gynvael | abraxas:: INBOX

[ In typical Geralt form, he does not answer so much as simply message Dean a week or so later: ]

You wanted to accompany me?
It's a lengthier contract.

( god why do you suck so bad at messaging, why are they friends, you're worse than castiel sometimes ugh. )

How long we talking? I'm coming either way, I just need to know how much to pack.

Three or four weeks.
You've hunted sandskids before?

Yeah
They suck ass

I've been assured there's only one.
Likely, that means there may be two.

So three
Got it
When do we leave

Three days.
I'll be bringing company.

Ciri?

The bard.

Jaskier's hunting Sandskids now?

Hardly.
He's bemoaning a lack of inspiration.

He'll hide when appropriate.

Alright, but if he bird-modes my face again I'm gonna volleyball spike him

[ December ended up being a very busy month as Istredd obsessively planned for the Dimming trip, preparing the various sample bags he would need to take, and making certain Sabine and Kyle were ready for the visit. It turned out to be very painful (expected) and also complicated (unexpected), but he got all his samples, and in the meanwhile, found a strange plant (flowers?) in the midst of all the dirt. Odd. He kept it for study, and then it was time for the island, so it's been constant action.

The island proved to be exceptionally good in a few ways: some closure, burning it down, getting answers about mysteries, and then retraumatizing people for a few days. Istredd found his dreams haunted again and it took two days after before he could breathe without somehow smelling it still. Mushrooms are back to making him feel sick and if he didn't share a bed with someone, he'd probably have gone back to sleeping under one. But it didn't take months to get past at least.

He sent a message to Geralt to meet him in Nocwich for the start of the year, it seemed better to check in with him in person, and Istredd feels like he could use a break from Thorne. The sudden intake of new people has left him anxiously watching over them or training them while juggling all the rest, and really, he needs a drink. So he suggests they meet at one of the more crowded pubs where they won't stand out too much.

Istredd is there early as he already has a journal out that he is writing details in, and he has the unknown flora set to the side, pressed carefully onto some paper to study. He found them a table in the back, out of the way, and he doesn't look at his best. Tired. Worn. It's been a long few weeks. He's already ordered a drink and doesn't bother to glance up every time the door opens. Geralt will get there when he gets there, and he'll find him easily.

His hair is surprisingly longer, closer to what it was during Thanedd, a strange 'ability' he didn't expect and is unconsciously setting off. So it's more annoying than anything else, flicking it out of his eyes. ]

Edited 2024-01-04 01:55 (UTC)

[ Istredd catches him a bare handful of days before Geralt is to leave on a hunt with Dean and Jaskier. He isn't surprised Istredd wishes to talk, but that he requested it to be in person is...telling. It means the mage has something he wishes to show. Curious. This is the first year Yen has had no contact with the Singularity, which comes expected. Her aims have...changed. They've been changing for a time, in fact, but Geralt is beginning to allow himself to really acknowledge that. To let it mean something to him.

He tells Istredd he will be there an hour past sundown—or what will be sundown in Thorne. The moon is bright when he steps through the portal.

As Istredd anticipates, Geralt locates the mage with little effort. His hair may be a different length, but he certainly smells the same.

He walks up to Istredd without announcement and pulls out a chair. The man looks as if he's seen better days, but what else is new? He's aware of the excursion to that island. Knowing Istredd, he'd have not stayed away. Geralt, meanwhile, looks the same—that is to say, the same cloak of tired and unamused he always wears.

Still, his eyebrow quirks. ] You changed your hair.

Edited 2024-01-05 01:42 (UTC)

[ Istredd keeps Yennefer abreast of everything that he learns so there really was no need for her to go and get a killer headache for the effort. Especially as her magic is back now. The two of them are a very good team, something they always had the potential for as youths, but never lived up to until here. He kept the group small this time and wisely didn't bring other mages. Having the whole group basically collapse was not very helpful last time.

Istredd doesn't see Geralt coming but he knows he is so he's not startled when Geralt pulls up a chair. He glances up when he does and raises his eyebrow at the observation before sighing. ]

A very strange gift from the Singularity. Apparently I can change the length of my hair at will.

[ Istredd truly doesn't understand how it works but he wonders if this was a prank. The Singularity could have a sense of humor, he doesn't know. It may be connected to another power he hasn't figured out yet, but for now, all he knows is that decided to make commentary on his hair length. It also could be a reflection of his new memories, and the way he looked then.

Growing his hair out was more a symptom of him being on the road back home and not bothering with it, although maybe he has a secret streak of vanity in thinking it didn't look terrible. Either way, it's long now, and he doesn't bother fixing it. ]

I found the strangest thing on my recent trip.

[ To business. Istredd takes the strange flower creature parts that he found at the Singularity, while looking through the soil, and it is now pressed and easier to look at. He sets it on the table between them so Geralt can look. If he's seen Ciri's plant children, it may be familiar.]

Everything else was dirt so it stood out.

[ That's...unique. And yet, it seems to align with the manifested magic brought on by the Singularity. Julie's hair is now permanently pink; Dean's sprouted wings. He cannot tell if the Singularity is reading them or if, like through the Horizon, these things have simply emerged through a subconscious effect. So far, he's leaning towards the latter—the former assigns a level of sentience and humour to a monolithic tower he's not sure he wants to indulge—but it's impossible to say.

He leaves the subject alone with a shrug and sits down. Right. Istredd had left to collect soil from around the Singularity and its crater. Is it good or bad news that Istredd has something to show him?

Leaning forward, he takes the specimen. His brows draw together as realization dawns. He never saw the creatures Ciri spoke of, but from her description— ]

Is this the only sample you found? [ He sighs. It isn't the most troubling fact to come to light. The locals do not venture that close to the Singularity, and they would not know the fauna that spawns around the area in detail. Even so, anything to do with Ciri makes him cautious. ] Ciri accidentally portalled to the Singularity once. When she bled, it interacted with the relic's Chaos source, in an unusual manner. Created a new species.

[ Elder Blood causes flowers to spring to life. It can be used for mutations in Witchers. Combined with the Singularity's resonating magic nearby, the effects are unpredictable. He worries, of course, about the implications. What it may lead to should another find out. The likelihood of someone discovering the secret is rare, though. And if it is discovered, he knows precisely who to look to first. Only one person accompanied Ciri on that trip, and only one person was told what it could mean. ]

The only sample from the area I was in. I hid it.

[ It's not that Istredd assumed it had anything to do with Ciri, he had no reason to, what he did assume was something unique like that was probably better known to the rest of them. Thorne got all the dirt samples which he doesn't know if they see what he sees or not, but he'll always sneak details for himself. He is surprised Geralt knows it, thinking perhaps it is a Badlands creature that went too far, but the connection to Ciri is unexpected. Both of his eyebrows shoot up. ]

Obviously I knew that her blood had altering properties but to create a new species ... it must uniquely warp the Singularity's magic.

[ Istredd collected Feainnewedd secretly while at the Brotherhood after learning about it in his history books, and his awareness of Elder Blood is how he even came to finding Ciri and her identity in their sphere. Still. An entire new species from a few drops of blood. It's incredible and frankly a reminder to them about how important it is to protect all knowledge of Ciri's special blood a secret. He's glad Thorne didn't get their hands on it now. It would be disastrous if they ever knew about her, a truth both he and Yennefer are very aware and concerned about. While he and Ciri do not get along, it doesn't change the importance of protecting her, whether she likes it or not. ]

There was nothing living there, so the species went extinct. A short lifespan.

[ He considers though, tapping his pencil against his notebook in quick little bumps as his mind catches up through that strangeness. ]

It's only been there, though? So far my findings are that the magical properties of the ground there are no more or less than anywhere else, meaning possibly that the Singularity is equally powerful throughout the land. So what is it in the dirt there was her blood specifically reacting to, I wonder.

[ It's not going to be in his samples. Perhaps something to muse over for the next year. It's very Istredd to keep going back yearly despite perhaps only finding out very little each time. He spent decades studying with no full answers, two trips is nothing. ]

[ A grimace appears briefly on his face. ] It happens sometimes.

[ To say the least. Ciri avoids using her magic as much as possible. It troubles Geralt, but they haven't another path forward. Yen has not been able to help her as much as he's hoped. Ciri is further unwilling to try. He's managed to teach her his Witcher Signs, which is more promise than they've seen on the Continent, but Ciri's abilities are so much more than a few simple Signs.

All the time she's used her magic, though...something has gone wrong. Jaskier. The tunnels. The portal that opened up over the Singularity, then Aquila. One day, she and the Singularity may not be able to occupy the same sphere. If their Chaos continue to conflict in such a manner—would it even be a tenable situation?

He pockets the specimen before unwelcome eyes can glimpse it. ]

Your guess is as good as mine. If Thorne is to believed, the Singularity's power extends far past merely this land. [ He's already told Istredd his theory about the Singularity as a source, radiating throughout the universe and beyond. And though he was the one who proposed it in the first place, it sounds farfeteched to his ears. ] Is that all you learned?

[ The mage sounds...unduly excited about this discovery with the. Soil. ]

If it helps, let her know the creatures are dead. She didn't create a new species that's populating the land, a reminder of what she can do.

[ Geralt told him once that Ciri didn't want to be special, so the existence of things that only she can do might be unnerving. The two of them have made peace enough for tolerance, but it doesn't mean that he doesn't care. He cares for many reasons, Geralt and Yennefer being two of the major ones. It is unlikely Thorne could have made any connections if they saw this, but best not to give them the option.

It's not Istredd's business what Ciri will or won't do with her magic, but it would be his advice that she should learn to use it or it'll be more than she can handle. It wouldn't be only for her; he's become a teacher in Thorne, he's said as much to several different Summoned who come here with uncontrolled power. He assumes she is better trained than she is, but he wouldn't be surprised to hear otherwise. She's very stubborn, he knows that much. ]

I agree with Thorne, as you know. When it comes to the Singularity, at least. [ Not their plans for it, but their belief in its power and reach. He raises an eyebrow at him.] And according to your notes, so do you.

[ It was one of the first things they spoke about. As for what he learned, well. Istredd is used to finding things fascinating that other people think are limiting. His lot in life. ]

Yes, I already believed that the crater's influence is all spiritual and mental, the physicality doesn't matter. Some theories need to be tested.

[ After decades studying the monoliths without proof, he wants his findings to be backed up. ]

The person I took with me who has a connection to the Singularity, she was overwhelmed by images it was throwing at her. More so than Rhy, who found it pleasant to commune. I wonder if part of it is the Singularity having more to say than last year.

Mm-hm.

[ That's an all-encompassing reply. He doesn't know if he agrees with Thorne. He does believe the Singularity poses some sort of danger, though. Whether that is immediate or in the distant future...it's hard to say. And in the end, would it make any difference? Is it their place to rearrange the fate of the universe simply because they cannot accept its end? What will it cost them if they do?

Besides. There is every possibility that what is happening here is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Thorne fears the Singularity will swallow every sphere out there. They summon others to their aid using the Singularity's magic. In doing so, they drive their world towards its destruction.

As for the nature of the monolith's resonance, Geralt only nods. Here, he has nothing to go on except the word of others. When he reached out to it in the Horizon, he received nothing. Empty. Hardly surprising, but it means he hasn't any idea what others sense or feel. Or what it could represent. ]

More and more, it seems to grow unstable. [ Who is this person Istredd speaks of? The mage has withheld her name for a reason. Geralt chooses not to pry. Instead, he refills their cups. He has another question, one not exactly related to Istredd's trip. ] When you returned to that island—did you learn any further about the visions we saw?

[ Twice now, they've shared visions, though he knows Istredd is one of the rare few who did not experience it while in the cavern. Still, a thread connects each of them, something Geralt is beginning to realize they must keep in mind. ]

When I was in the Nether, I spoke to their priestess, Anneth, and she said that the dragons started to weaken with the first Summoning over a thousand years ago. And obviously they've gotten worse since us and the rifts. I think there's a correlation, and it could be indicating the bigger picture problem.

[ Istredd sighs, rubbing a hand through his obnoxiously longer hair, surprised by the curls but accepting them since he hasn't yet figured out how to put it back. It'll take a little bit of focus, he knows that. The memories he got were much more important than longer hair to think about, so he forgot. The result of his thoughts is something he's a little grumpy about, but he can't deny the logic. ]

I think we're harming this sphere. Not intentionally, but our pulling on the Singularity, on the Horizon. It's changed things.

[ That is difficult for Istredd because it poses a problem. He and Geralt and others want to stay here, they have their reasons to prefer to continue their lives in this land. Istredd's promised to find a tether, or that's the plan, especially for people who can't go back (like Lucifer). But what if it comes down to the safety of the entire sphere - of other spheres - and their personal happiness? He knows what his mind would tell him is the obvious answer, but his heart is treacherous. ]

As for the island, no, not that we could figure out on our own. We reunited with the shrine monster, it appears to have been a sea giant, not a god. Most of the island was retrieving bodies and being disgusted by how little effort our factions put into doing things on their own.

[ Is he salty today? Apparently. It's been a rough few weeks, reminding him of a worse few weeks. Truly things haven't been great since the rifts, in terms of mental wellness, but that's life for you. ]

I saw Nero there. No fights happened, thankfully.

[ Geralt, too, had spoken to The Flame, though on a different matter. He makes a thoughtful noise. That's interesting. They'd claimed the rifts were the cause of it, had they not? Something that came through. ]

Perhaps. [ It's one theory, like all the others. They've yet to find anything conclusive. ] Or it may be the kingdoms' insistence on summoning more and more of us.

[ The Singularity had been stable up until the other nations began to invoke the same spell. Each door they open feels like more of a risk than the mere existence of the Summoned themselves. Thorne believes they're doing it to save the world. He wonders if they would ever consider they're making it worse instead.

He shakes off the questions. Speculation will only get them so far. No surprise to hear they've no more answers there, either. At least the place will be burnt to the ground. He'd have concerns had they decided to revitalize the land. ]

And you? Did you find what you were looking for?

[ What was Istredd searching for? He'd returned for a reason, that much Geralt knows. The ones who chose to go had their reasons—just as Geralt has his for choosing otherwise. ]

It could be. It's a dangerous spell.

[ One that Istredd would be curious in finding out the details of some day. Not that he would want to use it for himself, but perhaps by learning parts of it, he would be able to find that tether. Then again, best intentions could just as easily spiral that quest for knowledge into more damage, like the book of monoliths he went chasing, or Cirilla's heritage search. One of these days he'll learn the lesson that not every question should be answered.

Istredd would have had some issues if the others voted to restore. He barely tolerated the fact the cultists are still alive somewhere, but he accepted the decision. This would have been difficult and he would have spoken out against it more firmly. He was surprised when Thancred voted to restore, the only person in Thorne who did, but he suspects the man has his reasons.

It's more than a simple question, with a simple answer. What was he searching for Closure. Answers. None of it came. If this was Geralt talking to him before a certain point in time, he would have brushed it off, but they've become closer recently.]

Yes and no. [ He answers honestly. ] Yes in that we accomplished follow-ups that I wanted to, made certain the bodies were taken back, and burned it all down. No in that I wanted to be over it and prove it by being there, and I wasn't.

[ Dangerous is an understatement. He'd not be surprised to learn that consequences have been lurking. Slipping by unnoticed until it was too late. Unnoticed or ignored by those unwilling to acknowledge the risks.

He rests his hand on the table. His gaze is careful. Sometimes, he wonders why Istredd was not selected by the acolytes for their ritual. As far as he's aware, Istredd was the only one. Was it incidental? Or was there something they sensed in his magic? Of those captured, only Istredd had touched the Singularity before. Seen it up close, in person.

It's difficult to say.

A silence stretches onward before he finally answers. ] When you bleed because you tore a scab, it's not a question of character. And it won't serve to heal you any faster.

[ If Istredd did not find the peace he sought...that's simply how it is. Some things are best left undisturbed. At least until the scars have faded with the years. He knows what it's like to wander amongst those living memories. Through the horrors that await through the halls and rooms. The labs at Kaer Morhen, the dark dungeons that held every Witcher, the corpses outside—they were never dismantled, never removed. He grew up facing them with each passing day, and the truth is, he isn't sure if that's a choice he'd have made had he been given one. If it had not been the only home he had. The only home he knew.

Perhaps he'd have made his peace more easily had he been allowed to walk away and not look back. ]

[ Istredd doesn't know why. He thinks eventually he would have been taken, but perhaps not. He and Caitlyn were the only ones, and they also were the only ones capable of curing some of the infection. Both attempts damaged him, but it gave Istredd the opportunity to heal people who could help. Steve turned out to be the best idea, given that his clear head prevailed during the escape, and afterward too. If there were any answers as to why, he'll never know them.

He lets it be quiet too while Geralt thinks of something to say, but really it's Istredd's own mind churning too. He's been having this feeling in his gut, he's been musing on a variety of things, but he hasn't been able to put it into words. With Geralt, he's decided to try. It is easier for him, when things are logical. But this is not.]

The over a year I've spent in this place has changed me in a way decades did not. The trauma from the Pit, and from Thanedd ... I'm not the same person I was when we met.

[ When he followed the crumbs to Cirilla, when he went to the elves naively thinking he could save the day, when he learned how wrong he was and came back to the Brotherhood disgruntled. The memories of before and after Thanedd have now properly mixed together with this place, in clear clarity. He settles back in his chair and sighs, letting his eyes wander as if avoiding something, before he sets them on Geralt again. ]

I think it's for the better, the change, but I suppose part of me is wondering how to reconcile that certainty with the experience. Is it wrong to be glad for something terrible happening, if it led to somewhere important?

[ Geralt is far more worldly than Istredd. The scholar may have traveled some of the realm but always in his books or under ground or with his bones. In the library. He didn't experience life, he hid from it. Then he came here and he was forced to interact with other people and to find a community, which he tried (and failed) to avoid back home due to his issues with the Brotherhood. Istredd is many things he never thought he would be; a teacher, a mentor, a father figure, a lover, a close friend, a confidante, to more people than he typically spoke to on a weekly basis before.

So the changes? Where he is at right here in this tavern? He is grateful for. But it came at a cost, a cost he'd pay for himself, yet it is for others too. They all suffered, and he grew from that suffering. Would he do it all over again? Yes, to get here. That is the hard part to figure out. ]

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