#ciri introducing herself like “I HAVE 3 PARENTS WHAT DO I GO BY????? CIRI WHAT? OF RIVIA? OF VENGERBERG? PANKRATZ???” its a dilemma.

[grishaverse-oddity]

Small things in The Witcher Season 2

-1-The signs, they’re beautiful and just so well done and I’m so very excited to see more of them

-3&8-Yennefer actually letting herself rely on people, how she will physically lean against those she trusts and let them help her

-Tissaia and Vesemir being parents of the most chaotic children on the entire continent while also going through their own shit (they do bad things this season, I was yelling at them both for most of the show)

-2-Lambert.  How he is first introduced by the nickname ‘Lambchop’.  How he is 100% the asshole uncle that bullies and pushes Ciri to be her best while also having her side and being willing to admit that he fucked up (yes he only does that to Triss but he is more eager to apologize than any other Witcher we see and we can assume he does the same with Ciri)

-Triss.  Just Triss.  She’s stunning and so kind and soft while also being tough as nails and as strong as obsidian.  She is woman and proud of it while also taking no shit and doing what needs to be done.  Racists can kindly fuck off. (side note, Ciri’s side-eye to both Geralt and Triss when they meet up again?? Absolutely fucking hilarious)

-THE FACT THAT THEY USED THE SAME ACTOR TWICE FOR WITCHER THINGS BECAUSE HIS ROLE AS DECLAN WAS JUST A VOICE ONE. Graham McTavish as Declan and Dijkstra supremacy

-4-I have to be honest, I was not expecting to ship an Enemies-To-Lovers Cahir and Yennefer at ALL no matter how brief that ship idea may have lasted.

-3&4-The way that Yennefer lit up whenever she saw of heard the people she loves and trusts, her grin when she saw Tissaia again (and Tissaia’s answering sob that had me in tears), and the way she absolutely beams when she hears Jaskier’s voice.

-4&7-Burn, Butcher, Burn and Whoreson Prison Blues are absolute fucking bops and I love how they are basically just what would happen if you took The Amazing Devil, Bardic versions of songs, and a singer going through a Taylor Swift/Olivia Rodrigo era and smashed them all together.  The only way they could make it better is if Madeleine Hyland was singing right alongside him.

-4-I firmly believe that to most people, Jaskier’s Toss A Coin and other works about Geralt overwrote the Butcher of Blaviken moniker that he previously had in people’s minds so now when he calls him ‘Butcher’ they don’t even think of that anymore and it is only painful to Geralt.

-I am quite literally just a Yennefer and Jaskier (also a Yennskier) simp, that’s all

-I LOVE THE STUPID FUCKING BARD OKAY

-I hope they bring in other Witcher schools, I just need Aiden, I just need my stupid fucking Cat okay??

-The mannerisms and blocking of each of the characters is genius and you can tell so much thought went into it with each of the characters and their motivations and history.

-7-Jaskier and Geralt’s reunion.  Tears just instant tears and Jaskier tearing him a new one is perfection. “Don’t fucking ‘Jaskier’ me, I’m talking to you, this is how this works.” and “I need you”

-5-Yennefer and Jaskier pretending to be married is peak humour and i need them to keep jokingly referencing it for the rest of time to confuse the hell out of Geralt.

-All their outfits are actually stunning???? I wish i had the skill to make them

-8-I should not be attracted to the Witchers and their black eyes but HERE WE GO I GUESS

these are all my own opinions and comments I made to myself while watching the show, feel free to add your own things you liked.

(The episodes that each thing I reference happen in are marked at the beginning with the number of that episode, if it has no number its more of a general statement or takes place at more than just a few points in the story)

[queenxxxsupreme]

What Consumes Us (biker!Geralt)

Chapter 5

A/N: guuuuuuys so I hit a little bit of writer’s block for the sixth chapter which was why I was delaying putting this one out. I thought I was going to have to change some things but I figured it out and we are good to go!! As always I want to give a huge huge HUGE thank you to @jensensjaredsandmishaslover​ for being my beta. I love you babe<3 I also want to give credit to @justyouraveragemainblog​ for ALWAYS letting me bounce ideas off of her and for giving me inspiration for this story. You’re absolutely amazing babe:)

Warnings: none, angsty I think????

Word Count: 4.1k

Here is the rest of the chapters for What Consumes Us.

“Geralt will stay with you tonight until we can find somewhere else for you to go.” Tissaia spoke as she moved swiftly and gracefully towards the door that led to the bar. 

Romina was absolutely drained. There was a weight on her shoulders and she still felt nauseous. Her mind was going a million miles a second but at the same time, she couldn’t think of anything. All she wanted was to go home and take a shower, and maybe sleep for a week. 

“Romina?” Geralt’s voice pulled her from her swirling thoughts. She turned her head to look at the door Tissaia had left through. “Come on. It’s almost two in the morning.” She stood to her feet and followed him out of the break room.

***

Geralt’s truck rumbled as he put it into park. The engine died when he turned it off and pulled the keys out of the ignition. 

Romina had been silent the entire ride to her apartment. Her eyes stared out of the window to her right, her hands on her thighs squeezing every now and then. In the back seat, Roach was laying down with her head resting on her paws. 

The Witcher glanced over to Romina, sighing softly through his nose. He didn’t know what to do, what to say to make her feel better. He could sense her confusion, her anger. Her mind was in a great turmoil. She took a quiet deep breath and blinked, bringing herself from her thoughts. She turned her head to meet Geralt’s gaze. 

“Do you often get put on babysitting duty?”

He almost cracked a smile. At least she was well enough to tease him like she usually did. 

“Only when it comes to unstable Sources.” He stuffed the keys to his truck into his jacket and opened the door. This caused the lights in the cab to turn on. Romina was still looking at him, not making an effort to get out of the truck. “What?”

“I just…. I haven’t thanked you for earlier today.” She spoke quietly, letting her gaze fall to her hands. “You were shot and Tissaia yelled at you for something you couldn’t control. For something I did.”

“Tissaia didn’t yell at me.” Geralt stepped out of his truck and closed the driver’s side door. He opened the door right behind him and whistled once. Roach jumped down from the back seat. “I’ve seen her yell only a handful of times in the decades I’ve known her. She didn’t yell. She was just frustrated. Having a Hellcat kill a Black Sun could spark a war if Cahir decides to retaliate.”

Romina watched him close the door and then move around the front of the truck to her door. She didn’t intend to stay in the truck, to make him open the door for her. She just couldn’t get herself to think straight, to think of what she needed to do next. All she could do was sit there. Her limbs felt heavy, like someone tied weights to each of them. Geralt pulled her door open and waited patiently for her to unbuckle and slip down from the seat. 

“I didn’t mean to kill him, you know.” She whispered, standing barely a foot from him. She looked up at the tall man. Tears glossed her eyes and she bit her bottom lip for a moment. “I didn’t mean to.”

“There’s not a Source in history that didn’t accidentally kill someone.” Geralt closed the door to the truck as she moved towards her apartment building. “You’ve heard of Cirilla.” 

It was a statement but he paused to make sure she confirmed his thoughts. Romina nodded softly. They started for the elevator. She pushed the up button. 

“She killed at least a dozen people in the process of learning to control herself.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Romina glanced over to him.

“I never said it would.”

***

Romina closed the door to her apartment behind Geralt then locked the bolt and slid the chain across the top of the door. 

“Um, you can sleep on the couch.” Romina absentmindedly rubbed her arm. “I promise it’s more comfortable than it looks.”

“I won’t be sleeping tonight.” He shook his head, his eyes flickering around the room. She nodded her head softly. 

“There extra blankets in the closet down the hall if you change your mind.” She started to move towards her room. “Good night, Geralt.”

“Good night, Romina.”

***

Romina stepped into the shower, closing her eyes as the hot water made contact with her skin. She closed the door to the shower and then put herself directly underneath the falling water. Her eyes closed and her chest tightened. A sudden sob broke from her lips. One of her hands covered her mouth while the other held on to the shower wall. Her head fell as she cried into her hand, trying to muffle the sound. 

The water soaked her hair, making the long brunette strands cling to her neck and face. The weight on her chest was too much to bear. Her whole life she had been kept from the truth, from knowing who she was-what she was. Her uncle ran the Black Sun. He might have had something to do with her father’s death, and she killed a man. 

The latter alone was enough to break her down to tears. Guilt filled her entirety, absorbing her every thought and making every inch of her body numb. The water burned her skin but she didn’t move. She deserved the pain. The mental anguish wasn’t enough. 

***

Geralt lifted his head as he heard the door to Romina’s room open. He had heard her over a half an hour ago crying in the shower. He could hear her frantic heart beating, hear her muffled cries from behind her hand. 

Romina emerged from the hallway, her arms tightly wrapped around herself. She was dressed in a pair of black joggers and a white hoodie with the coat of arms for Kaedwen on the chest just above her heart. It was a black unicorn within a gold square. Her still damp hair was left down. She tucked a few pieces behind her ear. 

“I-I just wasn’t sure if you wanted company or not…. since you aren’t sleeping.” Her voice was raspy. She cleared her throat. “I can’t sleep. There’s too much…. too much going on.”

He said nothing. He was sitting in a chair in the dining room closest to one of the windows. 

Romina sat down on the sofa, curling her legs up underneath herself. 

“Just a few months ago, I lived in Kaedwen.” She wanted to talk, needed to talk. She needed to do something, whether he’d talk back or not. “I moved here because I wanted to be closer to my mother after my father died. She…. She loved him more than anything. I wasn’t sure how losing him would've affected her.”

Geralt listened to her carefully, curious to know more about her. 

“I’m from Ard Carraigh. I was a paramedic.” The little smile crossed her lips. “I was damn good at my job. Earned myself a nickname. The Angel of Ard Carraigh. My co-workers…. They’d call me a miracle worker.” She dropped her gaze to her hands, her fingers uncurling as she studied her hands. “Anyone I laid my hands on, they’d overcome whatever illness or injuries they had.”

Geralt noticed the way her fingers trembled just slightly. She curled her hands back up and pushed the sleeves of her hoodie down over her hands. She placed them in her lap as if she was hiding her hands. 

“The man you killed isn’t worth your worry. He was a criminal.”

“It wasn’t in my place to kill him though.” Romina shook her head, taking a deep breath to keep herself from crying. “Just because he was a bad man, that doesn’t mean it was okay for me to take his-to take his life.”

Geralt felt sorry for this woman. She was practically hurled into this life, into a life she should’ve grown up in. She would’ve adjusted easier had she been introduced to the ways of the Hellcats at a young age. 

Roach left her place by Geralt’s feet and went to Romina. The dog jumped onto the sofa next to Romina and placed her head on her lap. Romina smiled softly, rubbing Roach’s head. 

“Have you killed someone before?” Her voice lowered to a soft whisper as she looked across the room to him. The Witcher held her gaze, tilting his head up just a little. 

“Yes.”

Hearing his answer didn’t make her feel any better like she thought it would. Romina nodded softly and looked down at her hands. 

"Why does Cahir want me? He’s-He’s my uncle. He shouldn’t be trying to kidnap me or kill me or-or whatever he’s sending people to do to me.” 

“It’s for the same reason Calanthe gave the okay to bring you into our world.” Geralt leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees.  “You have the potential to be powerful.”

“If Calanthe’s granddaughter is a Source just like me, then why can’t she do what they all want me to do?”

“Because Cirilla is only sixteen. Calanthe doesn’t have the time to wait until Ciri is old enough.”

Romina nodded again. She looked down at Roach, smiling softly as the dog’s eyes met hers. 

“Who are her parents? Cirilla’s?” Geralt paused, clearly surprised that she asked the question.

“They died when Cirilla was young. It was a car accident.”

“Did you raise her?” Romina couldn’t help her curiosity. She would’ve never pictured the brooding, intimidating man to be a father. 

“With Calanthe’s help.” Geralt nodded his head once, tearing his eyes away from Romina. She smiled softly. 

“I’d like to meet her someday.” She looked up at him through her lashes. His golden eyes flickered over to her. Geralt nodded his head gently. 

“You should try to get some rest.” He stood to his feet and moved towards the window. His leather jacket was laying across the back of the chair he had previously been sitting in. The black henley he wore fit his torso and arms snuggly, accentuating his toned arms and his broad shoulders. The sleeves were pushed up to just below his elbows, revealing the tattoos on his forearms. 

The left one had the scene of a creek down by his wrist. Stones and rocks lined the creek and the bottom of a tree peeked out from the bottom of the sleeve that was pushed up to his elbow. The right forearm contained a snake wrapping around him with the head resting on the back of his right hand. Romina couldn’t help but gaze at the markings as he went to the window that overlooked the street below. He pulled the curtain back just a hair. As if on cue, she yawned, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She smiled down at Roach and then stood up. “Can I…. Can I just take a look at your side? It’s going to eat me up all night if I at least don’t check on it. You should’ve gotten stitches and I-I was going to do it but then the cops and Tissaia showed up and Jaskier was knocked out…. Oh shit! I forgot about him-,”

“Your friend is fine.” He assured her. “And I’m fine too. No need to worry.”

Romina held his gaze, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She bit her bottom lip, trying to think of a way to get him to agree to letting her just look at the wound. The paramedic in her was dying to make sure he was okay. The wound should’ve put him in the hospital. Geralt let out a sigh through his nose and rolled his eyes. 

“Fine.“

“Thank you.” Romina smiled just a little and moved towards him.

He pulled the material of his shirt up just enough for her to see the area where he’d been shot. The skin below his ribs were void of any open wound. Where he had been shot, there was a bullet scar. It was lighter than the rest of his pale skin.

“That’s amazing.” She breathed in awe, reaching out to tentatively touch the scar with her fingertips. 

When her fingers made contact with him, he inhaled carefully. Romina, thinking she hurt him, drew her hand back to herself and looked up at him.

“I-I’m sorry-,” 

“I’m fine. I told you I was.” He tugged his shirt back down into place. “Now go sleep.”

Romina nodded her head, biting her lip as she took a few steps away from him. She bumped into the end table by the sofa and turned to make sure she didn’t knock anything off.

“I’ll-I’ll see you in the morning.” She turned and quickly made her way towards her room.

***

The Next Morning

Romina knocked on the opened door to Tissaia’s office. It was just before 10:30a.m. and the staff of Aretuza was busy preparing for the day. Romina wasn’t on the schedule to work but Tissaia requested she come in anyways. 

“I didn’t expect you so early.” Tissaia put the papers in her hand down and folded her hands in her lap. 

“I need….” Romina trailed off, her eyes flickering down to the floor. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a steady deep breath through her nose and out through her lips. Her heart was racing in her chest. She wasn’t sure why it was doing this, but it made breathing and focusing on her thoughts difficult. “There’s a lot on my mind right now.”

“You need a distraction.” Romina nodded her head even though it wasn’t a question. Tissaia looked back to her desk and then to her watch. 

“I have an idea. Geralt suggested you learn a little self defense. He said you do pretty badly when it comes to defending yourself.”

“I’ve never had to fight, Tissaia.” Romina moved into the office, sitting down in a chair in front of her desk. “I’m-I’m completely new to this whole ‘fight or die’ gang shit.”

“We aren’t a gang, mouse.” Tissaia corrected her. “We are organized. We have a code, and we have morals. We aren’t a band of thugs going around committing petty larcenies.”

Romina’s gaze dropped to her hands and she nodded softly. 

“There’s a hierarchy, mouse, a food chain. And right now, you are at the bottom of that food chain. Without Geralt, you’d be dead already. Self defense is something you must learn in order to survive in this world.”

Romina said nothing. 

“Lift your head, mouse.”

The brunette slowly lifted her head, her eyes finding Tissaia.

“What happened to the fire I saw in your eyes the day Cahir came?” The Rectress tilted her head to the side just a little. 

“I killed someone, Tissaia.” She whispered. “I-I should be in prison right now, not here.”

“You wouldn’t last a day in prison, mouse. The man you killed deserved to die. He was a murderer himself.”

Hearing those words did little to comfort Romina. 

"I wouldn’t have brought you into this if I didn’t have faith in you, in what you can become.” Tissaia’s voice lowered and a softness took over her harsh tone. “I don’t waste my time on lost causes. You will experience many, many hardships in the near future. But you cannot linger on them. Do you understand what I’m telling you, little mouse?”

“Yes.” Romina nodded her head once more. 

“Good. Since you are here early, I’d like to discuss your current living arrangements. You live in Tanwen, correct?”

Romina nodded again.

“That is the Cahir’s territory. How would you feel about moving to Etolia?”

“Etolia?” Romina hadn’t heard of that part of Cintra.

“It’s just around the corner from here. And Yennefer and Triss live there in the Towers of Etolia. You currently don't have a vehicle, is that correct?”

“I’m working on it, but right now I take the bus or walk.”

“Etolia would be safer for you. It’s more ideal that you live closer to others like you. Should anything happen, Yennefer or Triss are there for you.”

“Do I really have a choice?” Romina furrowed her eyebrows together.

“I’m afraid not. If Calanthe sees that one of her own is living in territory of the Black Sun, she could see it as though you’ve turned on her.”

Romina said nothing. Her stomach churned at the thought of being Black Sun territory. 

***

Having nothing better to do, Romina ventured out to the bar. It wasn’t yet time to open, meaning the only ones present were staff members. She took a seat at the end of the bar, crossing her arms and resting her head on them. She felt so exhausted, so worn and weak. 

“Here, love.” Triss placed a cup of coffee down in front of Romina. She lifted her head and offered the mage a half-ass smile. “How are you feeling, Romie?”

“Not the greatest, to be honest.” Romina wrapped her hands around the warm cup.

Something moving in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Further down the bar from her was Yennefer and Geralt. The former sat on a stool, her legs crossed. The white haired man stood close to her. Yennefer brushed her fingers over the sleeve to his leather jacket.

“I wasn’t aware they were a thing.” Romina brought her eyes back to her drink. 

“Yennefer and Geralt?” Triss raised her brows. “They haven’t been a thing for ages.”

“She seems like his type. Rough and…. aggressive.”

“Yennefer isn’t one for settling down.”

“He wanted to?” Romina furrowed her eyebrows together.

“She didn’t want more than anything casual.” Triss’s voice dropped to a quiet whisper as Geralt turned away from Yennefer and started making his way towards her.

Romina very briefly met his gaze before looking at Triss. 

“Hello, Geralt.” She greeted with a smile. 

“Triss.” He nodded once to her. Romina could feel his eyes boring holes into the side of her head. “Are you ready to get back to your apartment?”

“Tissaia must be paying you well to babysit me.” Romina lifted the coffee up to her lips and took a drink. She placed the mug back down on the counter and took a deep breath. “I don’t know anyone who follows around someone with as much trouble as me.” 

“I’m just…. I’m going to go.” Triss moved away from the two. 

“I’m not in the mood for games today, Romina.”

“Yeah? Well I’m not in the mood to be followed around!” She couldn’t help but raise her voice. All of the emotions inside had been festering, bubbling and boiling until they grew to be too much. “Since you came into my life, I’ve had problem after problem!”

She slipped from the bar stool she was perched on and turned to face him, standing nearly toe to toe with the massive man. She gazed up at him with anger in her eyes. They held each other’s gaze, neither one looking away as a few people moved into the room to watch.

“You can’t blame me for your problems, Romina.” Geralt kept his voice even and calm. “I’m not the only one Tissaia’s had follow you around.”

Romina’s brows drew together as she took in his words.

Something moved out of the corner of her eye. Jaskier stood near the entrance to the bar. Her attention was taken from the Witcher and turned to the only person she deemed a friend in Cintra.

“Jaskier?” She turned to face her.

“Hi, love.” He lightly waved at her.

“You…. You’re one of them?” She whispered.

“I-,”

“He’s one of us.” Tissaia spoke from the edge of the hallway. Romina didn’t look at her. “You’ve had one of us watching you since you stepped foot in Cintra. Whether it be Geralt or Jaskier, you’ve been protected.

“Is there anyone else you have that’s lying for you?” Romina spoke through her teeth to the Rectress.

“No.”

“Good. I’m done with this bullshit.” She shook her head and turned to leave, raking her fingers through her dark hair.

“Should one of us go after her?” Triss looked to Tissaia. The doors to the bar swung open and closed behind Romina.

“Not yet. Let her cool down.” Her eyes flickered to Geralt, who had his hands curled into tight fists by his sides. His golden eyes, swirling with frustration and annoyance, were focused on the door Romina disappeared out of. “It’s best not to let her words get to you-,”

“It’s not her words towards me that I’m concerned about.” Geralt turned his head to Tissaia. “You’ve seen what happens when a Source loses control. Ciri nearly reduced Aretuza to ash when she thought Calanthe died in the collapse of the Yaruga bridge. You must have extreme faith in Romina’s ability to control herself.”

“The very fact that she has yet to lose complete control of herself is a sign of her strength.” Tissaia tilted her chin up just a bit.

“You’re pushing her limits, Tissaia. I can feel the Chaos radiating off of her.”

“She’s been through a lot, Geralt.” Triss looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. “Why’d you have to tell her about Jaskier?”

“The kid was going to fuck up at some point. May as well have been me that told her.”

“What?” Jaskier’s eyes widened.

“What’s your game plan, Tissaia?” Yennefer crossed her arms as she leaned against the bar. She knew the Rectress always had something planned. There was never a time when she wasn’t two steps ahead.

“Romina isn’t some pawn in your game.” Geralt said.

“She’s not one of us, Tissaia.” Yennefer’s eyes briefly flickered over to the Witcher before she looked back to Tissaia. “She’s going to be killed the longer you pretend she is one of us.”

“She didn’t grow up in our world, Yennefer.” Tissaia reminded her. “How Emmaline raised her daughter was none of my business until Romina showed signs of being a conduit. She had a normal childhood, which can’t be said for any of you.”

As she looked around at Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, and the other staff members who were watching from the doorway of the kitchen.

“Death and betrayal, those are all things that have hardened each and every one of you. You’ve been subjected to it for most of your life, whether it be before you came here or after. Romina was protected her entire life. Barrett and Emmaline made sure nothing of our world would sully her. That is why she’s taken these last few days so harshly, why she is on edge. We must be patient with her.”

Tissaia’s gaze fell on Geralt.

“Getting irritated with her when she snaps at you isn’t going to help anyone.”

The Witcher growled from deep within his chest. He turned and stormed out of the bar. 

***

Hours later, Romina sat inside her apartment. After aimlessly walking around Cintra for the better half of the day, she retired to her apartment to hopefully get some rest and figure out what she was going to do.

She didn’t want to be a part of the Hellcats. She was uncomfortable with how okay everyone was that she murdered someone. That wasn’t the environment she wanted to be in. They were liars too. Jaskier pretended the whole time that they were friends. She confided in him and trusted him. 

Romina shook her head, gripping the mug of coffee in her hand tighter. She lifted her head and looked around the room. Her eyes fell on the window Geralt always looked out of.

Feeling a little paranoid, she stood to her feet and placed the coffee cup on an end table as she crossed the room. She folded her arms beneath her breasts and pulled the curtain back a little. Peaking out into the darkening street, she could spot a few people walking down the sidewalk. On the other side of the street from her apartment building sat a police car. It had been sitting there since she arrived home a few hours ago. 

Just as she turned to go to bed, her eyes caught a familiar black truck sitting just a little further down the street than the cop car. She watched the truck for a few moments, knowing very well who was inside of it. It aggravated her that Tissaia would still send him to babysit her even after Romina expressed her dislike in being followed.

“Assholes.” She muttered under her breath. She moved towards the front door, slipping on a pair of boots. 

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