[ It's a few days after their return -- not because Tech is intentionally blowing Yennefer off, but because he's been in recovery. Because he fucked up and absorbed the mind of a crazy person, and he needs the time to get his shit together before trying to get her shit together. But after those few days, while he hasn't fully healed, he's able to tuck this piece of Judas somewhere in his mind, quarantine it so it doesn't come to the forefront -- at least until he's able to figure out how to properly delete it. And that's when he finally makes good on his promise. ]
yo, yennefer. just checking in to say i'm back and i'm free so whenever you wanna do this thing, i'm yours 😘
(yennefer has been frustrated since the return, more than anything else. longinus didn't know anything useful, even the brief prying into his mind before the birds chased them off proved useless. if anything the whole exercise had been frustrating, with her and geralt bickering about how to go about things while she felt the collar around her neck (metaphorically speaking, not her signature choker) grow tighter and tighter. she has been paying more attention to her device than usual, mostly because she's actually waiting for a message for once.)
you have such a strange way of speaking, tech. but i am available now. i would rather not waste more time.
[ He laughs and opts to spare her the emojis or shorthand. It's not often he talks to people on these devices who aren't from a modern time, so it becomes easy to forget he might have to explain some things. ]
let's do this, then. i'm free. i can meet you over there in about 20 mins?
and far be it for me to sound sexist here. it's just a suggestion, but of the two of us, you are definitely the cuter one. so maybe wear something that might make these fucking lecherous demons more amenable to letting us into the more private sections? we could brute force our way in, but i'd rather do it the easier way if we can help it
you are right, i am cuter. and beyond that, i was trained to make myself desirable and beautiful as much as i was trained in how to do magic. i think i can figure something out.
(granted her idea of alluring clothing might be a little...outdated to say the least but there's something to be said for leaving something to the imagination. and it's not like she hadn't altered most of her appearance to be more beautiful, reborn in blood and fire. still, when she meets him down in the library she'll be wearing a tight black dress, something akin to what she wore in her own world, her signature choker and her hair down in loose waves. her eyes are in what modern people would call a smokey look and her lips painted a deep crimson.)
[ She truly is every bit as deadly as Jaskier implied, isn't she? Someone trained in magic and the art of seduction -- a deadly combination who can strike before a victim even realizes what's happening. Yennefer of Vengerberg is both someone to keep an eye out for and an eye on, a beautiful all-consuming flame. ]
perfect 👍 i'll see ya in a few
[ And sure enough, Tech heads over -- the travel a bit longer for him because he is coming from Hellburbia. But he's there within the promised twenty minutes and when he sees Yennefer, he knows what he suggested, but still it manages to make his breath hitch. He still stands by it when he told Ava she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, but it would be hard to argue that Yennefer doesn't come a close second. The danger about Yennefer is she knows exactly how to work that beauty of hers. Much like Bilquis back home.
He averts his gaze, both out of some semblance of respect and a modicum of concern that he might also become distracted by the beauty she presents. ]
You don't mess around.
[ He compliments, looking toward her slowly again before opening the door and holding it. There's that saying of 'ladies first' but here it makes for a sound strategy. Yennefer should be the very first one everyone sees when she enters the library -- she is the showstopper, the one they won't be able to look away from. Even, he bets, the most prudish librarians won't be able to help giving her a second glance. And Tech follows behind her with a sort of confidence. A yeah, that's right. I'm with HER confidence. ]
(there's a reason she inspired the fantasy version of "jolene". sorceresses were meant to advise kings, sure, but they were also expected to manipulate them and lead them towards the brotherhood's agenda. or their own. in yennefer's case it was usually her own.
it doesn't take her long, as she's still living in the hotel. she waits patiently and she can't help but smile slightly as she hears the hitch of tech's breath. )
I don't. Not when it's important.
(and there's nothing more important to her than her own freedom. or few things, at the very least. finding the spear had been fruitless so she still doesn't have leverage over lucifer -- so trying to find the root of the spell continues to be important.
she takes the lead, as she would have wanted to anyways, and makes her way to one of the librarians. she puts on the charm, a careful game of just enough without seeming obvious. slight touches of the hand, tilts of her head as she asks for permission to look in the more forbidden sections of the library. it takes some convincing, even for her, but they eventually get permission -- though they're not allowed to copy anything down. and there's a concerning warning about their eyes thrown in there for good measure.)
I believe this is your turn to show off. (she whispers to tech. after all, he's the one who can read the demonic languages.)
[ Tech watches her at work -- the ease and subtly of her manipulations pulling even the most stubborn to her will like a puppet on the strings. It's impressive. Even more impressive if when the shrewd demon lets up and allows them into the forbidden area. Tech pretends to be put out by the warning not to copy anything -- as though he's not digital and can't copy it within his mind. But his disappointment will make it seem like nothing suspicious is at foot, right? Right.
So they're allowed in. Tech wrinkles his nose at the musty smell. He doesn't really like physical books. Not in the digital age. It's annoying to have to peruse and turn pages and blow off dust. But his time in Hellburbia made him more amenable to them so the wrinkle of his nose is his only complaint.
Yennefer is close and her whispered encouragement causes his heart to race for just a moment as he swallows. Right. Time for him to show off because she's counting on him to get her closer to her answers. She's been searching for so long and he might be her light in the darkness. He has to do this. To fuck over their captors but also to set her free.
So Tech grasps some books that seem like they might contain what they're looking for -- pulling them free from the shelves and brushing aside the cobwebs that cling to them before he settles at a table. Before he opens any new book, he'll often make sure with Yennefer that she doesn't sense some of that dark blinding magic surrounding them, but if she's able to give the go ahead, he'll open it and peruse.
Tech makes quick work of it, pouring over the books. With how fast he turns the pages, it might even seem like he's not spending any time on them at all. But it's just the way his mind works. He processes things fast. Computer fast. And within forty five minutes, he's gone through ten large books front to back. It's part way through the eleventh that he finally stops on a page and lingers. He squints, working through his mental translations and then looks at Yennefer. ]
Here. I think this is it.
[ His chair scoots closer to Yennefer and points to a few of the scribbled arcane words as though she'd actually understand what they meant. ]
All of this shit they used for the pre-show before the wedding. Mammon started the spell before he even spoke the words. The components are supposed to be cooked in a cauldron of boiled blood and it calls for a bonfire. It...
[ He squints, reading and rereading some of the words to more accurately translate them aloud. ]
It's a bonding ceremony meant to--
[ Tech cuts off so abruptly. No, that can't be right. That can't be right! He reads over the words a few more times and then looks toward Yennefer with the utmost dread. He has to say it. She has to know, but the words don't come easy. And they don't come without him wanting to take her in his arms and offer some means of comfort. ]
It allows the caster to link and subsume the souls of others. The lingering remains would be empty husks that require the caster to function.
[ A chill seems to go through him as he looks toward her again. ]
Yennefer, have you felt like a part of you was missing? Have you felt like you were incomplete in some way? And not just the way that comes from losing everything in Hellburbia. I...
[ He closes his eyes, exhales a breath, and then reopens them to level his gaze on her -- straight to the point. ]
Yennefer, do you think the spell was cast enough to have consumed part of your soul already?
(it's impressive to watch him work, honestly. she's always curious about abilities and powers that are new to her and the way he absorbs information so quickly is fascinating to say the least. it's also useful. doing research on her own, even that written in languages she understood, she could only go so fast. and sure jaskier had offered to help but research wasn't exactly his strong point.
she glances over each book to see if she can sense any magic from them and while some had...disturbing feeling covers that reminded her or skin and a few seemed to have teeth or eyes, she didn't sense any magic that would make it dangerous to open them.
she feels both anticipation and dread when tech mentions that he might have found something. finally some progresss. but that also meant answers she probably won't like -- but it's better than no answers at all.)
Of course it was, it's clever really, making it seem like a show and not a ritual.
(she'd be impressed if it didn't involve her. but then tech keeps pausing and dread fills the pit of her stomach. she just wants him to hurry up and get it over with -- but then he does and it's even worse than she feared. she feels like she's going to throw up but she manages to keep her composure. she tries to hold onto her anger, let herself be anchored to it. he will not get away with trying to do this to her.)
I had figured it was some sort of binding spell -- but not that end. And I don't I --
(part of her has always felt like something is missing inside, a hole she has tried to fill for decades, but that's neither here nor there.)
I've felt different since Hellburbia ended. More vain. And not just that. My ears have changed too, like the way he likes to modify his creatures. (she tucks her hair back enough so her now elf shaped ears can be seen.)
I talked to one of the other brides -- he seemed content, even eager to get things over with, to finish what was started. It could be the spell is effecting us in different ways, influencing us in different ways.
(his last question feels like another punch to the gut but it's a necessary one. her face pales. she's felt more frantic, more panicked, but was that just because of the aftermath of what was lost from hellburbia, or her magic, her essence sensing that a part of her was missing? she can feel her chaos crackling under her skin, but for now she has no outlet for that pain, that anger, that fear. she tries her best to keep her composure but by now he's probably beginning to see chinks in her armor. the way her breathing is a little too hard, her hands clenched at her side.)
I think it's very possible. It's probable. And who knows if breaking the spell will get it back.
[ He sees the way it effects her, even if he quickly looks back down to the text to give her the space she needs to react to the news. It's like when Bilquis's touch caused Tech to fall apart at the seams -- an infection spreading through his system that he couldn't fix or control. Losing ones soul, even part of it, has to feel like that, too. Like everything a person is becomes lost to them and they don't know what to do to fix it.
Unfortunately from what Tech can read, there's no counter spell here. They can understand what was done, but....but how do they fix it? He chews on the inside of his lip. ]
There has to be a way. There's a reference here to another similar spell. Check your device. I'm sending you a message.
[ And he does it without even lifting his. All it takes is a nod of his head and there's a ping. Yennefer receives a private and encrypted message from Tech with a translation of what he's read so she can read it for herself. She's the magic user so maybe there's something she can see in it that he doesn't. In the meantime, he gets up to hunt for this previous volume. It might not be helpful, it might only just be another spell. But maybe there will be a clue in there about how to undo it once it's cast. And maybe that clue could lead them toward their next step.
As he flips through the pages, he's already trying to think ahead, trying to plot a course. He's invested in this. He's invested in her, even moreso now knowing what she's potentially lost. ]
I think the casino might be worth looking into. They deal in souls all the time, extracting them and shit. Maybe they know how to restore one?
it feels like she's being sold off against her will all over again. she left aretuza determined to never be that girl again -- and yet she feels as trapped as she did those first few nights in aretuza, when the road to freedom looked like suicide.
except that wouldn't stick here, so it's not even a viable option. she doesn't know what a viable option even looks like. but there has to be a counter spell. there has to be a way to break it. she'll talk to geralt after this. he knows about rituals and curses and how to break them. and she doesn't just like want to see him or anything.
she checks her device, opening up the message. having the information herself is helpful but also dangerous, as it'll help her fixate and obbsess over it.)
They might, but somehow I doubt they'll give away that information easily. (as far as the casino goes, anyway.)
If we could find the creatures he used parts from we might be able to use the same things to try to break the ritual but that's a big if and whether we'll be able to find them at all.....Mammon collects exotic creatures, they may only be on his island.
(and she was to be one of his newest pets, it sounds like. she gets up. she can't stay here. suddenly pouring over books doesn't feel like enough and her skin is crawling with chaos and panic and she just -- she tries to remember to breathe. and instead of talking about how she's feeling about all this her instinct is to run.)
[ He begins, uttered on a breath. His hand freezes mid-page turn and his eyes go to her when she gets up. No longer is she the beautiful, poised woman -- but a bird throwing itself against a cage in a desperate panic, trying to escape. She might mostly keep her expression in check, she might end with politeness and gratitude but she's only a single step from breaking her flight feathers and bleeding out.
Jaskier had warned him about Yennefer and maybe he should have paused and thought about that now. But all he could see is someone on the verge of hurtling themselves into danger and he acts without thought. Tech stands so suddenly the chair goes careening to the floor and he reaches out to wrap her in his arms. If she rips his balls off, whatever. They'll grow back. So this is a risk he can take. ]
Yennefer.
[ He says it louder this time, trying to bring her focus back -- trying to quiet the madness. ]
Listen to me. We're going to figure this shit out. You're not alone. I know what it's like to be in your situation -- to have something that makes up your very essence taken from you. I know what I did to try and get it back. I murdered an entire building of people thinking I was taking matters into my own hands only to be caged by another god. My anger let me walk right into his trap, and I don't want you doing the same thing.
[ His palm comes to rest on her cheek, a daring and bold move. ]
Don't. Let. Him. Win, Yennefer. I'll stay here and read every fucking book all night long if I have to, but I need you to breathe and I need you to focus. You are a force, but without focus, a force will destroy itself along with everything else in its path. Stay with me, please? Let's come up with the next step together, and then with your next move in your pocket, you can go if you wish.
(it surprises her when he's up with a flash, stopping her before she can leave. she can't tell if she's grateful or resentful of it -- maybe it's a bit of both. she doesn't rip his balls off but she does put her her hands against his chest, trying to use her magic to blast him back from her. whether it'll work on a god or not? she doesn't know. what she does know is good intentions or not, his arms feel like another cage.
she wants to bite back that he doesn't know. it's not the same. and she wouldn't do what he did -- but wouldn't she? what wouldn't she do to to feel free? who wouldn't she hurt for power and agency?)
I'm smarter than that. I won't fall into any trap. But I can't just stay here and read books when there's a noose tightening around my neck. You sound like Tissaia.
(not that he knows her mentor, but hadn't she said as much before.
you need to control chaos, right now you're letting chaos control you.
she takes a few breaths, trying to steady her breathe, that pounding heart in her chest. being patient has never been one of her talents, especially when her back is against the wall....but she also doesn't want to end up in a worse situation and that possible here, right? somehow, things can always get worse. she'd never say the words but he's right. she needs to be smart.
she needs to stay. she finally meets his eyes, violet orbs that are still rippling with a tsunami of emotions underneath them. she's not happy about this.)
[ He might be a god, but that doesn't make him immune to magic. So when her powers come rippling out, they have the intended effect -- launching him a distance from her and into one of the shelves. There's a crackling of static around his chest as his body quickly repairs the damage, but he grimaces all the same. Fucking hell, that smarts.
He looks up at her, brow furrowing in mild annoyance. ]
Are you?
[ His counter to her statement about 'being smarter than that.' Like, hello! She just flung an ally off with magic. She definitely does not seem to be thinking with any sort of logic right now!!
Tech sits up and dusts himself off, looking toward the entrance expectantly -- waiting for that little gremlin to come and kick them out. But when it doesn't come and Yennefer agrees to stay, he finally stands again and goes over to right the chair. ]
Good.
[ He sniffs, a bit miffed -- but regardless, he's no less willing to help her. Tech straightens his chair and then settles back into it like nothing had happened, returning to his opened book. ]
It's not just reading. It's coming up with a clear next step. You mentioned looking into Mammon's creatures. There is an annual carnival they have here and it should be coming around soon. I'm not sure if you were around for the last one which was held on Mammon's island, but it's possible even if it's not held there, he may donate some of his creatures for display. The set up for the last one began a month in advance. The perfect opportunity could present itself if you can intercept demons setting up the displays.
(she doesn't take comfort well and her moods are erratic at the best of times, let alone right now, which are as far from them as possible. she expects him to get up and leave her to her mess, part of her is almost daring him too. it's what most people do.
people don't stick around when you become too difficult to love.
but he stays. he recovers, he gets up and he stays. he doesn't try to touch her again and she's not sure if that's comforting or disappointing but she sits back down all the same.)
I didn't experience any carnival, I think I arrived shortly after it. But if there are creatures brought here....I should speak to Geralt about that part, monsters and creatures are his speciality, not mine. But how long will it be until that carnival? Should we search the forest for any of them first?
(he's right they need a next step but what that next step is? it's hard to see when her mind is running a million worst case scenarios at once.)
We don't know how much time we have until he tries to finish it.
[ The carnival spanned two weeks, but there's one particular day that stands out above the rest. The day he and Monika went in the love tunnel. The day his relationship culminated in him tearing her heart from her chest. The devastating fallout that followed him even now. His jaw tenses and he keeps his gaze firmly focused on the page. ]
...about what you'd expect in hell. A bunch of sinners got kidnapped and...
[ He glances toward her, toward the point of her ears, then back down. ]
Altered to Mammon's liking. Displayed like some of his prized creatures. The carnival should be within the next few months, which gives you the chance to check the woods first to see what you can find out there. And that seems like a good next step -- identifying the creatures and seeing where they may be found.
[ His brow wrinkles when he finds the referenced spell, scanning it initially for counters. Nothing. But maybe there's still use in it. ]
The spell they noted is just a similar thing. This one doesn't have anything to do with souls, but links hearts and bodies to the caster. They're bound for life, when the caster breathes the cursed can breathe and if the caster dies, the cursed will die. I'll send this one to you as well, and in the worst case scenario -- I can teach you how to pronounce the words of the spell. Maybe this would work on Mammon and you could control him?
[ Her device pings with the second message. Would a curse work on a demon lord? Tech doesn't know. It's dangerous, which is why he only suggests it as a worst case scenario -- when there are no other options. ]
(altered and put on display. isn't that a familiar story? not that they were put in cages, but the sorceresses in aretuza were all transformed and then debuted to the different kings they were to be assigned to. she hadn't been kidnapped but she had been sold.
the story feels all too familiar. was that why mammon had been drawn to her? because she's been altered like his favorite pets already? it's not something anyone other than geralt or jaskier would know about here...but she doesn't doubt that the lords of hell have their own ways of knowing things.
she offers the information now to tech as a sign of trust, but also because it might be a piece of the puzzle)
I was altered before -- it's part of the process of becoming a sorceress in my world. It may be coincidence, it may be part of why Mammon wanted me. I am a quarter elf and I was born...with a crooked spine. My eyes were one of the only things I kept. (that and the scars on her wrists)
We're supposed to be the most beautiful creatures on the Continent, our beauty a part of our power as much as our magic. But it had consequences, ones I didn't fully understand at the time. So knowing that's something he's into...could be useful.
(again, maybe it isn't. but they need to consider all options.)
I recognize the names of some of the monsters, even if I might not know how to look for them or hunt them down.
(her phone pings and she looks over the information.)
I could try -- I would need a large conduit of power to draw from if I wanted to pull it off, I don't think my normal magic would be powerful enough to ensnare a demon lord, loathe as I am to admit it.
[ Tech looks at her, truly looks at her, when she reveals the information about her history. The story of the alteration. It's so similar to Ava who was paralyzed and had never walked until the halo was shoved into her back, giving her new life. And he then fell in love with her story of struggle and how she overcame.
Yennefer was a beautiful woman before, but Tech sees a sort of beauty in the description of how she was born. This brilliant mind and brilliant potential all locked in a vessel no one would dare look twice at. How she must have suffered. How she must have clawed her way through life, the bird thrashing in the cage, trying so hard to break free. It's a familiar sort of feeling. It's lonely and isolating and no fucking wonder she is who she is. Because he's the same, isn't he?
Every incarnation of technology is an alteration of the previous version. He's lost so much of what he is and fights so hard to retain who he is now. But even that will be taken from him someday unless he can break free from World's grip and restore his lost memories. There's nothing Tech can do about what happens at home. Not while he's here. Not unless he finds a way to just not go home. But there is something he can do for Yennefer, a kindred spirit trapped in a similar cage.
But I'm still going to tell you that while you are brilliant in many ways... Jaskier had said. You are an absolute idiot.
Yeah. He knows.
Tech isn't some brave hero. He's not Geralt of Rivia who's going to charge in and save the day. His story has never been that and never will be that. But his story has pushed the future forward all the same. His story allowed society to grow. His story was always for everyone else and not himself. It's a story of self-sacrifice. Fire giving way to the wheel giving way to the printing press and photography and telephones and the internet. Technology exists so others can thrive.
Tech hesitates and then reaches out, placing his hand on hers and squeezes. It's not comfort. It's more of solidarity. He hears her story. He sees her. He understands. And he's invested. ]
Use me, then.
[ He doesn't know if it's possible, but in magic there's always a way. And Tech's greatest gift has always been to offer power to the world, so surely there's a way to offer it to one single woman. ]
I am a god. I'm fucking divinity. Shelling out power is what I was made to do.
[ His hand on hers tightens and he looks down at their fingers. ]
We've both suffered so much the same way. It's time to stop suffering.
(the first time yennefer did magic it had been to save herself from two teenagers who were going to beat her. she had portaled herself to aretuza, to istredd, who helped her get home and warned her that someone would be coming for her. and tissaia did come. tissaia came and purchased her and that was that. she has clawed her way to freedom, to power, every step of the way. what she didn't tell tech is that when istredd betrayed her elven heritage and cost her the spot she wanted, she missed her original appointment for the procedure. she had it done anyways, with no pain relief, no sedatives, nothing. she was reborn in fire and blood not realizing what she was giving up in the process. she stole back the place that was hers, and then abandoned it a few decades later as she grew tired of courtly life and the limitation it offered. when asked what she wanted her answer was usually simple.
everything.
tissaia had once told her that sometimes the best thing a flower could do is die, and she had almost felt that ways, releasing all of her chaos on the battlefield of sodden. but she survived -- jaskier has told her that and only that. she survives. and if she can survive that then she can survive whatever this place throws at her.
and maybe she doesn't have to do it alone. as difficult as trust is for her. because most people she's trusted have broken it in one way or another -- even geralt who bound their destinies together before he even knew who she was.
this time, when tech reaches out she does not violently push him away. she can practically feel the energy rippling under his skin. it is not like the magic, the chaos she knows so well, but she could use it she thinks. she could harness it. she's not above it. he said it himself, it's what he's made to do. )
You do realize if we fail, we might end up suffering more. Which means if we try this, failure is not an option.
That's why it'll be the last option. If all else fails, this is our final resort.
[ He taps the page with the spell. Tech might be impulsive, but he's well aware of the risks. If there is an easier way to break the spell, then that is the option they should pursue. Because Tech knows sometimes punishments here don't land on the people actually doing the offense. Sometimes it lands on those they care about. And if anything happened to Ava....
He gives Yennefer's hand a soft squeeze and then withdraws, closing his book and starting to pile them all in a stack -- shooing away a pesky spider that's crawling along the table. ]
So monsters first. My girlfriend Ava is, well, her powers are all geared toward specifically fighting demons. If you want more manpower. Or I guess womanpower, I can put in a word for you. And also if you want, I can look into the casino -- see what I can find out about souls and see if there's any way to restore one. Do these sound like a plausible second step?
I don't think we can afford to say no to extra manpower right now. Geralt will have to cope with not being the only demon hunter on the case. (that will be the least of the problems geralt will have with all this....she may be planning on keeping that last option a secret until she has to tell him.)
They are sadly the best we have. So we'll have to make do.
(she stands up again, less frantic this time then before, helping him clean up. once they've passed the gremlin's inspection that they didn't write notes or try to sneak any books out they exit and go their seperate ways.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text; un: techgod
yo, yennefer. just checking in to say i'm back and i'm free so whenever you wanna do this thing, i'm yours 😘
text; un: vengerberg
(yennefer has been frustrated since the return, more than anything else. longinus didn't know anything useful, even the brief prying into his mind before the birds chased them off proved useless. if anything the whole exercise had been frustrating, with her and geralt bickering about how to go about things while she felt the collar around her neck (metaphorically speaking, not her signature choker) grow tighter and tighter. she has been paying more attention to her device than usual, mostly because she's actually waiting for a message for once.)
you have such a strange way of speaking, tech. but i am available now. i would rather not waste more time.
no subject
let's do this, then. i'm free. i can meet you over there in about 20 mins?
and far be it for me to sound sexist here. it's just a suggestion, but of the two of us, you are definitely the cuter one. so maybe wear something that might make these fucking lecherous demons more amenable to letting us into the more private sections? we could brute force our way in, but i'd rather do it the easier way if we can help it
no subject
you are right, i am cuter. and beyond that, i was trained to make myself desirable and beautiful as much as i was trained in how to do magic. i think i can figure something out.
(granted her idea of alluring clothing might be a little...outdated to say the least but there's something to be said for leaving something to the imagination. and it's not like she hadn't altered most of her appearance to be more beautiful, reborn in blood and fire. still, when she meets him down in the library she'll be wearing a tight black dress, something akin to what she wore in her own world, her signature choker and her hair down in loose waves. her eyes are in what modern people would call a smokey look and her lips painted a deep crimson.)
no subject
perfect 👍 i'll see ya in a few
[ And sure enough, Tech heads over -- the travel a bit longer for him because he is coming from Hellburbia. But he's there within the promised twenty minutes and when he sees Yennefer, he knows what he suggested, but still it manages to make his breath hitch. He still stands by it when he told Ava she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, but it would be hard to argue that Yennefer doesn't come a close second. The danger about Yennefer is she knows exactly how to work that beauty of hers. Much like Bilquis back home.
He averts his gaze, both out of some semblance of respect and a modicum of concern that he might also become distracted by the beauty she presents. ]
You don't mess around.
[ He compliments, looking toward her slowly again before opening the door and holding it. There's that saying of 'ladies first' but here it makes for a sound strategy. Yennefer should be the very first one everyone sees when she enters the library -- she is the showstopper, the one they won't be able to look away from. Even, he bets, the most prudish librarians won't be able to help giving her a second glance. And Tech follows behind her with a sort of confidence. A yeah, that's right. I'm with HER confidence. ]
no subject
(there's a reason she inspired the fantasy version of "jolene". sorceresses were meant to advise kings, sure, but they were also expected to manipulate them and lead them towards the brotherhood's agenda. or their own. in yennefer's case it was usually her own.
it doesn't take her long, as she's still living in the hotel. she waits patiently and she can't help but smile slightly as she hears the hitch of tech's breath. )
I don't. Not when it's important.
(and there's nothing more important to her than her own freedom. or few things, at the very least. finding the spear had been fruitless so she still doesn't have leverage over lucifer -- so trying to find the root of the spell continues to be important.
she takes the lead, as she would have wanted to anyways, and makes her way to one of the librarians. she puts on the charm, a careful game of just enough without seeming obvious. slight touches of the hand, tilts of her head as she asks for permission to look in the more forbidden sections of the library. it takes some convincing, even for her, but they eventually get permission -- though they're not allowed to copy anything down. and there's a concerning warning about their eyes thrown in there for good measure.)
I believe this is your turn to show off. (she whispers to tech. after all, he's the one who can read the demonic languages.)
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So they're allowed in. Tech wrinkles his nose at the musty smell. He doesn't really like physical books. Not in the digital age. It's annoying to have to peruse and turn pages and blow off dust. But his time in Hellburbia made him more amenable to them so the wrinkle of his nose is his only complaint.
Yennefer is close and her whispered encouragement causes his heart to race for just a moment as he swallows. Right. Time for him to show off because she's counting on him to get her closer to her answers. She's been searching for so long and he might be her light in the darkness. He has to do this. To fuck over their captors but also to set her free.
So Tech grasps some books that seem like they might contain what they're looking for -- pulling them free from the shelves and brushing aside the cobwebs that cling to them before he settles at a table. Before he opens any new book, he'll often make sure with Yennefer that she doesn't sense some of that dark blinding magic surrounding them, but if she's able to give the go ahead, he'll open it and peruse.
Tech makes quick work of it, pouring over the books. With how fast he turns the pages, it might even seem like he's not spending any time on them at all. But it's just the way his mind works. He processes things fast. Computer fast. And within forty five minutes, he's gone through ten large books front to back. It's part way through the eleventh that he finally stops on a page and lingers. He squints, working through his mental translations and then looks at Yennefer. ]
Here. I think this is it.
[ His chair scoots closer to Yennefer and points to a few of the scribbled arcane words as though she'd actually understand what they meant. ]
All of this shit they used for the pre-show before the wedding. Mammon started the spell before he even spoke the words. The components are supposed to be cooked in a cauldron of boiled blood and it calls for a bonfire. It...
[ He squints, reading and rereading some of the words to more accurately translate them aloud. ]
It's a bonding ceremony meant to--
[ Tech cuts off so abruptly. No, that can't be right. That can't be right! He reads over the words a few more times and then looks toward Yennefer with the utmost dread. He has to say it. She has to know, but the words don't come easy. And they don't come without him wanting to take her in his arms and offer some means of comfort. ]
It allows the caster to link and subsume the souls of others. The lingering remains would be empty husks that require the caster to function.
[ A chill seems to go through him as he looks toward her again. ]
Yennefer, have you felt like a part of you was missing? Have you felt like you were incomplete in some way? And not just the way that comes from losing everything in Hellburbia. I...
[ He closes his eyes, exhales a breath, and then reopens them to level his gaze on her -- straight to the point. ]
Yennefer, do you think the spell was cast enough to have consumed part of your soul already?
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(it's impressive to watch him work, honestly. she's always curious about abilities and powers that are new to her and the way he absorbs information so quickly is fascinating to say the least. it's also useful. doing research on her own, even that written in languages she understood, she could only go so fast. and sure jaskier had offered to help but research wasn't exactly his strong point.
she glances over each book to see if she can sense any magic from them and while some had...disturbing feeling covers that reminded her or skin and a few seemed to have teeth or eyes, she didn't sense any magic that would make it dangerous to open them.
she feels both anticipation and dread when tech mentions that he might have found something. finally some progresss. but that also meant answers she probably won't like -- but it's better than no answers at all.)
Of course it was, it's clever really, making it seem like a show and not a ritual.
(she'd be impressed if it didn't involve her. but then tech keeps pausing and dread fills the pit of her stomach. she just wants him to hurry up and get it over with -- but then he does and it's even worse than she feared. she feels like she's going to throw up but she manages to keep her composure. she tries to hold onto her anger, let herself be anchored to it. he will not get away with trying to do this to her.)
I had figured it was some sort of binding spell -- but not that end. And I don't I --
(part of her has always felt like something is missing inside, a hole she has tried to fill for decades, but that's neither here nor there.)
I've felt different since Hellburbia ended. More vain. And not just that. My ears have changed too, like the way he likes to modify his creatures. (she tucks her hair back enough so her now elf shaped ears can be seen.)
I talked to one of the other brides -- he seemed content, even eager to get things over with, to finish what was started. It could be the spell is effecting us in different ways, influencing us in different ways.
(his last question feels like another punch to the gut but it's a necessary one. her face pales. she's felt more frantic, more panicked, but was that just because of the aftermath of what was lost from hellburbia, or her magic, her essence sensing that a part of her was missing? she can feel her chaos crackling under her skin, but for now she has no outlet for that pain, that anger, that fear. she tries her best to keep her composure but by now he's probably beginning to see chinks in her armor. the way her breathing is a little too hard, her hands clenched at her side.)
I think it's very possible. It's probable. And who knows if breaking the spell will get it back.
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Unfortunately from what Tech can read, there's no counter spell here. They can understand what was done, but....but how do they fix it? He chews on the inside of his lip. ]
There has to be a way. There's a reference here to another similar spell. Check your device. I'm sending you a message.
[ And he does it without even lifting his. All it takes is a nod of his head and there's a ping. Yennefer receives a private and encrypted message from Tech with a translation of what he's read so she can read it for herself. She's the magic user so maybe there's something she can see in it that he doesn't. In the meantime, he gets up to hunt for this previous volume. It might not be helpful, it might only just be another spell. But maybe there will be a clue in there about how to undo it once it's cast. And maybe that clue could lead them toward their next step.
As he flips through the pages, he's already trying to think ahead, trying to plot a course. He's invested in this. He's invested in her, even moreso now knowing what she's potentially lost. ]
I think the casino might be worth looking into. They deal in souls all the time, extracting them and shit. Maybe they know how to restore one?
cw: references to suicide
(how much for this beast?
six marks
four
done
it feels like she's being sold off against her will all over again. she left aretuza determined to never be that girl again -- and yet she feels as trapped as she did those first few nights in aretuza, when the road to freedom looked like suicide.
except that wouldn't stick here, so it's not even a viable option. she doesn't know what a viable option even looks like. but there has to be a counter spell. there has to be a way to break it. she'll talk to geralt after this. he knows about rituals and curses and how to break them.
and she doesn't just like want to see him or anything.she checks her device, opening up the message. having the information herself is helpful but also dangerous, as it'll help her fixate and obbsess over it.)
They might, but somehow I doubt they'll give away that information easily. (as far as the casino goes, anyway.)
If we could find the creatures he used parts from we might be able to use the same things to try to break the ritual but that's a big if and whether we'll be able to find them at all.....Mammon collects exotic creatures, they may only be on his island.
(and she was to be one of his newest pets, it sounds like. she gets up. she can't stay here. suddenly pouring over books doesn't feel like enough and her skin is crawling with chaos and panic and she just -- she tries to remember to breathe. and instead of talking about how she's feeling about all this her instinct is to run.)
Thank you, Tech. This was very helpful.
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[ He begins, uttered on a breath. His hand freezes mid-page turn and his eyes go to her when she gets up. No longer is she the beautiful, poised woman -- but a bird throwing itself against a cage in a desperate panic, trying to escape. She might mostly keep her expression in check, she might end with politeness and gratitude but she's only a single step from breaking her flight feathers and bleeding out.
Jaskier had warned him about Yennefer and maybe he should have paused and thought about that now. But all he could see is someone on the verge of hurtling themselves into danger and he acts without thought. Tech stands so suddenly the chair goes careening to the floor and he reaches out to wrap her in his arms. If she rips his balls off, whatever. They'll grow back. So this is a risk he can take. ]
Yennefer.
[ He says it louder this time, trying to bring her focus back -- trying to quiet the madness. ]
Listen to me. We're going to figure this shit out. You're not alone. I know what it's like to be in your situation -- to have something that makes up your very essence taken from you. I know what I did to try and get it back. I murdered an entire building of people thinking I was taking matters into my own hands only to be caged by another god. My anger let me walk right into his trap, and I don't want you doing the same thing.
[ His palm comes to rest on her cheek, a daring and bold move. ]
Don't. Let. Him. Win, Yennefer. I'll stay here and read every fucking book all night long if I have to, but I need you to breathe and I need you to focus. You are a force, but without focus, a force will destroy itself along with everything else in its path. Stay with me, please? Let's come up with the next step together, and then with your next move in your pocket, you can go if you wish.
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(it surprises her when he's up with a flash, stopping her before she can leave. she can't tell if she's grateful or resentful of it -- maybe it's a bit of both. she doesn't rip his balls off but she does put her her hands against his chest, trying to use her magic to blast him back from her. whether it'll work on a god or not? she doesn't know. what she does know is good intentions or not, his arms feel like another cage.
she wants to bite back that he doesn't know. it's not the same. and she wouldn't do what he did -- but wouldn't she? what wouldn't she do to to feel free? who wouldn't she hurt for power and agency?)
I'm smarter than that. I won't fall into any trap. But I can't just stay here and read books when there's a noose tightening around my neck. You sound like Tissaia.
(not that he knows her mentor, but hadn't she said as much before.
you need to control chaos, right now you're letting chaos control you.
she takes a few breaths, trying to steady her breathe, that pounding heart in her chest. being patient has never been one of her talents, especially when her back is against the wall....but she also doesn't want to end up in a worse situation and that possible here, right? somehow, things can always get worse. she'd never say the words but he's right. she needs to be smart.
she needs to stay. she finally meets his eyes, violet orbs that are still rippling with a tsunami of emotions underneath them. she's not happy about this.)
Fine. I'll stay.
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He looks up at her, brow furrowing in mild annoyance. ]
Are you?
[ His counter to her statement about 'being smarter than that.' Like, hello! She just flung an ally off with magic. She definitely does not seem to be thinking with any sort of logic right now!!
Tech sits up and dusts himself off, looking toward the entrance expectantly -- waiting for that little gremlin to come and kick them out. But when it doesn't come and Yennefer agrees to stay, he finally stands again and goes over to right the chair. ]
Good.
[ He sniffs, a bit miffed -- but regardless, he's no less willing to help her. Tech straightens his chair and then settles back into it like nothing had happened, returning to his opened book. ]
It's not just reading. It's coming up with a clear next step. You mentioned looking into Mammon's creatures. There is an annual carnival they have here and it should be coming around soon. I'm not sure if you were around for the last one which was held on Mammon's island, but it's possible even if it's not held there, he may donate some of his creatures for display. The set up for the last one began a month in advance. The perfect opportunity could present itself if you can intercept demons setting up the displays.
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(she doesn't take comfort well and her moods are erratic at the best of times, let alone right now, which are as far from them as possible. she expects him to get up and leave her to her mess, part of her is almost daring him too. it's what most people do.
people don't stick around when you become too difficult to love.
but he stays. he recovers, he gets up and he stays. he doesn't try to touch her again and she's not sure if that's comforting or disappointing but she sits back down all the same.)
I didn't experience any carnival, I think I arrived shortly after it. But if there are creatures brought here....I should speak to Geralt about that part, monsters and creatures are his speciality, not mine. But how long will it be until that carnival? Should we search the forest for any of them first?
(he's right they need a next step but what that next step is? it's hard to see when her mind is running a million worst case scenarios at once.)
We don't know how much time we have until he tries to finish it.
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[ The carnival spanned two weeks, but there's one particular day that stands out above the rest. The day he and Monika went in the love tunnel. The day his relationship culminated in him tearing her heart from her chest. The devastating fallout that followed him even now. His jaw tenses and he keeps his gaze firmly focused on the page. ]
...about what you'd expect in hell. A bunch of sinners got kidnapped and...
[ He glances toward her, toward the point of her ears, then back down. ]
Altered to Mammon's liking. Displayed like some of his prized creatures. The carnival should be within the next few months, which gives you the chance to check the woods first to see what you can find out there. And that seems like a good next step -- identifying the creatures and seeing where they may be found.
[ His brow wrinkles when he finds the referenced spell, scanning it initially for counters. Nothing. But maybe there's still use in it. ]
The spell they noted is just a similar thing. This one doesn't have anything to do with souls, but links hearts and bodies to the caster. They're bound for life, when the caster breathes the cursed can breathe and if the caster dies, the cursed will die. I'll send this one to you as well, and in the worst case scenario -- I can teach you how to pronounce the words of the spell. Maybe this would work on Mammon and you could control him?
[ Her device pings with the second message. Would a curse work on a demon lord? Tech doesn't know. It's dangerous, which is why he only suggests it as a worst case scenario -- when there are no other options. ]
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(altered and put on display. isn't that a familiar story? not that they were put in cages, but the sorceresses in aretuza were all transformed and then debuted to the different kings they were to be assigned to. she hadn't been kidnapped but she had been sold.
the story feels all too familiar. was that why mammon had been drawn to her? because she's been altered like his favorite pets already? it's not something anyone other than geralt or jaskier would know about here...but she doesn't doubt that the lords of hell have their own ways of knowing things.
she offers the information now to tech as a sign of trust, but also because it might be a piece of the puzzle)
I was altered before -- it's part of the process of becoming a sorceress in my world. It may be coincidence, it may be part of why Mammon wanted me. I am a quarter elf and I was born...with a crooked spine. My eyes were one of the only things I kept. (that and the scars on her wrists)
We're supposed to be the most beautiful creatures on the Continent, our beauty a part of our power as much as our magic. But it had consequences, ones I didn't fully understand at the time. So knowing that's something he's into...could be useful.
(again, maybe it isn't. but they need to consider all options.)
I recognize the names of some of the monsters, even if I might not know how to look for them or hunt them down.
(her phone pings and she looks over the information.)
I could try -- I would need a large conduit of power to draw from if I wanted to pull it off, I don't think my normal magic would be powerful enough to ensnare a demon lord, loathe as I am to admit it.
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Yennefer was a beautiful woman before, but Tech sees a sort of beauty in the description of how she was born. This brilliant mind and brilliant potential all locked in a vessel no one would dare look twice at. How she must have suffered. How she must have clawed her way through life, the bird thrashing in the cage, trying so hard to break free. It's a familiar sort of feeling. It's lonely and isolating and no fucking wonder she is who she is. Because he's the same, isn't he?
Every incarnation of technology is an alteration of the previous version. He's lost so much of what he is and fights so hard to retain who he is now. But even that will be taken from him someday unless he can break free from World's grip and restore his lost memories. There's nothing Tech can do about what happens at home. Not while he's here. Not unless he finds a way to just not go home. But there is something he can do for Yennefer, a kindred spirit trapped in a similar cage.
But I'm still going to tell you that while you are brilliant in many ways... Jaskier had said. You are an absolute idiot.
Yeah. He knows.
Tech isn't some brave hero. He's not Geralt of Rivia who's going to charge in and save the day. His story has never been that and never will be that. But his story has pushed the future forward all the same. His story allowed society to grow. His story was always for everyone else and not himself. It's a story of self-sacrifice. Fire giving way to the wheel giving way to the printing press and photography and telephones and the internet. Technology exists so others can thrive.
Tech hesitates and then reaches out, placing his hand on hers and squeezes. It's not comfort. It's more of solidarity. He hears her story. He sees her. He understands. And he's invested. ]
Use me, then.
[ He doesn't know if it's possible, but in magic there's always a way. And Tech's greatest gift has always been to offer power to the world, so surely there's a way to offer it to one single woman. ]
I am a god. I'm fucking divinity. Shelling out power is what I was made to do.
[ His hand on hers tightens and he looks down at their fingers. ]
We've both suffered so much the same way. It's time to stop suffering.
[ It's time to fuck shit up. ]
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(the first time yennefer did magic it had been to save herself from two teenagers who were going to beat her. she had portaled herself to aretuza, to istredd, who helped her get home and warned her that someone would be coming for her. and tissaia did come. tissaia came and purchased her and that was that. she has clawed her way to freedom, to power, every step of the way. what she didn't tell tech is that when istredd betrayed her elven heritage and cost her the spot she wanted, she missed her original appointment for the procedure. she had it done anyways, with no pain relief, no sedatives, nothing. she was reborn in fire and blood not realizing what she was giving up in the process. she stole back the place that was hers, and then abandoned it a few decades later as she grew tired of courtly life and the limitation it offered. when asked what she wanted her answer was usually simple.
everything.
tissaia had once told her that sometimes the best thing a flower could do is die, and she had almost felt that ways, releasing all of her chaos on the battlefield of sodden. but she survived -- jaskier has told her that and only that. she survives. and if she can survive that then she can survive whatever this place throws at her.
and maybe she doesn't have to do it alone. as difficult as trust is for her. because most people she's trusted have broken it in one way or another -- even geralt who bound their destinies together before he even knew who she was.
this time, when tech reaches out she does not violently push him away. she can practically feel the energy rippling under his skin. it is not like the magic, the chaos she knows so well, but she could use it she thinks. she could harness it. she's not above it. he said it himself, it's what he's made to do. )
You do realize if we fail, we might end up suffering more. Which means if we try this, failure is not an option.
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[ He taps the page with the spell. Tech might be impulsive, but he's well aware of the risks. If there is an easier way to break the spell, then that is the option they should pursue. Because Tech knows sometimes punishments here don't land on the people actually doing the offense. Sometimes it lands on those they care about. And if anything happened to Ava....
He gives Yennefer's hand a soft squeeze and then withdraws, closing his book and starting to pile them all in a stack -- shooing away a pesky spider that's crawling along the table. ]
So monsters first. My girlfriend Ava is, well, her powers are all geared toward specifically fighting demons. If you want more manpower. Or I guess womanpower, I can put in a word for you. And also if you want, I can look into the casino -- see what I can find out about souls and see if there's any way to restore one. Do these sound like a plausible second step?
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I don't think we can afford to say no to extra manpower right now. Geralt will have to cope with not being the only demon hunter on the case. (that will be the least of the problems geralt will have with all this....she may be planning on keeping that last option a secret until she has to tell him.)
They are sadly the best we have. So we'll have to make do.
(she stands up again, less frantic this time then before, helping him clean up. once they've passed the gremlin's inspection that they didn't write notes or try to sneak any books out they exit and go their seperate ways.
what could go wrong?)