what a concept!, the witcher, vernon roche, canon fixits, witcher 3 fixits,
reason of state
via https://ift.tt/3eU9ydm
Chapter 2 of Under The Ribs is up on AO3
https://archiveofourown.org/works/32764837/chapters/81465868, concluding
that particular story.
This is the chapter the warnings were really for; there are some quite dark
nightmare/hallucinations. (Anoke wrote all those LOL. And yes a bunch of
the rest of the story of course but in the rough draft that was the most
striking bit. They really are the best part of this whole thing. The only
bit I supplied was exactly what it feels like to rip something’s heart out,
from extensive personal experience.)
Also some politics. Also some medical bullshit. Roche is very sick.
Vernon was strapped to a table in the dark. He could hear metal against
stone, blades being honed. He tried to struggle, find a weakness in the
straps, but nothing gave.
“Hold still, dear heart,” Foltest said. “Hold still for me.”
“I’ll try,” he tried to answer, but he could not speak. They stabbed him, a
killing blow, but he did not die. Again they struck, and again and again,
and he realized they were cutting. His ribs snapped, his flesh was peeled
away, they tore open his chest and he could not scream, he could make no
sound, he could not die. They pulled and pulled until something gave with a
springy, tearing snap-pop that jolted his entire body.
Foltest pressed a kiss to his open mouth. “There we are, pup,” Foltest
said, holding Vernon’s heart in his hand. “We both know this belongs to me.”
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