backdated to November 18th @treefucker

[legbreakings]

Fucking goats!

[ Look who is back from the dead.

Yes, it is Jiang Cheng, newly returned to the lands of the living after humpty dumpty met a goat even bitchier than himself and took a little fall.

Still hasn't figured out how to network. ]

Comments

[legbreakings]

And what is keeping you?!

[coolmotivestillevil]

Boredom.

[ At least he's honest. ]

[legbreakings]

I have better things to do than provide you with entertainment!

[ Except apparently not, since he is still bickering. ]

[coolmotivestillevil]

Yet you are not doing them.

[legbreakings]

Yes, because you're keeping me!

[ Or... something. ]

[coolmotivestillevil]

Have I bewitched you? My apologies.

[legbreakings]

[ !!!

Cue sputtering. ]

I'm not... bewitched! You're the one who can't stay away!

[coolmotivestillevil]

I choose not to.

[ Because you're useless and someone should say it. ]

[legbreakings]

[ Bah! ]

Maybe you're the bewitched one!

[ Wait. ]

Not that I bewitched you. Why would I even want to!

[coolmotivestillevil]

So I'm not bewitched?

[ Make up your mind. ]

[legbreakings]

You're the possibly bewitched one! You tell me!

[ He doesn’t even know what they are arguing about anymore. But it is a distraction from thinking about having died so... works for him. ]

[coolmotivestillevil]

Is the bewitched supposed to know that they are bewitched?

[ He's no magic expert, but he's pretty sure that's not how it works. ]

[legbreakings]

[ He gives an irritated scoff. ]

How am I supposed to know how the magic of this place works!

[coolmotivestillevil]

Then I suppose we will never know if either of us is bewitched.

[legbreakings]

You've got to be one of the most annoying people I know!

[coolmotivestillevil]

If that's supposed to upset me, it doesn't.

[legbreakings]

[ Sigh. ]

Then what does upset you?

[coolmotivestillevil]

Things that actually matter.

[ Yes, he is intentionally vague. ]

[legbreakings]

[ Jiang Cheng gives a bitter laugh. Fuck, but he feels tired still. Dying does that to you, probably. ]

Then tell me what matters here.

[coolmotivestillevil]

The people.

[ What else?

And, yes, that does include Jiang Cheng, no matter how much he annoys Geralt. ]

[legbreakings]

[ A long silence. ]

You are right. I know. It's just... difficult.

[coolmotivestillevil]

[ He sighs quietly. ]

What did the goats do to you?

[legbreakings]

[ A long, sullen silence, then finally, defeat. ]

I died. I died a stupid death. They attacked, caught me off guard and I fell down the mountain.

[coolmotivestillevil]

[ Ah ...

You don't usually have to ask yourself what to tell someone who's died and come back and actually been ... conscious enough to talk about it. And Geralt has never been good at this, not with people that aren't fellow Wolves.

After a moment's consideration, he settles for an empathic: ]

Fucking goats.

[legbreakings]

[ Awkwardness at expressing sympathy is something Jiang Cheng knows all too well, and so this clumsy attempt at sympathy is actually understood and appreciated.

More than that, he didn't get laughed at. ]

Somebody should cook them into stew [ he chimes in helpfully. ]