The whole group of children listened with rapt attention as Geralt delivered his answer. (Well, except for little Isolde, who desperately wanted to hold his hand and was still perched on her tip-toes making the attempt. She was nothing if not determined.) Unfortunately, if Geralt had hoped that answering them would result in fewer questions, he was sorely mistaken.
"Did it chew you?"
"Of course it didn't chew him!"
"I don't see any teeth marks!"
"Maybe they're on his back, you don't know!"
"It must have hurt!"
"Does it hurt to get eaten?"
"He's huge, the silkyma must have been even huge-r if it ate him whole! How big was it, was it this big? This big?"
"You saved the town right! There was a town, wasn't there Julian, and he saved it?"
"You have a horse, Julian said you have a horse, where is it?"
"I want to pet the horsey!"
Jaskier watched the Witcher's expression shift from amusement to suspicion, then to keen and absolute discomfort. His reaction to the children was so obvious and open that it had the bard preening. They gathered, nearly to a man (Tristan had managed to get his arms around Julian and the young boy refused to release him, which was fair. His sister was the one trying the same ploy while softly chanting Wisher.) and crowded Geralt in the doorway, surrounding him and staring up with awe and wonder. They asked and poked and, in more than a few cases, grabbing at his pant legs or shirtsleeves and tugged politely so he might answer their questions.
"I can't believe you're all behaving like this," Jaskier lamented as he stood up, Tristan held securely against his hip. All the children went a little worried at that, paled in that same way that Jaskier had when he walked out into the party, and the Bard's crowing expression faltered for just a beat. He hadn't meant to--shit--
"I bring you a real, live Witcher and you haven't even invited him to play?" Jaskier finished and there was an instant uproar among the group. The boy who'd demanded Julian was a fair addition backpedaled and demanded Geralt join his team. The others argued emphatically that Geralt be on their team. One boy was adamant that Witchers don't pick sides so he can't be on any team. They debated, their energy redirected to each other, and only a few kept their attention on the man in the doorway.
no subject
"Did it chew you?"
"Of course it didn't chew him!"
"I don't see any teeth marks!"
"Maybe they're on his back, you don't know!"
"It must have hurt!"
"Does it hurt to get eaten?"
"He's huge, the silkyma must have been even huge-r if it ate him whole! How big was it, was it this big? This big?"
"You saved the town right! There was a town, wasn't there Julian, and he saved it?"
"You have a horse, Julian said you have a horse, where is it?"
"I want to pet the horsey!"
Jaskier watched the Witcher's expression shift from amusement to suspicion, then to keen and absolute discomfort. His reaction to the children was so obvious and open that it had the bard preening. They gathered, nearly to a man (Tristan had managed to get his arms around Julian and the young boy refused to release him, which was fair. His sister was the one trying the same ploy while softly chanting Wisher.) and crowded Geralt in the doorway, surrounding him and staring up with awe and wonder. They asked and poked and, in more than a few cases, grabbing at his pant legs or shirtsleeves and tugged politely so he might answer their questions.
"I can't believe you're all behaving like this," Jaskier lamented as he stood up, Tristan held securely against his hip. All the children went a little worried at that, paled in that same way that Jaskier had when he walked out into the party, and the Bard's crowing expression faltered for just a beat. He hadn't meant to--shit--
"I bring you a real, live Witcher and you haven't even invited him to play?" Jaskier finished and there was an instant uproar among the group. The boy who'd demanded Julian was a fair addition backpedaled and demanded Geralt join his team. The others argued emphatically that Geralt be on their team. One boy was adamant that Witchers don't pick sides so he can't be on any team. They debated, their energy redirected to each other, and only a few kept their attention on the man in the doorway.