( closed )

[possidetur]

Who: vanessa ives + geralt of rivia
What: a confession
Where: woods on the west island
When: early august
Warnings: cw: possession, murder, etc

( it had taken vanessa some time to track him down, following her senses until she'd discovered his general location on the island. following their last conversation vanessa had done a lot of thinking -- a lot of searching. this was a good man who seemed to wish to help her, who was knowledgeable in matters of the demimonde. perhaps that was why vanessa was reluctant to talk to him because he was so knowledgeable, not that she was good at accepting help normally.

but he had given it without her asking, and before knowing her story. a powder, the lantern. geralt had kept a close eye on her and she trusted him. his knowledge made her wary, uncertain of how he would respond to her secrets, but it also made her trust him. his kind manner also helped -- he was easy to talk to (and look at).

after her last avoidance, the sidestepping of his questions and help that vanessa had gotten so familiar with, she'd felt a little guilty. she'd used to the time to attempt to get her thoughts in order, particularly now that there was no influence in the air, before seeking him out. these woods were somewhere that vanessa had never visited before but somehow they felt fitting for him and they offered a little privacy.

though her steps are quiet, as always, she has no doubts that he'll sense her coming. he had even when meditating, this would be simpler. her arms are folded, a little protective barrier of herself, her feelings, and she waits until she's close before speaking )

I feel that I owe you an explanation.

( whether or not he agrees with that he's going to get one )

Comments

[thanks_bunches]

[ Geralt has yet to take for himself a home here, feeling more comfortable in the woodlands, it was easier to keep an eye on Roach this way too. It reminded him of his time travelling and training, sleeping rough under bushes, showering under waterfalls and catching his meals with his own two hands. Sure, Geralt was a man who loved luxury, he appreciated it in a way most other probably didn't but there was still something so humbling about the tranquil peace of the deep dark woods.

Vanessa was a puzzle piece that Geralt couldn't quite place, her edges and grooves felt like they belonged yet he found himself having to push and force her to fit in. There was just something off about her and it bothered him that he still felt this way about her. She was a good woman, troubled nonetheless but a good woman and Geralt found himself feeling guilty for even still considering there was some darkness lurking around her.

Even before he heard her voice, her footsteps or the slight sound of the fabric of her dress, Geralt knew she was arriving. A hint of floral fragrance, the sweetness like nectar that she used to wash her hair and even the very darkness he questioned himself, was picked up as she neared. ]

Is that so? I don't see why but I'm listening.

[ He responded to her comment, sitting under a tree, thumbing through a few old, tattered scrolls of paper, some old contracts he'd taken before he arrived here and had obviously not attended to. He'd been wondering what had become of the people who posted this around their towns and villages? He wondered if the beasts had claimed the land or the locals had made a pig's ear of trying to take care of matters themselves.

Cat-like yellow eyes flickered up, illuminated due to the shade of the tree he was settled under, giving him a supernatural look of his own. Watching her as she came closer, Roach trotting casually towards her, nodding his head and shaking his mane. ]

Come on, come closer and sit.

[ Shifting aside, so that she could settle beside him, closer to the small fire he'd neglected to stoke and was almost out. ]

[possidetur]

( it was almost that vanessa expected him to refuse her explanation, or at least that she needed to give one. he'd listen still, he was polite and thoughtful. and incredibly familiar with secrets having plenty of his own.

her posture slips, a hand reaching to lightly stroke along roach as vanessa steps closer. maybe next time she'd have to see about bringing the horse something to eat. these visits seemed to be becoming a frequent thing and considering that he'd taken to her when he didn't typically take to people, perhaps a treat may show her own appreciation. someone other than geralt )

What are those?

( though she'd seated close to him she had manners enough to ask about his papers rather than try to peer and look. besides her question was a little of a distraction. she'd come to tell a tale though she couldn't help but hesitate before opening it )

[thanks_bunches]

[ Geralt would never refuse her, even if he didn't feel she needed to explain anything to him. This wasn't home, this place was different and had they been in his home, things might have been very different. geralt might have found himself hunting her down because of her affiliations with the underworld. Something he didn't much like the thought of. There had been times of course, when Geralt had sided with the monster instead, much to the dismay of the of those who hired him in the first place.

As she sat, Geralt gave her a small smile and handed her some of the papers. She'd asked and he was willing to share, fully aware of her hesitation and yet willing to let her take her time too. He wouldn't push. ]

Contracts. These are what people would leave on town notices or directly hand me from a Lord or Yarl. Tells me what monster they want me to kill and for how many crowns.

[possidetur]

( though her eyes scan over the papers, vanessa's focus isn't on reading the information. she sees it, taking in some of it, but what she's looking for as she holds them is a feeling -- a sense of what the person that had written this felt, what his home was like.

it's easy to find the fear, the concern, the panic that had come with the need to write this. in some ways, their homes felt similar, at least more familiar than this place did. sure, this place had monsters but that was it. with geralt-- there was a way of life that vanessa could recognise.

she turned her gaze back to him, holding the papers for a few more seconds before offering them back, a question with them-- )

How often do they leave you papers for witches?

( there was her opening. the word had come up before, in vanessa saying she knew of them, but she more than knew of them )

[thanks_bunches]

[ It would be easy for Vanessa, to sense the emotions that came with the writing, scrawled on the old, stained paper. She had shown clairvoyant tendencies earlier and Geralt was still certain she had some kind of power that she was either ashamed of or afraid of.

It was true, however, the fact that there being monsters here didn't make it feel any more like home. Yet with Vanessa, Geralt felt home. Whether or not that was a good thing was left to be discovered.

As she turned to face him, Gerlat kept his expression soft. His yellow cat-like eyes almost glowing as he sat mostly in shadow. Taking the papers back and rolling them back up, tying them with a length of a string. He fished back into a back pocket of his trousers and pulled out an old, folded note. The paper browned and stained yellow over time. Without unfolding it, he handed it to her. ]

Here. That's one. Though Witch Hunters would normally take care of Witches, it's not rare for me to be given the odd contract now and then.

[ Should she open the paper she would find a scrawled ink drawing of a beautiful woman with hair tied up in two buns at the side of her head. The writing would explain how much the bounty was and what sorceries she was capable of doing. ]

I'd normally get contracts for Crones, y'know, old hags that live in swamps and eat children... That one, the one you're holding... Those ones are rare.

[ He chose not to tell her that the woman on the paper was actually someone he considered a friend, it would only complicate and compromise his position as a Witcher. ]

[possidetur]

( vanessa doesn't open the second paper, not certain that she wants to read what is on it. though she does dearly wish to know his opinions, to know whether she can trust to reveal her secrets, it's something that could easily go as poorly as it could well.

he knew her already as a woman, his opinion felt positive -- kind. but would there be any bias based on his profession? he may not hunt witches like herself, not often, but it was something that was common practice )

What do you believe of it -- of them? ( vanessa paused for a moment to take a breath, looking directly into his eyes ) Not of crones but of women. Ones who can conjure such feats of magic.