#beldam

To put it mildly, the mages and witcher trainers virtually annihilate the Beldams.

So it’s no great surprise that Geralt doesn’t recognize the doll that Ciri has with her when he meets her for the first time. His medallion hums, but it’s a faint thing, and he doesn’t want to make her part from a beloved childhood object that brings her comfort when she has so little. Especially when he doesn’t know how to comfort her himself during tear-filled nights.

But then, a week after meeting Ciri, the pair stumble upon Jaskier in a tavern and apologies and rants and hugs are had once the bard is coaxed into a private room. Jaskier plasters on the brightest smile he has as he finally faces the little girl, Geralt’s Child Suprise, the wonderful—

The look on Jaskier’s face fractures as he sees the doll. He stares at it, the little creation with bright white hair and black pants and a brown shirt (and Geralt thought that was strange, had wondered why it hadn’t been a dress befitting a princess) and the button eyes.

Jaskier moves quicker than Geralt had thought possible, yanking the doll out of the girl’s hands and throwing it in the fire, heedless of her screams. Jaskier ignores the way Ciri pounds on his back, crying, grabs Geralt’s arm as he goes to pull the doll from the flames.

“Don’t, Geralt. We need to burn it, need to get far away from here, we need to—”

“It’s a doll, a child’s toy!” Geralt hisses, going to yank his arm back.

Except the bard doesn’t let go as he usually does, and while the witcher could force Jaskier away, the uncanny serious look on the bard’s face makes him pause.

“Look at it, Geralt.”

Geralt follows Jaskier’s finger, to where the doll is staring at them in the middle of the flames.

It takes him a moment to see what’s wrong.

To feel a chill crawling down his spine.

“Children grow up with bedtime stories of witchers that take naughty children in the middle of the night, never to be seen again.” Jaskier shakes his head as he starts packing up what little had been put out already. “They know children go missing, the ones no one wants, but they blame the wrong person because they never see who takes them.”

Geralt lets Jaskier drag them out of the room, both he and Ciri looking back one last time at the fireplace. At the doll that seems to look at them as they walk out the door.

At the doll that doesn’t burn.

“You never asked why it is I’m so against people calling you a monster, why I don’t fear you as everyone else does. I’m not sure I would have told you the truth if you’d asked, frankly, but you should know—”

Jaskier shuddered as they left the inn, inhaling sharply as he watched Ciri run ahead to tack up Roach.

“Witchers are nothing like her. You could never be like her.” The bard swallowed harshly, tracking the young girl’s movements. “I’ve searched for thirty-five years, trying to find someone who received one of those blasted dolls and lived to tell the tale.”

Geralt turned to look at Jaskier, a sick sort of understanding spreading across his face.

“And…?”

Jaskier frowned, seemingly lost in thought.

In memories.

After a moment, he shook himself violently, eyes like ice turning to face those of molten lava.

Make sure to send your love to your local Mother, or Other Mother!

❝ 🕸 — lady l: I remember I used to be scared of the Other Mother when I was a kid lmao. Hope you like it and I'm sorry for any mistakes! ❤️

❝tw: technically kidnapping, manipulation, obsessive behavior and possible soul theft (?).

❝🕸pairing: platonic yandere!other mother/beldam x gender neutral!child reader.

The Beldam quickly became attached to you, though she tried to deny it at first. The Other Mother had shown obsessive behavior early on, albeit in a more subtle way but still present. She had spent so many years alone and starving for Coraline that the Beldam, though an ancient being and devoid of certain emotions, found herself yearning for companionship and food. She wanted a child to love and, ultimately, steal their soul. That was her original plan when you first moved into the Pink Palace, until she met you.

You were like a breath of fresh air to her: a naive child she could manipulate and eventually steal your soul from. The Beldam initially only wanted to lure you in and feed off of you, but the Other Mother found herself liking you and your company, and her plans to steal your soul were shelved. How could she steal your soul if she loved you so much?

Beldam soon found herself luring you into her web, with treats, gifts, and anything you could possibly want and desire, while at the same time manipulating your parents into neglecting and ignoring you so that you would be completely dependent on her.

With her, you will feel welcomed and understood, appreciated and deeply loved. Beldam wants you to be happy with her, to be her child forever, and so I see her wanting you to let her sew the buttons on your eyes, because that way, you would be stuck in your child form forever. Wouldn't that be amazing?

She is extremely manipulative and will do anything to make you want to live with her in the Other World voluntarily. Beldam will try to be as kind as possible, gentle and spoil you beyond measure. Eventually, the Other Mother will suggest putting the buttons in your eyes, but she will respect your choice if you say no at first.

Beldam is a very loving mother, always wanting to hug you and shower you with kisses. The Other Mother will cook whatever you desire and will fulfill any wishes you may have, although it is all just an illusion. There is no doubt that you will feel safe with her, loved and adored.

You will be living with her in the Other World permanently, regardless of whether you let her sew the buttons on you or not, there is no way she will let you return to your old life. Why would you hurt your own mother like that? You have everything you want with her, with a mother who truly loves you, so why go back?

She knows exactly what to say to dispel your doubts, and every time you express a desire to return to your original world, she responds with a mixture of calculated sadness and disappointment. "Why do you want to go back to that cold, uncaring place?" She whispers, her eyes filled with a pain that almost seems genuine. "Here, you have everything you want. I am your real mother, the one who will always take care of you. Your real parents never cared as much as I did."

Despite all her care, there are times when the Other Mother reveals brief glimpses of her true nature. When you frustrate her or try to defy her rules, her body is tense, and her sweetness evaporates for a moment. These glimpses, which require a little more attention, can be enough to make you question the sincerity of her love. However, before you can think too much about it, she returns to being the perfect mother, enveloping you with more promises of comfort and happiness.

Beldam is quite possessive of you. She wants to be the center of your world, for you to love only her and trust her completely, after all, she is your mother. The Other Mother is not jealous because there are only the two of you in the Other World, but she is possessive and wants you only for herself. Mother and child should never be separated, right? To her, the relationship between mother and child is sacred and unbreakable. In the Other World, she makes sure that you depend completely on her. There is no room for other influences, other people or even strong memories from your previous life.

She will punish you at times, like putting you behind a mirror and isolating you until you beg her for forgiveness, but in the end, Beldam will always pamper you and make sure that you are cultivating your love and devotion to her. And you will listen, right? Mother always knows best.