niespodzianka | ( aefenglom ) inbox

I can't really think of anything on par with 'breaking me out of prison', but... I don't think it has to be too big?

Just anything I could do that would be helpful for you. Like... do you have a garden? Or, um... dishes you haven't done?

You like gardening?

[ A mild inquiry. He does have a bit of a garden, yes, though it's all alchemy ingredients. ]

I like plants?

[It's a bit complicated.]

I didn't really have a garden back home, but my powers let me heal and grow them magically... so I guess I never really had to learn to do it the hard way. I did some gardening projects with Peridot before, though! She's amazing at it.

I can pull weeds and clean up if you need any of that. I'm pretty sure that hasn't changed at all, heheh.

Alright. If you don't mind being where I live.

[ Because .. he might. Geralt remembers his whispered protest in the dream. ]

[He falls silent, because... yeah, that's awkward. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a bit anxious. He really does appreciate that Geralt was willing to help him just for the sake of it, but...

His 'helping' was a lot.]

Did... Did you...

Do you always do stuff like that?

I was created to fight things that kill people, [ is, he's decided, the gentlest way to explain what witchers are. Monster hunter doesn't scan well, here. ] I don't seek out unwarranted violence.

[Steven's life experience makes him initially take that pretty literally - that Geralt was crafted from nothing to be a fighter. The reality is perhaps a bit more depressing.]

Someone created you?

[The last part is a comfort. He guesses it might have seemed warranted at the time, even if he thinks it was too much.]

Mm. I'm a witcher.

[ Yeah, 'I was abandoned as a baby because my birth mother was afraid I'd be disabled and didn't want to deal with it so I was raised by isolated warriors and put through near-fatal mutations' is more fucked up than just being Frankenstein's stabby guy. Geralt doesn't have hangups about it anymore, but it's also not anyone's business. ]

I don't have some overwhelming instinct to kill opponents. I just know what it takes to get a job done, and I handled it that way because it was what was necessary to get out.

[Steven feels like he should argue that, but Yuya had tried to use non-lethal methods, and they'd killed him. Is there something they could have done differently? Is there someway they could have gotten out of there without anyone being hurt?

Should he have just stayed in the cage? Would that have been better?]

Gems... the type of thing I am... just go poof when they're hurt badly. They can remake their bodies later. I...I'd never seen anything like this before.

[ They just 'go poof'? Huh. That's weird. But Geralt's weird, so, whatever. He considers what to say, trying to find the right balance of being honest without making excuses for himself. ]

It's too bad that you did, then, [ he says eventually. ] Where I come from there aren't many people with the luxury to abhor violence. Seems like it's worth hanging onto while you can.

[The luxury to abhor violence? Is that what it is? Man, he's already exhausted with having this kind of conversation with people. He doesn't really know what to say.]

I guess...

[At least Geralt can see some value in it.]

Are you going to Dorchacht?

[ Geralt doesn't come from a world where it's a viable option. At all.

But it's a nice idea. ]

Looks like it.

Me too.

[The trepidation is palpable.]

So you can .. take revenge on people .. ?

[ ?? WHY WOULD YOU GO BACK you're a little muffin of a creature you're going to get eaten. Again. ]

[Steven is just completely taken back.]

Whuh - no!

[He's not offended at the mistake, just very confused.]

I just... I saw how badly the monsters are being treated, there. If there's anything I can do to help them, I have to try!

[ It's not an actual mistake - Geralt doesn't really think that's what Steven would be out for. He's just so baffled. ]

You know you're risking suffering like that again. In the waking world, this time.

[It's fine, he gets eaten for breakfast! I mean wait, shit.]

...

[Though Geralt honestly does give him pause. Just not enough pause.]

I know, but... I can't leave them to suffer like I did. They can't wake up from it, either.

[ 'They can't wake up from it' is a very sweet notion, but Geralt isn't sure what being caged in solidarity would accomplish. That said it's not like he's the boss of Steven or anything, if he wants to go get his arms lopped off he's free to. ]

I guess. Hopefully it's a propaganda trip and not a mass execution.

[Steven grimaces. Geralt really knows how to say the right thing.]

No way! They can't be hoping for a war either, not like this.

Mm. You're probably right.

[ He's not actually so sure about that, but like ... why sit here trying to make a child feel worse than Geralt's ALREADY MAKING HIM FEEL jeez Geralt cmon ]

Uh.

[ Well. ]

Have you been to the Daisy Chain flower shop?

[Thank god, another topic. He sounds happy to pursue it.]

I looked in the window a bunch. Why?

I work there. Buy something to grow and look after, and we'll call it even.

[ Gardening, and it doesn't involve making Steven uncomfortable, or worse, risking him encountering Lambert. ]

You mean... to take home with me?

[He's a little confused by the suggestion. Does that really count as a favour? If it's really what Geralt wants, it must.]

Yeah.

[ Erm.. ]

I'll probably have to quit or be fired, when I go to Dorchacht. So you'd be helping me by helping the store. I've been a shitty employee, they might as well get a sale out of me.

Oh...

[That's sad. Steven is lucky enough that he thinks his work will be accommodating, but that's easier with a creative position than a retail one.]

Okay. I'll do it, before we go! I'll make sure we take good care of it, too.

[He'll probably have to ask Peridot to look after it while he's gone, but after that, he will be the plant dad. He's sure of it.]

(no subject)

niespodzianka - 2019-09-16 04:43 (UTC) - Expand