Warning: stealing, vagrancy, food sparcity, and some other elements to come.
My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.
Character: Geralt of Rivia, short reader
Summary: you lie to get some food, but get more than you bargain as the Witcher comes to collect his debt.
Note: I hate being this way but couldn’t get this one out of my head.
As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️
The sky darkens as you get further down the road. You pass another marker; the one with a faded dragonfly sigil. You stop and look around. You know that mountain that looks like it’s broken in half and those treats that puff into each other like clouds. You’ve never been the best with direction but…
“Here’s fine,” Geralt growls as he loops Roach’s reins on a low branch.
He grunts and kicks through the dirt to an overturned log and sits heavily. His pack drops down beside his foot as he examines the arrow pierced through cloak, leather, and tunic. You set your pack at the other end of the log and look around. That stone at the base of that tree…
“Are you well enough to get a fire going?” You ask as you pull out your small knife.
“I’m not dead.” He grits.
You sigh. “Please and thanks, fella. I needa get you some frogroot.”
“Frogroot? You need Fool’s Parsley.”
“First, none of that ‘round here and second, frogroot is better. It’ll heal ya and keep the infection out.” You counter as you walk the parameter of the clearing.
“What would you know about it?” He snarls.
You glance back at him as he gets up and grabs several sticks from the ground. You shake your head. “More’n ya know, fella. I been living of the land for longer ‘n I can remember. ‘Fore we met, I wasn’t stayin’ in no inns.”
“Oh, clearly you’re not an indoor pet.” He retorts.
“Right, then. I’ll go find that frogroot. If I see any angel’s seed, I’ll make ya a nice tea to calm ye down.” You snort.
“Angel’s seed. That’s fantasy. Stuff’s not real.” He sneers as he stacks the kindling.
You don’t argue. He’s in a mood. You can’t really blame him given the arrow in his shoulder but you didn’t tell those men to attack and certainly his demeanour didn’t help.
You kick between the brush and head out into the thistle and thorn. You weave around and find a tangled net of frogroot. You bend to cut some free, smelling it for freshness. You get a handful of that and search for some angle seed. The pods have been emptied already. You take some weeping nettle instead. It’s good in a pinch when you’re short on rations.
You return to the Witcher the fire crackles. The sky continues to dim as you approach him and pull a rag out of your belt. You lay it out and drop your wares on it. You go to your bag and get out your mortar and pestle. Geralt sniffs and snarls.
You look up as he touches the arrow again.
“You’re not doing yourself any favours.” You say.
“I’ve been shot before.” He drops his hand.
“How am I not surprised.” You crush up the frog root to powder, the scrape of your tools echoing in the din of humming critters hidden in the trees.
He grumbles. You get up and approach him. You balance the small bowl beside him and wipe off your knife. You lift it slowly and flatten your other hand just above his shoulder.
“Ready?”
“Hurry up.” He mutters.
You slice through his cloak and leather and tunic. He huffs.
“Easy enough to sew up,” you assure him.
You expose the flesh of his round shoulder and hide your concern. Beetles, that looks painful. You lean in and examine the arrow.
“Alright, I might have to cut it out–”
He growls and grabs the arrow. He rips it out of his shoulder and tosses it. He suppresses a roar as you grimace.
“Ugh, you shouldn’t have done that.” You tut.
He takes a rag from his own belt and smothers the blood. He looks at you defiantly. You tweak your brows.
“I’m trying to help.”
He stares and leans in. “Then help.”
You put your hand by his and take the cloth. You press onto it until the blood slows. You take two fingers and pack the frogroot into the wound. He trembles and grinds his teeth. You wipe your fingers as he directs you to his pack.
“Bone needle and horse hair.” He rasps.
You find them in a small leather packet. You thread the needle as you near him again. You begin the delicate but bloody work. He breathes through his nose. You seal the incision, you sense him watch you. You look over as he leans in, sniffing deeply. You frown.
“I told ya not to smell me.” You tie off the horse hair.
He snarls under his breath. You try to back up but he catches you by your jaw. He wrenches you close and forces your head up. He buries his nose in your throat and inhales your scent.
“Woah, fella! What in good goats!” You exclaim as you push on his chest. “That’s not right.”
“You smell…” his lips brush your collar. “Like wine and cherry tart.”
“I think you should lay down, witcher. It smells like worms and sap out here–”
“Mmmmm,” he hums and drags his lips up to your jaw. “You have cast a spell.” He squeezes and you whine. “You know what witcher’s do to enchanter’s? Your dark magic–”
A crack breaks the lull of the forest. You press on Geralt’s should and free yourself from the grip on your jaw. You gasp and spin around. You peer into the shadow forest as Geralt tugs at your wrist.
“Stop! Did you hear that?”
“I hear the sorceress’ song you’ve summoned.” He yanks on you.
You shake him off. “No, I…” You spin as a figure emerges from behind the curled willow trunk. A rush blows over you and you laugh, in disbelief and relief.
The figure stands with a bow drawn and ready. He aims it at you as Geralt reaches over. All three of you stand frozen.
“Don’t try it, Witcher,” his grinding tone warns.
You stare at the halfling. The four-hooves and speckled fur on the bottom, a man’s thick scarred torso on the top, with a head of scraggly hair around one spiral horn and another one broken off. You’ve only ever seen one fawn like that.
Eleanor and Caitríona: De Beers Flagship Store Opening Event, 24 November 2021, London (Photo: Getty Images)
Tony, Caitríona, and Eleanor: Wimbledon, Day 7, Centre Court, 8 July 2019, London (Photo: Getty Images)
Filming has commenced in Leeds and Belgium on the six-parter from Professor T producer Eagle Eye Drama, which follows Tomlinson’s Evie and Pete (Harry Potter star Alfred Enoch), who move into an upscale neighborhood and find themselves in a world of curtain twitching and status anxiety. They find friendship in the shape of the couple next door, alpha traffic cop Danny (Heughan) and his wife, glamorous yoga instructor Becka (Jessica De Gouw), but after Danny and Evie share a passionate night together, there is trouble ahead.
The U.S. streamer and UK network, who never have co-produced together, described The Couple Next Door as a “psychological drama, exploring the stultifying claustrophobia of suburbia and the fallout of chasing your darkest desires.”
Tomlinson is best known for playing Demelza Poldark opposite Aidan Turner across five seasons of hit BBC drama Poldark. Other credits include Stephen Merchant comedy-drama The Outlaws and Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of David Nicholls’ One Day.
Scottish actor Heughan is gearing up for a seventh season of Starz hit Outlander, in which he plays Jamie Fraser, while he is also starring in Priyanka Chopra Jonas rom-com Love Again with Celine Dion – set for May release. He generated headlines recently when his memoir revealed how a brutal rape scene in Outlander Season 1 had impacted him negatively.
Marcella writer David Allison is penning The Couple Next Door, Professor T‘s Dries Vos is directing, and EPs are Jo McGrath, Walter Iuzzolino and Alison Kee.
The thriller is based on Dutch series New Neighbours and feeds into Eagle Eye’s strategy of turning European hits into shows for the major English-language markets, following Channel 4’s Suspect, which is based on a Danish series, and ITV’s Professor T, which is based on a show from Belgium.
The show was commissioned by Channel 4’s Caroline Hollick and Rebecca Holdsworth. EVP Programming Karen Bailey is overseeing The Couple Next Door for Starz, and it will be distributed by Beta Film.
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Jamie & Claire Fraser: S04E03 The False Bride, 18 November 2018
Photo
How Well Do Outlander's Caitríona Balfe & Sam Heughan Know Each Other? | Vanity Fair Game Show, Season 6 Promo, 14 April 2022, YouTube
Remember… when you’re working with your friends, it doesn’t feel like it’s work. — Ken Jeong
Aunt Jocasta, do not give them any family heirlooms! Put those candlesticks away!They will just get robbed again!
Young Ian keeps trying to convince us he is a man. No. Sorry. No.
Roger flies to Boston for some festival. Cold airport greeting from Brianna. She’s saving the heat for when she can cause a car crash.
I am sorry, I cannot watch Roger sing a folk song. This is beyond my tolerance.
Back to the cabins with some scotch. Geez, Roger knows how to ruin a sexy time. Like this was supposed to be fun and sexy with a weird deer taxidermy and now there is strange jewelry and a too soon marriage proposal. What a pig headed jerk! Roger is being so gross. Unbelievable!
Claire finds a wee skull to keep her company during a terrifying episode in the dark woods. The skull comes with an opal. Nice!
She gets visited by a ghost
That is a nice looking stag effigy, but Brianna why are you talking to that jerk? Why can’t Roger accept that he blew it by bringing up marriage way too soon. At least wait until she says she loves you back,Roger. It’s your own fault. Then you had to go on a slut shaming tirade because you hurt your own feelings. Way to lay bare every gross, sexist, hypocritical, infantile, and selfish attitude and underpinning your world view.
The ghost stole Claire’s shoes? Better put this skull in my satchel for later, thinks Claire. A benevolent shoe stealing ghost?
The skull is from another time traveler, according to his futuristic dental filings. Who were you?, Claire asks. I hope it was Roger because he sucks.
Finally, Jamie admits that he is named after a strawberry
Claire and Jamie found a beautiful bit of land we know nothing about. Better decide to live there and give it a name before seeing if anyone else has claim on that land, especially not the natives that we just discussed were in this area. Life in a town in frontier America will be far too boring for us, they say like they aren’t completely crazy.
