[One of the benefits of being so young was that Watanuki largely missed out on the mage-templar war. Or rather, he missed out on most of the fighting in it. His magic had always been less than helpful in a fight anyway- he was particularly talented at healing, as well as a few other tricks that he typically kept quiet- so he had spent a large part of the war bouncing back and forth between hiding places, traveling in secret when it was needed. Nobody was going to send a boy of barely fourteen out to fight templars when his best tricks involved healing wounds and making people better or worse at fighting. Not at the beginning of the war, at least. It was better to keep him safe and healing the wounded than to risk his life.
But then the Breach happened, and things got worse. At seventeen, Watanuki was stuck between roaming templars who slaughtered anyone at even the whisper of magic and a slowly-weakening group of mages who were growing more and more desperate by the day. So when the rebel mages sided with the Inquisition and moved to seal the Breach, he found himself at Haven along with many of the men and women he had practically grown up around. When their celebrations were cut short by corrupted templars and a particularly frightening creature, he tried to protect the town alongside them. And when they eventually fled up the mountain, he helped the injured as much as he could, even carrying people when he had to. It was the first time Watanuki had done more than heal those who had done the fighting, and it was absolutely terrifying.
But still he persisted. He knew he couldn't just bury his head in the snow and expect someone else to save the world. If he wanted to be free, he would have to do his part too. Which was why he chose to remain at Skyhold, doing everything he could to help there. If he were called upon to do something more he would gladly step up, but he was...'reluctant to step on any toes' was probably the best way to describe it. He really was quite young compared to everyone else there, and even though he had talents that would probably prove invaluable to the Inquisitor he didn't want to piss anyone off. Making enemies when he was barely an adult was probably not a good idea.
And, as always, he persisted. And being a mage of particularly strong healing talents, that meant he had frequent visitors. Visitors who tended to get hurt when they were out saving the world, for example. And even though those frequent visitors tended to have sassy mouths from time to time, Watanuki kept quiet and did his job.
The scathing looks he could dish out to careless party members spoke far better than any words could anyway.]
[Visiting the healers was always an awkward affair. There was the fact that dwarves were notoriously difficult to heal, considering their natural resistance to magic. There was oft a large amount of uncomfortable rearranging, frustrated groaning, and pained expressions, and that was all on Varric's part. Then there was the fact that women so often wanted to put their hands all over him. He was certain that his calf injury did nothing to harm his chest, thank you very much.]
[But then there was the emotional side of it. Every time a spirit healer approached him, every time their magic did its work, he couldn't help but reflect at how different it felt. He couldn't tell the differences between each mage, only that it didn't feel quite the same. Neither were an uncomfortable sort of thing, of course, but the layman magic was like stepping into a pool warmed by the son, whereas Anders had been much like easing into a warm bath after a long day.]
[Unfortunately, there was simply no avoiding this trip. He hadn't cut his hand too severely, but with Lavellan chomping at the bit to get back out into the fray, he simply couldn't wait nature to run its course.]
[Stepping into the clinic, the dwarf studied the present healers. Some of them were the more handsy types, and they immediately turned predatory eyes upon him. No thank you. He quickly scurried to the most innocent face he could find -- just so happening to stumble upon a -- ]
They have kids working in here now? [He glanced over at the women, then back to the dark haired young man. Admittedly, he was concerned for his own well-being. Much as he liked his chest hair being thoroughly unruffled, he also liked having full function of his hand. He wasn't certain that the young man could guarantee that much.]
[And yet, there was something oddly familiar about him, something he couldn't quite place a finger on yet didn't care to wrack his brains over too much. Instead, he plopped down before him and held out his hand.]
Don't make me regret this. That's my trigger hand you're playing with.
[Which was still pretty far off, admittedly, but details.
He was always annoyed any time someone used his age to question his abilities, because being young didn't make him any less competent. In fact, being young seemed to be an advantage to him: rarely did he run out of mana, and he always got it back quickly too. Of course, being stuck in towns healing people most of his teenage years meant that he hadn't seen many other young mages, and he hadn't exactly been pushed to his limits back in the Circle, so he didn't really have a baseline of what was 'normal' for someone his age. But he had decided not to worry too much about it, and to just use that mana and be grateful that he had it in the first place.
But clearly this dwarf was asking for his help, even though it was in an admittedly roundabout way. It wasn't like he was busy healing anyone else at the moment either, so. Watanuki reached down and took Varric's hand in his own, giving himself some time to inspect it before doing any healing. If this was a dominant hand, then care was definitely needed.]
Is it just the cut I see? Or is there more to it?
[A small cut was nothing to heal, Varric would be out of there within five minutes. But if there was damage deeper in there, if he had to stitch bone and tendons back together as well, that would take more time.]
I've got chest hair older than you, kid. [Despite his biting comment, Varric smiled. It wasn't often that he met someone so young and bold. Again, something tickled at the back of his mind and again he squashed it down.]
[Opening and closing his hand, he held the injured limb out a little further. There appeared to be no damage to muscles or tendons. Perhaps there was a little inflammation, a lack of care on his part. It was the very reason Lavellan had insisted he see the healer as opposed biding his time. Varric could barely mind his own injuries back in camp. Out on the road, with Andraste only knew what kind of dirt and grime, the wound was bound to wind up infected.]
[The last thing any of them needed was for Varric to wind up missing his trigger finger.]
Nothing too complicated, but we can't have the Herald of Andraste without his right hand man. [There was no doubt that he was gloating. The toothy grin that followed his statement was evidence enough of that. It wasn't often that a man could claim to be the unofficial adviser of a hero. Let alone do so twice.]
Maybe your chest hair should be healing you, then.
[If Varric liked sass from the younger generation, then he would find no shortage of it there.
But Watanuki couldn't do a sloppy job on the Inquisitor's right hand man. No, that was sure to get him kicked right out of the Inquisition and sent right back to the dangerous roads he was trying to avoid. So he took his time, carefully applying his magic in such a way that the inflammation went down and the skin started to grow back together. He used his thumbs to push the two sides of the cut closer together, so that it would heal more naturally and perhaps leave no scar.
As he worked his magic, he spoke again, this time with a curious tone.]
The right hand man to the Herald, hmm? That must mean he trusts you quite a bit.
[For all of his worrying in the last few weeks of how to even approach the Inquisitor, the answer may have just fallen into his lap. He wouldn't need to talk to the Inquisitor directly, if he had the ear of one of the Inquisitor's 'inner circle'. That might actually be safer than speaking on his own behalf, nobody would accuse a dwarf of drawing unnatural power from a demon.]
[If Varric were a weaker man, he might have winced at Watanuki's touch, or at been a bit discomforted. Given the average dwarf's natural resistance to magic, healing and otherwise, it always made for an interesting sensation. He wasn't sure how the average person took having their wounds healed, but for Varric it always came with an odd prickling sensation, in addition to the usual crawling feeling of his skin rebuilding itself.]
[Watanuki's question, however odd it was, happened to be a welcome distraction. He might not have had plans to vocalize his discomfort, but he sure as hell didn't want to sit there thinking about it either.]
I should hope so. But then, we've got a qunari spy and a Tevinter pretty boy in our little circle. Who's to say who Lavellan trusts.
[He trailed off thoughtfully there, as if he was considering telling Varric something. In truth, he had already decided to share some valuable information, but he had to make it seem like he was a little reluctant. He didn't want his eagerness to help make him seem untrustworthy.]
Hopefully one of his spies has eyes and ears around here. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff you can hear around here. Whispers of Venatori sightings in the west, strange disappearances in the marshes, things like that. I swear half of it doesn't even make it into official reports. Like the young man who was in here a few days ago, talking about 'there might be a demon over there by that town three days south of here, but it's only a maybe, so I won't put it in the reports. No need to worry anyone over a rumor.' Bah! That's exactly the type of thing someone should be putting in reports!
[It was an entirely made-up story, of course. The truth was that a rift was going to open over that town in four days, and because of the travel time the Inquisitor wouldn't make it there before a lot of damage was done. But Watanuki couldn't come out and just say 'my spirit friend who is totally not a demon sends me visions of the future sometimes', so he had to construct this plausible story of a rumor and hope that Varric took the bait. At least sounding irritable came natural to him, it helped to cover up his nervousness over constructing such a lie.]
[That... was troubling. It was as Watanuki had said, it was the kind of thing that should have been in the reports. Odd that it wasn't, considering the fact that tensions were on high amongst some of the Inquisition, considering the recent additions to the army. It seemed that many people were eager to point fingers and claim that the Inquisition had done wrong. If this sort of thing got out of hand, if the Inquisition itself didn't put to bed these rumors, then the next thing they knew, there would be accusations from the Chantry about demon collusion and the like.]
[With his free hand, Varric cupped his chin, humming thoughtfully to himself. Lavellan would need to know as soon as possible. With luck, they could ride south on their way out, stop in to make sure things were okay, and then head about their business. A mage himself, the Inquisitor was sure to understand the need to investigate. Demons were just as bad as swooping, he'd learned.]
You happen to catch the name of that scout? Or the town? [He lowered his hand, drummed his nails against his knees, then lifted it up once more.] I have some spare coin that might make it worth your while, if it's that kind of thing.
[The town was the more important bit of information, but he needed the names of anyone who was being so foolish. Better that they get a scolding from him than Harding or, even worse, Leliana. This was the kind of shit that could tear them apart before Corypheus even had the chance to.]
[Watanuki quickly shakes his head at the offer of money.]
No, that's definitely not needed. Working here pays me more than enough for anything I could ever need. I'm more concerned with having fewer injured men and women showing up here.
[And he definitely wasn't going to give the name of a random scout, because he wasn't going to get someone in trouble for his sake. No doubt anyone not filling out reports properly would end up getting punished.
Watanuki takes a moment, acting like he's trying to remember any important details, when in reality he is just stalling for time for the moment.]
Hmm...I think it was Redcliffe? Oh, but not in the town, it was a bit south of it. And sorry, I don't remember the name of the scout. It was a human, if that helps?
[As if humans weren't the large majority of the Inquisition or anything.]
[The dwarf's brows lifted. That was an interesting tidbit there. Even the Inquisition, perhaps the last standing paragons of justice and goodness, had its fair few coin seekers. It was rare, impossibly so, that someone would so willingly let go of information. It made sense -- the land around them was in a desperate state. Fear raised prices, as if coin could help save them from whatever might have swept from the breach or from beneath Corypheus' skirts.]
[It was all just a way of surviving. And if Varric knew anything about the Inquisition, it was that it could barely afford the coin to keep its soldiers happy. Whatever the mages were getting, it was surely less than they deserved.]
[The dwarf continued to mull over the man's words, long after he finished speaking entirely. There were a few settlements south of Redcliffe, but nothing substantial. He made a note to ask Cullen, Leliana and Harding as to which of their respective forces had been in the area. A human. He'd track this person down, with or without the mage's help.]
[Not that he hadn't been helpful, of course. He didn't make promises to pay anyone who didn't satisfy him.]
Anything else you can tell me, kid? [The kind of demon, anything else that might help prepare Lavellan for what they would face down below.]
[It was less that mages were paid well and more that Watanuki was used to living an extremely frugal life. It wasn't like a teenage boy on the run could make a ton of money, and even before that life at the Circle had been a very plain one. As long as he had warm clothes, a roof over his head, and a meal in his stomach, he was fine.
Plus, being a kid he didn't really know much about wage negotiations or anything. He kind of just figured that people were paid what they were owed. If nobody else was complaining.]
I think I heard the word 'shade' mentioned, if that helps?
[Watanuki hoped he was identifying the type of demon correctly. He wasn't always sure of what demon was what, so he had to make his best guess.]
It might be a good idea to stop in every now and again as well. You never know what I might hear about around here. And I bet you'll be hard-pressed to find a better healer for yourself too.
[Speaking of which, Watanuki removed his hands from Varric's, giving him room to inspect the handywork done to his...well, hand. Watanuki was a surprisingly thorough healer, if nothing else. The dwarven magic resistance had made things harder, but that cut was barely more than a patch of irritated skin by then. When it came to stubborn injuries, having Perseverance on his side always did the trick.]
[Varric had the slightest urge to wrinkle his nose at the demon named. A shade usually was no problem. Greater shades and ash wraiths were something more of a headache, but they weren't anything that the dwarf couldn't handle, even on his own.]
[But these towns and settlements didn't have rugged and charming dwarves at their disposal. And just as he wasn't about to deny them a chance to experience such a thing, he also wouldn't deny them protection of any sort.]
[Varric brought his hand back to his side, inspecting it for a moment. It was admirable handiwork, but he'd seen better. He even opened his mouth to say as much, when a sharp pang ran from his chest to his toes.]
[Right. That healer was dead now.]
You're probably right. [He paused a moment, turning away only to quickly turn back around once more.] And if we're going up against a demon in combat, we might need a healer with us.
[Watanuki was almost ready to turn to the next patient and continue working on other patients, figuring that Varric would be off to tell the Inquisitor of what he had just learned and thus was done with the conversation. But he paused and looked up when he heard Varric speak again, and a frown quickly grew across his face. He looked left, then right, then raised an eyebrow at Varric as he pointed to himself.]
Me? You're joking, right? There's a reason I'm here and not out fighting along with everyone else. Namely that I only know creation magic and I've never touched a weapon in my life.
[Technically it wasn't true, he had carried a dagger with himself during his years on his own. Just in case. And he did know some wind and earth magic as well, though he was nowhere near as skilled at it as he was with his healing. But those two things were insignificant in the big picture of 'don't take me with you, I'm a liability not an asset.' Watanuki had an unfortunate habit of being highly-critical of himself.]
Plenty of mages to teach you. [He fixed a sinister look on the young man, one with tight brows and a sharp smile. If Watanuki was going to be assigning quests, then he would have to be an ally in them as well.] Besides, we're not asking you to be our tactician. Cassandra does a decent enough job with that. We just need a few well-timed spells. [He held his hand out.] I already know you're good at that, kid.
[He tapped his foot impatiently, as if expecting the man to simply jump up, grab his stuff, and chase after him. He knew it would be a lot more complicated than that, if he could even convince the kid to go along with his plan to begin with.]
If you're worried about your boss, just tell him you're under direct orders from the right-hand man himself. Hell, I'll even pay you for your efforts. Quadruple what you're making here, and that's if you do a piss-poor job.
[Watanuki still hesitated for a moment, torn between telling Varric 'no' and actually going along with it. Either option would potentially cause him trouble, if he was honest with himself. He absolutely was not thrilled about going into a fight against. Haven had been enough for him. But at the same time, e was only here because the higher-ups in the inquisition let him stay. If he displeased any of them enough, he could get kicked out. As scary as fighting was, being alone was scarier.
And then there was the small problem of him randomly passing out whenever Perserverence saw fit to 'bless' him with a vision. He would need a good excuse for that, if it happened out in the field.
Plus, he had been told what to do for pretty much his entire life. It was hard for him to just ignore an order, even if it was one he didn't like. He didn't yet feel adult-ish enough to tell an adult 'no'.
So he stood there for a moment, looking to Varric, then to his boss. He was clearly torn, and for the first time that day he actually looked like a lost teenager, as opposed to someone who had to grow up way too fast.
Finally, he gave up and made an irritated noise.]
I already told you it's not about the money! But if anything happens to me then I'm holding you personally responsible!
[Then he starts to gather his things. Mission accomplished, at least?]
sorry about the delay. my inbox was hell. also sorry for the short??? post
If anything happens to you, I'll pay out enough coin to settle you in a nice cabin to live out your days. [He paused, then offered the man a rather sinister grin.] Or provide you with a nice memorial.
[With nothing else to do but watch Watanuki, he sat back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the table that had just been used to heal his hand. He hoped that no one else had his idea at any point -- wouldn't exactly be safe practice to heal on a table with bootprints. At least the kid wouldn't have to use his station for a long while!]
[As Watanuki worked, he'd be subjected to a number of pleasant comments, ranging from "What about that" to "You missed a spot," and even "If it took the Inquisition this long to pack, we would have never made it up the mountain."]
It better include a statue for all the weepy people to cry at.
[Not that he intended on dying anytime soon, but.
With each comment from Varric, Watanuki felt his blood begin to boil. Just who did this dwarf think he was? Well, he had said he was the right hand man to the Inquisitor, but still! There were limits to how much Watanuki would put up with!
It was that last comment, about taking too long to pack, that finally got Watanuki to snap back at Varric.]
That must be why your little group was without a spirit healer until now!
[The implication being that rushing healing is a bad idea, or something like that.
...he still needed to work on his comebacks.
But he was fully packed and ready to go by then, and he held the bag in one hand as he stood in front of Varric and crossed his arms expectantly. He had been planning to play nice, but if Varric was going to push him then he was going to push right back. No second thoughts on speaking up at all, he absolutely wanted to help, but he was rethinking his strategy.]
[If Watanuki expected Varric to relent in any way, he had another thing coming. Though Varric lowered his feet and abandoned his casual position, it was only to lean forward and cross his arms over his chest. A smirk crossed his lips, and an eyebrow lifted, threatening to brush at his hairline.]
[Some people would lie down and take it, for fear of upsetting someone so involved with the inner workings of the Inquisition. They couldn't have a "superior officer" mad at them, after all. Watanuki, however, didn't seem to be eager to lay down and take it. It made Varric all the more excited by the coming venture.]
[Once Watanuki approached, however, the smirk faded into a grin. He stared right back at the man, locking eyes with him for the space of several heartbeats, before stepping back and motioning for Watanuki to pass by.]
We're meeting at the main gate. Lead the way, Golden boy.
[Truthfully it wasn't that hard to get around Skyhold, it was big but not so big that you could forget where important rooms were. Watanuki was just a little unnerved at the idea of just burting in on some meeting and going 'oh hey, let's go on an adventure!' Did everyone have to do that if they had a request of the Inquisitor?
Still, he relented, and stepped out of the infirmary first. But once he was outside he slowed and waited for Varric to step out and join him. Maybe if he walked slowly enough, Varric would take the lead and he wouldn't have to say anything.]
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But then the Breach happened, and things got worse. At seventeen, Watanuki was stuck between roaming templars who slaughtered anyone at even the whisper of magic and a slowly-weakening group of mages who were growing more and more desperate by the day. So when the rebel mages sided with the Inquisition and moved to seal the Breach, he found himself at Haven along with many of the men and women he had practically grown up around. When their celebrations were cut short by corrupted templars and a particularly frightening creature, he tried to protect the town alongside them. And when they eventually fled up the mountain, he helped the injured as much as he could, even carrying people when he had to. It was the first time Watanuki had done more than heal those who had done the fighting, and it was absolutely terrifying.
But still he persisted. He knew he couldn't just bury his head in the snow and expect someone else to save the world. If he wanted to be free, he would have to do his part too. Which was why he chose to remain at Skyhold, doing everything he could to help there. If he were called upon to do something more he would gladly step up, but he was...'reluctant to step on any toes' was probably the best way to describe it. He really was quite young compared to everyone else there, and even though he had talents that would probably prove invaluable to the Inquisitor he didn't want to piss anyone off. Making enemies when he was barely an adult was probably not a good idea.
And, as always, he persisted. And being a mage of particularly strong healing talents, that meant he had frequent visitors. Visitors who tended to get hurt when they were out saving the world, for example. And even though those frequent visitors tended to have sassy mouths from time to time, Watanuki kept quiet and did his job.
The scathing looks he could dish out to careless party members spoke far better than any words could anyway.]
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[But then there was the emotional side of it. Every time a spirit healer approached him, every time their magic did its work, he couldn't help but reflect at how different it felt. He couldn't tell the differences between each mage, only that it didn't feel quite the same. Neither were an uncomfortable sort of thing, of course, but the layman magic was like stepping into a pool warmed by the son, whereas Anders had been much like easing into a warm bath after a long day.]
[Unfortunately, there was simply no avoiding this trip. He hadn't cut his hand too severely, but with Lavellan chomping at the bit to get back out into the fray, he simply couldn't wait nature to run its course.]
[Stepping into the clinic, the dwarf studied the present healers. Some of them were the more handsy types, and they immediately turned predatory eyes upon him. No thank you. He quickly scurried to the most innocent face he could find -- just so happening to stumble upon a -- ]
They have kids working in here now? [He glanced over at the women, then back to the dark haired young man. Admittedly, he was concerned for his own well-being. Much as he liked his chest hair being thoroughly unruffled, he also liked having full function of his hand. He wasn't certain that the young man could guarantee that much.]
[And yet, there was something oddly familiar about him, something he couldn't quite place a finger on yet didn't care to wrack his brains over too much. Instead, he plopped down before him and held out his hand.]
Don't make me regret this. That's my trigger hand you're playing with.
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[Which was still pretty far off, admittedly, but details.
He was always annoyed any time someone used his age to question his abilities, because being young didn't make him any less competent. In fact, being young seemed to be an advantage to him: rarely did he run out of mana, and he always got it back quickly too. Of course, being stuck in towns healing people most of his teenage years meant that he hadn't seen many other young mages, and he hadn't exactly been pushed to his limits back in the Circle, so he didn't really have a baseline of what was 'normal' for someone his age. But he had decided not to worry too much about it, and to just use that mana and be grateful that he had it in the first place.
But clearly this dwarf was asking for his help, even though it was in an admittedly roundabout way. It wasn't like he was busy healing anyone else at the moment either, so. Watanuki reached down and took Varric's hand in his own, giving himself some time to inspect it before doing any healing. If this was a dominant hand, then care was definitely needed.]
Is it just the cut I see? Or is there more to it?
[A small cut was nothing to heal, Varric would be out of there within five minutes. But if there was damage deeper in there, if he had to stitch bone and tendons back together as well, that would take more time.]
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[Opening and closing his hand, he held the injured limb out a little further. There appeared to be no damage to muscles or tendons. Perhaps there was a little inflammation, a lack of care on his part. It was the very reason Lavellan had insisted he see the healer as opposed biding his time. Varric could barely mind his own injuries back in camp. Out on the road, with Andraste only knew what kind of dirt and grime, the wound was bound to wind up infected.]
[The last thing any of them needed was for Varric to wind up missing his trigger finger.]
Nothing too complicated, but we can't have the Herald of Andraste without his right hand man. [There was no doubt that he was gloating. The toothy grin that followed his statement was evidence enough of that. It wasn't often that a man could claim to be the unofficial adviser of a hero. Let alone do so twice.]
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[If Varric liked sass from the younger generation, then he would find no shortage of it there.
But Watanuki couldn't do a sloppy job on the Inquisitor's right hand man. No, that was sure to get him kicked right out of the Inquisition and sent right back to the dangerous roads he was trying to avoid. So he took his time, carefully applying his magic in such a way that the inflammation went down and the skin started to grow back together. He used his thumbs to push the two sides of the cut closer together, so that it would heal more naturally and perhaps leave no scar.
As he worked his magic, he spoke again, this time with a curious tone.]
The right hand man to the Herald, hmm? That must mean he trusts you quite a bit.
[For all of his worrying in the last few weeks of how to even approach the Inquisitor, the answer may have just fallen into his lap. He wouldn't need to talk to the Inquisitor directly, if he had the ear of one of the Inquisitor's 'inner circle'. That might actually be safer than speaking on his own behalf, nobody would accuse a dwarf of drawing unnatural power from a demon.]
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[If Varric were a weaker man, he might have winced at Watanuki's touch, or at been a bit discomforted. Given the average dwarf's natural resistance to magic, healing and otherwise, it always made for an interesting sensation. He wasn't sure how the average person took having their wounds healed, but for Varric it always came with an odd prickling sensation, in addition to the usual crawling feeling of his skin rebuilding itself.]
[Watanuki's question, however odd it was, happened to be a welcome distraction. He might not have had plans to vocalize his discomfort, but he sure as hell didn't want to sit there thinking about it either.]
I should hope so. But then, we've got a qunari spy and a Tevinter pretty boy in our little circle. Who's to say who Lavellan trusts.
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[He trailed off thoughtfully there, as if he was considering telling Varric something. In truth, he had already decided to share some valuable information, but he had to make it seem like he was a little reluctant. He didn't want his eagerness to help make him seem untrustworthy.]
Hopefully one of his spies has eyes and ears around here. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff you can hear around here. Whispers of Venatori sightings in the west, strange disappearances in the marshes, things like that. I swear half of it doesn't even make it into official reports. Like the young man who was in here a few days ago, talking about 'there might be a demon over there by that town three days south of here, but it's only a maybe, so I won't put it in the reports. No need to worry anyone over a rumor.' Bah! That's exactly the type of thing someone should be putting in reports!
[It was an entirely made-up story, of course. The truth was that a rift was going to open over that town in four days, and because of the travel time the Inquisitor wouldn't make it there before a lot of damage was done. But Watanuki couldn't come out and just say 'my spirit friend who is totally not a demon sends me visions of the future sometimes', so he had to construct this plausible story of a rumor and hope that Varric took the bait. At least sounding irritable came natural to him, it helped to cover up his nervousness over constructing such a lie.]
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[With his free hand, Varric cupped his chin, humming thoughtfully to himself. Lavellan would need to know as soon as possible. With luck, they could ride south on their way out, stop in to make sure things were okay, and then head about their business. A mage himself, the Inquisitor was sure to understand the need to investigate. Demons were just as bad as swooping, he'd learned.]
You happen to catch the name of that scout? Or the town? [He lowered his hand, drummed his nails against his knees, then lifted it up once more.] I have some spare coin that might make it worth your while, if it's that kind of thing.
[The town was the more important bit of information, but he needed the names of anyone who was being so foolish. Better that they get a scolding from him than Harding or, even worse, Leliana. This was the kind of shit that could tear them apart before Corypheus even had the chance to.]
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No, that's definitely not needed. Working here pays me more than enough for anything I could ever need. I'm more concerned with having fewer injured men and women showing up here.
[And he definitely wasn't going to give the name of a random scout, because he wasn't going to get someone in trouble for his sake. No doubt anyone not filling out reports properly would end up getting punished.
Watanuki takes a moment, acting like he's trying to remember any important details, when in reality he is just stalling for time for the moment.]
Hmm...I think it was Redcliffe? Oh, but not in the town, it was a bit south of it. And sorry, I don't remember the name of the scout. It was a human, if that helps?
[As if humans weren't the large majority of the Inquisition or anything.]
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[It was all just a way of surviving. And if Varric knew anything about the Inquisition, it was that it could barely afford the coin to keep its soldiers happy. Whatever the mages were getting, it was surely less than they deserved.]
[The dwarf continued to mull over the man's words, long after he finished speaking entirely. There were a few settlements south of Redcliffe, but nothing substantial. He made a note to ask Cullen, Leliana and Harding as to which of their respective forces had been in the area. A human. He'd track this person down, with or without the mage's help.]
[Not that he hadn't been helpful, of course. He didn't make promises to pay anyone who didn't satisfy him.]
Anything else you can tell me, kid? [The kind of demon, anything else that might help prepare Lavellan for what they would face down below.]
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Plus, being a kid he didn't really know much about wage negotiations or anything. He kind of just figured that people were paid what they were owed. If nobody else was complaining.]
I think I heard the word 'shade' mentioned, if that helps?
[Watanuki hoped he was identifying the type of demon correctly. He wasn't always sure of what demon was what, so he had to make his best guess.]
It might be a good idea to stop in every now and again as well. You never know what I might hear about around here. And I bet you'll be hard-pressed to find a better healer for yourself too.
[Speaking of which, Watanuki removed his hands from Varric's, giving him room to inspect the handywork done to his...well, hand. Watanuki was a surprisingly thorough healer, if nothing else. The dwarven magic resistance had made things harder, but that cut was barely more than a patch of irritated skin by then. When it came to stubborn injuries, having Perseverance on his side always did the trick.]
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[But these towns and settlements didn't have rugged and charming dwarves at their disposal. And just as he wasn't about to deny them a chance to experience such a thing, he also wouldn't deny them protection of any sort.]
[Varric brought his hand back to his side, inspecting it for a moment. It was admirable handiwork, but he'd seen better. He even opened his mouth to say as much, when a sharp pang ran from his chest to his toes.]
[Right. That healer was dead now.]
You're probably right. [He paused a moment, turning away only to quickly turn back around once more.] And if we're going up against a demon in combat, we might need a healer with us.
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Me? You're joking, right? There's a reason I'm here and not out fighting along with everyone else. Namely that I only know creation magic and I've never touched a weapon in my life.
[Technically it wasn't true, he had carried a dagger with himself during his years on his own. Just in case. And he did know some wind and earth magic as well, though he was nowhere near as skilled at it as he was with his healing. But those two things were insignificant in the big picture of 'don't take me with you, I'm a liability not an asset.' Watanuki had an unfortunate habit of being highly-critical of himself.]
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[He tapped his foot impatiently, as if expecting the man to simply jump up, grab his stuff, and chase after him. He knew it would be a lot more complicated than that, if he could even convince the kid to go along with his plan to begin with.]
If you're worried about your boss, just tell him you're under direct orders from the right-hand man himself. Hell, I'll even pay you for your efforts. Quadruple what you're making here, and that's if you do a piss-poor job.
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And then there was the small problem of him randomly passing out whenever Perserverence saw fit to 'bless' him with a vision. He would need a good excuse for that, if it happened out in the field.
Plus, he had been told what to do for pretty much his entire life. It was hard for him to just ignore an order, even if it was one he didn't like. He didn't yet feel adult-ish enough to tell an adult 'no'.
So he stood there for a moment, looking to Varric, then to his boss. He was clearly torn, and for the first time that day he actually looked like a lost teenager, as opposed to someone who had to grow up way too fast.
Finally, he gave up and made an irritated noise.]
I already told you it's not about the money! But if anything happens to me then I'm holding you personally responsible!
[Then he starts to gather his things. Mission accomplished, at least?]
sorry about the delay. my inbox was hell. also sorry for the short??? post
[With nothing else to do but watch Watanuki, he sat back in his chair, kicking his feet up on the table that had just been used to heal his hand. He hoped that no one else had his idea at any point -- wouldn't exactly be safe practice to heal on a table with bootprints. At least the kid wouldn't have to use his station for a long while!]
[As Watanuki worked, he'd be subjected to a number of pleasant comments, ranging from "What about that" to "You missed a spot," and even "If it took the Inquisition this long to pack, we would have never made it up the mountain."]
[Having second thoughts yet?]
It's ok!
[Not that he intended on dying anytime soon, but.
With each comment from Varric, Watanuki felt his blood begin to boil. Just who did this dwarf think he was? Well, he had said he was the right hand man to the Inquisitor, but still! There were limits to how much Watanuki would put up with!
It was that last comment, about taking too long to pack, that finally got Watanuki to snap back at Varric.]
That must be why your little group was without a spirit healer until now!
[The implication being that rushing healing is a bad idea, or something like that.
...he still needed to work on his comebacks.
But he was fully packed and ready to go by then, and he held the bag in one hand as he stood in front of Varric and crossed his arms expectantly. He had been planning to play nice, but if Varric was going to push him then he was going to push right back. No second thoughts on speaking up at all, he absolutely wanted to help, but he was rethinking his strategy.]
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[Some people would lie down and take it, for fear of upsetting someone so involved with the inner workings of the Inquisition. They couldn't have a "superior officer" mad at them, after all. Watanuki, however, didn't seem to be eager to lay down and take it. It made Varric all the more excited by the coming venture.]
[Once Watanuki approached, however, the smirk faded into a grin. He stared right back at the man, locking eyes with him for the space of several heartbeats, before stepping back and motioning for Watanuki to pass by.]
We're meeting at the main gate. Lead the way, Golden boy.
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[Truthfully it wasn't that hard to get around Skyhold, it was big but not so big that you could forget where important rooms were. Watanuki was just a little unnerved at the idea of just burting in on some meeting and going 'oh hey, let's go on an adventure!' Did everyone have to do that if they had a request of the Inquisitor?
Still, he relented, and stepped out of the infirmary first. But once he was outside he slowed and waited for Varric to step out and join him. Maybe if he walked slowly enough, Varric would take the lead and he wouldn't have to say anything.]