faderift | oh, when I dream it's in colour

WHO: Athessa and YOU
WHAT: Farewells, written and in-person
WHEN: ICly mid- to late-Drakonis
WHERE: The Gallows, Kirkwall
NOTES: Keeping all of Athessa's goodbyes in the same place, closed starters in the comments

open: packing

It's not difficult to see that something is happening, if you happen to be on the fourth floor of the old mage tower in the Gallows. At any given time of day Athessa's room may be wide open, with the elf within throwing things about in the typical spring cleaning fashion, only with more emphasis on putting things into a traveling trunk instead of tidying it.

Without looking, Athessa will call out to someone passing by her door, "Hey, hand me that, will ya?" and point at something or another. Yes, she could get up and get it herself, but she's sat on the floor trying to figure out how to fit everything she needs into this trunk. It'd be a lot easier if what she needs was confined to just her bug-out bag, but that's in the trunk, too.

Sometimes the door is shut, and there isn't much to see but the ruckus can be heard in the hall, the scrape and wheeze of furniture being moved around because when the fuck did she get all this stuff? It sure seems like she's preparing for something, and in a bit of a rush to do so.

open: docks

The day she leaves, Athessa can be found hauling her stuff down to the docks, one heavy trunk of what-have-you that thuds cacophonously down the stairs unless (or until) someone gets sick enough of the thudding to offer a hand in carrying it.

Once at the docks, that trunk will be hauled aboard by some deckhand or another, leaving Athessa to stare up at the sight of the ship that'll take her across the Waking Sea. It hasn't been all that long since she's been on a ship, of course, but it's been some time since she felt like this. Uncertain of what she's going to find where she's going.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ She asked for it, so being knocked back a half-step by the force of his hug is more for effect than because either of them is at risk of toppling. Sometimes, ya just gotta let a hug rattle you.

Athessa wraps her arms around him and gives him a squeeze, making the typical I'm gonna crush you out of love noises that people make when hugging little brothers who are getting too tall. ]

I'm gonna miss you like, a stupid lot, Matty. Even though I'm gonna write to you, and you better fuckin' wtite back.

[He laughs, and the sound is just a tiny bit strangled by the force of her embrace--but there's no way he'd protest, or try to get out of it. He likes this.]

'Course I will. Only hope you'll be able to read my handwriting. I'm better at it 'cause of all the practice I've had, but still. You're going to be able to send letters?

Sometimes, yeah. I'll be takin' the book and my crystal, too, but I dunno how often I'll be able to get away with talkin' to a rock, ya know?

[ There's no telling what her time will be taken up with, or how often she'll be under scrutiny. She might be able to get away with smiling while writing messages in a book but gesticulating wildly while speaking to an inanimate object is harder to explain away without just announcing Hey, I'm with Riftwatch! ]

But regular letters, sent the slow way should be easy-peasy. [ Athessa gives him one last squeeze before pulling back so she can ruffle his hair the way he pretends to hate, and give him a good look so she doesn't forget his face in three months' time. ]

Which....actually...reminds me that I have a favor to ask of ya.

[Matthias makes the obligatory noise of good-natured disgust at the hair ruffling. He combs his fingers through as he steps back from her, trying to reorder it back into his preferred unruly disorder.]

Yeah? What's that?

I wrote this, [ she pulls an envelope or envelope-equivalent from a pocket and unfolds it, trying for a moment to press the crease out of the middle before giving up. So it'll be creased, who cares. ] for Derrica. But...

[ Jeez this is embarrassing. Maybe she shouldn't even bother. She can feel the warmth in her ears already and she clears her throat, shrugging slightly. ]

Well. I dunno if she's avoiding me again or not but...seems I won't be seeing her before I leave so...if you could...give this to her? After I've gone.

[Oh. Matthias looks at the envelope, then shoots a quick look at Athessa--very quick, he doesn't want her to know that he's looking at her, lest she get any more embarrassed. If this was him, he'd not want anyone looking at him, no matter how fond of them he was.

He holds out a hand.]

'Course I'll give it to her. [Why is she avoiding you? would be the next question, and then maybe, Again?--but Matthias just manages to hold that back. Instead--] Is it going... I mean, if she wants to send a reply, where would it get sent? So I can tell her.

[ Cheers, Matty, she indeed doesn't much care to be perceived. She takes a breath to answer, hesitates, then huffs the air out, shaking her head. The letter is placed into Matthias' hand, entrusted to the only person she doesn't think would even try to read it before handing it off. ]

I...think it's probably better if she doesn't know.

[ It's not like she won't be able to find out. If Derrica is of a mind to write, plenty of people will know how to enable her, but Athessa won't be the one to open that door. Not anymore. ]

Oh. [He closes his hand around the letter--then realizes he's crumpling it, and swiftly relaxes his grip.] All right, then.

[Well. He looks at what he's holding, then hastily turns and puts it on his desk, and puts a book over the top of it for good measure--partly so he can uncrumple it, partly to hide it from anyone less honest than him.]

I mean, I'll need to know where to send letters to so I can send you the ones I'll have to send.

Yeah, well, [ He has a point, there, but it's kind of hard to give an address you don't have yet. ] As soon as I know that you'll be the first to hear about it, I promise.

I better be.

[They're not hugging any more, but they're still stood rather close. Matthias shuffles one foot forward so he can poke at Athessa's foot with the toe of his boot.]

Or else I'll have to come after you. Doubt Orlais could survive us.

[ She laughs and steps back to avoid his boot, but then pokes at his foot with hers in retaliation. ]

I can think of worse things.

Worse for us, or for Orlais?

[He tries to step back to avoid her foot--but he's not half as fast as she is, much too slow by comparison. His little scowl is more of an obligatory expression than anything he really means.]

Both, I guess, [ she says with a shrug, and laughs at his scowl. Friendly-like, not mean spirited.

But it fades, and they're left with the quiet of the Forces office, and the knowledge that she won't be back here for months. ]

I should probably get going. Don't wanna miss the boat.

Oh--right. Yeah, 'course.

[Matthias, feeling much the same, shakes out of the silence and darts a glance toward the door, as if someone will be looming there, waiting to take Athessa away. Abruptly, he throws his arms around her a second time, another hug--tight, but quicker than the first--then takes a step back, letting her go.]

I'll see you when you're back. And take care and all, and if you really, really need something--well, you can contact me. I'll be there. I know you'll be all right, just--saying.

[ She laughs on a breath and nods. Yeah. ]

'Course. See ya when I'm back, [ she backs towards the door, not wanting to turn her back until she's in the doorway itself. She volleys a couple finger-guns his way to cover the awkward delivery of: ] I fuckin' love ya, Matty.

[ And then she rolls her eyes at herself for her awkwardness and sees herself out with a wave. She's trying to say she loves people more so she can stop feeling like the world is ending whenever it comes up. Matty was supposed to be easy practice. Oh well. ]

oh, when I dream it's in colour

neededn't

*needent've

just noticed i wrote "wtite" instead of write anyway

we're goode at thus

real gud at thes

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