![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
abraxas:: INBOX
Inbox
» action
» text
» Horizon
To talk to him in person, you'll need to be in Cadens or go to his domain, a snowy mountain fortress. Yard is open; doors are locked. If he isn't around, leave a delivery with the white wolf.
To talk to him in person, you'll need to be in Cadens or go to his domain, a snowy mountain fortress. Yard is open; doors are locked. If he isn't around, leave a delivery with the white wolf.
[ They're just going to sidestep that for now. For as long as Steve can get away with it, anyway. ]
I don't have exact numbers, but from what I've heard, people thought they were being mobilized to the new naval outpost, but the rumor is that they've been seen heading out toward the northern mountains instead. It can't just be a handful of them, if there are rumors like this circulating.
I don't have exact numbers, but from what I've heard, people thought they were being mobilized to the new naval outpost, but the rumor is that they've been seen heading out toward the northern mountains instead. It can't just be a handful of them, if there are rumors like this circulating.
Yeah, and we wouldn't have a storm to cover our approach either.
[ Which means sneaking back up the mountainside to that base to find out what's going on there would be one hell of a job. ]
I'll talk to him about it, but this can't mean anything good.
[ Which means sneaking back up the mountainside to that base to find out what's going on there would be one hell of a job. ]
I'll talk to him about it, but this can't mean anything good.
Does it ever?
[ For a second, it seems the conversation might end there. Perhaps in the past, it would have, but he and Steve have shared more than a conversation or two and a few battles now. And in truth, he is not sure the military is the most significant subject on his mind. He doubts it is for Steve, either. ]
I have a spare evening.
Come by the tavern.
[ For a second, it seems the conversation might end there. Perhaps in the past, it would have, but he and Steve have shared more than a conversation or two and a few battles now. And in truth, he is not sure the military is the most significant subject on his mind. He doubts it is for Steve, either. ]
I have a spare evening.
Come by the tavern.
[ In all honesty, Steve had expected it to end there. He's learned by now that Geralt is not that fond of this type of conversation, preferring a chat over a drink if he's given a choice.
Which is not something he protests at all. Steve also prefers face-to-face most of the time. Except that now, everything's shifted to the point that it's hard to know where he stands with anyone.
Still, better to face that head on, right? ]
Making time for me? I'm flattered.
I'll be there after sundown.
[ True to his word, shortly after the sun disappears behind the mountains, Steve arrives at the Cadens tavern that he knows Geralt prefers. The two of them have had drinks here in the past, from what he can remember, although that odd haze imposed by eight hundred years of false memories is forcing him to question too many things. That's all the more reason to reestablish routines.
He slides into the seat across from Geralt at the tucked-away table. ]
Hey. It's good to see you.
[ Unsaid: to see him as they're meant to be. ]
Which is not something he protests at all. Steve also prefers face-to-face most of the time. Except that now, everything's shifted to the point that it's hard to know where he stands with anyone.
Still, better to face that head on, right? ]
Making time for me? I'm flattered.
I'll be there after sundown.
[ True to his word, shortly after the sun disappears behind the mountains, Steve arrives at the Cadens tavern that he knows Geralt prefers. The two of them have had drinks here in the past, from what he can remember, although that odd haze imposed by eight hundred years of false memories is forcing him to question too many things. That's all the more reason to reestablish routines.
He slides into the seat across from Geralt at the tucked-away table. ]
Hey. It's good to see you.
[ Unsaid: to see him as they're meant to be. ]
[ The tavern is twice as rundown since the storms; the windows are boarded with broken planks, the wood on some of the chairs and tables has rotted through from the excessive rain, and it would be generous to call the patrons who continue to come here questionable.
For Geralt, it remains simple enough to slide into a rickety table as if nothing's changed. People have learnt not to bother him when he's here, and in return, he leaves them to their business, so long as no blades or chairs are thrown his direction.
A jug of ale is already on the table when Steve arrives. It is a signifier of their friendship that it is a jug and not a lone tankard that Geralt has ordered for himself while leaving his companion to do as they wish. He's glad to see Steve returned to form, too; Geralt may have undergone few changes between those dreamlike years, but Steve had been...noticeably different.
Though still himself, in all the ways that counted. At least in Geralt's eyes. ]
You don't look too worse for wear.
For Geralt, it remains simple enough to slide into a rickety table as if nothing's changed. People have learnt not to bother him when he's here, and in return, he leaves them to their business, so long as no blades or chairs are thrown his direction.
A jug of ale is already on the table when Steve arrives. It is a signifier of their friendship that it is a jug and not a lone tankard that Geralt has ordered for himself while leaving his companion to do as they wish. He's glad to see Steve returned to form, too; Geralt may have undergone few changes between those dreamlike years, but Steve had been...noticeably different.
Though still himself, in all the ways that counted. At least in Geralt's eyes. ]
You don't look too worse for wear.
[ As someone who's had a drink in a bombed out building before, Steve doesn't seem at all deterred or put off by the state of the tavern. It's a miracle the place is still open with all the hits it's taken, but he figures that they're probably hurting for the business at this point.
With any luck, he and Geralt won't have to break up any fights this time, although that's always a possibility. He'll keep an eye out for any trouble just in case.
He nods to Geralt in quiet thanks as he pours himself a glass of ale from the jug, then takes a long sip from it. It might seem odd, the two of them indulging in alcohol that doesn't do them any good, but sometimes it's worth it to just go through the motions.
At the remark he gives a shrug of one shoulder. ] I guess you could say this isn't the first time I've had to adapt to a pretty sudden change, although this one definitely takes the cake.
[ He sets his pint down, then leans forward to rest his elbows on the tabletop. ]
Anyway, I could say the same about you. [ It's reassuring, Steve thinks, to meet up with friends of his and reassert who they really are in the here and now. In retrospect he's glad that Geralt invited him out. ] I wonder if the memories will get hazier with time. Kind of like when you wake up from a dream.
[ Distinct and vivid at first, but then before you know it you've forgotten all the finer details. ]
With any luck, he and Geralt won't have to break up any fights this time, although that's always a possibility. He'll keep an eye out for any trouble just in case.
He nods to Geralt in quiet thanks as he pours himself a glass of ale from the jug, then takes a long sip from it. It might seem odd, the two of them indulging in alcohol that doesn't do them any good, but sometimes it's worth it to just go through the motions.
At the remark he gives a shrug of one shoulder. ] I guess you could say this isn't the first time I've had to adapt to a pretty sudden change, although this one definitely takes the cake.
[ He sets his pint down, then leans forward to rest his elbows on the tabletop. ]
Anyway, I could say the same about you. [ It's reassuring, Steve thinks, to meet up with friends of his and reassert who they really are in the here and now. In retrospect he's glad that Geralt invited him out. ] I wonder if the memories will get hazier with time. Kind of like when you wake up from a dream.
[ Distinct and vivid at first, but then before you know it you've forgotten all the finer details. ]
[ That it does. A Witcher's lifespan is long, but not endless. It can be cut short in an instant. To exist entirely without that threat...it wasn't unsettling, exactly, but it leaves him uncertain of what to think. He can't deny his only wish has been to be with his family, but he understood the reality that there were limits to that desire.
And then suddenly, there weren't.
He pulls his mug towards him. He expects so. Everything in his head is somewhat a jumble right now, but he imagines it'll sort itself out with time. Or so he hopes. Besides: ] Memories often do. I don't recall most of my childhood anymore.
[ Parts of it, yes. With his mother, in bits and pieces. During the Trials. Fleeing the destruction of his home, growing up with Vesemir. Some flashes are vivid imprints. Others...not so much. When the memories return to him, or when he has a reason to reach for them, they're often haphazard impressions more than a clear picture. It's always been this way for him.
In any case, he's. Fine. A part of him doesn't want to lend too much credence to what he considers a message or a prophecy sent by someone or some thing. Pouring your efforts into such things seldom lead anywhere good, and he is concerned that some of the Summoned might take to what they witnessed with ill-advised assumptions. ]
And then suddenly, there weren't.
He pulls his mug towards him. He expects so. Everything in his head is somewhat a jumble right now, but he imagines it'll sort itself out with time. Or so he hopes. Besides: ] Memories often do. I don't recall most of my childhood anymore.
[ Parts of it, yes. With his mother, in bits and pieces. During the Trials. Fleeing the destruction of his home, growing up with Vesemir. Some flashes are vivid imprints. Others...not so much. When the memories return to him, or when he has a reason to reach for them, they're often haphazard impressions more than a clear picture. It's always been this way for him.
In any case, he's. Fine. A part of him doesn't want to lend too much credence to what he considers a message or a prophecy sent by someone or some thing. Pouring your efforts into such things seldom lead anywhere good, and he is concerned that some of the Summoned might take to what they witnessed with ill-advised assumptions. ]
[ It's true that even real, actually lived-out memories will fade with time. Steve isn't anywhere near as old as Geralt (from what he's gathered from comments Geralt himself and Sam have made offhandedly), and even his younger years have become a blur.
Which is a fact that leaves him hollow in the pit of his stomach. Even before all this, he resented the idea that he would forget more and more of what the world looked like and felt like before he went into the ice. ]
I would guess these'll fade even more quickly. I mean, we didn't actually live through all that, right?
[ Steve sighs and shakes his head, then takes a long drink from his pint. He doesn't expect Geralt to have any answers, but he can't help but want to try and make some sense of it anyway. He isn't going to put too much stock into any of it, but it's not like he can just pretend they didn't all experience a mass hallucination either. ]
Anyway, I know it was just by chance, but you're the reason I started to realize something wasn't right. So... [ He tips his glass toward Geralt in quiet thanks, then takes another sip off it. ]
Which is a fact that leaves him hollow in the pit of his stomach. Even before all this, he resented the idea that he would forget more and more of what the world looked like and felt like before he went into the ice. ]
I would guess these'll fade even more quickly. I mean, we didn't actually live through all that, right?
[ Steve sighs and shakes his head, then takes a long drink from his pint. He doesn't expect Geralt to have any answers, but he can't help but want to try and make some sense of it anyway. He isn't going to put too much stock into any of it, but it's not like he can just pretend they didn't all experience a mass hallucination either. ]
Anyway, I know it was just by chance, but you're the reason I started to realize something wasn't right. So... [ He tips his glass toward Geralt in quiet thanks, then takes another sip off it. ]
Edited 2024-05-30 19:55 (UTC)
[ Didn't they? Geralt's expression suggests he does not believe the answer so simple, though he does not respond. Where is the line between memory and dreams and experience? Technically, he didn't live through raising Ciri, either. He simply remembers it from a vision. If that isn't real, then what is?
And what about Ciri's knowledge of his fate in a future he's not yet seen?
It's easier not to pick it apart. He's formed relationships over centuries with people he once met a handful of times at best. Whatever they decide to call what happened—a memory, a vision, a false prophecy—it will not change what he knows of them now. Nor how familiar they feel to him. ]
Consider us even. [ For his attempt to kill Steve that one time. ] I assume you remember him again.
And what about Ciri's knowledge of his fate in a future he's not yet seen?
It's easier not to pick it apart. He's formed relationships over centuries with people he once met a handful of times at best. Whatever they decide to call what happened—a memory, a vision, a false prophecy—it will not change what he knows of them now. Nor how familiar they feel to him. ]
Consider us even. [ For his attempt to kill Steve that one time. ] I assume you remember him again.
Geralt I need your help.
We were given prior knowledge that a coup is about to happen in Thorne. Thancred got a message from Jolene warning him, and he contacted those of us closest to the crown. We were given the option of staying and risking consequences, or leaving to go somewhere else. As of right now, we don't know where that will be, just that we have a limited window.
With her close relationship to the Queen, it is very likely Yennefer is in the most direct danger. I'm trying to talk her down but she's digging her heels in. I could use the back up.
For the record, I know why she stayed before, and I will look out for Ciri's interests in the castle from now on.
We were given prior knowledge that a coup is about to happen in Thorne. Thancred got a message from Jolene warning him, and he contacted those of us closest to the crown. We were given the option of staying and risking consequences, or leaving to go somewhere else. As of right now, we don't know where that will be, just that we have a limited window.
With her close relationship to the Queen, it is very likely Yennefer is in the most direct danger. I'm trying to talk her down but she's digging her heels in. I could use the back up.
For the record, I know why she stayed before, and I will look out for Ciri's interests in the castle from now on.
Noon.
[ Noon is precisely when Geralt arrives. He could ask which tavern Clive has settled on, but Geralt prefers to do it his way. It doesn't take long for him to locate the man and his thick head of black hair.
He joins Clive, chair scraping against the stained floors. His gaze roams over him. ] I see you're...back to form.
[ He imagines it's not as strange to look at him, though, in return; Geralt changed little in those eight hundred years. The only thing different about him now is that he no longer has the shroud of the wolf and no forest sprouts around him. He does, however, retain a sharp glow to his eyes when the moonlight strikes them—a feature not there before. ]
[ It's hard to know what to make of any of it, and Geralt isn't the type of man to attempt to persuade him either way. They're going to believe what they choose to out of that whole experience, and it's likely to differ from person to person.
He does raise an eyebrow at the remark about being even, because for a moment he doesn't really know what Geralt even owes him for. But the mention of Bucky, even vaguely, jogs his memory.
Right. That. Well, he'd already told Geralt a long time ago there were no hard feelings. ]
Yeah, I do. [ His gaze immediately flicks down to the tabletop between them. ] I don't like that I forgot him at all. From what I can remember, Sam and I kept reminding each other of him for a while, but over time it still wasn't enough.
[ He shakes his head and takes a long drink. He just can't accept that could ever happen, even after eight hundred years.
(But what if he's wrong?) ]
He does raise an eyebrow at the remark about being even, because for a moment he doesn't really know what Geralt even owes him for. But the mention of Bucky, even vaguely, jogs his memory.
Right. That. Well, he'd already told Geralt a long time ago there were no hard feelings. ]
Yeah, I do. [ His gaze immediately flicks down to the tabletop between them. ] I don't like that I forgot him at all. From what I can remember, Sam and I kept reminding each other of him for a while, but over time it still wasn't enough.
[ He shakes his head and takes a long drink. He just can't accept that could ever happen, even after eight hundred years.
(But what if he's wrong?) ]
Edited 2024-06-12 23:34 (UTC)
Thank you for helping.
[ It's both a big relief and also personally tragic so he's just going to feel some things in a corner. ]
[ It's both a big relief and also personally tragic so he's just going to feel some things in a corner. ]
Yes. I have less concern for me, I've made myself useful enough any leader can use me.
I'll fulfill the protections necessary for the Summoned here, or at least try.
I'll fulfill the protections necessary for the Summoned here, or at least try.
Page 44 of 55