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.
[ The more days that pass here in Nott, the more that Thancred is able to accept this as the new normal. He had known that night when they fled from the castle that nothing would ever be quite the same, and he had accepted that. Ever since he was first summoned to Thorne and started to understand its nature and the subterfuge he would need to engage in while there, he'd known that this might happen. He's been prepared to escape all the way to Solvunn even, but Nott appears to be a decent step along the way.
And maybe it won't come to that. He's always had a fondness for Nott. Perhaps it's the fact that it's a fishing village, or that it has always gotten the short end of the stick. Perhaps it's that the people here also eye the castle with disdain, that they want the freedom to live in their own way.
No matter what it is, he does feel an affinity for this place, and as more time passes since the coup, he realizes that he can let down his guard just slightly. Perhaps Sidwell has determined them to be more trouble than they're worth for now and decided to leave them be. Either way, it allows him the breathing room to start building a life here.
He hasn't settled down in any one place yet, finding it more to his liking to move from inn to tavern to inn, always at a discounted price. Lord Vela is looking out for them in his own way, and Thancred has been giving careful consideration to when to make contact.
He's earned coin primarily by helping out by the docks, and he's on his way there to see what labor he might find for the day when he spots Yennefer. This is not the most traveled of roads in Nott, and finding her here with her hood pulled up, her hair not kept in perfect curls, perhaps even with a slight glamour adjusting her look, he has to stop in his tracks for a moment. He's seen Yennefer in dirt and grime before, the two of them having traveled together more than once where there was no access to a bath, but this is now the everyday. She's engaged in some manner of conversation with a local, and he watches from a nearby alley as she presses a bottle into their hand.
It's a far cry from the first time they came here together, when she had to remain hidden so as to not draw ire from the people of Nott given her connections to the Queen.
Thancred waits until the transaction is complete and she's on her way before falling into easy step with her. ]
Well, that seemed downright clandestine. I'm impressed.
[ He'd had no doubt that she would land on her feet here, but it's still fascinating to see this other side of her, so far from the lavish dressings of court. ]
[ yennefer had never really paid much mind to nott - a town as old and downtrodden as its crumbling buildings. a city well passed its prime. she's seen cities and kingdoms fall just like nott has, and she is well aware of the centers of black market dealings and less than legal agreements that get made here. perhaps that is part of the reason she gave it so little attention, before - most of what she knew of the place involved summoned attempting to flee the castle, looking for a way out. the less attention she gave it, she reasoned, the less the crown would have less of a reason to go looking.
but this is hardly the first back-water town yennefer has made her way in. and maybe that is why it's almost easy for her to slip into it now - and old life, a worn boot. when they'd escaped the castle, the only thing she'd brought with her had been her alchemy materials, and the very clothes on her back. while those first few days had been spent with her head tucked low and her appearance changed just enough, it wasn't long before she'd noticed the need. the market.
she spends her evenings now in a boarding house - a bunk that she barely scrapes by enough to pay for. but it is enough, for now, that it doesn't smell like fish. enough that she can store the things she needs, has a small amount of privacy to do her work. all it had taken was a single overheard conversation, a small amount of persuasion, and the word of mouth of the city itself had done the rest.
yennefer's focus is on survival, mostly. making deals, collecting coin, finding the ingredients she needs to keep going. she knows that thancred and stephen are chasing their own paths, finding their own ways, but for some reason the city seems to be just large enough that she gets used to not seeing them about. she should know better, though, should know that with their constantly shifting task lists, it was only a matter of time.
still - there's a kind of tension that shoots through yennefer when thancred steps out from around the corner and she realizes she's being watched. it's just enough that a spell is prepared, just enough that if another breath had gone by, whatever figure he was wouldn't still be standing there. but it is thancred, and the spell dissipates. instead, her brow arches. ]
They're healing potions, Thancred. Hardly the most clandestine remedy I've been known to sell. [ yennefer shrugs, and continues to walk - assuming thancred will keep step with her. ]
[ It was subtle enough, that slight charge in the air that told him that a spell was on the verge of being cast, and Thancred's relieved to find that Yennefer is not the overly jumpy sort, even now. He hadn't meant to sneak up on her, but he is naturally quiet and it's difficult to shake that. He does know that they shouldn't be seen together in public too often still, but perhaps they can afford a short walk together.
They are still going down the path he was on initially, toward the docks. ]
Well, now I'd like to know what the most clandestine type is, though I know one must always keep some secrets.
[ Or that she might not want to say too much, out in the open like this. Thancred suspects that eventually they will have far more freedom here when compared to the castle, but for the time being they still need to take care.
He nods down to the small satchel at her waist where he suspects she's carrying more potions, or perhaps ingredients. ] Are you running low on your stores? If there's aught you need help with collecting, you need only say the word.
[ They're friends, and he wouldn't mind at all helping her with gathering some ingredients from the nearby woods. He's always looking for excuses to stretch his legs, after all. ]
[ no, he should be very thankful that yennefer is not the overly jumpy sort. there are quite a few people in the castle, summoned and otherwise, who would look very different if that were the case. but this is also an example of her on edge, the very fact her tension shoots through despite feeling thancred was close. but the moment has passed, thancred still has all of his limbs, and yennefer shakes her head. ]
Oh no, no secrets here. Male enhancement is a highly sought-after remedy across most spheres.
[ which may, or may not, be the truth - but it is what she offers him now as they head towards the docks. his mention of her sachet has her shaking her head, pulling up her bag to check its contents. ]
No- I'm doing alright for now. Our next trip to Nocwich I may have you running errands to the hunting grounds, but at present, I have enough. [ she closes the bag once more and steps in to his side, slipping an arm around his - they might be covered in dirt and smell of fish, but yennefer can turn on that high air of confidence and straightened shoulders whenever she feels like it. ]
But I am in desperate need of a drink. You don't have other plans, do you?
[ Male enhancement. Ah, of course. Thancred doesn't hold back on the throaty laugh that comes out in response to that. While he suspects that Yennefer crafts brews that are even more in need of discretion than draughts to help a bloke last a bit longer under the sheets, those are in fact the ones that Yennefer won't speak to here. He can always ask her about it another time, when they have true privacy.
He nods when she mentions the hunting grounds. He's no stranger to them and while he's made a habit of gathering materials there to sell in the markets, he'd be happy to set the aside for some of Yennefer's potions. She's already signed him up for it, and while some might see that as presumptuous, to him it's more a sign of their closeness. Yes, he's her willing errand boy, but it's more than that. She trusts him to get the job done. ]
I'd love a reason to stretch my sword arm. I'll check in with you the next time a portal opens, then. [ He loops his arm with hers, briefly awed by how she manages to exude such confidence even when she looks worse for the wear and smells like a busy fish market.
Desperate need of a drink, is it? He raises an eyebrow, shooting a glance ahead of them before he shakes his head. ] Not anymore, no. [ He had planned to ask around the docks about potential work, but that can easily wait until tomorrow. He'd much rather spend the evening with a friend. ] Where shall it be, then? Have you found any favorite haunts here thus far?
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And maybe it won't come to that. He's always had a fondness for Nott. Perhaps it's the fact that it's a fishing village, or that it has always gotten the short end of the stick. Perhaps it's that the people here also eye the castle with disdain, that they want the freedom to live in their own way.
No matter what it is, he does feel an affinity for this place, and as more time passes since the coup, he realizes that he can let down his guard just slightly. Perhaps Sidwell has determined them to be more trouble than they're worth for now and decided to leave them be. Either way, it allows him the breathing room to start building a life here.
He hasn't settled down in any one place yet, finding it more to his liking to move from inn to tavern to inn, always at a discounted price. Lord Vela is looking out for them in his own way, and Thancred has been giving careful consideration to when to make contact.
He's earned coin primarily by helping out by the docks, and he's on his way there to see what labor he might find for the day when he spots Yennefer. This is not the most traveled of roads in Nott, and finding her here with her hood pulled up, her hair not kept in perfect curls, perhaps even with a slight glamour adjusting her look, he has to stop in his tracks for a moment. He's seen Yennefer in dirt and grime before, the two of them having traveled together more than once where there was no access to a bath, but this is now the everyday. She's engaged in some manner of conversation with a local, and he watches from a nearby alley as she presses a bottle into their hand.
It's a far cry from the first time they came here together, when she had to remain hidden so as to not draw ire from the people of Nott given her connections to the Queen.
Thancred waits until the transaction is complete and she's on her way before falling into easy step with her. ]
Well, that seemed downright clandestine. I'm impressed.
[ He'd had no doubt that she would land on her feet here, but it's still fascinating to see this other side of her, so far from the lavish dressings of court. ]
no subject
but this is hardly the first back-water town yennefer has made her way in. and maybe that is why it's almost easy for her to slip into it now - and old life, a worn boot. when they'd escaped the castle, the only thing she'd brought with her had been her alchemy materials, and the very clothes on her back. while those first few days had been spent with her head tucked low and her appearance changed just enough, it wasn't long before she'd noticed the need. the market.
she spends her evenings now in a boarding house - a bunk that she barely scrapes by enough to pay for. but it is enough, for now, that it doesn't smell like fish. enough that she can store the things she needs, has a small amount of privacy to do her work. all it had taken was a single overheard conversation, a small amount of persuasion, and the word of mouth of the city itself had done the rest.
yennefer's focus is on survival, mostly. making deals, collecting coin, finding the ingredients she needs to keep going. she knows that thancred and stephen are chasing their own paths, finding their own ways, but for some reason the city seems to be just large enough that she gets used to not seeing them about. she should know better, though, should know that with their constantly shifting task lists, it was only a matter of time.
still - there's a kind of tension that shoots through yennefer when thancred steps out from around the corner and she realizes she's being watched. it's just enough that a spell is prepared, just enough that if another breath had gone by, whatever figure he was wouldn't still be standing there. but it is thancred, and the spell dissipates. instead, her brow arches. ]
They're healing potions, Thancred. Hardly the most clandestine remedy I've been known to sell. [ yennefer shrugs, and continues to walk - assuming thancred will keep step with her. ]
no subject
They are still going down the path he was on initially, toward the docks. ]
Well, now I'd like to know what the most clandestine type is, though I know one must always keep some secrets.
[ Or that she might not want to say too much, out in the open like this. Thancred suspects that eventually they will have far more freedom here when compared to the castle, but for the time being they still need to take care.
He nods down to the small satchel at her waist where he suspects she's carrying more potions, or perhaps ingredients. ] Are you running low on your stores? If there's aught you need help with collecting, you need only say the word.
[ They're friends, and he wouldn't mind at all helping her with gathering some ingredients from the nearby woods. He's always looking for excuses to stretch his legs, after all. ]
no subject
Oh no, no secrets here. Male enhancement is a highly sought-after remedy across most spheres.
[ which may, or may not, be the truth - but it is what she offers him now as they head towards the docks. his mention of her sachet has her shaking her head, pulling up her bag to check its contents. ]
No- I'm doing alright for now. Our next trip to Nocwich I may have you running errands to the hunting grounds, but at present, I have enough. [ she closes the bag once more and steps in to his side, slipping an arm around his - they might be covered in dirt and smell of fish, but yennefer can turn on that high air of confidence and straightened shoulders whenever she feels like it. ]
But I am in desperate need of a drink. You don't have other plans, do you?
no subject
He nods when she mentions the hunting grounds. He's no stranger to them and while he's made a habit of gathering materials there to sell in the markets, he'd be happy to set the aside for some of Yennefer's potions. She's already signed him up for it, and while some might see that as presumptuous, to him it's more a sign of their closeness. Yes, he's her willing errand boy, but it's more than that. She trusts him to get the job done. ]
I'd love a reason to stretch my sword arm. I'll check in with you the next time a portal opens, then. [ He loops his arm with hers, briefly awed by how she manages to exude such confidence even when she looks worse for the wear and smells like a busy fish market.
Desperate need of a drink, is it? He raises an eyebrow, shooting a glance ahead of them before he shakes his head. ] Not anymore, no. [ He had planned to ask around the docks about potential work, but that can easily wait until tomorrow. He'd much rather spend the evening with a friend. ] Where shall it be, then? Have you found any favorite haunts here thus far?