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[ Geralt has been keeping himself to himself lately, ever since the adventurers had come back from the sea with fragments of the door. The strange emotional effects that swept over the Islands seemed to have struck Geralt, catching him off guard.

He was holding something in his hands, the phone sat on a rock at his side, along with a vast amount of empty bottles of alcohol he'd brought with him. It looked like a woman's coat, old Victorian style with delicate little intricate embodiment around the buttonholes, cuffs and collar. Geralt looked somber, as if the item of clothing meant something to him. ]

I can't tell if this means she's dead or... She was here one moment, gone the next.

[ Okay, so your resident Witcher might be a little bit drunk and emotional, ~~thanks Gods.~~ He's in no fit state to be out alone right now, lord only knows what he might do when his mood changes. ]

Her scent is faint. It's still warm, traces of heat but... I can't sense her.

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「After working at the Speakeasy for a while now, it's not so hard to tell now who is a little intoxicated and who isn't. This one looks like it, might as well need someone to talk to.」

Hey, 「There is this weird kid in the screen, not only the hair is weird but the fact that he looks a little beaten. Not that it matters at all right now to him, enough to not care to show his face in the network, and maybe the older one will not notice in the state he is.」

What happened?

[ Geralt didn't look up at the screen right away, he just kind of turned his face a little in its direction. He'd gotten so used to talking to himself that it was almost a surprise someone else answered.

With a deep sigh, Geralt addressed the question. ]

That's the thing, I can't tell what happened. It's unusual... And I can't sense a thing.

What are you supposed to be sensing?

「Huh, had his powers broken down?」

Little things, details too subtle for most people to notice. I'd normally be able to see where she walked or if there was blood or strong emotions in the area. I can't see or feel a thing.

[ Geralt didn't know if it was just him if his abilities had somehow been nulled? But he doubted it. ]

Try not to focus much on that... It'll probably come back soon. And she... who is she?

[ He looked around at the empty bottles of alcohol... Maybe that was impairing his senses? Though it never had before mind you. ]

Vanessa Ives. Dunno if you knew her or not...

[ Geralt had been keeping himself to himself, she was one of the only people he actually was opening up to and being honest with. ]

「Yep, this guy is definitely wasted. But it probably has nothing to do with that.」

No, sorry. Um... Did you check the network?

[ Intoxicated men make for bad decisions. Geralt was in half a mind to fight the Gods and make them either return the woman he'd lost or make them pay for taking her away in the first place. There was a look in his yellow cat-like eyes. A look of dangerous unpredictability. ]

The network? No. Not seen her on it in a while. Why?

When people leave their name no longer shows in the contact list.

「In case he didn't know.」

Where are you?

[ Geralt didn't know that. This technology was strange to him, he tried to avoid it as best he could. ]

I see... So if I can't find her name, she's what, gone back to her homeworld? She's not dead?

[ He paused a moment, looking around for any landmarks he could give out. ]

Same Island where the Colosseum is, why? You thinkin' about helping me search for her?

Yeah, exactly.

「If she's not dead in her world... that's it.」

... If she's gone, she's gone. She might come back but I was wondering if you were somewhere safe. You're kinda drunk.

「He is being kind. Or maybe not much, he needs to fix that.」

But if that's your heart's desire, I will help you.

[ She might not be dead but Geralt knows the horrible things that hunt her. It's still little relief to know. ]

. . . I think I can handle myself.

[ Said as he wobbles, stumbles a little up onto his feet, knocking over one of the empty bottles. He'd rest on his swords if it didn't mean blunting the tips. ]

My heart does desire it, I'd like to at least try looking for her. Just in case.

「Buddy, you're drunk, go home. Atem just sighs, nothing condescending more than in an 'I knew it' way.」

We will sober you up first. I am in the same island, if you can turn your GPS I'll go look for you, then we can start searching.

「And maybe he can find more cards in the way!」

[ Sorry Atem, he's as stubborn as he looks. ]

My GPS? Hold on, hold on.

[ Old men and technology don't make for good bedfellows. He gets there eventually though! Just took a little messing about with the settings first. ]

Okay, got it. That any help?

[ Cards? Geralt has cards, probably not the kind that Atem is looking for but he'd probably be really interested in seeing them sometime. ]

「Atem waits patiently, he knows the phone can be tricky for some, it was also new and shiny for him once.」

Well done. Yes, it will help.

「The other might just see the kid already on the move.」

I'm coming to get you— What's your name again?

「He could just see the tag in the post but this is easier. It might also gauge how much he's drank, even if he could actually find the gps and all...」

[Have another weird kid; while his face is masked and unreadable his voice is laced with genuine concern, even if he doesn't know the troubled man at all. He's fairly familiar with the pain of loss, which is half why he reaches out. The other half is just instinctual.

Sal is still unfamiliar with the rules and norms of this place, so he doesn't feel right offering any comfort in the form of possible explanations. Especially since he doesn't know what's going on. It seems to him like the man found something that belonged to someone important who possibly isn't around.]

I'm sorry. [Those are two words that can sometimes really bother a person when spoken; he can't blame them, usually they're said emptily. Sal at the very least tries to get his sincerity across when he speaks them, though, not that it would likely mean anything at all coming from a stranger.] What do you mean by "sense"?

[ Geralt picks up on the concern in the boy's tone right away, it actually reminded him of the tone of voice the person he's missing would talk in and for a moment, he was actually hopeful.

Turning to look at the screen, his yellow cat-like eyes narrowed to focus. No, no it's definitely not her. ]

No need to be sorry. You didn't do anything.

[ Geralt gruffed out in his low voice. Moving to sit cross-legged on the floor now, turning the coat over in his hands as he looked at it. ]

I'm a Witcher... I have an ability where I can sense things that others can't. I can see, hear and smell things even a wolf wouldn't be able to... I just can't sense her...

[He notices the look, but doesn't think much of it.]

Oh. Well, if that's the case, then she might have went home.

[He's not sure if that's a comforting thought or not - he supposes that depends on what 'home' is like for a lot of people.]

[ Unfortunately, it wasn't a very comforting thought in the slightest. ]

That's what I'm afraid of. Not just selfishly but...

[ Geralt paused, pressing a hand to cover his own face as he dwelled on what might become of her. ]

... She told me of terrible things that await her, hunt her back home. I don't know which to hope for more. That she's dead and the Gods will bring her back or-

[ No, thinking about it was making him feel worse. So, he took another drink from one of the bottles beside him that still contained some alcohol. ]

[Oh.

The deep frown on Sal's face isn't visible, but he's quiet a moment.]

Who is she?

[Maybe talking about her - not about her missing - but about her - might be a nice distraction. He feels a bit sad there's nothing he can actively do to help, but he also feels compelled to try whenever he sees someone down.]

[Abigail looks over the coat before speaking, making sure she doesn't recognize it as belonging to someone she knows, the she makes eye contact.]

Who? Whose coat is it?

[ Ah, Abigail, Geralt recognised her voice without even having to look up. He sees no need to lie to her, or the urge to pretend to be strong. ]

Vanessa. It belonged to Miss Ives... Don't s'pose you've seen her around right?

[She shakes her head.]

No. I haven't. I'm sorry.

[She stays quiet for a moment, looking at the bottles and then asks.]

Do you have water to drink? Or something to eat?

[ Geralt sighed, there was a bit of him hoping Abigail was going to say yes and that she'd seen her and all was fine, all was as it had been. He was disappointed that much was clear but it wasn't her fault. ]

Hm?

[ Seemed like a strange question to ask, then again, Geralt wasn't being himself, he was over emotional and maybe the drink had gotten to him a little. ]

No, don't think I do. Maybe in one of my satchels... Roach has them and I dunno where he's run off to.

Roach is missing? Will he come back on his own?

[She hopes he will. Losing his horse too would only make things worse. She looks at the video, searching for clues about where he is.]

Which island are you on? Maybe I could keep you company until he comes back. Or I could try to track him.

Normally does. Loyal to a fault but spooks easy. If I called he'd probably come... Depending on how far away he is?

[ Geralt looked around. God, it was bright- Squinting his eyes, felt like he'd downed a whole bottle of Cat-potion, everything with white and painful. Might have overdone it a little with the drink after all... ]

The one with the Colosseum on it, I think... I'm not much company to anyone right now...

[ He's not saying no though. Just having a hard time admitting that he needs someone. ]

[Abigail gives a little nod.] Good. Roach sounds like a good boy. Winston's like that with Will. He's starting to come when I call too. Winston's a dog though, not a horse.

The West Island. That's the one I'm on. I can find you. I can bring some food and water too, pay you back for the meal you shared with me.

[She pauses for a moment.]

And if you want to talk about Vanessa, we can talk about her.

Winston? A dog, huh? So who's Will?

[ He's only asking considering he's already telling Abigail a bit about himself, it only seems fair. ]

That meal was on me, a treat... Though I could do with some water if it's not too much trouble for you?

[ Maybe its to do with the Gods here but Geralt feels more off-kilter than normal, alcohol wouldn't usually affect him this strongly. He pauses for a moment when she mentions Vanessa. ]

Sure, I'd like that.

Yeah, a really good dog. [She pauses, considering how she should answer.] Will's like my family. He saved my life on my world. Him and Hannibal. We were going to be a family there, and live in Europe. But we ended up here instead.

[She gives him a smile.]

It's not too much trouble at all. I'm happy to help.

[She nods.]

Vanished need not mean dead, if it is any consolation.

And even if it is, your friend may yet find her way here again. Stranger things have happened.

[ The voice seemed to come from nowhere at first, catching Geralt off guard. He'd forgotten about accessing the network. Once he realized that's where it was coming from he, sighed and relaxed. ]

It should be a consolation, shouldn't it? Maybe I'm being selfish?

[ That second comment though, that really caught Geralt's attention. ]

What are you saying? People can come back?

[Sorry, Geralt, missing people is still a touchy subject on Fingon's end, so you're still getting vocal responses. It allows a bit more distance. Well. Theoretically.]

If you are, it is a common selfishness. Few among us do not wish for the company of one who is gone.

They have been known to, on occasion. Not most, of course-

[A slight, barely perceptible hitch in Fingon's voice at that-]

-but one can always hope.

I never hope for anything. Too much disappointment can turn you into a Wraith if you don't deal with it before you die.

[ A bit grim maybe but it was his honest opinion. He worried that had Vanessa died, she'd be lost roaming the land as something he'd one day have to hunt down and slay too. It wasn't something he'd wish on his enemies. ]

No...

[ Geralt sighed, gripping the coat tighter in his hands, a slight hint of moisture in his almost glowing yellow eyes. ]

No, I wouldn't want her to come back, not here anyway. Just want to know she's safe... And alive.

Ah, but all the worlds from which we come work differently. In mine, a lack of hope can kill if one is not careful.

[And the sadder part was, quite often that wasn't a metaphor. A member of the Eldar could flee their body in despair, if the grief was great enough.]

If she lived when she departed her home, then she still lives now. If not... well, there are many worlds other than these, it seems. Perhaps she has found a kinder one.

[she takes in the jacket. then the vast number of empty liquor bottles surrounding him. it seems clear to her that the person who owned the jacket meant a lot to him and now she's gone. she swallows down her jealousy at the other person's luck to reply]

It probably means that she went home. Were the two of you very close?

[ Geralt listened to the woman on the screen, pulling the coat closer to his face before touching it to his nose and mouth. It was cruel, it still smelt of her hair and the wildflowers she liked here. ]

It does? Hmm, well...I like that idea more than what I was looking for.

[ He paused a moment. He'd never really thought about how close they were, he just knew that her not being here hurt. ]

Close? I guess we were closer than I realized... She was special, different, fragile but strong at the same time. She'd come to me, talk, laugh, just sit with me in silence for hours... I feel empty without her now.

[Tinya would be flattered to be considered a woman. she's fifteen, which is of age in her world but not around here]

...what were you looking for?

[she waits patiently with a sympathetic--but not too sympathetic--expression on her face]

She sounds like a very special person. I'm sorry that this place took her from you.

[ Geralt doesn't judge age very well. He's the human age of around 90 but to a Witcher, that's not very old at all. Heck, he still thinks of Ciri as a child even though she's a fully grown woman. ]

Blood... Signs of a struggle... Animal or monster prints I could track... Entrails, hair, bones...

[ It was grim but it was what his ability allowed him to see. Disturbing maybe but it disturbed Geralt more that there was nothing at all. ]

She was, is I hope... She told me her secrets and I protected them and her, without even questioning why I was doing so. Beautiful raven hair with a curl at the tips, skin as pale as the moon's reflection on the ice and the bluest eyes I've ever seen, like a Wolf.

[ He turned then, looking to his screen, noticing Tinya... She had very similar eyes that it made him choke up for a second when he saw them. ]

...It's alright... Don't be sorry for me... Kinda used to it by now.

[it's all right, she doesn't judge age very well, either. she can tell that he's obviously older than she is, but beyond that she wouldn't be comfortable judging]

Oh. Is that what you're used to finding?

[it is grim, but she'd been a Legionnaire for almost a year. occasionally, that involved seeing corpses]

It sounds like she was very beautiful and a very special person.

[she genuinely feels awful on his behalf. she's never known anyone who has lost someone here before. while she's still not keen on being here, she knows what it's like to lose people she cares about. she left them all behind when she came here]

You shouldn't be. No one should be used to pain.

[ She seemed nice though and that made Geralt feel bad. For getting her involved maybe? She shouldn't be worrying about him and he shouldn't be acting this way in public. ]

Uhuh. I'm a Witcher. I hunt all manner of monsters, ghosts and ghouls... Normally my senses show me more than the normal person might see... Yet I see nothing now...

[ Geralt smiled a little upon hearing someone, a stranger call Vanessa beautiful and special. He could imagine her smiling all bashful yet modest. But she wasn't here and it hit him like a hammer. Right in the chest. ]

Too late for that now. I'll learn not to get so attached in future.

[ Pulling the cork from a bottle with his teeth, Geralt swigged down what was left of the alcohol inside it. It was hard to drink your problems away when it took you longer than most to get drunk. Still, he'd been trying now for a while. Maybe it was starting to work. ]

[Tinya can be a real spoiled brat when she wants to be, but not in the face of another person's pain]

...then I guess that's it. She's gone home.

[she sees the smile and smiles tentatively back, hoping to make him feel even a little bit better]

I know I don't know you and you don't know me, but please don't let this harden your heart. Caring for others is a strength and it's strength that'll see us through this place.

[uh-oh. drinking one's problems away never helps. all she has to do is look at her biological father to know that]

She just... Just vanished. There are no signs of her whatsoever. Other than her coat... Seems kinda abrupt and well, cruel.

[ Come one Geralt, pull yourself together, you're not normally like this. Just shake it off and move on, it's not like you've never lost anyone before.

It takes Geralt a moment, listening to what she said about not letting his heart harden. It was sweet of her, it really was and for a moment, a small moment, there was almost a tear in his eye. ]

You don't know me, that's true. If you did, you'd know I'm heartless, ice cold, only care about money and my own gain.

[ Not exactly true but hey, it was the popular opinion about Witcher's back where Geralt was from, so why would some stranger think differently here? ]

I don't need strength to get by, I need...

[ Shaking his head, letting defeat take him over instead of saying what he was going to say. ]

This place is cruel. I don't know how long you've been here, but I've had many people tell me that.

[cruel enough to rip her away from her friends mid-battle so she doesn't know if they're okay. or if she's okay.

she watches him earnestly, blue eyes lit with sincerity and empathy]

That can't be true. You cared about the woman you lost. That by itself proves that you're not heartless or ice cold and that you care about more than money.

[she doesn't need further proof to know that he's none of those things and she wants to tell him not to be so hard on himself, but she doesn't know how well that would go over]

Everyone needs strength. Not just physical strength.

[she thinks a moment, then asks]

Where are you right now?

Too long... Well, no, a couple'a months actually but it feels like forever already.

[ Geralt had been mid-battle too before he was sucked up and spat out into this place. He'd been fighting the Wildhunt, trying to protect Ciri and stop their plan. Lord knows what had happened to them all now. ]

I got a few crowns in my purse already but no one seems to use coins currency here anyway. I probably only started caring for her because I was bored... And she kept coming' around like a lost lamb...

[ That's bullshit and even Geralt knows it is as he speaks it. It's just easier to deny his feelings than it is to deal with the fallout of them. Tinya seems smart, observant and kind, he already knows he's not fooling her but he can't help but try.

He takes note of her comment about strength, it seems to ring true to him, though he declines to comment back on it. ]

The Island with the Colosseum on it. I'm actually not too far from there, thought maybe I'd throw myself at a couple of monsters, see if a good fight would settle my mind.

I know the feeling. It's only been a couple of months for me, too.

[that's the worst thing about being pulled into this place mid-fight. the not knowing how the battle ended, if your friends are okay.

no, he's not fooling her. she's always been very perceptive when it comes to people and nobody would. . . mourn for lack of a better word for someone who simply kept coming around]

If you want, I could join you.

[Elena doesn't know who this man is missing, but boy does she relate to being faced with a sudden loss.]

I'm sorry. It happens without warning that way. It's awful.

[ If Geralt wasn't so self-absorbed in his emotions right now, he might have been paying more attention to the people responding to him, taking notes and learning that this kind of thing is common here. Instead, he's too full of grief to really notice. ]

Awful is an understatement... Its damn right cruel, almost malevolent... I'm inclined to think it was done on purpose.

Really? It's always struck me as a matter of indifference. Which feels worse.

[Different strokes for different folks, maybe.]

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