[ CLOSED ] this bleeding heart

[gynvael]

Who: Geralt + Various
When: July
Where: Cadens, Horizon
What: Catch-all for the month
Warnings: Blanket Witcher canon things



(( starters in the comments below. find me at discontinued or at Noa#1979 to plot stuff! ))

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[itookashot]

[ That is exactly what is happening. Everything is happening all at once. It was the same the first time, when they were capturing a hare and he thought his head was going to explode. He heard every creature near them, all the scientists and their students, loud chatter along with a shrieking noise from the machine they used. It's happening again but he couldn't ask Inej on how to fix this, she couldn't understand. Only Geralt could, as far as he knows.

He grits his teeth and focuses as best as he can. Jesper is very resilient and he's survived so much, he just has to find a way to shift from the fear. Jesper focuses on something familiar, something reassuring. ]

Mag is downstairs banging pots, she's annoyed about something. She's opening and closing cupboards for no reason.

[ It's not unsurprising, it's one of those reactions people have when they're annoyed or anxious, sometimes all they can do is keep moving, Jesper's like that too. He can hear her do it and it sounds like she's in his face hitting the wall next to his head with things. It's too loud at first for him to hear what she's actually saying, only the clanging. It's less painful and it's down to stinging instead. ]

Oh the supply delivery is late. Held up in customs.

[ That's been happening a lot more frequently these days. Most things within Cadens can be handled easily, hand to mouth so to speak, but anything from outside of the city has become harder to get. Especially anywhere outside of their faction. Her voice is actually soothing even if she's shouting (she's not, she's muttering to herself).

Jesper is almost starting to feel better until a pack of kids run by actually being loud and they run right by an argument around the corner and he swears. ]

No, make it stop.

[gynvael]

[ He gives it time, doesn't push, and there's a moment where it almost seems to be working. The spike in Jesper's pulse begins to even out as he focuses on one detail instead of the cacophony of meaningless noise. Geralt can hear it, too: cupboards slamming, metal pots clattering. If he concentrates, he can even tell where she is under them—moving left to right, and then around the corner from behind the counter.

He thinks, Good, but before he can say a word, Jesper curls back over himself.

So much for that. There's a pause—because he's realizing the longer this continues, the harder it'll be to get through to Jesper. It's one thing to have your senses open up; if this is a spell or a curse of some other kind, there's no telling how aggressive it might grow.

He lifts his hand. The spell is barely noticeable, and not a powerful one. Can't even say it'll work. Jesper has magic of his own; there's a high chance he's immune or naturally resistant. But it's worth a try. ]

Steady. You're okay. [ Magic curls gently in the air, a calming blanket. ] It's quiet.

[itookashot]

[ It does almost work, it is very close. Focusing on one thing at a time will be very useful for him in the future, but it still feels overwhelming at the moment. He's having a hard time picking up a single string. Jesper does have magic of his own but it doesn't protect him against any other kind. He feels a wave of calm come over him and it's a relief, breathing a little easier.

A lot of the problem was the panic. It was making it all worse, making him react more negatively and have a harder time calming down. Now with a little soothing Jesper is able to let go of his fear and while he can still hear, it doesn't feel as intense. His heartbeat slows steadily from its loud beating and he can focus solely on Mag again. Her voice is soothing now, familiar, rather than alarming.

There are some scratches from his own fingers on his ears and cheek he'll have to deal with later, but he releases his tight grip on them, closing his eyes and simply resting against Geralt. Even more soothing than Mag is the witcher, his heartbeat very slow. So steady. ]

This is the second time. I don't know why.

[ Jesper is still whispering, a little sensitive. ]

I don't want it.

[gynvael]

[ As Jesper calms down, his mind starts wandering towards exactly how this happened. But then, the answer to that tends to be simple. Is it not? What else do they turn to when thing are unexplained? It seems a convenient excuse at this point, though he knows it is not. The nature of the monolith is impossible to predict. This would hardly be the first time it's seen fit to bestow...a gift.

At least he was here this time. ]

The Singularity must've granted you something. [ He stands up, offering a hand to help Jesper to his feet. ] Have you had an ability gifted before?

[ Only a rare few have not. Geralt had believed himself one of those few up until recently. Apparently, he's been gifted, too, now. He isn't sure what to make of that still. ]

we can probably start wrapping on this!

[itookashot]

[ The Singularity? Well that'll teach him to think the Singularity can only bestow fantastic things, he did not ask for this. Jesper takes the hand and stands although he's a little shaky. There's nothing technically wrong with him, but even temporary trauma can leave a mark. ]

Yes, I am super fast. Not for long, but long enough to get down a few blocks in only a second or two. I thought it was brilliant.

[ He still thinks that skill is brilliant! It is an excellent way for him to get out of trouble if he ever is in one, or to get to someone faster than he normally would. Like Geralt can, for example, although probably even faster than that. Low endurance, but quite a lot of speed. ]

There's no way to turn off the Singularity powers, is there? Fuck.

sounds good!

[gynvael]

[ His eyebrow lifts a hint. Excess speed, enhanced hearing? Much like Jaskier and his birds, those feel fitting for what he knows of Jesper. ]

No. But you can learn to control them. [ He isn't the one to approach for that, though. His grip on his own newfound ability is tenuous at best. And his expertise does not lie in magic.

Perhaps... ]

Talk to Jaskier. [ It is a strange thing to say, but Jaskier is one of the Summoned in the Free Cities who has the greatest control over magic born explicitly from the Singularity and this world. Not years of training from home, not a natural instinct from having been born with Chaos at his fingertips. Just a bard who studied and practiced. ] He may be able to help.

[itookashot]

[ It's difficult to think about this. Jesper spent his entire life running from his gifts, and he finally started to embrace them and become the Grisha he probably always could be. And yet now that he has his grip on those, he's bloody here again, with something else he didn't ask for. The super speed was delightful!

Jaskier? Really? Jesper looks a little dubious about that, but it is no offense to Jaskier in the least. The man is charming and highly skilled as a bard, but he doesn't give off the 'see him about powers' sort of energy, at least not to an outsider. Still, he trusts Geralt.]

Thank you for coming. I know it wasn't ... an actual emergency, but I didn't know what else to do.

[ And he didn't know who else to call for in that state of terror. ]