subject
( Quiet and flat, like something in her is curling inward, a leaf or grass peeling away from a flame. Not from Adelaide, really, more like she's twisting some part of herself.
This is Snow's daughter, one of her dearest friends, and she still hasn't found anything after close to a month of searching. And now she's got to cut it short. )
I'll head back.
no subject
We will see what it is that causes this and have you out again as soon as possible, yes?
no subject
There's always amputation.
no subject
no subject
( and if she only had one hand then doing celebratory jazzhands would become far less likely
not that she does them, of course, but right now she is thinking about it. )
Need anything from Redcliffe before I head back?
no subject
[ Anything more she would have to bring from Val Royeaux later. ]
no subject
( She tries really, really hard to sound a little less flat, less defeated. To her credit, it sort of works. At least it's gentler, a note of optimism in there and spark, though it doesn't quite manage to make her convince herself that she feels any better about this. )
I'll, um. See you soon.
no subject
[ It is not a request and certainly isn't framed as such. Without any true basis or baseline to pull from every deviation from the norm must be treated as an emergency. It has, unfortunately, tipped Adelaide into locking down on work mode- she'll have to speak to Solas as soon as possible. ]
no subject
( And maybe that sounds a little more like Ruby and less like the Depression Edition. She really, really doesn't want to make Adelaide feel bad, or act like some kind of brat. The shortcoming is her own, not anyone else's.
She doesn't wait for a reply, just hangs up, because she needs to wallow for a little while. )