Notched Arrows

[ 💭 ] does your muse have imaginary friends? did they have any as a child?

[ 🩹 ] what does your muse do to de-stress?

@outfoxxd

Does your muse have imaginary friends? Did they have any as a child? 

        No. Anwir never really had an imaginary friend-- And he doesn’t have any currently. 

What does your muse do to de-stress? 

@cosmixchaotic | A Vivid Memory

Aedirn was a place like any other-- Yet it was also one of the most lucrative for a witcher. The kingdoms strong economic position made it an ideal place to search for work of any sort-- And there were more people who had more than enough coin to pay a fair amount for the witcher's services.

It was only a matter of his services being needed-- Something that would come about sooner or later, in his experience. Aedirn's location amidst the mountains made it prime hunting grounds for a variety of monsters, after all.

... And yet it was not the standard contract that had grabbed his attention. Rather, there was one signed off with an official seal. Not quite from the royal family, but someone close enough-- More than likely a court mage. Nonetheless, it was an individual who was looking to hire a witcher, though the details would only be disclosed upon meeting the aforementioned person.

He was made a Witcher around the same time as Vesemir, possibly a few years before him.

Was captured by a court mage around five years before Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert were made Witchers. Possibly in Aedirn? I haven’t really decided.

This is the reason he survived the raid on kaer morhen: he wasn’t even there.

Killed the sorcerer who held him captive during his escape, making him a wanted criminal for the murder of the king’s mage.

He is completely out of practice when it comes to fighting after his escape. Being locked up and used as a Guinea Pig for years doesn’t give you the chance to train like a Witcher should.

Has several extra mutations from his time imprisoned. Some useful, some straight up detrimental. Not sure on the details yet.

“Actually, people want me dead for most reasons other than my self-importance, but I’m glad that you’re catching on. Do you know what it was you were sent after me for? I’ve some idea, of course, but I do always like to hear what your impression of me is. It’s difficult to tell if I’ve given the wrong one.” 

If Cayo is perturbed at all by the threat of death, he doesn’t show it. It’s possible his fascination extends even to the idea of his own. “I’ll take the knife in the back as a limit when it happens. If you really dislike it, you can stab me. But I’m not sure that you do. You’ve tolerated it this long, and for what reason? Surely you made more money before you began guarding me—didn’t you?”

Cayo laughs, clasping his hands behind his back. He has a peculiar way of teasing others, and interacting in general, but it always delights him to do so. He’s not gotten much of a chance before now. Admonishment after admonishment had almost managed to suck the life out of him, some years ago, and even after his freedom there were few who did not respond violently. His delight only swells when Elwin answers his impulsively asked question.

“Really? How fascinating! And that’s real, you say? I should love to someday poke around, aha… Not that I plan on it, but it’s a fanciful little dream I’ve just gained.” Cayo turns, jabbing Elwin in the side with two fingers. “But you are terribly macabre, my friend. Or at worst you’re terribly dull. Fairy-tales aren’t supposed to warn you away from anything that might actually become relevant to you! Primarily, I suppose they’re meant to entertain. To delight, even. Do you really have nothing like that? How very, very dull. And macabre.”

“At least you acknowledge it as a glaring flaw,” Elwin responds, falling silent for a short moment to consider the detective’s question. “To give you a straight answer, however; I’ve no idea. The why was never of importance in my profession. Even if it is incredibly politically charged at times, a job is simply that. A task to carry out for coin. Nothing more, nothing less.” 

Nonetheless, the opportunity to avoid discussing the reason that he had chosen to spare this idiotic detective had presented itself, and Elwin easily allowed the topic to shift back to the tales of his childhood. “You would not wish to do that. It is quite an awful place. Cages strong enough to keep one of our own contained while he is in great pain from the scent of unattainable blood-- As humans were bled dry all around him.” 

To a human, it is quite macabre-- But it is simply a part of history to Elwin. An event that served to show all of their kind the consequences of making themselves too known. Of allowing humans to buzz around them like flies or mosquitos. Nothing seriously dangerous, yet still completely annoying. 

@openedbooks

@notchedarrows​ ( elwin ) / continued. ( cayo )

“Well, I’m very important.”

Cayo carries walking, paying no mind to the vampire he’s leaving in the dust. Elwin will surely catch up, because he’s been nothing but reliable to Cayo so far, if having a penchant for teasing. Cayo doesn’t particularly mind that, either. It’s nice to have someone so exciting around.

“I think if they did talk, they should speak to me. Do you know that about me, that I hold myself in that high of a regard? It is only because of that that I can stand your jabs, Mei-mei. Oh, that’s cute—I rather like that, so I think I’ll carry on using it. Mei-mei.” He sighs with a dream-like quality, eyes on his surroundings rather than the path ahead. It’s true, he’s always been a sort of fanciful person despite his intellect, but if his studies have taught him one thing it’s that anything is possible, and never to expect an ordinary situation from the world.

Elwin is a prime example of that philosophy—or rather, higher vampires as a whole. It hadn’t exactly been common knowledge that such an order of vampires existed in their world, nor were their seemingly bottomless attributes expected by many—but it certainly hadn’t surprised Cayo. “In any case, you’re painfully literal. I deal just as much in stories as I do in macabre situations in the real world. I just thought it felt like that—have you no fairy-tales? Oh, will you answer just that one question, if any I’ve posed to you since we met? I’m actually very curious. About everything, not just this—aha, but especially this.”

Elwin simply rolls his eyes at the detective’s response. He allows him to gain that slight lead, of course-- But it’s only a matter of moments before he’s caught up to him all over again. “Yeah, I figured. You give off the vibe of some sort of self-important prick sometimes. Makes me see the exact reason someone wanted you dead.” 

He says it so casually, too. The vampire’s previous profession is no secret amongst their little band-- And the fact that he had been hired to kill the brat that he’s stuck with is even less of a secret. 

The ridiculous nickname, of course, is enough to cause his eyes to narrow. “How about you stick to calling me what I would prefer, before you wake up with a knife in your back?” Yet he does not stop walking alongside him, even as he grows more irritated with the way that he continues to speak to him. 

[ 🌟 ] is your muse comfortable in their identity? are they insecure or confident?

[ 🧭 ] does your muse know what they want? how well can they advocate for themselves?

@outfoxxd

[ 🌟 ] is your muse comfortable in their identity? are they insecure or confident?

To be honest, it’s pretty complicated! She’s secure in how she identifies herself-- Kind of a woman, but kind of not. However, beyond that? She just doesn’t know. One of the biggest questions that she constantly raises for herself is if she should, or even wishes to, be a mother. It was a question that she had asked and answered for herself once before-- Only for the choice to be taken from her hands on the Yaruga. While she’s gotten over her grief, the question of whether motherhood is for her resurfaced-- And it’s something that she is no longer as certain about as she had been upon deciding to keep her child back then. 

[ 🧭 ] does your muse know what they want? how well can they advocate for themselves?

@cosmixchaotic

@closedcoffins

The exact moment that the words leave the detective's mouth, Elwin cannot contain the laughter that had welled up within him. A cackle echoes through the trees, his hand only covering his mouth seconds later as an afterthought.