aefenglom | text; un: feal (forward-dated to the 17th)

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text; un: feal (forward-dated to the 17th)

[Ferran has had some thoughts about the fallout of the Circle's experiments, and how he wouldn't have been able to do much to help that night even if he hadn't been occupied with something else. He's lucky that neither of his bonds were hurt in any lasting way, but... what about the next time danger shows up? Is he just supposed to cower at home and wait because fairies are a fragile species, especially against the Cwyld? It doesn't feel right to him.]

I'm looking for some suggestions on learning to fight. Long-range, if at all possible. I can't use magic, and none of the powers I have access to can be used offensively.

[He'll get some ideas on that later, but it's not really a weapon, per se.]

I was thinking about archery, but I don't know how easy it would be to pull a bow out in an emergency or anything. Do they have collapsible bows here? [Better not ramble too much on his thoughts, though.]

I'm basically a beginner with any kind of weapon, but I'm willing to put in the work. If anyone has ideas or can point me to somewhere I can learn, I'd appreciate it.

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[Look, after all of that mess, the last thing he could possibly do is judge anyone for being out of sorts. His name isn't attached to his post, either, so she'd be forgiven for that too. They'll figure it out.]

You're not wrong... Even if I do carry around a weapon, there's no guarantee I'd always have access to it. I don't have a lot of physical strength, either, so it's not like I could just overpower someone. I don't think Fae are suited for brute force.

I'd like to take you up on your offer, whenever you're free. Are you recovering from things [yeah, things, let's put it that way] with the Circle?

[ It's been a Time, enough that if she were to lay down and sleep... she might not awake until the frost thawed fully and a new month was upon them. ]

There are ways to evade without needing to overpower. [ And certain things he might be able to be equipped with, especially with Jaskier’s sleep bombs. And after everything, training Jaskier to have more defensive skills that didn't rely on him being able to focus enough to call on his magic when under pressure was suddenly very necessary. Which gives her an easy answer to his next question. Deflection without having to lie. ]

There's someone else that could also benefit from some training. He is going to need the time to recover.

[ And she's Fine™. ]

[If there's one thing that Ferran does know, it's that there's a lot he doesn't know. Said ways of evading are among those things, even if he knew of the concept. An elegant fighter he was not.]

I understand. You can send me a message when everyone is ready.

[He is familiar with this flavor of Fine and tends to see through it, but often respects it nonetheless. He doesn't like people probing into his problems, either!]

I'll look forward to learning, until then. I'm Ferran, by the way.

[ Ferran. Ah yes, it all falls into place. Enough that she smiles a bit -- not that he can see that through text. ]

What a surprise. This is Yennefer. I helped you with your sword. I meant to thank you for the painting and other gifts.

[ But then there was a magical log incident and another bond and moving... And then the cult. She's had a busy few months. ]

I've relocated so there is now ample space for training when the time comes. [ And for 3 people living in a place that isn't a cottage. She won't speak for Geralt right now on sword training, knowing he might need more time than she will to resume some form of normalcy -- however convoluted that concept is. ]

Oh, Yennefer! It's good to hear from you. I just hope you liked them.

[With how often unpredictable nonsense shows up in this town, not to mention people spontaneously leaving and arriving all the time, he can't hold onto any hard feelings about not being contacted.]

I'll look forward to seeing your new place. Are you still in the Haven?

Yes, still in the Haven. A more formal arrangement with my bonded.

[ Now that they're done being stupid. Mostly. Alright, not really, but they're pretending. ]

I hope this world has been kinder to you since last we met. [ His distress at the arrival of the sword and armor, however buried he'd tried to make it appear, was still memorable. ]

It sounds like you were looking for more space? Maybe we live closer to each other now. I'm closer to the west side, in one of the larger places. I hope it suits you all better.

[Pretending to be less stupid is probably a step towards being less stupid? Good enough.]

Thank you for asking. There's definitely been no more literal emotional baggage being dropped at my feet, at least, and I think I'm starting to get my footing, despite the recent mess. I'm sure we'd all like to get past this sooner, rather than later...

[Asking her how she's doing seems kind of pointless. If nothing else, she's probably worried about this person who's recovering.]

It was getting quite cramped with three in the cottage. Perhaps we do, we’re also now in one of the larger houses. [ Large is an understatement. It’s a mansion. But, for her at least, it’s a little more of what she’d grown accustomed to in her adventures after Court.

As for everything else? Well, she’s glad he hasn’t had to face any more undue hardship. Even if she can’t say the same for her life. ]

Good, I’m glad. I’ll connect with you in the coming weeks to set up a time. Once I’m sure we’re ready to have guests.

[ And once she’s sure Jaskier can handle a little bit of sparring. Either way, Yennefer is eager to wrap up the conversation before it turns to dangerous territory, never one to truly be open about much. ]

It did seem pretty small for three people, so I don't blame you.

[Even if he didn't go for the largest of the available housing, he still picked something way too big for one person alone to use, so he wouldn't really question it. It'll give them plenty of room to spread out and have their own space! He can appreciate that.

He can see a deflection from personal topics from a mile away given how often he employs similar techniques himself, but he has no intention of pressing the issue right now anyway—especially not over the network. That's the kind of thing he'd want to ask about in person. Instead, he has something else to bring up.]

Thank you. By the way, you mentioned back then about someone who could help with teaching swordsmanship, right? I won't be using one, but I know someone who wants to. Do you think they'd be willing to teach him?

[He links her to his conversation with the person in question.]

I never intended for that space to house three people.

[ Another peek behind the curtain into the mess that was her life, especially when she'd first arrived and had been so in denial that she hadn't even thought to plan for the future. As if she'd remain too far from Geralt after being forced to remain in the same city with him. Hard to keep him out of her mind when he wouldn't stay out of her sight.

Speaking of that particular Witcher-- ] Yes, one of my bonded. Geralt.

[ She takes a moment to read the conversation, already deciding she is not the correct person to teach a child. But, it was at least something Geralt had experience with. Not that the history of Witchers and the age they normally start at was something she was going to volunteer. ] I'll speak with him and let you know, but I'm sure he will be willing.

[ They might not always see eye to eye, but they were both extremely practical when it came to making sure someone was able to defend themselves. Especially after the mess with the Circle. ]

[Can anyone really think about long-term plans when they've just arrived in an unfamiliar world with a brand new set of rules? Ferran would be surprised if the majority of the Mirrorbound didn't at least consider a change in living accommodations after being here a while. Either way, it's nice to know that she has people close enough to choose to live with, whether they came later or not.]

I really appreciate it, thank you. Both of you.

[Geralt... Ferran commits the name to mind. Although he's sure Asriel will show his gratitude in his own way, maybe he'll consider how best to thank the stranger too.

... maybe, says the Fae part of his brain.]

I'm sure we'll all feel better knowing more of us are prepared for things like this in the future. [Maybe it's only a small comfort, but still worth noting.]

[ Sometimes a quick adaptation to the new surroundings can be a matter of life and death sometimes. But, choosing housing often isn’t always as dire. That can change, especially when distracted by everything else going on and her rush to get rid of the Wish before she possibly died from her refusal to bond.

If Ferran knew how much they had to go through just to hit a point of being able to comfortably share a space, it’d be quite a momentous occasion. ]

Of course.

[ She leaves off the ‘don’t mention it’. But, it’s there. Partially. While she was fine with helping those who might not be able to help themselves, she had enough going on that she had no interest in making a habit of it right now. ]

As long as there are those willing to learn, there will be others willing to teach. [ And if they weren’t interested in learning how to defend themselves, then it wasn’t going to be her problem to try and save them when something inevitably goes wrong. ]

I’ll reach out next month once we’re ready to receive guests.

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text; un: feal (forward-dated to the 17th)

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