middaeg | ( open ) little do you know...

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( open ) little do you know...

Who: Yennefer and [open]
When: Septeril catch-all
Where: All Over
What: Quests, fall out from being an unbonded witch, and everything in between
Warnings: most likely violence, near death experience, will update with anything else

[ starters will be in the comments and linked here. Please feel free to pm me or hit me up on
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hoopskirts if there's something specifically you'd like to do or throw a wildcard at me. ]

7th. Fabiano's Finesse (Quest) and Joint Open Option for Yennefer and Geralt
10th. Breaking of the Wish (Open)

All Month. Wildcard
wildcard » 4th. Alucard

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QUEST - Fabiano's Finesse; 7th

I. The Lesson (Closed to Geralt) -

[ The decision to pick up this particular task was an easy one to make. She needed to make some quick coin that could possibly result in a consistent income. And something she could possibly expand on down the road if this experiment is successful. She has skill with a blade and if some of the women at Court had been trained to protect themselves, well... Quite a bit could have ended differently. So maybe this is for the child that never had a chance or her shit of a mother who'd never learned anything different -- who'd never learned how to achieve anything beyond the desire for a substantial marriage.

And certainly, she recognizes that some here absolutely have no interest in anything going on -- especially the younger ladies. Those are the ones she's particularly keen to teach because there's more to fencing or sword fighting than just going through the motions.

She starts the first lesson of about 6 ladies with some laughs to try and lighten the mood. Her goal is to get them to do something she rarely does -- drop their emotional guard. The steps she teaches are fluid, flowing through some of the combinations like a dance. Yennefer had opted for all black - skin-tight leather pants paired with a corset over a long sleeve shirt and boots. Something to show the lines of her body for instruction, but also look professional.

Swinging the blade, the weight is familiar in her hand and a welcome distraction. Between the demonstrations and watching and correcting their form, they've all worked up a light sweat... and they still had some enthusiasm. And that's when Yennefer catches a glint of gold eyes watching, an idea coming to mind. After a quick conversation with the ladies - her eyes catch his, a finger lightly curling to draw him out of whatever shadows he'd found. Two of the younger girls in the group giggle, whispering to each other as a blush lightly colors one of their cheeks.

Oh yes, this could definitely work. And he owed her. She'd accept this as a form of apology. ]

II. After (Open - responses coming from both Yennefer and Geralt) -

[ There aren't many activities where Yennefer will willingly build up any sort of a sweat with her clothes still remaining on -- even if sparring was a sort of flirting for them. After getting her payment with some extra tips and requests for a second lesson, she was feeling quite good. Good enough to want to spend a little bit more time with Geralt. So, when everything is wrapped up, she stays close to him as they move through town seeking out somewhere quiet to have a drink.

Being seen out and about together isn't something Yennefer typically chose, out of protection for both of them. They came from a world where relationships were exploited and caring could be seen as a weakness before she even took her own personal concerns into account. But, the wish was on the verge of being resolved so maybe she could let him back in. A bit.

Together, they walk through the streets -- Yennefer's arm wrapping around Geralt's wordlessly as they move. Eventually they find a pub, settling at a table with extra space should anyone choose to join them. ]

[ ooc: if anyone ever wanted the chance to come across them together in a fairly ok mood, this is the time. ]

Edited 2020-09-09 01:21 (UTC)

Breaking of the Wish (Open); 10th

[ Facing the consequences of her actions isn't something she's often handled with dignity and grace, but she'd been trying. At least, when it came to the Wish. So much had gone wrong so quickly in her life, intricately woven emotional puzzles unraveling at her feet before she'd even come here. And now she was dealing with the fallout of that paired with her possible fate hanging over her head.

She's not sure what path she'd been lucky enough to follow leading her to the Coven today when everything goes wrong, but she's grateful for it. It starts with a headache -- something she'd been experiencing more and more. Those had been easy enough to ignore, but it was apparently not an option any longer.

The pain is enough to drive her to her knees and then something snaps. Constricting with her until it explodes with a searing and debilitating pain -- horrid enough that everything goes black. It's a full day before she comes to in the infirmary, everyone seemingly as confused as she is by what happened. She'd thought with the addition of a familiar, she had at least another month or so. She knew the headaches were going to get worse, but the raven should have helped alleviate some of that.

Eventually, the pieces fall into place and she realizes what changed. She'll still need to deal with the overload of magic, but the barrier she'd had to bonding is gone. It's a relieving and equally terrifying thought, being rid of something that had clouded over so many of her decisions here. And now she was free of something she'd wanted to believe had been such a burden when it was truly something that had fed into a deep fear. She'd fought for so long to be important to someone that the first person she'd found that had said it and actually meant it might not have said those words without the Wish.

She'd stayed in the infirmary for three days, the first day drifting in and out of alertness, the second becoming a little more restless -- especially under the watchful eye of her Geralt shaped bedside companion and sometimes Jaskier if Geralt has to step away. Yennefer had expected to feel different, like something would change between them. On day two, she sends out a few messages to those who'd been helping her find a solution.

By day three she's already ready to move the show back to her cottage because at least there, Geralt might hover less. Any guests are welcome to visit either her cottage or her bed in the infirmary. But, she'll be back up and running hopefully in a few days. ]

Edited 2020-09-09 03:02 (UTC)

[It's night time, and Mogget is exploring.

He finds her via a familiar aroma wafting through an open window that tickles under his sensitive nose. Mogget has not visited the infirmary before, because why would he? But he has his particular list of people that he finds interesting and of all of them to find here he had not expected it to be her.

It is even more unexpected to find her asleep in a bed, after he slips in through aforementioned window and trots silently into the building. He can only see her dark hair from the floor, but he knows it's her.

Mogget jumps up, the bell at his collar ringing softly, and sits quietly at the end of the bed for a moment with his bright eyes appraising the sleeping woman. Then, he slinks up alongside her form with dainty steps. He sniffs lightly at her, catching that familiar sweet-tart smell again even through the more medicinal scent of the sheets, and then steps up onto her chest.

He is only a small cat, and as he settles down on the centre of Yennefer's ribcage he begins to quietly purr, lightly kneading at the sheet with both paws.]

[ Passing by the fencing studio is purely chance. Geralt's on his way to the bookshop, curious if he'll find any local history or other information. Only when he spots the familiar splash of dark hair does he stop.

Ah. Makes sense. Easy coin and the women would enjoy some elegant instruction. Geralt's seen the posting and had immediately dismissed it as an option for himself. He's not an instructor and certainly not one for refined ladies. Training as a Witcher bears little resemblance to the kind of fencing nobles desire. With Yennefer here, though, his curiosity brings him inside. After the last full moon, things have...been less tense. Enough so that he's no longer actively avoiding her.

Besides. Weather's still warm. He could get away from the heat for a bit. (He truthfully just wants to watch her swing a sword. It's attractive. He won't deny it.)

Of course, it's Yennefer. Which means Geralt eventually finds himself drawn out of the corner he'd chosen to observe from in silence.

He sighs. ] Yen --

[ That's about as much protest as he manages. It's futile. The women are watching. Intently. Despite the fact that there's currently no instruction going on. Fuck. He already regrets coming here.

Geralt picks up one of the loose swords; not nearly as balanced as his own, but sufficient for practice. He raises an eyebrow at Yennefer. It's her lesson, so he's following her lead. ]

[ While Ferdie is technically Edelgard's dog, Leslie may have some responsibility for the dog sticking around when Edelgard was originally waiting for him to leave, because she gave him the leftover dog food from when she'd been dogsitting. As a result, Leslie has been given the responsibility of walking and feeding the beagle during the day.

When they cross paths, Leslie is engaged in just that: the small dog sniffing at various things and possibly looking a little less small than he would with most people since Leslie would be a little short for a ten year old even though she's like thirteenish at this point. She's initially focused on the dog, but when she looks in the direction of Geralt and Yennefer, she smiles brightly and picks up her pace toward them. ]

Good evening, Mr. Geralt! And, um.

[ She's not sure if she should ask for a name or not. Maybe asking a name would make them feel obliged to stop and talk when perhaps they just want to just exchange greetings.

...Someone she doesn't know probably means Ferdie doesn't know her, either. Leslie looks down to the beagle before he can attempt any enthusiastic greetings. ] Ferdie, heel.

[ And the dog is well-trained enough that he does stay by Leslie's side, though the thwap thwap thwap of the wagging tail suggests he would like to go right up to New People and sniff and maybe even jump up a little. ]

[Sometimes right after they've visited Gil's cracked mirror, they visit the infirmary as well. It is a bit of a foolish habit, born out of curiosity more than anything else.

And this is the first time they find this young woman without that light haired muscled man at her side.]

Hello. [They shuffle a little closer, looking at her with a blank look on their face.] It seems your guardian has left. May I ask you what your illness is?

[They're not a doctor or anything, just a curious lump of divine clay.]

[ Yennefer was in a surprisingly good mood for what feels like the first time in a month, the child approaching and addressing Geralt drawing a smirk to her lips. The violet eyes capture her attention first as she studies the young face, curiosity piqued. Enough to gently pull Geralt to a stop if he hadn't already. ]

Yennefer.

[ And she is absolutely looking at Mr. Geralt for introductions. While Yennefer had collected a few amongst the younger population here, she hadn't realized Geralt had been doing the same. Considering he'd practically run in the other direction from his Child Surprise. So this is... a new perspective. His care for others isn't unknown to her, even if he does his best to conceal it in public. There is a heart in there. ]

[ Like Yennefer, there's a (very) slight lightness to Geralt that isn't normally present. His eyes are also on her instead of the path ahead, which means he doesn't notice that it's Leslie approaching from the other direction until he hears his name.

He looks over, then down at the squat little dog at her feet, then at Yennefer. He can already see what Yen is thinking. There's a hint of a question, too, as his gaze returns to Leslie, curious if she'll find Yennefer's similarly unusual violet eyes worth noting. ]

Yen. Meet Leslie. [ He pauses, searching for more of an introduction -- not for politeness' sake but because Leslie's just...a girl. Who seems especially sensitive to people's concerns. That she might think he doesn't want her around or to meet someone he knows bothers him in a way he prefers not to examine too deeply. ] We met at the carnival.

[ His walking her home that evening or later escorting her through the slums remains untold. Yennefer will have to get that information some other way. ]

For the time being. [ She knows he'll be back soon enough and Jaskier will likely be coming along at some point.
And truthfully? She has no complaints about Geralt's concerns. It was the beginning of an answer to a question she'd been too afraid to ask.

Yennefer adjusts in the bed, sitting a little further upright. ]

The fallout of a now broken wish paired with being unbonded. [ It's complicated. ]

[ Like with most things revolving around them, chance meetings were far more common than not -- likely due to the wish. Not that she'll say that out loud. Not right now when she has eager students watching her and Geralt closely. And she's certain the last thing they need to see is a couple who's also not a couple fighting in a very couple way.

A victorious smirk finds her lips as he picks up a loose sword, grateful that he didn't put up a fight. It wouldn't be a good look. Besides, she could stand to let out a little pent-up aggression since they haven't exactly been on sociable terms. Returning her attention to the ladies who are actively drinking in Geralt in all his stature, she softly clears her throat - a knowing and an almost conspiratorial smile playing on her lips. Like she and the ladies have the worst kept secret in town. ]

Now, I know the steps I taught you might seem too difficult to piece together... But, remember to think of it like a dance. One that you can choose to keep simple or make as intricate as you'd like.

[ She steps forward, her hand resting on Geralt's chest as she continues. ]

I'll demonstrate both at speed and hopefully, he'll be fast enough on his feet to keep up. [ Winking at him, she walks away -- feigning like she's going to continue speaking. Instead, she spins on her heels and swings the blade up, aiming for the crook of his neck. And she's ready for him to block, ready to draw him into her simplified dance. A warm-up before she'll call on true skill from him. ]

[ It takes a moment for anything to register, specifically the new weight on her chest. She was still somewhat out of it, but the staff was also unsure of how to help -- other than doing what they could to alleviate any symptoms from remaining unbonded. This was uncharted territory for everyone, so it was honestly more reactionary care. And truthfully, the only thing they could advise was bonding to alleviate other symptoms before worsened and she found her way back here or worse.

Violet eyes settle on Mogget, trying very hard to not smirk. Her voice is hoarser than it had been the last time they spoke, but there's no malice in her tone. Quite the opposite. ]

I see you've made yourself comfortable.

[ His stance is loose, but there's a vague discomfort in the air around him, too. Geralt tends to keep what he's capable of to himself; he has little reason to show off and plenty of reasons not to. The only times he's ever sparred are with other Witchers, killing time in the winters at Kaer Morhen.

He's never crossed swords in front of an audience. Certainly never with Yennefer. Their encounters are physical in --

Other ways. Which he might be thinking about at the moment. Hard not to when she's chosen those clothes to wear to this damn lesson. The warmth of her hand on his chest lingers. It's for that reason that he cuts it a little close when his sword comes up to block her. His mind is definitely not on the fight.

He steps forward. It is, at least, an easy dance to fall into. Once they start, instinct overtakes his apprehension. He engages her without pressing, letting her lead with the steps she's been teaching the women. His blade comes down across her chest, leaving just a hair's breadth of room in case she doesn't parry it. ]

[ Given that the last place she'd seen Geralt was in the Outer City looking for missing children, it's nice seeing that slight lightness, though she doesn't know him well enough yet to realize just how rare a thing that is. And she has no idea for Yennefer whether this is the norm or not.

Leslie does seem to have taken notice of Yennefer's violet eyes, but the reaction is a faint one. Her own violet eyes are, as far as she's aware, normal in her world, inherited from the woman who she doesn't call mother anymore. It's interesting to see someone with the same eyes as her and Lady Edelgard, but not something she finds startling.

As has continued to be her habit for introductions, Leslie both curtsies and bows at the same time. ]

It's a pleasure to meet you -- [ She hesitates for a moment. She feels like there's a certain confidence to the way Yennefer holds herself that makes her uncertain in honorifics between: ] Ms. Yennefer? Lady Yennefer?

[ As she straightens back up, she adds to Geralt's explanation: ] He helped me to carry the dumplings I bought for him back to the house where I'm living here.

[ She had actually bought the dumplings for him, having mistaken him for not having enough money to eat when he picked up a pre-bitten apple for Roach, but he didn't accept them, so it was still helping her with bringing them back to her own house. ]

[ That momentary delay catches her attention, an eyebrow arching before she falls into the rhythm. Yennefer parries the blow aimed for her chest, glad to see him relaxing a bit. The thought of dodging it completely had crossed her mind, but this was the simplified sparring. A sparring demonstration with someone who wasn't a fellow Witcher, she recognized how special and rare this probably was. A privilege she was allowed to call on in some form. And his guard was down enough to allow a momentary distraction... She hadn't lost her touch.

She crosses blades with him a few more times, calling out the steps as she goes. Yennefer starts repeating some of the moves, quickly telegraphing them. Once she sees that the ladies are starting to count with her, she picks up the pace. ]

Keep counting along and watch my feet. Look for the foundation of each move.

[ And that's the only warning she offers before her moves become faster. She often enjoyed wielding two blades, but with only Geralt as an opponent, that particular skill wasn't necessary. It would also only add to the confusion and intimidation that often accompanies a lack of confidence with a new skill. Yennefer moves out of the imaginary box she'd put them in for the initial steps, circling and utilizing more artful dodges than before. An invitation for Geralt to set her up for a few more unique and creative uses of the foundational steps she was attempting to teach. It limited her options somewhat, but her goal today was to entice them to return. And for that, she needed them to have a victory. Even if it was as small as beginning to understand a few of the steps. ]

[ Reading Geralt's masked expressions was something she'd learned a long time ago and it's a good sign. Children weren't often a welcome addition to either of their lifestyles, even if she'd wanted nothing more than to change that for herself.

Geralt makes the introduction and gives her context which, honestly, only prompts more questions she'd like to ask. Carnival is such a broad topic after all. And then Leslie fills in the blank for her and it's unexpectedly sweet. Paired with the girl's manners and the clarification Yen offers is easy. ]

That was very generous of you. And Yennefer is fine, or Lady Yennefer if you'd prefer.

[ And her attention absolutely returns to Geralt for a moment, an arched eyebrow the only indication that will want to revisit that topic. ]

And is this your pet? Ferdie, I believe? [ She's taking a guess that it was a name and not a command in another language. ]

Guards never stay away for a long time. At least...good guards.

[Enkidu watches her closely. They have never seen her before and it could very well be that she is one of the newer mirrorbound.]

I know about the complications of being unbonded... I have been without a bond for a long time and when I bond to another I seem to be unable to hold on to them... [After all, they're bonded for a fourth time now and they fully expect it to be over in a couple of weeks. Carefully they step a little closer.]

...yet I am not knowledgeable about broken wishes.

[ Geralt meets Yennefer's look with one of his own. There are questions he might be willing to answer and others less so. Though Leslie is, admittedly, the preferred child to discuss, if they had to. Rather than Cirilla.

The dog looks like a hound of some kind, though a bit smaller and well taken care of. Bit different than the strays that tend to wander the streets. Ferdie, huh?

He crouches down to offer it a hand to sniff while Yennefer engages the girl. She's better at it than he is. Besides, he's curious how the animal will be around him, given he now carries the scent of a wolf. So far, at least, Roach doesn't seem to mind. ]

[ Geralt is starting to collect white-haired children with eye colours from less than 3% of the population. Watch out before it becomes a habit. ]

Okay, Lady Yennefer.

[ By giving Leslie the option between "no honorific" or "possibly excessively formal honorific," she's likely been locked into Lady Yennefer for a while. There's a slight hesitation after before replying to the questions, since they don't have the same answer. ]

No and yes? His name is Ferdie, but he's really Lady Edelgard's pet. She's the one who found him rooting around in the garden and he's always liked her best.

[ Ferdie himself is currently engaged in sniffing Geralt's hand. He takes longer than he usually might, mouth closed and a little uncertain, over the wolf scent. However, regardless of what instincts might tell him, Ferdie is an Aefenglom dog born and bred, so a human-looking person smelling like a wolf is more common in his life than actual wolves. After concluding his investigation, he sits with his mouth falling open in a doggy smile and licks Geralt's offered hand. ]

But I agreed to take him on walks and feed him during the daytime when I suggested we take him in on a trial basis. Lady Edelgard wasn't sure if we should let him in at first since we already had two cats. Um, and a cobra? Do you think familiars count as pets?

[ Yes, she does indeed live with someone keeping a poisonous snake as a familiar. One of her housemates lives at Maximum Goth. ]

Good, then your eyes still work.

[He ceases his soft kneading, but continues to purr. When he speaks, the words wrap strangely around the purring and buzz out of him in a kind of vibration. His front paws tuck in under his chest, disappearing entirely beneath the fur there.]

I hadn't taken you as the kind of person to end up in a place like this. [He muses then, blinking once and slowly as he meets her eyes.] Just what kind of trouble have you been getting yourself into?

[ Too late, most likely. And Yennefer won't argue the choice, having put it out there for a reason. She had no intention of forcing something on a child with only minimal clues of how they might've been raised.

And while Geralt may not want to talk about the other child, this could be a good stepping stone towards a more positive attempt of a conversation later. Yennefer wasn't sure if Geralt kneeling down to greet the dog was a way to escape her gaze or if he truly was interested in the dog. She'll assume the latter to give him the benefit of the doubt. Her attention returns to Leslie once everything seems like it'll be fine between wolf and dog. ]

I believe as they require an amount of care, yes. In a way, they're pets -- even the more unconventional ones. [ She has questions about the cobra, but she's not going to ask. ]

Have you been here for some time, then? [ It's a guess, given the girl had the funds to purchase food for Geralt when he'd arrived among other things. ]

[ The last time he'd seen her pick up a sword, they'd been fighting side by side. This is far less tense. It lets him appreciate her grace up close, which he does; the women are watching both him and Yennefer, but Geralt's eyes are only on her. And it isn't entirely to watch her sword.

Though he does keep a careful eye on that. He doesn't want to get his head actually taken off, on accident or otherwise.

As her pace increases, so does his. He takes her up on her invitation. He's maintained the sword in his right hand this whole time, held the standard way she would've taught her students. Now he lets it drop into his other hand and flip. His fingers close around the base of the blade as he blocks her sword -- though without parrying it with the kind of force he'd usually do so -- before bringing the blade up to where it would normally glide across her throat. ]

[ The smallest quirk of his lips is visible as the dog licks his hand. He pets it over the head before standing back up -- and then turning his gaze on Leslie. A what? ]

You live with a snake? [ If Yennefer's not asking, Geralt has little hesitation to do so -- partly because of the snake itself but also at the implication that there are multiple people in that household. He'd assumed Edelgard had taken Leslie in on her own. She hadn't mentioned housemates or other guardians to him.

Still, more than the reptile, his attention is on Yennefer. Her desire for a child has stayed with him since he's found out. Hard for it not to, when it's one of several things lurking in the air between them. Watching her with Leslie, he's starting to see something there.

It's not enough to change his mind. An actual child -- not one who comes to greet him here and there, with a proper guardian of her own at home -- is out of the question for their lives. But it does make him feel...

They both have things they want that they can't ever have. That's all. ]

[ Ferdie is definitely happy about the petting. While he might be too well-trained to jump up to demand more pets when Geralt withdraws, he's not against moving to sit right by him, leaning some of his weight against his leg, and look up at him with a soft stare. Please, sir, I want some more pets.

Leslie nods thoughtfully at Yennefer's comment on familiars and glances down at her own shadow being cast on the street. She doesn't think she'd describe her own familiar as a pet, really, but there are sometimes exceptions to general rules, so she doesn't bring it up.

(Her familiar is definitely an unconventional one, because it's literally a magical collective of living shadows that followed her from her own world. Currently, it's quietly staying within Leslie's normal, cast-by-blocking-light shadow that makes them hard to see at a glance. It's still possible to notice them from the magic flowing through Leslie's familiar bond with them or from some odd flicker of movement in her shadow, though, since they no longer have the magic from Leslie's original world that kept them virtually undetectable. Leslie just only talks about them when she feels like she needs to do so.)

Anyway, she's got a couple of questions to get to. Her eyes go between the two a few times, but settles on answering them in the order she was asked, starting with Yennefer's. ]

I've been here since Feoveuer -- near the end of winter, a little over seven months ago. [ Leslie seems to know that number of months off the top of her head. ] A couple of days before the Rathmore trial.

[ Leslie's voice is a little quieter and solemn as she mentions the last. The affair leading up to that trial is now about eight months old, but watching a trial where a family of nobles was sentenced to death for unspeakable crimes against the Mirrorbound on her third day as one of those Mirrorbound left a pretty deep impression on her.

She doesn't elaborate before she turns her attention to Geralt's question. ]

Yes, it was Marquis Vestra's only familiar. [ She sure does just casually call one of her housemates by his noble title. ] It mostly stays near him or in his lab in the cellar, and I give it space when it isn't. [ A slight hesitation over whether to add this part before: ] Ms. Bernadetta called it Fluffy when she lived with us. Um, that is, she probably still calls it that, but I don't see her very often since she moved out.

[ And back to looking at Yennefer. ]

Did you also arrive recen -- relatively recently like Mr. Geralt, Lady Yennefer?

[ Though there are certainly exceptions -- her housemates being among them -- Leslie has noticed that a lot of people form pretty strong connections with the others who arrived around the same time as them, and she gets the feeling that the two must be close......friends because she could not sense romantic tension with a dowsing rod. ]

For Alucard; 4th

[ After the last full moon, when she and Geralt and by extension Jaskier were all in a better place, she was ready to talk in earnest about a more off the wall solution. Anything that could possibly aggravate the wish enough to possibly force it to collapse. She had a theory that the magic holding on to her and Geralt might be growing more unstable, or maybe it was a hope. They'd been here a few months and while this was still uncharted territory for many, she intended to try and find a solution before her desire to not bond cost her more than just a few frustrations.

The most private place she knew was her cottage, sending her address to Alucard with a time towards the evening of the 4th. Seated in her dining room, she waits for him to arrive -- notes scattered in front of her about death and magical overload. ]

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II. I considered "I didn't know you were engaged Mr. Geralt" for the linked arms by rule of funny

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