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[bestswordmaster]

Sylvain said I needed to record something to tell you to leave a message, even though if you're bothering to message me in the first place you already know what you're supposed to do, so this is pointless. So...leave a message, I guess. Maybe I'll get back to you. Maybe I won't.

[beep]

Comments

[bestswordmaster]

[Felix is surprised but relieved to see a message from Jaskier, despite the fact that he'd been debating whether to send one to the bard himself. He wanted to check on Geralt, but he didn't know whether the witcher was even awake or lucid, and he hesitated to contact Jaskier to ask because -

Well, because of the tone of this message, frankly. Jaskier seems to be holding this grudge well past the point where any of it matters. Felix can be stubborn and petty and prideful, but if he learned one thing from the battle at Gronder Field, it's that if you hold onto resentment for too long, you could lose the chance to ever reconcile it in the blink of an eye.

So his response doesn't take long to arrive.]

of course.
you don't need to beg.
I was going to message you
to ask if he was all right.
I'll call him.
he has nothing to feel guilty about.
that wasn't him.
and it wasn't the first time I've seen a friend lose himself to mindless violence either.
you did well last night.
even if what you did was reckless and you could have gotten yourself killed.
few would have been able to stand their ground in your place.
I respect that.

[rollstoseduce]

I was never in any danger.

[The answer comes incredibly quickly, automatically one could even say. Because he won't allow anyone to think that Geralt could ever hurt him, especially when he had been fucking right. It's a habit -no, an instinct- developed through years of reacting to insults muttered in inns and taverns. When you have been doing this since you're 18 years old? It sticks with you.

That, and he doesn't know how to deal with Felix saying he respects him, so this is his knee-jerk reaction.

So he better concentrates on the rest of the message. There are some things Jaskier will have to explain, he supposes. He would've prefered if Geralt would've shared it with his friends himself, but he's always been so stingy with the details, slow to open up and well... Jaskier can't send Felix to talk to him without context.]

Physically he's fine, just sore. Limelight's Heal Pulse took good care of his wounds, and he's recovered from far worse. Mentally, however - he is a mess. Of course it isn't his fault, and I've told him so already. Just like I did the first time someone took control of his mind.

His self-hate won't allow him to believe it, the same way it won't allow him to believe my words when I describe him as noble and heroic in my songs.

Our realm isn't kind to witchers. They call it "hiring a monster to kill another monster". He spent eighty years of his century of life being called a disgusting mutant, a butcher... and that's what he's come to accept as truth.

[bestswordmaster]

[It's a lovely sentiment, Felix thinks, and clearly to an extent Jaskier's even right. But when it comes to battle, to the tools of meting out death, anything can happen. Things can happen unintentionally, or as the result of a split second of inattention or doubt, or of letting emotion override sense.

But Felix knows by now not to bother trying to convince Jaskier of any of that.]

so this has happened to him before.
it seems such horrors are something our worlds have in common.
warriors with strength and skill like geralt are always targets for those cowardly and cruel enough to use others as tools and weapons.]

[The rest of Jaskier's message gives Felix some pause. It's much too familiar, but he finds himself somewhat unsurprised. It wouldn't be his first choice either to tell someone else about Dimitri's past, but Dimitri isn't nearly as tight-lipped about himself as Geralt is, and under the circumstances it seems only fair to explain.]

what hypocritical bunk.
begging geralt to solve their problems for them while hating him for the very skills he uses to do so.
how sickening.

I don't know how much claude has told you about dimitri's history.
at home the magic dimitri inherited through his bloodline gives him absurd physical strength.
when his emotions rule him he has trouble controlling it.
for a long time he lived for bloody vengeance alone.
no one directly controlled his actions but
he was not entirely in control either.
now he believes himself to be a monster thanks to ingrained teachings from the church and
other cruelties.
and blames himself for things he didn't cause.
so I understand.

[rollstoseduce]

Our realms have many a thing in common - except the wyverns.

[And he leaves it there, because he realizes touching more on that part of the message would mean explaining Yennefer, and he isn't in the mood for that (as if he ever was). He doesn't know if he even can explain her deal anyway, and if he does a half-ass job of it Felix may ask Geralt later, and honestly? Jaskier would rather not put her haunting presence back in his memory again.

Especially after last night.]

I knew Dimitri is a king, and about the crests many of you have, but not of what you've told me - Claude only explained in detail his own story. Your tale does not surprise me, however - I did have an idea of where his issues lie. During a conversation of ours, he spoke rather self-deprecatingly of himself. I couldn't help scolding him, told him he should trust Claude's (all his boyfriend's) word. That what your party sees in him is real, he just hasn't found it in himself yet.

I don't know how much of what I said stayed with him. He's very similar to Geralt in many aspects, and that stubborn oaf has been complaining about my songs painting him as a hero since we met twenty-two years ago.

[bestswordmaster]

[Felix's brow furrows for a moment, trying to figure out why wyverns are suddenly in this conversation before he remembers that most of what Jaskier knows of Fodlan would have come from Claude.]

the wyverns?
what's different about them?

dimitri deserved the scolding I'm sure.
he only trusts other people's bad opinions of him.
when they're good he assumes well-meaning ignorance.
he's from an earlier point in time than I am
and in his future he will accept those words
and become stronger than he knows he can be.
but here he considers himself practically a different person from that man.
it's stupid.

[Felix considers Jaskier's last sentence for a little longer, with a frown.]

I can understand why he complains.
in faerghus those heroic tales convince people that knighthood is a fanciful and glorious lifestyle.
they get themselves killed because they can't separate the fantasy from the reality.
and then those they leave behind praise them for the accomplishment of dying "the right way."
it sickens me.
but it seems you have the opposite problem in your world.
so I understand why you do it too.
he deserves respect for his skill and his work.

[rollstoseduce]

The mere idea of taming such beasts as if they were horses is preposterous. I've got a song about Geralt slaying one, which as you may imagine, I had to refrain from singing to Claude, even if he does understand the differences between realms.

Dismissing the flattery, believing the belittlement... more in common with Geralt. It's no wonder they get along so well.

[And then Felix starts to complain about heroic tales and Jaskier is ready to throw his gear at his head. Instead, he just sighs and wonders if Geralt truly understands how much he loves him, considering Jaskier is letting this affront pass for his himbo boyfriend's sake. Huff.]

Why I do it, you say! Do what, I ask? I may embellish many a detail in my songs of the White Wolf (who wants to hear about his horse smell after all?), but the core of his adventures always stays true: he saves people from monsters - of both kinds (a silver sword for creatures that roam the wild, a steel sword for humans in their cities of stone). Considering such deeds heroic isn't the product of storytelling, it's facts. But he thinks clinging to the few unimportant changes in my tales allows him to believe the praise is fake, too.

[bestswordmaster]

oh.
they must be fiercer in your world then.
I've killed my share of wyverns
but only because they carried mounted enemy soldiers.
Sylvain gives me grief about it.
he says I should spare the mounts.
I'd rather take down a few wyverns than have a flying battalion descend on my troops.
but I didn't see a wyvern song on your channel.

[It won't occur to Felix until after he presses 'send' that he's just admitted to listening to Jaskier's channel often enough to know what isn't posted on it. Dammit.

But something in that next part of the message catches his eye.]

white wolf?
is that what people call geralt?
I would guess that it bothers geralt to be labeled a "hero" because he doesn't do it for praise.
it changes the way people look at him.
even if it's a positive change it's still a change he isn't in control of.
but his low opinion of himself complicates things.
so idk.
either way you're helping him with or without the songs.

1/3

[rollstoseduce]

[Jaskier isn't surprised by Felix's explanation - they're riding the wyverns as horses, so as horses they're treated: it's very common for knights to kill their enemy's mount in his world as well. And while he can sympathize with Sylvain's plea (those poor horses -or wyverns or whatever- indeed deserve better) he can't also fault a warrior's actions in self-defense.

But all those thoughts are forgotten when something else catches his attention.]

You've been listening to my music?

2/3

[rollstoseduce]

[Brb, laughing his ass off. Oh, joy! This is going to his ego.]

This realm does not appreciate the idea of monster hunting for rather obvious reasons, so I'm afraid most of my Geralt-related songs haven't been recorded. You didn't truly think I've only written three about him, did you?

You can find all of them in my book, however.

[rollstoseduce]

Yellow eyes, staring; Slanted, deep-set in whiteness; Soft and harsh as snow; His howl a thrilling note; Hear it in the song of the White Wolf! It's catchy, is it not? I had to come up with something that would push that disgusting butcher moniker out of their little bigotted heads and sometimes simplicity is the key! He's a wolf, he has white hair, the poetry writes itself.

He wasn't in control of the negative way people looked (and continue to look) at him either. But to have my work seen and understood is appreciated.

[bestswordmaster]

[Ah yes, there it is. Felix knew the bard would pounce on that like a cat on string. At first he's a little offended - is this seriously the only thing Jaskier's going to respond with after all that? - but then two more messages arrive.

Felix rubs his face with a hand. No doubt Jaskier is laughing at him now, in that loud, obnoxious way he has. Ugh. Well, at least Felix has no intention of telling him how often Toss a Coin plays in his head...]

idk why you have to make such a big deal out of it but
yes I listen to your music.
I did wonder why there were so few songs about geralt.
this world is so strange.
hunting was one of my favorite pastimes at home
but all the animals here are pokemon.
why would I want to read them in a book?
I still won't have heard the songs.
like those lyrics you just wrote here.
I don't know if they're catchy if I can't hear them.
can't you record the songs and put them somewhere private?
then only show them to some people.

[This clearly has nothing to do with Felix wanting to hear the rest of the Geralt songs. It's just a general piece of advice. Obviously.]

what do you mean he's a wolf?
does he turn into one?
or is it just a comparison?

it's true he wasn't in control of that either.
but at least that was familiar to him.
he strikes me as someone who doesn't adjust well to change.
good or bad.

[rollstoseduce]

If you're truly wondering why this is a big deal then I must assume you haven't been paying attention to our interactions for the last five months or so. But oh, what is this? Is that a private concert you're asking for~?

[He called for the sake of Geralt's mental health and now he's being rewarding with some good old ego-stroking. talk about karma!]

Turn into one? Goodness, no! Have you never asked him about the medallion he always wears? There are many a different witcher school, all named after animals - Geralt is from the School of the Wolf. I have used the "lone wolf" comparison as well, as it is a superb way to speak of him being a wolf both literally and metaphorically, but I try not to abuse it: the intent behind my songs, after all, is for him to come off as friendly towards humans.

It depends on the change, I suppose. A man that has lived around a century has seen a lot of it.

[bestswordmaster]

[Felix rolls his eyes.]

you're insufferable.
but that is what you do isn't it?
people hire you to play music for them?
I don't see why it would be so strange for us to do the same.
I suppose we could ask claude to leave the room when you get to the wyvern song.
or you could just record them and send them to us.

[The School of the Wolf. That explains it. Huh.]

huh.
our army calls me "lone wolf" too.
I prefer not to lead a battalion on the field.
I work better as a solo unit.
I can see how that could be counterproductive for you.
I'm sure you remember the indeedee disaster.
one of the notes I received must have been from geralt.
who is lambert?
it was strange to read the name because
dimitri's father was king lambert.

[rollstoseduce]

[The reply takes a while to arrive. There's a lot to say about the idea of a private concert and all, but Jaskier is stuck on the second part of the message, and you know it's a big deal when his thoughts about music get derailed.

So Felix got a card from Geralt, too. That's... huge. And he's happy that Geralt is making friends, he truly is! But he's still working on taming that little voice inside his head that gets bratty and pouty at the fact some people have befriended the witcher so easily while it took Jaskier a long time to get him to warm up to him and share anything. Perhaps, he remids himself, they get to have this thanks to his work on Geralt's social skills. That'd be sweet, wouldn't it? (And ego stroking, let's be honest.)]

Lambert is one of his fellow wolves. Quite a prick, from what I've heard.

[For once, he isn't trying to insult Felix. Just... stablishing facts that may help him understand the card. Speaking of...]

That is quite a curious coincidence. So you thought someone from your world sent it? And Geralt doesn't know about it?

[bestswordmaster]

[Ah. Well, Felix doubts that's why Geralt made the comparison, considering context and, well, Geralt. So this must be Jaskier's interpretation of the man. Unsurprising.

But it means that Geralt thought he would make a good witcher, of his own school...and that he'd resent it just as Geralt apparently does. There must be more to that than Felix knows. But he's not about to spill Geralt's secrets to someone else.]

I see.
no Geralt doesn't know about it.
I didn't even know it was from him until just now.
someone from my world was a possibility but
in context it didn't make much sense to be referring to the former king.
so I just didn't know.

[rollstoseduce]

[That does make sense - Jaskier still has a card he doesn't know whom it came from. After staring at Felix's message for a second, he finally replies.]

I won't tell him you got that card. But you should.

[bestswordmaster]

oh?
I have no objections to doing it.
but why?

[rollstoseduce]

Felix, I will eat my quill if you didn't find the card a tiny bit flattering at the very least. And that's the kind of sentiment he needs to hear. The big oaf is probably ashamed of such thoughts.

[bestswordmaster]

all right.
I suppose I'll tell him then.

[Felix did feel pretty good about the comparison, but he lacks context for the whole 'resentment' bit and doubts Geralt will care to explain it. Not that it matters much, since he's not a witcher here anyway and there are no monsters to hunt. (Unless he counts Geralt's rowdy Dhelmise, which he might.)]

[rollstoseduce]

[....]

Thank you.