doesntsing | open post

Midge is wearing a very Midge outfit, color-coordinated down to her hat, purse, shoes and jewelry. Jaskier is wearing… a lute. Fortunately, New Yorkers have seen everything and he’s not getting any weird stares.

Last night, she had asked some of the girls at the club about Jaskier and gotten some surprising answers. The ones who admitted to sleeping with him gave excellent reviews of his performance. One of them said he was overdramatic (obviously). Another said he sang too much. A third told her to talk to Brandon, one of the bartenders. And that was how Midge learned that Jaskier has slept with men. Apparently he likes both. Midge knew that people like that existed, but she has never met one, never been interested in one before. Regardless if his lovers were male or female, annoyed with him or maybe still a little bit in love with him, all of them said, without exception, that he was a fantastic lover.

It gives Midge a lot to think about. She’s not sure if she understands liking both men and women. The gay bar makes sense now though.

She grins when she sees him and assesses the rest of his outfit. “I’d say you’re about halfway there with your clothes,” Midge tells him. “Fabrics first, since you’re itching to get your hands on something.”

They enter the department store. “The men’s department is on the second floor,” she says as they head towards the escalator. “One of my friends who works up there has promised that she can get us a private fitting area.”

"Why, thank you." Jaskier wasn't expecting that compliment. He doesn't think he looks bad, per se, but he knows these aren't precisely great. "I hope the other halfway is finding something less boring. Men seem to be allergic to patterns and colors in this world."

It's been quite surprising, because in any other aspect, this world is the more progressive one. At home, even male doublets have colors, textures, and embroidery. Here he keeps seeing guys wearing plain shirts and pants, always in black, brown, blue, perhaps green. So-called male colors - macho colors. Not to mention those 'suit' things. Jaskier can admit that they make almost every man look quite handsome, and those ties have certainly given him ideas, but they'll all look the same fucking same. What happened to individuality and style?

When Midge mentions getting his hands on something, he offers his bent arm, but he won't push if she doesn't wish to take it. He grins at the mention of a private fitting area and gets ready to throw a comment full of innuendo, but his brain goes blank when they approach the escalator. It's not the first time he sees one, but they're still quite a sight.

"If I ask you a question, do you promise to only mock me after giving me the real answer?" He does get on the escalator next to her without much trouble, but he can't stop poking at the step with the tip of his boot. "Have these things ever killed anyone?"

He’s probably not going to be thrilled with the selection that B Altman has to offer. They tend to have a lot of the muted colors and patterns that are in style but he finds boring. Maybe they can find something to compromise with that fits his tastes and also looks like it was made this century.

Midge puts her hand in the crook of his arm. Ever the gentleman. When they step on the escalator and Jaskier asks his question, Midge bites the inside of her cheek in order to keep a straight face.

“Oh, yes,” she replies. “One time when I was working at the makeup counter I saw someone wearing a long coat get the coat caught between the steps. He couldn’t get it out and when he reached the top - zhhhhipp. Pulled him right into the mechanism.”

At the horrified look on Jaskier’s face, Midge bursts into laughter. “It’s safe, I promise.” They reach the top and step off with no issues.

Right at the top of the escalator, as if someone had placed it there just for Midge, is a beautiful red dress on a mannequin.

“Oh my God,” she breathes and drops Jaskier’s arm to investigate. “It’s gorgeous. And it’s a Dior?” She looks through the rack behind the mannequin to find her size.

Why did she bring him here? This is so dangerous for her bank account.

Midge doesn't mind touching him - it's just good manners and rather neutral, but still. He sees it as a good sign that all his flirting and innuendos on text have truly been well received; it hasn't creeped her out or anything like that.

The tapping boot instantly stops as she starts describing the incident. Jaskier's face becomes a bit white and his eyes widen. Thankfully, before he can ask any more questions, Midge reveals her trick. Jaskier pouts, but it's hard to stay mad at her when she has such a bright, beautiful laugh.

"As safe as someone accidentally putting monster guts in one of your cute hats?" He's just teasing, he'd never do that (to her).

The second floor is a full market of clothes, and Jaskier doesn't know where to start looking. He wants to search every corner and touch every fabric, although part of him wonders if he'll get too frustrated at the male options to go for too long.

"That is gorgeous," he agrees as he smiles at her excitement. It's fun to have someone as enthusiastic as he is when it comes to fashion. Jaskier follows her to the racks and his eyes quickly fall on a particular ensemble.

"Are these only for adult women?" he asks as he grabs this lovely pink piece. "Or would this be adequate for a fifteen-year-old girl?"

Edited 2025-06-16 21:57 (UTC)

“Not if you don’t want me to hide your lute, bard,” Midge teases back. Don’t try her though, Jaskier. She’s serious about her clothes.

Midge holds the dress (which, she discovers, is actually a very dark pink) up to her body. She loves it already. She’s not even going to look at the price tag. Provided it fits well, it’s coming home with her.

She looks at what Jaskier is holding up and is briefly worried that he’s thinking of it for himself. She breathes a sigh of relief when he mentions a fifteen-year-old girl.

“Yes,” she replies. “She will probably fit into ladies’ sizes, though there’s a junior miss section too. It’s appropriate for a girl.”

She speaks as the mother of a girl, one whom she imagines will be an absolute terror when she’s fifteen.

"Elven lute, thank you very much."

Since Midge says these are appropriate, Jaskier takes a new look at the rack while absorbing all the things she's saying. The dresses, at least, don't seem to be that much different from Yennefer's, although he doesn't dare to buy for her. He may choose something from the makeup section for her later. No other dress beats the pink one, at least not in a way that would fit Ciri nicely, so Jaskier gently hangs his first choice on his arm.

"This one shall come home then. Thank you." He then admires the way Midge holds the dark pink dress against and whistles to show his appreciation. "It looks like you've found your look for Friday. Unless jazz requires something else I'm not aware of?" A glance at her feet. "That is, if you can dance in those. I still can barely believe the height of the heels around here."

Midge nearly gets distracted by a blue day dress, then snaps herself out of it. “No. We need to go to the men’s department.” Now she’s the one grabbing Jaskier’s arm and dragging him in that direction. They’re here for him, not for her to buy clothes that she doesn’t need (but will look great in).

“I usually wear black on stage, but I can make an exception.” Why not? It’s a dark color at least. “I can dance in heels. Why do you ask?”

The men’s department isn’t as colorful or exciting as the women’s department, though they are in luck that it’s spring/summer. The colors are lighter and more interesting than they would be for fall/winter. “Okay… does anything catch your interest?” she asks as she starts to look for clothing suggestions for him.

Jaskier is usually the one doing the dragging, so her gesture is more than welcome. Women taking charge in general is something he appreciates (and that's putting it nicely - the right wording would be that powerful women make him horny).

"Oh gods, not another black soul!" No wonder she liked Geralt. "I'm trying to save my niece from that, you can't do this to me, too!" It still feels funny to call Ciri her niece. Just like he decided to call Geralt and Yennefer husband and wife to make things easier with the paperwork, Cirilla has decided that Jaskier is her uncle. He doesn't mind - he adores it, actually. But it'll be a while before he can say it without feeling those butterflies in his stomach. "Why do you mean 'why I asked'? You said it's a jazz club, and jazz is music, correct? You owe me a dance."

Indeed, the men's department isn't as exciting. Jaskier puts down his lute and the pink dress on a bench before he starts going through the racks, wrinkling his nose every time he fails to find something interesting among all the plain whites and grays.

The gasp that escapes his lips is filled with glee when he finds a very particular vest. Maybe there's hope for this place after all.

"Look--" He holds it against his chest. "It's buttercup gold."

Midge is certainly a woman who can take charge if necessary.

“On stage!” She protests. “You’re a performer. You know that what you wear has to look right to the audience and also needs to project a certain image. Trust me, Susie has worked hard on this. She’s going to grumble about the pink dress.” But she’ll get over it. Midge will still give off that frustrated housewife image that is the cornerstone of her routines.

“Why is it that I owe you a dance?” She asks, not recalling being a part of any earlier conversation where she agreed to that.

Midge nods at what he picks out. “Yes, but that’s really formal. Men don’t wear vests with brocade to go to the hardware store. What about any of these?” She points to a row of casual men’s shirts. “These have some colors and patterns. Any of the blue ones will bring out your eyes.”

Not that he needs to do much. His eyes are striking all on their own.

Edited 2025-06-17 00:54 (UTC)

"Yes, I know that, and that's why I know black isn't a happy color! It's what witchers and butchers wear to hide the bloodstains." This is the dumbest argument, and he absolutely loves it. "And Susie is...?"

It was about time she dropped a few names, too. He feels like he's dropped so much about Geralt and hasn't learned that much about her life in return.

"Because I just decided so," he responds with a teasing tone. "It'd be a crime to go to a music club and not dance. If you need an excuse, then consider it a thank-you dance for the bail."

With a sigh, he reminds himself this is exactly why he asked her for help and forces himself to check the shirts she's pointing at. "Maybe they should wear vests to the hardware store. I crossed forests and climbed mountains in doublets." And Geralt always mocked him for it. "It's unfair. How come girls get to look fancy and pretty all day long?"

He ends up picking two of the 'yoke front gabardines' and two 'sport pullovers', which are much softer to the touch than he expected. All the fabrics are of outstanding quality, he can admit that much.

His mood greatly improves when he sees these ones, sensing that he's finally getting this right. "Hey, color and patterns! Look at that, they do have them! These are casual wear, correct?"

“Susie is my manager,” Midge replies. In all fairness, Jaskier, you haven’t asked about her friends and family. He may get to meet Susie on Friday. Just imagining the two of them together is hilarious.

“Oh, you’ve decided that, have you?” She matches his playful tone. A dance is fine, though the assumption of it is forward. Jaskier clearly has no problem going after what he wants.

Pleased that he has picked out some shirts, Midge starts to look at slacks. She eyes his waist in order to estimate his size - thin, but not scrawny. Smaller than Joel. Yes, the pants will be in boring colors: black, tan. Midge picks up a navy one too, continuing the blue theme. “Most men here don’t want to look fancy and pretty,” she says, then looks at the shirts he’s indicating. “Yes, those are casual. They might be a bit warm for summer, but you can save them for fall.”

"Ah, right. They told me about those." Many bars told him to get a manager, and Jaskier isn't sure he likes the idea. He doesn't want another person managing his career. But with all the bureaucracy this world seems to have, he understands how the job came into existence. "It sounded like you really value her opinion. I take it she's been good to you so far?"

If black dresses have gotten her gigs, then Jaskier isn't sure he's allowed to complain much (but he'll do it anyway). They already talked about the uphill battle after all. At least Midge leaves the black on the stage, so that already puts her ahead of certain friends of his.

Plain pants he can deal with, since usually the tops and jackets are the stars. He does wish they came in more colors and remembers his own ensembles in gold and blue quite fondly, but it's fine. Since they've got the informal things covered and she approved of the yellow vest before, he picks an extra white dress shirt and what he needs to accessorize: a vest and cravats. It's then that he remembers the ties, which do seem to come in a variety of patterns. Maybe he should start a collection.

He grabs a purple one and hangs it around his neck before offering the tips to Midge. "Another thing for me to learn. Would you do me the honors?"

“She has,” Midge replies. “She’s the one who suggested that I could turn comedy into a career.” As ornery as Susie is, Midge likes her. She considers her a friend.

While Jaskier is busy looking at other clothing, she sneaks a navy blue suit into his pile of clothes to try on. It dawns on her that he would probably like bespoke things, but it’s easier to start with mass-produced clothing. She can find him a good tailor later.

Tying the tie brings her back to when she used to tie Joel’s ties for him. It feels like that was a lifetime ago. She tightens the knot, then pulls it up to Jaskier’s neck. “It looks better with a collared shirt,” she says. “Ready to try on clothing?”

"Then on Friday, I shall thank her for sharing you with the world."

He wasn't lying when he said he needs to learn how to do tie knots, but right now he's a little distracted. Instead of watching her hands, he looks at her eyes and smells her perfume, taking a step closer into her personal space. (Can she see the faint stretch marks on his neck left by the djinn, he wonders.) Sadly she's done too soon, but at the last second, he manages to gently tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and winks at her before stepping back.

"The day I say no to that question, you'll know I'm dead."

Before they move, however, he stops to grab a belt for Geralt - black, thick, strong, with a simple pattern. He puts it on top of Ciri's dress so it won't get mixed with his own stuff.

Once in the private fitting area, he puts the pile of clothes on a chair and finally notices the navy blue suit. He can't help but chuckle as he glances at Midge and decides that pleasing the lady is in order. Jaskier disappears behind the curtain and changes impressively fast, a skill acquired after years of sneaking around with forbidden daughters and married women.

Leaving his feet in only socks, he comes out by sliding on the fancy floor and stops in front of Midge with open arms. The tie is in a normal knot and not a tie knot, but he can fix that later. It's not like ties need to be tried on for size. "Go ahead and gloat, you've earned it." Once again, his tone is teasing. "Please tell me I can put a brooch on this. Or do men here think that will make their cocks fall?"

She can’t, because she’s mostly concentrating on tying the tie correctly. That distracts her from Jaskier’s electric blue stare and the smell of his cologne. Midge can feel her heart rate pick up being this close to him. He manages to touch her cheek and ear when he brushes the lock of hair out of her face. There might even be a little bit of color in her cheeks at the feel of his fingers. Jeez. She’s acting like she’s 16-years-old. She’s a grown, divorced woman with two kids. A little brush of fingers isn’t supposed to make her feel this way.

Composed, Midge sits on the couch outside the stall that Jaskier has gone into and waits for him to emerge with the first outfit. A grin crosses her face when he comes out in the suit that she picked. She stands up and assesses it in a way that feels not unlike when she tries on clothes with Ethan and tugs on them to make sure that the fit is good.

“Broches are well-known to make cocks fall,” Midge says mock seriously. “But we can get you a pocket square to put here.” She sticks her fingers briefly in the jacket breast pocket, then sets about to fix his tie. “They’re usually colorful.”

Stepping back, she smiles. “It needs to be tailored a bit, but overall, it’s a good fit.” And it looks good on him. The flush in her cheeks is more prominent now and she feels a tingle roll down her stomach and settle between her legs.

Clothes tugging, pocket fingering, tie fixing - it's a lot of touching, and Jaskier basks in it. He's a touchy person in general, but obviously it's even more delightful when it includes a person he finds both interesting and stunning. Jaskier does chuckle at her joke and thinks that the pocket square isn't a bad idea, but for now, he says nothing. Just like before, he just takes a step into her personal space to pick up the scent of her perfume.

Maybe he should've saved the "brushing a strand of hair" move for now, considering they're in a private room. Before he can think of something else to do, she's stepping back. Dammit.

"Thank you. I've had a very talented advisor." Meaning her, obviously. It's then that he notices she's blushing, and his grin grows. It seems the moment is still on. "How about you try on your new dress too? Then we can make sure our colors don't clash. You know, for Friday."

Sure, that's the reason.

Midge gives him a look. “Is this a date?” she asks innocently. “You seem to have it all planned out.” Never mind that Jaskier hasn’t actually asked her out for Friday, nor has she said yes. She’s technically working. Even if he knows she’ll say yes, it’s probably better if he doesn’t assume.

She picks up the dress and disappears into the stall next to the one where he had changed. Midge emerges a few minutes later with the new dress on. It fits perfectly and she gives Jaskier a little twirl.

“I need to think about what accessories I have that will go with this,” she muses. “There should be a pair of pumps in my closet that is nearly this color.”

"Do you want it to be?" He raises his hands in a gesture of innocence, but he's grinning. "I just want my dance. But if the stage leaves you tired, I do not mind looking for another dance partner." He winks again, making sure she knows he's teasing. And flirting. Lots and lots of flirting.

While she changes, he looks for his notebook in his jacket and writes down all the things that ran through his mind when she fixed his tie (twice). When she comes out, he lets his eyes roam without shame.

"Look at you," he responds with clear awe in his voice as he puts down the notebook before approaching her. "Long and lovely stems of a rose freshly cut."

He slowly comes closer, giving her time to protest or move if she so wishes. Jaskier raises one of her hands in his, then puts his other hand on her lower back, making sure not to reach her waist to keep things playful instead of naughty.

With a spark in those blue eyes, he nods at the big mirror on the wall. "That's one pretty picture, if I may say so myself."

“Maybe you should ask,” she says from behind the curtain. Midge isn’t mad, but she also doesn’t want to be taken for granted. Even if there’s an obvious connection between them, she still needs to give her consent.

An uncontrollable smile crosses her face at his little bit of poetry. “Is this how you draw the ladies in?” she asks.

She doesn’t protest when he takes her hand and puts his arm around her. Their reflection in the mirror is indeed a nice picture. Without her heels on, Jaskier is much taller than her. Midge turns her gaze from the reflection to him, her blue eyes looking up into his.

"I put my feelings into poetry on all occasions, because that's how I like expressing myself," he clarifies. "But I won't deny it does half of the flirting for me."

With lots of pink and no heels, Midge is a gorgeous chickpea flower, and he makes a mental note to write something on that parallel. He returns the gaze without hesitation, letting a bit of desire appear in his cornflower blues. Seeing as she is okay with a bit of playful touching, he lets his nose brush hers for just a second before talking.

"Midge." They're alone but he doesn't care, he's a romantic at heart - so he lowers his voice to make it sound more intimate. Romance from him, comedy for her: "If I'm not a smelly ball of sweat when I run from my gig to yours, would you go on a date with me?"

It’s on the tip of her tongue to ask if Jaskier’s poetry brings the men in too, but Midge knows it will ruin the moment. This is a nice moment. Romance is surprisingly lacking in her life. She knows she will have to ask him eventually about sleeping with men, but now isn’t the right time.

She lets out a little gasp when his nose brushes hers. Her heart is racing in her chest now with his lips so close to hers. She tries to keep her composure.

“Thank you for asking, Jaskier,” Midge says calmly. “Yes, I will go out with you.”

That little gasp is music to his ears, and he hopes he can get many more out of her in the future. His smile shines bright when she says yes and he makes a mental note to call Elftown when they part ways later - he'll need the earliest spot possible.

"You've made this humble bard very happy today." And since they're in a waltz position, he dips her just for fun, laughing as he brings her up. "Thank you." He seals that with a kiss to her cheek, rather short but also rather sweet.

Edited (typo) 2025-06-17 21:09 (UTC)

The dip gets a surprised little yelp out of her, which turns into a laugh as he brings her back up. When he goes in to kiss her, Midge thinks for a split second that he’s going to kiss her mouth, but his lips land on her cheek instead. She lets out another little sigh.

“I should… change out of this,” Midge says, a little flustered. “And… you have more to try on.”

Oh, she looks so cute flustered like that. Another thing to try to get more in the future. If they weren't having a romantic little moment right now, he would write a description of her laughter and an ode to that little sigh in his notebook.

"I suppose you're right. Let me know if you need help." He winks before finally letting go of her, which is much harder than it looks. He just wants to keep her pressed against him...

At least he gets lots of little touches again every time he tries on new clothes. She is always tugging the jackets, fixing a collar, demonstrating the tie knot - and Jaskier loves every second of it. He loves attention and fashion advice in general, obviously, but this is extra special. The barrier has been broken, so he allows himself to brush her hands and arms every chance he gets, feeling the electricity in the air between their skin. It's intoxicating.

He's a fast changer so they go through all the outfits pretty quickly, and his good mood has him happily humming through the entire experience. Lyrics come out if it's an outfit that takes a little longer.

Once everyone is confirmed to fit well, they pay and get too many bags in return. Jaskier knows Geralt won't approve of this, but Yennefer will be on his side (because she's already done the same with dresses). He's glad that they work all together to have enough money to do this kind of thing. The fact that Geralt isn't a big spender just leaves more for the bard and the witch to keep their fancy styles. (Now if Jaskier could only have enough for a piano.)

"Shall we do make-up now?" he asks with his head tilted. "It should be quick, but I wouldn't mind if you want to take a lunch break first." He knows they've been shopping for a while and those heels look like torture devices.

Now Midge knows why she’s drawn to him. Spending time with Jaskier is fun. He makes her smile, especially when he’s singing to himself, seemingly making the lyrics at the spur of the moment. Midge is looking forward to seeing him perform.

Jaskier is right; her feet are starting to hurt from the heels. “Lunch sounds good,” she says. “The lunch counter is on the first floor too.” They can stop at the makeup counter before they leave.

As they descend the escalator, Midge smiles at him. “You know… this is the most fun I’ve ever had shopping with a man. Most men hate shopping and just complain the whole time.”

I love them too! Also let me know if this is okay

it's perfect! o7

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I’m now imagining Ciri in that dress lololol

YES GOOD

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if she doesn't let him do the thing, lmk and I'll edit the tag, don't wanna godmode

its all good

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