echoes and specters and ghosts of none the wiser

[extramural]

WHO: The Outsider and OPEN
WHAT: Dream wandering and more.
WHEN: Wintermarch
WHERE: in and around Skyhold & your dreams~*~
NOTES: Spoilers for Dishonored 2 possible. Open and closed prompts below, hit me up via PM or gadgetsandgears if you'd like one or start one of your own! Brackets or prose.

Comments

OPEN | SKYHOLD

[extramural]

It is cold, compared to the climate of Karnaca. It is bright, compared to the darkness of the Void. For all the Outsider feels in his head and his heart that it has been fifteen years since he walked through Skyhold, it is only the very next day; it has not changed, and he finds himself running fingers over familiar stone as he walks. There are several places for him to seek out, though there is always the distance in between.

The library is where he spends most of his time, pouring over books to try and learn if his dream of home that felt like so much more has occurred before. He doubts it will be in any books, as there are no mentions of Rifters in them, but he tries. He continues his reading about the Fade and magic in Thedas either way, wanting to know more about how it works so that he can use his own abilities better. Despite the general distrust of mages throughout most of the world, the Outsider is nevertheless gathering quite a stack of books at the alcove he's planted himself in. Every once in a while, one is pulled off the shelf by an invisible hand and added to the pile.

Not particularly fond of crowds, the Outsider also tends to wander the high walls of the ramparts. Sometimes he looks to be staring off into the distance, still and unmoving; some of the more fearful guards skirt around him in their patrols, content not to check on the strange Rifter. Other times he is up on the edges, balancing in a seemingly precarious manner as he paces back and forth. Rarely, he is sitting flat on the stone and gently shaking out seed for the birds, smiling faintly. In all cases, he certainly doesn't seem too busy for an interruption.

Despite his general dislike of crowds, there are times the Outsider cannot avoid them. He sometimes must pass through the courtyard or the great hall. He does try to take his meals away from the masses, but there's always someone in the kitchens. Even when the walls seem to be closing in, the wilderness is roamed by hunters and scouts, not just black-eyed young men.

Re: OPEN | SKYHOLD

[judgemewhole]

No one can blame James for not meeting the Outsider before now. There was the Western Approach, and then there was everything that happened in the Anders and then they had to deal with the Orlesians ...

It went on, and on. So really, you cannot blame the Templar Representative to be crossing the ramparts, reading over a letter, to suddenly look up and to find ... whatever the Outsider there.

All things considered, it should be noted that he did not yelp in surprise. Instead, he dropped the letter, went for his sword and yelled, "Demon! You are not welcome on this plane! Begone to the Fade!"

Because, you know. Templar. And ... whatever the Outsider was, he was not human. Not by a long shot. Had to be a possessed and twisted demon -- right?

[extramural]

There is a moment where, the Outsider, in a moment that can either be called confusion or simply an attempt at comedy, looks behind him. There's no one there -- at least not anyone who can be confused for a demon, though there are some guards who look extremely startled -- and that has him looking back at James, head cocked to one side.

If he were that glib, this is where he would say 'who, me?'

Instead, he spreads his arms. They dangle loosely; he has been challenged but he is not afraid, holding himself with all the lazy confidence and grace of an apex predator. There is a glint of green from one hand, from the shard, but he imagines no one is going to care -- demons are also from the Fade, after all. There is a sword at his belt but he does not draw it. He could, he knows -- he has been given leave to protect himself. Crossing blades at the first insult is so boring, though.

"Should you know a way to open a rift back to whence I came, please do so and I will return."

One arm sweeps to his front as he bows, though not for long; there is, after all, still a sword being waved about. Still, a challenge for a challenge.

[judgemewhole]

The sword stays pointed in The Outsider's direction, green eyes narrowing, before the flash of green catches his attention. He frowns, focusing his attention on the ... whatever it is, hand, to focus on the green shard once more.

Then he sighed, sharply. "You know, they keep telling me there are demons from different worlds here. I had not believed them, until now." He waved his sword slightly. "What precisely are you?"

[extramural]

Rude. Terribly rude, but the Templar isn't attacking outright, which at least puts him slightly above the Overseers in his own world.

"There's quite a lot of debate on that in my world, as it turns out," the Outsider informs him, sounding somewhere between bored at having to go over this again and terribly amused at James' expense. "Some thing I'm half demon and half angel. Some think I am a great leviathan of the deep. I am not one of your spirits or demons, obsessed with a single flaw or merit, driven to desire the real world. I was human once, and while it was not my choice to be changed into what I am now, it happened."

He straightens, sword still at his side. There is a little bit of a lean against the wall of the ramparts; he is not, for the moment, overly concerned. "In any case, I am called the Outsider."

[judgemewhole]

James could not care less about whether or not his manners were up to snuff. He cared about the safety and security of the Inquisition, and his friends.

His eyes narrowed faintly, before he tipped his head to the side, "... I have no idea what angels or demons are, but if you are the Outsider, then you are aptly named."

The sword finally is put back in its sheath. "I take it you have had this asked of you, constantly."

[extramural]

Aptly named indeed. Still, the Templar returns his sword to its sheath, and the Outsider crosses his hands over his chest. There. All back to normal and default and neutral, now, at least as far as stances go.

"Yes. Though I do prefer it when people ask instead of running right at me with their weapon of choice."

There is a little flick of his Fade-marked hand; it is beginning to ache again, and while the pain is not truly piercing yet, it is annoying.

"My presence is known to the advisers, should it worry you. Cassandra Pentaghast has given me leave to defend myself as needed."

Library

[watchesandlistens]

It's not like Corvo goes out of his way to observe the Outsider, or to follow him around. That he notices anything is out of place is more a testament to the Outsider's usual behavior, rather than Corvo's observation skills. He doesn't even bother to approach the other man right away, peering over some books--when one of them is snatched right off the shelf and whisked away.

He didn't even know the Outsider could do that.

Finally, he turns to study the pile that the book he'd just been looking at had been spirited off to. Then, he studies the person that has apparently decided to start his own personal library, right there, in that alcove.

"You've been busy," Corvo states, undoubtedly dazzling the Outsider with his keen skills of observation. "Are you looking for something in particular, or are you just hoping to become the foremost expert here?"

[extramural]

It's a testament to just how absorbed he is in his reading that the Outsider doesn't realize Corvo is there until the man speaks. He doesn't drop his book, doesn't jump -- but he does stop at his place on the page, gaze slowly lifting until it reaches Corvo's face.

He is unchanged. Well, unchanged for Thedas, at least; there are some small differences between Corvo in Dunwall and the Corvo before him. But he is still fifteen years younger than the last time the Outsider saw him, and his place in the book is marked before the volume is set to the side.

"I dreamed," he says as he stands, not moving from his spot save to reach one hand out, to slide his thumb over one of Corvo's (young) cheeks. "I was in our world for fifteen years."

[watchesandlistens]

Corvo would be diligently proud of himself for managing to sneak up on the Outsider, however distracted he was, if he had known that he had managed to do so. As it is, he appears to be as much of a mystery as ever, and Corvo is left simply wondering if he ought to be honored the Outsider bothered to put away his book.

Then he's past wondering about being honored and trying to figure out why he's being touched. No one has put a hand on him since he arrived in Thedas, and the surprise is enough to freeze him in place, rather than try dodging, or smacking his hand aside. It takes several moments of wide-eyed bafflement to simply process what is happening, then another few chug along while he tries to figure out why and what to do about it.

He settles for crossing his arms, and staring impassively at the Outsider, while trying to subtly lean away. "Dreams can be strange," He allows, quickly glancing around the circular library to make sure no one can see this. "Fifteen years is hardly a blink of an eye to you, I imagine."

[extramural]

Corvo leans. The Outsider lets him go, hand dropping back to his desk. So young, this Corvo; he still has much to learn. He has years ahead of him, and one of many fates lined up. Even now, he says dreams, and the Outsider chuckles, dry.

"It was no true dream. It was a glimpse of truth. I can feel it now; there is more magic in me than there was when I left, abilities I always had that had abandoned me in Thedas. Some have returned." He does not quite expect Corvo to understand -- and yet the man had been removed of his powers once too, had he not? Perhaps he will remember the way it had felt when they had returned. Perhaps, for once, he will actually listen.

After a moment, the Outsider adds, "You had a beard. There was gray in it."

[watchesandlistens]

Not even a year ago, Corvo would be quietly nodding, but not really...considering the words the Outsider said. It would have hardly made sense, the rambling of a strange man with strange powers. But he's changed, both with the acquisition of his powers, and entering Thedas. So, he contemplates.

"We knew that the Fade and the Void were similar, connected somehow." He leans against the bookshelf, rubbing his chin in what is definitely a sign of thinking and not feeling self-conscious about the idea of a beard with gray hairs. He wasn't that old, surely. Even in 15 years. Ugh. "Do you think it's possible that you somehow managed to...slip through while you slept? And reconnected to the Void?"

That had...implications. That it was possible to slip through, to touch a part of their world, or--whatever the Void was, to it.

[extramural]

So old, Corvo. So old.

"I believe that may have been exactly what happened, yes. I knew I could not be completely severed from our world, and yet to be able to do something like that- and on accident... I had not imagined it." His fingers tap on one of the books; there is something like excitement very close to the surface, his eyes a little brighter, posture a little straighter.

"It is possible that we could, with time and effort, find a way to go through on purpose. I returned to the same point in time that I remember before arriving here. I did not remember Thedas; whether that was because it was a dream or because of some after-effect of traveling through the Fade is unclear. It would be worth it to know, however."

Ramparts

[conqueredhearts]

As social as he was, there were times when Iskandar just loved the solitude and to breathe in the fresh hair. He was taking advantage of that now as he smiled out at the world around him. Of course he did notice the man nearby feeding the birds. Perhaps he could have left him alone but instead he made his way over to him and gave him a wide smile. At least he kept his voice down to keep from scaring the birds away.

"It looks like you have quite a few friends here. Do you often come here to feed the birds?"

If so then he rather liked this man already. Whoever he might be.

[extramural]

Some of the more nervous birds scatter despite Iskander keeping relatively quiet. Still, they don't go far; the food is tempting and there are close enough perches just out of reach. It makes the Outsider chuckle slightly, tossing some more seed out closer to them to try and tempt some of the braver and bolder ones back into the little flock.

"When I am not elsewhere, yes. They make better company than many." They are not as interesting as many, perhaps, but... it's peaceful. It lets him rest for a while, in a manner of speaking.

"Birds have no concern for what you are, only if you are going to either eat them or provide them food to eat."

[conqueredhearts]

"It is true. They have great amounts of honesty that way. Animals are good for matters of that nature."

Once he was sat down with the other, he made sure to keep his voice down still and his body still so the birds would know that he meant none of them any harm. In face, he held out his large hand to ask for some of the seed that he had.

"May I have some to feed them as well?"

[extramural]

The bolder birds chirp and cheep in challenge, making the Outsider chuckle before he spreads a bit more seed to distract them. Some of the rest is carefully dribbled into the large man's hand, only a few spilling to the stone below.

"Mountain birds," he muses, hand dropping back; his eyes return to the ones still around them, lips quirking upward a bit again. "Hardy. Stubborn. Skyhold is warmer than many areas; we likely kicked several out from their nests, as we made this a fortress once more."

[conqueredhearts]

"Such is the case when any fortress is created or brought back to what it was. I have seen some of these in the forests near here though."

Where it was colder. Skyhold had this warmth about it that made little sense but that Iskandar had simply come to accept. Perhaps he was just too used to strange things powers and magic could accomplish. Then again, he'd been believing in this sort of thing since he was a boy so perhaps that was it instead.

Holding his hand out, he let the birds come to him rather than pushing the seed their way. It should be their choice to trust him rather than him thrusting that upon them, after all.

[extramural]

"There are crannies enough, still, though I wonder."

He likes the birds. They keep the insects down to a manageable level during the summer, too, which should make everyone else like them. Either way- they're better than most people.

It's nice, at least, to watch someone being respectful toward them.

"You are a rifter?"

RAMPARTS

[universal_charm]

Kirk found the ramparts peaceful, a place closer to the sky than he was used to. He often liked to wander them at night to look at stars, but the day could be refreshing too, as if by being just a few more feet off the ground he might see something more hopeful in the sky than an endless sea of blue.

"Not planning on playing the part of Humpty Dumpty, are you?" Kirk inquired as he came across the Outsider during one of his walks, clearly not as disturbed by the man as the guards were (but then Kirk didn't have the most developed sense of self-preservation either).

[extramural]

Not many interrupt, at least not directly. Plenty murmur about him as they walk by, but Kirk is the first in some time to say something. It makes the Outsider pause in his step, if only for a moment, before he returns to walking across the stones. He can walk and talk at the same time, thanks very much.

"I have no idea, in truth, what 'Humpty Dumpty' is. But I will not fall." At least, he won't fall and actually injure himself. Being able to levitate is pretty useful, among the variety of his other abilities.

[universal_charm]

Kirk didn't know the Outsider all that well, or at all really, and his sense of self-preservation had never been what one might call 'properly developed' in the first place. Next to that, he had seen a lot scarer things in his lifetime than the Outsider (in his current form, anyways, if he even had another form). As far as creepy people and/or things went, he didn't crack the top ten.

"Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty together again," Kirk recited in the automatic sing-song voice that came with such things. "An old Earth nursery rhyme. But you don't seem to have the balance issues poor Humpty did, him being an egg and all."

[extramural]

After a moment of thought, during which the Outsider turns on the same stone in a circle, he reaches up to rub under his chin. Kirk is fixed with a curious gaze when he stops, head tilted. "Is that the entire rhyme? They do not mention that he is an egg."

And why would an egg be sitting on a wall? Why would the king's horses and men care? Especially the horses, for that matter. Were eggs extremely valuable to both men and horses? What a strange rhyme.

"But no- I did not walk much, in the Void, but I am agile."

[universal_charm]

"Oh, I think there might be more, but I don't really know. Those are the most famous verses," he said, having never thought to be questioned on a Mother Goose rhyme in all his life. His study of English Literature had not gone quite that far.

As for the rest - Kirk had no idea why, so it was probably good that the Outsider did not ask. It was just one of those things ingrained within the culture, passed down without to much thought or reason so far removed from its origins.

"The Void? Is that another word for the Fade?" his brows scrunched in confusion.

[extramural]

Mortals forget so easily. He's reminded of it strikingly now, and there's a hum of thought, but nothing else regarding Humpty Dumpty and whether or not he's an egg. The limitations of memory and age and a species that is easily attracted by the next shiny object, he supposes.

Kirk's question, however, makes him scoff. His Fade-marked hand is flapped, both a gesture to draw attention to his status as a Rifter and because the Outsider just likes dramatic gestures. "No. It is similar, but it is of my world. There is a Void in Thedas, it is said, but little is known about it."

Which is, for the record, really annoying.

"The Void of my world is more- sentient, I believe, than the Fade. It is the beginning and the end of all things."