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

Yeah.

[ He gives a little self-conscious shrug of his shoulders, looking away fro a brief moment before his eyes meet hers again.

This shit is difficult to admit, for him. ]

I'mma miss you an' shit. My first friend, here.

Aww, [ She is genuinely touched to hear that, but she's leaning a bit on teasing tones because it's easier to joke when things are hard to admit, in her experience. ]

And here I was thinking I was just your inaugural fuck. [ Wouldn't be a bad thing, if it's true. She grins. ] I'll miss you too, ya big softie.

[ And then she shrugs a little herself, more successful this time. ] Probably.

Yeah well, [ He smiles wolfishly. ] That too.

You ain't gotta miss me. Just have fun, take care of yourself. Write if you can. I'll be good, no worries.

You ain't gotta be too good, [ Cheeky, always cheeky. ] A little mischief never hurt anybody, right?

I ain't got it in me to be too good.

[ He just meant... well. He figures she knows what he meant, and that jokes are just easier, and he can't quite argue with that. ]

Any particular mischief I should get up to in your honor?

[ She certainly hopes he meant, in some small part, that he's not likely to run off and nearly die, or worse. That he'll be alright, more than well-behaved.

But jokes are easier, especially when one of them is leaving. Even for just a few months. ]

It's all fair game, really. Me n' Isaac hid eggs once, knowing they'd go off and make a right proper stink about the place. And I dunno how much it counts as mischief but one time Anders froze the floor for me so I could skate around in socks.

[ Fond memories. She laughs softly, adjusting her hold on the rope handle of the trunk to take some pressure off her right shoulder. ]

So long as it's fun and doesn't hurt anyone, ya know.

What kinda mischief did you get up to before the sky spat you out?

Not a whole lot, in recent years, [ he says thoughtfully. A little difficult when you work with cutthroats and multinational criminals to be pulling pranks. ]

In the military? That was different. Folks'll take it to a whole new level there, mostly 'cuz you're living in on top of each other like that, and everyone wants to pretend they ain't scared so scaring the shit outta someone else is funny.

Oh yeah? Were you doing more scaring, or getting scared?

[ She can guess how he might choose to answer; she kinda wants to see if he'll prove her wrong. ]

[ Erik makes a face, pulling his mouth down in a corner. ]

I never liked prankin' people much. Seemed like a great way to make an enemy outta teammate.

[ And he was too paranoid, really. ]

[ Well hey, he proved her wrong. ]

So you were getting scared? [ Doubtful. But funny to imagine. She glances back over her shoulder at him. ] Did you always look like that? Like, totally stacked? Doesn't seem like you'd get pranked very often looking all fierce and shit.

Nah, not 'til like...twenty-three, twenty-five? I was a skinny motherfucker before that, and some people see even a size like this as some kinda... challenge. Like, if I can fuck up that guy, ain't nobody gonna bother me. [ A shrug. ] So I got pranked sometimes, usually as part of like, a group prank? But not too often.

[ She makes a thoughtful noise, nodding a bit. She can understand the draw of a challenge like that. ]

Well, you don't have to prank anyone, obviously. There's plenty of other things that count as mischief. Or you can just not, and say you did. I dunno. Whatever's fun.

[ Erik smiles at her. ]

I can definitely have some fun in your name, no worries there.

Good.

[ She meets his smile with a grin of her own, and the ghost of it remains neatly contained in the corners of her mouth and eyes even after she returns her attention to the task at hand.

It's somewhat intentional that their conversation between the Gallows and the docks stays light, focused on nothing of great importance. Naturally Athessa places import on any information she learns about N'jadaka, but there's a difference between that and focusing on the fact that they won't see one another for quite some time and letting the weight of that bring the tone down.

When they reach the docks, a deck hand relieves them of Athessa's traveling trunk and the two of them are left to stare up at the ship in the morning light. ]

I'm not gonna say goodbye, [ Athessa says, still looking at the towering hull. ] I'll just say see you later, because then it doesn't feel so much like an ending. We were only just getting started, after all.

[ When she turns to look at him, she takes a moment to look at his face, as if memorizing it, then hugs him. Throws her arms about his neck, standing on tip-toes to manage it. ]

[ When she puts her arms around his neck it's easy to just wrap his around her body and lean back, picking her up off the ground for a moment and burying his face in her neck. ]

Gonna miss you.

[ And it's gonna suck when she's not around, he knows that, doesn't have to even think about it.

She became his first friend, here, in the life after his death.

After a moment of that bone-crushing hug, he sets her down again, sniffing loudly. ] Fuck. Alright. Take care of yourself, okay? And write, I mean it.

[ Oh no. He's not allowed to get emotional about this! Then she'll get emotional about it and then where would they be? An emotional mess on the docks.

When he sets her down, Athessa cups his face in her hands and kisses him, a sweet, lingering thing. ]

I will. I promise.

[ She takes a breath as if to say something else, but there doesn't seem to be anything ready to be spoken. So she lets it go, bites her lip, and nods. ]

See you later.

[ That kiss is sweet, and her promise helps him pull it together before they both become blubbering messes on the docks.

She nods, and Erik grins, flashing teeth. ]

See you later, Athessa. Good travels, or whatever they say.

oh, when I dream it's in colour

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probably about time to put a cap on this'un

yes this is perfect