( OPEN ) february catch-all

[gynvael]

Who: Geralt + Jaskier; Yennefer; You
When: February // Feoveuer
Where: Aefenglom
What: A rescue. Not quite from who you'd expect. + other things as they come.
Warnings: Violence, CW related to the current event.

[ starters in comments. plot with me at discontinued! ]

OPEN: post-kidnapping

CLOSED: Jaskier | Yennefer | Jaskier pt. ii | yennefer + myr

Comments

[al_bhed]

See? You get it.

[It's about catharsis. He articulated it far more simply and eloquently than she could.

It helps, perhaps, that she's not looking to murder or destroy. Death is too common and capricious back in Spira for her to be willing to entertain the idea of using it as punishment, no matter how deserved. She's killed before, or rather fought to the death, but it's always been a matter of self-defense or in the name of defending Yuna. It's not something she likes to think much about.]

The instructor... is he the one who taught you how to fight like you do?

[Hope invasive small talk is okay.]

[gynvael]

[ A flicker crosses his expression. He's never been asked that before. It's just a given, that a Witcher knows how to fight—and he suspects most assume they sprung that way out of the Trials. ]

Among other things. [ Geralt has often simply referred to Vesemir as a teacher or an instructor. A mentor, at most. It's more than that, though. Even his name was given to him by the old man.

Maybe it's the fact that he's thought of Vesemir more and more these days that he finds himself answering in more detail than he might normally. ]

He taught nearly all the boys.

[al_bhed]

[Rikku has the benefit of not knowing anything about this man and his world, so the questions don't seem to be that bold of unusual to her. The more he speaks, the more she simply assumes he grew up in an environment similar to hers. It's her best and only frame of references, after all, and he even has some unusual phenotypes to help support the idea. White hair, swirled green eyes; tomayto, tomahto.]

Did someone else teach your people's girls, then? We Al Bhed didn't separate education by gender, but I can see why some people might want to.

[gynvael]

Not that. [ Though he realizes that's an easy assumption to make. A small pause passes. Even after all this time here, he's never certain where to begin answering, that won't invite a long tale of Witchers and how they're made. It'd been easier to rely on rumors, letting people believe what they wanted.

In the end, he settles on the barest truth. ]

We're not a people. Not the way you mean. [ Born into a society, that is. His finger runs over the lip of the bottle. ] Most of us were simply taken.

[al_bhed]

Ohhhhh.

[The man isn't giving her much to work with, but Rikku's bright enough to fill in some of the gaps. He's from some kind of fighting force, and probably was among the ones who were "simply taken." No wonder he doesn't seem to want to talk about it. It's probably upsetting for him, if he was kidnapped so young.

Rikku's curiosity is piqued, but she's able to muster enough social grace not to pry further. For now. Instead, she decides to cycle the conversation back a bit.]

Well, my offer is still open if you wan to help. I have it on good authority that rich people don't like you taking their stuff.

[gynvael]

[ That's a conversation he's glad to let lie untouched. He looks over at her instead, an appraising glint in his eye. ]

Sounds like a lesson self taught.

[ She seems the type. He's hardly judging. There are worse crimes than a bit of thievery. His reluctance to encourage her is less to do with the morals of it. She's just yet to convince him he won't find out next week she's gotten arrested by the city guards. ]

I'm not going to hear about a girl caught pilfering someone's coffer, am I?

[al_bhed]

A girl has to do what she has to do sometimes.

[Rikku shrugs, making no apologies. Usually it's scavenging more than outright theft, but pickpocking gil and other necessities from warrior monks has had its benefits over the years. And occasionally the Al Bhed have dug up things Yevon insisted were Holy Artifacts That Needed To Be Returned. That was always a pain.]

I promise not to mug anyone in broad daylight, if that's what you're worried about. Even if that would be pretty funny. I bet they wouldn't know what to do.

[gynvael]

[ He'd be mildly curious if she could pickpocket him and get away with it, except he frankly has not a damn thing on him other than a bottle of liquor. And maybe two cunes.

A bottle that's nearly empty as it is. He gives it a light shake, then tips back the rest. His gaze lingers on the horizon. The sky is beginning to lighten and he knows he eventually needs to get back to Jaskier. ]

Mm. As long as it's only in the dark, then.