hadriel | 003 [Video]

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003 [Video]

[The video feed turns on to show what is probably a strange pair of people to be making a post together. It's also a really, really important post about an incredibly important subject.

Chris offers a small grin and a wave at the camera.]

Okay, so, I feel like I should say that I'm not announcing anything horrible about monsters this time. Just... Making that clear upfront.

[Is everyone relieved? Good.]

Instead, Cashmere and I are taking a super important poll.

[He glances toward Cashmere, waiting to see if she wants to continue from here.]

Very important. [ She agrees and pauses for a moment, fixing her hair in the camera. ]

I'm sure you’ve all noticed Chris and I have something special in common. So we need to know who else out there shares our special quality. Are you blonde?

[ Yes, she is serious. ]

We're here to make sure those of us who are blonde are having the most fun. If you're not having fun, we’ll think of a way to fix that.

[ She glances to Chris. Ideas?

Chris looks over at her in response, then fixes the video with a serious expression.]

Yeah. And if you are having fun, could you like... Tell us your secrets? Because that'd be pretty awesome.

[That covers the totally important stuff, he thinks. Any last remarks, Cashmere?]

Non-blondes need not reply. [ That should win some friends. ]

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Yeah, definitely. I mean, all the different stuff is super cool, but some familiarity's really nice.

We had, you know, the wendigo back in my world or whatever, but we hadn't exactly gotten used to the idea of them before showing up here so I can't say monsters are very familiar. They're more common a thing where you're from?

[And yeah, he definitely agrees with that last part.]

Seeing the sky would be pretty cool. And like, the real sun. Or 'a' real sun, whatever.

Yes, they're simply another part of life back home. They're much more apparent now, though... especially with the war raging.

[ thankfully, they had witchers to help fight back against them. ]

And the stars! It would be ever so nice to see stars again.

Edited 2016-03-17 01:23 (UTC)

What are um... What are they like?

[He's morbidly curious about the monsters of different worlds.]

Yeah. That'd be nice too. Generally not being underground would be great.

Vicious. There are necrophages like ghouls, rotfiends and drowners which are not dreadfully powerful but haunt the battlefields in packs. We have wraiths as well along with vampires and werewolves.

[ she pauses, thinking on all the monsters she has encountered or head of from others. ] We even have great flying beasts like basilisks, cockatrices and griffins. Honestly, there is so many that it would likely take me quite a long time to talk about them all.

[ still, ciri smiles again. ]

I very much agree. Caves were something I ventured into without extreme caution as it seemed there was always something terrible waiting in the dark. It rather hasn't changed here either.

Edited 2016-03-18 02:56 (UTC)

[He's quiet, listening, mentally matching up the monsters he's heard of with their video or roleplaying game counterparts; he doesn't know if they're the same, but if they're even close that all just sounds... Awful. Wendigos were more than bad enough alone, and this place has enough variety in its monster population, but what she's describing seems far worse.]

Wow. That's um... That's a lot. Sounds worse than here.

Yeah, I uh... I'd never really been in a cave before, except like, paid tours or whatever. Not the same sort of thing at all.

Not a huge fan, I've gotta say.

Perhaps but it is home. Thankfully, most monsters are not so bond. They tend to avoid settlements and cities but even if they wander close there are witchers like myself that can be called upon to help.

[ she blinks. ] Some can be very beautiful. It's unfortunate that this one is so... mundane. The park is nice though, I'm glad we at least have that much despite everything else.

Witcher? Is that like, a name for monster-hunters, or something else?

There was a cave I went to with my parents for a tour that was really cool, but it was also not full of monsters and the tour only lasted a few hours.

[So a lot of points in its favor over Hadriel, and definitely over that creepy cave-like tunnel they'd gone through back home.]

The park is pretty nice though, yeah. I think it'd get really old really fast if all we had was rocks everywhere.

Mm, exactly. We're professional monster slayers for hire. We travel the world, taking on contracts and fighting the monsters that haunt others.

[ of course, not all witchers could be said to do this. she thinks of those from the school of the cat, of the ones she shares a medallion with and how they were known to be naught more than assassins. ]

Those caves not full of monsters are always a plus in my book. It certainly would and I'm thankfully for that much, at least. Though I rather wish none of us were here.

That's... That sounds terrifying but also super cool.

[He pauses a moment, then decides to continue.]

There was uh, someone like that that was fighting the wendigos. Back in my world, I mean. I think he was the only person that knew about that before we found out.

[But unfortunately it hadn't ended well, and after seeing that--and how someone so experienced can still die in an instant--he can't imagine how some people can actually hunt monsters as their profession.]

Yeah. Agreed. I'm seriously missing my dorm in the city; I think between the mountain and this place I'm done with nature for awhile.

It is not a life for everyone. In truth, my life could have been very different but I am happy to have be trained as a witcher. Protecting others, I am happy to offer that much.

[ she cannot imagine the life where she resides in some grand castle, the wife of some faraway noble and going through the motions of that life. ]

Those creatures... it is unfortunate that they must exist. The entire experience has left me on edge.

[ if not for her skills, her powers - she could have easily been torn apart. hmm, it might be best to change the subject for now. ]

A dorm? So you are a student then?

Yeah, it's uh... I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for the guy we met, so it's... Thanks, I guess. For what you do.

[She's from a totally different world, but he still means it; that there's people like her, and like the stranger back home, is incredible. That she chose to do what she does is definitely worth respect.

He's fine with letting the subject shift though, not wanting to think too much about the wendigos or what happened to the stranger, and nods at her question.]

Yeah. I was, anyway; I was starting my fourth semester in college.

[A pause.]

Is college a thing in your world?

[ oh, that actually causes a moment of pause in ciri. it's not often thaat she is thanked for her choice of profession, even if she is not a true witcher there is still some that looked at them with disdain or disgust. without thought, she covers her scar and smiles rather brightly.

but, right! the question at hand: ]

Well, it's not a term I have heard used but I figure it's something like the University of Oxenfurt or the Imperial Academy in Nilfgaard. An... institution of higher education, yes?

[He nods at the question; neither of those names are familiar, but it seems like the general idea is right.]

Yeah, exactly. You go and get a degree in a special field so you can have a job in it afterward.

Is the degree required to work in that field? Or is simply something that helps you have an edge or better chance?

[ perhaps it's odd to be so curious but she cannot help it. ]

Do you like school? I never attended one, technically. I was supposed to attend an academy for magic but that fell through before I could start. [ certainly the nicest way to put that entire incident. ] I did study for a time at a temple though.

It depends on the field but a lot of the things you would study you'd need the degree for, yeah.

[He totally doesn't mind questions.]

Yeah, I liked it a lot, even if it I had to actually... Pay attention to do well.

[Which hadn't been his experience in high school. He wants to ask about the magic school thing but is a little concerned it might be a sensitive topic, so he focuses on the temple part.]

Yeah? What was that like?

I understand that well. It was the same while I studied at the temple though sometimes, I admit, it was hard to focus.

[ she rather be out practicing with her sword than learning poetry. ]

At the time, I found it rather boring considering I had recently finished the beginnings of my witcher training. Mother Nenneke was also quite stern but also very warm and understanding. She taught me history, nature, poetry and how to read and write the proper runes. For both Common Speech and Elder Speech at that! Though I had already studied the Elder speech before, thankfully.

[ a grin. ] Then I began training with Yennefer during that time. She's the one that taught me how to properly use magic.

Edited 2016-03-24 02:55 (UTC)

Yeah, and the whole... Social life of college is super distracting.

[And two of his friends had died in his second semester, and their brother--his best friend--dropped out, and there were just kind of a lot of distractions even above and beyond what would be expected.]

Most of that like, goes right over my head, but runes sound pretty cool. Are they used for your magic, or...?

[All he knows of runes he got from video games, but that's usually what they're for.]

Okay, so like, tell me to stop asking questions if I'm prying too much, but what kind of magic is it? What can you do with it?

Oh no, the runes I speak of are of our alphabet. Nothing special about them.

[ she pauses, thoughtful at his words but ultimately shakes her head. ]

Your questions are fine, [ a smile. ] But magic is... well, limitless. It can be used for healing, teleportation, destruction, creating illusions, and altering your own form. Everything depends on the person using the Power, of course but the most powerful can do just about whatever they can imagine.

Oh, okay, that's still cool though.

[Runes just sound interesting in general, even if they're only a normal alphabet.

He's glad she doesn't mind his questions and listens intently as she explains, fascinated.]

Can you do all that stuff yourself?

It can be quite beautiful. [ she shifts away from the camera as she says this, reaching for something nearby before bringing a sheathed sword into view. carefully, she pulls it free and holds it in a way that he can see the runes adorning the silver blade. ] These ones mean Zireael or swallow, it is the word that my name derives itself from.

[ she's so in love with this sword, her proof of becoming a witcher and being able to live the life she wanted. carefully, she brings it down and lets it rest in her lap. ]

I could do little things mostly but I managed to heal a terrible wound and bring rain to a desert. I might have been able to do more but I renounced my magic when I was younger.

Edited 2016-03-27 05:08 (UTC)

[He leans closer to the camera, like that would let him see the sword and the runes better, because omg so cool.]

That's really awesome. Like the bird?

[Okay, that whole 'healing' and 'bringing the rain' things he has so many questions about, but the last part of her response is even more interesting.]

Why'd you renounce it? If you want to say, anyway.

[It's okay if she doesn't; he's a little concerned this might be a sensitive subject.]

Yes, like the bird. Zireael and I'm Cirilla... though I prefer Ciri.

[ she grins, as far as introductions go this is actually a pretty good way to offer her name. still, the questions earns him a frown and she ultimately shakes her head. she brought it up, yes but the wounds are still here. ]

I became scared of it. [ she finally offers, shrugging and easing the tension out of her shoulders. ] As I said, I was never great at it. I'm much better with a sword.

Ciri. Cool. I'm uh, I'm Chris.

[And his name doesn't have any particularly interesting background to it, especially since he's not religious in the slightest.

It certainly doesn't take his skill in reading people to figure out this is definitely a sensitive topic after all, so he doesn't pry any further.]

Swords are great. I mean, not that I could ever use one, but I always thought people that could were super badass.

[ she grins, partly happy for the change in conversation and partly happy for the comment. after all, ciri agrees — it's totally badass. ]

Would you like to learn? How to wield a sword, that is. Even if you don't take to it well, it is still possible skills worth having in a place like this and surrounded by monsters.

[He looks briefly surprised by the offer, not really having expected it, but...]

As much as that would be really awesome, I'm just... I'm like the clumsiest person in the world.

[Enough so that he's kind of afraid to even try handling something like a sword, though he isn't completely saying no. She's definitely right that even if he's not good at it it might end up being useful down the road, though, and any more skills that he could pick up that would be helpful here would be great.]