Sweet Venom Arc

***

Seres grinned and shook her head as she heard another low groan, followed by a stifled hurl from the other room. She padded carefully across the rusting metal tiles, a bottle of water in one hand and a plate in the other, and back into the bedroom, where Liena was currently hunched over a bucket.

"You're a terrible friend!" She moaned into the bucket as Seres sat back down on the mattress beside her. "Why did you let me drink so much?"

"Hey, I'm not your babysitter. I claim no responsibility for you." She smirked, pushing the bottle of water into Liena's hand. "Drink. Small sips, you've chugged enough for one day."

"Thanks." Liena muttered, lifting her head and bringing the bottle to her lips. She looked deathly pale, Seres realised, and like she might be sick at any given moment. Her eyes bulged as she retched on the water, but managed to keep it down.

"I brought you something to eat as well." Seres said, placing the plate down beside her. "Cheese and pickle sandwich, you're favourite. I even went out this morning and got you some fresh pickles."

"Ugh, are you nuts?! How am I supposed to eat anything right now?!" Liena felt her stomach roll as she glanced down at what would usually be an unassuming sandwich.

"I know it's hard." Seres replied, only a little teasingly as she rubbed Liena's back. "Just try."

Liena sighed, but leant away from the bucket. She shot the sandwich a groggy middle finger, then flicked the top slice of bread off and plucked the pickle slices from its disassembled innards. Seres couldn't help but pull a face as she watched Liena pop them into her mouth.

"You're an absolute freak, you know that?"

"Pickles are good for you, I've told you this. They're good for anxiety too."

"So are anti-depressants."

Liena waved a dismissive hand towards her friend, too concerned with her munching to come up with a sassy retort. Once they were all gone, Liena stared contemplatively at the rest of the sandwich, then shoved her face back into the bucket. "Please take it away." She said dramatically, her voice echoing around the bucket. "It smells, it looks icky. Do not want it."

"Fine, I'll eat it." Seres replied, but couldn't quite reach the level of begrudging she was aiming for however; Liena was the priority, but she wasn't the only one with a hangover, and they definitely didn't have food to waste. Her stomach rumbled happily as she swallowed her first mouthful.

"So, how much do you remember from last night?" She asked around her second bite.

"God, absolutely fuck all." Liena placed a hand to her head as tried to think. "I remember us arriving, obviously. And all these different people handing me drinks... Oh, I remember that the club's dance stage was a blatant health code violation."

"What?!" Seres choked. "What do you mean?"

"The stage was raised, and it was dark and there was absolutely no warning of the step leading up to it."

"No-one else tripped over it, that was a Liena-exclusive maneuver."

"All I'm saying is that if that club was in the DA, that step would have been rampified immediately."

"Of course you'd remember that, fucking nerd."

Liena suddenly gasped and sat up. "Wait, did we get laid?"

Seres snorted in an attempt not to laugh. "You think you got laid?! Have you seen yourself today?"

"Oh my god, okay no not me. I remember you talking to some guy. Ugly moustache." Liena giggled. "Did anything happen with him?"

Seres sighed and leant back against the wall. "Nah. Wasn't meant to be."

"Oh. Shit, it wasn't me, was it?" Liena glanced over at Seeth with a worried expression. "Please don't tell me I fucked it up for you."

"No, you're fine." Seres replied. She reached over and squeezed Liena's hand. It was still greasy from the pickle juice. "He just... turned out to be an absolute cunt. And you know me, I don't fuck cunts."

I'm not fussy, you could fuck any hole of mine.

Liena blinked in surprise at herself, shoving her face deeper into the bucket in an attempt to hide her secret shame. Not that this was unknown to her by any means; She'd been fighting this feeling for literal years - and she wasn't sure why it was cropping up now. Maybe it was the hangover, the churning in her stomach making her heartache almost unbearable. Although, there was another feeling churning away at her too - satisfaction. She was relieved, glad that things hadn't gone well between Seres and her stranger. Jealousy wasn't a good look on anyone, she was more than aware, and she'd spent a very long time pushing it down for the sake of their friendship... but she remembered the dancing. She remembered holding Seres' hands and resting her head on her chest, the steady warmth of her body against hers.

She sat up and looked over at her friend.

I have to say something... I have to try...

Liena opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment, her stomach lurched.

Oh my god, this is not a drill.

She threw up into the bucket, coughing and spluttering and retching all the while. She half- heartedly twisted away as she felt Seres rub her back again, and scoop her dreadlocks out of the firing line. "Don't look at me." She whined. She prayed that she couldn't see the tears pricking in her eyes, or the blush spreading across her otherwise sickly white skin. "I'm a fucking disgrace and an embarrassment to myself."

"Me and you both, Liena." Seres murmured. Carefully she stood up, and let Liena's dreadlocks fall back down her back. "Let me get you a flannel or a towel or something."

"Can I have some mouthwash please?"

Seres smiled. "I'll see what we've got." She replied as she made her way back down the corridor of their old, creaking ship.

***

Chapter 15 - Making Amends

Seeth made her way down the chrome-white main corridor of the Minitaur, her feet stepping heavily in her trademark combat boots. She'd left Diego and Plasia to catch up together - it honestly surprised her how okay she was with their little threeway relationship - and decided that she may as well make herself useful. She had plenty to do after all, including learning her new ship, and making all the necessary arrangements with their new fellow crew. She was incredibly thankful that Wex was so experienced and happy to help, because Seeth wouldn't have had a clue where to start otherwise.

But there was a guilt she had been carrying around with her for a while now, a conversation she knew she'd been putting off, but one that absolutely needed to happen.

Tivy went well. Even Venner went well in the end... or as well as it could have I guess.

She had been dreading it. But being back in close proximity over the last couple of weeks had made the guilt that much stronger and heavier. Her steps didn't quite have their usual confidence and gait today though, as she walked towards the crew quarters.

Seeth paused outside the door, her heart hammering in her chest. She listened closely for a moment; although the Minitaur was well-insulated and sound-proofed, thanks to her heightened senses she could just about hear what sounded like the rustling of fabric on the other side of the room.

Oh, maybe he's getting dressed, or undressing, or something, should I come back later..? Nope, can't. Stop being weird. Seeth shook her head furiously, then forced her hand into a fist and gently rapped her knuckles against the door.

More rustling, footsteps, then the door slid open smoothly. "Oh, Seeth!"

Geralt's eyes flickered upwards at her in surprise. He took a quick step back, not from fear or discomfort, but more from politeness and respect for the Controller's personal space. "Sorry, I... didn't think it'd be you. Did you need something?"

The feline didn't look unhappy to see her. His expression remained neutral, his lips in a tight but genuine-looking little smile. Seeth quickly glanced behind him around the room.

"I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"

"No, not at all." Geralt walked back into the room, towards his newly-claimed bed, which currently had clothes strewn about it. Geralt was unpacking his hastily packed bag which he'd brought from Venner's flat, balls and bundles of crumpled clothes and a few toiletries. "Figured if we're going to be staying here from now on, no point living out of an old duffel bag is there?"

"Agreed. I'm glad you're settling in." Seeth said with all the warmth she could muster - it's not that she couldn't be a warm person, just that... it wasn't exactly the default. "Can I... Would it be okay if I came in, just for a minute?"

"Err, yeah sure." Geralt sounded more confused than anything else, and gestured for her to sit on the unoccupied, opposite bunk. Most of the crew cabins in Seeth's ship had beds and space enough to house multiple people, but the ship itself was large enough so that all of their little crew could have their own rooms - unless co-habiting was preferred, of course.

"So, how are you settling?" Seeth asked, sitting down on the bunk. A few shirts and sets of pyjamas were already strewn about his bed, rather... old-fashioned in style, Seeth noted, but looking like new, and much too large for the feline. Geralt noticed her staring, and chuckled.

"Tivy bought all of these for me not long after we first settled at Venner's. I've shrunk a bit since then apparently." He gestured to one of them dismissively.

"Geralt, some of these shirts look like they'd fit me." Seeth replied, giving the outfits a very obvious disapproving side eye.

"You're more than welcome to take them." Geralt said with the same sour side-eyed expression. "Most of them are hideous."

"They are very, umm... refined?" Seeth suggested.

"Ugh, don't." Geralt replied with a hint of disgust in his voice. "Not my style at all. I never wore them. They make me look like an old man! I love Tivy to bits, don't get me wrong, but I swear sometimes she thinks I'm her old doddering grandpa."

Seeth looked at Geralt then, taking the feline in. He was currently wearing a baggy knitted cardigan and long pair of bottoms, both which did look too big for him. Not that she'd really stopped to think about it, but she supposed she'd always just assumed that he didn't really care about clothes. "What is your style then?" She asked, genuinely interested.

"Leather." Geralt suddenly grinned. "I used to have a killer selection of jackets back home. I don't know if you can picture me in dune walker pants, a leather jacket and a grey shemagh long enough that it looked like a cape, but it was honestly a strong look. Kept the wrong people away, and the right people interested. I had a golden pendant I got from my mother that added that little bit of flair."

"I think I'd need to see it to judge. I'm a visual learner." Seeth smiled back. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"Oh god, Seeth, now you're asking. You stop counting after a while... Fifty-four, I think? Fifty-four years young." He replied with a small wink. He settled himself down on his own bunk and sat opposite Seeth.

"Oh, wow. I... thought you were older." Seeth regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth, and Geralt's eyes narrowed into a glare. "No, I don't mean - I don't mean you look old, it's just with the clothes... You agreed! The checkered pj's and knitted jumpers don't really help with the old-man look!" Seeth could feel herself getting uncharacteristically flustered. Oh fuck, this was a mistake. Tivy was much easier.

But before Seeth could get too flustered, Geralt chuckled again. "I'm just messing with you, love, don't worry. I'm more than aware." He said, a small smile on his face. "As for your original question... surprisingly well, actually. It's a far cry from what I'm used to - Barru X was the first time I'd ever been off-planet, so living on a ship is definitely different. But I've actually quite enjoyed the last few days, travelling around and exploring, seeing something different every day."

"I was worried, after Venner... You two seemed pretty close." Seeth said.

"I mean... I suppose we were, to an extent. She's a lovely person. But she's made the right decision. Venner needs to be around family right now. There's strength in knowing when to call it quits."

"When she said she was leaving... I thought you might go too." Seeth said quietly.

"Would you have preferred that?" Geralt cocked his head. "Is that what this is, you booting me from the crew?"

"No! No, absolutely not!" Seeth replied firmly. She ran a stressed pair of hands through her dreadlocks. "Sorry, I'm not..." Jeez, I used to go on at Leech, I'm no fucking better. "I'm not doing a very good job at saying what I want to say -"

"- Then just say it, Seeth." Geralt replied coldly. For an older gentleman with smile lines around his eyes and warmth in his voice, the sudden change in his demeanour caught her off-guard. It was... surprisingly sharp. "We're not exactly close. What do you want?"

Seeth was fidgeting now, wringing her hands out in her lap. It was a conversation she needed to have, and she knew it, but knowing didn't make it any easier. "I... How are you, Geralt? How are you doing?"

"I... Well, I think I'm doing okay?" Geralt replied. He was clearly surprised, confused, maybe even a little underwhelmed. "Why do you ask?"

"Because... Look, I think I'm just gonna have to come out and say it." Seeth breathed slowly out of her mouth. "I know I wasn't around much, but I could see you were... struggling. And I know you've been struggling for quite a long time, and I want to try and help you, if I can, because I know... I know that it's kinda my fault..." Seeth's voice trailed off.

Geralt didn't reply straight away. He glanced up and watched Seeth's expression carefully, his gaze cutting into her skin. She shivered uncomfortably.

"So is this about making amends, or making yourself feel better?" The words that left Geralt's mouth came out harsher than he meant them to, and they sat heavily in the room. He didn't take them back though, or try to apologise; he let them sit, waiting patiently on Seeth's answer.

"Is it bad if I said it was a bit of both?" Seeth looked across the room at him sheepishly.

"...No." Geralt laughed dryly. "I appreciate the honesty, actually." He scratched at the back of his neck, fingering the clumps of matted fur which hadn't been brushed properly in months. "So, in the matter of being honest..."

A tight knot squeezed inside Seeth's stomach. She swallowed loudly. "I wanted to talk to you... about your daughter."

The cutting edge to Geralt's demeanour immediately started to fold. His shoulders hunched, and he seemed to shrink where he sat, his arms and legs curling closer to him. Just as Seeth began to fear that Geralt might shrivel out of existence entirely, he looked up, and for the first time since she'd known him - they met one another's eyes.

"She's gone, isn't she."

It wasn't a question. Seeth concentrated hard on her breathing as her heart thudded painfully in her chest.

"You knew?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Tears pricked in the corners of Geralt's eyes. It was the response he'd been expecting, the response he knew was coming... but in the deepest parts of himself he'd held hope, hope that maybe she was doing okay...

"I think I always knew. I just... I need you to say it." Geralt replied, his voice just as soft.

Seeth nodded, straightening herself up on the bed. I need to do this. I need to do this for me, for him, for all of us. "Geralt... I-I'm sorry, but Naomi is dead."

Geralt nodded, hot tears rolling slowly down his cheeks. He inhaled deeply and clasped his hands together, straightening his back and yet somehow still looking small.

"What did you do to her?"

"She was long gone before Barru X, that wasn't really -"

"- How did my daughter die, Seeth?" Geralt interrupted sharply.

Seeth fought the urge to look away under Geralt's gaze. She hadn't seen this side of him before. She had expected him to get upset, but she'd underestimated his anger...

"Tell me. And we're being truthful, remember."

Seeth cleared her throat gently. Shifting gently from side to side, she confessed.

"I made her hit her head against the wall, like I did to the Slaves on the ship. Only Nodes are tougher, so..."

Geralt's face suddenly turned a deathly pale. He looked like he was trying not to be sick.

"Why?! Why would you... why?!"

"Because she was already gone!" Seeth blurted out. "Geralt, I was in her head. When you last spoke to her, the things she was thinking, the things she wanted to do to you... She almost raped Oxyi. She was gone. And I'm so, so sorry... and I want to do anything I can to try and atone for that." Seeth blinked back her own threatening tears. "I'm not expecting forgiveness, I just... want to try and help you heal. Because you've been a shell of a man for the last half a year and I don't... want that for you anymore. I owe you the truth."

"She was nineteen." Geralt choked. "When the lot of you took her away from me... don't you understand that? She was barely an adult!"

"I'm sorry, Geralt. I didn't know that, I swear."

"Who corrupted her?" He suddenly demanded. The question had been in the back of his mind for months, sitting and festering, but he hadn't the strength before to ask. But the floodgates were open now, and there was no going back. "I know you know, you can all tell whose Nodes belong to who. Who raped Naomi?"

"I... I think it was Moltezz." Seeth said quietly. "I wasn't there when it happened, but yes, you're right. We can tell."

"Was it before or after you came for me?"

"Same night. Afterwards."

"She would've known, wouldn't she? You can dig around inside the Nodes' heads, she would've known she was my daughter."

"I... She might have done." Seeth replied weakly. "I don't know."

"It explains a few things. Even after Moltezz got more Marks, she always kept me around, kept me locked up in her chambers. She was very selective about who else I saw, and now I know why." He scoffed. "It was just a big power play this whole time. And there I was, relishing in it." Geralt shoved his face in his hands, breathing deeply. He looked like he was trying very hard - but failing - to keep calm as he ran his shaking hands down his neck. "Naomi was talking to me. She said that she loved me. Was none of that real? Was that all you, puppeting her around and making her say a bunch of nice things to me before offing her?" He snapped. "What did that even mean, 'she was gone?' I fucked with plenty of Nodes in that dungeon, they all seemed okay to me!"

"Sometimes... the Nodes slip." Seeth said, a little hesitantly. "Not all of them, and not always so quickly, but... a lot of the Nodes, they lose sight of what they once were. We call it a corruption for a reason. They become slaves to themselves, with the semblance of a conscience. We didn't know that at the time, Geralt - and I'm not trying to make excuses, I take full responsibility for this - but honestly we didn't know."

"Didn't stop you from corrupting more of us though, did it?"

Seeth did look away then, ashamed. "No. It didn't... I was puppeting her, yes. And the Naomi you knew... that wasn't the girl you spoke to. But I promise you, Geralt, that what she said to you was true. She did truly love you once, even if she couldn't tell you herself, and didn't really remember or understood what that meant. I promise."

Geralt sighed. He lifted himself heavily from the bed and walked over the window, facing away from her. They were passing by a distant nebula, casting its kaleidoscope of colours through the ship's windows like stained glass. His hands were still shaking as he gripped at the window panes, although if was out of fury or for support, Seeth wasn't sure.

"So, why now?" He asked, his tone dead, emotion impossible to determine. "Is it because Diego's back? Trying to wipe the slate clean?"