any way the wind blows

@thepigraphist​

“Ofrah!” There a smile on his face, though a little more sober than he’d like. Goodwin and his tallies were going to kill him—he hadn’t learned to live moderately and he wasn’t going to start now. “Did you find the transport already, or am I hoping for a miracle at this point?”

“anthony,” the brunette replied, perhaps not as ecstatically as her counterpart but still genuinely pleased to see him. he was one of the few people in the crew whose company she actually enjoyed. “the transport? ah, yes, the transport. the transport for the crew, the transport specifically chosen to carry the crew, the crew’s transport... that transport?”

​“how does that saying go? ‘beggars... can’t be choosers’?” ofrah frowned, disbelief coloring every inch of her disposition. “i know that there no longer are many options to our disposition, but we don’t necessarily have to end up as the beggars. look at--” she turned away from the crew working on the ferry, shielding herself and ramses so they wouldn’t hear “-- look at the ferry, ramses. that thing won’t stand the two of us, let alone the crew. and i’m not sure i’d place my life on those men’s hands.” 

“ Uh,  no.  Just something I picked up from the library to keep me occupied. ”  It was a fantasy novel he had picked up at a bookstore he had found. Something short enough to finish before the trip began and that he hadn’t read before, which was enough to keep him occupied. He doesn’t expect the straight forwardness of her question, and he stumbles for a moment before saying,  “ Well, I had heard there was a little bit of a disagreement. Just wanted to make sure everything’s alright now. ”

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Ramses snorted somewhat indelicately and ran a hand through his hair. “All good things, I hope,” he said wryly. “It’s nice to meet you, Ofrah.”

“Hieroglyphs,” he echoed curiously, tilting his head, eyes sharpening the way they did when he latched onto something he was truly curious about. “Someone has to know how to read them, I guess. They seem confusing.”

His expression flattened once again into the familiar smile when the conversation turned back to his job, to the familiar.

“Can’t say I’ve been on an trip like this, but I’ve been on my share of adventures,” Ramses admitted. “Usually it’s just thrill-seeking tourists. This time it’s thrill-seeking tourists with a mission,” he added dryly.

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“i wouldn’t admit to it if they were bad things, mr. samir,” she conceded, smiling as her head tilted slightly. then she nodded, as a way of saying the pleasure was mutual.

   “sometimes they are. in this expedition, the key is not mistaking them for each other. can you imagine where that would lead us? one inaccurate translation and we’d be sent around walking in circles ---- or worse.” ofrah shrugged, the words perhaps a bit too nonchalant for what they implied. but she trusted her abilities too fervently to be afraid at this point.

@thepigraphist​

The setting sun filled the lounge with light, gilding everything from the furniture to the picture frames to the motes of dust floating through the air. It was quiet, with most of the company seeking out dinner—just Ramses and one other remained. Ofrah, he believed? He’d heard the name thrown around, but he hadn’t yet properly met her.

He stood and walked over with a broad smile. “Ramses Samir. I don’t believe we’ve met yet. I’ll be your guide for the trip. Do you have much experience with expeditions like this?”

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it felt almost unbecoming not marvel at the scene, the outlines of the lounge’s furniture reverberating the golden glow of the dusk. as much as she attempted to disguise her gaiety, ofrah still felt stripped of her breath. no qualms remained for not joining the others at dinner, seeing as they’d be spending all of the upcoming days as a group starting soon. even when enjoying the calmness alone ( or so she thought ), it all felt at ease. 

    “ah, i’d heard of you, though i believe we hadn’t been acquainted,” ofrah returned the gesture, though offered a comparably more subdued grin. “i am ofrah, and i will be the one analyzing whichever hieroglyphs we come across -- not as fast-paced of a job as being the guide.” 

    “i, uh--” for a moment, she considered lying-- “no, not much. i’m familiar with the logistics in theory, but not in practice. you? how often do you guide groups of historians and archaeologists seeking old tombs?”  

@thepigraphist​

“  Evening. How are you, Ofrah ?  ”  he asks, having looked up from the novel he was reading and seeing who had entered the hotel lounge that had turned into a camp of sorts. Frankly, Harold would prefer not to get involved — considering he had heard some discussion of a conflict earlier in the day, details left out — but he was raised to be polite.

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“evening to you too. what are you reading? does it have to do with the expedition?” ofrah replied, the greeting still carrying remainders of the frustration stirred by the interaction with the medic. eyes quickly glanced over at the novel, though she doubted it was information she would retain for later. “me? i am splendid,” she feigned a smile, though it lasted very little. then, she sighed gently. “do you really want to know, or is the inquiry just a formality?”

@thepigraphist​

“ you would do well to stop getting under my feet. ”   meryem is not often harsh and is not so, even now, but the words are pointed.   back off.   “ i know what i need for this journey, i do not need you to hover. ”

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