EVENT #22: KHION - IC LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event 22 - Khion

OOC Event Log ⦁ The Nether

Despite the unsettling tremors from the previous month, the citizens of Abraxas are determined to enjoy their winter festivities. For you, the collective wintertide celebrations - The Dimming, The Festival of Enlightenment, and the Winter Solstice - have often been held in your home territories or Nocwich.

This year brings a change. You'll receive a personal letter from the Nether, signed by Aster, the Guardian themselves. Whether you were there to aid the Nether or not last autumn, the letter thanks you nonetheless for your assistance and informs you that much has changed in their lands...for the better. Indeed, so much so that the Draconae wish to invite you back so you can see for yourself the positive impact you've had.

Their gates will open DECEMBER 16 and close on DECEMBER 20. Because the Draconae do not possess magic as powerful as other races in Abraxas, they kindly ask that you stay for the week since they cannot maintain a persistent portal.

The major plot occurrence will occur at the end. The fallout of this incident will carry over into January.

Above and Below

Previously, only the Obsidian Heart - the volcanic city - was accessible as the area above was far too cold and desolate. Now, with the adult dragons having returned to their full strength and their hatchlings growing by the day, the Draconae have begun to reclaim their territory beyond the volcano.

You'll be able to explore areas within the Heart, but you'll find most of the festivities above-ground. The Draconae are a fun-loving people and they're quite fond of the Summoned after all the help you've given them. They also understand that tensions between the major territories have been high as of late...and would like to grant you some reprieve from a war many of you didn't ask to be a part of.

Accommodations

This time, guests will stay in stone huts built from the Nether's volcanic stone. The stones preserve an unusual amount of heat, meaning the huts are very warm. Bedding is comfortable, if simple, with room to store your belongings. The Draconae believe strongly in mutual respect, so the doors contain no locks. Your safety is assured, but if you're nervous, you can ask for a guard to watch you at night.

If you don't do well in the cold, the Draconae will offer you warming potions and thick furs. Curiously, the furs closely resemble what the werewolves in Luna wear, suggesting that the Nether and Nocwich have resumed more active trading in recent months.

◎ A larger community hut is in the center of the small village that's slowly being built. The dining area consists of open-fire grills, pots, and raw ingredients - including spices and fiery hot peppers. As great believers in self-sufficiency, the Draconae will leave you to make meals to your taste and liking.

◎ You can hunt and fish your meat, as well. There are numerous spots for ice fishing. Since the natural world is steadily being restored, game and fish found are of the common variety like deer, bison, and trout, as opposed to the stranger creatures that were found inside the Obsidian Heart's lava pools. Feel free to share your catch with your friends or offer to cook for the culinarily challenged.

◎ Hot springs can be found to the north. You'll have to hike to reach the area but it's a lovely walk. The waters themselves are crystal clear. At night, they glow with hundreds of tiny unknown creatures. These creatures are believed to be the result of the previously sickly hatchling, Anthusa, who creates bioluminescent algae. Now that Anthusa is much healthier, it can be spotted playing in the hot springs and lakes.

◎ Large fuzzy rodents the size of a small cat will occasionally invade your sleeping quarters or eating areas. They're easily chased off but they can be a huge nuisance by stealing your food and chewing holes in your blankets. You're warned only to chase them off not injure them. Unfortunately, their blood is quite corrosive and can cause a harsh burn to the skin. While the burns will heal up in a few days, it's best to avoid the situation altogether.

Sights & Activities

Opal Flats

The Opal Flats are natural wonders that have recently come into being with the dragons' increasing strength. The pearlescent icy surface glows at night which makes it the perfect place for ice skating after sunset. You can borrow a pair of ice skates and join the Draconae on the ice.

◎ When you're done with the ice, you can join one of the tents nearby that are hosting spiced cider workshops. Here, you can make your own spiced cider blend. Flavors include clove, cinnamon, and berries unique to the Nether. You can test infusing your blend into small cups of cider until you're happy with the results. Your final personalized blend will then be packaged into a jar and tied off with a ribbon. Enjoy it yourself or give it to someone special!

◎ Keep an eye out! The young dragons are troublemakers and will sneak into the workshops to steal cinnamon sticks, drink from the steaming cider pots, and knock down hanging decorations. You can help rehang decorations or remove the dragons from spaces they shouldn't be in...though they'll soon find their way back again. The Draconae seem exasperated but tolerant of the hatchlings so you shouldn't worry too much about the mild chaos. It's to be expected.

◎ Once more, Khloris is the biggest menace and it's grown larger since. While Khloris has learned to better control its powers, it's still prone to causing flowers to sprout in your hair should you come into contact with too much of its pollen. Fortunately, the effect is temporary - just a few hours.

Dusk Falls

Each day, starting at dawn, two Draconae guides will lead a hike up the mountains. Make sure you bring your hiking boots! The slopes are frosty and can be dangerous but they'll keep you safe as much as possible. Otherwise, it's a lovely trip and takes about two hours to reach the top. You'll encounter a beautiful view, fresh mountain air, and a cavern at the peak where you can go inside and look at some frozen waterfalls.

◎ Unusual ice-like spiders infest some portions of the cave. While they're quite big (about the size of a wolf spider), they're harmless and seldom bite. On the occasions that they do, the bite is easily treated with a bandage and a few days to heal. However, they do have a bad habit of dropping down from the ceiling onto the heads of passersby wandering through the caves. The experience can be startling if you're not expecting it.

◎ Once you've all finished enjoying the sights, you can return to the bottom. Luckily, you won't have to climb down. Instead, the group will get to ride one of the two adult dragons in the Nether: Hierus, the Obsidian Drake, and Kruos, the Glass Serpent. They'll bring all of you safely back to the base of the mountain.

Cinder's Core

Walking through the Ashlands no longer requires any special potion. The air is now clear. Cinder's Core lies at the southern end. Previous visitors will recall that it was full of petrified trees and fossilized bone. The detritus of a fallen ecosystem remains, but alongside it is new growth of flourishing green thanks to the young dragon Okenus. This includes the trees growing the unique kydros fruit.

◎ You can help harvest the kydros fruit to contribute to the feast above the surface. Now that they're growing freely again, the Draconae are no longer reserving them for the potions and have reintroduced the fruit into their regular dishes! Mildly sweet with a hint of citrus, it tastes somewhat like a pomelo.

◎ Be careful when harvesting or traversing the area! While the jungle is starting to recover, it's still a jungle full of tripping hazards, slippery vines, and high cliffs - some of which now have refreshing waterfalls. There might also be a hidden snake or aggressive birds. These creatures aren't dangerous to any real degree, but if they bite or peck, it'll leave a mark!

Mysterious Gifts

While the Draconae participate in traditional gift-giving, this occurs only between the closest of mates and friends. More common is an activity they call Krypto's Box. Krypto's Box is a massive jar in the middle of town with a hole carved out at the bottom to function as a sort of dispenser. Filling the jar are hundreds of vials containing a mystery potion. Each year, the batch of potions is blessed by magic from the young dragons of the Nether. In other words - these mischievous creatures have influenced the potions' effects.

You can take a potion and gift it to someone. Neither of you will know what the effects are until the recipient opens it, but you can trust it'll be something mild, temporary, and amusing. During Khion, it's not unusual to see the Draconae wandering around covered in glitter, swirls of flowers, or hovering 2 feet above the ground. Accepting a mystery potion is part of the fun. The local Draconae will gift you some alongside your Summoned friends!

If your character has received a potion - whether from a Draconum or another Summoned - comment HERE to see what effect they'll receive. If you don't like the effect, simply disregard your character having received a potion to begin with.

Making Friends (NPCs)

The occasion is less formal this time, so Anneth and Aster will each be available for you to meet regardless of your status. There's also one surprise guest that some of you might recognize from last year's Epulum event in Ikorr: Babis, the cheerful Draconum who was merely looking for a good time and found himself embroiled in a mysterious theft.

Descriptions about the three NPCs and where they can be found will be in their character comments below. Depending on who you talk to, you can learn a little more about neighboring Endsmuth, the dragons, and relations with Nocwich. The meetings might not last very long, but you'll be able to get in one or two questions!

Characters of any rank can speak with one of the three NPCs available.

To do so, TAG IN with your character under the NPC you want to meet.

Renewal

The Nether's limited magic means that they seldom feel the effects of the Dimming. However, even the Draconae begin to notice something is wrong as the final day draws near wherein the Singularity should go completely dark, falling into its usual state of hibernation. The dragons, in particular, are disturbed and have communicated as such to both Anneth and Ermis, the Keeper.

Before anyone can determine what's truly happening, a massive quake strikes all of Abraxas. As far away from the epicenter as the Nether is, even they feel the effects, a tremor that knocks over decorations and cracks foundations.

For any who are near the cliffs overlooking the ocean below, they can observe a giant tidal wave that consumes the island where some of you recall being held captive on.

Portals Awry

Naturally, you want to return home after such an unexpected event. The Draconae hurriedly open the portals to your individual territories and assure you they will assist in any way possible, though they are equally unsure of what's just happened.

Stepping through the portal, you expect to pass through and face the familiar sights and sounds where you reside. For a small handful of you, that may be exactly so. For many others, however, you'll find yourself in a completely unexpected place.

Indeed, it seems that whatever force has caused the quake has also disrupted the Singularity's no longer waning magic, corrupting the portal magic and sending you into an opposing territory. In a time of war, this could be disastrous for all involved...and it's clear from the locals who greet you on the other side that they are as baffled as you.

Players can choose to mix things up and send their characters to a new territory for the duration of January. Since this will be temporary, feel free to separate close CR or put your character somewhere they won't enjoy. It won't last long!

Characters will not be placed under any restrictions for accidentally landing in a strange place. They will, for the time being, be treated as guests while officials determine what to do next.

The Wrap-Up will detail how characters' experiences will go once they are in their new territory.

---

Comments

[gynvael]

It's the slight edge he's got of being both a Witcher and a trained swordsman for far longer than any human lifespan could hope to achieve.

Still, he can't help the faint amusement that crosses his face. "You only stumbled twice."

He settles into bed next to John once the fire has lit, their fur blankets rumpled from the previous night's activities. He did not explicitly decide to room with John, but Jaskier has taken up with Nadine, Yen has her dalliances, and Geralt—for the first time in some time—has found himself without an expected bedmate. When John peered through the door, searching for Geralt, it was only natural to invite him in.

And Geralt hardly sees reason to ask him to leave. He rather likes that John has not left, actually.

He takes a bottle from the dresser—to warm the blood—and offers it to John.

"Vesemir made us train on the ice. I must've cracked my damn skull a few dozen times."

[iustise]

John is torn between removing all of his clothes so that he might crawl under the furs and press himself naked against Geralt, soaking in his warmth as his own, and never removing another piece of clothing again until he remembers the meaning of the word warmth. He settles at last for the top layer, gloves and boots, coat and jacket, crawling into bed and underneath the blankets, pulling them up to bury himself in them for a moment, until all that is peering out is his face.

He won’t say no to Geralt’s offering however, and after a moment he wriggles himself back out to sit up against the headboard, reaching to take the bottle from the other man. Swirling the liquid inside and sniffing it curiously, before taking a cautious sip. Wincing as the liquid burns its way down his throat in a not so unpleasant way.

“I cannot say that I have trained as you have done, but it is all the fashion, on the continent. In the north. Ice skating.” He sighs, fondly. Wistfully. Exasperated. “It is not nearly so cold in England as it gets up there, but as I recall there was an exhibition for the queen and since then.”

He shrugs. “Well, I suppose I had no choice but to make an attempt. My brother, Hal, is even more hopeless, if you can believe it.”

He reaches out to hand the bottle back to Geralt, shifting himself to sit closer to him and the solid warmth of him.

[gynvael]

A fashion? He can't help a small laugh. It would be like humans, to make sliding on ice a fashion. The Skelligans enjoy it as a sport; it's where Geralt learned to genuinely skate on the blades, as they call it, instead of simply knowing how to walk over an icy lake without cracking it, or to spot thin ice before it cracks. To listen to the vibrations beneath to track a lurking monster.

Ciri enjoys the same sport.

He lets himself lean against John. "Don't fret so much. Even all of Yennefer's grace can't keep her from tumbling."

And she'll probably kill him if she knows he's revealed this not-so-secret moment of hers. Besides, John has emerged with his ankles intact.

"Tell me about it. England. The way you speak of it, it reminds me of the Continent."

They certainly share a similar accent. And Jamie's, the spectre from a few weeks ago, was not so foreign, either.

[iustise]

John cannot help but smile at the thought of Yennefer struggling on the ice as he had. With the carefully cultivated image she projects, cool, confident, and untouchable, he does not doubt that she would rather walk over hot coals than suffer the indignity of a witness to her failures. Frankly, John understands where she’s coming from.

Choosing to hold his tongue on that particular topic, instead he allows himself to settle more comfortably against Geralt’s side, contemplating an answer to his request. England… What is there to say?

“Well… It is an island,” he says, glancing aside at the other man with the quirk of a smile. “Off the continent of Europe. One of several — the Kingdom of Great Britain. Ruled by King George III, at present at least, and governed by parliament — the lower court of the House of Commons and the upper court of the House of Lords. Which my brother Hal serves in, begrudgingly.”

He realizes belatedly that these are perhaps less exciting facts than Geralt might want to know, so he quickly adds, “London is the capital. Where I have lived for a good majority of my life. It’s, well. As you might expect of a large city. Crowded, noisy, filthy quite honestly. But then there is countryside just beyond that. Old forests, green meadows, deep lakes…”

He fusses with the blanket in his lap for a moment, before concluding, “It’s beautiful.”

[gynvael]

He's content to listen to however John wishes to explain. He's curious about John's world, so like his in many ways but also unlike it. No monsters, no magic. It seems to him that when there are only humans amongst each other, they begin to search for differences within their own to label distasteful.

He supposes it's not unlike two villages warring over their personal gods.

"I'd have liked to see it." He cannot, of course, but he's glimpsed pieces of it in John's domain: the Beefsteak, but also the lush meadow he had in their shared future.

After a moment of contemplation, Geralt leans over the side of the bed. He rummages, emerging with a wooden box. It isn't wrapped, doesn't much resemble what it's meant to be: a gift. He simply places it on the bed between them, pushing it towards John.

"I thought you might like one in the real world," he says without explanation. Though, if John opens the box, he'll find that it explains itself: a compact chess set, small enough it can travel in a bag, with a board set on a hinge to fold in half. It took Geralt a bit of extra time to get right—he's no master carpenter—and the figures are obviously hand-carved, with all the rough angles that come with it. But it is very recognizably a chess set, one that Geralt seems to have created by studying the one in John's Horizon.

[iustise]

It’s true, the Beefsteak and the little park that John had erected across the street are something of a view into his world. And the cottage, gardens, and meadows of his horizon to follow. But there are other things John would have liked to share with Geralt as well. Glimpses of his life. London and Wilmington. Mount Josiah. The Lake Region. He understands that there are aspects to his life as a member of nobility that would probably grate on Geralt’s nerves, but there are other pieces besides he thinks he’d likely enjoy.

He turns, watching as Geralt moves to reach over the edge of the bed before producing the small box, which he sets between them. John raises a questioning eyebrow, reaching forward to tug it toward him and moving to flick the little latch and open it, cracking open the box once he does. A bright smile spreads wide across his face as he hinges the box open on the bed between them and reaches to pluck out a small wooden knight. The carving may not be professional, but John recognizes Geralt’s handiwork, and the fact that he has done all of this by hand, for him…

“My god,” he murmurs, turning the little figure in his hand, before turning toward Geralt, searching his face with a slightly dazed look of wonder. “You — made these for me? Well of course you did. You…” John’s face goes through a number of complicated expressions, where it looks like he has several different thoughts he might like to say at once, before he settles on, “These are wonderful.”

[gynvael]

Geralt's lips quirk upward into a faint smile. What is that look for? He does know it is a decent gift, and he imagined John would like it well enough—but the expression on John's face still takes him aback some. He makes a noise, as though dismissing the sentiment John sees in the chess set.

Which he recognizes is there. He is sentimental when it comes to John. He supposes a part of him has always been a bit sentimental in some ways. In others, much less so.

"Now you can soundly defeat me whenever you like." He places one of the rooks on the black square. His eyebrow lifts, playful. "One of these years, I'll best you."

He's sure if he puts in genuine effort to learn the game in full, he won't lose so damn much, but Geralt truthfully doesn't see the need. Though he seldom feels boredom, the lengthy rules and volume of strategy required are tedious. His enjoyment comes strictly from playing with John—and from making decisions that has John peering at him as if he doesn't know who could possibly think that way or why.

[iustise]

Geralt can make whatever gruff noises he so chooses but the fact of the matter is that he took the time to carve out an entire chess set by hand for John when the game is not native to his world, which means he would have had taken the time to study the details of the pieces for this exact purpose. For him. Of course John loves the gift. It is a precious thing that Geralt created, for him and him alone.

There is a reason that John keeps a little acorn tucked safely in the breast pocket of his jacket, close to his heart.

John's smile crooks sideways, his expression turned wry at Geralt's words of challenge.

"Mmm," he hums, thoughtfully. "If you are trying to best me at chess then we have got a lot of practice ahead of ourselves indeed."

Leaning to the side (careful not to jostle the chess set), John presses a kiss to the other man's lips. Slow and soft and sweet. "Thank you," he murmurs, pressing his forehead against Geralt and lingering in the moment before at last he pulls away, his cheeks slightly flushed, although from the kiss or from the anticipation of his next action, he cannot be sure.

"I... Have a gift for you as well," he says, in his best attempt to act as though he hasn't been stressing about it for the better part of the last month or two.

[gynvael]

He laughs, silent. Yes. There would be. But, he won't turn down a reason to spend more time with John. Besides, even if he isn't particularly good at the game, he's found he needs more and more things to do for a life that was once...not so idle as it's become. Which is a strange thing to say, but he used to wander, and with wandering came the endless routine of keeping himself alive: gathering for elixirs, brewing the elixirs, gathering firewood, making the fire. Searching for the nearest body of water. Hunting dinner or finding a tavern that might let a Witcher linger for a drink for a while.

Now those things are simply available. The markets are close by, their house is always warm. Two or three weeks in the desert is nowhere near the long months he used to journey. He doesn't mind the feeling of having settled, exactly, but it does leave him with more time on this hands than he can ever remember having.

Hence all of his woodworking. But he's running out of furniture that the house needs and he can only give away so many carvings.

His attention shifts back to John. "Do you?" Of course John would. He leans forward, already interested. If he knows anything about John—and lately, he's come to know John quite a lot—the man must've spent weeks searching for something. "Let's see it, then."

[iustise]

John finds himself somewhat uncharacteristically self-conscious as he finds the other man's full attention on him, although it is true -- he had spent months agonizing over this idea or that, until he had finally turned to his most trusted resource to hand: Jaskier. In truth, Jaskier's idea had not been so far off from his own, although the other man had helped him channel his gift to best fit Geralt's tastes, based on the many years of their acquaintance. And once the idea was out there...

John leans to reach over the edge of the bed, rummaging in his own bag before he produces a package. This is wrapped, albeit simply, in a soft, linen cloth. Inside the cloth there rests a leather-bound book. A journal. It is not terribly plain, nor is it particularly of note, either, but obviously of solid craftsmanship. The best that John could afford, for its intended purpose.

If Geralt were to flip it open, he would find it filled with John's neat, precise handwriting. Pages and pages, front to back.

It begins:

𝓕𝓸𝓻𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓭

𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔀𝓮 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓼𝓽 𝓶𝓮𝓽, 𝓖𝔀𝔂𝓷𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓭𝓭, 𝓘 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓵𝓹 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾.

𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓸𝓷𝓮, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓸 𝓬𝓾𝓽 𝓪 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓲𝓰𝓾𝓻𝓮. 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓲𝓷 𝓬𝓸𝓼𝓽𝓾𝓶𝓮 - 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓼 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓼𝓸 𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮, 𝓮𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓘 𝓭𝓲𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 - 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰. 𝓑𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓴 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓰𝓸𝓵𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓲𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓱𝓲𝓽𝓮, 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓸𝓾𝓽𝓯𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓬𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮. 𝓘 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝓙𝓪𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽, 𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓪𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓯 𝓲𝓽.

𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽. 𝓘 𝓭𝓸 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓸𝓵 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓪𝓶 𝓫𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓶𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓼 𝓪 𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓭𝓸 𝓪𝓭𝓶𝓲𝓽 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓲𝓭𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭. 𝓐𝓷𝓭, 𝓘 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓮, 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓾𝓮𝓭. 𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓼𝓸 𝓻𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓵𝔂 𝓼𝓮𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓸𝓽 𝓸𝓾𝓽𝓼𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓮❜𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮, 𝓶𝓮𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷. 𝓝𝓸𝓽 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓸𝓻 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓵𝔂 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓮𝓭 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓯𝓾𝓻𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓵.

𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓷𝓸 𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻. 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓽. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓱𝓲𝓭 𝓫𝓮𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓬𝓸𝓼𝓽𝓾𝓶𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓴 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓱𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓫𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓰𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓯𝓾𝓵, 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓸𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓫𝓲𝓽 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓯𝓾𝓵 𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓪𝓹𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝔀𝓱𝓸𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓯𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯 𝓾𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝔂 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓶𝓮𝓭.

𝓘 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓭𝓸.

𝓘 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓭𝓾𝓬𝓮𝓭 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯 𝓽𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓪𝓼 𝓡𝓸𝓫𝓲𝓷 𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓐 𝓜𝓲𝓭𝓼𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓻 𝓝𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽❜𝓼 𝓓𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓽𝓱 𝓘 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝓷𝓸 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓯𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓹𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓫𝓮 𝓪𝓹𝓽. 𝓘𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝔂 𝓲𝓽𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯, 𝓯𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓐𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓼 𝓻𝓾𝓷 𝓪𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓟𝓾𝓬𝓴 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓪𝓲𝓻𝔂 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓽𝓱 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝔂𝓼 𝓯𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓲𝓷 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓰𝓲𝓻𝓵.

𝓘𝓽 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓶𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓯𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓷 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮. 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓮𝔁𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓵𝔂 𝓪𝓽 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓼𝓽 𝓼𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽, 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓘 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓪𝓬𝓬𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓼. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓲𝓽 𝓲𝓼 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓼 𝓹𝓸𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓬 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓾𝓼 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓼𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓪𝓷 𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻. 𝓐 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓯 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓼, 𝓶𝓪𝓼𝓴𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓸𝓼𝓽𝓾𝓶𝓮𝓭, 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓪 𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓫𝓾𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓽. 𝓐𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓵𝓵 -

𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓭,
𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓭 𝓒𝓾𝓹𝓲𝓭 𝓹𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓫𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓭.

𝓘 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓷𝓸 𝓭𝓸𝓾𝓫𝓽 𝓘 𝓶𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝓪 𝓯𝓸𝓸𝓵 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯, 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮. 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓼 𝓘 𝓪𝓶 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓸 𝓼𝓸 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓷𝓸𝔀. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓴 𝓸𝓯 𝓯𝓾𝓻𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓾𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓲𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷, 𝓘 𝓵𝓪𝔂 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓽, 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓭𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮.

𝓣𝓱𝓾𝓼 𝓘 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓱𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂. 𝓐𝓼 𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓾𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓭𝓸𝓬𝓾𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓼 𝓘 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓮𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓵. 𝓘 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝓲𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓼𝓽 𝓿𝓸𝓵𝓾𝓶𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮.

𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼,
𝓙𝓸𝓱𝓷

John watches as Geralt unwraps the gift with somewhat baited breath. Truth be told, a lot of effort went into this. A lot of thought, the opening of old wounds, revisiting past demons. But also good memories too. Very good ones, which he hopes Geralt will treasure just as much as he has himself. But he realizes it is... Very sentimental. And also perhaps the first time he has quite expressed his feelings in exactly those words, even if they are not yet stated aloud.

"I, uh..." he begins, though he has no idea what he is saying, feeling very vulnerable in that moment indeed.

[gynvael]

Geralt isn't entirely sure what to expect, nor does he consider it deeply one way or another. Gifts are purely about the gesture for him. He doesn't need much, wouldn't at all feel slighted should he receive no gift, and primarily anticipates it will be something of a practical nature. Most who know him have determined—correctly—that he hasn't much use for frivolous trinkets or clothes.

So when John offers him the leather-bound, he imagines the inside to be blank. A place for him to record something useful: discovered monsters, unusual magicks, perhaps ingredients to a new potion. Geralt seldom writes anything down but he does make use of records now and again.

Instead, when he opens the journal, it is already filled. Filled entirely, he sees, as he flips through the pages curiously before returning to the start. John's tidy handwriting covers every inch of the book. And when he begins to read, he realizes it for what it is: an exceptionally long letter, practically a memoir, one that John has obviously put his whole heart into. For a while, Geralt is quiet as he reads the foreword once, then again. He isn't sure what to say or think. He's always known John possessed a certain depth of feeling for him. He'd be an idiot not to notice. He cares for John in return. More than that, John invokes Geralt's desire to protect as much as he knows John can and would protect him in return. Despite how often John remarks that he is merely a human, to Geralt, they have never been anything except on equal footing.

But he has never been with anyone who would lay their soul out so openly. For the first time in a long time, Geralt can't help wondering what he's done to have merited this from John. It's a strange thought to have. He doesn't usually entertain questions of what he deserves. Not in love, not in friendship, not in misfortune. Not for years. Not since he's grown older and, he likes to think, a bit wiser. He takes what good and bad comes to him alike, tries to leave behind what will hinder him, and moves through life with simple acceptance.

Now he's suddenly...here. With a man who sees so much in him, it's a little startling. More so because John is so damn goodhearted. Geralt can't recall a single time when John has spoken an unkind word about anyone. Except, possibly, the once he cursed a belligerent guard before immediately growing embarrassed about it.

With the greatest care, Geralt closes the journal and reties the leather cord around it. Unlike John, he's a man of few words (none, really). So his reply is just this: his hand going up to cup John's cheek before he leans in to kiss him.

[iustise]

John had not known precisely what to expect from Geralt’s reaction. It’s true that he had trusted him enough to offer up this gift in the first but Geralt is hardly an emotional man, certainly not as openly emotional as the writings are themself. He watches with bated breath as Geralt reads — seems to take a long time reading, honestly, his golden eyes fixed on the page in front of him.

It is only when Geralt raises that gaze at last and reaches for him, fingers curled around his jaw and lips soft against his own, does John feel s as though he can breathe again. He cannot know for certain all that Geralt makes of it — or of him, for that matter — without further discussion. But this is certainly a positive start.

John lingers in the kiss, leaning into the warmth of the other man and soaking it in, pressing his forehead against Geralt’s and offering a soft, slightly self-conscious smile as at last he breaks the silence and says, “I hope it is not too much…”

[gynvael]

Geralt pulls back with a small smile. It is special to him, the gift, even if he is—as usual—fairly muted in response.

"I'd hardly complain about abundance."

He places it aside, tucking the book neatly into a drawer. Later, John may find him reading it in the evenings when he's returned to their room, but for now, he intends to spend the night with John.

Though since John appears to be in an open mood, Geralt finds himself considering.

"Would you tell me some time about Jamie?" It need not be tonight, but it has been a few weeks, and he can tell John has been hesitating on the topic.

[iustise]

John supposes he might have expected such a question. Hell, if Geralt were anyone else, no doubt John might have answered for himself far sooner than the moment he finds himself in. Nevertheless, he is startled, at least momentarily. Although... He supposes there is an explanation owed to Geralt, one that has been long overdue now.

Taking in a deep breath, bracing himself for whatever might come next and doing his best to calm the churning of anxiety within him, John folds his hands in his lap and fastens his gaze upon them.

"That creature, if indeed creature it truly had been -- or spell or phantom -- it knew just the face to wear to..." He trails off, sighing softly. "To get underneath my skin. Although I suppose the man himself would have done nearly as much damage as it is."

John plays his thumbs over one another where he has his hands crossed before himself, biding time, before he forces himself to drag his gaze up to meet Geralt's. He studies the steady gold of the other man's gaze for a long moment, wondering where even to start, before deciding that perhaps the beginning itself is as good as anywhere.

"The first time I met him, I was fifteen, and he a wanted Jacobite criminal. My brother Hal had taken me out on campaign with the army to get my first taste of life in camp, before my commission. I was -- no more than a child, and when I encountered Red Jamie Fraser alone in the woods, I thought, there was my chance! Needless to say he bested me and I became the hostage instead of vice versa. He then tricked me into giving him information about our canon in exchange for the virtue of an English woman in their camp he threatened to debauch in front of me -- a woman I soon realized was none other than his wife, although not before I had humiliated myself."

He tips his head toward Geralt, raising his eyebrows somewhat meaningfully. "I do not suppose that Claire was a willing participant in this game, although frankly, I have never asked."

[gynvael]

A tangled affair. Geralt supposes he cannot be surprised; he's been curious from the start about the precise nature of the relationship between John, Claire, and the phantom of the man who is (was?) Claire's husband.

But he had not expected their history to go back so far. Some part of him had assumed John must've been a grown man when he met Jamie.

For a while, he's quiet, piecing together what he knows of John, and what John has told him in the past.

"You told me once he was a friend." And, also, that he had once rejected John's advances in a manner that spoilt their friendship for years. Geralt had not pressed further at the time—didn't seem his business—but now, it suddenly feels more relevant. "Monsters often prey on our deepest fears. Are those words you've been afraid he'd say to you?"