#AND SCRIBS DOES IT AGAIN LADS

[ifimayhaveaword]

!!!! -screaming- I LOVE THESE THREEEEE

Do not get me wrong, the smut was 🥴🥵😍 but the line that stuck with me was “You led Jack and Marcus into your shared bedroom, the space no longer feeling overwhelmingly empty and large now that they were there with you.”

LIKE!!??? Both my heart and my 🐱 are overwhelmed 🙈 there is so much tenderness here I’m gonna lose it

Home

Pairing: Marcus Pike x Agent Whiskey x Reader (cis f)

Rating: Explicit

Word count: 2166

Warnings: threesome (M/M/F), oral sex (F receiving), Jack letting Marcus have his turn first because he’s a gentleman

Note: I promised @justanotherblonde23 this fic a millennia ago, and finally finished it. Hope you enjoy 💖💖💖

You’d lost track of how many days it had been since you’d seen your boys.

Actually, no you hadn’t. It’d been 53. 54 if you counted the current day. One of the downsides of having not one, but TWO lovers who were both part of separate intelligence organizations, you supposed. Every once in a while they would both get lengthy missions that overlapped, and thus would need to leave you at home to go cater to the needs of the world.

But much to your relief, first Marcus, and then Jack, had messaged you earlier in the week and given you the good news that they’d both be arriving home that day. Beyond your relief that they were both alright, you’d immediately begun planning a proper evening for the three of you. You were in sore need of some quality time with your boys, and you were sure they felt the same way.

It was Jack who had come home first. He’d all but burst through the front door, not bothering to close it behind him as he grabbed you in an embrace and twirled you.

“There’s my girl!” He said loudly, his voice muffled against your shoulder, “God, baby, you got no idea how much I missed you.”

He sat you back down on your feet, pulling you in for one of his typical, all-encompassing kisses before asking you where his other lover was.

“He should be home any time,” you said, opening your mouth to continue speaking only to be cut off by the sound of Marcus’s car pulling into the drive.

“Speak of the devil,” Jack smiled, and you followed him outside to greet Marcus as he got out of the car. The three of you embraced at once, your heart resting a little easier now that they were both home, safe and sound.

“Come on, dinner’s waiting,” you said, taking one of their hands in each of yours and walking back into the house as the sun set behind you.

The three of you sat down for a decent meal; the first one either man had gotten since they’d left on their respective missions. Once the food was finished, however, you turned your attention to your... other plans. You led Jack and Marcus into your shared bedroom, the space no longer feeling overwhelmingly empty and large now that they were there with you.

“This your way of givin’ us dessert, baby?” Marcus chuckled behind you.

“It’s my way of telling my boys that I missed them,” you replied, turning to them to see Jack’s arm around Marcus’s waist as they looked at you softly.

“Well, I dunno about you, Marcus,” Jack drawled, turning to press a kiss to the other man’s cheek before trailing his lips down his neck, “but I missed my two lovers too. Why don’t we call it a night early, hm? Make up for leavin’ our girl all by her lonesome in this big ol’ house for the past month and a half?”

“That,” Marcus started before turning his head to capture Jack’s lips with his own, “sounds perfect to me.”

Jack allowed Marcus to kiss him for a moment, placing a hand on his jaw to hold him steady before they parted and Jack turned to you. He beckoned you closer, extending a hand for you to take.

“C’mere, babygirl,” he said softly, taking your hand and pulling you towards himself and Marcus.

They wrapped their arms around you, Jack kissing you gently as Marcus pressed his lips to your shoulder. You felt Marcus’s hands slide beneath your shirt from behind you, moving up your sides and pulling your shirt up as he went. You broke away from Jack just long enough to allow Marcus to fully remove it from your frame, feeling his hands run down the front of your chest before they moved behind you, no doubt undoing your bra as you lost yourself in the feeling of Jack’s kiss.

Sure enough, your bra straps were slowly pushed down your arms until the garment left you completely, and Jack’s hands gripped your hips as Marcus’s busied themselves with pawing at your breasts.

Something you’d noticed in your time with your boys was how different their styles were in the bedroom. Jack tended to take the lead in most cases, even if you or Marcus were technically the ones in charge. Meanwhile, Marcus tended to be softer, more subdued. Marcus took his time, while Jack tended to get right down to business unless he wanted to tease. These differences became more pronounced the longer they were away - Jack would come home with a hunger for you, needing you as soon as he could have you, just to prove to himself you were still there. Marcus would come back needing to decompress, as if he used lovemaking as a way to relax after a lengthy mission.

This scenario was no different, with Jack tasting into you and pulling your hips towards him, already hard beneath his jeans, while Marcus carefully kneaded your breasts and laved his lips along your neck. You had no doubt that he was already just as aroused as Jack was, but Marcus tended to move slowly, savoring the moment almost.

One of Jack’s hands slid around to your front, pushing its way past the waistband of your pants and teasing through your folds. You let your body lean itself back against Marcus’s chest, a pleased hum coming from behind you as you did so.

“Feel good, sweetheart?” Jack asked lowly, grinning as you nodded in response. He continued to run his fingers along your slit, intermittently circling your clit as he did so.

“More,” you breathed, “please.”

“Alright, alright,” Jack said, a teasing lilt to his voice, “lets get these pants off’a you first, though.”

As if he could read Jack’s mind, Marcus’s hands left your breasts and took it upon themselves to pull your pants and underwear down in one fluid motion. Jack knelt down, helping to pull them off the rest of the way before keeping you steady as you stepped out of them.

But instead of standing back up, he instead lifted one of your legs over his shoulders, and buried his face in your heat, wrenching a surprised cry from you as you reached back and tangled a hand in Marcus’s hair to ground yourself.

Jack wasted no time in taking you in, thrusting his tongue into your heat almost immediately upon making contact. His hands slid up the backs of your thighs and to your ass, kneading your skin as his fingers also brushed against Marcus’s still-covered erection at the same time. You felt Marcus’s hips stutter against you, no doubt chasing the friction that Jack was minimally providing.

Meanwhile, you were far too invested in the feeling of his tongue lapping at your clit, causing you to chase after your peak at a rapid pace. Marcus’s hands were still on your breasts, tweaking your nipples as he kissed along the side of your neck and breathed praises into your ear.

“Good girl,” he murmured, “letting us take care of you like this. Bet it feels good, doesn’t it?”

You nodded feverishly, the coil in your stomach growing tighter with every flick of Jack’s tongue. Just then, you felt one of his hands leave your ass, coming around to dip two fingers into your pussy. He curled them within you, stroking at your walls at the perfect angle while he continued to stimulate your clit. You could feel your orgasm approaching, signaling as much to Jack by winding a hand into his hair and pulling his face impossibly closer to your core. A low chuckle emanated from him, and he increased his pace just enough to cause you to fall apart on his tongue and fingers.

It had been so long since you’d felt such a rush. The kind of rush that only your boys could give you. You cried out, your head falling back on to Marcus’s shoulder as your hips jerked in Jack’s hold. He worked you through your orgasm, slowing his pace to help you come down enough for him to stand back up and help support you on your wobbling legs.

“How was that, sugar?” He asked in a low tone, “Bet you haven’t cum like that since we left, have you?”

You shook your head with a blissed-out smile, suddenly feeling soft and pliable in their hands. But your boys weren’t done quite yet. Not by a long shot.

They helped you to your shared bed, laying you down upon it as they helped each other undress. They took their time, allowing you to come back to yourself more while giving you a show at the same time. When they were as bare as you were, they climbed into bed with you, turning you on your side to face Marcus while Jack brought your back to his chest from behind you.

“Marcus is gonna take you first, sweetheart,” Jack said, kissing the back of your neck as he helped you lift your leg over Marcus’s hip, “then it’ll be my turn. That sound okay?”

“Yeah,” you responded, looking at Marcus with a soft smile, “that sounds perfect.”

Marcus threw you a smitten smile, then reached down to line himself with your entrance before gently pushing into you. The breathy sigh you emitted in response mixed with Marcus’s low, satisfied groan, and once he was fully within you, he kissed you, running a hand up the arm that Jack had slung around your middle.

His thrusts were slow at first, gentle rolls of his hips as he recommitted your body to memory after his time away. You felt Jack’s lips against the back of tour neck, as well as his length against your ass as he rolled his own hips against you.

You knew Marcus wouldn’t last long, a true testament to just how the distance had effected him while he was away. After a time, he began to whine softly, mumbling disjointed praises against your lips. His pace stuttered, and he looked at you with doe eyes as he moved closer to his peak as if asking for your permission. You nodded breathlessly to him, placing your hand on his jaw to steady him as he gave you a few hard thrusts before groaning your name as he spilled into you.

The two of you took a moment as Marcus came down, catching your breaths and sneaking tender kisses before Jack reached for the leg you had over Marcus’s hip. He pulled it back, slinging it over his own hip in turn as he pressed open-mouthed kisses to the skin behind your ear.

“You ready for me, babygirl?” He asked lowly. When you nodded, he thrust into you, his actions laced with desperation. Unlike Marcus, who had taken his time to work up his pace, Jack immediately began to drive his hips against you. It was fast and sloppy, no doubt the result of watching you come and having Marcus take you first. One of your hands rested on Jack’s as it splayed across your stomach. Your other arm supported Marcus’s head, your free hand curling into his hair as the sensation nearly overwhelmed you.

It was then that you felt two fingers begin to circle your clit, your eyes jerking open as a moan was wrenched from your chest. Marcus’s eyes focused on you, and it was then that you realized that the hand stroking at you wasn’t Jack’s.

“Wanna help make you cum too,” Marcus breathed, “wanna make you feel good.”

Between Jack’s thrusts, Marcus’s hand, and the overall mental sensation of being so completely surrounded by your lovers, the coil in your core snapped in record time. You felt your walls flutter and contract around Jack’s cock as he pistoned into you, vaguely hearing yourself choking out a moan of pleasure as Jack and Marcus both praised you with a mixture of “that’s it” and “good girl”.

Jack wasn’t far behind, the feeling of you clenching around him too much for him to bear. He came with a low growl against your skin, his arm pulling your body impossibly closer to his chest. Once he came down, Jack relaxed, all three of you slumping into bliss against each other.

Your boys took the initiative of helping you clean up, allowing you to remain in your plush bed waiting for them to return. Once they did, Jack pulled the blankets over the three of you, with him on one side of you and Marcus on the other.

“Missed you two,” you murmured.

“We missed you too, baby,” Jack replied, leaning his top half over you to kiss you gently before returning to his place beside you.

“Yeah,” Marcus agreed, turning your head to kiss you as well, “we sure did.”

The three of you fell into a comfortable sleep, secure in the knowledge that your lovers were home once more.

———————————

General Taglist: @seasonschange-butpeopledont @pedropasscals @strangelittlenobody @punkpascal @stardust-galaxies @prideandpascal @phoenixhalliwell @castiel-barnes @mudhorn-djarin19 @purplepascal042 @ladylothlorien @meshlamando @salome-c @justanotherblonde23 @whataenginerd @darling-din@hayley-the-comet @kesskirata @maythxthirstbxwithyou @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @pascalsimp

Agent Whiskey Fic tag list: @marvel-and-mischief @stardust-danvers @16boyfriends-and-me @mandoclan @all-hallows-evie @littlemissoblivious @charming-merlin @andruxx @chibi-liz05 @cjbtw @0celestialbitch0

Marcus fic Taglist: @marvel-and-mischief @gallowsjoker @16boyfriends-and-me @chibi-liz05

[tonystarkbingo]

TSB Week 8 Roundup!

Badge earners for the past week:

Shera Thudworm

Congratulations on earning your participation bages!

And now, onto the bingo fills!

Title: Black Lightning Collaborator: cami-chats Link: AO3 Square Filled: S3 - Therapy Ship: N/A Rating: Teen  Major Tags: Implied/Referenced Character Death Summary: Tony has a favorite superhero, and it's not Captain America. Word Count: 2118

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Title: Maze of Horrors Collaborator: ABrighterDarkness Link: AO3 Square Filled: S1 - Labyrinth Ship: Stony Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Psychological Torture, References to Past Torture, Child Abuse, Mildly-Graphic Blood/Injury Summary: Whoever this was, if their goal was to break them, they were doing a pretty damned good job at it.They still hadn’t found the exit and Tony felt like their time was beginning to run out. Time for what, exactly, he had no idea but his skin was crawling with the realization. Word Count: 6550

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Title: Go the Fuck to Medical Collaborator: LBibliophile Link: AO3 Square Filled: R2 - Day-in-the-Life Ship: Phil Coulson & Avengers Team Rating: Teen Major Tags: N/A Summary: Phil Coulson likes the Avengers, likes working with them. But when it comes to convincing them to seek necessary medical attention... the next person to complain is getting dragged there by their ear! Word Count: 198

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Title: Stars Aligned Collaborator: Nix Link: AO3 Square Filled: A4 - Date in the Park Ship: ScienceIronBros Rating: Teen Major Tags: romance, nerds Summary: Moodboard

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Title: Retirement Collaborator: thoughtfulbreadpolice Link: AO3 Square Filled: S4 - Retirement Ship: Stuckony [Hinted] Rating: Not Rated Major Tags: Hinted Polyamory Summary: Fifty year old singers could ride a stripper pole upside down, but Tony sleeps wrong and he can’t turn his head to the right for six days. Word Count: 500

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Title: Like No One’s Watching Collaborator: monobuu Link: AO3 Square Filled: T5 - Friday Ship: WinterIronWidow Rating: Gen Major Tags: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fluff Summary: It’s her first performance ever, but with one parent missing and the other two shrouded in the darkness of the audience, young Kobik is a little overwhelmed. Word Count: 1821

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Title: Aliyah Collaborator: RoseRose Link: AO3 Square Filled: A5 - Writing Format: Use of symbolisms Ship: None Rating: Gen Major Tags: Grief/Mourning Summary: Tony Stark is Jewish and has a bar mitzvah. A character study of a Jewish Tony Stark.Chose not to warn due to discussion of Maria and Howard Stark's death, though not explicit Word Count: 355

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Title: In Her Sights Collaborator: periwinklepromise Link: AO3 Square Filled: R5 - Third Date Ship: Tony Stark/Susan Storm Rating: Mature Major Tags: Female Tony Stark, Science Girlfriends Summary: "Um, Sue? Do you know you're invisible right now?" Word Count: 1039

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Title: my body is not their bed - ii Collaborator: Simi Link: AO3 Square Filled: K3 - Genderswap Ship: WinterIronWidow Rating: Explicit Major Tags: soulmates, Fem!Tony, implied/referenced child abuse, explicit sexual content, PTSD, genderswap, gender issues, torture, polyamory Summary: In 1995, the Engineer and the Winter Soldier escape HYDRA and end up, bleeding, on Peggy Carter's doorstep.This is their journey after. This is the story of their victory march. Word Count: 13077

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Title: Another Captain Collaborator: camichats Link: AO3 Square Filled: R1 - AU: Sci-Fi/Futuristic Ship: Wanda/Tony Rating: Gen Major Tags: Star Trek Fusion Summary: Tony (Chief Engineer) and Wanda (First Officer) get the news that their Captain is retiring, and soon they'll have to get used to a new Captain of Avenger. Word Count: 1802

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Title: On the Run Collaborator: ashes0909 Link: AO3 Square Filled: S3 - On the Run Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: First Meetings, Tony is Tony, James is AU, Fluff, Banter, Pets Make the Best Wingmen Summary: The man was walking towards Tony, and as he approached, he could see his half-quirked smirk. Of course Tony’s Frenchie looked calm and content in muscle-man’s arms, not barking and running around like the menace he was.  “Lose something?” the man asked as he approached, the loose leash zipping back into the handle as they got closer. Word Count: 1082

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Title: Insulation Inspiration Collaborator: ashes0909 Link: AO3 Square Filled: S4 - Blanket Forts Ship: Stony Rating: Teen Major Tags: Fluff, Winter, Established Relationship, POV Tony Stark Summary: “It’s rare to get a blizzard this bad but I remember…” Steve chuckled again, shifting so he could brush a kiss on the top Tony’s head, but he didn’t continue.  So, Tony prodded. “Yes…? Vague memory alert. You know I’m all about instant gratification. Don’t leave me hanging. What do you remember?” Word Count: 1418

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Title: Trash, trash, tabloids are trash. Collaborator: HogwartsToAlexandria Link: AO3 Square Filled: A5 - mirror image Ship: Tony/Happy Rating: Gen Major Tags: Discussion of Fat Shaming Summary: Tony doesn't need the other look he gives Happy's laptop to understand what's up - he does need it as a way to cool down even slightly though. Right there, on the little desk Happy insists on keeping in the corner of their bedroom even though he's got a fully-furnished office down the hall, People magazine's tacky colors flash across the screen. Tony looks at the pictures and had he not seen the title above them, he would be grinning. Now he knows why his husband was acting all weird the day before at least. Word Count: 1849

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Title: Stars Collaborator: hereandnowwearealive  Link: Tumblr Square Filled: R4 - art format: complementary colors Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: art fill Summary: Image of Tony looking up at the stars

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Title: Brutal Motivation Collaborator: SierraNovembr Link: AO3 Square Filled: K5 - shared trauma Ship: IronWidow Rating: Teen Major Tags: non-graphic torture, implied/referenced child abuse, ballerina Nat, angst and fluff Summary: Natasha and Tony both carry many scars. It shouldn't be surprising that some of them match. Word Count: 716

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Title: King Me Collaborator: phoenixmetaphor3000 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: K1 - Royalty Ship: Loki/Stephen/Tony Rating: Teen Major Tags: none Summary: its a moodboard lads  Word Count: N/A [moodboard]

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Title: Yeah, let’s do it again but this time let’s go full psycho Collaborator: Juls Link: AO3 Square Filled: R2 - Canon: Avengers Academy Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: Platonic Relationship  Summary:  When professor Fury gives his class a scientific project, Bucky decides to pair up with Tony, hoping that the genius will help him. He regrets it when he realizes that Tony loves too much make things explode.  Word Count: 1313

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Title: Stay Still Collaborator: lbibliophile-mcu Link: AO3 Square Filled: S1 - Stay Still Ship: Tony Stark and Bucky Barnes Rating: Gen Major Tags: Drabble  Summary: This was not how Tony expected to finally catch up with Barnes. Word Count: 100

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Title: Nothing for the Nerves Collaborator: 27dragons Link: AO3 Square Filled: S2 - Secret Relationship Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: Alternate Universe - No Powers Summary: Tony and Bucky have been dating for three months, and it is high time that Bucky met Tony’s friends. There’s nothing to be nervous about, of course....Right? Word Count: 1449

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Title: Baking Rivalry Collaborator: eirlyssa Link: Tumblr Square Filled: R1 - Tension Ship: WinterIron Rating: Gen Major Tags: None Summary:  It’s a moodboard with a bit of scribbing about a baking rivalry tbh :P Word Count: 233

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Title: white petals stained red Collaborator: scriptatur Link: AO3 Square Filled: K2 - Hanahaki Disease Ship: Stucky, pre-Stuckony Rating: Teen Major Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending Summary: When the first petal falls, he’s not even surprised. He’s not quite sure who it is, but that’s not really a surprise either. Only he could be so lucky to fall in love with two people at the same time. Unrequited love, that is, hence the petals falling from his lips. Tony stares at the two white petals in his hand, feels the back of his throat itch and thinks “Oh. This is it, then.” Word Count: 2338

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Title: All I Know Is You’re Someone I’ve Always Known Collaborator: ceealaina Link: AO3 Square Filled: K1 - Wake Up! Ship: Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark Rating: Teen Major Tags: Endgame Fix-It Summary: Tony wakes up to Nat waiting for him in the soul stone… and that’s when things start to get weird. Word Count: 6196

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Title: YSMIR - Chapter 2 Collaborator: endrega23 Link: AO3 Square Filled: K4 - Anticipation Ship: WinterIron Rating: Gen Major Tags:  None Summary:  First, take twenty to thirty tablespoons of challenge. Sprinkle it with a pinch of bet, and add some brotherly competition according to your taste and a slice of one-upmanship. Let it sit and stew, then, at the critical moment, add it to a nightmare-fueled, sleep-deprived inventing binge. Be sure to separate it from any moderating influence, or it won't produce the desired effect. Finally, pour it into a genius, and wait Word Count: 4907

[plutoie]

also tell me ur Greatest Facts abt swamp son in general, I'd legitimately die for my adopted disaster of a lad

>:DDDD

- What up my name is Ralen im 19 and I never fucking learned how to read

- He eventually does learn how to read

- Once tried to high five all of the Telvanni lords. Two of them tried to murder him and weirdly enough, Divayth Fyr was the only one who accepted it. 

- Used to think being woken up by horrifying undead was just “the norm” in Morrowind

- Really REALLY can’t stand naked barbarians and is very passive aggressive towards them (No one knows why. Not even me HJDKGSH)

- Actually has some of Nerevar’s mannerisms (Also a reason why Dagoth Ur knew he was him when they met face to face.)

- Feels rather emotional whenever hes in a dwemer ruin. Vague traces of memories of the dwemer and Nerevar’s friendship with Dumac still linger in his mind, yet he can’t recall the details.

- Loses a limb in his fight with Almalexia. (Gets a replacement dwemer limb don’t worry hDGS) 

- Mourns the death of Almalexia and Sotha Sil despite it all, he stays with their bodies and weeps. He says his goodbyes to Sotha Sil, the mer he never truly knew. Not in this life anyway. 

- Has a grudge against the Dark Brotherhood. (You would too if you had an assassin attack u every time u slept HSJKDGH) 

- Absolutely adores his pet scrib. Sings them lullabies and children’s nursery rhymes. 

- Misses all the dairy products that he would consume in Cyrodiil. 

- Loves netches. Can watch them for hours while in the swamps. 

- His first reaction to contracting corprus was to write in his journal about how screwed he was. 

- Gets Tong tattoos. If you ask them what they mean, he would say he has no idea but they look “neato”. 

- His favourite colour is the sort of misty colour you get at dawn. 

- His favourite food is anything that doesn’t involve bugs. 

- Tried to travel to Akaviri in a row boat. The only reason he met Rana in the first place is because his boat sunk and he spend a year or two trying to get back to Vvardenfell to try again. 

- After the events of Morrowind, he has a dislike towards the Empire. He knows they don’t really care much for Morrowind and its people. 

- Sometimes a bit curious for his own good. When the ring of Hircine magically appeared in his pocket, he put it on without a second thought. One brutal transformation and a rampage in Hircine’s maze later and he never puts it on again…. he doesn’t like to talk about it. SDGHgjh

- Actually cried when he had a cup of milk in Solstheim after years in Vvardenfell. 

- Can sleep in the most uncomfortable looking positions like a cat. His flexibility with weird sleeping positions confuses and freaks out many people.

- Despite being a rouge, he is considerably honourable. 

- Has a  t o n  of scarves. 

-  Has a shit ton of earrings my dude.

[therunawayscamp]

[Drabble] The Return

'What's the catch?'

'Dunno what ya mean, Mister Vi.'

Vilayn, halted in a sprint from the poop deck to the foremast, waved the loop of rope he was carrying around his arm at Braskan.

'This is unnatural. Not only are you back early, but you're mostly sober.'

'Stone cold,' confirmed Braskan, and added solemnly, 'That a problem? I can go fix it up th' Windpeak, if ya like.'

'No. You can take this line to Mister Eddis, is what you can do.'

'Actually, I was wond'rin. Since I'm early an' all, mind if I goes ta speak wi' Ethys first? I gots a phil'sophical problem, like.'

'Gods help us.'

'What?'

'I said, if you must. He's on shore, helping Mister Oran train some of the new recruits we picked up in Winterhold.'

Vilayn didn't hang around to ask any further questions, indeed had already been inching backwards with the rope as he gave his final instructions, which left Braskan free to wander away from the flashes and explosions where the mages were training and into the bowels of the ship instead. Nobody had time to rest in the bunks while they were at anchor, leaving him on his own below deck. Most of the candles were dead. The only light came from the lanterns around the communal Waiting Door, the shrine to which all Dunmer in the crew paid their respects, and it was this which Braskan picked his way towards through the sea chests and hammocks.

Habit kicked in quickly. The Waiting Door was a place of peace, at least until the Ancestors piped up and voiced all their accumulated displeasures, and as soon as he smelled the incense fading away Braskan lowered himself onto his knees, making the sign of the Three over his heart. Familiar trinkets framed him against the incense bowl. Ethysil's metal windchimes, Drasonval's antique astrolabe glinting in the flames, Azareth's amulet swinging with the motion of the waves beneath the ship. His own contribution lay beside the bowl itself, the fingerbone of an ancient Dres ancestor carved with the letters AYEM, SEHT, VEHK. He studied it and let the spirit voices begin their usual tirade against him with his eyes closed, listening to the noisy silence like a lullaby,

He knelt there for half an hour before someone else joined him on the deck, and didn't hear Ethysil behind him until a hand, tattooed black on the palms and with machinery on the back, dropped onto his shoulder.

'Ratface said you were looking for me. Not looking very hard, evidently.'

'Knew ya'd get here sooner or later. Didn' want ta get a fireball in me face goin' near them mages a' yours, did I?'

'If you say so.' Ethysil knelt down beside him and lifted a pouch off his belt, from which he drew a pinch of fresh incense. He tossed it into the bowl, lit it with a short flame from his fingers and watched the smoke curl around the trinkets. It took some of the stench off the crew's sleeping quarters. 'Why did you want me?'

'Ya know I went ta look fer Hacky Boar-Chaser? The lad ya made a priest of. The one what set the guards on Hlenil.'

Ethysil turned away from the smoke to look at Braskan's face, which was dark and still, and asked,

'That was Haaki? Who told you it was his fault?'

'Worked it out mesel'. I thought to mesel', I thought, 's gotta be some backstabbin' n'wah what turned Hlen in, he weren't stupid enough ta get caught by any ol' guard and none of us'd hand a kinsmer over to th' Nords. An' I thought I'd go have a little chat with Mr Hacky, like, get things straight, but when I saw him I knew it were him what done it. Tryin' ta be all respectable, talkin' ‘bout forgiveness an' shite, but flinched like a scrib when he saw me.' Braskan spat at the shrine and smiled, face twisted by the wavering candles. 'He's got the sugar shakes an' all. Hlen done him righ' proper. Least tha's summat.'

'I think we're getting away from the point here. You found him. And then you...?'

'Broke his face, din' I? Weren't the first ta do it, neither. Kid's had his nose broken more times'n Dras. Should'a done more. But I didn'.'

'A true display of Ayem's mercy.'

Braskan tensed, and Ethysil was reminded that not all of his shipmate's weight was fat and not all of the sleepiness in his eyes was genuine. He readied his own fist, hidden inside the rags serving as his belt, but Braskan settled back down, staring into the smouldering incense.

'Nah, Ethys, yer th' good sorta priest, not like Hacky, so don' gimme none a' tha' shite,' he said. 'Ayem were a warrior, righ'? Fuckin' mercy. Should'a killed him. I want ta fuckin' kill him, but I ain't gonna get another chance now. Why didn' I do it?'

'How should I know? I'm a priest, not a mind-reader. Perhaps it was your own guilt which stopped you, or something.'

Ethysil waited for the snort, the laughter, the smack on the shoulder. It never came. Braskan gave the windchime over the Waiting Door a thoughtful poke and listened to it jingle.

'Mebbe it was, at tha'.'

'I was being sarcastic. I'm not sure guilt applies to people of our vocation.'

Braskan wasn't listening.

'Mebbe if I'd let him know I... ya know. Cared.' He flinched at the unfamiliar word. 'Mebbe he'd'a known I'd come fer ‘im then. Mebbe we'd'a bin a proper fam'ly, like, if I done tha'.'

'You tried telling him and he punched you in the face.'

'Well, tha' were jus' Hlenil's way, righ'? Mighta come round. An' we'd of had Morinah, too. We'd of bin a right proper fam'ly, us three. Now 's jus'... th' same as always. Lost him all over again and now I gots nothin'. I never get nothin'. Nothin' what lasts, anyway.'

Much to Ethysil's disappointment, he couldn't hear the sound of approaching crewmembers, no matter how hard he strained his ears. This was a problem he was going to have to deal with. Offering up a short prayer to the ALMSIVI, followed by cursing them for putting him in the situation in the first place, he folded his hands across his knees and tried to sound lighthearted.

'You aren't getting morbid, are you?'

'Dunno the meaning a' th' word. An' it ain't no fault a' mine if I is. Need ta' get some booze in me, that'll put me right. Think Azzie'll lemme catch up on the rations I missed?'

The crisis appeared to be averted. Braskan wasn't smiling, but he was looking away from the shrine, over his shoulder towards the hatchway. Ethysil cleared his throat.

'Maybe you could... not? Not that it bothers me, but Ratface is worrying about something himself. If you turn up to his watch drunk he'll take it out on you.'

'What's Stick-up-the-Arse got ta worry 'bout?'

'I don't know. Does it matter? Braskan...' It felt safe. They were moving on, past the emotional sticking point. Perhaps that was why Ethysil decided to push his luck too far. 'You came to me for advice. I assume. I don't know why, but here it is. Hlenil was living on borrowed time, like us. What happened wasn't your fault, it wasn't Haaki's, it wasn't anyone's. It was his choice. You know better than anyone that Hlenil wouldn't let anything happen to him if he didn't want it. He chose this, so let him go.'

He knew he had done something wrong when he saw the tears. Crying wasn't a first for Braskan, who would cry over Nyria, the Kintyra, and the discovery that his glass was empty, if he had poured enough alcohol down his throat beforehand; the difference this time was that instead of the slow, drunken tears, they all came at once, bursting forth unexpectedly and taking both mer by surprise. Braskan dropped his head and pulled up his knees, curling into a ball with his arms bound around his legs. Ethysil sprang up, thumped his skull against the overhead and crumpled down again, wincing. It was a small mercy that his companion hadn't noticed the escape attempt.

'Braskan--'

'It don' matter. 'M fine. Lost me son all over again, but 'm fine.' He wiped his nose on the sleeve of his seacoat. 'Still gonna kill Hacky if I sees him.'

'Naturally.'

'An' I still needs a drink.'

'Of course. So do I, after that.' Ethysil sighed and stood up, carefully this time. Braskan followed shortly after. 'I've got a bottle of shein in my chest, but if Ratface asks, it wasn't me who told you.'

'Right y'are. I ever tell ya yer me fav'rite priest?'

'Against such fine competition as Haaki? I'm flattered.'