Jaskier ♫ The Sandpiper (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rollstoseduce) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
victory_road2021-02-18 04:28 pm
rollstoseduce) wrote in victory_road2021-02-18 04:28 pm
Entry tags:
[Closed] We don't need a holiday, it's time to celebrate
Who: The bard, the witcher and the bird
Where: All over Sevii, starting at Resort Gorgeous
When: Starting on Feb 16th, all February, likely March as well?
Summary: Alittle menace bird child joins two dumbasses in their exploring of the islands and avoidance of winter.
Rating: KIRI IS FOUR YOU TELL ME (expect swearing and stabbing practice tho)
[As far as Jaskier's concerned, this year has been fantastic so far. He's in a utopic new world, and thanks to his best friend being here as well, he's found a new home - never going back if possible. He's made up with said best friend, and they've become closer, he'd like to think, with all the cuddling and their confessions. His fame isn't as big as it was in his world yet, but he's getting there, and the fact he's already living off his music so soon is incredible. He won that contest as well! Ego boost to the max!
Oh, and the prize! What a wonderful prize! The week they've spent in the resort has been amazing. Nothing but the shore, cold drinks, people in swimsuits (including Geralt) and a fun Valentine's game that has rubbed Jaskier's ego even more and given him another sweet moment with his crush. What else can a bard ask for?
They check out of the resort on the morning of the 16th, and Jaskier would be sad they have to leave if it wasn't for all the beautiful beaches they're visiting soon and the fact someone is joining them today: Kiri, his dear protegee. The girl is bloody brilliant, and Jaskier loves teaching her things. She also feels like having a little sister around again, which after what happened with his family is a big fucking deal.
As soon as the bird she's flying on appears in the sky, Jaskier raises his arm to wave at her and call out her name. Kiri can notice Jaskier has adapted his fashion to the island climate: his new look consists of shorts, a red shirt and a t-shirt that says "I'm a Luxury Ball you can't afford". Sunglasses hang on the collar of said t-shirt and a fashionable hat rests on top of his head. His skin looks darker, too, thanks to all the sunbathing he's done.
They wait for her at the resort entrance, and as soon as she lands, Jaskier crouches and offers an open hand to receive her.]
My little lady! It's so wonderful to see you. Welcome to the coast! Is this your first time seeing the sea?
Where: All over Sevii, starting at Resort Gorgeous
When: Starting on Feb 16th, all February, likely March as well?
Summary: A
Rating: KIRI IS FOUR YOU TELL ME (expect swearing and stabbing practice tho)
[As far as Jaskier's concerned, this year has been fantastic so far. He's in a utopic new world, and thanks to his best friend being here as well, he's found a new home - never going back if possible. He's made up with said best friend, and they've become closer, he'd like to think, with all the cuddling and their confessions. His fame isn't as big as it was in his world yet, but he's getting there, and the fact he's already living off his music so soon is incredible. He won that contest as well! Ego boost to the max!
Oh, and the prize! What a wonderful prize! The week they've spent in the resort has been amazing. Nothing but the shore, cold drinks, people in swimsuits (including Geralt) and a fun Valentine's game that has rubbed Jaskier's ego even more and given him another sweet moment with his crush. What else can a bard ask for?
They check out of the resort on the morning of the 16th, and Jaskier would be sad they have to leave if it wasn't for all the beautiful beaches they're visiting soon and the fact someone is joining them today: Kiri, his dear protegee. The girl is bloody brilliant, and Jaskier loves teaching her things. She also feels like having a little sister around again, which after what happened with his family is a big fucking deal.
As soon as the bird she's flying on appears in the sky, Jaskier raises his arm to wave at her and call out her name. Kiri can notice Jaskier has adapted his fashion to the island climate: his new look consists of shorts, a red shirt and a t-shirt that says "I'm a Luxury Ball you can't afford". Sunglasses hang on the collar of said t-shirt and a fashionable hat rests on top of his head. His skin looks darker, too, thanks to all the sunbathing he's done.
They wait for her at the resort entrance, and as soon as she lands, Jaskier crouches and offers an open hand to receive her.]
My little lady! It's so wonderful to see you. Welcome to the coast! Is this your first time seeing the sea?
no subject
[Geralt, on the other hand, has a complexion that refuses to do anything but burn if exposed too long to the sun, and he has therefore been diligent with applying sun creams because he doesn't enjoy looking like a boiled crab. He's been able to avoid any burning thus far, and has also kept the exact same pallid appearance that he's always had, possibly made all the starker for the fact that while the season and climate may change, his black clothing doesn't.]
[And now there is a child with them.]
[She seems like a fine child, as far as children go-- Jaskier speaks highly of her, anyway, and Geralt's limited interactions with her have been fine. It's been a very long time, though, since he'd been in a child's company for any extended period. And most of those children had been trainees at the Wolf school, not normal children. Geralt doesn't really know what to do with a normal child, but apparently he's going to find the fuck out.]
[Thankfully, Jaskier seems to have it in hand for the moment. Geralt just gives the girl an acknowledging nod in greeting, because that's totally how you interact with children, you big goth himbo.]
Kiri.
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Warmer! [Then mimicking Jaskier.] First time.
[Her smile has more than a little mischief in it when she turns and curtsies at Geralt, however.]
Hmm!
[Yes, she remembered.]
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Warmer indeed! Isn't it the perfect spot to winter at? I shall be your guide in this first-time experience, then. And I've come prepared! [He takes out two paper bags from his bag and hands one by one to Kiri.] These are nectars for your Oricorio, so now you can make them change forms whenever you want. And this is a sundress. We can't have you wearing your winter clothes here, can we? We can find you a private spot for your change before we start exploring, if it pleases you.
[The sundress (if it can still be called that) is made of a light, fresh fabric decorated with all the different Vivillon partners. Jaskier had thought of getting her something with birds on it, but this was too cute and colorful to ignore.
After Kiri has her gifts, he turns to Geralt.]
Kiri has been learning many a thing from me, but there's one thing she wants and I cannot offer: self-defense. Think you can give her some pointers? She's an excellent student, very eager.
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[Jaskier, of course, showers her with gifts, bestowing upon her new clothes and nectars for her Pokemon like she's a favorite niece that he wants to dote on. Geralt foresees an exponential increase in the size of their traveling bags in the near future, and is already performing the mental math as to how many new sundresses and other such things can fit in them and how much Roach can carry.]
[But, in the meanwhile, she apparently wants to learn how best to defend herself, and this is an area that Geralt is uniquely suited for. He knows what to do with someone who wants to improve their ability to stab a man.]
You certainly cannot. I fear for your toes any time you pick up a sword.
[Jaskier is a man who had clearly once had tutors who had tried to instill some amount of skill with a blade into him, but he didn't have the desire to pay attention long enough to learn more than the most basic things. His grip is all right, and he can put his feet into the right stance, but once you try to get him to move or strike, it turns into a mess.]
[To Kiri,] If you're willing to learn, I can teach you. A girl should know how to defend herself.
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Thank you! Thank you for your help! Stabbing is fair if it's in self defense.
[She knows the first rule already, so she tells Geralt proudly in some other man's voice.]
Be careful; it's sharp!
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[Jaskier gasps when Kiri hugs Geralt and hurries to take out his gear and take a picture. Later, when they're camping for the night, he'll make that picture Geralt's wallpaper. Make him have a daily reminder that not everyone is scared of him, not everyone thinks he's a monster. He's allowed to have friends and seek touch.]
Very well! We can start all kinds of lessons when we camp then. Now it's time to start exploring these mysterious islands! I hope you've asked for this-- pager thingy when you arrived, my little lady, although I suppose it wouldn't be hard for you to ride on a Lapras with either of us.
[Considering she's small and all! He takes out his pager and stares at all the Luvdisc in the sea that are still following them around - how is he supposed to call for his ride when the waves are so crowded? Is this going to be a thing during the whole vacation? And what if the three of them don't fit on one Lapras, will they have to shout to each other over the sound of hundreds of pink hearts swimming between them?
Thinking about this little communication issues makes him realize something.]
Oh! Now that you have a party, Kiri, you're going to need some new phrases. [He proceeds to repeat some words for her, making a pause in between each of them so she can repeat them, just like they do in their classes on the gear. At least these ones are short and sweet, easy to follow: help, over here, follow me, look at that, what is this, I need a break, let's go, plus Jaskier and Geralt's names so she can call for them if needed. He turns to Geralt when he's done.] Am I forgetting anything?
[Come on, Geralt! Your turn to impart wisdom!]
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[Geralt pats her head. That seems sufficient.]
Stabbing is fair in those circumstances.
[Good girl. If she knows that blades are sharp and that men who bother her and don't stop should be stabbed, she's halfway there.]
[Jaskier takes her after that to teach her more valuable phrases, things that she might need to use to alert the bard or witcher of something. Once he's gone through a sizeable list, he turns it over to Geralt's infinite wisdom.]
Hm. [He considers this. He must impart knowledge to this child.]
Shut up, Jaskier, is an important phrase. As is quiet, bard.
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YOU! You churlish son of a--!
[It's then that an idea hits him, and Jaskier suddenly grins. How do you insult a man that isn't fazed by insults? That most of the time he thinks he deserves it?
You don't.
Jaskier crouches next to Kiri, and whispers some phrases in her ear. Now that Geralt doesn't have super hearing anymore, catching him by surprise is actually an option. And what are those phrases? Well...
Geralt, you're a wonderful person.
Geralt, you're a friend of humanity.
Geralt, you're my friend.
Geralt, you're a hero.
Let's see you trying to tell the four-year-old that she's wrong about those, witcher.]
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Jaskier, you're a friend of Geralt. Geralt, you're a friend of Jaskier!
Jaskier! Geralt! You're-- You're my a hero!
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[But, grammar mishaps aside-- you're my hero. Geralt hates it when Jaskier paints him with that kind of brush, romanticizing him into something that fits with his ballads. It's one thing to exaggerate and hyperbolize Geralt into some heroic figure to make coin, entirely another to do it outside of a banquet hall.]
Don't listen to the bard. I'm not a hero. [Heroes aren't real, and even if they were, they wouldn't be witchers.] I did my job. Nothing more, nothing less.
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..and then of course Geralt has to ruin the mood. Jaskier huffs - what can't they have nice things?]
Don't you get it, you big oaf? She made that sentence herself! Allow her to express her feelings and show some gratitude for a change, would you? Besides, you are a hero. You defeat monsters and save people, make their lives easier. That's the very definition of it.
[Don't fight him on this one - he is a walking dictionary and he knows how to use it!
He pets Kiri's head.] Excellent job, little lady - you've come a long way! Now, let's get going, shall we?
[His pager is taken out and a Lapras is summoned on the waves, making the Luvdisc scatter... for about ten seconds before they crowd around the big blue guy. They aren't getting rid of them any time soon, are they?]
Are you riding with us, Kiri, or you'd rather surf on your own? We're visiting the cave at the end of this island, and then we can follow the routes natural path to explore the rest of it.
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Hero is job! Welcome to the Mighty Nein!
[She means 'adventurer' really, but there's really no difference in her mind. The answer to Jaskier's question doesn't even take thought.]
All together! All together!
[And her bird companions can stretch their wings and hunt fish at the same time.]
March 6th
So yes, things have been looking up. And thank the gods for that, considering they have a four-year-old with them now. A four-year-old that sleeps in their same room and so they can't walk around their underwear (or naked) anymore, but that's fine. Her company is important. Even when she enters little shit mode and tries to play matchmaker - she's so lucky Jaskier loves her. It's also curious she's decided to share a room with them! He would've thought this new goal of hers in trying to get them together would've made her give them ~alone time~ or some other similar crap.
But no, they all sleep together and well in the same room on their comfortable beds.
Or that's what Jaskier thinks, anyway. That's what he sees when he falls asleep.
They haven't been staying many nights in inns in Sevii, it's mostly been exploring. So it's no wonder that Jaskier doesn't notice anything until tonight, when something crashing snaps him awake. Are they being attacked? Has a cuckold husband finally found him? He stretches his arm to shake the witcher next to him...
And finds the bed empty. What the fuck.]
...Geralt?
[With the islands being so quiet and warm, the windows are open, letting in the soft light of the Moon and the stars. So when Jaskier looks around the room, he quickly finds the shapes of his companions: Kiri is still on her bed, and Geralt... is on the floor. Thrashing.
Nightmare.
It's not the first time Jaskier finds him having one, and Geralt has always warned him not to come close when it happens. It is the first time, however, Jaskier finds him in a different spot for it, and that makes him extra worried. So he does what Jaskier does best: ignore what Geralt advices him and go for it anyway.
He throws the covers off him in a seconds, not even stopping to think about. Calling out Geralt's name, he comes closer, ready to shake his friend awake... and ends up being pushed off instead, landing against a nearby chair and hitting his shoulder against its edge.]
...fuck.
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Go fuck yourself.
[That's about when her sleepy mind recognizes when something's wrong and she shoots up, casting frightened looks around the room. She sees Geralt on the floor thrashing, and Jaskier in pain. Her first act is to hop down from the bed and grab her butter knife.
She places herself between Geralt and Jaskier and the rest of the room, waving the knife around at the shadows.]
I killed people!
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[At least, he hadn't until tonight.]
[Geralt had taken up his usual sleeping place on the floor after the bard had drifted off on the bed. It's the safest sleeping arrangement for them, anyway, and it's not much different from when they had first started traveling together. When the bard was a fresh-faced lad of eighteen, Geralt would let him take the bed when they split the room, and he would sleep in his bedroll in front of the fire. The witcher has slept on far worse places than a wooden floor.]
[He hadn't anticipated the severity of tonight's dreams. Though Geralt is usually as quiet and stoic while dreaming as he is while awake, tonight his foot lashes out and strikes Jaskier's ukulele case, which he had propped up against the bedframe. It clatters to the ground with a faintly musical jangle, and the racket of it rouses both of his companions. In defiance of everything that Geralt has told him, the bard tries to shake him awake, and gets the response that he had been warned of-- violence.]
[Not terrible violence, thankfully. Geralt shoves him away as he wakes, mistaking the sensation of hands on him in the night for attackers. He sits up and reaches for swords that aren't there, too-human heart hammering, and the sound of Jaskier cursing in the dark reminds him of where he is. There is no attack, there's just a bard and a little girl. His hands shake from the adrenaline rush, so he clenches them tight until they stop.]
Fuck.
[Kiri is awake as well, and waving her little butter knife around as though to fend off an assailant. Geralt desperately wishes that he didn't have to be dealing with this, not after just coming out of a nightmare and not sure of what kind of damage he'd done to Jaskier. He has been trying very hard for the past few months not to harm the bard-- a task that shouldn't be that difficult, and yet somehow he keeps failing at it.]
It's fine, Kiri, no one's here. [His voice is rougher than he'd like.] It's nothing. A dream. Go back to bed.
[He leans up to the bedside table and fumbles with the lamp until it's on; his nightvision isn't good enough anymore to assess Jaskier in the dark. He wants to touch his shoulder and assess the damage, but keeps his hands to himself. Done enough damage for one night.]
Dammit, Jaskier, I told you not to wake me.
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Certain witcher, however, isn't encouraging at all.]
No, Kiri, don't go back to bed. [It seems the softening hasn't lasted long, huh? Jaskier is frowning when he stands up and pats her on the shoulder.] We're slaying a monster tonight - the one eating this big oaf's brain!
[Not the best of his insults, but hey, he's sleepy, sore and indignant. Give him a break. He freaking stomps towards Geralt and drops his hands on his hips in his usual offended housewife pose, and the sudden movement makes him wince because it pulls on his shoulder.
That's fine, he can whine and ask for attention on it later. Right now it's pique that fuels him.]
Oh nononono, don't you dare to put this one on me! You've told me many a thing, witcher - including accepting to stick to our sleeping arrangement. What the FUCK are you doing on the floor, you bloody nincompoop? [He throws a hand in the air - the one belonging to the not-currently-sore shoulder.] It's as if you ENJOY worrying us!
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No! All together!
[That's how you take care of night terrors! So She grabs Geralt's wrist at puts all her strength into it.]
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I'm on the floor to avoid exactly fucking this.
[Not just the nightmare waking thing, but also this entire conversation and the upset child, too. Because Jaskier couldn't just leave him to his bad dreams, Geralt sleeps on the floor and now Jaskier is awake and acting like a housewife at him, which is entirely unfair because Geralt's getting all of the detriments of having a wife with none of the benefits, and Kiri's awake too and no one's getting a good night's sleep tonight. Jaskier gets cranky when he doesn't get enough sleep.]
[Kiri grabs his wrist and tugs; he lets her move his arm, but the rest of him stays put. For a moment, Geralt wishes that he'd been eaten by a kikimora fifty years back so that he would at least have some peace.]
We'll all go back to sleep, Kiri. [Geralt doesn't know what a father is supposed to sound like, but it's probably this. He is very tired.] Just go back to your own bed.
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[...not even when he accidentally groped him. Fuck. Is that what all this is about? Jaskier deflates, arms falling to his side, wincing a bit at the pulling of his shoulder.]
Bollocks. Geralt, don't tell me you've been sleeping on the floor since Valentine's Day. Unbelievable.
[The last word is mumbled before he sighs. It's not like Jaskier had expected Geralt to get over the incident the very day that happened, and honestly for Geralt to still feel guilty about it is pretty normal, but to ignore Jaskier's assurance to his extreme? Wow, just wow.
Shaking his head, Jaskier speaks again as he lowers himself to the ground to lie down next to his friend, wincing once more when his shoulder touches the hard surface.]
I trust you. Why can't you trust my word as well? [He turns to Kiri then and offers his open hand to her.] What about you, my little lady? Do you trust Geralt? Are you afraid of him?
First week of August
...like adopting mutant dogs, apparently. Oh dear.
Jaskier hadn't planned on adding more Pokémon to his roster, but after seeing Geralt's -very understandable- reaction, his protect-the-himbo instincts kick in and he asks for a form to fill himself. The more he reads the less this is just for Geralt, the information is chilling (to say the least) and he wants to help as well.
Filling the form takes him seconds, paperwork being second nature to him after years in Oxenfurt University. So after he's done with his own, he makes sure to check his companions' - neither of them has the best handwriting in the world, let's be honest, or know how to use big, convincing words. They're incredibly smart people (or witcher and bird) and Jaskier trusts them with his life, but he also wants them to look good on paper.
He doesn't get to check Geralt's. His brain stops working as soon as he notices the words Kiri used on her form.
traveling with dad and dad
dad and dad
dad
The world around him disappears for a moment as panic kicks in. This can't be happening, can it? How did he get here? What does it imply? Does Kiri truly consider them her... her... He can't bring himself to say it, even in his mind. But as soon as the receptionist takes their forms and tells them to wait, Jaskier mumbles a-]
Berightback.
[-before rushing outside, breathing heavily. If Geralt and Kiri decide to follow him, they'll find him pacing in front of the Silph Co building, constantly bumping against people and not even apologizing for it. He's that distracted and distressed.]
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[He tells Kiri to keep filling out her forms and then stands to follow after the bard. Something's the matter and he will, apparently, have to figure out what it is.]
[What could have possibly distressed him so much in the past minute?]
Jaskier.
[He keeps bumping into people as though they aren't there at all-- highly unusual behavior. Geralt reaches out and grabs him by the wrist, using it to pull him out of the flow of foot traffic. If you're going to panic, bard, at least do it where you aren't a well-dressed speed bump.]
Jaskier. What is it?
[When does Jaskier ever pass up an excuse to talk?]
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DAD! [He suddenly cries out in the same wait he could be alerting Geralt that there's a striga nearby. He's nervous and scared in a way not even Yennefer got out of him.] Kiri, she-- on the paper she wrote-- dad and dad! Me! You! Us! I'm not-- I cannot be--
[He shakes his head, trying to chase away all the thoughts that try to haunt him when the word father appears in his mind, but he can't. It's too much, too overwhelming. A pseudo-uncle he can do, but a father? Wouldn't that change his life completely? How many responsibilities does he have under his belt now? How many has he been failing at already by letting Kiri run loose as she's been doing all this time?
And what kind of father would he even be when his model was-- ugh. He shivers when thinking about him.]
...I can't do that to her.
[It's almost a whisper, and he sounds terrified.]
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[Dad.]
[Right. Okay. That's also probably a reason for his voice to jump a few octaves.]
Hm.
[Geralt also isn't exactly the role model for World's Best Father, nor did he ever have particularly shining examples of fatherhood when he was young. He's a witcher. Boys that come under the care of witchers either leave it as witchers or as a corpse. He has no business being a father to anyone, and certainly not to an innocent child, thrust upon him by the whims of destiny. And with Kiri--]
[Well. To take a truly honest stock of the situation, they've essentially spent the better part of a year being guardians to her. They've kept her safe, fed her, clothed her, treated her kindly. Jaskier has doted on her as an uncle might to a favorite niece, or perhaps as a father might to a favorite child. Geralt has taught her to use her little knife (and far kinder and gentler than he was ever taught to use a blade), and carried her when she was tired, and indulged her whims.]
...Fuck.
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And Geralt is holding Jaskier and they both look upset. And the fuck. Something is very, very wrong!!! She runs up to them, worry on her face and tries to hug both of them at once, probably around the knees.]
Dad! Dad!
[It's... not a mimicry. No kind of imitation. In her worry, Kiri's real, natural voice (at least as a human girl) comes out of her throat, because she's too upset by the possibilities chasing themselves around her head to focus on another voice to mimic. So just the voice of a worried little girl calling out to her parental figures.]
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...that is, until Kiri comes out and says The Word™ with her own bloody voice. While hugging them. Bollocks. Jaskier's heart aches, and he can't help sharing a look with his witcher.]
...fuck indeed, my dear.
[He sighs as he buries his fingers on Kiri's hair, petting her kindly. This still feels all sorts of terrifying, but having her here with them, trusting them with her safety as she's been doing for the last few months, makes it feel a little less wrong. As if it could be an actual thing he could accept in his life.
He is still unsure, though. He isn't dad-material. And, most importantly, he's never wanted kids. Not because he dislikes children, but because of what would mean. Yet... haven't they "had" Kiri since February? What does "having a kid" mean for their life in this realm?
After the disaster with Claude, Jaskier promised Geralt he would be more careful with his communication. This is the kind of situation that should have him talking in detail about what he's feeling - but that's the kind of thing you do with other adults. Saying aloud what he's thinking would break this little girl's heart.
So trying to thread lightly, he chooses a more neutral question, so to speak, to get them started.]
Kiri, my little lady... should you be calling us that? What about your family at home?
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Mama and Dad... left me-- in the swamp. Jester sent message. No answer; they died. Probably.
Mighty Nein left me.
Jaskier stays! Geralt stays!
[And then she hugs them again.]
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[And yet... here they are.]
[Geralt reaches down and lifts her, holding her on his hip as he had many times before-- when she was tired, or wanted to see something that was too tall for her, or simply because she had demanded it. And it's the easiest way to return her little desperate embrace without having to kneel down to do it.]
We aren't going to leave you.
[That's a true enough statement. Even with the... issues around the word father, it's not as though he or Jaskier would just leave Kiri alone somewhere, to completely fend for herself. She's an independent sort of girl, but he couldn't just drop her off somewhere and turn away.]
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He still feels he can't do this, that she deserves better... her hug, her faith in them is both flattering and nerve-breaking. He's being handled something fragile - it fills him with pride and affection, but also fear of breaking it.
There's one thing he and Geralt agree on, though: no matter how this makes them feel, they aren't going to leave her. She's part of their life now. And if when the witcher picks her up and holds her on hip something in Jaskier's chest flutters, well... who is he to deny such warm feelings, regardless of how complex and intimidating they are?
It feels nice. It feels... well, not completely right, but not as wrong as he would've expected it to feel.
Wait. Maybe they can do this? Huh.]
It's true. You have us. [He says as he comes closer to kiss her temple and pet her head some more, since Geralt has the hug covered. He considers adding more, but a promise doesn't sit right with him considering the nature of this realm and its bad habit of sending people home without asking. Rude.] You can count on us, my little lady. We like having you around, teaching you and spoiling you rotten. I just ask you to be patient with us. That word you used for us... we aren't exactly... [He gulps.] Father material. It's hard for us to come to terms with it.
[What is "having a good dad"??? Do you eat it?]
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[Kiri reaches out and pats both of their faces.] Good... dads.
[That last is in her own voice, this time intentionally. So is the next, as stuttered and hesitating as it is.] Try and learn. Get better. Most important part.