* A GOLDEN DAGGER IN HER HAND.

❝ let’s play a drinking game. ❞ ❝ faith’s a simple medicine for desperate souls. ❞ ❝ you don’t frighten easily. ❞ ❝ it’s what eats you alive. loneliness. ❞ ❝ i heard it all. fire, screams and death. ❞ ❝ you’ve become a lightweight, old friend. ❞ ❝ how are you not heartbroken? ❞ ❝ people do stupid things when they think they are trapped in a corner. ❞ ❝ are you a monster because you are different? ❞ ❝ this must be our secret. ❞ ❝ all you care about is your damn duty. ❞ ❝ i’ve lived through a whole dark age and three supposed end of days. ❞ ❝ that’s a tale requiring wine. ❞ ❝ do what you do best. stay and fight. ❞ ❝ fear is an illness. if you leave it untreated, it can consume you. ❞ ❝ you have taken something from me. someone i care about deeply. ❞ ❝ there’s times to stand still, and there’s times to keep moving. ❞ ❝ you’re panting like a dying mammoth. ❞ ❝ you’d rather be blind than see the truth. ❞ ❝ when you have power like yours, you never apologize. ❞ ❝ you have the social graces of a wild boar. ❞ ❝ last time we saw each other, you basically told me to fuck off. ❞ ❝ what would you have me do? ❞ ❝ promise me something. if we get seperated, remember what you have. ❞ ❝ all you have to do is keep your sword close and keep running. ❞ ❝ you were never one to go quietly, were you? ❞ ❝ i am here for you. i won’t let anybody hurt you. ❞ ❝ the path to true strength lies not in humble faith, but in believing in oneself. ❞ ❝ you would not know talent if i shoved it up your ass. ❞ ❝ you can tell me anything. ❞ ❝ it’s just ‘yap, yap, yap’ with you sometimes. ❞ ❝ my faith brought me this far. i’ll see how much further it can take me. ❞ ❝ power. that’s what you live for. ❞ ❝ i know this is dangerous, but now is not the time to be weak. it is the time to be strong. ❞ ❝ nowhere’s safe now. you can’t run from the world. ❞ ❝ i don’t want revenge. i want justice. ❞ ❝ your stomach’s growling loud enough to wake the dead. ❞ ❝ less than perfect means death. ❞ ❝ you can either be too strong to fail or too weak to try. ❞ ❝ you are always so emotional. ❞ ❝ we don’t kill out of fear. ❞ ❝ like father, like daughter. ❞ ❝ i understand that you are in pain and you can drown that pain with whatever you want. just not here. ❞ ❝ humans do bad things to everybody. ❞ ❝ i tell you no word of a lie. ❞ ❝ that was the first and last time…i saw my father proud of me. ❞ ❝ that’s quite barbarous, even for me. ❞ ❝ i’m not going anywhere, all right? i’m staying right here. ❞ ❝ and you call yourself a leader? ❞ ❝ magic. it’s lodged in you. like a spiked arrow. ❞ ❝ you bring terror and death wherever you are. ❞ ❝ do what you have to do to seize your destiny. ❞ ❝ it’s as if you’re determined to do the opposite of the thing that’ll keep you safe. ❞ ❝ remember what you have. magic. ❞ ❝ i’m hoping there is a grain of truth to fairytales. ❞ ❝ this place was meant for no one. ❞ ❝ i’m not having this conversation unless i’m drinking. ❞ ❝ you did what you had to do. ❞ ❝ all the people i loved in this world were taken from me. ❞ ❝ i would not wish that fate on my worst enemy. ❞ ❝ it came from the heart. perhaps a broken one. ❞ ❝ what’s it like? being alone because of what you are? ❞ ❝ all curses have cures. ❞ ❝ you pick up a thing or two while in hiding. ❞ ❝ how about we scout the property? make sure it’s safe for the night. ❞ ❝ my war is your war. ❞ ❝ you thought you were special. ❞ ❝ i wish i could go back in time. save everyone. ❞ ❝ something has changed. the world’s acting of its own strange accord these days. ❞ ❝ how did you spend your days when you first came here? ❞ ❝ i value the bond we have. ❞ ❝ i know what you are. an old wives’ tale for children. ❞ ❝ do you humans ever stop talking? ❞ ❝ if only you’d think of yourself instead of licking other’s boots. ❞ ❝ sometimes it doesn’t seem real. ❞ ❝ that’s your play? it’s rather desperate. ❞ ❝ i was hoping you’d do what i say. ❞ ❝ you’re the desperate one. the most. ❞ ❝ the path forward will be harder still. ❞ ❝ i’ve never met anyone alone in the heart like you. different. ❞ ❝ it is not in my nature to be cruel. ❞ ❝ stay with me tonight. let’s not be alone. ❞ ❝ do you think i’m asking because i personally give a shit? ❞ ❝ what is destined cannot be avoided. ❞ ❝ scary storoies don’t really work on me. ❞ ❝ you were wrong. or lied. neither’s a shock. ❞ ❝ what has been need not always be. ❞ ❝ we should keep moving. ❞ ❝ are you all right? you look like day-old shit. ❞ ❝ you don’t seem like a monster to me. ❞ ❝ thieving a thief merely makes you the latest thief. ❞ ❝ you can find power and purpose. a chance to survive the horror. ❞ ❝ i’ve fantasized about going back. ❞ ❝ the only certainty in this place, is that no one is ever what they seem. ❞ ❝ this is what you call free? ❞ ❝ you still have time to turn back. it’s not too late. ❞ ❝ it’s not a question of price. it’s a matter of cost. ❞ ❝ tell me what you want. ❞ ❝ sometimes i think i’m still a person. but…i know what i really am. ❞ ❝ i deserve my destiny. ❞ ❝ why help? what’s in it for you? ❞ ❝ i can smell your desires like rotten meat. ❞ ❝ it’s funny how quickly people forget about you when you are no longer any use to them, isn’t it? ❞ ❝ trust the path you choose, and it will protect you. ❞ ❝ move beyond the pain, the fear, the failure, until you become one with a killer. ❞ ❝ you can do anything. doesn’t mean you have to. ❞ ❝ what is lost is lost. ❞ ❝ you are all alone in a world that hates you with no way to protect ourselves. ❞ ❝ thankfully, men remain simple. ❞ ❝ verbose when i need you to be quiet. silent and stubborn when i need you to talk. ❞ ❝ even traitors speak the truth. ❞ ❝ shared dreams are a powerful omen. ❞ ❝ our most trusted advisors are becoming less and less trustworthy. ❞ ❝ i think there’s something wrong with me. ❞ ❝ nightmares are common after battle. ❞ ❝ when i say run, you run. when i say hide, you hide. ❞ ❝ i’ve never met anyone alone in the heart, like you. ❞ ❝ i know who you truly are. what are you hiding now? ❞ ❝ you’re eager to please. easy to wound. ❞ ❝ that all you got? ❞ ❝ your true power resides in more than your blood. ❞ ❝ hatred is an endless cycle of fear and desperation. ❞ ❝ perhaps we were meant to find each other. ❞ ❝ no matter how hard i train, no matter what i do, i’ll never be enough. ❞ ❝ shocking. we have to do it your way again. ❞ ❝ your heart has been beating fast this whole time. you’re nervous. ❞ ❝ do you like the dress i left for you? ❞ ❝ oh. that’s a look of a person who’s worried they’ve lost their touch. ❞ ❝ it doesn’t matter if it’s true. it only matters if the people believe it. ❞ ❝ i’m sick of feeling lost. ❞ ❝ i’ve had leaders, followers…but i’ve never had a partner before. ❞ ❝ i want to be indifferent to the past. to the lies. to the things i’ve done. ❞ ❝ don’t flatter yourself. i’m saving me. ❞ ❝ did you not think of the consequences? what if you were killed? ❞ ❝ we can leave under the cover of darkness. ❞ ❝ don’t be afraid. nothing can hurt you here. ❞ ❝ you are important to me. you always will be. ❞ ❝ yes, well, i’m topped off on magical mystery at the moment. ❞ ❝ you are already enough. you are extraordinary. ❞ ❝ you don’t get to play damsel in distress. that’s my job. ❞ ❝ i’ve destroyed so many things. please, let me heal things for once. ❞ ❝ the truth is you are choosing to be an asshole, aren’t you? ❞ ❝ i have nothing to hide. ❞ ❝ i owe you as much as you owe me. nothing more, nothing less. ❞ ❝ legends aren’t science. ❞ ❝ who are we, when we can no longer do what we were put on this planet to do? ❞ ❝ some wounds cannot be healed. i understand that more than you know. ❞ ❝ i can’t be what you want. what you deserve. ❞ ❝ you need to let me take care of your wound. ❞ ❝ everyone answers to someone eventually. even you, i suspect. ❞ ❝ you pretend to not have emotions, but you do. ❞ ❝ love and blood. they both possess a mighty power. ❞ ❝ prison didn’t exactly do you any favors. ❞ ❝ monsters are more than just horrid looks and claws and teeth. monsters are born of deeds done. unforgivable ones. ❞ ❝ i hope that in your search to feel again, you feel your value. ❞ ❝ i’m too hopeless to stop anything. ❞ ❝ i sleep like shit too. ❞ ❝ you don’t really give a shit about what i want. ❞ ❝ those who died…i say their names out loud at night so i don’t forget. ❞ ❝ something dark lies ahead of you. i can feel it. ❞ ❝ no one’s on our side, you trusting idiot. ❞ ❝ i’m not abandoning you. i’ll stay and fight. ❞ ❝ explain to me how you’re not deadweight. ❞ ❝ we’ll reach our destination by sundown. ❞ ❝ i see your wounds have improved, but your manners have not. ❞ ❝ don’t be scared. i’m not going to hurt you. ❞ ❝ hesitation will draw danger to you like fire. ❞ ❝ don’t flatter yourself. i’m saving me. ❞ ❝ you have the ability to break the cycle of hatred once and for all. ❞ ❝ sensitive questions are my favourite. ❞ ❝ sometimes we assume the worst because we fear to hope. ❞ ❝ it is in blindness we find our true strength. ❞ ❝ i know you know how dangerous this is. ❞ ❝ were you attacked because you’re different? ❞ ❝ who knows, maybe we’ll be friends again. ❞ ❝ i won’t let anything happen to you. ❞ ❝ you can fight battles and wear dresses. you can do both. ❞ ❝ holy men are the most depraved. ❞ ❝ watch me burn all the memories of you. ❞ ❝ what’s the difference between you and a heap of shit? eventually, the shit will stop smelling. ❞ ❝ you’re offering me up as sacrifice? ❞ ❝ our best chance is to kill the hatred we hold on to and move on. ❞ ❝ everywhere i go, people die. ❞ ❝ sometimes i feel like i could burn the whole world. ❞ ❝ was it worth it? ❞ ❝ you are brave, but let me help you. ❞ ❝ there is only death here. ❞ ❝ unlike you, i’m not one to waste power on such frivolous nonsense. ❞ ❝ the battle must have really taken it out of you. ❞ ❝ i know. i know you want to scream. ❞ ❝ that’s the problem. no one knows anything about you. who you are, what you are, where you are, what you want. ❞ ❝ my friend, you are very far from fine. ❞ ❝ i look a tad different since you saw me last. ❞ ❝ we both need to keep a low profile, it seems. ❞ ❝ we won. but barely. ❞ ❝ i hope there’s a plaque to commemerate your greatness. ❞ ❝ i will not let us down. ❞ ❝ i’ve never known a human to give out of the kindness of their heart. ❞ ❝ every day increases the risk of being found. ❞ ❝ forget faith. we’ve got power. ❞ ❝ your precious leader’s after something. you are a pawn to get it. ❞ ❝ are you my inquisitor or my executioner? ❞ ❝ you are a hero to me and many others. ❞ ❝ we’re only staying until the storm dies. ❞ ❝ so i’m your destiny? whatever that means. ❞ ❝ i won’t be here forever to protect you. ❞ ❝ faith sustains us all in dark times. ❞ ❝ your pain is my pain. ❞ ❝ everything i was told my whole life was a lie. ❞ ❝ after everything we did, what we saw…you turned your back on me. ❞ ❝ we all have our time in the sun. ❞ ❝ if you have an ulterior motive, you can tell me. ❞ ❝ from the moment we met, you have been trying to fill a void. ❞ ❝ history does have a way of repeating itself, doesn’t it? ❞ ❝ they’re desperate. which means they’re dangerous. ❞ ❝ i’m doing everything i can to keep you safe. ❞ ❝ i said don’t touch me. ❞ ❝ i’m one of the lucky ones. depending on your definition of luck. ❞ ❝ i don’t see any side upon which you are not entirely fucked. ❞ ❝ there are forces at play larger than we know. ❞ ❝ you will destroy us all. ❞ ❝ i don’t know who you are, but come any closer and you’ll regret it. ❞ ❝ i…dreamed about you once. ❞ ❝ it’s been a difficult few months…but things seem to be finally turning a corner. ❞ ❝ what is it with men lurking about this place? ❞ ❝ oh, what’s the hurry? ❞ ❝ ___. it’s nice to finally put a face to the name. ❞ ❝ in times of war, hard decisions must be made. ❞ ❝ if you free me, perhaps we can work together. ❞ ❝ you remind me of an old friend. ❞ ❝ i was stupid, and i was selfish. ❞ ❝ i have always considered you my equal partner. i wish i could prove to you that i’m worthy of the same. ❞ ❝ what are you doing out here in the middle of east bloody nowhere? ❞ ❝ family, blood…that’s the only bond that can’t be broken. ❞ ❝ when i’m with you, i don’t feel alone anymore. ❞ ❝ are you all right? who did this? ❞ ❝ what i’m really asking you is…is this what pleases you? ❞ ❝ we could be entangled in a war again before we know it. ❞ ❝ why do you want this so badly? ❞ ❝ there are those obsessed with finding power, and those who know their place. ❞ ❝ i’m asking you for help. for once, will you give me it? ❞ ❝ you dare show your face here? ❞ ❝ i wasn’t sure you’d make it. ❞ ❝ i wouldn’t ask you if it wasn’t unnecessary. ❞ ❝ your aim’s gone to shit. ❞ ❝ i pay you to solve my problems, not fill my head with piling bad news. ❞ ❝ the monsters aren’t new. they’re just new to here. ❞ ❝ i have some wounds that refuse to heal. ❞ ❝ you were having a nightmare. i came to check on you. ❞ ❝ please stay. don’t go. ❞

❛ you have something beautiful inside of you. it’s hard for some people to tell, but it’s there. ❜

❝ Friends are a liability and can be exploited. That makes them weaknesses. ❞

slightly tweaked in some parts for ease of interaction . feel free to change pronouns and such as necessary ! ❝ i have ruled for an age and will rule for all ages yet to come . ❞ ❝ i did not build an empire only to watch it turn to dust . ❞ ❝ how do i know these aren’t poisoned ? ❞ ❝ i didn’t take anything ! see ? ❞ ❝ do you remember the first time we came up here ? ❞ ❝ i remember everything about that night. ❞ ❝ i used every trick i had to try and impress you . ❞ ❝ i was distracted , all i could think about was kissing you . ❞ ❝ when one of us fails in our duty , we all fail . ❞ ❝ that was just a bit of fun ! ❞ ❝ perhaps one day you’ll prove worthy of taking up my mantle . ❞ ❝ have you tried these ? they’re fantastic ! ❞ ❝ how’s my BEST FRIEND today ?  ❞ ❝ don’t embarrass me this time . ❞ ❝ little things have a habit of being stepped on by … big things . ❞ ❝ that knowledge is forbidden . ❞ ❝ i may not always be here to save you . ❞ ❝ this happens every time . you say: ‘ let’s have an adventure ⸻ it’ll be great fun , ‘ but it never is ! ❞ ❝ i thought i heard something creeping about . ❞ ❝ don’t go down this path . ❞ ❝ nothing good will come of this . ❞ ❝ i think they’re hiding something , and i want to know what . ❞ ❝ i demand you stop ! ❞ ❝ i demand the truth ! ❞ ❝ you read too many stories . ❞ ❝ it’s easy to have nothing when no one depends on you for anything . ❞ ❝ you’ll see soon enough ⸻ a whole new world awaits you . ❞ ❝ will snacks be served ? ❞ ❝ don’t you ever think of anything but your next meal ? ❞ ❝ don’t fight . give me your fear . your love . your secrets . ❞ ❝ what have you done !? ❞ ❝ you’ll die for this . ❞ ❝ unhand me ! i do not need your help . ❞ ❝ you were a child when last i laid my eyes upon you . ❞ ❝ get help ? I AM HELP ! ❞ ❝ let us see them try to ask their questions through broken teeth . ❞ ❝ keep them looking over their shoulder , and they won’t ever see what’s right in front of them . ❞ ❝ what happened ? i waited ! ❞ ❝ everyone’s gone mad ! ❞ ❝ i need your help to escape . ❞ ❝ i don’t know what to believe . ❞ ❝ you have to see the truth for yourself . ❞ ❝ i have a plan … but you’re not gonna like it . ❞ ❝ i shouldn’t have run away and left you all alone . ❞ ❝  i don’t need your terrible apology . i need answers . ❞ ❝ what can i do for you ? a potion , perhaps , to make someone notice you , or something to make your hair shine ? ❞ ❝ do you know what this symbol means ? ❞ ❝ when i see it , i sense the end of all things . ❞ ❝ i guess soothsayers can’t see everything . ❞ ❝ but i see the chance for a new beginning . ❞ ❝ end . begin . death . life . it’s all the same circle . ❞ ❝ i’ve seen the dark signs . ❞ ❝ our world is dying . ❞ ❝ you were right about one thing : i don’t like this plan at all . ❞ ❝ genius cannot be rushed . ❞ ❝ things have already gone too far . it cannot end well . ❞ ❝ even a princess is not above the law . ❞ ❝ please , you can’t send me away ! ❞ ❝ flog me ! scold me ! i am riddled with shame ! such shame ! ❞ ❝ why do we play these ridiculous games ? we are wasting precious time . ❞ ❝ i never met a princess before . i always imagined them having shinier hair . ❞ ❝ jingle - jangle , time to put on the hat ! ❞ ❝ i always thought i’d make a fantastic princess . ❞ ❝ they’re toughest on you because you have the hardest path ahead . ❞ ❝ i don’t feel strong . ❞ ❝ getting along may be hard at first , but like anything else in life , it just takes time to adjust . ❞ ❝ i was thinking that you and them are more alike than you realize . ❞ ❝ the bonds of sisterhood/brotherhood can be tested, but never broken . ❞ ❝ go crawl back in the nest you came from ! ❞ ❝ you’re wasting your time . i won’t tell you anything . ❞ ❝ i’ve seen uglier . ❞ ❝ i’m here . i’m always here . ❞ ❝ you and i are better than that . ❞ ❝ i will not tolerate heresy from a murderer . ❞ ❝ your condition is worse than i feared . ❞ ❝ let me help , then everything can go back to the way it was . ❞ ❝ you are my father/mother , why don’t you ever believe me ?! ❞ ❝ so go back to your travels , then i can go back to caring for the ones you left behind . ❞ ❝ i was a fool to entrust you with this . ❞ ❝ how do i make this right ? tell me ! ❞ ❝ i see many endings lain before us ; diverging paths through an endless forest . ❞ ❝ you’re not so scary . ❞ ❝ i’m sorry ! i didn’t mean to scare you ! ❞ ❝ i thought you might need some help with your fire . ❞ ❝ you’re … not scared of me ? ❞ ❝ they all think that i’m a monster . ❞ ❝ they’re all too scared to see the truth , even when it’s right in front of them . ❞ ❝ how can one person know so much and so little all at once ? ❞ ❝ you’ll give everyone nightmares with that wailing . ❞ ❝ true balance will be found when natural order is sound . ❞ ❝ it’s a puzzle ! oh , i love puzzles ! ❞ ❝ my strength wanes by the day . ❞ ❝ it’s MY party ! talk about ME ! ❞ ❝ it’s a good thing we’re not all so weak as to be scared of a single person . ❞ ❝ you are reckless . you lead us into war ! ❞ ❝ i welcome war . ❞ ❝ forgiveness is for the feeble . ❞ ❝ more time , more words , more nothing ! ❞ ❝ everything grows old . everything passes on . ❞ ❝ you should’ve seen your face . you were SO scared ! ❞ ❝ so many stars … it goes on and on . ❞ ❝ such prey would make quite the trophy . ❞ ❝ i will take your lying tongue . ❞ ❝ i will be handling your interrogation from this point forward . ❞ ❝ i won’t kill you . i’ll just drain the defiance out of you . ❞ ❝ but … i didn’t order this . ❞ ❝ no thank you , i’m not much of a dancer . ❞ ❝ don’t move . hands on the table . ❞ ❝ i’m not here for a fight . ❞ ❝ perhaps you should take a deep , calming breath . ❞ ❝ you’re in over your head . ❞ ❝ they may rule the land , but they do not rule my heart . ❞ ❝ if i come out of this crazy , the last thing i’ll do before i lose my mind is take your life . ❞ ❝ i’m sorry i didn’t believe you . ❞ ❝ it really must be end times . ❞ ❝ you’ll stop at nothing to keep your secrets . ❞ ❝ pathetic . you hunt a chair ? ❞ ❝ you have your trophy , i have mine . ❞ ❝ the world will decide your/their fate , as it decides all our fates . ❞ ❝ i’m not scared . i’m scared for you . ❞ ❝ i want to protect you . ❞ ❝ i’m not a hero . i’m nobody . ❞ ❝ but if you ask me , you’re already a hero . ❞ ❝ struggling is pointless , but you’re welcome to try , if it helps you pass the time . ❞ ❝ don’t play with your food , coward . just kill me now . ❞ ❝ kill you ? you’re no good to me dead . i need you alive . ❞ ❝ i’ll make sure that all the world knows what you truly are . ❞ ❝ delightful ! how am i evil ? ❞ ❝ all things kill . ❞ ❝ all living things consume other things to survive . it is not evil . it is natural . ❞ ❝ death is unnatural . death is a cruel joke . ❞ ❝ death mocks life . it mocks me . ❞ ❝ you would do the same in my place . ❞ ❝ we are nothing alike . ❞ ❝ you ran , yes ? you saved yourself . ❞ ❝ all those people , dead ⸻  just so you could run . ❞ ❝ i tried ! i just couldn’t save them ! ❞ ❝ you couldn’t save them … but what if you could save all the rest ? ❞ ❝ you make it sound SO much more nefarious than it actually is . ❞ ❝ is it them you’re worried about , or their crown ?  ❞ ❝ you have defied me time and again . ❞ ❝ but you do mean to disrespect me , and anyone who values tradition over self - righteous disobedience . ❞ ❝ you must silence these whispers of rebellion , and stop this war before it starts . ❞ ❝ is a slave a slave if it does not know it is a slave ? ❞ ❝ i am not your pet . ❞ ❝ the choice is to be my pet or my enemy . choose wisely . ❞ ❝ go then , run ! have your war . ❞ ❝ it will be on your head when everyone dies because you chose to run . again . ❞ ❝ it’s difficult being the voice of reason in such a crazed world . ❞ ❝ you’re always beautiful . ❞ ❝ it’s not about size ; it’s about vigor . ❞ ❝ and i made broth ! ❞ ❝ you spin quite the tale . but do you offer any proof ? ❞ ❝ when was the last time you washed your hands ? ❞ ❝ QUIET ! i’m not done . ❞ ❝ we all have a part to play in restoring the balance and destroying this evil . ❞ ❝ we are nothing without our lords . ❞ ❝ remember who you serve . ❞ ❝ traitors are conspiring against you . ❞ ❝ stand and prove the strength of your weapon by my side . ❞ ❝ i have turned a blind eye and said nothing while you stole from us . no more . ❞ ❝ i have allowed you to buy my loyalty with cheap trinkets . no more . ❞ ❝ i have bowed my head and called you lord/s while you slaughtered us . but . NO . MORE .  ❞ ❝ it’s all your fault . ❞ ❝ you are no sister/brother of mine . ❞ ❝ justice must be served . ❞

he  scooted  himself  back  to  lean  against  a  crate  just  behind  himself  ,    wounded  leg  outstretched  and  bad  leg  half-extended  in  a  feeble  attempt  at  crossing  .    he  rested  his  arms  across  his  stomach  ,    gazing  at  one  of  the  walls  of  the  safehouse  .    a  scowl  suddenly  crossed  his  brow  .        ❛        next  time  ,    you  could  hoot  to  warn  me  .        ❜

"Why were you even pursuing them, Geralt?" she inquires, her voice laced subtly with curiosity. "I thought witchers were primarily monster hunters, not hired killers."

Bone marionettes sit at her side on the blanket at which she busks, "Would you like me to tell you, owl heart?"

Philippa straightens, her tone regaining some of its usual composure. "So, if you have something to share, share it, but spare me the riddles. Time is precious, even for those who can't escape it."

'I'm not that interesting, Lady Eilhart. Your curiousness is a trait best put to the wonders your magic and your mind can achieve, and not wasted on whatever secrets I may be keeping', she whispers inside Philippa's mind. Her telephatic voice is cold and she's happy for it, because, were it her TRUE sounds, they would crack and stutter and all in all act as yet another defeat--- like the sigh of relief Lydia lets out as Philippa leaned back. Fingers entwine at her own lap, assistant-like. 'Yet sometimes time wears down far too much, enough to turn everything to ashes. Defenses. Secrets. People. Castles crumble, religions become forgotten, and secrets die with their masters'

"We, as sorceresses, possess the means to transcend the confines of time itself. Venturing into forbidden realms, even death itself would fail to safeguard those secrets." Philippa's voice holds a mesmerizing allure, her eyes locked onto the other, her chin raised regally as if addressing a court. She pauses momentarily, allowing the weight of her words to settle, her gaze unflinching. "Rest assured, such methods are not my inclination. Necromancy is a path I hold in disdain." Though the words can be construed as threatening, Philippa offers no apology or clarification; her indifference toward any potential discomfort in her words is palpable.

“I should like to try,” she murmurs, spoken only for the both of them, “We shall use me at a test subject. If worse comes to pass, we shall use me as a test subject,” if she volunteers, then it must be permissible magic. There are no unwilling test subjects or cruel experiments done against one’s will, “Please - help me.”

"You know where I am, Warden. You can come back once you've done your job. In the meanwhile, I'll get my bearings, and do some more research." Perhaps a few experiments, she adds in her head, but she doesn't voice that particular thought. "I will help you, but this is not the way to go through with it. You need to understand my point of view, Mahariel. You're asking me to risk the continent."

❛ some of us may not survive, but the ones that do will get the ultimate reward… paid. ❜

fingers curling into a fist, the elf refuses to be shaken by this quiet rage that threatens to burn them up. they lift themself upright and raise their right hand from the table, pointing a finger as if to underline their words. ❛   i will be watching you until i figure out what it is you really want here.   ❜

She looks at the finger now in her face, before staring at him, unblinking. Her head tilts to the side, almost impereceptibly. "Do you think you can?" She says, tone laced with amusement, but her face betrays nothing, not one single emotion. "Don't delude yourself. You'll only discover what I want you to."

''Were they ever friends -- those who met the end of their lives at the coup on Thanedd?" Accusatory, but reserved -- it lacks a sharpness that implies her bite is more of a gnaw. Despite all of the edge, there's sincerity in her next words, thoughtful, even in her fear of attachment, "I merely wonder what it is that might constitute a friendship to you. To your Lodge."

She shifts in her seat, her gaze never leaving Ciri's if not for a brief moment, where she stares at her hands. If one only looked closer, they could see a spark of guilt in her eyes, but it's gone as soon as it appeared. "As for those who met their end at Thanedd, it was a tragedy, to be sure. Some were colleagues, some were rivals, but in that moment, they were united by a common threat. It's the way of our world, my dear." Loyalties shift like the tides, and alliances are forged and broken in the blink of an eye.