#jaskier's lute

[snailqueen42]

I just spent like 3 hours tracing over references to make this into a vector, so love me. If you have need of a better version for whatever projects you are doing, let me know, I can email you a png, pdf, AI, whatever

[thelostgirl21]

Am I the only one that somehow can't get over how confused Jaskier looks whenever Radovid is interacting with his lute?

I once made a post about headcanoning Jaskier as having ADHD, and, one of the many things people with ADHD also have, is a tendency to personify objects and get attached to them (not exactly as much, or in the same way, as human beings, but yeah...).

And I remember Jaskier going "Yeah, she is a bit sexy, isn't she?" in reference to the lute Filivandrel gave him in season 1...

Since the way Radovid's own brain works appear to share a certain similitude to Jaskier's, and object personification is not actually exclusive to ADHD; at times, it feels like the lute becomes its own character.

Because one of the things I've always found kinda funny, in the scene where Radovid catches Jaskier's lute, is that he's totally ignoring Jaskier and Philippa at first, and really just looking at the lute, turning her over, studying her... Like mentally going:

"Hey... Hey there. Now where did you come from? It's okay, you're safe now... Not going to hurt you... I'm Radovid, by the way..."

He only looks up when Philippa breaks his focus and starts talking to him.

And poor Jaskier just basically freezes and stands there while watching Radovid be totally captivated with his "girl"; apparently ignoring that she's already in a "relationship" with someone...

"Okay, so... He's just saved her life... Does this means she's his now, or... Should I ask to get her back?"

Because, to be fair, Jaskier is sort of the reason someone threw her off a balcony and she was endangered in the first place! She wouldn't even be "existing" anymore, if not for Radovid.

So what's the protocol in these situations? "Catcher's keeper"? Is she his lute now?

At least, Radovid's being very gentle with her and seems to like her... Might be less uncomfortable if his damn lute didn't look like she liked him back...

"Wait. What's fortunate? Why are you looking at me like that? Oh no, you're hot. She's hot. You and my lute look hot together and it's all very hot. Things are usually hot, but not that hot. Fuck. I mean me, preferably. Fuck me."

Later, when Jaskier keeps saying that he's not in the mood for singing... Radovid just goes:

"Here. Help me out please, would you? He's being really stubborn about this. So, maybe you could help me convince him?"

And poor Jaskier realizes his lute is actually on the prince's side... Plus, she basically just took an arrow for him a few days ago, so it's not like he can just say "no" to her after that, right?

"Alright, fine! You win, you traitor! We'll play for him, if you insist. But we'll be so talking about this later... *Sigh* You're really lucky he's cute..."

"Stupid dumb sexy lutes and stupid dumb sexy princes... Joining forces together, determined to ruin my life..."

"Yeah, I know, I started playing while strolling in first because I was totally counting on him taking the opportunity to check out my arse. Don't judge me! I'll have you know it's a perfectly fine arse, and if I'm going to be uncomfortably aroused during that performance, so shall he!"

Of course, Radovid asks for one more song, providing Jaskier with a rather unique opportunity to make a genuine connection, while also leaving himself "a way out" (i.e. pretending the song wasn't specifically meant to be about him, but he was simply singing about "universal matters" of love and intimacy, you know?) should Radovid fail to respond.

"Yeah, I think you're right... I think, deep down, he does like me as more than 'just a fan', too. The prince might be more likely to take a risk at being honest with us if I show him I'm not just 'playing games' with him first... It's worth a shot, at least."

And respond, Radovid does...

"Well, fuck my life, then... I'll just have to ensure my brother keeps Ciri safe with us like I promised, try to show Dijkstra there are better ways to get shit done than constantly seeking to control and use people, find a way to protect Jaskier and his family from - well, pretty much everyone at this point! - and make things work between us... *Sigh* Stupid dumb sexy bards playing their stupid dumb sexy lutes... Again, why did I ask for this?"

Then, when Radovid decides to properly attempt to woo our bard, he reaches, once again, for Jaskier's lute. And, at first, Jaskier's definitely not too sure about this...

"Okay, fine. You can hold her. But seriously, though, what is it between you two? Should I start being jealous? Is she the best thing you've met - thanks to this whole mess - or am I? It's all getting quite a bit confusing!"

The moment Radovid has the lute in hands, he's once again really focusing on her, like:

"Look, I'm going to be honest with you... My playing is not very good, but it does come from the heart... So, I'm hoping you'll help me sound okay... I swear, I'm being sincere and I really, really like him... Please don't let me mess this up..."

Meanwhile, Jaskier is just looking so adorably intrigued, while watching Radovid get settled to play...

"What are you...? Wow. Okay... so you really do know how to hold her, then? Firm and secure, but not too rough... Nice form... Didn't expect things to get so intimate between you two so fast... Are you... actually planning to letting me watch whilst your caress her strings? Not that I'm complaining, but..."

And Radovid is just trying to be really brave about this...

"Alright, we've got this... I trust you. Just, don't let me down... I really appreciate the help, by the way... Did I mention it's the first time I do anything like this for anyone?"

And the moment he starts playing, poor Jaskier looks like his legs are just about to give up on him...

"Oh Gods.... That's just... the most erotic thing I've ever heard and seen in my life... I swear, if he keeps going much longer, that stupid dumb sexy prince with his stupid fluffy hair, dumb nimble fingers and deep sexy voice will just end up making me come untouched!"

"That's it! For the record, you can get as close, as fast, and as intimately as you want with my lute as long as I'm allowed to watch and listen. So please... just continue gently strum those strings, firmly wrap your hand around her neck, and hold her safely against your body in a tight embrace as much as you'd like... Actually, can I be a lute, too? I've never wanted to be a musical instrument so badly in my life!"

And poor Radovid is so focused on his actual playing that he never notices the way Jaskier has been looking at him during the entire performance...

He's just still nervously moving his fingers along her neck, shifting his hold, unsure of how well he did...

"So um... Yeah... Once again, thanks for the help... Whatever happens, just so you know, you were perfect. I just wish I was a better player..."

Meanwhile, Jaskier is still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the prince not only learned his song after having listened to him perform it only once, but genuinely looks like he's got absolutely no idea how affected he is by the whole experience...

"You know, I really think you should play my song again... On me this time..."

Radovid is just looking a bit hopeful there...

"Okay, so... this is good, right? I mean, he doesn't look displeased that I learned his song... I think...."

Totally oblivious to the fact that, thanks to him, Jaskier has suddenly discovered himself a new kink...

"Yeah, you should definitely play me next... I'd love to explore all the sounds you could manage to get out of me if you held me by the neck like like you just did with her, kept my back firmly pressed against your chest, stroked my body, caressed all those strings, and let it all resonate..."

Meanwhile, poor Radovid's going into 'gay panic mode', apologizing for his playing being "shit", with his full attention returning to the lute...

"I'm so sorry I dragged you into this, luv... I didn't mean to embarrass you, I promise... I just thought that maybe we - Wha - umf?!"

Seriously, this moment kills me every time, because you've got Jaskier confidently advancing towards Radovid - like a missile locked on target - and Radovid's just awkwardly standing there, staring at the lute, totally oblivious to what's happening to the point where he manages to be caught off guard by the kiss!

Small detail, but I really like the way that Jaskier's eyes move fom Radovid's forehead when he's gently pulling his hair away from his face, to briefly seeking his gaze, and then his lips... Especially with the way his left hand comes to frame and tenderly hold his face on the other side, too...

There's just so much care and attention that goes into the whole gesture, that it really gives the impression that the kiss is driven by a need to express physical intimacy and sensual attraction first, and sexual passion second.

Actually, there's another moment in that scene that I feel hasn't been praised enough, so I'm just going to take a few seconds to express my appreciation for just how beautiful and perfect it is...

This. This little moment right here...

Where - although they are no longer kissing - Jaskier just continues to hold Radovid close as they breathe together, lips and faces touching, looking so very soft for each other and febrile...

Just the way their shoulders suddenly relax together on that deeper exhale (it's most obvious on Jaskier's side, but if you pay close attention, Radovid has the same physical response...), with such a sense of togetherness and relief...

They're just so in tune with each other, and it's so gorgeous to watch, and it feels so loving, intimate, and peaceful, and okay I'll have to stop now, else all I'll be doing for the next 15 minutes is talking about all the tiny details of this freaking kiss (well, technically it's two kisses, with one of the most gorgeous moments of physical intimacy I've ever seen depicted on screen sandwiched in between them...)...

But yeah! Let's get back on track!

Somehow, Radovid manages to be caught off guard by the kiss, initially just going very stiff and freezing a bit before relaxing into it..

And if Radovid is so concerned about his lute playing skills, well...

"How are you even real? I swear..."

So, basically, what I'm saying is that Jaskier's lute is essentially the ultimate "wingwoman" in season 3, and that, from the very moment Radovid caught her, she totally decided that she would get these two together!

[itsjaskier]

* angst intensifies *

[tangle-of-messy-thoughts]

(I guess it's obsess-over-the-bard's-lute time for me. Oh well.)

It's heartbreaking to see Jaskier's lute smashed and broken like that, but also fitting, I guess.

(more under the break)

This is the lute Jaskier got after his first adventure with Geralt, and the first time he used it, it was to play the very first song he wrote for him, the first one he wrote to make good on his promise to relieve Geralt of the moniker of "Butcher".

As such, I think it's fair to see it as a symbol of both his promise to the witcher and their relationship before their breakup.

And I think it fitting that the last song we see Jaskier perform with it before it was broken was Burn, Butcher, Burn.

The song must have been the last one he wrote about Geralt, because if the witcher is Jaskier's muse - not the only one, but for sure the one that matters to him the most, both from the artistic and the personal, emotional point of view - then after he was gone, what else about him was left for Jaskier to sing except how much he hurt him, how much he broke him?

It's also the song where he threw back at him the very same moniker he had promised Geralt he'd free him from, the song where he sang about undoing everything he'd said about Geralt, every memory of him, to the point before they met, when there was no White Wolf, only the Butcher.

And now the lute is broken, because Jaskier broke that promise, not because he wrote a song about how much the witcher hurt him and how angry he is at how unfairly he was treated, but because he used that specific word again, against him, knowing all too well what it meant and must still mean to Geralt.

I cannot help but think that Jaskier's words to Geralt, about people doing stupid things, and saying stupid things, when they feel trapped in a corner, aren't just about Geralt and Yen. Maybe they aren't just about Jaskier asking Geralt to empathize with her, to try and understand that her terrible deal with the Endless Mother wasn't born out of malice or hunger for power or anything like that, but out of anger and pain and helplessness. Maybe those words are also, a bit, about Jaskier feeling that writing and singing that song was a very stupid, very wrong thing to do, despite his genuine hurt (anger and pain and helplessness), and feeling guilty about it, now that Geralt is back.

And now the lute is broken, because even though they've reunited, that part of Jaskier's life is over, and his relationship with Geralt will never be the same. Geralt has changed, and Yen too, and Jaskier has, as well, too much for things to ever be back the same way they used to.

Their relationship will be different - better, I hope, one where they can get to be more honest and upfront with each other, one where their relationship is less one-sided and they can meet as equals, now that Jaskier had to grow and make choices that did not revolve around Geralt - but it'll never be the same, Jaskier knows it, and he's unsure how things will play out for them.

He's lost a bit of his innocence, and a bit of his trust, I guess. I think I can see that in the way he keeps his eyes open during their hug, how little he seems to lean into it (unlike, surprisingly, Geralt), the sadness on his face during the "Friends come back" scene, and in the way he answers Geralt's apology with a quip, hiding his feelings behind his humor.

He's grieving, I think, about the life that he used to have alongside Geralt and that, although not perfect, was his for twenty years of his very human, very limited (relatively to witchers and witches) lifespan, and that must have been precious to him despite the difficulties.

A life that, now that Geralt is really back, must seem even more distant, something he has to put behind him to move forward.

So, to wrap up this wreck of a post, I think that Jaskier's lute is symbolic of his broken heart, his broken promise, and of the end of his relationship with Geralt as it used to be.

[ceteiq]

The design on Jaskier’s lute

Hello! I’m working on some art (or more accurately, a 3D render lol) featuring Jaskier’s lute, and was therefore required to trace the ornate gold design on the front of it. I thought I’d post my work here on tumblr so any artists or cosplayers who need a good look at the design can use it! 

Feel free to use the file unmodified or to modify it however you want. No need to credit me, though it would be nice!

The file is a png.

Here’s a link to the file on imgur: https://i.imgur.com/stzu6P6.png

And here are the two reference pics I worked from:

Enjoy! :)

[carmillacarmine]

The swagger! 🤘

(Click for better quality 😉)

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[between-two-fandoms]

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Rated: T

Notes: Happy Birthday @hannadant123! I hope you enjoy this drabble I wrote for you! :)

Summary: Jaskier has a nightmare and Geralt and Yennefer comfort their little lark.

“If life could give me one blessing it would be to take you out of it!” Geralt shouted as he reeled from the anger Yennefer left behind in her wake. Jaskier’s heart shattered as he watched his witcher turn his back to him, arms crossed and shoulders tense. The ghost of guilt crossed Geralt’s face, but the witcher refused to look at Jaskier. Heart wrenching pain curled like a fist around his heart as Jaskier shouldered his lute and straightened his back.

“Fine then,” Jaskier said, not even getting a grunt from Geralt in response. “I’ll go get the story from the others then, I’ll see you around Geralt.” He spoke, voice cracking as he turned and began the long winding path back down the mountain alone.

Jaskier startled awake, sandwiched between Yennefer and Geralt. The mage’s long curls tickled his nose as his witcher wrapped his arms around him from behind. Jaskier let himself bask in the soft morning light spilling into their room from the window. “Stay,” Geralt grumbled squeezing his arms tighter around both Jaskier and Yennefer. Jaskier tensed as the witcher’s harsh words echoed through his mind, if life could give me one blessing...

“I have things I need to do,” Jaskier said trying to untangle himself from between his lovers. Yennefer growled as he slid free of Geralt’s arms disturbing her rest. He yelped as Yennefer grabbed him by the waist and yanked him back into bed with them then she borrowed her head into his chest. 

“Little Lark,” Yennefer chided as he tried to escape from their arms. Jaskier sighed as the mage ran a calming hand through his hair, untangling it. He winced as Geralt’s voice continued to echo throughout his mind... It would be to take you out of it! Jaskier’s expression darkened as he wormed his way out from between the witcher and the mage. He watched as his lovers seemed to fill the space in naturally, Geralt wrapping his arms around Yennefer’s curves, and Yennefer burying her face into the crook of Geralt’s neck. Jaskier shook his head as he grabbed his lute and strapped his beloved instrument to his back.

“Where are you going?” Geralt grumbled half awake. Jaskier sighed then said,

“Away. I didn’t mean to get into the middle of… things… last night. I’ll just be on my way and… and leave you alone.” To his surprise Geralt growled and narrowed his eyes.

“Are you perhaps short of a marble?” Geralt asked him, Jaskier could see the smirk in his witcher’s eyes. Jaskier didn’t respond, deciding to stare down at his feet.

“You didn’t get in the middle of things Jaskier,” Yennefer spoke softly as she crossed the room and caressed his cheek with her hand. He resisted the feeling of being safe, and content. Geralt cleared the small room in three quick strides, then the witcher reached his hand out and slid Jaskier’s lute off his shoulder. Geralt leaned the instrument against the wall near the door, so Jaskier could still grab it and go if he wanted to.

“But I always fuck things up.”Jaskier said no longer being able to resist leaning into Yennefer’s hand. She smiled softly at him, which only made him want to stay longer. “I don’t... You don’t want me to stay.” He said looking at Geralt, the witcher muttered,

“Fuck,” before swallowing Jaskier with his arms. “I’m sorry,” Geralt muttered as Jaskier melted in his arms. Jaskier shook as Geralt whispered sweet nothings into his ear, reassurances of “I’m heres,” and “we’re not leaving yous.” Yennefer’s voice filtered through the cloudiness of Jaskier’s mind, he focused more on touch than anything. The familiar feeling of Geralt’s hands massaging his shoulders, grounding him. Jaskier took a shaky breath as Geralt and Yennefer laid back in the bed, curling into a tight ball. He began to absentmindedly humming a lullaby from his childhood as Jaskier basked in the warmth of the sun shining through the window.

“Thank you,” Jaskier mumbled into the nape of Geralt’s neck. He felt his witcher relax as Jaskier traced his fingers up and down Geralt’s arm. Behind him Yennefer cooed as she repeated a calming mantra of you’re safe now. Jaskier nuzzled closer to his lovers as he let himself feel at peace.

[tangle-of-messy-thoughts]

In Redanian Intelligence, why does Jaskier have his lute with him during the scene at the docks? Wouldn't it have been safer to leave it behind?

His conversation with Yen at the tavern must have happened in the morning, and it's dark when they get to the docks; plenty of time for him to leave it somewhere safe. And, as far as I can tell, Jaskier wasn't originally planning to try and use his name or his fame to get past the guards.

So, I think there are four possible explanations:

1. While Jaskier wasn't planning to use his fame to distract the guards or anything like that, he was ready to do so if he had to, hence the need to take with him his lute

2. After all the time spent with Geralt on the Path, he got so used to carrying around his lute all the time that now he just keeps taking it with him wherever he goes out of habit

3. He's just performed again at the tavern, or he's going to go back and perform as soon as he gets the elves safely on board (the elf tells Yen that Jask sings at the tavern every night) and, for some reason, he isn't comfortable leaving the lute there

4. His lute is important to him and he really doesn't want to lose it if he can help it, and being the Sandpiper is a dangerous affair, so he makes sure that whenever he's out smuggling elves out of Rodania he always has it with him, in case he's found out and has to make a run for it

That last option is my favorite. First of all, the idea that he took the lute with him, instead of leaving it behind, because it mattered to him and he didn't want to lose it, and that this choice was what led it to being destroyed, makes its loss more heartwrenching.

It could also explain, I think, why he wears a ring around his neck. As far as I can tell it's very plain, not a signet ring, nothing special about it. A very common, nondescript object, but still of some value I guess, easier to conceal and carry than a bag of coins, and less conspicuous. The kind of item you can easily pawn, I suppose, if you're on the run and in urgent need of some cash.