voidtransport: the evil at night (you must be the call)
Allumin Etsija ([personal profile] voidtransport) wrote2021-08-14 09:50 pm
Entry tags:

IC Inbox



CRYSTAL ✧ CORRESPONDENCE ✧ ACTION
heirring: ([033])

a survey;

[personal profile] heirring 2021-08-26 05:59 am (UTC)(link)
[Shoved under Allumin's door at some point during his enforced quarantine is a packet of papers with a handwritten (distinctly lovely handwriting at that) questionnaire. The following instructions are pinned to its cover: 'Welcome to Riftwatch! Please fill out the following survey to the best of your ability and return it to the Project Felandaris offices, to the attention of Madame Wysteria de Foncé. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out for clarification. Best Wishes, W.A. de Foncé, Research Division.'

The following survey is...expansive.]

Questionnaire Section A
Of and Relating Specifically to the Rifter Population in the Gallows (Kirkwall, The Free Marches, 9:47)


Question 1A. Conceptually, how familiar are the Fade and the Veil to you? Are there similar phenomena (however minor the resemblance) in the place from which you came?

Question 2A. If yes, is energy drawn and/or emitted from or through it? Do cognizant beings (spirits, full bodied manifestations similar to a Rifter, and so on) pass through it?

Question 3A. Does "magic" exist in your world?
    Question 3A.(i). If "magic" exists in your world, is it somehow tied to or sustained by this other space?
    Question 3A.(ii). If "magic" exists in your world and there is no such alternative dimension as referenced in Question 1A., from where does it originate?

Question 4A. Given the opportunity to objectively estimate your own physical conformation and comeliness against the general populace of the world from which you came, where on a scale of one through ten might you be ranked (for the purposes of this survey, please consider the numerical score of five (5) as average for your home world)? Disregard. This question has been deemed inessential.

Questionnaire Section B
Rift Anchors, with Respect to All Who Presently Possess Them


Question 5B. How long have you had your rift shard? Irrelevant; it is assumed you received it upon arrival through the Rift. However, you are welcome to detail any notes you may have on it here.

Question 6B. Are you able to perform any supernatural acts with the power of your rift shard beyond closing Rifts? If yes, please detail these abilities. Irrelevant; recorded with your personnel file. Please update W.A. de Foncé should your rift anchor develop any additional effects.

Question 7B. Do you have any other abilities, such as mage talent? If so, has the presence of the rift shard or your time in Thedas affected your ability whatsoever (please note whether this is a negative or a positive effect)?

Question 8B. At what point would you take surgical measures to rid yourself of your anchor shard?
    Question 8B.(i). Would you permit scientific observation of the process?
    Question 8B.(ii). Would you permit samples to be taken from the limb?

    (PLEASE NOTE that the authors of this survey do not advocate for preemptive amputation unless strictly recommended by a trusted medical professional.)

heirring: ([033])

[personal profile] heirring 2021-08-29 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
[Shortly after the survey is returned, a short note appears in Allumin's assigned mail cubby in the dining hall. It reads:]
Dear Sir,

Welcome once more to Thedas, to the Gallows, and to Riftwatch et cetera. I thank you for the time you spent responding to and returning my survey. Should you have any questions regarding the nature of Thedas, its arcane arts, the business of Riftwatch, and so on and wish to receive answers from the perspective of a fellow Rifter then I am entirely at your disposal.

As a small additional note, I wonder whether you might seek out an audience with the esteemed Madame de Cedoux. She is Riftwatch's cryptographer and I believe she may have some use for the alphabet (if that is indeed what I have interpreted the second line of characters on your returned survey to have been part of). She is quite interested in all varieties of languages, particularly those which originate from elsewhere as it is a great benefit to create codes out of things which our enemy has no reference whatsoever for translation.

Regarding your anchor: There are no fears whatsoever of anything ill happening because of it. Or at least, the likelihood is very small. There has been only one confirmed case of death by anchor poisoning and that person was unfortunate enough to have the thing in their torso rather than an appendage. (I trust yours is in a hand or some similar limb.) Everything should be perfectly well for the duration of your stay in Thedas. I am quite certain of this.

Warmest Regards,
Wysteria de Foncé
Research Division
Project Felandaris
heirring: (rather clever)

[personal profile] heirring 2021-08-29 04:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[Some days later—she is rather behind on her corrspondence—another note manifests. This one has a few distinct smudges of ink at the edges, as if the author's fingers had been dirty when she'd gone to pack it into its little envelope.]
Dear Sir,

How pleased I am to discover that you are the sensible sort who has no imposition of pride when it comes to accepting the counsel of experts. We may discuss the subject of the arcane (or any other topic, I suppose) at your leisure. I presently keep hours in the Gallows work rooms or in the Project Felandaris offices from just after the morning meal hour to two marks past noon, and am then engaged elsewhere (field work and so on) for the remainder of the day (days dedicated to field work and so on not withstanding)

[Wysteria, it's not really at someone leisure if you give them a scheduling block.]
However, if you care to pursue our conversation in a more casual setting then I would be delighted to show you about one of Kirkwall's most interesting dinner establishments. I am pleased to say that I have curated quite a thorough listing.

Sincerely,
Wysteria de Foncé
Research Division
Project Felandaris
heirring: (responsible and mature individual)

hell yea

[personal profile] heirring 2021-08-31 06:40 am (UTC)(link)
[For a moment, the young woman in question doesn't respond. It can't be due to having failed to hear him or even being too consumed in the work before her—which appears to be little more than sorting a great series of notes into the appropriate draws for some archaic filing system. And so for a split second, the answer must be plain. No, he clearly has the wrong—]

Oh! [In a swirl of brightly colored skirts, Wysteria twists away from her little organizational project forward the sound of, Yes actually. That is her name, isn't it?]

Yes, that's right. —Well, no it isn't at all. You mustn't take anything the Provost says too seriously. It's said like so: de Fon-sey.

[The very fantasy French surname sounds somewhat absurd in her very not fantasy French accent.]

And with whom am I speaking?
heirring: (rather clever)

my irl lol

[personal profile] heirring 2021-08-31 03:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[Handshakes are not a thing a respectable Kalvadan lady does, yet Wysteria Poppell—Wysteria de Foncé has been in Thedas quite long enough that she is more or less prepared to receive his hand when it's offered. She is not wearing gloves; the acid green flare of the anchor in her off palm is in nauseatingly contrast to the bright blues and soft yellows of her day dress.]

It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mister Etsija. [You can tell due to the enthusiasm with which she pumps his hand up and down. Yes, she is a very accomplished shaker of hands.] I would welcome you to the project, but that would risk implying that I have some guiding hand in the whole thing whereas I am merely a—let a say a consultant. That sounds much better than hobbyist. The project has no leader at present, so we are all equal in the eyes of the Maker in this room.

[She laughs, a bright sound. This is an excellent joke for many reasons, not the least of which being the one where the Maker is notoriously uninterested in using his eyeballs for assessing any mortal creature, in this office or otherwise.]

Although I'm afraid that means you will find very little direction from this room either.

[She is still shaking his hand.]
altusimperius: (oop)

[personal profile] altusimperius 2021-09-02 06:38 am (UTC)(link)
[continued from here]

There is a lot to process in this moment: how still and quiet Allumin suddenly is, the hand gripping his shirt and drawing him near, the forcefulness. For someone who can play convincingly self-assured, Benedict finds that his thoughts are suddenly falling all over themselves to be addressed first: the realization that he's been had, the realization that he likes that he's been had, the heat building in him (both above and below) at the hot breath on his face.

"...oh," is all he manages to say, and in this moment he also realizes he doesn't tend to do this stone sober, and is a lot less suave than he was playing at.
Fortunately, he's pretty good at blocking out the last thought ('what would Mother think if she knew') in favor of trying to meet Allumin's lips with his own.

Edited 2021-09-02 06:50 (UTC)
altusimperius: (ooh)

[personal profile] altusimperius 2021-09-02 05:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Although utterly unused to being denied anything in this realm, Benedict is, for lack of a better word, intrigued. He blinks rapidly in surprise when Allumin leans away, but maintains his rapt attention, giving a quick and subtle little nod when it becomes clear that there's some manner of plan in play.
He's here for it.
altusimperius: (processing)

[personal profile] altusimperius 2021-09-03 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
Eliciting a little sound of alarm, Benedict breathes in quickly and meets Allumin's eyes, hesitating a moment before giving him another little nod.

"...um," he says stiffly, it being hard to move his jaw while it's being held, and all, "...Ventus."
He remembers talking about this with Colin, at some point-- but it was for Colin to say, and not for him. Or at least, it's unlikely he would have.
altusimperius: (ono)

[personal profile] altusimperius 2021-09-03 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
The kiss is even better this way, somehow, and if ever Benedict's eyes were going to fill with little cartoon hearts, it would be now. His head follows after Allumin as he pulls away, but Benedict is too fascinated to actually protest. This guy? This guy?

He's given pause by the hair tie, feeling a little skittish based on the uncertain set of his brow.
"I want to see it first," he says quietly, sheepishly, knowing this is a game and feeling a bit of guilt for disrupting it. He holds out his hand in silent request-- there's clearly a history here, and he wants to be sure there's nothing to genuinely fear.
altusimperius: (Default)

[personal profile] altusimperius 2021-09-04 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
"You do?"

That seems a bit counter-intuitive, but for once Benedict realizes maybe his idea of something is not necessarily the truth of it. Isn't the objective to be treated badly?
He feels over the hairtie, and, finding no effects of note, hands it back. "It's fine," he decides, still a little uncertainly-- he's suddenly not sure what his role in this is meant to be.
heirring: ([029])

[personal profile] heirring 2021-09-05 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
[She seems surprised by the question, her pale brows rising briefly unguarded toward her hairline before she arranges them into a more strictly impassive expression. No one has ever asked before.]

Well, I suppose that I mean it in the sense that I am merely an enthusiast for the work and not particularly attached to any one thing which the project purports to do. It was more relevant, [she adds hastily.] When Mister Stark was still overseeing the work. I didn't care to be involved with the filing of paperwork and so on, you see.

[No, she will not be your secretary Mister Stark. Not that he had asked, but that had hardly stopped her from being defiant on the point.]
altusimperius: (mild amusement)

[personal profile] altusimperius 2021-09-05 06:49 am (UTC)(link)
"Well that's a bad idea," Benedict mutters, self-effacingly, but catches himself; he just met this person, he's not about to spill all his insecurities to him, no matter how pretty either of them are.

The hands through his hair feel nice, though, and he sighs lightly.

"What are you going to do?" he asks, with more curiosity than trepidation.
altusimperius: (ofuck)

[personal profile] altusimperius 2021-09-05 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
It's clear from touching Benedict's hair-- clearer than it already was by looking at it-- how well he cares for it, and the hours he puts into its upkeep. He may not be able to afford all his fancy oils and creams anymore, but he does what he can.

And then Allumin's hand knots in it, which makes Benedict gasp aloud in... pain? Horror? Outrage? Maybe all of the above, but he takes a beat to think on it, and his wide eyes meet Allumin's.
He nods lightly, wincing as it pulls at his scalp. Yep, that's good.

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