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abraxaslogs2021-08-28 09:41 pm
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxaslogs2021-08-28 09:41 pm
Entry tags:
- !event,
- !npc,
- alina starkov; the hanged man,
- amos burton; the lovers,
- cirilla of cintra; the devil,
- coraline finch; the tower,
- estinien wyrmblood; the hermit,
- geralt of rivia; the hanged man,
- gideon nav; strength,
- hector; the magician,
- himeka sui; the fool,
- jaskier; the sun,
- jon sims; the high priestess,
- jon snow; the emperor,
- kiryu kazuma; the tower,
- sam wilson; justice
WELCOME TO THE FREE CITIES!
WELCOME TO THE FREE CITIES!
Welcome to The Free Cities! The portal exits outside the capital city of Cadens. The first impression of the city is its sheer size. It sprawls out across the landscape like a great hulking beast at rest. The wall that encircles it barely contains it, the buildings of Cadens practically bulging against its restraint.
The air here seems thicker somehow, tinged with a scent that’s acrid and smoky. Smog hangs high over the city, belched out by smokestacks that tower over the industrial district. The desert stretches out behind it, dotted with towers and dust clouds that disappear into the horizon. Multiple gates lead inside and each is staffed by soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms that wave a steady stream of people through without appearing to pay much attention. People are coming and going almost all of the time, to and from the outposts and areas of activity around the city proper. It’s difficult to tell just what’s out there beyond the impression of tall metal structures and a great deal of labor. Wagons carrying travelers to Libertas and Aquila roll out from the Travel Post outside the city wall.
Anyone who can sense magic will notice a much lower concentration here. No one will be stopped or questioned at the gate, even if the soldiers seem to take note of the fugitives from Thorne.
The activity and sheer number of citizens can be overwhelming. It’s crowded and loud and feels constantly in motion with everyone talking and yelling over each other. It’s easy to get swept up in the ever-moving throng or find oneself ducking into the mouth of a narrow alley just to breathe.
Anyone who’s willing to make their way to the northern part of the city and Portham Hall will find Prime Minister Marlo Reiner available to receive them.
The air here seems thicker somehow, tinged with a scent that’s acrid and smoky. Smog hangs high over the city, belched out by smokestacks that tower over the industrial district. The desert stretches out behind it, dotted with towers and dust clouds that disappear into the horizon. Multiple gates lead inside and each is staffed by soldiers in unfamiliar uniforms that wave a steady stream of people through without appearing to pay much attention. People are coming and going almost all of the time, to and from the outposts and areas of activity around the city proper. It’s difficult to tell just what’s out there beyond the impression of tall metal structures and a great deal of labor. Wagons carrying travelers to Libertas and Aquila roll out from the Travel Post outside the city wall.
Anyone who can sense magic will notice a much lower concentration here. No one will be stopped or questioned at the gate, even if the soldiers seem to take note of the fugitives from Thorne.
The activity and sheer number of citizens can be overwhelming. It’s crowded and loud and feels constantly in motion with everyone talking and yelling over each other. It’s easy to get swept up in the ever-moving throng or find oneself ducking into the mouth of a narrow alley just to breathe.
Anyone who’s willing to make their way to the northern part of the city and Portham Hall will find Prime Minister Marlo Reiner available to receive them.
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You are the most uncommon of thieves, Jaskier. It's a compliment.
[ She nudges his ankle affectionately with her new boot toe (she'd ditched the shitty sandals, as soon as they'd gotten real shoes, though the clothes will be changed into after a bath). The bottle is handed back to Geralt. ]
I can feel it is... different. But if you know anyone with more knowledge of whatever magic was used to track those in the dungeons before, it is still worth looking into. I'd rather know if we're still marked or not.
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Both Jaskier and Cirilla seem to realize what he means by asking, so he doesn't explain further. ]
Cities seem prepared for war at any moment. [ How big is that army? Larger than Nilfgaard's, he wants to say. ] I doubt Thorne will encroach their territory for a handful of escaped prisoners. [ He still wants to know. It'll decide how he feels about leaving these borders. He hasn't got any plans to do so right now, but -- they're here solely for pragmatic reasons. Not because he wants to be caught up in this battle over the Singularity or the Cities' plans to destroy it. Their stay here is temporary at best.
He considers. Wonders, briefly, if he can pull on the same magic Jaskier has access to. The thought leaves him uneasy. He isn't a mage. Even if he supposes, had his life taken a different path, he might've been one. A sorcerer. A druid. ]
See who knows anything. [ He moves only far enough to grab the food. Crusty bread, hard cheese. Good enough. He splits the loaf for the three of them. ] I'd rather not rely on our good standing here to stay covered.
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[For now! And though it surprises him Ciri would compliment him or be affectionate, Jaskier is more than happy to accept it right now. Things are complicated enough without questioning every little thing.
Jaskier tips his head back with a yawn.] I should hope none of us are that important.
[Besides, they certainly weren't the only ones here. Others had gone through that same portal. It would be to their advantage that the prisoners -- and the guests -- had scattered to so many far winds.]
There's certainly a chance Himeka is here. The dragoness who told me about the magic. But she's... [Jaskier isn't going to insult her because she's perfectly kind, but she is a little. You know.] At any rate, worry not, my fair friends. We will have plenty of good standing here, either way, once I've worked my magic.
[He wiggles his fingers to weave a little blue magic between them. Simply to show off.] More figuratively, of course.
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Ciri tries not to dwell on how Yennefer is doing right now, tries simply to trust her and trust that she can take care of herself. Easy to think. Hard to feel.
She crunches into third of bread Geralt hands her, gnawing on it unhappily, and hopes Thorne thinks none of them are important. They'll find out sooner or later, won't they? ]
I don't want to draw too much attention.
[ Jaskier's livelihood is to draw attention, naturally. It's lucky that music is a universally prized skill, at least in most worlds she's visited that have people and cultures in them, and Ciri recognizes that it's important the bard build some reputation for himself if he's to rely on it and they on him-- but the way he says we, it makes her chest tighten uncertainly. She doesn't want to get involved too deeply with this place.
Though, in fairness, right now she doesn't know what to do.
She looks to Geralt, to see if he'll agree. ]
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He feels Ciri tense beside him. Geralt looks back, then over at Jaskier. At the spark of blue. The bard, with magic. He still can't wrap his head around it even after all this time. ] He'll be careful.
[ He knows Ciri is cautious, after all her time hiding from...the entire fucking Continent, apparently, but he also trusts Jaskier not to put them in danger. Like her, the idea of settling, of getting attention, makes him uneasy. They aren't going to be in the city in the long term if he has anything to say about it. And the political tension feels ready to snap at any moment. If it does, the last place he wants to be is deeply embedded here. Speaking of magic, though.
He tilts his head. How far along have Jaskier's birds come? They were mere illusions at first, but in more recent days, he's noticed the way they move. Pausing. Listening. (Not to mention the flowers.) ] Can you use your birds?
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[He may not have spent much time with Ciri -- a problem which he was rather looking forward to fixing -- he definitely sees Geralt reflected in her. Some of his movements, maybe. Or how he speaks? He's spent decades with Geralt. He knows him well. Knows him plenty to see another also familiar with him.
He pauses in his next bite. Jaskier glances between them, and a small worry comes between his brows. He'll be careful. Ciri knows him, clearly. With lost time, and knowing his name. Why should anyone ever have to assure her he'd be careful? What, did Geralt convince her he was a fool, too?
He stops for a moment. It's true that she has not really indicated how well she knows him. Over a decade. It's a very long time. It's a long time to not know one very well.
He moves past it quickly enough, rolling a bit of cheese between his fingers to form a ball. The thought lingers despite it, and his tone is no longer as light as it was before.]
Oh, suddenly we're interested in my magic? [Jaskier says the words much smoother than he really feels about the whole thing. If anyone is bewildered still about his magic, Jaskier feels that much more about it. After his education in the arts, though, he certainly knows one must use one's talents, all of them, to get what they want. And in this instance, being safe... is what he wants.
A flick of his wrist, and a little bluebird sits on his knee, giving a few chirps before it stops. He no longer controls it now, and it hops down his leg, flutters in the air, and lands on the tip of Ciri's boot.] Yes. I'll send a few out. [He looks to Ciri in case an explanation is needed.] They can listen. Perhaps gather a few words we otherwise wouldn't hear.
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Jaskier doing magic is certainly a novelty, but one she's prepared for considering she knows this place allows a connection to chaos to most of its residents. Even if being in the dungeon all this time, she hasn't seen much of it. The blue flourish of light, though a bit surprising, hadn't kept her attention as much as the bird. She reaches forward when it lands on her foot, trying to coax it onto her finger instead. ]
Oh, wonderful! And useful, too.
You must have a strong penchant for magic, learning to create something so intricate in such a short time.
[ She sounds genuinely impressed. And might be smiling a little easier thanks to the wine, even if it's still a tentative sort of ease. It will take some time before she accepts they're relatively safe here for the time being. And for the worry for Yennefer to fade a little more. ]
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Instead, he crams some of the bread into his mouth. It's dry, shit bread. Actually, it's more shit than the buns they were given in the dungeon. But it's bread they got with their own hands and their own damn money. For all of this talk of plans and things that need to be done and being careful, Geralt still feels like he's ten paces behind. Scrambling to catch up with—all of this. A hundred unanswered questions, a hundred things he doesn't fucking know, that he can't yet know. Maybe never will know.
When the wine comes back to him, he takes less of a mouthful than he really wants. As much as he wants to fall into that stupor, he wants a clear head more. Let the two of them indulge. They sure as hell deserve it.
He lets Ciri talk instead while he stays quiet, sitting against the wall. She seems fond of Jaskier, brightening at his magic. Seems to smile easier than Geralt does. For that he's glad. That at least in this, she hasn't taken after him. ]
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He knew it. Ciri was a good, sweet girl still. A wonder, considering, and yet how his heart warms to begin to understand it now.]
I would love to think so, but my abilities so far are rather limited to this particular spell. A minor healing one on the side, if you want to count it. [He chokes off a laugh because bringing that up brings up the memory of Yennefer's face when he healed her bruises... right before he portaled far away from her.
Ah. She'll never forget that.]
Well, you must have some magic of your own, Ciri. I believe most did in Thorne. Have you tried at all?
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Ciri leaves off trying to get the bird to come closer, letting it hop where it will, and picks up some cheese instead, ripping off little bites not out of politeness but because it'll last longer that way. Give her something to look at that isn't either of their faces. ]
When, exactly, would I have had time to do that?
[ Her tone is sharper than she means it to be. The truth is, of course she's tried. She's tried reaching for that power with all its vastness inside her that feels like trying to move the entire ocean, and what she expected to be extremely difficult turned out to be extremely impossible instead. She hadn't even tried to use it. Simply to feel it.
But the ocean has become a puddle. A muddy slurry of water at the bottom of a deep, deep well.
Ciri wipes her mouth on the back of her hand, then reaches for the bottle. ]
I'm not a sorceress. Wasn't the first thing on my mind.
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He studies Ciri instead out of the corner of his eyes, when an edge slides into her voice. His brows furrow slightly. Not a sorceress. Just a girl with Elder Blood. Who can open portals not even the most powerful mage could dream of doing. He realizes Jaskier likely doesn't know. Does Yennefer? He thinks so, given Yen's belief that Ciri must go, but he's not certain if Cirilla has chosen to tell Jaskier. It isn't his decision, either way, and if what she says of the Wild Hunt is true...
There are enough targets between the three of them. He won't paint one on Jaskier, too.
Though talk of magic makes him curious. It wasn't the first thing on his mind, either. Witchers are not made for magic. He isn't certain if Jaskier feels something that tells him the power is his, that allows him to pull on it, to shape it; for Geralt, there's nothing. No surprise, given his mutations, but: his Signs must be back, if his senses are, too.
He lifts his hand to try, while Jaskier and Ciri continue the conversation. A candle off to the side nearby lights itself, the smallest, almost unnoticeable whisper of magic in the air. It flares brighter, for a split second, than he expected, but between the wine and his distraction with the tension from Ciri, he dismisses it as a trick of the light.
Though. ] Hm. [ He takes the wine without saying more on it. ]
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[She has a point, of course, but it does seem to be that he's not really met any who did not have magic before, and now they've been gifted (or cursed?) with it. It would be rather nice to share the experience, is all.
He sighs, settling his head back. Great. Now he's stuck with two of them. All sharp, pointed edges and cold glares when they're upset about something. Two peas in a pod. It's becoming more and more true as he notices things, isn't it?]
I hate to surprise you, but neither am I a sorceress. [His little bird flits back to him, landing on his head, as if unsettled by the tone in Ciri's voice as well -- or the candle that flickers to life as Geralt Signs at it.] Once we're all a bit less prickly, perhaps I can attempt to teach you a bit of something. Or we can all sit here and continually get drunk. Both options are rather enticing.
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Ciri crams more cheese into her mouth while waiting for the bottle, which is quickly becoming rather light, to come back around. She does not apologize, but she does glance up at Jaskier. (After shooting a look at Geralt and his surreptitious candle-lighting. Looks like he can use his Signs just fine in Cadens.)
It isn't Jaskier's fault she's angry and frustrated about this whole shit situation. He'd been trying to cheer her up. It's just hard not to be upset when everything is so... upsetting. And right now is not the time she wants to try explaining it to him. Maybe eventually, but not now. ]
Second option first. Then maybe we can talk again.
[ A momentary pause. Ciri looks away. ]
Healing spell seemed useful.
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Jaskier sighs dramatically before he takes his final sip of wine. It truly is not enough for two, let alone three.
Perhaps he hoped for too much. Of course there's so much terrible shit still surrounding them, but he was hoping for a night where it wouldn't affect them all so much.]
Fine. Whatever you'd like. [He's too tired to be normal Jaskier anymore. Two people is far too much to hold up sometimes. He stands up, knees popping, and stretches with a yawn. His steps, for now, are still a bit steady.] I'm going to get more wine.
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Which leaves him alone with Ciri. He looks over at her. It's hard. He gets it. He searches for some way to reassure her, something he can say, but. Fuck, he's tired, too. He lays a hand on her arm instead, a rare gesture from him. At least at this stage. ]
I can tell him to sing instead of talk.
[ Maybe he'll do that either way. Seems like a solution for all involved, and Jaskier can always be goaded into a song. ]
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With Jaskier out of the room, it is the first moment they've had just the two of them -- truly just the two of them -- since she arrived. The silence feels strange. The world muffled, reduced to the indiscernible background noise of the city outside.
Ciri puts her head on his shoulder again. ]
Whatever's suppressing the full scope of my abilities, it's still there. I thought--
I don't know. I simply... don't know anymore.
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There isn't. There's just here. This overflowing city. Him and Jaskier, and Yennefer on the other side of the continent.
They're free, but it doesn't entirely feel it. The confines of this world still press down around him. ]
You will. [ It's quiet, but firm. She may not know now, but if there's one thing he would've taught her, it's that there's always a way. Of moving on. Of finding your footing again, even after the world has stolen all it can from you. ] And I'm here for you. When you need me.
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He'll feel her nod her head very slightly against him before continuing, slowly, working it out aloud. ]
I can feel the magic Jaskier was talking about. But chaos feels different from-- that. And what I need to bring us home, that is missing. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say it's... out of reach.
[ She scoffs, not a laugh but a noise of contempt, disgust. ]
I have so rarely wanted it for anything, and now that it could actually do us some good, of course it can't be helpful.
[ She's been out of control before. She's been lost before. Without an anchor or a teacher, she'd been unable to find her way in the past. But she's never felt anything like this. ]
...do you think it has anything to do with the Singularity?
[ It's a whispered question, and one Ciri knows none of them have answers to. But it's the only thing in this world she can think of that appears markedly significant and unique from anywhere else she's been. ]
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He isn't sure what to think. This is far out of his scope—Elder Blood and prophecies and myths that are not myths. And now worlds across worlds and a source of magic more powerful than anything that's been recorded. ]
Perhaps two keys can't exist in the same space.
[ It's only an inkling. Geralt won't say it his conclusion out loud; he doesn't know for certain. It sounds farfetched even in his mind. But it's entirely possible that the existence of the Singularity itself is coming into conflict with Ciri's own power. Which can only mean that it should be destroyed.
He pushes the thought firmly aside. That's a last resort if he's ever heard one. He's not about consider cracking open the damn thing to test a vague theory made on two hours of sleep and half a bottle of wine. ]
If nothing else, it must be masking you from the Wild Hunt. [ That's a small comfort. Still. There's enough to worry about without the Red Riders emerging on top of it all. ]
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[ She has been so concerned with trying to reach it that she hasn't really had time to think about what it means, alongside the Singularity. Now that Geralt says that aloud, it sounds plausible. It doesn't make understanding what to do about it any easier, but just having him understand seems to ease some of the pulled-tight pressure in her lungs. ]
In any case, we can't rely on it.
[ They can't rely on her. Not in the way she'd hoped they could. They'll have to find another way. ]
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Her memories. If it affects the others the same, now that some have been tethered. Maybe. ]
We'll find a way. [ Besides. He isn't saying it, given it's moot right now and might only cause Ciri to balk—but the reality is, even if her powers were unlocked, then what? If using them draws the Wild Hunt as she says? And would it be too late by then? Have their paths already spun off course the moment Thorne summoned them to this sphere? It isn't so simple as opening a door and everything righting itself.
He reaches for some of the cheese, offering a piece to Ciri. ] Will you tell Jaskier?
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...I don't know.
[ The reply, when it finally comes, is not much of an answer at all. It isn't that she wants to hide it from Jaskier, exactly, but she's also not sure if telling him right now is smart either. The fewer people who know, the better. Not because she thinks Jaskier would run around telling anyone, but simply the fact he knows may put him in danger. Or her in danger.
Then again, him not knowing could put him in danger too. There's really no way to know.
After another few seconds of silence, Ciri looks back up at Geralt, clearly uncertain. ]
What do you think?
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Out here, he's alone. It's a strange thought. He's always been alone, has always said that he's alone. But now that he's cut off from even his home, from Vesemir and the others, it leaves him feeling...he isn't sure, what the words to describe it would be. Unmoored, maybe. ]
Not now. But... [ Fuck. There's too much he doesn't understand about this world. Jaskier has not ever asked to be involved in any of this. Just to travel alongside a friend. Some part of Geralt wants to keep him out of this as much as possible. Jaskier has also known him for years. Isn't an idiot, either, despite how often Geralt calls him one. He's under no illusion the bard won't catch on that something is amiss, between the two of them, eventually. ] He'll realize in time we're keeping from him.
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All of them have kept her safe on the Continent. Here, none of them know her, but Yennefer and Geralt have already made it clear that nothing has changed in that regard here. Jaskier, she hasn't had as much time to speak with, but she has trouble believing he would put any of his friends in danger no matter the difference of years. They should all trust they can keep one another safe, and to do that, they should be on the same page.
Besides. Jaskier's going to have some questions when (if) she ever gets her abilities working and pulls him across worlds.
Some of the tension in her shoulders eases. Ciri nods, grateful. ]
You're right. Let's get the lay of the land here first. I will think on it.
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He opens the door and pushes it wide with a shoulder, closing and locking it with a yawn out of mere habit.]
Now I know you're both feeling like right pricks, as you should, but I did bring you gifts nonetheless.
[And certainly tomorrow, exhaustion or not, he will need to perform. It certainly isn't his first time. As he kneels in front of them and unearths his bundle tied up in a handkerchief, there's a new bottle of wine, already opened for him, and several oranges, and most of another loaf of bread with raisins in it.]
I, ah, recommend not going downstairs for a bit. But it all works out. We need our sleep.
[The bread may have been a bit hard-won. It wasn't so much thrown at him as it... went missing before it could be launched anywhere.] I am ending this night drunk, or so help me.
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