#shitling as a kid and still a shitling he will help his kid be one too

[sunclown]

Hits you with zs parents beam part 2 electric boogaloo. Zoro gets his eye fixed

[chasseurdeloup-retired]

Listening to Fear || Athena and Kaden

TIMING: Before the scream LOCATION: The woods PARTIES: @athenaquinn and @chasseurdeloup SUMMARY: Two hunters enter the woods. One phobid has fun.

Knife in hand, Kaden wasn’t sure how long he stood there at the edge of the trail staring up at the trees, eyes trying to find the tops of the branches, see where one tree ended and the other began. It was impossible to tell. It was also impossible to sort through what he was feeling even though he was certainly trying to. First hunt after spilling the beans to Regan. Well, as best he could manage. Somehow he expected there to be a lot more weight off his shoulders on this next hunt, but he didn’t quite feel it. Something was still nagging at him. He let out a deep exhale through his nose. He supposed it hardly mattered. What mattered was-- People screaming? And running out of the forest. “Putain,” he muttered to himself as he took off running in the direction they came from. No time to worry about feelings and crap now. He had a job to get done and he tore through the trees to get to the scene. A flash of blonde hair caught his eye across the way. “Pipsqueak if that’s you, I swear to god,” he grumbled. The last thing he needed was Blanche out in the woods getting in his way on a hunt.

Even if she didn’t intend for them to, many of Athena’s explorations on the trails around town often ended in a hunt. Admittedly, she had come into the forest today with a partial purpose to hunt, even if she didn’t know exactly what she was looking for. Not that it mattered - this town had more than enough for her to deal with. She’d been working on her breathing recently - because reacting too strongly to fae was not about to do her any good in any sort of situation. She just had to concentrate - though she also knew that she had to welcome the feeling, to welcome how viciously uncomfortable it made her feel whenever any sort of fae was nearby. This time, however, she saw the response before she could feel the fae - a number of hunters screaming and running out of the forest. Shortly after, she could feel goosebumps rise on her arms and she took off. She only skidded to a halt when she heard someone else. “I don’t know who you’re talking to, but I don’t appreciate that nickname.” Turning a corner around a tree she spotted a man. What was he doing here? Why hadn’t he left with the rest of everyone else? He wasn't fae, not as far as she could sense. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn’t quite place it. “My name is Athena, and I appreciate being referred to as such.”

Oh. Not Blanche. It was someone else entirely. Kaden supposed that was good. “Sorry, thought you were someone else. Someone more obnoxious, about your height, maybe a little shorter, blonde hair though I guess it’s blue sometimes, and she just never stops talki--” A screaming hiker came barreling down the path right into Kaden. He cursed and grumbled as he moved out of the way, almost tossing the man to the side. The poor guy seemed so scared, it was a wonder he didn't piss in his pants. There was another scream or two not too far off. Putain, he had to figure out what the hell was going on here. There were too many monsters to name that could scare a group of unsuspecting hikers shitles. The problem was, it didn’t seem like anything big or barreling was nearby, he’d have heard it. No wolf, probably not a beast. But what the fuck was it. “You’d better clear out, ki-- Athena.” Something about her demeanor, even though she was young, told him that “kid” wasn’t going to go over well with her. “This is dangerous.”

“I -” Athena shook her head. “Well, no. I’ve never even dyed my hair. Not once. Once Lilia said we should, for bid day, but I -” her words and the man’s were both cut off by another scream. She pressed her tongue against her teeth, trying to deduce what was going on. What was causing all of this. She knew very well that some sort of fae was around, but there could have been something else here, too. Whatever was around needed to be dealt with, and this slick-haired guy was blocking her from doing that. She knew that she didn’t even always look twenty, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. Let him stop her, either. “I’m not going anywhere.” She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “You, however, should probably go somewhere. I’ve got something to deal with, then I’ll go back home. Don’t worry.” She could feel the knife in her boots and the two against her hips. Practically begging to be used. She pursed her lips when she noticed that he was still standing there. “I’ve really got this. I hike in these woods all the time.”

“Me? I should leave?” Kaden scoffed at her suggestion. “Right. Not going to happen. I’m trained for situations like this. I’ve got it covered. Go home.” He charged past her into the woods without a second glance at her. Hopefully she wasn’t stupid enough to follow. And if she was, he’d work around her but he had a feeling she’d be running scared like the hikers back there. Confidence and cockiness only got you so far up against a monster. In the clearing, he paused and listened, tried to use whatever senses he could to suss out the situation. He didn’t feel anything, even anything small or subtle. No beasts nearby. Had to be some other kind of monster, fae or undead most likely. And he didn’t see anything big or scary. So why were they running away like that? Kaden spun around at the sound of rustling behind him, pulling his knife out of his pocket on instinct. Putain, it was the girl “I thought I told you to leave, this is dange--” His words cut off as he heard something behind him, but as soon as he turned to look, it was gone. All he saw was the bounce of some branches and the rustle of the leaves. Fuck, what was it?

“Yes. You should.” Athena fought away the urge to cross her arms and give a less-than-polite retort back to the man. What was he doing here, anyhow? She knew that this town attracted thrill seekers, so maybe he was one of those? It was people like that who made her job more difficult. “I’m sure whatever American Ninja Warrior type of gym you belong to has made you believe that, but I’m actually trained for this.” Great, so now she was going to have to deal with some guy who was way too confident for his own good and a fae that she still couldn’t see. After another moment she felt her whole body tense up. She made a note to continue working on that during her trainings. Not that she wanted a repeat of the whole fae incident back in March, but every time she felt like doubling over when she was around fae made her wish that she had a better handle on that particular aspect of her training. Thankfully, it hadn’t done much of anything to diminish her hunting skills, she thought, a smirk crossing her face. Hardly paying attention to the knife that the man had. Just then, out of the corner of her eye she spotted something. Dark, winged, and with what appeared to be white eyes. Phobid. At least that explained why the hikers had been screaming. “You seriously want to get out of here.” The phobid’s wings fluttered as it rose up from the branch it was sitting on. “The sooner the better.” She pulled one of her knives out from its resting place against her hip. “I’ve got this handled.” She glanced over at his. “Go use that for something else. This isn’t some stupid deer. Also, if it were, I’d advise against that sort of knife. Just a helpful tip from a local!” She flashed him a grin, though it was more passive-aggressive than kind. With a small wave of her hand, she turned back to face the branch where the phobid sat, lips pursed.

“American what?” Kaden asked, face scrunched in confusion. She had to have heard his accent and had some idea he wasn’t American. Or a ninja. Warrior, well, that depended on who you asked. Still seemed a little over the top to him. Still, he found himself rolling his eyes once again at her assessment. “Girl scouts hardly qualifies as survival training but good luck.” He couldn’t stop her, not in any way that was appropriate or that he was comfortable with, so if she insisted on following, he’d work around her. And try to keep her from getting killed. Which is why in the clearing he ignored her, let her insist that he was wrong. It didn’t matter. What mattered was pinning down the location of the monster there sending people screaming. Kaden stood still, taking in the sounds, only to be interrupted by her chatter. “I know it’s not a fucking deer. And I know what my own knives are good for thank you very fucking much, Tinkerbell.” He’d missed the creature again, but he heard it flitter. He glanced at her and followed her eyeline up to the trees and saw the small black, winged figure sitting there.

By the time Kaden realized he’d made a mistake it was too late, his eyes had locked on the creature’s glowing ones and he felt the panic rising within him. A phobid. Rationally, he knew that, knew what it was, but the grass around him suddenly felt too tall, too green. His pulse was picking up, heart starting to pound against his chest, and he shut his eyes tight, trying to force the fear from flooding his senses. He heard the small creature cackling. “Ouh more big legs,” it said with a voice not so different from Rumpleskuffs’. “More fun!” it added. Run. He had to run. Get away from the grass and the plants and the green. That’s what he has to d— No. No. He could push past this. It wasn’t real. He pulled a deep breath into his lungs and held it there a moment, grip tightened around his knife. The only thing that should feel fear is the phobid flitting around. He opened his eyes a little as he could, only viewing the world through small slits. His shaking hand put his knife away and scrambled to get the crossbow off of his back. He caught sight of the wings through the trees. The wings. Made of veins connected with glassy membranes. So similar to Regan’s. No. Not now. This wasn’t the same. Not even a little. He took a deep breath, aimed, and started firing into the trees, aim shaky. The cackling continued to echo through the clearing. “Now might be a good time to get going,” he shouted to the girl.

“American Ninja Warrior.” Athena made a face. “Look, just because you’re not from around here doesn’t mean you have to totally lack awareness of pop culture. I think the show is ridiculous, but I still know what it is.” She tapped her foot against the ground, giving a small huff at his mention of Girl Scouts. “Oh, obviously not. However, I did most of my brother’s work for Boy Scouts, and I’ve got plenty of other experience.” She certainly wasn’t a fan of this over-greased man making snide remarks about her. Even though she did know that her looks certainly worked to her benefit when out hunting. She just usually didn’t have to deal with other people underestimating her, because most of them were willing to leave her be once she asked. “Oh, absolutely not.” She knew that her voice was perhaps a bit too high pitched, and that her brother might’ve winced had he been around. “Don’t you dare call me that.” She could feel her body tense up, far too many memories of teachers in early elementary school remarking on what a lovely Tinkerbell she’d make for Halloween. She’d resented it then, and she could at least acknowledge that they had meant well. This time, she wasn’t so sure. “Well I don’t need a knock-off James Dean telling me what to do, thank you very much.”

She could spot the second that the fear overtook him. Amateur, she thought to herself. This was why people should just let her handle what she was expert at. Athena averted her eyes from the creature, though that didn’t stop its awful voice from reverberating throughout the clearing. She could slit its throat simply due to the laughter. Adjusting her posture, she turned to face the other man who was now fumbling around. Fumbling to find a crossbow. Athena rolled her eyes. “That’s not going to do anything. You’ve seen the size of that…” thing. Monster. “You need to get up close and personal. Take your Robin Hood antics elsewhere.” She pulled one of her knives out from its resting place against her hips. “Girl Scouts didn’t teach me this.” She flipped it deftly between her fingers. “Also, word of advice, don’t look into its eyes again.” She ran her finger against the cool iron of the face of the knife. “I’m not going anywhere. One of us is having a bit of a time of it and it’s not me.” In any other situation, she might’ve smirked, but this guy, whoever he was, was going to get himself killed. “Would it help if I told you in French? Would that get you to leave?” She grabbed another one of her knives (from her boot this time) and threw it against the tree where the phobid sat, watching the two of them. “See? I’ve got it.” Another giggle echoed through the clearing. “Oooh, keep-a fightin’!” The phobid cackled. “Soon you’ll be all alone. Alone in the woods, what fun!”

Kaden huffed out a laugh. Something about what he said got under her skin apparently. Guess she wasn’t a fan of small obnoxious blondes, huh? Or people with wings. Oh. Oh. Well that made a whole lot more sense now. Putain. He was stuck with a warden. This was fine. He would be fine. He was a hutner. Regan wasn’t here. Obviously. He didn’t need to be worried about being around a small, probably teenaged warden. That’s what he told himself at least. “James Dean, huh? I’ll take it. I could do worse.”

Too bad his shots weren’t landing the way his insults had. Kaden grumbled about it to himself while she tried to offer tips and tricks. “I don’t need you’re fucking advice pint size pixie,” he spat back, trying to line up another shot while his hands were shaking from stupid fear. And she had to mention the eyes. He was pretty fucking aware considering he felt like everything around him was terrifying. “I know,” he said through grit teeth, trying to keep his pulse from rising. Each blade of grass looked like knives, rising up to cut him, tear him down and prick him, make him bleed. Shit, no, no, it was just grass. He had to remember that it was just a trick, not real.

The show with the knife brought him back to reality and he rolled his eyes. Why the fuck did people like to use a party trick while in the middle of a hunt? “Quit showing off. You didn’t even hit the damn th--” Kaden cut off his words with a shout as he saw something crawling up along her back. A giant spider leg creeping behind her back. Or was it a wing? He threw himself at her, pinning her down, trying to brush the “wings” off her back while the tiny fae giggled and laughed up in the trees. “Big legs, big legs, fight fight fight!”

“You could do a heck of a lot better too, though, just saying.” She had to laugh - she knew that she ought not to, but this man was being so incredibly haphazard about everything and he was going to get both of them killed if Athena didn’t do something, and quick. “Don’t call me that.” She hissed. He was shaking, and he had looked into its eyes, and she really didn’t have the time nor the patience to be dealing with this right now. Though if she thought about it like a lesson - like one of the many lessons her parents put her through - then she could manage it. If she refocused herself and centered herself - because right now the real problem was the phobid. It would be more than enough to blind it, but she found that right now she was more keen to be done with it altogether - lest she risk it accidentally causing greater harm.

“You know and yet you still did it. Maybe you should do a review lesson. No harm in that,” he had to be a hunter, either that, or an especially cocky normal human, “we can’t all know everything.” Athena shrugged at his comment, though before she could completely respond, he’d knocked her to the ground and she struggled briefly under his weight, “get off me!” She screeched, kneeing him in the stomach, hoping it would knock the wind out of him at least so that she could do something. “I was making a point. If I want to hit something, I always make my mark.” A small giggle escaped her lips. However, the fae’s voice cut through the air and she rolled her eyes. “You’re gonna regret saying that.”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Kaden snapped back at her. This. This was why he worked alone usually. That and when he did, there was no one around to see him make his mistakes. Like falling for a goddamn phobid’s illusions. But even if he knew the possibilities, the risks of the fae they were fighting, once they were in front of him, it was hard to remember that the illusions weren’t real. His pulse peaked as he tried desperately to get the wings off of her. The spider legged wings that were-- Not… there? His hands were going through them and before he could put the pieces together, he felt a sharp jab to his stomach and the breath leave his body. “Putain,” he wheezed out as he doubled over. The sound of cackling filled the clearing as the small, obnoxious creature flitted around. At least someone was having a good time. Kaden braced himself on his hands and knees, trying to breathe properly again. But it felt like the grass was getting bigger, like the blades might slice him raw. Not real, not real, he had to tell himself it wasn’t real as he shut his eyes tight, focusing on getting his shallow breathing a little deeper. It was hard when panic was creeping in. He kept his eyes closed, felt the ground beneath his fingers. “Catch it,” he choked out. “Have to-- Do you have,” deep gasp, “a net or..?” The giggling and glee persisted in the trees. “Can’t catch, can’t catch, nah nah nah nah nah!” Fae or not, Kaden was really looking forward to whacking this little shit over the head. Once he felt like he could breathe again, Kaden sat up and shrugged off his jacket. Not exactly a great net but it would have to do in a pinch.

“Review lessons are still of benefit.” Athena shrugged. “At least, that’s what I was always taught.” He was still trying to get some sort of imaginary something or other off of her but she was glad to see that the knee to his stomach had done its job. She quickly jumped up and dusted off her thighs, before narrowing her eyes at him. Clearly, she should have been doing this all on her own because even though she was inclined to believe that he was a hunter, he certainly wasn’t acting very much like one. Perhaps that wasn’t entirely fair, if he wasn’t a warden he couldn’t be expected to know just as much about fae as she did, but it didn’t make her any less annoyed. She’d just have to channel whatever annoyance she was feeling toward defeating the fae. “No, I don’t have a net.” She said, biting down on the tip of her tongue. Ignoring the incessant whining of the fae, the way that it made her want to claw her skin off, if she focused too much on it. “Yes. Jacket, that’ll work.” At least something useful can come of this, she thought to herself. “If we get it down here, just throw that over it and I can take care of the rest of it.” A malicious smirk crossed her lips as she looked up to the other hunter. “Then it won’t bother anyone ever again.”

“No one asked you,” Kaden hissed. He didn’t know if she was actually a hunter or even more specifically a warden, but he didn’t care. He was tired of little miss-know-it-all already. He was also tired of feeling his blood pounding in his veins, heart racing. Stupid fucking phobid. Maybe if he told himself what he was fighting, reminded himself in the back of his mind, he could push past all the illusions; he could stop worrying that the grass would cut him up and chop him to little pieces. Putain it was so stupid. “If you don’t have a net then why bother telling me my method is stupid?” he grumbled. He lined up the crossbow where he saw flittering in the trees, railing off shots one after another, hoping it would come close. It squeaked and darted back across the way, staying just out of reach. “Hey, you!” Kaden called out. “Ouh, scary big legs thinks he can talk back. What does he say? Are you going to attack the smaller one again? More more more!” it said, cackling as it darted away again. “Come down here and I’ll look right in your eyes. Think of all the fun you’ll have. I’ll make sure.” That seemed to pique its interest and the phobid peaked out from behind a branch. “You promise?” it asked. Kaden was careful to look to the side, away from the glowing orbs staring back at him. “Come closer and I’ll prom--” The fae got overly excited and swooped down. Just as he’d hoped. “I’ll promise to think about it!” he finished as he threw the jacket over the creature, pulling the ends together and trapping it inside. “Got it!” he shouted.

“Free advice. Seems like you might need it.” Athena spat back. She stretched for a moment, reaching her hands above her head. Readying her posture so that she would be able to act as quickly as was required. The man’s incessant nagging was doing her no favors in the concentration department, but every bothersome experience was a chance for greater growth, she reminded herself. Reminded herself again as he had the sheer audacity to make a remark on her not bringing a net. “I have my other ways and I could’ve gotten to it without it wreaking havoc all over this forest.” However, his teasing and nagging were good for one thing. The phobid seemed keen to cause greater trouble and with the man’s near promise - something that Athena had half a mind to give him a run-down lesson about - it flitted down through the tree branches, cackling in a pitch that even made Athena’s ears ache. The other man grabbed it in his jacket and a smirk crossed Athena’s face as she went over to him and grabbed the jacket, holding it in one hand, the buzzing of the phobid’s annoyance more pleasant now. “What should I do with it first, do you think?” She raised an eyebrow, adjusting her hands’ position so that she held tight to the jacket from below as she quickly unwrapped it and grabbed a hold of the phobid before it could fly away. “I could start with the eyes or the wings. Which do you think is best?”

Kaden wasn’t sure what he expected after he caught it. It was a phobid. They were hunters. If his suspicions were right, she was a warden. It should be easy. “What do you mean first?” he said, brows furrowed as she took the fae in her fingers. “Just kill--” Kaden’s eyes caught sight of the wings, twitching and fluttering in panic, hoping to get away, anywhere but there. He saw the wings. Bigger than any insect’s though similar enough. Much smaller than Regan’s. Nearly the same as Rumpleskuffs. “You promised! You promised! Big legs are all the same! Rotten evil tricky! I’ll make you scared! I will I will I will!” The fae’s voice sounded panicked and pathetic. It was hard to think of it as something worthy of scorn and hate or even fear. Then he heard her, the ire in her voice. “Wait what? Start with-- Why would you-- Just--” Just kill it? Should they kill it? It.. Was it harming anyone? Kaden shook his head, remembered his pulse, remembered the screaming hikers and terrified people. “No torture. Just kill it. Show it one kindness.” His voice was cold, stern. This wasn’t Rumpleskuffs. Or Regan. This creature hurt people. It-- It wasn’t the same. “No, no, no! Stop!” the phobid screamed while under her grasp. He clenched his jaw and tried not to feel.

“I mean how should we go about this?” She looked curiously at the other hunter. Athena wholly ignored the screaming phobid. It served it right, to be scared. Particularly when it had already done so much ever since she arrived in the forest, and who knew what it could have done before then. Her brother might have winced at what she was about to do, she considered for a moment. Just like back with the foireaux cat. “I think it deserves to be dealt with in pieces. Don’t you?” She narrowed her eyes for a moment. “Kindness? To this?” She half-spat. What kind of hunters were in this town? What kind of hunter would she be if she showed such a thing kindness? She grasped it harder, blue-painted nails nearly touching one another as she held it tightly. “Stop this! No, no! I’ll make you pay!” The phobid screamed. This had to be dealt with smoothly and quickly, now. With a quick movement of her hands, Athena sliced into one of its wings before running the blade across its eyes. “One kindness?” She looked up at the other hunter. “I’ll put it out of its misery.” She dug the knife right into where she supposed its heart would be, before dropping it onto the forest floor. “Just like you asked for.”

“Just kill it and be done,” Kaden repeated, voice harsher, but even in tone. He flinched at the sight of her cutting through the fae’s wings and eyes, turning away as she tore through it, like it was nothing. No, he was going to watch her, gaze hard, body still as she killed the creature. The wings twitched a moment as it fell on the ground with a small pathetic thud. Anger boiled through his blood, but it wasn’t at the monster, not now. Kaden reached out and grabbed her wrist, the one that had held the knife, and yanked it, twisted it so her weapon fell beside the creature. “Never do that again.” He stood over her, looking down, voice low and even just as before. “We kill monsters, we don’t torment them. We’re better than them.” He let go of her wrist, practically throwing it back to her. “The longer you take to kill a monster, the more time it has to kill you.” Kaden picked up his jacket and put his crossbow on its strap across his back. “Free advice. I think you might need it.” With that he turned and walked away, uninterested in spending any more time with the warden.

“No.” She replied. Athena knew full well that elongated periods of torture could cause more trouble than they could help, but there was something about his attitude that made her crave acting out. Relishing in the lack of comfort that he felt as she did so. She craved the control rather desperately, and this allowed it. He grabbed her wrist tightly and she winced for a moment before pushing the pain down. Responding with weakness wouldn’t do her any favors. She watched the knife fall to the ground, a certain sort of pain shooting up her arm. Work through the pain. “Don’t tell me what to do. I’m the only one who could manage this.” She giggled, then, too high-pitched and carefree for the given scenario. “We kill monsters, and sometimes a bit of a lesson needs to be taught.” Her voice was clipped, repeating words that she’d heard in some variation beforehand. “I know. But this thing wasn’t going to do anything to me. When I kill proper fae, I don’t let them stand a chance. Not once, not now, not ever.” She snorted. “I don’t need your advice. I’m plenty fine just on my own.” She bent down to pick up her knife, running her finger along the face of the blade, before giving a shrug. “See you around sometime, Robin Hood.”

[amatchforyourmadness]

as stars that wait to fall (in love)

Chapter: 1/?

Pairing: Geralt of Rivia × star!Jaskier | Dandelion

Words:2268

Summary:

“Here’s what Geralt was looking for: a space rock for one of Yennefer’s potions. Here’s what he finds: the girl Destiny-bound to him and a man dressed in flashy clothing that throws a handful of mud at his face.”

In which Yennefer asks for a favor that leads to Geralt getting stuck with a feral star, which just happens to be adored by a little girl in a blue cape and hunted for the youth-granting delicacy that is his heart.

Stardust AU

[ AO3 link ]

————

It is all Yennefer’s fault, really, as usual.

He had been listening, but not quite. It was a habit, really, because Yennefer could either talk at length about matters of most value and importance, worthy of the most deep and thoughtful inquiries, or complain about a person of a place that was either a bitch or an asshole and several offenses she had endured bravely and his mind would wonder to when was the last time he had given Roach an apple, because she was starting to act out on him. By the end of her lengthy talk, he had been nodding thoughtfully while thinking how likely was he to find apples on the kitchen of the — What had it been this time? An Earl? — whoever’s castle Yennefer now had influenced into her hold in his way out in the morning.

“So you’ll do it then?” She had asked, eagerly, and smiling bright and just this side of looking like she was about to drag him into shit.

He had blinked confusedly.

“Hm?”

“The star.” The mage says, smile dying immediately as she figures out he had not paid attention to most if not all of what she had said. He almost feels guilty, but she still looks like she’s about to drag him into shitl. “The one that fell. You’ll find it for me?”

“Hm…”

He tries to wither out of it, he really does. He asks her to consider one might have taken it, or animals might have brushed it away or simple things like rain and wind could have easily moved it and he had a child surprise to look for, by her own threat no least, whose life was very much endangered in the current context they find themselves in, two months from the fall of Cintra, and it’s stupid to think that a bit of stardust might be so powerful and dangerous that it needs to be stolen away before the Empire gets their hands on it, but Yennefer had given him no room to ask and no room to talk back, pressing the matter as of utmost urgency.

As always, no one has ever won a battle against Yennefer, not of wits and not of any other kind.

“Just go out there and get me the star or I’ll hire someone else that will!”

And that had been it.

———

Now it has been at least a week if not two since the star fell, and Geralt is not sure if he has any luck on finding a rock in the ground so long after it fell. He follows the directions in which Yennefer says the star might have fallen, and does so with no small amount of complaining to Roach. He certainly is not interested in space rock and the matter of urgency has rather led him away from the Path, from good coin and beast-slaying.

He finds a small village at the edge of Brugge creatively entitled Wall in honour of its one grandiose feature, and they say that not far from there, where the remains of their country meet Sodden and Temeria, there had been a great impact, so strong it had shook the small stone wall at the edge of the village and loosened a few of the stones from their places, and that the impact had been followed by a brilliant ball of fire that had been the end of a good deal of the forest there, trees reduced to smoking rests of logs.

That has him about ready to go, but then there’s the talk of silly horror stories told amongst the children — the unruly boys that had ran to quell their curiosity instead of listening to their parent’s warnings — about a monster inside a crater in the ground, that had shone at night as if he was made of light and groaned in pain, grunting ‘help me, help me’ until he lured a girl, equally as strange and disobedient for being out at the woods at that hour, until she slid into the crater, the glow had died down and she had not climbed out again.

Unruly boys were also cowardly boys, by nature, no matter how curious. They ran back home instead of being made the next snack.

Geralt lifts himself onto Roach’s saddle and rides to where the smell of burned wood still lingers.

———

As soon as he steps past the burned trees, Roach’s reigns in his hands and the mare close to his side, he can’t say he’s not impressed by the destruction. He walks around the crater, taking in the damage a bit of space rock can do. The earth nearer to the edge of the crater is still burned, and he looks for a way down as much as he looks for a hint of the stone inside it.

He stops, glancing to the trees and Roach’s ears twitch the same direction. He looks at her as if to ask for her opinion before following the sound of shuffling feet back into the woods, atent to the smallest sounds. He can hear whispering, an urgent discussion being spoken in half-voices, and he takes large steps towards them until he finally finds the origin of it.

He frowns at the girl, small and pale, with green eyes and ashen blond hair, wrapped around a deep blue cape staring at him, weaponless buy somehow still fierce. Geralt opens his mouth, ready to question who the fuck was her, and it’s in barely a second he regrets it, when he is hit with a clump of burned earth and tiny rocks on the face and some of the vile mixture hits him square in the face.

“Go, Fiona, run!” Hisses the voice of what no doubt is a man that probably had been hidden behind her.

“I’m not leaving you here with him!“

“I won’t hurt either of you.” Geralt says, raising his hand in front of him, trying to placate the wrath of whatever gremlin was sharing the woods with the blonde kid who had very much not been eaten by any sort of monster. 

“Don’t touch her!” The man hisses when he stumbles ever so closely to their chatter and before he knows it, someone is biting his arm.

“Fuck!” He curses, stepping back to get his arm free and hitting his back against Roach in the process, only to be hit by get another clod thrown at him and his mare. “Hey, don’t throw mud at my horse!”

“Just go away and leave us alone!”

“I’m looking for a star! Tell me where to find it and I’ll leave you alone, it must have fallen somewhere around here—” He blinks away the mud, wiping the remains of dirt to his eyes before he finally gets a good look at his attacker, sprawled on the ground with his left leg in a weird angle, heaving profusely. “Why are you sitting there like that?“

“He broke his leg.” The girl informs, trying to pull the man upright again. Maybe he’s her uncle, or her cousin. Maybe they’ve been attacked. That would explain the hostility.

“I am looking for a star.” He states again. “It fell around here.”

“Yes, and I broke my leg, you idiot.” Curses the man once more, and the little girl can’t help but give him a look that’s half annoyed and half wondering what of the situation he’s not getting. Geralt must say, he does not get most of it, and frowns. He can see his leg is broken, and he might be inclined to help if it doesn’t earn him another handful of earth to be thrown at him, but he doesn’t see what that has to do with the star. “I broke my leg when I fell. There, is that clear enough for you?”

It takes him yet a moment, before the pieces adjust themselves into his mind and he raises his brows.

“You’re the star?”

“And you’re a clodpoll.” That’s not an answer, but Geralt supposed that he did spell it out to what the star considers his own limit, and now there’s nothing to give voice to but enraged curses. “And a horse’s ass, a ninny, a numbskull, a lackwit and a coxcomb and a— what the fuck are you trying me for, you bastard?!” He says, laying a good kick to Geralt’s gut with his good leg as Geralt pulls his arm and binds his wrist with the light silver links Yennefer had provided him, backing away before he could get his shoulder bitten too — the man was like a wild animal. “What’s this?” The man says, shaking his wrist to take in the glittering silver chain at the same time his charge asks:

“What do you think you are doing?” The girl has been sparked into action once more by righteous fury, pushing Geralt away (and he lets her, even though she can’t do more than tickle him), but that doesn’t make him any more inclined to let go to the band of enchanted chain. She takes in the sight of his bound wrists and tries to tug it off.

“Taking him south with me. I made a promise I’m already starting to regret to a sorceress that would have my head if I don’t return with the star.” He says, first to the girl as matter of fact as usual before he turns his focus somewhat embarrassedly about the whole situation, before offering. “Nothing personal, I was looking for a diamond or a rock. I certainly wasn’t expecting a man.”

“And, having found a man, you have to drag him into your foolishness? And for what?” Geralt doesn’t answer as he ties the other end of the silver chain to his wrist, and it magically binds around it, securing that ten star won’t drag far from him. “Oh, I see.” The other says, narrowing his eyes at the magical spun link that now ties them both together, before he’s sneering. “Should have figured! A star’s heart, I bet your mage friend will enjoy it, maybe you will take a bite of it too, huh? Well, I hope you choke on it!”

“Your heart?” The blonde girl asks, panicked and confused, shooting worried looks to him and accusing ones to Geralt. He much thinks he misses the time things made chance. “No, he can’t! Please, sir, you can’t!”

What the hell does his heart even have to do with anything, a lost Geralt wonders. Yennefer better pay him for this. Pale hands hold onto the girl’s shoulders comfortingly and pull her against his side, but even curled against the man-star, her worry doesn’t seem to waver, nor does the anger to the blue eyes of the one holding her.

“Listen, I want you to know, that whoever you are, and whatever you intend with me, I won’t give you no aid of any kind, nor assist you, and I will do 

whatever is in my power to frustrate your plans, and your mage’s by the matter!”

There’s a heavy silence then, and the whole atmosphere is rather tense.

“Can you walk?”

“No. My leg is broken.” He enunciates it slowly, jingling the chain pointedly by the side of the clearly broken leg. “Are you deaf, as well as stupid?”

Geralt closes his eyes and takes a deep intake of air, as if that could give him any more patience than the little he already doesn’t have. Roach whinnies by his side, shaking her head, and he cracks golden eyes open only to glare at the mare. At least one of them is having fun. Or maybe it’s just her being happy that she will not be ridden back to Wall to try and find an in that will take the three of them. Either way he shoves her head away gently, and reaches for his bedroll.

“Do your kind sleep?” 

The star sputters in offense, throwing his head to the side to glance at the blonde girl sat by him, frown still in place even if she smiles ever so slightly as he shakes his head to her and mutters something about a dickehead and being able to believe, before turning to him with an offended glare.

“Of course, but not at night.” He finally manages, and it’s the same time of ‘are you dumb?’ he and the child have been using so far and Geralt’s good will is wearing thinner than it already is. He raises a pale hand to gesture to the night sky above, to prove a point. “At night, we shine.”

“Well, I can’t think of anything else to do. I’ll sleep. It’s been a long week. You should try to sleep, too. We’ve got a long way to go.”

The star scoffs again and the girl seems about ready to argue, but exhaustion is etched at her face, and when he builds a small fire from the few not burnt twigs he could find, he can hear the man talk her into laying back nearest to the fire, that they’ll figure out things in the morning, settling by her side reassuringly and doing his best to keep the chain out of her worried gaze.

Through the silence of the night, he can hear the silver chain forged with Yennefer’s magic being tugged at fruitlessly as the man settles on the ground and the girl near him. It doesn’t take long for the child’s breath to fall into a quiet, gentle pattern that can only mean she’s fallen asleep, but Geralt falls asleep without hearing the star do the same.

————

buy me a coffee?