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bard-llama · 2 years

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WiP Wednesday: Iorveth Choosing Music

So this scene is actually going to be 2 or 3 chapters in the future of Time is Cruel, To Rob Us From Ourselves, but those chapters are really fighting me, so... have one of Iorveth’s most formative - and most painful - moments.

So we’ve got Saskia, Iorveth, Roche, the Stripes, Triss, Geralt, the Scoia’tael (Maeral, Imadia, Sylvar, Taredd, Ky, Rinn), Ciaran, Brigida, Anais, and Boussy all traveling through time as spectators to Iorveth’s life, but they’re noncorporeal to everyone in the past. Which means they’re now witnessing the (first) worst moment of Iorveth’s life.

“I would like to offer you an opportunity. We are looking for someone to headline in a new music hall in Dùthaich’s capital.”

Iorveth’s eyes went wide, disbelief and what might be hope on his face. “What – are – are you serious?”

Cravi smiled at the young Iorveth, “I am. We’d like you to build the hall and star in it. If that’s something you’d be interested in?”

The look on Iorveth’s face made it very obvious that the answer was an emphatic yes, but just as he opened his mouth to say so, his mother cut through their conversation.

“No,” she said simply.

The young Iorveth froze and Cravi blinked at her in bafflement, but Geralt’s attention was caught by the way their Iorveth curled in on himself. Whatever was happening here, Iorveth very clearly remember it well and was not pleased to be revisiting it.

“I beg your pardon?” Cravi said after a moment of silence.

“No. Iorveth is a ‘Veth. He will become a scientist. All of this music is simply a distraction.”

All of the young Iorveth’s excitement curdled at her words and his face dropped, resignation and sorrow visible in the slump of his shoulders.

“With all due respect, Miss,” Cravi began, “your son is incredibly talented. Such talent should be nurtured and cultivated, not dismissed.”

“Iorveth will become a scientist,” Milaveth repeated, voice firm.

Geralt recalled how much an Iorveth even younger than this one had declared that he hated science. Even after Silas had helped teach him.

And this mother, who had neglected her child from the start, wanted Iorveth to throw away the one thing that made him happy to pursue the thing he hated?

This was doomed to end badly.

“Every ‘Veth going back centuries has been a scientist,” another elf put in. “Iorveth may be an idiot, but he’ll figure it out eventually.”

Young Iorveth flinched, jaw clenching.

“Your offer is declined,” Milaveth said. “You may leave.”

Cravi looked uncertainly from Milaveth to the other adult elves in the room, then back to Iorveth. “Is that what you wish?”

“His wish doesn’t matter,” Milaveth snapped. “Iorveth will be a scientist. Music has proved enough of a distraction, there shall be no more of it.”

“No!” the young Iorveth clutched his flute close. “I won’t stop playing.”

“Yes, you will,” Milaveth said. “You have embarrassed this family enough. It is time to give up that nonsense and focus on your studies.”

Young Iorveth looked horribly conflicted, torn between obedience and a desperate desire to keep what he loved. Before he could come up with a response, Milaveth stepped forward and snatched the flute out of Iorveth’s loosened grip.

“We’ve allowed this to carry on for too long,” she said, ice cold. “There will no longer be any music in this house.”

To make her point, she gripped Iorveth’s flute between her hands and brought it down over her knee, snapping it in two with a crack that Geralt was certain he would never forget. Their Iorveth flinched from the sound, fingers clenched tightly around Saskia and Roche’s forearms.

The young Iorveth appeared stunned, not reacting for a long moment before Cravi burst out.

“That – that was an elven-made – do you have any idea what you’ve done!?”

Milaveth’s glare was biting and Cravi faltered under it. “Iorveth will become a scientist,” she said firmly.

“No.”

The word was small, barely any voice to it. The young Iorveth was shaking and his eyes were welling up with tears, but he clenched his fists and said again.

“No.”

“Excuse me?” Milaveth scoffed. “Enough of this, Iorveth. It’s time to study.”

“No,” Iorveth said, and his voice was stronger this time and the look he leveled at his mother was full of pure hate. “I’m a musician. Fuck science.”

“Watch your mouth,” another elf snapped, but most of them were staring in dumbfounded silence.

“Go to your room,” Milaveth snarled, pointing at the staircase.

Iorveth hesitated, glancing at Cravi, then something in his gaze firmed and he turned on his heel, marching up the stairs.

Geralt blinked, surprised. That… was not how he’d expected things to go.

Milaveth looked pleased and she straightened her lab coat with a haught sniff. “As for you,” she said to Cravi.

He glared right back at her. “You are ruining that child’s life,” he said.

“No,” Milaveth corrected, “I am saving it. Now get out.”

Cravi looked positively incensed, but he did move towards the door. Which was when young Iorveth reappeared, carrying a bag over his shoulder.

“Wait,” he said, running down the stairs. “I’m going with you.”

“No, you are not!” Milaveth looked furious, enough so that Geralt genuinely wondered if she might strike her son.

Iorveth ignored her, walking towards the door and opening it for Cravi, then moving to follow. Milaveth grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.

“What do you think you’re doing!?”

“Leaving,” Iorveth said simply.

“No,” Milaveth growled. “You are not. As your mother, I forbid it. Now–”

“You aren’t my mother,” Iorveth said, voice as cold as ice. “You’re nothing.”

Shock at his words had apparently loosened her grip and Iorveth shrugged it off, then turned and walked out the door without a backwards glance.

#rorveth #iorveth x roche #don't cry for me temeria au #iorveth #the witcher #wip wednesday

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witcher-ot3 · 4 years

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(Im)Perfect Strangers Chapter 5

Fic Summary: When Roche is sent on an undercover assignment, he doesn’t expect to run into a pretty elf who seems open to his drunken advances, but he wouldn’t change a thing.

Until he finds out exactly who the pretty elf really is.

Chapter Summary: In which the motley crew made up mostly of people who hate each other go on a road boat trip.

Read on AO3 | Chapter 1 on Tumblr | Chapter 2 on Tumblr | Chapter 3 on Tumblr| Chapter 4 on Tumblr

When Geralt found Roche to finally leave the new Free Pontar Valley, Iorveth followed behind him, walking on his own, though Roche noticed that another elf stood close behind him, no doubt worried that he would collapse. Roche couldn’t blame the guy – Iorveth looked pale and shaky and obviously Roche didn’t care, but it would be bad form for the elf to collapse on his ship.

The elf following Iorveth was not the only one there and Roche could feel the Blue Stripes tensing up in anticipation of a fight. He held up a staying hand, trusting that Geralt’s clear disinterest in their feud would mean he wouldn’t bring an attack against Roche.

“The Scoia’tael refused to let Iorveth come alone,” Geralt said, “though most of them are staying here to help keep the peace.”

Roche looked them over. The elf right behind Iorveth was slightly taller than him – which was annoying when Iorveth was already taller than Roche, dammit – and from his body language, he would do anything and everything for Iorveth. Stomping along after him was an elf who wore a red mask that obscured most of his face, but not his glare, which was actually pretty impressive. The elf next to him was the shortest elf Roche had ever seen, and he was also currently unscrewing the cap of a flask. Roche was not impressed.

“I’d say nice to meet you, but I think we all know that would be a lie.”

The one wearing a red mask over the lower half of his face snarled threateningly. “The feeling’s mutual, dh’oine.”

Iorveth sighed, “I gave Geralt my word that there would be no bloodshed between us on this trip.” He did not look at all pleased to have made such a promise, but then, they weren’t exactly eager allies, were they? More like enemies who found themselves reluctantly working towards the same goals.

“We’re all here to find the Kingslayer,” Geralt said. “You don’t have to like each other, but there has to be a truce for long enough for us to find him.”

Roche clenched his jaw, but nodded. “Agreed.” He turned to level a look on his men, and they reluctantly nodded. All except for Ves who looked back at him with a defiant gaze and a set expression. He sighed, “we won’t start any fights. That will have to do.”

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#rorveth #iorveth/roche #iorveth vernon roche #iorveth x roche #different first meeting au #canon au #my fic #the witcher #the witcher 2 #don't cry for me temeria

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bard-llama · 4 years

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New fic! Time is Cruel, To Rob Us from Ourselves (a Don’t Cry for Me, Temeria AU)

Title: Time is Cruel, To Rob Us from Ourselves

Summary: An AU of Don’t Cry for Me, Temeria/(Im)Perfect Strangers where a magical artifact sends everyone back through events of Iorveth’s past. Iorveth is less than pleased, but the insights into his character may be invaluable for more than one person present.

If there was anyone to blame for this, Iorveth was pretty sure the Blue Stripes were responsible. From what he’d heard from Vernon, the Blue Stripes were often to blame for strange events like this.

Granted, Iorveth’s own Scoia’tael (well… former Scoia’tael? What was the right way to refer to the remainder of his former army now that they were integrating into Vergen’s society?) could be pretty chaotic, but they at least had a healthy respect for magic.

The Stripes clearly had no respect for anything whatsoever.

Iorveth came to this conclusion after a chaotic morning, when his bizarre day took a turn for the truly insane. It started with guarding Saskia, as most things began these days. He took his responsibility to keep Saskia safe very seriously. Even though she kind of didn’t need it. But she kind of did, too, and they needed her. There was no one who could take her place if something happened to her, which meant that Iorveth’s duty was not just to protect his leader, but to protect the entire world they were working to build.

Well, really, it started late in the night, when the miners on the night shift uncovered a mysterious artifact that positively radiated magic. Not being idiots, the dwarves had immediately summoned Saskia and Triss, even if it meant waking them all up far too early in the morning.

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#rorveth #iorveth x roche #iorveth/roche #iorveth vernon roche #the witcher 2 #iorveth #vernon roche #the witcher #different first meeting au #don't cry for me temeria

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witcher-ot3 · 4 years

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(Im)Perfect Strangers: An Iorveth/Roche Witcher 2 AU Chapter 16

Fic Summary: When Roche is sent on an undercover assignment, he doesn’t expect to run into a pretty elf who seems open to his drunken advances, but he wouldn’t change a thing.

Until he finds out exactly who the pretty elf really is.

Chapter Summary: Saskia and her advisors take the first steps in building their vision of the Free Pontar Valley.

Saskia had been right. Not only was Iorveth at the hanging gardens, but there was a soft melody in the air, mixing in with the refreshing scent of soil. Roche followed his ears, and as he wandered, he could almost swear that he’d heard Iorveth’s song before.

He listened closely, and it was only once he could see Iorveth sitting on a bench in front of a wall of flowering ivy that he placed it.

“You played that when we met,” he announced himself, “er, officially, that is.”

Iorveth finished the tune and lowered his flute. “Stella splendens. Splendid Star. I play it often, though it’s not really meant to be played alone.”

“Oh?” Roche’s brow knit. He didn’t honestly know a lot about music, though he enjoyed it as much as the next person. But how could a song not be meant to play alone?

Iorveth shook his head. “It’s an old elven song, but it’s meant to be played by a community. Each person has a different part and only when they’re all brought together can the song sound as it’s meant to.”

Roche blinked. “So...why play it then?”

Iorveth’s smile was small and sad. “It’s the only part I can remember. I was learning it to play with a symphony when the Conjunction of the Spheres happened.”

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#rorveth #iorveth/roche #iorveth x roche #vernon roche #iorveth #the witcher #the witcher 2 #different first meeting au #don't cry for me temeria

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witcher-ot3 · 4 years

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(Im)Perfect Strangers Chapter 11 (Iorveth/Roche)

Fic Summary: When Roche is sent on an undercover assignment, he doesn’t expect to run into a pretty elf who seems open to his drunken advances, but he wouldn’t change a thing.

Until he finds out exactly who the pretty elf really is.

Chapter Summary: The Blue Stripes, the Scoia'tael, Geralt, Triss, Saskia, Anais, and Boussy all travel to Vergen on a ship that suddenly feels far too small.

Fitting eight Blue Stripes commandos, four Scoia’tael, two Temerian royal children, a Queen, a Witcher, a Mage, and a governess all on one ship was – well, Roche really wished they had stocked up on alcohol while they’d been in Loc Muinne.

Except, of course, that he was currently responsible for Temeria’s entire future and he would never drink on the job. Much.

But he really, really wanted to.

The problem was, there was just too much going on. The elves were still as skittish as they were last time, but they seemed surprisingly less inclined to goad his men into fights. Perhaps they were on their best behavior for Saskia? His own men were less wild than usual, all clearly preoccupied with thoughts of what would come next. They were going to Vergen now, but many of them had families back in Temeria that would need to be sent for, and did they really want to move their whole lives?

Not that there would be much of an option, soon. The Blue Stripes knew all too well what kind of collateral damage war caused – and Vizima was the capital, the location of the royal palace and the central port where all the rivers in Temeria met. It would be highly contested – which meant that while the armies wouldn’t burn it all down, civilians would be directly in the way.

Roche had given them Lily the Messenger Falcon to contact their families and start making plans, but while Lily was fast, she was still just a little falcon. Which meant that once their messages were penned and sealed, all that was left was for them to wait.

Waiting was not a skill Roche had looked for when recruiting them, unfortunately. Which meant that he had several restless commandos pacing the deck and making the sailors anxious.

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#rorveth #iorveth x roche #iorveth/roche #iorveth vernon roche #the witcher 2 #different first meeting au #don't cry for me temeria

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witcher-ot3 · 4 years

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(Im)Perfect Strangers Chapter 10 (Iorveth/Roche)

Fic Summary: When Roche is sent on an undercover assignment, he doesn’t expect to run into a pretty elf who seems open to his drunken advances, but he wouldn’t change a thing.

Until he finds out exactly who the pretty elf really is.

Chapter Summary: Roche and the Blue Stripes rescue Anais and Boussy La Valette, the royal heirs of Temeria.

It was late evening by the time they descended the mountain and approached the Temerian and refugee camp at the mouth of the Pontar. They could hear the camp long before they could see anything more than the dozens of campfires, the commotion putting them all on edge, even though they tried to hide it from the children. The eight year olds had grown tired some time ago, unused to so much walking, especially after such an eventful day. Roche had hauled them up, Anais on his right hip and Boussy on his left.

It just figured that as the one adult with human strength around, Roche was stuck holding the heaviest load. But walking into camp with the accused Kingslayer holding one of Foltest’s heirs? That would be disastrous, especially considering the yelling they could hear coming from the camp.

Geralt cocked his head, listening. “Shit. Sounds like the Scoia’tael think that Roche has abducted their leader. And a lot of arguing about whether or not to go searching for you, Iorveth. But at the word that you were with Roche, the Temerians seem to think you’ve abducted their royal heirs.”

“Great,” Iorveth muttered.

“Saskia is the only thing keeping the peace.”

“Anything about Natalis?” Roche asked.

“Uh, he’s saying a lot of things about you that you don’t want to hear,” Geralt winced. “Loudly.”

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#rorveth #iorveth/roche #iorveth x roche #iorveth vernon roche #different first meeting au #canon au #the witcher #the witcher 2 #my fic #don't cry for me temeria

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witcher-ot3 · 4 years

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(Im)Perfect Strangers Chapter 7 (Iorveth/Roche)

Fic Summary: When Roche is sent on an undercover assignment, he doesn’t expect to run into a pretty elf who seems open to his drunken advances, but he wouldn’t change a thing.

Until he finds out exactly who the pretty elf really is.

Chapter Summary: The ragtag group finally arrives in Loc Muinne - and then has to go on a long hike just to reach the damn city.

They arrived at the mouth of the Pontar earlier than Roche had expected, perhaps an hour before sundown. Still, the trek up the mountain could be a long one, so he made sure his men had plenty of torches amongst their supplies and offered one to Geralt.

The Witcher took it with a nod of thanks. They would split up once they got to the city, but until then, Roche was trying to make nice, so he even offered torches to the elves. They all gave him a weird look, but Iorveth took one of the torches and Rinn popped up out of nowhere to take the other three.

“Okay,” he drew the word out, still wondering how the fuck the elven girl was able to vanish and reappear seemingly at will. “Let’s go. Ves, Finch, watch our tail. Silas, take point.”

The youngest Blue Stripes commando gave him a wide eyes look, but snapped into a salute and jogged forward with a bounce in his step. Good. Silas was ready for more responsibility, and this was a good start to see how he responded.

They made it halfway up the mountain before they needed to light their torches. Geralt was pointedly walking in between the elves and the Blue Stripes, though somehow what that really ended up meaning was that he and Iorveth walked on either side of the Witcher.

The walk was quiet, conversation happening in quiet murmurs with each other, and he was glad for that when it meant Geralt perked up as if having heard something just before Silas held up a fist to stop them all in place.

“What is it?” Roche asked lowly.

“Soldiers,” Geralt reported.

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#rorveth #iorveth x roche #iorveth/roche #iorveth vernon roche #the witcher #the witcher 2 #my fic #different first meeting au #don't cry for me temeria

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witcher-ot3 · 4 years

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(Im)Perfect Strangers Chapter 3 (Iorveth/Roche)

Fic Summary: When Roche is sent on an undercover assignment, he doesn’t expect to run into a pretty elf who seems open to his drunken advances, but he wouldn’t change a thing.

Until he finds out exactly who the pretty elf really is.

Chapter Summary: When Geralt and Iorveth confront Letho, only for the Scoia'tael to come under attack by the Blue Stripes, Geralt makes a decision that leaves Iorveth in an awkward position: Prisoner of one Vernon Roche.

Read on AO3 | Chapter 1 on Tumblr | Chapter 2 on Tumblr

He had captured Iorveth. He, Vernon Roche (with some help from Geralt of Rivia), had captured the one Scoia’tael who had eluded him for so long.

The one Scoia’tael who also happened to have been the same elf he’d had the best sex of his life with.

His victory felt so much more hollow than he’d thought it would. That wasn’t the only reason he was pacing across his ship, but it was the only one he was willing to focus on. He’d had Iorveth imprisoned in the brig, and without thinking too hard about why, Roche headed down and relieved Thirteen from guard duty.

Iorveth sat in the brig with his back against the hull, seemingly unbothered at being in the hands of his mortal enemies.

“Would you still recommend my mouth?” Roche asked before he could think better of it.

Iorveth shot him an incredulous look, and pointedly said nothing. Roche could read the hurt betrayal on Iorveth’s face, though, and he wondered if all of it was for Geralt or if some of it was reserved just for him. Geralt had incapacitated Iorveth when the elf wasn’t expecting it, enough to make his capture simple, even if the Kingslayer himself had still managed to escape.

“Don’t be too hard on Geralt,” Roche said. Why was he still talking? He should just shut up and leave Iorveth to stew in his loss, should go upstairs and catch some sleep before he would have to deal with Loredo in the morning. Or better yet, he should go join the revelry on shore, join all the soldiers partying at finally having captured Iorveth.

“What?” Iorveth finally responded.

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#iorveth/roche #iorveth x roche #rorveth #iorveth vernon roche #my fic #different first meeting au #don't cry for me temeria

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witcher-ot3 · 4 years

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(Im)Perfect Strangers: An Iorveth/Roche Witcher 2 AU Chapter 15

Fic Summary: When Roche is sent on an undercover assignment, he doesn’t expect to run into a pretty elf who seems open to his drunken advances, but he wouldn’t change a thing.

Until he finds out exactly who the pretty elf really is.

Chapter Summary: Saskia and her advisors take the first steps in building their vision of the Free Pontar Valley.

After what felt like five minutes, but was apparently eight hours, Roche woke up feeling heavy and irritable. Just the kind of mood that boded well for the coming day, which would undoubtedly feature childish temper tantrums – not even necessarily from the actual children, either. The Blue Stripes had been through so much lately – losing Temeria, losing their homes and their lives, losing their King, inheriting two children, uprooting their lives… if something didn’t give soon, they would explode, and that was hardly the way Roche wanted to introduce his team to the new world they might choose to live in.

He would need to make time for them today, need to find a way to give all of them the space they needed to process. To grieve. To decide what would happen next.

To be together for one last time if some of them decided to stay in Vizima.

Roche swallowed the lump in his throat and splashed water on his face, cleaning up as well as he could without a proper rinse and soak. Brigida had thoughtfully washed his tunic and left it out to dry. It would have been more thoughtful if she’d wrung it out before setting it out to dry, but he was pretty sure that was on purpose.

“Did I piss you off recently?” he asked, walking into the room’s dining area.

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#iorveth/roche #iorveth x roche #rorveth #iorveth vernon roche #different first meeting au #my fic #don't cry for me temeria

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