faderift | Firstfall Rifter Arrival

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Firstfall Rifter Arrival

WHO: New rifters & their rescuers
WHAT: Weird people fall out of a rift with demons! Again! But this time there are trees.
WHEN: Firstall 8
WHERE: A ruined fortress in the wooded region between Redcliffe and Haven.
NOTES: This log is OPEN to new rifters and to anyone who might have volunteered or been ordered to go retrieve them. Rifters: the log is intentionally backdated to allow you to also jump straight into RPing in Skyhold. It's safe to assume everyone lives.

You were asleep--deeply or fitfully, for the last time or just resting your eyes for a moment-- and then you were not. And wherever you were was not, anymore, replaced by nothing but the sensation of falling, tumbling into endless, bottomless nothing. If this were still a dream, you would wake before you hit the ground. You can't die in a dream, they say. In some worlds.

In this world, you wake with a jolt when you hit earth and stone, dropped from above by a flaring, crystalline green rip in reality that hangs overhead. Beyond it the sky is dark, but the light from the rift is bright enough to illuminate the stone walls around you--a fortress, once, now a ruin, walls crumbling and beginning to surrender to the trees and vines from the surrounding forest. The air is cold enough to sting, but it's yet to snow here, and with the walls and trees sheltering against wind it isn't so bad. At another time, in other circumstances, it might be peaceful.

No chance of that now. The brief period of quiet after you fall is shattered by a hoarse shriek. Three hoarse shrieks. Three tall, spindly creatures with gasping mouths and too many eye sockets advance on you and the people lying around you, and beyond them, six flickering, ghostly wraiths begin to throw bursts of green magic that saps anyone hit of energy and strength. And there's a narrow splinter of light in the same sickly green as whatever brought you here, now glowing out of the palm of your left hand. It aches, a bone-deep pain that gnaws even through all the distractions.

But you're not alone. There's that. You've arrived with company. Scattered around on the ground with you are weapons--maybe one of them is yours--and it won't be long before more people arrive, armed and armored and not at all surprised to see you. Just a little late to get here. (Delayed by highwaymen, you know how it is.)

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"Well I would be lying then. You certainly look tired but I think you look grand. It is clear that you grew up to be an extremely handsome man."

It was easy to appreciate that beauty too and Iskandar laughed softly. Really though. Shit? No, it would take far more than just being a little tired before this beautiful man could possibly look like that in his eyes.

Waver's face blushed a brilliant red, and he felt the keen desire to slide off of the horse and onto the ground.

"Well!" he managed, before trying to change the topic, which really meant making a few grumping noises before muttering a low, "Thank you."

He threw his head back for a jolly roar of laughter. Even now the man was cute when he was flustered. Yes, there was no doubt at all that this was indeed Waver Velvet grown up.

"Ha! You flush wonderfully. It is cute!"

Cute?! Well that at least earned Iskandar a sharp, sharp elbow into his stomach, riding a horse or no. How did Waver remotely miss this?!

"Really, that's what you're going to focus on right now?!" Waver snapped. "Damnit you haven't changed at all, and that's not a good thing in this situation!"

Elbowing Iskandar was like elbowing a wall between his armor and his...well...him. So he really didn't react beyond laughing a bit and actually ruffling that pretty hair a bit. Well, a lot really.

"Ah but it is cute, boy. Even now that you are older you have a fine face for blushing. I like it!"

"Goddamnit," he managed lifting one hand to hide his face in. Waver had imagined so many versions of their reunion, and failed to account for this particular iteration.

More fool him, this was the most obvious one. "Just--just steer the damn horse!"

"I am! With the impressiveness of the thighs surrounding your hips!" Which really just came out sounding dirtier than the situation actually happened to be but Iskandar paid that no mind. He was far busy laughing over the fact that it seemed some things just would never change about his former Master.

"Ah! Why do you wear your hair so long now?"

Iskandar might have missed the dirtiness of such words, but Waver? Not at all. He just groaned again, muttering oh my god and thanked God that the slight blush in his cheeks was also invisible at this angle.

"Oh!" An actual question. Still talking into his hand, Waver explained. "I just liked how it looked. It also helps me store a little bit more energy."

"Hair can do that?" His eyes widened as he actually went to run his fingers through the long hair as if he might be able to feel the power in his strands right there on his skin. The very idea was ridiculous but it was just the sort of thing that a large fool might do. And since he'd never really claimed to be otherwise...

"Were you growing it out when I knew you those years ago as well?"

Waver didn't swat the hand away as he might do with someone else. If anything, he felt the need to indulge it not only because it was Rider, but because he knew his hair was going to be a mess once he got off the damn horse. Anything to get tangles out was a good thing.

"I wasn't, no. Didn't even occur to me, although I don't know why not," he said with a sigh. "And yeah, it can, if you're a mage."

"Mages are astounding! I wonder if this same fact can be held true for mages in these lands as well. It is something I had not thought to ask them before!"

Then again, why would he. It wasn't as if he'd been aware of this until now. He wouldn't have known to even think to ask it of anyone.

"There are magi here?" Waver perked immediately. Wasn't this an interesting opportunity, to see how magic was in other places in the universe. Maybe they'd be better than the garden variety bullshit that Clock Tower excelled so much ah.

"They're a normal part of the population, even?"

"Of course. Though they seem to have some struggles from my understanding. While it seems that everyone is aware of magic and mages, they do not appear to always trust them and mages have been abused as a result of this." He didn't remark further on the Templar side of things because he hadn't had the chance to fully discuss things with them. Providing information for a side he hadn't spoken to yet seemed a poor idea.

"I am friends with several. I think you should meet some of these mages and compare notes as it were."

Waver nodded. Every mage had struggles with the populace, that was normal enough. It was hard to live comfortably with others who could call down all sorts of powers that you couldn't. That kind of set up lead to fear and from there, well. There was a reason the Malleus Maleficarum existed, wasn't there? And those were fantasy witches, not real and proper magi.

"I'd like that very much. Especially if you don't mind making the introductions."

"If we happen to be together with them at the same time then I will gladly do this!"

He laughed then went to give Waver a clap on the shoulder. Which probably made his hand feel nice and heavy but there wasn't much to be done about that. In the end Iskandar was just an enormous man. At least he knew how to keep that strength of his in check though!

"I'd be interested in seeing your take on them after speaking with some actually."

"Oh?" Waver questioned, tilting his head slightly. He couldn't tell what Iskandar meant by that - were they bad magi? people Waver would get on with? - and he hated that he couldn't tell either.

"Is there anyone I should be looking for then?"

"Well any of them really. Though Anders could be an interesting conversation. And Inessa wishes to meet you."

So those could probably offer Waver some decent conversation and insight into the world. Of course there were others too. For example...

"Sam would be a good one. And then possibly Ellana and Pel. Those should give you all kinds of different points of view on being a mage in this place."

Waver regretted not having a pad for taking notes. In the mean time, he simply put each and every name to memory, and gave a tired sigh. More from the emotional whiplash of everything, rather than at having to talk to people.

"I'll hit the ground running."

"Of course you will! You are one my men, after all! I would expect nothing less from you."

Perhaps it was a lot to put on someone who had only just arrived but he felt that if anyone could it was this man here. He'd proven that awhile ago back when he'd become his Master. Not just anyone could accomplish a task as great as that one. After all, Iskandar was aware of all that he demanded from those who would be his Master. For good reason though! Only those worthy to handle him should be doing so.

Waver knew his heart was glowing at those words, even though the rest of him screamed from exhaustion. He wanted to shrug it all off with a dry air and snarky comment, like he'd do back home, but no. Rider didn't deserve any of the showy guff that every other person in Waver's life got.

"I would however like to request something to eat and drink before the running continues though. Fair?"

He laughed at that and gave his head a good rub. How could he not show this man affection when he adored him so and had such pride in all that he'd done thus far with his life? Not to mention having done that after losing him. That was truly impressive.

"Don't worry. I will make sure you have food and drink and rest before then. I promise."

"Good. Because I'd be doing that last part now, but I don't think that's safe to do n a horse."

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Firstfall Rifter Arrival

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/end thread?