RIFTER ARRIVAL: Guardian 9:45

[faderifting]

WHO: New rifters, rescuers, and anyone else
WHAT: New arrivals are collected and transported to Kirkwall
WHEN: Mid-Guardian, 9:45
WHERE: The hills north of Starkhaven
NOTES: This log contains prompts for the ARRIVAL and RECOVERY of new rifters, as well as the subsequent QUARANTINE period. All prompts are open to anyone.

Comments

1.a

[arlathvhen]

Beleth finds the book first. It's not the first time random objects have been violently expelled from a rift, and as she walks through the area, trying to assess the damage from the fight, she curiously flips through it. The language is unknown to her, but luckily, there are pictures, and--Oh.

Oh.

There are a few seconds where she stares at the book in flustered surprise, tilting her head slowly as she tries to figure out how someone would get their legs in that position--Then she slams the book closed and quickly looks around, checking to make sure there are no witnesses to her salacious discovery.

That is when she sees the Medicine Seller.

"Glaewron!" Her first reaction is cheerful surprise. There have been a few rifters who returned after disappearing, but there is no rhyme nor reason to it, and she learned not to expect it. But here he is, and--Creators, she's still holding the book. Panic and pure embarrassment hit her at once, and she does the first thing she can think of--tossing the book to the ground behind her. Book, what book??

"You're--um. You're back!"

[meds4sale]

The Medicine Seller watched as one of his books arced gracefully through the air, and then bounced unceremoniously off the stone into a puddle. Somewhere, a thousand museum curators collectively went:



Rest in fucking pieces, Isoda Koryusai.

"It does seem to be that way," he said, rising from where he was bent over the box, to greet her with a bow of his head.

"It is good to see you again, Beleth."

[arlathvhen]

Well, he should have thought of the consequences when he wrote such a SCANDALOUS book.

A book which Beleth is grateful that the Medicine Seller doesn’t acknowledge. Did she actually manage to hide it? She decides not to ask questions she doesn’t want to know the answers to, and instead focuses on the more important topic at hand.

"It's good to see you, as well. You were certainly missed, I didn’t think...." Well, I didn’t think I'd ever see you again seems a bit melodramatic, and too intense. After all, he’s right here. She’s seeing him. That's what counts. So she just shrugs, instead. "I'm glad you're back." Which...is probably a bit self-serving, since it means he was dragged back out of his world to come here. Ugh, whatever.

"I hope the demons didn’t give you too much trouble?"

[meds4sale]

It might have sounded self-serving to anyone else, but the Medicine Seller was a man with neither name nor home. As far as he was concerned, Thedas was a good a place as any to do what he always did.

He was, however, a little taken aback when Beleth said he was missed. The Medicine Seller was not accustomed such sentiments. In the rare cases his reputation preceded him, he was viewed as an ill omen. When he left, any survivors were usually glad to see the back of him.

The change in his expression was as quick to vanish as it appeared.

"They are troubling, but less troublesome than I remember. Did you sustain any injuries?"

[arlathvhen]

If Beleth notices the change, she doesn’t mention it. Rather, she focuses on a quick onceover of her person, in case any rogue injuries have gone unnoticed. "No, I'm quite alright. I dare say I've weathered worse of late." It's said in a tone that indicates it’s a joke, but the tense, weary look on her face when she says hints that there’s more to it than humor.

"It's probably a good thing that you've been away, honestly. There's so much that's been going on, and I'd hate for you to have gotten hurt. Especially in the recent battle, that was—" The tense look turns into an outright grimace, rubbing her arm, as if the very thought of it pained the injuries she'd gained that day. "—It was bad. No one escaped unscathed, and we lost a lot of people. And that was after a bunch of people got stuck in Tevinter in the middle of a coup..."

Beleth sighs, shaking her head. "It really doesn’t stop around here. Which is thrilling for you to hear, I imagine. But—" Suddenly remembering that she's a Leader, and Leaders need to be Strong, she straightens up. "—Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on you."

What a relief.

[meds4sale]

"A battle...? My goodness."

He doesn't sound thrilled to hear it. Rather the opposite, but by now it should be clear that the stones around them are probably more adept at emoting, so the dull monotone could mean anything from sympathy to amusement.

"It sounds as if you have the world on your shoulders. I cannot take your burden, though I can mix a tonic that is good for calming the nerves."