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inbox for duplicity;
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( despite being convinced that she is back in the city and having seen her to confirm that, it's still strange to be able to meet her somewhere for what they're calling a drink. he doesn't exactly know what they're going to be doing since he's not much for talking and she's certain to be dealing with how different and strange this place is. they've both seen a lot of shit but nothing compares to this place.
he makes sure to get there early, to find a table so he can get a drink or two in him before she arrives. it's always difficult to tell what kind of turn their conversations will take so he wants to be prepared and be calm.
the establishment isn't too crowded which means he can find a spot away from the crowd and wait for her, a drink in front of him. he rubs a thumb against his lip when he sees her step in and then looks down so he doesn't get caught staring. )
[ He doesn't pick a place that's far from the housing where she's been assigned — which is fortunate, given that Yennefer's still attempting to make heads or tails of her device and reading anything resembling a map on the small screen takes her longer than it might with anyone who is more accustomed to wielding something so powerful yet small enough to be slipped into the pocket of her coat.
She's still wearing the clothes she last remembers being in possession of, having changed into the garments that she discovered in her closet after being delivered to her apartment in nothing but a paper dress that barely covered her frame. She'll need more options to wear later, but what she has will suffice until she can procure other garments for herself.
Of course her gaze shifts to Geralt as soon as she steps in through the front door; how could it not? He practically takes up the space of a table all by himself with his sheer breadth, though she can't determine from where she's standing if he's seen her yet or not. Her stride takes her to him without hesitation in spite of an initial balking — the last time she'd laid eyes on him he'd barely been able to tolerate her presence for the length of their conversation, about Ciri no less. ]
You've already started. [ She lowers her gaze to the pint resting in front of him, waiting for his eyes to lift to hers. ]
She's still wearing the clothes she last remembers being in possession of, having changed into the garments that she discovered in her closet after being delivered to her apartment in nothing but a paper dress that barely covered her frame. She'll need more options to wear later, but what she has will suffice until she can procure other garments for herself.
Of course her gaze shifts to Geralt as soon as she steps in through the front door; how could it not? He practically takes up the space of a table all by himself with his sheer breadth, though she can't determine from where she's standing if he's seen her yet or not. Her stride takes her to him without hesitation in spite of an initial balking — the last time she'd laid eyes on him he'd barely been able to tolerate her presence for the length of their conversation, about Ciri no less. ]
You've already started. [ She lowers her gaze to the pint resting in front of him, waiting for his eyes to lift to hers. ]
I didn't think you'd mind.
( besides, he's not drunk. he'd just wanted to have something in his veins when she appeared. and here she was. she looks different than the last time she'd been here but she's still yennefer. it still twists his stomach just to look at her.
he swallows and then nods at the other seat. )
You don't have much to drink to catch up.
( his constitution is high and he's been drinking slowly. )
( besides, he's not drunk. he'd just wanted to have something in his veins when she appeared. and here she was. she looks different than the last time she'd been here but she's still yennefer. it still twists his stomach just to look at her.
he swallows and then nods at the other seat. )
You don't have much to drink to catch up.
( his constitution is high and he's been drinking slowly. )
Not if you're buying.
[ The unspoken truth there being that she hasn't found anything in the way of occupation to begin financing her endeavors; worst-case, she'll look into doing what she sought out when she was on her own, creating various aids for those who cannot participate in quota very enthusiastically.
It'd be one way to make a living, at least, and right now she can't afford to be particular.
She drops into the seat across from him, hands resting in her lap. ]
I still don't remember anything. From the last time.
[ The unspoken truth there being that she hasn't found anything in the way of occupation to begin financing her endeavors; worst-case, she'll look into doing what she sought out when she was on her own, creating various aids for those who cannot participate in quota very enthusiastically.
It'd be one way to make a living, at least, and right now she can't afford to be particular.
She drops into the seat across from him, hands resting in her lap. ]
I still don't remember anything. From the last time.
I don't expect you to. From what I've learned, you would only remember if that same version of you came back.
( but that's not what's happening. this is a different yennefer from a different time.
sighing, he sits back and signals for another drink for her before his gaze slides back to her face. )
You weren't here long enough for there to be much to speak about.
( but that's not what's happening. this is a different yennefer from a different time.
sighing, he sits back and signals for another drink for her before his gaze slides back to her face. )
You weren't here long enough for there to be much to speak about.
[ Based on what she's learned so far, the version of her who was here before was clearly from an earlier point in their history — after the mountain, perhaps, when the situation involving the djinn was at its freshest in her mind. How to tell him, then, that it's been the absolute last thing in her consideration in recent memory, especially given that they have a much more important task to focus on in Ciri.
She watches him quietly from across the table — his movements, so familiar, and she realizes she's greedy enough to want his eyes on her in a way that isn't marked by disdain. ]
We were distanced. By whose choice? [ Even as she says it, she thinks she might already know the answer. ]
She watches him quietly from across the table — his movements, so familiar, and she realizes she's greedy enough to want his eyes on her in a way that isn't marked by disdain. ]
We were distanced. By whose choice? [ Even as she says it, she thinks she might already know the answer. ]
( though he can feel her eyes on him, he keeps his eyes on his drink, lifting it to his lips and taking a slow swallow before he lowers it back down. )
You had every right to not want to be around me. You weren't sure of your feelings.
( he can accept that. that doesn't mean he'd liked it because he absolutely had not. but he respected it. )
I had no way to do what we both wanted to have done.
You had every right to not want to be around me. You weren't sure of your feelings.
( he can accept that. that doesn't mean he'd liked it because he absolutely had not. but he respected it. )
I had no way to do what we both wanted to have done.
[ There's a harder truth to consider, she thinks, and that's the fact that she still doesn't know which of her emotions around him she can trust — but she had spent time apart from him, much of it without her Chaos, and what had ultimately led her to Geralt this time around had been a force beyond the one between them: it had been Ciri.
Destiny is not enough; something more is needed. ]
I... haven't thought of the djinn in some time.
[ It's honest, as close as she can come to it without explaining the real reasons why, but when she'd laid eyes on him in Melitele's, and seeing him now, his wish had not been the first thing to enter her awareness. ]
Destiny is not enough; something more is needed. ]
I... haven't thought of the djinn in some time.
[ It's honest, as close as she can come to it without explaining the real reasons why, but when she'd laid eyes on him in Melitele's, and seeing him now, his wish had not been the first thing to enter her awareness. ]
Hm.
( he doesn't know whether that's good or bad. right now, it just is. he looks away from her, around the bar and then sits back, sighing and lifting his gaze back to her. )
Nor have I but it tends to be because this place gives me much more to think about than that.
( there was always something to contend with. )
( he doesn't know whether that's good or bad. right now, it just is. he looks away from her, around the bar and then sits back, sighing and lifting his gaze back to her. )
Nor have I but it tends to be because this place gives me much more to think about than that.
( there was always something to contend with. )
You mean, other than their efforts to ensure that we're doing enough fucking to their liking?
[ She sees no reason to mince words along those lines, since nothing she has seen or read up on points to anything different from that exact intent and everything else seems rather superfluous by comparison. They've chosen to dress up their tactics in different forms, come at it from different angles, but the end result is always the same.
Someone comes to deliver her drink then and she reflexively curves her fingers around the pint, but doesn't sip from it right away. ]
[ She sees no reason to mince words along those lines, since nothing she has seen or read up on points to anything different from that exact intent and everything else seems rather superfluous by comparison. They've chosen to dress up their tactics in different forms, come at it from different angles, but the end result is always the same.
Someone comes to deliver her drink then and she reflexively curves her fingers around the pint, but doesn't sip from it right away. ]
That is what this place is focused on, yes.
( and while geralt's tried to avoid it, he's found that just following the quota is easier than dealing with the repercussions. except he's just traded those repercussions for the ones given to him when he fucks he wrong person, something he still will probably do. )
It's what they want and if it's not something they get, they have ways of making it happen.
( and while geralt's tried to avoid it, he's found that just following the quota is easier than dealing with the repercussions. except he's just traded those repercussions for the ones given to him when he fucks he wrong person, something he still will probably do. )
It's what they want and if it's not something they get, they have ways of making it happen.
[ She doesn't answer immediately — not because her thoughts are rooted in skepticism, and she doesn't believe he would have any reason to withhold the truth from her if there was really another excuse behind the city bringing them all here from different Spheres. But it's also possible that none of them really know Duplicity's true motivations yet, and that they run deeper than anything that could be uncovered by any one individual here.
She sighs, glancing down at her pint again, and finally broaches that initial sip, tongue reflexively sweeping between her lips. ]
So the solution is to handle it ourselves, otherwise we'll be made to.
She sighs, glancing down at her pint again, and finally broaches that initial sip, tongue reflexively sweeping between her lips. ]
So the solution is to handle it ourselves, otherwise we'll be made to.
Mmm.
( that is the best option, it's true. he brings his glass to his lips and sips at it before he settles it back in front of him and sighs. )
Even if you can handle it, they don't always shy away from helping you along.
( he's sure she remembers the cocoa that she ingested and what it made her feel like. )
Sometimes, you don't even realize that you've been influenced until it's all over.
( that is the best option, it's true. he brings his glass to his lips and sips at it before he settles it back in front of him and sighs. )
Even if you can handle it, they don't always shy away from helping you along.
( he's sure she remembers the cocoa that she ingested and what it made her feel like. )
Sometimes, you don't even realize that you've been influenced until it's all over.
Not that I care, or anything, but... How are you settling in?
Already roping in some poor fool to do your bidding? Actually, don't tell me now. I have some good wine here; I'll break it open and you can tell me about it.
They do that anyway? Even to the ones who have been sufficient in meeting their quotas?
[ It seems counterintuitive to her to engineer these manipulations for everyone, especially those who have not had any difficulty adapting to what has been demanded of them. ]
Control and subjugation are the quickest ways to foster rebellion. Which, based on the citations you mentioned, I'm assuming they make attempts to quash at every opportunity.
[ It's certainly easier for her to focus on that aspect of it than anything that may or may not have transpired after she'd consumed that drink without realizing the effects it could have. ]
[ It seems counterintuitive to her to engineer these manipulations for everyone, especially those who have not had any difficulty adapting to what has been demanded of them. ]
Control and subjugation are the quickest ways to foster rebellion. Which, based on the citations you mentioned, I'm assuming they make attempts to quash at every opportunity.
[ It's certainly easier for her to focus on that aspect of it than anything that may or may not have transpired after she'd consumed that drink without realizing the effects it could have. ]
I haven't seen anything like that succeed. People fight, they make attempts, but I haven't seen anything of note happen because of those attempts. Except the citations.
( they weren't afraid of coming down hard on those that decided to stand up and fight. )
But it's not just for the lack of making quota that they cite you for. If you sleep with the wrong person, that's enough for them to give you a citation for.
( they weren't afraid of coming down hard on those that decided to stand up and fight. )
But it's not just for the lack of making quota that they cite you for. If you sleep with the wrong person, that's enough for them to give you a citation for.
That answers one question, at least.
[ She's spoken to at least one person who has called the people in charge their jailers, something that she didn't necessarily put much stock in at the time; as far as Yennefer's concerned, she's been in significantly worse circumstances than this, many of them crafted by mages who have made deals with enemies for their own benefit. ]
The wrong person. But they don't care when it's two submissives. Only... [ Of course the fact that he doesn't bear a line down his throat hasn't escaped her attention. ]
[ She's spoken to at least one person who has called the people in charge their jailers, something that she didn't necessarily put much stock in at the time; as far as Yennefer's concerned, she's been in significantly worse circumstances than this, many of them crafted by mages who have made deals with enemies for their own benefit. ]
The wrong person. But they don't care when it's two submissives. Only... [ Of course the fact that he doesn't bear a line down his throat hasn't escaped her attention. ]
Dominants who sleep with dominants. And before you ask, yes, I've done it.
( and yes, he's been cited for it. he looks away from her for a moment before he sighs and let's his gaze settle back on her. )
So, if you...choose to do that, be careful.
( even if it's with him. he doesn't want to make assumptions despite what they've already done but he knows that should the choice be his, he would sleep with her over and over again. )
( and yes, he's been cited for it. he looks away from her for a moment before he sighs and let's his gaze settle back on her. )
So, if you...choose to do that, be careful.
( even if it's with him. he doesn't want to make assumptions despite what they've already done but he knows that should the choice be his, he would sleep with her over and over again. )
[ she can't see it, but he's rolling his eyes dramatically. ]
It is a rather large house, just like the rest of him. But I don't actually spend much time here. I do have jobs, you know, or have you forgotten about the Sandpiper in your old age?
It is a rather large house, just like the rest of him. But I don't actually spend much time here. I do have jobs, you know, or have you forgotten about the Sandpiper in your old age?
[ she can probably hear the eyerolling, at that. ]
I'm well-aware, but I was under the impression you were eager to keep that little side pursuit of yours a secret. Is there actually an establishment in this city that has use for a bard and his lute?
I'm well-aware, but I was under the impression you were eager to keep that little side pursuit of yours a secret. Is there actually an establishment in this city that has use for a bard and his lute?
Nobody has any idea who or what the Sandpiper is, so I'm not too concerned. And to answer your question, yes. In fact I have two locations that employ me for my vast talents.
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