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lemoneaorthingsiguess · 3 months ago

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Hijack Week - Day 3. Date

(This will be long, too long)

(This one shot was inspired by @bignostalgias White Winter Hymnal AU and @seafoamdew Arranged Marriage AU and my own ideas)

(Thanks @ghostsfanficevents for the event)

The sky was the same everywhere, only the land was different. The people might have different personalities, but they were all people.

Or at least, that was what Jack Frost had figured out, even before he got married and came to this land.

Jack was on a hilltop with his flock of sheep by his side. He didn't watch them, but at least being around them kept him from feeling lonely, and the added bonus was that they didn't force Jack to talk to them like other people. It wasn't that Jack liked silence, but not everyone was someone he could talk to happily.

Especially the Vikings.

Jack glanced at the harbor. The Viking ships were truly the largest and most majestic ships he had ever seen, especially since the dry, snowy land where he lived was unfamiliar with ships. There were only a few small rivers to row a boat on, the rest were endless glaciers, or flat land covered in white snow. It was strange that the wind was not cold, but had an indescribable salty taste, and on the horizon, surrounded by impossibly large stone statues, was water, reflecting the clear turquoise of the sky.

Jack's fingers traced the wood grain of his walking staff. Of course, wood was not something that could be easily found where he came from, but here it was abundant. Jack had always gone barefoot since he came here, especially when no one was around to remind him of his clothing. It was strange not to have to cover his feet in thick cloth and fur, but to be able to feel the smooth, cool pebbles, the dry, sticky dirt, and the grass that seemed to soothe his feet. Jack had never thought he would be able to take his shoes off, except on those nights when he was lucky enough to sleep in a warm, blanketed tent owned by some kindhearted person. But here, Jack would take his shoes off whenever he could.

But of course, things never stayed that way forever.

His husband's friends soon found Jack. Let's see, Snotlout was complaining that Jack was always going to the wrong place and making them keep looking for him, the twins Tuffnut and Ruffnut were joking that he was new and needed time to explore this wonderful new, lush place, Fishlegs was coy about how they couldn't be sure how different Jack's place was from theirs. Finally Astrid sighed and pulled the others aside to let Jack breathe. It was at this point that Jack's husband, Hiccup, came over and explained that they had just finished training, so they wanted to meet Jack to get to know him better.

Hiccup, besides having a strange name like the other Vikings, had a lot of things in common with him.

Jack, even though he was a newcomer, had a lot of things in common with him.

Jack quickly joined the twins in talking about the fun things they had to do after he got used to everyone, of course adding a few words of teasing Snotlout. Despite the slight difference in dialect, getting to know these people wasn't really that difficult. Until they got so caught up in their excitement that they forgot Jack needed to breathe. He could handle the attention, but there was a limit to everything. At this point, Astrid would come over and separate the others, reminding them that Jack, although friendly, was definitely new to the place, and they should know their limits.

At this point, Jack's husband stepped forward and thanked Astrid. Jack looked at him. In fact, to the Vikings here, Hiccup… really wasn't a person who fit the social norm. Hiccup was small, actually smaller than Jack, even when they were the same age. His arms and legs didn't look muscular, and his speech was polite. They had only been married a few days, and Jack had never heard Hiccup speak harshly or swear. It didn't sound like much, but compared to the frequency with which a Viking would utter obscene words like breathing, Hiccup really should be considered the cleanest person in this tribe. Whether that was a compliment or a criticism, Jack didn't know.

When Jack first saw Hiccup, he thought he was a cute kid. Weird, but cute. It actually helped Jack Frost feel relieved that he had to marry at 14. Jack had seen girls in his hometown marry at that age, but boys until they were older. He had never felt comfortable being forced to step into those girls' shoes and go to a place he had never known before, in every sense. That old man could convince him that it would bring Jack so many good things and he would surely ignore those words. It was only when he lifted his brocade veil and saw his fiancé for the first time on their wedding day that Jack felt some of the weight lifted off his shoulders. And when he saw how different Hiccup was from other Vikings, Jack felt even more fortunate that this was the man he had married.

Calling a boy of 14 his husband was still weird, obvious. Maybe that would change when they got older, and… spent more time together.

Despite being married, Jack and Hiccup hadn't really made any progress, and were still like strangers forced into the same house.

"You don't have to actually speak their language to drive Snotlout crazy. That's cool," Hiccup whispered to Jack.

"Wait until I get the hang of it, and it'll be even more fun." Jack smiled.

"Not recommended." Hiccup glanced at Jack, but couldn't help but chuckle.

Making people laugh was Jack's forte, but making Hiccup laugh could be considered a plus.

"Come on! We all know that the reason this brat is here is because Hiccup needs a babysitter, and the chief doesn't want to hire a nanny for a kid over ten!"

It was Snotlout's voice, of course. Okay, this is mean.

“It sounds like you’re jealous that no one else will babysit you, Snotlout,” Hiccup said indifferently. “Keep trying and you’ll have someone else who’ll walk into your father’s house instead of you, in… eighty years, or you’ll have a legal nanny.”

Snotlout flew into a rage and screamed, ready to attack Hiccup but was stopped by Astrid.

“Look who said that,” Jack leaned over and grinned. But Hiccup still pretended to shrug his shoulders.

“Eh, Snotlout is easy to deal with.”

“The chief didn’t even give him a proper fiancé! It had to be a scrawny kid just like him with mismatched eyes! How would he choose someone to make everyone see the “specialness” of his son and son-in-law!”

Jack's face hardened, about to step forward when Hiccup secretly grabbed his hand. Hiccup didn't look happy either, but he silently reminded Jack that this wasn't worth it. Astrid smacked Snotlout's head so hard that his helmet fell off. While Snotlout was still screaming and taking all the attention, Hiccup led Jack away from that place.

After a while, Hiccup turned his head back.

"Sorry about Snotlout, he's just like that."

"Sounds like you're a natural pro."

"Yeah, you tell me."

"Yeah, and…"

Jack glanced down at their hands, Hiccup followed them and then pulled his hand back, his cheeks red. Jack smiled as he watched Hiccup rub his hands together in confusion and scratch his head. They laughed awkwardly for a while before returning to Hiccup's house.

Hiccup may be a little weird, but he's definitely adorable.

...

Jack Frost's eyes were two colors, one brown, one blue. He knew from a young age that he was different from others.

With his family gone and his memory gone, Jack became even more lost and didn't feel like he belonged anywhere. Sometimes he would stay at a kind family's house after helping them with their chores. Sometimes he would wander around and wonder where fate would take him.

If there was anyone Jack felt most connected to, it would be North - a burly old man who managed the tribes of the area, as well as the magical creatures and wonders of the place. Jack often helped North look after the magical reindeer that pulled the sleigh for the end-of-year gift-giving days, so he was given special privileges to be a guest at North's house whenever Jack wanted. Their relationship wasn't really that close, perhaps more like a mutual help. But at least North gave Jack the listening ear and respect he needed, sometimes with hot cocoa, and in return, Jack told North stories about the people he met, especially stories about children. North loved stories about children. North also turned a blind eye to some of Jack’s mischief in his toy workshop, because really, just making toys all year long was boring. Or at least Jack thought so. If there were any added benefits, the yetis in North taught Jack how to cook or sew so he could get by on his own out there. Jack didn’t have “many” problems with them, but not being ostracized when he went somewhere was… nice.

Until North told Jack to get married.

Jack never thought about getting married. He had seen weddings in his hometown, couples learning to love and laugh together, wives waiting for their husbands to return home after work. Jack had never thought that he would have such feelings for anyone, or that anyone would have such feelings for him, and marriage was even more out of reach. So when North talked about marriage, Jack strongly objected. He had never gotten to know North to become a sacrifice to benefit strangers, political marriage was nothing strange. Even more so when Jack realized that North and the yetis had secretly prepared a dowry for Jack, he was even more furious. It had taken North a lot of reassuring, probably half a year, and the assurance that Jack Frost had the right to separate, even divorce if he wanted, almost to have North's absolute protection before he decided to get into his carriage, with tons of dowry and wedding gifts behind him, and hundreds of people attending the ceremony behind him, dressed in the most beautiful and ridiculous clothes and jewelry, to go to a place he had never heard of, let alone set foot in.

That had been two weeks ago, because the Viking wedding must go on for a week for some reason. Jack still remembered how he had been hooded, and how weak he had been to have his indispensable staff taken away. North had taken Jack's hand to lead him to the wedding. Jack had let him help, not because he wanted to, but because Jack was too shaken to shake his hand off and go alone.

And now, Jack sat in front of the fire in Hiccup's house, watching it crackle. At least there was something about it that reminded him of the time before he came here. Jack's hand was fiddling with his staff, it helped him calm down, even though there was nothing to make him lose his temper right now.

Stoick, his father-in-law, was away. Being the chief of a tribe didn't exactly give him any free time. He reminded Jack of North, who was also a familiar figure. But since North was the one who put him in this situation, having him away all the time was a comfort to Jack.

Just like being alone was much more comfortable for Jack than being surrounded by strangers. But it also came with a downside.

Jack rubbed his blue eyes, the boy's words from before echoing in his head. It wasn't the first time Jack had been laughed at for his different eyes, he shouldn't have been so upset. But with all the recent events, he seemed to be tired of trying to fit in.

The sound of the door opening echoed, and Jack hurriedly wiped away his tears.

“You haven’t gone to bed yet ?” Hiccup asked as he closed the front door. He was soaked, Jack had forgotten it had been raining.

“No, just having trouble sleeping,” Jack replied as he moved Hiccup to sit next to the fireplace, shifting the logs to help the fire burn gently. “Aren’t you going to sleep at the forge ?”

“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave you alone.”

“You know I can’t hide out in the rain, right ?”

“And you know that’s not what I mean.”

Jack looked at Hiccup with an uneasy smile on his face and then silently turned back to the fire. Hiccup opened his mouth to say something, then fell silent. An awkward silence passed between them until Hiccup sneezed from the cold, startling them both.

“That’s a good way to start a conversation,” Jack laughed. “Now, you should take care of yourself first. Where did you put your towel ?”

“I can take care of myself. Don't look at me like I'm a babysitter ?"

"Sorry, we're stuck together now, where did you put the towel ?"

"No, seriously, I can do it myself!"

They struggled for a moment before sitting by the fire again, only this time Hiccup was shirtless, without shoes and a towel draped over his shoulders.

The sound of the rain outside and the crackling of the fire eating into the wood seemed to lull anyone to sleep. Hiccup and Jack occasionally added more wood and turned them over, not saying a word to each other. Sometimes one of them would glance at the other, then look away.

"Jack ?"

"What ?"

"Sorry about this afternoon."

"About Snotlout ? That's nothing!"

"No, I mean…about everything. People haven't been easy on you since we… um… that event"

"Yeah… that event" Jack gripped his staff tighter. It was still unfamiliar to say it out loud.

"And I should… help you do something. But… you see, I'm not the type, I mean, it's not like I don't want to-"

"Okay, okay, slow down" Jack laughed "I get it. It's not any easier for you than it is for me"

"Add a little 'fame' to the mix and it's ten times harder" Hiccup chimed in, his voice low and sarcastically clear "Good morning, son and son-in-law of the chief"

Jack laughed out loud "Yeah, you're a pro"

They laughed a little and fell silent again. Hiccup was the first to speak.

"So, before you came here, what did you… do ? I don’t think I’ve asked before.”

Jack thought for a moment and shrugged.

“Nothing special. I travel around, sometimes helping people out, and when I need a place to stay during snowstorms or want to stay in one place for a while, I’ll take on reindeer herding for North.”

“North is… the one who brought you here, right ?”

“Yeah, he’s like the manager of the whole land. Mediating internal affairs between the tribes and diplomacy with other lands. And all of these…” Jack turned his hand around “…stuff, North also manages to give to me.”

“Oh-” Hiccup was clearly surprised. “Because at first I thought you two were… um…”

“What ?” Jack smiled with narrowed eyes.

“Well…” Hiccup scratched his head in embarrassment. “I’d find it a little strange if you two weren’t… father and son.”

“What !?” Jack laughed loudly “It’s not like that”

“Well… personal experience” Hiccup chuckled dryly “Have you seen me and my dad ?”

Jack recalled the image of Hiccup standing next to Stoick the Vast - the leader of his tribe.

“Okay that explains a lot of things” Jack nodded “But no, North and I aren’t blood related”

“That explains a few things”

“Yup. Well, he’s a guardian of children so in a way North looks after me, because I…” Jack looked away “Don’t really belong anywhere”

Hiccup looked at Jack silently, knowing what he shouldn’t ask. He pursed his lips for a moment and then spoke.

“Maybe I can understand a little”

Jack looked at Hiccup silently, then smiled, then yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“I should probably go to bed.”

Hiccup looked over, his face a little regretful, but he nodded.

“Ah, yeah- yeah. It’s late. You should go to bed.”

“Good night.”

Jack walked up the stairs, when Hiccup suddenly called out, startling Jack.

“Um… Jack !?”

“What ?”

“Um, this is a bit sudden… But- um… can we go on a date tomorrow ?”

Jack’s eyes widened.

“A date ?”

“Well… um… we’re already… family,” Hiccup said, waving his arms around. “So… maybe it wouldn’t be weird if… we could… have a few dates…?”

Jack could feel his cheeks heating up. A date sounded…

“Sure, why not ?”

...

The next morning, Hiccup and Jack went into the woods. Jack still had his staff, and Hiccup had a basket of fish almost as big as him on his shoulder. Enough fish to keep a family sick of fish for months. The smell of it made Jack recoil a little even though he thought he was used to it.

“I thought we were on a secret date today ?” Jack said as he followed Hiccup, walking in the woods with new shoes was not really familiar to him.

“Really ?” Hiccup turned to check on Jack, occasionally holding his hand to help him climb over the high mounds. “I just need… a little help.”

Jack hesitated. ‘A little help’ ? But he shook his head and continued following Hiccup, Jack believing that the kid wasn’t that crazy. Well, Hiccup was a bit weird, but at least he wasn’t crazy, right ?

Hiccup carried the basket of fish in one hand and led Jack Frost with the other to a lake in the middle of the forest, with large moss-covered ancient trees, the light spreading throughout the open space.

"Hmmm, isn't it weird ?" Hiccup said. "Jack, can you wait for me here ?"

Jack didn't complain and watched Hiccup slide down the lake in front of him skillfully, he had obviously done this a thousand times before. Jack looked up at a corner of the ancient tree covered in green moss and ferns next to him. He curiously touched it with his hand and then pulled it back because of the strange wet feeling, so this is how moss feels.

Suddenly, Jack heard the rustling of bushes behind him, and when he turned around, he saw a jet-black wolf with blue eyes, tall as a man, just stepping out of the bushes, staring at him. He jumped, raising his staff, but as Jack stepped back, he tripped over lower ground and fell, landing on Hiccup.

“Oh you found Toothless!” Hiccup grinned as Jack fumbled to help him up.

“Tooth-less ?” Jack pulled Hiccup to his feet and watched the other man greet the black wolf, who was half taller than him, even the wolf was tapping its feet, with its tail wagging. It let Hiccup pet it a bit before pushing him down again.

“Oh come on!” Hiccup laughed as the wolf licked all over his face. Jack Frost slowly lowered his staff, watching Hiccup complain in between his bright laughs, and Jack unconsciously smiling. It seemed like this was the first time Jack had seen Hiccup smile like that.

“Okay, okay!” Hiccup tried to push the wolf’s mouth away and then stepped closer to Jack. His hands alternated between their sides. “Let me introduce you guys again. Jack, Toothless. Toothless, Jack”

The wolf tilted its head to look at Jack, slowly approaching. Jack was about to step back when Hiccup gently took his hand, his eyes filled with an unprecedented tenderness.

“It’s okay, trust me.”

Jack looked at Hiccup, the fear in him slowly fading.

“Just relax, leave your hand like this.”

Hiccup turned Jack’s hand over, letting the wolf sniff the back of his hand, then slowly turned his hand over, letting the wolf continue to sniff his palm. At this point, Jack was no longer afraid when Toothless came and sniffed his face. The wolf’s tail began to wag and it made a delighted sound in its mouth, and Jack also chuckled happily. He looked at Hiccup, and in the boy’s eyes was an immeasurable pride and happiness.

“It’s my fault Toothless lost his leg,” Hiccup said as the wolf devoured the delicious fish. Only when he calmed down and looked at Toothless from a distance did Jack realize that the wolf was missing a hind leg.

“It was my trap,” Hiccup said without looking at Jack. “People have always talked about a direwolf left in the forest, a wolf as big as a horse, with longer legs than a normal wolf, a bigger head, a bigger nose, a bigger mouth, intelligence like a man, maybe even magical connections, something like that.”

Hiccup paused to let Jack absorb the information.

“I thought they were extinct,” Jack said in disbelief.

“That’s why they’re so valuable,” Hiccup replied.

They watched in silence as Toothless gleefully fished for the remaining fish at the bottom of the basket.

“People have always talked about it, but no one has ever seen one. So I decided I would be the one to hunt it down.”

“The wolf was really smart, but I figured out how to trap it. But when I saw him in my trap, I couldn’t kill him.”

Jack stared at Hiccup silently, as if memorizing his face at that moment. And Hiccup was too absorbed in his memories to notice.

“Why ?”

Hiccup looked back at Jack.

“What ?”

“Why didn’t you kill him ?”

“Because…”

Hiccup looked at Toothless, then back at Jack.

“He was just as scared as I was. I looked at him, and I saw myself.”

Jack blinked, then he chuckled.

“What ?” Hiccup laughed in confusion. “What’s so funny ?”

“No. It's just, that explains a lot of things.”

Hiccup still didn't understand anything, and Jack would leave him be.

Remembering the day when they got married. Under the brocade veil, Jack couldn't see anything, and could only follow the other person's wishes. Especially when he was with the groom during the ceremony, the only thing he could see was the other person's shoes. At that time, perhaps because Jack's fear, anxiety was revealed or for some other reason, he saw the other person's hands, patiently waiting for Jack to take them. When he took that hand, Jack saw that the other person was also trembling, but that reassured him beyond belief. That Jack was not alone in this wedding, and that at this moment, someone still respected his decision.

That person did not lift Jack's veil to show him off to anyone, but let him choose whether he wanted to show his face to everyone or not.

That was why Jack lifted the veil himself, even though he was still feeling insecure about his different appearance. But before him was a boy of his age, looking at him with surprise and admiration, even blushing in embarrassment when he realized he had unconsciously complimented the other person.

That was why Jack stayed. And when he saw the way Hiccup talked about the wolf he had saved, Jack knew he had met the right person.

“Hey, do you want to ride a wolf ?”

Hiccup’s voice made Jack turn back to the ground.

“What ?”

“Do you want to ride a wolf ?”

Hiccup’s previous shyness seemed to have almost disappeared, but he was still Hiccup, helping Jack Frost take off his shoes and climb onto Toothless. When Toothless stood up, it was strange. Jack had swung from tree branches and high cliffs many times, but riding on the back of an animal like this was not just like climbing a rock or a tree. Jack felt like he was still grounded, but also like he was seeing a different world. It was a strange feeling, but also very…

“Free, right ?”

Jack looked down and met Hiccup’s green eyes. And for a moment, they understood each other more than ever.

Holding Hiccup, and letting Toothless roam the forest and leap over the cliffs, Jack felt like he was riding a wild, living wind. As if he was free, and no one would be able to make Jack do anything he didn’t want to do anymore.

From the sky, the first snowflakes of the season had begun to fall. Jack raised his hand, and a snowflake melted on his fingertip. Oh, how he missed his old place.

“What’s wrong, Jack ?” Hiccup’s voice rang out.

“Nothing,” Jack smiled. “Nothing to worry about.”

And now, he thought he had found a place where he could belong.

#hijack #hijack week #ghosts hijack week #ghosts hijack week 24 #Im just playing with this oneshot so I wont upload it to AO3 #this is the second time I wrote hijack #pls be easy on me

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thelostgirl21 · 4 months ago

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So, you are telling me that Jaskier used to wear outfits the color of the sea in Season 1...

That he constantly complains about his feet hurting, or struggling with keeping his footing while having to wear boots (is the problem his actual boots or a lack of early practice in life?!)...

That he got all excited at the thought that Geralt might catch him a fish to eat...

That a huge part of his identity and the pride he takes in himself is tied to his singing voice and abilities...

That his songs have been described as having the power to sing a king off his clothes...

That helping his best friend in the whole wide world bathe after rubbing soothing chamomile onto his lovely bottom is typical friendship behavior to him...

That he vulnerably asked for Geralt to get away for a while with him, and head to the (west?) coast, in the hopes that he might be able to prove himself a worthy [travel] companion (works whether you interpret the interest as romantic or queerplatonic).

And then he basically implied that (returning home with Geralt?) might be what would please him most.

That the very first thing he did after Geralt returned to him and got him out of his cell in Season 2, is take off his top and jump into the freaking nearest body of water!

That he's hypersensitive to the way people on land start stinking after a while (including himself), and will openly suggest they should bathe (or downright bathe them himself)!

That he talks with animals...

That you had him fall in love with a human prince in Season 3...

... then had him sing a song about a human prince that falls in love with a siren to Ciri right before you had him go meet with said prince, share his first kiss with him, and make love to him in a woodshed!

... only to show a clip from "Sirens of the Deep" revealing that the Netflix version of Jaskier is from

Bremervoord

a.k.a. The vassal state of Cidaris and one of the places that goes the furthest west into the sea on the Continent!

Bremervoord, with an economy running primarily on pearls fishing.

Bremervoord, the place where the story of Jaskier's Season 3 song, "A Little Sacrifice" takes place...

A place where a prince (though I think it's a duke in the actual short story) meets a siren, falls in love with her, and willingly leaves his human life behind to follow her at sea.*

*according to the song, at least! And I'm not sure it ends well for the prince of the song, because that part about him sinking to darkest night sounds a bit ominous if you ask me... The book's short story has a different conclusion.

You're basically telling me that Jaskier comes from a place on the coast that goes far into the sea to the west, a place where merpeople and humans occasionally interact, and that he didn't really feel like talking about where he's from, because he felt like the only way for him to ever be able to "become himself" was to leave his home behind...

... AND YOU EXPECT ME NOT TO LATCH ONTO THAT POPULAR MERMAN!JASKIER THEORY?!

OR INSTINCTIVELY START DEVELOPING A BUNCH OF HEADCANONS ABOUT IT?

For example :

What if Jaskier keeps repeating that "he's just a bard" not because he's actually dismissing how good, influential, or powerful he is...

... but because he chose to give up his tail to permanently become a human, and he doesn't like to be reminded that he doesn't quite "fully belong" with humanity, because there's something a bit different and "unique" about his singing.

What if, growing up as a merboy, he'd kept feeling like he was born in the wrong body and with the wrong species given his brethren's attitude about singing as an artform.

What if when merpeople sing, they typically rely on pure melodies without lyrics, and argue that only humans and other species of the land - with their inferior vocal capabilities - must rely on something as primitive as words and lyrics to inspire emotions and make ideas take root into other people's minds.

What if they do have a singing speech pattern, but when it comes to artistic expression, the songs are purely melodic.

But Jaskier, after listening to some of the folk songs that the local bards enjoy singing by the fire at the beach, often accompanied by a lute or other instruments, fell in love with the way the words of those songs flow and sound.

Perhaps he revealed himself to Essi then, and that, instead of being scared of him, she agreed to show him how to play the lute, speak her language, and sing the way humans do.

And when he did fully grasp the beauty and the power of using verbal poetry into songs, he knew he could never look back.

What if Essi was the first person to ever really see him for who he was and treat him as family, hence why he loves her like a little sister.

Maybe "the Lettenhoves" are basically a group of merpeople with no actual blood relation, that lost their own families and were rejected by them when they chose to make the full transition from merperson to human.

By pretending to be blood relatives, they've managed, however, to realistically pass as a large human noble family, acquire a bunch of lands and estates over the years that is passed to each new generation that wants them, and each new member is given a certain amount of money when they become one of the Lettenhoves to begin their new life on land!

They aren't extremely close, because they each have their own lives and personal ventures (very few go into singing careers), but they are still people that understand what being a human born at sea feels like, and that will be there to offer each other help and support if need be!

And so, Jaskier was able to go study at the University of Oxenfurt and learn as much of the human world and its arts as he could!

But, while his voice remains a bit more powerful and influential than most humans that were born on land, that influence comes with a "curse"...

Most people that instinctively fall under the charm of his melodies (note: Jaskier can use his voice to make an audience more susceptible to anger and annoyance when he sings, too. An especially useful skill to have when you're relying on food being thrown at you to eat... Hence why Geralt's lack of emotional response to his singing when they met was so intriguing!) will typically only care about how they make them feel, rather than how Jaskier himself was feeling when he wrote his songs.

Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri are all immune to his siren charms - and dwarves appear to be more resistant as well - but, while his songs inspire people, and hearing him sing them "live" with his actual voice tends to make people become instantly infatuated with him (or immediately hate him, should Jaskier wish to repel rather than attract them)...

... they rarely ever see him or seemingly attempt to connect with him on an intimate, emotional level, like they would with another human being.

And so, every time Jaskier is reminded of how much influence he appears to have over how people see the world when he uses his voice, Jaskier's tendency to remind them that he's "just a bard" is because he wishes people would connect with his humanity, too, rather than what he can do.

Regardless of him being able to pass as someone that was born on land and started his life in a fully human body, he knows that his voice will always carry some remnant of his siren abilities.

And that this difference appears to be preventing him from emotionally and physically connecting with other human beings that weren't born at sea like him, the way he wishes he could.

And so, that's why he was initially hesitant to sing for Radovid, and he kept insisting that he wasn't in a "singing mood" that day.

Because he knew that, the moment Radovid heard his singing voice, he might stop listening to him and trying to connect.

But there was something in the way Radovid insisted - while asking for Jaskier to pick his favorite song and showing a sincere curiosity about listening to what pleased him most - that made Jaskier ultimately choose to risk it.

And, while Radovid was obviously affected by the sound of his voice (to the point where he felt the need to pretend his speechlessness was caused by drunkenness), it was also very clear that he'd been listening.

Not only was his gaze very sharp and his eyes clear and bright while Jaskier was singing - seemingly attempting to analyse every note and word - but, for once, the things Radovid was complimenting him about weren't related to his ability to make people feel and experience things...

For once, what Radovid was claiming made Jaskier so special wasn't the beauty or power of his voice, or how catchy the melodies of the songs he'd sang to him were.

It wasn't even about how Jaskier's lyrics had made him feel.

He'd told Jaskier that what made him so special was his ability to see people for who they really are rather than who they pretend to be.

He'd essentially told him that his ability to truly comprehend those around him was his gift - that he had a unique ability to connect with them at the core... the very thing Jaskier had always felt that he was lacking.

And when Jaskier pushed him for more, all Radovid told him was that he didn't know yet, but was determined to figure it out.

"You connect strongly with others and my desire is to understand and connect with you."

That is what Radovid had taken away from who he was, even after having heard him sing, and Jaskier couldn't help but feel like he'd found a kindred spirit in that human.

Someone stuck in a world and a birth family that simply couldn't understand and accept him as he was - constantly hiding parts of himself to survive.

Radovid had then agreed to help him with the whole situation with Rience - despite the fact that Jaskier hadn't used any song to attempt to suggest he should, just genuinely asked for his help.

And - if that hadn't been enough - that prince had gone one step even further by asking him if Geralt knew how lucky he was to have him, after Jaskier had been singing about his self-worth issues when it came to relationships and his fear of never being good enough - or human enough - for a fellow human (or mutated human) partner.

He'd been listening to him.

He might have been born on land, and he might not have been immune to Jaskier's siren abilities, but Radovid still hadn't lost sight of who he was, nor been tempted to start obsessing about owning him or treating him like a prized possession.

And so, Jaskier tentatively begins to allow himself to hope...

Until Radovid does something truly unexpected that none of his prior human, elven or dwarven suitors or lovers had ever done before...

Learn his song.

Sirens are typically immune to the power that another siren's voices carry... until they fall in love.

One of the ways to know if a fellow merperson is alterously or romantically drawn to you is to sing back one of their own melodies to them, and see how they will respond.

Should they feel that instinctive, near irresistible pull towards the melody, and vice versa, then the two sirens will often start trying to discover and explore different ways they can learn to harmonize and use their voices to complement each other's, and create new shared melodies that will resound through the sea.

And, for the very first time in his life, Jaskier finally understands how people feel when they listen to him sing.

Despite the fact that the "siren's melody" being sung back to him is a human song he wrote, with human lyrics, accompanied by human instruments...

Despite the fact that Radovid himself is most definitely not a siren but very much human - fumbling a bit with Jaskier's lute, visibly nervous, too shy to allow his voice to rise above a whisper...

To Jaskier, it's the most beautifully mesmerizing "siren's melody" he's ever heard in his existence! It's filled with warmth, love, understanding, a promise of unconditional acceptance and safety...

It's absolutely intoxicating, he can barely breathe, feels like he's on the very edge of losing his sanity, and it takes all the power he has to avoid launching himself right at him!

And if a human can make him feel this way singing back to him a song filled with poetry and lyrics - rather than a classic, traditional siren's melody - then maybe there's never been anything wrong with Jaskier or the way he's always preferred to sing!

His people made him feel unwanted, but the sea never did! It probably would have been welcoming to a lute-playing merman singing like a bard, if his people hadn't been such close-minded arses!

Jaskier feels at home on land and has never once regretted his choice, but maybe he still has a right to also be a child of the sea, regardless of him having ultimately chosen a pair of legs over his fins!

And maybe Radovid would love to see parts of his old home some day - even if they can only access the surface of it, rather than go explore everything hidden in the water's depths (unless Yennefer has a spell that would allow Radovid to breathe under water as he does. Because Jaskier would never trust a sea witch with Radovid's life!).

And if Jaskier himself can be mesmerized by Radovid's song and feel like he would let that man lead him anywhere and do whatever he wants with him, without any desire to own and control him; maybe he'd simply been trying to connect with the wrong people.

Radovid is the first person he's ever met that seems to be able to connect with both the human and the siren part of him. And when Jaskier offers to help him work on his lute playing and singing, what he's truly saying is that he wants them to learn to harmonize their voices together and create their own melodies...

It's an intimate need Jaskier still has, and he's finally found himself a mate that appears to fully get him, and be able to fulfil those needs.

Of course, then the whole mess with Cirilla happens, and for a moment there Jaskier loses faith that any of it was ever real!

Who was he kidding!? The Redanian Intelligence kept insisting that they knew everything about everyone! Maybe they'd figured out Jaskier used to be a merman, done their research, noticed that Jaskier "fancied" the prince, and instructed him to surprise him and trick him into lowering his defenses, by courting him the way a fellow merman would!

He really should have known!

But then, when he finds Radovid alone, lost, and hiding, he realizes that Radovid had never meant to trick or hurt him.

Radovid had just been genuinely afraid, and trying to deal with the threat of a looming war as best he could by seeking Ciri's help.

And now, the war he'd attempted preventing from happening had begun, he'd clearly internalized Jaskier's earlier blame, and that spoon of a man was sufficiently bonded to him by now that he might just allow himself to be captured and killed if he doesn't do something about it!

And then, Jaskier himself might end up symbolically 'washing ashore' somewhere and letting himself die of heartbreak, for fuck's sake!

Because merpeople are dramatic as fuck and they feel the loss of friends and family in a way that's devastatingly sharp. Being rejected by a queerplatonic or romantic partner - or having them die on them - is the worst type of injury one could inflict upon them!

When he'd sung about having also survived, no thanks to Geralt, he'd fully meant it! That loss had nearly killed him!

If he wants to survive this, he needs to figure out a way to keep Radovid safe, and then make sure that Geralt and the rest of his family are safe also, because he doesn't know how he'd manage to continue to live in this world if the war ends up taking everything from him in a way where all hope would be lost of ever getting any of them back!

#Jaskier #Radovid #Radskier #Geraskier #Merman!Jaskier #My Posts #My Thoughts #Seriously Netflix why did you do this to me!#I'm supposed to be trying to get shit done right now to prepare for the new dance session starting next week #And finishing writing those WIP fics #And answering to a bunch of stuff (haven't forgotten about you #@my-jokes-are-my-armour #I swear!)#NOT having a little merman!Jaskier gleefully swimming and running around my brain hijacking everything and ensuring nothing else get done!!#Fucking hell!#Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?!

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