#oneiromancy

Chapters: 4/4 Fandom: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Vilgefortz of Roggeveen/Stefan Skellen Characters: Vilgefortz of Roggeveen, Stefan Skellen, Leo Bonhart, Nimue | Lady of the Lake (The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski), Condwiramurs Tilly, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Stygga Castle (The Witcher), Oneiromancy, Allies To Lovers, Crack Treated Seriously, Metafiction, Introspection, Fluff, Humor, Domestic Fluff, Accidental Voyeurism, Being Walked In On, Forced Proximity, Fix-It, Implied Sexual Content, Non-Graphic Smut, underwhelming ending, Oh. OH. | Italicized Oh Moment, Gap Filler, Fast Burn Summary:

“What interests me,” Nimue leaned forward, “is the same thing as always – filling in the gaps in this story. Every possible one, Condwiramurs. To be more precise: what were Skellen and Vilgefortz doing at Stygga Castle from December to March, while Geralt and his company were trudging through the snow?”

"I'm not tormenting anyone. Scary dreams are great! What I love is when this big 'en chases me..." - Little Sarah

I thought somewhere I'd try to take    // a few things off before I break: The red dress to the forest floor    // I don't want to be this anymore!

So now I'm walking through my forest    // hand in hand, but I'm with you. Yet I live here, and you're my tourist,    // just do what you came to do.

...To dream of dancing for the god, carrying the thyrsus, carrying uprooted trees, or performing any other of the actions in which the god delights, is malign for all except slaves. For all others the dream signifies folly and damage because of the mental aberration and the frenzy, but for slaves it is indicative of freedom, because those they join in the revels are indifferent to their status, and also because of the god's epithet and his kindly nature.

“You won’t believe what your parents have been up to since your ‘funeral,’” Oikawa drawled, twirling his lighter idly as he flicked it open and closed repeatedly. “They have this creepy little shrine, front and center in the hallway so you can’t even go to the bathroom without walking right by you. And it’s not a very flattering picture, either - a little grouchy and scowling. What better than the judgment of the dead when you wanna take a piss in the middle of the night, amiright? That sure as hell won’t give anyone a complex!”

“That reminds me,” Yamaki said. “I was meaning to ask you, sir.”

“Hm?” Oikawa glanced over his shoulder at Yamaki.

“The body, sir,” Yamaki said. “Who did the Ichijoujis bury, if it wasn’t Osamu? Where did it even come from?”

“Oh, that,” Oikawa said, breezily.

Yamaki’s expression nearly facefaulted at his superior’s reaction, given that they were talking about a cadaver. It was hardly a topic he expected anyone to be so nonchalant about. “Yes, that, sir.”

“Yamaki, dozens of people die every day, especially in a city the size of Tokyo,” Oikawa said, waving the lighter about in the air as he used it to gesture. “The city morgue always seems to have at least one Hanako or Taro Yamada lying around, with no family or friends to identify them. Or at the very least, no one who cared enough to identify them.”

Yamaki went perfectly quiet as his face turned a little green at the implication.

“And it’s not like anyone is going to randomly dig up the grave to do a DNA test after the funeral, you know?” Oikawa continued, chuckling despite the grim subject. “Especially when they have no reason to suspect anything.” Another chuckle escaped him. “Not that there’s much DNA to find from ashes after it was cremated.”

The junior detective grimaced, his lips pulling into a tight frown.

“And even if they did, so what?” Oikawa said, tilting his head as he smiled at his junior. “‘Whoops’, and all that. Looks like the morgue made a mistake, huh? Easy enough to do when the body’s unrecognizable due to the ‘wreck.’ The city’d owe, what, a couple thousand in apology money? And some token fall guy resigning, with all the deeply apologetic bows the family could ever want.”

“It would make the city look very incompetent,” Yamaki pointed out. “And lose some face in the eyes of the public.”