"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?”
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.
"I'm always horny and you make it worse," he replies with no shame whatsoever.
Midge's words make him look at Ciri too, and he smiles softly when he sees her chat with another girl on the neighboring horse. "Yeah, she is. Thanks for today, by the way. I know how she can be." He pecks Midge's cheek. "I wasn't expecting her to corner you like that earlier."
Her grin in response is wicked. She has no shame either.
“It’s okay. I didn’t mind answering her questions, though I’m not sure if anything that I said was helpful.” Midge shrugs. “Most teenagers won’t even ask. I was flattered that she did.”
He kisses that wicked grin - it's just too attractive to ignore.
"Yeah, I was surprised she did. But I'm glad she's finding people to open up to." He tilts his head. "There's nothing I need to worry about, is there?"
He doesn't need details, as curious as he is - he meant the part about keeping his mouth shut. But at least, he wants to know if there's something he needs to keep an eye out for.
Midge shakes her head. “I don’t think so. She hasn’t indicated that she’s got someone in mind to have sex with. I recommended that she wait until she’s out of high school anyway.” She rests her head atop Jaskier’s. “The world here isn’t much kinder to girls who are unmarried and pregnant than I’m sure your world is.”
Jaskier can't help but chuckle when Midge says she told Ciri to wait - he had already lost his virginity at this age. But he can't blame her for such advice, considering the situation.
"I see. Thank you, dear." He can't kiss her like this, so he just playfully squeezes her in his hug. "You're right, our world wasn't kind either. But even if this world accepted such a thing, I wouldn't want her to have kids before she even understood who she is and what she wants in life."
As much as Jaskier doesn’t like to hear it, it’s different for girls. If word gets out that she’s slept with someone, Ciri will get the reputation that she’s easy. Most girls and young women don’t recover from that.
“She shouldn’t have children until she’s ready for them,” Midge agrees. “Children should be planned, not accidents.” She picks her head up to look at Jaskier again. “She’s got so many opportunities here, like college.”
"She does," he agrees with a nod. "And we have no idea what she'll do. She's been through a lot, so now she must find herself." He sighs and buries his face in Midge's neck, nuzzling it. "We just want her to be happy. To have a good life."
And it's been pretty fucking hard to keep her on that path.
“I know. You, and Geralt, and Yennefer will support her through it. That’s all you can really do.” Midge strokes his hair, not caring if anybody is looking at them. They can think she’s easy if they want. She’s only easy for him.
Jaskier hums to show his appreciation of her stroking his hair. He always loves it when she does that.
"I've been wondering when you'd catch up on that," he replies as blue eyes keep looking at Ciri, who has made a new friend. "I call her princess because she is - her grandmother was a queen. Her kingdom is gone - the empire attacked and killed most of her people. That's the war I mentioned. It's a miracle that she's alive."
Of course, the issue of her actual parents is more complicated than that. But it's not Jaskier's story to tell; he's already said a lot.
"Promise me you won't tell anyone. I mean it, Midge. It's well-known back in our world, but we've been trying to start over here. If any of our enemies arrive, she'd be in danger. Ciri may not be their biological daughter, and Geralt and Yennefer may not be legally married - but they're all linked by a magical bond." If destiny, a djinn, and the law of surprise can be called that anyway. "So that's the story we're sticking to here. The government already gives us enough trouble over the lack of paperwork. It's terrifying to think what they'd do if they knew we lacked the legal stuff at home, too."
“She looks like a princess,” Midge replies, glancing at Ciri, then back to Jaskier. “I won’t say anything. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to any of you.”
She knows what it’s like to be part of a people who were nearly hunted to extinction, even if she didn’t experience it personally.
“And where do you come in, my cheeky bard? As a longtime friend of Geralt’s?”
"Thank you, love." He kisses her shoulder as he starts to wonder if they should go home just so they can cuddle.
"Little old me?" he asks with a snort. "I was the bard hired for the betrothal party of Ciri's mother. I dragged Geralt to the party with me, hoping he'd have fun for a change." And he needed a bodyguard, but details. "That night, everyone learned that Ciri's mother was pregnant because she puked on Geralt's boots."
Sometimes he wonders if he could've done anything that day to prevent what would happen later. But then again, he's just a bard.
Cuddling sounds excellent right now, although both of them know that it’s likely to go beyond cuddling rather quickly. Maybe they can at least have a lie down in the grass.
“Been there,” Midge replies. “When I was pregnant with Ethan, I threw up on Mama’s couch. She wasn’t pleased.”
The carousel slows to a stop and Midge hops off of Jaskier’s lap before offering him her hand in order to help him off of the horse. She smiles at Ciri as they exit the ride.
Jaskier laughs at the mental image of Midge puking on the couch but also hopes Rose wasn't too annoying about it.
"Yes! It was more fun than I expected," Ciri answers while she keeps looking behind her. The other girl she just met is waiting nearby, looking rather nervous. Ciri is nervous, too. She fidgets. "Err... would it be alright if... I just made a new friend, and she mentioned the boats on the lake--"
Jaskier smiles softly and takes the pie box from her hands. "Go. Have fun. We'll meet here in an hour, understood?" Ciri squeals a yes and hugs Jaskier before running back to her new friend. He keeps an eye on them until he's sure they're on a boat without anyone creepy following them.
"How about you and I use this hour on a different kind of horse?" he asks Midge while indicating the carriages that tour Central Park.
More laughing. "Waving at commoners? What a quirky royal you are."
They cuddle on one end of the seat, so Jaskier drops the gift bag and the pie box on the other end to free his arms. Now he can hold Midge as close as possible, burying his nose in her hair as he relaxes. This is really nice.
"Indeed. Now we just need to pinch the horse to make it run as fast as possible. We shall escape the city and say that the horse kidnapped us."
“You haven’t seen the Queen of England on television?” Midge asks. “She’s always waving from the carriage like this.” Midge does her impression of Elizabeth’s stiff wave.
She hums as she cuddles against him. “Oh is that what you’ll tell everyone. Today has been really nice. I love being out with you and getting to hold your hand.”
It’s so nice to not have to pretend anymore that she doesn’t love him.
Some people give Midge odd looks, while others wave back. Jaskier is just laughing at how stiff it is. "Fuck, they make waving politically cold. Unbelievable."
His expression softens at her words, and gentle fingers raise her chin so he can kiss her properly, watchers be damned. "Today has been fantastic. Well, except for that part where you ogled my best friend in front of his wife," he teases. It's clearly a joke; he doesn't mind if Midge looks at other men. It's healthy. He kisses her again before reciting- "So I just held your hand—warm like a heavy blanket and evidently bigger than mine. Enveloping my hand in the most comfortable of ways, like some missing puzzle piece that was bound to be together no matter what."
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“Jaskier and I discussed walking through Central Park,” Midge says. “How does that sound?”
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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?"
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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?”
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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.
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“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.
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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."
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“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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Midge's words make him look at Ciri too, and he smiles softly when he sees her chat with another girl on the neighboring horse. "Yeah, she is. Thanks for today, by the way. I know how she can be." He pecks Midge's cheek. "I wasn't expecting her to corner you like that earlier."
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“It’s okay. I didn’t mind answering her questions, though I’m not sure if anything that I said was helpful.” Midge shrugs. “Most teenagers won’t even ask. I was flattered that she did.”
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"Yeah, I was surprised she did. But I'm glad she's finding people to open up to." He tilts his head. "There's nothing I need to worry about, is there?"
He doesn't need details, as curious as he is - he meant the part about keeping his mouth shut. But at least, he wants to know if there's something he needs to keep an eye out for.
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"I see. Thank you, dear." He can't kiss her like this, so he just playfully squeezes her in his hug. "You're right, our world wasn't kind either. But even if this world accepted such a thing, I wouldn't want her to have kids before she even understood who she is and what she wants in life."
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“She shouldn’t have children until she’s ready for them,” Midge agrees. “Children should be planned, not accidents.” She picks her head up to look at Jaskier again. “She’s got so many opportunities here, like college.”
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And it's been pretty fucking hard to keep her on that path.
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“What happened to her parents?”
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"I've been wondering when you'd catch up on that," he replies as blue eyes keep looking at Ciri, who has made a new friend. "I call her princess because she is - her grandmother was a queen. Her kingdom is gone - the empire attacked and killed most of her people. That's the war I mentioned. It's a miracle that she's alive."
Of course, the issue of her actual parents is more complicated than that. But it's not Jaskier's story to tell; he's already said a lot.
"Promise me you won't tell anyone. I mean it, Midge. It's well-known back in our world, but we've been trying to start over here. If any of our enemies arrive, she'd be in danger. Ciri may not be their biological daughter, and Geralt and Yennefer may not be legally married - but they're all linked by a magical bond." If destiny, a djinn, and the law of surprise can be called that anyway. "So that's the story we're sticking to here. The government already gives us enough trouble over the lack of paperwork. It's terrifying to think what they'd do if they knew we lacked the legal stuff at home, too."
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She knows what it’s like to be part of a people who were nearly hunted to extinction, even if she didn’t experience it personally.
“And where do you come in, my cheeky bard? As a longtime friend of Geralt’s?”
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"Little old me?" he asks with a snort. "I was the bard hired for the betrothal party of Ciri's mother. I dragged Geralt to the party with me, hoping he'd have fun for a change." And he needed a bodyguard, but details. "That night, everyone learned that Ciri's mother was pregnant because she puked on Geralt's boots."
Sometimes he wonders if he could've done anything that day to prevent what would happen later. But then again, he's just a bard.
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“Been there,” Midge replies. “When I was pregnant with Ethan, I threw up on Mama’s couch. She wasn’t pleased.”
The carousel slows to a stop and Midge hops off of Jaskier’s lap before offering him her hand in order to help him off of the horse. She smiles at Ciri as they exit the ride.
“Did you like it?”
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"Yes! It was more fun than I expected," Ciri answers while she keeps looking behind her. The other girl she just met is waiting nearby, looking rather nervous. Ciri is nervous, too. She fidgets. "Err... would it be alright if... I just made a new friend, and she mentioned the boats on the lake--"
Jaskier smiles softly and takes the pie box from her hands. "Go. Have fun. We'll meet here in an hour, understood?" Ciri squeals a yes and hugs Jaskier before running back to her new friend. He keeps an eye on them until he's sure they're on a boat without anyone creepy following them.
"How about you and I use this hour on a different kind of horse?" he asks Midge while indicating the carriages that tour Central Park.
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She grins at Jaskier’s suggestion. “That sounds excellent. Then I’ll really feel like royalty. I’ll have to practice my wave.”
After paying for the ride, Jaskier helps Midge into the carriage. She snuggles up close to him as the carriage takes off. “Alone at last.”
Not quite. They’re still in the middle of a public park, and Midge doesn’t consider herself to be an exhibitionist.
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They cuddle on one end of the seat, so Jaskier drops the gift bag and the pie box on the other end to free his arms. Now he can hold Midge as close as possible, burying his nose in her hair as he relaxes. This is really nice.
"Indeed. Now we just need to pinch the horse to make it run as fast as possible. We shall escape the city and say that the horse kidnapped us."
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She hums as she cuddles against him. “Oh is that what you’ll tell everyone. Today has been really nice. I love being out with you and getting to hold your hand.”
It’s so nice to not have to pretend anymore that she doesn’t love him.
(by Agatha F)
His expression softens at her words, and gentle fingers raise her chin so he can kiss her properly, watchers be damned. "Today has been fantastic. Well, except for that part where you ogled my best friend in front of his wife," he teases. It's clearly a joke; he doesn't mind if Midge looks at other men. It's healthy. He kisses her again before reciting- "So I just held your hand—warm like a heavy blanket and evidently bigger than mine. Enveloping my hand in the most comfortable of ways, like some missing puzzle piece that was bound to be together no matter what."