the veil is thin . . .

[thespaceopera]

[ On the night of the 16th, the feeling of tension and horrid anticipation comes to a head. Everything stops when the sun goes down-- even the ever-present music in the hoppingest part of the city center. One by one, everyone turns their eyes to the skies. The young and old alike pour out of their houses, some in bare feet, and they point to the velvety blanket of stars.

It takes a second to find it, especially if one is unaccustomed to the starscape. But even a casual observer can see it.

A brightly-shining star, larger than the others, and growing larger.

An announcement cuts across all communication channels that encourages people to evacuate to the space station, but it’s clear that these are just people and they’ll need some help. Supplies, equipment, organization, there’s something for everyone to do.

Civilization is disrupted by a panicked stampede of people vying for limited seats aboard spacefaring craft. Within hours, there will be crushed glass, looting, and chaos.

The clock is ticking. Will you help? Or would you rather watch the dying gasps of a Singing Planet from a safe distance? ]

[OOC: Please see this post for plot details. Phase two has begun! Feel free to use this post as a reaction post, mingle, etc. or make your own!]

Comments

[bryces_pup]

[Welp. That sounds like the makings of a possible argument about to brew. Riona feels so self-conscious at the moment. She knows it's not because of her, but it doesn't help much. So she's just gonna thank Justice for helping her up and keep quiet until Anders comes back over and gives her instructions.]

All right.

[From the corner of her eye, she sees him heating up the dagger to sterilize it. It feels like her intestines want to writhe and explode at the sight. Good Maker, this is going to suck. But she does as told and lays on her side, silently bracing herself for it.]

[whatisright]

[Did you see that? That's Justice bristling again. Justice shoots a sharp look at Anders' boyfriend, a clear sign of displeasure and offense, but he holds his tongue. There are more important things to deal with than a mage that can't handle spirit magic--but Justice will not tolerate being treated as a danger to his friends for long after their immediate problems have passed.

(Though, to be honest, it eases the sting for Anders to rebuke the man, though Justice didn't expect it. Sometimes it still catches him off guard when his mortal friends stand up for him.)

Justice's hands linger on Riona's shoulder as she settles into place, his brow furrowing in concern and Anders' boyfriend's slight quickly forgotten for the moment.] I will not be able to assist Anders and ease your pain at the same time. This will hurt. I am sorry.

[Hopefully, that warning is enough before he withdraws from her mind entirely. Then he takes his hands from her, moving to stand by Anders.

Justice gathers his power in preparation, allowing it to well inside with all the purpose he has fulfilled helping these people. In the harsh light of the station, it may be difficult to see, easily dismissed as a trick of the eyes, but Justice's skin begins to softly glow a (possibly familiar) shade of blue. He does not move to touch or connect with Anders yet, allowing Anders time to prepare himself any way he would like, but Justice is ready to offer himself to Anders as soon as he asks.

That part is a partnership, a connection of minds and magic, and it works so long as both parties enter it with good faith and remain responsive to each other's needs. It's easy with an experienced mage Justice trusts, and he trusts Anders without reservation.]

[apurrstate]

[Anders offers Riona a gentle smile as though trying to ease her.] Don't worry, I'll do what I can for the pain.

[A blue-tinged white glow surrounds his hand and he places it on Riona's shoulder to give the magic direction. When he pulls his hand away again, the glow connects him to her like a string, syphoning off some of the pain and ushering in a calm; not unlike a panacea. Gently, he pressed back on the ripped material and flesh around the glass to pull it away, allowing space for the dagger's blade to slip in. As gently as he could, he began work on prying the largest shard from the Warden-commander's back.]

Justice.

[There was already a touch of strained focus to his voice when he asked for his friend's help, he needed the connection to make the spell stronger and last while he focused on removing the glass. Even with all of that, this would be painful for Riona, she needed his magic to be as effective as possible to keep it manageable.

But with Justice's power mixing with his, he knew they'd be able to help her. There'd be a delicate timing to it where he'd need to heal her as he went to avoid too much bloodloss, a timing he'd worry about, if he didn't have someone who cared just as much for Riona helping him.]

[wolfehawke]

[Oh for-- He didn't actually say what he was going to, now did he?! Andraste's bare ankles, you'd think he'd just about nailed a treatise on how Justice is The Literal Worst to Anders' forehead instead of push it all aside for later. Anders still healed him though so he supposes he's not so far in the doghouse as to never find his way out.

He stands back and stays quiet though, just in case.]

[whatisright]

[Justice doesn't hesitate when Anders calls to him. He puts his hand on Anders' shoulder, and unlike how it would be with almost anyone else, Justice's touch is not light and tentative, like it is ready to disappear at the slightest hint of unease. Instead, Justice's hand is firm and solid, a physical support just as much as it is a means to assist the link they are creating.

Reaching out, coiling a piece of himself up in Anders, twisting their magic together--that's easy. Almost too easy? The connection is almost instant, comfortable like Justice doesn't remember it ever being with anyone else. It's almost like coming home, like there is a place for him here.

The reason why occurs to him quickly. Of course, from Anders' perspective, he and Justice have been working together for around ten years. Justice has probably done this with him many times throughout those years, enough so that the partnership created between healer and spirit has been softened and warmed by a long friendship. Justice has never been friends with the mages he has connected with before, so this seems like the most likely explanation for the unusual coziness here.

Not that Justice is complaining. This just makes their work all the easier, which means that Riona can be healed all the more effectively. The connection is solid, comfortable, even pleasant, so there is no trouble feeding his magic to Anders, keeping the flow steady and responsive to any change in Anders' needs. He has faith in Anders' skill, so he focuses on making sure Anders has all the resources he needs to put that skill to good use.]

[bryces_pup]

[Anders's magic helps, but the pain is still palpable. It's somehow worse, being where it is. Perhaps because it's in a place she can't reach, where she can't curl up or do something to help try and alleviate it. All she can do is lay there, wincing and trying to choke back pained sounds as the glass is slowly removed from her back. She tries to keep as still as possible, but that's not terribly easy. At one point, she slams her hand against the bed, as some kind of release for the pain.

But eventually the damned shard does come out, and Riona lets out a gasp of relief when it does. Of course she's now also bleeding...]

[apurrstate]

[Anders doesn't flinch or hesitate throughout, as much as her pain hurt to hear, they all needed to endure it to make it better. Right now, he couldn't be her friend, he had to be the Darktown healer again.

Eventually the largest piece was out and Anders discarded it as carefully and quickly as he could, but one of his hands hovered over her back and the magic's strength grew, sewing up the gash slowly, but surely. He made faster work of the smaller pieces, through one had dug deep into her shoulder and he had to take his time again with that one so it wouldn't do more damage on it's way out the way it was angled.

About the only thing that he could remember being this careful and stressed out about was when he'd poured everything into patching up Hawke after the Arishok battle. There'd been a time limit then as the blood had pooled, a time limit he was thankful didn't hang over their heads now. She'd surely be woozy from the blood-loss, but she wouldn't die.

After the final piece was out, a surge of energy flowed from Justice through Anders to curl around Riona and close all her wounds completely. New sets of scars to add to her collection, but she'd be okay.

After only a moment, he leaned forward to gently take her arm in his hand and set the bone back into place, magic sealing the marrow and healing the bruises that had developed.

Slowly, to give her body time to adjust, he pulled his mana from her.]

[wolfehawke]

[Wolfe just watches, trying to make himself as unobtrusive as possible and keep his nerves at watching Anders pull from Justice in check. It really is a fascinating use of magic, sharing the power of willing spirits. He can sort of feel the mechanics of it in the way that mana moves between them, Anders siphoning power carefully like water from a tank, decanting that power into the form he needs it and then utilizing it to sooth pain and heal wounds.

Watching Anders work has always been a favorite pastime of Wolfe's, though usually he's much more interested in watching the man himself than the power he wields. That doesn't mean Hawke misses the care his healer takes, though. The fastidious habits that make him the excellent healer he is.

It's undercut by his feelings about Justice, of course, which is likely why he breathes just as much a sigh of relief as Riona when he feels the mana subside and the flow of power wane.]

[bryces_pup]

[Now that the pain's been drastically reduced, Riona relaxes a fair bit. Once her arm's set, she carefully rotates her shoulder, testing out the joint. Reassured, she then gingerly moves her arm, bending it at the elbow. A tad stiff, but nothing that can't be worked out with some stretching. Lastly she rotates her wrist and wriggles her fingers. Everything feels okay.

Carefully she sits up, though immediately her head spins a bit. Oops, a bit too much blood loss. Ah well, she's worked her way through worse.]

Thank you, both of you. It's been awhile since I got healed up like that.

[But it was a lot of magic. She peers at Anders, brow furrowed in concern.] Are you holding up all right? You push yourself too much most of the time. Make sure to rest for a bit before going back at it.

[whatisright]

[The relief at seeing Riona sit up, weak but healthy, is dizzying. Justice has never been so invested in someone else's health regardless of the justice or injustice of their condition. When he looks down at her face, the corners of his mouth twitch, his eyes soften, and it's almost like a smile. The fact that he cares so intensely should probably worry him, but he can't be worried about anything when she's okay.

Well. Almost anything.

Anders is clearly going to overtax himself if he keeps healing. It's just as obvious to Justice as it is to Riona. Justice slows the flow of mana to a trickle, but he doesn't cut off the connection between him and Anders. Anders had suggested not long ago that Justice help him with patients. Riona isn't the only patient here.]

I will assist.

[Justice doesn't bother to ask. It's a statement. Anders is running low on his own mana, and Justice has plenty of power to offer. Together, they can help more people than either of them can help alone. Working together is the logical thing to do.]

[apurrstate]

[His mana pulls back completely and Riona doesn't seem any worse or like she's struggling still, other than the usual aches and stiffness healing always leaves behind. He breathes a sigh of relief for it.

Exhaustion rocks him and he presses his fingers to his eyes a moment as though that would shake the sudden swirl in his vision. It was one thing to heal in an unrefined burst, it was another to carefully weave spirit healing into a delicate tool and hold it like that. Without Justice, he probably wouldn't have been able to hold the magic together for so long. The underwater planet had quickly retaught him his own limits without Justice's energy at his fingertips.

But he took his hand from his face and waved off their concern, fixing Riona with a firm look.]

You've still lost a lot of blood, you should sleep to allow your body to do the rest. And, Maker help me, I will make you sleep if you fight me on it.

[But then he looked to Justice and Wolfe next.]

Even with your help, I'm afraid there's only so much more I can do. Love, will you see if anyone else is in desperate need of help and let me know?

With this I think Wolfe's out so feel free to skip him.

[wolfehawke]

[The request for more patients is one that Wolfe takes with a dubious look on his face. Anders is clearly near the end of his reserves of both mana and energy. Even so, Anders calls him Love despite his earlier transgression and it settles a steady warmth in his chest that for the moment outweighs his wariness of the situation. Riona will be alright, Justice logically has no reason to do anything to Anders. It's fine.

Well, other than his love's tendency to work himself to exhaustion.]

I will. We're likely going to be getting more refugees in just now that had a rough time getting out during the shockwave, but you promise me that you'll stop before you do yourself any harm, alright? It's more than your patients that need you.

[He makes certain he holds Anders' gaze for a long moment, too uncomfortable in present company to cross the small gap between them for a kiss, but the look in his eyes should be enough to get across his meaning. A small nod after that exchange, and Wolfe turns to go, already hearing the clamor from the docking area of ships limping in from the devastation. He takes a breath and dives in, memories of his arrival in Kirkwall playing out at the back of his mind.]