#witchertort

Jaskier squinted at the journal in front of him and wished, not for the first time, that Geralt had better handwriting. Honestly, it made snooping so much harder when he had to make out this basilisk scrawl. It also seemed to have gotten worse over the years they’ve been friends and if Jaskier didn’t know any better he’d say Geralt was doing this on purpose.

Even so, he wanted to be as helpful as possible and nothing was going to stop him, not even Geralt. He squinted at the page again and gods be kind does that say drowner brain. Jaskier took a deep breath. He knew the witcher’s potions were contrived of all sorts of nasty ingredients he knew that. But it is quite different to know that you had your tongue in a man’s mouth only moments after he drank something made out of drowner brains.

Jaskier took another moment to shudder internally before turning his attention back to the recipe for Swallow. He had found several recipes for different versions of the potion in Geralt’s notes, but it seemed you needed the same base for all of them. Well he thought, probably better to start as simple as possible right?

The simplest version only had three ingredients, drowner brain, celandine, and Dwarven spirit. Even after only having been in Kaer Morhen for a week, he was absolutely certain the witcher’s had all of that in the alchemy lab.

With that he got up, tucked Geralt’s journal under his arm and headed out into the hall. If he remembered correctly, the alchemy lab was all the way in the basement level of the keep. He wanted his potion making to be a surprise so hopefully he wouldn’t get lost or run into any of the wolves on his way down. Geralt and Vesemir went hunting today while Eskel and Lambert worked on some of the outside repairs to the crumbling keep, so he should be in the clear.

Even so Jaskier tried to keep his steps as quiet as possible as he made his way through the main hall and towards the back staircase that lead to the basement level of the keep. The basement level used to home to the mage’s work spaces Geralt had told him. It was also where the Trial of the Grasses had been administered. For some reason that had struck Jaskier as odd. He always thought of mages working out of tall spiraling towers, not dark claustrophobic basements. Just another lie from fairy tales Jaskier thought idly.

The rooms that used to be mage’s offices and testing rooms were now primarily used by the witchers as storage. He peaked in some of the rooms as he walked by to see everything from broken furniture, (“it’s good wood Jaskier, you can’t just get rid of it.” Geralt had informed him when he asked.) to barrels of alcohol (“s’not much else to do here all winter” Lambert had similarly informed him). Still yet there were more rooms completely boarded off. Even Jaskier had enough sense not to ask about those.

The one room that was as far as he could tell, actually used for its intended purpose was the alchemy lab. The room was a wide open space with large cabinets of potion ingredients and tools on one side and several work benches on the other. The table in the far right corner of the room held Lambert’s distillery equipment, next to which was a sign reading “ do not fucking touch this or else.”Jaskier placed the journal down on one of the work tables and headed over to the cabinets. Everything seemed to be organized alphabetically with neatly written labels, clearly not done by Geralt, Jaskier thought. After gathering the ingredients he needed along with a knife, bowl, and mortar and pestle, he returned to the work bench and laid everything out. He looked over Geralt’s notes again before glancing back at the ingredients laid out before him. The notes were not very specific about the actual method of potion making, they really just laid out the ingredients and amounts needed. They did mention that the dwarven spirit got added at the end which was helpful, but he really had no idea how to start.

He looked around once again at the equipment available to him. All there really was that he hadn’t grabbed or ruled out as helpful were a collection of burners. He had seen similar thing in the labs atOxenfurt and in mage’s labs throughout the years, but truthfully he didn’t actually know how it worked. Well, better to just ignore it and not risk burning down the keep he thought. He once again contemplated the ingredients before him. His best course of action he figured was to mash the celandine flowers with the pestle and cut the drowner brain into smaller pieces before doing the same. With that, Jaskier rolled up the sleeves of his chemise and got to work.

About an hour later he ended with something… that did not in any way resemble the potion he’d seen in Geralt’s bag and that was emitting a foul odor. Jaskier sighed and turned to the journal to see if he missed anything. As he was squinting at the pages trying to figure out where he went wrong, the door to the alchemy lab banged open. Jaskier jumped and fumbled with the journal to keep from dropping it in the mess he made, Lambert just raised a brow at him and headed over to his still.

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Lambert tried his best not to groan at the sight of the bard in his alchemy lab, and yes it was his lab as he was the only one who could arsed to use it more than once a year and he was the one who kept everything neat and organized. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the bard, in fact he probably liked the bard too much and therein was the problem. Lambert did his best not to get too close, he wasn’t exactly sure of the relationship between Geralt and the bard, but there was certainly something there and he wasn’t about to get involved in their mess.

He set about checking his still, making sure everything was in order and brewing properly. Then, he caught the bard out of the corner of his eye heading to the cabinet where he kept his potion ingredients. Lambert had no idea what he was trying to accomplish but whatever it was it stunk to the high heavens and he was not about to let the bard waste anymore of his shit.

“Bard” he barked and once again Jaskier jumped before turning to look at him.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” he asked. At his Jaskier had the nerve to actually look offended.

“I am making potions what does it look like I’m doing?” Lambert’s eyes cut to the sludge in a bottle sitting on the work bench before looking back at Jaskier.

“I can assure you buttercup, whatever you’re making, it’s no potion I know of.”

At that Jaskier deflated a little and Lambert felt a tiny twinge of guilt at being the cause.

“Look I’m just…I’m trying to learn. I may not be of much use hunting or repairing walls, but I thought I could at least do this for all of you.”

And oh, that was interesting Lambert thought he had said for them not for Geralt. For just a second Lambert’s traitorous heart dared to hope.

“Well, I can’t have you stinking up my lab or wasting all my ingredients,” and oh Jaskier deflated even more at that, “so I guess I’ll just have to teach you.”

“Really? You would?” Jaskier perked up immediately.

“Yeah why not. Like I said, there’s nothing else really to do all winter.”

And so Lambert and Jaskier began meeting for a couple hours each day after training and chores to go over potions, their uses, properties, ingredients, and most importantly how to make them. To Lambert’s surprise Jaskier was a quick study and he even brought his own journal to start taking notes. It was…somewhat endearing to have someone take such an interest, especially in something others often brushed off as gross or unsavory. What Lambert wasn’t expecting was that he actually was enjoying sharing his knowledge and the different tweaks and improvements he found for their potions over the years.

There was just one issue. The bard was too…touchy. He would slide up close to Lambert to watch as he demonstrated something or lean in close as he was talking. A couple times he even asked if Lambert could guide his hands so he could “make sure he was chopping this correctly”. The touching wasn’t even bad, no the worst part was Lambert enjoyed the attention, but didn’t know what to do with it.

He wanted to scream from the frustration. Lambert was convinced that either Jaskier genuinely did not know the effect this was having on him or that it was some elaborate scheme to make Geralt mad.

He honestly didn’t want to believe it was the latter. Jaskier seemed like a good man, but he’d been burned by “good men” before both figuratively and literally. They were finishing up lunch when Jaskier gave him a cheery “I’ll meet you in the alchemy lab!” before heading down. As Lambert got up to bring his bowl into the kitchen he caught the knowing smirks on both his brother’s faces.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Eskel laughed, “just you know, have fun.”

“And be safe.” Geralt said with a mock serious express “We don’t need any baby bards running around.” With that they both dissolved into fits of laughter.

“The fuck are you on about. I’m not fucking the bard that’s your department” He leveled a glare at Geralt, silently grateful that he couldn’t really blush.

“What are you talking about? We’re not sleeping together.I mean yeah Jaskier is super affectionate but we’re just friends.” Geralt looked at him confused. After a moment of taking in Lambert’s obvious shock Eskel just said

“Oh Lamb, you’ve really just been teaching him about potions?”

Embarrassed, Lambert stormed out of the room towards their– no his– alchemy lab because it was still his, despite Jaskier spending as much time in there as he did, and helping keep it neat and even repairing one of the stools when it broke earlier in the winter. Lambert couldn’t help it as his frustration grew. What the fuck was even happening anymore. He walked down the hall pass boarded up rooms muttering about stupid brothers who needed to mind their own business and stupid bards that made him feel things.

When he got to his alchemy lab he threw open the door, the suddenness making Jaskier jump just like that first day weeks ago. Unlike that first day, Jaskier walked up to him and cradled his face in his hands.

“Oh Lamb, what’s wrong?” He asked softly and Gods if that didn’t just make Lambert fall a little harder.

“Nothing.” he said, pulling away, “Where did we leave off last time?”

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Jaskier didn’t know where he went wrong. He thought things were going so well with Lambert. Ever since they started their potion lessons they had been getting closer. Jaskier was genuinely happy to just be friends with the other man, but as time went on he couldn’t help but fall a little bit in love. Lambert was just so smart and passionate. The ways he talked about the inner workings of potion making and his own modifications to the old recipes was, to put it simply, very attractive. And the way his face lit up when Jaskier asked a question or brought up a counterpoint made his whole day.

So he started flirting, just a little here and there, and it seemed like Lambert was receptive. But then he came in with that awful sad look on his face and things shifted. Their lessons were shorter now and Lambert seemed to be avoiding him, no longer bringing him books to read or joking over dinner. It wasn’t just him, he saw the worried and apologetic looks Geralt and Eskel kept giving them both. Finally, after the third day of avoidance Jaskier grew tired of it all. Winter wasn’t going to last forever and it was better he get to the bottom of this now.

After dinner that night he saw Lambert skulk down to his as always. Jaskier waited a minute and then got up to follow him. By the time he arrived in the lab Lambert was already over at the far wall, tinkering with his still.

“Lambert,” Jaskier said, closing the door behind him “we need to talk.”

“What about?” Lambert responded still not looking up

“Whatever it is that’s been bothering you and why you’re avoiding me.”

“Oh” Lambert stilled for a moment “no, we don’t.” he went back to tinkering with his equipment.

Jaskier sighed.

“Look it’s fine if you don’t want to teach me anymore, but I just, I just thought we were finally becoming friends, that’s all”

He watched as Lambert took in his words and his shoulders sagged before he turned around to finally face Jaskier. He opened his mouth as if to say something then closed. He instead let out a deep sigh and ran his hand over his slicked back hair. And oh despite his words about being friends, Jaskier longed to run his fingers through that hair.

Finally, Lambert spoke, “You see that’s the problem we’re friends. At first I thought you were fucking Geralt, but then you kept getting closer, leaning on me, wanting to touch and shit and I–” another sigh “I thought it might mean something, you know, romantic” He emphasized the last word with a vague hand gesture.

“But then I find out you were never fucking Geralt and he says you’re just like that whatever the fuck that means. And I– ugh”

“And you thought I didn’t want something romantic with you and you were hurt so you pulled back.” Jaskier finished.

“Not exactly.” Lambert wouldn’t look at him and his hands were fidgeting like he needed something to hold, “You don’t have to love me, I would never– never expect that of you, but i just can’t stand being so close and not …having that.” Lambert seemed to sag under the weight of his confession and oh that mad Jaskier’s heart ache.

He quickly crossed the room to where the witcher was standing and looped his arms around his neck. Lambert looked up at him, tentative and confused.

“And what if I told you you could have that, we could have that.”

“Really?”

“You think I would flirt like that if I wasn’t serious?”

“You’ve literally made out with Geralt. Tongue and everything.” Lambert reached up to wrap his arms around Jaskier’s waist.

“What’s a little kiss between friends?”

“You’re an idiot”

“Hmmm, but your idiot?”

“Yeah, sure”

Hey! You clicked on “Read more”. Here is the more! Welcome!

I decided I will add some notes about my process to my drawings. As away to keep track of stuff for myself, but also so the rest of my post stays clean.

I’ve been so busy that this is the only drawing I managed to do this month. But I liked the process! Although, fitting aliens into a medieval setting is apparently quite the challenge :p

Also, I tried something new with the highlights and shading to add some texture to the drawing. I think I like it, so I’ll probably keep doing it :D