Tertia | inbox

[incaenstrix]

Comments

shhhOPPPIIING~

[altusimperius]

[The morning after their discussion, as promised, Benedict is waiting by the ferry docks with a basket of fabric under one arm, a cigarette in his mouth, and ridiculous dark lenses adorning his face. He waves when he sees Tertia.]

[incaenstrix]

[ Tertia doesn't seem to really know what to do with herself, or with her hands. She doesn't have her mage's staff (figuring that the staff would do more harm than good), and so she's fidgety and nervous and uncertain. She checks her money-belt frequently to make sure it's still there. ]

Hi.

[altusimperius]

Ready?

[Quite the opposite of Tertia, Benedict looks pleased as punch. He gestures to the ferry as it approaches.]

[incaenstrix]

Mm-hmm.

[ She pulls her sleeves firmly down around her wrists, and nods shyly, and then approaches the end of the dock. ]

Thanks. For - all of this.

[altusimperius]

Don't mention it.

[The ferry arrives and they make their way on, the brisk wind blowing across the harbor as they set out.]

The merchant I want to see is in Hightown, [Bene explains cheerfully, looking out at the water,] have you been?

[incaenstrix]

[ She shakes her head. ]

No. Um - this is my first time going out into Kirkwall since I arrived.

[ She idly coats the damp railing of the boat in ice, a thoughtless use of magic of the sort that's far more common in the North than down here where magic is a threat. ]

Do you go out often?

[altusimperius]

...yeah, mostly in the evening, [he replies with a touch of evasion, not feeling any particular need to go into his dream-plagued nighttime escapades. The world can be so pleasant when the sun is out, when there's fabric to be made into outfits.]

Careful, [he adds, nodding toward the ice she's made,] some people around here get nervous about that stuff.

crystal

[inkindled]

Hi. This is Matthias. Er, can I ask you something? To do something, I mean?

Oh-- [shit wait] --you're at the Gallows, yeah?

[incaenstrix]

[ Warmly - ]

Hi, Matthias.

I'm at the Gallows - What do you need?

[inkindled]

Yeah? Brilliant, all right.

[Whew.]

I'm off, in Kirkwall--in this house--and I think I'll be here longer'n I thought I would, right? So I have this cat. Her name's Biter. She roves, mostly, these days, but she comes round for food and I left some and she'll fend all right for herself 'cos she knows how. But if you could leave out some for her, just in case. And then check and see that she's eaten it, later, and let me know.

I know it's stupid.

[incaenstrix]

[ What! ]

That's not stupid!

[ Stop being mean to her friend, Matthias!! ]

It's really lovely. What should I put out for her? Milk? I'm sorry you're stuck out there, by the way.

[inkindled]

[Is it not stupid to care about a stupid cat that doesn't really care about you? News to him.]

S'all right. I mean, it's not. This place is a bit crap, no offense to what's-her-name. Mostly it's how many bloody animals there are, but I'd take animals over a Chantry mother. Bet that's crap as well.

But Biter likes meat, mainly. Chicken if you can. She gets ill off of milk, I learnt that quick.

[incaenstrix]

Really? Poor thing. I sometimes get a bit ill off of it, too, though, I guess.

[ She feels a little swell of affinity for Biter. She likes the cat's name, too. It's funny. ]

And the Chantry mother isn't so bad. I haven't talked to her or anything, but it's not like she's going out of her way to be awful. And she does seem to really be genuinely praying when she prays.

crystal; i'm only a little sorry for starting a new thing while we still have a thing going (im not)

[inkindled]

Hi. Er, it's Matthias. Are you busy with anything? It's nothing important, really--it can wait.

le gasp. somehow I'll forgive you

[incaenstrix]

Hi, Matthias.

[ She's happy to hear from him. She's always happy to hear from him. ]

What is it?

[inkindled]

Well, like--

[Hm. What sort of preamble should be given.]

D'you know Silver? One of the pirates, part of Flint's lot. One leg. He was hanging about when I was at what's-her-name's house, over in Hightown--and we were talking a bit--and he asked what I do. Which was stupid, right, 'cos I'm Forces Assistant, that's what I do. But then...

I dunno. I have got stuff that I care about. Stuff that's not Riftwatch stuff, right. And you do as well, yeah?

[incaenstrix]

Mmhm. I do.

[ She listens, not fully understanding. ]

So he meant to ask - what do you fight for, besides just beating Corypheus?

[inkindled]

Yeah. I--think. He's a tricky old thing, really, I can't half understand what he wants anytime he speaks to me. But that's what I thought he was meaning to say--or at least that's what I've been thinking about, now, ever since he said it to me.

Obviously it's the mages for me.

[incaenstrix]

[ She nods. ]

Yeah. Flint is - I really admire Commander Flint. But Messere Silver is - I don't really know what to make of him. But I think he's kind.

[ She hesitates a moment. ]

Are you glad of it? Being able to fight for the mages? Is that what you want to do?

[inkindled]

Hi. It's Matthias.

[Obviously.]

What d'you think about this idea the Provost is on about? This-- sending people back in time, thing?

[incaenstrix]

Yeah.

[ Very polite "what the fuck" energy in that word. ]

It seems - um - unlikely...?

[inkindled]

Yeah. 'Cos, if it could be done, wouldn't it've by now? I mean, there's always stories, I s'ppose. But they're only that. Why would it work this time?

[incaenstrix]

If it doesn't - [ When it doesn't - ] What are you going to do?

[inkindled]

Ha. That's what I was going to ask you.

I dunno, for my part. Like--Riftwatch'll need us, if [when] it doesn't work. More'n ever. They'll be out, what, a dozen people?

[incaenstrix]

Yeah.

[ Hesitantly - ] But from what the Provost was saying - it sounded like if this doesn't work, we'll disband.