abraxaslogs | WELCOME TO SOLVUNN!

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WELCOME TO SOLVUNN!

WELCOME TO SOLVUNN!

Welcome to Solvunn! Bright suns and merriest of welcomes to you! The portal opens in a vast field on the western side of town surrounded by cattle, with a distant view of the bustling marketplace. The first impression of the settlement is one of idylic, country charm. There are no looming structures or crowded streets. Instead, there are cozier houses on wide streets and community buildings made of stone and wood. A gentle breeze rolls across the field and the sun is high in the sky.

There's not as much magic here as in other locations, but it's there. No one will be stopped from entering Solvunn, though suspicion will be cast upon new arrivals. Citizens will be friendly and welcoming, but curious about their new visitors. It isn't often that they welcome new folks- especially not so many at once!

With tensions between the other communities, Solvunn will not be keen on ratting out those who fled Thorne, but with the knowledge that sanctuary will not be given for free. Everyone does their part, whatever that part may be.

Asking questions will result in being told to find Rowan March, one of the council members, somewhere in the marketplace.

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[ Her grin clues him in to the fact that her appealing isn't exactly the kind he'd been thinking of. Less pleasant to be around, more. Ah. Yeah.

He just shakes his head in response, corners of his lips quirking upwards slightly. Nah. Probably for the best that they don't go there. His inability to do any kind of smalltalk would probably get old before long.

He hadn't been expecting her to really go into who she is, what it is she does like that, but Amos listens intently, soaking up every word as they continue along their way. He thinks back on the women they left, the connections she could easily form with them; whoever's next along their path. He doesn't think he's been down this part of town before. Has no clue who lives here. Hasn't really interacted with anybody beyond the minimum necessary amount. Thinks back on a conversation they had once about travel; thinks back on the people he knows back home who would insist on helping as many people as they possibly could. The way he'd follow them because he knew they were right, in the same way he knows it'd never occur to him on his own to help somebody he doesn't know. He's gotta be around somebody else for that. Somebody like Himeka, apparently.

It's a simple statement, said simply, but Amos really means it when he says, ] You're a good person.

[ It's kind of the most meaningful thing he can tell someone else. Isn't sure how it is he can stick around her, though, when there's an entire settlement here. It's a lot easier to just be around the same people all the time, close quarters and all, when you're living on a ship together; here, he feels like he'd just slow Himeka down. Or be a nuisance.

Shit, it's hard to remember how he got by in the day-to-day back in Baltimore. Probably wasn't up to anything good, though. He has no idea how to rectify that here, amid all of these people he does not, will never care about.

Though, there is the rest of what she said, he figures. ] That kind of thing happen a lot? Saving nations from the void or whatever.

[ Which seems secondary to everything else, really, but there's only so much he knows how to talk about any of this, and turns out fantastical experiences are a bit easier for him. ]

[ Though they haven't known each other long, Himeka is becoming well attuned to the fact that Amos is a man of few words, so the words he does share are chosen with care and intent and should be taken as such. It's why his statement, while simple in its structure, is enough to slow her pace a bit as she draws quite for a moment herself. And just looks at Amos, at the dirt path they walk, and then back at him.

He wouldn't know that she's been questioning that very fact of late. The past year or so of her life has been...tumulus. And forced more self-reflection than she would have liked. ]

I try to be.

[ She wants to be. ]

It helps if you surround yourself with good people. It might rub off one day.

[ Himeka winks with that. It's what she hopes for, at least.

His question is easier to answer with her typical casual exuberance. She's mastered the art of speaking of exciting things while making them feel like an old hat at the same time. ]

More often than it should. Sometimes it's just saving people from each other or themselves, and if I'm honest, the nebulous "void" is a much easier enemy to point fingers at.

[ Something nameless and dark. Where the evil things spawn.

Or so they say. She knows now it's not so simple.

Himeka shrugs. ]

What about you? What do you and your friends do while you're traveling in your endless starry skies?

[ Amos registers the way Hime slows, the way her demeanour shifts into something he's not used to seeing from her. Kinda only makes him like her more, maybe. People who outwardly think they're on the right side of things, who believe in themselves more than anything else, above others or a cause — they're not as good as they think they are. People who can quietly accept the idea that they're good people, the ones who actively try every day? They're the ones who actually are.

So, yeah. She's a good person. He huffs softly, some kind of amusement, at the idea of surrounding yourself with good people. That's exactly what he does. At the idea of it rubbing off one day? Well. ]

That's the dream.

[ And dreams aren't reality. That's what makes them dreams. They don't come true. Surrounding himself with good people is more a mitigation strategy than borne of any hope that he'll ever improve as a person. He's not capable of that.

Amos cocks his head at the idea of a void being an easier enemy. ] Suppose so. Anything people don't understand makes for a good target. [ And he's someone people don't really understand. Not that he's an easy target; anyone back home who's challenged him there has usually learned that quick enough. ] Shit, anything that don't got a face is probably a good target.

[ Face, no face; it doesn't make a difference to him. But he knows it usually does to other people. Just because he doesn't understand it doesn't mean he isn't aware.

He glances upwards in thought, back at Hime when he's gathered them. Not reminiscing, more just. Remembering, because he's starting to forget what day-in, day-out life was like on the Roci. It's been. A while now. ]

Up there? Boring shit, mostly. Keep a routine, like checking on the systems, making repairs so everything's holding up alright. Otherwise, you know, you die. That's shit for Naomi and I to do. Been working with her for years. Otherwise, you know, you eat, you sleep. We'd try to get our schedules cleared to all eat together once a week; just chat and hang out, I guess. There's not always a lot of time for that when you're running a skeleton crew like we do, but we all like each other, so. 'S important.

[ Okay, maybe he is reminiscing, at least a little. While he still can. Before it fades from memory. He doesn't think the experiences will, but how he'd feel in those moments, those family dinners... yeah. That'll probably disappear. Only a matter of time there, really.

Oh well. That's life. ]

[ Himeka is of the mindset that dreams do come true...but only if you work for them and if you're given the opportunities. She's seen dreams years in the making come to fruition--hell, she's helped make them a reality. But they aren't always quite as clean cut as one might like. And, well, where there's dreams, there are also nightmares. But that's another story entirely.

She nods in agreement, glad that he understands. People can be scared easily and when there is something new when they're scared, they often turn to that thing. ]

Exactly. And luckily we have faces, though I'll admit I was a little curious if us being new in the area would cause unrest with the locals. I'm glad it didn't turn out that way.

[ Not that it would stop her. If she could warm herself to a city invested in a thousand year-war with dragons as someone who was immediately taken as draconic, she feels like she could make it anywhere.

She cocks her head to the side as Amos goes about his daily life. Lackluster? Yes, at least the way he presents it, but she has some familiarity with that sort of routine. Something that's necessary. Leaving it is why she chose to adventure in the first place, though she realizes not everyone may be able to take that chance and opportunity. Were she wanting before she left her village, she likely couldn't have gone in the first place.

Though routine can certainly be made better with company. Naomi, maybe? ]

Was it just you and Naomi, then?

[ She has no frame of reference for what would be needed on his sort of ship. ]

[ It gives Amos pause, when Himeka brings up that the locals have generally just accepted them. Acceptance is, of course, relative — but on just a blanket level. Amos hasn't had to kill anyone to make sure he's got a place here. The two women seemed downright charmed. They're just... here.

He's gonna fuck it up. Gonna wreck the peace, the cooperation the people here have, live off of. And then he dismisses the thought, because he's still hanging out with Himeka, and she's a good person, so it's not like anything's going to happen today. ]

Yeah. Probably a whole lot easier for all of us. Guess that's just how they are here.

[ He sounds almost mystified by the concept; then again, he's also never been somewhere with this much land, this few people before. The whole thing's foreign to him. Maybe it makes sense to be like that here, where you don't have to worry, can easily share your resources. Shit, even he probably would if asked.

He doesn't notice it, but Amos brightens, relaxes a little at the chance to talk about Naomi, the Roci. ]

Kinda. For keeping the ship going, yeah, it was just us two. Cap 'n Alex didn't know shit about that. You'd be lucky if they knew which tools to hand you. They didn't have to, though, 'cause Naomi and I got it pretty covered between just the two of us. [ There's some pride in his voice. He's good at his job; can do the work of multiple people, easy. It's just, his job isn't here. A wagon is a far cry from a fusion-powered spaceship. ] Alex pilots us, though. I'd probably be pretty shit at that. And Cap's Cap. I don't even know what it is he does — [ he leads, he keeps the peace, he sacrifices, they all want to be around him, he's the best person Amos knows — ] but he's amazing.

[ And not here. Amos sighs, rubs the back of his neck. ]

You got people here? Like, people you already know, not just making friends with the locals. [ He's not disparaging; she's good at it, but there's a difference between new friends and someone you'd die for, something he's feeling a little too keenly. ]

[ She nods in agreement. It really is a boon for them that the locals, while still keeping to their own ways, were so accommodating in the assimilation of those that fled Thorne. Solvunn feels so remote, a far cry from the stone walls that one encased them. Not having a lay of the land makes it difficult to really visualize how far away they are from the Kingdom, but it is nice to feel safe, at least for a little while.

But the real boon is seeing the way that Amos talks about his friends. He tends to put things simply, breaking them down into small, digestible pieces which make him easy to follow for the most part, even when he's talking about things she doesn't understand. But there's a new light in his eyes and a lift in his voice as he shares little bits about Naomi, Cap, and Alex. She finds herself smiling along with him, already drawing up images in her mind with what little she has to go off of, what it must have been like inside the Roci with a crew of mere four, travelling the sunless seas.

These are the people that he had to leave behind. Everyone here is missing someone. ]

Is it just you four, then? Two to maintain the Roci, one to steer it, and one to command the team? I wouldn't know what is needed but the sea-faring vessels I've been on usually require much more!

[ It's clear that he enjoys what he does. Would that he be able to do that here as well...

To Amos' question, she gives an affirmative hum. In some ways it makes her lucky--no, she is lucky that she has someone to rely on. Someones? ]

A good friend and now colleague of mine arrived before I did--Estinien. He's a dragoon with at least a decade more combat experience than me. I met him in that wintery place I told you about.

[ Ishgard. Estinien's homeland, who he now rarely returns to. ]

And then there's--

[ Himeka pauses, both with her steps and her speech.

How does one even begin to define the...strange series of events that surround the relationship she has with Emet-Selch?

She waves her hands in the air as she tries to explain. ]

--Emet-Selch. He...well, he was an enemy before we met, but then we met and he decided to become a friend and helped us out a bit when he could have been trying to kill us. He even saved the life of someone very important to me. But then things took a turn and he became our enemy again and he and I had a fight to the death, but I won and he seems okay with it now, so I believe we're friends again? Frien-emies?

[ You know how it goes. ]

Just us four, yup. [ His voice is easy; this is what he's happiest talking about. He doesn't catch her empathy, the way she's smiling because he is. It just seems natural to him. What else is gonna make him feel this good? And Hime's just a friendly person to begin with, so. ] We probably should have more. Ship's meant for a crew of 'bout 30. 'cept it's just been the four of us since the Donnager, and I don't see why anyone else should join what we've got going when we can make do. Wouldn't know them.

[ Which more means that he wouldn't trust them. Isn't sure he'd like them. Or if they'd upset Cap or Naomi or Alex in some way, ruin what they've had going for years now. It's taken Amos so long to find these people, and anything that would fuck it up...

Though he'd been wanting to get Clarissa to join them. So they could be a crew of five, then. He could live with that. Himeka's right, it's still way too few to operate a ship of its size, but he'd rather not mess with a successful formula.

More people means more chances shit goes south with him, after all. And he really, really would prefer to not fuck up what he's got.

... Not that it's relevant anymore. Amos exhales, turns his attention back on Hime for her answer, smiles politely at it. Doesn't know what a dragoon is, but he pictures someone like her, with scales and horns and a tail. Or maybe like the little dragons from her domain. Or both. 's not important. He just nods pleasantly at Estinien's description, raises his eyebrows at everything regarding Emet-Selch.

He's quiet for a moment, turning all of that over in his head. Parts of it almost sound like him, except he can't imagine ever turning on Himeka, trying to fight her to the death. ]

You can trust a guy like that?

[ It's a genuine question — no judgment here. For him, what you see is what you get most of the time, but he doesn't know the whole situation. There are circumstances in which he'd kill someone he'd just helped. Done it a couple of times, at least. He's not so much wondering if Himeka will be okay with this guy here, if this Emet-Selch is a threat, or even what it could mean for himself. He's just... wondering.

How does a good person deal with someone like that, really. That's the lead he'd like to try to follow. ]

[ It is easy, noticeably so. And it's always a joy to listen to people talk about something that they really care about. It's audible in their voice, in the relaxation in their face or the passion in their eyes. Amos may be more subdued, but it's still there. He cares about this ship and these people. ]

Made for thirty?

[ Then that is certainly impressive and she makes no attempts at hiding her shock. ]

That's amazing! You must all be the top of your fields.

[ His question is...a good one. The right one, really. Can she trust Emet-Selch? Should she trust him? In some ways he has been nothing but honest, but in many others it was only insofar as it served his own goals and purposes. So as long as their goals align, she should be fine. Should be.

The Burden of Remembrance...

After a moment of quiet contemplation, Himeka merely shrugs. ]

I'm not sure.

[ She is, as ever, honest. ]

But I want to...after all that's happened. So I suppose I will. I feel that I understand him now better than I did before. Mayhaps that makes all the difference?

[ His gaze turns upwards, absorbing Himeka's words. Amos' eyebrows raise a fraction in assessment before settling, and he looks back at her, bemusement in his voice. ]

Huh. Yeah. Guess we are. [ At the top of their fields. He'd known that about Naomi, at least. Working with her probably rubbed off on him. ] We're good enough to get by, at least.

[ Which, there's only so much he can do with that here. Sure, Amos takes pride in his work — upon reflection, he should probably be taking more — but everything he knows is pretty much useless here.

Ah, well. He shrugs it off, more interested in learning how Himeka deals with someone like that. But I want to is such a Holden approach, it makes Amos huff softly, shake his head in mild amusement. ]

I'm not the right guy to make that kind of call. [ He doesn't understand anyone, really.

Fondness creeps into his voice. ] You sound like Cap, though. And annoying as he is when he gets like that, he's usually right. So I figure you're probably onto something there.

[ Is that a realization for him, despite all his accomplishments? He seems a generally calm person, the sort who is happy to keep his head down and do his work. But given the clear amount of work they are doing without the help of others, she thinks it speaks for itself. ]

And humble too!

[ Both the truth and a bit of a joke. He could boast and she would not blame him, but Amos doesn't seem like that sort of man.

His approval is still heartening, especially how he compares her to someone he clearly holds in esteem. ]

That feels a high honor given what you have just told me of your friends.

[ Himeka knows she doesn't have the reputation for making the best choices--but people, people she feels like she can't just give up on. ]

But I hope you're right.

[ A pause as she considers, looking out at nothing in particularly before refocusing on Amos. ]

We're friends now, aren't we?

[ The corner of his mouth quirk upwards, if only for a second, at the humble comment. Sure, maybe. More that it's just something he hasn't really thought of — he's not really a big picture guy, like the others — but the point isn't worth arguing.

Especially when they're. Well. He hadn't really thought about it before, but... yeah. ]

Yeah. We're Friends.

[ He looks back down at Himeka, makes eye contact, looking into that earnestness. He doesn't make friends easily. Or at all, really. He speaks plainly, but there's affection in his voice, the way his eyes crinkle, his mouth falls into a natural smile. They'd been friendly without memories. She'd done her best to help him in prison, when he was about to lose it. (Still might, but probably won't with her here.) And just... seeing someone he knows here, in the society that he knows nothing about, can't fit into.

If they're not friends, then what else would they be? Amos claps a hand on her shoulder, keeps it there. ]

[ From a quiet man like Amos, someone who holds much close to his heart, such a gesture of trust and solidarity is something to note. She's known a variety of people, some open and brazen with their affections, others reserved and non-emotive--she can pick up on the difference.

And this is special, his agreement. Himeka's smile widens and brightens as she nods, affirming his affirmation. ]

Well I think it's high time we make use of the local tavern. What do you think? I just have a few more deliveries left.

[ His grin broadens at her suggestion, warmth and amusement in his voice when he speaks. ]

That's the best idea I've heard since I got here. [ It really is. As out of place as he might feel, a bar's a bar. Never a bad thing.

He nods at the packages she's still got, smile fading to something more manageable, something he can't feel pressing into his cheeks. ] You really did settle right in here, huh.

[ Maybe a tavern will help him with that. Who knows. ]

[ She chuckles and shrugs. He's not wrong and, despite being an outsider in most of the place she's travelled, she has never found it too difficult to have something to do. Hells, even in Ishgard where she initially looked like the enemy. ]

I think it's easiest to acquaint yourself with the local tavern. Most people are willing to chat over ale, you know?

[ Food and drink really do bring people together. ]

Always been more of the sit at the bar, don't get bothered by anyone kinda guy, myself. [ It's a wonder why more people don't just approach the guy with no expression on his face who will merely glance at someone who comes up to him before opting to look at his drink or a wall instead. He's so good at making friends, really.

... Himeka's a bright and friendly enough kind of person that he was receptive to her pretty quick. Huh. Maybe there is hope for him, after all. ] I should probably try it your way.

[ Chances are pretty good he'll fail miserably, so he might not even bother at all, but hey. It's a whole new world. Might as well. ]

[ She's not at all surprised by that at this point and, really, there's nothing wrong with that either. She's perfectly content with just sitting and people watching herself, especially in a new place. Got to get a good feel for the area.

But he's opening up and considering how he'd looked when she ran into him, it seems like a huge step. ]

Hey, if there's no one we want to talk to we can just make bets on the locals who like arm-wrestling. Or have you considered entering?

[ Oh, he'd definitely give any and all credit regarding him opening up to Himeka. Never him. He isn't the kind of guy who takes his own steps forwards so much as observes what a person better than him does, and attempt to copy them.

There are usually mixed results. Why wouldn't there be? But as far as stakes go, these are pretty low.

He's happy, the accompanying warmth in his expression, his voice. It's almost enough to make him forget about his uncertainty in being in a land like this. Almost. ]

I'm not so bad at that. [ A lifetime of fighting, of manual labour. He's pretty much always been the strongest guy on any ship he's ever crewed up with. Definitely familiar with the concept. ] Who knows, might be a way to make a bit of money. Though you might be more of the ringer type.

[ Himeka pumps her fist in excitement. Yes, she's taken her part in these contests but truth be told she is a mage and a caster, not a physical fighter. (That doesn't stop her from trying, of course. She enjoys the contest as much as anything else.) ]

Well then, I think we have an evening planned out for us, Amos.

[ Yes, she's decided as she picks up her step towards their next delivery. ]

First, we'll drink and eat to build up some stamina, and then we'll see who is foolish enough here in Solvunn to take us on in hand-to-hand combat!

[ That's...that's not what it is, but that's okay. A night not worrying about the larger implications of their stay to just spend time with a friend is really what you need sometimes. ]

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WELCOME TO SOLVUNN!

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