Cold Arrival

[loyalrebel]

WHO: Malik Al-Sayf
WHERE: Fountain Square, Inn, around the village
WHEN: 12/29
OPEN TO: Fountain: Altaïr, Elsewhere: OTA
WARNINGS: mention of past character death, tbd

---

Fountain: Altaïr

As far as rude revivals went, regaining consciousness underwater was pretty high up there. That it was also freezing didn't help anything in the slightest. Malik isn't entirely sure how he makes it to the surface or the edge of the fountain where he clings and tries to catch his breath.

He knows he needs to get out of the water and in to somewhere at least sheltered if not warm. That or dip back under and call his merfolk form around him. There's something off though, besides the seeming lack of other Travelers in the water with him. He tries to reach for his magic, and that's when he figures out what's out of place.

He can't access any of his bag of tricks. No magic, no portals to Liminal, no shapeshifting either.

He swears under his breath, clinging tightly to the edge of the fountain.

“Hello?” He calls out, hoping there's someone within earshot even as he struggles up out of the water as best he can with one arm while shivering.

Inn: OTA

Malik had genuinely forgotten exactly how much the cold bothered him, being able to magically ignore it had spoiled him against the unique aches it brought to his left shoulder. Which, much to his dismay, has reproduced in his knees.

He's managed to settle himself at a table close to the fireplace, which he eyes on occasion like he's contemplating actually pressing himself against the bricks or just crawling inside of. Mostly though, he eats and attempts to eavesdrop on anyone coming in.

There's something he notices though, as he eats and its enough to actually give him pause to stare at the dish before him.

“That is new.” He admits aloud, frowning.

Wildcard

He hasn't been here long, but there are some rather important things that Malik needs to test out before all hell breaks loose as it usually does. So he finds a nostly out of the place to try things out.

While most of it seems to involve standing there looking increasingly annoyed, he does eventually take to throwing stones he dug out of the snow at a cleared bit of ground with remarkable precision while looking murderous.

Comments

Wildcard

[rebornpaladin]

It's a little jarring, catching sight of a silhouette that's only really familiar in one specific way. That's the first thing that catches Shiro's eye, anyway, followed immediately by what the person's doing, which is a little alarming in its own way, but more just sparks his curiosity. It seems like an incredibly specific but not necessarily useful task to set oneself to.

"Good arm," he calls out, watching another purposeful, doubtless precise throw, hears the words that come out of his mouth a fraction of a section after they do, and is instantly grateful he's got his coat and shirt sleeves cuffed to where his elbow would be, if he still possessed one on the right side, which he demonstrably does not.

Re: Wildcard

[loyalrebel]

"You said it, not me." Malik quips back, unoffended. Shiro's voice isn't an unfamiliar one, even if he is fairly certain he's the only one who remembers Traveling.

"How are you finding being left handed?" He asks, and there's the sort of amusement of an inside joke to his tone.

[rebornpaladin]

"Frustrating," Shiro answers honestly, the tilt of his head shifting just minutely with a more focused curiosity. The man could simply be exceptionally easy going, but if this is Altair's Malik, which Shiro suspects it might be, that certainly isn't what Shiro had been lead to expect. The response was delivered with a familiarity that seems out of place.

"It feels like something I missed the opportunity to prepare for." As much as he'd despised the Galra prosthetic, it had been a part of him, and he hadn't planned for its absence, at least without a replacement. It's taken losing the damn thing to realize what an oversight that was on his part.

[loyalrebel]

Malik has generally made a career out of being not what people expect, though he's a bit too tired to consider lying about all of Traveling at the moment.

"Most people do not consider it something to deal with to begin with. The majority of things can still be done, but there are select few that are truly unattainable. It mostly ends up being clapping."

[rebornpaladin]

He blinks with mild surprise and then laughs, walking nearer.

"And I thought shaking hands was awkward. I'm Shiro. You must have arrived... recently?"

[loyalrebel]

"Malik, and yes though I am not directly from my home." malik nods, "I can teach you some things, but others are more satisfying to figure out on your own."

[rebornpaladin]

"So far I've been managing, but it's still new. Where did you arrive from?" he asks, since that seemed an extremely specific way to frame the information.

[loyalrebel]

"Nearly three years of near-madness those of us doing it called Traveling." Malik shrugged, "I have a...varied understanding of different things because of it. It mostly ends up meaning that there is very little that will surprise me any more."