[ at the queen's response to her, yennefer gives something of a huff of a laugh. one of his specialties, she can appreciate these things when they come. can appreciate strong women, in control of this type of power, and she can appreciate it outwardly, and audibly, when in the presence of a woman she is trying to prove something to.
( what, exactly, she's still not certain - her loyalty? her connection or lack thereof with geralt? yennefer doesn't yet let her mind spin with the possibilities, but later she might. when she's left alone with her thoughts, time, and the echoes leftover of the stress she's not quite letting herself process. )
the strikes of the queen's magic arc through the air, elegant and beautiful, as they slice down the skin of geralt's back. yennefer does not wince at the sound, barely seems to react except to watch, curious at the queen's work but more of her attention given to grigory and what it is he's doing. what magic it is he's using beyond simply holding geralt prone.
there's a vague sensation in the air - of chaos, being handled. of magic, being used. yennefer still doesn't know the details of what grigory is attempting, but can feel the work he's putting in, the focus and precise nature of his fine-tuning, heavy in the air. she can also put together enough of the clues, context and otherwise, even if she's not entirely certain of the specifics. grigory is trying for geralt's mind, yes, that much is obvious. it's also why, up until this point, yennefer hadn't really been all that worried - geralt had his own defenses to that sort of magic, defenses she knew first hand and did not, in many ways, believe grigory to be entirely capable of.
that is why when geralt does look at her, the expression she finds there, it gives her pause - and only pause, at least outwardly. and even if grigory or the queen had tried to see anything else, internally, they would find walls upon walls and little else. because yennefer can defend herself, better than anyone, against those eyes. and because she knows that, there is a part of her that feels the desperation that geralt turns to her with. that, just barely, tastes the panic. the fear. whatever it is grigory is doing, it is working, he is getting in, blood trickles from geralt’s nose, and it has geralt turning to yennefer for help.
( she's done this to him, hasn't she? her plans and her decisions, her opening herself up to the queen, the kiss they'd shared. that she'd let them share. yennefer hates herself, a little for it. for allowing this to happen. for giving anything, at all, that brought geralt into this mix.
because this is about ciri, yes. protecting ciri. doing anything they can do to keep her safe and out of the eyes of thorne, of the queen. but for yennefer, too, it is geralt. geralt, who turns to her. geralt, who looks at her, afraid. geralt, who trusts her, even now, and twists at things inside her chest. it is the wish, yes, of course it's the wish, but knowing that does not change the way her heart feels like it's stopped in her chest. )
it may take a moment grigory says, and yennefer blinks. turns (forces) her attention away from geralt (does he know what she means to do?) and to grigory instead (he's struggling, if he's struggling, maybe...). an idea is there, barely formed, barely whole, but enough (it has to be enough) that it has her looking interested. ]
Would you like some assistance? [ she is already reaching for her chaos, already pulling it around her, though there is nothing visually to see other than an almost casual lift of her hand from where it had been at her side. a spark of potential, mixing with the queen's own magic in the air.
before yennefer does anything - and in a way that makes her seem calm, curious but not emotionally affected (her heart will not speed up, she will not let it, will not let the anxiety come to pass where she could be found out) - she turns to the queen instead. ] Only if you permit it, your majesty. [ asking for permission, though her wrist begins to rotate - not in anything specific, but as an offering, even as she continues to pull her concentration. continues to build whatever it is she may need.
( and if the queen says no, if she will have to adjust, have to change tactics, but she can't sit back and wait any more. )
she smiles, gently. politely. ] But I could help make this move more quickly.
sorry for the length, mods…..;-;
( what, exactly, she's still not certain - her loyalty? her connection or lack thereof with geralt? yennefer doesn't yet let her mind spin with the possibilities, but later she might. when she's left alone with her thoughts, time, and the echoes leftover of the stress she's not quite letting herself process. )
the strikes of the queen's magic arc through the air, elegant and beautiful, as they slice down the skin of geralt's back. yennefer does not wince at the sound, barely seems to react except to watch, curious at the queen's work but more of her attention given to grigory and what it is he's doing. what magic it is he's using beyond simply holding geralt prone.
there's a vague sensation in the air - of chaos, being handled. of magic, being used. yennefer still doesn't know the details of what grigory is attempting, but can feel the work he's putting in, the focus and precise nature of his fine-tuning, heavy in the air. she can also put together enough of the clues, context and otherwise, even if she's not entirely certain of the specifics. grigory is trying for geralt's mind, yes, that much is obvious. it's also why, up until this point, yennefer hadn't really been all that worried - geralt had his own defenses to that sort of magic, defenses she knew first hand and did not, in many ways, believe grigory to be entirely capable of.
that is why when geralt does look at her, the expression she finds there, it gives her pause - and only pause, at least outwardly. and even if grigory or the queen had tried to see anything else, internally, they would find walls upon walls and little else. because yennefer can defend herself, better than anyone, against those eyes. and because she knows that, there is a part of her that feels the desperation that geralt turns to her with. that, just barely, tastes the panic. the fear. whatever it is grigory is doing, it is working, he is getting in, blood trickles from geralt’s nose, and it has geralt turning to yennefer for help.
( she's done this to him, hasn't she? her plans and her decisions, her opening herself up to the queen, the kiss they'd shared. that she'd let them share. yennefer hates herself, a little for it. for allowing this to happen. for giving anything, at all, that brought geralt into this mix.
because this is about ciri, yes. protecting ciri. doing anything they can do to keep her safe and out of the eyes of thorne, of the queen. but for yennefer, too, it is geralt. geralt, who turns to her. geralt, who looks at her, afraid. geralt, who trusts her, even now, and twists at things inside her chest. it is the wish, yes, of course it's the wish, but knowing that does not change the way her heart feels like it's stopped in her chest. )
it may take a moment grigory says, and yennefer blinks. turns (forces) her attention away from geralt (does he know what she means to do?) and to grigory instead (he's struggling, if he's struggling, maybe...). an idea is there, barely formed, barely whole, but enough (it has to be enough) that it has her looking interested. ]
Would you like some assistance? [ she is already reaching for her chaos, already pulling it around her, though there is nothing visually to see other than an almost casual lift of her hand from where it had been at her side. a spark of potential, mixing with the queen's own magic in the air.
before yennefer does anything - and in a way that makes her seem calm, curious but not emotionally affected (her heart will not speed up, she will not let it, will not let the anxiety come to pass where she could be found out) - she turns to the queen instead. ] Only if you permit it, your majesty. [ asking for permission, though her wrist begins to rotate - not in anything specific, but as an offering, even as she continues to pull her concentration. continues to build whatever it is she may need.
( and if the queen says no, if she will have to adjust, have to change tactics, but she can't sit back and wait any more. )
she smiles, gently. politely. ] But I could help make this move more quickly.