#as a treat :) hear me ramble about my life as i draw lol

[spoopy-sloth]

Planning on streaming later. Just to finish his edling comic

[puppytoast]

i love your fox girls please tell me about your fox girls

I have found some time to let me ramble into this box for an hour LETS GO...

First of all thank you I also love my fox girls. I also assume you are probably the same person sending me misc asks about foxgirls regularly which I keep them because I like them so don't be discouraged that I don't answer them all the time lol

I can go on for a long time so I'll just keep things about Tetra today...

This is Tetra.

This is also Tetra.

They are the same character but I have implemented her into two universes. She was originally made for my GURPS (ttrpg) game and then I adapted her into my own headworld setting; Vanus. She is very slightly different between the two settings, but overall it is the same character and the way I draw her just determines the setting i'm drawing for at the moment. I tend to talk about both of these versions of her randomly but for the sake of things being entirely my own writing and not things from the TTRPG I play her in.

I'll be mostly talking about Vanus Tetra today. (So the one on the right)

Tetra is a sarcastic socially awkward alchemist who likes to test new reagents and concoctions by putting them in her mouth and immediately getting sick. She is a laid back, mostly carefree weirdo. She is very interested in making medicines for people, however she also has a blatant fascination with poisons to the point where her continued taste testing has given her a poison resistance. Her ears are floppy because she has overly sensitive hearing. She likes harmless pranks. She is so aroace she does not understand innuendos nor any kind of flirting to the point of confusion. The list goes on.

Tetra was born to a ~rather important~ sorceress and her bodyguard. What exactly the important thing they are doing remains unknown, but for REASONS they had to leave her in the care of her mother's old friend/other bodyguard, Terasu, when she was PRETTY young Probably around 8-10 or so.

Terasu basically raised her for a few years, lending a lot to Tetra's snarky and mischievous personality and the way she presents herself. However Terasu was chronically ill and was very good at hiding it. When her illness suddenly took a turn for the worse she sought the help of an old dragon alchemist that lived in the depths of a dark fungal jungle. He did his best to help, however Terasu ended up succumbing to her illness, leaving a still very young Tetra with this rather eccentric dragon they had both dubbed "Grampa" when she was about 12.

Grampa took her in and taught her alchemy due to her unyielding persistence in wanting him to teach her. She fixated on the craft, believing that if she had known sooner she could have done anything to prevent her caretaker's death, and wanted to do all she could to help others in the future.

She took to the craft incredibly quickly and her skill grew just as fast. She easily adjusted to her life in the fungal woods and grew very attached to Grampa, treating him like a father figure. Before either of them knew it, she had been there studying alchemy for a good 15 years... However Grampa when she started living there was already very old, even for being an older-lived species, and when he passed, it basically broke her. First her parents vanished, then her caretaker died from illness, now she had lost Grampa too. She had already developed a separation anxiety at this point and this amplified it to the point where, despite burying him herself, she was still regularly talking to Grampa, acting like none of it had happened, like he was still there.

Due to her psychosis, "Grampa's" guidance caused her to set off from home truly for the first time. To gather new reagents for alchemy, to hone the skill more and to potentially meet new people. Maybe figure out what the hell happened to her parents, because she is definitely mad about that. She is an odd animal trying to learn how to process grief and discover a found family. She is sad but she stays silly to the point where it's not something you would notice unless you spent a lot of time with her since she is too busy generally being a weird goofball to let others in the know of her own problems.

[yumedoca]

Are your opinions on UY characters that dont get the spotlight often, like nurse sakura, cherry, kotasu cat, benten or oyuki, ifntheres one i missed pls tell me i love hearing your analysis

Hai there, hope you're doing great!!

Sorry this is a bit late, I had some events to attend the past few days..! And thanks!! It makes me happy to hear that you like my rambling :)

As for my thoughts on the other characters, I love most of them actually!! I love love love Sakura!!! I especially love how well her character is structured: through design, through her backstory, through daily life and relations and even how well her name suits her lmao. I really like how she has a background where she was really sick as a child (till we meet her), and how her being a miko, nurse and counsellor (she has three fucking jobs and I love it) has her help others since she knows how it's like to have problems (physically or psychologically). Sakura counselling might be my favorite bit though, just seeing how she helps guide mostly the students is really nice and I wish it was appreciated more. And don't get me started on how she is the perfect straight man to the craziness of the others. She was part of the craziness at first (from her intro to her earliest nurse days, Ataru straight manned instead), but it seemed like RT thought Sakura straight manning was much better while Ataru was cemented as the funny man in their dynamic and it suits them so well. The sane Sakura having to deal with everyone's BS (esp Ataru's) is my favourite thing lol. I also really like her relationship with Tsubame, him being the dumb to her smarts.(The remake plays down Tsubame's idiocy btw and it disappoints me so so much) They're that one couple we all ship without knowing it lmao. The chapters which focus on them are really nice, esp that one with the ghost girl who interfered with them and Sakura got super jealous lmao, it we interesting side to see from her and it was really fun :)

Oh shit, I rambled so much about Sakura, I forgor this ask wasn't just about her, I'm so sorry lmao, she is in my top three UY gals for a reason XD

I think up next in UY blorboism to me (who aren't main characters) would be Asuka. Idk, I just love her, she is so cute and so silly. I think what put her in the blorbo category specifically were these panels: one where Asuka made her own armor from a military tank or something idk and she looked so cute while wearing it!!!! And the second is from the arc where Asuka goes to school and she wears a pair of broken glasses in the final panel of the arc which looks super funny and silly XD

Asides from that, I love her voices, both of them!! They sound so soft and sweet!! And her shtick is very entertaining and chaotic, I love all her chapters!!

I think up next in terms underrated characters I love would be Benten and Oyuki. They both have personalities which bounce off well on other characters and especially each other. They're like my #1 Yuri ship in the series, but even in a platonic sense, they're dynamic is really good!! I need to draw them more, lol.

That's it for characters who I feel are widely underrated.. this post would be even longer if I talk about everyone in detail so I'll just speedrun my thoughts on the ones you mentioned plus a few others...

Ran and Ryu are two characters who I feel are really popular which is why I didn't mention them above. Ran's bipolar nature is so good and funny while her growing understanding and reconciling with Lum slowly is really sweet. Ryu is one of those characters who I wish was treated better because I feel like she deserves everything she wanted but her stupid father comes in the way. Ryunosuke's character is one of those things I wished was done better. Give her all the sailor suits, bras, swimsuits, skirts, etc. she wants!!

Cherry is really funny, like in a way he's basically Ryunosuke's dad but done so much better. The amount of moments where I've wheezed laughing cause of him is way too many too count. I like Kotatsu neko, he's cute and it's funny how he's one of the strongest characters!! Ryoko is another one I like because of how insane she is lmao and Inaba is so so sweet!! Meanwhile, Rei is hilarious and his cow form is so silly XD

I also really like Rupa and Carla too, Idk, the way they're supposed to mirror AtaLum and their crazy dynamic captivates me.

And I guess I'll stop here! There are others, but this is already super long so I'll end it here!!

[kvetcher2]

i really appreciate your post about how people feel about their loved ones getting cosmetic surgery. These "this is so self centered"-replies honestly kinda shocked me. We are allowed to have emotions about the suffering of other people AND also EXPRESS these emotions, what the hell. I hate this policing of what thoughts and feelings you get and don't get to voice. If someone i love gets her features surgically altered i feel upset bc a) i love her and feel horrible about her apparently hating herself/her features so much that she's willing to take such a risk & spend so much money to change them b) i do wonder, if she hated this part of her face or body so much, and mine looks similar, does she also find me ugly? and c) i loved her face. it is a familiar, trusted face, to which i connect feelings and memories and that i would always recognize for the rest of my life, that i looked at for hours, that i maybe even grew up with and saw grow from a child to a unique woman's face. I get to be emotional about this??? lmao

Haven't we long acknowledged that our personal actions often have an impact on women as a whole? Similarly, but kinda the other way around, I continue to draw motivation to never pick up shaving again, despite being very insecure about my body hair, from there being the chance that another woman or girl will see my hairy ass legs (lol) and finally have a representation of a woman who actually leaves her natural bodies as it is. I draw inspiration from the fact that my personal choices can affect other peoples feelings, that i do carry a certain responsibilty. We are all humans, we have emotions and we also hold some power over other people's emotions! Also women who choose to go under the knife and literally risk their lives for an unnecessary procedure are not too fragile to hear the impact their actions have on their loved ones! There is a difference between guilt tripping or emotional blackmailing and letting your loved ones know how their struggles might also affect you! 10-ish years ago my back then friend asked me whether i was still self harming (i had stopped a couple months before that) and when i said no, she said that she was so glad to hear that, bc it broke her heart so much when she learned i did that and she would hate if i still did. And that just gave me a completely new perspective that i had never thought about before. I hope this ramble made any kind of sense to you, english isn't my first language but i really wanted to tell you that YOUR POST IS GOOD! <3

It is ok to talk about our feelings on fucking tumblr, also not every post needs a disclaimer like "this is a highly nuanced topic with a gazillion different viewpoints" blablabla omg some ppl need to chill for once. have a nice day <3

thank you <3 really did not expect the original post to take off or I would have added a bit more nuance but seriously I do think some people on here just want to add their pithy one liners and then get angry and embarrassed when we treat that as an invitation to have an actual dialogue. aaand on the other hand a lot of people seem to think that adding comments to it re-stating exactly what I already wrote is somehow necessary. but hey just another day on tumblr.edu

[welldwller]

Hello AAAA I saw your ruikasa tma au and if you don't mind can you share a little bit about them?? Are they connected to The Stranger and The Corruption? :0 I Need To Know More (only if you don't mind ofc),,, I love when silly little guys turn into unimaginable horrors and feed on fears or something

OMG!!! I am so happy someone asked this because it has been in my brain for months now! Okay so yeah, as one does I was trying to sort project sekai characters into the fears when it occurred to me that out of all of them, it would make the most sense if tsukasa was corruption(fear of bugs, need to be loved by all, being subjected to lots of sickness as a child even if it wasn't him who was sick, I'm sure that still left a pretty great impression on him) and then a second thing hit me which was: I'd feel so guilty making him corruption lol. So this led me to another train of thought, How can I make the corruption a little less upsetting? And then I remembered that I think about my interests 24/7 and I had already drafted a drawing of a butterfly corruption avatar so I figured I might as well use that idea there. I figured his descent would be sort of similar to jane prentice where he sort of hears the song coming except it's coming from his window and I also think the butterfly thing works here since they're a lot more palatable than other bugs. They promise give him love forever and make his dreams come true and slowly overtime he gives in. I haven't worked out all the details but I know the climax of his transformation would be at the end of a performance, he goes to bow and then sort of turns into a massive cloud of butterflies that fly away and everyone watching is really impressed by the "special effects" but the rest of wxs is horrified.

Okay so next my brain went to rui because my brain always goes to Rui. For Rui, I imagine that he already had been compelled by the stranger before. In tma, why exactly people get taken by the stranger is very vague but I do know the stranger is about otherness, something a little bit off from human. I don't really have confirmation of this in canon but considering how he was treated by his peers most of his life, specifically being excluded and called things like weird and creepy, I'd imagine that would make him feel like an other and the big thing is his machines which he literally makes to take the roll of humans at points are also very stranger. He kind of reminds me of the first account of the unknowing too. I imagine witnessing the whole incident with tsukasa might make him remember a previous account with the stranger and reignite that fear as well as tsukasa, the person who pretty much directly pulled him out of his whole "loner with only machines to support him" thing, suddenly disappearing (because I wouldn't want to kill him off :( ) would probably also contribute. I also haven't thought out all of the details for him but his design is sort of based on old wind up robot toys.

Some other vague things about the au are:

- Ena is the archivist and mizuki sort of takes the roll of martin

- Mafuyu and Kanade both are affiliated with the web

- Nene and Emu aren't associated with fears despite being very involved in my in brain idea of this au

- I think Shizuku would take the roll of the distortion but mainly because I think its funny

Ok I'm sure theres a lot more but this is definitely way to long already so ty sm for giving me the chance to ramble about this!!!!! And sorry this was a lot

[spiteless-xo]

OKAY THIS IS EXTREMELY CORNY BUT i have a problem with connecting songs to relationships in novels and fics and anything ever and this just popped into my head:

TOLERATE IT by taylor swift is exactly what i think about jean and readers situationship

the lyrics, "my love should be celebrated, but you tolerate it" AND "i made you my temple, my mural my sky, now im begging for footnotes in the story of your life" absolutely crush me, because WHY ISNT JEAN SHOWING HER THE LOVE SHE DESERVES??KFLNE

despite being left out of her lover’s story, she is drawing hearts around their name, which further indicates the one-sidedness of their relationship

i sound just like eren oml

the song is about wanting to be cherished for everything you do for someone and only being tolerated (saying this bc jean didn't want to tell anyone about what happened between them, he wanted to keep it a secret WHICH RLLY PISSED ME OFF)

oh my jesus im rambling i am drunk rn i am so sorry. i am literally taking of your tumblr inbox I AM SO SORRY LMAO

omg no nicole i love this 💗💗💗 plz don't apologize i love hearing your thoughts

you always have such perfect song recommendations!! like before w the phoebe bridgers song and now with this one 😭

you could almost flip this to relate to eren/reader's relationship and how reader treats eren??? 👀

you're american right? happy 4th of july 🥳 (im assuming that's why you're lit up rn lol if not then happy tbaw tues 🍻)

[doubleddenden]

I beat pretty much 90% of Legends Arceus, the only thing left is to find like 10 Pokémon I missed and fill out some dex entries.

I'm gonna kinda review, but it mostly turned into me rambling. I loved my time though. Read on if you want.

Man, what a ride. I went in with high hopes that were mostly met. Legitimately, this is one of the best Pokémon games of all time.

The story actually has HEART put into it and has a lot of fun twists, the gameplay is familiar but new and refreshing, and best of all there's a CHALLENGE. I absolutely love how amplified the life or death scenarios are in this game and just how dark it can get.

Now my initial criticism of graphics still stand, and I figured out what the biggest issue is: draw distance. A lot of textures for very noticeable things like mountains and rivers just do not load until you get close enough, and from afar it looks unfinished. I'm glad they absolutely nailed everything else, because it seems like they rushed on polishing and couldn't quite get it done. If they could just make the environment fully loaded in or have a much bigger draw distance, I feel like it would be a lot less of an issue.

But that said, there are moments where it's absolutely amazing and outshines anything Game Freak has ever put out, especially towards the end. I had legitimate goosebumps in the last fight with a certain character because of the way they handled it.

Music also got a lot better, especially remixes of iconic pieces like Eterna Forest/Heartwood, or battle themes for certain characters. Idk why but at first I thought I was hearing 3ds Sound Fonts, but as the game progresses it sounds more and more professional and orchestrated in some areas.

Overall I'm really happy. This feels like a Pokémon game that was made BY fans for fans, versus how soulless most of the Switch games feel. Honestly I was starting to believe that I had just out grown the series after the rest of the Switch games sucked so, SO much. Turns out those games were just bad and I just needed a fun game lol. I thought maybe the games were always childish and I hadn't noticed, but no, actually this game made me remember just how dark and complex the series can get, and just how dumbed down and insulting Masuda and Ohmori's works have been so far on Switch. In fact, Iwao, same guy that did USUM, directed this, and I realize now a lot of the best games in the franchise were directed by... well, not them, with the exception of BW.

In fact, I think I have a newfound excitement and love for the series. It's so weird because for a game that doesn't treat its audience like a child, I feel like a kid again in the best way possible. So much lore and myths are uncovered or expanded upon- stuff my friends and I used to theorize about as kids. The dangers we thought about are talked about in an honest manner without being grotesque or too edgy, but at the same time its a realistic thing to think about when the wild teams with lions that can fry you alive with lightning to eat you or gigantic bugs with scythes for arms. Ironically, this game is pretty damn edgy in ways the series desperately needed to get away from hand holding and the largely annoying sunshine and rainbows.

And I'm just sitting here in bed wondering what comes next. Obviously I still have stuff in game to do, I meant for the series. Because honestly, I don't think I can go back to hallway routes, babying their audience every 5 steps, and boring cookie cutter Gym challenge plots.

And see here's the thing: I acknowledge a lot of my hatred for SwSh and LGPE is due to the dex cuts, and with base SwSh in particular its because they said they cut half the dex so they could focus on models and animations- and failed for the most part, at best delivering an unfinished 3ds port and making a shit plot too. I hated BDSP because it kept the dumb ass dex cuts, felt soulless, did nothing new for the series, and it felt like a slap in the face to gen 4 fans everywhere with the chibi bull shit, let alone how Affection ruined the challenge that was initially there in one of the toughest games originally made. Both also are guilty of babying and hand holding, and both failed to deliver on the supposed benefits they claimed would come from the corners they cut.

So why is LA so good?

Freedom, open spaces, actual attempts to improve graphics, models, animations, and an actual honest to god attempt to improve and EVOLVE out dated and boring gameplay beyond a one gen gimmick or things the fans never asked for or needed. An actual plot that doesn't rely so heavily on copying past games' homework (with respect that it works with Sinnoh's lore as a base), actual challenge that respects the player as a fully functional player instead of a baby distracted by iPhones, and overall it actually just tries and risks new things and bends conventional rules of the series- and it pays off so much.

Also, unlike SwSh, most of the new designs kinda rock, especially the starters' new forms. That definitely helps.

So now I'm just wondering about the future of this franchise I've been playing for close to 23 years. I'm kinda hoping they take a break from new gens to bring some more Legends type stuff, that way when gen 9 finally comes, it'll be nice and ready, not rushed, have a nice thicc and meaty pokedex of new and great designs, and polished- hopefully more than this game is. And meanwhile, they can expand on lore that's just BEGGING to be expanded on.

Like we could use Legends to figure out what the hell the Original Unovan dragon looks like, or the war that Kalos fought so long ago, or wtf went down in Kanto that made Mewtwo and all of those science experiment Pokémon go wild

But I'm getting ahead of myself. This has turned from a review to a bunch of babbling nonsense on my end.

Please, if my vouch has any influence on whether or not you get the game, get it, play it, have fun. Try not to pirate if you can- we as fans absolutely need this game to do the best it can so GF gets the message.

I promise you it is such a fun time.

So final score? 8/10. It just needs a little more visual polish.

[alexandrite-dragoness]

Small Rant Post / What I've Been Up To...

To who it may concern—

I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for enjoying my content as of lately :)

No this isn't a goodbye lol, far from it

But you see I've been in the slumps lately. I haven't been too motivated to do much progress, even I feel like my drawing have been slacking since the whole break up with my friend.

Losing ppl is hard, and I now understand that.

But sometimes I gotta let those know that, hey, it's not working out. I'm sorry. But to only have that person turn the other cheek like "I expected as much" really put a strain of emotion within me that I can't seem to get rid of for quite sometime now.

But all the same I was more than glad to say something. I was being tired of being treated like I'm not doing good enough for them, like whatever I do that pissed them off ruins the whole day for the both of us, and only for my small mistake to bite me in the ass two weeks later. And for them to have another friend to talk to like I was just replaced for them only hurts more.

But I digress— while I may had some moments where it feels like I don't matter to those anymore, I knew I gotta do my own thing. I got three ppl who talk to me in each social media– Twitter, here on Tumblr, and Amino. And they all have a similar aspect: They all talk about themselves and sometimes themselves only.

But I never got the guts to tell them to hear me out, or say to end things here because I don't want to ruin their happiness.

But therefore... It's time for me to be selfish.

Basically chances are I won't be talking to them anytime soon, but I do want to focus on my happiness for the time being. At least until I feel better about myself.

And one way to do that is focus on my story I've been brewing for quite sometime now. Or basically anything regarding the Strega works I've been doing. Tho it may only mostly be writing, but I have been so excited on starting writing out the chapters now while half of my time in general are my first job and my side home job. So if my ex friend continues working on their fanfic I've heard 100k+ words about before our separation, then I'll be working on mine and nothing else.

So I'm starting my Gekkoukan!Strega story, for realsies. Tho I'd hate to drag anyone else into my obsession, so I'd only post it out in here and on AO3 to give everyone the freedom to read it as they please. Probably means no beta read either, but I will try to have my story be in present tense as the flashbacks be past tense.

I've been having some eyes on my story idea as is, and that what keeps motivating me more and more and hope everyone will enjoy it as much as I will writing it out. The story will take some elements of Shadow Cry, so expect a new character in the fic (Izumi). This story will more or less be a rehash of the P3 plot, but I will be focusing on the differences in scenes as Strega would be part of the SEES group. It will have multiple chapters, each chapter being each month of the full moon operation along with some slice of life stuff on the side.

I'll try to keep everyone posted on how's it going, I should have another flackback scene here sooommeettimmmee this month? Maybe?

Again thanks to those to keep up with my ramblings, I appreciate all the Strega enthusiasts checking out my blog along with my art blog ♥️

[aenwoedbeannaa]

Talking to Horses | Geralt x Reader

Summary: You work at a small inn in a middle of nowhere village in Novigrad. Your job consists mostly of serving travelers – the only people that come to this god-forsaken place – but you manage to find a way to spend most of your time in the stables. One night, while you’re holed up there talking to your horse, a new stranger arrives; but you recognize him from the traveling bard, Jaskier’s, songs immediately – the famous Witcher, Geralt of Rivia.

Word Count: 2,533

Warnings: None; this is literally just the fluffiest fluff.

Notes: I promise I’ll get back to my series soon; but it’s been a busy week and I’m sad and right now I just want to write Geralt fluff lol.

* * *

It is growing late, and you are still in the barn, as usual. You don’t mind, though. You much prefer it here than in the stuffy inn. No matter how rude the customer, their horses were always nice enough. You keep your own horse here, as well – a mare named Immi. She is a sweet little thing, though she's quite skittish and will do almost nothing without getting a treat first, but you don’t mind much. It is rare that you have the opportunity to travel, and the roads around your little village are safe enough.

You are surprised when Immi’s ears prick up slightly, the way that they do when a visitor approaches the stables. Of course, travelers came in at all hours of the day, but it wasn’t too often when one showed up extremely late at night. Relatively unbothered, you continue brushing her speckled fur, waiting for the loud crunch of the stablemaster’s boots on the ground. Honestly, no one could possibly walk as loudly as that man.

So, you are surprised when you hear the sound of approaching hooves and soft, barely perceptible footsteps. Curious, you peek your head out from the stall to see a white-haired stranger leading a horse gently by the reins. You’ve never seen him here before – but again, that is not unusual. Most people who pass through here once don’t have much reason to pass through again. It is a painfully boring town. What makes this one stand out, however, are the two swords slung across his back.

However, between the white hair and the two swords, the mysterious stranger suddenly becomes far less mysterious – at least as far as his identity goes. The chances of someone matching his exact description seem relatively unlikely. Even from a distance, you can tell that he is huge, all muscle. Hard to find any ordinary human who looks like that; doubly as hard to find any ordinary human who looks like that and happens to have long white hair and two swords on his back. So, you are pretty positive you are correct.

As he draws closer, you lean back on the open door to Immi’s stall, arms crossed across your chest and head cocked slightly to one side.

“You’re Geralt of Rivia.” You say it as a statement, not a question. You are very rarely wrong, and unafraid to embrace that. Mamma used to scold you for being brash, and you’d been called arrogant and brazen by a few of the passing travelers – but it doesn't bother you much.

“And you better not start singing that damn song.”

You smirk, kicking open the free stall across from Immi’s with a scuffed leather boot, “No ‘hello’?” you ask, shaking your head. “Not even a nice ‘and you are?”

The Witcher doesn’t seem particularly amused, but he takes the bait anyway.

“Hello,” he says, exaggerating and speaking the words exactly how you’d spoken them, “And you are?” Mrs. Leigh, who owns the inn, constantly tells you that you shouldn’t pester the guests, but there is a slight tug at the corner of the Witcher’s lips that tells you he isn’t particularly irritated. And anyway, you don’t listen to much of what Mrs. Leigh says or you’d die of boredom.

“Y/N,” you say before adding sarcastically, “Of Novigrad.”

“Pleasure,” he says absentmindedly as he begins getting his horse settled.

You could easily get back to your work, but in such a boring village, you’ve got to take advantage of any entertainment while you can, so you lean against the door, peering at his horse, which you can tell is clearly taken very good care of.

“What’s your horse’s name?”

“Roach.”

“Interesting name for a horse,” you say, watching him remove the saddle.

Immi, likely feeling betrayed because you have turned your attention from the mare for more than a minute, whinnies and lightly stomps one hoof.

“Immi!” you scold her in the gentle way you always do, turning and walking back to her stall.

You are slightly surprised to hear the Witcher speak again, “Is she yours?”

You nod, pulling an apple from your back, which you left hanging on a nail on the door. At seeing it, Immi huffs and looks at you with wide, begging eyes.

“She is,” you say, rather proudly. It is not a wealthy village, and most young women working as barmaids and stable hands cannot afford horses of their own. Of course, you didn’t actually buy her – one of the Leigh’s mares had a baby, four years ago now. It was the year your mother died of plague when it hit the village, and you’d already been working for Mrs. Leigh for three years by then and they knew your affinity for working in the stables. They told you she was yours, and suddenly life seemed a little less dull.

You hold the apple up to her snout, and she quickly devours the whole thing.

“You always feed her human food?” The Witcher’s voice is closer now; you turn to see that he’s standing outside the stall he’s set Roach up in. You get the sense that he’s appraising you, his yellow eyes settled on yours, one eyebrow raised as Immi chomps loudly behind you, finishing the treat.

You cross your arms, fully facing him now, staring right back. “Yes, I do,” you say, “And before you ask, of course I talk to her.”

At that, the Witcher laughs, but he doesn’t seem to be mocking you. You narrow your eyes slightly, questioning.

“I talk to my horse, too,” he admits. “Roach is great to talk to, because he doesn’t talk back.”

You grin, face flushing slightly at the warm gleam in the Witcher’s yellow eyes. “Exactly. No unwanted advice, no ordering me around, no demanding a third cup of ale when she’s already piss drunk.”

“So, you work in the inn, too?”

You nod in response, “Yep. Unfortunately, we don’t get enough travelers through here to make much money as a stable hand. We make our money the way every other inn does; selling overpriced ale to travelers who don’t have any other options.”

“It's even worse in the cities,” the Witcher responds. “Plenty of options, but all overpriced.”

“Hm,” you shrug, “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never been to one of the big cities. But humans are the same everywhere, I guess.”

“You’re right about that,” he says, looking somewhat lost in thought.

“Still,” you muse as you grab your bag and shut the door to Immi’s stall, “I’d like to see them.”

You sigh, looking past the Witcher and out into the field outside, the starlit road beyond it. “The cities, I mean. Just... Seems a waste, to spend a whole life here.” Now you’re just rambling – another thing Mamma used to tell you not to do, especially with strangers – but you can’t help it. “Must be fun, to be a Witcher; you’ve probably seen all sorts of places.”

The Witcher gives you a wry smile, “And all sorts of monsters.”

“Eh,” you respond quickly, following him out of the stables and towards the inn, “You don’t have to travel to see monsters.” He stops walking for a moment and cocks his head in thought, looking down at you.

“You’re right again,” he says.

“You should meet Mr. Allen,” you say with your voice lowered, “He’s the mayor and he’s hear most every night, drinking Mrs. Leigh out of house and home, yelling at everyone, and—well, never mind—but his poor wife, though.” You shudder, thinking about his roaming eyes and careless hands, but you snap out of it quickly enough.

“Ah, suppose it is fitting. Shit mayor for a shit town.”

Once you reach the entrance, you push open the door, the Witcher following behind you. You turn to him, whispering under your breath, “Guy in the back corner.” He raises his eyebrows and goes, to your surprise, to sit at the table right in front of Mr. Allen’s. Not a choice that you would have advised, but likely to be an entertaining one.

“Please tell me you were not harassing that man out in the stables,” Mrs. Leigh says as you head behind the counter, filling up a few earthenware tankards to drop at the tables that your boss has wasted no time pointing to.

“Me?” you ask, with fake innocence.

“Y/N, honestly. We need the business.”

Grabbing as may tankards as possible – an impressive five – you glance back at your boss and roll your eyes. “Please,” you say with a smirk, “I’m half the reason these guys buy as much alcohol as they do.” A little flirting does wonders, and gods know Mrs. Leigh isn’t going to do it.

You drop off three tankards at one table; a thankfully quiet one. There are two women, one of whom you can tell from her painfully beautiful features must be half-elf. There’s one man with them, lanky and quiet. Probably the human’s brother, if you had to guess.

The other two mugs of ale were, of course, for Mayor Allen. He must have just arrived, then.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he says with a hideous smile as you set them down. You just mumble some form of no problem as you walk off. He doesn’t pay, so there’s no point in flirting with him. Besides, the Witcher’s table is next, and you cannot deny that you are dying to talk to him.

Putting on your usual flirty smile, you head over to his table, leaning on the old wood. For some reason, though, the flirtatious nature that usually comes easy to you feels a little bit different – like you actually care what this stranger thinks about you. You decide to put it down to the fact that he is famous, and famous people rarely pass through the village.

“Can I get you anything?” you ask, smile faltering slightly, but only for a moment.

The Witcher looks at you, yellow eyes locking on yours. “Two mugs of ale, please,” his lips curve into a smirk, “And your company.” You quirk an eyebrow, feeling your cheeks redden once again.

Before you have to disappoint him – and mainly yourself – by telling him that you can’t just sit down at work, he places a handful of gold pieces on the table. Definitely enough to cover the two beers, and as much as you’d bring in for the night.

“Coming right up,” you say, throwing him a glance over your shoulder as you carry the coins over to the counter.

“You’re welcome,” you say, admittedly rather arrogantly as you set the coins down on the counter next to Mrs. Leigh. She watches you with somewhat horrified eyes as you round the counter to fill up to mugs of ale.

“This is not a brothel,” she says pointedly, glancing from you and across the room at the white-haired Witcher.

“And I’d charge more for a night than that,” you retort, glancing down at the coins still on the table.

Mrs. Leigh does not respond as you grab the two mugs and head back to the Witcher’s table.

“Your ale,” you say, sliding it over to him, “And my excellent company,” you add with an impish grin, sitting down across from him. “Though, to be honest, you seem more like the Sit and Drink Alone type,” you say, studying him.  

“You aren’t wrong there,” he says, but his yellow eyes hint that he very much does not want to sit and drink alone tonight. Well, that and the fact that he asked you to sit with him.

“Then why ask me to disturb your blessed silence?” you ask, genuinely curious.

“Because,” he says, pausing to take a draught of ale, “I find you interesting.”

You nearly choke on your ale when you laugh. Out of all of the interesting creatures and people the Witcher meets, you cannot fathom why he would find you in particular interesting.

“Oh, come on,” he said, shaking his head. “You walk around like you own this place. Don’t pretend to be the shy type.”

You blush again, looking down at your cup and taking a swig before you look back up at him. Thankfully, you can blame the flush on your cheeks on the ale. “Oh, come on,” you quip back, “You’ve been in plenty of inns, I’m sure. It’s all part of business.”

Geralt eyes you curiously and shrugs. Then silence settles over the two of you, somehow ringing louder in your ears than the rowdy crowd of the crowded pub.

Finally, he speaks.

“Actually, I have a proposition.”

Your head shoots up, eyes wide as you stare at him. Maybe the gold was for what Mrs. Leigh insinuated. And while the Witcher was, without a doubt, the most attractive man you’d ever seen, Mrs. Leigh was right – this was not a brothel, and you were not… Well, that was not your profession.

“Don’t worry, it’s not about that.”

You breathe a sigh of relief, and slight disappointment, but now you are incredibly curious. What could this Witcher want from you?

“I’m not travelling far,” he explains, “And I have a high suspicion that the haunting I am investigating has little to do with dangerous spirits and everything to do with humans being humans.”

Your mouth falls open, hardly able to believe what you are hearing, and unable to form any words.

“You said you wanted to see some of the world, and I take it you can ride,” he says.

“I—well, yes, I do want to… But, I mean, I have to wor—”

“It’s a decent contract. You can half of it.”

“I mean,” you begin, “I… I couldn’t take the coin!”

“You’re not taking it, you’re doing a job,” the Witcher points out. “I can’t watch Roach all the time.”

You consider his words for a few moments before your face breaks out into a wide smile.

* * *

You are bursting with excitement as you head out of your back room, pack full of your most precious personal items, of which there are relatively few. As promised, Geralt is already out in the stable, saddling Roach.

“Good morning,” he says, that same deep, gravely voice you’d grown familiar with last night as the two of you stayed up talking until far too late.

“Good morning!” you greet him, heading over to saddle Immi, despite her somewhat confused whinnies. You rarely rode out this early. But she didn’t seem to mind all that much, as you handed her another apple from your pack.

“Hm,” Geralt says, eying you, “Cheery.”

“Not a morning person?” you ask him.

“No particular feelings about any time of day,” he says with a shrug.

You lead Immi out of the stables behind Geralt and Roach, still somewhat mystified by the man.

“Ah yes,” you say after a moment, “I hear you Witchers don’t have emotions.”

At those words, Geralt turns around to face you, only a few inches between you. “Now there, dear Y/N, you are wrong.”

The look on his face has your stomach filled with butterflies as the two of you ride off side-by-side into the early morning light.

***

Taglist: @divaroze​ @fairytale07​ @geeksareunique​ @jesseswartzwelder​ @unnamedmaincharacter​ @lazilyscentedwerewolf​ @evyiione​ @valkyriepuff​

[silver-wield]

Can you do an analysis on Cloud and Tifa’s body language during that scene when they’re in Cloud’s room and he’s slyly referring to his promise to Tifa? There was crazy sexual tension in that scene and it honestly looked like Cloud was subtly being flirty with her 😭

No probs, Nonny! I actually already touched on their body language in a reply to a gif set of this bit, so we'll just expand on that ^=^

Ok, spoiler warning for ppl who haven't played – do I still need to do this? Eh ok, (I tag FF7R spoilers as final fantasy 7 remake spoilers) and it's gonna be a VERY long one so prepare to scroll.

Also, this is one person's interpretation of the scene, so if you disagree that's cool and we'll agree to disagree.

You're also gonna have to excuse the janky quality on some of the screens, I'm grabbing them from Youtube and it's frustrating af trying to get the exact moment I want.

Other analyses if anyone's interested.

Shinra HQ vision scene (Cloti/plot analysis) 

Chapter 3 (Cloti reblog) 

Tifa character analysis 

Aerith Resolution (plot analysis/theory – I should probably update this since I've had other ideas since then) 

Train graveyard (not really an analysis, but I got some sweet screenshots of Cloti) 

Clotiscrew tunnel analysis 

Cloti reunion analysis 

The Promise Analysis 

Andrea's approval (Cloti ask response) 

Leslie analysis (not mine, but a good read) 

Cloti action touching 

Aerti friendship analysis 

Now, strap in and enjoy the ride.

Keep reading

Recap time! Yall know the drill by now if you've read my other ramblings.

Chapter 3, where we get a room (lol), do some jobs and have a chat with Tifa. It's pretty basic stuff until the cut scene after Marle gives Cloud a talking to. She's the overprotective grandmother figure that Tifa needs in her life and she wants to make sure Cloud isn't messing with her. Now, why would she think that? Well, maybe she picked up some hints when Tifa mentioned Cloud to her about wanting a place to stay? Marle's pretty sharp, after all, and if she got the impression Tifa is carrying a torch, she'd definitely make sure Cloud's not about to blow it out. She tells him to pay attention to her, to listen. This is the very first instance of Cloud taking in that kind of info and it changes how he treats others for the rest of the game.

After the chapter 4 mission where Cloud reflects on his promise to Tifa, it's back to the slums for some rest. Then Tifa knocks on his door and enters. She mentions Cloud was gone for a while, and he answers he was walking so that he keeps Jessie's secret – because he's that kind of guy.

Small talking Tifa is cute, but lol, Cloud seems to have purposely forgotten Johnny since he's yet another admirer of Tifa. For a guy who doesn't forget info like morons who could cause them trouble in the long run, it's pretty telling how quickly he is to dismiss Johnny.

Onto something more interesting in this pic, though. Cloud is sitting on the bed. Now, if he wasn't comfortable around Tifa he'd have got up. His eyeline is lower than hers so he has to look up at her. This puts her in a position of dominance over him – also not surprising since his mentality is that of a 16yr old around her and she's the adult in the relationship. Tifa for her part has her body turned to the side in a non-confrontational pose.

Tifa has her hands clasped in front of herself (couple of seconds before this screen) which indicates she's trying to protect herself as she asks the question if Cloud is leaving Midgar. Not surprising since she's afraid of losing people she cares about and even just someone heading off somewhere else would upset her, though she'd try not to show it.

Cloud, for his part, looks away, appearing as though he's thinking it over, but we're already aware he's decided to stay and help Tifa out, so this is a fake out on his part. He's half-teasing, half trying to get a positive response from her (remember the water tower? Yeah, this is that Cloud. The dork. The one who is useless at talking to girls).

I'm sorry, but Cloud is such a cheeky bastard I just can't with him! This is giving me all the throwbacks to his behaviour at the water tower and I love that it mirrors that moment, but with more success on his part this time. He's looking all around trying not to give himself away before it's needed. He's smiling and looks relaxed. He might be sitting but he definitely believes he has the upper hand between them at this point. Remember, I've said before that eye contact is important. Well, in this case, Cloud's deliberate refusal to make eye contact shows he's teasing. This is such a cute moment between them!

Oh ho! But here's where his teasing ends. Cloud is being completely serious and obviously took the promise between them as being special. Ducking his head out of sight completely prevents us from seeing his expression and allows him to act in a casual way about something that's such an important part of who he became. But, he's not quite pulling it off because he's also looking quite defensive in this pose. His hands are clasped in front of him and he's leaning forward, looking at the floor. This is something very meaningful for him to talk about and he's hoping Tifa doesn't brush it off, so if he doesn't look at her he won't have to see her reaction.

Tifa's obviously got her own interpretation of how that promise went. We can guess she did it because she just wanted a guarantee she'd see Cloud again some day from how she acted during the water tower cut scene. Here, she's leaning back on her hands which leaves her body language open, but also conceals something. She's looking down, the same way Cloud did. She's also hiding her true feelings towards Cloud the same way he's hiding from her, but she's being as honest as she can be as the same time. I've seen people call Tifa a liar because of how she doesn't address Cloud's memory problems in OG, but when you really take a close look at her, lying just isn't her. This is a complex moment between them. They've not long met again and they're having this heavy conversation. The feelings between them are still there, but there's all this other stuff that's more important. But, they know they're friends, and that's a good place to start getting to know each other again, and Cloud choosing to stay is that first step, with the quick follow up of him reminding her of their shared history.

Cloud, you smooth bastard I love you for this! This is definitely flirting! He's looking directly at her, then dips his head to the side in an inviting gesture. His eyes soften and he gets this tiny smile on his face. His body language has changed, too. He's sitting up and back slightly with both arms by his sides. There's no more defensiveness about him. He wants to listen to her. Cloud is choosing to ask for Tifa's confidence. He's letting her know she can rely on him. That he's interested.

For her part, Tifa's pleased, but surprised. She's not long got back in touch with Cloud and, while he's been a decent guy, she's had the overall impression he isn't the same as the soft boi she knew, so this is a revelation for her. The Cloud she knew is still within this Cloud – which anyone who knows the real!Cloud SOLDIER!Cloud storyline is exactly the point of this moment. Tifa knows his true self. The true self that comes out only when he's with her.

Cloud, bro, I'm gonna combust from all these flirty gestures! Fully open body language, a smile, teasing tone. Goddamnit, just say you love her already! Yes, please, invite Tifa to check you out. Remember, he's still sitting. He's so relaxed and natural around her. Even if all you saw was two friends and no ship, you'd be insane to think he isn't a different person in this scene. He's not SOLDIER Cloud here.

Tifa, for her part, isn't flirting here. She likes Cloud, that's clear, and her body language is reaching towards him, which suggests she has feelings towards him, but her tone is more playful and her expression is pleased. She's happy to see her friend isn't too different from the one she knows. Most of the flirting in this scene is on Cloud's side, which makes sense when you think of the torch he's been carrying for her. He's trying to get her attention, same way he did when they were kids. Tifa's oblivious but receptive because she likes him back, but she won't show it as much because she thinks he's not interested. Someone knock their heads together please lol

OMG FUCKING HELL CLOUD JUST TELL HER YOU LOVE HER! Leaning back on the bed, totally vulnerable body language, drawing attention to the bod in an attempt to spark her interest – since he's clearly interpreted this line from Tifa as a rejection – this boi is trying so hard! He even looks a little disappointed she's not more impressed with SOLDIER Cloud, but we knew she preferred the dork anyway lol

Now, I know everyone talks about the physical and emotional distance between them here, which is obvious, but what I'm gonna point out is after feeling like SOLDER Cloud has been rejected by Tifa – thanks to her preference for the real deal – Cloud looks away from her. She's brushed him off and he's hiding his upset by not meeting her eyes.

Tifa is still oblivious to this, but Cloud definitely has a look of disappointment on his face.

Now, after that last bit you'd think Cloud would assume he's got no chance, but then Tifa says how glad she is to have him back and that cheers him up. He's still in that mindset of a 16yr old with a crush, whereas Tifa's moved on. She's had 5 years apart from him (she thinks it's 7, I know, but he saw her in Nibelheim and how she'd matured a little). She's not thinking of him in an openly romantic sense, whereas Cloud is definitely still deep in his feelings for her. Hearing she's happy to see him hints to him that he might still have a chance with her if they spend more time together. His soft af goodnight is the last indicator of his strong feelings for her. His body language is open once more, he's staring after her with a longing look and a smile and doesn't look away until the door closes.

Conclusion

JUST GET FUCKING MARRIED ALREADY IT'S BEEN 23 YEARS!

Lol seriously though, Cloud is definitely still deep in the throes of his childhood crush. Tifa could resurrect hers with time because it's clear she does still harbour feelings for him, but she's not the type to be pushy or insistent. She'll let Cloud take the lead and offer subtle hints how she feels, hoping he feels the same. She doesn't pick up on Cloud's subtle flirting compared to those more in your face things he tried earlier. Through all of those interactions with her he's definitely trying to say that he likes her and he'd like her to accept his feelings, but the bigger gestures get the brush off, although she blushes and looks shy, and the smaller ones go over her head.

Unfortunately, these two are oblivious af and it's gonna take everyone's help to get them together.

[writerbyaccident]

A Flame in the Night (Yandere ZukoxReader)

Request: Hi, I was wondering if you could make a continuation to your Zuko post? Or if you don’t want to do that could you make a new post for him? ATLA is my all time fave TV show and it’s hard to find writing for it lol

           It seemed at times that Ba Sing Se refused to sleep, that always somewhere in the dark of the night within the city walls there were glowing lanterns to be found. Whether it was the impoverished citizens working into the late hours of the night or their wealthy equivalents hosting their parties, telltale signs of waking life could be found all over the city, even into the late hours of the night. When he had first arrived in the Earth Kingdom city, it had been just another thing for Zuko to hate. What kind of city, what kind of people, didn’t even know how to sleep right? These days though, Zuko was frequently among those who treated the hours after work as an extended daytime.

           Luckily, Uncle Iroh was not one to change his habits that easily. Once his shift was over in the tea shop and he had eaten his dinner, Iroh was off to bed with religious precision. And once he heard his uncle snoring away, Zuko was able to slip out into the night. These nights in Ba Sing Se where he snuck away weren’t the first of their kind, but these times, Zuko was not wearing a mask when he left. Instead, he rushed through the city streets almost like any other young man, though he burned with a uniquely intense passion and purpose.

           That passion carried him all the way to the other side of the Lower Ring, where Zuko reassured himself that you would be. Still, that did not keep the corrosive fear that you wouldn’t be there this time from festering. It was a fear that plagued him constantly: during his dreams, during his shifts, during his very breaths. Sometimes it got to be so much that he was forced to slip away the tea shop and his uncle, finding you and making sure that you too hadn’t been taken away from him.

           Approaching the corner where you set up your small stall most days, Zuko froze when he heard a strangely familiar voice mixing with your own. He peered around a building wall, narrowing his eyes dangerously when he saw who had approached you, already reaching for the dagger he wore at his waist.

           It was that annoying snoop and meddler, Jet. Zuko did not stop to consider the wide array of reasons that Jet might be speaking to you. All he saw was the way that Jet was leaning down towards you, how closely he stood, how intently his eyes were focused on you. And when he saw Jet reach for your hand, Zuko drew his dagger and drew closer, ready to cut off Jet’s hand for daring to try to touch you. Before Zuko could reveal himself though, Jet’s words finally reached his ears.

           “You have to understand,” Jet said with barely constrained anger, “I’m doing this to protect this city—protect the people in it!” Zuko began to sneer from the shadows when Jet made that claim, disdain now mixing with his hatred for the young man.

           Protection? Zuko thought to himself. He knows nothing about protection. Protection is not begging, it is not waiting for the world to allow you to protect what you love. It’s doing everything in your power, whether right or wrong, to keep the one you love safe. Because you know that you are the only one who can.

           “Last I checked, both Lee and I were a part of Ba Sing Se’s population, so how about you start off your protecting by leaving us alone?” you shot back as you continued packing up your wares.            

           “Because your boyfriend’s not who he says he is! He’s not a part of this city, not a part of the Earth Kingdom. He’s a firebender!”

           Gripping the handle of his dagger even tighter, Zuko forced himself not to run forward and cut Jet’s intruding throat. Doing something so rash would only raise suspicion and put Zuko under unwanted attention. But in the end, it was only the reminder that destroying Jet here and now would result in Zuko being taken away from you. Still, the desperate need to repay Jet for the lies he was pouring into your ears, for the doubts and manipulations he was weaving over you remained, simply held back for a better time.

           “Okay,” you scoffed, drawing Zuko from his contemplations, “then go to the Dai Li. I don’t see why you’re bothering me.”

           “I can’t yet,” Jet tried to plead, though the irritation smothering his voice kept any sympathy from reaching you. “I need proof first.”

           “Well then, it doesn’t sound like you actually know at all that Lee is a firebender. So either leave me the hell alone or I will be the one to call the Dai Li.”

           “You’re not listening to me!” Jet shouted, grabbing your arm roughly as you tried to turn away.

           “That is enough,” spat Zuko, digging his dagger into Jet’s back. The fire in Zuko hissed to be let free, to be set upon the interloper who was trying to take you from him, to burn him slowly so that Zuko could hear each and every scream that he made. His hand shook with barely smothered fury—with barely smothered flames—and he pushed his blade further into Jet’s worn clothes.

           “Oh, so you’re threatening Earth Kingdom citizens now?” Jet taunted. “I don’t think the city officials will take too kindly to that.”

           “Somehow,” Zuko answered with deathly calm, “I don’t think that they will mind too much when I explain how I was simply doing my duty as a caring boyfriend and a concerned citizen. So I would leave if I were you, before I show you what protection truly looks like.” With that, Zuko withdrew his dagger, though he still kept it ready in his hand, and he held out his other hand for you to take. Placing your hand in his, you didn’t resist when Zuko pulled you rather roughly into his chest, simply grateful that you had someone caring for you.

           Looking from Zuko to you, Jet seemed to realize just how it would look if the Dai Li happened upon the scene. You would gladly back up Zuko’s story, telling the agents how Jet had been harassing you until your boyfriend had simply tried to get him to leave you alone. His explanation of Zuko being a firebender would just appear to be the desperate rambling of a teenager trying to keep from being arrested. And so, Jet stepped away from both you and Zuko, flashing a hate-filled look towards the latter.

           “This isn’t over,” he said.

           “No, it isn’t,” Zuko answered coldly. As he watched Jet walk away, Zuko couldn’t help but think how eager he was for the next time Jet dared to show his face. For when he did, Zuko would be happy to repay him for trying to take you away from him.

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[onthepageoftears]

The Tale of Two Bards (Jaskier x Bard!Reader)// Witcher

A/N: We love our dumb bard!! Also this is a gender neutral reader!! :D

Request: @haade-s​ Would I be able to request a Jaskier x bard!reader where whenever they meet up (which is a lot) they sing together & split the coin but they're also very casual lovers. Like they say they love each other & have very casual PDA (resting his chin on her shoulder while talking and her pecking his cheek) & while it's odd for Geralt he does like seeing them both happy. Idk where you'd want to take it plot wise but I've been craving crazy in love Jaskier 💖💖💖 thanks!!

Warnings: flufffff, drinking?? mentions of love lol

Words: 1,446

Please Don’t Plagiarize My Work!

The night was anything but quiet. The people in the tavern yelled with a mix of joy and disappointment as you and Jaskier walked out of the crowd together, smiles wide on your faces. Any time the two of you met up, it was like a spark ignited. Your hearts swelled, but so did your minds — you two were the perfect duo, coming up with songs practically on the spot and singing them together that same night. People came from towns near and far just to see the two of you perform together, to spread your talent and lather the crowds with lyrics that would be stuck in their heads for days — if not weeks — after hearing them.

Something was so precious about you two bards — the way your eyes met as soon as you saw the other, the way you smashed each other into a warm embrace, the lingering touches as you went to work on some music. Of course, neither of you noticed it, at least not until you separated once again.

You and Jaskier were going through your earnings of the night. You always earned more when you sang together, and neither of you was complaining. You leaned your head against your fellow Bard’s shoulder, letting out a dramatic sigh.

“If only you sang with me more often. You help draw in such a big crowd.” You felt Jaskier’s rumbling voice as he spoke.

“I’m truly flattered. Really. But you must see it’s you who draws the crowds.”

You pursed your lips, then shrugged. “Okay, it’s me.” You smiled cheekily and lifted your head from his shoulder. His smile was weak, eyes glazed over.

You poked him in the chest. “Chin up. We just had a wonderful show!”

“I know. And we were supposed to have another tomorrow.”

You faltered. “Were?” Jaskier looked away, so you moved in front of his gaze. “You aren’t leaving tomorrow, are you?”

“No. Tonight.”

“But…why?”

“Geralt says there’s a vampire a couple towns over. It’s a great opportunity for a song.” Jaskier brightened up, put his hands to the sky to paint the title: “‘Blood Sucking Bastard’. Or…‘Fiend’. Well, I’m still working on the details.”

You nodded and smiled. This would be a great opportunity for Jaskier. He loved going on these adventures and coming back to sing you the song he wrote, to get your feedback and have the two of you sing it together. But your stomach churned at the thought of him leaving again, and so soon. He noticed.

“I’ll be back in a week or two, at most. You’ll be in Velen by then, right?” He walked over to you and placed his hands on your shoulders. His touch calmed you down, helped you manage a smile.

“Right. I wish you well on your journey, Jaskier.” You leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek, then patted the spot that you kissed. “If you die, I will still perform your songs for you.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’ll miss you too.”

—

The next night went by quickly; you performed alone, and though the crowd was sad Jaskier wasn’t accompanying you, they still enjoyed the performance. However, you couldn’t say that you did. Your mind was preoccupied, mostly on the Bard. You missed him more than you had before, or, more than you’ve noticed before. His bright blue eyes, his playful smile, the way his touch made your skin heat up at contact. He could be frustrating at times, but his undying loyalty and charms always made up for the dumb things he could sometimes say.

And now, as you sat at the bar after your show, you had the biggest urge to get up and run after him, to tell him you didn’t want to have to say goodbye again, that you wanted to wake up every day and see his face, to hear his voice. And that urge had always been there, whenever Jaskier left. It wouldn’t go away no matter how much you drank, or sang with other people, or moved to other towns. That urge could be lethal if not treated soon; so finally, you decided to feed it. You got up, grabbed your cloak and lute, and ran in towards the town that Jaskier had mentioned the other night.

—

Jaskier had been jabbering on about you nonstop since he left. Geralt was used to his constant talking, but this was getting unbearable. ‘Y/N’s eyes, and Y/N’s voice, and the way Y/N bites their lip before they laugh’. He didn’t know why, but Jaskier was even more annoying about Y/N than he had been on any of their other trips. It was like now, tonight, his brain was clouded by everything Y/N.

“I’m telling you Geralt, Y/N is possibly the best bard I’ve met.”

“Over yourself?”

“Of course.” Jaskier frowned.

Geralt sighed. “Then you should tell Y/N that.”

“I have.” Jaskier rolled his eyes at Geralt’s ignorance. 

Geralt grunted. “You care about Y/n.”

Jaskier scoffed. “Quite obviously.”

“No. You care more than you think.”

Jaskier stopped in his tracks, letting Geralt walk Roach slightly ahead. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you love Y/N, Jaskier.”

“Love…like, in love?” Geralt only blinked from atop a now stationary Roach, leaving Jaskier to shake his head in disbelief. “Me, in love with Y/N? Well, it’s plausible, sure. But does Y/N-“

“Yes.” Geralt would’ve had an easier time knocking the bard out and throwing him over his horse. Instead, he waited for Jaskier to finish his rambling and come to the obvious conclusion.

“I have to find Y/N. Now.“ Jaskier turned on his heal, ready to run all the way to Velen. 

Geralt grunted and steered Roach beside the bard. He patted the spot behind him and nodded to Jaskier. “Might as well get there faster.” 

Jaskier was surprised but didn’t linger on the details. Geralt letting him on Roach was a big deal, but finding Y/N was bigger.

—

You didn’t know how you got this far on your own. With only a lute on your back and a small knife in your hand, you trekked the dirt roads and hoped you’d run into Jaskier and Geralt. 

What would you tell him? That you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him? That was a bit forward. Maybe you would tell him that you missed him, just to test the waters. Yeah, that could work.

You were mulling this over when you heard the sound of hooves — you jolted yourself from the middle of the road and stood near a bush, hoping the person would leave you be. You hadn’t had any bad luck yet, and you weren’t about to let some random person hurt you, not after you had gotten this far. But soon, you recognized the figure who sat on his noble steed — it was Geralt, no doubt, with Jaskier actually sitting right behind him.

You jumped from your spot and waved your hands in the air, causing them to slow to a stop.

“Y/N?” Jaskier frowned from atop of Roach. He jumped down from the horse, surprise etched on his face. Geralt took the liberty of walking past the two of you, giving you some privacy.

Before Jaskier could process your presence, you were wrapping him in a tight hug. “Funny seeing you here,” you mumbled into his jacket.

Jaskier held you tighter. “What are you doing in the middle of nowhere? Are you hurt?”

You pulled away from him, only slightly. “I missed you.”

“That’s hardly a reason to put yourself in danger.” Jaskier frowned, but still held a smile on his face. He looked down at you and brushed a hand along the side of your face, wiping some dirt that resided. You leaned into his touch and bit your lip, then smiled.

“It was worth it.” You shrugged, still holding onto Jaskier’s arms. Before you could pull away, he used the hand that was on your cheek to bring you closer; his lips met the corner of your mouth, which wasn’t an unusual occurrence. But you frowned, and instead of letting him go, you gripped his neck and met him with a full on kiss, one that was long overdue.

As soon as you two parted, Jaskier searched your face. He smiled brightly and pulled you back into his chest, where you laughed.

“We need to write a song.” He said, exasperated. You chuckled and pulled from his grip, holding his hands in your own.

“About?”

He smiled wider. “True love. Called...’The Tale of Two Bards’.”

[mystical-imagine]

And finally, part 4! Which is short and mostly my appearance in more detail: Dark blonde hair, reaches to my shoulders more so desaturated dark green eyes (which are VERY sensitive to the sun), light skin. I will admit...I have a large butt 😳 , in turn, a small chest ;-; Also LONG LEGS LOL 😅😂

Heyy, ill just reply to this ask instead of taking screenshots of our messages 😊

Id match you with Jaehee!

Like jaehee you can come off as aloof and distant to people you don't know that well. The rest of the rfa often jokes about jaehee being robot like.

She would love to hear you ramble on about all the things you care about. Especially history and stories, jaehee was a 100p q history nerd in college/uni and thats just a fact. Shed also love stories.

When you talk about anime she doesent really know what you're talking about but will still gladly listen. She would also gladly watch them with you, idk how much she'd like it tho. I think jaehee would mostly enjoy slice of life animes and girlish Romcoms.

You'd spend lazy evenings cuddled up in the couch watching musicals and animes.

She loves and admires how creative you are and loves watching you draw. She would ask for permission to go get them printed so your drawings could hang on your wall.

Does not play video games but would enjoy doing an activity with you that you enjoy as well. But she would probably prefer games like the sims and animal crossing. Maybe also Mario kart. She does have a competitive streak in her though. So if you play games like that just be prepared.

Jaehee also has a past where she had to deal with losing people she cared about, so she would be very  understanding of your fear and would reassure you that shes not leaving you.

She would grow to love your sister. And would with time also grow protective of her. Which....the girl knows judo so watch out boys.

You'd...probably not get along with jumin very well as he can come across as very authorative at first. And from the way he treated jaehee as an employee. 😬😂

I hope you like your matchup and thank you for being so patient with me ❤

[dreamingthroughbooks]

Pick your favorite 5 questions on the 4:02 am ask list to answer! 💜

Ahhh thanks for the ask!!

20. Do you want a grand adventure?

Of course I want a grand adventure. I read all these fantasy novels that whisk me away to another world. I want to be those characters, not just live vicariously through them. Plus, my life here is pretty mundane. I know I have a lot of opportunities where I am that others do not, but I do the same thing with the same schedule every week. It would be nice to enter a real life fairy tale, without the pressures of my family or what the people around me think I can or cannot do. I want to breathe magic and freedom, and learn a lesson of wisdom while I’m at it. However, I know that I will be killed if I really entered such a scenario due to me being frankly, quite dumb in real life. I would also miss my family and friends (if they can’t come with me) wayyyyyy too much.

38. Is your life what you expected it would be 5 years ago?

ha. Let’s make this six years instead (I’m a high school senior now, so five years ago was grade eight for me (which is the first year of high school where I'm from). If we make it six years I would be in my last year of elementary school. I was kind of popular back then. My class (and grade) only had 21 kids in it, and seventeen of those kids were the same from kindergarten. I wasn’t the prettiest child, but I was smart and quiet and not as mean as the other girls. There were only six other girls so it was a big fish small pond type situation. I thought that I would still be friends with all of them in high school and make even more friends. However I’m rather shy so freshman year was a big shock for me. I remember crying a month into high school because I had so much trouble making friends. I slowly made a few, and I thought that they would stick with me through all of high school but I was wrong then too. I’m not some loner loser now; believe me - I really do have friends. It’s just not the big friend group that I imagined. I know that the friends I do have now will stick with me until the end.

Other than friends... let’s just say I fall under the "formerly gifted kid trying to keep up” category. Not that I was “gifted” as a kid per se.I was just smarter than most. But now I barely know how to study and maintain a healthy sleep schedule. 

40. What makes a person ‘good’? Are you a ‘good person’?

A month or so ago I stumbled upon this quote from Roger Ebert’s essay “Go Gentle Into that Good Night”:

"Kindness" covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try.

Regardless of religion, kindness applies to everyone. So that’s how I think makes a good person - how they treat others.

By no means am I a good person. I’m not going to sell myself as a saint to you guys. I’m not a murderer, but I’ve done things that have hurt other people. I’m still not as bad as others though. I’ll try to give the homeless any money/food that I have on me when I pass them by, or at least give them a smile if I have nothing. Who am I to compare though?

42. Is freewill an illusion?

This is a big question. As a Catholic attending a Catholic high school, we have to learn about this stuff, so I’m used to talking about it. My Religion & Philosophy teacher this year is really great. He doesn’t shove the faith down our throats like some others did. Instead, when talking about things as big as this, he’ll give us resources and videos of people debating both sides, and then have a seminar or debate about it with the class. It’s a very chill environment that he has created - we even do yoga every friday!

Personally, I think freewill exists and that it’s not an illusion. If you believe in an omnipotent and omniscient God that knows your path and every choice you make in life, you can argue that because they know, your path is already determined. However, even though that being may know what choices you are to make, you don’t know them until you have to make them yourself.

As well, there are people who believe in freewill. That’s their choice to. Yet for the people who do not believe in freewill, they had to make the choice to not believe in it (and perhaps make another choice to find proof as to why it doesn’t exist). Either way, you make a choice whether or not to believe in freewill, and that is a choice you had to make for yourself.

My last point is from Jordan Peterson’s in this video. We’ve all been in those positions where it seems like there are choices already made for us. Or where it seems like we have no choice. Like when a pianist messes up, they didn’t chose to do that. Or when you’re driving and there’s a car coming towards you, you may swerve out of the way without thinking about it.

You cannot change the past, and you cannot change the present. However, you can change the future. Peterson argues that the further you look into the future, the more you can change about it. The options you have are almost limitless. The closer you look to the present, the more strained your choices are.

For example, when a pianist is reading music and playing a long, they look ahead a few bars so that they’re ready for it when they come, but they may still mess up right at the very moment they are playing at. As well, when you are driving, you do not look right at the ground where your car is. You look ahead on the road to make decisions for when you get there. So your choices are more constrained the closer your are. Like if a light turned yellow before you were to cross an intersection, it is harder to slow down and you must press on the brakes harder. But if you were a block away and saw the light turn yellow, you have time to stop.

So yes, I believe that freewill does exist; it’s just that your choices become more constrained the closer into the present that you are looking at them.

I hope this rambling made sense lol.

 93. Do you draw anything from your dreams, or do you disregard them?

I have a pretty active imagination, so I dream almost every time I sleep. Usually I do not think anything of them, other than adventures I get to go on while I sleep. There are a handful of recurring dreams that I get, but I think that those are just some part of my childhood showing up again, as all the themes they have together can be traced back to something I did or saw as a kid. Other times though, I get prophetic dreams. Not the “the second coming” is here kind, but the type where a few months after I had the dream I’ll find myself in the exact same location/scenario, with the same people I had in that dream. My friends know me to shout “I had a dream about this!” randomly every few months. I don’t know if anyone else experiences, but if you do, please tell me about it, I’d love to hear any sort of wacky dream experiences you have!

Thanks so much @queen-of-ink-and-paper for this ask! I had so much fun doing it 💕

[nad-zeta]

Match up ♥

Hiya, hon! ♥ I love your match-ups and honestly, I’ve been meaning to request one for a loooong time, but I haven’t had the chance to do so till now cause I’ve been drowning in lots and lots of homework TwT

I’m female, 25 years old, dark chocolate, shoulder-length hair, brown eyes. I’m a small potato 157 cm (5'1 ft) and I’m curvy.

I’m a Gemini, INFP-A. I love and need my alone time, though I enjoy spending time with my friends and loved ones. I use my free time to write fics, read books (Though I haven’t read a book out of sheer pleasure in a long while thanks to college lol,) draw my stickemen and play League of Legends.

Being surrounded by too many people is draining af and it can quickly become overwhelming tbh. I prefer to be surrounded by a couple of calm people and be my yahoo self with them. Even though I’m a mature person, I can be very childish and stubborn at times. I’m the Mom Friend™, a worrywart cause I care, I have a strong personality.  I’m caring, kind, friendly, funny, assertive, strong-willed. I’m usually the one people goes to when they need a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. I will stand for my friends without giving it a second thought. I definitely won’t tell you what you want to hear, but what you need to hear. And due to the way I express myself, people who don’t know me at all tend to find me intimidating which is kinda funny! 😂

When I’m with my friends, I try to come up with jokes or puns to make them laugh. I don’t take myself too seriously…I laugh at my own dumb-ass 😂😂 cause it’s okay to make mistakes, nobody’s perfect after all. And this is probably why it pisses me off when people make fun of my friends. Binch, fite me! So I just go and stand for them as politely and civilized as I possibly can. I’m usually talkative but every once in a while I just feel like isolating for a bit and be there exclusively for myself.

Hmm… I’m corny af and a hopeless romantic, I’m weak for smooth flirts and I like being teased cause I LOVE teasing back. I have a sweet tooth, I love tea. I love eating…in general.

I’m afraid I’m rambling at this point so Imma stop it here 😂

Thank you so much for doing these awesome match ups! ♥ ♥ ♥

Hi, there love! Thanx so much for the kind words, and can I just say I absolutely love your writing!  ♥ ♥ ♥ Hehehe also I feel you with the school work! I hope you enjoy it love, and I hope you have a good day! @venulus

So I match you with………………………. Hideyoshi

So for me honestly it was between Hideyoshi and Mitsunari lol

Classic Hideyoshi did not trust you one bit. The moment you arrived, he saw you as a threat to his lord and was watching you like a hawk. You were quiet, stubborn and assertive and to him, that meant just one thing…. SPY. 

You worked super hard and quickly started adapted to the castle life. Everyone that has worked with you absolutely adored you. Although Hideyoshi was still not buying it. He legit thought that sweet kind friendliness was all an act, to get the people around you to trust you. You kept mostly to yourself in any case, as you found loud people to be overbearing and exhausting, and unfortunately for you that would be most of the castle residents. Although in saying that you had started to form some good friendships among the Oda forces.

One day Nobunaga announced that they were going to war and that you and Mitsunari were to stay behind and guard the castle. You were super happy about that- well not happy that your new friends could die, but happy to get some alone time and not have Hideyoshi continually looking over your shoulder. Plus Mitsunari was one of your close friends so you were super happy he was staying behind with you! 

You honestly never realized just how bad Mitsunari’s habits were until he passed out in front of you one day, while informing you of the state of the war. You knew the warlords cared for him, but you never realized to what extent. Your mama bear instincts instantly kicked in. You semi moved into Hideyoshi manor while he was away, so that it would be easier for you to take care of the resident angel. You made sure he was well-fed, room was clean and he got a decent amount of sleep. Hell, you even helped him work out an eating, training and sleeping schedule which you stuck on his wall to remind him to eat and sleep. After a while Mitsunari fell into a good routine with the schedule and was now almost capable of caring for himself

Mitsunari had one day informed you that the Oda forces had won the war and were now on their way back. The two of you cuties excitingly waited at the gate for your friends to return only for your faces to go from joyful to concerned in 0,2 seconds flat. Hideyoshi was passed out and heavily bandaged. Seem like the idiot went a bit over the top with protecting Nobunaga.

That night as you and Mitsunari gave your reports regarding the castle affairs in his absence, Nobunaga couldn’t help but noticed how healthy and good Mitsunari looked. You told him that you helped him organize his time and made sure that he all the basics were taken care of, i.e. sleeping, training and eating. Nobunaga thought for a moment and then broke out into the biggest grin “I commend you for your work with the castle and Mitusnari fireball, and I now assign you to care for my right-hand man”. You had no complaints, even though Hideyoshi hated you, the inner mom friend in you could never refuse someone in need of assistance.

You moved into Hideyoshi’s manor full time now. While you were there, you cared for both men. You changed Hide’s dressing, cleaned his wounds and made sure that he got plenty of food. Most nights, you would actually sleep in Hideyoshi’s room, caring for his high fevers and low key doing some of the easy paperwork just so that the man wouldn’t be overloaded with work when he was healed. Hideyoshi would shift in and out of consciousness, and boy was he confused to see you sleeping at his writing desk one night. Sometimes when he opened his eyes, he would see you place a cool soothing cloth on his head, other times he would listen to you talk about anything and everything. He would smile a little thinking that your presence in his room was a fever-induced dream.

After a week, his fever finally broke, and the wounds were now slowly, starting to close up and heal. He woke up that morning to you passed out at his writing desk. He had to do a double-take. He thought you caring for him had all been a big dream. He watched your beautiful sleeping face for a moment or two, draped his blankie over your shoulders and went to Nobunaga to receive work. His mind couldn’t help but wander back to you sleeping in his room, how many nights had he woken up to see you there by his side, and then the thoughts got dark, how many time had he accused you of being a spy of calling your kindness an act. HE felt his stomach drop, he honestly needed to make it up to you. But first he needed to check in with Nobunaga.

Nobunaga basically chased him away, saying he would only receive work once you reported that he was completely healthy and ready to come back to work. He walked back to his manor deflated, only to be met with you at the front door “where have you been young man, last time I check you just barely escaped death and are in no state to be walking about”. Hideyshi’s eyes widened he had never been scolded before. You stood there hands on your hips with the biggest frown, eyes filled with worry and concern. It made Hideyoshi’s heart melt that even though he had treated you like an enemy you still cared for him and spent countless days and nights by his side. You led him back to his futon and tucked him in. You brought him lunch and filled him in on everything that had happened since his been unconscious. 

TBH as the days went by Hideyoshi was falling more and more in love with you, he could kick himself for treating you so horribly. And spending countless days with you, gently and sweetly caring for him, makes him realizes more and more what a gigantic fool he was. Yes, you were stubborn and assertive, but you were also the kindest, sweetest, gentlest, friendliest girl in the whole world. 

He made a vow to himself, to make it up to you once he was all better. It took two months, but finally, this boy was back to his full health and absolutely smitten with you and you with him. 

You had come to realize during your time with him what a naturally flirty charmer he truly was, and the mountain of letters he received from women no longer surprised you. Honestly his smooth flirting even had your knees going weak. You had come to enjoy the light teasing and banter the two of you engaged in as you cared for him. He loved that you weren’t afraid to give him the hard solid facts and be a friendly shoulder for him to cry on, especially during times when he felt so weak and worthless for being injured and unable to serve his lord. You would tell him what he needed to hear, not what he wanted to hear. 

The time had finally come that you had to move out of his manor and back into the palace, and TBH Hideyoshi was actually a little sad. He was definitely going to miss your vibrant energy, and hours and hours spent together, talking each other’s ears off. 

Now that he was healed it was time to make up for the ill way he treated you in the past, and low key thank you for taking such good care of him. He would take you out for tea every moment he could get. He knew you had a sweet tooth like Nobunaga, so he would ensure that there was always something delicious to eat at the little tea date the two of you went on. You of course never complained cause the three things you loved most in the world would be right infornt of you, tea, sweet and Hideyoshi. 

You discovered that Hideyoshi actually had a hilarious sense of humour. The two of you would laugh and tease each other all throughout the dates. Ooh boy, did he love your puns and honestly you couldn’t help but laugh at his hilariously unfunny dad jokes.

Hideyoshi is very much like you, a hopeless romantic, so during his free time, he is always planning some or other fun activity for the two of you to do. Whether it’s holding your hand as the two of you, stroll on the beach or taking you up a mountain to watch the sunset together. He has always got something cute up his sleeve 

Your favourite moment was one day when the two of you were out for tea, the sky started getting dark. The two of you were having such a good time you didn’t even notice it was about to rain. As the two of you were walking back to the castle the cloud burst and the light drizzle turned into a full-blown downpour. Even though you were super mature, you did have your childish moments. You looked up at Hideyoshi with the biggest grin on your face and started dancing in the rain, while he took cover at a nearby shop. With outstretched arms, you started twirling in the rain and splashing in the puddle “Hey you’re going to catch a cold”, at that you simply took Hideyoshi’s hand in yours and dragged him into the rain to dance with you. He shook his head at you, but couldn’t help but dance along with you. 

You stared up into his amber eyes, and this was when Hideyoshi decided to make his feeling for you known. He cupped your wet cheeks in his warm hands and leaned down to capture your lips in a kiss. 

After he pulled away and saw your sunshine smile, he picked you up and twired you around in the rain. He was so happy. The two of you played in the rain together without a care in the world until sunset.

Hideyoshi staying true to his doting self, of course, ran the two of you a warm bubble bath to fight off the chill from spending the afternoon in the rain. He pampered you from the moment you walked into his manor door. After your relaxing bath, he dried your hair and gave you a foot massage followed by a cheesy candlelit dinner for the two of you. He had been waiting so long to confess his feeling for you that he couldn’t help but want to pamper the shit out of his love

This man definitely respected your alone time and knew that everyone needed some time to themselves every now and then. 

He loved it when you worked in his room and kept him company as he worked. Hideyoshi is definitely the type to drop a few kisses on your forehead, cheek and lips whenever the two of you bump into each other in the hallway. 

He loves to spoil you any chance he can get. The two of you honestly turn into the castle mom and dad caring for everyone in the castle. Often the two of you cuties can be found nestled in each other’s arms or sharing sweets at your favourite tea house.

Other potential matches……… Mitsunari 

 I hope you liked it, dear! <3<3

[diamondcamefromhell]

Different

Elf!Reader x Jaskier x Geralt [non romantic, not even close, just a group hang out ??????? kinda]

A/N: NOT gonna ramble in this post why i’ve been gone [partially could be blamed on, well, my witcher 3 play time, lol] but i loved writing this little one shot, just taking it slow and easy, ive been super-crushing on some peeps and writing romantic fics does things to me, so prepare for a whole lot of fluff throwup heading your way

Summary: Y/N is a elf [gender not defined] in Novigrad, trying to survive as they are becoming more and more suppressed and one day great Geralt and his buddy Jaskier come to Novigrad and they cross paths

Warnings: blood, swearing, death [not main characters]

Word Count: 2,059

Tensions were rising here in Novigrad, with Nilfgaard soldiers stomping the streets, witch hunt openly burning the sorceresses in the main squares, streets grew to be a dangerous place. Many of my kind were also abused, some even killed. Pointy-eared freaks was what we were most commonly referred too, and not many came to our rescue.

Being and elf in this day and age seemed to be one of the greatest sins.

Sitting now, in a tavern by the name of Rose and Thyme I was terrified to take my hood off. It shielded me from curious eyes, and I was just drinking wine, observing a group of men who had just sailed here from Skellige Isles. They were sharing stories about how they have slain a group of sirens and fought off pirates on their way here, which I highly doubted.

They seemed just drunk, old men, carrying Skellige shields, that had no marks on them whatsoever. No signs of any fighting, just their word saying it happened. I noticed some patrons leave, as they couldn’t handle any more of the loud shouts.

The door flung open and the entire place struck silent. I followed everyone’s gaze, to see two males enter. One had white hair, two swords and was wearing armour. I immediately recognized him as a witcher, no, as the witcher. White wolf, Geralt of Rivia. Man of legends.

And his companion, clutching his lute, was a bard. Vastly growing in popularity - Jaskier. I didn’t expect them to ever come to Novigrad, doubted witcher could find any jobs here. But yet, here they were. I curiously stared as Geralt approached the Skellige men.

“Heard you’re causing trouble.” He grunts, as Jaskier anxiously glances around. I avoid his eyes, waiting to see what happens next.

“And who the fuck are you?” One of the men shouts, and in a moment of bravery, I spring to my feet.

“Geralt of Rivia, have you not heard of him in Skellige?” I say, walking closer to them, as witchers yellow eyes throw daggers at me. “Butcher of Blaviken, that sound more familiar?”

“What is a butcher doing here?” The same man speaks, and I notice him grip his shield tighter. He’s scared.

“Some people informed me that you’re causing trouble. Killed a boy by the docs out of what, boredom?” I was not aware of the killed boy. I stare at the men as they struggle for words.

“He got in our way. And who cares about a bloody elf anyways?” Heat rushes to my cheeks as I take my hood off. I hear a gasp come somewhere from a tavern, as the bard and the witcher stare at me.

“Ask that question again.” I hiss, as one of the Skellige men unsheathes his sword.

“Witcher, do your job, kill the monster!” The same man yells.

For a moment, I am taken back, as Geralt does, in fact, unsheathe his sword. Jaskier jumps out of the way, mumbling something under his breath, but I don’t quite catch it. I stare at the witcher, wondering if this was a mistake.

He is stronger than me. More talented. Trained solider. But the world sees him as a monster, a freak. A mutant, however you want to phrase it. I bet he was called an abomination more times than I could count. I related to him. And he was stronger than most elves.

He could stand up for himself and fight. In turn, I hoped he would also help me. A fellow freak and a monster.

“I’d advise you to put that sword back.” He says, stepping in front of me. Shielding me from the men.

“I guess we’ll have to do it ourselves then. Two monsters in one go.” The skelligans all draw their weapons, as I jump back. At the same time, Jaskier grabs my hand, pulling me out of the way.

“Let’s not get in the middle of this.” I hear him say, as we rush to the other side of the tavern, as some terrified patrons duck under their tables.

It doesn’t take Geralt long to slay those men. They prove my suspicion, showing that they are horrible fighters. One of them , however, drops his shield, and I see him try to flee.

I only then notice he has a pointy ears necklace around his neck. In this pure moment of chaos, it feels like I can’t see anything else. I try to imagine that poor elven boy who was murdered by these men. And we are the monsters?

I slip around Jaskier, ignoring his shouts, rushing past Geralt, grabbing one of skelligan swords off the ground. The street is busy, and as soon as they see me with a weapon, all I hear are screams. People scrambling away. But then I also see the man, rushing around the corner.

Ignoring the crowd, I run after him, with nothing but rage driving me. I know it may as well be the last thing that I do, but I didn’t care. I also knew towns guard would soon be on my trail. My time was limited, and I didn’t even know how to properly wield a sword.

But for now, it was all one step at a time, chasing the man. I followed him down the streets, as they got more and more narrow, until I saw a dead end up ahead. He saw it to, stopping and drawing his sword. I lift mine.

“You don’t know how to fight, elf.” He hisses at me. “Drop your weapon and I might consider letting you walk out of this alive.”

“I like your necklace.” I ignore his warnings, as he takes a moment to look down, realizing why I chased after him.

“I might add yours to it if you don’t piss off.” I grip the sword tighter, but it’s already weighing down my arms. I hear some rumble somewhere behind me, and I know my time is ticking.

“Why did you do it? Why did you kill that boy?” I still ask, knowing there is no time for chit-chat. I just had to know.

“We had a victorious sail here, wanted people to know that the real soldiers have landed in Novigrad.” He shrugs, lowering his sword a little, our eyes meet, and he smirks. “And we don’t take kindly to freaks. He begged us not to do it, but people enjoyed the show.”

“You sick bastard.” I hiss, leaping forward, not sure what my next action will be. He easily blocks my attack, hitting the sword out of my hands. I step back.

“Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.” He gives me a smile, as I stand there, weaponless. But not afraid.

Until someone drags me towards them and a wave of energy blasts that man to the ground. Soon, I am let go off, and Geralt steps in front, stabbing the solider, ending his pitiful life. I stare at the body, as witcher angrily approaches me.

“Are you out of your mind?” I don’t take eyes off the body, as the blood starts to pool under him.

I push past Geralt again, going to skelligan man, ripping his necklace right off his neck. I stare at it, before I turn around and hold it up. I notice Jaskier is here too, looking really out of breath. Both men stare at the ears on a string, as my hand shakes.

“I’m the one out of my mind, sure.” I say, dropping the necklace to their feet.

“I know your people are being treated unfairly, but…” I cut Geralt off before he can get another word in.

“Unfairly?! Witchers are being treated unfairly. My people are killed. Humiliated. Murdered for entertainment.” I raise my voice, as Jaskier throws his hands in the air, jumping between me and Geralt.

“What my friend meant, is that, we understand how suppressed elves are here in Novigrad. How dangerous it is to be anything but a human nowadays. It’s horrible. But foolish moves can lead to death.” I stare at the bards blue eyes as he offers me a smile. “Enough eleven blood has been spilt on these streets, and I think you’d agree with that.”

“Leave it to the professionals.” Geralt jumps in, as I take my gaze to him. His sword is still in his hand, ready to attack. “I fight monsters. And I know better then most that sometimes the monsters are the men themselves.”

“I couldn’t let him get away.” I argue, but I understand what they’re saying. “Thank you for saving me.”

“I told him to do it.” Jaskier proudly claims, puffing up his chest just a little. I look at Geralt again.

“I don’t have much coin, but I can scramble something. As a pay for your troubles.” The witcher shakes his head.

“Keep the coin. We aren’t out of the trouble yet, though.” I see him glance over his shoulder, and I remember that witchers have heightened senses. “The solider will soon be here.”

“Well why didn’t you say it sooner?” Jaskier gasps, annoyance growing in his voice. “Let’s go!”

I follow them out, as Geralt now sheathes his sword. I pull my hood up, just in case, as we slip past the crowds. Just in time, as I hear soldiers running down the street. I take the lead now, as I know Novigrad better than the palm of my hand. We dip through the streets, as I lead them outside the town. We cross the bridge with no trouble, even if Geralt has blood on his armour.

Nobody bothers us for once in my life.

I stop by my hut, as I hear crying come from another one. I know who’s home it is, another elf, an older woman. Had a son, young teenage boy. My heart sinks as I realize who the victim was. I turn to Geralt and Jaskier.

“It was her son.” I explain the weeping, as Geralt grunts at my words. Not an angry grunt, however. A sad one. “Tomas was a good boy. He worked by the docs, earning whatever he could for his family.”

“I’m sorry.” Jaskeir says, landing his hand on my shoulder. I look away, taking a deep breath.

“At least you avenged him.” I say, trying to find hope in those words.

“Revenge doesn’t lead to happiness.” I nod at Geralt’s words. I know he’s right.

“I know that. But it’s better than nothing.” I look at him, offering the witcher a sad smile. I slide my hood off again. “At least he wont be turned into a false tale of how those brave Skellige men slayed an elven warrior or something. He may rest easy now.”

“With time, so will his mother.” I scoff, turning my head to the home. The weeps seem to be growing louder.

“Sheila will not find rest without her boy by her side.”  I disagree with Geralt this time.

“A loss takes a great deal out of you, but I believe you know, there is rest even after the darkest of times.” I look at Jaskier, surprised. I now realize why this bard is growing in popularity. A poet is good at with his words.

“Either way.” I clear my throat, not ready to get emotional. “If you need any help with whatever you’re doing here in Novigrad – know where to find me. Even if all you need is a warm meal and roof above your head. I am here.”

“Thank you.” They say in unison. I smile, for the first time today.

“You’re not a monster people say you are, Geralt.” I point out, as he smiles at me. “Not that I believed those tales anyway.”

“You’re far kinder than most men too…” He stops, frowning.

“Y/N.” I introduce myself.

“Well, Y/N, you are kind and you have fire within you. Keep it.” Geralt pats my head. “We have important matters to attend to, but we will be sure to drop by.”

“I will not pass your offer for a warm meal, Y/N!” Jaskier says, waving at me as the men turn back to go to Novigrad.

With that, Jaskier’s words settle in my mind as the weeps also silence. There is rest for us all. No matter how restless we may be now.

Today, I will finally rest easier.