#the witcher s1 e6

[senseless-writing]

Mountain Top Confessions

Pairing: Geralt of Rivia x child!reader

Summary: Taking place in S1.E6, the little girl that Geralt took under his wing all those years ago isn't so little anymore. After overhearing something she wasn't supposed to while he and Yennefer argued about the quest to find the golden dragon, the witcher is forced to have a conversation with Orion that he'd been hoping to push off for as long as possible.

Warnings: Hurt feelings, talk of regret, death, etc. Really nothing much

A/N: Here's a story for a trope that's not in demand that nobody asked for, and yet I couldn't help but write! I actually wrote this forever ago and completely forgot about it, but I saw it today and thought I should share it even if it's only in self-service. Lemme know what you think!

Just so you know, this story exists within the world of the other Witcher stories I've written with the oc!character Orion. There are some references to those stories or Orion's life with Geralt in general, but I don't think it's completely necessary to read anything to understand this one.

Masterlist

-----------------

“Did you mean it? What you said to Yennefer?” 

Geralt sighed, his entire body sagging with the release. After his fight with the enraging sorceress who always seemed to find a way under his skin, he had no energy left for anything more. Least of all a defiant tween. 

He turned to look at Orion, who was stepping out from behind the tree from which she was hiding. The Witcher blamed his scattered emotions for the failing of his normally heightened senses. 

“You weren’t supposed to hear any of that…I told you to stay with Jaskier.”

“But did you mean it?” She asked again, stoically, without meeting his gaze. Geralt couldn’t tell what was going through her head. These days, he never could. 

When Orion was little, and her favorite place in the whole world was Geralt’s arms, the witcher didn’t have to worry about finding the right words to say. All he had to do was hold her, and it was like anything and everything that worried her little head would disappear. 

At first, Geralt detested this part of guardianship. It made him feel like a witcher turned cuddler and coddler, and he could feel Vesemir’s disapproving glare from all the way across the Continent. After giving it some thought, though, he figured it was probably for the best. Those who truly knew him knew how verbose he could be, but witty remarks and philosophical ponderings never meant too much to a six year old. 

But now his Orion was twelve. Her eyes were forever wide, never shutting for the fear of missing something worth learning. And she had so many questions that Geralt alone was in charge of answering. He couldn’t wrap her in his arms anymore and pretend the Continent wasn’t confusing or dangerous. He owed her answers, and she deserved his words. 

Geralt hesitated for only a moment. The truth was unfortunate and uncomfortable, and he’d hoped to not have any conversations resembling the one they were about to have until she was older. But it was too late for that now, and he wouldn’t lie to her. 

“Yes.”

Before he could so much as explain, Orion was already rushing away, quickening her steps to meet up with the rest of the group. 

“Wait-”

She didn’t listen.

“Orion. Wait!”

He jogged forward, grabbing her arm and twisting her around to face him. She ripped herself from his grasp at once. Her face was stone cold, but still present were the hints of a curled top lip and the flash of barred teeth.

She looked so much like him when she did that. It nearly made his head spin. 

He cocked his head to the side a little, a warning for her to check her attitude. She didn’t take it.

“Will you let me explain?” he said with an even tone. 

“Explain what? That you regret taking me in?" The powerful rage in Orion's voice was not enough to mask what Geralt knew was lying underneath: deep, overwhelming hurt. "Well, you know what, no one held a knife to your throat and made you! If you didn’t want me, you should’ve done something about it!”

“That is not what I said.”

“You said-”

“Orion!” he shouted, and the child’s mouth clamped shut at once. She could count on one hand the amount of time he’s raised his voice at her. “What I said was that taking you in taught me, more than anything else, that raising a child is not something to be taken lightly. It’s a lesson that Yennefer could benefit from learning.”

The girl bit her lip and wrapped her arms tightly around her middle. “You said raising me taught you that your life isn't suited to a child. That implies regret.” 

“I do have regrets,” he agreed, and he noticed the flicker of insecurity in her gaze. He felt like an ass for putting it there. “Do you want to know why?” 

Orion stayed silent, and he suspected she didn’t want to know at all. He was going to tell her anyway. 

He spoke his next words very softly. “Every minute of every day, I regret not being able to give you the life you deserve.” 

That clearly wasn’t the answer she was expecting. He could tell from the immediate wrinkle of her brow. 

“What?”

He sighed again, averting his eyes to the group behind her. They were making a steady pace up the mountain. And Jaskier, with his slightly codependent nature, kept turning back every few steps to check on his travel companions. Apparently, their yelling was loud enough to attract the attention of even the loudest of bards. 

Their eyes locked, and Geralt nodded once to let him know that everything was alright. Or, at the very least, that it would be. Jaskier didn’t look convinced, but he gave a defeated shrug and turned back around to continue walking. The witcher hesitantly directed his eyes back to Orion, who seemed to be frozen in a state of confusion. 

“Geralt, I don’t understand any of this.” 

“Our life on the path isn’t normal, Orion. You think it is, because it’s all you’ve ever known, but it’s not.”

“I know tha-”

“No, you don’t. You grew up hiding from monsters that most humans never see in their lifetime. By the age of eight, you were well versed in the art of ignoring those on the streets who throw stones as you walk by. And that's…that's not a reflection on you, it’s a reflection on me.”

“But-”

“I’m not telling you this to make you feel bad about the cards you’ve been dealt. It’s the same way I was raised, it’s all I know. But witchers are a dwindling species for a reason, and the last thing I wanted was to make you a part of our ranks. I never wanted you to be like me.” 

“But I did! I’ve always wanted to be like you.”

Geralt wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He opened his mouth to try, but all that came out was a confused grunt. With a tilted head and lifted brow, the witcher sat there in silence as he struggled to understand. 

How was it possible that after all this time, his sweet, open-hearted Orion still didn’t believe what he knew to be true? He wasn’t the man she thought he was, and the longer she failed to realize that, the longer she would spend wandering blind in the dark. 

Orion took a few steps closer until they were an arms length away. It always shocked the witcher when he noticed how big she had gotten, how much she had changed from the little girl he used to know. “Geralt, people throw rocks at us because they’re afraid of what they don’t understand. You’re the one who told me that.”

“I did, didn’t I?” he averted his eyes. “What was I thinking?” 

Orion’s lips lifted in half a smile.“And people die everyday because they don’t know how to hide from monsters. Most humans don’t even recognize the signs for when one is around. I have a leg up on all of them.” 

“But you wouldn’t be around monsters as often as you are if it wasn't for me.” 

“I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you,” she reminded him sharply. “If you hadn’t found me, I’d probably still be sitting at the entrance of Kaer Morhen. A pile of bones withering to dust.” 

“Don’t say that!” Geralt snapped. His sudden change in tone shocked Orion to her very core, as it was a fiery anger that she'd never before heard directed at her. His eyes were wild and rabid as he stared at her, his entire body tense and shaking. To her, it was an extremely paradoxical image; he'd somehow managed to look terrified and terrifying at the same time.

The witcher had to squeeze his fists to stop himself from saying something he might regret. It wasn’t Orion he was mad at. If anything, it was himself.

Because the idea of his child going through a life-or-death situation should have been something he could only imagine. It should have been a distant nightmare, something that tortured his sleep but eased away once he awoke and realized it was only a figment of his imagination. 

Except that it wasn’t. Not for him. Orion had looked death in the eyes more than he could possibly count, and Geralt was the one leading her directly to it. 

“Don’t,” he repeated again in a clipped tone. “Don’t say things like that. You’re here with me because I made a choice. And while I may regret the implications of that choice, don't ever insinuate, even for a second, that I don’t want my child.” 

Orion was used to him calling her his. And she was, in all the ways that mattered. But it was always still a shock to her heart when he did. 

If Geralt noticed her reaction, he didn’t show it. “You needed me, and I made a choice,” he continued on. “Just as I made a choice to not do the same with my child surprise.” 

Oh, the infamous child surprise. From the little Orion knew, the whole thing ranked somewhere high on Geralt’s top ten list of the stupidest things he’s ever done. 

She wouldn’t pretend to understand why he was so insistent on ignoring the existence of someone he was connected to. “What if they need you too one day?” she asked. “What then?”

“He’s a prince of the largest and fiercest kingdom in all the North. He’s got people pleading for the honor of wiping his arse. I doubt he needs the help of a lowly witcher.” 

Or she, Orion thought absently. And perhaps a little dreamily. What luck it would be if Geralt was tied to a princess.

“Kingdoms fall everyday, Geralt. You also said that.” 

“Let's stop using my words against me, yeah? I’ll have to start keeping track of what I say around you.” 

Orion didn’t respond, staring back at him with an expectant glare. 

“Orion,” he leveled with her. “If Cintra falls, he’ll have dozens of people whose sole responsibility is to take the sword for him. He’ll be alright.” 

“And you’re sure of that?” Orion implored. “You can sleep peacefully at night knowing that maybe, just maybe, there’s a kid out there who might one day be as helpless as I was? A kid that, unlike me, is entitled to your protection?” 

“The only person entitled to my protection is you.” 

They were at a stand still, and after a moment of nothing but silence and a gentle breeze passing between them, Orion decided to let it go. She didn’t even berate him for ignoring her question. Because truly, she knew the answer already. She knew that every night, when he thought she was asleep, he rose and paced in circles for hours on end. The sound of him incessantly cleaning his swords had become white noise for her throughout the night. In fact, Orion couldn’t remember the last time she actually saw him sleep; really sleep, that is. Because Geralt wasn’t nearly as much of a master at pretending as he thought he was. 

So instead, all she did was try and direct the conversation back to its original topic. If Geralt wanted to be pig headed about the situation he put himself in, then fine. That wasn’t her main concern. 

At least, not right now it wasn’t. 

“Okay, well,” she sighed, struggling to change subjects without making it sound awkward. Suddenly, this whole conversation felt awkward. She felt stupid for being insecure, and she felt even more stupid for bringing up Cintra when she knew he’d shut down. “You don’t have to worry about not giving me the ‘life I deserve,’ or whatever it is you regret. I quite like the one I have.” 

Geralt remembers her saying something to that effect before. She’s probably said it a number of times by now. But it never mattered, never meant anything real to him. It felt too comparable to a mutt saying that it quite liked its cage. 

So he stayed silent. That alone spoke volumes to Orion. 

“You’re never going to believe me, are you?” she groaned with an exasperated tone. “No matter what I say?” 

He gave her an honest look. “It’s not likely.”

Orion surged forward at once, crashing into his chest with a resounding thud. The witcher barely had time to catch himself, but even as he took a step back to regain his balance, his arms were firmly wrapped around her. 

This wasn’t at all how he imagined this conversation going. He could’ve sworn she was mad at him not ten seconds ago. 

She smushed her face tight to his side, and Geralt strained to hear what she said next. “Can you at least try to understand that I want to be here? With you?”

It’s bothering her, he thought to himself as he rested his chin on her head. And she’s too stubborn to let it go. 

“Can you try to understand that I want you here?” he answered her question with one of his own. 

He felt her nod against his chest, which he supposed was enough. Though truth be told, Geralt wasn’t much for changing. 

And unfortunately, neither was Orion. 

He would never forgive himself for his shortcomings. Day after day, mistake after mistake, Geralt looked back and saw all the ways that he could’ve done better at raising her. He wasn’t used to failing at a job; Vesemir had raised him better than that. And in his eyes, caring for the girl in front of him was the ultimate job. 

But he hadn’t been prepared for it. 

And Orion would never be able to ignore the feeling that a part of them was missing. A part of Geralt, really. It was something he refused to acknowledge, refused to accept. It would gnaw at him forever until he did, and the idea of that continued to gnaw at her. 

This painful circle of lies where one swallowed their truth for the sake of the other was tense and never ending, and it was difficult to pretend that they both weren’t craving something that they desperately needed. For Geralt, a chance to start over. A chance to give Orion the family she should’ve had from the beginning, the one he ripped her from when they left Kaer Morhen. And for Orion, something that would ease Geralt’s mind once and for all. 

Years ago, on that day they’d met one another, each of them had been given something new. A different life, a fresh start. It was all they needed back then. But not anymore. 

Ignoring it would get them nowhere. It was clear now, even if neither of them could voice it, that something else was needed. 

Something more.

--------------

(A/N: This ending is definitely catered towards the book fans out there haha)

[aro-tarot]

Just finished vol. 2 of The Witcher s3, and ah, this season has been so good! 

And now I will proceed to probably ramble with spoilers:

First off, our bard is still shoveling things into his mouth.

I am so happy to see Milva! She’s my favorite book character, and I already love her here. She brought a laugh out of me, and of course, she’s a badass. Then Jaskier with the whole there’s this weird energy between you two. Then the song bit out of Geralt’s death. Oh, I am exciting for the hansa. Let’s gooo. lol.

How Radskier left off. Like, knew Radovid would become king, but ah, he was trying to leave! He wants to be with Jaskier and help him, and now he can’t! Ahhhh! Will need to go and read some fanfics. Maybe write one. I still have that one plot I was reworking for my first The Witcher fanfic that would work nicely.

And going off what Yennefer says, it looks like Geralt is still going to struggle with pain in his leg while fighting. I remember back in s1 seeing people hope that stayed in, and it looks like it.

Ciri’s dark arc is coming.

I was happy to see more of Radovid and Jaskier in e7 since when I watched e6 during the fan event, I was like, “Nice. Jaskier standing up for himself. He’s finally getting that self-worth.” Which I’ve reblogged posts and have talked about it a bit on here. With like s2 and like Jaskier in s3 and how people treat him and how he’s seeing himself. But then I was also like, “That was over quickly. I know that we needed to get to all the shit going down, but before the title card and that’s it?” And it turned out that was not it. Jaskier still isn’t just going to take him back. He’s hurt. There was a maybe because obvi Radovid needs to make it up to him and actually show that he’s not lying. And of course, now he’s trapped. He was going to give it all up. I’m really curious to see how that’s going to go down. And obvi Radovid is just going to be manipulated. He’s never been useful, and he finally found how he could and the person he could be with if the other forgave him, and that’s all been taken from him. Oh, I know while we all wait for the next season, the fanfics are going to be good.

Jaskier saying his family.

I’m still processing things. Obvi my brain is just like: Jaskier! Milva! Family! So good! This season was just so good!

And like, other random things in there. 

I have some other things I need to paint first, get some of that done, but after that, or at least getting a good chunk of that done or make it clear I have time to do more than I need to for that, I’m definitely doing some fanart lol

[bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher]

Fanfic writers after watching “Rare Species”:

[tremendoustenderness]

You can't convince me that Jaskier isn't secretly in love with Geralt.

[exitpursuedbyasloth]

I have a question for anyone who watched S2 of The Witcher, that I haven’t been able to suss out from folks talking about the episodes: at any point does the show address the, uh, consent/free will issues involved with Geralt/Yenn and the djinn wish influencing their feelings at all?

Honestly while I actually like both characters, that particular aspect really sticks in my craw, makes me hold their relationship at arms length. I mean, half my blog is deconstructing and criticizing the Magical Roofies trope, which this kinda falls under, albeit not as direct and malicious as say, Bill drugging Sookie with his Billphrodisiac blood in True Blood. But it’s not a completely organic connection born of their own free will, which when you factor in the sex/romance nature of their relationship, begs the question of consent and why I really can’t connect with the show as their romantic relationship is apparently a major pillar.

[dahliavandare]

My current difficulty: talking to an IRL person who has just watched season two of Netflix Witcher and maintaining the impression that my exposure beyond S1:E6 is all through tumblr osmosis when I have read hundreds of thousands (and written tens of thousands) of words of witcher fanfiction since season one came out.

[screeching-painter-witch]

the witcher s1 e6 is causing me Pain (tm),, first jaskier's hozier-esque song that was definitely about geralt, and now "we could head to the coast. get away for a while"

[locke-writes]

Noah’s Watchlist

Here’s the list of what I’m watching. Some items on this list will be added to The Fandoms List in the future but please let me know if there’s something on here that you’d request for as some shows/movies I might not be considering adding.

Feel free to provide any recommendations!

Updated: Jul 9, 2023

Currently Watching:

Criminal Minds (S7:E1) - Rewatch

Malcolm In the Middle (S6:E1) - Rewatch

Boy Meets World (S1:E6) - Rewatch

Animaniacs (S1:E2) - Rewatch

Naruto (S1:E3)

Doug (S1:E4) - Rewatch

Normal People (S1:E5)

Sense8 (S1:E1) - Rewatch

X Files (S3:E9)

A Series of Unfortunate Events (S3E3)

Misfits (S2:E5)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (S3:E20)

All That (S2:E3) - Rewatch

The Powerpuff Girls (S1:E5) - Rewatch

Modern Family (S4: E12)

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (S1:E5) - Rewatch

Recently Watched (Films)

The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)

The Rescuers (1977) - Rewatch

Mars Needs Moms (2011)

Shrek (2001) - Rewatch

Shrek 2 (2004) - Rewatch

Audible (2021)

Beauty and the Beast (1991) - Rewatch

New In Town (2009)

That Thing You Do! (1996)

Sliding Doors (1998) - Rewatch

Primal Fear (1996) - Rewatch

Palm Springs (2020)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Robin Hood (1979) - Rewatch

Girlfriend’s Day (2017)

The Great Mouse Detective (1986) - Rewatch

Aladdin (1992) - Rewatch

Chicken Run (2000) - Rewatch

Pocahontas (1995) - Rewatch

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) - Rewatch

Inheritance (2020)

A Man Called Otto (2022)

Sleeping Beauty (1956) - Rewatch

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) - Rewatch

How to Lose A Guy in Ten Days (2003) - Rewatch

Vincent (1982) - Rewatch

Begin Again (2013) - Rewatch

Paddington (2014)

The Sword in the Stone (1963) - Rewatch

La La Land (2016)

WarGames (1983)

Six Days Seven Nights (1998)

Big Top Pee-Wee (1988) - Rewatch

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) - Rewatch

Anastasia (1997) - Rewatch

Hugo (2011) - Rewatch

Ant-Man (2015) - Rewatch

Music From Another Room (1998)

Cyrus (2010)

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Pete’s Dragon (1977) - Rewatch

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Big Night (1996)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) - Rewatch

The Lovely Bones (2009)

District 9 (2009) - Rewatch

Pinocchio (1940) - Rewatch

The African Lion (1955)

Una (2016)

Punch (2022) - Rewatch

Hercules (1997) - Rewatch

eXistenZ (1999) - Rewatch

I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007) - Rewatch

A King in New York (1957)

Evil Angels (1988)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Rewatch

My Brilliant Career (1979)

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) - Rewatch

Dazed and Confused (1993) - Rewatch

La Cage aux Folles (1978)

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956)

The Black Cauldron (1985) - Rewatch

Lisztomania (1975)

Upcoming:

Lucifer

The Witcher

Atypical

Sex Education

Spider Man: Into the Spider-verse - Rewatch

Halt & Catch Fire - Rewatch

The Old Guard

Nurse Jackie

Dead to Me

The Punisher

Merlin - Rewatch

Daredevil

I Am Not Okay With This

Happy

The Magicians

Never Have I Ever

Twin Peaks

The Guild

Jane the Virgin

The Politician

The Night Shift - Rewatch

Jessica Jones

Booksmart - Rewatch

I, Frankenstein - Rewatch

The Great

M*A*S*H - Rewatch

Fresh Off the Boat

Little Fires Everywhere

Single Parents

Sabrina the Teenage Witch - Rewatch

Superstore

Blue Bloods

Black-ish

Law & Order SVU - Rewatch

Atlanta

Adventure Time

Looking For Alaska

Preacher

Killing Eve

Fargo (FX) - Rewatch

The Orville

The Three Musketeers (1993) - Rewatch

Newsies (1992) - Rewatch

The Mandalorian

Big Mouth

Mr Robot

Bridgerton

Gothika (Rewatch)

A Monster Calls

After Life

Blood of Zeus

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

A Million Little Things

The Rookie

Black Adder

The Mighty Boosh

ER

10 Things I Hate About You (Rewatch)

The Mighty Ducks

Gargoyles

That’s So Raven (Rewatch)

Even Stevens (Rewatch)

Wandavision

Falcon & The Winter Soldier

Loki

9-1-1

9-1-1: Lone Star

Young Frankenstein (Rewatch) - Suggestion

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother - Suggestion

NBC Hannibal - Rewatch

Suicide Squad - Rewatch

The Suicide Squad

Trollhunters

Django Unchained

Hunter x Hunter

Pinky and the Brain - Rewatch

Chowder - Rewatch

Take Shelter

The House That Jack Built

Willy’s Wonderland

The United States of Tara

Party Down

Firefly

Midnight Mass - Rewatch

The Faculty (Rewatch) - Suggestion

Hawkeye

Legion (FX)

Encanto - Suggestion

Yellowstone - Suggestion

Maya and the Three - Suggestion

This Is Us

The Sandman

Being Human (US) - Rewatch

[realityhop]

The Witcher S1:E6 "Rare Species" (2019)

"In the most basic sense, the possessor of money is owed goods.  But money also represents a claim or credit against the issuer – monarch, state, bank and so on.  Money has to be ‘issued’.  And something can only be issued as money if it is capable of cancelling any debt incurred by the issuer. [...] The primordial debt is that owed by the living to the continuity and durability of the society that secures their individual existence."

— Geoffrey Ingham, The Nature of Money (2004)

"The word guilt derives from the German word geld which means money or debt.” Schuld is the German word for both debt and guilt.

"Regarded from the perspective of our metapsychology, guilt boils down to a way of coping with anxiety.  This is because the sense of guilt installs the conviction that anxiety could have been avoided if only someone had said or done the “right” thing. … Each subjective structure will install a specific form of guilt as a way of handling anxiety in its relation with the Other. … Guilt has to do with one’s failure to live up to an interiorized norm.  Shame is caused by a loss of face—and, hence, in terms of the mirror stage, the loss of identity—because one has failed with respect to an external norm. … The common factor always has to do with a sense of failure. "

— Paul Verhaeghe, On Being Normal and Other Disorders (2004)

[ao3feed-geralt-jaskier]

by alternatereality42

Geralt has a lot to apologize for.

Words: 1931, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski, Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, Jaskier | Dandelion

Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion

Additional Tags: Post-S1 E6: 'Rare Species', Post-Season/Series 01, Emotionally Constipated Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Pre-Slash, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Apologizes, Yom Kippur | Atonement Day, Jewish Character, POV Jewish Character, Jewish Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, by g-d i will make that a tag, nobody asked for this but here it is anyway, Canon-typical language

[spacelion-loveshermulletson]

The Witcher, s1-e6:

Why would you hurt me like this..?

[senseless-writing]

Masterlist

A/N: Requests are open! I’m always happy to receive them, though I like to preface by saying that I won’t always write them. Not because I don’t want to (I love love love requests), but because I’m the least self motivated person in the whole world. Meaning, if it doesn’t hit me straight in the inspiration-dick, I won’t do it the justice it deserves by writing it.

But don’t let that stop you! I’m always all ears :)

The Witcher

Something New: I II III (Geralt x oc!daughter) - Geralt happens upon a little girl who has been abandoned in the woods on his journey up to Kaer Morhen. With a storm just days away, and the nearest town nowhere in sight, what is he meant to do with her?

A Chance (Geralt x oc!daughter) - Orion has a cold. Or, at least, that’s how it started. But when things take an unexpected turn down a dangerous road, Geralt questions if he really has what it takes to care for a human child.

Mountain Top Confessions (Geralt x oc!daughter) - Taking place in S1.E6, the little girl that Geralt took under his wing all those years ago isn't so little anymore. After overhearing something she wasn't supposed to while he and Yennefer argued about the quest to find the golden dragon, the witcher is forced to have a conversation with Orion that he'd been hoping to push off for as long as possible.

Bucky Barnes

A Faded Picture (Bucky x oc!daughter) - Bucky struggles to recognize himself in this new life, and new role, that he’s been forced to live. (post CATWS)

Top Gun

Unforgiving Anxieties (Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x wife!reader) - Rooster has to leave again, which isn’t something new. But this time, he’s leaving his wife with a baby at home, and Y/n isn’t sure if she can handle the stress that comes with parenting all by herself.

Getting Your Wisdom Teeth Removed (Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x reader) - Headcanon

Elvis (2022)

A Life Through Few Words (Austin Butler x reader) - Austin doesn’t enjoy talking about his girlfriend with the media. And if he does, it’s through very little words. Only he gets to truly know those moments that he cherishes so much. 

Mary In the Morning (Austin Butler x reader) - Who knew that waking up next to his girlfriend would give Austin the help he needed to better understand the King of rock and roll? 

Unprecedented Distractions (Austin Butler x reader) - Austin thought having Y/n with him would make the press interviews more bearable. It hadn’t occurred to him that having her there might lead to some new challenges. 

All Over Again (Austin Butler x reader) - It wasn’t Austin’s talent or looks that reminded Priscilla of her husband the most. It was his undeniable adoration for the woman he loved. 

A Not-So-Happy Accident (Austin Butler x reader) - Austin gets hurt doing something stupid on set, and Y/n is not happy about it. 

This Time Is Different (Austin Butler x wife!reader) - (Possible pt 2. to “All Over Again”) Priscilla had told Lisa Marie about the similarities between their life and that of Austin and Y/n’s. She never thought that she would see it for herself. 

[whatspastisprologue-blr]

After some discussion with @patroclusdefencesquad about the writing/creative decisions regarding TWN, I decided to do a little digging into the writing and showrunning credits to see if they'd be able to shed any light on some of our questions/complaints/confusion. I'd done it previously for The Handmaid's Tale, a while back--I don't remember why, something about the same writer having done a handful of episodes that were either "eh" or "bad" and then never came back after midway through S2--and thought, hey, why not another go. Sometimes, it helps, when discussing story decisions, to look at who's doing the writing. I don't know if we'll get anything particularly illuminating or interesting from it but it'll be out there in case anyone sees something that stands out to them.

This also isn't meant to bash anyone, or the show. I really enjoy The Witcher and analyzing stories is fun for me. It's been a part of how I enjoy shows/movies/books for as long as I can remember--yes, I'm that person who will talk during the movie, questioning the plot and the characters, though I try to not do it at the theater (partly out of politeness and partly as a joke with myself as a Firefly fan) or with people who aren't okay with me keeping up a semi-constant running commentary. (And yes, I do like MST3K.) So, like, this isn't me hating on it. I like the story, so I want to engage with it, and not just as a passive observer.

Throwing all of it below a cut because I anticipate this getting wordy, and not just because I'm the one writing this post (though that's part of it, certainly [I tried to find a GIF of the "To keep a long story short"/"Too late" bit from "Clue", but alas, to no avail]).

Oh, and all this is from IMDb. And I'm not including Andrzej Sapkowski because that one's kind of a given--he seems to get a 'based on' writing credit. And also Lauren Schmidt gets credit on all the episodes, too, so I'm not going to specifically mention her, either--just, here's a blanket credit. She's the showrunner, she's attached to each episode.

Season One:

The End's Beginning: Haily Hall (staff writer)

Four Marks: Jenny Klein

Betrayer Moon: Beau DeMayo

Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials: Declan De Barra

Bottled Appetites: Sneha Koorse

Rare Species: Haily Hall

Before a Fall: Mike Ostrowski

Much More: Haily Hall

Season Two:

A Grain of Truth: , Declan De Barra (written by), Matthew D'Ambrosio (staff writer)

Kaer Morhen: Beau DeMayo (written by), Matthew D'Ambrosio (staff writer)

What Is Lost: Matthew D'Ambrosio (staff writer) Clare Higgins (story and teleplay), Lauren Schmidt (in addition to the 'created for television by' credit she gets on all episodes, she also helped write the teleplay for this one)

Redanian Intelligence: Matthew D'Ambrosio (staff writer), Sneha Koorse (written by)

Turn Your Back: Matthew D'Ambrosio (staff writer), Haily Hall (written by)

Dear Friend...: Matthew D'Ambrosio (staff writer)

Voleth Meir: Matthew D'Ambrosio (staff writer), Mike Ostrowski (written by)

Family: Matthew D'Ambrosio (staff writer)

So, some initial observations, which may or may not be important--I don't know, I'm just putting it out there in case anyone has insight they'd like to share--are:

It looks like, outside LSH, every season one episode had just one writer--Haily Hall for 3 out of 8, whereas the others each got one--while almost all of the season two episodes had more than one writer. The exceptions are E6 and E8, written solely by Matthew D'Ambrosio according to IMDb, who also had a hand in all of the other episodes in season two. My guess is one writer was involved in all episodes for a sense of consistency across the season; he got to write two alone, though.

With the exception of Clare Higgins, whose only credit is E3, all the other S2 writers were also S1 writers.

Jenny Klein, however, didn't seem to come back for S2.

Beau DeMayo was involved in Betrayer Moon and Kaer Morhen.

Declan De Barra was involved in Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials: Declan De Barra as well as A Grain of Truth

Sneha Koorse was involved in Bottled Appetites and Redanian Intelligence.

Mike Ostrowski was involved in Before a Fall and Voleth Meir.

Haily Hall was involved in The End's Beginning, Rare Species, Much More, and Turn Your Back.

I'm half tempted to go through the credits for each one but I think this post is starting to get long enough. I will, however, go through LSH's credits for producing and writing:

Producer:

The Witcher (including The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and The Witcher: Blood Origin [and might only include S1 of The Witcher, since IMDb only lists those episodes])

The Umbrella Academy (10 episodes, 2019)

The Defenders (8 episodes, 2017)

Daredevil (13 episodes, 2016 [co-executive])

Power (8 episodes, 2014 [co-executive])

Do No Harm (4 episodes, 2013 [supervising])

Parenthood (12 episodes, 2010 [supervising])

Private Practice (10 episodes, 2007 [co-producer])

Writer:

The Witcher: Blood Origin (post-production)

The Witcher (created for television by-16 episodes, written for television by-2 episodes, written by-1 episode, teleplay by-1 episode)

The Umbrella Academy (teleplay by-2 episodes)

The Defenders (written by -5 episodes)

Daredevil (written by-3 episodes)

Power (written by-2 episodes)

Do No Harm (story by-1 episode, written by-1 episode)

Parenthood (written by-1 episode)

Private Practice (written by-4 episodes)

Drive (written by-1 episode)

Justice (written by-3 episodes)

The West Wing (staff writer--22 episodes, story by-4 episodes, written by -2 episodes)

I haven't heard of Power, Do No Harm, Drive, or Justice; might've heard of Parenthood and Private Practice--which is not an attempt to slam any of those shows. I just don't know anything about them. I can't speak to them because I'm not familiar.

The Umbrella Academy and Daredevil are on my to-watch list, though; I'm unsure about The Defenders. I haven't seen them, so I can't say anything about them.

So, here it is. I don't know if anyone will be able to make anything out of this or if anyone will find it interesting. Again, I really like The Witcher, so none of this is coming from a place of "ew, I hate it" or anything like that; it's entirely possible to critique even things you like. I like the story, so I want to engage.

[bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher]

If y'all really wanna get slapped in the titter tots with some Rare Species ANGST then I would highly suggest listening to The Mountain Goats' brilliant song "Get Lonely" and bawling your eyes out like I just did!

[tremendoustenderness]

Jaskier really asked Geralt to go on a seaside vacation with him and then said "I'm just trying to work out what pleases me."

[gingersforeverbox]

it's time for the Nine People I Want To Know Better game!

I was tagged by the lovely @thedreamlessnights <3

Last song: Come as you are- by Nirvana

Last show: Stranger Things

Currently watching: The Boys (S1 E6)

Currently reading: Does fanfiction count? if so Waves on the Shore by the lovely @wincestisasincest!!

Current obsession: Arcane and The Witcher games <3

I'm tagging @sevikas-whistle @simpfiles and @thehistoriangirl ❤️❤️❤️

nine people i want to get to know better!

@chris-sya thanks for tagging

last song: I legit don't remember, it was forever ago. But I think I heard Passenger by Iggy Pop in the Boys yesterday

last show: Parks and recreation

currently watching: parks and recreation, better call saul

currently reading: Лето в пионерском галстуке - the book about gay teens in a ussr summer camp

current obsession: aeon flux!!! What the hell

Tagging @violet-amet @itsme-tori @silcosmoke @stepsonsilco @pokefighterlp @you-never-talk @i-am-the-balancing-point @senka-mesecine @cyberturbine