#bard version

[do-androids-dream-ao3acc]

The Trooper - Tavern Version

He’s back with an Iron Maiden song :) Awesome, as always.

[taliesin-the-bored]

A few things which are “canon” somewhere for people who are worried they’re stretching it too far

Arthur was killed by a giant cat. 

Arthur killed the cat.

Arthur didn’t fight the cat. Kay did.

Kay and Bedivere use salmon as taxis. 

Lucan is half giant, half lion. (This Lucan, Lucano in the original Italian, is evil and not related to Bedivere). 

King Arthur raided the land of the dead.

The human knight Caradoc Briefbras has three half siblings: a dog, a horse, and a pig.

A large portion of Arthur’s troops was killed a while before Camlann by his nephew’s attack ravens in self-defense. Arthur and said nephew were playing chess at the time and neither did much to stop it.

Merlin retired peacefully and went to live in the countryside with Taliesin.

Wherever Arthur walks, plants die. They don’t grow back for years.

Arthur had a spunky (half?) brother who died in battle after making a mysterious oath.

Dagonet is more or less able to run the kingdom when Arthur is gone. His biggest error is overspending on mercenaries.

Guinevere has an evil almost identical twin half-sister.

Hector beat up all the best knights except for Galahad while possessed by a demon.

Gawain plays tennis.

Gawain has used a chessboard as a weapon.

Near the start of his reign, Arthur left Lot in charge of the kingdom and went on a quest with a sassy parrot.

Gawain or Galahad succeeded Arthur as king. 

[citree]

Scrolling across my dash I came across the most gorgeous Dark Urge by @absansombre, I just had to draw her. Here's the Ref & Inspiration post here. It was such a treat to draw Tiziri, thank so you much for sharing pics of her online!

[megalomari]

i watched the hobbit !! it was… an experience…

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

Pt 0 good omens i make predictions for season 3 after watching three episodes of S1

[WARNING THESE PROPHECIES ARE BY THE GOOD OMENS MASCOT AND KNOWN MESSENGER OF APOLLO AND SO CLEARLY 100% LEGIT STAY IF YOU DARE *OMINOUS TREMBLING*]

First, because I am a messenger of Apollo, I am compelled to write cryptic verse before I explain it to you, so take what the Voice of Delphi speaks to me:

When the anticipated arrives

An embrace is born, the love shall thrive

The angel will repay his demon's kiss

A bird will sing, a child will be missed

Heaven recedes like an evening tide

Led with pen by a wordsmith-guide

The home on earth more holy than above

Pain will strike, the panacea is love.

Now, because we are not in ancient Greece and I am not as cruel as you, I will explain as best as I can. You wanted to know if we will find salvation in season 3. Like Edgar Allan Poe, you asked me, is there, is there balm in Gilead (season 3)? Unlike the raven I will not say nevermore, but here:

We all know Crowley and Aziraphale will get together, but I'd advise you that the smell of angst is in the air. I say this as both prophet and writer, but for the story to end happily and still keep us suckers glued, it will drag Aziraphale and Crowley through the dirt to get there. You will get the happy ending, but at an emotional price that even season 2 did not prepare you for.

The fucking apocalypse plotline is going sneak in again, I smell it like ice on mountain air and fungus in a moist cave. Mostly the fungus metaphor.

Aziraphale will kiss Crowley first in this season. It is only fair.

There will be a hug. An Aziraphale-Crowley hug. Who hugs whom? Delphi has not spoken to me of that in detail, but a wee little nightingale told me it is a possibility they will both fall into the hug and we will know they needed it like they needed breathing and it wasn't planned but it was inevitable. The whole fandom can then sleep again.

I expect at least two more ineffable husbands breakups. But you guys survived season 2 (I haven't yet. If I die, can someone reblog this with 'he told us so!' when season 3 finally comes out?) so I have faith in you, war veterans.

Crowley will know, finally, that he is more than forgiven. He is loved. Aziraphale will know, finally, that the real heaven was the home he found with Crowley. Heaven and god will retreat. It's okay, guys, it'll take time but it will happen.

[yildraws]

3 days left to Dawntrail (early access) !!!

(friends and I decided to do a countdown together hehe ☺ check them out! → Day 6 / Day 5 / Day 4 / Day 3 / Day 2 / Day 1 )

[mrsthunderkin]

Decided to redraw a piece from last year because I hated it eme

You might find the uncensored version on my tweeter

[havanasroses]

christian borle singing hard to be the bard in 2024 was not on my bingo card

[shiori42art]

Fem! Wispi and Nameless Bard~ 🍃🕊️ NB design is from @/FunSmallArm on twitter!! 🥹✨

[help-help-i-need-an-adult]

“Geralt, darling…”

“Hmmm”

“I noticed your communication skills have greatly improved over the last few months. You use your words instead of just grunting far more these days. I’m very proud of you.”

“Thank you, Jaskier.”

“As such, I was thinking that perhaps it is time for another lesson in verbal communication.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes! It is so! Now, I realize this is a lesson usually given to performers, such as myself, but I think it is one you could greatly benefit from.”

Geralt sighs. Knowing that Jaskier will simply continue to pester him if he doesn’t agree, Geralt says, “If you think I would benefit from the lesson, I’ll to do my best to learn.”

Before, he would have told the bard to fuck off, but ever since the mountain, Geralt had been trying to put in an effort to do better. Doing better meant communicating better. The need for that had only increased when, a year ago, Geralt had finally gotten up the courage to kiss Jaskier and their relationship had been forever changed. In a good way. The kind of good way Geralt didn’t want to lose ever again.

“Excellent! In that case I see no reason not to start that lesson now.”

Geralt did. They were walking the path and Geralt was walking beside Jaskier; guiding Roach by her reigns. Ciri was away, somewhere safe with Yennifer and learning to control her magic, but that didn’t mean there weren’t still threats. He had to remain vigilant in case of an attack or a monster, and trying to focus on what Jaskier was saying would be distracting.

But, on the other hand, they were on a section of road surrounded by fields. For miles, there would be very few places for bandits or any monster too deadly to hide. Geralt would almost certainly see them long before they became a threat. So, he agreed.

“Alright. I’m listening.”

“Ok. So there are 5 organs of communication.” Geralt watched from the corner of his eye as Jaskier counted them off on his fingers.

The head

The heart

The gut

The groin

The arms

“You’re very good with the 1st and the 5th organs. The head refers to things you state. They are a matter of fact. No ifs ands or buts about them. You’ve proven to excel at this in the past several months. And the arms refer to non-verbal communication that is instead conveyed through action. Again. You excel at this.”

To prove his point, and to be an ass, Geralt raises an eyebrow at him and smirks while spreading the arm that is currently not busy guiding Roach.

Jaskier laughs and gently smacks the arm now extended towards him. “Yes. Exactly. However, you are lacking in the other three departments.”

Lowering his arm, Geralt asks, “so how do I go about fixing that? I’m not even sure I completely understand how the first 4 work. I’m communicating with my mouth and voice. Is that what you mean by head? And if that’s the case, I would have thought I was doing just fine with groin.”

Jaskier swats his arm again.

“Yes and no. In that regard, what you’re doing with your groin falls under arms.”

“Hmm.”

“Let me give you examples.”

Jaskier seems to take a moment to think.

“If I was going to tell you ‘I want you to come here’ there are 5 different ways I could go about that.”

“The 5th being arms. I could simply make eye contact with you. Point at you and then the ground. You would understand what that meant, yes?”

“Yes, Geralt exactly. The 1st one being head where I simply say to you ‘I want you to come here.’ And you would understand it to be a simple request.”

“Hmm.”

“But, if I were to make the same statement using my heart,” Jaskier’s eyes got bigger and his posture less ridged. When he continued, his voice was soft and breathy like when they’re lying together at night and just talking, “I want you to come here.”

Oh. Geralt had always been aware of how Jaskier would talk when it was just the two of them. How it would feel different, like now.

He’s tried to do that before, but it had never quite had the same effect. Like it was just… incorrect “I’ve tried that”, he tells Jaskier, “but it just doesn’t work right.”

“You mean when you look at me very intensely and get quieter?”

“Yes.”

“Well… that is part of it. But this isn’t about volume, or what your eyes are doing. It’s about what feeling you’re letting yourself have as you say it.”

Hmmm. That made sense. Even now, when letting his thoughts be known, Geralt struggled with the emotions part.

“So what’s gut?”

“But you haven’t tried heart yet!”

Geralt leveled a look at Jaskier that made it clear he needed to move on for now.

“Oh, all right. The 3rd is statements made in reaction. There isn’t much thought to them, like a gut reaction or when you have to make a decision in the moment.” Jaskier’s voice got louder and more rushed, “I want you to come here!”

Geralt moved closer to Jaskier on instinct. The almost fear in his voice had him going before he could remember this was an example.

“Ah. I think I understand this one. It’s fear.”

“Well,” Jaskier drawled, “it can be. It can also be excitement, or anger, or any other number of emotions. Much like heart can be hurt or longing and not just love. It’s just reactionary. Truth to the heads fact.”

This was getting confusing. How could it be fear but also other things? Geralt decided he’d need time to think about this and it was probably better to keep going. “So what is groin?”

“Ah,” Jaskier’s demeanor changed once again. It was one Geralt was very familiar with, he’d watched Jaskier adapt it with men and women all over the continent for decades. He’s been on the receiving end of it as of late and had grown fond of the change in Jaskier’s stance, the sway of his hips, the light in his eyes. He’d even seen Jaskier adopt it with a particularly good meal when they’d been getting by on what Geralt could hunt for too long.

When Jaskier spoke, it was low and gravely, and sent a shiver down Geralt’s spine. “I want you to come here.”

“Desire. And not just lust.”

Jaskier’s stance and voice changed once again, the change almost jarring, “Yes! Exactly. The wanting something so badly you can feel it.”

“Hmm. That one makes more sense.”

“Yes, you aren’t terrible at groin, but you tend to only use it when you’re horny and I insist you use your words. You could be using it for so many other things. And don’t give me the you want nothing speech again. I know that’s bullshit.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

“Good!”

“I’m going to need some time to think on all of this, but in the meantime,” Geralt wrapped his free arm around Jaskier’s waist and gently pulled him into his side. Then, putting as much groin into his voice as he could, “telling me you want me got me hard. There’s no one around for miles.”

Geralt enjoyed watching a blush creep up Jaskier’s neck and hearing his heart speed up.

“Not going to say ‘no’ to that, dear witcher.”

Thanks @0dde11eth for telling me to write this

[katatonicimpression]

Hmm but what about:

Dionysus x Ariadne x Orpheus

Anyone else see the vision?

[somewhatsentientspellbook]

image no. 1 is for those who've watched exu calamity

...and image no. 2 is for those who've watched exu downfall

[ya-boi-haru]

It had to be done...

[delusinaldreamer19]

Sebastian and Bards relationship in the cannon is not talked about enough.

Not to sound pretentious, but I feel like it may be more accurate to say their dynamic in the context of the series.

The simplistic caveman side of my brain wants to say that they’re just two dudes, which isn’t wrong. But the analytical side of my brain wishes to elaborate 🤗.

Behold my tangent.

One of my favorite lines in this series is when Sebastian tells Bard quote “You fear death, as humans should. You must be the only one in this manor who does.”

(The fact that it pans to Ciel is just 👌👌👌. Good shit, love to see it.)

To me, Bards backstory segments where we saw him adjusting to life in the manor had a different feel to when we saw the same for Mayrin. We got to see her interact with oCiel, Finny, Nina, and even Lau briefly. But with Bard, he was only ever really shown with Sebastian. Or at least mainly.

There’s a stronger sense that Bard doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the household. Which I felt was emphasized by this panel.

I interpret this as him saying “what the hell am I doing in the house full of crazy kids.”

Which leads me back to my main point. Basically, Bard is the most normal human in this house. And who is he paired up with the most? Debatably the least normal “human” in the house.

Except I bet that’s not how Bard sees it. While Ciel may be the master of the house, Bard and Sebastian are the adults of the household. The men of the house if you will. (Yeah yeah Mayrin and Tanaka are adults too. But in Mayrin’s case b/c of her time as a snipper she hadn’t lived as much of a life as Bard, so she’s not quite at the same level of maturity. And I’m going to ignore Tanaka since he’s less of an active player among the servants.)

I’m trying so hard to break down my thought process rn :’) OK, because of this, I bet that Bard views Sebastian as sort of like his bro. They have this shared responsibility to take care of the ‘kids’ in the house. (Take a shot every time I say house).

Honestly idk where I’m going with this. Sebastian is like the strict mother who expects highly of the servants. While Bard is the bad influence uncle that endorses smoking, drinking, and pornography.

They have a weird partnership, one that boarders on a one sided friendship. They both have an unspoken understanding that they share the responsibility of adults looking after children. Only for Bard to then be put back in his place by Sebastian, as HE probably views Bard as just another one of the kids he has to manage.

I swear I had a point, I don’t think I conveyed it properly. Anyway, sorry for the long post. I honestly love Bard as a character, he’s very interesting when you really start to think about it. He doesn’t get enough recognition from the fan base esp when it comes to analytical perspectives.

[eileensdress]

Ok you cannot tell me it’s not a little bit funny that twn writers got so sick of geraskier somehow being the main ship that they FINALLY made someone a little fruity

[essskel]

I’ve said it before, but Triss Merigold and Dandelion are inversions of each other, not mirrors.

Triss is polite and genial but succumbs to her cowardice and selfishness, while Dandelion is abrasive, rude, self-obsessed, yet proves to be valiantly heroic and the strongest individual pillar of support that Geralt has.

Triss overlooks and devalues her love for Yennefer (and Ciri, and Geralt, and ect.) in a way that Dandelion is literally incapable of when it comes to his love and friendship with Geralt. This really matters narratively too, because once Triss commits to the lodge, Yennefer is left dangerously alone while Geralt gets his hansa.

If Yennefer had a Dandelion, maybe she wouldn’t have ended up in Stygga, maybe she could have spent the winter in Toussaint (or whatever Toussaint means to her), maybe, maybe, maybe. But she didn’t, she had a Triss.

It’s why the shared final shot in Lady of the Lake is so wild to me. Triss and Dandelion have completed their character arcs and are standing right there next to each other on the exact same beach. But only Triss is doomed and burdened by the guilt of this violence (Guilt that she can climb out of and grow from, sure, but it’s a grave she earned and dug herself, eyes wide open).

Meanwhile, Dandelion is free to move forward into the peace and comfort of mourning his friend. There is no blood on his hands.

It’s like this to me: