vocalistyodels | OPEN POST

All of that sounds like a skill issue, Jaskier. Cooper glances at the windows in the room, still covered with thick drapes that let no sun nor moonlight in. Going over he'll tug the heavy material aside, looking out.

He stares at the snow that's falling in the light of the moon, it looks soft, but heavy. There's already a decent amount on the ground and with how much is coming down it would become a hindrance quick enough when traveling. The man is right and Cooper let's the drape drop back down as he moves to take the letter from him.

With a hum he'll let his eyes roam over the words. His Elder isn't the best, it was something Barb tried to teach him over the years and he took half seriously. Was biting him in the ass now. With a grimace he'll set it aside, turning his back to Jaskier as he rummages in the trunk.

"Well, Jaskier, we can go over the letter with some wine since we'll be here for the time being." Aka, yes he needs you to read it for him. Digging down deep he manages to find a couple bits of his own clothes. His boots and a belt with an old buckle on it that once had sentimental meaning. He grabs the rest from what else he finds in the trunk, making a new outfit for himself for the time being.

The worn leather duster is actually quite nice, he may just keep it. Tugging things on he feels more of his humanity coming back of him, covering up the creature he'd been made to be by those damnable mages.

What Iosith had taken advantage of for months for her own amusement.

"What d'ya think-?" Cooper holds his arms out, does a little turn to each side, "The colors flatter my eyes?" The colors being darkened leathers of black and brown.

Jaskier did actually look at Cooper's ensemble somewhat critically, since he'd asked and all. He knew it was surely out of sarcasm, but Jaskier never ignored an inch offered in jest that gave him an opening to take a mile, and he wasn't about to stop now.

... for all he was something that looked like he'd fit right in crawling out of a big, the man did have startlingly pretty eyes. Glancing into the trunk, Jaskier bent over to dig into it until he pulled out a man's scarf, rich blue accented in gold thread. Iosith had well favored victims, it seemed.

"You need an accent color."

How else does one deal with the horrors of life but with sarcasm?

Jaskier seems to take him semi seriously and Cooper has to huff at the scarf he picks out for him. The blue and gold is another reminder of his past, of who he used to be, his family... he takes it, looping it loosely around his neck.

"Make a decent cover for my face. Most folk ain't about to let a talking corpse wander through their city, but I'm sure you know that much." The less bullshit he has to deal with the better. Unless it's bullshit he starts himself. Though there's the risk of him hiding his face attracting attention too, what is he hiding- yadda yadda...

Cooper steps around the room to find the crossbow Jaskier had accidentally used to murder Iosith, picking it up and giving it a look over.

"She really was a packrat, even kept my crossbow." His eyes scan the shelves to find any bolts but it's only after he pulls open a drawer on the desk that he finds any. That'll be one thing he'll need to buy more of as soon as possible.

"Never did get a chance to take my shot at her, the irony of that bolt still being loaded when it was in your hands almost warms my heart."

It would provide useful face covering if needed. Given the amount of shit Geralt got for being a Witcher and all that set them apart were the eyes at a glance (no pun intended), he imagined Cooper's situation was not exactly fun.

"That is some dramatic irony. Consider it an act of teamwork," he suggested, rolling up the rest of the witch's correspondence and stashing it in a hardened leather tube made for carrying messages that she had laying around. There was just enough suspicious wording among them that Jaskier would feel better passing it off to Geralt or even Yennefer. Then at least he could feel like he had done something about this whole mess.

"Why were you after her?"

Excuse his snort at the mention of teamwork. He doesn't do teamwork, he walks alone, he is the night blah blah, lone wolf, something something, embarrassingly really, look where that got him.

"Pretty nosy for a guy who saw a fella eat someone." Cooper says, but he doesn't look over at Jaskier. He's looking over his crossbow, checking for any wear on his weapon. Clearly it worked well enough to kill someone, but that didn't mean it was in good condition.

"... list of names I've been looking into, seeing what they could tell me bout The Vault. Where to find em. Looks like I was right." That she had a connection to them. Fucking mages. Cooper looks around then, curious if she'd- ah. Reaching up on the top of another shelf he grabs a hat, dusting it off a little and plops it on his head.

"What bout you? Canoodling with witches, ain't heard nothing with those ears of yours?" Now he regards Jaskier, wondering if his accidental savior could be connected to them beyond having his cock inside one.

The Vault, there it was again. A weighted word that meant something. Jaskier wondered what he had stumbled into with this.

"I'm not canoodling with witches. I have bed partners that do not exclude witches or wizards provided they're not psychotic sadists," Jaskier said, only to pause and regard the room full of discarded objects from people that had likely died at her hands directly or indirectly. "... She didn't seem that way at the time. I was at Oxenfurt and Thanedd is so close you get the magical sorts through there with some regularity. We don't generally discuss magical business - I can't recall hearing of a 'Vault' before. Does it have another name?"

Cooper does raise his brow at Jaskier with that first part, but the man catches himself quickly enough. He'd argue all witches and wizards are psychotic sadists, but he's biased.

"They ain't got another name, not that I know of. It's a group of em. Magic sorts of all types." Cooper had come to this area for that reason, though Iosith had been his primary target, but if he were going to find any new leads for The Vault it would be near Thanedd.

"They want to 'change the world for the better', but they gotta cleanse everything first. Start over." Cooper walks around back to stand by the covered body of Iosith, watching her blood start to soak through the cover Jaskier had put over her. Cooper none to politely spits on her covered corpse, she deserves even less than that.

"But they ain't tell you that last part when they're looking for people to join their cause." Not at first at least.

Look... Jaskier isn't in disagreement that there's something from with most witches and wizards. Some more than others. It's just sometimes what's wrong with them is ultimately harmless or just good kinky fun as far as Jaskier is concerned. Which was what he thought was what Iosith had going.

That said, sneaky underhanded group that seems to think it's got the right mind for things... No, even if Jaskier's worst interpretation of her character, that doesn't sound like Yennefer's deal. But it does sound like the kind of thing she might be approached for. Jaskier crosses his arms thoughtfully, humming, glancing over as Cooper spits on the body. The sheet has so much red on it now. Ugh.

"I don't know anything... but I might know someone who does," he says, making sure he's got everything pocketed he intends to take before heading over to the fallen witch to very carefully step over her body again. "I'm going to take a pass at her pantry, since it isn't like she's going to eat anything in there. I think I can keep something down now."

Iosith wasn't not into kinky fun, but she also was a whole lot of other things. Her biggest hobby became luring people to her home to feed to her new pet monster. The monster being Cooper of course.

Cooper was starting to think there wasn't much else Jaskier could offer him, he didn't seem to know anything. Though if he did get on with magic sorts... his head lifts watching Jaskier as he heads out of the room and he's not far behind him. He's spent enough time in there.

"While you indulge I'd be interested in hearing about this someone of yours." Another magic user no doubt. He'll have to keep a close eye on Jaskier, he could be leading him into some trap. Just because he ended up freeing him doesn't mean anything.

"Oh, she is not 'mine' in any sense of that word, not even slightly," Jaskier insists, glancing over his shoulder to see Cooper following behind as he heads to where the pantry and attached kitchen was. It was well stocked, if nothing else. He could use some wine, himself. Or ale. Anything alcoholic. It it has been a long day. So that's what he raids first, going through a cabinet and grabbing the first bottle he finds to uncorck, take a smell - ugh, but it'll do the job - and pour himself a mug.

"She's psychotic, vicious, evil, and devious," Jaskier informs Cooper with a serious look, taking a long drink of the alcohol at the very thought of dealing with Yennefer. Maybe he'll find Geralt first and be able to ask the man to be a go-between. Double ugh.

Right then. More searching. Bread and cheese - he's not so sure about stomaching meat just yet. Maybe in another hour.

"But, she's not all those things in that kind of way. Awful as she is, I can't see her actually being part of anything like what you've said 'the Vault' entails... but that's because I know her better than most, which I must emphasizes is against all desire on my part. Someone who knows her only by reputation or what she wants them to see? They might have made an offer to her about that fully certain it is in her wheelhouse."

Sorry for any blood that was tracked in there, he'd already raided some of the wine in his bloody and naked glory earlier, but there was more than plenty left. The food he'd not even touched, not yet anyway. For now he moves to sit at the table in there, one any servants she may have had at some point would have sat at and prepared meals at. It had only been Iosith for a while now.

Boots up on the table, Cooper leans back watching Jaskier enjoy his drink as he talks. Yennefer... the name rings a bell, maybe he's seen the name in other papers he's found in his search for these bastards. If she's anything like his new acquaintance says then no doubt The Vault would be looking to make her part of their scheme. Who says she already isn't, Jaskier might, but that means nothing to him at the moment.

"An' where could I find this Yennefer of yours?" Cooper leans back in the chair a little, his crossbow on his lap, "Just want to ask her a few questions about our possible mutual interests."

Oh, Jaskier can tell what that kind of 'relaxed' stance means. He's seen it on Geralt plenty of times, that 'just asking questions' when he was fishing for a mark.

"As much as I would relish seeing that - one, she would eviscerate you, and two, I don't know at the moment. I don't keep track of her. Again, everything I know about her has been thoroughly against my will," he explains- aha, bread and cheese both discovered. He looks for a knife next and takes them all to the table to get started cutting some manageable chunks off of both. "I could ask around, though. Geralt might know, I could send word to him... or, hmmm, given where we are it might be just as fast to meet him, given the time of year..."

That last part being Jaskier mostly thinking aloud to himself, recalling the yearly circuits the Witcher made, wintering at his home up north.

"Guess I'd be two for two against witches then wouldn't I?" Look, he knows he's woefully unprepared to take on these magic users, but it doesn't mean it's going to stop him. They have his daughter and he's not going to stop until he gets her away from those motherfuckers. Or dies trying.

Cooper cocks his head curiously at Jaskier at the other name he mentions. Geralt... Geralt where had he heard that name?

"Geralt...? Ain't that that Witcher fella? The one that song about?" Look even the rich folk heard those songs, they made their way around. Toss A Coin To Your Witcher was a ear bug for sure. Cooper takes a closer look at the man now, gears in his brain turning.

"Hell, what'd you say your name was again? You ain't that bard who wrote that song are you?" The ghoul's brow furrows until he remembers, "Jaskier, that was it. Thought there was something familiar looking bout you. Pretty sure I've seen you preform before, long time ago." The ghoul's eyes do a once over of him.

"Ya looked bit different then." To be fair, so did Cooper at that time. They'd both been younger, different men in a way.

There was no hiding the way Jaskier perked up as Cooper recognized the name Geralt - specifically from the song, Jaskier's whole attitude brightening like a preening bird.

"Toss a coin to your Witcher, Oh, Valley of Plenty, Oh, Valley of Plenty, oh ~ Toss a coin to your Witcher, A friend of humanity~" Jaskier sings at the prompting, hands stilling from where they were cutting up the bread and cheese. He's come up with other songs he's equally proud of since then, but this was the one that put him on the map and turned Geralt's reputation for the better.

"You must have looked different then, too. I'm certain I would have remembered your face."

Now isn't that swell, Cooper never thought he'd get a mini private performance from The Jaskier. That's certainly the song he remembers, missing the playful sound of the bard's lute, but it's still a good ear worm regardless.

"Heh, well had a nose then. Hair. Complexion was a bit nicer." Aka he had normal skin, less man set on fire looking. "But needless to say, ain't in them circles anymore. Far as anyone is concerned that man been dead for a while now."

Jaskier gives Cooper a considering look, trying to picture what he must have looked like before all... this. His eyes are striking, though. Perhaps it will come back to Jaskier in time. 'In those circles' - implies that Cooper was 'someone'. Maybe the way Jaskier has been 'someone' too.

Complex. He'll have to ponder it.

"Yes, that Geralt. The Witcher, the 'White Wolf'. He's familiar enough with Yennefer - to put it politely - that he'll likely know where she is now or at least where to contact her."

The ghoul considers the bard, curiously. Maybe he shouldn't be surprised he'd get involved, beyond his accidental involvement that is. He's used to following a Witcher after all, this must seem like just another odd thing.

"And you just plan on putting all your plans on hold to help me, huh?" He shifts, legs falling off the table to sit up straight.

"Just like that?"

Jaskier is used to following a Witcher - but even when him and Geralt had parted ways for a couple years under bitter circumstances, spending that time with Geralt had made Jaskier rather discover he apparently was the kind of man who when someone needed to do something realized that he was 'someone'. When had it become second nature to offer a hand, if he could? He doesn't even consider that he'd done it until Cooper questions it. Because, yes, just like that.

"It's entirely possible he won't know how to contact Yennefer - or he will, and she'll have no idea what it is," Jaskier said with a small shrug. "So both would be a dead end. I don't see why assisting to make sure the option is explored is going that much out of my way."

"And The Great Jaskier isn't meant to be playing all across The Continent?" He's almost touched he can put down the lute to travel the lands with him to meet this great Witcher of his.

"You're real quick to jump in bed with me," Figuratively, "Man you don't know the name of and you can't say I'm telling the truth." Cooper isn't trying to make Jaskier second guess his decision, but he's just curious about his reasons for jumping to help him so readily.

"Maybe Lady Iosith had me chained up for a good reason."

Jaskier raises his eyebrows. Figuratively. Indeed.

"Given you killed and ate her and admitted to having come here to kill her in the first place, if anything I assumed she didn't have good reason to lock you up because a smarter person should have killed you outright if you were so dangerous to them," Jaskier said with an easy shrug, meeting Cooper's eyes as he took a bite of the cheese and began looking for some better wine. "I don't have particular engagements lined up for a few weeks - and it's the same amount of travel between here and Ard Carraigh as it is to return to Oxenfurt anyway."

He's certain if they leave in the morning they should be able to make it there well enough during the turn of winter to ensure they'd meet up with Geralt as he passed through there, as he rather reliably did twice a year.

"Don't let me take all the credit, you killed her. I doubt she expected a clumsy bard to ruin her fun." The fun being having him chained up as her living trash compactor for people she kills.

"But I guess you're my ticket to finding this Yennefer." Cooper isn't even sure it'll be worth the effort to find her, but he can't not look into it. He's been waylaid for too long and this fell in his lap, he's got to take it.

"So we wait for the storm to pass and head out soon as we can, better fill up and get your rest." Though don't rest in Iosith's room, the bed is a mess, no thanks to Cooper. No doubt in this big place she's got a guest room or two with beds that don't stink of sex and gore.

Jaskier makes a face at the reminder he was also responsible for Iosith's death. Trying to forget that, thank you.

"Hopefully she has some extra bedrooms in here, given the mess you made of hers," Jaskier comments, voicing those thoughts aloud. More wine found, Jaskier opens the bottle - takes an experimental sniff - then a very long drink from it. More like chugging, really.

He wants to help, sincerely, but there's a small part of him that's also hopeful this will make it so Cooper doesn't change his mind and decide to kill him in the night.

"What should I call you, anyway?"

"Think I deserved to make a little mess." A little mess he says, having tracked blood all over the place.

And hey now, he doesn't just eat people to eat people. He didn't have much choice in the matter while being held against his will. Jaskier is not on the menu, nor will he be. Maybe he's a little bit of a fan of the bard alright.

"Can call me whatever the fuck y'want." Real helpful, Cooper.

Jaskier gives Cooper a look at the justification for the mess like he's being a particularly recalcitrant toddler. Well.

"Whatever I want? Your wish is my command, Fitzwilliam," Jaskier said with a mock half-bow. He fetched a plate to pile the food on and took up the wine bottle to search for a clean room to go pass out for a few hours in.

He just smiles at the look, of course. At the name Jaskier picks he scoffs.

"That's the name ya pick?" Look he did say whatever, but Fitzwilliam? Did he look like that? He definitely doesn't look like that.

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