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[noonrodeon]

WHO: Sol Noon and you
WHAT: The new Archivist applies for a job and gets settled.
WHEN: Gestures vaguely at the timeline.
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: hmu on plurk @ thatoneblonde if u want a special starter.

a.
All things considered, Noon is not the strangest thing the Gallows inhabitants have ever seen. He looks much like any other mountain hunter, large knife on his belt, beard in desperate need of a trim and the scent of camp smoke still clinging to him. Perhaps remarkable in his size and the quiet way he moves. The reverse is not especially true. Noon's been in military forts and a time or two a rich family villa. The Gallows is a different beast entierly. He takes a few moments to look around, getting used to the size and shape of the place.

The people within the Gallows look about the same as people everywhere else and it's safe enough to assume they're inclined to act about the same as people everywhere else. He's idly curious if he'll recognize any of them from Lowtown as he sets himself to his task.

Never a shy man, he stops someone as they pass by and says, " 'scuse me, who do I talk to about a job?"


b.

Noon loves the library. He's seen a great many things in his travels, but he's never seen this: a huge room full up of books. He's dreamed about this kind of thing, never expected to actually find himself there. He hasn't a clue if it's well arranged or well stocked, but he intends to learn.

He'll be easy to find among the shelves, methodically taking each book down from the shelves one at a time. He flips through the pages and then replaces it, moving on to the next and the next. He'll do that til he's gone through the whole of the library. The only thing that calls his attention away is the sight of someone who might be in need of help and then he picks right back up where he left off.

WILDCARD

Comments

a

[altusimperius]

The look he receives is a slightly stunned one-- Riftwatch gets all types, but even so, there's something unexpected about Sol.

"...um," Benedict manages to get out, "department heads." He points toward the windows of their offices.

[noonrodeon]

He follows the young man's gesture to the windows. The twists and turns of the passages will make sense in time, but Noon isn't inclined towards wandering blind. He tips his head back towards the young man.

"Mind showing me? I'm more familiar with forests than castles when it comes to finding my way."

[altusimperius]

Benedict balks.

"I don't," he begins, "think that's a good idea--"

Well, maybe not for most of the department heads, but at least he's welcome in Byerly's office.

"-- no, it's all right. I'll bring you up there." The less Thranduil, Flint, or Yseult have to see his face, the better.

[noonrodeon]

Huh. He discreetly sizes up the man. The balk either said something about the commanding officers or about this guy.

But that didn't matter much since Noon didn't intend to have much to do with the officers if he could help it. He nods to his new guide instead. "Appreciate it. Whichever one hires staff is the one I'm looking for."

[altusimperius]

"That depends on what you do."

Silently, Benedict sizes him up, giving the distinct air of trying not to look for too long, either because he's afraid or for some other reason.

"...what do you do?"

[noonrodeon]

"Lookin' to work in the library." Said casually as you please, because Noon's set his mind to this and there's no point in pretending he's any intention of doing anything else.

b

[muckspout]

Back deep in the stacks is Edgard, sitting on the floor, smoking a joint. He starts when a giant man appears and quickly puts it out on the nearest book and waves his hands around to waft away the smoke.

"I wasn't--" He starts to say and then realizes he doesn't recognize this person. "Who are you?"

[noonrodeon]

He's half blind, not completely senseless. He'd smelled the burning elfroot and hadn't thought much of it except a passing thought that he ought to see who sold the stuff around. He does raise a heavy brow at the joint being put out on a book and when the man speaks (figures he'd be Orlesian).

"Sol Noon. New archivist, just shipped in a couple days ago. Who're you."

[muckspout]

"Edgard. In Forces. Been here a couple months."

He nods and offers his right hand which is holding the joint still. He quickly retracts his hand, pockets the joint, and offers his hand again.

"You don't look like the book type if you don't mind my saying."

[noonrodeon]

Noon takes his hand and shakes it, grip firm but not crushing. A smile makes the scars on his face twist and his tone is amused, "And you look too old to be sneaking a smoke between bookshelves, so I suppose we can call it even. 's a new kind occupation for me."

[muckspout]

Edgard scrunches his face.

"It's as good a place as any! Quiet."

He gets up from the floor and nods at Noon.

"What was your occupation before?"

[noonrodeon]

"Better places, if you're lookin' for an ashtray." He's a little annoyed about the book, yes. "Hunter, mostly. Did security and scouting for a couple merchants."

[altusimperius]

"Probably Thranduil then," Bene muses, gesturing for him to follow as he heads toward the tower.
"He's a big tall blond elf, can't miss him. I'll... show you where his office is."

There is absolutely no way Benedict is going into Thranduil's office.

[noonrodeon]

That actually does surprise him a bit. "Never heard anyone call an elf big and tall before."

[altusimperius]

"Well. Riftwatch is full of surprises."

That is both good and bad.

[noonrodeon]

"And here I was hoping to have fewer of those." He says it with mild humor though. Really, these days it'd be stranger if you didn't run into more surprises. "What's this Thranduil like?"

[altusimperius]

"Um." How to describe someone of whom one is terrified?

"Serious. Poised." Elfy, but he can think of at least two people who would come down on him for saying that.

[noonrodeon]

"Huh." Noon scratched idly at his jaw, thinking about that. He's admittedly never had much experience with elves that weren't servants or soldiers. "Sounds interesting. Lead the way then, lad."

[altusimperius]

Benedict does, but once they're up the tower stairs, he stops partway down the hall and gestures toward Thranduil's door.

"That one," he says, "if he's not there now, he will be soon, probably."

He starts to edge into Byerly's office, ostensibly going to work, but also possibly just fleeing.

[muckspout]

Edgard shrugs.

"There are so many books here, what difference is one going to make?" He picks up the book in question which he left on the ground. "It looks fine anyway." It has a mild scorch mark. He throws it back on the ground.

"What did you hunt? Books?"

[noonrodeon]

Weird kid. Noon waves him off, "Appreciate the escort, friend."

[noonrodeon]

Another eyebrow raise, though not particularly aggressive. Noon knows this type, run into them plenty in the war camps and on the trail.

"Bear, mostly. Smaller game, but the bears always show the fuck up, specially once you get further south."

[muckspout]

Edgard raises a mirrored eyebrow back.

"Bears! I met a bear once. I punched it."

[noonrodeon]

Noon snorts with genuine amusement.

"How'd that work out for ya."

a

[wythersake]

Isaac heaves the bucket (it's covered, it's heavy, it sloshes ominously) into his arms without quite pausing,

"You've found just the man." He pronounces. "Off we go, then,"

A glance like he expects to be followed.

[noonrodeon]

Noon follows the man without much more than a shrug.

"Thanks, friend. What's in the bucket?" he asks. In his experience, ominously sloshing buckets rarely hold pleasant things, but he's a bit curious if the actual contents will be more or less unpleasant than what he reckons it.

[muckspout]

Edgard sighs a little remembering.

"I mean, the punching part, not too good actually. But, it surprised it enough for me to get away. But, it made it really mad, so.." He makes a wobbly hand gesture.

"What do you do when you see a bear?"

[noonrodeon]

"Hope like hell it didn't see me," Noon says, candid. "They're easier to take down if you can get the first couple shots off before they find you."

[muckspout]

Edgard nods thoughtfully.

“Probably a better technique. So, how does one get from bears to a library?”

[noonrodeon]

"Ahh, heard a bunch of folks trying to stir up recruitment for the March. Decided I was tired of almost dying in another man's war."

[muckspout]

Edgard nods. He understands.

"Well, hopefully the books won't go to war." He says with no indication that he is joking.

[noonrodeon]

That gets a soft laugh.

"Maker willing. And what do you do 'round here, aside from smoke in the library?"

[muckspout]

"I'm in Forces when I'm not smoking in the library. Or eating. Or sleeping. Or visiting the animals." He shrugs.

[noonrodeon]

"They don't work you too hard here, huh." It's not unkindly said, the amusement still clear in his voice.

[muckspout]

Edgard makes a humming noise.

"They would work me harder if I asked them to. But..." He taps his temple.