#witcher macro

[abeautifulblog]

okie, time to talk about The Witcher season 3 part 1

To be honest, I've been having trouble figuring out what to even say about S3, because it takes longer to unpack what they're doing wrong than it takes them to do it. 

How do you formulate a coherent critique of something that's not? How do you isolate the mistakes so you can discuss them when everything is a mistake? "This plot point was executedly badly, but it was also a misbegotten idea that they shouldn’t have done in the first place"?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

--

So I tend to conceptualize writing as operating on two levels -- the macro/story/structural level, and the line/dialogue level.

On a macro level, are events linked by cause and effect instead of just Happening? Is there a point to the things that happen? Do characters behave in alignment with their personality and motivations? Is it clear what the stakes are?

(In fairness, S2 was far worse on that front than S3 -- the crowning example being the time they moved Yennefer from one setpiece to the next by having her literally fall down a manhole. Cue some pasted-on drama where an extra gets eaten by a sewer monster and then never mentioned again, and what the helllllll was the point of that detour? o_O)

On a line level, does the dialogue flow naturally, one person's line following from what was said before? Does the dialogue successfully evoke the audience-reaction that it's supposed to, is it funny when it's supposed to be funny, profound when it's supposed to be profound? Does it sound like something that would actually come out of a human being's mouth?

Shadowhunters was probably the worst show I ever watched in terms of writing that failed on both fronts, but TWN is a close second.

--

If this were a fic I was beta-reading, I would ask the writer, What's the story you're trying to tell? 

Because this happens to all of us sometimes -- we get too bogged down in the nuts-n-bolts of the story action, what’s happening from scene to scene, and lose sight of the forest for the trees. A good editor (or beta reader) can help you keep an eye on the big picture, and make sure that all the story elements are working in service to your goal, that you're not wandering off track into something irrelevant, or worse, accidentally undermining your own message.

I don't think the writers at TWN know what their story is. Sure, they know the events that happen, but there's no sense of why, neither within the story world, nor why this is a story worth telling in the first place. It feels like an adaptation in the worst sense of the word, hitting predetermined story beats simply because they’re obliged to, because that’s what’s in the source material, not out of any natural plot progression.

With S3, they clearly wanted it to be a high political drama, a web of intrigue!! full of shifting alliances and backstabbing and clever people playing four-dimentional chess, etc, but it was done without any understanding of what politics actually is -- ie, people with conflicting goals attempting to gain and leverage power to achieve those goals. So there's spies and ~scheming~ and assassinations, but no sense of what these people hope to get from it all. You can't create conflicts of interest if you don't know what anyone's interests are.

(And to be blunt, these writers aren't clever enough to write clever characters.)

--

The one instance of motivation & conflict done well in S3 -- and hands-down the most compelling part to me -- was Jaskier promising Phillippa et al that he would deliver Ciri to them, if they could kill Rience.

Yessssssss.

Was he lying? No idea, doesn't matter. It's a delicious conflict of interest for him either way.

Because Jaskier's friends are, quite frankly, failing him at that point -- Geralt and Yennefer are preoccupied with the threat that Rience poses to Ciri, which is understandable, but they show a breathtaking lack of concern for the threat Rience poses to Jaskier. Y'know. The guy that actually got tortured by him last season.

(Jesus wept, they make him be bait for Rience, and brush off his anxieties like they're not even listening. They treat Jaskier like he's acceptable collateral damage for Ciri's sake; like her safety matters, but his doesn't.)

(I'm not sure whether the writers meant to make Geralt and Yennefer come off as bad friends? o_O But if they didn't, then playing bait needed to have been Jaskier's idea. Not something they forced him into -- his idea, even though he's terrified out of his mind by Rience, but he's brave enough to stand up and offer it anyway, because it's the only way to protect the people he cares about, and he's the only one who can do it.)

So yeah -- I don't fucking blame him for taking the initiative to look out for his own interests, since it's clear that no one else is going to.

And why shouldn't Ciri go to Redania? If Dijkstra & company can kill Rience, does that not demonstrate both their ability and willingness to protect her? Sure, Geralt's not going to like the idea, and he'll be mad at Jaskier, but what else is new, right? And wouldn't Ciri be so much safer in a fortified castle with an army between her and Nilfgaard, instead of constantly on the run, with mercenaries never more than a step behind them? There's enough logic to the idea that Jaskier could talk himself around to it, while still believing that he's doing what's best for everyone.

It's a potential betrayal, or something that Geralt might view as one, but there are very good reasons for Jaskier to feel and act as he does, even as it puts them at cross-purposes. And that is what well-rooted conflict looks like -- it emerges organically from characters wanting something specific, and wanting it strongly.

But what does Dijkstra want? What does Phillippa want? "Power"? What does that mean, in this context? What do they want to accomplish with said power? When the Brotherhood comes into conflict with the Lodge of Sorceresses, what are they actually fighting over?

Writing a political drama requires understanding both the personal and the political stakes for everyone involved, and the writers just didn't -- didn't appear to even know that that was something missing from their story.

In trying to mimic the political intrigues they'd seen in other fantasies, they transplanted the stems and leaves, all the visible trappings of cloak-and-dagger, but didn't realize that they were leaving the roots behind, and that the roots are what makes the whole thing HAPPEN.

(Awkward metaphor, but you get what I mean.)

--

So yeah.

Like I said, it's hard to figure out where to even begin an analysis of this show, because it's such an incompetent mess on every level. (How do you say where it went wrong, when it’s never gone right?) I'd be fine with judging the show on its own terms, not on a rubric of fidelity to the source material, but I swear to god, half the time I can't assess how it's doing because I can't tell what it's trying to do.

Are Yen and Geralt supposed to be bad friends to Jaskier, and frankly embarrassing role models to Ciri with their juvenile silent treatment of each other even when they're living in the same house?

Is Dijkstra supposed to be a brilliant Machiavellian chessmaster, or is he supposed to be unhinged and delusional?

Is Radovid supposed to be a weirdo who perpetually looks like he's about to burst into tears? (Why are his eyes so MOIST???) Is it supposed to be a red flag when Jaskier says he’s not in the mood to perform for Radovid’s salon and Radovid makes him do it anyway? Or is that what the writers think cutesy romcom behavior is?

idk, man! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, I'm going to wrap it up there, even though I've got a lot still kicking around in my head. But y’all should like, send me asks n stuff, because it’s a lot easier to write a response to specific questions/prompts than to try to cover everything in one post.

[hanzajesthanza]

i already had the assets on my laptop, so... here are some witcher books... motivational image macros? about later adaptations? or maybe yourself? idk

[azazelsazaleas]

Ok, so usually when an idiot on Reddit posts an absolutely awful take and it gets upvotes, I roll my eyes and move on with my life, but this one has been living in my head for a little while now so I feel the need to rant about it.

The Awful Take (TM) was as follows: Dune and Star Wars are not science fiction because they are not rooted in science, instead, they are space fantasy because it’s all just about politics in space and stuff.

Now, I’m fine with the Star Wars half of this. I actually agree with that part. It’s the Dune half that is absolutely asinine, ill-considered, and just plain wrong.

There’s a few reasons for this.

For starters, Dune is absolutely rooted in science, particularly the novels. The entire plot centers around planetary ecology, and explores the impact of ecology on resources and the way that the resulting scarcity of certain resources impacts culture, society, and politics at macro and micro levels. This really is about as science-driven as science fiction can get, and Herbert put an incredible amount of consideration into making it work.

All of which is to say, science fiction is fiction that is not explores how scientific and technological advancement, understanding, and exploration impact humanity, and Dune does exactly that. The political structures, economic structures, and social structures of Herbert’s universe are built around the aforementioned fictionalized ecology as well as a hypothetical future involving space travel and what humanity would look like in a post-AI, post-computer world.

Fantasy, by contrast, is rooted in folklore and mythology. Tolkien’s middle-earth works were (at least partially) an attempt to create a mythological history for British cultures, and were heavily influenced by Nordic and European myths such as the Kalevala. The Witcher is based largely in deconstructions of European folktales. Harry Potter blends mystery and coming-of-age genres with a setting that basically establishes European folkloric and mythological creatures and tropes as part of its universe. And that’s not even getting into the volumes and volumes of fantasy that’s basically just copies, deconstructions, reconstructions, parodies, and loving tributes to what Tolkien did with Lord of the Rings.

Which brings us to Star Wars. George Lucas has been extremely open about the influence the Joseph Campbell’s theories regarding mythology (particularly the Hero’s Journey as discussed in The Hero with a Thousand Faces) has had on the franchise he created. The aesthetics of Star Wars are rooted in old Flash Gordon serials; the world building was inspired by science fiction franchises such as Star Trek and, yes, Dune; and some of the characters and plot points were inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s jidaigeki films; but the overall story arc, the narrative heart of the films, and the broader themes that they dwelt upon were rooted in a Campbell’s hero’s journey (with a hefty dose of East Asian mysticism and philosophy thrown in there). The films that compromise the core of the Star Wars franchise -episode I though IX- have very little interest in exploring futuristic scientific and technological concepts; they are simply presented as either plot devices, or neat-looking spectacle that leans on Asimov’s maxim that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. What it is interested in is Luke’s growth from starry-eyed farm boy to archetypical hero, wizards of light and darkness battling each other in cataclysmic conflicts of good vs. evil, and a redemptive arc for a villain who was effectively a fallen angel figure. Star Wars pretty solidly meets the qualifications for fantasy.

Dune, by contrast, does not. Dune is not rooted in mythology. It is not rooted in folklore. The closest it comes is in its discussions of religion, but even that is explored through a (rather cynical) lens of political and social sciences. Dune is more interested in how humans interact with the world(s) they live in. Dune is, simply put, science fiction.

And while we’re at it, Star Trek is, too.

[littlestsnicket]

because i am a contrarian by nature, i think it would actually be super fascinating to write warlord!geralt who is really fucking bad at it. like, he would never ever ever accept a position of responsibility like that, but if he did it would be an absolute shitshow. geralt has no ability to delegate, is bad at making decisions, isn’t great at predicting how other people will react to things at a macro level, i could probably go on but will not.

and like geralt trying to help people and failing? very in line with the witcher.

[mundrakan]

Kinktober Day 1

First the boring part: the daily panic update: I am at story 21, and in panic. Posting has started. At least I have an idea where 21 goes and am writing it. Yay.

Now the good part: Today I present to you Witcher, because I wanted to start with something not too unfamiliar for me.

Prompt: Latex/Leather, Micro Macro , Pegging

Join Yen at enjoying two of her favourite men ;)

[amiryllisthorn]

like you have this new activity called the coil, which is an activity meant to do multiple runs in kinda a rouge lite style of loop, and its actually pretty interesting!

HOWEVER

its still the same seasonal weekly bullshit that bungie seems like they will not get away from.

you do an interesting thin, listen to someone, do some bullshit chores(in this case BLIND FUCKING WELL WITH NO CHANGES OTHER THAN ITS SLIGHTLY HARDER)

fucking MORE MONETIZATION WHERE THEY WANT PEOPLE TO PAY FOR EXOTIC GUNS

and this is just a personal gripe but god I do not want to see a fucking billboard for the witcher when I am SUPPOSED TO BE SEEING DIALOGUE FOR THE MAIN FUCKING STORY

and on that note, the utter absurdity of having these macro transaction armor sets (that cost as much as full games btw) of wolf themed medieval armor, and NOT having new Iron Banner armor is just a choice.

Joe Blackburn wants this game to be as good of a narrative as past games such as Halo or Marathon, but as long as they keep treating the game as a cash shop first, and trying to get people to log in every week, it will never be that.

FF14 gets people to log in by having good content, that is approachable for new people to get into(multiple free xpacs) and is just fun to play. It has its own issues sure, but it isnt asking you to pay like $200 to play the god damn game.

Oh and lastly, the fact that Bungie is essentially refusing to actually acknowledge the mass layoffs, outside of some really fucking stupid comments from pete parsons, and like a paragraph or so in a halfassed twab, and how the poor execs didnt take bonuses is just fuckign insulting.

How Bungie fired 100+ people, including some of their longest employees, in surprise 15 min meetings, or by locking them out of their terminals is fucking amazon level of fucking evil, and I want the community to always remember that.

a friend of mine called Destiny 2 the RWBY of video games and I cannot get that out of my head.

[salty-geralty]

[hiddendreamer67]

Geralt the Giant Pt. 1

New Witcher AU where Witchers are Giants and hella badass and more reclusive than usual so not everyone knows they even exist.

Summary: Jaskier, new out of bard college and without a muse, goes wandering the continent and hears tale of Giant monster slayers. He doesn't believe it, until one night when he's nearly killed by one himself.

AO3 Link here

It all started when Jaskier was down on his luck in a charming backwater town called Posada. The lovely people of this tavern didn’t seem to appreciate Jaskier’s wonderful lyrics about abortions. Arguably, the words themselves were clever enough, but the content was admittedly dry. It wasn’t the bard’s fault- while studying at Oxenfurt, Jaskier learned how to play just about every instrument in existence with a focus on the lute, and also could identify any musical note with his pitch perfect hearing. But figuring out what to write about in his songs? Well, that’s the very reason why the academy sent bards off to discover their muse, and so far all Jaskier had discovered were muddy roads and piss poor ale. Hardly masterpiece quality.

But as Jaskier was shoveling bread into his trousers (a bribe from angry patrons who threw it at the stage in hopes of shutting him up), Jaskier’s perfect ears happened to overhear a conversation of note happening at the bar.

“A giant, you say?” Jaskier butted into the conversation, ignoring the irritated glares both parties sent in his direction. “He sounds quite intriguing.”

“Leave the fantasies in stories, bard.” The man who was sitting there and started the tale spat. “This giant is no man. It’s a beast, over a 100 storeys tall, destroying everything in its path-”

“Goodness, 100 storeys? Really?” Jaskier had already whipped out his songbook and was jotting this down. “Did you measure it yourself, then? Or am I not the only one guilty of a bit of exaggeration around here?”

“Why’s it matter how tall the thing is?” The barkeep scrubbed angrily at a sticky spot on his wooden shelf. “A giant’s a giant.”

“Yes, well, I’ve considered many a bed partner a giant of a man, but it seems you’re dealing with another realm entirely.” Jaskier rested the quill against his mouth. “I just want to make this clear when I write the tale. Is the fellow the sort where I’d feel like a child standing up to his hip, or the more fabled kind where I’m lucky to be spotted next to his boot? I say, does he wear clothes at all? Or is there a giant nudist in our midst terrorizing wives and children-”

The patron, clearly having had enough of Jaskier’s ramblings, slammed his beer down on the table. “This isn’t a joke!” The man yelled, silencing the bard and half the guests with his outburst.

“Oi.” The barkeep paused his work, giving the patron a glare. “Take it outside if you’re gonna get rough.”

The patron grumbled, but sat back in his seat, this time addressing Jaskier with a normal gruff tone. “This thing could level a village without even realizing it. All of Wakefield had to evacuate a fortnight ago when we saw the beast on our borders, half the fields trampled and our livestock so spooked they'd stopped producing.

“A monster had been picking off our hunters one by one, the men who came back swore they saw a tree come to life, some sort of forest spirit pissed off we were in its lands, they said. It commanded the birds and the wolves, sent brave men cowering back with tails ‘tween their legs, it did. There were some who wanted to leave then, but those were our homes, we weren’t about to leave because of some ol�� spirit.

“And then, one day, things took a turn fer’ the worse. The giant showed up, got into a fist fight with the spirit. It tore that monster limb from limb it did, leaving parts of it scattered at the town edge. The hunting parties that had been out in the woods that day never returned, torn or trampled just like that spirit.”

The man’s eyes had sunken, looking like a soldier who had returned from war when none of his comrades had. “By then, with the previous torment of the spirit, we were picked clean.” He murmured. “The few of us left figured it was safer to leave with our lives than piss off a creature so mighty the ground shook as it walked. I stared in the face of death that day, and could feel those soulless yellow eyes peering into ‘me soul all the way to Posada.”

The man shook his head, slowly but surely nursing his drink. His tale was done, and he wasn’t eager to tell it again.

Jaskier, unfortunately, had never been sensitive nor subtle. “...but it killed the spirit, right?” Already he could feel the inspiration brimming under the surface, a tale of a tragic guardian angel gone wrong.

“And our men.” He said through gritted teeth. “Or did their lives mean so little you’ve forgotten them already?”

“Well, to be fair, I didn’t know them personally- Woah!” Jaskier hastily took a step back as the man got to his feet, shoving the chair back and advancing steadily on Jaskier. “I- that is to say, I’m sorry for your loss? Look, all I was saying is that if there was no witnesses, it’s still entirely possible that nasty spirit did them off, which suffice to say would make you at least a little grateful to the-”

This is as much as Jaskier got before the man had grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up to meet his snarling expression. “Oi! Outside!” The barkeep ordered, shuffling them both out the door. The man refused to release Jaskier on the way out, causing the bard to stumble along until they reached fresh air. Jaskier had only a moment to appreciate the sunlight before a fist was painfully colliding with his face.

“Okay, ow.” Jaskier grimaced, blinking back spots as he was shoved to the ground. He rubbed at his jaw, looking up at his tormentor. “Some parties would argue that was a bit harsh.”

Jaskier was never known for keeping his tongue, and here it once again proved to bite him in the ass as the man reared back and kicked him in the gut. Jaskier doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach to cradle the sensitive organs for a few minutes before the throbbing subsided. When finally Jaskier dared to uncurl, the man had disappeared, likely inside for another drink.

“I think that went rather well.” Jaskier breathed, voice still a bit wheezy from the light beating. The bard stood up slowly, dusting himself off to maintain his beautiful silken trousers, even if the blue color had already faded from weeks of travel.

“Well, where to next?” Jaskier thought to himself, adjusting his lute on his back. “Can’t go back in there, oh no, I doubt they’d want to be graced with my presence anymore anyways.” Jaskier sighed, turning instead to the road out of town and already longing for a comfortable bed. “Hmm, let’s see, shall we venture North this time around? I hear Lyria is lovely this time of year.”

When one only needs to convince themselves, the choice of destination can be an easy one. Jaskier set off with all his worldly travel possessions, the coin pouch still dangerously low. If Jaskier had any survivalist skills, perhaps he could save a bit of coin catching a rabbit here and there for a meal instead of spending a hefty sum on rations when the market allowed. Instead, Jaskier had to contend himself with a few handfuls of mostly innocent berries and occasionally going hungry when left to his own devices.

“Oh, what shall we do with the drunken sailor~” Jaskier traveled with a tune this fine afternoon, amusing himself with a few vocal warm ups. What town was north, anyhow? Jaskier rarely bothered with maps, choosing instead to trust where the road took him. It only grew uncomfortable when towns were several days' travel apart, as Jaskier was not fond of sleeping out in the wilderness. The unfortunate night when a squirrel had crawled inside his bedroll with him was enough of a fright for the novelty of sleeping under the stars to wear off.

As the sun drew lower in the sky, it seemed tonight would be one of those unfortunate nights. Jaskier sighed, resigning himself to set up camp. Jaskier decided against a campfire, deeming it too much effort on a night when the air was already warm enough. Instead Jaskier just scoped out a spot by a tree still within sight of the road, hoping the well trodden path would ward off natural predators but the tree cover would provide assistance against becoming a target for highway robbers in the dead of night. Not that Jaskier had much of value on his person but he imagined it wouldn’t be pleasant to wake up to being frisked with a knife to his throat.

When a suitable spot had been found (or a spot as good as he would get before he lost all daylight), Jaskier laid out his bedroll. He oiled the strings of his lute, making sure the instrument was well cared for after a day of heavy use in the tavern. When his most precious possession was set aside for the night Jaskier finally tucked in, ready for a well-earned rest.

Thump.

Jaskier paused, for a moment certain he was imagining the faint tremor he felt through the forest floor. Just as Jaskier wrote it off as a figment of his active imagination, it happened again. And again.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Jaskier sat up, clutching the fabric of his bedroll to his chest as the thumping only seemed to increase in intensity, now joined in tandem with the sound of shaking branches and creaking tree trunks as if the forest were being forced apart by something absolutely massive.

Quickly but quietly Jaskier exited his bedroll, heart pounding in his chest as he clutched his lute. What the devil could that be? Was it coming this way? Jaskier debated the sanity of taking a moment to pack up his bedroll, for it had cost a good handful of coin. Would it be better to try and hide, or run like a hellhound was at his heels? Before Jaskier could make up his mind, a massive form suddenly came crashing through the branches from above, falling quickly towards where Jaskier’s bedroll still lay. On instinct the bard let out a distinctly unmanly scream, scrambling further towards the tree trunk he was hunkered against to avoid being crushed.

At the sound of Jaskier’s scream- his very loud scream, curse his amazing lungs for always drawing attention to himself- the form in the sky stumbled, snapping more tree limbs like twigs as it finished crashing into the earth not even a full body length in front of Jaskier. The break in the forest canopy allowed a little moonlight to shine through, and Jaskier began to make out the shape of the intruding object which connected up to something far, far above him that couldn’t be spotted.

A boot. Jaskier had nearly been crushed by a gigantic boot, and it was only then that Jaskier remembered Wakefield was the closest form of civilization close to Posada. This was the giant that may or may not have torn greater men limb from limb, definitely tore a gigantic tree entity limb from limb, and terrorized a surviving population into leaving the only home they had ever known.

“...Fuck.”

Jaskier flinched, startled as a deep voice came rumbling down from above. Though it was all encompassing in its intensity, Jaskier got the distinct feeling that it was meant as no more than a murmur. The bard’s breath hitched in his surprise.

“You can talk?!” Jaskier’s head whipped up to try and face the intruder, scrambling to his feet to get a better view without his trusty tree blocking out the light. In the night sky, the giant was little more than a terrifying, looming shadow blocking out the stars. Far above, a pair of yellow, glowing eyes focused directly on Jaskier, pinning the bard with their gaze and leaving the human feeling even smaller than usual.

“I- sorry.” Jaskier continued, realizing that with a wince what he had exclaimed was quite rude, and offending a giant would not bode well. “It’s just that- well I’ve never met one of your kind before.” Jaskier raised his voice while continuing to ramble, watching as the giant began to lean closer. Not exactly ideal but maybe the giant was simply hard of hearing? Jaskier tried to stay in a positive line of thinking and less on the line of him being torn apart as soon as giant fangs got within bard-biting distance. If it- he- really did have fangs at all.

To be at the foot of such a massive individual reminded Jaskier of what it must feel like to humble oneself before the goddess of Death, pathetically lacking in your final moments as you were judged by an almighty being greater than yourself. To put it lightly, the sight was as awe-inspiring as it was terrifying, especially when Jaskier realized he had been frighteningly close to meeting Death tonight himself. This giant was like a living mountain, experiencing a world far larger than Jaskier’s own and one in which Jaskier’s continued existence was inconsequential.

“-rumored to have a bit of fae blood on my mother’s side myself.” Jaskier found he had continued to ramble without any awareness of what he was saying. “What was I talking about? Oh yes, I’m not racist- woah!” Unprepared for the giant’s shifting, Jaskier was startled by the sudden quaking of the earth and promptly stumbled onto his ass. What had been nothing but an adjustment of the giant’s footing had thrown Jaskier’s balance off completely.

“Sorry.” The giant apologized, saying his second word of the night. While the giant ominous stranger chose his words wisely, Jaskier had already spewed several thousand. Not too out of proportion for most conversations Jaskier held, actually. His previous roommates claimed Jaskier was just a fan of his own voice, and well this was not entirely the cause of Jaskier’s never ending dialogue he didn’t deny the melodious quality of his own vocal cords.

“It’s quite alright!” Jaskier hurried to assure him, standing up and once again patting at his clothes to dust them off, more out of habit than necessity. “Not my first tumble, no harm done to the bard, not tonight, no sir.” Jaskier’s tumble had also been caused by his own shaky legs, still quivering a bit as Jaskier forced himself to remain standing.

The giant hmm’d, those golden eyes tracking Jaskier intently. The bard got the distinct impression that the giant could see the bard a lot more clearly than Jaskier could see him in the low night light, like a predator stalking its prey. “You’re not hurt?”

Jaskier shook his head in confirmation. “Nope, fit as a fiddle. A lute, if one were to be more accurate, though it doesn’t roll quite off the tongue, does it? Bit of a nasty fright you gave me there in the beginning, quite a first impression.” Jaskier gave an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his head. “And here I was, poking fun at a man in the tavern a way’s back for telling tall tales! Really tall tales, mind you. Are you really 100 storeys tall? Sorry, that’s probably rude. I’ll go first, I’m 6 foot, though my lithe figure makes it hard for others to tell. I doubt you have the same struggles, oh mighty mountain man.”

“Hmm.” The giant ignored Jaskier’s question, if there even was one in that linguistic mess. (Jaskier himself wasn’t sure; in desperate times, the bard’s tongue tripped over itself.) “Stay near the road. Light a fire next time.”

“I- yes, that is- sound advice, right there.” Jaskier saluted, in no position to disagree with anything the giant told him to do. With a nod in his direction, the giant began to move. The shadowy figure blocked out the stars once more, causing Jaskier to flinch as he was briefly cast in darkness as the giant picked up a leg to set it down, what, miles from here? Jaskier quickly crouched down, avoiding the boot in front of him as it lifted as well. The boot’s journey up was slow and meticulous, as if the giant were being extraordinarily careful as he lifted his foot from the grove, but Jaskier put his arms up to protect his neck regardless as stray twigs were inevitably tumbling down where the giant’s foot dislodged them from the canopy.

A few moments later, Jaskier’s racing heart began to calm, no longer feeling as though he was immediately going to get squashed into a bardly pulp. Jaskier could scarcely feel the rumblings in the distance, the only evidence left of the giant’s intrusion was a wider hole in the tree branches and the scuffed up large patch of dirt left behind by the boot print. Jaskier panted, pressing his hand to his chest as he fought to process all that had happened in the last, most exciting minute of his short life. “What the fuck just happened?”

[fandom-gt]

An encounter with a strange monster and its venom leaves Jaskier tiny, hurt, and in need of a big, strong Witcher's care. (hurt/ comfort, fluff)

When it initially happens, Jaskier thinks Geralt’s attitude is just a product of him being an unsympathetic cock, as it were. The way he’s gone all stony and angry, the way he walks stalwart and silent with Jaskier in his breast pocket, not saying a word despite the fact that Jaskier hangs out and prattles on about how absolutely terrible this actually is, thank you very much. He complains about how the ride is bumpy, and about how the only way he’ll please a woman now is if his whole body’s inside her, and how maybe that’s not such a bad idea but then again probably not, and Geralt never says a bloody word.

He only realizes what it actually is when they pass a band of laughing soldiers, one of whom reaches a hand out as if to pluck Jaskier from Geralt’s breast – only to have his arm immediately snatched, snapped, and unempathetically broken.

The rest of them are pinned with that Witcher stare Jaskier’s seen so frequently turn lesser men into piss, and when Geralt speaks it’s so loud, so low, so rumbling it vibrates the chest he’s pressed against.

“If one more of you reaches out to touch him I’ll cut you down into pieces that are smaller than he is.”

He’s never seen three men run so fast. It clicks, then, rather abruptly - Geralt is concerned. The absolute care he takes when slipping Jaskier from his pocket, the gentleness of someone handling fine china, the way he dedicates his time to gently placing Jaskier on tables or beds for the next three days - they’re all subtle but telling attributes.

Honestly, if he were going to get stuck like this with anyone, he doesn’t think he trusts a soul on this green earth more than Geralt of Rivia. 

[fregolicotard]

26.12.2019

We started watching The Witcher with my parents and couldn’t stop until late at night.  Have you seen it? What do you think? Yay or Nay? Fun fact: This Christmas bulb is exactly my age. After I was born, my parents moved to their own apartment and even though I was only one month old, they wanted me to have a tree, so they bought a few decorations. :) 

#360of365

[swinginpursedonuteggs]

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[bigfishsaab]

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[chezagnes]

Make a wish . https://chezagnes.blogspot.com/search/label/5%20senses . #dandelion #nature #macro #flowers #naturephotography #spring #dandelions #photography #flower #witcher #thewitcher #macrophotography #l #love #art #makeawish #naturelovers #ig #pusteblume #geraltofrivia #geralt #bnw #wenzahn #wish #instagood #ciri #photooftheday #dandelionseeds #yellow #dientedeleon (en Madrid, Spain) https://www.instagram.com/p/CD3CSw1j6kc/?igshid=orbwal65l3a

[salty-geralty]

[cogentranting]

the article screenshot you posted does say ‘prequel,’ not ‘first’. I don’t see what’s wrong with placing it at the forefront of the show if it’s chronologically first, though. they did the same with the witcher. the last wish was published second but chronologically its events were first, so they started the show with the events that took place in the last wish. unless the show could find some way to really make aslan and whatever came before the pevensies intriguing in like a, foreshadowing sense?? I don’t know why it’s necessary to start from LWW. but also I’m biased bc I really like the magician’s nephew. so I’d love to see that first.

It says "prequel novel" but then says the plan put it "at the forefront instead of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe".

I think that looking at the macro-structure of the series, LWW is the book that belongs first. There are a variety of reasons why this works better

LWW is built so that the audience has Lucy as a perspective character discovering Narnia. You stumble into this world in the middle of it and begin learning about it beside her. MN is structured differently because it's book 6. MN is much slower paced because it exists to give the story behind Narnia-- we know what's coming so Lewis can make us wait longer and a lot of the story tension comes from finding out how all the pieces fit together to get us to Narnia. But in LWW Lucy enters Narnia in the first chapter, on page EIGHT. in MN, Narnia is created in chapter nine, over a hundred pages in (of a book that's less than 200 pages). This works for MN because by that point you've already read five other adventures in Narnia-- you know what you're waiting for and so you're willing to wait for it. But if you're new to the series, then it might not be great to withhold Narnia for over half of the first installment. And when Narnia DOES show up, it's a very early form of Narnia--instead of seeing a thriving magical world, you see it's very beginnings. That's great but if you haven't first seen things like the Beaver's house, the white witch's castle, the thrones at Cair Paravel etc. I don't know that the limited view of Narnia that we get in MN is going to capture you in the same way. I think the lamppost is a good concrete example: LWW has the iconic magical enchanting moment of stumbling through the wardrobe to find this lamppost in the middle of a snowy wood. It's probably the most iconic image from the series. But part of that wonder comes from the mystery and oddity of it. If instead of that, you see first the London street lamp being broken off, carried to Narnia, growing up as it's created, and then return to the that same lamppost... it's not bad but it doesn't evoke the same wonder.

Secondly there's the framing of the Pevensies. The Pevensies are more important than the other Friends of Narnia, not just because they have more story time dedicated to them but because of their actual role in the narrative. They are the four most important kings and queens of Narnia, especially Peter as the High King, and they hold a privileged place in the narrative because of that. The only character more important than them is Aslan. In it's publication order, the series starts with them and ends with them (even though Narnia itself doesn't). The Last Battle parallels its ending to LWW, not MN, We end with the Pevensies talking to Tumnus. (We see Digory and Polly and some of their MN supporting characters, but the focus builds to and comes to rest on the LWW characters). And even the books that the Pevensies aren't in, their presence is felt because they're legendary figures in Narnia (unlike Digory) and because there's always a thread of connection maintained to them (Silver Chair has their cousin, they appear in both Last Battle and Horse and His Boy, and even in MN where the connection is most tenuous, there are narrative links back through the lamppost, Digory himself, Jadis, and the mention of the wardrobe at the end). MN doesn't have links through the others in that way. In fact MN is the most disconnected book (or arguably Horse and his Boy) but it roots itself in the Narnia canon by very firmly connecting itself to LWW (which is fitting in itself- if MN=Genesis and LWW= gospels, in the resurrection Christ is the new and better Adam, and the beginnings of a new creation are instituted, so the fact that these two books have mirrored narrative elements and plot points that tie tightly into each other works really well). All that to say, if you start with MN, you frame Digory as the main character of the series. And he's not. He's briefly in LWW and then you would have four solid movies/seasons before he shows up again, in once again a fairly small role in LB. This undercuts the narrative importance of the Pevensies on the one hand, and on the other hand sets the audience up for disappointment because if they are introduced through MN and bond with Digory as their main protagonist they're going to be let down (even more so for the Polly stans).

Third, I think it's very intentional that MN is placed right before the end. The beginning of Narnia and the end of Narnia are placed back to back in Lewis' order. It's preparing you for the end by revealing the beginning. There's also maybe something to be said about the tone of MN perhaps being a shade darker than the earlier books (thinking specifically of Charn, but also Uncle Andrew as a character, and the general idea that Digory is essentially responsible for letting evil into Narnia.). There's a lot of hope and light at the end, but I think it's a better precursor to LB than it is an introduction to the series (I mean, just think of the difference in perspective it would make if the first glimpse of another world you get in the series is not a faun with parcels under a lamppost in the woods, but instead the dying and desolated Charn).

Minor point, but in the same vein, I think it's more fitting to see Jadis first through Edmund's eyes and only later see her in the more brutal, less disguised form you get in MN.

And just in general, LWW is sort of The Chronicles of Narnia epitomized. That's why it stands on it's own most easily. It has pretty much all the elements that make Narnia what it is. It sets your understanding of Aslan and Narnia, and sets your expectations.

Ultimately I think if they're looking to appeal mainly to people who love the books (and the existing movies) then it wouldn't do any harm to start with The Magician's Nephew. But for those who will be NEW to Narnia (particularly children) I don't think MN is a good starting point. And I worry that if they do that, they'll shoot themselves in the foot.

BUT. For me personally... I think the Disney Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe movie is close to a perfect adaptation, and despite it's flaws and changes, I adore the Prince Caspian movie too. So I don't care nearly as much about getting a Netflix version of those two because I already have a much beloved live action adaptation. I'm much more excited by the prospect of Silver Chair, Horse and His Boy and Magician's Nephew (if we can get a good adaptation of the other two I would love that but any doubts I have about Netflix being able to produce good Narnia content are doubled for Dawn Treader and quintupled for Last Battle). I so badly want a good movie version of the later books. So if all they give me is one good Magician's Nephew movie, so be it.

[bamf-jaskier]

Fringilla’s Tragic Backstory

If we can talk about the tragic backstory for the villain of every piece of media I’m going to do it for Fringilla too. Because this woman has been THROUGH IT. 

For @muslimyennefer​, fellow Fringilla fan

TLDR: Fringilla has a classic corruption arc, comparable to the likes of Eve Polastri, Will Graham, Anakin Skywalker and Morgana Pendragon. She starts out quiet and caring and ends hardened and many might say cruel. Her treatment at Aretuza was terrible and definitely ties into her decision to cut off all ties and fully commit herself to Nilfgaard.

Let’s start out by talking about her personality when she first enters Aretuza. She is shown to be very caring and also very shy. When Tissaia states that Fringilla’s conduit moment was freezing a cat she immediately says she didn’t mean to and then later when they are working with lightning Fringilla is the first one to try and help Doralis.

She is also shown to be one of, if not the most talented mage in their class. However, she receives none of the praise that Sabrina does. In fact, Tissaia specifically sets up the first lesson so that the person who is the most successful at the spell is the one who suffers the consequences because she never tells her students about the dangers of the spell until Fringilla withers her hand.

The worst part of Fringilla’s hand? It isn’t fixed until her Ascension. FOUR YEARS LATER. Tissaia’s “lesson” (which wasn’t a lesson because the students didn’t have all the information) caused Fringilla pain and suffering for four years. Despite her hand, which must have been extremely painful judging by Fringilla’s cry when it happened, she remains the most powerful mage in her class.

You can see Fringilla’s hand both during the lightning scene and during the ascension scene.

It isn’t healed until the ball where Fringilla is dancing with King Virfuril and her left hand is no longer withered.

Once again, I ask, WHY did Tissaia have Fringilla spend four years in pain and suffering by something she directly caused and had the ability to fix?

On this same note, it’s important to note that Fringilla has a similar talent level to Sabrina, she never messes up and she always is at the top. Tissaia praises Sabrina but never does Fringilla to the same extent. In fact, Tissaia treats Fringilla similar to Yennefer where she degrades them both but there is one key difference: Tissaia wants to give Yennefer opportunities in court and wants her somewhere like Aedirn. Tissaia actively wanted to sabotage Fringilla.

When meeting with the council of mages, Tissaia pushes for Fringilla to be sent to Nilfgaard. As Fringilla is one of the most promising mages in her year, this is a very confusing choice. She outright says:

Vanielle of Brugge: King Fergus is proving to be an effective and excitable young king.

Stregobor: Horny, she means. Spending the kingdom’s money on women as his people starve to death.

Tissaia: Fringilla will be in Nilfgaard by week’s end. She will bring sanity and bread to the people.

Stregobor: Your girl is- With all due respect, [to Artorius] your niece is only capable of doing what she’s told.

Artorius: No ambitious mage wants to be assigned anywhere south of Sodden. But Nilfgaard needs correcting. Perhaps we consider sending someone there with a bit more… spine. Stregobor, did you have anyone in mind?

Tissaia chose to originally send Fringilla to Nilfgaard even though she expected Fringilla to basically rot there and have no upward mobility. Everyone agrees that Nilfgaard is a very bad place to be. When Yennefer thinks she is sent there she even tells Istredd:

Yennefer: Can your apology save me from Nilfgaard? Take me to Aedirn? Do they make me more than my blood?

Just to clarify: Yennefer should NOT have been sent to Nilfgaard and there is a whole other post to be made about elven macro and micro aggressions in the Witcher, but what’s important to understand here is that Tissaia specifically chose to send one of her most talented pupils to a kingdom with no mobility and a corrupt king.

As well, during the Ball when Fringilla sees Yennefer go with King Virfuril she looks terrified when she realizes that she is now being sent to Nilfgaard. Tissaia hands Fringilla off to her uncle Artorius Vigo and even though that shot clearly is meant to focus on Tissaia, shout-out to Mimi Ndiweni for going that hard on the acting.

So basically Fringilla was treated like shit for four years despite her talent, then used as a pawn in Tissaia and the overall Brotherhood’ schemes and she is a GREAT example of the characters that get left behind in the hero’s stories. Yes, it is an amazing thing that Yennefer gained autonomy and said fuck you to Tissaia by getting the Aedirn position but we dont often think about the characters that end up suffering becuase of these plot points such as Fringilla.

She was sent to Nilfgaard ill-prepared and we don’t know what happened there, but whatever occurred in the 50 years before Fringilla met the White Flame, it changed her enough that she was able to go from the sweet, quiet and caring girl we see in Aretuza to the hardened mage we see in Cintra.

While she was in Aretuza, Fringilla was belittled and cast aside at every turn. She was told that no matter how talented she was, she would never be supported or taken seriously. Is it any surprise that she turned away from the Brotherhood completely and rejected their beliefs? They rejected her first.

Fringilla has a classic corruption arc, comparable to the likes of Eve Polastri, Will Graham, Anakin Skywalker and Morgana Pendragon. We don’t know what caused her journey from hero to villain in canon because it hasn’t been shown on screen, but I hope they do, it would be very interesting to know!

In the meantime, I love coming up with various theories as to what Fringilla went through in Nilfgaard and have fallen deeper in love with her character than ever.