Gestr er inn kominn, hvar skal sitja sjá?

[givefarmore]

Who: Ragnar; Open!
What: Continued August TDM threads, getting his bearings and exploring
When: Early September
Where: Around Milton + outskirts

Content Warnings: Talk of Viking death and killing, will update

Ragnar has spent too long inside the community hall, cautiously learning what he can from people he doesn't know and who may or may not be trustworthy. Especially since there is no sufficient explanation as to why he is there and not back in Kattegat assuming his title as King and protecting his family from whatever retaliatory force might come after once news of King Horik and his family's death reaches the right ears.

He plans to find a way out, even though a few have since told him there is no leaving Milton.

Ragnar gathers the few things that managed to come with him and once he begins to explore, is quick to discover the more modern advances that seem to take place between his world and this one. He doesn't pay it much mind, though he does make a mental list of things to ask about. Namely how water can be fed into the shelters and homesteads around town. That and the metal pieces he found alongside some weapons he does recognize.

When he's not rummaging through empty cabins looking for hints and clues for a way out or learning that the same animals exist here as they do in his world, he's back at the community hall, sitting in front of the fire, talking quietly to his Gods about understanding what his purpose here might be.

Comments

For Zane

[givefarmore]

[ cont. from here ]

There is something distinctly familiar about the man right then and Ragnar can’t help but see Floki for a fleeting moment in his eyes. A certain level of madness and intelligence combined that a few enjoy while others step back from because it’s too much.

Ragnar smiles, the question not making total sense. He still nods, for no other reason than the most literal. He is real. But is all this?

He still doesn’t have an answer for that question.

“It seems that I am, or you would be touching and talking to something only you can see and hear.”

[sukeltaja]

Tom giggles, feminine but unbothered by it, smile a mile wide.

"Real is only what you make of it," he promises, but dives right back in, patting the other's hand before leaning back.

"What year is it for you, then, viikinki? Before you were pulled away from your boats and villages."

[givefarmore]

His forehead throbs intensely but it is short lived, acting as a quick reminder of the other things he had left behind. King Horik deserved his death, as Jarl Borg deserved his. Ragnar smiles, though it's nothing malicious, and he shakes his head.

"What is a year?" he asks, drinking from his cup and looking back to his new friend with interest.

Ragnar is unfamiliar, though if Tom had asked how many seasons had passed since his birth, he could tell him that easily.

For Levi

[givefarmore]

[ cont. from here ]

Everything the young man shares is important, but especially the first bit of information and not being the first or only ones there. There’s a warning there only Ragnar doesn’t pay too close attention to it. He comes from a type of people who aren’t afraid to die, as long as he dies doing what honours his Gods.

Still, he keeps listening, his eyes drifting to the fire and back to Levi while taking another drink from his cup.

“How many people are here, in this base, as you call it? How often do you see new people arrive here?”

He’ll hold off on asking more about these locals who seem to want them not to exist. There’s a story forming.

[wingbound]

Levi certainly does look young thanks to his small size and round face, though they're probably not as far apart in years as it may seem at first glance. He's got enough experience to be convinced that the Forest Talkers are bad news, at least, and he's pleased that someone seems to be taking it seriously, even if the man doesn't comment on it directly.

It's better than dismissing his warnings outright.

He takes a moment to respond, seemingly considering his answer, perhaps doing a quick recount in his head. There used to be more of them, and then there were less. It's also not the sort of information he'd just hand out to anybody, but none of the Forest Talkers were dressed like that; this man has to have been taken from some other place, perhaps far in the past like Randvi.

"...There had to be about seventy people before the newest group showed up. Haven't gotten the chance to count them yet. Can't say I noticed much of a pattern; it's been a few months since the last time."

[givefarmore]

Ragnar takes the number into consideration. The amount of people here isn't quite an army's worth, but if there's trouble, and the Viking knows enough about being an unwanted visitor in a land where others exist first, then knowing how to fight is crucial. He knows he needs to get home, so there's a certain amount of trust the Viking needs to put into who is here to make sure that happens.

After a few moments of sober thought, Ragnar asks his next question. "What other dangers are there? Besides these locals?"

For Sansa

[givefarmore]

[ cont. from here ]

Ragnar listens, eyes flashing in Sansa’s direction after the mention of dragons, though that interest dulls as she continues on with the stories from her time. He doesn’t think, not even for a moment, that they come from different worlds. Not yet. Because everything she describes is not so far off from how Kings and titles and politics work where he is from.

He gives her a small nod, moving his cup over where he holds it.

“Neither of what we both know seems to be the truth here,” He watches her steady hand pour before he leans back again, taking to stare into the fire once more. “How long has it been since you arrived here?”

[clothed]

"Almost four moons to a turn," Sansa answers after some thinking.

It surprises her to realise that it had been some time since she's arrived in Milton. Long enough that she's started to think herself among the Interlopers, as they are called by the natives. She still doesn't understand most of the politics in this place, or what matters have caused the discord between the Forest Talkers and the Interlopers, or what Methuselah or Young Bill or Enola have to do with it.

There are other players to the game played here. And the Darkwalker is plague made shaped and real, haunting them in ways that leave Sansa fearing the night in altogether new ways.

Sansa frowns at her feet, then. "I still do not understand this place," she confesses. "Too many things unfamiliar, and... too many names and faces unknown. I am not so used to being a stranger."

It's almost too honest a thing to say.

[givefarmore]

Not more than a season, he thinks. He turns his gaze back to her and applies that to his own life. He'd been known where he was, better than he had been. Yet, if someone asked him if he could leave behind a legacy without needing to lower himself to pick up the power that he had never ever wanted, he would settle to be the farmer he always wanted to be.

And he wonders now if it will be he's undoing.

"I understand," he admits, glancing around the room at some of the others. "What do you think your purpose is here then that in four moons you do not get to know those unfamiliar faces better? We are not where we were, so we must find our purpose and hope we see familiar faces once again."

Random House

[tinstar]

Raylan was itching for things to do, things to keep himself busy, and delivering firewood around town to the Community Hall as well as a few other houses, wasn't cutting it. It was his alternate day, where he spent his time in town instead of hunting. Hunting cans and whiskey and anything useful.

With as many houses as Milton had, it was rare but not impossible to come in on someone and that was the case now - the sound of the front door opening, followed by little tippy tappies of puppy energy and the soft fond admonishment of a man in a hat.

"We gotta work on your wait and stay commands, Goose. Bad practice to go chargin' into a place." But it didn't matter, the small wolf pup bounded in anyway, nose going a million miles an hour as he follows the small of Man towards were Ragnar was. It seems to take the pup by surprise to see him though, and Goose hops back and starts barking.

"Easy, hey-"

Re: Random House

[givefarmore]

Ragnar's focus is keen on the man as he walks in, but less so when the wolf pup finds him and alerts his master that he found something. He can't help but smile and lower to a crouch, reaching out without any caution and knowing full well what the small animal is and what it'll grow up to be. He pats the floor and bounces a finger lightly off the end of his snout.

"Look at you, all sure of yourself," he tells Goose, gaze shifting upwards to his owner. "He is yours?"

That's what it seems like, though he can't be sure due to hearing the man speak the name of a different animal.

[tinstar]

Goose, clearly still a silly thing who lacked any sense of self preservation, is easily swayed by Ragnar's gesture and Raylan doesn't stop him all because Ragnar speaks to the dog first. There were Rules™ and people who didn't respect them were always seen as more suspicious. So he smiles as he answers with a little nod.

"He is. We're still workin' on training and he's young enough that I'm not bein' too strict about things. Not good for any kind of soul." Goose was more than happy to get up in Ragnar's space, nose going back to work before he's pushing up into the man's hands like a shameless lovebug.

"Real guard wolf, ain't he?"

Community hall

[guidemyway]

Look. Ruby wasn't generally the type to question anyone about what they were doing, but seeing a new guy around quietly chatting to himself by the fire was something halfway interesting and hopefully not deadly around here. So Ruby felt the need to inquire about it.

She takes a few steps toward Ragnar then gives a little wave to catch his attention.

"Sooooooo. Who're you talking to?"

[givefarmore]

She succeeds in earning his attention and after hearing her question, Ragnar's face eases and the hard pinch in between his eyes softens enough that he doesn't look so focused and intense. He tilts his head her way, realizing they had not met yet.

"My Gods," Ragnar answers, without hesitation. "I'm looking for guidance."

[guidemyway]

That actually gets her interest a little. She blinks and takes a seat nearby.

"Really? And they talk back to you?" She pauses for a moment and looks over toward the fire. She can understand why someone might need a little guidance here. "What would they normally tell you to do?"

Around town

[meadqueen]

Randvi likes to walk with Ulfrùn in familiar areas, both to avoid tiring tiny wolf legs with great distances and so that she's familiar enough with the environment that she won't trip if the puppy does not alert correctly to obstacles.

She is on one of these walks when she sees the newcomer Ragnar, the one who had called her Viking. She raises a hand to catch his attention.

“Ragnar, well met.”

Re: Around town

[givefarmore]

She is and there is no telling Ragnar otherwise. He declares it.

He watches Randvi as she approaches and tips his head down reverently in greeting, and at the same time spots the growing wolf pup.

"It is good to see you again, my new friend, Randvi," he says, smiling. "I hope you are well."

Ragnar crouches.

"And who is this fierce little one?"

[meadqueen]

The little puppy stares up at the man, visibly vibrating until Randvi frees her with a gesture and she surges forward to sniff at the newcomer.

“This is Ulfrùn. She is training to serve as my right eye.”

Community Hall

[lestercraft]

Arthur's already working on getting his own place to stay together, but it means he's a little short on actual food for it, so he frequently comes by the community hall to help with that particular need. At least for now; hopefully he can learn to hunt later on and mitigate some of that for himself.

For now he takes a moment to sit by the fire, needing a break from his work fixing his new residence up.

He notices the other man muttering under his breath almost immediately; but it's not until he recognises one of the names of the gods that his curiosity is truly piqued, and he sits up a little to look over at the man.

"With all due respect," he says quietly, looking back at the fire. "I don't think they can hear you here."

Re: Community Hall

[givefarmore]

Ragnar's expression, at first, is mild surprise, but only because he was caught talking to himself. It then morphs into amusement -- much like one would look if they knew something the other didn't. He isn't smug about it, but it is telling that this man might have own God, much like the one his priest does, who he was convinced at one point, that he could no longer could hear his.

"And how do you know that, I wonder?" Ragnar replies quietly, one eye squinting playfully. "Do you not think yours hears you wherever you go?"

Re: Community Hall

[lestercraft]

That gets a light snort out of Arthur, surprised by the comeback.

"Right, of course you think I'm Catholic." He sits up a little, stretching his arms. "No, unfortunately, I was rather forcibly disabused of that notion quite some time ago. There are other gods, and two of them have vested interests in my person - one of them made a point to tell me he's been stalking me for some time."

Hall

[solitarysoul]

He'd been out on 'patrol' for a few hours, so after the boy with the oversized coat and rifle stores those things at his cot he heads over to the fire. People were always awkward but warmth was warmth, so he sits down about as far away as he can get while still being by the fire.

He blinks and looks to Ragnar as the man speaks softly. "Um, a-are you talking to me?"

Re: Hall

[givefarmore]

Ragnar is so deep inside his head that he barely registers the movement of someone joining him, even if it only just catches in his periphery. Not only that, but his eyes were fixed on the reds and orange colours of fire dancing inside the firebox, enough that when his attention is pulled he can still see them in his vision.

"Are you Odin?" he questions, blinking himself a number of times to bring the other man into focus.

animals!

[bigbaddy]

It's not difficult to learn about what animals exist out here, huh. The creatures may have left the area for a while, but they certainly are back now, their tracks all over the snow around town.

It seems like there's someone else looking at the tracks as well. Bigby was staring down at a certain set in the snow, but he looks up when he hears a crunch against it, looking over at Ragnar without any real alarm in his eyes.

".. Are you also going out to hunt?"

Re: animals!

[givefarmore]

Hunting is currently the only thing that feels right to do. Not only for the sake of familiarity, and because he's damn good at it. But also because he wants to contribute; to give back. Much like he'd done back home in Kattegat, when he was simply a farmer who was eager to live off the land with his family and take part in the summer raids.

All he ever wanted to do was explore and be normal.

"I am," he answers, glancing towards the other man. Ragnar gestures with a flick of his head towards the tracks. "What did you find?"