[ Well this is just great. Here Minka thought she'd show up, they'd put a pair of tweezers to her hand, and out would come the bit of green Fade magic bullshit. Not so, she's now learned. And she's stuck here unless she wants to be in excruciating pain. Super.

It takes her several tries to start up the crystal correctly and when it is, there's the sound of deep breaths and whispered words: "Okay, okay, I can do this. Okay. Just fucking get it over with. Do it, you fucker. Do it. Okay, okay.... okay." ]

How does anybody find anything around this damned place? Like, yeah, I know how to find the stables: just follow the smell. Same with the kitchens. But you lot have completely changed this place since I was last here and I can't find shit. I'm lucky I ran into someone who knew someone who handed out these crystal things.

Would it kill you to put up more signs? And by signs, I mean signs with pictures on them. Not all of us got a fancy schooling to learn how to read.

[ She mutters under her breath. It's something about nugs. ]

Anyway, does anybody do favors around here? I need someone to write a letter for me. Preferably a dwarf, but I'll take who I can get. In exchange, I'll run messages for you in Kirkwall for a week. I just have to let my employers know I ain't coming back for awhile.

[ Because of this stupid freaking shard in her hand, but she doesn't say that. ]

Hey, fellow researchers. I think I've met a lot of you by now, but if I haven't, I'm Cosima. I've recently managed to acquire a new research instrument that I'm pretty sure arrived through a rift -- Adasse found it based on some sketches, credit where credit is due -- and I've tried it out enough to be pretty confident it works the way I expect it to.

I've talked to a couple people about microscopes before, but. Basically, I can effectively magnify things too small to be seen with the naked eye, at least to a point.

So, first of all, I've already got some ideas for applications, but if the heads of my projects have anything they want me to prioritize, please let me know. And if anyone would like me to train them on how to use the instrument, I'm totally happy to let people who are trained use it under my supervision.

[Do not break her microscope, guys, she is so excited.]