The Park - Sunday morning

[mages_suck]

The island was calm. The people here were calm. It was weird, after being in a high-tension environment for most of his life. Fenris sought the unacknowledged comfort of trees. The bench was unoccupied, the ducks unspoken to.

He smirked a little. "Hello, ducks. Where's your human friend?"

The ducks didn't answer. He hadn't truly expected them to.

The bench was unoccupied, but why sit on a bench when that tree right there had a branch that begged? Catching it, he pulled himself up and took a seat. Leaning against the trunk, he pulled one leg up and let the other hang free.

[Open! Brooding McElfEars is in the tree looking elvish af.]

Comments

[mages_suck]

"The island seems very strange, the way it collects people," Fenris said, "Have you enjoyed your stay here?"

[2_old_for_this]

"Compared to the last place I was, this is heaven," Peter said wryly. "It's got its bad moments, but the people are good and it's mostly easy to live in."

He took in the armor Fenris was wearing. "There's not much for a warrior to do here most days. I ended up running a flower shop. I also have a get-together every Tuesday at the community center, to watch current local entertainment and try to get a hang of the world, if you're interested."

[mages_suck]

Peter. Did you just. You did. Ugh. You're grounded.

"I've been getting that impression, yes," Fenris glanced down at his armor, "I wasn't carrying my pack when I arrived and I've not yet sought out other clothing. I thought to try and see what the local color was but.." He held a hand palm-up, "It is pretty varied."

"Tuesday, Sunday.. At least the names of the days are the same, even if the months differ. Thank you for the invitation. It might be interesting to see what the local entertainment is."

[2_old_for_this]

Someone had to.

"It is pretty varied, but the pants I'm wearing are fairly standard." He was in jeans and a button-down. "Shirts can be like this or simple cotton shifts. There's a clothing store in town...do you read the local language?"

[mages_suck]

Fenris took in Peter's clothing. "I can't remember the last time I went without armor. It would be quite a change." The clothing seemed looser than his armor and would probably chafe his scars less.

He shook his head, "I barely read at all in any language. It's not a skill slaves are taught."

[2_old_for_this]

Peter's expression darkened a bit at that. "You'll be able to learn whatever you want to here. There are no slaves."

He shook off the mood. "The shop is called Demon Marcus. If you don't read that much, just look for the windows with mannequins in clothing in them. The guy who owns it is great at finding clothes that work for people, and he's willing to outfit people and let them pay him back later. He was a godsend when I ended up here with barely any clothes on my back."

[mages_suck]

"I've been told as much," Fenris assured him lightly, "It's illegal here. That's refreshing. I haven't been a slave in years." At least three whole years. "I started learning to read only recently."

Hawke had taught him. He just wasn't very good at it, because without the reason to practice - he hadn't.

"Does the word 'demon' mean something different in this world?" he asked, idly curious.

[2_old_for_this]

"Depends what it means in your world," Peter pointed out. "Here it's...evil creatures from another dimension, I guess you'd say. There's no demons at the shop, though. That's just the name."

[mages_suck]

Fenris nodded, "Evil creatures from another dimension, fond of possessing people and creatures in this dimension, very fond of possessing blood mages and turning them into Abomination. So, a similar meaning. At least it's just the name. I doubt I'd be inclined to trust a demon with sartorial choices."

[2_old_for_this]

"I wouldn't trust a demon with anything as far as I could throw them," Peter said. He sighed. "But that said, a lot of the people here aren't what you'd expect. Apparently a part-demon used to run the store, long before I got here. I don't pretend to understand it, but there it is."

[mages_suck]

"There's no such thing, where I'm from," Fenris said, "as a part-demon. Being a little bit possessed would be like being a little bit pregnant." After a moment, "There don't seem to be mages here, or not the sort I'm familiar with. My scars don't ache. They're the primary hosts for demons, in my world."

[2_old_for_this]

Peter winced. "I probably should mention I'm what you might call a mage," he said.

And he'd been possessed once, but he'd gotten over it.

"I can do magic, at least."

[mages_suck]

Fenris tensed for a moment when Peter self-identified as a mage. His hands curled on the branch and his eyes grew hard while he looked at the man below.

Less than a minute, before Fenris was shaking his head. "Whatever magic you wield is nothing kin to the magic in my world," he allowed, "I can't feel you at all."

The Lyrium didn't so much as tingle.

[2_old_for_this]

"I'm glad," Peter said. "I'd hate to be causing you pain just by being here. I try not to use too much magic, but I'd hate for you to find out the wrong way if something attacks us."

[mages_suck]

"Thank you," Fenris said, relaxing back against the tree, "That is very..kind of you."

Almost curiously, he asked, "Are you able to feel the metal at all?"

[2_old_for_this]

"Metal?" Peter shook his head. "No, why would I?"

[mages_suck]

Fenris ran two fingers down the white metallic scars on his chin, "Lyrium. Where I'm from it's..a primal substance. In its raw form, it will kill mages outright. Refined, it is a tool that amplifies and enhances magic. Some people take it as a drug. It is highly addictive. It reacts to the magic of my world and calls to mages. I would know a mage of my world, and one would know me, through these."

[2_old_for_this]

"It's deadly and addictive, and you have it grafted into you?" Pardon Peter, Fenris; that sounded like a terrible idea.

[mages_suck]

Fenris smirked one side of his mouth. "There's a reason I don't like mages. This was done to me to make me a better servant. More useful."

[2_old_for_this]

Peter's frown was a bit darker now, and directed not at all at Fenris. "I can certainly understand your hating them, then. I would, too."

He thought about asking if it were actively harming Fenris, since they had a lot of different medical and healing traditions around, but he suspected that would be a little personal for having just met.

[mages_suck]

"That and their propensity for possession does not endear them to me, no," Fenris said calmly. "You don't register on that level, if it's of any matter to you what a stranger thinks."

He didn't hate him outright. His scars weren't so much as tingling.

[2_old_for_this]

"It matters I'm not hurting you," Peter said. "It matters I'll know to be especially careful with magic around you, just in case." He shrugged. "Not that I use it much anyway."

[mages_suck]

The unexpected and unasked for kindness caught him a little off guard. "..Thank you. I appreciate the gesture," he said quietly.

[2_old_for_this]

"Huh?" Peter blinked. He hadn't considered it a gesture at all, just common courtesy. "You're welcome. Once you have clothes, what about the other things? Are you set for food? Or a place to sleep? Do you want a job?"

[mages_suck]

Fenris sat there for a long moment, processing the questions. From a stranger. It was going to take a minute.

"I am staying with a.. new friend, for now," he began slowly, "Food is easy enough, though I believe the custom is to purchase it in town rather than hunt for game. A job?"

He looked down at himself and then glanced up at his sword, "Do you know of anyone hiring a guard?" He had few translatable job skills. 'Kills things lots' was the primary one of them.