Who: yennefer + others When: july Where: nott + nocwich What: after the events of the coup and yennefer's escape to nott, she is making due in what she suspects will be her new normal. Warnings: will update if needed.
[ When the time comes to choose between the coronation and assisting Nott, Cassian finds himself hesitating for perhaps the first time since arriving here. The distaste that he holds for those in power that abuse it is no secret and he would rather spend time in the dungeons than have to attend a coronation of a man who had taken the throne by force. The decision to assist Nott is more or less a no-brainer, or it would be were it not for the fact that he understands the possibility that the decision could affect the Summoned in some way, shape or form.
But it is not in his nature to appease. And when he is assured that there will be enough of them in attendance to look out for one another, he turns towards Nott without a second thought. The consequences, or slap on the wrist rather, become apparent in the form of the approval process for leaving the castle are announced. Thankfully "Alyx" is a nameless courier providing him the cover he needs to come and go as he pleases so long as he doesn't push the boundaries of that.
The sun begins to dip below the horizon when he ends his deliveries (and his own business dealings with his black market contacts) that day. Despite still being convinced that he doesn't have a hand for magic, he takes it upon himself to check on the runes that they had a hand in erecting along Nott's walls. Nott hadn't been touched by the attack on the castle, but his paranoia insists he checks for peace of mind anyway. There are, after all, people that he cares for that now live within these boundaries. ]
[ yennefer does hear word of the coronation, and for all that she is curious about the events that will happen, she also feels a kind of freedom in knowing that she doesn't have to care. the summoned would be invited, the summoned could attend, but she wonders if anyone at all will choose a different path. she's heard whispers that the wards of nott need help, that they are struggling under the force of things, and she does wonder if the summoned will take the call. if anyone from the castle will be allowed to come assist.
word travels fast through nott, though, and the moment that summoned from the castle arrive in nott, word starts to spread. yennefer hears it during her wanderings through the town, and while she can't quite show the interest she feels, it does send her out into the streets. does send her on a search for familiar faces.
the sun has just started to drop when she turns a corner and finds herself along the outer walls of nott. the figure she catches checking the wards at first she isn't sure of, but as time passes is more and more familiar. it's some minutes later before she, herself, steps out from around the corner - her surface level illusions of her face, hair color, and eyes, dropping as soon as she steps closer. ]
You've practiced your wards, then.
[ there is a tension in her chest, a kind of anticipation. he's here. but she holds her distance, at least at first - to see what it is he plans. ]
[ For someone who's been on the run or avoiding being seen most of his life, Cassian knew the feeling of being watched. The hairs stand up on the back of his neck but he keeps his hands steady on his work while simultaneously keeping watch out of the corner of his eye for anyone.
His mind is already reeling, ready to fight or run if necessary. His knife is always kept close within arms reach and the bike is close. unless they're on horseback or there's some sort of magic involved, he should be able to shake them.
Neither of those scenarios need to come to pass however. He hears the soft footfall and hears the voice - her voice and that fight or flight instinct fades leaving a similar feeling of anticipation in his own chest. For a moment he stares up at her before straightening up. ]
I wouldn't get too excited. I don't know how effective they are. [ He motions to the swirling designs painted with precision. ] Drawing them is one thing. Casting is another.
[ part of her assumed he would - she knows that her interactions with cassian are more limited to her knowledge of him from their eight hundred years. it is a process to work her way through what she might know of him that remains true, and what had been crafted by sand and dirt. his observance, his awareness, perhaps even his paranoia were things she chooses to bet on.
and - judging by the knife at his side and the tension he carries even under his calm exterior. still, yennefer follows with all the recent knowledge of nott, and her previous years on the run, to move through the city after him until now.
now, when she knows there aren't any other bodies nearby. when no one followed them through the streets. she steps out of the shadows when she knows they aren't in immediate danger, though there's no absolute way to know they're safe, there is merit in safe enough. ]
But your lines have improved. [ a small smile, as she begins to walk towards him, her eyes on the wards themselves. ] Show me how you cast them, and I might be able to assist you.
[ There's the sound of a laugh in his question. He had only ever known her to be soft in front of River. Which isn’t to say that he believed her incapable of care. Kindness came in many forms. But assuming whatever connection they'd had during the imaginary future would be presumptuous of him and that included positive feelings towards him.
But all the same his eyes stay trained on her as she comes towards him, telling himself that it’s a survival instinct long since ingrained in him to never take his eye off someone approaching him. Only when she’s beside him does he tear his gaze away and dutifully begin spelling the wards with a steady hand muttering under his breath with the incantations.
When he’s done he takes a step back allowing her to survey his work. ]
[ there's a hint to her tone, there, that she wouldn't necessarily call it that. a compliment, or a comment on just how poor his previous work had been. for all that she may or may not need to worry about what she says now that she's no longer under the ears of the court, yennefer has always been one to talk in layers.
still - there is definitely a kind of softness about her. a lack of rigidity, or tension, or stress. it feels a little looser around the edges, which may or may not be a callback to the constant shift in their time before, or their not-time from before. it isn't entirely soft, because soft things do not survive in this world or any other, but it is much less constructed.
she feels his eyes on her as she approaches, and she doesn't fault him for it - whatever is behind the look is for him to decide, for him to know, because she... well. she watches him spell out the wards, mutter them under his breath, and then take a step back. there is a pause where she looks it over, a neutrality to her expression, before she takes a step forward and lifts her hand as she fixes a few details. ]
Moderately successful. [ another smile, and her wrist flicks, her own voice light as she adjusts the spell itself, and then she is stepping back to stand next to him once more. ] You just want to be careful with this and- [ she points out two sections of the ward, places where some minor adjustments could be made, but really. she probably didn't have to. ] Here. But it is quite decent.
[ The tone - which is clearly something meant to keep him in check - does the opposite than what she perhaps intends it to do: it draws the slightest twitch of his lips, as if he were readying himself to smile. Maarva had always told him when he was younger that he had an unfortunate taste for women who were mean to him, to which he'd always reply that that must be the case because why else would he always keep coming back to her?
Masochism aside, the smile is also brought on by something else - the unmistakeable hint of softness in her voice pressed into his brain after he had seen it himself. And experienced himself, if he wanted to count that - which he still isn't certain he does.
Easier to focus on her deft motions and the years of wielding magic that it speaks to so he can learn from his mistakes. With all her notes given he nods, lips twitching again as a show of gratitude. ]
Thank you. I'll remember that for next time.
[ He's always been less awkward than people might mistake his quietness to be. But there is slight shift in him that gives away the fact that he might be uncertain about what to do from here given their circumstances and everything that had led them to this point. Finally he manages to settle on - ]
[ she catches the smile, and it's hard not to feel the familiarity of it - her teasing, the twitch of his lips, the understanding that they both have that yennefer knows perhaps more than cassian would like her to. she doesn't need to read his mind, but she wonders about how much of those dreams, that illusion, will keep.
for now, she helps him correct his ward - effortlessly straightens certain lines, strengthens the magic within in. she can feel cassian's eyes on her as she does it, and for a brief moment yennefer feels a bit like she's back in the castle - instructing, teaching, newer summoned watching her every move. but then, in a blink, she's back - smelling of fish, dirt under her nails, mud covering her boots, sleeves, and the hem of her cloak. ]
I'd hope so. I don't care to repeat myself.
[ another hint of a smile, a flick of her wrist, and the ward is complete. and then it is her turn to feel the uncertainty of the moment creep into the space with them. they're in the streets of nott, along the outer walls, and there are very few others that so much as pass them by. still, yennefer feels some sort of lingering tension even now. like they could be watching, even though she knows they aren't, and like she should know what to do here, though part of her hadn't thought much beyond simply seeing him.
his question arches one of her brows, her eyes tilting down to the state of her, and then back to him, as if that is answer enough. still, she shrugs - even covered in mud and smelling of the streets, there is a kind of confidence to her. an easy, casual way she holds herself that is not forced. ]
As well as one could hope for. The locals don't pay us much mind, which is... [ yennefer honestly considers her answer for a moment. ] Nice, in a way. Strange, but nice. [ a beat, and then her expression tightens a bit - worry. ] How is the castle?
[ Cassian can't begin to understand court life - or any kind of high profile life where someone has willingly put themselves in that position. But he knows the peace that anonymity brings. It must be nice not to be noticed, to feel less paranoia that someone watching your every move and dissecting your every word. He hasn't felt that feeling in some time, even upon arriving here.
Being a Summoned meant that they would naturally be regarded with a sense of curiosity but that's where he had chosen to let it begin and end. He resolved not to be a spectacle for anyone. To keep his head down and focus on himself. In some ways he was reverting back to his old ways. But then that time had come and gone and now he finds himself caring more and more for those around him with a growing lack of disregard for his own wellbeing. So long as those around him were safe, that's all that matters. Which is why a moment like this is so precious.
Seeing Yennefer without the polish of court life, healthy, alive, well even with the signs of mud, dirt and the faint smell of sea clinging to them reassures him. ]
Good. I thought they might not be as welcoming, all things considered. [ He hadn't forgotten being cornered in the alleyway his first week here. As for her question, he offers his own slight shrug. ]
Like the coup didn't happen. Things are less grand, there's less frivolous spending. But otherwise, everyone just wants to get back to a sense of normal.
[ There's another pause as he straightens up to look at her. ]
[ yennefer has not been anonymous for some time, now. decades. lifetimes. beyond her genuinely changing her appearance, changing who she is. she does not know what it means to be truly anonymous, barely even being able to handle as much before she was a mage, she wasn't lucky enough to escape gazes, instead drawing the distaste. the disgust. the hatred.
now, instead, she controls that gaze. she controls that attention. she puts herself in center stage and directs where it is they look, what they see, and what it is they do with that. court life is always a little different, the illusion of control and the reality of it, but she knows that isn't the same for others. isn't the same for people like cassian.
but what she does understand is this, this growing feeling of unease. this knowledge that as time goes on, what had once been a small, controllable circle continues to grow. she can tell in the way he watches her now, is checking beyond the dirt, beyond the smell. how he doesn't seem too worried by what he finds. ]
Normal? [ she doesn't snort, but there's an air of it. ] There's nothing normal about that please. You feel it. Even before the coup.
[ but he does straighten, is serious when he answers her, and yennefer nods - there isn't anything else he can really say that would make her relax about it all, but she does trust what he says. does trust him, where river is concerned. ]
That's good. [ a beat, and then a small smile. ] And you?
[ Her dry observation earns a laugh from him. A real one, one that is not so unlike a dying fire that just needed a little nudge to wake up the embers that still lay beneath the ash. ]
You aren't wrong.
[ It's a brief one because truthfully a part of him has forgotten how to laugh without abandon about things that are truly funny and not just tinged with the heavy weight of reality. But he can't help himself. What she had said hadn't been intended to be a joke but for some reason her delivery, the situation that they find themselves in is enough to make him laugh.
But while the laugh she manages to coax from him without trying is gone as soon as it comes, she surprises him again. Cassian had always been good at hiding his emotions on his face. Or rather, he's had to as a means of survival. There's no hiding how she disarms him with that smile and that question though and it takes him a moment to respond despite how easy of a question it is. ]
I'm good. All things considered. [ Though that feels like a blanket statement, meant for niceties and people that he doesn't share some sort of inexplicable bond with. ] Truthfully most of the time I feel frustrated that there isn't much I can do.
[ The word 'trapped' lingers in the air but he doesn't say as much though she can probably guess. ]
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streets of nott
But it is not in his nature to appease. And when he is assured that there will be enough of them in attendance to look out for one another, he turns towards Nott without a second thought. The consequences, or slap on the wrist rather, become apparent in the form of the approval process for leaving the castle are announced. Thankfully "Alyx" is a nameless courier providing him the cover he needs to come and go as he pleases so long as he doesn't push the boundaries of that.
The sun begins to dip below the horizon when he ends his deliveries (and his own business dealings with his black market contacts) that day. Despite still being convinced that he doesn't have a hand for magic, he takes it upon himself to check on the runes that they had a hand in erecting along Nott's walls. Nott hadn't been touched by the attack on the castle, but his paranoia insists he checks for peace of mind anyway. There are, after all, people that he cares for that now live within these boundaries. ]
no subject
word travels fast through nott, though, and the moment that summoned from the castle arrive in nott, word starts to spread. yennefer hears it during her wanderings through the town, and while she can't quite show the interest she feels, it does send her out into the streets. does send her on a search for familiar faces.
the sun has just started to drop when she turns a corner and finds herself along the outer walls of nott. the figure she catches checking the wards at first she isn't sure of, but as time passes is more and more familiar. it's some minutes later before she, herself, steps out from around the corner - her surface level illusions of her face, hair color, and eyes, dropping as soon as she steps closer. ]
You've practiced your wards, then.
[ there is a tension in her chest, a kind of anticipation. he's here. but she holds her distance, at least at first - to see what it is he plans. ]
no subject
His mind is already reeling, ready to fight or run if necessary. His knife is always kept close within arms reach and the bike is close. unless they're on horseback or there's some sort of magic involved, he should be able to shake them.
Neither of those scenarios need to come to pass however. He hears the soft footfall and hears the voice - her voice and that fight or flight instinct fades leaving a similar feeling of anticipation in his own chest. For a moment he stares up at her before straightening up. ]
I wouldn't get too excited. I don't know how effective they are. [ He motions to the swirling designs painted with precision. ] Drawing them is one thing. Casting is another.
no subject
and - judging by the knife at his side and the tension he carries even under his calm exterior. still, yennefer follows with all the recent knowledge of nott, and her previous years on the run, to move through the city after him until now.
now, when she knows there aren't any other bodies nearby. when no one followed them through the streets. she steps out of the shadows when she knows they aren't in immediate danger, though there's no absolute way to know they're safe, there is merit in safe enough. ]
But your lines have improved. [ a small smile, as she begins to walk towards him, her eyes on the wards themselves. ] Show me how you cast them, and I might be able to assist you.
no subject
[ There's the sound of a laugh in his question. He had only ever known her to be soft in front of River. Which isn’t to say that he believed her incapable of care. Kindness came in many forms. But assuming whatever connection they'd had during the imaginary future would be presumptuous of him and that included positive feelings towards him.
But all the same his eyes stay trained on her as she comes towards him, telling himself that it’s a survival instinct long since ingrained in him to never take his eye off someone approaching him. Only when she’s beside him does he tear his gaze away and dutifully begin spelling the wards with a steady hand muttering under his breath with the incantations.
When he’s done he takes a step back allowing her to survey his work. ]
How’d I do?
no subject
[ there's a hint to her tone, there, that she wouldn't necessarily call it that. a compliment, or a comment on just how poor his previous work had been. for all that she may or may not need to worry about what she says now that she's no longer under the ears of the court, yennefer has always been one to talk in layers.
still - there is definitely a kind of softness about her. a lack of rigidity, or tension, or stress. it feels a little looser around the edges, which may or may not be a callback to the constant shift in their time before, or their not-time from before. it isn't entirely soft, because soft things do not survive in this world or any other, but it is much less constructed.
she feels his eyes on her as she approaches, and she doesn't fault him for it - whatever is behind the look is for him to decide, for him to know, because she... well. she watches him spell out the wards, mutter them under his breath, and then take a step back. there is a pause where she looks it over, a neutrality to her expression, before she takes a step forward and lifts her hand as she fixes a few details. ]
Moderately successful. [ another smile, and her wrist flicks, her own voice light as she adjusts the spell itself, and then she is stepping back to stand next to him once more. ] You just want to be careful with this and- [ she points out two sections of the ward, places where some minor adjustments could be made, but really. she probably didn't have to. ] Here. But it is quite decent.
no subject
Masochism aside, the smile is also brought on by something else - the unmistakeable hint of softness in her voice pressed into his brain after he had seen it himself. And experienced himself, if he wanted to count that - which he still isn't certain he does.
Easier to focus on her deft motions and the years of wielding magic that it speaks to so he can learn from his mistakes. With all her notes given he nods, lips twitching again as a show of gratitude. ]
Thank you. I'll remember that for next time.
[ He's always been less awkward than people might mistake his quietness to be. But there is slight shift in him that gives away the fact that he might be uncertain about what to do from here given their circumstances and everything that had led them to this point. Finally he manages to settle on - ]
Have you been settling into Nott?
no subject
for now, she helps him correct his ward - effortlessly straightens certain lines, strengthens the magic within in. she can feel cassian's eyes on her as she does it, and for a brief moment yennefer feels a bit like she's back in the castle - instructing, teaching, newer summoned watching her every move. but then, in a blink, she's back - smelling of fish, dirt under her nails, mud covering her boots, sleeves, and the hem of her cloak. ]
I'd hope so. I don't care to repeat myself.
[ another hint of a smile, a flick of her wrist, and the ward is complete. and then it is her turn to feel the uncertainty of the moment creep into the space with them. they're in the streets of nott, along the outer walls, and there are very few others that so much as pass them by. still, yennefer feels some sort of lingering tension even now. like they could be watching, even though she knows they aren't, and like she should know what to do here, though part of her hadn't thought much beyond simply seeing him.
his question arches one of her brows, her eyes tilting down to the state of her, and then back to him, as if that is answer enough. still, she shrugs - even covered in mud and smelling of the streets, there is a kind of confidence to her. an easy, casual way she holds herself that is not forced. ]
As well as one could hope for. The locals don't pay us much mind, which is... [ yennefer honestly considers her answer for a moment. ] Nice, in a way. Strange, but nice. [ a beat, and then her expression tightens a bit - worry. ] How is the castle?
no subject
Being a Summoned meant that they would naturally be regarded with a sense of curiosity but that's where he had chosen to let it begin and end. He resolved not to be a spectacle for anyone. To keep his head down and focus on himself. In some ways he was reverting back to his old ways. But then that time had come and gone and now he finds himself caring more and more for those around him with a growing lack of disregard for his own wellbeing. So long as those around him were safe, that's all that matters. Which is why a moment like this is so precious.
Seeing Yennefer without the polish of court life, healthy, alive, well even with the signs of mud, dirt and the faint smell of sea clinging to them reassures him. ]
Good. I thought they might not be as welcoming, all things considered. [ He hadn't forgotten being cornered in the alleyway his first week here. As for her question, he offers his own slight shrug. ]
Like the coup didn't happen. Things are less grand, there's less frivolous spending. But otherwise, everyone just wants to get back to a sense of normal.
[ There's another pause as he straightens up to look at her. ]
River is okay.
no subject
now, instead, she controls that gaze. she controls that attention. she puts herself in center stage and directs where it is they look, what they see, and what it is they do with that. court life is always a little different, the illusion of control and the reality of it, but she knows that isn't the same for others. isn't the same for people like cassian.
but what she does understand is this, this growing feeling of unease. this knowledge that as time goes on, what had once been a small, controllable circle continues to grow. she can tell in the way he watches her now, is checking beyond the dirt, beyond the smell. how he doesn't seem too worried by what he finds. ]
Normal? [ she doesn't snort, but there's an air of it. ] There's nothing normal about that please. You feel it. Even before the coup.
[ but he does straighten, is serious when he answers her, and yennefer nods - there isn't anything else he can really say that would make her relax about it all, but she does trust what he says. does trust him, where river is concerned. ]
That's good. [ a beat, and then a small smile. ] And you?
no subject
You aren't wrong.
[ It's a brief one because truthfully a part of him has forgotten how to laugh without abandon about things that are truly funny and not just tinged with the heavy weight of reality. But he can't help himself. What she had said hadn't been intended to be a joke but for some reason her delivery, the situation that they find themselves in is enough to make him laugh.
But while the laugh she manages to coax from him without trying is gone as soon as it comes, she surprises him again. Cassian had always been good at hiding his emotions on his face. Or rather, he's had to as a means of survival. There's no hiding how she disarms him with that smile and that question though and it takes him a moment to respond despite how easy of a question it is. ]
I'm good. All things considered. [ Though that feels like a blanket statement, meant for niceties and people that he doesn't share some sort of inexplicable bond with. ] Truthfully most of the time I feel frustrated that there isn't much I can do.
[ The word 'trapped' lingers in the air but he doesn't say as much though she can probably guess. ]
But I'm trying to do what I can.