cymothoe

[cymothoe]

Dinah, you write the the most lovely things that no one else would ever think of (sugar daddy Vesemir, I am *obsessed*) and now we all can’t stop thinking about them. I am happily hopping aboard the Lambert angst train, but I keep focusing on how the experience of loving and losing Aiden would affect his future role in the Jaskier/All Witchers puppypile. Like, it potentially makes Lambert stand out from his brothers as being the only one who has actually been in a healthy, long-term romantic relationship. With another witcher, who died anyway. Imagine how he might feel about loving an ever-more-vulnerable human?

I’m picturing Vesemir, Eskel and Lambert all at Kaer Morhen in late autumn, eagerly awaiting Geralt and Jaskier’s arrival. It’s maybe the second or third time Jaskier has wintered there and they’ve all grown *very* close, although perhaps no actual amorous intentions have been declared apart from Geralt and Jaskier themselves. Eskel, maybe, is shy, not sure he’ll be allowed into this beautiful glowing thing his brother and his bard have created; Lambert is guarding his heart viciously even as he envies them terribly. Vesemir and Jaskier are the only ones who can actually see which way the whole thing is going, but they both, understanding these wolves from their unique perspectives, know it will take time.

Anyway, when Geralt and Jaskier roll up to the gates, the others find their delight knocked askew by the fact that Jaskier is on crutches. He’s in good spirits, though, and the whole story tumbles out with breathless bardic drama - a month ago, a griffin hunt, Jaskier defending Roach and getting snatched away by hungry claws; remembering Geralt’s lessons and knowing exactly where to yank on tender feathers, being dropped from a considerable height and a complete but clean break through a bone in the leg. Eskel and Vesemir show suitable awe at his bravery, Eskel fussing adorably and Vesemir teasing Jaskier about trying to get out of winter chores. Geralt has had time to process the whole thing as the leg is healing well, and is mostly just ruefully proud of his bard, and pretty indulgent about letting him tell this story, ever more elaborately, to everyone they meet. It’s even shaping up into quite a ballad: “A Steed in Need in a Friend Indeed.” (Jaskier is having trouble coming up with rhymes for ‘griffin’ though - did they have tiffin in Medieval Fauxland?) Lambert, though….

Lambert doesn’t join in when Eskel jokes to him about getting Jaskier a medallion of his own. He takes the pack Vesemir hands him and then lets it drop on the ground. He steps forward, cups Jaskier’s cheek in his palm, gaze darting frantically between his smile and his wound, and then, without another world, just *whirls* around and *storms* off, leaving everyone staring after him.

Later, Geralt finds him pacing somewhere, or maybe smashing the shit out of a wall they were supposed to start repairing. He’s like, “What the fuck, Lambert, Jaskier was excited to see you (hell if I know why) and now he thinks you’re mad at him. You better go apolo-”

And Lambert just turns and *wallops* him in the face, hands fisted in his shirt, and he’s just screaming and spitting at Geralt, how could he let this happen, he takes a *human* out on the Path and practically feeds him to a fucking griffin, he’s the worst fucking kind of fool who doesn’t know what a blessing he has in front of him, doesn’t he know what he almost lost, if Jaskier was Lambert’s to protect, he’d…(and Lambert doesn’t know what to say, because he did have someone he loved who he wanted to protect and he couldn’t do it, either).

And here where I kind of run out of steam at the same time as Lambert, but the rage probably dissolves into sobs, for what he had and lost with Aiden, and for what he almost lost without ever even having with Jaskier and Geralt is a little stunned; he knew Lambert felt things deeply but it was kind of easy to forget when he covered it up in decades of bitching, just as sometimes it was easy to forget how fragile Jaskier is when he daily sees his toughness...and I’m sure they eventually fix everything and all, I just now like having once-bitten protective Lambert feelings and thank you for inspiring them in me!

i just... can't get over the fact that lambert was willing to slaughter everyone who got in his way when it came to aiden and uncovering the truth of his murder...

like, lambert was willing to kill 'innocent' people, was willing to threaten and play into the fear of witchers, he crossed the continent to find out what really happened and yeah, okay, geralt can call him out on it, can try and knock sense into him, can even prevent him from achieving his vengeance, but...

idk, i'm having so many lambert feelings rn, like this man was so passionately adamant that aiden wasn't like other cat witchers, that he was different, hands down the best man he's ever known, they travelled and worked together!! lambert!! prickly, defensive, hurt his entire life, choices taken away from him, angry, loyal, emotional, driven, dry-witted lambert - travelled with another witcher!!

and he went against the morals of the wolf school, killed anyone involved with the crime of taking aisen away from him, i just--

there's so much rich potential here and i just want to cry, because lambert has had such an awful life, abusive parents, being forced into being a witcher, getting nothing but pain and hurt and torment... and he finally has this one thing that's his, he chose this, he got to keep this, this one person who loves him unconditionally, devoted and loyal,

he doesn't need to pay coin to have him,

he doesn't need to wait all year, just to have a brush of happiness at winter,

aiden was his, to love and keep and adore.

and... it's no surprise, then when his little spark of joy was snatched away, that he turned into a vicious wolf, intent on avenging his gentle cat... and i'm glad he didn't allow such hate and despair to consume him, i'm glad he was able to move on and find happiness anew,

but oh, how his relationship with aiden breaks my heart.

#dinahdarling #lambert #geralt x jaskier #jaskier/any witcher going = otp

[cymothoe]

I didn’t think about ANY of that, especially not:

- Your use of “standing guard” and “vigilant.” He’s trying to protect Jaskier from Death itself. Maybe he even thinks he can do it.

- The forced smile. He’s trying to be normal, cheerful even. He’s in denial. Maybe Jaskier recognizes his time is short and tries to talk to Geralt, to help him sort out his emotions (this has been his life’s work, after all) and Geralt shuts him down, every single time. He’ll talk about anything else, do anything else, but not that.

- Sometimes, though, Jaskier wakes to find Geralt embracing him from behind, whispering in his ear, pleading with him not to go. Begging, bargaining, bribing. He’s seen so much of the world, knows so much of death but now is reduced to a frightened child, unable to face reality.

- Jaskier never hears this long, because Geralt is able to tell when he wakes even before he opens his eyes, and Jaskier can *feel* him draw back, starting to murmur about breakfast, what can Jaskier eat today, maybe some of the muesli and yoghurt (food has become a subtle source of conflict for them. Jaskier knows his body is shutting down and Geralt is trying to revive it with all the cold determination of a necromancer).

- Maybe reincarnation doesn’t exist in this world, and they both know this is their one lifetime together. Pretty long, from Jaskier’s perspective, but he knows Geralt lived decades before him and may live centuries after and though *he* wants to believe Geralt will find love and comfort again, Geralt knows the odds for a creature like him.

- So every night, it’s pleading: “One more day.” Every morning, gratitude and determination. Each day and night at a time

hmm. well. i suppose it’s too much to ask that you obey, but...

don’t think about geralt standing guard over his mortal lover’s deathbed, tears brimming in his eyes

don’t think about jaskier, old and graying, relaxing into the sheets of their home

don’t think about the home they bought and made for themselves at corvo bianco, where they’ve spent countless heavenly years

don’t think about the many songs jaskier has written that are just for the two of them to know, just for geralt’s ears

don’t think about the journals overflowing with adoring prose and poetry alike, now set aside in the corner of their room for geralt to read when their author is gone

don’t think the many nights spent together, curled up by firelight or reclining in bed, wine easily at hand and eachother’s names upon their lips

don’t think about jaskier rousing from his sleep and looking to geralt, so vigilant, so young by comparison - young and yet so old

don’t think about geralt reaching for his beloved’s hand, squeezing it and forcing a smile

don’t think about jaskier drawing him down to kiss his lips, whispering, “my beloved wolf” against him

don’t think about geralt’s resolve cracking, about his tears beginning to fall

don’t think about him pleading, “if i’m good, will you come back?”

don’t think about jaskier pulling him in, hugging him with frail arms and speaking low against his ear

don’t think about jaskier reassuring him that he will never be far

don’t think about jaskier reassuring him that geralt will find him in every singing bird, in every laughing face, in every bubbling brook, in every blooming flower

don’t think about geralt begging once more, “if i’m good, will you come back?”

don’t think about jaskier promising, soft and gentle, that he’ll turn up again someday

because he always has

#the witcher #geralt x jaskier #geraskier #cw death #sad

[cymothoe]

In this vein, please continue not to consider:

- Jaskier, being badly hurt and riven with fever, drifts in and out of consciousness for days

- The first conversation anyone in the village initiates with Geralt is to inform him that more coin is required for the bard’s keep

- Unfortunately, part of the reason this villages enjoys trashing witchers so much is that most of their local monsters are extinct - there are no nearby contracts, and Geralt’s afraid if he rides away they might just toss Jaskier out in the straw after him

- The only things of value he has are his swords, his medallions, Jaskier’s lute and Roach - none of those of are for sale (yet; they all will be, if it comes to it)

- (Even Roach, and guilt burns in Geralt’s chest for knowing this while he still takes comfort in pressing his face to her strong warm neck)

- But one spark of hope - there is still manual labour to be done, digging trenches or building walls or reinforcing cesspits or something, and Geralt goes to join the line of day-labourers

- It’s pennies compared to what a witcher can usually bring in, and at first the foreman laughs at him, tells him to move his mutant ass along, but maybe some of their better guys are unavailable that day and Geralt not only has the strength of most of them combined, he’s able to prove he actually does know what he’s doing

- After all, there was no hired help at Kaer Morhen and Vesemir’s usual winter greeting comes in the form of a well-organized to-do list

- Of course, Geralt’s not a master tradesman at anything, and so he’s still in the bottom rung of the labour hierarchy with the serfs and so forth, and some of these guys, who are used to being shit on by the rest of society, are absolutely delighted to have someone beneath *them* now

- At first Geralt’s mostly left to work in peace as people are pretty afraid of him, but as the whispered taunts get louder and they realize he’s not going to react, it is open season on the suddenly docile witcher, humbled in the mud with the rest of them

- And Geralt can’t win, because if he works to his full strength the others hate him for potentially putting them out of work, and if he doesn’t, the foreman curses him and threatens to dock his pay for “laziness, we all know you’re a tougher beast than that!”

- And so this continues, each day Geralt earning just enough to pass on to the healer to keep Jaskier in a bed, hoping to catch a glimpse of him through the doorway when he hands the money over

aight dudes you know what

you did so horribly at not thinking about the last bunch of things that i figured i’d give you all a second chance

remember: don’t think about...

jaskier getting wounded as collateral on a hunt that really was far too dangerous because he didn’t listen to geralt’s single instruction

geralt slaying the creature in a hurry to rush and kneel at his bleeding bard’s side, panic high and cloying in his throat

jaskier with trembling hands pressed over the wound gouged through his side, his eyes wide and frantic and frightened

geralt talking, rambling, insisting that he’ll get his bard to a healer or a mage, just hold on, jaskier

jaskier choking out the weakest words, “i can’t walk like this” in a voice that shakes with guilt

geralt feeling his heart break as realization creeps in, but asking anyway

jaskier mumbling “doubt you’d let me touch roach after this” in the seconds before he passes out

#gravitational813 #witchernonsense #geralt x jaskier

[cymothoe]

If people are not thinking about Geralt pacing outside a healer’s rooms, they *definitely* should not think about Geralt being outside because he’s literally not allowed in:

- The first village he rides into, Jaskier in his arms and Roach covered in lather, is a tiny bastion of anti-Witcher sentiment

- Villagers have literal pitchforks out and there’s a lot of yelling and Geralt desperately trying to strike the right balance between pleading and threatening - he’s prepared to take either to the extremes but he *doesn’t know* which one is going to work and there’s no time to *think*

- Eventually, he manages to dig out enough coin that someone allows him to dismount and carry Jaskier into the healer’s cottage - or into the doorway, at least

- Witchers not welcome across the threshhold

- For an instant, Geralt thinks of grovelling or menacing all over again but he’s not stupid and so backs away, hands raised and head lowered submissively, while the healer and her apprentices manhandle Jaskier inside

- Geralt and Roach are directed to a half-abandoned stable on the edge of the village 

Please, especially,  do not think about Geralt, emerging from the stable in the night and creeping closer like a stray cat, hoping to overhear at least something that will tell him if Jaskier is alive or dead, and shying away at every footstep or raised voice

aight dudes you know what

you did so horribly at not thinking about the last bunch of things that i figured i’d give you all a second chance

remember: don’t think about...

jaskier getting wounded as collateral on a hunt that really was far too dangerous because he didn’t listen to geralt’s single instruction

geralt slaying the creature in a hurry to rush and kneel at his bleeding bard’s side, panic high and cloying in his throat

jaskier with trembling hands pressed over the wound gouged through his side, his eyes wide and frantic and frightened

geralt talking, rambling, insisting that he’ll get his bard to a healer or a mage, just hold on, jaskier

jaskier choking out the weakest words, “i can’t walk like this” in a voice that shakes with guilt

geralt feeling his heart break as realization creeps in, but asking anyway

jaskier mumbling “doubt you’d let me touch roach after this” in the seconds before he passes out

#gravitational813 #witchernonsense #please forgive this interloper to the angst party #geralt x jaskier #hurt/comfort

[cymothoe]

Hurt/Comfort prompts, maybe?

I’ve never done this before, but inspired by the great work of @gravitational813, I would like to invite anyone who happens by to send me a Geralt/Jaskier hurt/comfort prompt (either a whole idea or a just a word or concept) for a short snippet. I must note, my writing gears are incredibly rusty and slow and I can make no promises to fulfill all, or, indeed, *any* prompts. Truly, you would be doing me a favour to offer me inspiration and if it bears any fruit we can both be surprised! Hurt (or sick) Jaskier with protective/caring Geralt is probably best since that’s the one track my mind has been running on since early February. Thank you for your consideration!

#geralt x jaskier #geraskier #hurt/comfort #story prompt

[cymothoe]

Tag Game

Thanks, @gravitational813

rules list your top five (or ten) witcher characters ranked in order of sexiness / your willingness to do the deed, and tag some poor, unfortunate souls to do the same

optional part two now list the same characters in order of big dick energy

psa if stroganoff stregobor is on anyone’s list i’m sueing

- - -

one Geralt - outrageously strong + in desperate need of love and affection  = my heart

two Tea and Vea (should they get separate entries when I would very much like to entertain them at once?). I have had an Amazon thing ever since Xena Warrior Princess, plus they are dedicated wildlife conservationists.

three Calanthe. But only in the armor.

four Triss, I guess? I think I’m not actually that thirsty for too many people on this show (I am here for the emotions) but Anna Shaffer is gorgeous.

five Jaskier. I *don’t* find him particularly sexy (he’s too adorable for that) but I wouldn’t kick him out of bed since I bet he’d be really sweet and funny. 

tagging @goldandlights, @lookoutrogue  + anyone else who wants to play! Sorry if it’s weird to tag people I don’t really know in a thirst meme!

[cymothoe]

17 Questions

tagged by @gravitational813

rules answer 17 questions and tag 17 people you’d like to know better

Thank you, Stormy! I haven’t had a chance to participate in games like this since livejournal days.

- - -

nickname Skyleen

zodiac aries

height 5’10

hogwarts house Maybe Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff? Ravenpuff? Huffleclaw? 

last thing i googled mother shrew

song stuck in my head - “Weave Me The Sunshine” - Peter, Paul and Mary

following and followers just witcher stuff for now - I’m still not used to using the dashboard function and usually just go directly to blogs I like

amount of sleep i get in this time of coronavirus? Way, way too much

lucky number(s) 7

dream job Guide/interpreter/program facilitator at a history or science museum

wearing pajamas

favorite songs

“The Longest Time” - Billy Joel

“Suzanne” - Leonard Cohen

“Viva La Vida” - Coldplay

"Don Quixote” - Gordon Lightfoot

Basically, if it is played as a montage in a corny summer blockbuster, I am there

instrument(s) drums and bagpipes

random fact I have never read a Harry Potter book and only ever seen one of the movies. It’s pretty impressive what you can pick up through cultural osmosis, though.

favorite author(s) Mary Renault for fiction, A.J. Jacobs for non-fiction

favorite animal noise(s) every sigh and wheeze from a sleeping elderly cat; goats bleating; walrus whistling (they do that!)

aesthetic 1/3 fairy tale forest with mushrooms and moss, unicorns and pre-Raphaelite paintings, European folk costumes and Arthurian legends; 1/3 homeschooled horse girl with long denim skirts and cardigans, very short or long hair, neatly organized pantries, garage sales, church basements and fields of grass; 1/3 instagram pastel candy buffets, vintage My Little Ponies, clustered flowers and Barbie, Barbie forever

- - -

I have barely interacted with anyone - but maybe @goldandlights, @cafelesbian and @lookoutrogue would like to play?

[cymothoe]

Bless this anon for the very last line. I would like to submit that they pick something very generic, like Geralt slapping Jaskier on the shoulder (gently...ish) or straightening the collar of his doublet and he really does do it all the time - like two or three times a day, and at weird moments like while picking Roach’s hooves or lashing the latest kill onto her back, or even after they’ve squabbled. And Jaskier is beginning to wonder if Geralt just *forgot* that this was supposed to mean anything else.  There’s no way his stoic witcher is deliberately lavishing love on him more often than he *eats*, right? 

It’s starting to give Jaskier a rapid heartbeat so he tries to think of a way to bring it up, just for his own sanity, and the next time Geralt does it (he didn’t have to wait long) he tries to laugh it off and says something about, “Hey, remember when we decided this would mean something else? LMAO that was silly, wasn’t it?” 

And Geralt just looks him in the eye, completely serious, and says “I remember.”

Hey you know how some people come up with like codes or actions to do instead of saying 'I love you'? Like if you want to say it but are struggling to just call me by my middle name or put your hand on my shoulder and squeeze three times? I need geraskier coming up w a code like this and geralt goes from v little affection to using his own way of saying I love you ALL THE TIME

Oh my FUCKING GOD

IM too emotional and had too many beers to come up with my own

What would he do?? WHAT WOULD HE DO

#geralt x jaskier #geraskier

[cymothoe]

Some comments on 1.04, “Of Bastards, Banquets and Burials”

I’ve spent a lot of time reading everyone’s lovely thoughts on different episodes of The Witcher, but haven’t seen these few points brought up yet and so will throw them into the ring:

- When Geralt comes into the tavern after slaying the selkiemore and Jaskier is singing and carrying on, did anyone else notice how he almost pats Geralt on the shoulder and at the last second just does a fancy hand gesture instead? I think he chickened out on getting selkiemore guts on his hand

- In the bath, after the famous line about letting strangers rub chamomile on him, Geralt just looks so *betrayed.* I think Jaskier promised him he wouldn’t bring it up again. 

- The lady in blue, who Jaskier protected during Pavetta’s whirlwind and who gave Jaskier her handkerchief at the end is the Countess de Stael, right?

#the witcher #geralt of rivia #jaskier #of banquets bastards and burials

[cymothoe]

Jocund

This is for @gravitational813, who gave me the prompt of “laughter”, which I of course had to turn into hurt comfort (but the happy ending has already been achieved):

Geralt never did figure out what Jaskier found so funny. He was mostly just surprised at first, in the low light of the candles flickering on the bathwater, sponging down Jaskier’s back for the dozenth time (but the first time, the first time in what felt like a lifetime, that Jaskier had been fully - well, mostly - upright and not shivering for it), as he heard those soft chuffs of laughter escape from wry lips. He knew all of Jaskier’s ticklish spots, and these weren’t them. 

He could have been laughing at some joke he remembered - the last few days of delirium had treated them both to a parade of unearthed memories, but most of those weren’t much cause for merriment. Maybe he was just laughing at Geralt himself - but surely he had had time to get used to the image of the mighty witcher, kneeling by a sickbed, tending him with careful, desperate, unworthy hands, throughout the course of this fever. Besides, while Jaskier’s sense of humour rarely spared Geralt’s pride, he didn’t think his lover would have laughed at him now. Not after last night, in the last harrowing hours before the fever broke, when Jaskier had been so far from lucid and practically cross-eyed with pain - even then, he had grabbed Geralt’s hand once, pulled him close and said “Please, love. Please don’t be sad.”

None of that had been funny. But maybe this was, a bit: Jaskier, naked,  slumped and flushed and giggling away in the bathtub, pressing his mouth into his forearm to muffle himself but sneaking little glimpses at Geralt out of the corner of his eye. Perhaps he was still just a little bit out of his head. Geralt, limp with exhaustion and relief, hair somehow fluffy and stringy at once, carefully washing the last of the sweat off of him, gazed at their bed, made up with clean sheets and waiting, finally, for both to sleep at once, together. He shook his head, bewildered by his good fortune, and laughed, lowly, along with Jaskier.

#the witcher #geralt x jaskier #geraskier #hurt/comfort #gravitational813

[cymothoe]

This is a place for talking about how much I love Geralt x Jaskier. It may eventually be a place for other things.