doesntsing | open post

Midge jerks her head subtly towards Ciri. She had forgotten herself for a moment. Surely he wants to keep things clean in front of his niece.

“They call it ‘The City That Never Sleeps’,” Midge says before taking a sip of coffee. “What do your friends like to do?”

Midge is debating how many semi-dangerous or illegal things she wants to offer as suggestions. It’s a fine line between wanting Ciri to have fun and making sure that she’s safe.

Jaskier rolls his eyes and lets his arm drop from the booth to Midge's shoulders to bring her closer - just a little snuggling won't hurt anyone. See, nothing dirty that would make Ciri uncomfortable.

Ciri thinks for a second, trying to remember all the new things she's learned. "We've gone to the movies. And the-- diners? With the milkshakes. Sometimes they play music and we dance. Oh! There's the bowling! I'm good at that one," she says proudly. "I bet I'd be good at sports, too, but the boys don't like it when the girls try to play."

Jaskier snorts. "They don't want you to beat them. Fucking fragile egos."

Snuggling is okay. Midge leans her head against Jaskier’s shoulder.

“It’s true,” Midge says. “Plus I’m sure you could easily kick all of their asses.” She remembers watching Ciri train with Geralt. “There’s Coney Island. Bit of a train ride, but you could make a day of it.”

Ciri grins and sits a bit more straight as she nods, proud that Midge has noticed that she can kick ass. She doesn't seem to judge her, which is a nice plus. Her teachers aren't always so understanding.

"Oh! We went to Coney Island shortly after arriving in the city. It was tons of fun. Geralt angered all the game clerks," Ciri says with clear amusement.

"It's a great place for dates, too," Jaskier casually adds.

Ciri just puts up her menu to hide her face and changes the subject. "So which pie are we taking home? Something that goes well with that meat she made."

“It’s a great place for a date,” Midge agrees, leaning in to give Jaskier a chaste kiss.

“The cherry pie here is very good,” she continues. “Order a slice.”

When the waitress returns, Midge orders a quiche and a side salad, opting for something different than the standard burger and fries.

Jaskier happily returns the kiss as Ciri lowers the menu, so she makes a face.

"Please tell me you didn't ruin Coney Island," Ciri says as she squints her eyes at Jaskier.

The bard, of course, puts up his best innocent face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Once again, Ciri hums in a very Geralt way, but before she can say anything else, the waitress comes for their orders. Ciri asks for a milkshake and a waffle with fruit, while Jaskier also gets a milkshake and a scrambled bowl. A whole cherry pie is ordered to go, so they can take it home as dessert to accompany Midge's brisket.

"Where were we?" Jaskier makes his fake innocent face again. "Ah yes, we were discussing all the degenerate things I did to you in Coney Island," he tells Midge with a grin. "Like holding your hand and asking you to be my girlfriend."

Ciri just lets her forehead meet the table.

Hearing Ciri do the Geralt hum is absolutely adorable, but Midge has the good sense not to say anything about it.

“We could never ruin Coney Island,” she says. “Now underneath the boardwalk is a different story. I’ve never seen a man so… flexible before.”

What’s the fun of being around children if you can’t embarrass them?

Jaskier wasn't expecting Midge to go that far, so he can't help but throw his head back and laugh. Meanwhile, Ciri covers her head with her arms.

"I hate you both. I'm never going to Coney Island again."

"Hey now," Jaskier cuts in with a gentle voice. "You can't blame us for that. Who knows what all those tourists do there every year."

Ciri groans in frustration and Jaskier chuckles before he excuses himself - he needs the bathroom. The waitress then returns with the milkshakes and refills Midge's coffee cup. Ciri sips her drink while glancing between Midge and the bathroom doors a few times, getting a bit nervous.

"Can I ask you a question? About--" Her cheeks get red as she makes a gesture to indicate Jaskier's empty seat. She means about sex.

Midge watches as Ciri looks between the table and the bathroom, wondering what she’s doing. When she realizes what Ciri is asking her, Midge nearly chokes on her coffee.

“Uh, sure…” She puts her mug back down on the table.

Sorry, Midge. Ciri is desperate to have more positive role models in her life, especially women. She loves her family, but she's also aware they all have issues. And talking to your parents is always hard anyway - that's what fun uncles and aunts are supposed to be for, right? Usually, Jaskier covers that role pretty well, but she's afraid he'll tell Geralt about this. Which would be incredibly embarrassing.

She does notice Midge's reaction, though. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-- I don't know who else to ask, Yennefer and Geralt make everything weird and awkward, and Jask has a big mouth, and my teachers--" She wrinkles her nose. "They aren't--" A pause as she tries to explain herself. "Jask said you're open-minded."

Her teachers just want her to be a good girl and get married. She doesn't like how judgmental they are.

"I just want to know... how do I know when it's the right time?" For her first time, she means.

Midge nods. “It’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting it.” She’s touched that Ciri trusts her opinion.

It’s when she calls her parents by their names that Midge realizes she isn’t their biological daughter. With her almost white blonde hair, Ciri could pass as belonging to Geralt. Midge doesn’t really see Yennefer in her though. She wonders who Ciri’s real parents are and how she came to be with a Witcher and a sorceress.

“That’s a good question,” Midge says. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s something that you just feel in your heart. You’ll know when the time is right, when you love someone that much. But, I do recommend that you wait until you’re 18 at least. Out of high school. Yennefer has a great birth control potion, but I’m not sure how she’d feel about you taking it.”

Society is brutal for un-wed mothers. Midge would hate to see that happen to Ciri. She might even be forced to give her child away.

It's something you feel is what she's heard so far, and it kinda frustrates her because it's such a vague answer. Does she really have to wait? Her classmates keep talking about it in whispers... then again, if she's so unsure, maybe Midge's right about needing to wait.

The mere idea of having to ask Yennefer for that potion makes her more nervous, and her forehead falls on her crossed arms on the table as she groans in frustration.

"Why is this so complicated! Jask makes it sound so easy!" He also exaggerates a lot, she knows. She raises her face just enough to peek at Midge. "Be honest. Are the stories true? Is it as good as they say?"

Midge takes a deep breath. “Jaskier… is a different sort of person. He’s able to separate sex and emotions into two compartments that almost never mix.” Except with her. “Men are usually able to do that better than women can, but he’s particularly good at it. I’m not saying that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s normal to have sex and emotions together. That’s what complicates things.” Hence why Jaskier has separated them, but it’s not a simple thing to do.

Midge raises her eyebrows slightly. “You mean… with Jaskier?” She wants to make sure she knows what Ciri is asking before she answers.

"...right," Ciri answers with her bright green eyes stuck on her milkshake. She isn't sure how to mention that it may not be men for her, or maybe it'll be both? It's confusing and she's still unsure.

Midge's question makes her shake her head. "No, I mean in general. I know Jask exaggerates a lot."

Oh, good. She’d rather answer the question in general, but she would have come up with something appropriate to say about Jaskier in particular.

“The first time can be awkward, that’s for sure. But with the right person, someone who understands you and cares about you and takes the time to make you feel good, it’s wonderful. You’ll find that person. He, or they, I guess, will become more clear to you as you get to know yourself.” Midge is still learning about queer people; her interaction with them before meeting Jaskier was pretty limited.

“I met my husband at college. Despite how our relationship ended, I don’t regret marrying him or having our children. He was the right choice for me at the time.”

Get to know herself. That's been the hard part. Ciri doesn't know what her identity is anymore, if she ever knew at all. From princess, to sorceress/witcher, to... whatever this world is doing to her.

Jaskier's favorite girls are focused on the conversation, so they don't see him come back. He catches on pretty quickly, and he's actually surprised to hear that Midge doesn't regret having her children. Not what he expected.

Ciri is his priority now, though. Jaskier sits next to her and startles her, causing her to squeal a little.

"Jask, I haven't done anything, I promise--"

"Come here, my pocket princess." He hugs her tight and rubs her back, so Ciri buries her face in his chest. She's rather embarrassed. "I know I tease a lot, but if you ever need to talk about this seriously, you just have to ask me. I promise you have my confidence." He kisses the top of Ciri's head. "That said, I'm proud of you for seeking help instead of bottling it up." He looks at Midge with a soft smile. "Thank you, love."

Ciri looks up as well, nodding to Jaskier's words. "Thank you, Midge. Sorry I put you on the spot."

As much as they can be a pain in her ass, Midge doesn’t regret her kids. What she told Jaskier was true; she’d have another one, if she was ever re-married to a man who wanted one of his own. If not, it’s fine. Right now, she’s happy with Jaskier and he’s been very clear about not wanting children.

Yet, it’s so sweet to watch Jaskier comfort Ciri. A primal part of her thinks he could be a good father if he wanted to be.

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Midge replies. “I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to ask me.”

"Jask said you're understanding and open-minded," Ciri explains. "He was right."

At that moment, the waitress arrives with their food. Jaskier is a little worried about leaving Ciri now, so he stays by her side and gently caresses Midge's ankle with his foot while mouthing sorry.

"Soooo~" He says after taking a bite of his food. "We still have an afternoon to kill before dinner. Where are we going next?"

It’s okay, she mouths back. Really, it’s fine. She’s got Jaskier all night. Ciri needs him right now.

“Jaskier and I discussed walking through Central Park,” Midge says. “How does that sound?”

"That's fine," Ciri replies between bites of her food. A walk doesn't sound like the most exciting of ideas, but she's willing to give it a chance.

Jaskier talks about the museum during their lunch, trying to get more opinions and interpretations from their favorite ladies. It's a little hard with Ciri at first, but he manages to get the ball rolling and the discussion is delightful.

After lunch, the waitress brings them the pie in a nice delivery box, and Ciri volunteers to carry it. Thankfully, Central Park is just around the corner. The day is beautiful and there are people having picnics all over the place, not to mention couples on dates.

"I should've brought my camera," Jaskier realizes, his arm firm around Midge's waist during their walk.

Ciri gasps when she sees the carousel. "Can we ride the floating horses?"

Jaskier really loved the museum, which means they’ll have to go back there at some point. Admittedly, Midge enjoys watching Jaskier in his element, having discussions about art.

It’s a particularly lovely day for the park, so naturally it’s quite busy. At Ciri’s exclamation, Midge turns to Jaskier. “Sure. You game?”

"You don't even have to ask. Come on!"

They rush to the carousel and manage to get on right as another round begins. Jaskier hangs his gift bag on the horse's tail before sitting on it, and he helps Midge up to sit her on his lap. When the carousel starts to move, he kisses her softly. At least this time, Ciri is enjoying the ride and ignoring them.

Midge eyes Ciri with the pie and it seems like she’s able to hang on to it while riding the horse. Hopefully they’re not about to have a smashed cherry pie.

“Mmm, hello,” she says when Jaskier pulls her into his lap. She wraps her arms around his neck and holds on tightly as it starts to move. “This is romantic,” she continues before returning his kiss.

"Very," Jaskier agrees as he wraps his arms around her waist. He's about to start a second kiss when the horse finally starts going up and down, startling him a little. "Woah. This is... interesting."

He pauses a second to just get used to the sensation, and in the end, he smiles. "Not bad. Quite fun, actually. And definitely easier than actual riding." He rests his head on Midge's shoulder. "It's also giving me many dirty ideas, considering this machine is pretty much thrusting us."

Midge laughs at his reaction. “Are you always horny or is it just when you’re around me? I’ve noticed that I seem to have that effect on you.” She gives him a wink.

“It seems like she’s having fun…” Midge glances over at Ciri. She had wanted today to be a fun outing for all of them, though sometimes it’s hard to know what teenagers will enjoy.

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