#I mean the Witcher's Keep in the mountains right?

[thelostgirl21]

AND NOW HE'S THE FAMILY GOAT!!!

The capricorns

I found this interviews [x] and I couldn't help but make a stupid parallel 😅

[casually-eat-my-soul]

Okay so after the mountain breakup and makeup, jaskier has a new horse. He super excited to introduce Geralt “horse girl” Riviera to his sweetheart of a horse, Pegasus. He talk about how well mannered and precious his horse is; and how he just had to buy him off of his old owners who didn’t treat him right — “ I mean they didn’t even give him apples, Geralt, who does that?? —

Geralt is expecting a dainty normal horse, maybe with ribbons in his hair, like his owner. But they get to the stables and jaskier skips over to this behemoth of a war horse. (I’m thinking like a shire horse type breed).

Jaskier is just absolutely besotted with the “sweetheart” and Geralt is petrified. This horse is bigger than roach. It’s glaring at Geralt with the rage of hellfire. Geralt is like 57% sure it’s a hell horse.

It’s also super protective of jaskier and it hates Geralt. Pegasus is always moving in between the two and when Jaskier starts giving Geralt attention Pegasus whines and Jaskier will go back to him.

Geralt is not jealous no matter what anyone says. He tries to tell Jaskier about how his demon horse keeps glaring at him and bumping him off the road. But everytime he tries to point it out Pegasus has the most innocent look on his face.

It would be so funny to see a horse and a Witcher try and fight for Jaskier attention

[thedemonofcat]

Geralt being cursed to dwell in misery, which manifests by making the Witcher forget his and Jaskier’s reconciliation after the mountain.

Not just once too.

Every apology, every instance of forgiveness, vanishes by the next morning.

Jaskier is touched that Geralt, fresh in his guilt, keeps trying to make things right. But, he’d like for Geralt to not be guilt about that anymore.

Geralt jolted awake, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving with panic. His eyes darted around the dimly lit room until they landed on the familiar form of Jaskier, sound asleep beside him.

"Jaskier," Geralt said hoarsely, shaking the bard gently but urgently.

"Mmh—what, is there a monster?" Jaskier mumbled groggily, barely opening his eyes before Geralt pulled him into a fierce, almost desperate hug, crushing the air from his lungs.

"I'm sorry," Geralt murmured, his voice raw and trembling as he buried his hand in Jaskier’s tousled hair. "I didn’t mean what I said."

Jaskier let out a long, exasperated sigh, more tired than truly annoyed. "Oh, for Melitele’s sake, this is getting absurd," he muttered, wriggling free from the witcher's iron grip. "I forgave you three weeks ago, you great brooding oaf."

Still half-draped in Geralt's arms, he leaned back with a weary smile. Truth be told, Jaskier was more worried about breaking the curse than about the apologies. The sooner they ended this nightmare, the better.

[scariusaquarius]

crude.

CHRISTMAS ADVENT BONANZA 2K24 Day 13: Christmas Cards, Geralt of Rivia

Geralt of Rivia x Fem! Reader Summary: Geralt isn't one to really accept gifts in any other form accept for coin. You respect this, and so you give him something a little more easier for him to keep.

-

A/n: So I don't think Christmas is really a thing in The Witcher (lol) so I'm gonna do something a bit more on a family tradition side of things. I hope that you enjoy this!

-

Genre: Friendship Rated: Everyone Warning: Suggestive Themes, Crude Humor

-

Author: ScariusAquarius

-

Winters at Kaer Morhen were nothing short but relaxing. Winter fell heavily upon the land, the land blanketed in white for miles. The hot air that escaped your lips became visible for a moment, the nipping wind blowing the air away and into the morning.

The sun was just starting to rise, orange rays reflecting off of the snow and creating glistening light before it disappeared behind thick and grey clouds, and you hummed to yourself as you clutched the letter within your hand tightly.

"Looks as though it's going to storm soon."

"Might be best if you stay here for the night then. Looks like it'll be while before you can head out."

Geralt's voice made you jump with fright, whipping your gaze over your shoulder to see him stepping out onto the icy balcony. Geralt shook his shoulders slightly to stave the cold away for a moment, and you made a face at him as his gold eyes lit up with amusement.

"Must you always sneak about like a damn cat? About spooked my soul right out of me."

Geralt chuckled gently, his raspy voice amused as he retorted.

"Don't think that'd be the weirdest thing I've seen as a witcher."

You nodded quietly, murmuring as you turned back to look out at the snowy mountains below.

"You're probably right. As a witcher, you see all kinds of things...seen the world through blood and gore...is it strange that I feel sad that you haven't truly enjoyed living?"

Geralt wasn't sure what had brought your melancholic state up, and truthfully, it made him slightly uncomfortable. Shifting from foot to foot slightly, Geralt took a deep breath and crossed his arms. Choosing not to reply, he instead darted away from the question, asking you.

"What's that you got there? A letter?"

You clutched the paper close to you for a moment before you turned to him, explaining as you held it out for him; Geralt's eyes widening in interest at the neat calligraphy of his name drawn upon the top.

"Around this time of year, my family had a sort of tradition...when winter would be at its peak and we weren't certain if the cold would take us or not, we began to exchange gifts to each other...almost like a memento mori. Winter is so unforgiving..."

Your voice trailed off, and Geralt asked you, his gloved fingers carefully breaking the wax seal that concealed the contents within.

"You're giving me a gift?"

"Well, sort of. I know you don't really care for material items since you're always on the Path, but I figured that perhaps this would be more plausible."

Geralt glanced down, and he could smell your scent wafting from the pages. There also seemed to be perfume lacing the pages, strong but not uncomfortable like the working girls around the cities wore.

When Geralt opened the letter, there was a dried flower that was glued to the paper with beeswax; giving the page a nice floral scent that mixed well with the perfume and your natural aura.

To Geralt of Rivia,

When the Path becomes unsteady, and you are unsure of your purpose: look to the skies as the swallow dives to greet your hand. Though the sun will not always shine, it is ever-present; waiting for your eyes to feast upon the light.

Though your purpose may become obscure during times of strife and hardship, it does not mean that it is meaningless. Though the way that you travel might not always be with good company; know that good company will always await you.

You are a valued friend; and we eagerly await your return when the Path calls to you again.

Geralt could see Ciri's familiar handwriting at the bottom of the page, a slight smile twitching the corner of his lips.

Wash your armor often, you smelly old man.

"I see Ciri didn't want to hold her thoughts back."

Geralt said, and you became embarrassed, wringing your hands together.

"Ah, yes, she asked me if she could add something, but wouldn't let me see what it was before it was already finished. Ciri was very adamant about making sure I didn't throw this draft away and gave it to you."

Geralt chuckled before he closed the letter and placed it within his armor, asking you as he came to stand beside you.

"Is that why your heart was beating so fast? Why you were so nervous? I thought you'd done something wrong...or I had."

"It's cheesy."

You sighed, rubbing the back of your neck as Geralt listened.

"Had you been a person that valued material items, this would have been a lot easier...I'm not poetic like Dandelion, though he did have a bit to do with the wording."

"I could tell. You never struck me as the poetic type."

Geralt couldn't refrain from chuckling as you ducked your head and you groaned, looking up at the sky as it began to snow.

"Gods, I know! I just wanted to do something nice for you and give you something that you'd be able to take with you on the Path...Ciri told me that something to put on Roach's saddle or even a charm for your sheath would suffice, but then I had a dilemma of what I would even give to you then."

Geralt raised his brow, asking you as he turned and leaned against the railing of the balcony.

"Truly? I thought this was a tradition of your family's."

Your eyes became wide, and you glanced away from him, mumbling.

"It is, I just also wanted to do something nice. It's basically the same thing."

Geralt decided to stop torturing you, saying as he placed a hand in the air to make you pause and pay attention.

"It's alright, truly. I...really do appreciate this, and you're right: I don't really have much use for anything on the Path besides things that would help me with monster hunting, but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate them. A letter is just as important to me as an actual gift."

You looked surprised, and you asked him almost earnestly.

"You mean that? You don't think it's...idiotic or anything?"

"Why would I think that?"

You shrugged, and Geralt sighed slightly, shaking his head and rolling his eyes slightly.

"You worry too much."

"You don't worry enough."

You stuck your tongue out at him, and Geralt smirked, leaning down to you and whispering in your ear.

"I'm not the one whose heart is racing and desire is soaking their scent like an animal in heat."

He patted your shoulder teasingly, leaving you to gawk in horror on the balcony as he walked back into the bedroom, calling over his shoulder.

"If you wanted something in return, all you had to do was say something."

END DAY 13

[wild-blue-wanderlust]

Extraordinary Things Analysis

(AKA Jaskier’s Past, His Present, and Radovid’s Future)

‘Extraordinary Things’ is a song about giving up on trying to fulfill expectations. It clearly relates to Jaskier’s past as a noble, and judging by what we know of Jaskier, I don’t think this one was written closely to its performance in season 3. Jaskier seems to have been comfortable in his queer identity for a while if what Vespula says has any truth to it, therefore I find it unlikely that he wrote this song about coming to terms with his queerness recently.

Chronologically it’s hard to place this song. The themes are mainly about nobility so that would make me think it would be sometime before or after him leaving home. But there are references to Geralt, so it has to be after he met him. I can also see it occurring after Pavetta’s wedding because that’s another circle of nobility he found himself in. But there’s even some lyrics alluding to ‘Her Sweet Kiss’, so it could be after the Djinn or even after the Mountain Breakup, though I think that’s a lot less likely. The latest I’d say most of this song was written is during Sirens of the Deep, but I will go further into these possibilities. Side note: the next song I analyse will be ‘A Little Sacrifice’.

The choice to perform it here likely comes from the fact that Jaskier has once again found himself in a very high-class social circle, and it’s as if he’s playing an old song by reminding himself what he left behind and how he’s grown since he abandoned that life. It’s easy to romanticise a past like that after going through all that he’s gone through since, and Radovid doesn’t make that easier.

It’s also clear that the song speaks to Radovid and his current struggle that Jaskier has faced already. So, for this analysis, I will analyse each lyric in terms of how it relates to Jaskier, and how it relates to Radovid.

Keep your words on ice / your gaze lights the fire

Right off the bat, we’re given a clear indication that this song is, like many of Jaskier’s other works, about Geralt. Cold words, golden eyes. The juxtaposition here of ice and fire, coldness and warmth, sums up his relationship to Geralt quite well. The things Geralt says are cold and distant and sometimes mean, but his actions (including the way he looks at Jaskier, his “gaze”) show a softer and warmer, more caring side. There’s something special about the way that Jaskier is telling him that doesn’t need to change. As if saying he accepts Geralt as he is, harsh words and all, because he can see through Geralt’s actions that he is loved and cared for.

Radovid, I think, knows that this is about Geralt. When asking Jaskier to play for them, he says that they’d love a song about ‘the white-haired Witcher’. Of course, this isn’t the first song that Jaskier plays, but it’s safe to assume Radovid still thinks/knows that this one, too, is about Geralt. Especially considering “does the Witcher know how lucky he is to have you?” And imagine being Radovid, having your celebrity crush sing for you, and he’s singing a love song about the man he travels with. Radovid is living the life of Y/N, but by the gods, he’s also heartbroken.

they say ‘keep on playing nice’ / but I have no desire

A possible reference to Jaskier’s family and his upbringing around nobility, where everything is about appearances. They’re not telling him to be nice, just to play nice. They also don’t mean nice in the moral sense, they just want him to conform.

(After watching Sirens of the Deep, this line als or reminds me of Sh’eenaz’s aunt telling her to “just play nice” during her song.)

‘Play nice’ also has musical connotations and I’d imagine these are what Radovid would pick up on, as before he asked Jaskier if he was there to “play a pretty song” to which Jaskier responded that “[he doesn’t] do pretty”. ‘Nice’ and ‘pretty’ would obviously be synonymous here.

When Radovid stopped singing back to Jaskier in the cabin, this was where he stopped. So it’s likely this first section that meant the most to him.

Why waste our words when lips were made for extraordinary things?

This is such a crazy thing for someone like Jaskier to say. He’s an artist. He strongly believes in the power of words and in the power of music and I don’t think that he believes that words — in the form of song or in the form of conversation — are a waste. He talks far too much for that. So this is either self-deprecating, or he’s doing his job (“I’m an artist, Yennefer. It’s my job… to put myself in other’s shoes”) and singing from someone else’s point of view. Geralt’s, perhaps?

Alternatively he could also be suggesting that his words, no matter what he says, are a waste when he’s surrounded by nobility. They will fall on deaf ears. So if he can’t make them listen, why try, when he could just go and chase the things that he wants, and love who he wants while he does it?

In terms of Radovid, all that can really be said for this line is that I’m sure it made him swoon.

It’s not a want, it’s a need / it is paying no heed to what others say / to sing

As much as this song is romantic, it can also be read as Jaskier’s love for his craft. He doesn’t want to create, he needs to. He may be saying that this ‘need’ is going against expectations because his family perhaps didn’t want him to go down the creative route, or he could be saying going against expectations is art in itself. Also something of a reference to ‘Her Sweet Kiss’, with “it’s not a want, it’s a need” reminding me of “I am weak, my love, and I am wanting”

I can imagine Radovid would focus more on the romantic connotations, a need for love and his crush on Jaskier being a need. As it is “paying no heed to what others say to sing”, Radovid’s love must go beyond what Philippa and Dijkstra want from Jaskier, beyond how they use Radovid to further their goals, and beyond what is expected of him as the prince of Redania.

The greatest songs are made up / of unspoken words of love / of them, I’ve had enough / with you, I have enough

Jaskier, when he was a noble, was likely sick of not being able to express his true feelings. And he was probably sick of having other people dictate what made for a ‘great’ song, too. He’d had enough of nobles and had enough of not speaking his mind. “With you, I have enough” could refer to creating art. The ability to create music is all he needs in life to feel fulfilled. It could also relate to Geralt. That even though he doesn’t have a permanent roof over his head, or a lot of coin, and sometimes a lack of food, he’s content with the life they lead.

Radovid is living the noble life right now. He obviously finds it admirable and inspiring that Jaskier escaped it, considering he also attempts to leave in season 3. This song is a turning point for his life and I doubt he even recognised leaving as an option before realising that Jaskier had made it out.

With you, I am enough / I am enough

Jaskier is good enough for his found family. Sometimes he has to remind himself, because it doesn’t always feel like it.

Radovid is good enough for Jaskier. But sometimes he has to remind himself, because it’s difficult not to fall back into expectations.

But that second repetition of the line highlights that they’re enough even without those other people. Ciri, Geralt and Yennefer can help Jaskier see it, and he can do the same for Radovid, but they were both enough to begin with, regardless of others aconowledging it.

This is where the song ends in Jaskier’s performance, the rest is sung later in the season during the end credits, suggesting that it was written after this performance, or that this was the only part he found applicable to his current audience. I can see both possibilities:

Drop the sweet disguise / your heart’s beating too loud / the fairytales and little lies can’t drown out all the sound

The point at which ‘Extraordinary Things’ was written makes all the difference to the meaning of this line because I see three possibilities.

The first is that this is about Geralt, and that this part of the song was written at the same time as the rest of it, but that Jaskier didn’t feel the need to play it to the nobles in Radovid’s room.

“Your heart’s beating too loud” could possibly be in reference to Geralt’s enhanced Witcher senses and the idea of noises being overwhelming. In this case, I think the “fairytales and little lies” refer to the parts of Jaskier’s songs that are not entirely accurate to the stories he’s telling, a fact which often bothers Geralt, who doesn’t let Jaskier to lie whenever he had the opportunity to shut down what he says.

Alternatively, if it was written later but still about Geralt, then this part could’ve been written after the Mountain Breakup. Jaskier asking Geralt to drop the “sweet disguise”, both using the adjective “sweet” in a similar way to ‘Her Sweet Kiss’ where the meaning is changed from positive to negative, and also stating that he doesn’t think what Geralt said to him then was how he truly felt about him. How could it be? Also fitting this interpretation, the aforementioned “fairytales and little lies” probably reference the last verse of ‘The Golden One’, where Jaskier avoids the topic of what happened between him and Geralt to instead say that he managed to seduce Téa and Véa.

It even could’ve been written way later, about his relationship with Radovid. The “sweet disguise” referencing the ‘mask’ Radovid has, saying that Jaskier can see through it already because his “heart’s beating too loud”, like how he knew Radovid wasn’t drunk when he was speechless over this song because of the look in his eyes. But at the same time, the “fairytales” (the cutesy romantic relationship between a prince and a bard) and the “little lies” (the affectionate things both of them have said and done) doesn’t change the fact that they both have opposing goals they’re trying to further.

So take this heart, and break this heart / for extraordinary things

More evidence for this being written after the mountain breakup or about Radovid, though I don’t think it completely changes the possibility of it being written at the same time as everything else.

I find the second like ironic in that it juxtaposes the idea presented in the chorus of Jaskier having “had enough” of these kind of ‘Extraordinary Things’, but I think the irony is purposeful. It could either relate to the way he, despite despising nobility, still sees the pros in it and can’t completely resist it. Or it’s in relation to how he puts himself in harms way for the sake of artistic inspiration.

It’s not a want, it’s a need / it is paying no heed to what others say / to sing

the greatest songs are made up / of unspoken words of love of them, I’ve had enough / with you, I have enough / with you, I am enough

I am… I am enough

It’s a song with many layers and possible meanings and interpretations. The only thing I know for certain is that the emotion in his voice as he sings it makes it one of my favourites.

[porcelaintoybox23]

I left angst geraskier to sapphic geraskier and now I'm at angst sapphic geraskier.

I'm jamming to post mountain jaskier being kidnapped and brainwashed/mind controlled into working for nilfgaard with her hurt feelings used to twist her. Magic shenanigans and she has Siren like powers, and they use her to turn the public opinion of the witchers and other opposition into a negative one.

Geralt is trying to find her bard to apologize and gets met with this Jaskier who's vicious and sharp, spitting venom. Geralt is shocked to say the least but knows this isn't her.

The person who bewitched her has a hand on Jaskier's waist that is too comfortable, and Jaskoer leans into her. (Also grabs other places, but I'll keep my degenerate ways to myself) She uses Jaskier as a human shield.

Gerlat is trying not to lose it as Jaskier blocks any attempts at attack and pushes the knife deeper by questioning why Geralt won't cut her down to get to the bad guy?

"I mean nothing to you, right? Killing me should be a relief."

Geralt has to retreat and plan. She knows jaskier is still in there and has to figure out the enchantment.

Next confrontation, Geralt doesn't take the bait. She throws down her swords, leaving her vulnerable. She grabs Jaskier (gently) and looks into her eyes. Jaskier snarls and tries to break free, but geralt isn't letting go.

In a sappy way, Geralt begs jask to fight against the mind control—and she may break the enchanted jewelry or something to help the process—because she knows the real Jaskier is in there.

Geralt loves the real her, not this twisted version, and she says so. Mentions all the stuff that makes Jask herself.

The sorceress is freaking out and tries to reign Jaskier in. She could kill Geralt right there, but the light returns to the bard's eyes.

***

In a modern au of this, Jaskier uses streaming to share the propaganda songs. She also sings evanescence like songs to hammer home the drastic change

[hanzajesthanza]

Hey there, what is the estimated time Ciri, Geralt and Yennefer spent together since the events at Stygga castle and the Rivia pogrom?

It was short, right? :(

it's a little complicated to calculate, because not too many dates are given specifically. however, i have already thought about this and reread these parts for clues on dates way too much, and come up with some of my own calculations:

so, the precise date of the assault on stygga castle isn't known, but i calculate it to be from around the 17th to the 19th of march 1268. this is for a couple of reasons:

firstly, geralt returns to beauclair on january 8th/9th:

‘Geralt left for the Pomerol vineyard on the morning of the eighth of January. And returned … at eight in the evening … or nine in the morning … I don’t know … I’m not sure …’

and leaves on the evening of the 9th:

They watched him ride away and saw him trotting towards Beauclair. The sky darkened.

reynart provides an overview of their journey:

‘The Sansretour will guide you for the first few days. Keep to the river. (...) Should you with God’s will conquer Malheur, don’t hurry too much, for you’ll still have the Sansmerci and Mortblanc passes ahead of you. Should you conquer both of them, you’ll descend into the Sudduth valley. Sudduth has a warm microclimate, almost like Toussaint. (...) At the mouth of the Sudduth lies the small town of Caravista. (...) the direction of your journey is the Mag Deira plain, the valley of the River Sylte. Further on, Geralt, it’s according to the maps you copied at the town cartographer’s.

the month of january, we can see from their approach of the malheur pass in chapter seven, is frigid and frozen over. but in chapter two, in condwiramurs' dreams, she dreams of them during spring:

That included the dreams about the rebellion on the Isle of Thanedd and the journey of the Witcher and his company through the blizzard on the Malheur pass, through the spring downpours and soft roads in the Sudduth valley.

springtime is considered to be from march to may, so by the end of winter, they had left the mountains.

secondly, there's a select window of time that stygga can take place during (either before or after the beginning of april), because emhyr shows up at castle stygga in ebbing, but is also in cintra for the peace treaty; the peace of cintra took place on the second of april. this is actually mistranslated in the english official translation, in polish it's "nów księżyca," which is new moon, which means it's the second date of the month, as the humans begin their months by the new moon.

‘If my memory serves me—’ Boreas cleared his throat ‘—the kings arrived in Cintra in April?’ ‘The second of April, to be precise,’ the pilgrim corrected him. ‘It was, I recall, a full new moon.’

but since emhyr and false cirilla's scene occurs, i believe, in nilfgaard:

‘I shall not be staying here long,’ he said after a moment of oppressive silence. ‘I must ride to Cintra and grace with my person the ceremony of the peace treaty being signed. (...)’

he had to go from stygga, to nilfgaard, to cintra. now, he likely didn't make this journey on horseback; the distance to nilfgaard was so great, as geralt explains to milva in fen carn:

‘Rumour has it that Ciri’s in Nilfgaard, the capital of the Empire. Which is around two and half thousand miles from here. Simple arithmetic tells me that at this rate I’ll get there in a year and four months.’

that emhyr must have had imperial sorcerers with him to portal him and his military retinue around. thus making his travel mostly irrelevant to the calculations, but relevant as so far as that he can't be in two places at once, so the assault on castle stygga likely didn't happen in early april, but instead, either late march or late april.

and it has to be later in the month, because of the third point: remember, humans begin their months with the new moon. and in baptism of fire, we learn that regis can only fly as a bat during a full moon.

‘Why are you staring at me like that? I mean, rivers being obstacles to vampires is another myth and superstition. Or perhaps I’m wrong.’ ‘No, you are not wrong. But I can only fly during a full moon, not at any other time.’

so stygga must have occurred on a full moon. the full moons we see in baptism of fire and tower of the swallow occur from [approx.] the 17th to 19th (sapkowski counts multiple nights of the full moon, e.g., "the second night of the full moon"). because regis turns into a bat at stygga castle, it must have been from around the 17th to the 19th of either march or april.

fourthly, geralt, yennefer, and ciri begin to travel during april (chapter 11). though this is not explicitly stated, as in there is no "it was april" describing their scene, we get a couple of lines which suggest it.

one of these is the flash-between of houvenaghel's arena burning down:

On the ninth of April, soon after midnight, the first residents of Claremont were awoken by a flickering brightness, a red blaze (...)

this scene is married with the scene of ciri paying respects to the rats' graves in jealousy. no, it's not stated that this scene happens exactly on the same day, but in tower of the swallow, some days and times when flashed-between have lined up: for instance, geralt's dream of ciri on september 9th, nenneke, iola, and triss performing a ritual spell on november 19th. so it's not out of pocket to assume that this scene with them in jealousy occurs sometime near april 9th, perhaps the day of.

and in order to get to jealousy from stygga, the chapter opens describing their riding:

They rushed like the wind, like mad things, at breakneck speed.

so they must have ridden for some time to arrive at jealousy from stygga, they didn't just appear there suddenly. which suggests to me that they used the beginning of april to travel from stygga to jealousy. this also makes sense considering emhyr would have needed to be in cintra at this time.

another line is this:

May came, suddenly.

which suggests that may snuck up on them as they had been travelling throughout the month of april.

fourthly, the weakest reason why i think the assault on castle stygga occurred in march, which has nothing at all to do with facts, but rather, themes: march is the month of mars, the god of war. i find this apropos. :)

so, following my assumed date of march 19th:

they travel throughout april, following up on ciri's sites to pay respect to (jealousy for the rats' graves, the town of unicorn, vysogota's cottage in the pereplut swamps).

they spend belleteyn (may 1st) together.

then, later in may, geralt has this dream of philippa ordering yennefer to bring ciri to the lodge:

… bring her to us, Yennefer. We order you. (...) … is meeting the first of June, at the new moon. We order you both to appear.

yennefer has to leave the next day after this communication, leaving ciri and geralt to travel together. they're already at the sansretour when yennefer leaves:

‘Where to now?’ Ciri asked dryly, a short while after Yennefer had vanished in the flash of the oval teleporter. ‘The river …’ Geralt cleared his throat, fighting the pain behind his breastbone that was taking his breath away. ‘The river we’re riding up is the Sansretour (...)’

toussaint is in the sansretour valley. when geralt & co. were here months prior, it didn't take them long at all to get to beauclair from following the river, maybe a day or two (there were some complications involving the druids and cahir's scalp).

geralt and ciri arrive in toussaint around the 20th:

It was the day after the full moon when they saw Toussaint bathed in greenery and sunshine.

so i'm assuming that yennefer left ciri and geralt around the 17th of may. philippa calls them - a day passes - ciri and geralt travel for two days - arrive on the 20th.

ciri and geralt go to beauclair, pick up dandelion, and travel for a bit. they basically do their journey from tower of the swallow in reverse: passing through riedbrune, and then crossing the yaruga on the 26th, over a new bridge (not the one they fought on :'( ):

They crossed the Yaruga on the twenty-sixth of May over a very new, very white bridge smelling of resin. The remains of the old bridge–black, scorched, charred timbers–could be seen in the water and on the bank.

ciri leaves geralt and dandelion on the 1st of june, to go to vengerberg to meet with yennefer and face the lodge, as philippa requested to have their presence on the first of june:

‘I, meanwhile, will sort out what I need to in Vengerberg, pick up Yennefer and we’ll both be in Rivia in six days. Don’t make faces, please. And let’s not part like it was forever. It’s just six days! Goodbye.’

of course, dandelion comments on this, confirming to the reader that yes, ciri went [/tp ciri mom]

‘Six days,’ Dandelion repeated pensively. ‘From here [Koprzywnica] to Vengerberg and back to Rivia … All together it’ll be close to two hundred and fifty miles … It’s impossible, Geralt.

then, the rivian pogrom happens on the 6th of june:

It was the sixth day after the June new moon when they arrived in Rivia.

final calculations:

geralt - ciri - yennefer | 2 months | from (approx.) march 19th to may 17th, geralt, ciri, and yennefer travelled together for 59 days, around 2 months.

geralt - ciri | 3 days | from (approx.) may 17th to may 20th, geralt and ciri travelled solo, then picked up dandelion in beauclair

geralt - ciri - dandelion | a little less than 2 weeks | geralt, ciri, and dandelion travelled together from then until june 1st, for 12 days. if you count both, that's about 2 weeks.

geralt - dandelion | 6 days | they travel for six days to june 6th. almost a week.

geralt - ciri - yennefer spent 2 months together, and if you add the time just geralt and ciri spent (including that with dandelion), it's like 2 and a half months after the events of stygga castle.

whether that's short or not, i'll leave it up to you... :(

[shy-urban-hobbit]

Care to go up against me, Princess?"

Ciri looked over from where she'd been whacking seven shades out of the training dummy to where Lambert's cat, (' Aiden', her brain supplied), was leaning against the wall. She was sure he hadn't been there a minute ago.

"Why?" She asked warily, Geralt's warnings about cat Witchers coming to mind.

Aiden shrugged, "Everyone else is busy and I'm bored. Vesemir gave me the okay to oversee your training for the day. Would go and bother Lambert but learnt the hard way not to do that when he's playing with his bombs. It gets messy, and not in a fun way."

Jaskier, who had been sat bundled up by a brazier watching (read: babysitting. Ciri wasn't stupid), snorted a laugh.

"You can tell me to piss off and I can see about trading with Eskel or Coen. I won't be offended" Aiden offered with an open smile. He'd recognised Vesemir's olive branch straight away but he wasn't about to use it to make the young cub uncomfortable.

She looked between him and Jaskier, the bard merely shrugging as Ciri mulled it over. He couldn't possibly be that bad if Vesemir had allowed him to stay and with Jaskier sat right there and Eskel just in the stables, she wasn't technically alone with him…

"Alright. But just a quick spar."

Aiden's smile grew.

"Don't be afraid to move." Aiden said, leaning on his wooden training sword, Ciri stood bent double as she heaved for breath, aching and frustrated from the multiple hits Aiden had managed to land on her whilst she'd barely touched him, "You keep coming at me full frontal like that you're basically painting a target on yourself. It became predictable, which means it became dangerous."

Ciri straightened up indignantly, "The wolves are always telling me-"

"No offence to the wolves." Aiden interrupted gently, "But they're all over six feet tall and built like brick shithouses. Brute strength and stubbornness works for them. They can take the hits and keep on coming. You, unfortunately, are a bit more breakable." He very lightly poked her in the belly with the end of his sword, "But you're also small and fast. Use that."

He tilted his head thoughtfully, "If you like, I can show you some basics from my school that might benefit you."

"You mean how to fight dirty?" The words left her mouth before she could stop them. To her relief (and confusion) though, Aiden merely laughed in response.

"Is it fighting dirty if it's against something trying to kill you? And out of the two of us, which one has more bruises right now?"

He replaced the training sword and picked up the coat he'd discarded earlier, shaking the snow free, "Again you're free to say no, but the offer stands. You too, if you like." He said looking towards Jaskier, or more specifically, the small dagger at his belt as he made to leave, "I'm curious if you can actually use that."

"Wait."

Aiden stopped, waiting for Ciri to continue.

"Learning a couple of things couldn't hurt. Could it?"

Geralt smiled as he made his way back through the gates. The sun has almost set and with how treacherous the mountain could be, he knew the sensible thing would have been to hunker down and make his way back in the morning but after three days, he was too eager to see both his bard and his girl. His excitement was short-lived as the sight that greeted him at the other end of the courtyard had him immediately seeing red. Jaskier sprawled on his ass on the ground, Aiden with his back to Geralt but he spotted a very familiar head of blonde hair peeping over his shoulder as Ciri appeared to be struggling in his hold. the pommel of a sword in the hand which wasn't restraining her. Fucking bastard! He knew he should have given in and allowed the two of them to accompany him on the hunting trip!

Abandoning Roach and the game she was carrying, Geralt unsheathed his sword and charged.

"Aiden!"

Jaskier's yell came a second too late as he realised what Geralt was intending. Witcher reflexes meant Aiden was able to move quickly to drop the sword and shove Ciri away from him but not quickly enough to avoid a blow to his shoulder as the white haired Witcher roared furiously, "Get the fuck away from them!"

Aiden immediately dropped to his knees, as he turned to face Geralt, trying to look as non threatening as possible with one hand pressed to his now bleeding shoulder.

"Geralt, no !"

"What the fuck, Geralt?!"

"What the hell is going on out here?" Eskel yelled as he emerged from the stables, nose wrinkling at the overwhelming mixed scents of anger, confusion and fear.

"Eskel. Go get Vesemir." Geralt growled, not taking his eyes off Aiden.

"No need." The Witcher in question appeared next to Jaskier, drawn out of the main hall by the sudden noise. He offered Jaskier a hand up as he took in the scene, "What is happening here?"

"I found the Cat threatening Ciri with a sword."

"You mean this sword?" Jaskier asked moving forward to pick up the wooden blade and waving it in Geralt's face, "We were training, nothing more."

"By whose leave?" Geralt demanded before turning to Eskel, "And you! Where the hell were you when they needed you!"

"Hey!" Eskel snapped, "I've been in the stables since they started this morning. You really think I wouldn't have intervened if I'd heard anything untoward? Which. I. Didn't. They were never in any danger."

" Aiden!" Lambert came running towards them, panicked by the scent of blood and the sight of Aiden on the ground, "What is your fucking problem!" He yelled, squaring up to Geralt, "The old man put him in charge of Ciri's training for the day, he wasn't doing anything he wasn't supposed to be!"

"Forgive me if I don't take you at your word given your attachment. I don't want Ciri learning anything from him. "

Aiden was marginally surprised that Geralt didn't spit on him for emphasis.

" Enough!" Vesemir barked in a tone he knew would immediately bring his pups to heel, "Everyone inside. Now! Eskel, take Ciri and help Coen in the kitchen. Lambert, see to Aiden. Geralt, with me."

Read the rest on my A03!

[redskull199987]

All the right Moves

Eskel x female Witcher!reader  Word count:2.4k warnings: canon typical violence, reader is injured, fluff at the end Summary:You´re on your way back to Kaer Morhen together with Eskel, as you run into a Leshy. You knew that something was wrong, as Eskel told you he wouldn't want to travel with you anymore…

Masterlist

You were hiking so fast, that you could feel your lungs burning inside your chest. Your throat dry from not drinking anything for hours. Your feet were begging you to stop, even just for a minute. But you knew, you couldn't. If you stopped now, he would be dead, once you reached Kaer Morhen. You just had to make it in time. If Eskel died, you would never forgive yourself. His words were still ringing in the back of your head.

“Leave me alone!”, he yelled, as he pushed you away from him. Confused, you looked at the Witcher, who was normally warm and understanding around you. All you had done was touch his shoulder carefully, asking if you could see his injury.“Eskel…are you okay?”, you mumbled, Confusion still written all over your face.

“Just fuck off.”, he cursed under his breath, turning away from him. 

You watched in confusion as he walked away from you, gathering his weapons. He didn't look back at you even once.

Your breath hitched slightly, as you could finally see the silhouette of Kaer Morhen on the Horizon. One or Two hours more and you would reach the old castle. It would be nightfall by then. You finally started to walk again, reaching into your pocket to find the potion, that was the reason why you were so late. You were sure that all the others had already arrived. Geralt and Vesemir probably worrying not only about Eskel, but also wondering why you didn't arrive yet. 

You desperately wished that you weren't so late. But it had taken you longer than expected, to find someone who knew how to make the potion you needed. If it weren't for a mage, who was a good friend of yours, who teleported you near the mountains, where Kaer Morhen was, you would´ve lost several days and Eskel would probably be dead already. But luckily, you were only half a day behind him, which luckily gave you enough time to save him. Or so you hoped. 

“Just fucking leave me alone!”, Eskel screamed at you, after you had finally managed to get a good look at his shoulder.“You´re infected, Eskel!”, you yelled, trying to grab his hand,”If we don´t do something, you will die!”“I am not going to die, so just leave me alone. I don't need you. I never needed you!”, he barked, looking at you with a stern expression. You were taken aback by his words. You knew that he didn't mean it, he didn't know what he was saying. But it still hurt you. 

 Before you could say something more, he was already mounting the horse and running off. You didn't try to follow him. It was worthless. You knew that he would be in Kaer Morhen after you found a potion that would save him. 

You looked at his back one more time, before making your way into the other direction, already knowing who you could ask for help.

A small sigh left your lips,as you finally reached the doors of the keep. You were about to push it open, as the medallion around your neck started shaking. Hastily, you made your way inside. This wasn't the first time this happened today. But this time it was much harsher. 

You didn't see anyone at first. The great hall was completely empty, but you could see plates full of food and tankards filled with ale standing all over the place. Someone was here not long ago. 

Your head shot up, as you heard ruckus coming from the laboratory, seconds later the sound of pots being smashed and tables thrown over. As you finally started running, you could hear a beasty groan. “Fuck.”, you grunted as you heard the voices of Geralt and Vesemir. And as you finally reached the designated room, you peeked through the open door. What you saw almost made you lose your composure.  

Right there, just a few meters in front of you, was Eskel towering over the other two Witchers. But he wasn't himself. Not in the slightest. He had transformed into a wooden beast, his face barely visible, but it was there. 

Mere seconds, after laying your eyes on him, you wanted to storm towards him, but a magical shield was blocking the door. You quickly drew your sword, as you saw what was about to happen. 

Eskel had managed to trap Vesemir, resulting in Geralt lighting up his sword to end it.

As fast as you could, you muttered a spell and lifted your sword. With all your power, you pierced it through the barrier.

You took three big steps, breathing in heavily, knowing that what you were about to do would knock the air out of your lungs. 

And only as you stepped in front of him, lifting your blade to meet his in the air, Geralt had finally noticed your presence. He looked at you perplexed, as your sword clanked against his, the metall hissing from the heat. “What are you doing?”, he asked, not even angry, but genuinely concerned. “You're not going to take him away from me!”, you claimed, as Geralt slowly lowered his sword.

“Please just trust me!”, you urged the white wolf. He only nodded at you, as you quickly turned around, grabbing the small potion from your pocket.

“Eskel?!?!”, you yelled as loud as you could. The beast-turned Man quickly turned around, upon hearing your voice. Vesemir, who had previously been choked, fell to the ground, coughing. “Take care of him!”, you ordered Geralt, who was able to quickly make his way over to the older Witcher, since Eskel´s attention was all on you now. 

“Here goes nothing.”, you muttered under your breath, as you felt a branch pierce through your shoulder. You yelped, as you were lifted into the air, more branches wrapping around your body. You were pushed against a wall, as Eskel leaned closer to you.

“Y/N”, he sputtered, his eyes scanning your form. 

“It's me, Eskel.”, you affirmed, slowly bringing the potion to your mouth to rip the cork off, “You´re going to be alright, my love. Don´t worry.”

Eskel was about to answer, but no words left his mouth, he was just staring at you. You quickly realized that this was your chance, as he was momentarily confused. You lifted your arm, as best as you could and threw the small bottle of potion right into his mouth. He choked on it for a second, not comprehending what had just happened. “I'm sorry in advance.”, you quickly mumbled, before lifting your foot and kicking him in the jaw, in order to make him swallow the potion. 

Your breath hitched for a second, as you didn´t know what was going to happen. Would it work? Would he live?

As you fell to the ground with a grunt, you were pretty sure that it was working. Grabbing your bleeding shoulder, you quickly backed off, as Eskel started to squirm around, an angry scream leaving his lips.

“Y/N?!”, Geralt yelled, as he tried to reach you, but Eskel´s branches were throwing a tantrum, swinging all around the hall.

“Please just work.”, you prayed, but suddenly, all movement stopped. The room was silent for a second, before all the wood surrounding you suddenly started  corroding. You watched with wide eyes, how all the branches coming out of Eskel slowly crumbled away all the way up to his body.  He had stopped moving for a second, but as you stood up and called out for him, the wooden exoskelett rumbled to life. You heard cracking and wood breaking and seconds later, you saw Eskel´s Human body falling out of what looked like a tree stump now.

"Eskel!", you gasped and leaped forward just in time to catch him. His body weight pulled you down with him. He was still unconscious, as you slowly turned him around, resting his head on your lap. Just now, you took a good look at him. His entire body was covered in dirt. Vines and leaves had grown in and around his clothes. The only thing untouched, was his Witcher medallion.

“He´s alive.”

You looked up at Geralt and Vesemir who were now standing in front of you. Vesemir was still leaning on Geralt for support, but apart from that he seemed fine to you.

“You saved his life”, Geralt added. All you could do was nod. Your emotions were slowly coming to the surface now and you realized that you could´ve lost him today. But here he was, laying in your arms unconsciously. 

"Come on.” , Vesemir  patted your shoulder, kneeling down next to you,”Let's get him fixed up. We´ll take care of this”, he lifted his hand to gesture around the completely destroyed room,”later, alright?”

You just nodded again, stepping aside, as Geralt and Vesemir proceeded to lift Eskel up to carry him to his room. As the other Witchers ran into you, you promised them an explanation , but for now, you needed to look after Eskel.

Your eyes kept falling shut over and over again, as you lay in a chair in front of Eskel´s bed. It had been a few hours since you managed to cure him from the infection. He hadn't woken up since. You tried to stay awake but sleep was gnawing at you, like a hungry aeschna.

“Sorry? Are you Y/N?”

Your eyes opened once more, as you looked over to the door to see who had come to visit you. A young girl was standing in the doorway. Her long blond hair was slightly disheveled and the bottom of her white dress was dirty and ripped open.

“You must be the child surprise.”, you stated, after getting up and bidding her inside.

“Cirilla of Cintra.”, she smiled, as she stepped inside,”Geralt sent me to give you this. He said it would help with your exhaustion.”

You looked at her curiously, as she handed you a small bottle of potion. You gingerly took it and inspected it´s contents. After recognizing the mixture, you quickly downed it in one sip. Mere seconds after, you already felt it working. Your eyes didn´t feel as heavy anymore and your limbs stopped aching a bit.

“Thank you Cirilla.”, you finally said and gifted the young girl a soft smile.  

She only nodded and was about to leave, as you gently grabbed her wrist. She turned around perplexed.

You cleared your throat once more, before finally speaking again:”Geralt told me that…that Eskel was a bit rude with you, upon arriving here at Kaer Morhen.”

“He wasn't exactly the nicest.”, she admitted after you finally let go of her hand.

“I want to apologize for his behavior”, you sighed, rubbing your neck,”He isn't usually like this. He didn't even let me touch him, after he was injured. This infection…it did something to him, changed him.”

Cirilla didn't say anything, but instead stepped closer to the bed, Eskel was lying in. She inspected him carefully, her eyes wandering over his exhausted body. 

“I really hope that he will wake up again. I would like to meet the real Eskel.”, she uttered and turned around to you with a smile. “Yeah, me too.”, you mumbled weakly. You were really missing your soft Witcher. The way he always smiled at you with his big eyes, the way his hands felt on your skin, his lips on yours, his gentle voice, as he mumbled sweet nothing into your ear in the early mornings. You just wanted him to wake up again.

“Hey?”, Ciri asked, pulling you out of your thoughts. She must have noticed how shaken up you were, “He'll be alright. You saved him, right?”

You only nodded, slowly petting her shoulder:”You should go to sleep now. It's late and you must be tired, after all this ruckus.”

“You should get some sleep too.”, she smiled softly before leaving the room. You threw one last glance her way, before the door finally closed and the room was silent again.

At least for a few moments.

Your head shot up, as you heard groaning coming from the bed. That could only mean one thing: Eskel was awake.

You quickly made your way over to the bed and you would be lying if you said, your heart didn't skip a beat. There he was. He was alive and well. His heartbeat going steady and his breath a little shallow, but also very much there. 

As he looked up and his eyes landed on you, you couldn't hold yourself back any longer. you stepped forward, kneeling down on the side of the bed, your arms pulling Eskel into a massive hug.

“Woah there, bug. It's alright, I'm here.”, Eskel affirmed, as you buried your face  in his shoulder,”I'm here with you.” 

“Yeah”, you sniffled, a few lonely tears rolling down your cheeks. You finally parted to get a good look at him. Frankly, he still looked unbelievably tired. Dark circles were prominent under his eyes and you noticed that he moved with a bit of discomfort. “What happened, bug?”, he suddenly asked you, now fully sitting up against the headrest.

“The leshy.”, you mumbled, reaching out for his hand. He gladly intertwined his fingers with yours. “It infected you, after we fought against it.”

“Fuck, I think I remember now.”, he hissed,”I'm so sorry. The things I said, I did. I was such an arsehole, wasn´t I?”

“Well, Ciri certainly thinks so.”, you chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. But Eskel didn't laugh. Instead he lifted his hand to softly grasp your cheek. He gently wiped away your tears, but new ones were already coming, upon feeling his soft touch again.

“I am sorry.”, he said firmly,”Thank you for saving my ass.” “Of course.”, you assured,”I would do anything for you. I love you.” “I love you, bug”, Eskel mumbled, pulling you back into his chest. A small sigh left your lips, after settling against his body. You finally allowed yourself to rest, after so many hours of being completely on edge. Eskel was alive. You did, in fact, save him. 

“Rest.”, you heard him whisper into your ear, as he pulled you closer to his body. His warmth spreading welcoming you, after he pulled the blanket over you.

“You deserve it.”

[lucigoo]

Weekly Roundup: 6th January - 12th January

Its Sunday possibly ... probably ... hopefully anyway lol)

So, I have a goal. I aim to write 700,000 words this ywar. Which means about 15,000 words a week. It may be doable, it may not, we shall see lol.

But as for this week, i cracked that goal with 18,026 words in 3 fics.

But before I share my fics, recs ofc:

Avalanche - Lalaith_Quetzalli - The Witcher (TV) [Archive of Our Own] (Geralt/Jaskier, canon divergance fic,)

Summary: How much can the choice of one man, one mortal, utterly human, common man, change in the grand scheme of things? The answer is: when the choice is the right one, he can change everything. Change the lives of peasants and kings, of warriors and mages, even change the world…

Of Idiots, Icicles, and I Love Yous - onwardorange - Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types [Archive of Our Own] (Geralt/Jaskier, who doesnt love a good idiots in love, oblivious idiots fic lol)

Summary: When Geralt shows up at Kaer Morhen one winter with Jaskier in tow, Eskel and Lambert assume they're in a relationship.

The only problem with that assumption is that Geralt and Jaskier are not, in fact, in a relationship.

Think of all the horrors that I promised you I'd bring - janjan_the_ninth - Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types [Archive of Our Own] (Geralt/Jaskier, BAMF Jaskier for the win!)

Summary: Geralt found himself in a hopeless situation, wounded and with the knowledge that he had failed people he held dear. Here they were, bound to the trees in a Nilfgaardian camp, with no way to escape. By the morning a mage would arrive and everything would be over.

What no one expected was that his Bard was more powerful than anyone could have imagined.

clinging to the moment - not1_2write - Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types [Archive of Our Own] (Geralt/Jaskier, another BAMF Jaskier fic lol)

Summary: Jaskier drags an unconscious Geralt up the mountain towards Kaer Morhen, cursing all the while. It takes a few days, some stitches and a fever (and stealing some of Lambert's ale) but eventually they do get a few moments of peace.

If You Give a Bard a Lute - ghostinthelibrary - Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types [Archive of Our Own] (Geralt/Jaskier, very much a witcher unite for our Bard kind of fic lol)

Summary: After Jaskier’s father disowns him, confiscates all his possessions— including Filavandrel’s lute— and kicks him out with nothing but the clothes on his back, Jaskier spends a long, hungry winter barely surviving. When he reunites with Geralt in the spring, his witcher is determined to get his lute back, even if it means recruiting his fellow witchers to stage a heist.

Witcher Wanted - firb (f_ing_ruthless_baz) - Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own] (Geralt/Jaskier, modern witchers)

Summary: Geralt has moved back to Novigrad after half a lifetime on the road, but finding witcher contracts in the big city is harder than he expected. The job offers are all online and Geralt is... not. But struggling musician and self-proclaimed bisexual disaster human, Jaskier, offers to help Geralt find more work on the World Wide Web. Geralt gives him three months to round up jobs for him, or else he's leaving Novigrad. For good.

So turns out this week back in July 24 (I have a lot fo recs we are working through lol) was a bit of a Geralt/Jaskier feast. i only discovered them in June 24 lol. So hopefully someone who follws me likes Geralt/Jaskier.

As always, have a great week <3

So, back to my fics.

Don't Pet It! (Sirius/Remus, reincarnation, semi afterlife fic)

Summary: Sirius died at a much to young age.

Remus is the Deity of resurrection. Imagine his surprise when he was ordered to put Sirius back in HIS body, not a new one.

Imagine his even bigger surprise when Sirius keeps dying as he got older and Remus has to keep fixing his body and sending him bakc into it.

Imagine Remus' surprise when Sirius tells him he loves him for the first time, right before he is sent back to the world of the living.

Harry Poter Double drabbles - Lucigoo89 - Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling [Archive of Our Own] (a series of different drabbles in seperate chapters for the Odyssey of the Wizarding World server, Sirius/Remus, Harry George) Summary: Chap 2: Remus is suprised by the way Sirius' eyes light up as he sees him, he shoudn't be ashis do the exact same. Chap 3: Sirius is nervous, but he has to tell Remus, maybe the rose will help. Chap 4: Harry is about to enter the maze of the Triwizard Tournement. He is rightly scared and doesn#t want to leave his boyfriend (George's) arms.

They were meant to grow with you:not die with you - Lucigoo89 - The Hobbit - All Media Types [Archive of Our Own] (Gen fic, or Dis & her giref. This is all the fault of a friend in the Acorn and Oak leaves server because Dis is tragic and deserves to have her pain explored!)

Summary: Dis returns to |Erebor a dwarf with a broken heart. One that breaks further when Dain hands her her boy's matching hair clips, the hair clips she crafted with her own hands and placed in their hairs before they left. Clasps that someone else took off the hair on their now dead bodies.

[winters-mistress]

Salty tears and forgotten fears

Oh, fucking hells, Geralt was going to kill him.

Growing up as young witchers in training, that hadn't been such an uncommon thoughts for the red headed arsehole of Kaer Morhen. Lambert had thought it when he had accidentally used the wrong lotion on Roach's mane when they were cleaning the horses, and had accidentally bleached it almost as bright as Geralt's own mop, or the time that he had knocked his silver sword into the blacksmithy kilm on the Eastern smallhouse, or most notably, when he had started taking swipes at his brother sue to the latest failed romance with his violet eyed sorceress the year before Cintra fell

This, though, this was a new level of fucked.

The day had started as normal as any other, wake up, run a flannel down his face -fucking Vesemir and the new rule of a clean face before he'd get any porridge, he knows the old man is trying to change them all for the benefit of the little Princess- before putting on whatever clothes he hadn't worn to sleep, guzzle down some oats that had cooked overnight, before take the bratty Princess out for a run.

And that run had led to a few hours on the training grounds. Which had led to this

"Ouch, ouch, fuck, it's really hurting, I can't move it." the blonde was on the floor, her bloody lip dripping blood down her chin forgotten as she clutches at her right ankle.

Fuck, it really is swollen, even a regular human could see it.

He looks up at the beam, glaring at the snapped plank of wood that had given way when the girl had stepped on it. That distraction had led to her standing just long enough to get pelted with the rock sack Lambert had been pushing at her, which is how she was bloody and on the ground.

He's hurt Geralt's girl. Fuck. Geralt is going to rip his balls off.

"Shit, I-" he licks his lips. He needs a drink to prepare for the imminent beating whenever Coën finds his older brother and Vesemir. How can a trip down the mountain to take care of two forktails take this long? "Your arm okay, girl? Your head?"

"If they hurt, it's not as bad as this." She gestures to her ankle that is definitely not facing the right direction. "Lamb, it really hurts." Tears fill her eyes, adrenaline no doubt starting to wain. Fuck it all, he doesn't know what to do.

"I'm gonna have to cut it off, your boot. No way I can take it off with how swollen it is." Is it three times as big as her other leg? Maybe four? Lambert brandished a dagger, and began slicing away at the worn leather.

"So long as you find me another shoe afterwards." she huffs, before yelping as he takes hold of her shin. "Ow, fuck, it hurt. Ow!" she cried as the blade gets closer and closer to the injured area.

"Quiet, brat, do you want us to be attacked by something that can smell your blood and hear your voice?" He snaps. He doesn't mean to be a dick, it's just second nature to snip when stressed. He's not the coddling type.

"What fucking monster would go within miles of a witcher keep? Isn't that the point of all of you, to kill the things?" she snaps back.

"We're curse breakers too." he mutters, finishing cutting the sole so her ankle was revealed. "Ah, fuck." He hisses. It's a fucking bad break. Her ankle looks like an albino grapefruit that's been thrown from the very top of the Loire valley. All pale skin that's bruising at a rapid rate, blacks, purples and blues quickly replacing the porcelain skin that covers her shin.

"Fix-fix it!" Ciri cries out, sniffling, wiping her eyes.

"I can't, your ankle is pretty much dust, you need a hard wrap." He huffs indigenously. Fuck, he's hurt his brother's girl. Geralt's doing to cut his balls off and shove them down his throat. It was bad enough the punch he'd given him when Ciri got upset at a comment he'd made about Calanthe. His jaw still aches, and it's been three damn weeks.

"Do it then!"

"Do you think we're in an infirmary, Princess? We're outside!"

"Then get us inside!" she yells back. The ground beneath them shudders with that raw, ancient power the girl possesses.

"Shut your mouth, do you want any more equipment to break?" He growls.

"It's not my fault the thing snapped, how old is it?!"

He growls lowly, before looking around again.

"Your old man doesn't seen to be on his way, I've gotta get you back myself."

"Really? What a surprise!" Ciri rolled her eyes. "Hurry up!"

Lambert growls again, before he reaches over to the Princess and begins to erap her in his arms. She hisses as her ankle is jolted, grunting when he finally gets her off the cold, wet snow floor.

"Ciri!"

They both jump at the booming roar, looking over at the pathway, seeing the white haired witcher high tailing it up the pathway at remarkable speed, given the steepness and slippiness of it all.

"Fucking hell!" Lamb hisses, having nearly dropped the girl. Wouldn't that look good for him?

"Geralt!" Ciri yelps as she's narrowly catched by the younger witcher, clinging to him as he practically snatches her from his brothers grap.

"What the fuck happened? You weren't even supposed to be here today." He growls, sniffling all around her, seemingly smelling out the parts of her that most smelled like pain.

"My fault." Lamb grumbles. "Goaded her into the pendulum after she ran herself out on the killer," he mumbled. "was an accident."

Geralt stares at him for a moment, long enough to make Lambert squirm, before he looks back to his pup in his arms.

"We'll talk later." He rumbles. "Get Ves and Esk, get them to prepare a room for her. It's a bad break."

Ciri whines at that, but she doesn't get a chance to look at Lambert or Coën, nor at the flowers sprouting on the ground, before her father of surprise turns on his heel and makes down the pathway back to the main fortress. He's careful not to jostle her too much, and it does feel nice to be carried, she supposes.

Lambert cringes at the sight of the broken wood and the broken shoe laying in the bloody snow.

"I'm getting blind drunk when we get back." He huffs, picking up the ruined leather. "The punches won't hurt as much when I'm pissed."

Coën chuckles at him. "Maybe he won't be mad?"

"Or maybe he'll pummel me so much that I look like a godling."

Coën laughs. "Only one way to find out, dick. Come on."

And the two witchers race off once again.

[colorfulandblack]

In honour of getting though Witcher season 3 I would like to share with you my thought process while watching this show, not that anyone asked. Can you tell Jaskier is my fav?

Season 1

Me, seeing Jaskier for the first time: a baby! Must protect, already fave.

Me throughout the season: How are you still alive? And how are you not aging?

Me still at season one going through social media: oh, so you don't like Jaskier, huh? Square up bitch cos I'm coming for your ass. Also why the hell is he called Dandelion? Jaskier is a buttercup not a dandelion? Dandelion would be so fucking funny though [image of Sid and last dandelion of season vivid in my mind]

Me still on season one: ok I know we NEED to normalise closeness between two male friends but that's definitely gay, right? Like Jaskier just readies such dumbass bisexual energy and he so clearly is in love with Geralt

Me, during the mountain scene: Bitch, bitch, bitch how dare you [actually insert the Jaskier HOW DARE YOU picture] actually stops watching the show for like a week

Season 2

Me, immediately at the beginning: where's Jaskier? Where's my man? My child? Where's that idiot?

Me, after I see Jaskier: what have they DONE to you? But the songs absolutely slaps (talking about the whore song that was so funny)

The apology scene: Nope, nope, sir that's the most half assed apology I've ever seen

Overall season two: yes, yes serious matters and Jaskier is a comic relief but could you just try to give him some more screen time like bitch he's trying his best, he risks his life, he does some good, he loves Ciri and Geralt just fucking appreciate him! I know it ain't about him but for being Geralts friend for so fucking long I think he deserves some appreciation for his accomplishments from others characters, even a little

Season 3

Sees trailer: "Dear friend.." ahaha that's for Jaskier for sure! [Sees a blur of him] oh thank god he's in here!

Me, after seeing Jaskier: oh, god oh no. Why, why, WHY?! WHO they fuck took the game design?! Put it back I say PUT IT BACK!!!

Me seeing Radowid: *squints as he praises Jaskier, clearly flirts with him and actually appreciates him UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE* I want to trust you but that would be a mistake

Me, throughout the season: ah, so you finally admit that Jaskier is in love with Geralt who somewhat patched things up with Yen so you give Jaskier a new love interest, who is a man [icarly interesting image]

(listen I loved them this season but it felt like a weird sudden jump in their relationship and idk, by this season rocked I just wished they included Jaskier more and if canonicaly were not getting Graskier then fucking give him some screen time as a part of a family! He's great with Ciri!)

Also that Valdo scene was fucking HILARIOUS

Me when, suprise, suprise Radowid did a backflip: I knew it, why am I surprised, I knew it. Jaskier why do you have a TYPE?!

Final thoughts: Jaskier fits perfectly into their witcher family dynamics just give him more screen time! Please! also very curious about Radowid redemption arc although I'm not ready to let go yet, and also may I add the music, fantastic, don't care if it's periodic or not Joey my man you killed it.

It's clear that Jaskier has a type for like unrequited/getting hurt type of love or the writers just love whumping him which like fine but then make it fucking seen like by others? It takes a fucking plot device character in SEASON 3 to see it? like give me some fucking comfort as well you assholes.

Also super weird that they went with the game design and gradually changed it simultaneously ageing Jaskier. I mean why now? He hasn't aged in like a decade and then he suddenly did? Just keep him immortal will you?

Idk it's chaotic lads cos I just finished it and I think I've seen season 1 most times and the rest kinda blurs together so

[theblueraven]

“Geralt?” Jaskier’s voice was small

Geralt didn’t answer.

There was a knife buried in his abdomen. Just below where his ribs ended. Not low enough to have hit his kidneys and too far to the left to have done damage to his stomach. Bard had terrible aim, considering he was going for a killing blow.

Lambert’s cackling broke Geralt from his stupor.

“Of course the bard is able to hurt you!”

“I didn’t mean to!” Jaskier cried distraught.

The man seemed to be unable to decide whether to run to Geralt and fuss or away to hide.

“Jask, it’s fine”

“No it’s not!” Jaskier was still distraught, “I hurt you!”

“You sure did” Lambert said, still cackling.

Jaskier’s faced morphed from the distraught-shock to horror.

“I HURT you”

“Jask-“

Jaskier bolted into the keep, the smell of tears trailing behind him.

Turning to Lambert, Geralt glared.

“What? It’s funny”

Geralt throws his hands in the air and winces. Oh yeah the knife.

“Common pretty boy. Let’s get a couple potions in you and I’ll ask dad to talk to your bard.”

——

Jaskier had weasled his way into some tight little corner that Vesemir didn’t even know existed.

“Jaskier? Son, can we talk?”

A sob was his response.

“You did nothing wrong”

“I hurt him! I could have killed him!”

“Son, you weren’t going to kill him. There are baby beasts with longer claws than the knife”

“It was in his stomach!”

“Not quite the stomach, a bit to far left for that”

“Oh good!” The bard said sarcastically, “ I missed his stomach! So I got the kidneys, or pancreas, or the endless amounts of intestines in a human! Soooo much better!”

The rant was ended with a dark chuckle.

“So are you here to throw me off the mountain?”

Vesemir blinked. What?

“No?”

“You don’t sound sure”

“Geralt loves you”

“No he doesn’t! I stabbed him! I could have killed him!”

Vesemir cursed his eldest for taking all the sense from his batch brother. Why couldn’t Geralt have told the bard about his feelings before. Or even about the whole ‘they care and get hurt’ thing?

“I guess he was right…” Jaskier whispered to himself. Seemingly have forgotten the witcher there.

“Right about what?” Vesemir asked. This could work. Hopefully.

“Love hurts. I love him and I keep hurting him!”

Dam the child. Vesemir swore that he taught his boys to use more words. Eskel, Lambert and Rumus managed it!

“Yes-“

“See you agree!”

“Yes,” Vesemir continues over the bard, “ Witchers cannot be harmed by a sentient unless the witcher loves them.”

The bard was silent.

“Wether platonically, familiarly or romantically, that is the only way you would have been able to land a hit like that”

“He loves me?”

Witchers can only be mortally wounded by those they deeply care for. This makes the deaths of witchers all the more tragic. Their deaths are caused by betrayals, one-sided relationships, and mercy killings.

Of course, there are also cases where mages manipulate the minds of witchers’ loved ones to turn them into weapons.

OOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!!!!!!!! I would love to see this in a fic, but only if there's a happy ending where nobody actually dies lol

[gossip-girl-of-middleearth]

Waiting patiently for the second season of The Witcher to drop so all those fabulous Etsy babes will have source material to make me a Jaskier Hat™️ that we only saw two seconds of in the trailer:

[milliedazzledust]

Wicked Games (Geralt of Rivia imagine)

Request: Could you please write reader traveling with him and flirting with Geralt all the time, but he doesn’t seem to care, until one day reader starts flirting with someone else and he is, like, super jealous?

Words: 2.2k

Warning: No smut but mature content

A/N: this is set during season 2 of The Witcher, but don't worry if you haven't watched it yet, this is spoiler free! - Enjoy! :)

“How long is this journey going to be again ?”

Perched on Roach’s back, the woman kept bickering to annoy her guardian. She had met Geralt a couple of days prior in Gors Velen where the Witcher had been called to kill a Striga. The villagers believed the monster to be Y/N and ordered her head to be delivered on a pike. Had it been anyone else than Geralt there, she probably wouldn’t be alive anymore. Even after the beast was slaughtered, Y/N was still accused of witchcraft and the poor woman was found guilty before she could prove her innocence. Geralt had helped her flee town and had offered his protection until she was safe from retribution.

“Long enough” The Witcher responded.

“What does that even mean ?” She complained. “We’ve been on the road for almost two weeks”

Keeping his eyes on the lookout as he walked beside his horse, he grunted in annoyance.

“We’re almost there” Was all she got.

“And where exactly is that ?” She pushed.

He didn’t answer right away but nudged his chin toward a destination she couldn’t yet see.

“Kaer Morhen” He grumbled. “My home”

She stared down at him in surprise. “Should I be scared ?”

“That’s a question you should’ve asked yourself two weeks ago” He smirked.

“Well, to be honest, the alternative would’ve consisted on me being burned alive on a stick” She grimaced as the vivid picture of that torture appeared in her mind.

The man abruptly stopped walking and slowly turned to look up at her.

“I wouldn’t have let that happen” He assured her.

She flashed him a pleasant smile.

“Should I start calling you my knight in charming armor now ?” She playfully stated.

A rumble of irritation left his chest in the form of a grunt and he chose to ignore her. He shook his head when his attitude made her laugh and pulled on Roach’s harness to make him move.

She took advantage of his focus on the forest around them to look at him for the billionth time. She bit her lips as her eyes trailed down his body. The man was built like a mountain. His armor fitted him so perfectly she could outline the shape of his broad shoulders. Everything in his demeanor was oozing power, danger, yet she felt perfectly safe.

The Witcher could sense her gaze on him, but didn’t say a word. She didn’t see his smirk, he didn’t interpret the goosebumps on her arms for anything else than the result of the cold wind.

“What the hell” He heard her curse under her breath in disbelief when the castle he grew up in was finally visible.

As they reached the gate, he helped her step down from the horse. As she left her feet in the stirrup, he grabbed her hips and effortlessly put her on solid ground. His hands stayed longer than they should have on her body and she exhaled a shaky breath when her eyes landed on his.

“Are you alright ?” His tenor was honey to her ear.

“I’m… What?” She hated the way he was capable of taking her by surprise.

“Your ankle” He smirked, reminding her of the injury that had led her to ride on Roach’s back.

“Oh! Oh!” He was trying very hard to hide his amusement. “Well I might need a little help walking”

When he leaned toward her, she thought for a second he might kiss her. Instead he gently brushed his lips to her earlobe.

“I can do something about that” He murmured in a low voice.

She couldn’t hide the violent shiver and was left dumbfounded when he handed her a wooden stick to use as a crutch. Just like that, the annoyance was back. “You’re the worst, Geralt” She retorted with attitude.

“And you’re my mission, Y/N” He said, tilting his head to the side with a smile and taking a step back to put some distance between them. “Do not forget about that”

“I couldn’t even if I tried” She muttered under her breath, not waiting for him to set foot inside the enormous castle. She took the time to look around and was bemused by the beauty of the place. She found herself in what seemed to be the Great Hall - heated by a fire pit which also produced enough light to brighten the large room. The only decorations were the tables and a tree arboring several medallions. There was a gloomy aura lurking in the air, even she could feel it.

“And what do we have here ?” She heard a voice speaking behind her.

She turned around to face a man she had never seen. There was no resemblance to Geralt, apart from the necklace they both wore. The stranger wasn’t as muscular or tall, but still handsome nonetheless.

“Y/N” She introduced herself.

He eyed her curiously before taking her hand to softly kiss it.

“Welcome to Kaer Morhen, Y/N” He offered a flirtatious smile. “I am Eskel” He seemed very satisfied when he noticed her embarrassment. “What’s a pretty thing like you doing here ?”

“She’s with me” Geralt loudly grumbled, looking everything like a menacing wolf when he walked into the room.

The stranger laughed and raised his hands in surrender. “I was just saying hello, brother”

“Like hell you were” He groaned. “C’mon, Y/N, I’ll show you to your room”

“This is gonna be fun” Eskel chuckled. “Just wait until the others meet her”

And he was right. The same day, she was introduced to Vesemir and all of Geralt’s brothers, each of them taking a strange interest in the woman. She had offered to cook dinner as a gesture to thank them, which they had been eager to accept.

The following days were spent quietly, either exploring the land on the back of a horse or taking care of the food. Geralt barely spoke to her. He came almost every night to check on her injury but never dared to stay too long. They would exchange glances at the table, she would fake to read a book beside him while he trained but they would both ignore the obvious attraction between them.

On a particular night, Eskel decided to bring female company. He planned a whole party and specifically asked Y/N to dress up, which the woman did. She was brought a beautiful gown that she knew wouldn’t leave her favorite Witcher impartial.

The effect was instantaneous when she walked inside the Great Hall. Before she could even take a step, Geralt forcefully grabbed her arm to stop her.

“What exactly are you wearing ?” He touched the fabric, his soft fingers in striking opposition to his animosity.

“Don’t you like it ?” She smirked.

She saw him visibly gulp and was more than satisfied to notice the effect she had on him.

“I can see your leg, Y/N” He said, referring to the split of her dress on the side.

“Exactly” She patted his chest in fake comfort and tilted her head. “That’s the whole point”

“Fuck” He grumbled under his breath. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to regain control of himself. “You look…”

“I know” She shrugged and leaned closer to him. Raising her head, she sniggered and barely pressed her lips to his before whispering. “But don’t you go and forget I’m only your mission, Witcher”

She playfully winked at him and left him there on the spot, joining the others to the party.

“Fuck” He mumbled once again, this time under his breath.

His eyes turned black as he watched his brother Eskel sneaking his arm around her waist. Whatever he whispered in her ear made her laugh and Geralt couldn’t help but feel infuriated. He could see the side glance she was giving him and knew exactly she was playing with him. Her plan was working and the Witcher was boiling inside. He didn’t even try to mingle, only sat with a glass of their strongest alcohol, keeping his eyes on her.

Seeing the woman leaning onto his brother after whatever joke he had told her was his breaking point. He noisily discarded his glass on the table and unexpectedly stood up to leave the room. He had had enough of her teasing.

She waited a little before following him. She knew where he had disappeared. There was only one place in the castle where Geralt hid to take away his frustration; the training room.

She leaned onto the wall and stared at him from afar. Welding his sword, he hit every target with violence and strength. Sweat was glistening from his face as he worked out, each strike more powerful than the last one. She let out a small gasp as her eyes flickered to his arms. She could see the outline of his veins each time his grip tightened around his sword. The sight was enough to make her knees wobble.

“You’re not supposed to be here” He finally noticed her presence.

“Neither are you”

“I needed the training” He simply explained.

“Why ?” She rose and took a couple of steps toward him. His eyes landed on her leg once again, uncovered by her piece of clothing. She walked like a predator closing in on its prey.

Before she was even in front of him she could hear the groan escaping his lips.

“Y/N” He pleaded with her.

“Geralt” She called back playfully.

He closed his eyes for a second and turned back, ignoring the woman.

“You should get back to my brother”

She chuckled. “What ?”

“You two seem to get along just fine”

“Well, he’s nice”

She didn’t miss the way his chest rose at her words. He was frustrated and she could see it.

“What are you still doing here, then ?” He growled at her. “Go back to flirting with him”

She couldn’t see his face as he busied himself to sharpen his sword with a rock. She closed the distance and gently let her fingers trailed down his arm.

“I’m not flirting with you brother, Geralt” She whispered.

“Could’ve fooled me”

She laughed as he resumed his action, getting irritated by the second.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re doing a pretty lousy job hiding your jealousy” She smirked.

“I’m not jealous” He weakly defended himself.

“Good” She breathed as her hand clasped around his wrist to stop his movement. “Because what I really want is right here in front of me”

Before she could react, he swiftly turned around, one hand grabbing her wrist, the other closing on her jaw. She gasped at the abruptness of his action. She could hear his breathing getting heavier but none of them moved. He studied the woman with hard eyes when she bit her bottom lip. Excitement and anticipation were leaving an electrifying taste in the air. His thumb pleasingly stroked her cheek and he decided right there to go against his better judgment.

He pulled her to him and planted his lips over hers for a long and hard kiss. The low growl escaping his chest did nothing to help her arousal. She gasped softly when his kisses trailed down her neck, leaving bruises that would be visible enough for everyone to see who she belonged to. His possessive nature was sending her into a frenzy, so much she couldn’t help but moan when he forced her body to arch against his. She started to unbutton his shirt but his hands grabbed her wrists to stop her movements. She felt somehow rejected by him but quickly recovered when he slipped his arm around her waist.

“Don’t get me wrong” He started breathlessly. “There is nothing more I’d like than to undress you, but not here, not when someone could walk in”

He smirked when her body shuddered under his words.

“Your body is only for me to see” He positively declared.

“You can’t say shit like this to me, Geralt” She whispered.

“After what you just pulled tonight, you’re in no position to negotiate sweetheart”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that” She sniggered.

He eyed her curiously, waiting for her to elaborate.

“I wasn’t sure how this evening would end to be honest, but you exceeded all my expectations.” She expressed playfully. “Though I do feel obligated to mention I am not wearing anything under this dress”

Her body could have disintegrated from the simple change of color in his pupils as his hand lowered to the split of her dress, feeling nothing but her skin under his fingers.

“Tell me exactly how you thought I would react knowing you were naked underneath this dress standing next to my brother” He growled in fury.

“If I remember correctly, you said I was only your mission” She reminded him in a low voice.

“Is that why you seduced my brother ?”

“I laugh at a joke, Geralt” She rolled her eyes “Beside, he was nicer”

He frowned and tightened his hold around her body. “You’re mine, Y/N” He barked with violence.

She gave him a smug look and looped her fingers through his belt to unfasten it.

“I think we should put that statement to the test” She raised an eyebrow in challenge. “After all, I couldn’t trust you with the first one”

As soon as the words left her mouth, he carried the woman over his shoulders, making her squeal. Once he was sure his grip would prevent her from falling, he marched with determination to his bedroom, grumbling under his breath as she laughed at her caveman. If she could be certain of one thing, it was that Geralt would take his sweet time proving his point.

[yeraskier]

“Jaskier?” He hears, and looks up just in time to see Ciri rounding the corner. She has this frantic look in her eyes. “Jaskier! Jaskier, come quick! Geralt is awake.”

Jaskier’s spent the better part of his life running. He’s run towards coin and booze, from monsters and scorned lovers.

Still, he’s never run as fast as he does now.

He nearly trips over his own two feet twice in his haste to make it to Geralt’s room.

There are others already in there, but Jaskier quite make out who. He doesn’t care, the only one in the room who matters in the moment is the man laid out on the bed— pale and still sickly-looking, but alive.

He rushes over to his witcher, hands reaching out for Geralt’s face before he can stop himself. Jaskier doesn’t mean to overwhelm him, he doesn’t mean to take up all the air that surrounds him, but he can’t help it.

Three weeks and five days. That’s how long Geralt has slept in this bed, with not a single one of the mages being able to tell whether he’d wake up or not.

And now here he is, awake, with those yellow eyes piercing into Jaskier’s blue ones.

The bard simply can’t help himself. He couldn’t part from Geralt now even if he tried.

“Darling?” He utters, voice weak and trembling, just like the hands that clutch Geralt’s face.

“Jaskier?” And Geralt’s voice sounds so familiar, yet so new.

“Yes,” he breathes, “yes, love, it’s me.”

“What are you…” Geralt swallows, and he winces when he does. Jaskier thinks to get him some water, but that would mean letting go, and he simply can’t right now. “What are you doing here?”

Jaskier's thumbs freeze, no longer stroking against Geralt's skin.

"What?"

Geralt doesn't offer him a response, he just stares at Jaskier like he's failing to piece together a puzzle.

It's silent for too long as they look at one another, and Geralt doesn't look at him now the way he's been looking at Jaskier for the last two years. He looks... distant.

"Geralt." It's Triss, Jaskier knows without even looking. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

No.

Geralt frowns, brows scrunching together as he looks up at the ceiling.

He couldn't have—

"I remember..."

Please. Please. Please.

"Taking Ciri to the Temple of Melitele."

Jaskier’s heart plummets.

The mountain. That’s his last memory of Jaskier— his last memory with Jaskier.

Geralt doesn’t remember coming to find him and making amends.

Geralt doesn’t remember asking Jaskier to stay with him, Yennefer and Ciri at the keep.

Geralt doesn’t remember begging Jaskier to remain by their side on their journey back to Cintra.

Geralt doesn’t remember all the moments they shared throughout that time.

He doesn’t remember the touches that lingered longer than they should’ve, and the looks that said more than their mouths ever would, and the conversations that had far too many meanings to track, and the knowing glances from their loved ones. He doesn’t remember the will-they, won’t-they of it all.

He doesn’t remember the they will. The they did.

He doesn’t remember their first kiss that night in the rain— desperate yet tender and slow, unlike their racing heartbeats.

He doesn’t remember peeling each of those wet layers off of Jaskier in his tent that night, just so he could worship every inch of the bard— my bard, Geralt had said.

He doesn’t remember all of the moments that came after, either. He doesn’t remember the first time he said I love you, the first time Jaskier said it back. He doesn't remember all the nights they've spent wrapped in each other's arms or the mornings they spent kissing one another to full wakefulness. He doesn't remember the time they slow danced to no music in the woods, and the time he helped Jaskier bake Ciri blueberry tarts. He doesn't remember vowing that he'd never want anyone other than Jaskier after their first big fight as a pair— a fight that left Jaskier afraid and unsure about their future. He doesn't remember promising that he'd never leave Jaskier ever again.

Geralt doesn't remember any of it, any of what they had.

Geralt doesn't remember them.

"Yen?" Geralt says softly, and Jaskier looks into his eyes again, doesn't even know when he stopped, and he's no longer looking at Jaskier, he's looking elsewhere. Jaskier turns to see Yennefer standing in Geralt's line of sight, and she's looking right back at him, and Jaskier turns back to Geralt, and oh—

There's that look... that look that he hasn't seen in far too long, that same look he was beginning to believe he'd never have to see again.

That warmhearted look only reserved for Yennefer, the same one Geralt used to have on his face every time they were in a room together back when he was... in love with her.

"Oh," Jaskier says aloud, because of course. Of course, Geralt didn't just lose the memories of their relationship, he lost the memories of everything else, as well. He doesn't know that he and Yennefer are more co-parents and best friends now, more than anything.

There was that one unforgettable night between the three of them, mere months ago, after they'd drunk far too much ale, but they had vowed to never mention it again. Not because they regretted it, but because it would complicate things.

As it turns out, there was no use in avoiding the subject altogether because here they are now, in a complicated situation.

Because Geralt doesn't remember what he had with Jaskier, but he does remember what he had with Yennefer. He remembers loving her.

Jaskier's hands begin to tremble where they rest upon Geralt's cheek, and that's what gets Geralt to look at him again. He doesn't know why it happens, but Jaskier moves away at once as if he'd been shocked, as if Geralt's gaze threatens to burn him alive. Maybe it does. Jaskier surely feels like he's been set alight.

The bard stands up straight and glances off to the side. There are still tears in his eyes, but not for the same reason as they were before. "Very well, then," he says, and he despises the way he sounds.

He chances a glance around the room at last, and everyone is there. Everyone in the keep is in the room, and he doesn't know why he expected anything less. Of course, they'd all be here for Geralt, and of course, they'd all be there to witness the worst moment in Jaskier's life.

They're looking at him with... with pity in their eyes, and Jaskier despises that too. He wipes at his wet cheeks with the back of his palm, and clears his throat.

"I'll just... I'll just go, then."

"Jask," someone says, and it's Yennefer, and she's reaching out to touch him. Whatever look he gives the mage must not be the most pleasant, because she deflates immediately, and Jaskier's never seen such a thing from her.

He must be screaming I hate you in every language through his eyes alone.

He knows it's unfair, this isn't her fault, but he can't help the way he feels towards her at this moment. He can't.

He can't help any of the feelings coursing through him. It's too much, he needs space, and so he takes it. He leaves the room, and no one follows.

Good, he doesn't want them to.

Jaskier needs to be alone. He needs room to think, and he needs to stop crying, and he needs this feeling like he's being ripped apart from the inside to go away, and he needs— he needs Geralt.

He needs his wit— the witcher, given that he's no longer Jaskier's anymore, is he?

Maybe this is a sign that he was never meant to be Jaskier's at all.