#you have cool muses and interesting ideas please do keep writing<3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[starstarted]

I'm sorry, repairing my phone after getting back from the trip took a couple days bzjsjsj

But I think it's for the better if I go ahead and leave, at least for a bit, sorry about that too

[blorbosdotcom]

roleplay request?

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

I know I've been advertising my RP server for Sam & Max quite a bit, but I'm also open for 1x1 roleplaying! I'll be putting my information under the cut, so feel free to message me AFTER reading it over if you'd be interested in RP!

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.. Basic Information ..

STATUS: 

Open (1/3.)

Disclaimers/notices:

As I am 18+, I do not roleplay with minors. I am just not comfortable with it whatsoever especially since the genres I tend to write.

I try to keep my portrayals close to canon, though I do tend to add my own personal flare to them as well. If you do something similar/have headcanons about the canon you're portraying, please reach out! I think adding to characters just makes things more fun. 

In all honesty, I mainly just rolelplay Freelance Husbands. Nothing much with OCs or focus on characters outside of the pair. Well, aside from when I do JURGEN focused stuff, usually shipping him with Superball.

If you don't reply to me without notice after a week or so, I will close our DM. If you need a break/want to end RP, just tell me. I know how it is. But ghosting is just not cool.

I roleplay over discord, exclusively.

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Formatting.

I write in a third person, semi to literate format. I typically write three paragraphs as a minimum and expect partners to match my length. Often I write more like 3-5+ paragraphs, it just depends on my muse and what's going on in the roleplay. In order to be my RP partner, I do require an example of your writing. I can send one back as well.  This is simply a measure to ensure we both vibe with each other’s styles before getting into roleplay! 

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Timezones and availability.

I will not always be available as I am an adult with a significant other, work and other responsibilities. Please respect that and don't spam me for replies. If I have an event coming up I will try to keep you informed + hope you'd do the same. I live in Central Time.

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Limits.

Non-con, ageplay, p3dophilia and that other nasty stuff. I don't mind writing heavier topics, but going into graphic details with things such as Eating Disorders and Self-H@rm is too much. No other specific triggers come to my mind, but I will be sure to tell you if something makes me uncomfortable. 

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Types of roleplay.

Admittedly my primary interest in roleplaying is shipping. I tend to get bored with platonic roleplays. I am a sucker for a good hurt/comfort! Some genres I enjoy are angst, thriller and AUs of all kinds. I do not roleplay unless there is a plot, either. I do love brainstorming them together+hearing your ideas, and I also have some ideas already. I will add I tend to go hardcore into angst at times so if that isn't for you, I may not be the best fit for roleplaying. That being said, a good fluff or other genre can be just as fun. It really depends. I do ERP as well, but only if there's a plot involved. I can't get invested otherwise. DM me for more ERP specifics.

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Muses.

Max the Lagomorph.

You know him, you love him - the rabbity thing ever.

Jurgen the Vampire.

The guy ever.

I can do other characters as side characters, as well!

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Ships.

Freelance Husbands (obviously)

Jurgen x Superball (my guilty pleasure)

Jurgen x Papierwaite (I saw the light)

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Extra.

If you've made it this far, congratulations. Feel free to message me with any other questions I haven't answered in post, and of course - if you're looking to roleplay. Cheers!

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

[vacantgodling]

re. about

ren (or rimz for cool kids). he/him. twenty five. black. queer. neurodivergent.

i'm redoing this because i'm losing steam (thanks work) and i'm pulling back on a lot of projects to mostly focus on things that make me personally happy. as is the nature of my brain, i will still jump back and forth between projects when i lose the flow for another, but i’ve narrowed my important wips down to just three main ones. other projects are currently being shelved, or put to the side as half baked ideas that i still need to keep in the oven before i introduce them to anyone formally.

(so if you don’t see a wip listed in the wips tab, it’s either shelved indefinitely or i want to work on it on my own for a bit. you can ask me about my other wips if you know/remember them but i can’t guarantee i’ll answer about them at this time. this also doesn’t mean i won’t ramble about them when i feel like it.)

important sideblogs = no pressure to follow just fyi

@babylonsfalling -> all my fandom and other nonsense goes here

@todazzlingreading -> this is a personal checklist for things i want to read by y’all that i don’t have time or spoons to get to at the moment i see it. once i read a post there i’ll delete it from that blog and rb it over here with any comments in the tags :3

to find my art commissions, please look here: https://www.tumblr.com/vacantgodling/715216537870532608/commissions-are-open

re. disclaimers / interaction

i mainly write fantasy; it’s a broad overarching label that covers all of my interests and it’s my first love in writing. horror and horror adjacent elements always make an appearance in my works. i emphasize complex mlm relationships and male leads, and romance is a great love of mine as you’ll notice from the king of my current wips. worldbuilding is also a great love of mine. i also love writing smut and talking about my characters having sex.

as such some disclaimers: following me is a very much curate your own experience. i don’t want to hold back talking about adult and mature themes so if you’re uncomfortable with anything i talk about i’d just suggest you unfollow lol nothing personal.

i’m open to asks and talking about anything but there’s no pressure. anons are always cool. i’m probably not gonna do writing based tag games too too much bc writing has been nonexistent lately but character asks or ramble ones i will do :)

also, as a personal ask: please do not refer to any of my characters as babygirl or girlie(s). shit makes me squick thanks.

re. main wips

linked are the main tags & once i finish the wip intros for paramour and tcol (revamping them) i’ll link them as well. feel free to ask to be on the taglist for any of these (i’m going to do better with these) — taglists will be activated for all writing and official posts. this won’t include ask games or random babbling.

PARAMOUR || “saved” from an imminent social death through arranged marriage, HYACINTHUS SHRAPNEL is whisked away to The Chateau aux Aisles D’or, where an unlikely sexual relationship with his butler AMON leads to far more than he bargained for.

THE CHRONICLES OF LATHSBURY (check out the crash course HERE) || The Aegean Guild of Explorers, led by the mysterious newcomer to Lathsbury Madja Fandel welcomes its newest contingent after the guild bid: PIPER FAIRWIND a MBW with a fighting spirit and desire for money and glory, DEUX UNDERSHIELD a naive protector seeking answers for her brother’s spurn, SANDRA “SAN” DEARBORN a vicious hunter with a chip on their shoulder, CLEAR BRIGHTENDALE a medic with a host of dark secrets, and FORTE SYMPHONIA a ranger seeking his own destiny, are as ready as they’ll ever be to enter the fray, to conquer the mysterious and dangerous LABYRINTH. Forces that have been in motion since before their lives even began are finally reaching their peak, and the five of them will have to use everything they’ve learned and then some to stay alive.

re. navigation

talking -> musings and personal thoughts

about renjamin -> insight to me / who i am

ren analysis -> when i get meta about my wips

ren mix -> a treasure trove of my music taste

ren polls -> any polls i make

ren reads -> for my ramblings and analysis as i try to get back into books

friends tag -> talking with friends or boosting my friends work

others work -> boosting other writeblrs work

hall of fame -> praise / things that make me happy that i want to keep

ren writing -> all of my writing in one place

ren poems -> all of my poems in one place

ren fic -> all of my fandom related writing in one place

ren art -> all my art

q eh you eh -> queue

sex mention -> tag for any sexual content.

worldbuilding -> all of my worldbuilding notes across all my wips

find the word tag -> for this game specifically so i can find it

last line tag -> for this game specifically so i can find it

ren hot cakes -> specifically for my overly opinionated opinions

writing recap -> tracking my writing journey so i can hold myself accountable

[annwayne]

Writing Interview Tag Game!

Thanks @bagheerita and @chaniis-atlantis atlantis for the tag!! This looks like lots of fun :3 Interesting to see what all everyone says.

(questions w/o answers below the read more.)

About me

When did you start writing?

Sixth grade, otherwise around 10/11? I think that's how old I was in sixth grade lol.

Are there different genres or themes you enjoy reading other than the ones you write?

Absolutely! I write mostly romance and fantasy/sci fi, but I love most genres. Murder mysteries are a particular favorite of mine.

Is there an author you want to emulate, or are compared to often?

Not a clue. I read voraciously as a child until college, and just now I'm starting to pick the habit back up again-which is to say I couldn't tell you what authors inspired me as a kid and I'm not familiar enough with any authors I'm reading now to tell you what I want to emulate. No one has compared my writing to anyone that I know of.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

I mostly write on the pc, which is in our office. The desk is not deep enough to my liking but the chair is comfy. Perry's got a bunch of little knickknacks all around the monitor (since it's his side of the desk technically) and I've got a bunch of shelves full of decorations, collectables, so forth, along the wall/in the shelves that connect to the desk.

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Engage with the material that first sparked inspiration over and over and over again. This keeps the ideas flowing and often brings about dreams of said material, which help greatly.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and/or places you write about?

Hahahahahaha. Ha. Yeah, you could say that.

Are there any reoccurring themes in your writing? If so, do they surprise you?

Yes and no. See the question above.

Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character?

You're asking me to pick a favorite child 😩 Ok. I'll talk about Alice bc I'm working on the sga bridgerton!au. Alice's backstory isn't fully figured out, I'm debating if she'll be adopted or not. I know for sure her relationship with her family is terrible and that's why she was so willing to join the Atlantis expedition despite no guarantee of return. She never learned how to balance work and life, thus leading to a rather isolated adulthood where she spent most of her time in the lab. But hey, her work was well acclaimed and got her to the Pegasus galaxy. Her personality has really come through while working on this bridgerton!au fic. She's terribly anxious, but aware of that anxiety having little logic behind it, so a lot of her actions are based on being brave despite being terrified. She's very courageous in that sense. I'd say her biggest arc (at least in the bridgerton!au) is learning how to voice her wants. She's good at speaking up for others but not so much for herself. Also genderweird feminine presenting chubby scientist in 2000's woo.

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life?

I can't deicde if it'd be a "get along swell because they are so similar" or a "so alike they can't stand each other" situation with my fandom ocs tbh. I think I might befriend Anya and Awyn, but Alice might upset me too much lol. I can say, for my Angel and Death characters from an original work of mine, they would be my friends.

Which characters would you dislike the most of you met them?

Again, not sure. Hard to tell.

Tell me about the process of coming up with your characters?

I watch a show I like a character I make a sona/insert/version of myself I think would fit well in that world, make a cool story, and be a good ship with the character I like. Then the character blooms as I write.

Do you notice any reoccurring themes/traits in your characters?

Parental issues, adoption abandonment, cults. Yeah. There's a few.

How do you picture your characters?

I usually draw them! :D

My writing

What’s your reason for writing?

Self expression, I can do it better (fix-it-fics), and entertainment. The process of writing itself is very enjoyable for me.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment from readers that you find particularly motivating?

When readers pick up on foreshadowing and hints I'm putting down, when they leave behind long "book reports," as I call them, detailing narrative devices/thematic beats/etc., and when they tell me outright how excited they are to read more of the story. But literally any comment is like gold to me.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

Uhh. I've never thought of this before. I hope they enjoy my writing? And my ocs? I wouldn't mind being thought of as the person to go to with oc thoughts-not even about my own but anyones. I love ocs. I love seeing someone new I get to learn all about thrown into a world with all these characters I love. It's such a fun thing.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I'm not insecure with my writing lol. Art school really took the brunt of that one. But for a technical answer, I'd say character dynamics? Like. I'm good at a lot of things, but I think recently my ability to emphasize the emotions two characters have for each other (whatever those may be) has improved immensely.

Have you been told what is your greatest strength as a writer is by others?

I've been told I capture individual character voice's rather well. The trick, imo, is once you have heard the character speak enough that you can hear their voice in your head, you can tell when dialogue fits them or not. (obviously this goes for mediums where there is an aloud voice to hear lol.)

How do you feel about your own writing?

I love it! I'm a good writer and I'm always improving.

If you were the last person on earth, would you still write?

Yep. Re-reading my writing is fun!

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, do you write purely for yourself, or is it a mix of both?

Might be a mix? When I have an audience in mind (like for trades, gifts, and friends who are hype about wips I share with them) I tend to think past myself into bigger ideas. I'm still writing what I want to read, but I'm just giving more thought about the execution lol.

npt: @wolveria @nimata-beroya @silverwings22 @klynnvakarian @the-itzy-bitzy-spider

About me

When did you start writing?

Are there different genres or themes you enjoy reading other than the ones you write?

Is there an author you want to emulate, or are compared to often?

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

What’s your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and/or places you write about?

Are there any reoccurring themes in your writing? If so, do they surprise you?

Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character?

Which of your characters would you be friends with in real life?

Which characters would you dislike the most of you met them?

Tell me about the process of coming up with your characters?

Do you notice any reoccurring themes/traits in your characters?

How do you picture your characters?

My writing

What’s your reason for writing?

Is there any specific comment or type of comment from readers that you find particularly motivating?

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Have you been told what is your greatest strength as a writer is by others?

How do you feel about your own writing?

If you were the last person on earth, would you still write?

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, do you write purely for yourself, or is it a mix of both?

[shining-gem34]

KNOWING YOUR PARTNER WELL CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE WRITING TOGETHER A LOT EASIER.

repost, do not reblog this

NAME: Jade

PRONOUNS : She/They

PREFERENCE OF COMMUNICATION : Discord is my preference of communication. I'm not a big fan of using T.mblr DM's because of the lag on PC. I do my best to answer there until I feel comfortable enough to share my Discord username or we're chatting enough that I am frustrated with the DM's on this site.

NAME OF MUSE(s) : Dan Heng/Dan Feng, Balladeer/Wanderer, and my OC's Rook & Mallory.

BEST EXPERIENCE: In general, I've been having fun meeting new people and trying to bounce ideas. :3 Most memorable? I sound like a broken record (please don't hesitate to shut me up if I keep repeating myself), but it's the IL-Dh fight drabble I wrote for @etherealguard! I just wanted to write the two fighting in a dream. Then the Ichor of Two Dragons animation dropped and we all lost our shit over it.

RP PET PEEVES / DEALBREAKERS :

passive-aggressiveness: In general, and I say it in my rules, but if you have any issues with me- Please talk to me so we can sort it out. I don't like the feeling I've angered/annoyed/bored you, because you're acting passive-aggressive with me. I understand if you prefer to not talk about it and keep it bottled up- I am like that too alot. But if it's bothering you to the point we can't talk on the same wavelength, there's a problem.

ship dynamics: RP wise, I am usually open to shipping my muses with other characters. Sometimes, we might be already shipping them together after we discuss it in dms. Sometimes, I want to see how they interact first and see if the chemistry is there. I can't make any promises their feelings will be mutual if I don't feel the chemistry there.

Nothing else comes to mind for now.

MUSE PREFERENCES: I lean toward muses who are calm and collected in general. They can be either flirtatious (scheming) or stoic (with some temper/misunderstood to be cold). And then there's the brat named Balladeer/Wanderer who is a menace to society. Though I think sincere characters like Noelle (Genshin Impact) or Sushang (HSR) would be more perfect for me. ;;;;;;

PLOTS OR MEMES : I prefer memes because it's a nice ice-breaker. They're like prompts that makes the brain juices go brr, and it gives me a chance to talk to the sender about it. Plotting takes time for me, and it makes me a little nervous. It makes me feel like I need to have a well-thought out idea for people to be interested enough to bounce ideas with and not be confused.

LONG OR SHORT REPLIES: I am both! I tend to write alot, but no more than a few paragraphs. I don't mind short replies as long as it's not one-liners (unless this is a text message going back and forth). I need context before deciding how to reply.

BEST TIME TO WRITE : I don't get on my laptop until after 6PM and even then, unless I really force myself/try to get into the mood, I'm too tired to do anything other than chill. On the weekends, it's usually after 12PM I can try to sit down (if I'm not going outside) and make progress.

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S): Haha. No. I can never be calm and cool as them. Nor can I be courageous like them either. Nor am I an little shit like Wanderer/Balladeer.

Tagged by: Stolen from many people on my dashboard

Tagging: you if you haven't done it!

[creativeroleplay-ads]

Hello! 🍄 I am 21+ female! I am looking for people who would be interested in the following:

Fandoms:

Genshin Impact

Honkai Star Rail

MXTX (I love all three series!)

Witcher (still pretty new to the show but I love it!)

Nimona (the movie, though I am beginning the graphic novel!)

Lord of the rings/the hobbit

My muses/who I would prefer to write:

Genshin: Aether, Yoimiya, Lisa, KAVEH!!, Bennett, Venti, Amber, Thoma!

Honkai Star Rail: Bronya, Sampo, March 7th

MXTX: Shang Qinghua, Xie Lian, Wei Wuxian

Witcher: Jaskier

Nimona: Ballistar BlackHeart

LOTR/The hobbit: Bilbo, Pippin, Frodo, OC! (Lord of the rings is one of the fandom that I really enjoy doing OC’s from!)

Who I am looking for:

Genshin: Alhaitham, Xiao, Ayato, Ayaka, Jean, Razor, Eula!

Honkai Star Rail: Steele, Gepard, Stelle

MXTX: Mobie Jun, Shen Qingqui, Hua Cheng, Lan Wanji

Witcher: Geralt or Yennifer

Nimona: Nimona (platonic/familial ONLY!!), Ambrosius

LOTR/The hobbit: any of the thirteen hobbits (especially Thorin and Bofur), any of the fellowship (especially any of the hobbits!) and OC’s

Fandomless options:

So basically I’ve got this Fantasy world that I have a couple different basic plots for that I would love to do as well! I am also totally up for coming up with our own plots! I’ll list a couple of the basic ones I have in case anyone is interested! I’m a sucker for fantasy!!

Option 1: so I am a sucker for the fairytale the wild swans and would love to do something somewhat inspired by that story, like my characters family have been cursed to and somehow our characters come together to try and break the curse before time runs out!

Option 2: pirates! I don’t have much else here except pirates are cool!

Option 3: So basically my character is the child of a corrupt king who escapes the kingdom to look for help saving their kingdom. Your character can be just about anyone here; someone who worked in the kingdom and escaped as well, someone who has been personally hurt by the king, a sell sword, someone from a neighboring kingdom with either good intentions, or looking to take advantage of the situation! Honestly open to anything!

Writing style: I prefer a literate writing style, at least 1 paragraph though I typically write at least 1-3! I can do Novella length if you prefer!

Pairings:

Fandom: I am good with just about anything! Mxm, fxf, mxf, nbxnb, nbxf, nbxm! Also while I do tend to prefer canon x canon characters in fandoms, I am willing to try oc x oc and oc x canon!

Fandomless: obviously these would be oc x oc! Here the characters ideas I have written for the plots above are female so I would prefer either F x F, NB x F or M x F, but if we are coming up with a new plot I’m not against playing a male or non-binary character!

Genres: Fantasy and Adventure! I love the romance aspect and have a lot of fun rping it, but I also love things being platonic so that’s not something that will make me not what to RP!

Platforms: discord preferably, but I’m also good with tumblr if you prefer and I’m willing to try other platforms if you have a different suggestion!

RP partner preferences: I mainly just ask that you be over 18! I am over 21 so please keep that in mind for your own comfort level!

Extra info: I do doubles, all I ask is that if it is for a fandom rp, if it’s not one of the ones I have listed above you may have to give me some time to do some research, as I may not know much about it. If I do great but if I don’t I may ask some questions and stuff so I can rp whomever you want to the best of my ability! I also am in EST so you know for timing!

Please like this post and I will reach out!

[nulltune]

Plots please for either samatoki or my doppo whoever u have any ideas for 😎

plots please,  open !    @mrhcre  ♡

first of all i think the difference in their demeanors is so facking funny VSNFJWKDN samatoki who is always >:( and hakuno who is always :| ? i also love the difference in their speech patterns too because hakuno's almost way too formal and polite whereas samatoki is.... -insert clip of him saying yo yo my fellow chicks and d*cks from yokohama here- yknow ?! also i see that he's quick to start fights and hakuno is against unnecessary violence so methinks she would 🙏 try to stop him!! it's not just all hakuno scolding tho okok.... if he's hurt or bleeding she'd offer him an ice pack or handkerchief and maybe just sit in silence with him for a while

also 😨 HIM BEING PART OF THE YAKUZA IS INTERESTING !!!!! it doesn't show on her face but hakuno's not fearless okok and she'd be a widdle intimidated just by that title! she's not going to judge him solely based on that though and if she ever finds out his reason for joining (aka for his sister) then that'd boost her opinion of him significantly!! hakuno has no family you see (or friends or any meaningful bond yknow </3) so him rlly cherishing his sister is 🥺 smth she'd rlly..... (narratorlynn vc hakuno does not have the words for it but she desires that kind of connection so yeaaa ^_T)

i see him smoking a lot so 👁👁 hi sir, what would you do if miss ma'am hakuno asked you for one? she normally has no interest in smoking but i just think that maaaybe when she's at a particularly low point she'd try- if only because "when taken in small amounts, nicotine causes pleasant feelings and distracts the user from unpleasant feelings" </3 but also i don't think she'd like it at all VDJJWKDGSJD if he does give her one she'd just have an absolute failgirl moment and start coughing like mad after one (1) inhale 🗿 this could segway to hakuno opening up to him abt some deeper stuff tho!! mayhaaaps ?? 👀✨️

and um... either?? or??? NAHH SMOLIE I AM GRABBING BOTH AND GENTLY HOLDING THEM....🥺 i am also grabbing ur shoulders rn :obewon: because ily and u can literally just tell me a muse u wanna write, and i would absolutely be down to throw a moon lady at em 🫶🫶💖💞🤧 so yes ur absolutely getting some for dearest doppie as well <3 THEY'RE SILLY (AFFECTIONATE)

IMAGINE HAKUNO ACTUALLY SEEING HIM RAP THOOUGHH !!! (hakuno vc 📢📢 let's gooo mc name DOPPO) and she'd like to give him her regards afterstage(??) but oh man i just think it'd be in the most 😭?? Embarrassing way ever. (hakuno vc it was cool how you... shouted at that one part.) 🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂️ she really would be so supportive tho!! 🥺 it's a good outlet for his feelings and she'd be glad if it helps him with his stress! but also don't let her meet his other bandmates bc i feel like she would be kind Embawwassing (hakuno vc thank you for taking care of kannonzaka 🙇‍♀️) and especially don't let her meet the doctor because she'd ask him if doppo's talked to him abt his..... stomach issues

but speaking of that! i'm so sorry doppie but hakuno's gonna keep an eye out for your daily meals !! it's a good thing tho i prommy!!! you know that one meme about the preparing breakfast? left is the one hakuno prepared for doppo and right is the one for herself 😌✨️ that, but imagine it in bento form and i feel like it'd be so facking jarring to get lunch from ur super stoic coworker and you just open it up to see the cutest character bento looking thing GEJFHWKD but hakuno's not the best at cooking so like- imagine it being like those bootleg figurines of official merchandise 🧍‍♂️ and yet she has cuts on her hands from preparing it 🧍‍♂️ she tried her best tho!!! 🥺

on a more serious note though! i think hakuno would understand that he's just feeling anxious and she would understand and try to be there for him in any way that helps 🙏 (thinking abt what we talked a bit at discord) she can understand the feeling of not wanting to be a nuisance and the reason she always tries to be so calm and composed (outside of her sucking so bad at expressing herself her expression is just 😐) is also for that reason! so they absolutely have some things in common! <- the reason why hakuno would be so understanding, but also imagine her opening up to him abt her feeling like that too ?!

[findyourrp]

Hello! 🍄 I am 21+ female! I am looking for people who would be interested in the following:

Fandoms:

Genshin Impact

Honkai Star Rail

MXTX (I love all three series!)

Witcher (still pretty new to the show but I love it!)

Nimona (the movie, though I am beginning the graphic novel!)

Lord of the rings/the hobbit

My muses/who I would prefer to write:

Genshin: Aether, Yoimiya, Lisa, KAVEH!!, Bennett, Venti, Amber, Thoma!

Honkai Star Rail: Bronya, Sampo, March 7th

MXTX: Shang Qinghua, Xie Lian, Wei Wuxian

Witcher: Jaskier

Nimona: Ballistar BlackHeart

LOTR/The hobbit: Bilbo, Pippin, Frodo, OC! (Lord of the rings is one of the fandom that I really enjoy doing OC’s from!)

Who I am looking for:

Genshin: Alhaitham, Xiao, Ayato, Ayaka, Jean, Razor, Eula!

Honkai Star Rail: Steele, Gepard, Stelle

MXTX: Mobie Jun, Shen Qingqui, Hua Cheng, Lan Wanji

Witcher: Geralt or Yennifer (though I am good with other characters, I’m still just relatively new to the show!)

Nimona: Nimona (platonic/familial ONLY!!), Ambrosius

LOTR/The hobbit: any of the thirteen hobbits (especially Thorin and Bofur), any of the fellowship (especially any of the hobbits!) and OC’s

Fandomless options:

So basically I’ve got this Fantasy world that I have a couple different basic plots for that I would love to do as well! I am also totally up for coming up with our own plots! I’ll list a couple of the basic ones I have in case anyone is interested! I’m a sucker for fantasy!!

Option 1: so I am a sucker for the fairytale the wild swans and would love to do something somewhat inspired by that story, like my characters family have been cursed to and somehow our characters come together to try and break the curse before time runs out!

Option 2: pirates! I don’t have much else here except pirates are cool!

Option 3: So basically my character is the child of a corrupt king who escapes the kingdom to look for help saving their kingdom. Your character can be just about anyone here; someone who worked in the kingdom and escaped as well, someone who has been personally hurt by the king, a sell sword, someone from a neighboring kingdom with either good intentions, or looking to take advantage of the situation! Honestly open to anything!

Writing style: I prefer a literate writing style, at least 1 paragraph though I typically write at least 1-3! I can do Novella length if you prefer!

Pairings:

Fandom: I am good with just about anything! Mxm, fxf, mxf, nbxnb, nbxf, nbxm! Also while I do tend to prefer canon x canon characters in fandoms, I am willing to try oc x oc and oc x canon!

Fandomless: obviously these would be oc x oc! Here the characters ideas I have written for the plots above are female so I would prefer either F x F, NB x F or M x F, but if we are coming up with a new plot I’m not against playing a male or non-binary character!

Genres: Fantasy and Adventure! I love the romance aspect and have a lot of fun rping it, but I also love things being platonic so that’s not something that will make me not what to RP!

Platforms: discord preferably, but I’m also good with tumblr if you prefer and I’m willing to try other platforms if you have a different suggestion!

RP partner preferences: I mainly just ask that you be over 18! I am over 21 so please keep that in mind for your own comfort level!

Extra info: I do doubles, all I ask is that if it is for a fandom rp, if it’s not one of the ones I have listed above you may have to give me some time to do some research, as I may not know much about it. If I do great but if I don’t I may ask some questions and stuff so I can rp whomever you want to the best of my ability! I also am in EST so you know for timing!

Please like this post and I will reach out!

like & asker will find you!

[findroleplay]

Hello! 🍄 I am 21+ female! I am looking for people who would be interested in the following:

Fandoms:

Genshin Impact

Honkai Star Rail

MXTX (I love all three series!)

Witcher (still pretty new to the show but I love it!)

Nimona (the movie, though I am beginning the graphic novel!)

My muses/who I would prefer to write:

Genshin: Aether, Yoimiya, Lisa, KAVEH!!, Bennett, Venti, Amber, Thoma!

Honkai Star Rail: Bronya, Sampo, March 7th

MXTX: Shang Qinghua, Xie Lian, Wei Wuxian

Witcher: Jaskier

Nimona: Ballistar BlackHeart

Who I am looking for:

Genshin: Alhaitham, Xiao, Ayato, Ayaka, Jean, Razor, Eula!

Honkai Star Rail: Steele, Gepard, Stelle

MXTX: Mobie Jun, Shen Qingqui, Hua Cheng, Lan Wanji

Witcher: Geralt or Yennifer

Nimona: Nimona (platonic/familial ONLY!!), Ambrosius

Fandomless options:

So basically I’ve got this Fantasy world that I have a couple different basic plots for that I would love to do as well! I am also totally up for coming up with our own plots! I’ll list a couple of the basic ones I have in case anyone is interested! I’m a sucker for fantasy!!

Option 1: so I am a sucker for the fairytale the wild swans and would love to do something somewhat inspired by that story, like my characters family have been cursed to and somehow our characters come together to try and break the curse before time runs out!

Option 2: pirates! I don’t have much else here except pirates are cool!

Option 3: So basically my character is the child of a corrupt king who escapes the kingdom to look for help saving their kingdom. Your character can be just about anyone here; someone who worked in the kingdom and escaped as well, someone who has been personally hurt by the king, a sell sword, someone from a neighboring kingdom with either good intentions, or looking to take advantage of the situation! Honestly open to anything!

Writing style: I prefer a literate writing style, at least 1 paragraph though I typically write at least 1-3! I can do Novella length if you prefer!

Pairings:

Fandom: I am good with just about anything! Mxm, fxf, mxf, nbxnb, nbxf, nbxm! Also while I do tend to prefer canon x canon characters in fandoms, I am willing to try oc x oc and oc x canon!

Fandomless: obviously these would be oc x oc! Here the characters ideas I have written for the plots above are female so I would prefer either F x F, NB x F or M x F, but if we are coming up with a new plot I’m not against playing a male or non-binary character!

Genres: Fantasy and Adventure! I love the romance aspect and have a lot of fun rping it, but I also love things being platonic so that’s not something that will make me not what to RP!

Platforms: discord preferably, but I’m also good with tumblr if you prefer and I’m willing to try other platforms if you have a different suggestion!

RP partner preferences: I mainly just ask that you be over 18! I am over 21 so please keep that in mind for your own comfort level!

Extra info: I do doubles, all I ask is that if it is for a fandom rp, if it’s not one of the ones I have listed above you may have to give me some time to do some research, as I may not know much about it. If I do great but if I don’t I may ask some questions and stuff so I can rp whomever you want to the best of my ability! I also am in EST so you know for timing!

Please like this post and I will reach out!

-

[heartspilt]

                  how to interact with my blog!

BASICS !

name / alias: danny

pronouns: any

blog type: single muse | multi-muse | non selective | semi selective | selective | mutuals only | private | other (specify)

type of muse(s): canon | OCs | both | other (specify) (stardew farmer)

GENERALITIES !

triggers people MUST tag: mouth gore / teeth gore, hetalia

interest tracker / checker: i have it and it's mandatory | i have it, it's not mandatory but i'm more likely to follow back / interact with the people who fill it | i have one and i prefer it if people fill it in | i have it but it's to people whether to fill it or not | i don't have one | other (specify)

reblog karma: i practice it | i practice it sometimes | i don't practice it | i always reblog memes from the source | indifferent | other (specify)

rule passwords: i have one and it's mandatory | i have one and it's optional | i don't have one | i send passwords | don't send passwords | [space for eventual additions / explanations]

3-5 ESSENTIAL RULES PEOPLE HAVE TO RESPECT

don’t force me to write - asking if i replied to anything a week or so after is fine, but do not come asking me the second you hit post ���hey danny have you replied”

be respectful of me and my boundaries

if you find im doing something wrong, please let me know.

please let me know how i can accomodate you with my writing: i typically get a good idea from people’s rules and own writing styles about it, but if you find yourself struggling to reply to our threads because i write in second person, i urge you to let me know! we’re here for fun, after all, and i want you to have fun too

do not follow me if you’re a map/zooph*le/lol!sho/prosh*pper/racist/anti-lgbt+/god knows what else. this is nonnegotiable. i do not even want to see you in my notes. ill demolish you.

3-5 IMPORTANT PET PEEVES TO KEEP IN MIND

if you use fancy text not within tumblr’s own post editor. i struggle with reading text if it’s too cursive in tumblr’s textposts bc tumblr’s dash themes, cool as they are, can make it really hard to read and i don’t wanna have to use a screen reader or copy-paste text into discord just to be able to read

being corrected on the lore of stardew valley - i do a lot of worldbuilding and toy around with a lot of stuff stretching the lore out. if you yourself are canon-compliant, i will be more than happy to apply that to OUR threads, but i will not change my worldbuilding just because “danny why don’t you like ginger island why isnt it included in your worldbuilding :(”

idk i dont have many pet peeves

2-5 THINGS THAT WILL LEAD TO INSTANT (SOFT)BLOCKING

if you make jokes about monika’s mental health in particular or their past. it’s not your place to unless i give

2-5 THINGS THAT LEAD ME TO UNFOLLOW / SOFTBLOCK A MUTUAL / SOMEONE I INTERACT WITH

ive literally softblocked people over my bf having issues w them. for the most part i don’t block/softblock people out of my own volition unless i see callouts abt them bc, like i said, i use it as i see fit

i softblocked someone for siding with a guy who abused me?

idk i typically just block if the vibes r rancid but thankfully that hasnt happened in a long time lol

2-5 REASON YOU DON'T FOLLOW (BACK) SOMEONE

if i don’t know the media your muse is from (this is only really applied to singlemuse blogs)

typically i wont follow back if i had issues with you before while i had my old names

if you are under age

if i just get the vibes our muses wont click

[blorbosdotcom]

goofy movie rp post

── ✩ ──

Basic Information.

STATUS: 

Open (1/3.)

Disclaimers/notices:

As I am 18+, I do not roleplay with minors. I am just not comfortable with it whatsoever especially since the genres I tend to write.

I try to keep my portrayals close to canon, though I do tend to add my own personal flare to them as well. If you do something similar/have headcanons about the canon you're portraying, please reach out! I think adding to characters just makes things more fun. 

I am only doing canon character roleplays at the moment.

I am semi-selective when it comes to RP partners.

To piggyback off of the last bit, if I feel like our roleplay is dry/lackluster, don’t take it personally if I ask to drop it. I prefer being upfront instead of ghosting. 

If you don't reply to me without notice after a week or so, I will close our DM. If you need a break/want to end RP, just tell me. I know how it is. But ghosting is just not cool.

I roleplay over discord, exclusively.

── ✩ ──

Formatting. 

I write in a third person, semi to literate format. I typically write three paragraphs as a minimum and expect partners to match my length. Often I write more like 3-5+ paragraphs, it just depends on my muse and what's going on in the roleplay. In order to be my RP partner, I do prefer to see an example of your writing prior to RP, as well. I am able to provide samples as well, of course.  This is simply a measure to ensure we both vibe with each other’s styles before getting into roleplay! 

── ✩ ──

Timezones and availability.

I will not always be available as I am an adult with a significant other, work and other responsibilities. Please respect that and don't spam me for replies. If I have an event coming up I will try to keep you informed + hope you'd do the same. I live in Central Time.

── ✩ ──

Limits.

Non-con, ageplay, p3dophilia and that other nasty stuff. I don't mind writing heavier topics, but going into graphic details with things such as Eating Disorders and Self-H@rm is too much. No other specific triggers come to my mind, but I will be sure to tell you if something makes me uncomfortable. To add, I do enjoy roleplays that touch on those elements - so long as it isn’t the soul focus, if that makes sense. 

── ✩ ──

Types of roleplay.

Admittedly my primary interest in roleplaying is shipping. I tend to get bored with platonic roleplays - with some exceptions when I’m  in specific moods. An example being heartfelt RPs with characters like Max/Goofy because they’re dynamic makes me feel warm and fuzzy. I am a sucker for a good hurt/comfort! Some genres I enjoy are angst, thriller and AUs of all kinds. I do not roleplay unless there is a plot, either. I do love brainstorming them together+hearing your ideas, and I also have some ideas already. I will add I tend to go hardcore into angst at times so if that isn't for you, I may not be the best fit for roleplaying. That being said, a good fluff or other genre can be just as fun. It really depends. I do ERP as well, but only if there's a plot involved. I can't get invested otherwise. DM me for more ERP specifics.

── ✩ ──

Muses.

Bradley Uppercrust, III.

Max Goof.

Bobby Zimmeruski.

I can do other characters as side characters, as well!

── ✩ ──

Ships.

Maxley (I only write Brad for this)

Tankley

Bonk (Bobby and Tank)

Max x Bobby (whatever it is called)

── ✩ ──

Extra.

If you've made it this far, congratulations. Feel free to message me with any other questions I haven't answered in post, and of course - if you're looking to roleplay. Cheers!

[newzeppelincity]

admin note ;

disclaimer: so sorry in advance, i hate that i babble so much, and i should've written this with better grammar, my bad, besties fr

hi hi hi!!!! so in my dumb admin voice with my silly lil admin hat on, i'm obligated to say that cliche thing of like,,, an rp is only as active as you make it, yk? so, i know real life is wildin, and mardi gras is in gatorade rn mercury, retrograde, u get it but i'd urge you all, my lovelies, to TRY and set aside some time for some interaction even if it's legit like glee style dialogue threads, dumb facebook/tumblr comments&posts, texting, just plotting, etc! i've always found it's helped my muse to like bond with my characters while i'm not writing them: i personally use playlists, pinterest boards, moodboards, character quizzes, etc, to spark that??? it sorta helps me discover the RIGHT vibe, and the RIGHT angles i want to take with a character - their secret little personality traits that keep me interested in them!!! and like i will talk ur EARS off about them, so talk to me about them incessantly PLEASE bc i'd love it. i've never been afraid to just go 360 and retcon things if it feels true to the character, or to just drop a character, and i'd never fault ANYONE else for doing it!!!! it's ur world, these are UR barbies. like we all hopped in here bc something intrigued us about it. activity doesn't MATTER to me. i HATE booting ppl. i just want a place to write, and i wanna write with all of you no matter what those reply timelines look like! so if something is missing for you in new zeppelin, lets find the missing piece so you can like WRITE the characters you all created in a way that excites you. New Zeppelin IS changeable and flexible, like just tell me what you need. you are allowed to change things and drop things with no questions asked and no hard feelings, OBVI. you are allowed to send what you might deem 'low quality replies' none of yours are 2 me, but i know how SOME PPL MIGHT THINK (me) so i'm being brave and squashing insecurities or whatevs if it scratches the itch, and ykw, you are valid for that!!! bc we're all SO TIRED!!! adulthood is hard, and in THIS ECONOMY??? we don't have the time to write like we used to! that's okay!!! so like do you, i just wanna see your beautiful lil brains create some cool stuff, and i just want to help you flex your creative skills. I want you to have an outlet where you can like have validation for your craft. a place where people can read your writing, and hear your ideas, and collaborate in your visions!!! the stories you create are wonderful! you deserve a fun, flexible place to share them. anyway, to top things off: i am SO aware of how hard it is to like lock in when something is missing even if it FEELS like all the pieces are there. so like,,, if you need to switch your character around in traits, or vibe, or fc, ,,, always feel free to do WHATEVER you feel is right. i'm always going to do my best NOT to restrict you because you know i love you, and the things you create!!! just try your best to throw something small into the mix. focus on a couple (two!!!) threads. dip your toes sorry for talking about feet into the port in any way you NEED to, and LET ME KNOW if there is anything i can do to help your MUSE. I am always willing to take connections, and make new characters to help further plots. i know things get boring when it seems like no one is around, but if we're not all doing our lil part in being around - it just sort of creates a self fulfilling prophecy! if we're here writing and creating and changing the world to fit what we wanna do, it'll stay interesting and exciting! if we're not here, then it dies, yk? SO DON'T LET HER DIE, PLEASE. MY LITTLE HEART CANNOT TAKE IT </3 anyway, thank u for listening! i'm taking my admin hat off now, aaaaand ily!

[roleplayfinder]

/// he him, 20, 20+ only, queer bipoc ///

—🖤 hey! my name is sluuze, and i’m here in hopes of finding someone to write League of Legends stuff with! specifically heartsteel/music vers ngl—the brainrot is so strong. but first, please keep these in mind!:

important to note (ooc): i will be sporadic with rp replies bc “my brain doesn’t fucking work” (adhd), life is inane, etc (ooc interaction is simpler—i love chatting n rp talk ooc!!). i also usually default at novella, but for reasons as mentioned above, i can only provide shortform to semi-lit atm </3 i am also still very new to LoL and am still getting a grasp on the lore. so pls, go easy on me 💀

overall pls be patient and understanding, and i will be for you as well ofc!

here are the characters im looking to write! muses: aphelios, yone, ekko, ezreal, hwei, (kinda sorta maybe) kayn

and here are the pairings im hoping to write stuff for—bold is who i would prefer to write! ships: settphel, ezko, kayone, kaynphel willing to try different pairings with aphelios, yone, and hwei! (mxm only pls)

verses: og verse/runeterra (settphel) spiritblossom vers (settphel) heartsteel/“music vers” (settphel, ezko, kayone, kaynphel) if you have any ideas please do tell me!! i’m totally down to hear out other ideas and or brainstorm something together (:

writing style:

3rd person, usually novella but for the time being shortform to semi-lit length

exclusively writing on discord with a private server for our rp

love having multiple threads

love having full investment—tons of headcanons for our characters and the pairings, discussing other potential scenarios for them, playlists, etc etc. just getting real immersed and hyped for our characters n rp!

looking for:

nsfw involvement is a must/highly preferred !

being open to dark themes: gritty settings, action/violence, depressing/dark situations/elements, deaddove to an extent. [absolutely NO “proship” type shit] we will discuss limits of course!!

cool with t4t and/or trans male character headcanons and such like that (ok with erp involvement also)!

overall lookin for someone who's just as inane for this shit as i am <3

/// i think that’s all? if you’re interested hmu on discord “@ sluuze”!! ///

sluuze

[canonrpfinder]

/// he him, 20, 20+ only, queer bipoc ///

—🖤 hey! my name is sluuze, and i’m here in hopes of finding someone to write League of Legends stuff with! specifically heartsteel/music vers ngl—the brainrot is so strong. but first, please keep these in mind!:

important to note (ooc): i will be sporadic with rp replies bc “my brain doesn’t fucking work” (adhd), life is inane, etc (ooc interaction is simpler—i love chatting n rp talk ooc!!). i also usually default at novella, but for reasons as mentioned above, i can only provide shortform to semi-lit atm </3 i am also still very new to LoL and am still getting a grasp on the lore. so pls, go easy on me 💀

overall pls be patient and understanding, and i will be for you as well ofc!

here are the characters im looking to write! muses: aphelios, yone, ekko, ezreal, hwei, (kinda sorta maybe) kayn

and here are the pairings im hoping to write stuff for—bold is who i would prefer to write! ships: settphel, ezko, kayone, kaynphel willing to try different pairings with aphelios, yone, and hwei! (mxm only pls)

verses: og verse/runeterra (settphel) spiritblossom vers (settphel) heartsteel/“music vers” (settphel, ezko, kayone, kaynphel) if you have any ideas please do tell me!! i’m totally down to hear out other ideas and or brainstorm something together (:

writing style:

3rd person, usually novella but for the time being shortform to semi-lit length

exclusively writing on discord with a private server for our rp

love having multiple threads

love having full investment—tons of headcanons for our characters and the pairings, discussing other potential scenarios for them, playlists, etc etc. just getting real immersed and hyped for our characters n rp!

looking for:

nsfw involvement is a must/highly preferred !

being open to dark themes: gritty settings, action/violence, depressing/dark situations/elements, etc. we will discuss limits of course!!

cool with t4t and/or trans male character headcanons and such like that (ok with erp involvement also)!

overall lookin for someone who's just as inane for this shit as i am <3

/// i think that’s all? if you’re interested hmu on discord “@ sluuze”!! ///

✒

[kpop-cakepops]

I will gladly read any Wonwoo fluff you would give us be it snuggle donation or otherwise! But if I can be more specific in requesting, how about a missed connection sort of thing? Like the reader and Wonwoo have similar circles of friends who think they’d hit it off, but somehow they just never manage to be at the same events, but then they end up meeting separate from their friends and do hit it off, only to be a couple before their friends even know they’ve met? If that’s too specific, totally do whatever you want with the idea. Welcome to Wonwoo brain domination (my friend incepted my mind last year too and it’s been all Wonwoo all of the time since!)

omg this is actually such a good prompt?!?!?!!? What the hell?! Thank you anon!!!

So this one actually took way longer than expected because I knew what I wanted to do but I didn't know how to not make it confusing? So the best I could do was use time skips in this one, anything in italics are flashbacks.... I HOPE IT'S NOT CONFUSING! Anyhow, I had so much fun writing this! Enjoy! (PS. I didn't edit so excuse any grammar mistakes LOLz)

Warnings: None

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 1,863

Meant To Be// Jeon WonwooXfem!Reader

"There he is again... I wonder if he's single." your older sister said as she struggled to keep your baby nephew from running away from the bench the two of you were sitting at.

"Probably not," you told her as you bit into your popsicle. "He's handsome. Probably has a bunch of girls lining up to get his number"

"He's playing video games at a park, I seriously doubt that" your sister added.

"I think it's kinda cute. At least he comes out because he wants to" you looked over at your sister who was now too busy chasing after your little nephew to even listen to you. "Aaaaand I was talking to myself. Cool."

You huffed and looked over at the man sat two benches over. He seemed to be having fun on his Nintendo switch and you were sure you weren't having fun babysitting your sister while she tried to babysit her own son... so you took matters into your own hands and walked yourself over to the man.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" You asked.

The stranger looked up from his game and moved to the side making space for you to sit down. He didn't talk at all but didn't show himself to be rude either. You took the chance to take out your own console.

"What are you playing?" You asked.

He turned around and looked at your hands, his eyes widening a little but the look of surprise was replaced by a smile almost instantly. "Super Smash Bros."

You didn't know what you expected his voice to sound like, but it certainly hadn't been the deep tone you had just received. "Damn, nice voice" you blurted.

He let out a laugh, "what's your name?"

"I'm y/n" you introduced yourself putting your hand out to shake his, "and you?"

He took your hand cautiously, "I'm Wonwoo"

***

"How does this dress look?" You asked as you twirled in front of your now boyfriend of 3 months, Wonwoo.

He smiled approvingly, "baby you look just as amazing as you did in the last dress. You really don't have to worry too much about impressing my friends, they're all a bunch of idiots."

"Well, yes, but... what if they don't like me? I'm the reason you refused all those blind dates they kept setting you up on." You told him.

"And I'm the reason you refused yours, the time will come when I have to meet your friends, too. I promise you there's no reason for us to be worried." He pulled you close and kissed the top of your head.

"I'm just excited to finally meet your friends," you told him. "I want to make a good impression."

"The way you make me smile should be impressive enough, no?" He brushed a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"Getting a little cheesy there, aren't we?" You poked his stomach and pulled away. "Anyways. We should get going or we're going to be late!"

***

"You should come up. Some of my friends are still up there. We could hang out" said Wonwoo as he pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. His tall frame rocking back and forth as he watched you wistfully.

"I really wish I could, but I actually have to go back to work in a bit. I just didn't want for your birthday gift to get to your hands after your special day" You shyly admitted. He held his hand to the necklace that was now hanging from his neck. The pendant hanging from it depicting the Smash ball from the game's logo. Something about him immediately putting the necklace on making your heart race.

"I really wish you could stay, but I guess, you'll just have to make it up to me some other day." He said.

You reached out your pinky and he wrapped his own with yours. "I promise" You told him.

He smiled and you waited expectantly for his nose to scrunch up like you'd learned it would in the last 4 months of knowing the guy. It was weird how after fighting off cheesy romance and dates, you ended up developing a crush on some random guy you'd met at the park.

The both of you stood there for a moment, pinkies linked together as you let the sparks envelope you both. It was obvious you liked each other, however, neither of you seemed to know who should make the first move... nor did you know when.

***

You and Wonwoo arrived at the large hotel his friends had told him to meet them at. A shiver ran down your spine making you take a nervous deep breath. Your boyfriend grinned at your cuteness and squeezed your hand softly before guiding you towards the entrance.

"Oh, God... Maybe I should've brought a gift?" You grumbled as you followed Wonwoo into the hotel. A sudden feeling of guilt taking over you as you remember your own friend, Jihoon, was having a graduation dinner that you couldn't go to because of this. You'd managed to drop off a gift for him days before, but it still bugged you. Jihoon was one of your closest friends after all.

"Honey, it's totally fine. I promise Jihoon won't mind that you didn't bring him a gift" he assured you as he held the door of the fancy restaurant open for you.

"Wait, what did you say?" You asked as you stopped in your tracks. Your boyfriend shooting you a confused look.

"Y-N?"

***

"I don't know, I think my favorite has to be biographies. I'm just nosy" you laughed, Wonwoo following along.

"Hmmm, I mean, biographies are nice, but I've been into humanities lately. It's interesting" He shrugged and licked at his ice cream cone happily. "I used to hate it in high school but I think as I grew up a grew more interested in the way people live... outside of just myself."

"Wow..." you mused.

"What? Was that sexy?" he joked.

You shook your head, "No, you're such a nerd" You teased.

"Hey!" he quipped bumping his shoulder into yours.

"Watch it! I almost dropped my ice cream cone!" Your attempt to seem angry failed by the big smile on your face. It seemed that was all you did around Wonwoo anyways. Smile.

"What flavor is that?" he asked as he eyed your cone curiously.

You put the cone up to his lips, "Butter pecan" You didn't know what exactly you were expecting when you put the cone up to his lips, 75% of you had thought he'd playfully push your hand away while calling it a grandma flavor as he usually did, while the resting 25% of you thought he'd just ignore it and keep walking... but both assumptions were wrong. Wonwoo grabbed your hand with his free one holding the cone in place before getting a taste. It was absolutely insane how much that made your heart race. "Hey! what was that all about?"

"I want to get a taste... but I can't... taste it... maybe I should-" He froze mid-sentence. Wonwoo was nervous. His face was a deep pink as he eyed you closely.

"W-Wonwoo. Are you trying to kiss me right now?" You asked. You wanted to scream and run away but you also wanted to stick around and see if he would.

"I was supposed to be at a blind date today" He admitted.

"Me too," you told him.

"But all I could think of was you" He continued.

"Me too," you agreed once again.

"Y/N, I like you."

***

"What the hell is going on here?" Jihoon's face was twisted in confusion as he stared between the two of you.

"You know each other?" Asked Wonwoo.

Jihoon blinked hurriedly before finding his voice again, "Uh, I think I should be the one asking you that!"

"My head is about to explode" You murmured.

"Yah, Jihoon, Dokyeom just spilled- Oh, Y/N? What are you doing here... with Wonwoo?" Yet another one of your best friends walked out of the restaurant, Jeongyeon's large eyes looking at you and your boyfriend with the same confused expression as Jihoon.

"They got here together," Jihoon announced.

"You two know each other?" Asked Jeongyeon.

"Yeah, Wonwoo's my boyfriend"

"Yeah... we're dating" Wonwoo agreed.

"WHAT?!"

***

"Y/N, pleaseeeeee? I promise you're going to love this guy. He is such a sweet person, he will literally blow you away, and he's handsome! Did I mention he's handsome?!" Jeongyeon's hands were clasped together in front of her chest. It was once a month that she begged for you to go on a blind date with that guy she always talked about, but you shook your head.

"No."

"Why not?! What is it this time!?" Your pretty friend exclaimed as she crossed her arms across her chest.'I have a boyfriend now' You thought, a small smile coming to your lips at the thought of Wonwoo.

"I'm not interested in dating Jjeong. Please, can't we just let it go?" you asked with a soft huff. "We have better things to do anyway. Come on, why don't you let me take a look at your thesis so far."

Jeongyeon huffed and started to pull out her laptop from her book bag. "I can't wait till you meet him. You're gonna regret it"

***

"Wait, pause... so you mean to tell me that we spent ALL THOSE MONTHS trying to set the two of you up... only for you two to meet at a random park and fall in love?!" Soonyoung was being his usual dramatic self again as he glared at you two from across the table.

"I mean, we didn't fall in love right off the bat... but yes. You could say that" Wonwoo answered.

"Wow! I just got chills. I JUST GOT CHILLS!" Dokyeom added as he dramatically hugged himself.

"I just don't understand why neither of you guys told us you were dating! Like... How did we miss it? Where did you hide each other?" Asked Jisoo with a confused frown.

"We didn't. We were friends for about 4 months before we started dating. I even went to drop off his gift at his apartment on his birthday."

"The necklace! I knew I'd seen it somewhere!" Seungcheol exclaimed with wide eyes. "You sent me a picture of the thing and asked if you should get it black or purple!"

"I also asked you for tips on how to confess to a girl over ice cream and got me laughed at." Wonwoo huffed under his breath.

You laughed and shook your head. "You were right, Woo. Your friends are indeed a bunch of idiots"

"Wow... You guys are meant to be. You guys are seriously meant to be. There is no doubt in my mind. I guess when soulmates are meant to meet, they will." chirped Jihoon who kept picking at his plate. "Now that that's all out, I'd like to take a moment to talk about how if Y/N hadn't been dating Wonwoo, she would have missed my graduation dinner for a man. What have you got to say for yourself, traitor?"

"Uh..."

[likecastle]

In which Jaskier cuts Geralt’s hair

Well, folks, I was inspired by Geralt’s slightly wavier wig in the new S2 promo photos to write a story in which Geralt finally gets some proper haircare and it brings out his natural curl pattern. This somehow turned into 7,000 words of Geralt musing about his own terrible self-image and Jaskier tenderly negotiating a haircut.

Credit for Geralt’s 3-in-1 shower products goes to @exrayspex​, with my thanks for their enthusiasm about this exceedingly soft concept!  

I’d like to put this up on AO3 at some point, but the title has me stumped, so if anyone has a suggestion, please let me know.

“When are you going to let me cut your hair?”

Geralt snorts, incredulous. “I’m not.”

Jaskier fixes Geralt with a pleading look. The streaks of peacock blue Jaskier recently added to his hair really bring out the color of his eyes—all the better to beguile him with. “Come on, Geralt, don’t you trust me?”

“No,” Geralt says, trying without much luck to keep his attention on the TV screen. Suddenly he has to fight the urge to tuck a stray strand of his hair behind his ear.

“It would look so nice if you just took proper care of it,” Jaskier wheedles.

“It doesn’t need to look nice.” Geralt can feel his shoulders creeping up towards his ears, and he wishes Jaskier would look at something else besides him. “It’s just hair.”

“But—”

Geralt jabs the remote in the direction of the TV. “Are you going to let me watch this or do you want to go home?”

“Fine, you grouch,” Jaskier says, returning his attention to the screen.

It must not hold Jaskier’s interest, though, because he can feel Jaskier’s gaze returning to him periodically throughout the rest of the film—which in itself isn’t all that unusual, since Jaskier watches even movies he really likes with one eye on his phone. Except that when Geralt meets his gaze, Jaskier’s looking at him with a wistful, almost sad expression. Geralt doesn’t let himself wonder what might be on his mind.

Later, Jaskier yawns wide and says he’d better be going if he doesn’t want to fall asleep at the wheel on the way home. It’s just a dramatic excuse not to help clean up, Geralt knows, but he can’t help smiling at the way Jaskier rubs at his eyes, smudging the faded remnants of his eyeliner. Geralt walks him to the door, and for a moment Jaskier just stands there on the porch, looking at Geralt thoughtfully.

When his hand reaches up, Geralt freezes. He thinks for a moment that Jaskier’s about to cup his cheek and drawn him down—but he just takes a strand of frizzy hair that’s come loose from Geralt’s ponytail and twists it around a finger.

“I thought so,” Jaskier says, with a private little smile.

Geralt’s sure Jaskier must be able to hear the way his breath’s gotten jammed up in his chest. “Thought—?”

“Nothing.” Jaskier digs his hands into the pockets of his jacket and starts down the front steps. “G’night, Geralt.”

As Geralt tidies away their takeout containers and empty beer bottles, his mind keeps wandering back to Jaskier’s offer. He knows Jaskier’s just trying to be nice—or trying to fix him, the way he tried to “liven up” Geralt’s wardrobe early in their friendship and tried to set him up on dates after he split up with Yen last year. But the options he tries to push on Geralt—the overpriced bomber jacket Jaskier bought him that’s still sitting at the back of his closet, the gorgeous chestnut-haired nurse Jaskier introduced him to—always seem to reflect more about Jaskier’s idea of Geralt than they do about Geralt himself.

Because the thing is, he’s not brash and stylish like Jaskier, who’s all eccentric colors combinations and flashing rings that accentuate his expressive hands. Jaskier knows how to construct an outfit that tells the world exactly who he is at any given moment, from his ever-evolving hairstyles to his painstakingly-sourced vintage clothes. Geralt, on the other hand, is just—nothing, an absence of style. His idea of a good outfit is one he can forget he’s wearing, one that will make everyone else forget him when he’s wearing it. His relationship to his appearance is as estranged as his relationship to his ex-wife. Being in his body, making use of it when he’s lifting weights or hammering a nail or swinging Ciri up in his arms—that makes sense to him. But thinking about his body is the opposite of that. He doesn’t like being looked at, even by himself. He avoids the mirror on his medicine cabinet as much as he can and starts feeling close and queasy if he so much as looks at himself in a dressing room mirror.

Before he goes to bed that night, he shakes his hair out from his ponytail and makes himself take a long, hard look in the mirror. All he sees is the sallow, tired-eyed face of a man who can hardly remember how to smile anymore, a face scarred from carelessness and creased from years of worry. His dull white hair, which Jaskier had twisted so carefully around his finger, is somehow greasy and dried out at the same time, limp around his face but bristly at the ends. He can’t find any sign of the potential Jaskier seems to think is there. He suspects it was never there in the first place—a mirage visible only to well-intentioned flatterers like Jaskier—and he feels foolish for looking.

No, Geralt decides, he’s not going to let Jaskier cut his hair, or do anything else to him. Better not to bother at all.

*

The next time the topic of Geralt’s hair comes up, he’s brought Ciri into Jaskier’s salon for an emergency haircut. Ordinarily, Yennefer handles things like haircuts and clothes shopping, but Saturday night, Ciri emerged from the bathroom with the front her hair lopped off somewhere around her eyebrows and a dawning expression of anxious regret on her face. Geralt had reassured her that everything would be OK, while texting Jaskier frantically for help and silently panicking about what Yen was going to say when she came to pick Ciri up on Sunday night. Thankfully, Jaskier was able to squeeze Ciri into his schedule this afternoon, and he promised to fix Ciri up.

So now Geralt is sitting awkwardly in the waiting area, hunched on a squeaky vinyl-upholstered chair. He’s been to Jaskier’s salon plenty of times—to meet him for lunch or a post-shift drink, to drop off something he left at the house or to give him a ride home—but he rarely does more than stand uneasily just inside the door. The relentless pop music and the echoing acoustics never fail to overwhelm him, as does the muddle of scents—clouds of different hair products and the pervasive smell of something sharp like ammonia. The abundance of mirrors unnerves him, too. Nobody can possibly need to see so many views of their own reflection, can they? Between the curious patrons peering at him in the mirrors and passersby staring in through the plate glass storefront, Geralt feels like he’s on display. And to make matters worse, he keeps catching glimpses of his reflection, his own hunted expression looking back at him from unexpected angles.

Ciri, at least, is having a great time, chatting happily with Jaskier as he snips away at her hair. The last time Geralt took Ciri for a haircut, it was at one of those children’s salons where the chairs looked like toy cars, and now here she is, sitting beside grown women almost like she’s one of them. It scares him, sometimes, to think of her growing up—more than sometimes. There are so many ways the world can fail her, and he can only do so much to protect her. There’s going to come a time when she’s going to get into some kind of trouble he won’t be able to bail her out of, and he’s not sure what he’s going to do with himself when that day comes. But for now, at least he can pay Jaskier to fix her disastrous home-brew haircut.

“What d’you think, Dad?” Ciri calls, and he looks up to see Jaskier removing her cape with a flourish. When he turns Ciri’s chair around to face him, Geralt’s heart catches in his throat. How grown up she looks, he thinks, but what really makes his chest ache is how much she’s coming into herself—becoming someone with her own unique taste in clothes and books and music, who won’t compromise about the bullshit dress codes at school and is brave enough to try something new even if the results are atrocious. He doesn’t know where she gets it.

“You like it?” he asks, not trusting himself to say something that won’t embarrass her.

“Yeah, I guess,” she says with a shrug, and hops down from the chair.

“We could do yours next, Geralt,” Jaskier offers, sweeping up the little blonde fragments of Ciri’s hair from the floor around his station.

“Ooh, yeah!” Ciri grins up at him. “I bet Jaskier would give you a really cool haircut.”

“I’m sure he would,” Geralt says mildly. He doesn’t want to quash Ciri’s enthusiasm or impart his own discomfort to her. It’s one of the things that keeps him up at night, the fear that he’ll pass down all his insecurities. He tries so hard to keep that shit buttoned up, to shield her from his own shortcomings—and he knows it’s inevitable that he’s just going to mess her up in other ways, but he wants to do better for her, has to do better. “Maybe some other time.”

“So you’ll consider it!” Jaskier says triumphantly, coming over to tell the receptionist the total for Ciri’s cut.

Geralt notices Ciri looking at herself in the big mirror behind the front desk, fussing self-consciously with her new fringe. Jaskier must notice, too, because he gives Ciri a big hug and says, “You look great, kiddo. Right, Geralt?”

“Definitely,” Geralt says, surrendering his credit card to the receptionist to pay a frankly staggering amount. He tips a hundred percent.

*

“You should take him up on it,” Yennefer says that evening when Geralt concludes the story of Ciri’s haircut by telling her about Jaskier’s offer to cut Geralt’s hair.

Geralt blinks in surprise. “Really?”

She glances back to where Ciri is waiting for her in the car. “Jaskier did a good job. She and I are going to have a serious conversation later about when to ask for permission and when to ask for forgiveness, but I have to admit it suits her.”

“It does,” Geralt agrees. He realizes he doesn’t know what it would be like, to feel his appearance suited him. He’s never tried, really, to make his exterior reflect his interior, wouldn’t even know where to begin.

“Besides,” Yennefer says, gesturing to his haphazard ponytail, “you really do need to start taking better care of yourself, now that I’m not around to make sure you’re presentable anymore.”

Geralt’s eyebrows shoot up, a smile twitching his lips. “Is that what you were doing? Looking after me?”

Yennefer lifts one hand to tug a lock of his hair, the gesture so similar to Jaskier’s that it makes him shiver, for some reason. “No, but somebody ought to.”

He ducks his head, hoping to hide the ache that washes through him—a longing for something they both wanted but never quite managed to find together. “If you keep Ciri waiting much longer, she’s gonna make a break for it.”

“She would, too,” Yennefer says affectionately. “Take care of yourself, Geralt.” She surprises him by brushing a kiss against his cheek, then turns to go.

Geralt waits until Yennefer’s car is out of sight before he goes inside. As he loads the dinner dishes into the dishwasher, he thinks again about Jaskier’s offer. He’s never been good at asking for things, let alone holding on them once he has them, but it’s been especially hard since he and Yennefer split—even the littlest things feel like they require an effort it’s not worth making. It’s so easy to tell himself he doesn’t need anything—a fancy haircut, a new jacket, a reassuring glance, a gentle touch. But sometimes, maybe, it’s enough to want them.

Wiping soapy water off his hands, Geralt pulls his phone from his pocket and texts Jaskier. Does your offer to cut my hair still stand? Only if you’ve got time.

OMG YES!!! comes the immediate reply. I can be there in 20. Then, a moment later, Jaskier amends, Shit wait make that 40 need to run to get some supplies

Geralt huffs out a laugh. Have to get up early tomorrow. This weekend?

All booked up this weekend but I’m off on Tues so I can come over to your place in the pm if that works for you

He’d hoped to give himself a few days to cancel, just in case he changes his mind, and in this respect Tuesday’s almost no better than forty minutes from now. But he does like the idea of doing this at home, instead of in the salon. He types out OK and hits send before he can think better of it.

Don’t chicken out before then

No promises, Geralt answers.

Jaskier responds with a string of emoji that Geralt finds completely inscrutable, but which make him smile nonetheless.

*

Jaskier arrives on Tuesday evening with a six-pack of cold beer and bag crammed full of supplies.

“I thought you were going to cut my hair, not outlast a siege,” Geralt says, trying to ignore the way his stomach twists with nerves over this impending ordeal. He should have cancelled. He should never have said yes to this ridiculous idea.

“Oh, none of this would be remotely useful in warfare,” Jaskier replies. Then, contemplatively, he says, “Well, maybe some of it. But first, I thought we could have a drink.”

“So you can cut my hair drunk?” Geralt asks.

Jaskier rolls his eyes and brushes past Geralt into the kitchen, dumping his bag into an empty chair at the table. “So you can relax a little for once. And so we can talk.”

Geralt feels the knot of anxiety in his stomach tighten even further. “What is there to talk about? It’s just a haircut.”

Jaskier lets out a long-suffering sigh as he rummages around in Geralt’s cutlery drawer in search of a bottle opener. “Geralt, have you not listened to a single word I’ve said about my job?” He pops off the caps of two bottles of beer and hands one to Geralt. “No, don’t answer that, I know you haven’t.”

Geralt takes a sullen sip of his beer, but he doesn’t dispute the accusation.

With a nod of his head, Jaskier gestures for Geralt to follow him into the living room, and flops down on what Geralt has come to think of as his side of the couch. Geralt sits at the other end, turned to face him. “You need to know what you want going into this, or you won’t get good results.” Jaskier fixes him with a gaze that makes Geralt take another swallow of his beer. “Have you ever given any thought to what you like, or don’t like, about your hair?”

“Not . . . really,” Geralt mumbles, wondering how angry Jaskier would be if he called this whole thing off now.

“Well,” Jaskier says patiently, “why do you keep your hair long? I always assumed it was because you liked how it looked, but I’m realizing now I’ve never asked about it.”

Geralt takes another sip of his beer and tries to think of answer that’s not Because I do. He’s worn it long since high school, when it was primarily something to hide behind. It felt like a kind of fuck-you, an off-putting choice to keep people from looking too closely at him—and to help him forget about other people, too. “It’s easier,” he says finally. “Don’t have to get it cut every few weeks, and I can keep it out of my face.”

“OK, that’s good to know.” The calm, encouraging tone Jaskier’s taking should feel condescending, but Geralt finds he doesn’t mind—or maybe it’s just the beer starting to relax him a little.

“You don’t always tie it back, though, do you?” Jaskier goes on.

Geralt shakes his head. “When I’m working, yeah, but the rest of the time . . .” He shrugs. It depends—on who he’s around, how comfortable he feels with them, hell, how hard the wind is blowing. Sometimes he can’t stand the feeling of it in face, and sometimes the pressure of the hair elastic at the base of his skull is enough to make him want to rip it out.

“Can I . . . ?” Jaskier gestures to Geralt’s hair, and Geralt inclines his head. It’s inevitable that Jaskier will have to touch him if they’re going to go through with this, so there’s no point in being shy about it. Jaskier scoots forward on the couch, and Geralt holds very still, letting him reach back and undo the tie holding his hair back. A sheet of frizzy white strands spills around his bowed head, almost obscuring Jaskier from view.

He can feel Jaskier, though, running his fingers through his hair. The touch makes Geralt’s scalp tingle and a shiver runs through him that he tries and fails to suppress.

“OK?” Jaskier asks, and Geralt nods.

“You’ve never told me when you went grey.” Jaskier’s voice is hushed, almost as if he’s afraid of startling him. He continues to card his hand through Geralt’s hair—with professional curiosity, Geralt realizes, but the touch is so gentle it also feels like a reassurance. Geralt closes his eyes, grateful to be shielded from Jaskier’s view.

“Started in high school,” he says. It’s been a long time since he thought about how, when those first thick streaks of white were coming into his dark hair, kids at school would call him skunk and Cruella de Vil, shit he knew better than to respond to but that just made him even more self-conscious. It occurs to him now that most of his memories of being looked at—really noticed—are colored by other people’s derision for things he can’t help. “It was all like this by the time I was twenty-one, twenty-two. Someone told me once it’s genetic, but . . .” He shrugs again. He’s got no one to ask about a family history of premature graying, no photos of distant relatives to compare himself to.

Gentle fingers tuck his hair back behind one ear, and Geralt looks up to see Jaskier smiling at him. “I would pay good money to see pictures of you in high school. I bet you were so surly.”

“You wouldn’t have liked me,” Geralt says “I was insufferable.” Miserable and ungrateful and roiling with self-righteous anger all the time, hardly able to string a civil sentence together.

Jaskier rewards him with a snort of disbelieving laughter. “You’re insufferable now and I like you just fine.”

This is true, Geralt thinks. His anger has banked down somewhat since those days, but he’s no less difficult to be around, and Jaskier’s never seemed to mind his rough edges. If he’s being honest, he wouldn’t have been able to appreciate Jaskier in those day. His constant talking and absurd jokes would have grated on Geralt’s nerves, back then. They did when he first met Jaskier, in fact. He tried, for a long time, to keep his distance, sure that there was nothing he and Jaskier could possibly have to say to each other. But Jaskier kept turning up, kept surprising him, kept being kind to him for no damn reason. Geralt’s glad he did.

“So,” Jaskier says, pushing the conversation back in his desired direction, as he always does, “what I’m hearing is, you like wearing your hair long?”

Geralt considers, taking another swallow of his beer. Liking doesn’t figure into his thinking much, but it’s not just out of habit that he keeps it this way. “Yeah.”

Jaskier’s nod is solemn. “Anything you don’t like about it?”

Again, Geralt has to give this serious thought. “There are, uh . . .” He gestures to the wiry flyaways that tend to form around his head by the end of the day. They tend to tickle his face unpleasantly as he works, which is irritating when he doesn’t hand a hand free to brush them away.

“Yeah, it’s a little dry,” Jaskier says. “But we can fix that up.” Geralt knows exactly how soft Jaskier’s hair is, and he can’t imagine his own ragged hair could ever come close. “Anything else?”

Geralt shrugs.

“OK,” Jaskier says, “enough with the interrogation. I think I’ve got everything I need.”

Jaskier gets up and retrieves another beer—not for himself, but for Geralt. Jaskier’s fingers brush his as he hands over the bottle, and it gives him the same little shiver that he felt when Jaskier was combing through his hair. “D’you want me to tell you what I’m thinking, or just surprise you?”

Geralt’s gut instinct is to make Jaskier tell him what he’s got in mind, so that he has the option to veto it and put this whole thing to a stop. But he thinks of Jaskier’s teasing question the first time they talked about this—Don’t you trust me?—and how he’d said no when the answer is really yes. So he takes a deep pull of his beer and says, “Surprise me.”

The look of glee on Jaskier’s face is worth the knot of dread that immediately forms in Geralt’s stomach. He takes another drinks and reminds himself that it’s just hair. It’ll grow back.

“You’re not gonna regret it, I promise,” Jaskier says, and then his warm hands are urging Geralt up and off the couch.

It takes them a while to get everything situated to Jaskier’s liking—the bathroom is too cramped to accommodate a chair, so Jaskier has Geralt drag one into the kitchen, covering the floor in newspapers to catch the stray clippings. Then Jaskier sends Geralt to wash his hair while he sets up the rest of his supplies. When Geralt comes back downstairs, his hair soaking into his t-shirt, there is a truly staggering array of equipment spread out on the counter, Jaskier’s own little traveling apothecary kit, with everything from dangerously sharp scissors to brightly-colored bottles of product to some kind of instrument that looks like a bowl full of dull spikes, which Jaskier says attaches to his hair dryer.

“Rule number one,” Jaskier says, grabbing the towel out of Geralt’s hands. “No more regular towels on your hair. Your hair deserves to be treated with care.” Geralt snorts, but the towel he hands Geralt is pleasantly soft, with finer knap that’s soft as fleece in his hands. “And don’t rub at it,” Jaskier scolds. He steps closer, wrapping his hands around Geralt’s to guide him, his hand moving in a gentle squeezing motion. “That’s good,” he says, and Geralt feels his cheeks flush.

Once Geralt’s hair is toweled dry, Jaskier maneuvers him into the chair, and combs out his hair with a wide-toothed comb. Jaskier is exceedingly careful not to yank on the knots, but even so the gentle tug sets his skin tangling. Geralt knows his scalp is sensitive—he can remember fighting back tears while Vesemir struggled to brush out his unruly hair as a kid—but it’s never felt like this before. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that ordinarily, when he finally breaks down and subjects himself to a trim, he just asks Eskel do come over and cut it with the kitchen scissors. Even with someone he trusts as profoundly as he does Eskel, it’s still an uncomfortable ordeal that makes him unaccountably tense. But this isn’t painful, or unnerving at all. It’s . . . nice, embarrassingly so. He can’t help wondering what it would feel like if Jaskier were to drag his nails along his scalp—and then he has to force himself not to think about it, because even the thought of the sensation sends a shudder through him.

Thankfully, Jaskier is busy fiddling with his phone, and a moment later he puts on a playlist he likes to call Geralt’s Sad Dad Rock mix. Geralt appreciates the background noise—familiar songs he can tune out if he wants to, quiet enough that the music’s not intrusive.

“OK,” Jaskier says, snapping a cape around Geralt’s throat. His hand comes to rest on Geralt’s shoulder and he leans in to speak almost directly into Geralt’s ear. “Ready?”

Geralt suppresses another chill and says, “As I’ll ever be.”

Jaskier gives his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and gets to work. Geralt’s grateful for the lack of mirrors, because it means he doesn’t have to see what Jaskier’s doing, but at the same time it leaves him without much to go on—just the touch of the comb, Jaskier’s hands carefully repositioning his head, his fingers pulling this or that lock of hair taut to snip at them with the scissors. Eventually, Geralt closes his eyes and lets Jaskier’s voice wash over him. Jaskier often accuses Geralt of not listening to him when he talks, but in truth it’s easy to get lost in the lilting cadence of his speech, like hearing a song but not its lyrics.

“. . . and the thing is,” Jaskier’s saying, though Geralt lost the thread of his rambling long ago, “the more you do it, the better your results will be. You just have to help them along . . .”

He can see why Jaskier’s clients like him so much, how nice it is to fall into the pattern of someone else’s words, especially when that someone has as nice a voice as Jaskier. He’s often grateful for Jaskier’s conversation, which fills silences Geralt didn’t even realize were empty until he came along.

When Jaskier says, “OK, you’re all done,” Geralt is surprised by how quickly the time has passed. “We can just leave it at that and just let it air dry, or . . .” Even though he can’t see Jaskier, he can picture the hopeful expression on his face.

“What?” Geralt asks, twisting around in the chair to look Jaskier in the eye.

Jaskier bites his bottom lip, looking almost nervous. “Or I could show you how to style it. If you wanted. Nothing over the top, I promise.”

Geralt thinks it over. On the one hand, there’s no way he’ll ever bother repeating anything Jaskier shows him how to do, but on the other hand, he wouldn’t mind having Jaskier’s hands on him a little longer. “All right.”

“Really?” Jaskier’s eyes go wide. “Nope, never mind, I’m not gonna second-guess this. No take-backs! You’re committed now.”

Which is how Geralt finds himself being hustled back upstairs and into the bathroom. Jaskier pulls back the shower curtain and is about to start issuing instructions when he lets out a squawk and staggers backward.

Geralt looks around in alarm, expecting to see a giant spider in the tub. It’s only belatedly that he realizes he’s thrown an arm out in front of Jaskier, as if that will protect him from whatever nonexistent threat he was reacting to. “What?”

“Geralt, for shame!” Jaskier exclaims, pointing to the bottle of 3-in-1 shampoo/conditioner/body wash on the edge of the tub. “Is that yours?” He says it with all the breathless horror of someone discovering a murder weapon.

“Uh . . .” Geralt has the distinct feeling he should try to deny it, but there’s no point in trying to pretend. “Yes?”

And then Jaskier is laughing, but it’s warm with delight, not mocking or cruel. In fact, he looks up at Geralt with such fondness that Geralt almost can’t bear it. “Oh, you poor man,” Jaskier says between gusts of laughter. “No wonder your hair is so dry!”

“. . . It’s efficient,” Geralt mutters in a half-hearted attempt to defend himself.

“It’s like washing your hair with dish soap. But don’t worry,” he adds, pressing a hand to Geralt’s chest, “I’ll get you sorted out and then your hair will be so soft it’ll be completely irresistible.”

“Hmm,” Geralt says dubiously, but Jaskier just grins at him.

“OK, this next part is going to be a little awkward. Ordinarily you’d do it by yourself in the shower, but I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you’d rather not jump in the shower with me right now.”

Geralt very much does not acknowledge the wave of heat that rolls through him at the thought.  “Probably wouldn’t fit, anyway.”

“Eh, I’ve made it work in smaller spaces than this,” Jaskier says, with such casual confidence that Geralt’s mouth goes dry. “But luckily, you’ve got one of those detachable showerheads, so we should be just fine. Might be easier, though, if you, uh, take off your shirt off.”

Geralt’s already come this far, and, besides, it’s not like Jaskier hasn’t seen him without his shirt on before. As Geralt strips off his shirt, Jaskier puts a towel down on the floor and beckons him to kneel down at the edge the tub. He’s careful to get the water to a comfortable temperature before he puts a warm hand on Geralt’s bare back, guiding him to lean over, his head bowed.

The routine Jaskier directs him through is more complicated than Geralt could ever have anticipated. There’s a thick, dark purple shampoo that Jaskier instructs him to use only once a week—he has another shampoo he’ll give Geralt to use at other times, but really, Jaskier insists, he should only be washing his hair a couple of times a week, anyway. Jaskier shows him how to rub the shampoo into his scalp only and let the water draw it down through the rest of his hair. The pressure of the spray on his scalp makes his skin tingle, as does the press of Jaskier’s body against his side. When Geralt doesn’t apply the conditioner to Jaskier’s liking, he adjusts Geralt’s hands with his own, smoothing their joined fingers through Geralt’s slippery hair. And when it comes time to rinse the conditioner out, he shows Geralt how to cup the water in his palms and press it into the wet mass of his hair.

“You’re doing great,” Jaskier tells him, and Geralt is grateful his face is hidden behind ropes of his wet hair.

Finally, Jaskier pronounces himself satisfied and turns off the water. Now that they’re done the task of washing his hair, Geralt’s awkwardly aware of his chest dripping with water in the cool air of the bathroom—and of Jaskier standing less than an arm’s length away from him.

Jaskier, on the other hand, is nothing but professional, rubbing a series of products into his hands and then smoothing them over Geralt’s hair. After each application, he gathers Geralt’s hair in his hands and presses it up toward Geralt’s scalp, just like they did with the water. It’s a bizarre motion, like nothing Geralt’s ever seen before, but it seems to be having the desired effect, because the strands of hair hanging down in front of his face are slowly forming into thick coils, and Jaskier keeps making little satisfied humming sounds with each new application. Jaskier finishes by wrapping Geralt’s hair up in another one of those extra soft towels.

“And now we wait,” he says, hopping up onto the sink.

Geralt pulls his shirt on again, careful not to disturb the towel on his head, and he might be wrong but he thinks that he catches a little disappointed frown cross Jaskier’s face, but it’s gone before he can be sure.

“Thanks for indulging me,” Jaskier says. “I know you don’t really like this kind of stuff, but I’m having a great time.”

“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” Geralt replies. But that sounds worse than it did in his head, and he hastens to add, “I mean—it’s nice—when it’s you.”

Jaskier’s smile is something Geralt can’t quite get to the bottom of—fond and wry and maybe a little sad, too. “Well, I’ve been dying to do this pretty much since the moment I met you, so, you know, thanks for that.”

It’s strange to think Jaskier has been harboring private aspirations where Geralt is concerned. But then Jaskier’s always been full of surprises when it comes to him—immune to his ill temper, amused by his rudeness, tenacious enough to bully his way past his silences. He’s never understood what Jaskier sees in him, and he often feels he offers a poor reward for the hard work Jaskier puts in to being his friend. Because it’s not easy, Geralt knows. Plenty of people have decided Geralt was too difficult to get to know, or too prickly to stick with. Even Yennefer, who’s loved him better than he could possibly deserve, struggled to make inroads against Geralt’s defenses. It never seemed to matter how much he loved Yennefer, he could never bring himself to relax around her. He was always on tenterhooks, waiting for the other shoe to drop—until, in time, it did, a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. He can’t blame Yennefer ending things. She wants things he doesn’t know how to give. He couldn’t figure out how to change himself into the sort of person she deserved.

“D’you want another beer?” Jaskier asks, nudging Geralt’s knee with his bare foot.

He wouldn’t mind another drink, but he’s loathe to puncture the peaceful little moment that’s grown up between them. “Let’s just stay here.”

Jaskier nods, and a moment later Fleetwood Mac comes on over Jaskier’s phone speakers—one of the only bands they can agree on—and Jaskier treats him to an inspired rendition of “Dreams,” his voice turned otherworldly by the chill acoustics of the bathroom tiles. Geralt watches Jaskier dance on his perch on the edge of the sink and wonders, with an ache in his chest, what it would be like to be so uninhibited, so comfortable in his own skin. He can’t imagine it, but sometimes he feels like he’s maybe just a half-step closer to knowing when he’s around Jaskier.

When the song fades out, Jaskier hops down from the counter and says, “OK, time for the last step.”

Jaskier sticks that torture device attachment onto his hair dryer and lets Geralt’s hair down from the towel. Jaskier lets him stay seated, and starts drying his hair. He doesn’t pull Geralt’s hair taut with a brush, as Geralt has seen Yennefer do when styling her own hair. Instead, he gathers it up a section of hair in that little torture device accessory and holds the dryer still, letting the air work around the strands. Geralt closes his eyes against the noise and sensation of the air against his scalp. It lasts a long time, Geralt bracing his arms on his thighs as Jaskier moves the hair dryer around his head. The noise of the dryer makes conversation difficult, and Geralt feels strangely distant from Jaskier all of a sudden, even though he’s standing so close Geralt could press his face to the soft flesh of his stomach if he wanted to. He knots his hands together between his knees to keep himself from just reaching out and pulling Jaskier close.

When Jaskier finally switches off the hair dryer, the silence it leaves feels big. It’s probably just the heat from the hair dyer, but Geralt feels flushed and a little rubbed raw.

“All right,” Jaskier says, fixing him with a considering look. “Let me just . . .” He reaches out and grips Geralt’s hair in both hands. He doesn’t so much tug as gently crush the strands, but the pressure is enough to make Geralt’s mouth fall open, and he doesn’t exactly make a noise but something happens in his chest like his lungs kickstarting. Jaskier glances down at him with an inquisitive smile. “Sorry, too hard?”

It’s all Geralt can do to shake his head.

“All done,” Jaskier says. When he lets go, Geralt immediately misses the touch. “Wanna take a look?”

Geralt stands up and turns to regard himself in the mirror. To say he doesn’t recognize himself would be an overstatement, but the sight of his reflection is a surprise. The cut doesn’t seem all that different in terms of length, but the ragged edges are gone. The dingy white of his hair has turned a gleaming silver, and it hangs around his face not in its usual lank tangle, but in softly curling waves. It’s almost . . . pretty, a word he’s never associated with himself in his entire life. The new brightness of his hair makes his face seem clearer, more open somehow, and the gentle curls offset the hard lines of his face in a way that make his features look almost delicate, or in any case less roughly hewn than usual. He reaches up to touch it, and to his amazement, it’s just as soft as Jaskier promised it would be. Maybe not as soft as Jaskier’s own hair, but much nicer than he can remember it ever feeling before.

“You like it?” Jaskier asks, and in the mirror, Geralt can see he’s looking at him with a hopeful expression. It makes something twist in his stomach—longing, and at the same time a rejection of what he wants, the certainty that he can’t possibly hang onto anything nice for long enough to enjoy it.

“You know I’ll never go to all this trouble,” he says, gruffly, and immediately regrets it when he sees Jaskier’s smile slip from his face.

“No, I know,” Jaskier says, and starts packing up his supplies. “I just wanted to try it. I’ll still leave you all the products, just in case you change your mind, or—”

“Jaskier.” Geralt swallows hard, and puts a hand on Jaskier’s shoulder. “I—”

Jaskier looks at him with such a searching expression that Geralt hardly knows how to look at him. He’s never known someone who’s so much all the time, expansive and loud and demanding and generous and so goddamn bright.

“What I should have said,” Geralt says, against the tension threatening to stop his throat, “is that I wouldn’t have tried this if it weren’t for you. It’s . . .” He’s not sure how to answer Jaskier’s question. Does he like it? He looks so unlike himself that he honestly doesn’t know what to make of it. He can’t tell if it suits him or not, because he still isn’t sure what that would mean. But he likes the idea that Jaskier’s uncovered this version of him, that this might be how Jaskier sees him in his mind’s eye. “I’m glad we tried it. Thank you.”

“I am, too,” Jaskier says, quietly. “Even if you never do it again, I’m glad you trusted me enough to try. And for the record?” The twist of his lips is almost pained, but it’s a smile all the same. “You look fucking gorgeous.”

Geralt ducks his head, his shoulders inching up. “Jaskier . . .”

“No, I’m serious, Geralt.” Jaskier sounds annoyed, almost angry, all of a sudden. “I know you don’t care about superficial stuff—”

“That’s not—”

“—but take it from someone who spends a lot of time looking at people and doing my best to make them look as good as I possibly can: you’re objectively really fucking good-looking.” Jaskier lets out a harsh, reckless laugh. “And if you don’t care about my professional opinion, I also happen to think you’re the most attractive person I’ve ever met in my entire life, so there’s that.”

“I—”

Now that Jaskier’s started talking, he can’t seem to stop. “You’re the most incredible person I know, Geralt,” he says, in a breathless rush, “and I’m not talking just about your looks—although you are genuinely so ridiculously handsome that it’s really not fair. You’re kind for no reason and incredibly devoted and, OK, sort of a dick sometimes, but also so goddamn careful with other people and so fucking hard on yourself, and I just—I wish you could see yourself the way I do. I wish I could show you, even for just a second, because—”

“You did,” Geralt says. Jaskier stares at him, stunned into silence, and Geralt takes the opportunity to continue. “You do. Not just tonight.” He’s breathing hard, and he tries not to think about how dangerous this feels, like standing up on the top of a tall ladder or walking the line of a roof that might collapse under him at any moment. “When I’m with you, I feel like I could be that person you see in me, maybe. I just . . . don’t know how.”

Jaskier laughs again—softer this time. “You dummy,” he says, “you already are. You’ve just got to believe it.”

“Oh, is that all,” Geralt says.

“Yeah, no big deal,” Jaskier says, waving one hand dismissively. “You’ve got me to convince you, after all.”

“Oh, yeah?” Geralt can’t help the smile spreading across his face, despite the shivery feeling still simmering under his skin. “How’re you gonna do that?”

“Well . . .” Jaskier takes a step towards him, and then another, settling his hands lightly on Geralt’s hips. “I’d probably start a little like this . . .”

The first touch of Jaskier’s lips on his is like a breath of clean air after a storm, and Geralt can feel something that’s been knotted tight inside him for a long time unfurling itself. It doesn’t feel dangerous anymore, that buzz under his skin transmuting into a golden glow. He knows it’s not as simple as it feels—he can’t expect Jaskier to change him with a single kiss—but for the first time in a long while, something feels purely, unequivocally good, and he wants more of it.

In time, Jaskier’s hands creep up Geralt’s sides to his back, even as Geralt’s own hands drift down past Jaskier’s waist. When Jaskier’s hands slip into his hair, Geralt wrenches himself free with a shiver. “You’re going to undo all your hard work,” he says, teasingly.

“D’you really care?” Jaskier asks, and scratches his nails along Geralt’s scalp, wringing a whine from deep in Geralt’s chest that should be embarrassing but isn’t.  

“Not really,” Geralt gasps, his whole body pressing closer against Jaskier’s. “You can always do it again.”

Jaskier’s smile is wide as he bends to kiss him again. “That’s what I thought.”