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[angerberg]

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[monsterfucking]

[Fuck.

His face falls once she calls his bluff. And his jaw goes stiff, his limbs stiff with them as his instinct to fight and resist kicks in. Miraculously, he does not raise his fists, though his eyes fixate on Yennefer even when his large arm is taken by the woman's.

He sees it, then. It's her.

He could call her bluff just as easy -- reach for a hand, where they are exposed, and reveal the glow to the crowd. Calling her name would do nothing but paint him a madman to the rest of the party.

Getting them both in trouble here would not serve him any, even if he longs to ruin her day now that he's figured her out.

He pushes the security's hand off of his arm firmly.]

No need. It is worth more than your patrons are willing to pay. But perhaps once you've had some time to think on my offer, you will take the time to contact me.

[Don't make me come after you. And then he turns to collect his "donation" and makes his way out, scowling twice as fiercely.]

[angerberg]

[ Joseph Lynch returns to his wife while Geralt is being walked to the door with his artifact. He goes in for a kiss, and she turns her cheek to him, eyes on Geralt.

The lingering goodbye bothers her in ways she cannot put her finger on. His being here, of course, had nothing to do with a djinn and everything to do with the Displaced. But either of them could easily say the djinn had something to do with the fact that they were both in New Amsterdam at all: where one went, the other would inevitably appear. His doing. She'd said all she had to say to him on that subject.

The politician fumbles a little at the cold reception and asks, 'Who was that?' ]

An unhappy donor. [ She beams up at him after that, gathering her wits and placing her hand on the front of his suit, smoothing his shirt. ] Nothing for you to worry about.

[ It worries her, though — the ways in which Geralt of Rivia could ruin this for her. Enough for her to go through the effort of her newly learned magic, finessing the accounts linked to her implant, and retrieving Yennefer.Vengerberg from its depths, where she had changed all her usernames to that of Lynch's beloved.

And she sends him a message: ]

I hope you aren't expecting an apology. You forced my hand.

[monsterfucking]

You've never apologized before.
Why start now?

You did have a choice. Several, in fact.
You made it.
Don't dance around it.

When can I see you?

[Because, like...you know.]

[angerberg]

I'm sure it's only a matter of time.
You made sure of that.

[ In case he wondered whether the years had eroded any of her bitterness over him stealing her choice, just as Aretuza had. ]

[monsterfucking]

[He hadn’t exactly forgotten, but...maybe it was wishful thinking to believe that this place had undone the djinn’s work.

Not that he would ever wish for such a thing.]

It is different here, Yen.
If I can feel it, I know you can.

[She was just as tied to magic (if not more) than he was.]

[angerberg]

For you, maybe.
Some things never change.

[ She doesn't have what she wants. Not yet. And he must know that she won't simply stop and back down until she has her choice back. It might be possible, for the reasons he has outlined, to break the rules and regain what was lost to her. She'll do anything for that.

No matter what a terrible mother he thinks she'd be. ]

Unless this is your way of saying you plan to help me.

[monsterfucking]

You know that’s not what I meant.

But you’re right.
Some things don’t change.
That includes my ability to help you.
And your qualifications for being a mother.

If you have other goals in mind, I am listening.
You might have noticed there is not much work for a Witcher here.

[angerberg]

Then we have nothing to discuss.
Congratulations on your returned humanity. I hope you find it suits you.

[ Hers never had. ]

[monsterfucking]

Is this what you’re going to do here?
Run around, fuck as many men as you can until one of them gives you a child?

Look around, Yen.
There’s hardly any children in this place.
For every ten men, there is one child.

[angerberg]

This world has better magic, better healers.

[ If anyone can fabricate a uterus from nothing or transfer another's into her, it's this place. That's fact.

Then she'll fuck as many men as she can until one of them gives her a child.

The ordering of steps in her plan is key, Geralt. It could have been you. ✌🏻 ]

[monsterfucking]

[Ok so he was mostly kidding about Yennefer of Vengerberg’s fucking tour, but now that the plan is apparently legitimately on the table, he is. Feeling some kind of way about it.

That would mean they could fix him too. But he isn’t sure he wants it the same way that Yennefer seems to.]

Say you are right.
They fix what Aretuza did to you.
Is this still about the choice, or is it the child?

[angerberg]

When Kings wage bloody wars and steal each others' land to ensure that they'll leave their mark on this world, history writes songs about them.
All the power we have, it would be a shame for it to die with us.

[ That's what it's really about. Legacy. Something permanent that suggests Yennefer of Vengerberg was real, was here, was someone more than a disfigured farm girl with four marks.

'Us' makes it sound like she's sizing him up for the job of helping her with it, but really she just knows that he has the same problem she does — even if he doesn't consider it a problem to the same degree. ]

[monsterfucking]

Would it really be that much of a shame?
We have half that power here.

Half is generous.

[angerberg]

Temporary.

[ She offers this with the confidence of a woman who's surer of her ability to regain her magic than her uterus. It bothers her, though. Obviously. It has occurred to her that right now, she's twice barren, and that she'll kill whoever it was stole from her what she had bought with her womb.

Later.

After she has made use of this place. And it will be effortless, by comparison. She really believes that. ]

[monsterfucking]

Doubtful, if what these Displaced say is true.

[angerberg]

Why would I take their word?
Months they've been here, and despite their abilities they've managed to gain little or no power in this world.
Don't let small minds discourage you.

[monsterfucking]

It's not a matter of being discouraged.
I don't want the same things as you.

What will power do for you, in this world?
Do you plan to build a life here?

[angerberg]

Here, there. What's the difference?
My only family hated me even before they were long dead.

[ She'd left the company of the other sorceresses years ago. Seeking Geralt's had been a mistake. There's no one else she loves. ]

[monsterfucking]

So you've said.

[He...really does not want to have to be on Yennefer babysitting duty the whole time he is here. He'd rather her just calm thee a little.]

I'm done trying to stop you, Yen.
I just don't want you to make choices you'll regret, and can't take back.
Especially if you have the chance to start over.

[angerberg]

All I want is to have a choice.
You know what that feels like. I know you do.

[monsterfucking]

[That isn't it, or she would have said so when he asked her. But pressing on this is only going to drive them further apart.

He doesn't want that. Not when she's the only familiar thing he has here, among other reasons.]

Maybe.
I don't like ultimatums.

[angerberg]

You like giving them.

[ He won't want her as long as she pursues what she wants. He's made it obvious a number of ways. ]

[monsterfucking]

I didn't give you an ultimatum.
I only told you that I didn't want the same things as you.

You might think yourself suited to children.
But I am not.

[angerberg]

You are as they made you.
But you have the power to make yourself something else.

[monsterfucking]

Feels like something I should be happier about.

[But that's just it, isn't it? "Happy" doesn't come easily. Neither does any other emotion. That wasn't just a product of the magic used to make him.

That was the consequence of the years he had needed to put into the profession.]

Some things can't be undone.