oh, when I dream it's in colour

[sulahnan]

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.

Comments

[sulahnan]

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. ]

[clawings]

[ 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. ]

[sulahnan]

[ 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.

[clawings]

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.

[sulahnan]

[ 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.

[clawings]

[ Erik smiles at her. ]

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

[sulahnan]

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. ]

[clawings]

[ 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.

probably about time to put a cap on this'un

[sulahnan]

[ 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.

yes this is perfect

[clawings]

[ 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.