abraxaslogs | [ CLOSED ] I've been tryna catch a fever dream

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[ CLOSED ] I've been tryna catch a fever dream

Who: Ciri and Viktor; later, Jayce
When: early June
Where: the desert outside Cadens, the crater around the Singularity, the ocean!!, Aquila, Cadens again
What: it's an adventure!!!! that nobody asked for!!
Warnings: blood, violence (mostly against monsters, probably)

[ When Viktor reached out to her to ask if Ciri would be willing to go with him outside Cadens soon, she hadn't thought much of it. Viktor had always seemed so curious when she would come back with supplies for him, or specimens to study; and she loves talking about her work, and would often share details while he took notes, or answer question after question when he showed particular interest. It is perfectly expected, then, that he should want to explore on his own sometime -- or, rather, not on his own but with her accompaniment, considering he might have a difficult time by himself.

But Ciri doesn't ask questions. She helps find and rent a horse for the trip -- "probably just a few hours, back before nightfall," she tells the stable -- and meets Viktor at his workshop in the morning, upon the agreed time. It's early, barely sunrise, while the cool air still lingers and dew clings to the sparse vegetation.

Ciri walks up leading Nixie on one side, while her mare shoots dirty looks at the dun gelding she's picked out for Viktor, chosen for his easy temperament and the stable's promises that he's perfect for first-time riders.

Nixie's tail flicks impatiently. Ciri stops in front of the workshop, nudging her with a shoulder to push the two horses further apart. ]

You are being such a pest. [ The horse. Not Viktor.

Viktor gets a smile and a greeting. ]

Ready to go?

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[ The swarm rises higher in the air, circling, casting ugly shadows on them both. Ciri answers distractedly, eyes darting between the creatures. ]

Yes. And-- no, not here.

[ That's not entirely true. She can use her powers here. She can try to teleport them back to where they were, or even back to Cadens, or just anywhere else. But if her ability was affected so strongly by the Singularity that it brought them both here, despite her having not the slightest intention to even get near this place, she has no idea what will happen if she tries to use her portalling powers so close to the monolith. For all she knows, the whole thing could split apart and start vomiting monsters from other worlds. Wouldn't be the first time.

Or they could wind up in the middle of the ocean. Or off a cliff. Or in space. She has no fucking clue, and she's maybe possibly panicking, just a little bit.

Ciri yanks her dagger free of her belt and shoves the hilt toward Viktor, releasing him in the process. ]

Stay behind me. Do not lose this.

[ And she takes up her position in front of him, sword at the ready, knowing it may well be less useful than a giant flyswatter against whatever these things are. She's never even seen a picture of them before. Are they venomous? How do they attack? What the fuck even are their faces?

The first wave begins to descend, more from above than in front, and Ciri instinctively steps away, crowding Viktor backward. Her sword swings out, slicing through one or two of them. Their chitinous little limbs click angrily.

Igni. She could try to use Igni. But the magic--

Is it different? If it's a Sign? She hasn't been having as much trouble with Signs as with everything else, and though she hasn't gotten to training on this one with Geralt, she knows it. She knows the sign for it, the theory. Fire seems a safer bet than blades against insects.

Or she might blow them both up.

Paralyzed by indecision and fear of the spiraling potential consequences, Ciri lashes out again wildly with her sword. One of the insects hovers down from above, the mass making up its face moving and wiggling, latching onto her bloody shoulder. ]

No, no, wait--

[It's all futile, because there's no real time to protest. She's taking action because she's the only one of the two of them who can, and it's in an attempt to protect him. There has to be some kind of reason why she'd rather stay and fight, rather than take a chance on removing them from the situation entirely.

The problem is that he can't really go anywhere--he can't put weight on his bad leg, and without anything to lean on now that Ciri is occupied with the fight, he staggers backward, unbalanced. She presses the dagger into his hand but he doesn't know whether to try and lash out with it or keep it close.

An answer, at least, comes fairly quickly. He doesn't need to be told what to do when one of the insects avoids the blade and attacks her outright. It's within reach, made even moreso by Ciri stumbling under the weight of it. Viktor grips the hilt tightly and thrusts the knife forward--at the very least, he seems to know how to stab.]

[ Ciri gasps, crying out when the insect latches onto the back of her neck and shoulder, the many little tentacle-like protrusions that make up its non-face slithering past the rips in her blouse and sinking in with something sharp, drawing blood. More of them try to crowd around her, and she stumbles, trying to figure out how to throw it off, when she feels the creature suddenly let go.

It thumps to the ground behind her, felled by a surprisingly solid strike from Viktor. But there are far too many of them, and considering they can fly, Ciri already knows there's no way she can handle them all. Normally, she'd tell Viktor to run, but-- well. That won't work either.

Igni it is. That, or something far more risky. She shouts a warning to Viktor first, just in case: ]

Get back and cover your face!

[ The Sign is the easiest part. Concentrating in this mess is the more difficult. Ciri throws her off hand out, perhaps too desperately. It's a good thing she told Viktor to be careful; the fire lashes out wildly, a wide burst of flames that scorches several insects to a crisp. It lasts maybe a second, and the heat of it wafts back in a rush, forcing Ciri to squint and take another step back.

There is a tug. A yank, inside her chest, not physical and yet-- very much real. Distracting. She gasps, turning away from the horde despite herself to look over her shoulder. ]

[For a split second, Viktor looks surprised, like he wasn't even sure he could do something like that, but it's all short-lived. All he can really think is that whatever these things are could be venemous, that they could be in even deeper trouble if they don't get out of this situation as quickly as possible. Viktor's about to yell at her, again, to just get them out of here, instead of trying to stay and fight, but she beats him to it.

He doesn't need to be told to get back--he's already halfway there, off-balance from trying to fight, with nothing to hold on to or lean against. Viktor raises his arm, trying to shield his face, but the burst of flame that follows is so sudden that he can't avoid all of it. He takes a step too far back and suddenly it's like someone has hooked something into his chest--Viktor tries to resist and overbalances and the other direction, away from the edge of the crater.

Gravity does the rest of the work.]

Edited 2022-06-11 21:40 (UTC)

Viktor!

[ Ciri lunges to grab him, trying to keep Viktor from hitting the ground quite as hard, and ends up in one knee at the edge of the crater. The pull startles her, like a fist closing inside her chest and trying to yank back out. Blood drips from her shoulder, down her arm and hand bracing her, soaking into the sloping earth. ]

[ The first few drops of blood seem innocuous. They stain the dusty ground, spotting it a dark red. As more fall, however, the dirt stirs. Where each droplet has sunk into the earth a tiny sprout begins to form, then a leaf, then a yellow-purple bud.

Should either Ciri or Viktor lean closer to examine the bud, it will burst into a small unusual floral creature. One by one, where each drop of blood has hit the earth, they rise out of the ground, hissing.

Their mouths are toothless, but their claws, while tiny, are sharp. They aren't very big, though. Actually, they seem rather well suited to being squished under a foot or crushed with a heavy rock - assuming one is quick. ]

[ The dirt moves, and Ciri can't help but stare, unsure for a moment if she's seeing things. She does lean closer, somewhere between confusion and just taking a much-needed moment to catch her breath-- And then, the sprouts appear, burst into little living, hissing creatures.

Ciri gasps, jerking back from a swipe of one tiny claw that catches her wrist.

She scrambles to get away from the edge of the crater and the pulling sensation (and now these ugly plant monsters), the hand not still gripping her sword in bloody fingers going to grab Viktor and yank him back too, none too gently. ]

[Viktor is sprawled a foot away, groaning into the dirt, trying to pull himself up, at least into a seated position. Useless--he's been nothing but useless this entire time, and they're still not out of this. They need to go, but it seems like the Singularity's got one more thing to throw at them, if Ciri's reaction is any indication.]

What? What is it?

[He doesn't actually want to know, but if there's anything he can do, he's going to try, especially if it gets her to teleport them away from here.]

I- I don't know!

[ Ciri scrambles to her feet, and if the little plant beings keep attacking, tries to stamp them underfoot since they're so small. ]

Get away from them!

[ just in case Viktor has any other ideas. ]

[Viktor has no other ideas. Viktor would rather be literally anywhere else but here. She says to get away from them, but it's easier said than done, when he's still on the ground, unable to haul himself up easily without his crutch.

When Ciri gets to her feet, he's afforded a better look at the creatures, though it's still unclear as to what they are and where they came from. She seems to find them a threat, at least, and that's good enough for him. One scurries too close to him, and he doesn't even wait--Viktor crushes one underneath his metal boot.]

We need to leave, Ciri!

[At this point, he doesn't particularly care whether she thinks she can teleport them away or not--if they stay, he's most certainly going to get them both killed.]

[ A pungent, awful odor emanates from the crushed remains of the strange little plant-beasts, but otherwise, they do not retaliate further, apparently easy enough to kill at this tiny size. But the fact that they appeared at all has thrown Ciri into even more of a panic, and she struggles to re-orientate herself and regain control of her racing thoughts, let alone her volatile magic.

Meanwhile, the large insects still swarming and buzzing around, while apparently careful of getting too close to the crater, are growing braver. Two of them swoop in again, divebombing Ciri in tandem from above, and when she quickly raises her blade to fend them off, her bleeding sword arm scatters several more bright red droplets onto the edge of the crater.

Where several new little plantlings emerge, swaying and hissing. Ciri screams, an involuntary, genuinely frightened little yelp, quickly stifled. ]

I know that! [ She staggers further from the crater and the creatures, reaching out for Viktor still stuck on the ground. It's impossible not to notice no creepy little beasties are sprouting at his feet. ]

Take- take my hand.

[On some level, he knows that asking her to magic them out of here while she's in such a state is not going to go well. On the other hand, however, they don't have a choice. She's not going to be able to fight off the insects on her own, something is spawning more strange creatures, and all the while he feels the Singularity's pull in the middle of his chest. If it's this bad for him, he can only imagine what she's going through.

All the more reason to, at the very least, make an attempt to leave.

Viktor is dragging himself to his feet in an effort to help her lessen the distance, reaching out in an attempt to close the gap, hand grasping for hers.]

You can do this.

[She has to, at this point.]

[ Ciri grips his hand tightly -- too tightly, perhaps, hard enough to hurt. His hand in one hand, her sword in the other, desperately hoping not to let go of either of them as she tries to center herself. The insects swoop in again, and she ducks and once more lashes out with her blade, knowing it is a futile effort when there are so many of them. She needs to concentrate, but it's so difficult. She needs silence, and the cloying thickness of the magic all around is just as loud as the insects in her head.

Ciri brings her other arm around, sword behind Viktor now, holding him so they are face to face, gripped tight. ]

I don't know what will happen. [ She warns him, voice cracking. ]

I could hurt you.

[He doesn't understand much of this--her powers, how they work, what she needs to execute them properly--but grounding her can't hurt. It seems impossible, given the chaos around them, but she squeezes his hand tightly and he does his best to hold her gaze.

Viktor has to trust her, because the alternative is that she gets injured or worse trying to protect him, and that's not an acceptable outcome. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't afraid of what she's implying, but they're out of options. Making the attempt, at least, is better than staying here and trying to fight.]

I'll take my chances.

[Given the choice, he'll take the unknowns of her magic.]

Edited 2022-06-14 05:15 (UTC)

[ Ciri is well aware he doesn't understand what the risk is, what he's potentially agreeing to. But she also knows that he's right: they cannot stay here. Even if they weren't being attacked by unknown monsters on all sides, they are a hundred miles (at least) from anything, without horses and without supplies, without water even if Ciri could hunt for food, and that's not even taking into account that Viktor can't walk unassisted.

She got them here somehow. She has to be the one to get them out of this mess.

Holding his gaze, Ciri forces herself to take a deep breath, gives him a tight nod. Then, she hugs him, closes her eyes, and envisions -- as clearly as possible in her mind -- the place in the desert where she goes to train with Geralt. Somewhere open, out of the way of accidentally hurting anyone else, but close enough to the city. Somewhere familiar and, at least for her, safe. It should be easy. She's managed to cross worlds like this. She's jumped from one side of a continent to another. She's done so much more than what she's trying to do now.

You can do this, Viktor had said, trusting her.

You can do this. Words Geralt has said to her, with faith and patience.

Ciri flinches and gasps when one of the insects latches onto her again, and then a second. More are surrounding them, going after Viktor.

It's now or never. Before they're completely swarmed.

Ciri reaches for the place in her mind's eye, the familiar place in the desert. There is a flash of green-white brightness, energy more than light. An uneasy tugging, sudden stomach-dropping sensation.

Ciri, Viktor, and any insects attached to them vanish into nothing. ]

[Viktor puts his faith in her because he has no other choice, but the truth is that he would probably trust her to do this, anyway. He tries to give her a nod of assurance and clings to her tightly, letting her do whatever she needs to get them out of this situation. It seems, at first, like it's working. The light is bright enough that it flashes on the inside of his eyes even as he squeezes them shut and furrows his eyebrows together like he's the one who needs to concentrate. Then, suddenly, a force behind his navel, different from the pull of the Singularity, a dropping out of the ground beneath his feet. Uncomfortable, yes, but relieving, all at once. That means it's working.

He hopes, anyway.

As the crater falls away around them, he thinks, briefly, of Jayce--of the mage that found him in the blizzard, in the mountains, in a similarly hopeless situation, and pulled him to safety. The Hexgate, modeled after that very same series of runes, launching an airship in a streak of blue. How beautiful magic is, when used like this.

It all ends very abruptly the instant they reach their destination. He expects ground to re-materialize underneath, but that's not the case. There's only air, and they're still falling, and he manages to open his eyes just in time to see a rush of deep blue-green below him. They hit the water.

Viktor sinks, immediately, with barely any time to realize what's happening and Ciri's arms no longer around him. Some baser instinct compels him to try clawing his way upward (or what he think is upward), but he's got metal strapped to his leg and around his torso, under his clothes. All the air is forced out of his lungs and it takes only a moment for the sunlight that breaks through the surface of the water to become impossibly far away.]

[ This time, Ciri realizes something has gone wrong faster than when they'd wound up next to the crater. For one, the desert is entirely gone. And then, very quickly, it becomes apparent that the ground is also nowhere near them.

The sea comes up to meet them both very suddenly and very rudely, briny and cold. The momentum of their fall from a not insignificant distance above it dunks her completely, and water rushes into her nose and mouth and eyes, stinging with salt. All at once, instinct grabs her, bred of a dire mix of necessity, bad memories, and childhood summers diving off Skelligan cliffs. Ciri is dimly aware she's still got a grip on her sword -- so no thrashing, not with that arm, not when Viktor might be nearby. She tucks it in, held close, and kicks powerfully. For what feels like a long while, there's nothing but the coldness of the water, the knowledge she didn't have a chance to take a breath, and each moment is drawn out to excruciating length, adrenaline screaming through her veins. Then, somehow only a handful of seconds later in reality, Ciri finds the glimmer of sunlight indicated which way is up, and she breaks through the surface gasping and spluttering.

That is when she realizes she is not longer holding Viktor's hand.

Panic. Frantically, she casts about, coughing and gasping too uncontrollably to call his name. Between the waves and the seafoam and her own fall, she is too disoriented. And running out of time.

Ciri dives beneath the surface once again, eyes open this time despite the initial discomfort, searching desperately for her friend. ]

[He hopes, somewhere between the panic and the sudden lack of oxygen, that Ciri hasn't gone far and he'll feel the close of her hand around his arm any second. When it doesn't immediately come, and, in fact, he doesn't see her at all, that's when he starts to think that this is over.

Viktor has lived with the specter of death hanging over him for a long time--but there is, he thinks, a difference between the looming possibility of it and an immediate certainty. If Ciri doesn't find him in the next few seconds, he's going to black out and that will be it.

The thought, fleeting as it is, fills him with desperation, but it's not enough. It isn't enough--he can't overcome his own limitations, not even to pull his way to the surface, his own body dragging him down.]

[ Something catches her eye, but it's even further down than she expected. Sinking even deeper. Ciri spots him finally, and realizes with a fresh, icy wave of horror that Viktor is plummeting like a rock, dragged down by his metal brace. He isn't moving.

She dives after him, thrusting her sword out to let its weight pull her faster, but Ciri quickly realizes that same weight is going to be a major hindrance to getting Viktor (and herself) back to the surface. It's one or the other, at this point. If it was only her, she could have figured it out, the lack of scabbard a problem but not an insurmountable one (depending on how far they are from shore, which frankly, she also hasn't had the chance to figure out yet). But already, Ciri knows she cannot carry it and Viktor. The choice is clear.

Ciri releases the hilt of her blade, letting it slip from her grasp and sink into the depths. She doesn't watch. Her eyes are already seeking the hints of green-tinged sunlight again, as both her arms wrap around Viktor and she kicks up, dragging him along.

By the time they break the surface, her lungs and throat are burning, black spots skittering across her vision, heart pounding about to burst. Ciri gasps loudly, ragged, sobbing breaths, clutching Viktor around the middle with one arm while everything else frantically works at keeping them afloat. ]

Viktor! [ Ciri screams at him because she doesn't know what else to do, shaking him roughly into consciousness. ]

C'mon, please-- Breathe!

[He's just barely slipping into unconsciousness when he feels an arm around him and the distinct feeling of being pulled upward. It's too late for him to be coherent, however, with no air in his lungs from the unexpected plunge into the ocean, so when they breach the surface, it's a long moment or two before his body catches up and realizes that there's air to breathe. She shakes him violently, trying to keep them both afloat and after a painstaking moment of no response, he rattles awake and gasps for air, surprised.

There's still nothing under his feet, and he's trying to tread without anything to hold on to but Ciri--the good news he isn't very strong, or very heavy, generally speaking, which means his flailing attempts to gain some kind of stability does little to drag them both down, with the braces the biggest hinderance, insofar as weight is concerned.

He does, however, seem terrified, spitting up water and largely unable to speak, eyes wide as he tries to comprehend just how they ended up here. Maybe they should have just stayed in the desert.]

Don't let go. [If it's obvious by now, he can't swim.] Don't--

[ Oh. He's awake. Thank the heavens, he's even talking after a few much needed breaths. Ciri was just considering if another portalling attempt was worth trying if she couldn't get him conscious, but since they're both breathing now, she finally has time to take stock of any other options. Hopefully. In a moment.

Viktor flails, and Ciri tightens her grip, pressing her forehead to his. ]

I won't. I won't, I promise. I've got you.

Please, stop thrashing.

[He's still gasping and choking, even as he forces out words--trying to bring in more air just nets him a mouthful of seawater, so he stops trying and just nods, the terror still evident on his face. She presses her forehead against him and he squeezes his eyes shut, as if he expects her to make another attempt, because treading water in the ocean is even more untenable than being stranded in the desert. There has to be land. They have to be close, at least. He doesn't want to entertain another option--it's hard enough to breathe already.]

I'm sorry-- [Objectively, he knows that none of this is his fault, but he's certainly not making the situation any easier.] --I didn't mean--

[To slow her down. To put her in harm's way. To make her fight for him to the point that both of their lives are in danger.]

It's okay. [ She is gasping too, treading water for both of them. ] We're okay. Calm down.

[ Finally, Ciri has a moment to actually look around now that both of them are theoretically breathing and not sinking. Around them, floating dead in the water, are a couple of the bug-things from around the crater. Beyond them, more water. And beyond that-- ]

Look! [ Ciri tugs at him, swimming toward what she's just noticed. A spark of hope, at last: a sandy beach, visible over the bobbing waves, and past it the silhouette of buildings. The shape of them, from this distance, is tentatively familiar. ]

I- I think we're in Andromeda Bay.

[ It's not close, exactly, but it's doable. And in the bay, the waves aren't as large as out in the open ocean. They're going to be okay. She won't have to try to portal them again, risking even more disastrous results.

Ciri takes several more shaky breaths, and slowly begins to pull away from Viktor, shifting her grip from his waist to his arm. ]

I need you to hold onto my back.

[Calm down is a tall order in a situation like this, when he's trying to cling to her and tread water even against the pull of the metal around his leg, but there's no denying the relief that washes over him when she tells him to look and he sees land. It seems far away, but he knows that's just his mind making this all seem more impossible than it really is.

Safety is within reach, at least, he wants to hope it is.]

That's--that's good.

[Right? Closer to Cadens than they were, and if there's civilization nearby, they can figure it out from there. He's much more confident about his ability to find a solution to their problem on solid ground, with a city in reach. He'll think about how close they'd come to death several times over once they get on solid ground.

Ciri tells him how he needs to hang on and Viktor obliges, even as he struggles to keep his head above water. They just have to hold out a little while longer, is what he tells himself.]

Okay--okay. I can do that.

Edited 2022-06-15 01:21 (UTC)

Okay. [ Ciri repeats, trying to calm them both. ]

We're close. Just hold on, and kick your legs if you can, just slowly is fine.

[ As soon as her arms are free and Viktor's holding onto her shoulders or belt, however they've managed, Ciri begins swimming toward the visible shoreline. The waves, thankfully calm, help buoy them, making it a little easier to keep their heads above water-- but any turbulence at all makes swimming harder, and Viktor hanging on adds another complication, though Ciri won't complain. It's slow going. She doesn't speak, all her focus on getting them close enough, until finally, they can see the line where the waves lap at the white beach.

Ciri feels around for ground beneath her, accidentally dipping under the water twice (sorry Viktor) before it's suddenly shallow enough her boots hit sand. ]

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