#this is not going to go in jaskiers favor

[i-got-too-many-links]

Remember.

Just because Radovid is behaving himself NOW does not mean that he will continue to do so.

He WILL inevitably turn on Jaskier and he WILL inevitably show his true nature. Radovid's a filthy rat bastard, and he always will be. He's insane, he's against nonhumans, and his kingdom is the birthplace of the Eternal Fire.

It's kind of sickening to root for him and Jaskier, especially when Jaskier is close friends with a Witcher, a Sorceress, and the Lady of Space and Time. All three of which Radovid would strap to a pyre without hesitation.

[artistsfuneral]

Jaskier meets Death at a forked path. He has never seen them in person before, their face - although incredible kind looking - is not one he's familiar with and yet he instinctively knows who is in front of him.

It's quite the idyllic picture to be honest. The path Jaskier has been following for the past few hours is lined with rough stone walls, the ones that are keeping flocks of sheep from straying too far. The sun is out and shining through the tree's leaves, creating a kaleidoscope of dancing shadows on the fresh grass. Death sits under one such dancing shadow-patch, surrounded by napping sheep. Their left hand is idly petting the spotted fur of a guardian dog, with their right, they're waving Jaskier over to join them.

He silently wonders if he should be scared. Others certainly would be terrified upon seeing Death waiting for them, but Jaskier has always been easily intrigued. Besides, Death is hardly looming over him, it's more like they're waiting for him - like one may wait for an old friend. It could be a trick of course, he muses as he walks over to where Death is sitting, then again it feels like the two of them could have met many, many times before and in much worse situations than this. So who is Jaskier to question Death?

The closer he gets the more he is able to take in. They're tall - taller than anyone he's met before, Jaskier thinks - and incredibly pretty. Not in the perfectly manicured kind of pretty, like some of the most beautiful darlings at court tend to be. No, Death carries a natural loveliness that can only be found and never created, like a special constellation of freckles, an off-center nose, or a small gap between your teeth. Death is everyone Jaskier ever sung of combined in one person, which makes him wonder if they always look like this or if they changed their appearance to please Jaskier's eyes specifically. If the latter, he'd surely feel flattered.

"Come sit with me, sweetheart," Death says and Jaskier is delighted to hear their voice. It's a very nice voice. He wants to hear Death laugh, he realizes as he sinks down next to them on the grass. Their eyes meet his and Death sends him the kindest smile, "It's been a while since I've seen you, sweetheart, I'm glad to see you happy and healthy." Jaskier grins, because what a funny thing for Death to say, but he can hear the honesty in their words. "Oh you know, just the usual aches and pains of my slowly progressing age. Nothing you haven't heard a hundred times before, I'm sure," Jaskier happily chatters back in the same familiar tone. "It's a lovely day, isn't it?" He asks and reaches for his pack. Might as well take his lunch break now, while the fruit he bought earlier this day are still fresh. Death answers his question with an agreeing hum and oh yes, Jaskier might just fall in love with them right then and there.

He focuses on his lunch and wills his foolish heart to calm. "Would you like some?" he asks Death, because his Mama raised him well and eating alone is never quite as enjoyable as sharing a meal. Death looks at him with amusement in their eyes. "I can not eat, but I appreciate the gesture."

Jaskier sighs, "What a pity."

"A small price to pay for a life like mine."

"You're alive?"

"I am here, am I not?"

He looks at Death wide eyed, a hundred thoughts stumbling through his mind at the same time. "I have so many questions."

"And I have a favor to ask of you, sweetheart," Death retords not unkindly. Throughout their short conversation the amusement never quite left their eyes and while Jaskier would normally feel patronized by such a look he somehow knows that Death is simply enjoying his company.

"Are we doing this right? Doesn't this whole asking for a favor thing usually go the other way around?" Death laughs and Jaskier's heart does a little jump, his fingers itch to write a new song. "You read too much, sweetheart."

"I don't believe there's such a thing as reading too much."

"The words of a scholar and a poet."

"At your service."

"Of course. I always get what I want," Death says knowingly, shoving yet another metaphorical box of Pontar towards Jaskier. Lucky for him he has long since learned to not think about these kind of things too much. It does feel a little bit like Death tricked him, though he loves a good repartee. "I have to admit, I am curious indeed. What could I possibly offer to you?"

Death turns their head away from him, looking at the dog in deep consideration. "I need..." Death pauses and Jaskier almost wants to think of it in a hesitant way, "to win a bet." The bard's shoulders drop immediately. "Ah," he says, because the hesitation now starts to make sense. Surely Death must know this of him. "I don't do bets, I'm afraid. It never ends well for the poets caught in between."

"I know," Death agrees easily and not very reassuringly, as a matter of fact. "But I am in need of a song. A song to bring the gods to tears and neither can I write nor sing. What I can do, is offer you my protection."

Jaskier's mind floods with thoughts.

Protection from Death.

The two of them stare into each other's eyes, the world around them timeless, everlasting. Finally, it is Jaskier who breaks the contact and returns to his bundle of food. He bites into a fruit, it's sweet juices run down his chin and drip onto his chemise. "I will make the gods weep," he declares and watches Death smile full of warmth.

[inexplicifics]

The latest Stones in a Running Stream snippet has me cheering for Yennefer/Ealdred, no matter how slow and background that’s going to be! Also, after another FtCaS re-read, I have to ask: why *isn’t* Jaskier cold running around Kaer Mohren in silks in the winter? Really good woolen underwear? Bespelled silk outfit? He’s one of these annoying people who naturally run hot? It’s not that cold and the Nilfs are just wimps?

Yen and Ealdred will get there...eventually.

As for Jaskier, it's a combination of "has acclimated" and "good long underwear" and "the Nilfgaardians are not used to this" and, probably, "Yen has bespelled his favorite outfits, please don't ask what favor he did her in exchange".

Also it gives him a good excuse to cuddle with his Wolves.

[thedemonofcat]

They called him Dandelion, the bard with the golden voice. Although he likely preferred the name Jaskier, this was over a century ago. He often wondered why he had fallen out of favor with his original name, Juilan.

The names Jaskier used mattered little; he would always be the child of a Muse. His goal was to use his magic and music to help and inspire others. However, one day a Mage, desiring a Muse of his own, captured and imprisoned Jaskier within his lute.

Years later, long after the Mage had been forgotten, the Witcher Geralt received the lute as part of a reward for a job. With no use for it and facing a particularly cold night, Geralt decided to use the lute as kindling to keep the fire going and warm Roach.

To his surprise, someone magically emerged from the fire where the lute had been burning.

[elf-kid2]

Modern Witchers

So this contractor drives into this tiny town, way out in the sticks, in the kind of beat-up white van used by many tradesman, and allegedly favored by murderous kidnappers.

He's got white hair that you're not sure is bleached or not, strange eyes short manners. Maybe (probably) he kinda gives you the creeps. White van, stranger-danger, big guy with muscles, and all. Bad vibes.

But you've got a problem, no denying: there's SOMETHING in those woods that doesn't belong there, and recently, when the local boys went to DO something about it... that SOMETHING went from killing livestock, to killing people to. And you know, once those types of creatures get a taste for human blood... best to deal with it sooner, rather than later. Hence, the out-of-town contractor.

Witchers specialize in hunting monsters, after all.

Better to put together a fundraiser to pay the (frankly, outrageous) fees now, then to have to pay all that later, plus the surcharge for beasts that've killed multiple people, plus pulling together the funds for more funerals.

A stitch in time save nine, as the saying goes.

He's got a musician hitchhiking with him, which you weren't expecting. Some hapless hitchhiker with a dufflebag over his shoulder, and a guitar on his back, who got lost on the way to Vegas, or Nashville, or wherever it is starry-eyed musicians go to Make It Big, these days.

Auntie said that any hitchhiker with sense'd be better off walking down a lonely road, instead of getting into a van like that, driven by a man like that. But I guess it takes all kinds of kinds, and that musician hadn't been murdered yet, so make of that what you will.

Anyhow, the musician started busking in the farmer's market-- some decent covers, a few original songs, and some kind of surprisingly catchy jingle for the contractor who'd given him a lift into town. It was pretty good; live music is always a treat when you can get it, and it'd been a while since the last Bluegrass Festival.

He knew how to charm people, work the crowd, how to ask for "donations to the fine arts" without being irritating about it. People dropped cash, and pennies, and quarters, into his open guitar case, at any rate.

I reckon he scraped together at least enough for lunch, form himself'n his friend. Witchers are surly and stingy as anything, y'know, so I wondered why he wasn't covering the meal, with how much he'd charged for slaying the monster...

...But I overheard mention of how he'd had to get that van fixed up at Joe's Auto-Mechanics, over by the old factory in the valley-- and everyone knows that Joe's Auto'll charge three times what the repairs are worth, with parts that cost ten times as much as they oughtta. Lord knows, those scammers'd be out of business, if there were any better options within 50 miles of their shop!

And that is why if you think your truck's getting ready to break down, you should try an' make sure it breaks down closer to home. And also why I figure it makes sense that even a Witcher'd be short on cash, after dealing with 'em.

Anyway, the Witcher spoke with the Sheriff, and he went out monster-hunting that night.

Meanwhile, that hitchhiking musician was playing at the local bar, and let me tell you-- he was pretty damn good! Played a few drinking-songs, and the kind of songs you can't play in front of the kiddos at Farmer's Market, played some catchy tunes that had people dancing and clapping along...!

I particularly enjoyed the murder-ballad about the woman who turned into a vengeful fire-monster when she found out her man was messing around with other women. Very clever wordplay, "flames of desire lighting up your funeral pyre!" Good stuff.

Then the Witcher came in-- fresh from the contract, and half-covered in mud and blood! Barkeep wouldn't even let him sit down until he'd hosed off the worst of it, out back!

Musician-- Jaskier, he called himself-- raised a toast to a successful hunt, and another to monster-hunters who let loving families sleep safely, and rowdy drunks stumble home un-eaten, and soon enough somebody was buying that Witcher a drink, and the barkeep gave him a plate of food on the house, and it was good times all around!

Beats toasting newly-dead friends, and drinking to forget the monsters at the door, any day.

The thing is, this is a small town. Not a lot of people come visit, and if they do, they're generally staying with family. Which is to say, there aren't any motels around here.

Now, that contractor, that Witcher, he'd asked around, beforehand, about what was available, in terms of overnight accomodations-- which, let's be honest, isn't much around here. Come morning, I saw that beat-up van parked outside the Rosebud Bed & Breakfast.

Now Rosebud's is a nice place, a respectable establishment, but we all know they've had some trouble since that big storm last month, when a tree smashed through the roof! Las I checked, that Bed & Breakfast only had the one bed fit for guests to sleep in!

Might've been a rather one-sided bidding war, or a tight fit, with two out-of-towners vying for a roof overhead, that night. But that's none of my business.

Jaskier the musician left town with the Witcher-- Geralt Rivera, I think the name was-- same as he came in. Well, makes sense that he wouldn't want to stay long enough to put down roots, a young musician on a mission to see the world and/or become rich and famous.

The Witcher, Geralt, did good work with the monster, too. I guess that's why they're the experts... Some folks are talking about having what's left of the beasty taxidermy'd, did you know? Might make a decent tourist attraction, or a decoration for Town Hall, or something. I don't know.

Anyway, all that's to say... don't let anybody tell you there's not still a need for Witchers, in the modern day.

[perseruna]

something about these being the last scenes we see them together each season and it’s jaskier watching a hurt yen go in favor of comforting geralt vs jaskier rushing to check if yen is alright and to comfort her over geralt like they were insane for it

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 3

Propaganda Under Cut

Casca

She is part of a weird fucked up love triangle with two dudes. All three of them are honestly kind of terrible for each other but she gets shoved aside in favor of the two dudes in most fics and is not allowed to grow past the toxic relationships of her past. Also she’s a cis woman who dresses pretty masculinely (because she’s in a mercenary band) so she gets type casted as the mean lesbian friend, when she’s straight in canon

I've seen more than one Yaoi Shipper say that Casca should have died during this one big canon event as opposed to being assaulted by one of the people in the Yaoi Ship, which of course conveniently would remove her from the narrative and as an obstacle to said Yaoi Ship. Aside from that specifically, though, I think it's particularly cruel to imply that being killed is a better outcome than being a victim of SA, and is an example of the contempt fandom on the whole has for female characters who act traumatized - particularly when both male characters in the ship have similar trauma and its never implied they should have died rather than be assaulted.

She's an incredibly interesting character in her own right with really good dynamics and parallels to Griffith and Guts, and the way those three play off of each other is integral to the story, but most of what I've seen completely ignores her in favor of focusing on only Griffith and Guts

Yennefer

Constantly villainized because one way or another she gets in the way of a MLM ship (though at least one of them would probably be fine with a poly relationship). In the show version of her, her love interest bound her to him via magic, never told her until someone else brought it up despite it the bond causing them to meet over and over, her love interest didn’t understand why this upset her and brushed it off and still has never apologized for it because apparently it was the only way to save her life, she had better chemistry with Jaskier (the other half of the MLM ship) and had a semi-decent rivals to frenemies thing going on, the show took away her powers (which never happened in the books) to have her go on a pointless quest to get them back that worsened her relationship with her love interest because they had her try to kill her love interest’s adopted child (which now justifies why he doesn’t need to apologize of course), and all of that was after she’d already had an arc regarding sacrifice and how power wasn’t really what she wanted.

she's an incredibly powerful mage and drop dead gorgeous and deserved so much better!!! justice for yen

God forbid women do anything. She either gets hate or is ignored, really classic stuff. And she's Geralt's gf but you know, *gestures at geraskier*

[thelostgirl21]

How to solve the whole situation once they've found Ciri...

Jaskier: I think Ciri should marry Radovid.

Geralt: Are you insane? He's way too old for -

Radovid: If I may, he's talking about a purely political alliance. I can assure you I'm gay, and I've got absolutely no matrimonial interest in your daughter. I do, however, so happen to have a kingdom that I'd very much love to abdicate from in favor of a queen that might actually have an interest in running it.

Ciri: I could use a kingdom! One that would treat elves, dwarves and humans as equals...

Jaskier: See? She'd make a great queen! They get married, Radovid renounces the throne, they divorce, Ciri inherits Redania - and with it the most powerful army in the North to keep her safe... Oooh! And Yennefer could be her mage adviser!

Yennefer: You sound like you've been giving this way too much thought...

Geralt: Wait. Redania legalized divorce?

Jaskier: And gay marriage, too. *Tries to sound casual about it.* Not that this is, you know, at all relevant to the the current situation.

Geralt: And why should we believe the King of Redania would be keen on giving up power so easily?

Radovid: Look, all I really wanted was a pretty song...

Geralt: *Eyes him suspiciously*

Jaskier: No, he's being honest. Had my doubts, too, but turns out all he really wanted, at first, was a pretty song.

Geralt: *Slowly realizes what this is about, an amused glint in his eyes as he looks back at him.* I thought you didn't do pretty?

Jaskier: *Dramatically throws his arms in the air, slightly annoyed.* Well, apparently I do now, don't I?

Radovid: *Smirking smuggly* I'm "pretty".

Ciri: *Totally missing the innuendo* You really are!

Radovid: *Delighted and preening* Thank you.

Yennefer: *Snorts*

Yarpen: *Points to Jaskier and Radovid* Wait. Has the lute-playing walloper been fucking a King?

Geralt: *Groans and sighs* Again, real subtle, Yarpen.

Yarpen: *Whisling while looking at Jaskier, somewhat impressed.* Didn't think you'd have it in you, friend!

Radovid: Well, technically -

Jaskier: Aaand on that note! I'll also need Ciri to divorce him, so I can marry him after.

Ciri: *Excitedly* You two are getting married?

Jaskier: Only if you are! Which, I'm aware, makes very little sense...

Radovid: I actually did offer to marry him first - and have Redania become the first kingdom to have two kings - but that triggered a bit of a panic attack.

Jaskier: Look, I stopped using that viscount title and left nobility behind for a reason. If Ciri can make room in the castle for a retired king and his traveling bard, I'd be fine spending a few weeks or even months living at court from time to time. Especially at first, so Radovid can help her get settled and update her on the most important issues that need to be addressed and resolved in the kingdom.

Ciri: Of course you'd always have a home here, and I wouldn't just kick Radovid out! Actually, would it be okay for me to let him keep his prince title? Just in case anything happens to me, and -

Yennefer: *Firmly* Nothing's going to happen to you.

Ciri: Yeah but -

Geralt: No buts. We won't allow it.

Ciri: What if I accidentally portal myself to another dimension? Wouldn't want to force me to leave the Kingdom unattended until I get back, would you?

Jaskier: Hate to say it, but she does have a point.

Radovid: Look, if that would give the Princess some peace of mind to have someone willing to be holding the fort in case of emergencies... But, if that were to happen, I'd be needing Jaskier's help.

Jaskier: *Shrugs* I mean, I guess that would work. It's not that I don't want to get involved in making people's lives better in the kingdom, or share in any of those responsibilities. It's just that, no matter how much I love any of you guys - and I really do love you - I tend to get quite antsy and unpleasant confined to a single location for too long.

Radovid: And personally, I've always wanted to travel, meet different people, and experience some of the tales that have inspired Jaskier's songs for myself.

Geralt: You know he makes a lot of those things up, right?

Radovid: *Shrugs* I think Jaskier's always told those stories the way he sees them - for what they are or mean to him according to his own emotional truth, rather than facts. For example, I've always thought that "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher" was about how the world tends to forget that, behind every larger-than-life heroic figure, there's often just someone that needs to be looked after, too, offered a drink from time to time, listened to, and treated as a friend. If accuracy or factually reporting events had been his goal, then he'd have become a historian, not a bard.

Yennefer: That's... surprisingly insightful.

Jaskier: *Swooning* I know... *Sighs happily* He really is quite brilliant, isn't he?

Radovid: *Blushes brightly* I take it my humble interpretation's not too far off?

Jaskier: *Leans in to whisper into his ear.* I'll let you know just how close you got later...

Geralt: *Confused* Okay, what's actually happening here?

Ciri: *Chuckles* It's called poetry.

Jaskier: *Dreamily, mostly to himself* You'd have to be a spoon to get it...

Radovid: *Now also confused* Wait. What? Now I don't get it.

Jaskier: *Winces slightly* Sorry. That one's on me, you're missing context. You're a spoon, Geralt's a hammer - just...

Radovid: ...different tools for different purposes?

Jaskier: *Makes a half strangled noise, as his legs threaten to give up on him.*

Yarpen: *Motioning to Jaskier while looking at Yennefer, bit puzzled* Does your bard usually do that?

Yennefer: *Looking deep in thoughts, seemingly analysing the situation* Not that I've ever been aware of.

Geralt: Yeah, no. That's new.

Ciri: *Incredulously* You've been travelling with him for, like, over 20 years, and you're telling me you've never seen him have a crush before?

Yennefer: Oh! Oh. Yeah, that's um - okay. I think you're right - I mean, I can see the nuance.

Jaskier (*slowly coming back to himself*) & Geralt: What nuance?

Yennefer: *Innocently* Nothing! Just enjoy your spoon, bard. I'll explain it to the hammer later.

Geralt: *Huffs thoughtfully*

Jaskier: *Still looking unsure* Alright...

Yarpen: You know what, I think it's safer if I don't know.

Radovid: I'm actually not entirely sure I follow...

Yennefer: *Uses magic to telepathically communicate with Radovid, making him blush even brighter.*

Radovid: No, I mean, that seems...

Yennever: *Continues to telepathically communicate with him, looking fondly amused, and just the slightest bit smug.*

Radovid: *Bashfully* I'll ah, I'll take your word for it, and thank you...

Jaskier: What did she just say?

Radovid: Nothing bad, and I'll tell you one day, when the time's right, I promise.

Jaskier: *Doesn't look quite convinced.*

Yennefer: *Rolls eyes* I promise it's fine, Pankratz. Now stop pouting!

Jaskier: *Sighs dramatically* Fine!

Radovid: But,to go back to the whole political royal union thing, I did look to see if I could just hand the kingdom over to Ciri - simply name a successor and step down. Sadly, changing the laws of succession would appear to be a complete nightmare!

Geralt: Meaning we have to trust that you'll honor your end of the agreement, and -

Yarpen: What? You really think that King's going to attempt to stay married to your kid with the amount of eye fucking that's been happening between him and your bard?

Geralt: *Groans* Yarpen, for fuck's sake!

Yennefer: That's a bit of a crude way to put it, but he's got a point.

Geralt: You know Dijsktra and Philippa won't be happy about this, right?

Jaskier: Yeah, well, good thing you and Yennefer are scarier than Dijsktra and Philippa.

Ciri: *Crosses arms on her chest, pointedly looking at Jaskier* Why are you overlooking the fact that I'd totally rip their spines out if they tried to come after you and hurt my family?

Jaskier: Gods, I love you kid! *Pulls Ciri into a tight hug*

Radovid: Didn't you say Yennefer was the scary one?

Jaskier: Like mother, like daughter.

Yarpen: *Proudly* I actually taught the cub how to rip out spines.

Geralt: *Gives two vigorous pats on Radovid's shoulder, almost making him fall over* Welcome to the family, Radovid! *Whispering omninously* But, should you ever try to hurt Jaskier or Ciri, trust me, you'll be wishing she ripped out your spine.

Yennefer: Yes, because I know how to eternally trap souls into an infernal dimension.

Radovid: *Hesitating* That's... oddly reassuring. *Visibly relaxing while looking at Jaskier* You were right, love - Dijsktra and Philippa aren't so scary after all, are they?

Jaskier: *Smuggly* Told you!

Yennefer: Are we sure we shouldn't have been warning Jaskier not to hurt him?

Geralt: Hmm... I was just thinking that, too.

[fangirleaconmigo]

Yennskier to Geraskefer concept (Yennefer x Jaskier with some + Geralt at the end)

Ok so what if the very first time Yen and Jaskier ever defend each other, it is a complete shock to both of them and happens (of all places) in front of his parents?

(TW: Yen is in disguise so some of the flirting could be read as dubcon but no bards were hurt in the making of this fic, I promise)

So when they first meet, Yen and Jaskier snipe at each other relentlessly, right?

Scheming, devious, calamitous witch.

Useless cock for brains.

Geralt has taken to tuning them out completely.

By complete random bad luck, Yen learns one night in tavern gossip that Jaskier isn’t his real name. She becomes suspicious of his intentions. She brings her concerns to Geralt.

“They said that his true name is Viscount Julian Alfred Pankratz. Is that true?” she asks Geralt.

“His name is Jaskier,” Geralt answers, sounding exhausted.

She pushes. “I know that family. They are well connected, prominent, and bigoted. Your bard could very possibly be asked to turn Ciri in to curry their favor.”

"This is insane, Yen." Geralt drops his head and looks miserably into his tankard. “You two need to start getting along, or I’m going to age at least a century before winter.”

"That's not what this is about!"

She gives up on him. He will never think clearly in these matters. She suspects he has romantic feelings for the bard, which she wouldn't mind, she isn't much for monogamy herself, but oh god, the bard??? That smarmy, whorish little bastard? Unthinkable.

She decides to pay Jaskier’s parents a visit just to reassure herself that they aren’t interested in her daughter.

She disguises herself with a glamour and gets herself on the guest list of one of their fancy parties. She is playing the part of a voluptuous blonde wife of an absent Duke.

Jaskier is supposed to be back at Oxenfurt. That’s what he told Geralt, anyway. But she walks in the door and there he is, holding court at the party in his well fitted satin, with his glinting charming smile, and his flushed cheeks and…and…well…other things that Yen would never admit to noticing.

But what was he doing there?

Why did he lie about being at Oxenfurt? Could he already be colluding with his parents?

At the thought, she expects to feel rage. But an entirely different feeling wells up in her.

Disappointment. Hurt.

She shakes it off. Stupid. She's used too much magic for her glamour. It's making her weak. She takes a seat directly across from him at dinner.

He introduces himself to her and kisses her hand. Julian Alfred Pankratz.

His lips brush the top of her hand and in response she acts like one of his tarts. Only because she has to get him to trust her, obviously. Yen smiles and flutters her eyes at him. His smile is charming. So is his admiration of her form. When his gaze drops ever so briefly to her cleavage she feels something else unexpected.

Warmth.

She shakes that off too.

His parents sit on either side of him. Yen doesn’t waste much time. By the time the second course is served she brings up Ciri and the war.

She doesn’t expect Jaskier’s mom to immediately bring up the horrid witch who is hiding the child. The slut who doesn’t know her place. The evil women who schemes and plots and who gets what she wants by manipulating men with her whoredom.

Yen is used to being called these things by conservative wives. But she finds her eyes flick to Jaskier, and her heart leaps to her throat. It makes her so, so angry that she cares what he will say.

He has always seemed like an enemy? But here? Behind actual enemy lines? He feels like a friend.

Fuck.

But Jaskier averts his eyes. He stares at his plate. He isn’t going to join in, but he isn’t going to defend her either. Obviously.

She DOESNT care godsdamnit. She’s just caught up in the moment. She DOES NOT CARE.

So it is entirely incidental that she experiences immense, sweet relief when he smiles softly to himself before he replies.

“Oh mother,” he says genially, “but I know you. It is simple envy that moves you to such crude accusations.”

His mother splutters. “Do you think I covet her false beauty—“

“Not her beauty.” Jaskier says, still calm. Still affable. “She is beautiful of course, but nothing like that. It’s just that you and father are so small minded and so constantly desperate for the approval of other, equally small minded people, that when you see someone who has a soul and who lives in a free spirited manner, that you ache with envy and impotent rage. And that is why you use such uncharacteristically crude and low language to describe her. That is why you yearn to oppress her and control her. That is why you want to put her in her place.”

Jaskier smiles genially and takes another bite of his lobster.

His parents turn so pink with rage that they look purple.

Yen hasn't felt such satisfaction in so very long. She also isn't used to people taking up for her. Not in places like this.

His father is the first to regain his composure. He smiles and looks around the table at the nervous nobles who are trying their best to ignore the awkwardness.

He smiles around the table. “You have to excuse my son. Instead of accepting the position at Oxenfurt he roams the earth thinking with nothing but his base impulses. He knows nothing of the real world. He is young, idealistic, and completely useless.”

There are nervous chuckles around the table when Yennefer speaks up.

“Actually,” she says in between sips of champagne, “I have heard of your son. Jaskier is that right?”

Jaskier looks at her, surprised and deeply pleased.

His parents smile tight lipped.

“Ridiculous name,” his mother says.

“Well,” says Yen, “you’re probably right. The vaunted thinkers and academics who laud his poetry coast to coast are probably incorrect. The soldiers who offer their undying gratitude that he has documented their deeds are wrong. The traumatized war orphans who cry and say that he has saved their lives with his art are surely absurd. It is you who are correct, I’m sure. Of all the ways you can spend your life, comforting and inspiring people does sound like an utter waste of time.”

She primly sips her drink and the grateful, genuine smile that spreads on Jaskier’s face like the sunrise rockets straight to her soul.

The rest of the dinner is tense, but Yennefer is having a wonderful time. Conversing with a Jaskier like this---he is adoring and attentive--it is addictive. She never knew it could feel like this with him.

And after dinner, when he finds her outside the privy and steps incredibly close to her, his hand sliding around her waist, she is shocked into silence by her desire. She doesn't find her voice until he has kissed her ever so softly and tenderly that she almost melts onto his parents stone floors.

"J-j-askier," she manages to mumble.

"Yes, love. Marina, is it?" he murmurs into her ear, his nimble fingers trailing from her neck down, down down. "Beautiful name. Beautiful woman."

She steps back and lets his arms fall heavily to the side.

"I must tell you something. And you will regret what you just did."

It could have sounded like a threat. She meant it to sound like a threat. But it just sounds sad. The glamour falls from her and his face transforms into shock.

She swallows the lump in her throat as he steps back so hard, he hits the wall and covers his mouth with his hands.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demands. He looks white as a sheet. Terrified.

"I just did!"

"Earlier!"

"Because!" Yen squeaks. (She never squeaks) "I was...flummoxed. I--oh a pox on it, Jaskier, I liked it. Is that what you want to hear? You asshole? You bastard?"

His hand falls slowly from his face. Then a soft, tiny, smug little smile begins to form.

"Ha. I knew it."

He did not know it.

She smacks him. He laughs.

Then he remembers something and falls back against the wall againt groaning. "Oh, Geralt. Geralt. I'm a terrible friend. I will have to run off, to never return--"

She smacks him again. "Ow, what?"

"Calm down. Let's go see him together. I have a feeling he is going to like what we have to say."

The next time they kiss, it is in front of a roaring fire in her home in Vengerberg, with Geralt caressing them both, and watching with fondness.

"If I had known that it was this easy to shut the two of you up, I would have insisted on it a long time ago."

[hanzajesthanza]

use #the witcher books for the witcher books tag

hi there! if you are a fan of the witcher in general or specifically the witcher book series, you may have found it difficult to find book-related art, textposts, edits, and other posts in the main #witcher or #the witcher tags on tumblr, as adaptations and non-adaptations also bearing the witcher name (e.g., netflix or games) tend to dominate those tags.

the results of the poll conducted earlier this week concluded that #the witcher books should be the tag (at least, here on tumblr) to both find and post posts related to the book series.

as the tag designations stand:

#the witcher books : books-related posts | all languages #wiedźmin : all mediums | polish language content, or posts with no language (e.g., visual art or edits, which would not hinder a search)

of course, it is up to each person's individual discretion whether or not to use the book tag, especially if their posts contain or are about multiple mediums, but there have typically been few issues with keeping the tag book-centered, so this isn't really a worry as of now.

the reason for this post is to let people in the witcher fandom know that there is a books tag, if they are looking for books-focused content, or want to post books-focused content themselves.

if you are a fan of the witcher (any medium) or post about the witcher, i encourage you to consider reblogging and sharing this post to inform the community of how to use these tags.

and under the readmore, you can find:

the poll results and reasoning behind these tag designations

a quick tutorial on how to search a tag on tumblr (because there is a difference between searching a tag and searching a phrase).

how this was decided

after both a poll and conversations amongst the community, many came to the conclusion to use #the witcher books as the tag for content about the book series.

here, i will describe the poll results and boost some voices and opinions i thought were significant in this decision.

poll results

there were two primary contenders for book witcher tags on tumblr: #wiedźmin and #the witcher books.

#the witcher books won with nearly 40% of all responders, and together, over 70% of all responders were in favor of either only using #the witcher books or using both tags.

this decision, however, does not mean that one should not tag their witcher books posts with #wiedźmin. the decision was for #wiedźmin to remain an all mediums tag, and for #the witcher books to be the book community's main go-to to post and search book-related content. but read the below for more context.

commentary and opinions

in this post, i also wanted to include some reasoning behind this decision and foster discussion within the community about this topic. (as a note, i will be using the term 'anglophone' in this post now to mean those who speak english but do not speak polish)

the word wiedźmin is literally just the non-translated "witcher," and thus applies to all mediums of the witcher: books, games, netflix, 2001 film ("hexer" in english), musical, you name it.

generally, it was expressed that #wiedźmin should be a place for polish language posts because there are already so many places for english posts, and it can be difficult to specifically find posts in polish for this reason. for many polish fans seeking polish-language posts and other polish fans or creators to connect with, it can be aggravating to see a polish tag appropriated for english-language posts.

and with the alternative of using an english tag for english-language posts, the choice seems like a no-brainer here.

additionally, the broader community already has some history with anglophone fans appropriating the polish name for something (or someone) to mean that thing (or character) in "only this specific medium" ... yes, jaskier, i am talking about jaskier, whose polish name and tag seemed to become synonymous with netflix's jaskier overnight, with little room left for the books or games jaskier... and suddenly, the tag became unusable for polish posts.

of course, this opinion was not expressed by every single member of the community, but by several mutuals, friends, and followers who pointed out that it is important for polish witcher fandom to have its own space.

thus, #wiedźmin should generally be prioritized for polish posts or posts with no language (e.g., visual art or edits, posts which would not hinder a search).

intentions

edit, july 10th, 2023: i have been thinking about this and i realized that i should have a disclaimer for this post, so here that is.

this is just what i have found from my own initiative and responses i encountered when asking around—i in no way speak for any entire community, and i never intended to make this post to be representative of any entire population.

i am aware, of course, that some don’t care about finding books content, that for some english-language content in #wiedźmin isn’t a bother, that for some tumblr is not a concern to them and it’s not worth deliberating what goes in what tag.

at the same time, the majority of commentary i encountered when asking about this topic both urged to (1) have a specific place for books content only (i.e. no netflix content) and (2) have a specific place for polish-language content. the commentary i speak of were received via tumblr replies, tumblr asks, discord messages, tags left on the initial post, tags left on the poll post, and and poll results.

all in all, it’s just tumblr and it doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of life. it’s definitely not the end of the world if tags are used in a way that people disagree about; however, let me be clear about what motivated me to make this post:

my goals with this post were the following:

make tumblr more usuable for fans of the witcher books: both for fans who are interested in “all ‘witcher’s”, and fans that are only interested in the books. (personally, i appreciate organization and i like to use tags to organize and find the content i am interested in).

casually inquire as to how the english-speaking witcher fans on tumblr can support or improve the experiences of polish-speaking fans on tumblr.

create a post to boost visibility; show that the tags #the witcher books and #wiedźmin exist.

my intentions were NOT:

assume authority and tell everyone what to do

assume leadership and speak for everyone involved

assume everyone deeply cares about this topic

i made this post because i have not seen anyone else speak and speak up about this topic, and the very polite and kind anonymous ask i received also made me think some action should be taken as a help to the community, especially during this time of netflix’s season 3 premiering.

the reason why i am making this edit is that after some reflection i realized it is not obvious and does not go without saying why i made this post, and i always want to be clear with my intentions.

i would also like to be clear that this is my own reflection which prompted this edit, and i have thankfully not received any hateful comments or anything like that—this is just me thinking to myself and saying i could have done better when explaining why i made this post.

how to use tag search on tumblr

a question raised during this poll was, what about when non-book posts tag #the witcher, but mention "books" somewhere in their post, so it gets put into #the witcher books tag?

to which i must point out, there is a difference between searching a phrase on tumblr and searching a tag on tumblr.

searching a tag will send you to that tag, where you can see all posts tagged with that tag.

searching a phrase will return a search, where you can see all posts containing the keywords in your search.

[desktop]

on desktop, it’s very simple:

just navigate to the searchbar, and type in the tag you want to browse.

to search the tag, click the highlighted "Go to #the witcher books".

this will send you to tumblr.com/tagged/the%20witcher%20books.

do not hit return to search the phrase, which will instead send you to tumblr.com/search/the%20witcher%20books

[mobile]

i follow #the witcher books tag:

which makes it more streamlined to open the tag, which looks like this:

oh, a familiar face at the bottom there, how nice

by the way, the very nice featured art in the tag header right now is by @onlymagpie! here is the post to reblog if you wanted to see the featured post of the tag

but you can also navigate to the tag in other ways.

for instance, if i open the search tab, it leads me to a search fork much like the desktop version.

i can either search the phrase, which is not what i want, as it will return posts that have not explicitly tagged #the witcher books, but rather all posts which include the keyphrases “witcher” and “books”:

or, i can search the tag.

to do this, you have to either select the "Go to #the witcher books" in the search function, as per it is on desktop

or, you can also go to “tags” from the search you returned, and select the tag you want to browse:

then, you will end up in the tag (see above).

conclusion

this is how you navigate tags and searches on tumblr. though somewhat complicated, one has the choice whether to search all posts containing certain keywords words, or only posts tagged with a tag with the keywords in the right order.

[fandom-junk-drawer]

The Witcher Headcanon (Modern Au) - Error 404 Brain Not Found: Bonus Scene - Part 14

Geralt and Jaskier shuffled through the back door, arms loaded with bags of sodas. They headed straight for the kitchen and began unpacking.

It was D&D night, so Yennefer might not have thought twice about the large quantity of drinks they were hauling in. But there were two little details that set warning bells off in her head.

1. Geralt had already gone out two days earlier and bought drinks and snacks for their weekly game night. 2. Every single soda in the bags was Sprite. Both Geralt and Jaskier favored colas, and Eskel was the only one of the Witchers that preferred Sprite. What where they doing with all that Sprite?

Something asinine this way comes. Yennefer thought to herself as she eyed the men suspiciously from the kitchen doorway. Jaskier was openly smiling at her, eyes glowing merrily. Geralt was avoiding looking at her all together.

Dumbf**kery was definitely afoot.

"You want to play with us?" Jaskier asked excitedly, "We're going to do The Sprite Challenge!"

"The what--?" Before Yennefer could finish asking her question, Jaskier opened a bottle of soda and downed the whole thing in one go, pausing only to breathe and give the carbonation burn time to fade. Then he stood there expectantly.

Mentally trying to regain her footing, Yennefer glanced at Geralt. The Witcher was watching Jaskier excitedly.

The seconds ticked by.

Feeling as if she was supposed to give some sort of commentary, Yennefer said, "Er, congratulations? You drank an entire bottle of Sprite all--!"

The rest of what Yennefer said was drowned out by the almighty belch that erupted from Jaskier. It was long, loud, and carried the faint scent of lemon-lime. Geralt and Jaskier laughing ecstatically, gave each other a celebratory high-five.

What the h*ll, a girl had to have fun sometimes. Yennefer gave up trying to be the mature one, and joined her two idiots, cheering them on and recording the proceedings.

"Your turn, big guy!" Jaskier announced. Geralt nodded, twisted the top off a Sprite, and chugged it. The liquid swirled in a little tornado as it disapeared down Geralt's throat. There was a moment of silence, before Geralt made a noise like a Skellige fog horn.

Guffaws erupted, and the process was repeated, with time in between for stomachs and bladders to empty. While they waited for the next round, Jaskier and Geralt took turns trying to belch their names and various obscenities.

Geralt and Jaskier: * chug Sprite*

Jaskier: *bear with a bellyache*

Geralt: *Semi truck engine braking*

Jaskier: *sound like someone ripping a***

Geralt: *goose honk*

Jaskier: *sound like a toilet unclogging*

Yennefer decided to give it a try herself. Jaskier and Geralt cheered her on as she downed her soda. Seconds later, she opened her mouth and out came a string of garbled noises that sounded like the syllables of the blackest magic spell ever spoken.

"Holy f**k!" Jaskier laughed, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Did you just curse someone?" Geralt chortled.

"Was it just me, or did you see snakes come out of her boots and a black cloud swirl around her?"

"Oh, f**k you both!" Yennefer grumbled.

"I'd rather *garbled burp* a nekker!" Jaskier retorted.

"That's not much of an insult, considering you'd f**k anything with a hole in it!"

Jaskier: *affronted gasp*

"Scr*bber!"

"B*llend!"

"M*ngebag!"

"A*semonger!"

Geralt decided to intervene before the tit-for-tat escalated. The Witcher chugged a Sprite, tossed the bottle aside, and assumed the belching position. The distraction worked, and Yennefer and Jaskier forgot about their bantering and waited with bated breath.

Geralt grimaced, and then *dying humpback whale noises*

The three of them immediately lost their sh*t. They howled maniacally, holding their sides and leaning on whatever surface was close by.

Laughing on a belly full of carbonated liquid turned out to be risky business.

Geralt and Jaskier both laughed so hard they spewed.

One minute Yennefer was laughing at the ridiculous noise Geralt had made, and the next, her laughter turned to exclamations of surprised disgust. Puke fountained onto the floor as Geralt and Jaskier chucked whiteys. It rolled and splattered, and Yennefer was just doing her best to get the h*ll out of the way.

The vomiting petered out, turning to dry heaves before stopping. Yennefer helped them to the living room, settling them on the couches, then went back to the kitchen to clean up the mess.

She was not one to use magic for mundane things that she could do herself, but this time, she made an exception. She was not going to clean up this mess by hand. She spelled the kitchen clean with a wave of her hand, then returned to the living room and her two dumba**es.

She knew their stomachs were probably feeling a bit queasy, so she cheerfully offered them something to help.

"Here, have some Sprite, it will settle your stomachs!"

*Symphony of groans*

[gothiethefairy]

modern geraskier au concept:

geralt has been crushing on jaskier for a while even though they are friends. jaskier is part of a folk rock band that has been getting popular lately, thanks to social media. jaskier's band is going on tour soon so jaskier asks geralt to do the biggest favor for him. if he can watch his pet while jaskier is on tour.

geralt, who generally loves animals and thinking it's gonna be a dog or cat, agrees. the next day, jaskier arrives at geralt's apartment, holding a huge glass case. with one little mouse inside. jaskier is thanking geralt profoundly for watching gordon, his mouse. he than gives geralt several more of gordon's things (how much stuff does one little mouse need??? geralt thinks) jaskier thanks geralt one more time and leaves.

geralt is standing in the middle of his apartment, holding the glass case with jaskier's precious pet mouse inside and is now noticing his cat, roach, is eyeing that mouse intensely.

"fuck." geralt mutters.

[yeraskier]

5. bringing them their favourite hot drink in bed for geraskier please 💖

“Geralt.”

The lump underneath the navy blue comforter doesn’t move.

“Geralt, come on,” Jaskier whines softly, “talk to me, please.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“I beg the differ.”

“Go away, Jaskier.”

Jaskier sighs, “fine, I’ll go. I guess I’ll just have to take this hot chocolate elsewhere.”

A head pokes out from beneath the covers— just a little, just enough for Geralt to confirm that there is indeed hot chocolate in Jaskier’s hand.

“Is there mint in that?”

Jaskier nods, and holds back on a grimace. There are plenty of things in this world that go well together, and mint and chocolate are not on that list. Still, he indulges Geralt’s absolutely horrific taste in beverages, and never forgets to add the mint. Gods, the things you do for love.

“With extra mini marshmallows on top,” he informs his lover.

Geralt perks up even further at this. Slowly but surely, he lets the covers fall further down his body as he sits up.

He’d glaring as he takes the mug (it’s light pink with the words WORLD’S BEST ASS printed on it— also in pink but hotter, with glitter on it) from Jaskier’s hands, like he’s damning both the musician and his sweet tooth straight to hell.

That spiteful look eases after the first sip, and has slipped right off by the fifth. Jaskier frowns at the fact that he didn’t blow on it first, but reframed from the lecture on tongue burns in favor of discussing the actual issue at hand.

“Do you want to talk about it now?”

And the glare is back.

“No.”

“Geralt,” he says pointedly.

“Jaskier.”

“Geralt.”

Geralt’s mouth thins as his eyes narrow at his lover, before he lets out a rather dramatic huff. “Fine.”

Jaskier grins. Yeah, that works like a charm every time.

“I didn’t mean to… do that last night.”

“Do you mean the part where you told me you loved me or the part where you looked absolutely mortified, and then ran off?”

Geralt’s still glaring, but it’s directed at his mug. “Both.”

Jaskier’s brows furrow as he pops his lips, propping his elbow on his lap, and his chin in his hand. Perplexing but most definitely intriguing.

“I mean, I meant it when I said it,” he continues, “I do love you.”

“I know.”

“But it wasn’t how I wanted to say it and—” Geralt pauses to give Jaskier a wary side eye, “wait, what? What do you mean you know?”

“I mean what I said, and what I said is I know.”

“How could you know?”

“How could I not know?”

“Because I never said it.”

Jaskier smiles warmly at this, “you don’t need to say ‘I love you’ to let someone know that you love them. You show me everyday, how could I not know?”

“But—”

“All the late nights you’ve stayed awake helping me work on a song, all the times you came over to comfort me during rainstorms because you know they scare me, all the times you stayed by my side while I was sick— which was a lot because I’m always sick.” Geralt chuckles at this, and so does Jaskier. “Every text wishing me a good day, every reassuring touch when you know I’m stressed, every random detail you’ll remember about me no matter how long ago you learned it, every smile, every hug, every kiss, everything.”

A single tear rolls down Geralt’s cheek, and Jaskier wants to wipe it away, but instead, he takes his lover’s free hand into his own.

“Every single thing you do tells me how much you love me. I know the laundromat might not have been the most romantic setting to you, but it wouldn’t have mattered when or where you decided to say it, because I already knew.” Jaskier says to him, squeezing the hand in between his. “You’ve already told me many, many times before.”

Geralt’s lower lip is trembling slightly now, cheeks reddening with heat.

“And I love you, too, if that wasn’t already clear.”

Geralt’s lips are on his barely a second after the words are spoken, and Jaskier clutches onto him for dear life.

His lover’s kiss tastes of chocolate and mint, tel flavors that aren’t meant to go well together. But then again, to many, Jaskier and Geralt weren’t supposed to go well together either.

And yet, here they are.

[geraskierficrecs]

An Offer You Can't Refuse Update!

Hey look! I finally finished it!

Teaser:

Geralt’s lips were still cracked from the heat of the fire and they opened painfully on a near-silent word.  Immediately, Jaskier turned toward the tray of food Aiden had delivered to retrieve a bottle of water.  He gently helped Geralt raise his head from the pillow and guided the bottle to his lips, supporting him there as he drank deeply.  After a moment, Geralt turned his head away in a silent feature and Jaskier quickly set the water aside in favor of getting the alpha resettled on the pillows.

The other wolf licked his lips and attempted to clear his throat from the smoke still lining it.  “You’re here.”

Jaskier blinked, startled at the unexpected direction of Geralt’s thoughts.  He shifted his weight, trying to anticipate what Geralt meant by it.  “I…yes,” he said, “I didn’t want you to be alone.”

It was a dangerous sort of admission.  Far too close to acknowledging the bond that had been driving them together for weeks.

Geralt frowned at him and Jaskier felt his nerves turn into a wild thing, twisting and writhing within him.

He should have left while he had a chance.  He should have allowed Lambert to oversee Geralt’s healing.  Anything to avoid the rejection he knew was coming.  Anything to avoid hearing Geralt’s voice telling him to leave for good.

Jaskier leaned back to force himself to his feet, but froze when he felt Geralt’s calloused hand wrap around his wrist in a gentle shackle.  

All at once, he was terrified.  Terrified that perhaps it wasn’t love that moved within his chest each time he saw Geralt staring back at him.  That this love would become a knife twisting within his heart, sinking deeper with each new breath until death became the only release he could ever hope for.

In this moment, Geralt held the means to his destruction in a way Emhyr and Cahir never had.  A single word, a single syllable could erase every scrap of battered hope he possessed.  He stood at the precipice of calamity with one person holding on to the rope that kept him from sinking into the abyss.  He was–

Geralt’s fingers tightened around Jaskier’s fluttering heartbeat and his thumb swept over the delicate skin in a caress that made Jaskier shiver.  The alpha stared at Jaskier and his mouth shaped the word that made Jaskier’s wolf go quiet.

“Stay.”

[littlestsnicket]

i get the desire of wanting to headcanon jaskier as a good professor, but also what if he’s not? he’s probably actually not

- jaskier swanning about treating lecturing like he’s doing the university a huge favor when he really really needs the money. he’s a famous bard, he earns plenty. there are just literal children with better financial planning skills and impulse control than him. (but he’s also always been like this, even before he was properly famous.)

- lectures on whatever the fuck he feels like, often in a highly associative, i probably have adhd sort of way. fascinating and compelling but not a great learning environment. also huge problem in intro level classes with department set, oral exams.

- mostly teaches seminar classes where the entire grade is a final performance. even when he’s teaching in the history department. no mandatory or even encouraged progress check ins. your on your own unless you track him down outside of class.

- makes a point of not attending his office hours but at least he is extremely enthusiastic about discussing material with students if they manage to track him down somewhere else. willing to give extensive notes and encouragement and tips and opportunities for practice performances for stage fright history students on final performances. but you have to find him and ask.

- doesn’t have inappropriate relationships with his students but enjoys and encouraged the attention he gets from having a reputation as the sort of person who might.

- one thousand percent plays favorites. (this one he sort of gets a pass on because his favorites at the ones who he thinks are going to make it, and he has an uncanny knack for picking them out.)

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 1

Propaganda Under Cut

Christine Canigula

This has enraged me for YEARS. She is constantly sidelined in the fandom in favor of the main m/m ship which itself its fine but the way people treat her drives me NUTS. When I actually was in the fandom, Consistently! her crush on the main character which is a CENTRAL fucking plot point is just explained away to make room for yaoi. If they even have that kind of decency. Like 99% of the fics just say "oh! she's a lesbian actually totally this was comphet im not a misogynist" or "she's Actually Aroace" and not ponder on the optics of sanitizing the CANON fucking attraction of a chubby easian girl. It's sososo transparent and another fucking example of she's actually the Mom friend! or other annoying racist and misogynistic tropes.

She likes play rehearsal. She's the love interest of the main character, Jeremy. Jeremy also has a best friend, Michael, whom he's usually shipped with. And since she's the canonical love interest and as such often gets in the way of their beloved ship. They are very creative in finding the ways to get rid of her to ship Michael with Jeremy, ranging from making her asexual(because ace people can't date apparently), completely kicking her out of the last two songs of the musical and putting Michael in her place, to vilifying her and claiming she was never interested in Jeremy in the first place, despite musical explicitly saying the opposite.

Love interest of the main character Jeremy Heere and therefore stands in the way of the fandom's most popular ship, boyf reinds. Being specifically a love interest we don't get. A whole lot of her but she's fun! She's a theatre kid. She is silly and goofy. Also has a one off line in one of the songs that mentions she has ADD. Idk what I'm supposed to say really and I'm always bad at talking about characters so.

Yennefer

Constantly villainized because one way or another she gets in the way of a MLM ship (though at least one of them would probably be fine with a poly relationship). In the show version of her, her love interest bound her to him via magic, never told her until someone else brought it up despite it the bond causing them to meet over and over, her love interest didn’t understand why this upset her and brushed it off and still has never apologized for it because apparently it was the only way to save her life, she had better chemistry with Jaskier (the other half of the MLM ship) and had a semi-decent rivals to frenemies thing going on, the show took away her powers (which never happened in the books) to have her go on a pointless quest to get them back that worsened her relationship with her love interest because they had her try to kill her love interest’s adopted child (which now justifies why he doesn’t need to apologize of course), and all of that was after she’d already had an arc regarding sacrifice and how power wasn’t really what she wanted.

she's an incredibly powerful mage and drop dead gorgeous and deserved so much better!!! justice for yen

God forbid women do anything. She either gets hate or is ignored, really classic stuff. And she's Geralt's gf but you know, *gestures at geraskier*