[CLOSED] YOU CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN

[katabasis]

WHO: Gwenaëlle, Loxley, Abby and Derrica
WHAT: Closing a rift
WHEN: Sometime in Harvestmere
WHERE: Rivain
NOTES: OOC info is available here. Add warnings in your subject lines if applicable.

Cutting across Rialto Bay proves to be less dramatic than feared by the crew of the Amberdine, the fleet little trade ship who had agreed to convey the four Riftwatchers to Rialto in exchange for added firepower. Despite tales of cutthroat pirate activity in the Bay, the Amberdine and her cargo of wool, furs and wood makes the crossing unmolested.

Bound for the bustling harbor of Dairsmuid, the ship makes a brief stop south of there to see Gwenaëlle, Loxley, Abby and Derrica ferried ashore. The agreement is that they will see the rift in Sanavo dealt with, and then travel north to rejoin the Amberdine in Dairsmuid a week hence. All together, with a new cargo of tea and sugar, they will make the allegedly risky sprint south again.

But in the meantime: Sanavo, a quiet village tucked in along the coast. It's immediately clear that the pearl harvest must be the only thing that sustains its existence. There are no fields for planting or grazing lands, and little visible evidence of trade that isn't somehow accessory to either pearling or fishing. Clearly, the pearl business must ordinarily be good enough to sustain the few hundred people in residence.

What quickly becomes just as obvious is that, despite the warm welcome by the village council—a trio of women of disparate ages—, the generous accommodations, and the fact that Riftwatch is here to help them, the locals are clearly wary of their guests. Children of the village have been subtly discouraged from interacting with the visitors, a number of doors have been judiciously closed, and in general there is a sense that everyone is keeping a careful eye on the four strangers.

But it's probably nothing to worry about. Maybe once the rift is closed and they have a better sense of who they're dealing with, the chilly edge will defrost…

Comments

kicks the door back in for chill beach times

[charmoffensive]

Waggled brows gets a look tipped her way—please!—but still with an ever-present smile. There is, indeed, a metric fucktonne of abnormality to his very normal answer, but like any rifter might agree, after enough time spent here, the desire to contextualise is negligible.

It's not like Abby has the wrong idea, anyway. There's a twinge of something, unseen—

"Nice," he says, to echo her parlance, and then moves. Not much of a move, just rolling over in place to lay on his front, arms folding up beneath his chin, immediately content beneath the sun blaring down across his back. "Is that for, what, work competency reasons, or beach reasons?"

chortles in southern hemisphere

[armd]

Abby glances over slyly as Loxley flips himself over like a burger on the sand. She's been wanting to get a better look at his horns and now she can do that without being caught instantly... they're impressive. She wonders if he's ever, like, gouged anybody with them. She wonders when she'll stop judging people by their capability of maiming others.

"... For beach reasons," she says, slightly offended, "I am actually trying to relax." C'mon, man. She shuffles around in her spot, pushing her shoulders back. She's inadvertently earthing out a furrow in the sand for herself and it's actually quite comfortable.

She pulls in a big breath, until her cheeks expand, and then lets it go with a fffppfpt sound and admits, "She would be good to have here though, she can teleport."

[charmoffensive]

Gouging would likely come as a lucky strike in the sort of brawl that Loxley avoids at all cost, but a person could lose an eye in the process. There's a slightly silver undertone to rough grey keratin, smoothing out where they meet his skull.

Unbothered by or (more likely) failing to notice stealthy horn peeping, Loxley only chuckles at her admission and the sound that heralded it, a smile that shows a hint of over-long canine tooth.

"Let me see. Colleagues. Discounting anyone already here?" There's a long pause. Sorry Riftwatch. "Ket, probably, though she's moved on. Bastien, if he would leave his terrible boyfriend behind." This is said very lightly, like perhaps he doesn't even mean it. "Or Commander Flint, if I could ply him with alcohol for a good story or two."

[armd]

Well. Abby doesn't know who Ket is, she's currently giving Flint the cold shoulder (he has no idea), and she rather likes Byerly... even though she can tell what Loxley is getting at. He can be annoying when he wants to. He likes to push people and call it teasing.

Anyway, the answer makes her laugh so it's fine really.

Also, she has to ask. But first (because she really has learned from her disastrous encounters with elves, honest) she says, "Can I ask you something about your horns, or would that be rude?"