"You and I will probably cause enough of a scandal," Midge says with a smile and a light kiss.
Jaskier might not be a big strong man, but he's able to pick her up and his muscles are more than enough for her. She laughs as he gives his card to everyone in the building, then takes his hand as they leave.
"And I look forward to it," he replies with a mischievous grin. He's also pretty nervous, since he doesn't want to turn the fun into actual arguments and judgment. But just a nice scandal, he could deal with.
"What do you mean the pool?" he asks with clear confusion as he follows her. She knows this place; she shall be the guide. "I thought pools existed to swim in the city! The sea is right there!"
To be clear, her nerves have nothing to do with Jaskier himself. Midge loves everything about who he is. She’s just worried about rejection, something that he’s not unfamiliar with.
“It’s for when you don’t feel like dragging everything down to the beach, or dealing with the sand, or when you come up from the beach and want to wash the sand off.”
They find the pool area filled with lounge chairs and umbrellas. Some people are floating in the water while others are sunbathing at poolside. A waiter walks around with a tray of drinks.
“Oh, did I mention that they will bring you alcohol?”
For a few seconds, Jaskier can do nothing but stare. It's not because of the swimsuits -although those still blow his mind- it's just the entire concept.
"...Geralt isn't going to believe this," he finally says. When Midge mentions the alcohol, he pays attention to the trays. Well, damn. "Alright, you win one point."
The lack of sand is pretty fucking good, too, but he doesn't want to admit it. The beach is too beloved to him, he doesn't want it to lose. When a waiter passes by, Jaskier stops him.
"Can I have one of those, please?" He points at a fruity drink on the tray. "And a martini for the lady. Thank you." There's no such thing as too early to drink, according to Jaskier. "Fine, we can use the pool when we come up from the beach. Is there something lighter we can do until lunch?"
He then notices a brochure on a table left by another guest and quickly steals it for himself. "Oooh, there are museums! And lighthouses! That could be nice at night." A little gasp. "Horses! Midge, we should go riding! I haven't ridden on sooooo long." He whispers in her ear: "Not counting you, of course."
Midge grins and sits down in one of the lounge chairs. "Not bad, right?" See, Jaskier? Midge definitely plans on spending some time here.
She sips on her drink while Jaskier looks through the brochure. His little naughty comment helps take away some of the mild dread at the activity that he's suggesting. "Horses?" she asks. "Uh... I'm sure that I haven't ridden in even longer than you."
Jaskier sits on the edge of her chair, not wanting to get too comfortable if they're going to leave soon. He makes sure to tip the waiter and sneak his card as well. The fruity drink is very refreshing, perfect for the summer heat.
Her reaction to his idea makes him chuckle. "Midge - are you afraid of the horses?"
"How many of those things did you bring?" Midge asks, referring to his cards. Honestly, he's giving Susie a run for her money when it comes to shameless promotion.
Midge eats the olive out of her martini before speaking again. "It's not that I'm afraid of them," she says. "They're just... big. And high up. My mother rode as a girl in Oklahoma and she tried to teach me but I never really got the hang of it. It probably didn't help that I hardly ever got any practice in, living in the city."
"A lot," he answers with a grin. Thanks to the magical suitcase, they weigh nothing. "If this place is popular as a venue for events, then I want to know who to call when they need music."
Jaskier picks a cherry from his glass with his tongue and shares it with Midge through a kiss, which gets them tons of looks. He doesn't give a damn.
"And yet you ride cars, which go much faster." He shakes his head, obviously amused. "What if you ride with me?" he asks with a soft tone and a kind smile. "Holding me from behind. That can't be worse than Geralt's bike, right?"
Licking the cherry off of his tongue makes her smile, even if people are staring right now. At least her family isn't here yet.
Midge shrugs, looking down at her drink. "If you want to go horseback riding, I'm willing to try it," she replies, "though I'll need to change my shoes."
She didn't bring any boots, so a pair of tennis shoes will have to do.
The shrug and the way she looks down don't exactly show enthusiasm for the idea. He pushed a little because he had thought she was just worried about her lack of practice, but this-- Jaskier sighs.
"We can do something else. What is your favorite activity around here?"
He watches her for a second before nodding. "Alright. But no need to change your shoes. The horses will be walking, not you."
Jaskier understands the need for good footwear when it comes to physical activities, but it seems he'll be in charge of the horse, so she'll be fine. He doesn't want to go back to the hotel and give her time to change her mind.
At least he convinces her to take the long route, so she can give him a tour of the place on their way to the stables. There aren't many people around in the morning, so there is a variety of free horses to choose from.
"Aww, look at these beauties!" Jaskier says with a smile, realizing how much he misses Roach. He hopes Geralt is doing alright and wishes he could show him this... which reminds him of his camera. Fuck, he hasn't been taking enough pictures! He pulls it out and takes a few now while asking Midge- "Like anyone in particular?"
With an adoring smile, Jaskier steps back and takes a picture of Midge patting the horse before putting his camera away.
He talks to the stable man, who shows them where to leave their bags while he gets the horse ready. It's a mare, and her name is Ebony.
"A very sweet lady," he says while petting her. Then he puts his foot on the stirrup and easily jumps to straddle the horse. It takes him a second to adjust his position and he smiles at himself, glad to see that the body never forgets.
Now he can offer his hand to Midge, and the stable man puts his hands together near the ground in case she wants to step on them for a little helpful thrust.
It's not a great joke, no, but Jaskier chuckles simply because he's amused by her reaction to the horse. He turns around to kiss her cheek and grabs her arms, which he puts around his waist.
"Relax and make sure to hold on, alright, love?"
The stable man starts offering a few tips, but Jaskier assures him he has plenty of experience and takes off... carefully. It's just a steady trot for now, not too slow to make it boring, but not too fast to startle Midge either.
She does as instructed, her grip starting like she’s holding on for dear life, but loosening as they go. Midge rests her chin on Jaskier’s shoulder.
“I feel like a heroine in a Regency romance novel,” she says, “going on a ride with a handsome viscount, and it causes a scandal since we’re both on the same horse.”
It’s not so bad. Midge likes being high up, though she doesn’t relish the thought of getting down. The horse isn’t going too fast, and Jaskier seems very confident about being able to control her.
Jaskier doesn't know what "Regency" is, but he totally knows what kind of romance novel she's talking about - they had them in his world, and he's seen those amazing covers here.
"You aren't describing a novel, just reality," he teases. Well, except for the viscount part, but lets it pass for the bit. He likes it when they play with how scandalous they are.
Since Midge's hold is starting to loosen up, Jaskier makes Ebony move a little faster, going from a trot to a canter. The wind is picking up and helps their bodies fight against the heat of the summer sun.
Jaskier loves it and laughs in happiness. "What do you say? Ready for a full gallop, Lady Miriam?"
Deep down, Midge is, unfortunately, like a lot of women who internalized stories of princesses when she was a child. The idea of a handsome nobleman coming to sweep her off her feet is deeply embedded. It probably makes it worse that she’s American and has no nobility, so all of them are idealized in her mind.
That’s why a little frisson of pleasure goes through her when Jaskier calls her Lady Miriam. “I think so, Lord Jaskier,” she replies, her grip around his waist tightening again as she anticipates picking up speed.
Between the nickname and the tightening grip, Jaskier can't help but chuckle again. He doesn't hesitate to send the horse into a gallop, not wanting to give Midge time to change her mind.
Ebony picks up a nice speed and runs pretty damn well considering she's carrying two people. Jaskier isn't Geralt, but he's been riding since he was a child, and they're in an open field without obstacles except for the occasional bush or patch. So he makes Ebony make a few fun turns and enjoys the way the wind ruffles his hair - hopefully Midge is keeping her face away from it.
Eventually, he starts laughing, enjoying the idea that he's flying as free as a bird.
When the horse goes faster, Midge lets out a little yelp and clings to Jaskier tightly, but she’s grinning as well. This is more fun than she anticipated. She actually feels comfortable enough to close her eyes and enjoy the feeling of the wind in her hair, just like Jaskier is doing.
“It feels like I curled my hair for nothing,” she replies. She probably ought to have gotten a scarf from the room, but Jaskier was intent on getting her out here before she changed her mind. The flowers are nice though.
“If you like the wind in your hair, we should find a yacht to go on.”
"Here I am, trying to be philosophical..." He shakes his head and pats Ebony on the neck. "Can you believe this, girl?" Ebony has no opinions; she's just happy to have an actual good rider who knows how to make her run instead of awkward tourists.
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Jaskier might not be a big strong man, but he's able to pick her up and his muscles are more than enough for her. She laughs as he gives his card to everyone in the building, then takes his hand as they leave.
"The pool?"
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"What do you mean the pool?" he asks with clear confusion as he follows her. She knows this place; she shall be the guide. "I thought pools existed to swim in the city! The sea is right there!"
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“It’s for when you don’t feel like dragging everything down to the beach, or dealing with the sand, or when you come up from the beach and want to wash the sand off.”
They find the pool area filled with lounge chairs and umbrellas. Some people are floating in the water while others are sunbathing at poolside. A waiter walks around with a tray of drinks.
“Oh, did I mention that they will bring you alcohol?”
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"...Geralt isn't going to believe this," he finally says. When Midge mentions the alcohol, he pays attention to the trays. Well, damn. "Alright, you win one point."
The lack of sand is pretty fucking good, too, but he doesn't want to admit it. The beach is too beloved to him, he doesn't want it to lose. When a waiter passes by, Jaskier stops him.
"Can I have one of those, please?" He points at a fruity drink on the tray. "And a martini for the lady. Thank you." There's no such thing as too early to drink, according to Jaskier. "Fine, we can use the pool when we come up from the beach. Is there something lighter we can do until lunch?"
He then notices a brochure on a table left by another guest and quickly steals it for himself. "Oooh, there are museums! And lighthouses! That could be nice at night." A little gasp. "Horses! Midge, we should go riding! I haven't ridden on sooooo long." He whispers in her ear: "Not counting you, of course."
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She sips on her drink while Jaskier looks through the brochure. His little naughty comment helps take away some of the mild dread at the activity that he's suggesting. "Horses?" she asks. "Uh... I'm sure that I haven't ridden in even longer than you."
Where in New York City would she ride a horse?
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Her reaction to his idea makes him chuckle. "Midge - are you afraid of the horses?"
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Midge eats the olive out of her martini before speaking again. "It's not that I'm afraid of them," she says. "They're just... big. And high up. My mother rode as a girl in Oklahoma and she tried to teach me but I never really got the hang of it. It probably didn't help that I hardly ever got any practice in, living in the city."
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Jaskier picks a cherry from his glass with his tongue and shares it with Midge through a kiss, which gets them tons of looks. He doesn't give a damn.
"And yet you ride cars, which go much faster." He shakes his head, obviously amused. "What if you ride with me?" he asks with a soft tone and a kind smile. "Holding me from behind. That can't be worse than Geralt's bike, right?"
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Midge shrugs, looking down at her drink. "If you want to go horseback riding, I'm willing to try it," she replies, "though I'll need to change my shoes."
She didn't bring any boots, so a pair of tennis shoes will have to do.
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"We can do something else. What is your favorite activity around here?"
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She’s a little anxious, but Jaskier knows what he’s doing, at least. She trusts that he’ll keep her safe.
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Jaskier understands the need for good footwear when it comes to physical activities, but it seems he'll be in charge of the horse, so she'll be fine. He doesn't want to go back to the hotel and give her time to change her mind.
At least he convinces her to take the long route, so she can give him a tour of the place on their way to the stables. There aren't many people around in the morning, so there is a variety of free horses to choose from.
"Aww, look at these beauties!" Jaskier says with a smile, realizing how much he misses Roach. He hopes Geralt is doing alright and wishes he could show him this... which reminds him of his camera. Fuck, he hasn't been taking enough pictures! He pulls it out and takes a few now while asking Midge- "Like anyone in particular?"
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The horses are, as predicted, big. At least they seem relatively gentle, though they don’t have people on their backs yet.
Somewhat surprisingly, Midge finds herself drawn to a black horse that pokes his nose out at her. She pats it very gently. “How about this one?”
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He talks to the stable man, who shows them where to leave their bags while he gets the horse ready. It's a mare, and her name is Ebony.
"A very sweet lady," he says while petting her. Then he puts his foot on the stirrup and easily jumps to straddle the horse. It takes him a second to adjust his position and he smiles at himself, glad to see that the body never forgets.
Now he can offer his hand to Midge, and the stable man puts his hands together near the ground in case she wants to step on them for a little helpful thrust.
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“Last time I got a boost like this I was jumping a fence,” she quips, trying to make light of all this. Not her best joke.
She’s thrust up onto the horse’s back, straddling it as she sits behind Jaskier.
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"Relax and make sure to hold on, alright, love?"
The stable man starts offering a few tips, but Jaskier assures him he has plenty of experience and takes off... carefully. It's just a steady trot for now, not too slow to make it boring, but not too fast to startle Midge either.
"See? It's not so bad, is it?"
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“I feel like a heroine in a Regency romance novel,” she says, “going on a ride with a handsome viscount, and it causes a scandal since we’re both on the same horse.”
It’s not so bad. Midge likes being high up, though she doesn’t relish the thought of getting down. The horse isn’t going too fast, and Jaskier seems very confident about being able to control her.
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"You aren't describing a novel, just reality," he teases. Well, except for the viscount part, but lets it pass for the bit. He likes it when they play with how scandalous they are.
Since Midge's hold is starting to loosen up, Jaskier makes Ebony move a little faster, going from a trot to a canter. The wind is picking up and helps their bodies fight against the heat of the summer sun.
Jaskier loves it and laughs in happiness. "What do you say? Ready for a full gallop, Lady Miriam?"
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That’s why a little frisson of pleasure goes through her when Jaskier calls her Lady Miriam. “I think so, Lord Jaskier,” she replies, her grip around his waist tightening again as she anticipates picking up speed.
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Between the nickname and the tightening grip, Jaskier can't help but chuckle again. He doesn't hesitate to send the horse into a gallop, not wanting to give Midge time to change her mind.
Ebony picks up a nice speed and runs pretty damn well considering she's carrying two people. Jaskier isn't Geralt, but he's been riding since he was a child, and they're in an open field without obstacles except for the occasional bush or patch. So he makes Ebony make a few fun turns and enjoys the way the wind ruffles his hair - hopefully Midge is keeping her face away from it.
Eventually, he starts laughing, enjoying the idea that he's flying as free as a bird.
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When the horse goes faster, Midge lets out a little yelp and clings to Jaskier tightly, but she’s grinning as well. This is more fun than she anticipated. She actually feels comfortable enough to close her eyes and enjoy the feeling of the wind in her hair, just like Jaskier is doing.
“What’s so funny?” she asks.
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"Can you feel the wind, Midge? Doesn't it feel like floating? Like flying? Like freedom?"
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“If you like the wind in your hair, we should find a yacht to go on.”
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"Here I am, trying to be philosophical..." He shakes his head and pats Ebony on the neck. "Can you believe this, girl?" Ebony has no opinions; she's just happy to have an actual good rider who knows how to make her run instead of awkward tourists.
"What's a yacht?"