"Look at him, poor bastard must've been starving.." Lambert states, gazing over at Jaskier who looked absolutely miserable right now. Geralt stood there watching quietly with crossed arms, not saying a word the entire time. He felt sick to his stomach at seeing the state of the bard.
Jaskier was practically lifeless, he looked completely worn out and weak compared to how he usually was. He had bags under his eyes and he didn't look too healthy. He also looked rather tired.
Geralt walks toward him, standing beside him as he stares at his frail figure. He notices how pale and thin he looks, how his clothes hang off of him. He notices how small he seems. "Jaskier.." Geralt tries speaking as softly as possible, causing Jaskier to snap his head up, his eyes widening at the sight of Geralt. He lets out a shaky breath, his eyes filling with tears.
"Geralt.." He breathes out, reaching out his arm and wrapping his fingers around the edge of the Witcher's tunic, The group watches quietly, not wanting to interrupt whatever moment the two of them were having.
"I thought.." Jaskier trails off, swallowing hard, "I didn't think that I'd.." Geralt sighs heavily, placing a comforting hand atop of Jaskiers shoulder, squeezing slightly.
"I know.." Geralt replies softly, giving him a sympathetic smile. He could imagine exactly what it must've felt like for Jaskier the past few weeks, he wanted to know everything about what had happened but decided it was best not to ask at the moment.
"We're glad your back and safe.." Ciri interrupts quietly. Jaskier nods slowly, sniffing as he wipes the corner of his eyes hastily. He opens his mouth again but no words came out, instead he let out an unsteady sob.
The others exchange worried glances, not knowing how to help. "I'll take him to his room, he needs to lie down." Yennefer offers quietly. Geralt stays silent while Yennefer helps Jaskier to his feet, leading him to the hall.
Ciri stands there watching the two leave, "Is he going to be alright?" She asks softly, glancing over at Geralt. The Witcher merely gives her an unreadable expression before nodding.
"He will be." He assures. "He will be fine."
She frowns, clearly unsatisfied with his reply but says nothing more, choosing not to question Geralt any further.
Geralt then turns to the rest of the group, who seemed to have finally returned to their senses. "What do you think has happened to him?" Eskel asks, looking extremely confused.
"Not sure. We won't know until he talks." Geralt states, crossing his arms. He doesn't want to think about it, he doesn't want to wonder what might have happened to Jaskier, he wants to believe he's going to be fine.
They all end up sitting around the main table together once again, with Jaskier still asleep inside his room. None of them really seem comfortable with talking about what had just transpired. "Don't you all find it a bit odd that Jaskier just appeared out of nowhere especially since he's been missing for weeks?" Yennefer asks cautiously.
It wasn't uncommon for people to disappear without a trace, but it was unusual for them to appear out of thin air.
"None of us sense any sort of magic on him." Lambert says. "He doesn't seem any different besides being more jumpy than usual." He adds.
"Maybe it's just the adrenaline wearing off." Eskel offers, "Humans go through it." He continues.
"Except he's no longer human." Geralt counters.
"Well, I've heard enough," Ciri says standing up from her chair, "I'm heading to my room." She leaves without another word. Everyone watches her leave silently, before Lambert starts to speak again, "That's the bard in there."
Yennefer sighs heavily as she sits up straight and crosses her arms again, "Yes I know, it was obvious from the very start." She comments dryly. She couldn't help but feel like something was off about the whole situation, and she was determined to find out what it was.
_____
Jaskier groans, rubbing his forehead in discomfort as he sits up from the bed. His legs stretch out and fall limp onto the floor, he rubs his hands over his face, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
"You passed out.." Turning his head slightly, Jaskier catches sight of someone sitting down at the desk on the other side of the room. A familiar pair of silver eyes stared him directly in the eye.
"Ida?"
"How do you feel?" She asks, ignoring Jaskier's question. "Are you hungry? Would you like something to drink or eat?" Jaskier looks at the succubus blankly, feeling incredibly uncomfortable with what was happening right now. The last thing he remembers that monster taking his blood and watched it chang into himself, he knew what it was.
"..That Doppler," Jaskier begins as he runs a shaking hand through his hair, suddenly noticing just how greasy and oily it is. "That thing took my blood.. That monster is trying to hurt... my friends."
Ida's gaze softens as she moves closer towards him, leaning forward to place a gentle hand upon his arm. "I'm sorry Julian.." She says apologetically. "I wish things weren't this way.."
Jaskier shakes his head quickly, pulling his arm away from her touch before turning his head to the side uncomfortably. "Your not sorry.." He mumbles, clenching his teeth and gritting them tightly. He feels so frustrated, he hates feeling this way. He wishes he never ran away the in the first place, he wished that he'd just forget everything.
Why was everything always such a mess? Why couldn't things ever go smoothly for him? He's always messing up one thing or another; it seems as though it was all he could do lately.
"I'm truly sorry. You don't deserve any of this.." Ida tells him.
"Stop saying that, you want me trapped here just like everyone else does.. Don't try lying, you only want me because I make things look better for you.."
"That also explains why you wanted the others to see us naked, don't act like I haven't noticed." Jaskier says bluntly, staring directly at Ida now. "This isn't some fucking fairy tale... This isn't your story.." His tone is venomous and harsh and Ida flinches slightly at how aggressive he sounds.
"Julian.." Ida replies calmly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Jaskier shrugs it off instantly.
"Don't touch me!" He exclaims angrily. "Please, just leave. Go wherever it is you're going.. Just leave me alone!"
He shouts angrily. He knows that it was unfair of him to yell at her especially since she was one of the nice ones but at the moment, he didn't give a damn. His anger seems to have worked in making Ida furious, her eyebrows furrowed deeply and her lips pulled into a tight line as she takes a step towards him.
"I'm not doing anything wrong." She snaps at him furiously.
"I know," he scoffs sarcastically. "But your apart of it.." he mumbles, looking down and running his fingers through his hair anxiously.
"My involvement is only a part of it.."
"Then what is? What is your 'part' in all of this?!" Jaskier yells, his voice echoing throughout the large room.
"It's complicated.."
"Complicated?!" Jaskier spits, glaring daggers at her.
"Julian.. Calm down.." Ida warns him. "Things are complicated.." She says again after a short pause.
"I don't care.."
"I know it's hard.. And I understand how you must feel, I would hate it too if I were you but this was destined to happen to you, no matter how many times you'd try to stop it, it'll keep coming back." Ida explains.
Jaskier was starting to understand why Geralt hated the idea of facing his own destiny, but hearing Ida talk like that, made him even more angry.
"The universe has it's reasons for every decision we make."
Jaskier snorts, shaking his head and sitting back down on the bed. "No. No, it doesn't. Nothing ever happens exactly according to plan.. It never is."
"What's your point?" She asks, raising an eyebrow, although she had an inkling of what he meant by his comment.
"I can't let myself get hurt again. I won't allow it." He declares firmly, his expression becoming increasingly serious as he speaks.
Ida pauses for a while, contemplating what to say next, "Who hurt you?" She finally asks in a quiet tone.
"No one." He answers swiftly.
"Someone did. Who?" Ida presses again.
"No one.." he repeats again.
He didn't want to tell her about it. He doesn't want to think about it. It was stupid, pointless and pointless.
"Tell me who it is." Ida insists.
"Geralt! it was Geralt." He snaps angrily. "He didn't mean to hurt me, but he hurt me anyways." Jaskier says, feeling his eyes water. How dare she, he thought. "..I bought myself a ring and made a promise to never forgive him if we ever crossed paths again." He adds bitterly.
"..I broke the promise and forgave him.. because I never thought that I'd see him again, and at the moment I missed him." He states plainly. Ida stares at him intently for a moment. Jaskier can feel her studying him closely as her eyebrows knit together in confusion. Finally, she clears her throat, "Who is Geralt?"
"A friend." Jaskier responds.
"Oh really? Is he the reason you ran away that night?"
"..How did you?" Jaskier questions quietly.
"..Oh, you probably know everything about me." he responds.
"Everyone here knows about you and your history. We all respect you and admire you for your achievements, especially for protecting others." Ida explains patiently.
Jaskier frowns in slight annoyance, rolling his eyes. "The elves deserve protection.." he mutters. "..But my sandpiper days are over.. Besides I've grown too attached to my friends. I wouldn't risk their lives like that." He admits, glancing down to the ground.
Ida sighs softly.
"I just wish they were more willing to accept me.." He admits in a quiet, sorrowful tone. "I've gotten used to being treated differently.. just because I'm a traveling bard."
"You are, and I liked the songs you sung."
"..Yeah?" he asks, smiling lightly.
"Yes." she nods. "They're very unique, and they're beautiful," she explains softly. "They brought out your heart.. and gave it a much different sound than those other people's performances. I loved your songs Julian."
"Thank you.." He says softly.
"..What did you mean your friends weren't willing to accept you?" She asks curiously.
"Well you can imagine.. They don't seem to think highly of me." He says, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "They think I'm too weak to be a incubus.. but the thing is I've been this way my whole life so.." He trails off. Ida frowns, "Are you telling me that the reason for them rejecting you is because they think you can't handle being anything other than a normal human being?"
"Kind of?" He chuckles awkwardly, shrugging. "They still care about me, I think, they're just trying to protect me.."
"Julian, that sounds absolutely ridiculous.." She says, shaking her head in disbelief. "It just sounds like your in a repeat loop to end up with your heart broken.."
"Maybe I just need to learn to accept a broken heart.. I'm used to being rejected, or abandoned."
"That's terrible..." she says sympathetically.
"But it's my life.." Jaskier sighs and turns to lay down, Ida sits quietly beside him, watching the scene unfold before her. "Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you." Jaskier murmurs, looking at Ida apologetically.
"I'm sorry too." She eventually says. "I shouldn't have pushed you to answer me.."
"It's okay." He smiles sadly. "Can you stay with me?" he asks after a while.
"Of course." She replies without hesitation.
Jaskier shifts slightly to lie on his side resting his head on her lap. She looks down at him and runs her fingers through his brown locks gently, smiling slightly. The gesture makes him feel warm inside, something he hasn't felt in awhile.
"I've missed this." He mumbles. "..Being held.. It feels good." He breathes quietly, closing his eyes momentarily.
"Did someone close to you used to do this?" Ida asks curiously.
"No, but it feels close to it..." Jaskier hums absentmindedly, not wanting to mention Geralt for the hundredth time today. Ida notices his reaction and decides to let it go.
After a few moments, he looks up at her.
"Something's wrong.. I feel cold." He tells her.
Ida frowns in worry, she stands up quickly, placing him back down on the bed where he'd been lying. "I'll be right back. I'll take care of you.. Let me just go get you some more blankets." She explains, leaving the room as quickly as possible.
When she returns with more blankets, Jaskier decided on pretending as if he was on a really cold mountain, shivering a lot. His teeth chattering violently, he made sure that it was more than difficult for him to talk. Ida grabs the extra blanket and wraps it around his frame, trying to comfort him as best as she could.
"..I know what's happening.. you can't help me.." Jaskier whispers once he feels the warmth, he still had a plan to escape and he intended on finishing it hopefully by tomorrow night. At least that's how long it would take him to get everything else he needed.