middaeg | ( OPEN ) february catch-all

She's right. [ The dangers are closer here. Harder to avoid. Jaskier can't simply pack up and head to the other side of the Continent. Teaching Jaskier to hone his magic will be easier than teaching him to defend himself with a blade.

Though he'll eventually have Jaskier learn those lessons, too. Magic can't always be relied upon. Especially not with the way the new moons disrupt the flow of it. ]

Mm. [ Geralt says nothing about the idea of Jaskier being lost. It still hits too close to home. Instead, he looks over. His gaze is thoughtful. It's true Jaskier hasn't used much of his magic since, where before Geralt could always find him tinkering with potions or testing a spell with his lute. ]

Stay close.

[ There are still Cwyldtid that can lurk at the edges of the Wilde. He doesn't want to risk Jaskier coming too close while he's only just recovered from an infection. ]

Of course you'd say that. And I agree, but don't let her know I think so.

[Not that he could hide much from her or, really, ever attempted to. It was a joke more than anything -- and Jaskier was strangely relieved to find he could still make jokes, if the moment calls for one.

Geralt's warning is entirely unnecessary. As Jaskier starts warming up his fingers, he makes a noise that indicates just that. He closes his eyes, pulling at the magic in the ways Yennefer described to him, tugging on the power in their Bonds like they were strings to pluck.] On what sphere do you think I would suddenly find a desire to go running off in the middle of nowhere now?

[So he may have... before. But now even being out here was almost too much, in the happy sunlight, surrounded by lovely grasses and flora (and no mushrooms).

The magic comes almost too easily, especially now that the circle between the three of them is complete. Not that he felt anything missing from Geralt's bond, but he notices... now that Yennefer and Geralt are connected, it feels like it suits them all the better. And to him, seeing how Geralt is deeply in love with her in the most obvious of ways, it only makes sense.

Jaskier sharply tugs the magic. It wraps around him, warping his image for a moment. He inhales all at once, his shape changing until it's smaller, smaller -- much smaller than his normal self, the magic melding his clothes into fur, and now, happily, with two ears on top of his head instead of one.

It feels stranger than ever, being so close to the ground. Having a tail. And yet how terribly he wished for it in the cage. The ability to become a fox again, to slip through the bars like nothing had happened at all. If only for a moment.

He stretches, arching his back, covered in red and black fur all over. And then, nose twitching, he sneezes.] Well, how do I look? No... no extra appendages, right?

[No, luckily. But certainly much more of his fur is black this time than it was before.]

[ He's only watched Jaskier transform a handful of times. It's smoother than his own in some ways, the magic and form enveloping him like a second skin until Jaskier stands no higher than just above his ankles. ]

Mm-hmm. [ Geralt doesn't tease. He knows Jaskier is genuinely worried about his magic—that the infection has affected it in some way.

He looks good. Like a regular fox, except with strange blue eyes. He says nothing about the black in the red fur.

Unlike Jaskier, his own clothes don't come out unscathed during a change. Geralt strips them off the way he always does, tucking them under a bush before he lets his own transformation take over. Fur bursts along his skin, his bones bending—but it's not near as violent as it used to be.

The first time they've been fox and wolf, outside the full moon. He gets it: the appeal of being something other. Ever since he's undergone his changes, he's sometimes run through the woods as a wolf to clear his head. ]

[As usual, Geralt only replied minimally to everything he said, and that single answer was extremely minimal itself. Still, so far, Geralt was the only one who was treated him like... normal. (Excluding the very personal information he'd shared only moments ago.)

It was only another side of Geralt, though. One that didn't surprise him.

Despite having seen the transformation himself several times, he simply... he couldn't do it. Not this time. The fox that was Jaskier turned away as if he heard something in the woods. He couldn't. The teeth, the cracking of bones -- he couldn't escape the sound, but he didn't have to watch the jerking.

It was better. Much better. But still, when he turns to face the wolf, smaller than he would be on a full moon and yet still so many times larger than himself, he feels a jolt of cold fear, his tiny heart hammering in his chest. His paws slip backwards and the magic, for a moment, almost pulls away from his body.]

Don't -- [He shakes himself.] Ignore that, please. It's not me. It's... residual. I saw a lot of things in the cages that I know did not happen.

[ Geralt is quiet. He's noticed it before, the way Jaskier sometimes flinches when he's near, especially when he's changed. A sharp reminder of what they'd done to him. As if the infection were not enough. ]

Come on. [ Jaskier asked him to ignore it, so that's what Geralt does. There's no reason to talk about it. He wants to know. Of course he does. He's also aware it will only boil his blood, and that's not something Jaskier needs to feel through the bond. Nor Yennefer, for that matter. She's done more than her part keeping him from running loose those nights.

Instead, he waits for Jaskier to catch up. The air is calm out here at least. And unlike the full moons, his wolf is far calmer. ]

Spring's on the way. [ The snow is beginning to melt even this far out from the Wilde's summer temperatures. ] You'd usually be tracking me down.

[ Or Geralt him, even if he'd never admit it. Even if they don't ever discuss the fact that in occasion, he just happens to be in the same town that Jaskier has chosen to perform in. Just happens to have a contract there. ]

[Geralt is probably the only man he can trust not to ask questions when asked not to. He takes a few shaky steps -- it is not automatic for him, readjusting to four legs after living so long on two -- and they're awkward, his claws digging into the grass. A few more steps and it comes back to him. Somewhat.

He isn't near as fast as Geralt, and is much smaller than him; his loping is a few strides for the wolf. After having compared their sizes, Yennefer's jokes of him riding Geralt's back were not merely only jokes. He easily could if he needed.

For the moment, the point is to do something. To not think of the rest.]

Yes. Returning from my annual visit to Oxenfurt, still filtering the ale from my liver. [He weasels his way under some branches, ears flicking in every direction as the forest rustles around them.] You'll be much warmer here in spring, won't you? I... before, I was working on a warmth charm. I should be able to craft the opposite for you. It'll be good for me, I think. A project.

[ The hum in his chest is much deeper now, a low rumble. Jaskier's old friends at the Academy. He's never met them—not for lack of Jaskier trying, though—but he's heard plenty from the bard about them.

Where the fox squirrels under bushes and over roots, Geralt walks steadily forward. He is, in fact, following a trail only he can see: a path that he knows is mostly safe, free of predators or the Cwyld.

It might be a piece of the forest he's carved out as his territory. That's a fact he's only faintly conscious of, but which proves true on the full moons when he spots anything else in the area. ]

I planned on embedding obsidian on the back of my medallion. [ For the moment, his enchantment for the tattoo on his back is held in the obsidian pendant on the same chain—but it'd be more efficient to have the stone affixed to the medallion itself. ] It should hold any charm you come up with.

Edited 2021-03-01 07:10 (UTC)

[To Jaskier, it's simply a bit of woods that smells a bit like wet wolf.

The leaves and bits of snow still clinging to them crunch under Geralt's massive paws. Unfortunately, Jaskier is no true fox, and his steps are not light and quick as they should be. He makes a bit of noise, swinging his tail too much and catching it on branches and leaves.

Jaskier pauses after he curves around a tree trunk, scratching his back with the bark curling off of it. He watches Geralt a moment, surprised.] Just like that? I'm not used to you trusting me. [Is that something that's changed? Or did he simply not notice it before?

He hadn't thought of that night before he'd been taken much. He actively avoids thinking of it, really. But in that fight, Geralt had trusted him. Hadn't he?] Am I finally becoming a witch worthy of respect?

[It's a joke, really, and it comes out dryly. Yet it is nice in its simplicity. Being trusted.]

[ Geralt glances over his shoulder at that. He swipes at a branch to free Jaskier's bushy tail and snorts. ]

A fox worthy of it, maybe.

[ He's always trusted Jaskier, anyway. Not always for...situations involving combat, but the truth is, there are few he'd trust in that regard. But Jaskier has held more of his life's details in his hands than anyone, and all of it he could write into song at any time. Geralt simply knows that if he tells Jaskier not to, that Jaskier will not.

Still. Perhaps there's something to be said about the fact that he's accepted Jaskier has been getting better with his magic. He hasn't found him passed out in the garden in some time, at least. And though Jaskier doesn't want to think about that night, it's all Geralt has been able to think about. That he should've... ]

I couldn't come sooner. [ He sits, watching Jaskier scratch his back. He's never brought it up before, that it isn't that it took that long to find Jaskier. It's that there was no way to get to him until then. He knows Jaskier would understand, yet a part of him still feels like he abandoned his friend to his fate. Maybe he just needs to hear it from Jaskier himself, that that isn't true. Even if it's a selfish desire. ] I wanted to.

You're very funny.

[It's even dryer than before. Though he gives a little hop after Geralt helps him, his paws peppering the ground with prints besides Geralt's larger lopes. His tail flicks behind him, and a few times he goes in circles to watch it, slowly gaining a bit more control over it.

If he trips over a root (he does), he simply catches himself and keeps going. Somehow, it is easier to move with four legs rather than two. He can see the appeal. Especially now. But his magic can only last so long, and it tires him out afterwards, if he maintains the form for a full night during Geralt's full moon. There's hardly doing it two days in a row, even if he'd like to --

Jaskier goes still. A chill washes through him, a soft fox whine slipping out, quiet. Barely a vibration through his ribs.

It's hard to reason sometimes with the thoughts he had in the cage, when the infection had grown so deep in his veins that he couldn't control himself, or the things he saw, or what he heard. There were times he truly believed they had abandoned him there; that he would hear a whisper of Yennefer's voice assuring him that, yes, he was far too gone, and Geralt would agree. Always a burden, anyway. The snapping of a neck. I wasn't a very good travel companion, was I?

Jaskier keeps walking on. They are things he won't ever tell his Bonded. To him, they simply aren't true.] You came. That's all that matters.

[ The silence is a heavy blanket. He follows close behind, at once curious and amused every time he watches Jaskier adjust to his four legs. Geralt's had far less trouble -- either from his natural instincts or because being what he is now, it's simpler to adapt than someone changed by a spell.

For once, it's hard to read what Jaskier is thinking, especially with his features a fox. He thinks he knows, anyway.

Perhaps it is all that matters. He ducks under some branches, pushing them down so Jaskier can climb over them to enter a small clearing. There are moonbell flowers here, dipped in a blue shimmer, and the sun shines brightly through the canopy of trees. Most of the frost is gone this far into the woods, the weather cool but not cold.

He looks over at Jaskier. It's not said out loud, that he's showing him a little quiet sanctuary -- but it is what he's doing. Maybe Jaskier will find it helpful, to leave the house some time to a place he knows is safe. ]

[Jaskier pauses before hopping over the branches, needing much more time to angle his jumps, even with four legs. At least he sticks the landing, and he waits for Geralt to come in behind him. He loops around his legs. The fact that Geralt doesn't respond doesn't mean anything particularly, really. It's... a lot, in and of itself, that Geralt even said anything.

It's far too close to mentioning he cares. Dangerous for a witcher. He has a a reputation to uphold.

Jaskier flicks his tail into his face and takes a step forward.

To be fair, he hasn't been paying attention to where they were going. It was simply a walk. A walk to make him feel... to prove something. He's not entirely sure what that something is. Perhaps that, with time, he'd be less of a ghost, haunting their manor.

He walks through the flowers, nose sticking into a pile of them. Sweet. He sits down around them, taking them in. The sweet, simple smell of flowers.] No wonder you disappear for hours. You've been holding back, Geralt.

[ He frowns as Jaskier's tail brushes his nose, pushing it aside with a paw. The red fox buries his face in some blossoms. For awhile, he only watches Jaskier explore.

It's peaceful. He has a number of places he likes to sit and think at, but this is one he comes back to often, tucked away enough that he rarely runs into anyone else wandering the outskirts. ]

The pond's safe to swim in.

[ No marks of the Cwyld here. The little body of water is almost too small for a grown man. Perfect for a little fox, though. ]

[He looks back at his friend for a moment, his fox face imperceptible. Geralt's is similar; even more than his normal stony expression, it is incredibly hard to sense anything beyond his neutral expression. Not even his nose twitches.

Then he looks back at the pond. He has barely been able to bathe himself (though he certainly has), immediately feeling his skin prickle with fear when he's in a closed room, alone. Finally he left the door open and found it doable, but not at the extent he'd once bathed.

He couldn't even enjoy it. A place where he could bathe however he liked, with a cauldron to brew his own oils.

He places a paw in the pond, the water surprisingly warm. The fur must help.] This cannot be at all interesting for you. [What did they call it? Babysitting. That's what Geralt was doing for him.

And yet Jaskier was so terribly grateful for it. Even being outside made him feel much more alive.] Do you come here to meditate? Or to hunt?

[ A hum neither confirms nor denies Jaskier's comment. Is it interesting? No. But Geralt has little care for interesting or excitement or the things those with mundane lives crave. He wants the quiet of being here with his friend, knowing that Jaskier is at least comforted for the time being. However brief. ]

Both. [ He glances over at Jaskier. Even as a wolf, Geralt is still. The only movement is the flick of his ears as he catches the crackle of leaves here, the snap of a twig there. ] One day, I'll get you to sit still long enough to learn.

[ It's partly a joke; partly an offer, if Jaskier ever really wants. It'd be good for him, clearing his head. Besides, given their bond and the magic in this world, it won't hurt for Jaskier to learn how to steady his mind more. ]

[Both. Jaskier makes a fox noise that he hopes comes close to, as I suspected as he hops into the pond. A chill goes through him, but the water lapping at his paws isn't quite as bothersome as he suspected at first. He sinks into the water, moving out so the water was deep enough he could pedal his way through it.

It's a point. Sitting still was not a part of him the same way being a morose lout never has, either. Jaskier swims in circles quietly, diving under a little to wet his face, then returns to the grass to stand.]

It may be past due for me to learn. [He answers quietly, almost uncharacteristically unsure. He's never had interest in Geralt's meditations; Jaskier is a constant energy that cannot be bottled or stilled into one spot. Yet he knows the purpose of it. He's simply never needed to clear his mind, for it's never been clouded.

He imagines that, through the Bond, it would be... simpler.] If you're offering a class of your own, Master Geralt.

[ Jaskier comes out looking soggy and a little half-drowned. Geralt, for once, keeps it to himself, though there's a twitch in his tail that suggests he finds something about Jaskier's appearance amusing.

He shuffles his paws. He's never offered before, except in jest or as a way to tell Jaskier he needs him to sit the fuck down for a moment once in awhile. It's not as if Jaskier in the past would've ever taken him up on it.

Things have changed since. ]

In exchange for an ale or two. [ He stands up, stretching his legs. Remains to be seen, how well the lessons will stick. Worth a try, though. Besides, anything will serve as a good distraction for Jaskier right now. ] Coming back?

[Ohh, no. He can recognize that whether or not he can read Geralt's face any better. And... normally, he would give him shit for it, but he couldn't fault him for a bit of amusement in all of this. Even at his own expense.

He did make sure to stand very close to Geralt as he stretches with a wide, sharp-toothed yawn -- and then shakes himself, splashing water all over the wolf.

That'll teach him.]

I can afford an ale, I think. [He grins through his canine teeth. The moment of brevity wouldn't last long, but for now, it was plenty.] Yes. Let's head home, lest Yennefer fear I've spirited you away into trouble. [He pauses, flicking his tail.] And we can begin your first lesson.

( OPEN ) february catch-all

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject