[If they could subdue the Urge altogether, then it would be safe for Tav to travel outside of the city, into nature, where he could collect seeds of his own for the garden.]
I mean, say, for medical procedures. Yanking out an infected tooth. Knocking someone out when the pain is too great. Stupefying herbal teas to help someone sleep when they’re ill. I don’t know if it’ll quell your impulses, but it’s at least worth a shot.
You wouldn’t want to rely on it every single night. Riftwatch work might need you roused and woken in the middle of the night, not in a continual drugged stupor. But if it does work to suppress your urges, it could be useful some nights. When necessary.
( Only mildly regretful to puncture that bubble: ) It’s not just to call on you. Apparently a saboteur once tried to blow up the Central Tower. There are fire drills. Sea beasts attacked Kirkwall harbour last summer. If there’s a Tevinter attack in the middle of the night, you might need to evacuate quickly.
In my experience? Nope. ( Said lightly, his humour cynical as always. The sound of the doctor’s walking has stopped over the crystal, however, pausing partway where he was headed back into the tower. Head Healer mode still activated: )
How are you feeling now? Do you need— I don’t know, a checkup or anything?
( Tav had mentioned that before, but Strange had inadvertently glossed over it with so much other alarming information to learn about the elf; this time, he perks to attention. )
Healing magic? Oh, yes, this I want to see.
And, shortly after, the doctor’s immediately made his way to the other rifter’s room, abandoning his day in the infirmary to head back to the Gallows and climb those stairs. Strange eventually appears in the doorway, pokes his head in, raps his knuckles on the door.
“Head Healer, reporting for duty. —And also intellectual curiosity.”
[By the time Strange reaches him, Tav has unwound his bandages and laid them out on his knees for inspection. To say they are torn up is an understatement. He had apparently fough tooth and nail for freedom and even dislocated his thumb in the process. The skin around his wrists is filled with fluid and limited scabbing has taken place.
When Strange arrives, Tav nods him in and makes room on his bunk for the doctor.]
Rope burns. [He gestures with his head down to the fluid-filled sacks on his wrist.]
( There’s a twinge at the corners of his eyes, a downward curve to his mouth as he looks at those blistered burns. These everyday sorts of injuries were never the doctor’s specialty, although he’s been making it so, since becoming Head Healer. )
Well, so that’s another reason the rope thing isn’t gonna be a good idea long-term. How do you feel about padded shackles?
[Tav sighs, feeling defeated, even as he readies his spell. Turquoise light builds at his fingertips.]
I would rather it not happen again at all.
[And then,] Te curo!
[The spell doesn’t completely heal the sore, but it shrinks the blister, the fluid drying down in most places. Tav is left panting, but he thinks he may have one more in him.]
( He’s watching carefully, taking mental note. This is the sort of thing he’d sought for so long, back home: a way to fix what’s broken. Contemplatively: )
I’m assuming you haven’t had the opportunity yet to test it on something larger, here? Broken bones and open wounds and the like?
No, not here. [Tav replies as he switches hands and repeats the process. As before, most of the blister dries down, but there are still sections filled with fluid and the exhaustion weighs him further down.] Back home, I'd be able to wake someone unconscious; broken bones were little worry.
[He flexes his fingers, simply allowing the turquoise light to curl along them before he tentatively reaches out for Strange.] Do you have a cut or bruise? So you could feel it?
[Tav is deeply aware of his reputation in the Riftwatch, but he hopes Strange will trust him enough to heal a small wound.]
[ Strange eyes that outstretched hand; the mistrust isn’t for Tav’s capabilities in particular, but a general aloofness to begin with, a stiff personal bubble stretching some five feet across. The sorcerer isn’t too approachable, and so people rarely encroach on him. ]
No,
[ he says, although there’s a lingering unspoken but to that sentence. He’s seen the limitations now: several attempts and it couldn’t fully heal a fresh rope burn, so it won’t be a magical fix-all. He’s loath to get into it; but isn’t he obligated to at least mention it, just in case? So, Strange holds up one hand for Tav’s inspection: even now, it shakes and quivers as he tries to hold still. There are old, ugly scars scrawled down the length of his fingers, carved into the backs of his knuckles. ]
Just this. It’s long-healed, a few years back, so I doubt you could do anything about it now. Maybe if it had been at the time.
[ And if the elf had his full powers. If, if, if. The limitations in Thedas are a perpetual annoyance. ]
[Tav immediately pulls his hand back. He knows he's not everyone's cup of tea and would rather keep his friendship with Strange intact than try to prove something.
However he peers at Strange's scars and frowns at them. They look a bit like the ones on his face and neck from beating against glass to escape his pod. Did... no it's impossible.]
I can't heal scars. [Tav admits quietly.] Else I'd not have these on my face. Came from striking glass.
It’s not the scars, it’s— [ How does he explain nerve damage to someone from a circa-medieval world and only three months of remembered experience? His hand closes, fingers furling shut again and drifting down to his side. ] Nevermind, it doesn’t matter.
[ A beat, as Strange considers the edges of that weighty sentence. ] —Why were you striking glass?
Hm. [ Strange has crossed his arms again, leaning his weight against the nearest convenient piece of furniture. As a tangent, this part isn’t quite as immediately useful for Tav’s work in Riftwatch, and he doesn’t necessarily need to ask about it— but the doctor’s an incorrigibly curious man. He always wants to know more about these other worlds, their peculiarities and uniquenesses. ]
[Tav swallows and tries not to say it because now that they've nearly reached the end of this tangent, he realizes that saying it out loud is deeply unhelpful.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
portalling) wrote2022-04-02 01:17 pm
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
[If they could subdue the Urge altogether, then it would be safe for Tav to travel outside of the city, into nature, where he could collect seeds of his own for the garden.]
no subject
( wait that’s a weird bad way of phrasing this )
I mean, say, for medical procedures. Yanking out an infected tooth. Knocking someone out when the pain is too great. Stupefying herbal teas to help someone sleep when they’re ill. I don’t know if it’ll quell your impulses, but it’s at least worth a shot.
You wouldn’t want to rely on it every single night. Riftwatch work might need you roused and woken in the middle of the night, not in a continual drugged stupor. But if it does work to suppress your urges, it could be useful some nights. When necessary.
no subject
[Another moment when Tav wishea he had more of his memories to rely on.]
I’m not sure how useful an herbalist will be in the middle of the night.
[He gives a small smirk. He likes being low of the totem pole.]
no subject
no subject
[Seems there’s always going to be a catch with every possible solution.]
Nothing’s easy, is it?
no subject
How are you feeling now? Do you need— I don’t know, a checkup or anything?
no subject
Actually. Stay here while I heal myself? Apparently healing magic is much more difficult here and I’d rather someone be here in case I pass out again.
→ spams u with action again
Healing magic? Oh, yes, this I want to see.
And, shortly after, the doctor’s immediately made his way to the other rifter’s room, abandoning his day in the infirmary to head back to the Gallows and climb those stairs. Strange eventually appears in the doorway, pokes his head in, raps his knuckles on the door.
“Head Healer, reporting for duty. —And also intellectual curiosity.”
All good!!
When Strange arrives, Tav nods him in and makes room on his bunk for the doctor.]
Rope burns. [He gestures with his head down to the fluid-filled sacks on his wrist.]
no subject
Well, so that’s another reason the rope thing isn’t gonna be a good idea long-term. How do you feel about padded shackles?
no subject
I would rather it not happen again at all.
[And then,] Te curo!
[The spell doesn’t completely heal the sore, but it shrinks the blister, the fluid drying down in most places. Tav is left panting, but he thinks he may have one more in him.]
no subject
I’m assuming you haven’t had the opportunity yet to test it on something larger, here? Broken bones and open wounds and the like?
no subject
[He flexes his fingers, simply allowing the turquoise light to curl along them before he tentatively reaches out for Strange.] Do you have a cut or bruise? So you could feel it?
[Tav is deeply aware of his reputation in the Riftwatch, but he hopes Strange will trust him enough to heal a small wound.]
no subject
No,
[ he says, although there’s a lingering unspoken but to that sentence. He’s seen the limitations now: several attempts and it couldn’t fully heal a fresh rope burn, so it won’t be a magical fix-all. He’s loath to get into it; but isn’t he obligated to at least mention it, just in case? So, Strange holds up one hand for Tav’s inspection: even now, it shakes and quivers as he tries to hold still. There are old, ugly scars scrawled down the length of his fingers, carved into the backs of his knuckles. ]
Just this. It’s long-healed, a few years back, so I doubt you could do anything about it now. Maybe if it had been at the time.
[ And if the elf had his full powers. If, if, if. The limitations in Thedas are a perpetual annoyance. ]
no subject
However he peers at Strange's scars and frowns at them. They look a bit like the ones on his face and neck from beating against glass to escape his pod. Did... no it's impossible.]
I can't heal scars. [Tav admits quietly.] Else I'd not have these on my face. Came from striking glass.
[His last sentence is heavily weighted.]
no subject
[ A beat, as Strange considers the edges of that weighty sentence. ] —Why were you striking glass?
no subject
[Tav pauses, considering how best to continue to describe the mindflayer pods.]
If I'd stayed too much longer they would have transformed me into something worse than my condition.
no subject
no subject
no subject
What were you going to be transformed into?
no subject
But he might as well see this through.]
... a mindflayer.
no subject
[ He draws out the word, questioning. Yes, Tav, it was deeply unhelpful. ]
no subject
no subject
But you said there was a chance you could have transformed into one?
no subject
But yes.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)