Description: Alex and Envy (mostly Envy) finished all the routes of Dandelion Wishes Brought To You. Which means, a Bonus is offered! Here, Alex and Envy play “Behind the Story” and discover what happened before Heejung and the animals met!
You can find the first episode of Dandelion: Wishes Brought to You here: [x]
~“Life is too short, do what pleases you, while you can.”
~I’ve heard it was Joey’s birthday so I had to draw our dear bard. I’m still sick and a little dizzy so this is the best I could do with the time limit I gave myself :D
If you ever made a dumpling, you gather the edges all together and seal the ends with plenty of room for the herbs to move. Boiling water to cup and seep for at least 5 minutes. Honey for sweetening. I learned to do this with loose tea growing up and it’s a little easier than a tea baller or muslin baggie (which I couldn’t find when I went shopping today). I’ve been having a cup at night and you can let it sit till it’s luke warm and the flavor will still be subtle. The lavender brings the other two together well and i didn’t need anything to sweeten it. If you want it stronger, just double the amount of herbs. Change it up however you like as this comes out as a very clean base, flavor wise.
I can say I’ve been waking up better in the mornings when drunk the night before. I only had 2 cups so far but i don’t feel as sluggish. Please check with your doctor and medication in case these herbs have any interactions that could affect your health.
In past years, I would pick the heads from really fresh dandelions and make a dandelion cordial. I have too many other obligations to do that this year, but the yard has some lovely dandelions.
You danced across the room, dodging swinging arms and splashes of ale as you refilled glasses through cheers of More. Drunkards congregated around tables, filling the air with hubbub and sloppy talk.
What for do you yearn?
The familiar strumming brought a smile to your face as you swiped empty tankards off the tabletops, stacking them high on your tray. You dumped them on the bar, swapping for another tray piled anew.
It’s the point of no return
You darted around the lusty eyes and groping hands as men drowned in their drunkenness, worsening your own job as you plied them with more drink. Avoiding eye contact, they grew bolder, chuckling at snide and bawdy jokes. You had heard every one of them before, each one chased away with a laugh and movement to refill someone else’s tankard.
After everything we did, we saw
Pollekin, one of your regular’s wife, grabbed the hat off the bard’s head as he leant back against her. Her husband tightened his grip on the tankard, knuckles turning white as he glowered. God, what a filthy look.
You turned your back on me
You offered him another drink, dunking it in the barrel and returning the sopping cup to him. When the men had their bellies filled with ale, their inflated ego was dampened. The slop of the cheap liquid on the table turned his head, dizzy eyes focused back on the tankard.
What for do you yearn?
The bard stepped onto the table, front leg bent as he leant into the song. He bared his teeth, scrunching his face as he drew out the words.
Watch that butcher burn
He leapt over the table, cheers echoing throughout in the bar as the audience was swept up in the emotion of the music. He sure as hell could perform; this was about the 50th time you had heard this, and you still weren’t sick of it.
At the end of my days when I’m through, no word that I’ve written will ring quite as true
The bard turned to face his audience, arms outstretched as he belted.
As “Burn”
A banging of tankards on the table next to you broke you out of whatever spell he had put you under, the rhythmic thumping a reminder of your duties. You tugged the filthy rag from your belt, mopping up the puddles on the table as they continued to splatter the ale.
Burn, butcher, burn
The audience joined in, voices raucous and not particularly in tune, but a good sign of a night full of tips to come. You forced back the flicker of disgust as you brushed past a particularly grabby group, pulling your skirt out of their grasping hands.
Burn, butcher, burn
You hummed softly, catching Lefric’s knowing grin from behind the bar. You shook your head, a disobedient grin twitching at the corner of your lips.
Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn
Your motions slowed as you were lulled by the slowing tempo, gaze firmly affixed on the bard drifting from present.
Watch me burn all the memories of you
The bard’s voice trailed off to a whisper. As his voice broke, so did your heart, a dull pain shooting through your chest. He settled on a stool near the edge of the stage, eyes gazing off into the middle distance as the pubgoers erupted into applause.
He stood up, forcing a weak smile as he broke free from whatever powerful emotion had him entrapped. “Thank you!”
You rushed over to the bar, grabbing a few empty tankards carelessly from the tables. Lefric elbowed you with a smirk, and you responded with a mutinous glare, jaw set, and eyes narrowed. A cough at the bar had you schooling your features, heat creeping up the back of your neck.
“What can I get you?” You couldn’t help yourself from leaning forward, bewitched by the bard’s brooding gaze.
“Just a pint of whatever ale you have.” The bard was despondent tonight, avoiding conversation as his fans came flocking.
Lefric waved them off with calls of ‘Closing time in 10 minutes’, flipping the OPEN sign around on the bar. The men grumbled, pulling their wives away as the bard remained unresponsive to their flirtatious charms. Pollekin tried the hardest, bottom lip jutting out when he refused to even look at her. She threw the hat onto the chair as she dragged her poor husband out, muttering curses towards the man who slighted her.
You thumped the tankard on the table, ale slopping over the sides. He glanced up, murmuring a word of thanks. Your interactions so far had always been a little more exuberant, filled with flirting that would make a whore blush and your laughter as you brushed him aside.
“Jaskier?”
The bard jolted at the sound of his name, turning to face you with a tired rendition of his most seductive look. “How can I help you, sweetheart?”
You wrinkled your nose. That wasn’t quite what you were after. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, all my songs have no actual basis in reality, yada, yada, you’ve heard the spiel before.” The bard grimaced, tone dripping with grumpiness. He glanced at you, irritation shrinking as he met your eyes.
“More ale?” You refilled his cup without waiting for an answer, catching the glares sent your way by jilted wives and their jealous husbands.
Lefric shooed them out, threatening them with a ban as they grumbled.
You sighed. “I meant right now though.”
“Fine, yeah, absolutely. I just-” He hesitated, before shaking his head.
You waited. Raised an eyebrow as he remained silent. “Alright, never mind. But if you fancy a confidante, I promise that as a barmaid I’ve heard far worse things than anything that might come out of your mouth.”
You swiped the tankard out of his hand, ignoring his protests. “Now, come on, you can’t get too drunk on me now, Sandpiper. You can come back to finish this off later, and I’ll be here to refill your cup and hear your stories.”
He stammered a response, coming up with some sort of thanks as he headed towards the door. He rounded up the elves in the darkened parts of the room as he did, glancing once, twice, thrice out the door for soldiers.
Lefric turned a blind eye to all the bard was up to, happy enough with the income and unhappy enough with the treatment of the elves to just let it pass. You wanted to help far more than you were, but all you could do was distract any soldiers or nosy neighbours who started to get suspicious.
Jaskier stopped at the door, his smile back in full force. “I’m coming back for that pint.”
And you both knew that promised a lot more than just a drink.
