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atworldsend2021-10-02 05:09 pm
multiclasser) wrote in atworldsend2021-10-02 05:09 pm
action | open, choose your own adventure
a. the garden
b. a street
c. the forest
Tamhas hates this place, if he's honest. He tries not to - making the best of bad situations and all that - but it feels wrong. The Dark Tower is so like Yggdrasil that sometimes, in the corner of his eye - because the Tower is always in the corner of your eye, he's found - he forgets it isn't the tree, thinks for a heartbeat that maybe he can find a way back. Not quite home, but the closest he has. But then he looks and it's a damn Tower, dark where the tree was all radiant, glorious light. And the fractured plate above is stifling. The sun, Tamhas' guiding beacon, feels so very far away even on bright days. A little like Svartalfheimr, but he supposes there is something to appreciate about this place in that.
It could be worse. It could be Svartalfheimr.
And it's not all bad, he supposes. The garden is nice, even if near all the plants are strange. He's always liked work like this, anyway. Steady, menial. It's comforting, soothing, quelling the itch in his hands. Sian would be delighted at all the strange new growing things to look at, even if there's wrongness here she'd hate, a thought which always makes him miss his sister keenly - Tamhas doesn't know a lot about all the various types there are here, and he's a farmer, not a herbalist, but it's enough. He tries to make it enough, anyway.
So, when he's not fighting monsters somewhere, he frequently comes here. Waters, plants, prunes, harvests - anything that's needing done, anything folk might need a hand with. And he takes solace in it, finds some measure of peace here, which is why he looks fleeting surprised when he almost walks into someone. He's usually more alert than that.
"Ah, sorry -" a fleeting smile, turning slightly wry as he inclines his head in greeting. "- you'd think a man would have learned to pay better attention by now, wouldn't you?" There's a cluster of blue banora white apples in his arms; after a moment, eyebrows raising, he holds one out in offering.
b. a street
A lot is strange and different and weird here, but some things are just as Tamhas remembers. Fighting is one of them. Most things here take to his sword as well as most things did back there, which Tamhas is remarkably grateful for. It's always good to do something. So, when he tumbles down from the plate to a street and finds he has company, he's not terribly perturbed.
He doesn't know what he's fighting. They're like the skeletal, feathered kin of Valravn, but different - of course they bloody are - but they come at him shrieking with claws like sickles and Tamhas responds in kind, falling easily into a dance he knows well. It's strange, fighting alone, not feeling the strength of his friends round about him, not having to dodge the spells Morven slings or consider tossing opponents back for Kenna or making openings for Halldis - but then Tamhas realises he's not fighting alone.
Friend or foe? He can't spare the time to figure that out, fending off blows and delivering his own as furiously as he is, but he resolves to hope for the former and deal with the latter after if necessary. He can't even tell if it's someone in the fight, or someone trying to escape it. Either way, he moves solidly between this new party and the creatures, light flashing along the length of his blade as he brings it down, cutting down one and scattering the rest, just for long enough that he can swiftly glance over at the new arrival. In battle, his face is stern, lips curled in a snarl, though that fades in a moment of genuine concern as speaks.
"You alright?"
And then he's turning back to face the next line of attacks, sweeping out in an arc with his sword to meet them.
c. the forest
Sometimes, it's easier to be a bear than a man. That's proven generally true in the woods around World's End. His senses are better for it, for a start, and the prevailing cold doesn't touch him, and there are things that would attack a man on sight that don't so much as look up at a passing bear.
(Sometimes, Tamhas attacks instead. Not today.)
And he's better at hunting as a bear than he is as a man, which he might consider a point of embarrassment, but he reasons that there are things he can do better than a bear. Hopefully. At the moment, he's up to the forelegs in river water, catching fish. But watchful eyes may notice that this bear, huge and golden furred, is perusing his catch with great, and perhaps unusual, scrutiny. Just as Tamhas is not a botanist, he's not a fishmonger, either, and the fish are as weird here as the plants, so every time he catches one it takes careful deliberation to decide if it's worth eating - or taking to someone who better enjoys and knows cooking - or if it might even be dangerous. So many things are dangerous, here.
The range he's caught today are definitely fish. He can tell that much, though there's one that's borderline, as far as he's concerned. Dubiously, he noses them further along the bank, and turns back to the water.
no subject
"You spoken to anyone about it since coming here? I don't know about you, but I find nobody really wants to talk about it, despite the fact everyone has to be thinking about it."
The lack of answers from people had frustrated him. Seamus had said it was because people couldn't talk about it. Because they were afraid and didn't want to address that fear. Seamus had admitted that he was scared, just like that. It was annoyingly mature of him and it made Leo even more irritated when he couldn't bring himself to that level of honesty.
"Can I ask... Have you tried to get there?"
no subject
"It's... something I have a bit of experience with now. Being unable to get somewhere through some magical means," he admits with a kind of dry humour, raising a hand to scratch at a spot on the side of his neck as he does. Something dark shadows his expression as he does, his gaze fixed far away, beyond the land and beyond even the Tower.
But when he glances Leo's way again, his expression has lightened, the weight lifted. "What about you? Ever tried getting out to it?"
no subject
He finishes chewing, swallows and looks up at Tamhas. noticing that the man looks a little haunted by something. Probably the damn tower. No wonder no one wants to talk about it.
"What I wanted to do was find out what had already been tried. You know? Make that information public access. That way folks wouldn't be wasting their time doing things that already failed. But, no one wants to share what didn't work for 'em, so... That idea didn't go anywhere."
He takes another bite of the apple. It's good, he hopes the man will give him another to take home to Aydin.
no subject
"Is this... something you've asked many about a lot, or no? Maybe if we just take a bit of time, some will come round, be more forthcoming? I ken there are folk who've been here longer... maybe they'd be able to explain more..."
But as he thinks, the frown deepens.
"That said... I don't ken that such information would stop folk trying. I mean, even though I accept it won't work... the temptation is there. Do you get that, yourself?"
no subject
"To be totally honest? I think I gave up too quick. I guess I got sore about it..." He gives a wan smile, shaking his head from side to side as if just caught on to the gravity of his own idiocy. He always takes rejection so hard, it stops him in his tracks as much as any monster could.
"You're probably right though. People like to try stuff out for themselves, so even if I got information I needed for a process of elimination thing, it wouldn't really help me or anyone else."
He gives a brief smile.
"Thanks. For the fruit and the talk, by the way. It's appreciated."
no subject
"But, I wouldn't be too hard on yourself for giving up on it. There's... there's a lot going on here. I've never been good at feeling helpless," he confesses, sighing gently. "I don't ken that it wouldn't help though. Even if people saw such a list and decided to try it regardless, it would probably still help them avoid getting all their hopes up, at least. Or, maybe someone will appear who can try something else."
A scant hope, but there's always a chance, right? So Tamhas tells himself.
no subject
When he continues to speak, Leo listens intently, thinking over what he says. There is an unsettled feeling of jealousy running through him, but he tries to ignore it. Tamhas makes it seem so easy to admit his personal struggles. It's the same problem he has when talking to Seamus. How can these guys display weaknesses like that and still be so put together? He would feel so vulnerable if anyone knew what he wasn't good at.
But what Tamhas is saying is encouraging. Maybe there is even a suggestion there that he thinks Leo's idea could be a good one? That would be something.
"So... You think I should keep trying? With the list I mean?"
no subject
It's a start, anyway.
"I do. I think the more information we have to hand, the better. If I hear anything, I'll let you know - can't really help with the writing it down, or anything, but," smiling, he shrugs. "If I find a boat, I'll report back."
no subject
"A boat, huh? Yeah, I considered that too. Was gonna try and build a raft or something, but I -" He stops mid sentence, realising something.
Can't really help with the writing it down
Huh. Does that mean Tamhas can't write? Or maybe there's an issue with his hands? Maybe some other reason entirely, but either way, Leo slows down both with curiosity and sympathy. If he can't write, Leo decides, he will 100% teach him.
"Um... Can I ask, why not with the writing? What's stopping you?"
no subject
He looks out after that, over towards the Tower again. "I don't ken that I'd trust a raft on that sea. But admittedly, I'm not terribly familiar with being on the water, either."
no subject
"Me either," he says hastily, eager to return to Tamhas's admission and put Tower talk to the back burner for now. The excitement of being able to help someone makes his heart race. Maybe where Tamhas is from they don't know about learning difficulties either, and don't help with things that stop folks doing things like reading.
"Look, it's not your fault, the writing and reading stuff," he begins, "You could have dyslexia. It's pretty common, but if it got missed then it's possible some of the things that might have helped you out got missed too. It's not too late to learn if you're not through trying."