[ 001 ]

[clawings]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Erik Stevens
RECIPIENT: All within the Gallows
NOTES: Threadjacking is a-ok! Erik can also be reached privately here

I got some questions for y'all.

One: if you're from here, what's one thing you want to see from the end of the year?

Two: if you're not from here, what's the tech you miss the most from back home?

Take from here/not from here to mean whatever you need it to, I'm just bored.

Comments

[clawings]

Nice to meet you, Athessa. I'm Erik, I'm definitely not a local.

[ Born in Oakland, lived in foster homes, joined the military. Super common origin story of his own, but also with a twist there towards the beginning and the end. ]

I just got here.

suddenly becomes one-woman welcoming committee

[sulahnan]

[ Safe to assume that means Rifter, right? ]

Just? Wow, nice of the Fade to spit you out right at our doorstep.

[ An obvious smirk can be heard in her amicable sarcasm. ]

The pleasure's mine, Erik. Oh, and we actually have a sort of field guide now, it's in its early stages, but it should help you acclimate a bit. I'll see about getting one sent your way.

he'll take it

[clawings]

Well. [ He sucks his teeth a little. ] More in the woods, less at the doorstep.

[ He's still pissed at having to deal with demons. Demons. Who are mostly, in his experience, ugly ice bitches and screaming slendermen. ]

Yeah, that'd be nice. What do people do for fun around here? Other than Satinalia, which I apparently missed.

[sulahnan]

Depends on what you're into.

[ :^) ]

There's drinking, gambling, fighting, communal bathing, smoking...

[clawings]

I like those things. Don't know the rules of the games, though, so I might need someone to teach me.

I don't know what folks smoke 'round here. What's your favorite drink?

[sulahnan]

Yeah, you and me both.

[ Sorry, she's only good at card games for kids. ]

Mead, and folk around here smoke elfroot and tobacco, mostly.

[clawings]

I'll keep an eye out for a good, honest teacher then.

Mead ain't bad. [ Can get you fucked up if you drink a lot, which Erik can appreciate. ] What's elfroot do?

[sulahnan]

Lots of things, but smoking it kinda...makes everything slow down enough to appreciate, makes all the bullshit stay at arm's length and invites nice things to come closer.

[ Yeah. She's a stoner alright. ]

One of the other Rifters says it's similar to something they call weed back where he comes from.

[clawings]

[ Well, damn. Erik was already intrigued but now he's doubly so. ]

Yeah I know about weed. [ And the 500 other things it's called back home. ] That sounds hella nice right about now. Do you ever smoke it while drinking mead?

[sulahnan]

I do, but rarely both at the same time unless I have company.

[clawings]

Any chance you're feeling up to company?

No hard feelings if not.

[sulahnan]

[ she gives it a little bit of thought. ]

Sure. Head on up to the fourth floor of the left-most tower. I'll meet you there.

action jackson;

[clawings]

Sounds good.

[ And so Erik does just that, dressed in the clothes he arrived in that he managed to get repaired after the fight in the woods, with a thin, creamish colored shirt underneath the sweater since Kirkwall is...not a warm place in the evenings.

He climbs the tower stairs and doesn't make much effort to be quiet about it, since he's expected. He doesn't know what exactly she looks like, but the first girl or woman to make eye contact with him will get a wave and an: ] Athessa?

[sulahnan]

[ Luckily when he gets up to the fourth floor hallway, she is the only woman there, leaning against the wall and wearing idk elfy leggings and a chunky knit sweater. Because yeah, it's fucking cold right about now in Kirkwall.

She returns his wave. ]

Erik. [ A confusing way to introduce yourselves but whatever. She looks him over, quite un-subtly, and nods her approval. ]

Your voice matches your look.

[clawings]

[ Erik smirks at that and there's a flash of gold in his mouth that catches the light briefly. He likes her look, and she's...really fucking pretty, actually. Plus, her compliment has gone right to his head (not that it's difficult, he knows he's good looking.) ]

So does yours. Lovely voice. [ He licks his upper lip before popping it loudly. ] Real lovely look.

[sulahnan]

[ She laughs and turns to lead him down the hall (past her room, tho he won't know that yet). ]

We've got a hookah set up in one of the empty rooms here, [ is as much explanation as she offers before interrupting herself to look over her shoulder at him, his clothes. Is he a mage? ] Banter aside, how long have you been here? Days? Hours?

[clawings]

[ He easily follows, putting his hands in the pockets of his pants. ]

Cool. [ Hookah's nice, been a minute since he's used one, but he's looking forward to it. She looks him over and he raises an eyebrow. ] Hours. Almost a day.

[sulahnan]

Really? You seem to be adjusting better than most.

[ The hookah room, smoke room, whatever it's being called nowadays, is just a regular bedroom with the furniture rearranged for maximum nestability. There are blankets and cushions strewn about, the expensively ornate hookah at the center, a fireplace, a window... ]

Make yourself comfortable, [ by now the act of getting the hookah ready and lighting a fire in the hearth is rote, so it doesn't take long at all. ] This'll only take a moment.

[clawings]

This is a cute setup. [ And comfortable too, by the looks of it. Erik approves. ]

I figure I could talk about how it's impossible it is and feel sorry for myself or I could roll with it and meet new people.

[ Erik shrugs as he starts collecting cushions for them to sit on. ]

I'd rather meet new people and roll with it, personally.

[sulahnan]

That's very uh...sensible of you.

[ Hookah: dealt with, fire: started, mead: retrieved from wherever it was. Athessa settles herself comfortably on the cushions in her usual spot and offers him the first drink from the bottle. Where we're going we don't need glasses. ]

Here. Welcome to Riftwatch, et cetera. Hopefully things won't get too weird for ya.

[altusimperius]

[Being that he's still sober enough to hear voices coming from within the hookah room, Benedict pops his head in before he can just waltz through like he normally would.]

Oh, hello, [he greets Athessa mildly, and the instant he spots Erik, he glances between them with a growing smirk.]

And hello. Who's this?

[clawings]

[ Erik's in the midst of taking his swig from the mead bottle when Benedict appears, so he raises his eyebrows and finishes before raising his chin in greeting. ]

Erik. Newbie.

[ The fact that he's a Rifter is probably evident in the way that his accent sounds like nothing at all familiar. ]

[sulahnan]

[ Athessa looks at Benedict and stifles a put-upon sigh with a smile. A mild one. ]

Oh hey, Benedict. [ Erik already introduced himself so the onus falls to her: ]

What's up?

[ You'd better not be planning to do what you usually do... ]

[altusimperius]

[The horny lizard part of his brain is definitely already thinking about it, but no such plans are consciously in motion just yet.]

Thought I'd have a smoke, [he says idly,] though if I'm intruding...

[clawings]

[ Erik shrugs and gestures towards Athessa. ]

Lady's choice, friend.

[ They just got here, and he doesn't mind sharing smoke with whomever, as long as she's chill with it. ]