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ragnarssons · 9 months

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i legit gotta understand, how the s3's yennefer storyline is like "oh noooo aretuza is destroyed :(((((( ooooh but the girls are gonna miss it so much :(((((( and tissaia is saaaad :(((( and they will come together to build it back up!!! yayyy!!!" and i'm like-

i'm sorry, am i supposed to see aretuza as anything but another spoke on the patriarchy wheel that has been ruling over and ruining these lands for way too long? like, it's ruled by men "the brotherhood", where tissaia, the only woman member has had to fight for hundreds of years to get there (and it's up to discussion but all i saw was her being used as a pawn and being belittled by dirtass men). tissaia who herself, became like the oppressors of young girls she "taught" while simultaneously abusing them, or murdering them, (yes because i consider turning some of them into eels so that they power the power house, as murder) not caring if they disappear??! from right under her nose (and that's on s3 so i'm really supposed to see any evolution in her?) all in the name of ancient men-decided rules. aretuza that allowed men like stregobor to thrive and do whatever the f*ck they wanted with women, including young girls whom he murdered, tortured and experimented on. they knew, they knew all along! even tissaia knew! the place was built out of the oppression and murder of elves, treated as slaves and then disposed of, for their carcasses to use as foundations for the place. hello?! and best of all these scenarios, these young girls turned into "witches" would then be literally given to rich kings, depending on their prettiness, to sell either s*xual favors in exchange of a modicum of respect and -very fading- power (yennefer, philippa, sabrina, etc), or be treated like shit and used and abused once more (cough cough, fringilla). and tissaia presented yknow, neutering these girls in exchange of their power "an evolution" from pregnant women being "banished" from aretuza back in the past, like wow, evolution sure is something. like sure i do understand yennefer and tissaia mending their relationship through time and as yennefer grows and tissaia evolves (even thoooo... well i'd have STUFF to say about that). but yennefer with the brotherhood and aretuza? i really don't understand the dedication. on s2 the brotherhood wanted to kill her, even after what she did in sodden, that saved everyone. on s2 stregobor tortured yennefer and was never punished for it. on s2 yennefer fled aretuza and the brotherhood and they treated her like shit. don't understand how she'd even think ciri would be safe there, and i don't understand why she's willing to sacrifice her life as a mother with geralt and ciri, for this shithole. like yeah, somehow the brotherhood persuaded everyone that they were "the keepers of the peace between the kingdoms" but duh, that's obviously a lie. the brotherhood and aretuza alike got played like a fiddle by vilgefortz and only three of these women even saw it, and were treated like shit by their peers (some of them at least) for trying to change things. out of this whole place, triss seems like the only one with a freaking beating heart in her still. SO. AGAIN. WHY TF AM I SUPPOSED TO CARE? i legit cheered when fringilla murdered her shitass uncle. i cheered when stregobor died, and i was on philippa's side. and yennefer i'm sorry honey, but i do not care about how sad you are about this fucking wretched place being destroyed. it should be.

#the witcher #the witcher lb #the witcher spoilers #i swear when they were all sobbing at the end of ep8 #about how uwuwuuuw the whole place is destroyed #i was like HUUUUUUUH YES GOOD #ffs is that stockholm syndrome or something #i really don't get it #how they don't question it #how it's not more heavily adressed if they do #because they seem so passive and stupid #and im so sad to feel like yen is trapped in a storyline i hate #she was good on s1 when she was FAR AWAY from that shithole and hated it #when falka was like 'burn it to the ground' to ciri #i was at the point of being like 'yeah do it babe'

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yennefer-x-tissaia · 9 months

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Just thought about the possibility that Yennefer after she get captured by Fringilla, she knew nothing about Tissaia for the first few days. The only thing she knew was that Tissaia could hardly stand and was ready to collapse. She knew she TRIED to keep her save from the fire but in the end she didn't know if she finally did it or not. And then Fringilla telling her that Tissaia inhaled Dimeritium. Her whole world must have been shaking at the moment. And then just imagine Fringilla tells her that there where no survivors in Sodden, just to play with her mind.

The aftermath of the battle is something I think we all tried to predict and I think we were mostly very wrong abot how it all went down.

We thought inhaling dimeritium would affect Tissaia in some way. It did not.

We thought Yen might be blind. She was not.

We thought Yen would be treated as a hero. She was not.

We thought Yen and Tissaia might address the fact that Yen burned a whole army but left Tissaia untouched. They did not.

So yes, this is absolutely a valid 'what if' scenario. I was quite surprised, given Yen's whole thing where she went into battle for Tissaia then presumably expended energy keeping her safe, that she was fairly disparaging when discussing her with Fringilla. 'She was wrong, or lied, neither's a shock'.

If anyone has written something like the above please let me know and I'll link to it. Or if you would like to write it, go for it.

(Another shameless plug for a wee ficlet that's not exactly the above, but where I wrote about Fringilla telling Yen Tissaia couldn't possibly have survived. And a follow up.)

#Anonymous #ask #fic prompt #prompts #fringilla

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arianaofimladris · 10 months

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I struggled through the other four episodes, scrolling now and then. I mostly wanted to see scenes with Geralt. And no, I did not watch on Netflix.

General impressions:

- it's boring

- throwing unrelated bits of scenes from various partss of The Witcher does not make the season closer to the books. Yeah, I do recognise these scenes, but some of them are simply meaningless to the main plot, like Vespula or Ciri on the market with Fabio.

- the series still keeps the subtlety of a brick thrown right into your face. Such was the case in season one with scenes like Yennefer having her insides out to become pretty. Such is the case with season three with characters talking about everything right into their faces, like Tissaia commenting on how Yennefer finally managed to become a mother. And I wonder what is the reason behind it - is it the fact that scriptwriters cannot deliver things on screen so they need to tell them? Or is it treating the viewers like complete idiots. Or - they know they don't deliver on screen so they need to tell the viewers everything. Overall, this gives a very poor impression on the quality of writing.

- plot holes and characters acting stupid because scriptwriters apparently couldn't do better. Like the whole thing in episode one, with using Ciri as bait and setting a trap on Rience - and letting him escape. Just thinking about this scene, you can come up with a dozen scenarios in which Rience escapes while Geralt is rescuing someone or busy fighting or idk, just not dying himself because whatever. But no, Geralt actually jumps blindly into a random portal (which is stupid as hell), beats Rience and leaves him. It would have taken him like three more seconds to slit Rience'a throat or just drag him back with him to Sherrawed. But no, the plot needs Rience alive and if that is the best the writers can deliver... Or Geralt and Ciri on the boat, literally waiting for a monster to hunt but when it does appear, they have to run across the while damn boat to get their swords. It makes characters behave like idiots. Not so good.

- The series still requires not the suspension of disbelief, but suspension of brain. Now yeah, I'm sorry, I'm not average American viewer for whom this series is primarily done, but gosh, I can't turn off thinking.

- random things being discussed by characters sharing bed or other weird situations bordering on intimate. Yeah. Awesome.

- politics being dropped all over when they mean so little, since there was no political exposition earlier. Looks like they are trying to mimic Game of Thrones and failing.

Plus sides:

- Geralt, obviously. I'm basically ignoring the rest to see some good scenes with him and of course Henry Cavill is delivering. I like his fights so far, also how gentle he goes with that Ciri imposter girl. That is kept in character with the books and it is painful to think how good this series could have been if other characters (and the relations between them) had not been butchered.

- Geralt's relation with Ciri. Despite my issues with Ciri, the way Geralt acts towards her is believable.

- Yarpen. I really like this actor and the way he delivers his character.

- A dwarven lady with a beard. You get a plus for that, Netflix, doing one tiny detail better than Amazon with the rings of power crap.

- Tissaia. The actress is perfect for the role and she plays it well. She acts her actual age while still looking beautiful with her angular face and perfect hairdo. I'm ignoring whatever the relation she has with Vilgefortz (weird choice, considering how distrustful she was towards him in the books, but whatever. I don't care enough about her to be bothered by such change)

Now about the rest.

- Jaskier. I have no idea what's going on with this character, but I see no Dandelion. And I'm not talking about the ugly looks or his romance or whatever it is with Radovid. Ignoring that, ok? My problem with Jaskier's creation is with the way he behaves. In the first season, his primary role was to be a comic relief. He was the Donkey from Shreck, funny at best, annoying at worst. But at least he had this boyish look and charm, though the series failed to deliver his deep friendship with Geralt.

Right now? The cocky, mouthy, outspoken Jaskier was turned into some meek creature who acts pathetic. I really don't understand. He is the bard, he can come up with a cheeky retort on spot, probably in rhymes. He knows how to sweep the crowd, how to talk his way out, how to act on a court. In here? He acts pitiful, he is portrayed as having very low confidence and self assurance, the exact opposite to the original character. He was stumbling over his words when Vespula threw him out or when Valdo Marc makes an appearance. He complained and complained about having to help Geralt in setting the trap for Rience. Are we still talking about the same guy who risked his life to get to Brokilon to the driads, once he learned Geralt was there, badly wounded and in need of a friend? Who decided, no questions asked, to join Geralt in his seemingly impossible quest? Sorry. Nope. He's back to his comic relief role when paired with Ciri.

- Yennefer. After the butchering in season two, I'm not surprised. Creating her as meek and apologetic and SWEET of all things they could come up with? Cold, sophisticated, elegant and seemingly having no heart book Yennefer of Vengerberg turned to this? Sadly pining and writing letters, or trying to win Geralt over with some cute joking? Talking openly about her insecurities about coming back to Aretuza? Crying? Being called sweet by the banker. Acting like a bit lost, sweet girl and not a 90 year old woman. The series is trying hard to turn whatever they screwed in season two into mother/daughter relation and it's not working. Well, maybe it is if you watch a soap opera while washing the dishes.

The peculant teenager we saw in season one, then butchered by the script in season two, now turned into a nice, sweet, laughing and smiling girl. Yes, girl, because with the actress's young and yes, sweet look, that is the general impression I get. The actress is delivering well the role she got, but I'm sorry. That is not Yennefer. She only has her name and eyes, because they couldn't even do right such basic things like curls or trademark black&white look, choosing instead cheap store outfits. Gosh, I managed to curl more a $15 wig from China. Surely Netflix has better budget for costumes?

- the whole thing with Ciri bullshitting about uniting the races and becoming a queen. What. The. Hell. Is. That.

- the sorceresses. I'm supposed to recognise on spot that the lady on the screen is a sorceress. Tissaia delivers well and Yennefer actress looks pretty, like a sorceress. But the rest? Not really. If I was asked to show one thing that made Keira in episode 2 different than, say, Anika or Vespula, I wouldn't be able to point it. They just blend in. Where are the stunning, beautiful ladies? Yes, I know, Netflix has points to check out on their list, even if it's at the cost of inconsistency with their own creation. They did show in season one how the imperfect girls like Yennefer changed their looks to become beautiful, yet now they change that. Again, I know, there was a box to tick. It's not like canon has strong and prominent fat characters, right? How about Dijkstra or Nenneke? Just saying.

- the costumes? Geralt looks good in black leather, I like it better than the armour he previously had. Still has really awful lenses in close shots, sadly. Ciri looked alright in her slightly rough outfit. But for God's sake, these printed fabrics? Store shirts? Seriously? There are woven, embroidered or jacquard fabrics easily available and they would look way more genuine. Less modern.

- I enjoyed hunting for Percival bits in the soundtrack.

- Ciri imposter looks more like Ciri than Ciri. Definitely younger.

- the fifth episode was a freaking struggle. I thought going over and over the same clips as the plot unfolds would be good, but gosh that was tedious. I understand the idea behind it, pretty much like in crime movies, when the detective unfolds the events and we get to watch the same glimpse but with additional pieces. It's just - god, the dance scene was cringy the first time and having to rewatch it twice or so was just awful (and not less cringy).

#the witcher #The witcher netflix #Twn #Twn spoilers #The witcher spoilers #geralt of rivia #Jaskier #Yennefer #I hope it's spoiler tagged enough #personal

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zoeysdamn · 3 months

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I discovered your art recently and read your review of the witcher spin-off, I wanted to know what your thoughts on season 3 were since you said you wanted them to stick closer to the book, and season 3 was arguably even more accurate than season 1 was and it defiantly is as far as character dynamics go

Hi dear Anon!

To be fair, I do enjoy improvisation when it's done correctly (read: when it's in the same spirit as the og material ; for example, the games aren't canon either but I absolutely adore every one of them because it's so similar to the books it might as well be canon).

Anyway, back to the show sorry I got carried away—

I actually liked Season 3! When I learned what events/books it would cover, I thought 'holy shit, they better be doing this right', because it's such an important moment in the witcher lore!

They did a decent job keeping relevant scenes very faithful to the books (the market scene, Thanedd coup, Ciri meeting other mages of Aretuza, the desert walk, Tissaia's passing, Brokilone forest, etc etc), and introducing more original elements (Cahir helping the elves, warlord Francesca, adult Radovid and his Jaskier romance). Though some of those things are debatable ; I'm still sceptical on their take on Radovid (not his romance with everyone's beloved bard, as far as I'm concern, the show's version is so fundamentaly different from the books — I mean, Radovid is still a CHILD on the canon timeline — it actually made sense) ; also, the things that really bothered me are scenario points that resulted from massive confusion during Season 2 (like Fringilla, wtf are you doing girl?).

But ! I agree with you, the character dynamics are really great in this Season: the most perfect to me might have been Philippa and Djikstra ; I love those characters and their dynamic in the books and games, and the actors did a marvelous work. Yennefer and Geralt evolving relationship is also more interesting in this season. And don't get me started on Milva, one of my fave character on the whole lore, who was perfection on the few scenes she had. Plus, we finally got a glimpse of the deep, inconditional friendship between Geralt and Jaskier. The 'brooding Guy x golden retriever sunshine' dynamic of season 1 was fun, but I'm glad the show runners understood how deeply Thanedd events changed things.

So after all this rambling (which I apologize for djdkdjdj), I absolutely agree with you: the characters dynamics, close to the book material, did save Season 3 👌😌

Take care of yourself sweet Anon, and don't hesitate to stop by sometimes again to share your thoughts ❤️

#the witcher #rambling

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vanbredevoort · 8 months

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@toussainttwins asked: Mistress van Bredevoort, is there any work of art, you admire so passionately, that would like to steal it? Oh, only in your dreams, of course! unprompted / always accepting!

“So many I cannot count them”

Lydia remained still, pondering about the apparently impossible task of picking one work of art to hypothetically steal. The stillness helped the progress, but it wasn’t like she had much of a choice, since one of the twins was braiding her hair so diligently the best Lydia could do was reciprocate with compliance.

“One comes to mind—Because there are few I admire as much as van Rogh. Mine are mostly historical scenarios, but van Rogh—van Rogh puts emotions to shame because it captures still moments that only exist in nostalgia, while you’re taking a long bath and remembering brief glimpses of happiness. Wishing your eyes would have captured it for eternity. While those moments last only in that finite shard of time, van Rogh puts it in canvas— It’s sadness and longing, it’s beauty in the darkest corner, that’s what van Rogh does.”

Lydia’s hand, when it came to painting, was far more simple. She drew what she saw and felt, and did not struggle with banality. Oblivious as she was, she never knew what her paintings meant to others, how they became tiny shards of her own soul that turned a canvas into a mirror to her heart and the colours of her feelings ( so vast, so many, when the painter showed none ). Lydia was proud of her work, but did not see the importance of it beyond the ephemeral moment when someone gazed upon them. Tissaia, cold and obsessive, loved them. Geralt, usually too focused on the present and the practical side of life, immediately grew fond of her work without even knowing she was the artist behind it.

“It’s not a well known artist, mind you, and ‘Starry Night Over the Pontar’ might be one of the only paintings that ring a bell about him. But I managed to catch a glimpse of an unnamed painting of a black haired woman near a window, and… see?”, her index finger pointed at the exposed skin of her arm, clearly affected, “Goosebumps. Just thinking about it.”

When she felt the weight of her own hair on her back, she turned her head around and smiled, with lips and eyes because some things just don’t change, no matter how many chances at life you get.

“But of course, this is hypothetical—I’m not into stealing. You’re not trying to drag me into stealing, right--? Wait, which one of you am I talking to?”

#toussainttwins #·· v; the experiment / VERSE3 #·· illusion / IC #( I WEEP thank you so much for this!!!!!!! )#( the thing is: i write a long ass speech about art and shit )#( and the part i love the most is lydia not being able to tell which twin is which )#( anything else is a set up for that fact and i will stand by it )

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uiuishii · 3 years

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Philippa: Time to vote, should Ciri meet Geralt one last time? Let’s remember how important the lodge will be for the world. Together, as one, we can finally build peace. The beauty of our democracy will make a difference. Symbolised by this vote, we are united in equality.

Everybody votes against

Philippa: ... I’m the leader of this lodge and this is my castle so my vote counts for 10. Go Ciri.

#auntie owl #what-if-everybody-voted-against scenario #Phil likes democracy #but only if it agrees with her #my castle my rules bitches #sorry not you Assire #sweet honey sugar pie #the witcher #philippa eilhart #the lodge #final vote #cirilla of vengerberg #go meet your papa sweet heart #aunt philippa gives me life #for once Tissaia would be proud #...I made myself cry writing this tag

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immortalspacelesbian · 3 years

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yennefer: are you the big spoon or the little spoon?

tissaia: i’m a knife

vanielle, from across the room: she’s the little spoon

#this happened because i say so #also tissaia is 100% the little spoon in every scenario #the witcher #tissaia de vries #yennefer of vengerberg #vanielle of brugge #vanielle x tissaia #tissaia x vanielle

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ehay · 2 years

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More Likely to be in Tissaia’s Bed than (person)…

Fans have had…issues with this scene.

Yes, this scene. It starts off with such *hopes* too. Tissaia’s standing at the window, her hair down, and *smiling* and then we cut to…

*cue the screams*

So, may I propose a few more *likely* occupants of this bed?

Triss, since she was just arriving in this same room the previous episode. Perhaps she slept over.

Books. Beds are for reading in, naturally.

Yen’s WANTED poster. Tissaia was staring at it pensively in the last episode, just before she had a visitor. One gets the impression she’s spent a lot of time staring at it these past few weeks.

A Completely Ordinary Owl. I’m sure Tissaia would just be musing about recent news to the bird. Owls seem to be good listeners.

Oh dear, who put that in the bed? Shoo!

Peace talks with Emhyr. Something something sleeping with the enemy, etc. He’s looking at a map of the Continent. Perhaps he’ll make Tissaia empress.

And really, all of these at once in a wild orgy is a more likely scenario than (Censored) being allowed within a mile of her bed in any stretch of canon.

#tissaia de vries #the witcher #fan art #season 2 #yennaia #spoilers #the abrupt jerk of horror that all of us made #comic #sort of #ffs writers #there were so many alternatives #and you picked *that*

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myriadimagines · 3 years

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Preference: The Witcher

— how they react when you get kidnapped

Characters: Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach, Geralt of Rivia, Istredd, Tissaia de Vries, Yennefer of Vengerberg

Warnings: kidnapping

Requester: anonymous

Request: “Hello! Can I ask for The Witcher (Geralt, Istredd, Yennefer, Cahir and Tissaia) preference/reaction for their lover being kidnapped?”

A/N: hope it’s okay!!

— CAHIR MAWR DYFFRYN AEP CAELLACH

Cahir is infuriated to hear when you’ve been captured by enemy forces. He recognises that it’s a part of war, for hostages to be taken to be used against others, but he can’t believe that he had managed to let his enemy slip through to capture you. He’s angered at his troops for letting the enemy get to you, and angry at himself for not having protected you better. He immediately orders for his men to get you back, with Cahir leading them all. Even if it might not be the best plan logistically, he doesn’t care — all that matters is getting you back.

— GERALT OF RIVIA

Geralt gets frustrated when he realises you’ve been kidnapped. It happened right under his nose, and he swears he should’ve been able to protect you better. The both of you are well aware of the dangers that you encounter on a daily basis, especially since you insist on accompanying Geralt on his travels, and Geralt feels responsible for your safety. So when that’s been jeopardised, he feels to blame, like he’s had failed you. Nonetheless, he knows that he’s going to get you back, and he gets to work right away.

— ISTREDD

Istredd gets restless when he hears about your capture. He finds himself unable to think about anything else, and he’ll work himself up worrying about you and your safety. He’ll feel a lot of guilt in regards to having not been with you to prevent such a thing from happening, and he’ll find himself worrying about the worst possible scenarios, and it’ll plague him to no end. He wants nothing more than to have you in his arms again, and he swears, when he gets you back, he’ll never let anything happen to you again.

— TISSAIA DE VRIES

Tissaia is absolutely shattered when she hears you’ve been kidnapped. She tries to keep her composure when she hears the news, but anyone paying attention can see the slight tremble in her hands, the way her eyes well with tears ever so slightly. She’s terrified of you getting hurt, and she can’t imagine how terrified you must feel. She’ll blame herself, feeling as though her incompetencies is what got you into the situation you’re in. But no matter how upset she is, she knows she has to control it long enough to save you.

— YENNEFER OF VENGERBERG

Yennefer feels a pit in the bottom of her stomach when she hears you’ve been kidnapped. It happened while she was away, and it angers her to think that if she had just been there, you wouldn’t be in this situation. There’s such a mix of emotions she feels, ranging from anger to guilt, and it almost makes her feel sick knowing that you’re alone and afraid somewhere out there. She’d compose herself the best she can, forcing herself to get it together, because she needs to do everything she can to rescue you.

tag list: @fairytalesforever / @ruvaakke / @azeret-mirror / @fangirlsarah16 / @multifandomfix / @randomfandomimagine / @lxncelot / @ofthedewthesunlight / @bravelittlesunflower / @ta-ka-shi-ma / @thereagles / @batfam16 / @swanimagines

#the witcher imagine #cahir imagine #geralt imagine #istredd imagine #tissaia de vries imagine #yennefer imagine #the witcher #the witcher preference #cahir #geralt #istredd #tissaia de vries #yennefer #imagine #imagines #reader insert #preference #preferences

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nandalorian · 4 years

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the gentleness that comes

Sometimes you just get thinking about random things like “what if Jaskier decided to Eternal Sunshine himself to get over the mountain breakup?” and then proceed to ruin not only your life but the lives of everyone else around you. 🙃

Jaskier/Geralt, PG-13

“No mage can do what you’re asking. Not even, I would wager, something as powerful as a djinn, or at least not in any way that would bring you peace,” Tissaia explains with more patience than Jaskier honestly expected. For all the fearsome tales he’s heard of the headmistress of Aretuza, she is either kinder than he deserves, or the stories have done her very, very wrong. Perhaps both. But her eyes are steady, her expression serene. Absolute. “Just as we cannot induce someone to fall in love, nor can we make them fall out of it.” She pauses to offer a sympathetic smile. “I am sorry. For you to have travelled such a long way, I suspect you do not make this request in haste.”

The compassion in Tissaia’s voice is terrible to hear. After all, sometimes kindness can look like cruelty before you’ve gotten enough distance on a thing. Certainly the opposite is true, anyway. Jaskier would know. He lowers his gaze to his hands, of a sudden fascinated by the calluses on his fingertips, the ragged skin around his nails. He has to take several deep, steadying breaths before he answers.

“No, not in haste,” he manages at last. “I have prayed for it for some twenty-seven years.”

“Any man would be blessed to have captured such a loyal heart.”

Jaskier can’t resist a scoff. “Any man indeed.”

Several long moments pass, and eventually he must accept that Tissaia has said all she can on the matter. He forces himself to smile and climb to his feet, whereupon he sketches a bow fit for a queen. Tissaia doesn’t rise. She barely blinks, a statue rendered in green velvet and black lace.

“Mistress. I thank you for the tea, and your candor,” he tells her, still inclining his head with a hand pressed over his heart. “It’s not often a humble bard may boast an audience with the great Tissaia de Vries. If ever you are in need of musical entertainment, I proudly volunteer my services. I’m in your debt.”

“You are in no one’s debt, Lord Pankratz,” Tissaia answers, serenely as ever. At no point during their conversation did Jaskier tell her his full name, having introduced himself as Jaskier the Bard and no more. His title is useful to fling around in situations that call for it, but not here; Tissaia would see through any attempt at peacocking. “Nor are you merely a humble bard. You are most welcome here, as any friend of Yennefer’s is a friend of Aretuza.”

“Jaskier, if you will. And I’m not quite sure Yennefer would deign to call me a friend, but I’ll take it.” He smiles back and speaks through the tightness in his throat. “It’s been a pleasure.”

He is almost to the door of her study when her voice rings out again.

“Jaskier.”

He turns.

At some point Tissaia stood without making a sound and came around the desk to face him with her hands clasped together. “I cannot fulfill your wish as such. But I may be able to offer an alternative. One that comes at a great cost.”

Jaskier swallows and hopes the thrill of hope--and fear--elicited by her words isn’t completely obvious. “I’m listening.”

Her solution is quite simple, really, and so obvious that Jaskier isn’t sure how he didn’t think of it before.

However, nor is Tissaia’s warning in jest: the cost is great indeed. So great that Jaskier cannot in good conscience be sure it is one he’s capable of paying.

Not monetary, of course, though he came prepared to empty his pockets and offer his soul if necessary. No, the cost is something more significant and precious than any coin or favour. Much more.

“A memory spell is a rather straightforward matter,” Tissaia explains as she and Jaskier walk the halls of Aretuza. Their destination is unclear, but where Tissaia goes, he follows. He’s not stupid enough to do otherwise. “It’s a spell even a novice can be expected to perform adequately, with the proper training, of course. One never knows when war might be averted by something as simple as a king forgetting an accidental slight, or a maid forgetting a conversation they were not meant to overhear.” She shrugs. “Not always the most elegant solution, but effective.”

A shiver crawls down Jaskier’s spine and makes the hair stand up on his arms and the back on his neck.

Magic, especially the kind taught at Aretuza or Ban Ard, is an ethical grey area, and mages have always played hard and fast with the rules, holding themselves above the trivialities and petty concerns of human morality. That’s why they’re mages: feared, awed, and resented in equal measure.

That Tissaia speaks so casually about altering people’s memories, of mages’ power to decide the course of history according to their own values and interests, is a frightening concept. Most days Jaskier can’t decide what to eat for breakfast. And yet here he is, about to consider letting one of the most powerful mages in history stick her creepy magical fingers in his brain and give it a stir. He should consider getting his sanity checked instead.

Jaskier casts a sidelong look at Tissaia. “But falling in love isn’t like hearing something you shouldn’t, or being offended by a poor choice of words. It’s--”

“Complicated. Yes, quite. And even erasing the briefest of memories does not always go according to plan.”

Without warning, she stops in front of a heavy set of double doors, which she throws open with a flick of her wrist--a useless bit of pageantry, that, but one that distracts from Jaskier’s increasingly pressing urge to flee. Tissaia gestures for him to follow her inside and walks on.

Jaskier doesn’t immediately obey. Drumming his fingers anxiously against his leg, he leans over to peer inside, mind racing ahead to images of a frightening laboratory, potions bubbling away in vials, screaming victims strapped to tables or floating in giant vats. It’s--

Oh. A library.

Huffing to himself, Jaskier adjusts the strap of his lute on his shoulder and hurries to catch up.

The place is massive, far larger than it looks to be from outside, with soaring ceilings and giant stained-glass windows that reach several stories above their heads. Shelves upon shelves line the walls, stretching from floor to ceiling, and dozens more sit in neat rows upon multiple levels, staggered in tiers like a duchess’s birthday cake. They are filled to bursting with books, of course, interspersed with tables and comfortable chairs for mages at study. Jaskier can count at least four fireplaces burning merrily away. Right now he and Tissaia appear to be the only ones here.

With a theatricality he can’t help but admire, Tissaia turns and holds out her arms, encompassing everything and looking very like a queen showing off her kingdom. “What do you see before you?” she asks, voice echoing slightly in the cavernous space.

Jaskier furrows his brow. The question is almost certainly a trick of some kind, so he answers with the first thing to come to mind. “Uh… books?”

“Precisely.” Tissaia lowers her arms. “Tens of thousands of books, each of them containing spells, histories, first- and secondhand accounts of untold lifetimes, many of which have been forgotten but not lost.”

“Memories.”

She nods. “Yes. But memories are not like books. And magic, even in the hands of the most talented user, is not like taking a book down off a shelf. It is not a matter of selecting a few chapters to discard and letting the person continue on their merry way. The mind is a much more delicate and complex thing. If it were to be a story, it would be a very messy story indeed, with no clear narrative or plot, no chapter headings, and not necessarily even a single voice.”

“Sounds like some of my earliest compositions.”

He titters at his own joke; Tissaia’s expression doesn’t budge.

Unnerved, Jaskier clears his throat and has to break eye contact, looks around the room instead. After a moment, and with a smidge more gravity, he asks, “Why are you telling me this?”

Once again Tissaia regards him with that patient look from before. “Because you must comprehend that there is a price to what you’re asking, and why I do not suggest this lightly. If you are truly serious in your quest to rid yourself of Geralt of Rivia, and I sense that you are, there is a possible way forward. But to erase this one chapter of your life will require throwing out many more--whole volumes, whole books, shelf after shelf of memories. Possibly the entire library, if things do not go according to plan.” She pauses and steps forward to touch his chin, forcing Jaskier to look at her. “Do you understand what I am telling you?”

He swallows with difficulty, throat catching on the boulder suddenly lodged there. It wouldn’t do to ruin the moment by asking how she knows this is about Geralt, even though Jaskier definitely didn’t tell her and did his best to avoid thinking about him during their initial conversation. But his reputation precedes him, after all, and if not that, he really doesn’t want to know the extent of the mage’s legendary powers of telepathy. He also thinks to bring it up now would be missing the point.

“Are you saying I will forget my whole life?” he asks.

“Unlikely, though not impossible,” says Tissaia like that isn’t an utterly testicle-shrivelling statement. “That is the worst-case scenario. The best is that you will cease to remember everything since you met Geralt. That is, in essence, what you want, is it not?”

“I’ve known Geralt since I was barely eighteen.” Panic suffuses his voice without Jaskier quite meaning it to. “I’m forty-five years old.”

Eighteen-year-old Jaskier is a mystery to him now. Oh, he vaguely recalls joints that didn’t creak and a back that offered him less trouble each morning upon rising, a cock that would swell at a hard gust of wind and balls that never seemed to empty. That boy could sing all day and dance all night in and out of people’s beds. He was loud, annoying, impetuous, drunk on the sound of his own voice, and full of love. So full of love that he could saunter up to a complete stranger with white hair and yellow eyes and end up following him around for twenty-seven years instead. Well… twenty-four, if you don’t count the last three since they become estranged. Which Jaskier absolutely does not.

His enduring muse and most steadfast friend; his life’s greatest and most unfulfilled passion.

His most profound heartbreak.

Not much has changed about the last part, but Jaskier likes to think he’s grown wiser with age, less migraine-inducing. He lived enough to discover what pleased him before it was taken away.

Are any of those lessons worth unlearning, for any reason?

“Eighteen isn’t a bad age,” Tissaia remarks, breaking through his thoughts, or perhaps deliberately interrupting. She has been steadily taking in Jaskier’s internal struggle with that calm, measured gaze, though her attention is sharp. “By then most of us have some idea of who we are and what we want. Enough that you could begin again.”

Jaskier slants her a look. “Mages are immortal, and you’re one of the oldest still living. Please don’t condescend to me that eighteen is anything but as unbearably young as it sounds.”

A small smile. Perversely, it reminds him of Geralt. “When you’ve lived as long as I have, forty-five is unbearably young too.”

Ruefully, unexpectedly, Jaskier barks a laugh and concedes the point with a nod. “Touché.”

They linger in that shared bit of humour for a moment, Tissaia’s smile widening and making her look abruptly more human since they met, and then she cants her head. She gestures, and from seemingly nowhere a book tumbles off some far-off shelf and flies into her hand. With an enigmatic smile, she turns it over to reveal the spine and hands it to Jaskier. The Songs of Jaskier the Bard is tooled on the front in gold, winking in the firelight.

“You’re more fortunate than most: there’s an account of your life right here. Should you want it, that is.”

“I’m not sure I do anymore.” Jaskier peers at the book from the corner of his eye. It almost hurts to look at it directly, to think of the tales sung about in its pages, the joy, the adventure, but also the love and heartache couched beneath every note, every clever turn of phrase. The next words are a genuine struggle to get out, and he tries with everything he has not to cry. “No, I think that time has quite passed. I want peace. And if not peace, then at least blissful ignorance.”

“Hm.” The sound is neither pitying nor understanding, merely thoughtful. Tissaia regards him critically. “Then you may have it. You’re still a young man. Not a grey hair on you, and I’ve my suspicions you’ll live for a while yet.”

Jaskier narrows his eyes at her. What does that even mean. “What does that mean?”

She chuckles. “It means you have time. And time heals a multitude of wounds. Not perfectly, but… passably.”

“And--what? I can find love again, or some such tosh?”

“If you like.”

He huffs. “I used to think that. I did. Give it time, and eventually I’d meet someone new who would make me forget Geralt ever existed, blah blah blah--yes, I know, the irony of that isn’t lost on me.” Jaskier is quiet for a moment. “But I don’t know if that’s true anymore. It’s been three years. The wound hasn’t healed, only festered. The more I try to open my heart to others, the more it seems to close.”

“It is said people linked by destiny will always find each other.”

“Oh, I know that one. That’s a prison sentence, not a comfort.”

“I didn’t intend for it to be.”

At last Jaskier forces himself to look down at the book in his hand. It has a pleasant heft in his hand, the weight of a life lived well. For twenty-seven--no, twenty-four years he gazed upon the face of the man he loved and loves still. Sang of him, to him, the way seabirds call to the sea, a song in their blood even when the crash of the surf is too far away to be heard.

Is that enough? Can it be enough?

Perhaps it will have to be. Or perhaps he can simply wake up tomorrow and not remember or care what the correct answer is. Forget even that he asked the question.

He sets the book down upon a nearby table and pauses only to run his hand down the cover, leather supple beneath his fingertips. In his mind’s eye is Geralt--not spitting mad and vicious on a mountaintop, no, but as Jaskier first saw him, sitting quietly by himself in the corner of a tavern. Trying so very hard to escape everyone’s notice, and yet once he caught Jaskier’s eye, quite impossible to look away from. Impossible not to love.

Jaskier turns back to Tissaia and meets her gaze steadily.

“I understand and accept the risks,” he says, confident in a way he does not feel. That has always been his way. Even, it must be said, at eighteen. It’s enough. It will be enough. “Now tell me what I must do.”

#the witcher #jaskier x geralt #jaskier #geralt of rivia #jaskier/geralt #geraskier #post ep 1x06 #post mountain breakup #not sure if this will continue or if i will just suffer in silence from here on out #my fic #tumblr fic

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therectoress · 3 years

Text

Till Human Voices Wake Us (And We Drown)’s timeline so far:

Tissaia:

Year 696, Crown Princess Skylark is born in the late hours of the night during the Winter Equinox to King Lestyn and Queen Amicia of the Kingdom of Acaidal aka “The Continent’s heart” aka "The Golden Kingdom” with a mark in the form of a lilac on the nape of her neck. This alerts everyone that she was blessed with a soulmate, which means that by holy and mortal law she can never enter an arranged marriage; this also confirms she is the prophecy child and is destined to destroy the world.

Year 708, Since infancy Skylark’s strange behaviour has caused rumours to circulate and because of this and her parent’s refusal to accept any and all offers of betrothals, Acaidal is attacked during the ball hosted for the Princess 12th birthday (”the age of consent back then,” according to Tissaia). When their army is defeated and the castle surrounded, the palace is set on fire with her family and the courtiers inside, effectively trapping them. After her parents and her grandmother say their (rushed) goodbyes to her, the Queen takes off her signature pendant and gives it to her daughter, instructing a soldier to try and take the Princess out through the tunnels below the castle. Once outside, the building collapses on itself, triggering her conduit moment and the complete destruction of her kingdom by their attackers’ hands and her own.

Year 709, Skylark is saved from unknown captors, from an unknown location by Rectoress Depraysie after months of physical/psychological torture. Upon reaching Aretuza she tries to kill herself and sometime during the week she spends in recovery (after the Rectoress saves her), she argues with the woman and is forced to endure her Enchantment prematurely in retaliation. Depraysie changes the colour of her hair (her most famous feature) and makes her indistinguishable from Princess Skylark’s remaining portraits, lastly erasing all evidence of what had happened to her during her time in captivity. She is, however, unable to get rid of the mark on the girl’s neck, much to her frustration. – The trauma produced by the fall of Acaidal, her imprisonment and her Enchantment would soon cause her to develop PTSD and worsen her depressive/anxious tendencies. Depraysie also suspected that a throat infection she had contracted during her stay in the dungeon would be to blame for instigating her genetic predisposition towards OCD into violent existence. – Afterwards, Rectoress Depraysie procures a body that is similar in build to her already favourite apprentice and “proves” by various methods to several monarchs that it really is her, successfully tricking people into believing that Princess Skylark is dead. After spreading some more rumours, she gives Nilfgaard’s Emperor, the late Queen Amicia’s brother, the corpse for safekeeping. Centuries later that same skeleton would be returned to its “homeland” when the first king of the newly restored and named Kingdom of Cintra was anointed. Occasionally, new monarchs are known to ask mages for confirmation that the bones are indeed Skylark's and it is always given.

Year 714, She meets fifteen-year-old Lytta Neyd aka “Coral” aka “The overbearing, nosy friend she absolutely just tolerates”. At first glance, the redhead tells her that her name is now meant to be “Tissaia” and she embraces it, going by it from that day forwards. With time she grows to love the medium like a sibling and trusts her with the truth and the many painful, distressing side effects of the bond (both things which Coral already knows due to her psychic gift).

Year 718, Tissaia meets fourteen-year-old Margarita Laux-Antille aka “Rita” aka “The bane of her existence”. At first, she considers Rita “needy” and “annoying” and thinks that she “weeps too much”, but she’s a girl recently orphaned, afraid and alone, so Tissaia takes pity on her and threatens a younger student into changing rooms with her so she can take care of the blonde, who insists on sleeping in the same bed with her when Rectoress Depraysie is particularly horrid. With time she grows to love the blonde like a sibling and trusts her with the truth and the many painful, distressing side effects of the bond.

Year 720, Stregobor asks for permission to court Tissaia, now a gorgeous twenty-four-year-old young woman, but is denied and warned off of it by Rectoress Depraysie. This second-handed rejection causes the man to turn on Tissaia and the sorcerer tries to punish her for his humilliation for centuries.

Year 721, Coral is allowed to depart for Temeria’s court after her Enchantment, leaving a distraught, resentful and confused Tissaia behind.

Year 723, Rita “steals” Feyre’s assigment after their Enchantment and departs for Kadwen’s court. Tissaia de Vries finally departs for Redania’s, determined to succeed and prove Rectoress Depraysie wrong.

Year 832, Tissaia commits her first premeditated murder. It is an act that will slowly change her magic in a brutal, unknown manner.

Year 810, Tissaia is sexually assaulted by the grandson of the first king she served, killing him is self-defence and “slaughtering” him in revenge. Margarita makes the scene seem like an accident, and Coral and her take her away to – hide her in – Skellige “for many, many months” so she can recover.

Year 846, Falka’s rebellion commences and what first was a “noble” war changes into a peasant one, further degenerating into a massive witchhunt in which Mirthe, an ancient city of mages, is burnt down.

Year 860, She founds the Chapter of the Gift and the Art, and the Brotherhood of Sorcerers with the help of four other mages, amongst them future Rector of Ban Ard/Arch-master Stregobor and future Arch-master Artorius Vigo. Three centuries later, she’d still be the only woman in the Chapter.

Year 870, The prologue - In late October Tissaia has one of her worst episodes to date, instinctively making a mess of her office and later getting high on a concoction she stole from Rita, who in turn bought it from an elf, to try and negate her powers (which tend to be unpredictable and escape her control during those instances). Amidst the delirium and a high fever she is still able to subconsciously summon an incredibly aggressive thunderstorm to the isle of Thanedd.

Year 1188, After 477 years of being constantly “tormented” by their bond, Tissaia finds her soulmate in Yennefer of Vengerberg when the girl stumbles at her feet in Tor Lara. In her desperation to not be parted from her, she strikes a deal with the girl after she expresses her desire/duty to go back to her family. She subsequently wins their bet and when they return to Aretuza the strategy she used prompts the girl to have a breakdown where Tissaia has to stop her from dying after she slits her wrists. That same night she abducts the girl’s father and portals to an abandoned barn in Cintra where she taunts and proceeds to torture the farmer, ultimately killing him after his body gives out by having him eaten alive by wild boars to cover up her tracks, locking all exits and setting the place on fire when she’s certain he’s passed away.

Yennefer:

Year 1173, Yennefer of Vengerberg is born in the early hours of the morning during Beltane to a half-elf father and a human mother after over 18 hours of labour with a crooked spine and a mark in the form of an orchid next to the deformation in her back.

Year 1788, Her conduit moment is triggered by a teenage couple whose almost assault causes her to create a portal to the Tower of the Gull. Immediately enchanted by the stranger who finds her she almost follows her through another one but stops herself when she realises she’d be abandoning her family. She strikes a deal with the “lady”, where either she’ll prove that Yennefer is deeply unwanted in her home or she’ll fail at doing so; in the first scenario, she is to come back with her and in the latter “her chaos will be bound and she’ll never hear from her again,” which Yennefer simultaneously does and doesn’t believe. Hours later she is cruelly bought from her father for four marks by the witch (as her mother calls her), losing their bet. After being locked in a room, she breaks a mirror and in a desperate attempt for control tries to kill herself by slitting her wrists with a shard of glass – “four cuts for four marks” – but is immediately stopped by her “new master”.

#yennaia #yennefer x tissaia #tissaia de vries #writing*#thvwu*

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yennefer-x-tissaia · 8 months

Note

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJtYNTvC/

Since I saw that TikTok I can't think about anything else but scenarios where Yennefer was that nobody and Tissaia saw her hurt.

It definitely wouldn't have been just Francesca husband who died that day.

I must admit I was quite surprised when Tissaia exploded Filavandrel (and had intended to explode Francesca) so casually.

Actually this was my thought.

(And let's hope she would have reacted more to Yennefer being hurt than she did to Triss being SHOT with an arrow right in front of her.)

#Anonymous #ask

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likecastle · 3 years

Text

Witcher Femslash February - Transformation

Hey there folks, day ten of @bamf-jaskier’s Witcher Femslash February is a bit, uh, unexpected. Previous ficlets here:

Apart, Burned, Battle, Wound, Visions, Together, The Lodge, Adore, Frenemies

This is basically Tissaia/Rita kink negotiation. They don’t actually get up to anything sexually in this, but they’re talking about a consensual sexual scenario that involves some pretty extreme objectification, sensory deprivation, and depersonalization. Tissaia also thinks about some milder D/s-type activities they’ve engaged in, though neither of them is explicitly using that language.

“But . . . why?” Rita asks. She isn’t disgusted, isn’t even judging, but it’s clear from the wondering tone of her voice that she truly doesn’t understand.

Tissaia had hoped she might, but was prepared for disappointment. They’ve done things before that have come close serving the same need—Rita has obligingly given Tissaia orders to stay still or hold a position plenty of times, and occasionally she has consented to use a spell that freezes Tissaia as still as stone for hours at a time—but they have never been enough, never really what Tissaia wants. Rita knows that sometimes what Tissaia wants is to surrender, not just to submit but to be controlled completely. And she performs the role so ably, firm and unrelenting, but never cruel. Perhaps this, though, is simply too much to expect someone to accept.

“Never mind,” Tissaia says. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

Rita lays her hand on Tissaia’s shoulder. “Darling, that’s not what I meant. Of course you should ask, if you want it. But if I’m going to agree, I need to know what it means to you.”

“It’s . . .” She wets her lips, trying to find the courage to explain. “You remember the last time we . . . when your spell was too strong and I went numb all over?”

“Yes, and I still feel terrible for not noticing sooner,” Rita says, squeezing Tissaia’s hand.

“I wanted more.” The words come out in a dark rush, roiling with—Tissaia can’t even parse it, the feelings come so quickly, disgust and fear of rejection and relief and an ache of longing, maybe. “I didn’t just want to lose touch with my body, but—with all of it.” She swallows. “I wanted nothing.”

Rita’s expression is not pitying, but pained. She rubs her thumb over Tissaia’s knuckles, so gentle with her, always so very gentle. “Because it . . .” She takes a slow breath, lets it out. “Because it felt good?”

Tissaia considers this. “No.”

“Because it was unpleasant, then?”

Tissaia shakes her head. It hadn’t been pleasure or pain she felt, but rather the absence of any physical sensation. “Because it’s a relief not to feel anything at all.”

“Oh, darling.” There are tears in Rita’s eyes, Tissaia realizes, and she hates herself for asking Rita to contemplate something that pains her so. “You know artefact compression is terribly dangerous.”

“I know.”

“I don’t know if I could hurt you like that—put you at risk, if it didn’t . . . if I couldn’t—”

“You wouldn’t,” Tissaia says quietly. “I trust you. I wouldn’t trust anybody but you.”

This brings a faint smile to Rita’s lips. “You might be in quite a lot of pain when you came out of it.”

“I know you’d take care of me.”

“You do love me very much, don’t you?” Rita says fondly.

Tissaia lowers her gaze to their joined hands. “It’s not just the thought of—of nothing.” It is that, of course. The prospect of being suspended, totally disconnected from her body and the endless workings of her mind, suffuses her with heat. And to be utterly at Rita’s mercy—trapped for as long as she wanted, even the possibility of a decision completely removed. That makes her heart beat hard in her chest. And then to imagine what indignities Rita might decide to subject her to in that state. She could do anything she wanted, and Tissaia might never even know, unless Rita deigned to tell her later. She can feel herself flushing, her pulse hot between her legs just from contemplating it. “It’s also that it would be you doing it.” Rita rubbing her thumb over the jade figure that used to be Tissaia. Rita holding holder her in the palm of her hand. Rita possessing her, owning her, having complete power over her, if only for a little while. “It’s that I would be yours.”

Rita sighs softly, and lifts Tissaia’s hand to her lips. “I can’t promise that I’ll say yes. It frightens me, to be totally honest, and the risk is not inconsiderable. But I’ll think about it. Is that all right?”

Tissaia nods, heart swooping in her chest, feeling luckier and more loved than she has any right to be.

#the witcher #bamf-jaskier #femslash february #witcher femslash #witcher femslash february #witcher rarepair #tissaia de vries #tissaia #margarita laux antille #tissaia x rita #tissaia/rita #what is it about tissaia de vries that makes me think that woman needs to be topped immediately #listen tissaia is an objectively terrible person but i still want her to get what she wants #me @ myself: what the fuck

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thegirl20 · 3 years

Text

Prompt from @bamf-jaskier’s list.

All of these ficlets are collected on AO3.

Content warning: contains discussion of scars/scarring and the accompanying psychological impacts

Follows Beauty

--------

It comes from nowhere, one random evening. They're sitting together on Tissaia's couch, making fun of a terrible film they stumbled across while channel surfing. Yennefer has her head on a cushion in Tissaia's lap and Tissaia's playing with a strand of her hair when she says it.

"I want you to see me."

Tissaia looks down into Yennefer's eyes, all mirth gone. She doesn't push for more, or for Yennefer to clarify. She knows what she means. Setting her wine glass down, she takes Yennefer's hand.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to rush anything."

Sighing, Yennefer closes her eyes and squeezes Tissaia's hand. "It's going to happen sooner or later. And I-" She stops, her lips tightening briefly. "I don't want it to be while we're...I don't want it to be during sex, okay?"

"Okay." Tissaia waits until Yennefer opens her eyes and nods. "Whatever you need."

Yennefer sits up and rearranges herself so that she's facing Tissaia. She reaches for Tissaia's hand again and holds it, rubbing her knuckles with her thumb.

"The thing is," Yennefer begins, her eyes on their hands. "I've thought about it a lot. And I've tried to think of what it is I want you to say." She rolls her eyes. "And every fucking scenario I've come up with has annoyed me and has the potential to make me get all defensive again. All the 'survivor' bullshit stuff. Or how they're actually 'beautiful'." She looks up at Tissaia. "So if I can't come up with anything, I can't expect you to, can I?"

"Okay." Tissaia has thought about it herself. She's googled images of back surgery scars, just so that she's got an idea of what they might look like, and so that surprise doesn't come into her reaction. "Do you want me to say nothing?"

"Yeah," Yennefer sighs again. "I think that's probably best for now." Her eyes flick up to meet Tissaia's. "A-and, I don't want you to touch me. Not yet."

"Yennefer," Tissaia begins softly. "Please don't do this if you don't want to. I don't-"

"I do want to," Yennefer hurries to interrupt. "I do. Just...I want to do this first step and...and see how it goes, okay?"

"Of course." Tissaia smiles and brings Yennefer's hand to her mouth, kissing it. "However you want."

"Christ, now it's had all this build up." Yennefer lets out a shaky laugh. "I think I just need to-" She drops Tissaia's hand and turns, yanking her jumper up to her shoulders and Tissaia finally gets to see her back.

Clamping down the urge to say the things that will only annoy Yennefer, and clenching her hands so she doesn't reach out and touch, Tissaia takes the time to examine the scars.

There's a large, pronounced scar running down most of the length of Yennefer's spine. The main line of it is raised, and it has dozens of tiny cross stitches. There's another, shorter scar running across her left shoulderblade. There are a few other, smaller marks, possibly left by drains or some other surgical necessity.

Before she can take in any more detail, Yennefer drops her jumper back into place so suddenly Tissaia's almost startled. She notes Yennefer's shoulders are rising and falling quickly. She starts to move towards her, but pauses.

"Can I hug you?" she asks.

"Please."

Tissaia moves forward and wraps her arms around Yennefer's waist, hooking her chin over her shoulder. She closes her eyes.

"Thank you, for showing me."

"Pffft. Yeah, for giving you nightmares, more like." Yennefer's breathing is slowing down. "I know they're ugly as fuck, Tissaia. You don't need to pretend otherwise."

Biting her teeth together to stop herself spewing the trite things Yennefer doesn't want to hear.

"What would you say if it were me?" Tissaia asks, wondering if that will help frame Yennefer's thoughts. "What if I showed you my back and it looked like yours. What would you say?"

"I- I don't know." Yennefer shrugs, but relaxes a little more in Tissaia's arms. "I suppose-" She rests her head against Tissaia's."I- I'd want you to know that it didn't make any difference. To how I felt about you."

Tissaia turns and kisses her cheek. "Well, that's the truth. No difference whatsoever."

Yennefer nods and settles back further.

--------

They're lying in bed together the following week and Tissaia is just drifting off to sleep when Yennefer speaks.

"Can you- I mean, not if you don't want to, but-" Yennefer sighs. "Do you think you could touch me in, like, a non-sexy way?" She sighs. "Shit, I know that's really weird and specific, but-"

Tissaia shakes her head, pushing herself up on an elbow. "Whatever you need, Yennefer. I mean that. Whatever makes you comfortable." She lays a hand on Yennefer's hip. "But I don't want you rushing something just because you want to make me happy."

"It's not that. I mean, I do want to make you happy." She closes her eyes. "But, fuck, I want you to touch me too. I just don't know if I'll freak out and frighten you."

"You won't frighten me," Tissaia assures her. "I'll go as slow as you need me to. You tell me to stop, and I'll stop."

"Okay." Yennefer sits up and grips the hem of her t-shirt, she hesitates and Tissaia puts a hand on top of hers.

"Only if you want to, Yen," she says.

Yennefer nods, and yanks the shirt over her head, leaving her bare from the waist up. Unable to help it, Tissaia's eyes dip to her chest.

"Oi." She looks up and finds Yennefer smirking. "Non-sexy, remember?"

"I know, I'm sorry, I just-"

"I'm kidding, Tissaia." Yennefer nudges her. "I'd be a bit surprised if you didn't look." She sighs. "It's the other side that's the problem."

"Not a problem, Yen," Tissaia assures her. "Not for me."

Yennefer rolls her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. We all know you're amazing, babe. You don't need to keep proving it."

Tissaia smiles. "So. How do you want to do this?"

"I-I think I'm going to lie down on my front."

"Okay." She nods, waiting for Yennefer to make the first move. She watches as she turns and lies down. Her face is towards Tissaia, watching her, her head pillowed on her arms.

"I'm ready," she says.

Tissaia doesn't miss the tightness in her shoulders, or how she's holding her breath. Not wanting to prolong the discomfort, Tissaia reaches out and gently lays her palm flat on the small of Yennefer's back so that it's covering part of the largest scar. She feels her tense, drawing away slightly as she pushes her hips into the mattress. Tissaia doesn't follow, or press, but just leaves her hand resting lightly on Yennefer's skin, holding her eyes and watching for any sign that she doesn't want this to continue.

Slowly, the tension in Yennefer's body dissipates. As it does, Tissaia starts to stroke the skin gently with her thumb.

"Is this okay?" she whispers.

"Mmmhmm." Yennefer nods, still watching Tissaia's face intently.

With a nod, Tissaia starts to move her hand a little more, dragging it up and down Yennefer's back, rubbing softly.

"How's that?" she asks.

"S'nice." Yennefer smiles. "Weird, but nice."

Tissaia returns the smile. "I'll take that." She adjusts her hand so that it's just her fingertips touching Yennefer's skin, and she drags them all around the expanse.

Yennefer turns her face into the pillow and laughs. "That tickles."

Leaning in, Tissaia plants a kiss on her head. "I know." She trails her fingers up the length of Yennefer's scar, using just her forefinger to follow the curved one on her shoulderblade and then she moves to use her knuckles, applying just a tiny bit more pressure as she moves around. Glancing at Yennefer's face, she finds her with her eyes closed and features relaxed. Using her blunt fingernails, she scratches gently at the base of Yennefer's neck, just above where her scar begins.

"Oh, shit."

Tissaia freezes. "Sorry, I-"

"No, no." Yennefer shakes her head and smiles. "It just- It felt really good, that's all."

"Oh." Tissaia lets out a breath. "Good."

She continues her exploration, stroking here and scratching there. After a while, she settles down on the pillow beside Yennefer, her hand splayed at the top of her back, thumb playing with the soft hairs at the nape of her neck.

"Is that enough for tonight?"

Yennefer blinks sleepily at her and smiles. "Yeah. I think so."

"Okay." Tissaia nods. "Do you want to put your top back on?" The last thing she wants is Yennefer waking up and feeling exposed.

"In a minute," Yennefer says. "Do you- would you hold me for a sec?" She waits for Tissaia's nod, and then turns so that her back is facing Tissaia.

As slowly and carefully as she can, Tissaia moves closer, her own bare torso coming into contact with Yennefer's bare back for the first time. She closes her eyes as her nipples brush against soft skin, and wraps her arm around Yennefer's waist.

"Fuck," Yennefer murmurs. "That's...that's a lot."

"Too much?" Tissaia asks, poised to move away.

"No." Yennefer's hand comes to rest on her wrist, tugging it more firmly around her. "Just- a lot." She lets out a breath, slowly. "Thank you."

Tissaia shakes her head. She presses a kiss to Yennefer's shoulder then buries her face in her neck. "Thank you, for trusting me."

Yennefer nods, her thumb stroking the back of Tissaia's hand. "Thank you for being trustworthy."

Tissaia smiles.

#yennaia #the witcher #femslash february #wff #fic by me

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