“She’d be mortified,” Midge says with a little smile. “You love causing trouble, don’t you?” That shouldn’t be much of a revelation.
Midge blinks at him. “Don’t your clothes look cute on me though?” she asks. Is he really mad about this? “I haven’t taken anything. I just want one bard shirt because they’re comfortable and I like that it’s yours.”
"What's that thing you say around here? I plead the fifth?" He doesn't understand the actual reference but he learnt the casual meaning. That's enough, right?
"They do, they do," he says with a very dramatic sigh. "It's unfair, darling. You just want to use it to drive me crazy. Very evil of you."
Midge shakes her head. “You’re right to try to protect yourself from self-incrimination, my naughty little bard.”
She kisses his cheek, then picks up his quill and dips it in the ink.
“Simple solution. I’ll just take the shirt and then never wear it around you. Then you don’t have to be tempted by how absolutely adorable I look.”
Midge starts to doodle on a piece of scrap paper, writing ‘M + J’ and then drawing a heart around the letters. She draws two stick figures holding hands.
"So I lose a shirt but don't even get an orgasm out of it? I feel like I'm being scammed here!"
He makes a little aww sound at her drawing and grabs another quill to decorate it: the Midge stick figure gets a long skirt, a hat, and a microphone in her hand; the Jaskier stick figure gets a lute on his back and a long coat.
“Oh, so first I’m evil and now you want orgasms? Make up your mind!”
Midge grins at his additions to the stick figures. She starts to draw on their hair.
“Are you ready for the wedding?”
Maybe it’s a loaded topic, though Midge hopes that he’s feeling better about it, now that they’re officially a couple. The fact that he views it as a gig is probably also helping.
"Both things can be true! Evil women can give orgasms, too! It's probably happening right now down the hall!"
Jaskier's surprised that she brings the subject up, but not bothered. Now that they're an official couple, going together to the wedding doesn't have ~implications~ anymore. He still doesn't look forward to dealing with her family, but thinking of it as a gig does indeed help: it means more time on the stage away from bigots.
"Of course! Outfits are ready, and rehearsals are going great. A few of my songs are still getting some revisions, but that's just my usual process. Have you talked to your cousin? We're getting a nice room?"
“You’ll be incredible. Leah doesn’t deserve how good you’re going to be.” She grins at him. “Oh yes. A nice, big room together. She was shocked when I told her that you and I would be staying together.”
"She doesn't. And I'm sure you'll be letting her know," he says with a big grin, obviously not minding the idea. Midge can show him off and rub it on their relatives' noses all she wants.
"Shocked, huh? So the news isn't traveling fast?" There's a pause as he wonders if Rose and Abe have been avoiding talking about Midge's new boyfriend on purpose. Oh well, here goes nothing. "How have your parents been about this, by the way?"
Midge will definitely be showing him off. She can’t wait to dance with him at the party and let everybody see what a hottie she’s snagged.
“It’ll travel fast now that Leah knows,” she replies. At the mention of her parents, Midge hesitates. “They’re… skeptically supportive.”
That’s a good description for how they’ve been taking the revelation that Midge and Jaskier are dating. They want to support her and want her to be happy, but are skeptical that Jaskier will be the one to do so.
“They want to meet with you again. I told them we’d spend time together at the wedding.”
That should give Midge enough time to figure out a plan where everyone will get along.
Skeptically supportive is just a nice way to say they don't like him, which Jaskier already knows. At least, it doesn't sound like they're giving her a hard time, so thank goodness for little favours. Although he can't help but wonder if Midge is softening the story not to worry him.
A mumbled fuck escapes his lips when she says her parents want to meet him again. He should've expected it, and it's probably better for it to happen before something like a birthday or Hanukkah, but that doesn't mean he's looking forward to it.
"Does that mean your brother will act as buffer?" he asks while cleaning the tips of the quills. "The wedding is on Sunday and we have the rehearsal on Saturday, correct? Are you sure you don't want to go on Friday to have more time to ourselves? I imagine Joel is keeping the kids for the weekend."
Midge sighs. Why does she feel like no matter what she does, this is going to be a disaster?
“Hopefully,” she replies, not truly sure what role Noah will play in all of this. Maybe Astrid can be enough of a distraction just by being her neurotic self. “We can go up Friday. I’ll just have to make sure that Joel can take the kids a bit earlier.”
"Ask him and let me know. I think you've earned a vacation."
Noticing her expression, he sighs too as he puts the quills down to wrap his arms around her, cradling her gently. They're supposed to be having a nice day-long date, but he also wants her to talk if something is bothering her.
"Coin for your thoughts?" He decides to leave the question vague to let her choose what road this conversation shall take.
Midge sighs again, her head resting on Jaskier’s shoulder.
“I just want everyone to get along. I don’t want to feel like I have to choose between you and my family. I love all of you.”
She also doesn’t feel like this is entirely her family’s fault either. Jaskier is so convinced that they will hate him that he purposely does things he knows they will find outrageous. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
"I'll never make you choose. That much I can promise." He sounds sincere, because he is.
Jaskier wishes he could promise that everyone will get along, too, but he knows he can't. He doesn't like her parents, and he's already said so, which probably is what makes her feel like this.
But he won't apologize for who he is, either.
He thinks of what to say while nuzzling her hair. "If you don't want me to be your plus one or attend Hannukkah, that's still an option. I won't be offended."
It would feel a little like letting her parents win, but her comfort is his priority. And he meant it when he said he prioritizes independence. Spending special occasions together would be fun, but it's not a requirement.
“Thank you, love,” Midge says, tilting her head up to kiss Jaskier’s cheek.
She doesn’t expect anyone to change. She just wishes that her parents could see what she loves about Jaskier and vice versa. Maybe it’s too idealistic to hope that would ever happen.
“Of course I do,” Midge tells him, pulling back to look at him. “I love you and I’m proud to have you on my arm. I just… want all the people I love to be able to spend time together without having to worry that it’s going to turn into an argument.”
"Would it really be a family gathering without an argument?" He's joking, trying to improve the mood. But obviously, this is bigger than just some teasing.
Jaskier cups Midge's face, his thumb affectionately rubbing her cheek. "I won't make promises I can't keep. But also hate seeing you like this. What can I do?"
“Those are friendly arguments,” she says. She’s seen him with his family and knows what he means. The arguments with her family were decidedly not friendly.
“I know you won’t.” Midge looks into his eyes. “Just try to give them a chance. Nobody is saying you have to agree with them on politics or religion, but don’t disagree just to be contrary. Try not to go in with the assumption that they already hate you.”
He meant serious arguments -aren't those common in big families?- but better leave it at that. The rest of what she says, though, makes him frown.
"It's not an assumption," he replies before tilting his head. "When have I been a contrarian for the sake of it?"
At least, in front of her or her family. He's done it once or twice in the past, only to mess with Geralt or Valdo Marx. But he thinks he was fair during the dinner with her parents - it went to shit because of them.
Why do I feel like this conversation is going to end badly?
“You seemed defensive the whole night when you met them, like you were daring my parents to say something against you. Then when they gave you the slightest push at the end of the night, you got pissed off and all but stormed out.” Midge shakes her head. “Maybe it will be different now, since we’re officially together when we weren’t before. They’ll see how happy I am with you.”
"Oh, gee, it's almost like I wasn't being myself." He was behaving, and being a good little viscount puts him on the edge. "You warned me about them! And I was nothing but a delight! I played music with your father! I agreed with your mother's fashion choices! And yet-- it wasn't a little push, Miriam, they waited until you left to corner me."
Joel, though - he did provoke Joel, he's remembering now as he speaks. After the spider hunt, he poked too much. He thinks he was justified, though, after he had to bring Midge to his room because Joel made her cry.
Jaskier sighs and rubs his eyes - he doesn't like arguing with her. But it's probably better if this is cleared now instead of waiting for things to blow up at the wedding.
"Yeah, it'll be different. Because your official boyfriend will be the one head in the party without the little hat." The kippah, he means. "Listen - I promised you I wouldn't pick fights on purpose, and I do plan to keep that promise. But I also said that I'll defend myself if someone else starts it, and I stand by that as well. You taught me that you're expected to date someone from your community, and I know what old fashioned--" (and religious, but he doesn't say that) "--people think of my mannerisms. So you can't blame me for expecting the judgment. It's not in my fucking mind."
“You’re right,” she admits. “That night was the most subdued I’d ever seen you.” It wasn’t a better version of him. Midge prefers for Jaskier to be himself. “My parents expressed their concerns and you took it as a personal insult. I don’t think they meant it that way. They love me and they want to make sure that you’re right for me. You can’t blame parents for wanting to protect their child, even if the child is 27.”
Midge strokes her fingers through his hair. “Jaskier, you won’t be the only non-Jew at the wedding. Other cousins and relatives have married non-Jews. My sister-in-law technically isn’t Jewish, though she converted. She didn’t grow up in the religion though.”
She furrows her brow. “You have to understand, your ideas are extremely progressive. Most people out there would be shocked by them. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be yourself, because I love who you are, but between the magic and the ideas, I don’t think run of the mill people know what to make of you.”
And this is New York. Imagine if he lived in Kansas or something. He’d have been chased out of town by now.
“I’ll help steer you to people who won’t be as judgmental, and everyone is going to be charmed by your music. The band sounds great.”
"Protecting their child would be asking about my life to check I'm not a bad person. Not telling me that you need to concentrate on your kids instead of your career." A huff. "You let them get away with saying lots of crap under the excuse of concern."
I don’t think run of the mill people know what to make of you. He throws his hands in the air, cursing in frustration. The difference in their ages and life experiences has suddenly become quite a sharp knife that her hand on his hair surprisingly doesn't protect him from.
"You think I don't know that? It's why I know what to expect! I've lived with it since I was a child - it's given me dark bruises on my body and moldy bread for dinner. It's what sent us both to jail."
Her sister-in-law converted, huh? Jaskier doesn't dare to ask why. And the band-- well, the band has two elves, which is another bomb in its own. Jaskier imagines they wouldn't be hired if that was an issue; they'll be safe at the very least. But he doubts every grey head will approve. At least, the twins won't have to interact with the family like Jaskier will.
Hopefully, the venue staff won't make a fuss. Not wanting to make the argument worse with his worry about the twins, Jaskier distracts his mouth by finishing his glass of water.
“They don’t think women need careers. A lot of people think that way.” Her point is that it’s not some weird, repressed way of thinking. It’s their opinion. It doesn’t mean they’re right about it.
She almost asks what other kind of crap Midge has let them get away with saying, but she thinks she’s pushed things far enough tonight. With his subsequent outburst of emotion, she thinks she made the right choice.
“Jaskier…” she says softly. God, his childhood was horrible, wasn’t it? She keeps stoking his hair. “It’s okay. You’re here now, with me.”
After some hesitation, he buries his face in her neck and takes a deep breath. He really doesn't want to keep pushing or arguing; he just wants to cuddle her. But it's important. They need to be on the same page before the wedding, not to mention it's what Jaskier fought for as the White Wolf's bard and the Sandpiper. Midge may not be a housewife anymore, but there's still a whole world out there she hasn't seen. (Thank goodness Jaskier doesn't know about Shy.)
"Yeah, I am here. In your city. You love your city - it's a good city. Better than my world in many a way, but also similar in many others. Elves and dwarves get the moldy bread, people in Rainbow Road get the bruises, and the story of a young girl on a yellow road is silenced." He sighs. "It's tiring. You're a woman - you should know that."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Midge blinks at him. “Don’t your clothes look cute on me though?” she asks. Is he really mad about this? “I haven’t taken anything. I just want one bard shirt because they’re comfortable and I like that it’s yours.”
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"They do, they do," he says with a very dramatic sigh. "It's unfair, darling. You just want to use it to drive me crazy. Very evil of you."
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She kisses his cheek, then picks up his quill and dips it in the ink.
“Simple solution. I’ll just take the shirt and then never wear it around you. Then you don’t have to be tempted by how absolutely adorable I look.”
Midge starts to doodle on a piece of scrap paper, writing ‘M + J’ and then drawing a heart around the letters. She draws two stick figures holding hands.
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He makes a little aww sound at her drawing and grabs another quill to decorate it: the Midge stick figure gets a long skirt, a hat, and a microphone in her hand; the Jaskier stick figure gets a lute on his back and a long coat.
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Midge grins at his additions to the stick figures. She starts to draw on their hair.
“Are you ready for the wedding?”
Maybe it’s a loaded topic, though Midge hopes that he’s feeling better about it, now that they’re officially a couple. The fact that he views it as a gig is probably also helping.
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Jaskier's surprised that she brings the subject up, but not bothered. Now that they're an official couple, going together to the wedding doesn't have ~implications~ anymore. He still doesn't look forward to dealing with her family, but thinking of it as a gig does indeed help: it means more time on the stage away from bigots.
"Of course! Outfits are ready, and rehearsals are going great. A few of my songs are still getting some revisions, but that's just my usual process. Have you talked to your cousin? We're getting a nice room?"
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“You’ll be incredible. Leah doesn’t deserve how good you’re going to be.” She grins at him. “Oh yes. A nice, big room together. She was shocked when I told her that you and I would be staying together.”
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"Shocked, huh? So the news isn't traveling fast?" There's a pause as he wonders if Rose and Abe have been avoiding talking about Midge's new boyfriend on purpose. Oh well, here goes nothing. "How have your parents been about this, by the way?"
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“It’ll travel fast now that Leah knows,” she replies. At the mention of her parents, Midge hesitates. “They’re… skeptically supportive.”
That’s a good description for how they’ve been taking the revelation that Midge and Jaskier are dating. They want to support her and want her to be happy, but are skeptical that Jaskier will be the one to do so.
“They want to meet with you again. I told them we’d spend time together at the wedding.”
That should give Midge enough time to figure out a plan where everyone will get along.
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A mumbled fuck escapes his lips when she says her parents want to meet him again. He should've expected it, and it's probably better for it to happen before something like a birthday or Hanukkah, but that doesn't mean he's looking forward to it.
"Does that mean your brother will act as buffer?" he asks while cleaning the tips of the quills. "The wedding is on Sunday and we have the rehearsal on Saturday, correct? Are you sure you don't want to go on Friday to have more time to ourselves? I imagine Joel is keeping the kids for the weekend."
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“Hopefully,” she replies, not truly sure what role Noah will play in all of this. Maybe Astrid can be enough of a distraction just by being her neurotic self. “We can go up Friday. I’ll just have to make sure that Joel can take the kids a bit earlier.”
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Noticing her expression, he sighs too as he puts the quills down to wrap his arms around her, cradling her gently. They're supposed to be having a nice day-long date, but he also wants her to talk if something is bothering her.
"Coin for your thoughts?" He decides to leave the question vague to let her choose what road this conversation shall take.
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“I just want everyone to get along. I don’t want to feel like I have to choose between you and my family. I love all of you.”
She also doesn’t feel like this is entirely her family’s fault either. Jaskier is so convinced that they will hate him that he purposely does things he knows they will find outrageous. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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Jaskier wishes he could promise that everyone will get along, too, but he knows he can't. He doesn't like her parents, and he's already said so, which probably is what makes her feel like this.
But he won't apologize for who he is, either.
He thinks of what to say while nuzzling her hair. "If you don't want me to be your plus one or attend Hannukkah, that's still an option. I won't be offended."
It would feel a little like letting her parents win, but her comfort is his priority. And he meant it when he said he prioritizes independence. Spending special occasions together would be fun, but it's not a requirement.
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She doesn’t expect anyone to change. She just wishes that her parents could see what she loves about Jaskier and vice versa. Maybe it’s too idealistic to hope that would ever happen.
“Of course I do,” Midge tells him, pulling back to look at him. “I love you and I’m proud to have you on my arm. I just… want all the people I love to be able to spend time together without having to worry that it’s going to turn into an argument.”
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Jaskier cups Midge's face, his thumb affectionately rubbing her cheek. "I won't make promises I can't keep. But also hate seeing you like this. What can I do?"
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“I know you won’t.” Midge looks into his eyes. “Just try to give them a chance. Nobody is saying you have to agree with them on politics or religion, but don’t disagree just to be contrary. Try not to go in with the assumption that they already hate you.”
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"It's not an assumption," he replies before tilting his head. "When have I been a contrarian for the sake of it?"
At least, in front of her or her family. He's done it once or twice in the past, only to mess with Geralt or Valdo Marx. But he thinks he was fair during the dinner with her parents - it went to shit because of them.
Why do I feel like this conversation is going to end badly?
time to make popcorn
Joel, though - he did provoke Joel, he's remembering now as he speaks. After the spider hunt, he poked too much. He thinks he was justified, though, after he had to bring Midge to his room because Joel made her cry.
Jaskier sighs and rubs his eyes - he doesn't like arguing with her. But it's probably better if this is cleared now instead of waiting for things to blow up at the wedding.
"Yeah, it'll be different. Because your official boyfriend will be the one head in the party without the little hat." The kippah, he means. "Listen - I promised you I wouldn't pick fights on purpose, and I do plan to keep that promise. But I also said that I'll defend myself if someone else starts it, and I stand by that as well. You taught me that you're expected to date someone from your community, and I know what old fashioned--" (and religious, but he doesn't say that) "--people think of my mannerisms. So you can't blame me for expecting the judgment. It's not in my fucking mind."
welp
Midge strokes her fingers through his hair. “Jaskier, you won’t be the only non-Jew at the wedding. Other cousins and relatives have married non-Jews. My sister-in-law technically isn’t Jewish, though she converted. She didn’t grow up in the religion though.”
She furrows her brow. “You have to understand, your ideas are extremely progressive. Most people out there would be shocked by them. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be yourself, because I love who you are, but between the magic and the ideas, I don’t think run of the mill people know what to make of you.”
And this is New York. Imagine if he lived in Kansas or something. He’d have been chased out of town by now.
“I’ll help steer you to people who won’t be as judgmental, and everyone is going to be charmed by your music. The band sounds great.”
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I don’t think run of the mill people know what to make of you. He throws his hands in the air, cursing in frustration. The difference in their ages and life experiences has suddenly become quite a sharp knife that her hand on his hair surprisingly doesn't protect him from.
"You think I don't know that? It's why I know what to expect! I've lived with it since I was a child - it's given me dark bruises on my body and moldy bread for dinner. It's what sent us both to jail."
Her sister-in-law converted, huh? Jaskier doesn't dare to ask why. And the band-- well, the band has two elves, which is another bomb in its own. Jaskier imagines they wouldn't be hired if that was an issue; they'll be safe at the very least. But he doubts every grey head will approve. At least, the twins won't have to interact with the family like Jaskier will.
Hopefully, the venue staff won't make a fuss. Not wanting to make the argument worse with his worry about the twins, Jaskier distracts his mouth by finishing his glass of water.
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She almost asks what other kind of crap Midge has let them get away with saying, but she thinks she’s pushed things far enough tonight. With his subsequent outburst of emotion, she thinks she made the right choice.
“Jaskier…” she says softly. God, his childhood was horrible, wasn’t it? She keeps stoking his hair. “It’s okay. You’re here now, with me.”
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"Yeah, I am here. In your city. You love your city - it's a good city. Better than my world in many a way, but also similar in many others. Elves and dwarves get the moldy bread, people in Rainbow Road get the bruises, and the story of a young girl on a yellow road is silenced." He sighs. "It's tiring. You're a woman - you should know that."
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“I know. No world is perfect. No world is fair. We just try the best we can to move people forward.”
She pats his hair, then furrows her brow. “‘The Wizard of Oz’ was silenced?” What’s he talking about?
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