abraxaslogs | [ february / open ] i just hope the sun will show us the path

[ It's fucking hot.

That is Julie's thought as she shields her eyes with one hand, trying to coax Baron forward with the reins in her other hand. Turns out that horses don't particularly enjoy going through portals, and now that she's done it, Julie agrees. She feels a little queasy from it, honestly, but she's technically out of Thorne.

The problem is that now she's just standing in the middle of a goddamn desert, with no clue where to go next.

The mage had promised to get the three of them as close to the city gates as she could, but obviously they still had to be a ways out to not be detected. Unfortunately, all that means is that they're standing aimlessly, trying to figure out which direction they even came out of the portal facing, let alone which direction they need to go in. A skittish horse is just a fun little cherry on top of this shit sundae.

With a sigh, Julie fishes an apple out of one of the saddlebags to hold in front of the horse, trying to see if she can tempt him forward. She looks over her shoulder to Nadine. ]

We should've figured out sunglasses before we came.

[Traveling via portal is not the most fun thing in the world. Neither is stepping out into a desert with a heavy wool kirtle on. The heat is like a physical weight on Nadine and she promptly begins pulling out the laces on her outer garment. Her shift is, by her standards, perfectly fine. It's just like a long gauzy dress, and she's not getting heat stroke out here.]

And sunscreen.

[Alright, maybe they could have been a little bit more prepared. But it's hard to think of everything. They're here now, they just have to get to the city. They can do this.

She rolls her kirtle into a bundle and secures it to her pack. They'll be fine. In fact...she sets her pack down and opens it, reaching for one of her spell books.]

I can't do anything about the glare, but there is a simple spell for drawing up water, we can tear up one of my kerchiefs and wet them down, it'll help with the heat and won't waste any drinking water.

[And she's stopped hiding her horns so rigidly anyway, she can spare the damn head scarf.]

[ Yeah, Julie is sweating too, but her effort is far more focused on getting Baron to chill out. Luckily, the apple seems to help a lot, even if he keeps making annoyed snuffling noises and nudging her arm with his nose. She rubs his head as she looks over at Nadine as she holds her hand out for the kerchief. She can rip it up while Nadine casts the spell. ]

You'd think in a world with portal travel, they'd figure out better places to live. But no, they wanna live in freezin' hellholes and desert hellholes only. If I had magic and portals, I'd just make everywhere like Fiji or somethin'.

[Nadine hands over the kerchief, a wide square of light blue thin cotton.]

Or at least magic up a few oases at daily intervals.

[Well, she's going to try doing just that. Arranging the skirts of her shift to provide a barrier between skin and hot ground, Nadine sits down with her book open in her lap. She doesn't have as much practice with this as with the other few spells she's learned, but she figures she has enough practice with magic in general at this point that it won't be a struggle.

But that doesn't mean it's going to be simple.

Using her hands, she scoops out a hollow in the sandy earth. That should be deep enough. She holds her hands over it, crossed palm to back of hand, and begins chanting softly in a strange language. She doesn't even understand the words, but with Academic Magic she doesn't have to.

At first nothing happens. For a few minutes nothing happens other than Nadine repeating the spell with her eyes closed and her hands held over the shallow hole, sweat dripping down her face. Then the ground within it shifts a little. There's an awkward gurgling sound and a trickle of water begins flowing and bubbling up out of the ground to fill the hole.]

[ When Nadine contacts him, Geralt isn't even in the city. He's in the desert, job finished and on his way home when the letters scrawl across the dust. He doesn't recognize the hand—Nadine has never written him before—but nor does he need to see the signature to realize who it is. She's mentioned leaving for the Free Cities for some time now.

In light of what he's learned, he's glad they are getting out of Nott sooner rather than later.

A night's warning is better than none. He tells her he will be there, and abandons his route, turns his horse around. Impossible to know where they hell they'll come through—mages and their imprecise portals—so he doesn't go far one way or another, instead camping for the rest of the night at a central point. He has to at least trust they'll arrive close enough. Within the vicinity. Otherwise, there's a bigger problem on his hands than locating them.

At approximately the time Nadine said they'd be taking the portal, he sends exactly one message to their little travelling group. It is, as with most communication from him, devoid of greeting or preamble. ]

When you face the sun,
where are the mountains?
What else can you see?

[ Julie doesn't look at the kerchief as she rips it, instead focusing on the tiny spring that Nadine's made, watching with interest. She's dabbled with water, but hasn't made it from scratch like this -- she finds that water is easier to manipulate than create, while fire and electricity practically plead to be born from nothing. ] Well, worse comes to worst, we'll dig a well and build a fuckin' house right here next to it. Look at that.

[ She's just handing over the strips of cloth when Geralt's familiar handwriting appears on the sand. Unlike Nadine, Julie didn't bother telling anyone when she left or where she was going. She simply figured they'd find their way, and if it got dire enough, then they could call for help. So she's surprised to get a message like this. Her head whips from side to side with confusion, as if she might see him. ]

What the fuck?

Edited 2022-02-16 04:44 (UTC)

Digging a well the old fashioned way might get us more water...

[But hey, it's something. Nadine has no idea how much water is actually down there in the earth, but it looks like what's come up is what they're getting. It should be enough to help with the heat. For now.

They'll likely have to repeat the process again.]

But if we see any cactuses, I can probably do the same thing with them. I think it can technically be used to draw water out of anything.

[Idly, she wonders if that means even people. That's a disturbing thought. She pushes it away quickly to begin wetting down the remnants of her scarf.

She glances over at Julie's exclamation and sees the message, realizing quickly who it's from and why.]

It's Geralt. I let him know last night that we'd be on our way. We don't even know where Cadens is or where to go when we get there, I figured we could use a hand.

I feel like cactus water is a thing, right? Like coconut water? Or is cactus water just what they use to make tequila? [ Is that right? She definitely feels like she's heard that tequila is made from cactus, but she's not sure if that's correct. ~~It's not.~~

Julie opens her mouth, her instinct being to say that she knows it's Geralt, but then closes it. Now is a terrible time to have a discussion about how she can identify that handwriting in her sleep. ] Oh, I just figured it'd be like how we got to Nott. Just... get there. Worked before.

[ Nonetheless, she looks around to try and find anything identifiable. It's the desert, so there's not very much.

Facing the sun, the mountains are to our right.
There's a big rock balanced on a smaller rock, and a spiky tree.

She has no idea what to tell him. There's not much of anything out here. ]

Sort of. Cactuses store water in their stems so they have water even when it doesn't rain for months. It's why their skins are so tough.

[Nadine lets Julie take care of giving as close to their coordinates as possible. There isn't too much to go by, out here. She hands out the wetted down cloth and ties one around her own head, like a bandana. The cool wetness is very welcome.]

We didn't know anybody in Nott, and it was pretty easy to just follow the roads there. Why not use what advantages we have? Besides, if we just showed up you know he'd ask us why we didn't tell him ahead of time.

[Geralt seems that type.]

Wait there.

[ What Julie gives him isn't a lot, but it does the job. The desert's well familiar to him by now; it grants him a vague sense of where they are—a direction to go towards. He finds them not quick, but he does find them soon enough. Spots Julie's pink hair first of all, actually, in the distance, and then the horses.

There's some relief, seeing that they've actually made it in one piece. All three of them. He pulls up on Roach with little ceremony. And while it's often different seeing those he's used to visiting only in the Horizon, at least on Geralt's end in return, he looks...essentially the same. Maybe with more sand in his hair, blood under his nails. He's obviously been out here for at least a few days before they ever came along. ]

Good to see this one placed you a bit closer than mine.

[ He's assuming they didn't go back to the mage that sent him through the first time. ]

He wouldn't ask that, same as he didn't tell anyone when he was stumblin' around the desert with his back torn open. Like a dumbass.

[ She applies a wet cloth to the back of her neck with a sigh, finally getting Baron to stop huffing at her for dragging him through a portal by adding a carrot to the apple bribe. She pets his neck fondly before she sits on a nearby rock to wait, much smaller than the one she gave as a landmark. This entire experience is not unlike getting to Vegas, but at least when she was doing that, she had a very old CD player and a handful of batteries to help get her through. And sunglasses, jesus christ.

When she can see someone approaching, she squints and stands, unable to determine from the distance as to whether the figure is a Witcher or a bandit. She had been able to glean from chatter that bandits are apparently a much bigger issue in the Free Cities than in Thorne, and she's not about to let a bandit run up on her when she's carrying her entire life in a few bags. It's only when she can make out white hair that she relaxes and beams, standing to wave until he gets to them. ]

Like bein' dropped in the ocean a mile closer to the shore, I guess. Hey.

Edited 2022-02-18 17:48 (UTC)

[Nadine still thinks Geralt would have had something to say about them arriving without announcing it. He may not be the type to ask for help, but he is the type to offer it. But it doesn't matter, he's on his way and they aren't going to be wandering in the desert like Biblical figures.

She stands when it's clear that it's Geralt approaching, dusting sand off her shift and shielding her eyes with her hand. She looks the same as she had a few months ago, only a bit more harried and worn from a hard month and a frantic couple of days to get ready for the move. It's good to see him. It's still too soon for any true relief, but Nadine feels just a bit better already.]

I'll take your word that we're close. How close are we?

[ He hops off Roach, a rare smile curling his lips as he steps towards Julie at her Hey. He takes them all in, before his attention shifts to the horizon. There's time for extended reunions when they reach the gates. At the moment, his focus is on bringing them back. The desert's not more dangerous than any other place, but like all open lands, it's worth knowing what you're doing before moving through it. ]

We'll reach Cadens before sundown. [ Distance aside, they've the benefit of horses and a lack of, well. Massive injuries. ] There's a nest we should go around.

[ He does not clarify a nest of what, though he sounds largely unconcerned by it. Instead, he indicates Nadine towards the mare alongside him with a tip of his head: a silent suggestion for her to get on. His expression says he will not be taking arguments.

As for Lloyd—Geralt has gathered the man largely trails along wherever Julie and Nadine go, and that's all he needs to know about it. When they're settled to leave, he simply starts off, leading Roach by the reins from the ground. ]

[ It's actually the first time since she handed over her gold that Julie doesn't have a nagging feeling in the back of her head that this is a mistake. This is what she came here for -- to be with the others in person, people who actually care. Also, huge bonus in not having to wander around until they were desperate before calling for help.

(She still thinks Geralt is dumb for doing that exact thing.)

She doesn't question what there's a nest of, because if he knows about it, she's pretty sure she doesn't want to know anything about it until it's far away. Julie steps toward Nadine to help her up, knowing that she won't know how to mount on her own, and at least this time, she won't lose her skirt for the sake of riding. ]

C'mon, Queen Nadine, up. It'll be easier this time, we don't gotta go as fast.

[ She offers her hand, braces Nadine's back with her invisible one. Once Nadine is up, Julie mounts her own horse (who earns himself a scolding cluck for being a little too interested in Roach), glances back at Lloyd just make sure he hasn't dropped dead or something behind them. She knows he hates horses, won't want to be anywhere near them, but, well. Sucks for him. ]

All right then, lead the way. Last place I wanna be in the dark is in a fuckin' desert.

[Before sundown is a lot closer than Nadine anticipated. They won't have to camp even a single night, thank god. Julie's right, the last place to be is the desert after dark.

She's thankful that Julie spares her having to ask for help - she can stay on a horse on her own, but getting up on one by herself is still beyond her capabilities. But it is much easier this time, and she settles herself in the saddle with little fuss.]

Thanks. [She gives Julie a grateful smile as she arranges herself.] I promise I'll master the whole horse thing one of these days.

[It's the equivalent of driving in this world, horses are how people get around. For now, though, she's just going to hold on and be grateful they'll be in Cadens in less than a day. Lloyd also gets a look and encouraging smile from her - she knows things aren't that much better between him and Julie, and she's not getting involved. But she knows this is all difficult for him.]

And thank you, Geralt, for coming to meet us. When we made the decision to move, things happened really fast.

[ It simply does not occur to him that Nadine hasn't yet learned to mount a horse until Julie's already helping her up. There's something vaguely scrutinizing about his gaze at Queen Nadine, and then more so at the brief glances exchanged between the three of them. As is typical, Geralt does not ask. At least not right in this instant.

He also doesn't ask if Lloyd can keep up, trekking across the desert on foot for most of a day—largely assumes it isn't that long of a walk, because by his standards, it isn't. ]

It's more warning than I gave you. [ Which was, you know. Absolutely none when he stumbled into Nott. He owes them, her and Julie, but he doesn't say it; that's not the sole reason he came to retrieve them. He'd have done it either way. ] Something happened there?

[ To spur them to leave so quickly, he means. If they hadn't planned it until the last minute—he's been too preoccupied with Cadens, with his own people, to keep an eye on what the state of Thorne is. ]

[ As they begin to move forward, Julie looks at their surroundings. She hadn't known exactly what to expect -- for some reason, she had pictured the dunes of the Sahara, even though she knew that was most likely wrong. Maybe it just seemed more monster- and bandit-y to her. Instead, it's not unlike the Mojave, where she'd walked to get to Vegas. It's not as bad as she'd thought. She's just not really a desert person, she's decided.

Shaking her head, she considers how to explain. That it wasn't anything political, it was just the mess of personal conflicts between the three of them making Julie want to leave on her own, then compounded when she made up with Nadine. ] Nothing happened. It was just... time to go. Plus, with these black market portals, it's kind of a "now or never" situation. Never know when the mage will back out 'cause they get nervous.

[ Which makes sense. Unfortunately, when partaking in illegal activities, one has to work on the timeline of the person who has access to the illegal part of it. ]

[Nadine nods in agreement.]

Nott's...very isolated. We were the only Summoned there, it's just a better idea to get ourselves somewhere we aren't so on our own. And better to be outside of Thorne's borders in general.

[Who knows when the political situation is going to shift? They're not getting caught in a civil war. And it's just the best thing right now, particularly for Julie. Julie needs that support system, right there and in the real world. Emotional health and safety is as important as physical.]

And there's more opportunity in Cadens, from everything we've heard. We were mostly just waiting on saving up the money and for Julie and I to get a solid start on learning our respective magics. But we have books to keep up with it, and a strong enough foundation to keep going on our own.

[ Geralt leads them not in a straight line forward, but instead a path that he obviously knows well, one that skirts any steep terrain too much of a hassle to move across on horseback or winds around places he knows house...things he'd rather not run into while he's got three people in his care.

When Roach snorts, he idly pats her neck. ]

Someone's been trying to rile up folk in Cadens. But you should be all right. Their attention's on Solvunn, for now. [ Some are more cautious than others. Jaskier grows his flowers, as always, but Rinwell has only ever taken herself outside the city to practice her magic. He suspects the Summoned are largely safe as a whole, whatever happens—favourable sentiments after the Dimming remain so far—but it won't hurt to be careful, given how some feel about magic. ] Sam's keeping watch on the situation.

[ About all they can do for the time being. His focus has been splintered; aside from his brief conversation with Amos and Sam, Cadens' politics is only half on his mind. ]

That four-arm fuckface. [ It's said with a snort and no small amount of distaste. Oh yes, Julie knows all about Goro and what a piece of shit he is. Has known since before Halloween, when she'd accidentally been the first person to speak to him over the network, only for him to be pushing for war even then. She's not a fan. ] Hope Sam kicks his monster ass.

[ But Nadine raises another point that Julie has been hesitant to even think about, because she doesn't really know what she'll do if the answer isn't agreeable. ] How are the people here when they do see magic? Is it like, pitchforks and torches?

...I'm not going to ask about the riling up.

[Nadine doesn't care at the moment. She doesn't intend to get involved with any of the politics here, she's staying out of it. It's not her fight, no matter what the mages at the castle tried to say.

She just wants to live whatever life she can have here.]

But seconding Julie about the magic. Can we openly use it, or do we have to keep it hidden like we're Protestants in the French court?

Mm. That's the one. [ That's the only confirmation Geralt gives. There's more to be said about it, but not right now. He just doesn't want them walking in blind to what's been stirring in Cadens—but at the end of the day, the city's crowded, big, full of people stuffed too tight together. Something was bound to provoke them sooner or later.

The what court? He glances up, then back ahead. It's a fair question. He knows they stayed in Nott awhile in part to more freely learn their magic. ]

No one's gotten shit for it. Keep any explosive spells outside the city, you'll do fine.

[ If Rinwell and Ciri feel safe enough practicing out in the desert, it'll suffice. There's no one more secretive about their magic than the two of them. ]

[ Yeah, don't worry Geralt, Julie actually understands that simile -- well, sort of, at least broadly -- and it's not the one she would have chosen to describe the situation. Her expression says as much, but it's not worth having a conversation about who loved Jesus better in 17th century France, not when the meaning still seems to have come across clearly enough.

Keep any explosive spells outside of the city, he says. To a woman who accidentally sets shit on fire semi-regularly, just because she has feelings. This bodes super well for her. Her voice is incredibly dry when she answers. ]

Awesome. So should I just lie down here and die, or would the sand monsters rather have delivery for dinner? Just point the way.

[ There's a moment where his gaze lingers on Julie, steady. His pace slows a little. ]

I won't let anything happen. [ Her tone is dry but his is not; it's firm, like he's weighed these concerns for some time now and has already decided that he can protect them in the face of it. ] I promise.

[ Nowhere is truly safe from the world; he doesn't know what dark secrets might lurk in the Free Cities or in the quaint settlements of Solvunn. If there is something worse waiting beyond these places, something none of them will ever see coming.

But Cadens is where he is, as is Sam. He has learned, perhaps, that walls can only do so much. Cintra fell; Kaer Morhen has fallen twice now. Places he'd have once said was the safest he knew. It's not about where they are. It's who's there alongside them which matters. ]

We'll make sure it's fine. Fires are easy to put out if they happen.

[As far as Nadine knows, Julie hasn't violently exploded anything with magic. And Cadens is, as she understands it, a big city. Easier to go unnoticed, at least by the average citizen. She has no doubt the officials will know they've come.]

And if anybody gives you crap about magic, I'll skewer them.

[It's mostly a joke. Mostly. If it came to it...she has no problem using deadly force to defend herself or her little family. And the means to, finally.

And she's very sure that she's not the only one who would go to those lengths to keep Julie safe.]

[ It was just a self-deprecating joke, and she had not expected any kind of serious response. Nor does she really expect anyone to protect her -- it has nothing to do with them, it's simply that she doesn't believe she's anyone's real priority or that she should be. She's always disappointed when she expects that, so it's best to just... not, even when people say that she can. Her reason for moving had nothing to do with safety (if anything, she thinks Cadens is probably less safe for her than Nott), and everything to do with her loneliness. This is where everyone she wants to be with is, and so this is where she had to go.

(Julie has absolutely violently exploded stuff with magic, but it was in the Horizon and also like a month ago, so it's probably not an issue. Probably.)

Geralt, and by extension Roach and Nadine, slow a bit, and Julie looks back at them as she reins Baron in to match pace. It's clear in her expression that she's surprised and doesn't really know how to respond, her eyes wider than she means them to be. The half-second before she catches herself makes her wince internally. ]

I know. [ She does, she knows that they want to protect her. She just doesn't necessarily believe that's what would happen. Her magic is something that is out of place not just somewhere like the Free Cities, but everywhere except for Nott, and she knows it. Knows that she doesn't have anyone to actually teach her anymore, and that everyone else will view her as dangerous. And she knows that she can no longer stop her magic, even if she tries. She'd opened the box and Pandora doesn't want to go back in. All she can do now is try to keep it on a leash and hope it doesn't bite hard enough to catch attention. ] It was just a joke. Promise.

[ He watches her for a moment longer, before he nods. There will now be exactly three people keeping their magic quiet, if not outright secret, in his circle and Geralt's mostly trying not to let the headache get to him. It'll be fine. He can take things as they come.

He guides them the rest of the way to the city gates. Nothing disrupts their path; as promised, the sun doesn't sink below the horizon until they're nearing Cadens itself—and between Jaskier and Sam and Ciri, Geralt simply lets the welcome crowd take over. It says something, perhaps, that they've all managed to gather despite only so much warning beforehand. Sam's somehow managed to prop up an empty space, even, and Geralt doesn't bother asking how the man pulled it off.

He hangs back, vanishing briefly in the bustle—but they'll find him reappearing the next day to look in on how they're settling. ]

[ One of the last things in the universe that Julie sees the need to celebrate is love. At least the Valentine's Day version of love -- boring, monogamous sitcom bliss between two equally boring hetero snoozefests who exchange balloons and chocolates and flowers and those stupid couples' coupon books ("Good for one free foot massage, tee-hee!" G A G) before they go to their Olive Garden holiday date night for mid-priced wine and alfredo, and then have eight minutes of terrible missionary sex with the lights off.

The whole thing makes Julie want to throw up. She's all for love or whatever, but she doesn't see why it needs to be the most dull, lifeless thing ever.

Invitations began to appear last week, left strategically in the domains of people who don't suck ~~(sorry not sorry, Goro)~~, each delivered by either a tiny unicorn, tiny dragon, or tiny t-rex, each no larger than a chihuahua puppy. They're printed only with the image of an anatomically correct heart, speared with several arrows and dripping blood. FEBRUARY 14. JULIE'S. is the only indication of what they might mean.

For the first time since Christmas, the doors of the club are open. The pink of the neon and the carpet outside seem to somehow be more lurid than usual, and the ground is littered with glitter in the shape of hearts and cupids. The glitter is specifically to be stepped on; you won't find any on the tables inside. The doors bear carvings in the wood, designed to look like lovers' initials on a tree... except they're all crossed through, or have been defaced in some way. The music is loud as ever, the bass easily felt outside of the building.

Inside, all the resident partiers have returned, dressed in reds and pinks and purples, and they fill the dance floor to move around in ways that are far more aggressively sexual than romantic in any way. Available at the bar are a myriad of extremely strong, extremely bright colored drinks, all with festive names like "THANK U NEXT" and "LOVE BITES". The normal array of liquor is also there, served with aplomb by a shirtless Steven-the-bartender (who is startlingly ripped and has sequined heart pasties on), along with plates of every imaginable party drug. All the pills are conversation heart shaped, with appropriately hateful sayings on them. All the edibles are delicious, the joints rolled in adorable papers printed with broken hearts. Everything is incredibly strong, with a smooth come-down and no nasty hangover.

All around the club, glittering arrows on poles point out clandestine areas for hook-ups, though helpful signs remind those who use these spots to "keep it NSA". Also dotted around the club are what appears to be springs of mistletoe, except instead of cheerful, Christmas-y greenery, they're composed of roses and dildos. Same principle applies, though.

If one ascends to the balcony, a table has been set up, and it only holds business cards and a pink, heart-shaped lockbox with a drop slot on top. Every card only says, "Lonely? Leave your name." There are a lot of pink pencils in little cups, ready to help you fill out the card. Flip it over, and in small pink text at the bottom, it reads "Fuckbuddy buddy system application". Too bad it's so dark in here. Fill out a card, and sooner or later, Julie will find you.

From the balcony, there is a small path to a new feature: a swing that hangs over the dance floor, decorated in fairy lights and dark flowers. It can technically seat two, but when the club opens, only Julie is up there, swaying back and forth, legs pumping to give her more altitude. Every so often, gold confetti showers down from the ceiling to flutter over anyone below, making the air shimmer for moments at a time.

Fuck love. This is about fun. ]

Edited 2022-02-16 17:08 (UTC)

[ At least this one thing is going right. Ciri knows that Geralt has successfully met Julie, Nadine (and the other one) all safe, and there's little reason to think there will be any trouble on the way back. She's even in a good mood, barring a lingering undercurrent of anxiety that tells her she probably shouldn't relax just yet. That's just how it is, though. She'll keep herself busy.

In the meantime, Ciri had actually volunteered to help Sam set up the space if he needs it, and she's gone out to get extra food and drink to make sure the place is well stocked.

Impatient, she actually waits outside once all that is done, sitting on the stoop and sharpening one of her knives. ]

[By the time the little party reaches their final destination, Nadine is worn and sore from the heat and the ride. While Geralt kept Roach at a steady and easy pace, she doesn't ride often and this time she didn't have the benefit of someone to cling to. And it's much hotter than the ride to Nott, and Cadens much larger and more sprawling than the little lakeside city.

When she awkwardly slides off, she's long beyond caring that she's only in her shift or how harried she likely looks from the trip. They've made it. They're here. And apparently won't even have to impose on anyone's space or find a place to stay immediately. Julie is where she should be, they're beyond the grasp of Thorne... All of this is a huge weight lifted, and for the first time in months, Nadine feels simple and pure relief. ]

Thank you, again.

[The words directed to any and all who may be there as Nadine puts a hand on her lower back stretches. And groans as her body protests.]

I don't want to have to ride that long again for...ever, if I can manage it.

[ Nadine may be sore, but Julie can barely feel her body, her mind too lost in trying to take things in, to process this new proximity to everyone she cares about that she'd never gotten to be with. Geralt was probably the best option to meet them, because trek aside, he'd spent time with them in person. His presence didn't create as much of the rush of emotion that Julie feels when she spots white-blonde hair on the stoop.

Honestly, thank god Nadine and Julie learned to color their hair with magic. The four of them would never be able to go into hiding as they are.

She barely lets Baron stop walking before she practically leaps off him, her voice a high-pitched, excited squeal that only manages one word before she's running at Ciri, arms outstretched. ]

Ciri!

[ It's clear that Ciri has noticed their group approaching because the moment she realizes, she's on her feet. The knife has disappeared safely somewhere, and her arms are wide open as she dashes forward to meet them. ]

Julie!! [ She cries, matching the other woman's enthusiasm without hesitation. It doesn't matter that they're dusty and tired from travel and that Julie looks so odd when she's not all dressed up like she always is in the Horizon. No, none of that is important right now. It barely registers.

Julie is still Julie, and as she runs forward to embrace Ciri with all her characteristic excitement, Ciri grabs her around the waist and actually lifts her up in a half-spin from sheer momentum, laughing all the while. ]

Oh, Julie-- you're here! You made it!

[ And then, looking up at Nadine (once she's set Julie down, whoops) Ciri beams at the rest of them. ]

[ Julie may be dirty and wearing the clothes of a medieval peasant, but she still has bubblegum pink hair, makeup, painted nails. Unfortunately, as far as she can tell, Thorne has yet to invent glitter or sequins. Ciri, on the other hand, looks almost identical to how she appears in the Horizon, and Julie wraps her arms tightly around Ciri's neck as she's spun around.

It will not be the last time today that she gets spun.

Catching Baron's reins in her third hand, Julie keeps hold of Ciri's wrist absently, like she can't bear to let go lest all of this suddenly evaporates, drops her back in Nott. ]

I made it, all right. Portals fuckin' suck, by the way.

Edited 2022-02-27 22:00 (UTC)

[ is this thread going to be short? maybe. does it matter all that much? absolutely not. because the thing is - sam's been something of a slightly nervous wreck for days now. days, because it's been days since he's finished everything he had any control over. days, since he talked to magpie, since he got the apartment the next floor down picked out, days since he's even gone as far as to suit it up with furniture, some food, a few decorations. it's been days since sam has finished everything he could think to do, and therefore had nothing left to do to distract himself.

geralt's gone out to meet with them, so sam knows it'll be fine. that it will be fine. that there's really no other option than for it to be fine. but does he keep worrying? yes. does he go a little insane, pacing around his room, worrying? yes. it's not going to be until they're actually here, and stepping inside the door, that he thinks he'll be able to stop.

and that has more to do with the fact that when they do step in, and when sam looks over and sees them entering - dusty and run down and exhausted from the trip - he can't help the way he grins. and yes, alright, he's very excited to see them all back whole and safe. but he's just a little (more than a little) excited to see one of them in particular. ]

Girl. [ he says quickly, already closing the distance, arms out. hope julie's ready for a hug because she's not going to really have the time to say no. ] It's about damn time.

[ Julie probably looks the best of the four of them, having not walked and being used to riding a horse. But it was still insanely hot, and because they'd been so much further than expected from the gate, her face is still slightly red from the sun. And if it looks like they're not carrying enough luggage to be moving, well, worry not -- almost all of it belongs to Julie, as everything Lloyd and Nadine collectively owned could fit in the same knapsack.

Trust her, she knows, it's pathetic. That's what they get for not inheriting three horses to sell.

They make it through the door, and Nadine is midsentence before Julie cuts her off with a squawk, dropping the bag in her hands to the floor. She basically tackles Sam, her arms wrapped around his neck, and she doesn't care at all if he falls flat backward, she's so happy to see him. And it's so strange, because despite the fact that she knows she's never so much as seen him from across a room in person before, it doesn't feel like that at all. ]

Sam! Oh my god, I can't believe it.

[ she probably does look the best out of all of them, but at the same time, that pretty much aligns with what sam would expect from her. whether it's in the horizon or not. except that this isn't the horizon, this is in person, and she (and Lloyd and Nadine, he's not entirely ignoring them, just. a little distracted) have travelled halfway across this continent and made it safe and whole and there is just as much relief as there is just general excitement.

good thing is, julie does not need to worry about sam falling anywhere. if anything, if she comes running at him, sam is just going to be there to catch her - maybe even pick her up and spin her a little. he's a big guy, after all, it's not going to be all that difficult. ]

What- you think I'd miss out on the big welcome? Never.

[ she's going to get another, slightly tighter squeeze at that. ]

[ For as much as Julie genuinely wanted to stay far from the politics of Cadens, stay in her easy little bubble of Nott, this moment more than makes up for it, because Sam is here and real and not just flickers in her mind. She clings to him, tries to absorb every different element, and yes, it's not that different from the Horizon, except it is because now he's here.

Julie has never been someone who gets choked up out of happiness, but she has to blink back tears that prick in her eyes even when she can't stop smiling. She sniffles a little when she pulls back, puts her hands on his cheeks to look at him. ] I am so happy to see you.

[ this really is the first moment for sam to notice the difference it makes - of having someone here, in person, in real life, versus only having interacted with them in the horizon. that, on top of the mounting realization of how much this means, how important this is, for someone he's only known post-well...

it's a lot, but it's a good lot. it's the kind of thing that has him squeezing her even tighter because he can. when they finally stop spinning and they're settled enough that julie can pull away just enough they can look at each other. that she can put her hands on his cheeks, and sam just beams. ]

I'm happy to see you, too. [ he just continues to beam, and very gently reaches up to thumb away the slightest amount of tears at the corner of her eyes. he takes the chance to just look at her. ] Trip alright? You doing okay?

[ He wipes her tears away and she laughs sheepishly, like she can't believe that she actually felt that strongly, enough for it to physically show -- like all emotions other than rage, she usually swallows down extreme happiness. But she has worked so hard, and so long, to make this happen, to get here and be in the same real space as all these people. It makes her feel oddly light, like weight she didn't even know she was bearing has lifted.

There's another laugh, a snort, at the mention of the trip. ] I'm good. The trip was -- not one of y'all bothered to tell me that portals suck. People talk about gettin' sick on planes, but Jesus H. Christ, that portal, ugh. But we're here.

[ she laughs, and sam does notice - in a way - the fact she doesn't exactly seem to know what to do with that. and maybe it's because of what happened last time, in the horizon, with the sudden fire and the calm that followed. he can recognize, in little ways, when the feeling of anger is the only thing she can show.

now, though, it's something else. something lighter. and sam's estatic to see it. doesn't bother trying to hide that emotion as it's written across his face. ]

Listen- I barely remember that portal. And it's not nearly as bad as the wings I used to have. But yeah, you're here, and now you don't need to do it again.

[ Unfortunately, her inability to properly express emotions far pre-dates her ability to use magic. Even before she survived the fall of civilization, strong emotions outside of anger were a luxury she wasn't allowed; feelings are something she was taught to ignore entirely, weaknesses that poor country life has no use for. Anger is acceptable because it's tough and dangerous, because it makes things happen, because it makes you feel some degree of control in a world where you have very little control.

Also something about the patriarchy, probably.

But this is happiness so great that it will not be contained, and she in fact doesn't know that she's ever felt like this before. She's never had people she loved be far away from her before, the kind of far that can invoke this -- everyone she ever loved back home lived within fifty miles of her, for her entire life.

She looks around the room briefly, like she's only just noticed that it's not completely empty. Unlike Nadine, Julie had not bothered telling a soul that she was on her way, so the fact that this is set up, that Geralt was waiting, it's all a surprise to her. ] Did you do all this? Sam, you didn't hafta do any of this.

[ Already, she's absently grabbing at her coin purse, her brow furrowed. ]

[ well, yes. that is probably the case, as it usually is with most people. but sam also hasn't known julie anywhere else other than here, where this emotionally-processing-situation has manifested, in a way, alongside her magic too. either way, it doesn't really matter right now. because right now julie is happy, and sam is happy, and that is all that this needs to be.

when she starts to look around the room - to notice the food sam has definitely made up for them, the gifts jaskier has collected, the way the room looks ready to welcome, he all but grins. the real exciting bits, or at least what sam is most excited about are definitely the doors down the hall. but for now that can wait, because julie is reaching absently for her coin purse and sam's hands are moving - immediately - to her wrist. ]

Don't you dare. [ with all the fervor of a member of a family who has had this battle of who gets the check. ] This is a welcome gift and I swear to god if I find any coin of yours around, I will not hesitate to make you regret it. [ which is totally not at all an empty threat. nope. ] Just accept it.

[ He grabs her hand and the look she gives him is that of a Midwesterner who is being told that they have to accept a gift without any return in kind; deeply flummoxed and somewhat indignant. Sam, this woman gave you an entire barbecue for Christmas and she didn't even stick around to see your reaction, of course she wants to repay you for all of this. ]

But -- [ She sighs heavily and rolls her eyes. ] Fine. Don't think you're off the hook.

[ She doesn't know how or when yet, but he will be repaid. ]

[ this will end up turning into the feud of the ages - a midwesterner and a southerner fighting with favors and gifts back and forth. sam thinks he could probably handle this, but also because he's not afraid to give gifts where the other person has to look him in the eye.

like now, where julie sighs, and sam's grin grows wide. ]

Wouldn't dream of it. Now c'mon- let me show you to y'alls new place.

[ But one of them has the ability to create gifts out of thin air. They're almost solely pencils at the moment, but she'll figure out how to make other, probably pencil-shaped things. He's gonna get so many gifts, and they're just going to be hidden everywhere, and there's nothing he can do about it because she doesn't have to pay for them.

In an absent, childish way, Julie has kept a loose grip on Sam's sleeve, like she worries that he'll disappear if she lets go. She's really not even that aware that she's keeping hold -- it's just that she hasn't noticed she's doing it. ]

How far are we from everyone? I don't wanna be far away. We have money, if we need to get closer.

[ she severely underestimates how much he actually needs pencils. granted, she might not, since she can probably catch the inkstains on his sleeves and hands. either way, he is not afraid of a little gift war, so she's just going to have to be prepared to be showered and taken care of.

for sam, he doesn't notice the loose grip. it's nothing he focuses too heavily on, if only because he knows the feeling - of needing the contact, of wanting the grip. he has no issue with staying close enough, and may end up with a hand at her back just because he can, the smile holding - bright and happy and excited - even as he tilts his head like he's trying to calculate something. ]

Depends on how far is too far. [ a beat, just for effect. ] You're down the hall and up the stairs, but I'm sure I can talk Magpie into something on the same floor. Geralt and Jaskier and Ciri are less than half an hour's walk, but this can be temporary if you want to get closer.

[ which, won't be necessary when they get to their new place - since they'll be moving closer to sam anyway. ]

That close enough?

Edited 2022-03-21 14:35 (UTC)

[ We will see. We'll see how many pencils he needs when he can fill a bathtub with them. She can only make pencils, Sam. It will get overwhelming quickly. She knows because she has a whole pocket in one of her bags that is nothing but pencils.

There is palpable, visible relief in her face when he says how close they are. It's not easy to find affordable last second housing, in any world, and she was afraid that in their rush to make all this happen, they just had to take what was available. But she's satisfied with that answer, nods happily. ]

Yeah, that's good.

[ don't challenge him, julie. he has a sister. he knows how this goes and he knows what it takes to win. and there is plenty they can do with pencils.

the relief is what he's looking for, and his own smile broadens when he sees it. ]

You really think I was gonna let y'all stay somewhere else? After all the shit you just went through to get here? No way. [ and then he's going to nudge her to turn around, hands on her shoulders, leading her out towards the hall. ] Now c'mon. Let's go check it out.

[ february / open ] i just hope the sun will show us the path

border jumpers [ vegasfam + geralt ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

belated wrapping!

OPEN ; the Horizon, anti-Valentine's Day theme night

upon arrival in cadens; sam's place.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

sam's place - for julie. (because i want hugs)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

wrapping up here maybe?