#jaskier literally has a song about how he's enough

[smolalienbee]

ken 🤝 s3 jaskier: i am (k)enough

[mlm-writer]

Old Friend (Geralt x GN!Reader)

Pairing:  Show!Geralt of Rivia x Gender Neutral Reader (can be interpreted as platonic or romantic) Rating: Mature Words: 1670 POV: Second Summary: The Big Tober Day 21 - “I did what I had to do to protect those I love… I had no choice!” Note: Don't @ me for still posting things that were supposed to come out in October. Tags: angst, mention of Ciri & Yennefer, ft. Jaskier & Milva, murder and dark magic

Everyone would agree that Ciri was an unlucky girl with a life tainted by tragedy. Every time you spoke with her about her past, you felt a little pang in your heart. However, sometimes you envied her. The way Geralt reserved his warmest of smiles for his charge, the way the most powerful sorceress spent her time teaching Ciri and the power Ciri possessed sometimes made you feel like she was, in some way, a very lucky girl. 

You spent life on the run with Ciri, Geralt and Yennefer. Most of the time you felt like you were family, sometimes you felt like an extra, an unnecessary weight, but no one told you to leave. You had nothing to teach Ciri that Geralt and Yennefer couldn’t. They had it covered from sword to spells to alchemy. 

Then things kept going to shit and before you knew it, Geralt was flirting with death and Ciri was missing. You wanted to go find her, but Yennefer insisted you stayed with Geralt. “You can heal anything!” Geralt exclaimed as you exhausted yourself once more. He was capable of loud verbal abuse. You should’ve counted that as a win, but it was hard to, when Geralt was still bed-bound. 

“I’m doing everything I can!” You yelled back. Milva entered, her hand landing on your shoulder. It has been the same song over and over again ever since Jaskier revealed Ciri was on her way to Nilfgaard. Geralt proceeded to demand more of you. Milva forced you out. Jaskier was waiting for you with a brew of herbs that would help you recover your strength. “I’m really doing everything I can,” you sobbed by the fire. 

Jaskier put his arm around you, comforting you the best he could. “I know. He knows. He is just… Geralt.” You leaned against the bard, letting his body’s warmth seep into yours. You sat by the fire until it got dark. Jaskier eventually let you be to mull over your thoughts in peace. When you had the strength you used your magic on those that did appreciate it. You were weak, but even a little was for many enough to pull their foot out of the grave. 

Exhaustion gnawed at your bones. Your muscles felt like they were weighed down by the state of the world. You took a stroll out of the camp, trying to avoid Jaskier and Milva. They meant well, but their words were not enough to distract you from the power you lacked. 

When the lights of the camp were far behind you, you stopped walking. You couldn’t hold yourself up anymore, knees colliding with the muddy ground of the forest. From a secret pocket sewn into the coat you’ve had for over two decades, you procured an amulet you haven’t worn since you met Geralt all those years ago. The deep red gem reflected the light of the moon onto your eyes. Deep within the stone you could see an old friend. You promised Geralt you’d throw this trinket away; you promised you would never give in to temptation again, but despair had forced you quite literally to your knees. You clenched the charm tightly in your fist. “All is fair in love and war,” you whispered as you stared down at your fist, noticing how red light seeped between your fingers. “These are times of war and… I love him.”

Those words spoken aloud strengthened your resolve. You closed your eyes as you put the thin golden chain over your head, letting the amulet fall right where your heart was. As soon as that metal hit your chest, you felt an old friend occupying your mind once more. “I always knew you’d come back,” it told you. It gave you visions of how to help Geralt. The methods dancing on the grey moral spectrum, but led by these visions, you made your way back to the camp. You entered the tents of the sleeping patients you had helped earlier. You touched those that you didn’t think would make it to the morning. Their life force entered through your fingertips. They breathed their final breath. You felt the weak energy pooling together. One tent, two, three, you passed though the whole camp, taking what you needed from those that were not likely to hold onto it for long anyway. Each time you took, darkness rose to your skin, revealing your deeds in the night. 

Your veins had turned black by the time you entered the final tent. Geralt was fast asleep as well, too injured to even hear you entering, too unwell to open his eyes and ask you what you were doing there. A black tear rolled down your cheek as you placed your hand on his chest and let go of all the energy you had collected. The life energy of the people that died that night flowed from your chest down to your fingertips. In his sleep, Geralt inhaled deeply as the energy filled him. It only took a moment, but it felt like an eternity as you felt the weight of the lives you took to save the one most dear to you. 

When you were devoid of all the energy but your own, you collapsed on the ground, legs too tired to keep you up. You took deep breaths, trying to avoid looking at your hands. However, in the end you just needed to know how bad things were. You raised your palms, the sight - though expected - still horrifying. Your skin had blackened from the dark magic. Your hands felt fine though. “You did well. This is only the beginning of what we can achieve. You’re meant to take what you please,” the old friend’s voice echoed through your skull. The words were reassuring, but you knew all too well where things could lead. You reached for the amulet, ready to rip it off you. “You need me. Without me you’re useless. You can’t protect the ones you love.” 

Geralt had you once believe otherwise, but it only took one glance towards him to show you where his faith in you had led him to. Even the great White Wolf could be wrong sometimes. Defeated, you slowly let go of the amulet, allowing it to occupy its old spot. “Everything will be fine. You will be fine,” the being spoke through the amulet to you. You had heard those words a million times from Jaskier, but only now did they actually soothe you. 

The next morning you woke up from stirring on the bed. You hadn’t dared to leave the tent and slept on a chair. “Geralt,” you whispered, aware of your surroundings the moment your ears picked up on the rustling of blankets. You forgot what you looked like, immediately rising from the chair and joining Geralt at his side. You inspected the wound on his leg, but it was not there anymore, a new scar adorning his skin. 

Your eyes didn’t meet Geralt’s until he sat up on his own. “What did you do?” His voice dripped of venom. You lifted your head to meet his yellow eyes, darkened by the deeply furrowed eyebrows. Your throat felt tight, so tight that not a single syllable could make it through to the cold space between you and the Witcher. He called your name and reached out. You were frozen in place as his calloused fingers traced the black marks on your face. “What did you do?” He repeated the question, emphasising each word with urgency. 

Black tears pooled in your eyes, the first few already rolling down your cheeks by the time you found your voice once more. “I did what I had to do to protect those I love…” You swallowed a lump in your throat. “I had no choice.” Your voice trembled, each word shaking more than the previous one. 

Geralt was visibly seething as he grabbed your arm, his grip tight. “What did you do?” He demanded, voice booming in the small space. You tried to free yourself. 

“Geralt, please, you’re hurting me!” “Say it!” 

He knew you. He knew you from the moment he met you. He knew the person you could be once you gave up on your ‘old friend’. He knew what you did then and he knew what you did last night. He knew, but he didn’t want to. He wanted to be wrong. He wanted to have mistaken that familiar amulet around your neck. However, things were exactly as it seemed and just like things never changed, Jaskier and Milva came in right on que. 

Jaskier called out for Geralt, tried to calm him. He immediately commented on how he seemed to be better, proceeded to ask how. Meanwhile, Milva freed you of Geralt’s grip. A crowd had formed at the entrance, but you couldn’t see anyone in the room but Geralt. “How many have died tonight?” Geralt demanded to know, Jaskier and Milva now in between you two. They tried to calm him. “How many?” He roared. 

His fury eventually ripped the answer out of you. “I don’t know! I only took from those that were not likely to make it to the morning anyway.” 

“Jaskier…” Geralt’s voice was quieter now he got his answer from you. He turned to the bard. “How many people died tonight?” Jaskier turned to Milva, hoping she held the answer. 

“42,” she spoke with surprising steadiness. She then looked at you, shaming you with her eyes alone. She was not the only one who despised your existence after that night. Jaskier pleaded for your life, then left with Geralt to find Ciri. You had to go your own way, fend for yourself once more. If it wasn’t for your aching heart, it was like you never met the Witcher at all. He never wanted to see you again, but even as you walked with your backs facing each other, you felt like you would see him again. It was a funny thing… destiny. 

—————

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[imgoingtofreakoutnow]

Radovid and Jaskier - "Extraordinary Things" scene analysis

I literally cannot stop thinking about all the Jaskier and Radovid's scene, but especially their second scene in 3x02 (so SPOILERS for everyone who hasn't seen it yet)

First of all the song... oh, THE SONG! I've seen many interpretations of the song, but I do think that it's not about Geralt and it is more directed to Radovid than what we might think at first.

Keep your words on ice Your gaze lights the fire

After the looks that they've exchanged so far, especially when it comes to Radovid, looking at Jaskier so intensely, I can't help but think Jask's at least a bit talking about him in that second verse.

The first verse on the other hand has an obvious connection to the following ones:

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

Once again, I do believe this is another verse directed to Radovid. Jaskier is very perceptive when it comes to people and I do believe he has noticed Radovid fascination with him, so I feel there's a small, small chance this was also a way to tease Radovid. Plus, when he sings this Jaskier looks directly at Radovid.

They say keep on playing nice But I have no desire [...] It's not a want, it's a need It is paying no heed To what others say to sing

These verses are, in my humble opinion, once again talking directly to Radovid, especially the first two, during which the camera focuses on the prince himself.

The following ones can also work for Radovid, if we consider the "singing" as a metaphor for what people tell him to do, but maybe I am reading too much into this... but media exists to be analyzed, right? So, moving on.

The greatest songs are made up Of unspoken words of love Of them, I’ve had enough

Obviously, this part does reference Geralt and the songs Jaskier wrote for him in the past, confirming that Jaskier has loved him, but that has now moved on.

Also, when he sings the first two verses, the camera actually focuses on Radovid’s reaction (who’s having either a gay panic attack or realizing that the bard was definitely in love with the witcher).

With you, I have enough

This verse is actually nothing special BUT when he says that, at the very end of the scene, you can barely see it but Jaskier, who was looking down while singing the previous verse, raises his gaze to meet (guess what?) Radovid’s eyes!

And I LOVE Radovid’s reaction to the following verse!

With you, I am enough

I feel like this could be either read as Jaskier saying that to Radovid but also as Radovid saying that to Jaskier, especially if you look closely at the prince’s reaction, who first looks away, then gulps down, and then meets again Jaskier’s gaze.

To conclude it all, we get that beautifully haunted and shaky I am enough, which I do think is entirely Jaskier just saying that to himself.

We all know he was treated like fucking shit in the past, especially last season, and it’s already a delight seeing the other characters treating him with the kindness he deserves; but I also think he’s still trying to come to terms to the fact that he’s just a human in the found family he’s found himself in. He has no magic, no super-abilities he could use to defend those he loves, and he wasn’t always treated nicely, as already mentioned. It’s obvious to think that deep down, he doesn’t feel enough. 

And by singing it in the way that he does, while looking at Radovid the way that he looks at him, Jaskier reveals a part of himself to him and him alone. And the small smile he has at the end seems like it’s almost saying: “Well, this is me” and I JUST LOVE IT ALL!

Plus, the way his bard facade immediately jumps back in when he ‘remembers’ about the other people in the room? Dammit, I adore Joey Batey’s acting choices!!!

(I won't talk about the rest of the song but that's also so heavily Radovid coded! Like: "Drop the sweet disguise"????)

Then he walks away (also, it’s pretty funny how the people in the room all try to touch him, as he’s some kind of Jesus) and, even though he glances at everyone in the room, you can tell that the way he looks at Radovid is different. He lingers on him as he walks by and even while the camera pans away from Jaskier to the prince.

We don’t see Radovid immediately after that, it takes a couple seconds before his face is revealed to us and OH BOI! That guy is SHOOK! He can’t even find the words to speak, even though I think part of it can be blamed on Jaskier, who (in the smuggest and sluttiest way possible) sits down and puts his shoes on the table. And I totally understand Radovid because yeah… Jaskier is HOT, no denying that.

But it’s also interesting to look at Jaskier because there isn’t just smugness in his eyes. There’s still attentiveness in them as he studies Radovid and I think that’s what I love most about the interactions of episode 1 and 2. They’re never just talking, they’re always dissecting everything the other does or says, especially Jaskier but this can also be seen in Radovid at times (like in the carriage at the end of episode 1).

Now we come to the scene that pushed me to do this long and useless analysis (and thanks to @i-seeaspaceshipinthe-sky for the gifs):

So, just before this scene, Radovid has stood up with no problems and walked over to Jaskier without faltering. But suddenly, now that he’s speechless, his stance falters. And it’s obviously to confirm the fact that he is drunk. However, Jaskier sees right through it.

The look on Radovid’s face when Jaskier says: “I would, except you’re not drunk”? The way he meets Jaskier’s gaze, his complete attention on him, while also still keeping a stance that could still be considered a drunken one (not entirely upright and slightly slumped)? *chef’s kiss*

Jaskier’s smile is not as smug as one would expect. It's almost soft while he's explaining to Radovid how he could tell he was not actually drunk. Jaskier is entertained; he's having fun revealing Radovid's lie. He's enjoying putting him on the spot because, even though he's the prince, Jaskier has the upper hand in their conversation right now (which he will also reveal to the other in a few moments).

And Radovid's not pissed. He lowers his head, as if he had been caught red-handed, with a smile. He doesn’t think much of it because he thinks Jaskier’s playing the same game he is, he thinks Jaskier’s flirting, so what if he understood that Radovid fancies him?

However, as soon as Jaskier starts talking about ‘seedy taverns’ and ‘great lessons’, his smile disappears. At first he is obviously just confused as to what those things have to do with – what he still thinks is – their flirtation.

That's also when Jaskier's smile disappears. His soft expression changes and becomes cold, in a way business-like. He was playing a moment before with a prince yet inexperienced (or that seems to be so) in the art of lying, but now he's actually showing the upper hand that experience gives him. He’s showing Radovid that he can actually read him and that he cannot lie to him. The happy facade is gone and now he's more determined than ever to have what he came for.

Again, Radovid’s reaction to that is perfect. When Jaskier stands up and walks towards him, talking about the ‘viper’s den’ he’s in, Radovid’s facade also changes pretty drastically. You can tell that’s not what he was thinking would happen. He now stands upright, raising his chin up, and he looks pretty pissed off (especially when he meets Jaskier’s gaze again).

Jaskier seems unfazed by this, keeping his head also high and asking for confirmation regarding the Rience’s ordeal he went there in the first place. And did his eyes fall to Radovid’s lips? Who knows!

Back to Radovid, the anger has left him. I mean, you can tell he’s still not entirely joyous but it’s not either about to kill the bard. He actually seems more fascinated than ever, especially when he speaks again (avoiding the Rience subject a second time).

After “Now I understand”, Jaskier smiles. It’s more a condescending smile than anything else though. He’s indulging Radovid, hoping to in the end get what he wants. However there’s still a glint of curiosity in his eyes.

And then Radovid answers (and again, love that before actually answering he hesitates), and as he does, as he says “[...] not who they pretend to be”, he looks Jaskier up and down, possibly subtly hinting at the fact that he sees who he pretends to be.

Following that, when his eyes go back to Jaskier’s, his expression is quite… sincere. Not weak but defenseless, as if he’s trying to show the bard that he means what he’s saying.

And Jaskier gets that, because you can see the little smile he tries to push down while lowering Radovid’s gaze since he stood up, which is just. so. ADORABLE!

When Jaskier asks: “And the rest?”, he’s not indulging Radovid anymore. He just wants to know, perhaps wanting to see what else this prince can actually see of him. And even though Radovid can’t tell yet what the rest actually is, the fact that he’s “determined to figure it out” means so much. It means he wants to stick around, something that it’s not a normal part of Jaskier’s life. He tends to be the one who sticks around, even when people don’t exactly want him around (ie. Geralt in S1), or the one people go to and only when they need help (ie. Geralt in S2). The other way around it’s new to him, but as we see, he can’t help but smile at the idea, a smile that once again tries to stop, because he still hasn’t entirely figured out who the prince is and wants.

Then Radovid finally gives him what he came for, bowing slightly his head as he assures him he will do what he can to find Rience, and the soft thank you that leaves Jaskier’s lips, followed by another one of those half-smiles. He really seems unable to stop smiling around Radovid, uh?

AND THEN, AS THE CHERRY ON TOP, RADOVID ASKS HIM (after obviously hesitating) ASKS HIM “DOES THE WITCHER KNOW HOW LUCKY HE IS TO HAVE YOU”??? SIR??? YOUR GRACE??? WHATEVER YOUR TITLE IS??? DO YOU WANT TO KILL THE BARD???

I love, love, love how this actually shows that Radovid was listening to the song (which was obviously talking about Geralt, as I said before) but not only that! He’s also saying that is not only enough, but he’s someone that a FUCKING witcher should be LUCKY to have around! And he means it, every word!

AND THAT’S WHEN JASKIER FINALLY SMILES??? SOMEBODY SEDATE ME!!!!

So anyway, that's pretty much it! Hope you enjoyed this unhinged analysis (which might have a second part? perhaps?)

[whatspastisprologue-blr]

Because 2 of my biggest hyperfixations are Interview with the Vampire and The Amazing Devil, here we go....

"Little Miss Why So" is, to me, based on my interpretation of the song, very much applies to Loustat in S1. To me, Madeleine is singing from the perspective of someone who is very depressed and who has a partner who is trying to cure her by, basically, loving her out of it. This is, to me, confirmed by the few lines that Joey sings, as though if he does enough good things for her, if he just shows her how much he loves her, she'll snap out of it. (And it doesn't work and they split up.)

I've been thinking about it a lot but especially in relation to the animation in S2E7 that depicts Lestat constantly doing things to make Louis happy/cure him of depression, while it doesn't work and Rue Royale gets more and more dilapidated until they can't even see each other over the mountain of newspapers, books, and other things. (I am completely sympathetic to Louis, btw, but I also know how scary and helpless it is to love someone and want to help them but you can't.)

Throughout LMWS, Madeleine lists all the things Joey's character has said or done and she sounds so exhausted, and there's this repeated "he said", and then she starts going into a mantra of sorts: "It's so boring, it's so boring, it's so boring....." And she caps it off with "et cetera" like she's just too bored to keep going but she could if she wanted to.

There's a few parts I want to call out specifically:

"I don't know how to reach you when you get like this. I've been waiting for you to come home."

This is Lestat's frustration, basically. He keeps trying to reach Louis and nothing is working. Even when Louis is home, physically, he's not present (I've seen great meta about Louis having a disassociative disorder). Special mention here to the line, "It's daylight again and you look like I've failed you." Lestat is a provider; it's something that he takes pride in and enjoys, whether it's his human family eating food that he hunted, or how he sent money and gifts to his human family after becoming a vampire, or the things he buys for Louis and Claudia.

"If I'm good, will you come back?"/"Stop asking why I'm sad, just know it's enough to know I'm sad." Madeleine and Joey are literally singing over each other here, singing at the same time. Their characters are speaking past each other. They're not listening to each other. Joey's character just wants to know how to fix her, what he has to do to get her to come back for him. Madeleine's character is just exhausted from having to provide reasons why she feels the way she does. Worse, her character continues (as though quoting Joey's), "Yeah, but why?" He's still asking her. He's not leaving her alone about it because he's obsessed with figuring out the problem so he can solve it. And it's driving her away.

"Why don't you just tell them all to fuck off, love, and be mine?" ("Them" probably being "those wankers that you serve all night".) For Lestat, "them"/"those wankers" is probably all of Louis's human connections.

As others have pointed out, "The Rockrose and the Thistle", another of TAD's songs, is a good example of how to love someone through depression instead of trying to love them out of it (too bad Lestat couldn't have heard it back then).

And while I could probably relate several other songs from The Amazing Devil to Interview with the Vampire, I'll just leave ya'll with this line from "Battle Cries": "This isn't a breakup, dear heart, it's a season finale!"

(Also, if you've listened to Little Miss Why So and you think that Joey sounds like Jaskier from Netflix's The Witcher, that's because it is! The Amazing Devil has 3 albums out, in case you want to hear more of his and Madeleine's phenomenal voices. Now, off you go, to be spellbound by these beautiful lovely Fae creatures!)

[thelostgirl21]

"My number-one priority, which I said to her, was just to make sure that we were doing it right and that we did it sensitively with a care and a kinship, and I wanted to avoid all kinds of stereotyping, really. So there was an awful lot of script rewrites and things like that. We deleted whole scenes in favour of songs. So I brought in a new song, and I said: 'Can we just cut all this dialogue, and I can just sing something?'" - Joey Batey, Digital Spy interview

The first time I watched that scene, when Jaskier started singing that last part to Prince Radovid:

Of them, I’ve had enough. With you, I have enough. With you, I am enough. I am… I am enough...

I literally started crying. Because, although it's played for laughs, since the beginning of the show, Jaskier's often been portrayed like this "annoying character" that tries too hard to be liked, wanted, and involved in his friends' lives... to find his "forever home"...

But often, he just gets punched in the gut, blamed for everything going wrong in other people's lives, gets told off when he tries to introduce himself or be included in moments where people are there to offer each other comfort (but apparently want none from him) as a result...

Season 2 started to make some progress on that, with Yennefer and Geralt allowing themselves to show more vulnerability around him, and telling him that his help his needed...

Season 3 saw characters that are usually so quick to dismiss him and treat him harshly (ex: Yarpen Zigrin) actually thank him, when they realize how selfless Jaskier can be, and the risks he is willing to take to help others (even those that treat him like an annoying nuisance)...

But still, he'd gotten used, at some point, to being "barely tolerated" rather than "wanted". And his "break up" with Geralt broke his heart and hurt him so much that, although forgiven, I believe it did leave some scars...

As someone with ADHD (that has a tendency to get overexcited about a bunch of things without noticing that it doesn't interest people, impulsively interrupt them with my thoughts, follow them around, and "impose my presence" without meaning to) and associated rejection sensitive dysphoria, Jaskier's behavior and emotional responses are something very easy for me to identify with.

And having him sing "With you I am enough. I am enough," hit me right in the feels, in the most cathartic way!

Prince Radovid is the first person we met on the show, I think, that was shown as being immediately happy to meet Jaskier, wished to adopt that puppy and bring him home right away, saw him as being irresistible and special, envied Geralt for having Jaskier as a friend/companion, couldn't get enough of his singing, and listened when he talked to the things he didn't say...

Knowing that it is Joey himself that just decided to basically show up to work with that song he'd written, and ask if he could sing it instead of using the dialogue in the script, just ended up offering yet another layer to that scene.

When hearing him sing:

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

now, I can't help but feel like there's some kind of "meta" dimension to those lyrics, as the actor chose to sing what he - as the person embodying Jaskier - wanted to sing, rather than what had been scripted and what others would have wanted him to sing.

That song feels deeply personal, born out of a very intimate understanding of the character, and how being treated the way that he used to be treated would have emotionally and psychologically affected him.

I'll be 100% honest, when Joey was talking about the sapioromantic connection between the characters, and explaining how Radovid wore a mask, was a bit of a mystery to him, and how Jaskier would become fascinated and wish to figure him out...

...I was genuinely concerned that they'd somehow manage to "romanticize" yet another toxic relationship, where the two characters would constantly be trying to outsmart and play mind games with each other.

But that's not it at all. They are both seeing what they try so hard to hide from others. Prince Radovid's environment is highly toxic and dysfunctional (as Jaskier aptly described, he's stuck in a vipers' den) - knowing too much, or not enough - can mean life or death for him.

Whereas Jaskier tries so hard to meet expectations and be what others need or want him to be - give voice to other people's issues, stories and problems - that he all but becomes invisible to others himself as a process.

Sure, they know his name and his songs. But they don't know Jaskier's own soul or story. He fades away in the background for the benefit of others.

They are both trying to figure each other out not because they are people that enjoy indulging in court intrigues, manipulating others, and dominating "the game" for their own gain...

They are trying to emotionally connect with the good, beautiful, and vulnerable parts of themselves that they have been forced to hide from the rest of the world to survive.

They are highly insightful empathetic individuals using their gifts on each other to empower each other, rather than malignant narcissists using their perceptiveness to control each other.

This is an extremely refreshing and healthy relation dynamic that I was sort of hoping for - since Joey put so much emphasis on how important it was for him to offer a relationship that may be flawed, but handled sensitively and carefully without resorting to stereotypes - but this totally went above and beyond my expectations!

If Joey Batey himself isn't queer, then he's got such a capacity for love and emotional empathy that he's apparently able to care about queer issues with the intensity and insightfulness of someone that has experienced them.

The fact that he's using queer labels and sub-categories that are often lesser known by people outside of the LGBTQ+ community to describe Jaskier's sexuality (sapioromantic, panromantic or pansexual...), as well as talking about issues affecting non-monosexuals, such as the desire to avoid bisexual erasure, brings some much needed attention towards the richness and diversity of the LGBTQ+ community!

I sincerely couldn't be happier, or more grateful...

Apparently, there are plans to further explore Ciri's bisexuality, too, with the introduction of Mistle in Season 3!

Here's hoping they'll be using Jaskier as "queer consultant" for the other queer romances on the show...

Also, the relationship between our sweet Bi!Ciri and her weird Pan!Uncle Jaskier means everything to me...

I'm trying to remember if Ciri has been exposed to any models of queer romances in her life...

I mean, most unions between princes and princesses, or kings and queens, are often political alliances. They might have same gender consorts, but I'm not sure that this is something they would have educated younger princesses about, or made very "public".

I sort of want to have her catch Jaskier and Radovid while they are kissing at some point, and realize that the innocent crush she had on Triss in Season 2 is something that is perfectly normal, and that she shouldn't be afraid nor ashamed of that part of herself.

Maybe even go to him and start asking him questions about it... That would be a very thoughtful and sensitive way to explore what being queer means in the world of the Witcher; having Ciri learn, directly from Jaskier, about the potential risks associated with being in an openly gay relationship.

There would really be such an opportunity for the two of them to continue to bond over something like this, and Ciri would know that she's got someone that genuinely loves her and that she can trust to support her and the choices she makes regarding her love life in the future, no matter what.

I can see so many possibilities, though I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic about this (since if they went that route, it would just seem too good to be true!)...

[thelostgirl21]

Okay, but...

If the original dialogue for their scenes had Jaskier and Radovid essentially referring to themselves as being "two things of beauty, made to be together"...

And Joey then asked for all that dialogue to be cut, so he could just sing a song instead to replace it...

Could "Extraordinary Things" thus be an actual nod to (and/or have been inspired by) that original line of dialogue (that was also used for their chemistry reading)?

And so, when Jaskier sings about "Extraordinary Things", he's actually literally singing about Radovid and himself together?!

i.e.

"Why waste our words when lips were made for extraordinary things?" =>"Why waste our words when [our] lips were made for [each other]?"

and

"So take this heart and break this heart for extraordinary things" => "So take this heart and break this heart for [the two of us]"

And, if "Extraordinary Things" = "Two things of beauty made to be together"; and

"Two things of beauty made to be together" = "Jaskier & Radovid"

Technically, that would mean that the very title of the song itself would stand for:

"Jaskier & Radovid"

right?

"Extraordinary Things" would thus be a song about how Jaskier and Radovid are "Two things of beauty made to be together so they can elevate each other." *

*"With you I have enough. With you I am enough."

And "elevating Jaskier" is, indeed, what Radovid has been shown as actively doing this whole season!

He's constantly been reminding Jaskier of how special he is, how irresistible his songs are, how lucky people are to have him in their lives... He's been making him feel like what he wants to sing about matters more than what people want to hear him sing, attentively listening to him, learning from him, making him feel like he is enough, etc.

Radovid even tells Vizimir that he's finally found something (a thing of beauty) that suits him (he was made to be with).

And that "something" (thing of beauty) is a "someone" (Jaskier).

Radovid is the first character that we see actively seeking to understand Jaskier and make him feel more confident, appreciated, etc. from the very moment they meet.

And I dare hope that Jaskier will play a role that will help empower and elevate Radovid as well in future seasons, because that poor King desperately needs it right now!

But yeah, while I'd interpreted "Extraordinary Things" as possibly referring to all the wonderful things the two of them could possibly experience and create together in the future; it had never occurred to me that it could also be used to simply refer to them.

That Joey might have somehow cleverly managed to incorporate some of the elements from the original dialogue / chemistry reading into the song.

It just adds a very interesting and quite beautiful layer to it...

"Oh, a fan? And someone who understands true artistry? How the instrument and the artist can elevate each other." "Yes, two things of beauty, made to be together."

[machtaholic]

I posted 3,703 times in 2022

98 posts created (3%)

3,605 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@krissielee

@childoffantasy

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I tagged 2,677 of my posts in 2022

Only 28% of my posts had no tags

#video - 260 posts

#lol - 136 posts

#animals - 134 posts

#this - 91 posts

#roflmao - 91 posts

#sebastian stan - 90 posts

#romania's next top model - 85 posts

#yes - 84 posts

#art - 84 posts

#chris evans - 77 posts

Longest Tag: 92 characters

#'if youre puritanical enough you loop back around to being a freak' see also: the victorians

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Can I talk for a bit about (1) Geralt's low self esteem and (2) the moment Jaskier falls truly madly deeply in love with Geralt and promises himself to make Geralt realize how beautiful Geralt is?

Okay so Geralt has, for his entire Witcher existence, has believed that he's some sort of emotionless monster, that no one would ever love a Witcher (except his brethren and the odd mage every now and then) and if he wants companionship, the he pays for it. So, he just resigns himself to trysts.

Yen was a mistake and as much as Geralt wanted it to work, it doesn't. And sometimes he still thinks she sees him as a Witcher. Nothing more.

Enter Jaskier. Who jokes and teases and calls Geralt out on his bullshit. Now Jaskier, first time he sees Geralt, just sees ... SEX. In black leather. Monosyllablic, Geralt is the fantasy/medieval version of the bad boy on a motorcycle. And Jaskier is the slightly popular coffeeshop nerd who falls so hard for him. For Jaskier it's just someone to ogle, maybe some inspiration for songs.

They become friends.

Then Geralt breaks Jaskier's heart. And Jaskier grieves the only way he knows how. To write songs. But then, there Geralt is again. Bad boy in black leather and Jaskier just ... caves.

At Kaer Morhen, Jaskier sees another side of Geralt. And the first time he sees Geralt joking with his brethren, and sees a true and honest smile on his face, Jaskier knows he is in SO MUCH TROUBLE. Except not. Because then that smile gets directed at him.

Geralt smiles at Jaskier. A true, honest, smile.

Jaskier melts and makes it his mission to ensure Geralt always smiles like that.

46 notes - Posted January 2, 2022

#4

It is comedically sad that OFMD literally had to smack us over the head with the text because we've all become so wary from all the queer baiting that we're scared to trust our own eyes ...

47 notes - Posted April 6, 2022

#3

52 notes - Posted January 29, 2022

#2

I read 'I Kissed Shara Wheeler' by Casey McQuiston in ONE DAY and fell completely in love with ...

...

...

SMITH PARKER

59 notes - Posted May 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I just finished watching 'How to Build a Sex Room' on Netflix and ... it is probably one of the most sex positive shows I've seen. The soundtrack is completely awesome and every song they play use is a bop. Also, the designer, Melanie Rose is lovely and so accepting.

And she and her contractor are a fucking kick when they're together - and for as much as they joke, her contractor is just as open and accepting as she is. And the people that are featured on this show are such an amazing cross-section of America.

More vanilla couples, people on their second wedding, gay couples, lesbian couples, nonbinary, polycules, a single woman finding her way after 22 years of marriage, a couple where the man was raised super conservative so is far newer to kink than his wife, highschool sweethearts who have been together 17 years where the woman tops ...

This 8 episode 'design series' actually does an amazing job of showing that kink comes in all shapes, sizes and flavours.

I highly reccommend it.

1,554 notes - Posted July 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

Witcher Netflix fans… we need to chat.

This… This is not okay. I’m so tired of this.

I don’t care if you hate Jaskier/Dandelion - that’s your business and no one says you have to like him. But insulting Joey - who is a real human being with very real feelings - is crossing the line on so many different levels. I don’t care how much you hate the character, you do NOT bring their actor into it and start making these kinds of remarks.

Thankfully Joey tends to not be terribly active on social media and only posts to promote his band or a project (like The Witcher). He’s stated he doesn’t use social media that often as well for a reason. And, again thankfully, he was not tagged in any of these comments or even in the original posts being quoted, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t necessarily see it.

Except this one. This was a direct quote retweet of his reply to Lauren Hissrich posting the joke Halloween poster. There’s more of a chance he saw that one of course.

I really hope for his sake that he has not actually seen any of these things - but we don’t know if he has or not. There is always the chance that he’s seen what supposed fans are saying, and how do you think that’s going to make him feel? Given how much he loves the role and has spoken about how perfect this role is, even his sister told him that, seeing people say this kind of stuff is bound to make him feel awful.

There’s a reason he doesn’t really do social media, a reason why he doesn’t really stop to take photos with fans at premieres (I’ve seen maybe one picture of him taking a selfie with someone but not the actual selfie itself), a reason why he tends to keep to himself despite being incredibly polite and humble when he does show up to events or speaks to people. I’m not a psychiatrist or doctor, I’m just a fan of him and his work as a musician and actor, but it wouldn’t shock me if he had some social anxiety and that being thrust into a huge spotlight like he is on The Witcher wasn’t helping. Apparently at the first Witcher premiere, he had to go and play a piano to calm down because it was crazy with the cameras/photos/fans. He even wrote a song about being socially anxious which makes me think he experiences it at least somewhat! So if he’s seen even one or two of these, it wouldn’t shock me if it fucking hurt or upset him.

Joey has done absolutely nothing to deserve people mocking his appearance, performance, voice, or anything else. Nothing. I know this is mainly twitter where I see it, but I’m sure if I dug hard enough I’d find it floating about here too (which I’m not going to do because I cannot be assed to give those people attention). If for whatever reason you dislike Joey, then you know what? Fine. You can’t like everyone, and I’m not expecting everyone in the world to like him because that would be impossible. But stop doing this - stop saying he’s ugly, untalented etc.

These people mostly seem to be Lodge or Yen fans, which is bizarre to me because Anya has said quite recently (at the premiere I believe) that she loves Joey and that Yen and Jaskier have more scenes together this season. And I highly doubt that any of the other cast - Henry, Freya - would appreciate their fans insulting and harassing a friend and co-worker of theirs who they seem to get on with well.

Also, just a side note, and this is very much my personal opinion more than anything… He is NOT ugly?!? At all?! Or untalented?!? Literally any of us who’ve heard not only Toss a Coin but also anything by The Amazing Devil knows that this man is talented as fck… that’s just it, he’s unfairly multi-talented! He not only performs in the band, he also writes music, plays MULTIPLE instruments, he acts…

^ He is NOT ugly by any stretch of the imagination! If you don’t personally think he’s attractive, then fine! We all have different tastes! But just because you don’t find him attractive personally, that doesn’t mean he’s ugly! ^

[queenxxxsupreme]

Hi love! Just saw your prompt idea and I would like to request a Eskel x Reader (not Netflix Eskel though please) with the prompt ❛ do you think the moon is jealous of how pretty you are? ❜? Maybe it’s a drunk Eskel scenario?

A/N: Hi babe! This was a fun one to do! I might have gotten a bit carried away with some of the dialogue....

Warnings: Lambert has no filter and is literally not kid friendly at all, nothing outside of canon except maybe language,

***

You hummed to Jaskier’s song as you took the tray of empty tankards up to the bar. 

“That lot’s a rowdy one.” The barkeep eyed the corner you came from. 

You glanced over your shoulder to see what exactly he was seeing.

Jaskier sat on a table as he played his lute and sung a rather lewd and sexual song about a raven haired lass from Cintra. Geralt sat at the same table as him enjoying the company of a trio of ladies.When you left the table, Lambert had been singing with Jaskier and enjoying his drinks while Eskel was talking to a woman. But now the hot headed young witcher was on his feet and arguing with a patron. Eskel was next to him, a bit unsteady on his feet but determined to stand up for his brother. 

“I’ve seen worse crowds.” You pulled a few coins from your pocket and placed them on the bar to pay for another round of drinks. 

“Not too keen on a band of mutants causin’ any trouble.”

As you were adjusting a strap on your satchel, you stopped. Your eyes met the barkeep’s. 

“They’re paying customers just like the rest.”

The man shrugged his shoulders. 

You didn’t care to push the subject now. It wouldn’t do any good. 

He moved away to get your drinks and when he returned, you took the tray back to your witchers and bard. 

“Ah, there she is!” Jaskier moved his lute around so that it was on his back. He got down from the table and took a drink off of the tray. “Thank you, my darling.”

“Fucking prick.” Lambert muttered as he swiped a tankard off of the tray.

“A little bit of manners goes a long way, Lambert.” You began to place the remaining three drinks down on the table. 

“That fucking bag of dicks needs to go drown in a latrine!” 

“Lambert.” Geralt scolded, shaking his head. “Not tonight.”

“Fuck off, old man.” The young witcher sat down heavily at the table. “I’ll do what I want.”

“I don’t want to have to save your ass when you piss off the entire fucking village.”

"You don't have to save my ass."

"I have to save your ass at least once whenever we're together."

Lambert glared at the white haired witcher for a few moments before turning his attention to the women with him.

“By the way, ladies, has he mentioned that the same shit that turned his hair white gave him limp dick?”

The women looked at each other and then to Geralt before slipping away.

You took a sip of your drink to keep from giggling. 

“You’re a fucking child, Lambert.” Geralt growled. He took his drink, angrily gripping the metal and gulping down the drink. 

“Yeah? Don’t try to boss me around.”

“I should’ve let that damned forktail eat you yesterday.”

“And your mom should’ve swallo–,”

“Enough!” Eskel cut Lambert off. You scooted over on the bench so that he could sit next to you. “We aren’t here to fight. We are here to enjoy ourselves.”

“Well, I was enjoying myself.” Jaskier grinned.

“I was enjoying myself too.” Lambert crossed his arms. “I was just about to tell our dear brother what his mother should’ve done to prevent his birth.”

“Don’t be so lewd in front of Y/N.”

“She isn’t the gods damned Queen of Redania, Eskel.”

“It’s alright, Eskel.” You gave him a little smile. You appreciated how sweet he was and how he was trying to look out for you, even though it really wasn’t necessary.

“I am pretty sure I have seen Y/N do more raunchy things than even myself.” Jaskier said. 

Your mouth fell open as you looked at the bard. 

“I am not raunchy, Jaskier!”

“That’s not what the innkeep from the village outside of Vizima would say if you asked him.” Geralt shook his head. 

“Geralt!”

***

After a few hours, Jaskier had disappeared with someone and so had Geralt. You assumed the same happened with Lambert. You last saw him walking away from the table into a crowd alone. Perhaps he went back to the inn where you all had rooms. 

This left you with Eskel. 

It was eventually time to leave the tavern and head back to the inn. The witcher was far too intoxicated to walk steadily by himself, so you walked with him with one of his large arms over your shoulders. 

Eskel was a heavy man. His muscle accounted for much of that weight. You did your best to steady him and provide what support you could, but every once in a while, he would stumble and nearly face plant in the mud. 

“You’re a– *hiccup* –good friend, Y/N.” 

“I just don’t want you to end up face down in a mud puddle somewhere.” You adjusted his arm across your shoulder. 

“How come you– *hiccup* –you aren’t drunk like– *hiccup* –like me?”

“Because unlike you boys, I can pace myself. I don’t drink with the intention of forgetting my name and pissing myself.”

For whatever reason, Eskel thought that was the funniest thing you said. He threw his head back and laughed, nearly throwing you off balance and sending you both to the floor. 

As his laugh was dying down, he opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of the sky. 

“Y/N?”

“Eskel?”

“Do you…. think the moon is jealous? Jealous of how pretty you are?”

You looked over at him, a smile coming to your face. He continued to stare at the moon above, golden eyes practically shimmering from the white light. 

You tugged on his tunic and his hand that rested on your shoulder. 

“Come on, big guy. We need to get you to bed.”

He chuckled.

“I’m serious. The moon– It must be absolutely fucking jealous of how stunning you are.”

“You’re a real charmer when you’re drunk, Eskel.”

He produced a shit eating grin as he began to walk once more. 

“I know.”

You kept your eyes downwards to focus on where Eskel was putting his feet. You wanted to prevent any tripping. 

“And it’s she.”

“What?” He furrowed his brows, turning his head to look at you. 

“The moon is she.” You glanced over just momentarily to catch his eyes, smiling gently when your gaze met. 

“Well…. She is nothing compared to you.”

You were glad it was dark enough that he couldn’t see your cheeks flushing. 

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[thelostgirl21]

Sincerely, with the amount of queer coding, Jaskier admitting that "Burn Butcher Burn" came from him having a "broken heart", the way he appeared almost jealous of Yennefer in Season 1 (by "jealous", I don't mean necessarily as a lover not willing to share, but Geralt was caring and tender with her, despite the way that she kept mistreating and using others, whereas he'd be dismissive of Jaskier's efforts to make things easier for him / care for him), the fact that he suggested he'd be into a "good looking man with nice boots" in "Blood Origin"...

Batey also described him as literally being a panromantic polyamorous puppy dog in an interview, and now he is talking about the relationship they are about to introduce as being a sapioromantic/sapiosexual one (often a subset of pansexuality, given sapioromantic/sexuals often experience attraction regardless of gender or even physical appearance) in an article published on the day right before "Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day" (May 24th)...

Look, everything in the series, and off the series, has already been heavily hinting and building up to this.

I don't think there's any need for a "reveal" of any sort, especially if he's really simply a guy that easily falls in love with everyone (or anyone, 'cause really that song could be about anyone!) and goes for it without really measuring the consequences, because he gets a bit obsessed with whoever is in front of him, especially if they stimulate his intellect / seem quite intelligent.

I'm really hoping there's no "soul-searching" from Jaskier on this, and that going for a man will be the most natural thing in the world for him, because Jaskier, on the show, has been pretty much unapologetic about who he is and only showing some insecurities with those he loves.

When meeting his "double" , his first instinct was to wonder if he'd be "into it" and be super open about it. The ease with which he went "good looking man" - even if he was referring to himself - would then make Jaskier feeling weirded out by being attracted to a man feel extremely out of character to me.

He's an artist, he's someone people judge for his "otherness". We've always wondered if the way the line was spoken hinted at him being queer, too. Because being queer is often described as being "other".

It's like Jaskier has being telling us all along already... it's just that it's one of those rare instances where the queer coding of a character, and the not-so-hidden allusions to that character as being "one of us", might actually lead to him being actually "one of us"!

And yes, I'd be delighted for some panromantic/sexual (attraction regardless of gender, rather than towards own gender and other genders) representation on the show.

I know some people will say that "Oh, he likes women, because he told Geralt 'Food, women and wine!'", but you've got to remember that Jaskier was talking to Geralt.

He is a bard and a storyteller. If "women" is something he'd believe Geralt to be into, he'll put emphasis on gender for his audience's benefit, not because genders matter to him.

When Jaskier speaks, he's looking to keep people interested/captivated in what he's saying. He's not necessarily expressing his own interests. So it would be refreshing to have him not care much about dicks, or men vs women, in general, just about whoever he's with (how intelligent, charming, good looking they are, etc., regardless of gender).

And I'd be ever happier if they were brave enough to fully go the polyamorous route with the puppy!

We need some good, open, polyamorous representation out there, and Jaskier's ability to genuinely empathize with everyone he meets, and easily fall in love with them, would do wonders in terms of positive polyamorous representation, especially if some of them become genuine love interests over time.

Because polyamory involves a lot of trust and honesty and building enduring bonds with people over time.

There are some people with whom I'd expect him to just be fascinated/enamoured with fleetingly, but some with whom he'd develop enduring feelings of partnership and loyalty (it's not being disloyal to take on more than a single committed romantic/sexual partner in a context where you are very open and honest about it).

Jaskier's love for his friends already runs deep, and he's comfortable sharing moments of physical non-sexual intimacy with them.

I easily identify with him, in a sense, because although I'm not polyamorous per say, my friendships border a bit on the "romantic".

They are open, honest, often emotionally and physically intimate (no touch of a sexual intent/nature, but I'd totally be comfortable rubbing chamomile on a friend's lovely bottom without feeling a need of taking it any further than that! It would feel natural and not trigger any sexual instinct in me in the least. But there would definitely be something affectionate about it. A kind of "I'm here for you and I've got your back - or your butt, I guess - whatever you need!").

I've always felt that Jaskier gets attached and instinctively seeks this sort of trust / closeness / companionship / intimacy with the most meaningful people in his life.

That he got deeply brokenhearted with Geralt, because Geralt apparently never saw nor appreciated what he was offering him, and just how dedicated and devoted a friend he is.

Geralt became an integral part of his life... Someone he bonded with as a form of life and travel companion, confidante, etc.

And then, he gets blamed for everything going wrong in Geralt's existence and tossed aside as if nothing they ever did or shared together ever meant anything to him!

Jaskier was "out of it" when Geralt worried over him having gotten hurt and potentially dying and regretted some of the things he said to him. Yennefer saw, but Jaskier never did.

He's been showing Geralt nothing but love, believing that Geralt cared and felt some attachment towards him, too (but was simply too emotionally constipated to show it), and poor Jaskier is left to wonder if that was simply his imagination playing tricks on him, or wishful thinking that Geralt valued anything they shared together at all.

I kinda hope that the family dynamic they have where Jaskier is like Ciri's uncle involves a sort of polyromantic dynamic between Geralt, Yennefer and Jaskier, in a sense.

Because I don't think that, when it comes down to it, sexual intimacy is something that Jaskier necessarily would need from either of them.

I think he'd rather be welcome to share a place in their lives, and in their adventures, and feel like they both want to share those moments with him and make him feel an integral part of their family/story.

Just give him hugs, and forehead kisses, and banter with him, and let him braid your hair, and rub ointment on your wounds (regardless of where they are), and cook him meals, and snuggle up to him when it gets cold at night, and listen to him talk about his love life outside of your tight-knit family, and if he gets brokenhearted again by someone unable to appreciate all he's got to offer them, listen to him and help him heal, and just let him love you and sing songs about you, alright?

Just let the bard be happy and don't just "let him tag along", but actively ask him to come along, and let him know that he's so much more than "just a bard", but the freaking heart and soul of the whole place, alright?

Actually, I think Jaskier might just have this sense of how far he's allowed to go with people he spontaneously falls in love with intimacy-wise, and lets them set the pace and stop where he feels their comfort level with him stops.

Geralt is "chamomile rubbing on the bottom", Yennefer is "heartfelt hugs"... Lambert doesn't want to be touched... Hey! This one I can fuck! And he'll just adjust and adapt to any sudden change in the dynamic.

Every relationship in life doesn't need to answer any set of clearly given rules. Jaskier is just Jaskier, and people should just adopt and love him regardless of whatever form that love takes.

I'm actually really interested in how they'll handle the ""reveal"" of Jaskier being bisexual

I don't mean that as in, I expect a show-stopping and emotional coming-out scene but, just the act of establishing his queerness

I feel like there are vaguely 2 different ways of doing it, and even then there are a bunch of small things they can make different but

Route 1.) Jask will be conveniently bisexual the whole time. they'll act like his being into both men and women was already an established thing, despite the fact that it really was not a reality until very recently (recently, as in recently in the real world)

I have a few mixed emotions abt this route, but ultimately I wouldn't hate it if they went with this (low key it fits with the writing by the seat of our pants vibe the show already has, sorry Lauren)

Route 2.) Jask discovers his bisexuality throughout the season, most likely by developing a male crush and doing some soul-searching.

lovely! heartwarming! And keeping up with the established cannon. Yes, Jasskier is very smooth with the ladies but now he can be smooth with the men as well. I also think it would be very cool to see an older character (jaskier is like 40 right?) discover these new things abt himself, it's never too late for more self-discoveries. go get that dick bestie

I also wonder if they go with "Route 2" if it'll be a slow burn deal with longing looks, confused feelings, and lots of hypothetical internal discussion

or if Radovid will take one look at this fuzzy, emotionally tormented poet going through a midlife crisis and be like "so...wanna kiss? kiss maybe? kiss with tongue?? wanna fuck on this dining table, bard?"

and jaskier just 0-0 "yeah."

omg secret third route, Route 1.5.) Valdo Marx will very publicly and very dramatically reveal his and Jaskiers old lustful gay relationship from their college years while publically shaming Jask for being a bad bf like,

"really panckratz,,, you call yourself a tender and generous lover??? well you never acted that way... WITH ME"

*queue credits*

[writersblockedx]

Music Fixes All

Pairing - Jaskier x Reader Summary - After days of non-stop walking, you finally find an Inn. Still, your mind can't seem to turn off, so you seek the help of the boy next door. Warnings - alcohol, implications of sex Words - 2.5K

A/n - Happy new years (eve technically). I wrote and proof read this in about two hours, so if it’s terrible, I apologise. 

MASTERLIST

Walking was beginning to become painful. Your legs ached and begged for rest, your body slowing. It was times like these when you wished for a horse like Roach, or wished for Geralt to express some pity on your non-mutant bones. Alas, your feet stayed touched to the floor while Geralt, literally, sat on his high horse.

"Ah, how bout' this?" Jaskier exclaimed as he strung his fingers along his instrument once again. You were pretty sure both you and Geralt had rolled your eyes at the same time.

Now, it wasn't that you didn't like the pretty little ballads the boy would compose, however, when it was now hitting the three hour mark, it was beginning to get on your nerves.

"How about you give your voice a rest, eh?" You suggested to him, a smile tugging at your lips in hope to seal your annoyance.

You watched as Jaskier stiffened awkwardly, his hands falling from his instrument as that gleaming grin of his faded. "Right, yeah." He muttered. Quiet mumblings which seemed to bring on a wave a guilt.

"It's not that I don't like your songs, it's just the only conversation we've had so far is you discussing lyrics." You defended but no defence was going to bring that grin back.

"She's trying to tell you it's irritating." Geralt spoke ever so blunt.

Your head shot back to him, "Geralt." You sheathed in a stern stare at the man.

Jaskier seemed to scoff to himself. He hadn't slowed as you did to glance back at the sliver haired man, instead he continued, not daring to meet your gaze again. "It's fine. I may not be a witcher, but I can still handle citizen." You shouldn't have said a word.

You seemed to stop dead in your tracks, Geralt and Roach trotting along to catch up with Jaskier as your thoughts engulfed you for a moment. A moment in which you were able to spot the small town dotted only a few roads into the forest. "Huh." You uttered out as your eyes narrowed to gauge said town. "A town." You spoke to alert the two boys. They stopped, turned to you, followed your gaze, then glanced back at yourself. "Bet it has a pub."

Before either boy could give you their opinions on said town, you were already walking that direction. Jaskier was the first to follow while Geralt did all but shake his head and mutter a, "Fuck sake." at the disruption of his travels. Something that was becoming frequent now with the company of both yourself and the bard.

Still, three of you walked into the town. And three of you walked into the pub. Geralt made strict instructions that Jaskier was to keep his instrument at bay and he was to sit with his mouth shut. All while you made a b-line for the ale. Jaskier watched from afar as you scooped the three cups into your hands, juggling each of them. And Geralt watched as Jaskier watched. As if something had just clicked, the witcher made an instant realisation. "You like her."

The boy snapped his head around quickly - as if that wasn't enough to prove Geralt's assumption. "What?"

The other man smiled to himself, "I should have known; any women with a heartbeat and you're all over her."

"Least it's not a dead women." Your voice chimed in from above the two; Jaskier tensed even more. You dropped the pints to the table with a thud, sighing as you threw yourself into the free chair between the two boys. Taking a swing from your pint of ale, you finally looked to the two. "So who's this women?"

Subconsciously, your eyes dotted across the pub for whoever this women was they were referring to. And the moment Geralt looked as if he was about to speak, Jaskier butted in first. "You missed her, just left." He pushed out. "Beautiful lady." The boy paused, taking an oddly long sip from his cup before swallowing and placing it back to the table. "Lovely erm-" He paused once more, caught in his lie. "Lovely breasts." He swallowed again, though this time, there was no ale to swallow, it seemed he had only swallowed his dignity.

You glanced to Geralt, a shared expression painted on both your faces. "Right." You giggled. "Good for you, Jaskier."

And once the three cups were emptied, Geralt pushed the two of you out from your seats and back on the trail to find another one of his creatures. And you were back to walking, back to aching. You thought about asking to ride Roach many a time, but you knew it would only end in a stupid comment from Geralt and a loss of your own pride. So you stuck with walking - despite how many blisters were beginning to sore your skin.

Your feet slowed as time went on, not bothering to keep up with Geralt and Roach. Something Jaskier joined you with as the two of you walked side by side. "Do you really find my voice irritating?" He couldn't help but ask.

You laughed at the boy's insecurity as you glanced up at him and his awkward pupils. "No." You told him. "It was only that we'd been walking for three hours and I sometimes don't find the pondering of song lyrics the best type of conversation topic." You explained to the boy.

"Guess you make a good point." And as you looked at him once more, you caught a glimmer of that familiar grin you had recently found yourself urging for. You were sure by morning that grin would once again be gleaming, as would his enthusiasm for the day.

Geralt stopped outside another small town, scanning across the propitiates it may hold. He glanced back to the two of you and gestured to the town. "There's an inn. We should stay here for the night, we have the coin for it." He suggested.

To which, both you and Jaskier agreed and before you knew it, you were being shown to your rooms. "See you in the morning." That was all Geralt said before whisking himself into his own room for the night. Surprisingly, alone for once.

But you and Jaskier lingered in the hallway for a moment. Jaskier knew why he seemed to linger, but not so much yourself, neither did you. But, for some reason, despite the ache that tortured your body, you weren't urged into your bed like you normally were. "Sleep well." You nodded to the boy and headed for your room not knowing what else to tell him.

Jaskier stumbled for the words to say in return, "You too." He had mustered out, but they were spoken to a closed door, his voice too quiet in his uncertainty for you to hear. So, as he did every night, he headed to bed, alone, pining for the girl that slept only meters from him.

Though, he spent little time dawning on it. To him, it was how things were. He pined for you, wanted you more than the lyrics to a song could express, yet you viewed him as nothing but the chatty bard who followed around the Witcher like a lost puppy.

But that night seemed a shifting point for yourself. Your body longed for rest that you had wished for all day, yet you laid awake, the ceiling seeming to stare back at you. Your mind twisting with thoughts which taunted you. And when you were certain you weren't going to sleep that night, you wondered out into the hallway. In nothing but your nightwear, you knocked your knuckles against the door of the bard.

You waited a moment or two. Nothing. You assumed he had, like you should have, fallen asleep. So you turned, shaking your head in this plan you had conjured up. A stupid plan at that. You weren't even sure how it ended, only that you found yourself craving for the company of a boy you had spent the entire day with already.

You turned from the door, going to return to your own. "Y/n?" Your head shot around. A sleepy, shaggy-haired Jaskier creaked his head out from his room. "Everything okay?" Only now did you catch his croaky voice you were sure accompanied him every morning.

Suddenly, you body seemed stiff and awkward. This was as far as your plan went. You shrugged, "Can't sleep." You answered him as you pointed back to your own room. You took a few steps closer, standing where you were when you first knocked. "Just wondered if you were awake, could have some entertainment then."

That left the boy with one question: "Why would I be awake?"

He wouldn't be. That was a stupid thing for you to think, yet here you stood. "Yeah, your right sorry." You were already moving away from him. "Sorry for waking you." You were almost halfway down the hallway again.

"Y/n." He called out to you, soft in his tone as to not disturb any other guests. "Come on," The boy nodded his head to the inside of the room, opening the door as wide as it was able to invite you in.

But still, your head shook in response, "You need sleep as well." You told him. But it was too late now.

"I'm too tired to bicker with you." The right reply to that was to point out the irony in his argument, but you couldn't help but accept the offer. Before you knew it, you were shuffling inside Jaskier's room.

You glanced across the boy's room, no different to your own. Yet, you found yourself spotting the things. His things. His clothes which had been messily sprawled across the floor that only expressed how desperate his need for sleep had been tonight and with that, reinforced your guilt in having woke him up. "Any particular entertainment you were wanting?" He had questioned when you said nothing.

"I had honestly not thought this far ahead." You answered, finally spinning to face the boy, whose eyes were already pinned against yourself.

"I mean, I'd offer to play some music for you, but after-"

You cut the boy short, "I'd like that." You seemed to blurt out, something that had tugged a grin at Jaskier's expression. Yet, he still seemed surprised in your reply.

"Well then, take a seat in the audience-" He gestured dramatically to his bed, "-and let me prepare you with my many musical tricks." You did all but smile at his words and followed his instructions, snuggling against the tangled bed sheets.

You watched quietly for a moment as Jaskier took his instrument from it's case before returning to the bed, practically hopping into the space next to you. With one arm sprawled over your back, pulling you close to his chest to then reach his string, the other held the instrument in place. And ever so quietly, the many ballads and poems you had heard played a million times before seemed to lull you into sleep. Maybe your body really was worn out, or maybe your mind had been put to rest at the sound of the familiar voice. Whatever it was, you were to question it in the morning.

And morning came quicker than you realised. Still wrapped within the arms of the bard, your eyes fluttered open. But not peacefully. No, they seemed to shoot open as a loud knock banged against the door. So loud in fact you weren't sure how Jaskier hadn't awoken. You were beginning to think Geralt had forgotten to pay the bill again. "Jaskier! Wake up! Y/n isn't in her room."

You jumped up, jumping out from Jaskier's hold. The boy did all but stir in his sleep. "Jaskier!" Another loud bang. The boy simply snored back into sleep. You groaned at how deep into unconsciousness he was and took it upon yourself to shake him awake.

And as you had done, he jolted awake. At first, a flash of fear splattered across his face, then his eyes adjusted to you and he relaxed. "Oh wow." You heard him speak to himself as his head fell back against his pillow. "I wasn't dreaming."

You really did question the boy's intelligence sometimes. "Your speaking aloud, Jaskier." You informed him.

At that, he shot up, the bed sheets falling down from his skin to reveal the fact he was no longer wearing a shirt. Whenever that happened, you really couldn't remember. "Jaskier, open this door!" Geralt yelled once more. "I don't want to do it myself."

Your eyes jumped from the door back to the boy in bed. "Why the fuck are you shirtless?" You spoke in a harsh whisper as to not be overheard by Geralt. Though, you weren't really sure what your plan was there. He was going to wonder in some point or another.

"Because it got hot in the night." Jaskier answered in a just as passive-aggressive whisper as you had done. "Why is Geralt threating to break into the room?"

"Because I'm not in mine!" You said that as if it was obvious. And to a very sleepy Jaskier, it very much wasn't.

Once more, Geralt yelled out. "Alright, I'm coming in!" The door rustled loudly and thudded against Geralt's weight.

"Shit." You practically threw yourself from the bed, scurrying to find the t-shirt that Jaskier had thrown in the middle of the night. Just in time, the door opened and you chucked the t-shirt at the boy. Not that it had hidden the fact he was very much still shirtless. And so Geralt walked in, you stood in your nightwear and Jaskier looking as if he could be naked beneath the sheets.

The Witcher stopped dead in his tracks, wide eyes and stiff. "Oh." That was to come out of his mouth.

Jaskier grinned as he always did, "Morning, Geralt." You wanted the world to swallow you there and then, and by the look on Geralt, as did he.

He couldn't even look either of you in the eye. Instead, he chose the floor. "Yeah, morning." He mumbled out as he turned around in the doorway to leave. "You can pay for the door by the way."

"Yep!" You replied. And with that, the man whisked right out of the room as quick as he was able to. You sighed, letting your much forced smile fall as your hand smacked against the boy still laid in bed. "Idiot!" You snapped.

"Ouch!" The boy whined as his hand went to rub against where you had reached out at him. All you could think as you stood there was that, at least it was over. Could it have gone any worse? Probably not

[abeautifulblog]

really broad trope game question: so many of your fics revolve around longing/pining/yearning. how do you feel about stories where the two characters are already solidly together? or, more generally, where there is a romantic plot but no tension around the characters getting or staying together?

Also known as established-relationship fics. :P

Established relationships are something that a LOT of writers struggle with; I daresay most romantic stories, fanfic or otherwise, prefer to focus on the longing/pining/yearning. The will-they-or-won't-they? tension of a developing relationship is often enough to carry readers through even a mediocre story—a much trickier proposition is keeping that relationship compelling once the sexual tension has been dispersed. (I have written about this before.)

And I know that writers are expected to be all modest and self-effacing, but... I actually think I'm pretty damn good at established relationships? o_O

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is one such example, because Gene and Robert are committedly together at roughly the 15% mark in that fic—and while they still have plenty of other issues to work through, the relationship itself is no longer a source of stress and tension, but rather a source of strength for both of them. The latter 85% of the fic is about them, as a team, dealing with life.

And despite the storm that readers know is coming in Song of Selfish Hearts, from Geralt's POV that's an established relationship too, particularly in chapters five and six. There's no pining—he and Jaskier are together, they have a rapport that's relaxed and comfortable and affectionate, and it's easy for them to enjoy each other's company.

And that, I think, is the most critical component to writing an established relationship: that they like each other.

Scorching sexual chemistry is all well and good, but at some point, that's no longer enough. Once they actually start getting to know each other as people, they'd better be finding out that they like the person they're discovering. Because past a certain point, you're not just writing a romance anymore -- you're also writing a friendship.

And for all that friendship tends to get devalued in pop culture vis-a-vis romantic relationships, audiences really, really like characters being friends.

Friends who are ride-or-die for each other. Who understand each other more deeply, more profoundly than anyone else does. Who have shared in-jokes and know exactly how to crack each other up, how to sass each other. Just look at how beloved the 'found family' trope is.

It's the reason for the enduring popularity of buddy-cop movies, which are often carried entirely by the friend-chemistry between the leads. It's why both fandom and comics canon love writing the Avengers team all living together in Stark Tower. It's part of what made season two of Umbrella Academy so charming, because it got to develop the friendships between the siblings. It's why the gays love Dragon Age 2, because the cast is literally just one big ride-or-die friends group of disaster bisexuals.

So many writers—particularly TV writers—don't seem to realize that solid, healthy relationships are not antithetical to drama, and that they don't have to set characters endlessly at each other's throats in order to keep up audience interest. Yes, relationships can occasionally be put under strain by the circumstances, but in order for that to be effective, it needs to be a deviation from the norm, not the norm itself.

The MCU's Civil War plotline failed, on an emotional level, because they had never bothered to establish a meaningful friendship between Steve and Tony. It's not much of a breakup if they were never friends to start with. =/

Moreover, so many people seem to approach writing romance and writing friendship as completely unrelated, non-overlapping categories. Friends are the people you like hanging out with; lovers are the people you want to bump uglies with. They think the key to a compelling romance just involves ramping up how scorchingly horny the blorbos are for each other.

(And I'm gonna come out and say it: this notion of not expecting to be friends with your romantic partner is so widespread in straight culture that it's all but the norm, and that is fucked. up. How much boomer humor is predicated on the assumption that husbands and wives are fundamentally antagonistic? How much blithe disrespect of each other's friends and interests have we heard straight couples express about their significant others?)

One of the best questions a beta reader ever asked me was, “Why do they like each other?” As in, these two people, why do THEY like EACH OTHER? What is it about this person that makes them unique and irreplaceable, not just interchangeable with any other hottie? What's their connection built on?

Because readers may show up for the UST, but they stay for the friendship.

And it's become clear to me over the years that I'm incapable of writing a romance if the people involved don't just straight up enjoy each other's company. They have to like hanging out together—it's why they keep doing it, why they continue to seek each other out.

Even the trashy hookup AU of Beautiful Day—which I was expecting to be pure angsty porn when I started it—turned out to be surprisingly fun. Their relationship is a lot more combative than it is in canon, because Gene wants a romance while Robert just wants to fuck, and it is a battle of wills that Robert is steadily losing, but there's a reason why neither of them has pulled the plug—because on the balance, they're having fun together.

I find that I can't write romances where the characters want to fuck each other's brains out, but do nothing but make each other miserable the rest of the time. And that's no shade on anyone who likes to write or read unhealthy relationship dynamics—they can indeed be extremely compelling!—but for me personally, I need some reason for why they're still there, why they haven't just given up on this as a bad deal already. If hanging out with this person only ever leaves you feeling upset/angry/depressed, why keep going back?

And on the flip side: if the characters do enjoy hanging out together, for reasons unrelated to sex -- if they have fun outside of bed as well as in it -- then you're more than halfway there.

Ultimately, I think perhaps the only secret to writing compelling established relationships is asking, “What would it look like if they were friends?”

[asweetprologue]

Nili’s Benchmark Geraskier Fic Rec List

hey yall! I officially hit 750 followers (a few days ago, I blew past the benchmark without even realizing!), which is... insane. I truly can’t believe that so many people over the last year have enjoyed my presence in this fandom enough to continue to follow my work. you guys are so great and I love you all so much, so I decided to put together a gift for you!

this is a list of my favorite geraskier fics from the fandom, which I have been putting together over the last year or so. a few of these are big in the fandom, but a lot of them are smaller pieces that I feel deserve more attention! I have provided ao3 and tumblr links where I could find them, as well as ratings and summaries. Most of these are canon!verse because I’m not personally a big fan of modern au’s, but there will be a few of those scattered throughout as well. I’ve divided the fics into two sections: oneshots and multichapter. See the list below the cut!

Being in this fandom truly has gotten me through the pandemic in a big way and I have made so many good friends while here. thank you all for validating my weird obsession with these characters and enabling me in these trying times <3

Oneshots

all that was good, all that was fair (all that was me is gone) | M | 7517 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions Of Violence | @xdandelionxbloomx

Somewhere, deep in a forest, a man drags himself from his grave by sheer power of will. He lies gasping on the forest floor and does not know who or what he is. The world is wide and wonderful, though, and there is so much to see.

Or, Jaskier is so stubborn that he literally comes back from the dead.

Another fascinating addition to the mythology of the Witcher. Jaskier’s slow rediscovery of himself is so well done here. One I’ve come back to again and again. 

As Fast As Love Can Go | T | 9628 | @bygodstillam

There are Faeries in the Wood.

That's what everyone said, at least, not that there was any solid proof. Jaskier had tried, more than once, to find some. Just a hint somewhere, of a real story, of real magic. But all anyone seemed to have was stories.

Jaskier was determined to find proof. He wasn't expecting to find a witcher in the process.

Fascinating fic with some really interesting worldbuilding, and a fresh new take on True Love’s Kiss. Also with some great art by @hehearse!

beautiful, he stirs up still things | T | 2575 | @alittlebitmaybe

“You’re not asking me to dance,” says Geralt.

Jaskier turns his palm up on his knee, offering it. “I think you’ll find I am.”

Just them dancing. This is a lovely sort of pre-relationship dynamic. So soft.

Dialogue Prompt | NR | 2932 | @reinvent-and-believe

Dialogue Prompt 48: “You make me want things I can’t have.” Wordless I-love-you 50: buying them a special treat when you go out shopping

Geralt gets Jaskier a gift, which prompts some confessions.

Even a small love | E | 22,272 | WARNING: Rape/Non-Con 

“Well,” Jaskier replies distractedly. “Lots of things want to strangle you.”

“You don’t.”

It isn’t a particularly troublesome accusation, or even necessarily an accusation at all.

This is one I read early on in the fandom, and it really stuck with me. The dynamic between Jaskier and Geralt is perfect, and the misunderstandings between them feel so realistic. The non-con is not extreme, but do mind the warnings. 

For the Space of a Heartbeat | T | 2021 | @drowningbydegrees

As it turns out, falling into bed with your very best friend who you are privately very much in love with isn't nearly so nerve wracking as waking up with them the morning after.

Just sweet, morning after discussions. I love to see them talking for once.

Greensleeves | T | 10,414 | @rebrandedbard

When Geralt crosses paths with Jaskier in the spring, the world is dressed in green. Quite literally. Everyone everywhere is wearing green, and it all comes down to a song Jaskier has written that, to his mortification, has become popular throughout the Continent. It's torment, being forced to preform the song over and over again and have his heart broken anew. But who is this Lady Greensleeves the people say Jaskier is so maddeningly, heartbrokenly in love with? At the baron's wedding party, Geralt is determined to find out.

This is one of my personal faves - there’s just something about Jaskier’s feelings being put on blast while Geralt remains totally oblivious that I think is so very them. And the resolution at the end is delightful.

I Don’t Wanna Fall (If It’s Not In Love) | E | 13,902 | @writinglizards

The first time it's out of desperation. Things get rapidly out of hand from there.

OR the building of a relationship through mutual wank sessions.

I love everything Ashley writes, but this one was the first fic I read by her and it still has a warm place in my heart. I also highly recommend It’s Been A While (makes me cry every time) and Tell Me Honestly

Like a Storm, Like a Flood | T | 1065 | @valdomarx

Jaskier is leaving for the winter, and Geralt can't bear the thought of not seeing him for months.

It was soooo hard to pick only one fic by George, but this one is so soft and sweet and yearning I just had to go with it. This is really just about Geralt finally hitting a breaking point and saying enough is enough.

one flesh | E | 10,763 | WARNING: MCD 

“Well, then. I’m a ghost.” Jaskier spread his arms grandly. Geralt held his gaze for a moment, then dropped his head and laughed. Jaskier put his hands on his hips. “Do fill me in on what’s so funny.” It wasn’t funny. It was just so - ridiculous, the things Geralt’s fucked up brain would invent. This had to be the last nail in the sanity coffin, it just had to be.

Or: Jaskier is a ghost, and Geralt is a mess.

Jaskier dies and comes back as a ghost to haunt Geralt into taking care of himself. Geralt does not handle this gracefully. This fic is so sad and heartbreaking, but the ending is so sweet.

to render it transparent | E | 23,901

Geralt wakes up warm, peaceful, and utterly content, which is how he knows that something is severely wrong.

Sigh. This fic. This is a time travel fic - Geralt ends up in the future living with Jaskier on the coast, just after the mountain. It’s slow and beautiful and extremely bittersweet, all about how we choose to love people despite how much it can hurt us.

With All the Continent A Stage | M | 4745 | @greyduckgreygoose

Later, Geralt learned that the play was four hours long. Four hours long. It didn’t feel like it. Most of it passed by in a fever dream of ominous music, dance-fighting and dryads in gossamer leaves, swinging from hoops attached to the ceiling. Yennefer made an appearance, played by Priscilla in a glittering negligee. She sang a song to Geralt about putting him “Under Her Spell”, and they had a sensual dance number which was made a little strange by a sickened Jaskier (played by Jaskier) coughing loudly in the background.

(Jaskier invites Geralt to a musical production inspired by his own life.)

Jaskier basically writes Geralt a love letter in the form of a four hour long play. Geralt is an idiot about it.

Multi-Chapter Fics

A Lover’s Lament | M | 25,364 | @somedrunkpirate

So,” Jaskier begins, as casually as he can, “you are telling me, that in theory, if I were to be in love with someone — anyone — that person could well be in terrible danger?”

Of all terrible and ridiculous things that have threatened Geralt’s safety, Jaskier’d never thought that loving him might be what will get him killed.

I honestly can’t count the number of times I’ve read this fic. The monster is so interesting, and the mythos of it fits seamlessly into the world of the Witcher in my mind. Jaskier being so afraid that his feelings are going to put Geralt at risk, clearly unable to see that Geralt is going through the exact same thing. I think about the scene with them looking at each other almost daily. 

A Pair of Gloves, the Scent of Roses | M | 24,134 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions of Violence

In the bustling days before the Midsummer festival, Geralt is sent into the countryside to deal with a monster - with Jaskier once again by his side. But the bard has not forgiven him, and while he's not hiding his contempt for the Witcher, he is recalcitrant about revealing his true motives for joining him. As the hunt turns into a desperate mission to save an innocent man and the monster is not what is seems to be, Geralt learns a few new things about his old friend and decides to finally attempt to mend the rift between them...

This is one of my favorite’s in the fandom - it feels so believable, the world is so rich and the oc’s are convincing and charming. Geralt and Jaskier feel so honest here, stumbling around each other but still drawn together. Beautiful beautiful beautiful

Bearing the will of the flower | NR | 11,449 

The way Jaskier sees it, his hobby of following a witcher around was always pretty likely to get him killed.

The fact that it's happening now because the witcher in question doesn't love him, he thinks as he coughs up crumpled flowers, hardly makes a difference.

My favorite hanahaki fic in the fandom. I’m such a sucker for these, and these two idiots being so incapable of talking about their feelings really makes them prime candidates. 

Food of Love | T | 22,488 | @wallatile-qvibbler

I brought a dead princess back to life through the power of song is the kind of thing that would have got an eyebrow raise even from the stone-faced Geralt of Rivia, so it's a good thing he and Geralt will probably never see each other again.

(or: the one where Jaskier channels magic through his songs, and it almost never goes as expected.)

This is a Jaskier and Renfri centric fic, which wasn’t something I knew I wanted until I read this. Jaskier is a bard which in this AU comes with magical powers, but it feels so well integrated into the universe that I wish it was just... how the Witcher is. Renfri is so good here, and even though Jaskier and Geralt barely even interact you can feel the tension and love between them. Cannot recommend highly enough.

friends and allies of the witcher | T | 10,312 | @theamazingbard

Yennefer crawls over to her newest cellmate. They’re curled up on their side. Breathing, but only just. She’s not sure what she’s hoping for when she turns them over. Still isn’t when she sees that it is indeed Jaskier.

“Shit."

Yennefer and Jaskier each suffer in more ways than one at the hands of Nilfgaard.

Yennefer and Jaskier get capture by Nilfgaard and tossed into a cell together. Exactly what I want out of season 2 honestly. Their interactions are gold.

I’d Be the Choiceless Hope | E | 45,188 | WARNING: Rape/Non-Con | @lesdemonium

As a baby, Jaskier was visited by a fae, who gifted Jaskier's mother with Jaskier's obedience. As Jaskier grew older, the "gift" became more of a curse.

You know I’m not gonna make a rec list without listing Zoe’s Ella Enchanted au. Need I say more?

Silver and Copper | M | 56,139 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions of Violence | @kaer-cuan

Geralt is just supposed to pass through the quiet Lettenhove area. He's not anticipating being begged by its people to help save their viscount from a curse that keeps him from daylight. Lord Jaskier, they call him, and he's likely dying.

As Geralt struggles to untangle the ugly web of history that has lead to the increasingly complicated curse, he finds himself spending more and more time with the strange young viscount and wondering just what he might have been before the curse, and who he might be after. But things are not always as they seem, and as the curse tightens its grip on Jaskier, Geralt is forced to face the fear of failing yet another person whose choices were stolen from them.

Or-

Jaskier is kept from becoming a bard. Geralt finds him anyway.

This is a fic that haunts me. It’s very scary in parts, and mind the tags - there are some very heavy themes here. But it’s beautiful and touching, and Jaskier feels very true to himself even though his origin is so different.

we could be married (and then we'd be happy) | E | 50,222 | @a-kind-of-merry-war

Jaskier reached into his pocket, fingers grasping around the little box. He pulled it out with what he hoped was a romantic flourish, flipping it open to reveal the simple gold band inside. “Geralt,” he said, confidently, cooly, like this wasn’t terrifying, “Will you marry me?”

Geralt and Jaskier fake marriage proposals to get free deserts and shit but it goes tits up when Vesemir catches them in the act. Not knowing how to fess up, they go along with it for a while, which is hell because they’re both pining like mad. As I said, I don’t love modern au’s, but it’s merry so of course this one had to end up on my list.

~

And that’s it! 20 fics for you, and hopefully you can all find one or two you haven’t read before. There are a lot of people and fics that I didn’t include in this list only because I was trying to not put a million down (which I could). I highly recommend anything by @wherethewordsare, @julek, @contemplativepancakes, @witcher-and-his-bard, and @inber, as well as those linked to fics above, and I’m sure there are others I forgot to mention. Yall have truly made being in this fandom worthwhile <3

[flowercrown-bard]

Someone to come back to  (Baby Griffin series part 4)

AO3

word count: 2721

part 1   part 2  part 3 (you can read this without reading the other parts)

"Come on, there is nothing that could go wrong." Jaskier looked up at Geralt with big, pleading eyes. "And you can't use the excuse that you won't be able to both protect me and fight the frightfully deadly thing anymore, because now you won't be my only protector."

Geralt's brows twitched and he pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath.

"Jaskier," he said slowly. "You're not going to join me."

"But -"

"And neither is Daisy." Geralt crossed his arms in front of his chest, doing his best to look menacing and authoritative. Judging from Jaskier's snort, it didn't work very well.

"But you took her on hunts before."

"Yes, on hunts. For food. Bunnies and squirrels. Fluffy things. Not on hunts for monsters that could actually kill her."

"Aww, so you do care about her." A cheeky grin spread across Jaskier's lips and he nudged Geralt with his shoulder.

"I do no such thing." Geralt turned away from him, pretending to be busy by sorting through his potions and shouldering his swords. "I just don't want to listen to you whine all day when she gets hurt."

"She's a griffin!" Out of the corner of his eyes, Geralt could see Jaskier throwing his hands up. "She won't get hurt. She can protect herself. Didn't you literally tell me that she's a vicious predator?"

As if to prove his point, Jaskier gestured towards the little griffin, who was currently doing her best to maim Jaskier's boots, biting and clawing at them. Until the leather gave a tearing sound and Daisy darted away like a spooked cat.

"Yes. Very vicious," Geralt deadpanned.

"Oh come on, give her a chance! She's teething."

"She has a beak."

"Well if you don't accept that explanation, then the only explanation left is that she's only acting like that because you refuse to give her the chance to act like a predator." Jaskier jutted out his chin triumphantly and picked up what was left of his boot, pulling a face when bits of leather peeled off. "See, this is what happens when she's bored. Do you know how many shoes I've lost like this?"

He shook the boot near Geralt's face, like an old lady threatening someone with her slippers.

"Oh no, what a terrible loss." Geralt didn't look up from his potions. "Now just imagine how bad it would be if you also lost a doublet and breeches because the frightfully deadly thing slashed it to kill you."

"You're terrible," Jaskier decided, flinging the ruined boot over his shoulder carelessly. "But fine. Go on your hunt alone. See if I care if you get hurt and no one is there to help you. Now shoo." He waved his hands at Geralt. "Go on then. I promise Daisy and I will have much fun without you while you're on your spectacular hunt."

Geralt sighed quietly and turned away, only to be stopped by a hand on his arm, after taking a couple of steps. He turned around, giving Jaskier a questioning look.

The bard had his lip pulled between his teeth, his eyes darting to the side.

"Just." He gave Geralt's arm a light squeeze. "Be careful?"

Something in Geralt softened. "I will." He cracked a small smile. "And I'll bring back a story for you. I can't have all of your songs be about Daisy, now can I?"

That seemed to satisfy Jaskier. He nodded lightly and let go. Geralt felt cold without his touch, but as he made his way through the woods, he was warmed by the knowledge that Jaskier and Daisy would be safe at camp.

–

Geralt slashed at the barghest, but the beast darted to the side before the sword could hit it. Geralt bared his teeth to match the beast’s threatening grimace. A growl was the only warning Geralt got, before the barghest leaped. He turned away, but he wasn’t fast enough. Claws dug into his skin, where it was unprotected by his armor and the jaws snapped shut only a hair’s breadth away from his face. Hot, stinking breath hit his face and he had to clench his jaw to keep the nausea at bay. With all the strength he possessed, he threw the beast off him. He couldn’t afford to lose this fight. Not when Jaskier wasn’t safe and sound at a tavern. Jaskier needed him to come back, and be it only so he’d find the way out of these woods again. And the bard would never be able to take care of the griffin without the help of a witcher. 

Geralt gripped his sword tighter and lifted it high above his head, letting it fall just as the barghest made to jump at him again. 

It was a fierce fight. Slashing, biting, clawing. Geralt was panting from exhaustion and still, the beast showed no sign of slowing. Geralt raised his hand to create a Quen-shield to give himself a small break from the assaults, when he heard it. Branches breaking behind him. The ruffling of something moving towards him through the underbrush. A squawk. And then - 

“Shh, be quiet, we can’t distract him.”

Fuck. 

Jaskier was here and from the sounds of it, so was Daisy. 

The second it took him to realise that they were near was all the barghest needed. Geralt’s Quen flickered and died away as his concentration broke. Immediately, the beast jumped at him, slamming its body against Geralt and tackling him. All air was pushed out of Geralt’s lungs and his sword got flung out of his grip. His head connected with a rock  on the ground. Stars burst in front of his eyes, but he didn’t need to see to recognise the biting stench of terror and the sound of a heart that wasn’t his  speeding up. The evidence of Jaskier’s fear overwhelmed Geralt, making it impossible to focus on anything other than protect the bard! Keep him safe! You can’t let anything happen to him!

Claws buried deep into Geralt's arm, tearing at his flesh. He let out a pained groan, but it was drowned out by Jaskier's terrified scream.

Out of the corner of his eye, Geralt saw something rushing towards him in a blur.

Daisy was bolting forward, Jaskier at her heel.

“Stay back!” Geralt barked. He gripped the barghest’s head with one hand, trying to keep the jaws from closing around his throat. With his other hand, he did his best to get to the sword, but it was just out of reach. “Leave, Jaskier! Get Daisy and run!”

Even as he yelled the command, he knew that Jaskier wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t be the stubborn, fiercely loyal bard that made Geralt’s heart beat faster, if he ever listened. He wouldn’t be Jaskier, if he didn’t charge headfirst into danger to protect the griffin that was like family to him.

“No!” Geralt shouted, but it was of no use. Daisy slammed into the barghest, pushing it off Geralt. The small griffin ruffled her feathers, making herself look taller than she was, as she stood above Geralt protectively. In comparison to the barghest, she still looked tiny. Vulnerable. Still, she stood her ground, hissing and showing off her sharp beak.. Beside her stood Jaskier, his shaking hands clenched into fists in front of him, as if he could do anything with his bare hands against a hellhound. 

Geralt’s heart dropped. Of course the foolish bard wouldn't budge from the griffin's side. She was too precious to him to think of his own safety, when hers was on the line.

"Get the fuck away from him!" Jaskier shouted at the barghest, his voice shrill with fear. Geralt barely registered the words, could only focus on the terror in them. Jaskier was afraid. What the hell was he doing still standing next to the griffin when he was so scared? "I'm not going to let you hurt him!"

The barghest seemed too stunned by the bold display to react. The short moment of confusion bought Geralt just enough time to grab his sword and rush forward again.

"Out of the way," he growled at Jaskier.

His vision filled with dark spots and he had to blink to fight the sudden dizziness that overcame him.

With one arm, he scooped up Daisy, gathering her against his chest, while he slashed at the beast.

He couldn't let anything happen to her. There was no way Geralt would let anything happen to the griffin that had captured Jaskier's heart. He wouldn't be able to bear the heartbreak on Jaskier's face if she got hurt. And as long as Geralt protected Daisy, Jaskier would have no reason to do anything foolish again. So Geralt clenched his jaw, twisted his body to keep Daisy out of danger and slashed at the barghest, right as it opened its maw to maul Geralt. The sword buried itself into the beast's throat. There was one last pained whine, one death rattle. Then, the barghest fell to the ground, motionless.

Geralt stood there panting, blinking against the darkness overtaking his vision. Blood rushed in his ears, making it hard to hear.

"You're safe!" Jaskier's voice reached him as though through a fog.

"She is," Geralt grunted in agreement. He was as gentle as he could as he handed Daisy back to Jaskier, making sure he had her savely in his arms before he let go.

Jaskier blinked up at him in confusion.

"Geralt -"

"Kept her safe for you." The hint of a smile tugged at Geralt's lips, even though he wanted to pull them into a pained grimace instead. "Don't worry 'bout her. Wouldn't let anything happen to her. Too important to you."

Jaskier's brows furrowed and he opened his mouth. If he was speaking, Geralt couldn't hear it anymore. The only sound he could hear was that of his own pulse. Jaskier took a step towards him, made a motion as if he wanted to reach out to him, but his arms preoccupied with carrying the griffin.

Warmth filled Geralt at the sight. Jaskier was safe. And so was Daisy, which meant that Jaskier would also be happy. Geralt had done good. He had protected that which Jaskier held most dear.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if the world was supposed to spin around him. Then, he hit the ground with a thud, all air leaving him.

There was a shout, something landed beside him. A soft touch to his cheek, turning his head. Blue eyes looking down at him.

Then, the world went dark.

--

“It’s alright,” a soft voice said. It was barely more than a whisper, but to Geralt it sounded loud as thunder. His head felt as if there were a hundred tiny hammers hitting it from the inside. “I’ve got you.”

Geralt tried to fight against the blackness, but the gentle reassurance and the feeling of hands brushing his hair out of his face let him sink back into merciful sleep. 

When he woke again, it was to sunlight warming his face, a raspy little squawk and a “Shh, you’re going to wake him up.”

Geralt tried to open his eyes, but they were too heavy, so he concentrated on his other senses. He was lying on soft grass, with his head pillowed on something soft that smelled familiar, like chamomile and lavender. Hands were touching his face, caressing his hair and something nudged insistently at his arms. 

“Stop that, Daisy,” Jaskier said above him and for a second the hands disappeared and shortly after, so did the thing nudging at him. “We talked about this. He might pretend to be a big strong witcher that no harm can come to, but he needs his sleep.” A strained laugh that sounded like a failed performance. “He gets all cranky when he misses his beautysleep. You don’t want to see that.”

Daisy made a guttural sound. It was pitiful enough to twist Geralt’s stomach. His fingers twitched, wanting to reach out and pet the little griffin in comfort, but his arm was too heavy to move. 

“So you can’t wake him. And  you can’t just run after him when he can get distracted. I know it’s hard.” Jaskier sighed heavily and his fingers returned to Geralt’s hair, though this time they didn’t move. They just held him, tenderly, protectively, like something breakable and precious. “Gods, I know it’s hard to stay back when he’s fighting. Especially when it looks like he’s truly in danger. But we have to stay away if we don’t want to make it worse for him.  It’s better to stay back than to distract him, no matter how much we want to help.” There was the softest touch on Geralt’s cheek and the voice grew warmer again. “We can still help him afterwards. We can be there for him when he’s tired or hurt or just needs company. Do you understand?”

Daisy didn’t give any indication that she had understood, but after a second, Geralt could feel something warm and feathery curl up against his side, snuggling close.

“Don’t worry,” Jaskier said. “He’s going to be fine. He always is.”

His voice wavered, but didn’t falter. 

“You won’t lose him to a small thing like a headwound, Daisy. He’s stronger than that. And now he has you. He has a reason to make it through that. He has you to come back to. I know he doesn’t say it, but I know he loves you. You’re important to him and he’s not going to leave you. He’s…he’s not going to make you leave.”

Jaskier sounded choked and a salty scent stung in Geralt’s nose. His brow twitched. Something wasn’t right. Jaskier was near tears and Geralt wasn’t conscious enough to help him. He needed to help him!

With the strength of a hundred men, Geralt forced his eyes open. For a second, the sun blinded him, but then a shadow fell over him as Jaskier’s face came into view. The surprise on his face  morphed into relief and settled on joy so warm that it made Geralt’s heart flutter. 

“You’re awake!” Jaskier’s hands left Geralt, but Geralt had barely time to mourn their loss, because Jaskier helped him sit up. “I mean, of course you are. It’s just -” He let out a nervous laugh. “Daisy was worried about you. Wouldn’t leave your side.”

Geralt hummed and looked down at the griffin, who returned the look with big round eyes. When she saw that he was awake, she jumped up, put her front paws on his chest and happily screeched in his face. 

A chuckle rumbled through Geralt’s chest and he slowly lifted a hand to pet her head. He glanced back at Jaskier, who was watching him with a soft expression. 

“I’m glad,” Geralt said awkwardly, his heart hammering in his throat. “That she didn’t leave me. It’s nice. Waking up and knowing there is someone there who’s happy to see you’re alive.”

Jaskier averted his eyes, pretending to be fascinated by the way Daisy snuggled against Geralt’s chest. Still, he couldn’t hide the colour rising in his cheeks. 

“Of course she’s happy to see you’re well.” Jaskier twisted his hands, before reaching out and petting Daisy as well. “She would be heartbroken, if anything happened to you, so you better make sure to stay safe.”

Their fingers brushed and sparks shot up Geralt’s arm. Something warm and bright lit up in his chest. “I will.” He promised. “If...if she promises to stay out of trouble too. I would hate to see her get hurt as well. She’s important.” He swallowed. After a moment of hesitation, he stopped the petting and took Jaskier’s hand instead. Jaskier’s eyes snapped up in surprise and before Geralt’s courage could desert him again, he added, “To me. She is important to me, more than anything else.”

Geralt could hear Jaskier’s heart speed up, could see the miniscule way in which his eyes widened, before they crinkled at the sides as he gave Geralt a soft smile. “You’re important to her too. Never doubt that.”

Sitting here, with Daisy in his lap and Jaskier’s hand in his, Geralt for once didn’t have a single doubt in his mind that he truly was loved by his strange little family.

[ikeepwatchinghelicopters]

Random thought: since Geralt is a softie, he kills monsters even for very poor villages which can pay him significantly less than he'd usually ask for (and sometimes he accepts only part of the offered payment). When Jaskier starts travelling with Geralt, he's not stupid, but he's quite naive and has lots of idealized misconceptions about the real world.

Very early into them travelling together, they come across a village with a monster problem. When Geralt goes to negotiate the payment with the alderman (Jaskier's tagging along, naturally), the man acts like the village is poor and they don't have enough to pay the witcher. Geralt sniffs out the lie (literally) right away and also he's not blind and could see the village is doing well. Jaskier, however, believes the alderman's dramatic descriptions about how everyone in the village is suffering. Geralt is unwilling to indulge the alderman's bullshit and says he won't kill the monster until he gets paid more. Jaskier is outraged. He judged that behind all the grunting and gut-punching and clear dismissals, Geralt is actually a good guy. And here he is, being a total asshole. The alderman eventually agrees to pay more. While Geralt is preparing for the hunt, Jaskier is nagging and complaining and constantly berating him for blackmailing the alderman and being immoral. Geralt lets him do it for a while, resigned, because he's used to people insulting him and screaming at him. But somehow it stings a bit more when it comes from this silly bardling that decided to attach to Geralt and refuses to let go. So, when Geralt cannot stand it anymore, he tells Jaskier about the lie. Jaskier immediately feels like an idiot and starts complaining about the stingy alderman instead. He even composes a less than complimentary song about him. Jaskier is also very glad that he was right and that Geralt is a good guy.

[bi-aragorn]

Just Who I’m Not

Hello! I do indeed have more happy aro fics, hopefully get more out tomorrow! In the mean time, my totally not projection fic is hidden below 

Also as part of @thepassifloradiscord aro week ✌

Here on Ao3

Rating: Mature (honestly, mostly for 6 uses of fuck inside 1k words)

Tags: Geralt Has Self-Esteem Issues, Aromantic Geralt, Protective Jaskier- He's barely there but he's very protective, Smoking

No pairing, Geralt angst hidden below 

Geralt was shivering. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been shivering, let alone how long he’d been outside. But he supposed it didn’t particularly matter. His fingers were numb, who cared, he couldn’t feel his feet, what of it. He was broken anyway, so why did it bloody matter what Geralt felt? 

Not to mention, Visenna would be upset too, and- that line of thought was just too much right now. Geralt took another drag from his cigarette, eyes fluttering shut as he tried to clear his mind. 

It- it didn't matter right now, anyway. He wasn't dating anyone, nobody's feelings were going to get hurt just because he couldn't- just because he didn't- Geralt sighed, dropping his head onto his knees.

It was such a fucking mess in his head, who he cared for and who he didn’t, and how. He loved his friends, of course he did, but it wasn’t like that. Though the gods knew enough people assumed about him and Jaskier. Jaskier, who was his fucking flat mate, and a ray of sunshine, and would never be feeling like this. 

“Fuck,” Geralt muttered, shuddering as he shook the ash from the end of his cigarette. 

It felt like everyone else had their lives sorted out to some degree, they had their partners, they had people they fancied- for the gods sake, Jaskier had a new person every week. And Geralt would never, could never begrudge him that. That was just who Jaskier was. And it was just who Geralt wasn’t. 

A cold breeze blew over him, sending Geralt’s hair flying around his face, making him quiver. He bit his lip, embarrassed to feel tears filling his eyes. What did he have to cry about anyway, for fuck’s sake? He sniffed, running a hand under his nose, before huffing and taking another drag of his cigarette. It was nearly out, but he didn’t want to go back in. He couldn’t face the inside just yet- somehow, it was too much. 

Inside would be…warm, comforting. And Geralt didn’t feel like any of that would be right, not just yet. Maybe later. He sniffed again, and shook his head, as if trying to literally shake the thoughts from his head. No one had ever accused him of having a lot of emotional intelligence. Perhaps that was the problem, maybe that was why he could never hold down a partner, never feel the same way. He was certainly the problem here, anyway. 

His cigarette had burnt out, and Geralt huffed, lighting another with shaky fingers. Jaskier would be cross with him when he came back, pout and ask him to quit as he always did. Geralt smiled, even as he lit the next, thinking of Jaskier and the sweet way in which he showed that he cared. 

Jaskier, whose eyes lit up for some reason when Geralt entered the room, as if he was somehow going to lift the mood. Jaskier, who’d asked Geralt to live with him, who genuinely valued Geralt’s company. Jaskier, who Geralt had just spotted walking up the path to the flat block. Shit. He didn’t want Jaskier to worry, but- fuck, he was already inside the building. Geralt didn’t know what to do, and he wasn’t proud of it, but he had to admit- he panicked. He stayed, shivering on the balcony as Jaskier let himself into the flat, still humming along to whatever song he’d been listening to, dropping his rucksack on the sofa, and turning to the fridge to scrounge up some food for dinner. 

Fuck, what to do now? Geralt listening, the hand that lifted his cigarette to his mouth trembling. Jaskier flounced around the kitchen, and Geralt watched as he flicked a playlist on, music blasting suddenly from the speakers. 

“Oh, piss,” Geralt swore, his entire body jerking backwards, slamming into the wall at the sudden noise.

Inside the flat, Jaskier stopped, head tilting to one side. He spun around to face the balcony, hands on his hips, and Geralt felt his heart stutter, feeling for all the world as though his entire life was coming crashing down around his ears. 

“Geralt?” Jaskier asked, stepping tentatively forward, thumbs already racing to open his phone. Well, Geralt supposed that was reassuring. Jaskier wasn’t so stupid as to trust that it was Geralt outside moping… again.

He sighed, flicking the ash from the end of his cigarette and staggering to his feet. Gods, but his legs ached from sitting in the cold so long- though not nearly so much as his heart did when he saw Jaskier’s face drop at the sight of him.

“Jask,” his voice was rough from disuse, croaking out. Geralt winced, kicking his shoes off as he stopped inside. He shuddered at the warmth. Too much…

“Gods, Geralt, your lips are blue!” Jaskier bounced forward, strong arms wrapping around Geralt’s and it was too much, too soon, too sweet. Geralt couldn’t stand it, felt like his skin was too tight, like he was trapped- shit, he had to get out- 

Arms too rough gripped Jaskier’s wrists. “I’ve- uh- Yen called, I-” Geralt knew even as he spoke that he was near incoherent, but with his heart racing in his chest he could do no more than desperately babble out any and all excuses that came to him. He couldn’t put this on Jaskier, that would be asking too much. Scrabbling for his phone in his back pocket, Geral backed up to the front door, hands pulling on boots before he could think any better of it.

Maybe, in another world, this could end in a conversation. In Geralt confiding in his friend. But not this one.