#clueless geralt

[thedemonofcat]

Geralt starts developing feelings for Jaskier but is clueless about it.

So Geralt finds whenever he’s with Jaskier, his heart starts beating faster, his palms get sweaty whenever Jaskier reaches to touch him, and he keeps making this purring noise when at night Jaskier cuddles closer to him, and he can’t think straight.

Geralt concludes this can only mean one thing

That he must be dying

[eddiewritesfanfic]

Prompt 1

It was normal for Jaskier to give Geralt gifts, trinkets, jewels, even food sometimes if Jaskier felt it was appropriate or if he just found something he knew Geralt hadn't tried.

Geralt, however, has never returned the favor. Of course it wasn't expected for him to, Jaskier would never ask and Geralt would never wonder.

But now? Geralt is staring through the window of a thomann, eyeing a multitude of different musical instruments. The bard lost his lute a few weeks ago during a hunt. Geralt would say he feels bad if he didn't tell Jaskier to stay behind, though, the only reason Geralt didn't die a week ago was because Jaskier decided to throw his lute at the beast.

It's not Geralt's fault Jaskier lost his lute, it's not his responsibility to buy him a new one, he shouldn't have to. So he doesn't, instead he's walking out of the store with a piccolo; 50 crowns poorer.

°

[lassieposting]

Concept for a fic I'll never write:

Unable to locate Geralt - or anyone who's ever actually met him - in the aftermath of the fall of Cintra, and too short on coin to buy herself passage to Skellige, Ciri stows away or accepts a ride in a wagon that takes her north into Kaedwen. There, she hears about Kaer Morhen, the last once-great stronghold of the witchers, where she might find someone who can take her to Geralt.

Vesemir - only just come home himself to get set up for the cold season - isn't expecting her arrival on his doorstep, bedraggled and traumatised, but she claims to be Geralt's surprise child, and she's hardly the first kid he's dealt with in that state. He takes her in on Geralt's behalf, keeps her busy and safe, and answers her questions as best as he can. One by one, his boys make their way home for the winter, and they all have a story for Ciri about the man she never knew was supposed to be such a big part of her life.

[stangalina]

Jaskier is teaching at Oxenfurt over the winter and for the whole season he's consistently ill. Not bedridden, but woozy, a little stuffy. Slightly sickly but not enough to be any form of concerning, except for maybe how long it's been going on. Occasionally the symptoms ramp up, or change slightly, but it never renders him unable to function.

THEN, near the end of the winter, someone catches one of the "new hires" sneaking poison into Jaskiers food!

They arrest them for, you know, trying to poison a fucking viscount, but the attempted assassin isn't scared or silent when brought in for interrogation. They're LIVID.

They have been trying ALL BLOODY WINTER to poison this one guy. They have tried every single fucking poison under the goddamn sun and this man has just had the SNIFFLES as a result. They couldn't resort to attacking because that would leave a trace, so they just kept trying poison after poison in higher and higher dosages while getting more and more frustrated that this one flouncy drama queen refuses to die!

They demand answers from Jaskier. They know they're going to be sentenced to death, so they at the very least want to know how the FUCK he did it.

And Jaskier has no idea. Not a clue. Nada. Nothing. Genuinely clueless as to how he's apparently immune to every single poison in an assassins arsenal.

And then, suddenly while trying to fall asleep, it hits him.

He's immune to every single poison in an assassins arsenal.

The only way to become immune to poison is via repeated exposure. Small doses. Working your way up decimal by decimal. He hasn't been doing that.

So who has? Who in his life has access to his food, alchemic knowledge, and poison readily on hand? Who in his life cares enough to spend years slowly making him immune to every single type of poison that an assassin could possibly give him? Who has taken the effort and the time to sew this extra layer of protection into his bones without even telling him they were doing it?

Oh Geralt you sneaky bastard. You do care.

[imyourbratzdoll]

𝐀 𝐖𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞

welcome to the land of fairytales, where desires you never knew you had will come true. thank you @georgiapeach30513 & @royalsweetteaa for helping me with this.

18+ only please, do not copy, repost or translate my work. You are responsible for your own media consumption.

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𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

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!warning! these fics will include inter-species relations, size differences, innocent kink, age gaps and dark content.

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𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐬:

𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 - pairing: prince ransom drysdale x princess reader

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𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕 - pairing: prince frank adler x mermaid reader

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𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆'𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 - pairing: street rat lloyd hansen x princess reader

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𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒓 - pairing: prince lance tucker x maid reader

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𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒔 - pairing: beast ari levinson, beast logan howlett, beast geralt of rivia x princess reader

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𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒆𝒏 - pairing: bossy clark kent, sleazy johnny storm, dirty curtis everett, brawny steve rogers, cranky bucky barnes, tipsy dean winchester, horny sam wilson x witch/princess reader

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𝒃𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒊 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒑𝒊𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒆 - pairing: hunter lee bodecker x shifter reader

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𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 - pairing: mad hatter jefferson x dreamer reader 

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𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒆 - pairing: scarecrow jake wyler, tin-man rick grimes, cowardly lion jake jensen, oz andy barber x lost reader

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𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒑𝒊𝒅 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 - pairing: hansel steve kemp, male gretel nick fowler x witch reader

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𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅 - pairing: big bad wolf luke danes x little red riding hood reader

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𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔 - pairing: tarzan tangerine x jane reader

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𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒆 - pairing: giant august walker x female jack reader

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𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 - pairing: captain hook negan, captain hook jack sparrow x tinkerbell reader

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𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒕, 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 - pairing: alpha bear ari levinson, alpha bear henry cavill, alpha bear lee bodecker x goldilocks reader

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𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒘𝒂𝒏 - pairing: prince steve rogers x princess/swan hybrid reader

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𝒐𝒉, 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒖𝒎𝒃 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔… 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒅𝒔 - pairing: mermaid jennifer check, mermaid rosalie hale, mermaid jane smith x clueless reader

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𝒋𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 - pairing: mufasa ari levinson x scar sergei kravinoff (kraven the hunter) x lioness reader

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[shy-urban-hobbit]

Modern au

Lambert takes his niece to get her ears pierced for her birthday and oh no, the new guy at the studio is ridiculously hot!!

"You still sure about this, kid?" Lambert asked as the two of them rounded the corner onto the next street, Ciri took a break from demolishing her purple frosted doughnut to give him an excited nod. It was the answer he'd been expecting but it still didn't hurt to check. Ciri had expressed interest in getting her ears pierced a few months prior and the agreement she'd reached with her father was that if it was something she still wanted by the time her birthday came around and it wasn't just a passing whim then she had his permission. That day had finally arrived and Lambert had volunteered to make the arrangements and take her to his usual guy, fully convinced that Geralt would just end up wandering into the nearest Claire's otherwise - having no personal experience, the man had proven himself to be clueless when it came to researching reputable places.

He felt Ciri press a little closer to him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He didn't blame her, they weren't exactly in the most respectable part of town anymore - he was pretty sure the rats would try to mug you if they were capable - and if any of Ciri's three parental figures were with them (Jaskier was definitely in the realms of honorary parent at this point, whatever the situation was with him, Geralt and Yenn) they'd probably be making them turn around and head back. They weren't though; and Lambert had been using this place for the last seven years, since he was eighteen and making questionable choices just to push Vesemir's buttons.

There'd been some new graffiti added to the red brick of the outside of the studio since the last time Lambert had visited - not that it'd stay there very long before one of the inhabitants covered it with work of their own. Years of this has led to a good portion of 'Dyn Marv tattoos and piercings' being covered in a mish-mash of traditional tattoo designs, psychedelic swirls, detailed wolves and tigers and a relatively fresh looking comic style UFO by one of the top windows.

Lambert's brow furrowed a little in confusion at the noise that greeted them as they entered. There was music playing - nothing unusual in that, there was always music playing on a low volume but this wasn't Cedric's usual heavy metal or Schrödinger's classic rock or even Axel's K-Pop. It sounded almost like folk rock if Lambert had to guess, unfamiliar but not unpleasant.

The figure behind the counter was also unfamiliar as they stood with their back to them, fairly tall and dark skinned with black curls tied back with a strip of blue cloth, a sleeveless white tank showing off muscular arms. Lambert cleared his throat awkwardly to catch their attention, then felt his throat dry up instantly when they turned at the noise. Oh no.

He was fucking gorgeous. A few loose curls framed a high cheek-boned face, full lips framed by labret and septum piercings pulled up into a wide smile which in turn caused khol rimmed, emerald eyes to crinkle at the corners. A silver chain disappeared into the low neck of his tank top which also offered a glimpse of toned chest, the edges of black ink barely visible.

"Hi there, can I help you?" He asked and oh god, even his voice was hot.

"You're not Cedric." Lambert immediately wanted to go drown himself in the customer bathroom.

"He left me in charge while he had to run out. Something about moving apartments and Schro getting stuck in a box again..." He finished with a shrug, "I'm Aiden."

Lambert felt something click in his brain, "Cedric's brother right? He's mentioned you a couple of times."

"Whatever he's told you, it's all lies." Aiden said with a wink, leaning on the counter and resting his chin on his hand - the back of said hand Lambert noted, sported a tattoo of a realistic snarling, green eyed black cat.

"So anything I can help with today or would you rather hang out and wait for Cedric, although I couldn't tell you how long he'll be."

"Depends. How are you with kids and piercings?" He knew Dragonfly only dealt with tattoos whilst Joel specialised in the more 'adult' piercings and didn't tend to take clients under twenty one. Lambert gestured to Ciri who had wandered away from him to browse over the display of various spiked cuffs and brightly coloured necklaces for sale.

"I've experience with both. I did my apprenticeship and got my qualifications under Cedric and Axel and have many niblings and foster siblings, as you probably already know if you know Cedric."

Lambert nodded. Cedric and the others ran a tight ship, they wouldn't allow Aiden to work here if he didn't meet their standards, "Ciri." He called, dragging the girls attention from a plastic unicorn necklace she'd been eyeing up "This is Aiden, he's going to do your piercings, ok?"

Ciri scrutinized him for a couple of seconds before giving a nod. Aiden grinned back.

"And what are we going for today. Nose, belly button? No don't tell me... eyebrow!"

Ciri giggled, "My daddy said I can get my ears pierced for my birthday."

"Oh really?" He threw a quick look at Lambert and something in his expression closed off, "Well let's get some studs picked out and then we'll get you all comfy and set up."

"Can I use the bathroom first, please?"

"Just through there, sweetie." Aiden said, gesturing to the lime green door behind her before placing one of the standard forms in front of Lambert, "We'll do the boring paperwork in the meantime."

"I'm not daddy by the way." Lambert blurted out after a couple of minutes spent in awkward silence.

"Huh?"

"I'm her uncle." He held the form out for the other whilst trying his damned hardest not to stare at those lips.

"Well," Aiden deliberately brushed his fingers against Lambert's as he went to take it, voice pitched lower as his eyes slowly looked Lambert up and down, "If you ever want to be someone's Daddy, I wouldn't be opposed."

Before Lambert could even think of a response to that Ciri returned and Aiden was back to being professional, yelling for Dragonfly to come watch the front before showing his newest client all of the different earrings she could choose from and having a serious discussion about red Vs. blue as if he hadn't just made Lambert's brain short circuit. Dragonfly chimed in with her opinion every now and then too whilst throwing a smirk at Lambert which left him wondering how much of that exchange the petite, heavily tattooed blonde might have heard.

Lambert was ready to leave at a moments notice as Ciri glanced around Aiden's workspace, sitting stiffly and looking far too small in the leather chair.

"Ok Ciri, we're all ready to go." Aiden settled on a stool next to her, angling himself so the tray bearing the bright pink studs (and more importantly, the needle) was out of Ciri's eyeline, "Now, you look a teeny bit nervous there so would you like me to explain everything to you or just shut up and get on with it?"

"Could you tell me please? I don't like not knowing what's happening."

Ten minutes later, after having Aiden show her everything he was going to be using and answering all her questions, a much calmer Ciri was staring at the far wall trying to count all of the band stickers which had been put there and added to over the years, with Lambert sat on the now vacated stool by her feet "Feel free to swear kid. We won't say anything if you don't."

"Absolutely." Aiden agreed, "Ok. And 3...2...1"

"BUTTS!"

Lambert rolled his eyes heavenwards whilst Aiden looked like he was trying to hold in a laugh.

"Well, I can honestly say I've never had anyone scream 'butts' in my face before now. You got a poop to go with it? 3...2...1"

"POOP!"

"I need to be having a word with her dad if she thinks butts is a swear." Lambert muttered as he paid, Ciri back to hanging around the jewellery display and proudly showing off her new piercings to Dragonfly.

"Oh come on. It was pretty hilarious." Aiden chuckled somewhat awkwardly, "Hey, I'm sorry if I came on a little too strong earlier by the way. Sometimes my mouth shoots off before my brain kicks in."

Lambert made sure Ciri was suitably distracted before leaning in closer, "It's not your mouth I want to make shoot off."

The hitched breath he got in response was incredibly satisfying.

"Uncle Lambert, look what Dragonfly gave me!" Ciri yelled, breaking the moment and holding up the unicorn necklace from earlier.

"For the birthday girl." Dragonfly looked a little too smug and Lambert was going to figure out a way to get revenge.

"Well then...if there's nothing else I can help with today...?"

"Actually-"

Vesemir sighed, shaking his head in defeat as he caught sight of Lambert, "Please tell me taking Ciri wasn't just a cover for that. What on earth were you thinking?"

Lambert merely waggled his eyebrows in response, the new gold bar in the left catching the light as he did. Right now he was thinking getting an impulsive piercing to give the pretty guy a reason to touch him wasn't the dumbest thing he'd ever done by a longshot. Especially when said pretty guy gave him his private number afterwards "Incase you have any problems with aftercare."

He smirked as he fished out his phone, firing off a message to Aiden inviting him to find out sometime exactly how seriously he took aftercare.

[inexplicifics]

I loved the gift exchange and all the subtle political gestures in Star, but I really started to giggle at the thought of well meaning but clueless country noble sending gifts like pure bred Pomeranians or slightly obsence orchids they personal cultivated named for the Wolflord or those naked pictures you can pose for and put up in Wine and Blood. (One of the Vipers gets the Pomeranians because it would be hilarious).

The slightly obscene orchids would probably go over really well, actually.

The Pomeranians would get some Dubious Looks and then the Vipers or the Bears would fall in love.

The naked pictures...depends on who they were of. If it's Geralt, whoops, he's gone up mountain again...

[artistsfuneral]

p.1

The tavern around them has gone awfully quiet. He knows what the patrons are seeing, can hear their scared whispers, the fearful speculations of what's about to happen to him, knowd about the hushed words of a butcher at work. But Jaskier also knows Geralt, better than anyone else he'd like to think. He knows that the witcher in front of him is absolutely terrified of Jaskier.

The sword's edge held against his throat is silver. Geralt thinks he's a monster and Jaskier can't really blame him. Faced with their impending death, any other human would show clear signs of fear, but Jaskier's heart and mind are calmer than ever. He's been in this very tavern, in this very same situation too many times before. The sword has long stopped bothering him.

"Yes, I am aware how this looks, but for once, could you just trust me? I'm trying my best here but you're not-"

The sword draws blood and Jaskier stops talking. He's pretty sure he's about to fail again and already considers his next time approaching Geralt. Maybe playing clueless is the right choice after all, it definitely takes longer and means a lot more heartache for him in the end, but if he plays his cards right maybe this time-

[poledancingdinos]

Hostile Territory - Chapter 18

Pairing: Captain Syverson x OFC (Leah Coleman)

Word count: 3.1K

Warnings: grief, past loss

Catch up: Series Masterlist

Taglist: @amberangel112 @utterlyhopeful-fics @marantha @kebabgirl67 @littleone65 @omgkatinka @luclittlepond @persephonepraxidikechthonios @enchantedbytomandhenry @narnianaos   @geralts-yenn @peaches1958 @avengersfan25 @sillyrabbit81 @summersong69 @identity2212 @liecastillo @lena-banena @mrsevans90 @confessionbrain-writings @eclecticfashionbookszipper @happydistraction @hannah9921 @valacircareads @toooldforobsessions

Masterlist

Day 202

Leah’s first stop after getting off the plane was her childhood home. Her second stop was the cemetery.

She walked along the path she had come to know by heart. The land was not very big and was surrounded by a line of trees to shield it from the nearby road. She came to a stop in front of the fourth headstone of the thirteenth row on the left.

“Hey Dad.” Leah set her bag down on the grass, kneeling beside it. “I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last visit. I’ve been moving around for the better part of the last three years and I haven’t had many opportunities to come home.”

Leah pulled a packet of wipes out of her backpack and began cleaning her father’s headstone. The lawn around it was well maintained by Caleb but the recent weather had left splatterings of mud on the smooth surface. Once she finished her task, she sat down facing the inscription, lifting her knees to her chest.

Gage ColemanDearly Loved,Sadly Missed,Forever In Our Hearts

She and Caleb had agonized over what to write. The man at the funeral home had shown them a bunch of examples for “loving father” and “taken too soon” but none of them had felt right.

A dozen men whose lives he had saved overseas had shown up to his funeral. There were two dozen more from the VA, the dog shelter, his work and Caleb’s year in school.

Leah and Caleb may have been his only living relatives, but they hadn’t been his only family.

“I’ve been so lost since you’ve been gone, Dad. It’s been so hard finding my place.” Leah buried her face in her hands, choking on a sob. “All I ever wanted when I was younger was to be like you. It hurt so much knowing you never wanted this life for me.”

Leah took a moment to brush her tears away with the sleeve of her hoodie, fixing her gaze on her father’s name.

“But I think I get it now—why you didn’t want me to follow in your footsteps. It’s not easy. Actually, it’s been really fucking hard, but I just know that this is what I’m supposed to be. I hope you’re not too mad.”

Leah didn’t want to spend her entire visit with her father in a blubbering mess so she blew her nose on a tissue from her bag and took a few calming breaths.

“I, uh… I met this guy. He’s more than just some guy, really, he’s my captain. I know, I know, it’s a recipe for disaster. I think if you met him he’d change your mind though.” Smiling to herself, Leah remembered how Sy had said he and her father would probably get along. She was sure her father would agree.

“I mean, Aika—she’s a german shepherd we rescued—Aika loves him and you always said dogs were the best at judging character. I think I might be in love with him and I… I’m so scared, Dad. I’m scared of what might happen if I do this but I’m also scared that if I don’t take this chance, I’ll regret it forever.”

After a few terrible attempts at dating after high school, Leah had somewhat given up on the idea of finding someone to share her life with. She was so independent and bullheaded that she didn’t think she would ever manage to make a relationship work. Then there was the whole fear that a guy would never be satisfied with her and would always inevitably cheat on her as had happened before.

“Were you happy, Dad? After mom left and you were all alone with us, were you happy? Maybe I was just a clueless kid and you were this big ladiesʼ man but based on the lack of female presence at your funeral, I don’t think that was the case. Sometimes I wonder if you were lonely without a girlfriend. I hope you didn’t feel like that was a sacrifice you had to make for us but if it was then… Thank you. Thank you for always putting us first. Thank you for being such an amazing dad.”

An alarm on Leah’s phone informed her that it was time to head back to the house. Caleb was going to be home for dinner and she wanted to have food ready and waiting on the table so that they didn’t have to worry about anything but catching up and enjoying their time together.

Leah stood, packing up her trash and getting the dirt and grass on her jeans.

“I love you, Dad.”

Sy’s welcome dinner with his family was as uneventful as ever. He hadn’t expected some big shindig but he had pictured a tad more enthusiasm. Never had he felt so much like a stranger in his own home as he did at that moment.

His nieces and nephews were barely old enough to remember him since the last time he’d visited. It was also a school night so his sisters had taken the kids home right after dessert. His brothers had stayed a while longer but once the youngsters had fallen asleep, they and their wives had also gone home to put them down in their own beds.

After helping them carry the kids to the car, Sy spent another few minutes talking to the twins before retreating to the porch. His brothers had only been twelve when he left and now they were both fathers. He’d spent more than half their lives away from them.

The screen door slamming alerted Sy to his mother’s presence, drawing him out of his thoughts. She dropped down by his side on the porch swing, not saying a word for a long time.

“I’m so sorry, honey.”

Sy was taken aback, turning to face his mother.

“For what?”

Sy racked his brain, looking for a reason as to why his mother would want to apologize but he came up blank. When she looked up, her eyes were red and brimmed with tears. A million different thoughts slammed into him, filling him with dread but none of them had prepared him for what she eventually said.

“For not helpin’ ya more when you were young.”

He knew instantly what she was referring to but he’d never expected her to mention his childhood, much less apologize for any of it. In fact, he didn’t think his mother had anything to apologize for but by the looks of things, the guilt had been eating away at her for quite some time.

“Mama, ya had two other boys who needed ya more than I did.”

She shook her head, wrapping her shawl tighter around her shoulders.

“No,” she said adamantly. “Ya needed me just as much as they did but I didn’t see it because ya always acted so strong. I wasn’t the mother ya needed me to be. I wasn’t there for you.” The sobs she’d been trying to suppress finally broke free, prompting her to lift a hand to her mouth. Sy watched, feeling utterly powerless as the women who’d raised him fell to pieces right in front of his eyes. “I didn’t see it and maybe if I had and I’d been a better mother then then ya would never have enlisted. You would be safe here with your family instead of out there, riskin’ your life and worryin’ me sick every second of every day.”

Hearing those words, Sy pulled his mother into his arms, her tears soaking his shirt as he held her. He hated hearing that she blamed herself for his shortcomings. Knowing that his parents had their reservations about his career and hearing that his choices actively caused them pain were two very different things.

“None of this is your fault, Mama. Ya can’t know that things woulda been any different.”

“Yes, I can.” She pulled away enough to hold his face with both hands. “You are so smart, baby. Ya coulda done anythin’ ya wanted, ya just needed a little more help in school than the others. Maybe if we’d caught on while you were still young we coulda found a way to make things work and ya wouldn’t have fallen so far behind.”

Sy closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against his mother’s.

“Mama, I never regretted joinin’ up. I love you and I know me being away is hard for ya—it’s hard for me too.” He pulled back to lock eyes with his mama’s. “But I never regretted it.”

“But maybe ya wouldn’t have felt like the army was your only choice. Maybe ya coulda gone to college right after high school, met a nice girl and been around long enough to give me a few grandbabies.”

Sy couldn’t help but huff at that last comment. Even when she was breaking down she was your typical southern mother—so full of love that she wanted as many grandkids as possible to share it with.

“Ya already have six grandbabies, Ma,” he admonished.

“That’s true, but I wouldn’t mind havin’ a mini you runnin’ around.” She pulled him down to kiss his cheek then wrapped both hands around his biceps to rest her head on his shoulder.

Sy kissed the top of her head in return, smelling the familiar fruity scent of her shampoo. She’d been using the same brand for as long as he could remember. In fact, when he was a teenager he’d asked his father to buy a different kind because he didn’t want to smell like a girl.

It was strange to think there was a time where his biggest concern was what he smelled like. Or that there was a time where his hair was long enough to warrant using shampoo instead of bar soap. He’d given up almost everything that tied him to a life outside the army but maybe it was time to make a few exceptions.

“I uh… I don’t know that babies will be involved, but there is this one girl that caught my eye.”

His mother immediately perked up, as he knew she would. 

“Oh?” she wiped her cheeks. “And what’s her story?”

“Her name is Leah and she… Well she’s one of my soldiers. She was assigned to my unit a few months ago.”

“Wow. She must be a real tough girl to make it into the special forces.”

Sy nodded. “But she’s got a good heart too. She’s an artist, she loves dogs and she’s real close with her brother ‘cause they’re each other’s only family.”

“Ya sound real smitten,” she teased, nudging his side.

“I guess I am.” Sy managed a half smile as he turned his gaze downward. “I just wish I’d had more time with her before she got on her flight to Denver but maybe it was better this way. If we got together while she’s still my subordinate and someone on base found out it could ruin both of our careers.”

“If she’s the one for you, ya can’t let her go. Who knows when you’ll have another chance like this. I think you should go after her.”

Looking out over the yard of his childhood home, Sy considered his mother’s suggestion. It had always been a little wild and unkept when he was young. His little brothers’ toys had always been strewn about, his own bike laying amongst them more often than not.

Now, however, the lawn was neatly trimmed. His mother had planted lush flower beds that were in full bloom and pruned daily. Even the house itself was unrecognizable after a few necessary renovations. At least the ceiling in his old bedroom no longer leaked when it rained.

He wanted that for himself. A place to call his own. Somewhere to return to. A house that would change over time and age with his family. He wanted a home. Hopefully one with Leah in it.

He shook himself out of his reverie. “Mama, I haven’t been home in almost two years. I can’t run off after less than twenty-four hours.”

“Nathan, sweetie, if you feel this strongly then there’s nowhere else I want you to be than with her. I want to see you happy.”

She stood from the porch swing, tapping him twice on the knee.

“Take the night and sleep on it, but I have a feeling your heart already knows what it wants.”

Sy nodded in acceptance, standing to kiss his mother on the cheek and pull her into another embrace.

“I want you to know, baby, that I am proud of the man ya grew up to be. It scares me to death that I might lose ya but that don’t mean I’m not as proud as can be that you’re my son.”

With that, she said goodnight before heading inside.

His mother was right, Sy didn’t need to think another second whether or not he wanted to go after Leah. He wanted to jump in his truck and head out on the road but he also had no idea where to go.

Sy pulled his cell out of his pocket, tapping the screen and bringing the device to life. It was late, nearly midnight, but with any luck the man he needed to reach would see his message somewhere between when he stumbled out of the bar and when climbed into bed with whatever man or woman would be warming his bed that night.

To Sy’s surprise, his phone lit up with an incoming call as soon as the message had been delivered.

There was noise in the background as he answered, some classic rock song Sy couldn’t quite hear clearly enough to recognize it.

“Why do you need Coleman’s info at this time of night?” BJ was shouting over the music but soon the sound faded, letting Sy know that he had walked out of the bar to take the call.

“Whatever business I have with Coleman is between us. Do you have her address or not?”

“Really? You ask me for a favor and you’re gonna give me that bullshit?”

Sy knew it wasn’t fair of him. Especially since BJ had trusted him enough to confess his own biggest secret. He was the only person that knew BJ was bi. They’d lost a man a few years back and it had sent BJ into a spiral. That was when he’d confessed that the two of them had grown to be more than teammates.

If anyone was going to understand how he felt about Leah, it was BJ.

“I need to see her. I need to see if she feels the same about me as I feel about her.”

“And how exactly do you feel about her?”

The Captain sighed, sinking down into the porch swing. “You really gonna make me say it?”

“Damn straight I am.”

He scrubbed a hand over his beard which was overdue for a good trim.

“I need to know if… If she’s willin' to give us a shot. If she can’t stop thinkin’ about me the same way I can’t stop thinkin' about her.”

Sy held his breath as he waited for a response. A moment passed. Then another.

“I’ll text you her info when I get home. It’s on a scrap of paper in my pack.”

With a relieved exhale, Sy said a silent prayer to whatever god was listening.

“That’s it? No follow up questions? No snarky comments?”

“Na, I’m just glad you finally got your head outta your ass. Your moping around was getting real fucking old.”

“I really owe you for this BJ.”

“Make me the best man at your wedding and we’ll call it even.”

An image of Leah in a white gown walking down the aisle towards Sy suddenly flashed through his mind and he groaned inwardly. Fuck. He really liked that image.

“She can make you her maid of honor. I’m sure you’d look great in a fluffy pink dress.”

“Don’t think I won’t do it, Sy. I fucking love that girl, I’d do it if she asked.”

A door slammed closed somewhere on the other end of the line, a muffled male voice following shortly after. “Babe, why’d you disappear on me? I turned around and you were gone.”

“Sorry, it’s my captain. Give me a sec. Sy, I gotta—”

“All good man. Thank you.”

“Keep me posted on how it goes.”

With a brief goodbye, they hung up and Sy made his way back upstairs. He quickly used the washroom and slid between the sheets of the queen bed his parents had purchased specifically for him.

The other two bedrooms had been turned into a craft room and a proper guestroom. His, however, had been saved for these rare moments when he made it home. He’d been the only one to have his own room growing up. The girls had shared one and the twins shared the other. It must have been the only blessing of being the middle child.

They’d changed it, of course, clearing out any clutter and moving it to the attic in case Sy ever wanted to go through it all. His first time back home following his enlistment, he’d had to squeeze his newly acquired muscle into his old twin bed. His parents had taken pity on him, investing in a bigger bed despite knowing it would barely get used. They’d also elected not to remove the posters of half naked women he’d put up when he was fourteen.

Sarah Michelle Gellar had been his number one crush at the time. It seemed his tastes hadn’t changed much—strong, sassy, independent.

His phone buzzed on the nightstand and he was happy to see an address from BJ. Sy immediately booked a flight to Denver for the next morning. He was able to find a last minute car rental as well but decided to wait before booking a hotel.

Maybe it was presumptuous of him but he hoped he’d be able to stay with Leah even if it was on her couch. He still checked availability at a few local motels then set an alarm early enough to give him time to pack some clothes and get his duffle ready. He was not going to risk missing his flight on the off chance that his body managed to sleep past sunrise the next morning. That was, if his impatient ass managed to sleep at all.

Chapter 19

[the-desilittle-bird]

Greens win AU are my favorite ones and honestly the story intrigues me and I liked the fact you made the reader realistic-tired and numb(who can blame her) and Aemond is so cocky about himself that I want to slap him, grovel for reader's forgiveness.

I wouldn't mind a part 2 of Crimson Lady—where she rules beside Aemond, challenging the patriarchal norms and ensures the peace her mother wanted:she proves she's a good ruler much to the Green's dismay and tries to change the law of succession to allow also girls to rule.

Aemond would be supportive because she has never seen her and any other woman less.

A thing I notice is that she never smiled, a perfect parallel to Aegon III from Fire and Blood-I can see Aemond fighting desperately to earn her forgiveness, to see her smile again ignoring Otto's advices and attempts to manipulate him.

He tries to be a good husband, but to no avail, her attitute doesn't change but she seems only happy with her brother so Aemond decided to bring Baela and Rhaena at court annnd to find her baby brother Viserys and bring him to her.

Would be kinda tragic if before the war the reader tries to remain Aemond's friend but he's cold and unforgiving and now the roles have switched.

The reader doesn't smile, she only wears black and never calls him on his first name but your majesty.

Just my thoughts,eh, I like this Au, kinda depressing😪

Author's Note- Thanks for the request. I had been thinking of a way of moving the story forward but was a bit clueless at first, but after your request, I had a clear idea. Hope you like it and it is upto your expectations. Do not fret to leave another request if you wish for. And I decided to make the end a bit less disappointing since I wished for (Y/N) and Aemond to be happy after all they have been through.

Thank you and Enjoy your reading!

The Crimson Queen

Summary- The war had it impacts and the acts of horrors had to be put aside to move on in their lives...

Tag List- @eliseline, @little-moonbeam-666 , @blackhoodlea, @omgsuperstarg, @shopping, @lizlovecraft, @dayane, @bbgmonsay, @michelle-26 , @all-things-fandomstuck, @hc-geralt-23, @chevelledahuman, @morganastrucker, @shrexy , @helloitsshitzulover, @daringboba, @minaxcarter, @b-tchymoon, @stargaryenx, @hukio, @saraelizabeth26, @targaryenmoony, @moon-light1415, @eudximoniakr, @themaze13

GIF Credits to @bobahwrites

Two long moons had passed and the realm as well as the council had suffered several drastic changes. Most of the council members were changed; taxes reduced to the half of what the people had to pay; new trade alliances were made with the Free Cities. And the biggest of them was the allowance of a female heir. All under the reign of Aemond Targaryen and (Y/N) Targaryen.

Wed for almost two moons, the couple were yet to have a real conversation. While Aemond had tried to make amends with the former princess, (Y/N) had only replied with curt replies.

Aemond only found her softening in the presence of the common people and her younger brother Aegon, flashing an occasional smile when he wasn't in her sight.

The people called her the Blessed Queen, much to Aemond's mother and grandfather's dismay. He had always let her take the charge of the realm, letting her give the final verdicts and decide.

Aemond liked how (Y/N) would command the attention of each and every person in the room without even uttering a single word. But the distances in between them only pained him even more.

"I was wondering if we could bring Rhaena and Baela to court," Aemond said, sitting in the chair beside the fireplace. His eye carefully studied his wife's face as she glanced up from her book. "They are safe where they are," she replied strictly.

Aemond hummed, leaning in a bit. "They are, but I was thinking that they should be here, in the court, as they are the Queen's half-sister," Aemond tried to reason. (Y/N) looked up, setting her book aside. "Is it a part of your mother's plan? Or perhaps of your grandfather?" (Y/N) asked, standing up and walking to the balcony.

"Let me assure you, (Y/N). I am part of no plan of theirs," Aemond said, standing up and joining her on the balcony. (Y/N) sighed, her eyes casted down at her hands. "How can I trust you, your grace?" The Crimson Lady asked, her voice monotone with no feelings.

"You can leave the formalities aside, (Y/N)," Aemond said softly, placing a hand on her back. (Y/N) jerked back as his hand touched her back, eyes wide in paranoia. "Our very marriage is a formality, your grace," she said, wrapping her hands around herself.

Aemond swallowed down the lump in his throat, head slowly lowering as his mind processed the silent resignation. "I will be in my chambers, if you need me, my lady." With the words hanging in the silence of the room, Aemond left the queen with a single glance over his shoulder.

The council room was yet again in a fit of chaos as everyone seemed to shout and cut each other. Only the silent ones were Aemond, (Y/N) and their new hand, Cregan Stark.

Aemond watched as (Y/N) shared a glance with Cregan, before slamming her fist on the table, making everyone stop abruptly. "My Queen?" The master of laws asked, his eyes wide. "I would say that the taxes which are leveled on the common people are just fine."

"But what of the treasury, my queen? How are you thinking to pay the extravagant cost of maintaining the court?" Otto hissed, trying to disguise his frustration. "The extravagant cost of the court, along with other things can be afforded with the amount of taxes we are receiving currently, my lord. I recommend you and the council try to remove the corrupt middle men to avoid the shortage of money."

Otto and Alicent, along with the Lannister representative of the West, looked at (Y/N) with disapproving gaze while the others present in the room nodded understandingly. Everyone were aware of the corrupted middle men who seemingly took a part of the taxes for themselves and gave only the remaining to the royalty.

"Master of coins, will the suggestion made by the Queen work?" Aemond asked, his eye trained on the man who calculated something in his notebook before looking up with a smile. "If my calculations are accurate, my king, then almost 16% of the taxes are missing and if we are able to get the complete percent of the common people's taxes, then everything will work perfectly."

This only fueled the growing frown on the Greens' faces, which seemed to make Corlys Velaryon and the Wolf Lord smirk wider, as they looked at their queen with pride.

"Then, we know what you are supposed to do," Aemond said, his words laced with finality. The men nodded before (Y/N) respectfully dismissed them, before following them out; leaving Otto, Alicent and Aemond in the room.

"Poison her like you poisoned Aegon," Alicent broke the silence, making Aemond's jaw drop to the floor. "She is my lady wife, mother," Aemond replied, his gaze moving to the Valyrian ring in his ring finger. "Your and the bastard Queen's marriage is yet to be consummated. Poison her and marry someone of your choice, son. Perhaps, that Alys River."

Aemond's body stiffened as his former lover's name slipped out from his mother's mouth. "She is my wife and I shall do no such thing, mother. You should be aware of it," Aemond said, glaring at his mother and standing up. "Where do you think you are going, grandson? We are not done yet," Otto said with authority as he watched Aemond move towards the exit.

"But this conversation is over for me, Lord Hightower." Aemond slammed the door shut behind him, leaving a stunned Otto and a tear-filled Alicent sitting in the council chamber.

"Sister!" (Y/N) heard someone yell from behind her as she walked in the garden. The Dragon Queen turned to find herself engulfed in a hug. She felt the strong smell of salty sea water and books fill her nostrils. "Rhaena?" She asked in disbelief.

Another pair of hands hugged her from behind, making her head snap back to find Baela, hugging her closely. "Baela? You two are here?" (Y/N) asked, her eyes wide with disbelief, tears brimming in her eyes. "Aemond send for us to be taken to here," Rhaena said with a soft smile.

"Aemond?" (Y/N) let a frown take over her features, but it didn't make home for long as she was reunited with her family. "Yes, but why are you wearing black?" Baela said, as she parted to take her in.

(Y/N) sighed, something she has been doing commonly now. "Sister, you don't seem happy. Is something the matter?" Rhaena said with concern, making (Y/N) let out a breath. "How can I be happy when I am married to the man who killed my brother and father?"

Baela and Rhaena stayed silent as they hugged the warrior-queen again. "He is sorry for what he did, my dear," Rhaena said, caressing (Y/N)'s cheek softly. "Is he? And why should I accept his apology? It is my decision after all," (Y/N) said stubbornly, feeling slightly betrayed as she saw her own sisters take her husband's side.

"Might I remind you that you killed Daeron, his brother," Baela said softly, her hands making their home on her forearms. (Y/N) blinked once, twice, before she nodded. "Then sister? We are aware of everything that happens during the wars, but keep the bad acts aside, now, my dear. Forgive him and yourself," Rhaena said.

(Y/N) only nodded, humming. "I will later this evening. For I wish to spend time with you two," (Y/N) smiled. "Where is little Aegon?" Baela asked, grinning. "Little Aegon is no more little, sister."

(Y/N) felt like the nerves in her entire body were screaming at her to knock at the door to Aemond's chambers but the usually courageous and brave Queen felt too coward to do so.

'Am I doing the right thing, mother?' She thought to herself as she finally knocked on the wooden dragon. She heard shuffling from the other side as the door opened. Surprise painted Aemond's face before melting in a cold look.

"Your grace," he said with a nod. No smile or even a hint of softness. "May we talk for a few moments... Aemond," (Y/N) said nervously, her usual composure fluttering in front of his sharp, penetrative gaze. Aemond only nodded, stepping aside to let her in.

Once the door was closed, (Y/N) took in a deep breath, turning to face a grim Aemond. "If I may ask, your grace, how is it that you have graced me with your presence?" Aemond asked coldly, making tears well up in her deep eyes.

She was aware that she was only getting the taste of the medicine she had forced him to drink, but it only pained her more. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"I am here to apologize, for my behavior to you, Aemond. I understand that it is important for us to put aside all which happened in the past," (Y/N) said, her eyes watched as Aemond moved to pour himself wine.

"Aemond, I apolo-" "Are we done, your grace?" Aemond interrupted her, making her jaw agape. "Aemond?" (Y/N) asked in disbelief. "If you are then you are free to leave, your grace. Your apology is well heard but not accepted, for I always tried to make amends while you so graciously pushed me away."

The Crimson Queen gulped, nodding her head in agreement. "I am certainly sorry for my behavior, Aemond," (Y/N) could feel her tears spilling down her face. She walked briskly to Aemond, kneeling down in front of him.

Aemond tried not to look at the queen who knelt in front of him. "Stand, your grace. My feet are not your true place," Aemond said, trying to keep his emotions from slipping. "You have done a lot for me, but I... I have always done nothing to appreciate it but only criticized them. Give me whatever punishment you think worthy of me," (Y/N) said, trying to keep her hiccups at bay.

"I should be punished, my queen. For I have killed your dear ones, and you," Aemond kneeled down in front of her, grasping her elbows in his forcefully. "You have not killed my dear brother. Daeron. Do you remember him, your grace, or have you forgotten him altogether?" Aemond asked, hatred laced in his voice only triggered (Y/N)'s tears.

She let herself feel. Feel all the emotions she could see coming towards her way. Her head placed itself on his chest, tears staining his leather tunic. Sobs filled the entire room, echoing around the silent walls. Aemond's heart clenched in the worst ways as he felt her bury herself more and more into him.

"It's alright," Aemond whispered, his fingers caressing her hair. "I am so tired, Aemond. All of the blood and violence. I don't wish it anymore," (Y/N) whispered, hiccups breaking her sentences in between. "I know, my queen, I know."

"Do you... do you forgive me?" (Y/N) whispered, looking up at him with red and puffy eyes. "Truthfully, not now, (Y/N). But soon, very soon," Aemond said, letting a reassuring smile take over his face.

(Y/N) sniffled, parting away from the embrace to study the slightly wet leather tunic of Aemond. "I apologize for that," (Y/N) nodded to that, making Aemond bite down a small smile. "Do you feel light now, (Y/N)?" Aemond asked, his hand still on her back.

"Unexpectedly, yes," (Y/N) said with a small smile, making Aemond's eye tear up a bit. "What happened?" The Queen of the Seven Kingdoms asked, voice filled with concern. "This is the first time you smiled at me," Aemond said with a chuckle, his eye shining with adoration.

(Y/N) blinked, feeling guilty of her behavior directed towards him. "I hope there are more times of it," she whispered, gently placing her head on his shoulder. "I hope the same, dear," Aemond smiled softly, as they sat there in complete silence, basking in each other's presence.

It was in that moment when the story of the One-Eyed King and the Crimson Queen took a right turn and shifted from a story filled of blood and violence to a story of love and peace. A reign so peaceful that the common people called it the Reign of Gold.

[abeautifulblog]

Thoughts on the Radovid romance

A couple people have asked about the Radovid/Jaskier relationship, and I thought it was... fine? As fine as anything in this show gets?

I wasn't expecting it to dethrone Geralt/Jaskier, because 20+ years of Jaskier building his life and legacy around Geralt is a lot more compelling than Some Twink He Met Yesterday, but I did go into it with a genuinely open mind. Everyone on tumblr was gushing over their chemistry, and I was like, Yea I'd believe it, given that this is Joey Batey we're talking about. So I was expecting to enjoy it the way I'd enjoyed the Yennskier content in S2, the rare treat of two characters having a real emotional connection.

And then I watched it, and it wasn't bad, but the relationship was a lot more disjointed (and their "chemistry" a lot less compelling) than tumblr had led me to believe. (Lol, mea culpa, I should have known better than to take tumblr's word for it.) Also it’s unclear whether it’s supposed to be a cute romance, or whether it’s two people using each other for their own ends?

But it did brush up against some interesting thoughts I'd had before about Jaskier and his patrons, and got me to thinking about consent and power dynamics again, because I am THEE MOST predictable little beastie in fandom. 🤣

First off, I'm not sure what we're supposed to make of Radovid. Obviously he's ~hiding his true self~ in some way, but I can't tell if we're meant to take at face value the side of himself he shows Jaskier -- that he's more intelligent than he's been letting on, and is actually deeply lonely in the empty-headed partyboy role he's been playing, desperate for genuine connection and for someone to truly see him for who he is -- or whether that is yet more deception, and this is all part of some big ambitious scheme that he'll whip out in a mustache-twirling villain reveal. There are elements that make me think it's the latter, but Hugh Skinner's acting is also just weird (and why are his eyes so wet o_o), and I can't tell whether that's supposed to be deliberate foreshadowing, or if, once again, the people making the show are just clueless about how their creative choices are coming off.

(I assume this will get answered at some point, possibly already has in part 2, but I haven't watched that yet.)

Honestly, the part that caught my interest the most was when Jaskier showed up at Radovid's salon wanting to talk about new intel he had on Rience, and Radovid was blithely uninterested, just wanted Jaskier to sing for them -- and then proceeded to casually, completely disregard Jaskier's No.

gremble: Oho? 👀

That's a red flag! 😊 Jaskier tried to set a boundary, and Radovid brushed right past it. And in any competently-executed piece of media, I would expect that to be deliberately signaling something. It doesn't necessarily mean that Radovid is evil -- could just mean he's a crown prince who doesn't have much experience with people telling him No -- but seeing him blithely override Jaskier's wishes in a low-stakes situation sets a bad precedent, and foreshadows how he might behave later, when the stakes might well be higher.

...Except that this production team is so HILARIOUSLY bad at writing healthy relationships -- for three seasons they've been feeding us the most toxic slop imaginable and telling us that's what love looks like -- that I have no idea whether that was on purpose or not. 😂😂😂

--

The Radovid storyline does touch on some concepts that I've long found fascinating, about Jaskier's system of patronage and how he trades on his sexuality. How his work is canonically sex work, or at least sex-work adjacent (that's made explicit when he talks about the Countess de Stael, that they were involved sexually while she was supporting him financially), and the balancing act of keeping his patrons happy when they are always, always going to be second in his affections to Geralt -- and how they probably wouldn't be too happy to learn that.

Because for all that S3 tells us Jaskier is developing a crush on Radovid, Joey Batey's acting says something very different. He did not come off as a man in love, to me -- he came off as someone who's acutely aware that when the crown prince of Redania rolls up and tells you he's your biggest fan, you fucking smile for him.

(Why yes, Moulin Rouge is my all-time favorite movie, why do you ask? 🤣)

Jaskier's interactions with Radovid feel very... 'calculated' isn't quite the word for it, but Jaskier is conscious of the power differentials there, and always carefully choosing what he does and says in light of what he knows Radovid wants from him. He's conscious of having to keep Radovid happy, yes but he's also conscious of what he stands to gain from having a crown prince clamoring to win his affections, and what he could leverage out of that. (Like, say, having the entire Redanian army to protect his little found family.)

And the power imbalance isn't entirely one-directional either. Radovid wants Jaskier's affections, something that can't be bought or coerced, and wants his specifically, which means Jaskier has all the power to give or withhold it... while also being aware that toying with a prince's affections is a dangerous game.

........Or maybe I entirely misread that, and Jaskier's feelings for Radovid are meant to be genuine, and the whole thing was supposed to be a cute little romance. The way that Joey & the production team have talked about that relationship makes it sound like that's what they were going for, but what's onscreen is very ambiguous.

It will surprise no one to learn that I think the more interesting option would be the one that complicates Jaskier’s motives. That even if he likes Radovid well enough, he's still deliberately leveraging Radovid's crush on him to get help for Geralt -- and that if he oversteps, he's risking the wrath of a very powerful man. (And that as the perceived rival, Geralt could wind up as the target of Radovid’s retribution.)

Anyway, it's a fascinating situation, and almost identical to a fic premise I've been tossing around for years. It's never quite coalesced enough to get written, but it does compel me.

(Alternately, if you wanted Radovid to be noble and tragic, @coffee-mage-sans-caffeine suggested a situation in which Radovid and Geralt are in peril together, one of them is not going to make it out of this, and Radovid sacrifices himself so Geralt lives -- because he knows which of them Jaskier loves more.)

[raccoon-eyed-rebel]

Part 9

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 8 🟣 Part 10

A reverse harem vampire AU ft. Mikey, Marshall, August and Sherlock

Series summary: Somehow, you've managed to live with your boyfriend and his roommates for months before finding out they're vampires, but the real shock first comes when they find out you have a special quality. A quality the guys would love to make use of...

Warnings: SMUT, NSFW, 18+, MINORS DNI, oral (m receiving), attempt at Dom!Mikey (interrupted), p-in-v sex, vampire shenanigans, mentions of blood, biting.

Word count: 3.5k

A/N: My girl @geralts-yenn sent me an ask a while back, about how I was being unfair keeping the kinky little bites to myself, and since I'm a people-pleaser (and I was already thinking we were light on the smut in this one...) there you go ;)

@deandoesthingstome @summersong69 @teamfan7asy @mis-lil-red @ellethespaceunicorn @sillyrabbit81

“I passed my resit!” Mike had been struggling with that class the whole way through, and you could tell he was really glad it was over now. He’d tried to explain the contents of it to you six or seven times, but you were still completely clueless. It had something to do with engineering – which wasn’t surprising, for a mechanical engineering major.

“I’d say dinner is on me, but…” He rolled is eyes at you – which was fair; it was a horrible joke on your part.

“May I suggest something?” What was he on about? “You really want to do something nice for me. I appreciate that.” Of course he knew that was what you wanted to do right now – how were you still not the least bit used to that?

“Alright, shoot,” you said, even though you had a fairly good idea of how this was going to end. He just grinned and walked over, which was really all the confirmation you needed.

The one thing everyone knew about Mikey was that he had absolutely zero patience. Sitting still, waiting in line, being quiet – it would all turn him annoyingly jittery within minutes. But if you made the mistake of giving this jackass the opportunity to take your clothes off: patience of an angel. Begging would either work in your favor, or he’d really start to play with you, and from experience you knew that trying to help him along would land you shackled to his headboard. Not that that would be so terrible, but you were counting on being able to use your hands. The smug smirk on his face told you that he already knew you wanted him to go faster.

“Baby, please, I want to give you a little something for that grade,” you said. He winked as if to say ‘I know you do’, and kept going. Slowly, so fucking slowly… It was hard for him to show restraint when he finally made it past your blouse, and he was more or less face to face with his favorite toys.

Dating Mike saved you whatever money you used to shell out on matching sets of expensive lace underwear. He’d seen the stuff you already owned, shrugged, and greedily proceeded to unwrap the last bits of you. Sometimes, you just really wanted to be with a guy who appreciated it when you made an effort to dress up for him – and the fact that Mike was well aware of that broke your heart every time you were reminded of it.

“Get on your knees for me,” Mike said as he leaned back against his desk. He startled you; the usual playful tone in his voice was gone – traded in for something so serious and demanding you were surprised he even managed it. There was a darkness to it that caused a tingling sensation to creep down your spine. “It wasn’t a question. I know what you want, now be good for me and get on your knees.” It wasn’t in his voice or even in any other physical reaction of his body, but you could tell he wasn’t completely secure in his little experiment right here. Barking orders was the territory of August, of even Marshall – although you doubted the latter would be inclined to bring that talent into the bedroom. Guilt gnawed at your guts as for a second you wondered what it would be like to be in this position with either of them, knowing Mike could probably tell that you thought so.

“Down, now.” Yeah. He caught on to that little wicked whim. Fingers dug into the flesh of your shoulder and shoved you down. You understood the irritation. And you felt bad. Right?

Mike’s fingers dug into your shoulder even harsher, to the point where he actually hurt you, and he growled when he spoke again: “Open your fucking mouth.” Yeah. It didn’t suit him. At all.

“Stop it, Mikey,” you said. Was it a strong reaction? Sure. Was it necessary? Yeah. Unfortunately, it was. “What the fuck was that?” You scrambled to your feet and looked at Mike.

“It’s what you want.”

“Mikey…” The whole Dom/sub dynamic thing, whatever… It was something you were more than willing to experience, but Mike was more than enough for you just the way he was. And that wasn’t this. “Does the concept latent desire mean anything to you?” You could see it in his eyes; it really didn’t. Or he had some vague idea of what it was supposed to entail, but definitely not something he had any close personal experience with. Mike was… Something in your head just clicked.

“You didn’t just get your gift because Marshall turned you, did you? It’s because you were an impulsive, slightly hedonistic little jackass, isn’t it?” You couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

“Eh, that might have had something to do with it, yeah…” Mike admitted. It was clearly difficult for him.

“I don’t have to act on every whim, or every desire I happen to have,” you said, “and there’s a few I certainly don’t want to act on with you. Because this degrading, dominant… asshole – because that’s what you are to me right now – it’s not you. I want my impulsive, playful Mikey back, please. Please.” He thought about what you said for a moment. Was he scared? There was something in his eyes…

“Tell me what you’re thinking, baby.” You ran a hand through his hair before resting your palm on his cheek.

“Don’t leave me for August,” he said in the smallest, lowest voice – probably so low that the others wouldn’t be able to hear it. You almost laughed at the ridiculous idea.

“Never,” you promised. Mike seemed to perk up a little when he heard you say it – and probably felt that you meant it. Nevertheless, you were hell-bent on proving it to him.

You kissed him softly while sliding your hands underneath the fabric of his shirt until you had to let him go for a moment to pull it over his head. He was eager to get his mouth back on yours, but you ducked.

“He- Oh…” You chuckled when the sounds escaped him; a moan interrupting his own objection. That was him. The idiot smile on his face – that you could see as he looked down on you while you kissed all the way down his chest on your way to get back on your knees for him – that was him, too. Mike freed his cock while you were still on your way, and as soon as you were sat in front of him, he put it to your lips, spreading a drop of precum over them. It was a question or an invitation, rather than a demand. It was Mikey.

You wished you could just open your mouth and take him all the way in. He’d love it, you were sure of that. Unfortunately, you weren’t blessed with a talent like that – although you and Mike definitely tried very hard to get rid of your gag reflex. Mike interrupted your thoughts by impatiently tapping his cock against your lips.

“Open your mouth, baby.” It was the signature boyish impatience you were so familiar with that made you want to listen, you were hoping he got that. Of course he got that. He better fucking understand that that was exactly what got him what he wanted.

You barely got the change to stick your tongue out. Your plan had been to tease him a little, circle the head of his cock with your tongue, lick that spot you knew drove him wild, but as soon as you opened your mouth, he pushed in. So you went with that. This was the new plan. Actually, it was Mikey: there was no plan. You listened to his sweet moans of pleasure as you moved your head up and down his shaft, and then… A hard grunt when your teeth scraped his skin – accidentally, of course.

“Fuck, baby, do that again?” He liked it? Alright, no time to question that: he liked it – and you were more than happy to answer to his request. For a while, you explored this newfound little turn-on of his, varying pressure and places. It was definitely the most fun you had ever had while blowing a guy.

“Eh, babe,” you heard after a while, “gimme a little more here? You’re so fucking close to taking me all the way down…” Shit, you hadn’t even noticed that your little bout of experimenting had led you to work more of Mike’s length into your mouth than you ever had. Now that you did realize, the nerves kicked in.

Mike put a hand on your head and looked at you with a clear ‘may I?’ burning in his eyes. The slightest bit of pressure followed immediately; after all, he knew what you wanted…

“Holy fuck, Sweetcheeks, you are so fucking hot.” There was something in his voice that told you he was proud of you. You were proud of yourself, too, so that worked out nicely. Just to see what would happen, you sank your teeth in his flesh again.

“Easy, Sweetcheeks” Mike laughed, “don’t want you to make me cum just yet.” You whined when he pulled out of your mouth and somehow threw you on your bed, got naked, and grabbed a condom in the same second. Well… ‘Somehow’ was an overstatement; it was obviously vampire-speed. Even though you watched him do it, you didn’t see it. It was annoying. It felt as if your eyes failed you, even though you knew they didn’t. Dwelling on it was impossible, though, because Mike was already on top of you, smirking at you with abundant idiot-vibes, kissing your mouth, cheeks, jaw, neck, forehead, ears, shoulders. Licking your cheek. For reasons unbeknownst to literally any living soul but Mike himself.

“Yikes! Mikey! Don’t lick me!” Hold on? Did you just hear someone laugh? It sure as fuck wasn’t Mike… Luckily you had only been partially undressed. Mike had only taken your shirt off before starting his little experiment.

“I don’t know who that was, but butt out,” Mike said before you could even open your mouth. He turned to you next: “I swear they don’t listen, but you kinda shouted that. And it was funny, I’ll give him that.”

“Who was it?” Did you want to know? Yeah, you were far too curious. But needing to know something and actually wanting to hear the answer… Two entirely different things.

“August,” Mike said. His tone was very neutral.

“Ah. Well I guess I owe him one,” you said softly as you felt your cheeks warm up.

“What, for walking in on him jacking off? Yeah, the whole house heard that.” Mike laughed the way you loved so much; loudly and unapologetically. He ordered the rest of the house to put on headphones and went back to kissing you all over – although he didn’t lick your cheek again.

“Hm, my reward for passing my class,” he mused when he had – barely – managed to get rid of your bra with it still in one piece.

“That blowjob was your reward,” you replied to him, which earned you a disapproving look from below.

“I want both.” Well, okay, if he was going to give you that look… Done deal. Stupid puppy-eyed boyfriend. You could easily imagine falling asleep to the treatment he gave your boobs; gently massaging and squeezing the flesh of your breasts while he sucked on your nipples. He was gentle, his touch comforting and thrilling, making you shiver and arch into his touch. He focused on your chest for a while, but it wasn’t too long before his hands started to wander, clearly on a mission to take the rest of your clothes off. It didn’t take him long – of course it didn’t.

“Head or dick?” Oh, options! How fantastic! You laughed when he asked, cupping his chin with your hand, pulling him back up so he could kiss you. “No head?”

“No,” you sighed into his mouth, whimpering as he pulled away to take care of the uncharming latex-y aspect of things.

He sank into you without hesitation, and a little too enthusiastically, causing you to gasp.

“Sorry Sweetcheeks,” he said, apologetic smirk on his face, “couldn’t wait. Love the way your pussy feels too much.” You’d been so startled – and almost ashamed – the first time you had slept together and he’d talked to you like that, but now you never wanted to have to miss it. It was worth enduring the occasional tongue on your cheek.

Mike’s movements became more controlled, thrusts now slow and deep, making sure you felt every inch of him inside of you. His mouth latched onto your nipple again as he kept moving. It was nice, even when he grazed the sensitive skin with his teeth.

You heard the low growl, deep at the back of his throat, felt his fangs drag over your skin, decidedly sharper than the rest of his teeth.

“You want a bite, don’t you?” The answer was the cutest little ‘mhm’, and you chuckled. “Go ahead, baby.”

Expectations: a bite like the last few times you’d spent time dabbling in this funky little kink of his. Teeth on neck, teeth in neck, teeth out of neck. Reality: Teeth in boob. The pain was as manageable as always – comparable to a bite on your neck, slightly more painful than your wrists – but the unexpectedness was startling.

“Mikey!” you warned, even though it was clearly already too late for a warning. You could tell from the way he moved that he was chasing his release, getting closer with every controlled, shallow thrust, as he suckled on your breast. Fuck, it felt good. Everything he did now was so gentle, so different from your normal, lively, enthusiastic rounds in the sheets – or in the shower, or that one time on the couch when you had the apartment to yourselves – but it was fantastic.

Mike didn’t let go of you when he finally came, which wasn’t how things were supposed to go.

“Mike,” you said softly while you stroked his hair, hoping he’d look up. He did shift, and his cock slipped out of you, so that was one crisis averted, but he didn’t detach from your boob. “Mi-key. Stop.” The truth was that you didn’t want him to stop. But like you had said before: you weren’t giving him that privilege over the others, and he’d have to deal with that.

“Mike, I want you to stop.” He had to. He would have, even if he wasn’t biologically compelled to, you were sure of that, but he was, so he had to listen to you all the more. “That was a little more than the kinky little bite you asked for, wasn’t it?” He looked ashamed of himself when he confirmed your suspicion.

“Sorry, baby, you just taste so good,” he said before his tongue gently lapped at the puncture wounds on your chest. You had noticed that the Sherlock and August had also done that when they had been done feeding. And Marshall, at the end of the second try.  

“Why do you do that?” you asked.

“It helps the wounds heal,” Mike said, “some enzyme or God knows what. I’m an engineer, not a biologist.” Sherlock would definitely know the answer. You’d been showering him with questions, anyway, a few more wouldn’t hurt. Besides, he quite seemed to like giving you lectures. It was probably a nice change of pace from a half-dead classroom.

Mike took care of cleanup, and upon return he snuggled into your side, no doubt sending that was what you wanted most right now.

“Can I do anything for you?” Another redundant question made the first one pop back into your head. You assured him this was everything you wanted from him before unleashing your question.

“You knew,” you said. Was it an accusation? Not really.

“Knew what?” He wasn’t feigning his innocence; it was genuinely a super vague question.

“The second you asked me if I wanted you to go down on me or fuck me, you knew what the answer was going to be.”

“I did.” He laughed softly. You loved it when he did that

“You asked out of politeness.” You almost didn’t believe it.

“Eh… Yeah. I’ve been told – not just by you, by the way – that it’s annoying when I snoop around in your head. So I figured I’d try to get used to asking for some confirmation…”

“Confirmation you don’t need,” you said. Your fingers twirled around in his hair, wrapping his dark locks around them and releasing them again. It made him shiver and moan slightly, which made it your favorite pastime when you were in bed with him.

“Confirmation I want because maybe what you want and what you want me to know you want – or what you want me to act on – are not the same thing.”

“Who have you been talking to?”

“Sherlock,” he admitted. You laughed. That sounded like him.

“I passed my final!” Mike said when you appeared at the dinner table for… well, dinner.

“We heard,” August groaned. You hit him over the head with a book. It almost cost you the book, but August’s skull seemed to be fine.

“We’re robust, love, you must have noticed.” At this point, you didn’t bother telling Marshall to get out of your head anymore.

“Where’d you bite her?” August asked as he handed you a stack of plates while not-so-subtly investigating your neck. Mike didn’t answer, but a suggestive eyebrow-wiggle did the trick just fine. You assumed everyone in the house knew exactly how fond Mike was of boobs, anyway. He wasn’t particularly secretive about that, or anything.

“Kinky,” August replied. He pinched your ass when you were bent over the table to put plates down on the other side, making you jump.

“Hey!” You couldn’t help but laugh. Over the past few weeks, some of the tension between Mike and August had dissolved, and despite Mike’s lingering insecurities, everyone got along really well. “August, hands off.” Wait, why were they laughing? Why wasn’t Mike throwing a fit? You would have expected him to kick August’s ass if he… Of course.

“Mikey!” They had promised to not abuse their stupid abilities to mess with you.

“Couldn’t help myself, Sweetcheeks,” he said, putting a lot of emphasis on that last syllable before laughing at his own corny joke.

“Next time, bite her there,” Marshall joked.

“Eh, guys, can we cool it on the locker room talk?” It’s not that the general subject was making you uncomfortable, but you yourself being the specific subject sure did. “Out of curiosity, what is the best place to… y’know.” Chickening out on that last bit really hurt your girlboss act. Damn!

“Tiddies,” Mike said as he walked past you, pressing his lips to your cheek. Marshall and August had more complicated answers. You could tell from the mischievous glint in their eyes.

“Come on, boys, if you’re tough enough to make fun of me and Mikey for… I don’t know, being the only ones in a relationship, I guess?”

“Alight,” Marshall gave in, “if you must know. You edge her for a bit and right when she’s about to cum all over your face; inside of her thigh.” The grin on his face was unbearable, the wink – or attempt at a wink – was even worse.

“Thanks for the tip!” Mike said. There was far too much grinning going on here for your liking, but you couldn’t exactly be mad at it, because it was your own fault.

“Nah, you spank her good, until her ass is nice and red, then you bite it. I’ve been told it hurts like a bitch.” Alright, August definitely enjoyed that thought a little too much.

“My Goodness, I have three children,” Sherlock suddenly said, strolling into the kitchen so casually you weren’t sure if you were discussing kinky vampire habits or the evening news. Judging from the way he glared at the guys, it didn’t bother him that they talked about it, but it did bother him that they were being a certain kind of way about it.  

“So, no crazy vampire kinks for you?” Perhaps Sherlock’s answer was the one you were most curious about.

“Not particularly. Can we please discuss something else?” He looked so uncomfortable you almost wanted to hug him. In fact…

“Sherlock, are you alright?” He shook his head and explained he’d had a terrible day at work. Some kind of incident he couldn’t say too much about. Before you knew it, you had your arms wrapped around him, his casually resting on the side of your hips. You didn’t know where the sudden urge to comfort him came from, but it was there. He was a good friend, he deserved to be taken care of.

“Why don’t you go take a shower, we’ll wait for a bit,” August suggested, and everyone else agreed. It was August’s lasagna, which was absolutely fucking delicious. Then again, he’d had four centuries to learn how to cook.

[jurassic-cunt]

jaskier deserves a passionate gay kiss. but not with geralt! geralt needs to be hearing them panting and smelling the lust with his witcher senses from the other side of a closed door. the next day geralt needs to be glaring at the guy while yen and ciri laugh behind their hands while jaskier is clueless

[shy-urban-hobbit]

There it was again; Aiden’s fingers tapping out a now familiar rhythm against Lambert’s bicep before sliding down to rest on top of his hand as they dozed in the sun. It had started shortly after they’d been reunited on The Path, a scarcity of jobs forcing them apart for a few weeks in an effort to cover more ground to find paying work (a gamble which ended up paying off as they both found pretty lucrative contracts in opposite directions).

Tap – pause - Tap tap tap tap – pause – tap tap tap.

Lambert mentally shrugged, too comfortable to think on it too closely.

Lambert could feel himself slowly going crazy. He’d finally asked Aiden about his new habit after he’d been tapping against Lambert’s chest incessantly during their drawn out goodbye. The Cat had merely smirked in response and told him “You’re a smart pup, figure it out.” Before kissing the end of Lambert’s nose and mounting up, turning his horse Southwards. Lambert had stayed where he was until the other was just a speck on the road.

That was how he’d found himself in Kaer Morhen’s library, surrounded by books and paper and tapping the rhythm out again for the thirtieth time that hour.

“Well, this is a sight I never thought I’d be met with. Lambert reading. Should I be checking you with silver about now?”

“Fuck off, bard.” Lambert sighed like an exasperated parent.

Jaskier merely grinned impudently from where he was leaning against the back of one of the chairs, “What’s all this?”

“Research.” Lambert answered curtly.

“For....”

“Nothing.”

“Research for nothing. Melitele’s bosom you must be bored.”

“Jaskier. Either sit down and shut up or go and bother Geralt.”

Jaskier mimed locking his mouth before taking a seat opposite the youngest Wolf, making a show of leaning back and looking around at the overcrowded shelves, “Soooooo....how was Aiden when you parted ways?”

“Fine.” Lambert put down the old journal he’d been flicking through in an attempt to find clues (maybe it was some old Witcher thing Vesemir had forgotten to teach them seeing as it wasn’t directly linked to monster slaying) before tapping the rhythm out again.

“What’s that?” Jaskier asked.

“Something that damn Cat told me to figure out and when I see him, I'm throwing him to the nearest drowner.”

“Oooooh, a riddle!” Jaskier gave an excited wiggle, attention well and truly caught, “Perhaps I can help? I am a master wordsmith after all.”

“No words involved in this, master wordsmith.” Lambert said, just to be contrary.

“Don’t be too sure.” Jaskier leaned forward slightly, “Humour me.”

Lambert tapped it out once, and then twice again at Jaskier’s request before the human’s expression morphed into one of childlike glee.“I do know this! Oh, I haven’t used it since I was at Oxenfurt, but I know it.”

Lambert felt his eye twitch, because of course it was just his luck Geralt’s bard would know it.”

“Well, what is it?”

Jaskier’s smile shifted, “Aiden told you to figure it out. I’ll help you, but I’m not telling you the answer. Oh, Lambert.” The Wolf swallowed. He'd had no idea the bard was capable of looking devious as he continued, “I think you’ve just become my main source of entertainment for the winter.”

Lambert shared a look with Eskel as Jaskier left the hall, throwing another declaration of love towards their white haired brother as he did so. They had nothing against the casual displays of affection per se, but you knew it was becoming a problem when even Eskel the not so secret romantic was starting to find it a bit much. Geralt had merely shrugged in the way that meant he was just as clueless as the rest of them when his brothers questioned him about it.

“Alright, what are you playing at?” Lambert had asked him one night, the bard blinking up at him guilelessly, “You said you’d help me with, you know, and all you’ve been doing is swooning over Geralt.”

“Lambert, love. I have no idea what you are talking about.” Jaskier replied slowly.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. The other day in the library.”

The bard sighed through his nose petulantly before walking away, muttering something about how he was this close to pushing certain dumb Wolves down the mountain.

Lambert stared at the note. It was actually for Geralt but was it his fault Jaskier had left it out on the main table in the hall for the whole world to see? He blinked as he took in the last three words, the thick black line of ink underneath them making them impossible to miss. Melitele’s arse, now that he was seeing it written down, Jaskier wouldn’t have to push him: Lambert would quite happily throw himself down the mountain, cursing himself the entire time for missing something so simple.

“You’re early!” Aiden exclaimed happily as he leaned down to throw his arms around Lambert, letting the other man pull him down from his horse and into a proper embrace, the taps quickly following, as expected.

Lambert tilted the Cat’s face up with a whispered, “You too.” Feeling Aiden grin into the kiss as Lambert tapped gently against his temple.

Tap – pause – tap tap tap tap – pause – tap tap tap.

I – love - you

[haldenlith]

I have Witcher-verse Astarion/Nivh on the brain, so have a sketch and a ficlet.

Yes, this is basically a redraw/copy of the Jaskier/Geralt bath scene from the Witcher show.

Nivh washed away the viscera of a successful hunt as Astarion circled the tub.

"Would it kill you to say 'thank you' every once in a while? You know, without me, we'd be both roughing it out there in the wilderness. And now we have a pouch full of crowns, and you get to... stop smelling like onions. Ugh, I could smell you from a kilometer away." Nivh scoffed softly and splashed his face.

"You're a vampire. Your elevated olfactory would let you smell me 'from a kilometer away' regardless of my bathing situation."

Astarion paused, pursing his lips. He wasn't sure if it was because Nivh was a Witcher, and thus was a little... cold on the emotions front, or if it was because he was generally a stick-in-the-mud, but either way, sometimes his inability to "go with the flow" of conversation was a little exhausting. Regardless, he waved a clawed hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, whatever. And darling, not so loud. We have a good thing going, no need to rile up the peasants."

"Oh, right, your little sob story about being cursed." Nivh rolled his yellow eyes. He was largely unimpressed when he first heard Astarion recount the lie to a group of merchants and peasants, inquiring about his red eyes and silver hair. Cursed by a witch to resemble a vampire. It was why he was traveling with a Witcher, to either track her down or break the curse.

Astarion grinned, sharp teeth catching the firelight. "You'd be surprised how many doors a good "sob story" opens. Besides, it's worked so far, why change it? Given how clueless humans are, it provides the perfect cover. Speaking of clueless humans..." He squatted down beside the tub, dipping his fingers into the now red tinted water. "I have another opportunity lined up for us."

Nivh paused and glowered suspiciously at Astarion.

"Now, that face right there is the reason why I'm the one that does the negotiating around here." He flicked a bit of water at Nivh with a smile before continuing, "I have it on good authority that the lord or whatever of this particular duchy is having curse problems of his own. There's a little party going on that I think we should show up for. Don't worry about getting in, I'll take care of that."

Nivh continued to scowl. "This sounds less like one of your 'opportunities' and more like an excuse for you to feed on nobles and string me along for the ride."

"Darling, please, do you really think I'd be that stupid? Two strangers show up to a party and people start disappearing, they'll immediately blame us. Even I know better. Though, I won't lie, the thought is tempting. One can only dine on unwashed bandits for so long before you desire something a bit more elevated for the palate. Still, the only thing that will be gracing my lips will be the wine."

The witcher grunted. "I'm still not interested."

"Tsk, think of the coin that could be had! A well-placed word with nobles could loosen up some coin purses. Even if this curse is a rumor, I'm sure there's work to be found. And when you get work, we get to reap the benefits of the coin. And coin means beds with linens and fine wine, among other things."

Nivh groaned softly and resumed washing up. He couldn't entirely deny Astarion's logic, and that was what was infuriating. He needed the coin, and sadly not all work managed to make it onto bounty boards. The best paying work was often what Astarion found via chatting people up. Astarion leaned forward a bit, splashing his fingers in the water.

"I'm sorry, what was that? Was that a "yes, Astarion, I'll gladly go along with you?" Or was it an "oh Astarion, whatever would I do without you?" Please do speak up, darling. Use your words." Nivh looked up to Astarion, scowling once more.

"Fine, I'll go," he replied softly.

"Splendid. That's what I thought."

[jaskierswolf]

tell us about witcher dandelion! ~d-andilion

It's been in my wips forever and I will finish it one day 😂 It's fun because Geralt is clueless and Dandelion is horny.

Dandelion blushed, tucking a loose curl behind his ear. He took the opportunity to scoop up his hat from the floor, but instead of putting it back on his head, he stashed it in his satchel. Then the poet pulled a ribbon from his wrist, a pretty cornflower blue just like his eyes, and scraped his hair back into a bun. It wasn’t perfect and there were some loose strands but it suited him. Geralt was suddenly struck by the strong line of the Dandelion’s jaw, and his eyes seemed to shine a little brighter in the light. He certainly wasn’t as fragile as Geralt had first imagined. No. Instead there were thick muscles hidden under those poofy sleeves, Geralt was sure of it. Dandelion’s whole demeanour seemed to have changed now that it seemed he couldn’t talk his way out of it.

Still, there was no way he could take those men in a fight and Geralt wasn’t about to let him try. The fool would get himself killed, so Geralt drew his sword, letting the light of the candles catch the edge of the blade. The sword itself was covered in runes that glowed softly, and Geralt knew it was, in its very essence, intimidating. He really hoped that he wouldn’t have to use it, that the threat would be enough but there were two of them and only one of him, that made humans arrogant.