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[divinityfrompain]

Uhhh roll call? I know I'm not the only one who suddenly found herself elsewhere. Thorne's ... real interesting.

If someone in Solvunn could check on the orchardists, I would appreciate it, they're a really nice family and they'll be worried.

Comments

[ushiri]

I landed in the Free Cities.

If anyone in Thorne wants to mind the bicycles, I'd appreciate it. There's 2 of them.
If you have trouble with anything, Sergeant Ward has been understanding in the past.

[princeofruin]

Great Greagor, you are far, my friend. Take caution.

I shall look after the bicycles in your stead. If you've anything else that needs tending, my time is available. I remain in Thorne. I fear you and your sort have found a particular sort of luck in this... magical misadventure.

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[ushiri]

Thank you. I'm hoping this is all a blessing in disguise.

My roommate Jack is still in Thorne, if you need any help herding newcomers. It sounds like the crown is treating them reasonably?

[ And not like, tossing anyone in the dungeons. ]

private forever

[princeofruin]

A blessing? Were you looking for escape from Thorne? Not that I should blame you for it.

Thank you. I shall aid them as I am able. Considering they are newly taken to a throne taken through gilded daggers and blood, they are being... respectable. They are being treated as wayward guests.

What of your own experience? I should think Thorne and the Free Cities would especially be biting at the bit to take hold of the other's Summoned.

[ushiri]

I meant the possibility that the territories might be forced back to diplomacy, especially with their lands affected by the earthquakes.

Sidwell's position is already weak from the hits Thorne took during the battles over the summer. Stirring us all up right now likely isn't the trouble he needs on top of everything else.

[ but also, he's not wrong about the first point - ]

The Free Cities is letting us roam loose. There's someone important to me here, I'm staying with him now. I mean to stay with him, even if they want us to return.

[ He feels a stab of guilt for this, as he'd felt explaining to Lucifer, and then Istredd. Dion is only the third person he's told now. He doesn't know him as well or as long as the other two, but he trusts him not to say anything to anyone else. ]

[princeofruin]

[Ah. He should have known Kyle's thoughts tended towards the world as a whole, not his personal desires.] A very tentative diplomacy, but one of equal measures on both sides, it seems. I have the same hope as you.

[It seems he was correct in his first assumption. Truthfully, Dion is glad for it.]

Then I am beyond glad you've the opportunity to be with him. You should take it, and savour it. [He knows well what it means to lose someone important to you... but also, what it means to have a second chance.] There is nothing in Thorne more important than that. I will pray you can remain there, as you wish, my friend.

[ushiri]

Thank you. It feels strange, and unearned, sometimes. And selfish. But he makes me happy, and I want to be close to protect him, for whatever else may come at us next.

I hope you find a reason to be selfish too, Dion.

[ To stave off his curse, and to live. ]

[princeofruin]

I know well such feelings, and as much as I wish you should not feel them, I know too such a request is impossible. They are not so easily torn away. I hope, with time, you will have felt you earned such good tidings.

I intend to, with enough time. Whatever you may have left behind, I promise to take care of it, if it is needed.

[godshattering]

How is it that the one time I end up in Thorne unexpectedly you aren't here to greet me?

[ This is obviously the important part of everything happening. Clearly. ]

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[ushiri]

It's our tragic fate.

Do you remember Jack? He's still there.

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[godshattering]

Well-- actually, never mind. I'm not going to finish that thought and tempt fate.

[ Probably best to not even jokingly wish for a new fate right now... given... everything... ]

I remember Jack. He gave me a... hair dryer, I think it was called, back when we were in the Pit. [ Actually an important detail - to Claude - and he considers that memory momentarily before continuing. ] I remember you asking me to keep watch over him back then, too. He's someone you trust?

[ushiri]

Probably for the best...

Yes, he's still my roommate too.

Did you arrive with anyone else from Cadens?

[godshattering]

[ Jack being someone Kyle trusts is all Claude really needs to know to trust him, too. ]

That's good to know, and there's quite a few other Summoned also from the Free Cities though not everyone I was with when we left the Nether. It seems even going through the portals around the same time wasn't enough to keep us from being split up.

[ushiri]

Well, try not to cause too much trouble.

[itookashot]

What??? Absolutely not, come back right now.

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[godshattering]

[ Oops - ]

If I'd had my choice of places to go when we'd rushed through those portals, it certainly wouldn't have been here. I don't think Thorne's going to be particularly eager to let us go back through them.

[ There's a distinct pause. And then, after Claude's thought about it for a moment: ]

That's not a sign to try coming here, Jesper. Stay where you are if it's safe. More importantly: are you safe?

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[itookashot]

They are not allowed to keep you, you're mine and I will walk there myself if I have to.

[godshattering]

Is that also an answer about whether you're somewhere safe?

[ Because rescue plans would be the opposite of that!!! ]

[itookashot]

I'm still in Free Cities helping people settle in at the inn.

[theidlemaiden]

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥?! 𝘒𝘺𝘭𝘦! 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳-𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.

𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦, 𝘒𝘺𝘭𝘦.

[ Who is "our", you ask? Don't worry, the answer to that will be answered shortly. ]

𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘵 - 𝘒𝘺𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮!

[ushiri]

Our love was cursed from the beginning...

Are you in Thorne too? What do you need?

[ He assumes, since Geralt is there... ]

[theidlemaiden]

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰.

𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺. 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘴. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘶𝘯𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐.

[ushiri]

Claude's let me know already.

[ he's only a little worried ]

Alright, what is it?

[theidlemaiden]

𝘏𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺.

[ And as much as she wants the reassurance that Claude will be okay there is something of equal importance. ]

𝘞𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘵. 𝘎𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴! 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴.

[ushiri]

He'll be alright. A few of us made it back to Thorne, so it won't be just those who are new.

[ Claude's familiar with Dion, so that's good. It's not going to be like when they were all kidnapped and they lost contact, either. ]

Geralt helped you with a gift basket?

[ really... ? ]