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bambirex · 1 year ago

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It's A Game We Play: Chapter 9

Pairings: Geraskier, Yennskier, Radskier

Characters: Jaskier, Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, Radovid, original female characters, Essi Daven, Priscilla, Ciri of Cintra, Valdo Marx, Vespula

Additional tags: inspired by Mamma Mia! (movies), crack, alpha/beta/omega dynamics, omega jaskier, alpha geralt, alpha yennefer, beta radovid, awkwardness, jaskier is a good parent, protective jaskier, weddings, found family, post mpreg, fluff and humor, alternate universe- modern setting, jaskier is having the worst time of his life, valdo is here to make everything worse, confusion, banter, insecure jaskier, internalized slut shaming, light angst, family drama, there was only one bed, sharing a bed, valdo marx being an asshole, valdo marx and his ukulele from hell, drunk jaskier, mild language, sexual humor, jaskier in a dress, well it's a skirt but still, jaskier is essentially a milf in this

Rating: teen and up audiences

Full word count: 28,523 words

Chapter word count: 3,396 words

Chapters: 9/?

Summary: Jaskier's daughter is about to marry the love of her life, and she decides she wants both her parents at her wedding. Only problem is that Jaskier has slept with a little too many people in his youth, so the identity of the other parent is a mystery. That does not stop the bride-to-be from inviting three potential daddy candidates and unleashing absolute chaos in the process.

Otherwise known as Jaskier's terrible horrible no good past decisions leading to terrible horrible no good outcomes. Also known as the Mamma Mia! AU nobody asked for, but I wrote it anyway.

Chapter summary: It's the night of Amaryllis's bridal shower. Sparks fly all over the place in general, and then Jaskier also fights off his insecurities in the raunchiest way possible.

Author's notes: Actually, writing this fic is like therapy for me. Hence why it's updated so soon. They're all super drunk and horny, that's pretty much the premise of this chapter.

Read on Ao3

This was a stupid idea. Jaskier wasn't even sure why he entertained it, for even a second.

"It's because you still have it in you," Essi teased, almost like she read his mind. She gave Jaskier a little wink. "And you want their eyes on you. It makes sense."

"I don't...!" Jaskier huffed. He felt his treacherous cheeks flush a deep red. Essi gave him a knowing smirk.

They were going to perform at Amaryllis and Sara's bridal shower tonight. While Amaryllis specifically asked them not to do that on her wedding, she was more than fine with her papa's band bringing the fun to the party. If the tragedy of Valdo Marx performing at the wedding had to happen - because Sara's mother was relentless, resisting all bribes and pleadings- then, at least an actually good band needed to play at the bridal shower. It was the fun part, after all!

Priscilla and Essi convinced Jaskier to dress up a little bit, which Jaskier used to enjoy a lot in his youth. He wasn't exactly the most modest Omega back then, gladly putting the goods on display and enjoying the trail of drool that followed him. He wasn't twenty years old anymore, though, and the idea of trying to act all sexy, especially in front of his exes, was a terrifying one.

"Look, you girls still look amazing," Jaskier told them earnestly. "Essi, I have no idea how you maintained this body after two kids. Seriously, you're both smoking hot. Me, on the other hand... I think you should wear your pretty matching outfits and I put on something a bit more... modest."

"Since when are you modest," Priscilla scoffed. "Come on, it's going to be fun! Besides, Essi is right, we all know you're just dying to seduce your baby daddies."

Jaskier rolled his eyes, but his cheeks refused to let go of their blush. Unfortunately, he was just a human being, a human being who was still very much attracted to those three, no matter how hard he tried to deny it. The more time he's spent with them, the more his stupid heart and body started acting up. So, maybe his friends were right, maybe there was a part of him that wondered what they would think when they saw him in his outfit.

"Okay, but I'm not gonna wear it the whole night," Jaskier concluded with a sigh. His friends let out a triumphant squeal.

"Oh, the Omega urge to preen has set in!" Essi giggled. "Combined with your badly hidden lust for your exes, I say we're gonna have a lot of fun tonight!"

"I'll only be able to handle this with alcohol," Jaskier groaned. He still couldn't help a little smile when he imagined what this night could have in store.

They rented a whole club for the night. Amaryllis was worried Jaskier spent entirely too much money on her upcoming wedding, especially knowing how much he struggled with keeping the Dandelion afloat, but he always waved her concerns away with a "my sweet baby deserves the best". She could only hope he wouldn't wear himself too thin with the stress, to which the whole other parent situation only added to.

Amaryllis decided to focus on having fun instead. She grinned widely as she was led inside the club, where the decoration was a mix of classic wedding flowers and party balloons. Amaryllis and Sara both had veils on their heads which looked as mismatched with the rest of their club outfits as possible.

Amaryllis held onto Sara's hand tightly as their friends bounced ahead of them, already a little tipsy on their warm-up shots. Actually, a little bit more than tipsy.

"Richie Rich at 10 o'clock," Marion all but screamed into Vera's ear, who hollered in response. It caught Radovid's attention. He gave the girls a little confused, but still bright smile. Vera pretended to pass out, and she managed so well that she actually ended up on the floor, bringing the cackling Marion with her.

"I think we should keep them from drinking any more," Sara laughed. Amaryllis rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

She smiled when she noticed Geralt and Ciri approaching her. Geralt's smile widened the closer he got.

"You look very nice," he said. Ciri giggled.

"He means you look breathtakingly beautiful, but he doesn't know how to do compliments."

Amaryllis laughed. "Thank you, all the same."

"How's everyone enjoying the party?" Jaskier asked as he hopped next to them. His cheeks were rosy, and his smile was bright. He kissed Sara on the cheek before he pulled Amaryllis to his side.

"Do you like the place?"

"It's incredible!" Amaryllis grinned. She wound her arms around her father, sighing happily. "Thank you, Papa."

Jaskier gently pulled the veil aside so he could kiss her forehead.

"It's my pleasure."

Amaryllis gasped when she noticed Yennefer approaching them. She wore a leather two set, and she looked incredible. Jaskier and Geralt made a similar little noise, combined with wide eyes as they spotted her.

"Damn, I wanna look like you at your age," Sara sighed in awe. Yennefer sent her a grin.

"Hello, everyone. Jaskier, thank you so much for the invite."

"Of course," Jaskier replied softly. Yennefer smiled, and Jaskier returned it eagerly.

"Where's the archduke of mangoes?" Yennefer asked, scanning the partying guests. Geralt laughed softly.

"He's the king of mangoes, you know that."

Jaskier glanced at Amaryllis in confusion. Amaryllis giggled.

"I could've sworn on my life they were coconuts," Jaskier blinked. He then nodded towards the left. "He's there, trying to sober up Amaryllis's bridesmaids... oh, fuck. He's actually doing shots with them. Amaryllis, bring him here before he sends your friends to the detox."

Amaryllis did, laughing all the way. Radovid looked utterly proud of himself. Jaskier rolled his eyes at him fondly.

"I'm gonna go find my mom," Sara said. She pecked Amaryllis on the lips before she left. Amaryllis felt a warmth, that was definitely not just because of the alcohol, spread through her chest as she stood in the ring that Jaskier, Geralt, Radovid, Yennefer and Ciri made around her.

She watched as her papa spoke to the other three. The conversation seemed light, the awful tension that plagued their first few days together nowhere to be seen now.

Ciri stood next to her, gently elbowing her in the side.

"Wanna dance?"

"With pleasure," Amaryllis grinned. She bowed playfully. Ciri giggled and gave a quick curtsy before she grabbed Amaryllis's hand and dragged her to the dancefloor.

"Do you want to...?"

Jaskier blinked in surprise. Geralt shifted from one foot to the other awkwardly. If it wasn't for his extended hand, Jaskier wouldn't have understood what he wanted.

"Oh," he breathed softly. He felt his cheeks warm up as he stared down at Geralt's big, calloused hand. Every braincell told him to say no. His heart whacked him over the head with a giant, neon YES sign.

"Yes," he eventually said. Geralt's wary smile brightened as he took Jaskier's hand into his own. Jaskier's skin buzzed at his touch.

His heart pounded as they swayed together with Geralt. His hands were so careful around his waist, like he was scared a stronger hold would break Jaskier.

Jaskier glanced to the side. Amaryllis was slow dancing with Sara, their eyes shining as they smiled at each other. Yennefer twirled Ciri around. Marion and Vera drunkenly swayed, tripping over each other's feet. Essi danced with her husband, while Radovid danced with Priscilla. As he looked over them, and then down their joined hands with Geralt, he felt his heart swell until it barely fit into his chest.

The pink fog quickly dissipated when he noticed Valdo sauntering in with a smug grin. He, as always, acted like he owned the place.

"Ugh," Jaskier gagged, "how did he get in?"

"He seems to have a knack for infiltrating your life," Geralt chuckled. He let go of Jaskier's hand. Jaskier immediately missed his touch.

Valdo noticed them, and his smirk widened. Jaskier rolled his eyes so hard, it was a wonder they didn't get stuck.

"Jaskier," Valdo greeted him cheerfully, "what a lovely party!"

"Which you weren't invited to," Jaskier scoffed. He crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"

"Oh, actually, Sara's mom invited me," Valdo replied with a grin. "So, I'm sorry, dear, but I'm staying."

He looked a little wary when Geralt moved towards him. He took a step back, holding his hands up.

"Don't worry, I didn't bring an original song, this time."

"You're saying that as if you would sing here," Jaskier huffed. Valdo only raised an amused eyebrow at him. Jaskier's eyes widened in horror.

"No fucking way," he hissed, "I will perform with my band! Yours isn't even here!"

"I'm a one-man band. Besides, there might be place for more talented musicians on this stage. And one maybe even for you."

Jaskier's hands balled into fists as he stared after Valdo once he left. Geralt scoffed.

"If I ever commit a crime in this life, this man will be the victim of it."

Jaskier sucked in a harsh breath through his nose. There was no way he was going to let Valdo steal the spotlight, again.

This was the perfect time to get his friends and change into their performance outfits - let everyone see The Sandpipers still got it.

Amaryllis felt both amused and confused as she approached the table Geralt, Radovid and Yennefer sat together at. She wasn't quite sure what she was looking at. Yennefer had a lock of Radovid's hair in her hand, inspecting it like a surgeon before an important surgery.

"This is so damaged," she slurred, her usually snappy, almost cold exterior buried under several glasses of gin and tonic. "Your hair's so pretty, and you let it get so damaged."

"I don't have time for a hair care routine, I wish I did," Radovid lamented. The way he lifted his glass was a little uncertain.

"Geralt, touch his hair," Yennefer demanded, "feel the split ends."

Geralt took another piece of Radovid's hair between his fingers. He hummed.

"It's dry."

"Yeah, what about yours?" Radovid huffed. He twisted Geralt's hair around his fingers. His eyes widened. "Oh, this is soft. Why is it soft?"

"Feel mine," Yennefer giggled. Radovid did, holding onto both their hair with an awed expression.

"Uhm... hello?" Amaryllis greeted them with a chuckle. They flitted apart in such a panicky way, like Amaryllis just caught them making out with each other - which, judging by the way they lovingly caressed each other's hair for God knows how long, and how extremely drunk they were, wouldn't even have been outside of the realm of possibilities.

There was a strange tension between them- competitiveness, for sure, but also something else. Something that had nothing to do with butting heads over getting into Jaskier's good graces, or fighting for the parental rights over Amaryllis. It was something else, a weirdly vibrating chemistry that Amaryllis couldn't quite describe.

"Jaskier... I mean, Amaryllis," Geralt groaned. He shook his head, blinking rapidly. "Shit, it's dark in here."

"Your eyesight is just getting worse, old man," Yennefer teased. "You also can't hold your liquor."

"Are you in the right state to talk?" Amaryllis asked carefully, interrupting Geralt who was about to defend his own honor. Amaryllis snorted when Radovid grabbed her hands, nodding frantically.

"Anything you wanna say, we're ready to hear."

"Alright...so, I was wondering, if you guys maybe wanted to go out with my papa?"

Geralt stuttered something. Yennefer just stared at her. Radovid once again nodded, the alcohol dissolving his pretenses entirely.

"I want to!"

"As... a date?" Yennefer checked. Her cheeks flushed, not just from the alcohol. Amaryllis smiled at her.

"Yes. I think you could each take him out individually. Spend some time with him, because... there's a chance his own gut feelings can come in handy, so to speak, in our little scheme. And, you know, he hasn't been on a date in decades."

She wanted to speed up the process of figuring out the truth a little bit, and she realized maybe Jaskier also needed some time together with the candidates in order to do that- besides, Amaryllis was hoping to secure him the one and only. Her papa definitely deserved some spoiling, as well.

"Decades?" Geralt whispered in horror. "You're telling me he hasn't been... romanced, after we left?"

"Except for Vespula, of course," Radovid pointed out with a snort.

"That was just a couple of times, and nothing since then," Amaryllis clarified. "Look, I know you all still have feelings for him. And I'm sure that's mutual. Let's kick things into gear!"

They all shared a look, which was full of confusion, a sense of challenge and a third, unrecognizable emotion.

Amaryllis swore when she heard Valdo's unmistakable voice in the microphone.

"This is for the wonderful brides, one of them which is unlucky enough to call Jaskier her father. Don't worry, beautiful Amaryllis, this song will cheer you up!"

"The only thing this song will do is make me commit arson," Amaryllis huffed. She quickly scanned the crowd, trying to find either her father or his friends, but she didn't see them anywhere.

Jaskier didn't know if he should have screamed or cried in frustration. He once again had to realize he was making a stupid decision.

He really should have thought ahead and tried on his outfit before the performance, instead of just picking it out blindly. He gave in to his friends' nagging and matched with them, but the problem was that the glittery, tight skirt he wanted to put on was one he used to wear before Amaryllis's birth. He was twenty years old when he last wore it, and many things have changed in the meantime. His body, most of all - and realizing this, minutes before he was planning to go on stage, was an incredibly humiliating experience.

"This is so embarrassing," Jaskier whined, his face burning with shame. "God, what was I thinking? I'm not twenty anymore, and definitely not skinny, either. I'm going to embarrass my daughter at her own bridal shower! Ridiculous, a cow trying to parade around."

"Hey, don't say that! You agreed you would wear it!" Essi reminded him softly. "Besides, you wanna show Valdo Marx you're the better performer, right? Grab onto that energy!"

"The only thing I can grab onto are my love handles."

"Calm down, would you?" Priscilla snorted from behind him, where she was still struggling to work his zipper up all the way. "And suck in a little!"

"I'm already sucking in, Priscilla, that's what I'm saying!"

Jaskier buried his face in his hands with a whimper. There was no way his exes would find him attractive in this, with the skirt pulled so tight over his wide hips. What if it would rip open on his fat ass, in front everyone? He would not survive that humiliation. Valdo would never let him live it down, and Amaryllis would be scarred for life.

He looked up at his reflection in the mirror with a deep sigh. He always believed he looked pretty, and he looked younger than his age, mostly - but the passage of time did not fully spare him, neither did the changes pregnancy did to his body. Sure, he wasn't fat, that was a bit of a hysterical over-exaggeration, but he definitely had some cushion for the pushing. He was not a young Omega with long, slim legs and a tiny waist anymore. What was the point in pretending otherwise?

"You know what, I'm not even gonna perform," Jaskier pouted. "You girls go and do your lovely thing. I don't wanna ridicule you, too."

Priscilla finally managed to zip him up. She also managed to slap him on the ass so hard that Jaskier yelped.

"Ow! What the hell!?"

"Say one more self-loathing thing about yourself, and I will full on spank you!" Priscilla growled. She grabbed Jaskier by the shoulders and spun him around, glaring daggers up at him. "Did you forget who you are? You are Jaskier Pankratz, for fuck's sake! The sexiest, sluttiest Omega on this island. The charmer, the sex god, everyone's favorite goddamn lay! Even the freaking mayor wanted to fuck you! You have three people practically pissing themselves with the need to suffocate between your thighs, and you're whining!?"

Jaskier gaped. Essi hid her giggles behind her hand.

"You got a bit curvaceous, so what? You look freaking amazing!"

Jaskier looked down on the outline of his belly through the skirt. He frowned.

"But..."

"You. Are. Hot," Essi told him, accentuating each word. "And trust me, people will drown in their own drool when they'll see you!"

"You are smoking hot," Priscilla continued. "Pull yourself together, sweet cheeks, and show everyone what you're made of! And this, right here,” she grinned, lovingly pinching Jaskier’s tummy, “is a very sexy little accessory."

Jaskier opened his mouth to argue, but he wisely decided against it when Priscilla and Essi all but growled at him. He rolled his eyes with a sigh. He could only hope he would survive this evening without a catastrophic event.

The crowd erupted into cheers, drowning out Valdo's voice when The Sandpipers entered the stage.

Valdo's eyes bulged out of his head when he spotted Jaskier. Jaskier ignored the queasy feeling inside him and marched forward.

As soon as the music rang out, his confidence started to seep back in. He felt in his element on stage, living together with the rhythm. Essi and Priscilla looked beautiful and radiant next to him, sparkling in their matching outfits.

Jaskier opened his mouth to sing, and everyone cheered again. Valdo marched off the stage, looking like a kicked dog.

No one laughed at him, instead everyone stared in awe. Amaryllis, Sara and their friends hollered. Jaskier's eyes skimmed the crowd for some more familiar faces.

His heart leapt when he noticed them - they were staring, and they absolutely did not seem to mind the way he looked. In fact, Yennefer licked her lips in a hungry way that made a pleasant shiver run down Jaskier's spine. Geralt gripped onto the edge of the table so hard that it rattled. Radovid shamelessly raked his eyes over him.

Seeing them looking at him like this, with so much unabashed awe and lust, all of Jaskier's insecurities melted away. He suddenly felt so young again, so playful and seductive. He's missed the feeling so much. He batted his eyelashes at them, which were elongated by mascara. His eyeliner did not just frame his eyes like usually, he made it winged. There was glitter on his eyelids to match his top and skirt. He even put on high-heeled ankle boots.

Finally, he felt sexy again as his exes' eyes followed him all over the stage, glued to the way he moved. Jaskier swayed his hips, running his hand over the curve of them teasingly before he leant forward, letting them take a peek at his cleavage.

He danced and sang full of energy, full of youthful playfulness. Everyone clapped and cheered and whistled. Jaskier felt like he was soaring as he playfully shook his butt, earning some more hollering from the crowd. Okay, maybe he still got it.

Jaskier could only look at them as he finished their last song. Their jaws hung open, their pupils were blown wide. He could feel the intense Alpha, and the less aggressive but spicy Beta pheromones in the air. Essi and Priscilla gave him a proud gin.

Daring, Jaskier his exes a kiss. Geralt swore under his breath, Radovid's jaw dropped even lower, and Yennefer batted her eyelashes.

"Dick up, brain down," Ciri said simply, pointing at where the three candidates practically melted over the table. Amaryllis laughed in disbelief.

"Damn, your papa is sexy," Marion grinned. Sara turned to her fiancée, amused.

"So, are they taking your papa on a date?"

"After this performance?" Amaryllis chuckled. She looked at Jaskier, who exited the stage with a flourish, grinning brightly. Then, she glanced at the other three, who had hearts in their eyes instead of pupils.

"I think they're all ready to take him to heaven."

#geraskier #yennskier #radskier #a/b/o #jaskier #geralt of rivia #yennefer of vengerberg #radovid #omega jaskier #alpha geralt #alpha yennefer #beta radovid #the witcher fanfiction #the witcher fic #my fic #mamma mia au

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stromuprisahat · 1 year ago

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@craybii:

Whilst I absolutely despise Yennefer's fashion in the show, I gotta say this - the modern fashion is accurate to the source material. In the books, none of the sorceresses wore medieval fashion or anything like that, especially to Thanedd. It was all supposed to look odd, out of place and timeless... so the show got that part right. Where they absolutely failed is making the outfits look pretty.

I’m not sure, where you got that description, so I decided to check with the books- ours are illustrated, so I might not focus of the words as much as I should, since I have pictures to work with.

So, I went through Thanedd:

The sorceresses embraced each other cautiously and kissed the air next to their diamond-onyx earrings. The earrings, in the shape of a grape bunch, were identical – the atmosphere cooled in an instant.

Sabrina's bodice, weaved of black chiffon, revealed absolutely everything that could be revealed, and there was quite a bit of that. Carmine skirt, with a silver belt and rose-shaped buckle, had a cut at the side with accordance to the latest fashion trend. The trend, however, required the cut to reach the thigh, while Sabrina's reached the hip. A nicely-shaped hip.

Sabrina Glevissig

They approached Triss, who was sparkling with shades of blue and aquamarine.

‘You talked with Philippa and Dijkstra from Tretogor,’ noted Triss, playing with a heart-shaped necklace of lapis lazuli, framed in silver and diamonds.

Triss Merigold

The wizards stepped aside, bowing to the entering celebrities. The first one was an aged but robust man in surprisingly modest wool clothing. At his side was a tall woman with sharp features and dark, evenly combed hair.

Gerhart of Aelle and Tissaia de Vries

Behind the pair was an attractive woman with very long, golden hair, wearing a lace dress in the colour of mignonette.

Francesca Findabair

The term ‘young’, as Geralt was aware, was used in reference to the wizards up to the age of a hundred. Vilgefortz looked no more than thirty-five. He was tall and well-built, he wore a short doublet in the style of a knight but without the coat of arms. He was also hellishly good-looking. It was striking even with Francesca Findabair at his side, with her huge, doe-like eyes and astonishing beauty.

Vilgefortz of Roggeveen

At the second table stood Sabrina Glevissig engaged in a conversation with a red-haired sorceress. The red-haired one had a white skirt and a white georgette (There’s no similar term present in Czech translation.) bodice. The bodice, like Sabrina's, was also completely transparent, but it had some strategically placed embroideries. The embroideries, Geralt noticed, had an interesting quality: they covered and revealed alternatively.

‘...with Yennefer?’ repeated the red-head, playing with a pearl necklace bound around her neck so tightly that it resembled a collar. ‘Are you kidding me, Sabrina?’

Keira turned around and looked her up from the white iguana shoes to the pearl tiara.

Marti Sodergren

A wizard with familiar features smiled slightly, touching the embroidered lapels of his violet doublet.

Dorregaray of Vole

‘Shoes made of horned agama's leather. Have you noticed?’ He nodded - insincerely, as he only took notice of what remained uncovered by the transparent tulle bodice. (Again- this line is completely different in Czech- no mention of “tulle”.) ‘Oh, and there we have a rock cobra,’ the wizard correctly identified another pair of shoes parading through the hall. The fashion, which had recently shortened the dresses, helped him with the task. ‘And over there... white iguana. Salamander. Wyvern. Spectacled caiman. Basilisk... All of them, without exception, endangered species. Curses, why not stick to veal and pork leather?’

Leather shoes and shortened skirts.

‘That's some delightful embroideries you have there, Philippa! Diamond ermine, if I'm not mistaken? ... ‘I know, I know, the species would undoubtedly be brought back from extinction, had I ordered the milliner to embroid my dress with mops of tow. I have considered it. Unfortunately, the colours wouldn't match.’

Philippa Eilhart

I had to google that one, since I was expecting “seamstress” in that quote:

milliner

noun

a person who makes or sells women's hats.

And now I’m only more confused, why would a hatter embroider dresses with fur?

Before the witcher regained speech, they were approached by a short, slim sorceress with long, straight, fair hair. He recognized her right away – it was the lady in shoes made of horned agama's leather and green, tulle bodice which didn't even hide a detail as tiny as the small spot above her left breast.

Keira Metz- There’s a line missing, compared to Czech- “Around her neck she wore a silver pendant in the shape of an Ankh, encrusted with zircons.”

I’d call none of the above “odd, out of place and timeless”. Looser in shapes and morals constricting the townspeople and nobility, perhaps. Badly lacking underwear, totally.

Philippa also mentions seamstress (in Czech- that’s the mysterious hatter), indicating their dresses are made by ordinary people. Given the setting Yennefer’s dresses, especially “ordinary” clothes, shouldn’t look like they’re straight from the rack.

Even if we decide to be so boring and keep the modern cuts and positioning of lines like waist or shoulders....

why do so many of Yennefer’s outfits that I’ve seen (including her bra) look modern? Wouldn’t she be wearing something else?

They can't stick to monochromatic colour scheme- considering various options regarding cuts, layers or structure the history of clothing offers, would be way too much!

So yes, her clothes looks either like something my grandma would wear, or rags they scavenged on a raid on local trift store. I don't know where the budget went, but it sure as fuck wasn't Yennefer's wardrobe.

I hate you anon, btw. Now I have to go through all of that to see how superficial my impression is... although I'll only do first five episodes, considering when did the ask arrive (and my mental health).

That fucking purple cloak. Or another one, it doesn't matter. Either way TWN world apparently works in completely different way if purple isn't both conspicuous and expensive. Probably why we saw so much of it on average peasants in previous two seasons...

The broke nerd all class makes fun of (Are those platform shoes?!) or local goth witch high schooler, who's probably gonna lecture you on energies and angels? From up close my guess would be a bit older- that's some 20-ish teacher fresh from uni, trying to look respectable. My grandma would like the blouse very much. It's exactly her style.

This looks like vaguely "historical" cosplay you can find in trift stores or even your own wardrobe. It's also good to know average sorceress on the run can still get her mani-pedi comparable with present-day treatment.

Sorry for the quality, the lighting isn't very good and I'm not in mood to spend even a little more time on this, but this dress looks A LOT like the one from 01×05. So does the mask. (Budget cuts? Lack of creativity? Yennefer saving it for some twenty years in case she'd need to make Geralt feel nostalgic?)

Strong businesswoman jacket or What you want to wear to impress your peers and make them agree with you!

Some sort of nightgown? Sexy lingerie straight from the catalogue?

And we got to my "favourite"!

What the fuck is this rag? It looks like somethig Yen used to wipe the floor with, then proceeded to tie a knot or two and ta-daaa! Comfortable dress for every occasion's here! A ball or leisure? It's prefect for anything! (Unless you possess fashion sense, or gods-forbid sense of aesthetics.)

IS THAT A FUCING BRA?!

Couldn't they at least pretend to try?!

I guess Netflix couldn't afford seamstresses, so their brilliant costume designer decided to lend them something of her own.

This isn't even attempt at vaguely historical fantasy. Just some ugly loose whatever... Yen's tops, Yen's shoes... It certainly doesn't look like she's wearing stays EVER.

Compare with my favourite historically totally innacurate series:

#self reblog #The Witcher (TV series)#season 3 #Yennefer of Vengerberg #Lucinda Wright #vs.#Time of Contempt #Zaklínač #TWN critical

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littlemangalover · 6 years ago

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"Magic is chaos, art and science. It is a curse, a blessing and a progression"

She’s done! I mean, I’m done! Shading check, (some sort of) background check, magic ball check! I really like this alternate outfit of her, it just looks so fancy <3! I hope my friend (and you ;)) will like it! ^^

#the witcher #wild hunt #the witcher 3 #yennefer #yennefer of vengerberg #the witcher 3 wild hunt #fanart #yennefer fanart #the witcher art #alcohol markers #magic #sorceress #team yennefer #alternate outfit #dlc

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witcherscreenshotsdump · 2 years ago

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mod project progress! ✔️-> finished ⭐-> progress has been made ⭕ -> on hold

@ningnomaningnong oh a list ! yeah that could be a good idea to list out all my projects,( for me too, so i don’t get lost in the mountain of projects i have :’D )

the one i’m working on right now is the alternate outfit for Syanna inspired by Anna Valerious’ outfits ✔️

i’m also working on a new hairstyle for my Angoulême model, it’s well on it’s way but i’m not satisfied with the headband ✔️

hairstyles for Ciri:

short cropped ‘mistle’ styled

ashen messy hair

the long ‘ alypre’ hair model ✔️

the ‘jinx’ hairstyle

the braided ponytail

the child ciri ‘actually look like herself ‘ face model ⭐

the witcher 2 faces for both Ves and Triss

the poet shirt for Jaskier

the Eva green face model for Yen

the rework of the lore friendly Blue dress for Triss

the long hairstyle for Eskel ( i have another version ready for game import but i have to actually do it ) ⭐

the Regis dressed down mod ⭐, i also want to make him alternate outfits, something closer to the books ( love the idea of him with an apron ) but maybe something very fancy too idk yet, maybe i’ll do both

then i have the Yennefer lore friendly wardrobe ones :

Maribor torso ( started, currently in WIP folder )

Wyzima torso ✔️

some witcher armors for Ciri :

Cat ( started, currently in WIP folder )

Manticore ✔️

Viper ⭐( started, currently in WIP folder )

Griffin ⭐( started, currently in WIP folder )

i’m thinking about doing a Skellige style mod for both Yennefer and Triss too, but it’s not started yet ( beside the early draft of an hairstyle for yen )

i may do a Nilfgaard style too for Ciri and triss, Yen not sure yet

i would LOVE to do the ‘hexer’ actors like I did the netflix ones :

Michał Żebrowski’s Geralt face is started and it looks cool in blender but i’m dreading the game import :’)

Grażyna Wolszczak’s Yennefer is also started but i’m going to redo it all over because she looked AWFUL in game, that poor woman

Zbigniew Zamachowski’s Jaskier isn’t started yet but i’m looking forward to it

⭕ for the netflix crowd i still have the netflix triss mod to update with the new dress and hair option, also would like to redclothify the blue dressthen the other characters models i had planned but never had the strenght to start lmao: netflix dijkstra, philippa maybe ciri and jaskier complete with outfits and hair ( maybe an outfit and hairstyle for the yennfer mod too idk ) not gonna lie it’s not a priority for me ⭕

the Dicks out for temeria mod check this ask for the list ( minus Avallach who is already out ) ( Eredin’s model is started but i’ll need SBUI for further testing ) ⭐

an alternate outfit for Evelyn Gallo based on Evangeline season 2 outfit from wakfu ⭐ ( near finished )

lady echo model from wakfu season 4 ⭐ ( started )

the romance swaps like i did with Ves, Tomira is next and i’ve finished all the new assets ( fancy bun for parties, custom hood,naked body, party outfit ) all that is left to do is making the swaps ✔️

the Play As Iorveth mod that i desesperatly want but i have to actually work on it to have it :’) ( the mod is fuctional but needs a lot of polishing! V.0.2 is now in WIP folder ) ⭐

then the source mods, omg the source mods i want to make so many of them D’:

Cahir ⭐ ( re-re-re-re started from scratch AGAIN )

but there’s all the others:

Essi daven ⭐ ( not started, STARTED looking forward to do it because i never see her depicted like i imagined her so either i read the book wrong/have bad memory, or it is another ‘rhino’ experience or maybe i just imagined her slightly differently either way it could be fun )

Eithné ( started )

Lara dorren ⭐ ( near finished )

Cregennan of Lod

Neneke

Jarre ( started kinda, i have a face/hair initially for Cahir that would be better on him

Borch three jackdaw/téa/véa ( started, well i have a start of a tea or vea Hairstyle, that’s it lmao )

Vilgefortz

Tissaia de Vries

Mève of lyria ( based on thronebreaker ) ✔️

Gascon Brossard ⭐ issues with exporting a needed model ⭕

Reynard Odo ⭐

The rats and Ciri as Falka ( started, only mistle hair for now, also have an old falka hairstyle for ciri but it’s wonky )

some female dwarves ( started)

iorveth ( started )

✔️ also started making child Syanna and Annarietta models, maybe i will make more child characters it’s useless but fun ( started but can’t continue due to mesh exporting problems ) ✔️

i probably forgot some and it doesn’t count the new ideas i consistantly get 😂

#twsd.txt #the witcher 3 #the witcher mod #tw3mod #the witcher 3 mod #tw3 mod #Yennefer #yennefer of vengerberg #the witcher #cirilla fiona elen riannon #Ciri of Cintra #Ciri #Cirilla #Triss #Triss merigold

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quaenam · 7 years ago

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Yennefer of Vengerberg

“P. S. I still have the unicorn.”

... or maybe she’s going to dump Geralt in the lake again, you never know.

#the witcher 3 #yennefer #alternative outfit #tw3 #lilac and gooseberries #tried to waste less time on the details #didn't work

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anya-chalotra · 4 years ago

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Going into this, Becca and I were no strangers to the fact that this fandom is Talented, capital T and all. We see proof of it time and time again in every corner, but I was still utterly blown away by all the amazing content everyone put out, and I wanted to sincerely express both my gratitude and my awe, because wow, what an incredible showcase of not only the wonderful women of The Witcher but our fandom’s outrageous talent as well.

Thank you to every single content creator who took part in WITCHER LADIES APPRECIATION WEEK for making it such a rewarding experience, and thank you to my beautiful partner-in-crime @inejz-ghafa, whose encouragement and hand to hold I don’t think I could or would have done this without. It’s been my honor to co-host this, and it continues to be my honor to be a part of such an incredible and incredibly gifted fandom. Cheers, and I hope to see you all (and others, too!) next year, when we finally have season two content.

Below is a list of everyone’s creations from the week. Be sure to check everything out and give them all the love they deserve!

DAY ONE: FAVORITE MINOR/RECURRING CHARACTER Alternate Prompt: Fluff or Happiness

Calanthe & Tissaia Set by @anya-chalotra Tissaia de Vries Set by @inejz-ghafa

Queen Calanthe Set by @mercymaker Tissaia de Vries Set by @myannaburing Fringilla Vigo Set by @marinabridgerton Queen Calanthe Set by @evieoconnell Triss Merigold Set by @sabrinaglevissigs Renfri of Creyden Set by @arthurpendragonns General Ladies Set by @jemmablossom [Alt] Yennefer & Tissaia Fic by @thegirl20 Tissaia de Vries Set by @shinylightblue Queen Calanthe Set by @buckybarne Triss Merigold Set by @ughmerlin Fringilla Vigo Set by @queenrojpag Renfri of Creyden Set by @withered-rose-with-thorns Queen Calanthe Set by @ivashkovadrian Triss Merigold Set by @amitas-sumans Renfri & Milva Fic by @slythnerd Marilka of Blaviken Set by @coconutwaterbending Fringilla Vigo Set by @aleksandr-morozova Queen Calanthe Set by @tiffanyachings Renfri of Creyden Set by @nina-zenyk [Alt] Triss & Yennefer Fic by @restmyheadatnightcontent Tissaia de Vries Graphics by @midnightisquiet Triss Merigold Set by @luke-patterson Ladies of Aretuza Set by @boujeegoblin Renfri of Creyden Set by @onceandfuturehimbo Queen Calanthe Set by @fangrurin Renfri of Creyden Set by @drinkcrywrite Queen Calanthe Fic by @valdomarx Renfri of Creyden Set by @thetracker Renfri of Creyden Art by @untaintedtea

DAY TWO: FAVORITE DYNAMIC Alternate Prompt: Hurt/Comfort

Tissaia & Yennefer Set by @anya-chalotra Calanthe & Ciri Set by @inejz-ghafa

Tissaia & Yennefer Set by @mercymaker Calanthe & Eist Set by @buckybarne Calanthe & Ciri Set by @marinabridgerton [Alt] Yennefer Set by @jemmablossom Ciri & Geralt Set by @ughmerlin Calanthe & Ciri Set by @shinylightblue Yennefer & Sorceresses Set by @queenrojpag Tissaia & Yennefer Set by @fangrurin Calanthe & Ciri Set by @onceandfuturehimbo Ciri & Yennefer Set by @daeneryssansa Calanthe & Ciri Set by @arthurpendragonns Tissaia & Yennefer Set by @ivashkovadrian Ladies & Motherhood Set by @nina-zenyk Calanthe & Eist Set by @oscarisaack Yennefer & Jaskier Set by @aleksandr-morozova [Alt] Yennefer Fic by @restmyheadatnightcontent Tissaia & Yennefer Set by @amitas-sumans Yennefer & Istredd Set by @coconutwaterbending Tissaia & Yennefer Graphic by @midnightisquiet Yennefer & Geralt Set by @boujeegoblin Fringilla & Yennefer Set by @vxngerberg Tissaia & Yennefer Set by @drinkcrywrite Sabrina & Yennefer Set by @gingerlambert Multi Dynamics Set by @withered-rose-with-thorns

DAY THREE: FAVORITE WARDROBE OR OUTFIT(S) Alternate Prompt: Power or Strength

Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @anya-chalotra General Ladies Set by @inejz-ghafa

General Ladies Set by @buckybarne Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @jemmablossom Ciri of Cintra Set by @ughmerlin Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @mercymaker General Ladies Set by @fangrurin General Ladies Set by @marinabridgerton [Alt] Yennefer of Vengerberg Art by @pokeberry5 Triss Merigold Set by @ivashkovadrian Sabrina & Triss & Yennefer Set by @drinkcrywrite General Ladies Set by @queenrojpag General Ladies Set by @aleksandr-morozova General Ladies Set by @sabrinaglevissigs Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @daeneryssansa Triss Merigold Set by @onceandfuturehimbo General Ladies Set by @arthurpendragonns General Ladies Set by @shinylightblue Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @boujeegoblin Yennefer of Vengerberg Graphic by @midnightisquiet General Ladies Set by @nina-zenyk Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @withered-rose-with-thorns Yennefer of Vengerberg Art by @unremarkablegirl

DAY FOUR: FAVORITE QUOTE(S) OR SCENE(S) Alternate Prompt: Dynamics

General Ladies Set by @anya-chalotra General Ladies Set by @inejz-ghafa

Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @sabrinaglevissigs Triss Merigold Set by @ivashkovadrian Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @shinylightblue General Ladies Set by @arthurpendragonns Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @queenrojpag Queen Calanthe Set by @tiffanyachings Ciri & Yennefer Set by @boujeegoblin Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @mercymaker General Ladies Set by @buckybarne General Ladies Set by @daeneryssansa Calanthe & Renfri & Yennefer Set by @drinkcrywrite General Ladies Set by @withered-rose-with-thorns Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @ughmerlin General Ladies Set by @aleksandr-morozova Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @onceandfuturehimbo Yennefer of Vengerberg Set by @jemmablossom Ladies of Aretuza Set by @nina-zenyk

DAY FIVE: WEAPON OF CHOICE (SORCERY, SWORDS, OR WORDS) Alternate Prompt: Alternate Universe

Ladies + Sorcery/Swords Set by @anya-chalotra Ladies + Sorcery Set by @inejz-ghafa

Ladies + Sorcery Set by @margeaery Ladies + Sorcery Set by @jemmablossom [Alt] Essi Daven Fic by @restmyheadatnightcontent Yennefer + Sorcery Set by @queenrojpag Ladies + Sorcery/Swords Set by @drinkcrywrite Yennefer + Sorcery/Swords/Words Set by @ivashkovadrian Ladies + Sorcery Set by @shinylightblue Ladies + Sorcery Set by @ughmerlin Ladies + Swords Set by @boujeegoblin Ladies + Words Set by @aleksandr-morozova Ladies + Sorcery Set by @buckybarne Ladies + Sorcery Set by @nina-zenyk Ladies + Sorcery/Swords Set by @withered-rose-with-thorns

#wlaw2021 #thewitcheredit #witcheredit #userbecca #sorry this is so late :(#i meant to do this like two weeks ago before life got in the way #but you guys have all my love #if i missed anything from anyone please please please let me know #i had to backtrack through my own tag because it seems like tumblr's not showing a lot of posts in the tag or the search

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thecaduceusclay · 3 years ago

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The designs in the witcher books: 80% up to the audience so they slap so fucking hard

The designs in the witcher games: The normal outfits are iffy. Yennefer and Triss' alternate outfits are actively so fucking bad

The designs in the witcher show: A mixed bag, usually not terribly bad honestly?

The designs in Gwent, the Witcher Card Game: So fucking good holy shit I'm literally going to hang some of these on my wall

#the witcher #book jaskier is better than any other one tho #i will say tho....show music is better game soundtrack is better tho #like the soundtrack in the games goes so hard but wolven storm is just okay next to joey bateys music

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nataliescatorccio · 3 years ago

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2021: a summary

post your favorite and most popular post from each month this year. (it’s okay to skip months!)

i was tagged by @monae and @katherineebishop to share my post popular and my favorite creation for each month of the year. i absolutely adore this concept and it provides a great opportunity to look back on the year as a content creator, so thank you so much for tagging me! according to my year in review i created 871 posts this year, so there’s definitely a lot to look back on...

january:

favorite: diego hargreeves

most popular: yenskier in season 2

tagging: @anya-chalotra @lamberts @arthurpendragonns @ughmerlin @ivashkovadrian @jjmaybanks @aleksandr-morozova @seance @withered-rose-with-thorns (if you don’t want to do it no pressure; alternatively if you do and haven’t been tagged consider this me tagging you!)

#tag game #ok this was fun i do like looking back on my work #and how this year maybe isn't as bad creating wise as i thought??#idk i thought i did nothing from like.. july onwards (until this month)#but i actually still got creative and did some stuff #and i'm proud of me

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fantasticallyfoolishidea · 5 years ago

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So, bath scenes. Amirite?

The Witcher fandom is quite blessed. Over the course one season, the showrunners decided to gift us with not one but two scenes of Henry Cavill, naked in a bathtub, two episodes in a ro-

Wait a minute.

Two back-to-back episodes featuring drawn out bath scenes that go on for 2-3 minutes each. That's a lot of time to dedicate to fanservice when you only have 8 episodes to get your point across. Unless, of course… No. They wouldn't. Or would they?

I re-watched these scenes more times than I care to admit. For science. They’re interesting for numerous of reasons (Henry Cavills’ pecs being only two of them). But you know what’s even more interesting? Some sexy, sexy cinematic and narrative parallels and contrasts.

(Obligatory linebreak for your protection. You thought I went overboard analysing Her Sweet Kiss? This is worse. If you’re on mobile – I apologise. Now’s the time to scroll fast. It’ll take longer than you’re expecting, trust me. I’m sorry.)

Bath in “Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials” Bath in “Bottled Appetites” Please excuse the terrible of the second clip. It’s the only one I could find that had the whole scene in it.

First things first,

the setting

The scene in “Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials” takes place in an inn. The room is dark. Throughout the scene you can hear chatter from the bar. Candles are the only visible light source, although, at the beginning of the scene you can see more light coming in through what’s presumably a window outside the shot. Due to the lighting, the majority of the room has a noticeably blue tint, except for the cabinets on each side of the room where most of the candles are placed. Apart from the cabinets, the bathtub Geralt is sitting in is the only area that’s properly illuminated.

The room itself seems big enough, although we only get to see the bathing area which is separated from the rest of the room by blue curtains, but due the way the scene is shot – frequent close ups of the actors, wider shots frequently partially blocked by the curtains – it appears smaller than it actually is. Geralt stands out against the background due to his skin appearing orange in the candle light; in wider shots he usually appears centred.

In contrast, Jaskier moves from one side of the room to the other a lot and doesn’t remain in either light source for long. Unlike Geralt’s skin, the colour of his clothes matches the background. This is somewhat unusual because in many of his scenes Jaskier and his colourful outfits tend to stick out like a sore thumb – the red outfit in “Rare Species” probably the most visually distracting out of the bunch – but in this scene, the exact opposite happens. Whenever Jaskier’s not the focus of the shot he frequently fades into the background or even gets obstructed by the curtains.

(While I’d love to add visual references for every single point I touch upon, honestly, the amount of editing that’d require is astronomical. Jokes on me though, because it already is. Watching the scenes should give you a better idea of what I’m talking about, though. Also, full disclosure, screenshots and gifs had their brightness an colours altered slightly for better visibility.)

Now, on the other hand, we have the room inside the mayor’s house, which – while also dimly lit by candlelight – appears open and spacious. Due to the candles, the room appears tinged only in colours on the orange/yellow spectrum. No curtains to obstruct parts of the shot, and unlike the inn, this room has got visible windows one of which sits behind Geralt. That window in particular lets in a stream of blue light that, in wider shots, often appears to frame either Geralt alone or both, Geralt and Yennefer. However, the blue light remains behind the characters, neither Geralt nor Yennefer are ever directly illuminated by it.

Why is she going on and on about the lighting you might ask? It’s because there’s basically a whole science to colour theory, colour grading, and the ways they’re used in visual media. It’s one of the reasons why, for example, Guillermo del Toro movies are always such goddamn feasts for the eyes. TV Tropes also has a page dedicated to it, if you wanna get a rough idea of what’s going on here.

Both bath scenes in the Witcher (2019) are gorgeous examples of colour grading and set design. You can tell that a whole lot of thought went into it. “Bottled Appetites” even takes it a step further, carrying the orange/blue colour scheme over into the next scene and directly contrasting the bed frame that’s bathed in amber light with the blue windows it’s framed by.

Fun fact, while colour grading can be used to give colours that certain “pop”, you can also achieve the exact opposite effect. See how washed out and grey Jaskier and his blue clothes appear on the orange bedding in this shot? It becomes even more apparent later on in the scene.

He might as well be one of the pillows for the way his clothes make your eyes just kinda slip over him. Honestly, I wanna marry whoever was in charge of doing colour correction on the Witcher. That person is a fucking artist. I’ll get back to the matter of colours and backgrounds in a minute. For now, let’s talk about

body positioning

Or in other words, yet another reason I’d sell my immortal soul to directors Alex Garcia Lopez and Charlotte Brändström.

One thing the scenes have in common (apart from the copious amounts of eye candy) is that Geralt remains mostly stationary at the centre throughout the scene. Jaskier moves around a lot. He dries his hands behind Geralt, moves in front of him to fiddle with the bath salts, sits down next to Geralt, sets Geralt’s mug down on the cabinet behind him and only stops his continuous back and forth motion when the conversation takes a turn for the serious and he settles down in front of Geralt.

Yennefer, on the other hand, starts off at Geralt’s right hand side, slightly to the back of him. She briefly lies down, stands up, and moves to Geralt’s left while taking off her gown. Same as the other scene, Yennefer settles down as the conversation is about to grow more serious. However, unlike Jaskier, Yennefer is far less restless, once she’s moved to Geralt’s left she settled down and doesn’t get up again.

What’s really interesting about this scene is that throughout the entirety of their interaction, Yennefer and Geralt never look at each other at the same time. They both alternate between staring off into the distance with varying degrees of wistfulness and/or melancholia and turning to look at the other. But their eyes never quite meet, not even when Geralt turns around in surprise after Yennefer says she won’t be taking any payment. The conversation ends with Geralt abruptly getting up and out of the tub and Yennefer turning around to watch him leave (dry up? get dressed? who knows what he’s getting up to in that moment). Notably, when the shot focuses on Yennefer alone in the tub, a significant portion of the room that previously appeared mostly orange suddenly is tinted almost all blue.

However, where eye contact is conspicuously absent in the scene in “Bottled Appetites”, it’s a vital component of the scene in “Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials”. Eye contact is a significant part of Geralt and Jaskiers communication. Mainly because Geralt spends a significant amount time sending glares Jaskier’s way with Jaskier paying him varying amounts of mind, even poking fun at his “scary face” when the opportunity presents itself. Jaskier is all over the place in every sense of the word. His attention is divided between Geralt, the bath, the banquet, etc. before it eventually turns back to Geralt and the whole cycle begins anew. The shift in conversation, from the banquet to Geralt, coincides with a shift in Jaskier’s behaviour. He stops moving around the room and his attention settles on Geralt. He then kneels down and holds Geralt’s gaze until Geralt abruptly switches the subject.

Look at the screencaps above. See how, even in a screencap, the lighting is capable of creating an entire visual narrative all by itself? Yennefer and Geralt are sitting in the water together with their backs to each other in a room full of orange light but their immediate surroundings are tinted blue. Jaskier and Geralt are facing each other directly but despite the orange light surrounding him Jaskier appears shadowed as he kneels in front of the tub while Geralt who is sitting inside the tub glows orange against a blue background.

There’s a metaphor hiding somewhere in that juxtaposition but I can’t quite put my finger on it yet.

edit 12/01/20: I actually got a submission from odense who elaborated on the blocking of the scenes from a theatrical perspective. Go read it for even more meta on the bath scenes.

Anyway, moving on. Next on my list is

the matter of service

What, no more Film Studies for Fandom 101, I hear you ask? Well. Originally, I wanted this part to be about the conversation as a whole but that would’ve gone on for too long (ha! too long, she says like that means anything) so I divided it.

Both scenes deal with the performance of service in one way or another. Jaskier is trying to convince Geralt to act as his bodyguard for a night, while Geralt asked Yennefer to break the djinn’s curse and they’re still settling the matter of payment.

In a way, you could look at both scenes as very, very unusual forms of negotiation. Jaskier may spend a lot of time talking about himself but his actions are almost all focused on Geralt. He douses him with water, “rubbed chamomile onto his lovely bottom” at some point (decide for yourself what you wanna make of that statement), prepares the bath salts for Geralt’s bath, and – also at some point – arranged for Geralt’s clothes to be washed. All throughout the scene, he’s performing a variety of services. He’s taking care of Geralt, whether Geralt likes it or not, and does so like it’s the most natural thing in the world, to the point where it just kinda comes across like more of Jaskier’s usual antics and theatrics.

Geralt may claim he needs no one and doesn’t want anyone needing him but there is some form of reciprocity in their relationship – big things like the shared adventures and the ballads about which made both of them famous in their own right, but then there are the little things like drawing your friend a bath, or watching his back at a banquet so he doesn’t get stabbed by a jealous husband, which Geralt eventually agrees to do despite all of his grumbling and glaring protests.

Which is one of the reasons “And yet... here we are.” is such a brilliant line. Just from this context, you could read it in a number of ways. Jaskier could be calling Geralt out on his bullshit like, e.g. “You might not like it, but yeah, you do need me and I need you.” or he could be asking him to make a decision, e.g. “I know you don’t like it but I really do need your help. What will you do?” or it could be an affirmation, e.g. “I know you didn’t want it but somehow we still ended up here.” etc., etc. And you might have guessed, there’s still more to come regarding this line. Later.

So while Jaskier’s scene is about getting Geralt to perform a service, Yennefer’s scene is about figuring out the cost of the service Geralt asked of her in the previous scenes. Where the first bath scene was about persuasion, this one is about payment. The initial negotiation has already happened, the service been rendered, what’s left to do is figure out the price. And Geralt already offered to pay whatever the price.

Since Geralt seems intent on honouring his promise, that creates a bit of a power imbalance between Yennefer and Geralt at the start of the scene because Yennefer could ask for whatever she wanted, Geralt even brings up that he’s worried about “having agreed to indentured servitude”. (That being said, he does not seem too bothered by current the situation or Yennefer’s company. Quite the opposite, he actually seems quite comfortable talking to her.)

Aside from the payment they haven’t agreed on yet, Geralt’s also got a second promise to make good on since he initially offered Yennefer to “indulge her curiosities” (take that however you will). It’s quite apparent that Geralt is a lot more forthcoming with his thoughts and emotions (actually, his words in general) with Yennefer than he is with Jaskier. In Yennefer’s scene, she and Geralt talk about equal amounts whereas in the other scene Jaskier mostly carries the conversation by himself while Geralt reacts.

However, Jaskier also reaches out where Yennefer keeps to herself. She occasionally teasingly bumps her back against Geralt’s as she’s washing herself but other than that she makes an effort to keep out of sight, even magically turning away a mirror to hide herself, whereas Jaskier touches, quite literally gets all up in Geralt’s “scary face” and just generally repeatedly puts himself in Geralt’s line of sight going so far as to kneel down until they’re at eye level.

Despite the matter of coin coming up repeatedly (mostly in the form of harmless teasing about brothels and prostitution, but also on a more serious way when Geralt accuses her of making a profit off the townspeople), Yennefer eventually decides not to ask Geralt for anything in return for saving Jaskier’s life, determining his “company and conversation payment enough”.

Interestingly, in the scene preceding the bath in “Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials” Jaskier also broaches the topic of coin as he’s setting up to ask Geralt for help. In a sense, Jaskier initially attempts to use that thing about reciprocity I brought up earlier to convince Geralt to do him a favour. He lectures Geralt on his role in making him famous and that he should be making money off their arrangement in an attempt to make the favour he’s about to ask off Geralt seem irrelevant in comparison, like “Look at everything I’ve done for you. Please do this tiny little thing for me.” Obviously, that approach doesn’t work. The (un)holy trinity of “food, women and wine, Geralt”, on the other hand, seems to do the trick. Or maybe it’s the bath and a heart-to-heart. Kind of like Geralt’s company and conversation were payment enough for Yennefer?

While we’re still on the matter of conversation, let’s talk about one of the components that make up part of the emotional core of the scenes. Let’s talk about

the matter of past and future

Geralt has lived a long, long life and its history is written on his body in a web of scars. What struck me is how differently the bath scenes deal with those scars.

With Yennefer, the scars are on full display. She notices and scrutinises them as someone seeing Geralt naked for the first time can be expected to. The scars on his shoulders and back are placed front and centre of the shot several times.

In contrast, with Jaskier, you, as a viewer, barely notice the scars. Most of the time they’re simply not visible to the camera. They’re never in the foreground of the shot and you never even get to see Geralt’s back. The scar on Geralt’s shoulder that Yennefer noticed could easily be mistaken for remnants of dead selkiemore. There’s only one moment that draws attention to the scarred shoulder and that’s when Jaskier pats it as he’s getting up to put away Geralt’s mug of ale.

Again, I feel like there’s a metaphor hiding somewhere in there but what do I know?

Back to the point. While Geralt and Yennefer are talking in the bathtub it immediately becomes obvious that they have a connection. They’ve both had unhappy childhoods, lived long lives and as Yennefer points out Geralt was “created by magic. Our magic.” They have an understanding that quickly let’s you forget that they’re virtual strangers at this point in the Witcher canon.

In the other scene, Jaskier and Geralt have known each other for quite a while already, yet the conversation seems to be restricted to superficial topics at first, mainly Jaskier’s prowess as bard and lover. However, Jaskier unwittingly steers the conversation in a more serious direction when he asks Geralt about retirement, what he wants to do when “all this... monster hunting nonsense” is over and done with.

So far, there’s a pattern in the show that when Jaskier talks to Geralt about serious matters, he starts making plans for the future. After the incident with the elves in Posada he promises to work hard to change Geralt’s reputation. In the infamous scene in “Rare Species” he’s trying to figure out what to do with his own future and offers Geralt to go to the coast with him. Here, in this scene, he’s trying to work out what Geralt wants from his future. Even if Geralt claims to want nothing.

At that point, Jaskier’s already made good on his promise to change the public tune about Geralt. The people in the beginning of the episode are talking about the White Wolf, not the Butcher of Blaviken, which makes for such an interesting parallel when paired with Yennefer’s comment about “Our magic”.

Yennefer’s magic created the Witcher; Jaskier’s song created the White Wolf.

Which, in all frankness, would be a good point to end this post but what’s the point of doing anything if you’re not gonna overdo it? I said the matter of past and future makes up part of the emotional core of the bath scenes. So there must be other parts of that supposed emotional core, right? Of course, there’s still

the matter of want and need

While discussing Geralt’s lack of retirement plan, Jaskier and Geralt keep tossing the word “want” back and forth. Jaskier tries to find out what Geralt wants; Geralt rebuffs him, he wants nothing; Jaskier turns it around on him by saying, well, maybe someone will want you. You could, of course, read that as your run-of-the-mill “just wait, the right person will come along (and that person might just so happen to be me – if you’re wearing shipping goggles)” shtick but the thing is, that’s the kind of reply you usually offer someone who’s bemoaning the fact that they’re single, the exact opposite of what Geralt is doing, and Jaskier strikes me as someone who’s emotionally intelligent enough to know that wouldn’t work on Geralt. I think Jaskier might be very literal when he’s saying “Maybe someone out there will want you.” As in, “even if you want nothing, maybe someone who wants you will come along (and that person might just so happen to be me – again, if you’re wearing shipping goggle).” But Geralt changes strategies and rebuffs him again, he needs no one. And the last thing he wants is someone needing him.

What’s interesting about this bit is the body language. I mentioned Jaskier and Geralt communicating a lot via eye contact. And Geralt is looking at Jaskier quite intently right up until Jaskier kneels down in front of him as he’s saying “Maybe someone out there will want you.” The camera cuts to Geralt and he’s looking off to the side while he says “I want no one.” Then, a pronounced pause follows before he turns to look Jaskier directly in the eye as he finishes, “And the last thing I want is someone needing me.” (I really want to say that this looks so much like he’s warning Jaskier to reconsider whatever he’s building up to say. But alas, that’s just fantasy.) The camera cuts away again and we see that Jaskier’s now looking down behind his clasped hands before looking up and answering “And yet... here we are.” Geralt acknowledges his answer with one of his famed “Hm”s. Then, he immediately changes the subject to the whereabouts of his clothes which Jaskier sent away to be washed.

In the other scene, Geralt and Yennefer breach the topic of “want” and “need” while talking about coin. Geralt claims she’s profiting off the political situation, whereas Yennefer claims she’s working in the interest of the people, “filling a need. Ever heard of it?” Which, yes, Geralt has, literally one episode ago, and he pulls a face that’s simply beyond words. (btw, kudos to Henry Cavill for cramming like five different emotions into one expression.)

Geralt and Jaskier had an entire conversation about how Geralt wants nothing and needs nobody. Jaskier even references that conversation when he yells at Geralt while they’re arguing over the djinn. “You always say you want nothing from life, so how was I supposed to know you wanted three wishes all to yourself!” he screams.

(Also, upon rewatching that scene, I literally just realised that Jaskier was drinking at the beginning of the scene. Combine that with the fact that he repeatedly brings up the Countess de Stael, and flat out states he’s currently heartbroken, and yeah, that explains a lot about his comparatively sour mood and short temper; also, why his speech comes across as much more chaotic than usual. Seriously, compare it to the way he speaks to Geralt after he’s gutted the selkiemore. He talks a lot in both – ok, Jaskier always does – but in the selkiemore scene, or basically any scene that isn’t the djinn scene, his diction is eloquent, artistic, florid; in the djinn scene, it’s all over the place, repetitive, and often bordering on the nonsensical. Frankly, you could probably make a whole post about that scene by itself. I’ll get back to that some other day.)

(Also, am I implying that Jaskier seems bitter over the fact that Geralt apparently keeps telling him he wants nothin from life? ...Yesn’t. Hard to pretend I’m not wearing shipping goggles when I’m literally almost 4000 words deep into a meta post. But remember, nothing but speculation!)

Anyway, and now there’s Yennefer broaching the subject, asking him if he’s ever heard of “filling a need”.

The conversation carries on until Geralt is blindsided by Yennefer telling him that his company and conversation are payment enough. He whirls around but Yennefer isn’t looking at him so he hurriedly gets out of the bath. In the next scene, he emerges with a new set of clothes he doesn’t like, which his companion from the previous scene procured for him. Now why does that feel familiar?

In conclusion...

honestly, I don’t even know where I was going with this originally. This started off as a joke but then things inevitably escalated and now I’m really tired and I wanna go to sleep. (Also, the whole djinn thing is giving me feels now which kinda puts a dampener on the humour in the episode. Jaskier’d already been having a bad day and things just. Keep. Getting. Worse. Ugh, my heart.) But I feel like this post needs a proper conclusion.

I feel like, in the context of these scenes Jaskier and Yennefer could be seen as foils to each other? They’re two of the few people Geralt lets close, very close, actually, since getting naked in front of someone is frequently equated with showing vulnerability to someone. In a lot of ways, Jaskier and Yennefer’s roles work in ways that are the exact opposite of that of the other. Jaskier tries to be seen where Yennefer wants to remain hidden, yet Jaskier gets obscured by the environment while Yennefer is exposed. Jaskier is asking Geralt for a favour, Yennefer did Geralt a favour; Jaskier insists on taking care of Geralt where Yennefer gives him space. Yennefer sees Geralt’s past, Jaskier his future. Jaskier touches the scar but doesn’t look, Yennefer looks but doesn’t touch. But both find a way to scratch at the emotional walls that Geralt’s put up and both times Geralt reacts by immediately trying to escape the situation. Both times, he ends up wearing clothes he doesn’t like in the following scene.

Speaking about nudity and emotional vulnerability, maybe that’s kind of part of the conclusion as well? Sorta? Especially, since Geralt seems to start looking for his clothes or for a way out of the tub the moment someone gets too close. Furthermore, afterwards, he never seems comfortable in the clothes he’s been given, which you could read as a metaphor of sorts, I guess? Like something inside Geralt getting knocked loose in the conversation with his companion and Geralt consequently having to arrange himself with an uncomfortable truth in the aftermath? Does that make sense? Have we finally reached the point where I’m getting too cerebral? Or did we sail past that point like 4000 words ago? God, my brain hurts.

#the witcher #the witcher netflix #geralt of rivia #yennefer of vengerberg #jaskier #geralt x jaskier #geraskier #geralt x yennefer #gerlion #fantastically foolish literary analysis #this might take the crown as dumbest idea i ever saw through #i have written college essays shorter than this #how do people 'enjoy' things casually?#i mean #if you haven't written at least half a thesis' worth of meta about a show #can you honestly say you've watched it?#somebody commented 'op your galaxy brain' on that post about Her Sweet Kiss #i've been trying to see how much further i can push it ever since #this is it #this is as far as my brain'll take me #now it's fried #just waiting to see how long it'll take for someone to go #'welp'#'looks like she's finally gone off her rocker'#'nothing we can do now'#god i miss livejournal #tumblr really isn't cut out for posts of this length #this might be the longest post i've ever written #i just realised that the fact that i can honestly say 'might be' is kind of concerning

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