#Acorn bandit

[evilrat-sabre]

Nowhere Look up Look down There is no countdown There is here And there is the fall You wish for the End But not for the final Keep living Keep bridging You will get there Lost in the void You hope it will not end in nowhere

Close up under the cut V

[correct-minecrafters-quotes]

Acorn: While everyone else was celebrating, I was busy being dead.

[trippin-chippin]

Da butterfly thing from last night….

I’ve been seeing a shat ton of yellow butterflies so I colored it yellow

[solarzilla]

Sally Slashing Through'

[moonselune]

Hello! I love that you write requests! I hope it's at least half as enjoyable for you to write as it is for us to read! You are so lovely, so wonderful, and so deeply appreciated <3. cringy request: wyll x reader tav. only just begun sharing a tent, but no further. waking wyll from a nightmare in the middle of the night and Making Him Feel Safe and Loved (if relevant or extra invested, tav being a female elf druid would be lovely too). Thank you!!

Oh Wyll my beloved, my baby boy, my precious, I'm sorry I had to hurt you ☹ but tav is gonna make it better xoxoxox

TW: Mizora

Wyll x F!Elf!Druid!reader

The night was still, the camp bathed in the silvery glow of the moon. The only sounds were the occasional rustle of leaves and the soft crackling of the campfire. Inside the tent you now shared with Wyll, the air was warm and filled with a sense of newfound intimacy. You had only recently begun sharing a tent, a small yet significant step in your deepening relationship.

Wyll lay beside you, his brow furrowed in his sleep, caught in the throes of a nightmare. You could hear his soft murmurs and see the tension in his body, the involuntarily whimpers that crawled out his mouth. Your heart ached for him, and you found yourself hovering your hand over him, unsure how he would react to you waking him up.

As Wyll’s murmurs turned into anguished cries, you dismissed any concerns and reached out, gently shaking his shoulder. “Wyll, wake up,” you whispered, your voice soothing and gentle. "Wyll, please-"

He awoke with a start, sitting up abruptly, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. His eyes were wide with fear, and it took a moment for him to realize where he was. You involuntarily flinched before drawing him towards you.

“Shh, it’s okay,” you murmured, wrapping your arms around him and pulling him close, a hand running through his hair, lightly touching his horns. “You’re safe. It was just a dream.”

Wyll’s body trembled as he clung to you, his face buried in the crook of your neck. “It felt so real,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “Mizora… she was there-”

You stroked his back, offering him comfort. “She can’t hurt you here,” you said firmly. “I’m here, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

"She wasn't doing it to me, she was doing it to you." Wyll pulled back slightly, his eyes meeting yours. There was a vulnerability in his gaze that he rarely let anyone see. You froze slightly, seeing his shattered heart in his eyes, he was truly fearful, for you.

"Wyll, my love, I promise you whatever Mizora was doing to me, I will be doing much worse to her when we get you out of this pact." You promised, offering him a small smile, "So don't be scared for me, be scared for her."

Wyll broke out into a laugh, and he wiped the tears that were streaming down his face, leaning back into your embrace.

“Thank you,” he said softly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” you smiled gently. “I’m not going anywhere.”

You could still tell he wasn't fully content with your reassurances so some good ol' fashioned distraction was going to be required. “You know,” you began, a playful glint in your eyes, “being the scary druid that I am, it has its perks. There was this one time I turned into a squirrel to spy on some bandits…”

Wyll’s lips twitched into a small smile, his interest piqued. “A squirrel?” he repeated, his tone incredulous.

You nodded, your smile widening. “Yes, a squirrel. I thought I’d be stealthy, but I ended up getting distracted by some acorns. The bandits saw me, and instead of being afraid, they started feeding me.”

Wyll chuckled, the tension in his body easing. “So much for a fearsome spy,” he teased.

You laughed, the sound light and infectious. “I know, right? And then there was the time I turned into a deer to avoid some hunters. I forgot how skittish deer can be, and I ended up running in circles for a good ten minutes before I remembered I could change back.”

Wyll’s laughter grew, the sound warming your heart. “You must have looked quite the sight,” he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Oh, I did,” you agreed, grinning. “And let’s not just last week when I turned into a cat to catch a mouse in camp. I was so focused on the mouse that I didn’t notice Scratch had taken an interest in me. I spent the next half hour running from a very enthusiastic Scratch who thought I was a new playmate.”

Wyll’s laughter filled the tent, the sound rich and genuine. “I would have paid to see that,” he said, his eyes shining with mirth.

"I'm sure Karlach will tell you all about it," You leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. “The point is, -and this isn't going to be some wholly refined Ravengard life lesson but,- sometimes things don’t go as planned, but it’s important to find the humor in it,” you said softly. “Even in the darkest times, there’s always a reason to laugh.”

Wyll’s expression softened, his hand coming up to cup your cheek. “Thank you,” he said, his voice filled with gratitude. “You always know how to make me feel better.”

You smiled, leaning into his touch. “That’s what I’m here for,” you said. “To remind you that you’re not alone, and that you’re loved.”

Wyll’s eyes softened, and he leaned in to capture your lips in a tender kiss. “I love you,” he murmured against your lips.

“I love you too,” you whispered back, your heart swelling with affection.

As you settled back down, Wyll wrapped his arms around you, holding you close. The nightmare seemed a distant memory now, replaced by the warmth of your presence and the sound of your shared laughter. In that moment, you knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, you would face them together.

Hope you like it ! - Seluney

[fernskullyy]

you got it acorn !

-

A small deer, dappled in afternoon sunlight, stops in the forest to graze in a meadow of mossy grass and wildflowers. She nibbles at the blades and blooms on the forest floor. Her ears twitched, ever aware of the soundscape of the forest around her, yet the one sound she needed to hear evaded her. Watching just beyond the awareness of the doe another forest dweller watched, silent.

Carefully taking an arrow out of her quiver, Rowan watched her target. She had been tracking what she thought to be a larger catch for most of the morning. Looking at the deer, Rowan considered the life of the creature before her, what her days may have been spent doing. Pondering the depth of the deer's character, Rowan drew back her bow and whispered a prayer, “I know the ways of the hunter; Andruil may you be with me.”

A crashing far in the bushes diverted her attention, startling both her and the doe, unusually loud and panicked sounding. Swiftly and silently moving through the underbrush and thick forest with ease, her bow already prepared in her hand, she burst out into a clearing to find Tamlen, bow drawn and pointed at three oafish looking male humans.

“You’re just in time. I found these… humans lurking in the bushes. Bandits, no doubt.”

Rowan re-knocked her arrow, once trained on the deer, and drew it, choosing a new target in the middle of the three men. The elder hunters always taught the young to never speak to humans without an arrow drawn; it gives you the upper hand.

One of the men piped up, drawing her ear, “We aren’t bandits, I swear! Please don’t hurt us!”

“You shemlen are pathetic,” Tamlen spat at them, moving closer, “it’s hard to believe you ever drove us from our homelands.”

A second man squeaked out, “We’ve done nothing to you Dalish! We didn’t even know this forest was yours.”

‘Imagine,’ Rowan thought, ‘to say you own the forest. The very life of the world itself? Humans… always so disrespectful of her.’

“This forest isn’t ours, fool!” Tamlen growled, echoing her thoughts, “You’ve stumbled too close to our camp. You shemlen are like vermin- we can’t trust you not to make mischief.” Tamlen tightened the draw of his bow, “What do you say lethallin? What should we do with them?”

Rowan steadied her own bow grip and quickly eyed them up and down. She saw their obvious fear at a Dalish bow in their faces. They shifted on their feet, deciding whether to stay still or run for help. “Let's find out what they’re doing here,” she nodded at Tamlen, not taking her eyes off the men in front of her. She would never let them know but they frightened her, she heard stories from her clan of what men like these could do to her clan given the chance, and it wasn’t pretty.

He shifted impatiently, “What does it matter?! Hunting or banditry, we’ll need to move camp if we let them live.” Just as he readied his bow

one of the men shouted out.

“L-Look we didn’t come here to be trouble! We just found a cave-”

“Yes! A cave,” the other man interjected, “with ruins like I’ve never seen! We thought there might be, uh…”

“Treasure?” Tamlen cut him off. Rowan could hear the disdain for these three in his voice, it’s far too common for humans to push into Dalish territory looking for valuables to steal. “So you’re more akin to thieves than actual bandits.”

“We know this forest,” Rowan snarled at him, “there are caves but no ruins. You lie.” She drew her own bowstring, ready to release her arrow squarely in the centre of his forehead. ‘How could this human find something within our territory we, nor the other hunters, have never seen. Surely the others would have informed the keeper if they had found something, right? And most certainly the keeper would have advised the Clan, or at least the other scouts and hunters…’

“I-I have proof! Here…” the man shouted, and handed them a small stone, “we found this just inside the entrance.” Tamlen took the stone, nodding for Rowan to keep her bow drawn. He closely examined it for a moment before he snapped his head back up to her.

“This stone has carvings…” he looked closer at the stone and its markings, “Is this elvish? Written Elvish?” He exclaimed at them, tearing his shocked eyes away from Rowan and her concern.

“Wait, Tamlen,” Rowan interjected, “how do you know that’s Elvish? I can’t even read that.” She had thought it looked like it may be some form of ancient Elvish but couldn’t be sure as she’d never seen anything like it.

Tamlen continued examining the stone trying desperately to make out what it said, tilting his head toward her, not looking up from the smooth stone, “I’ve seen something similar on the keeper’s scrolls…”

The man who handed him the stone spoke, “There’s more in the ruins! We didn’t get very far in, though…”

Rowan eyed them suspiciously before asking “Is this all you found?” She steps closer to them, bow still drawn tight, her arms straining to hold the bowstring tight for so long the discomfort refusing to leave the forefront of her mind, “Why didn’t you look for more?”

The men take a frightened step back. One good thing about being Dalish is that humans tend to have a healthy fear of you when they aren’t expecting you to be there, even if you’re as small as she is compared to them. “There was a demon! It was huge with big, black eyes! Thank the Maker we were able to out-run it!”

The Maker, ‘Pah,’ she thought, ‘the Maker is nothing more than the human’s pitiful attempt at comprehending our Gods.’

Tamlen’s question interrupts her thoughts, “A demon?” he sighs, rolling his eyes, “Where is this cave?”

“Just off the west, I think,” the redheaded man who gave them the stone says, “there was a cave in the rock face, and a huge hole just inside.” All three of them step back, hoping that they had satisfied the curiosity of their elven inquisitors.

“Well,” Tamlen asked, putting the stone in his pocket to draw his bow into a relaxed ready, “do you trust them? Shall we let them go?” He looks to Rowan, unsure of exactly what he wants to do. He usually chooses the harsher of options presented when it comes to humans, he has very little respect for them. Rowan is a softer influence on him, and he can’t help but trust her decision making. Especially in times like these.

“You’ve frightened them enough Tamlen, let them go. They won’t bother us.”

He lowers his bow from the aim at the men, “Run along then, shems… and don’t come back until we Dalish have moved on.” A warning Rowan knew he would gladly follow up on.

“Of course!” The men shout, “Thank you!” one of them yells behind them as they scramble to run away.

Rowan watches them run over the trail crest down to whatever human settlement must be awaiting them outside the forest. She has a little more trust in humans than Tamlen; but you can never be too careful. His apprehension of them has saved their ass just as many times as her mercy. Humans are unpredictable and desperate when it comes to their actions against elves, whether Dalish or flat-ears. Once she hears they are far enough away she and Tamlen both sheath their bows and arrows.

He steps out into the clearing stretching his arms and says “Well, shall we see if there’s any truth to their story?” Swinging his arms around to get the stiffness out he reminds her to do the same. “These carvings make me curious.”

Fiddling with her bracers Rowan mutters, “Well shouldn't we inform the keeper?” She looks up from the buckle on her forearm she was needlessly adjusting, “You know she hates it when we go out on our own farther than she wants us to…”

Tamlen sighs, standing back up from stretching his legs to touch the soft mossy, forest floor, “She might be interested in these carvings, but let’s see if there’s anything more before we get excited,” he turns his back to her looking out into the forest looking but not searching, “besides, we’re already out here.” He turns his head over his shoulder at her, “Now they said it was to the west.”

```

Rowan follows behind Tamlen as he finds trails through the forest, most of them left by the creatures that inhabit it; a good few actual hunting trails aid them on their search for whatever cave it was the humans had told them. Passing by a pool of still water reflecting the ferns growing at the edges on its surface it reminded her of the times her mother would find her wandering to the lake near their camp when she was young. Dalish have always had a respectful reverence of the forest and her beauty, but the clan noticed Rowan as a child wandering more than the average babe.

As she grew she became close with Tamlen and would drag him away from their duties to explore the forest. Gazing at his back, meeting his eye when he would check over his shoulder that she hadn’t wandered off, her mind drifted to the many times they would slink away to catch frogs and hope to offer their hands to dragonflies by that same lake.

They were making decent time on their search, passing by well tracked clearings and dense, wild bush. Though they didn’t know exactly where they were going there were a few places to check first.

“Hey, what about the cave system by the old, old hunting grounds?” Rowan suggested, lightly pushing a moss covered branch out of the way of her face. She knew the clan hadn’t been back to the darker areas of the wood for a number of years. “Maybe something’s shifted and opened up a new passageway we wouldn’t have been able to get to before?”

“That’s not a bad idea but I don’t remember there being any tremors or anything over the last year's cycle… We can check, sure but don’t be too disappointed when it’s a dead end.”

“Okay fine you future seer,” she teased “but let's add it to our list last. It’s the farthest away and I’d much prefer to find these ruins before it gets pitch black out, the clan would be worried sick.”

Travelling through the wild wood is something the two of them trained to do since they were small, all Dalish learn to navigate the wood from the time they can sturdily walk on their own. Living a nomadic life, moving with the seasons frequently, means even as children you must know your way around unfamiliar territory. You are taught the way of the forest by all older than you in your clan, Rowan learned lots from Tamlen as they were inseparable as children. Tamlen, one year her senior, always tried to have the edge on her in their training, but she made sure he had to work for it.

Steadily working down their list of places to check, they cross over lands well travelled and untracked alike. A hunting clearing, empty, a long abandoned wolf den, nothing. The longer they search the more elusive this cave seems to become. Going to nearly every place they can think of keeps leading them to what they already know will be there.

The sun shines a little weaker as they continue deeper into the forest, Rowan can see Tamlen fiddling with the stone in his hand, almost compulsively, as he sought understanding of the text written on it. Rowan let her thoughts wander as they continued over fallen logs and through the bushes, barely making a sound.

She thought back to the two of them as young apprentices, eager to learn anything and everything about the history and ways of their people. Tamlen was slower to learn than Rowan but he never got quite as frustrated with obstacles as she did. She was always the one to hastily get up in a huff because she wasn’t understanding the material fast enough; Tamlen on the other hand would quietly brood over the teachings until he finally got it. She admired that about him, his dedication and drive to better himself, always.

Tamlen suddenly comes to a halt, sticking his arm out to catch her chest before she breaks their cover in the bushes. She is so lost in thought she doesn’t hear the quiet.

A snap of a twig. Their ears perk up and both snap their heads to look down the path they have nearly broken out onto, awaiting them ahead are five wild wolves.

Tamlen whispers, unmoving, to her, “Rowan draw your bow. Aim for the one at the back,” she completes his thought before he said it, “it will draw their attention behind them.” He silently unsheathes his blades from their holsters on his back, setting himself in position to jump.

Rowan follows his lead, taking her bow off her back and knocking an arrow, the resistance of the drawstring a familiar strain. Aiming the arrow slowly toward the furthest wolf in the pack she loosed the arrow straight into its chest.

The wolf howls in pain causing the others of its pack to whip around to their companion in confusion. Tamlen bursts from the bush where he was crouching just moments before. He closes the gap between himself and the first wolf with ease, cutting it down with a swift slice. The wolves, hearing another cry of pain from their pack, spinning around more confused.

Rowan lets loose another arrow as she steps out from her cover of bushes, planting her feet firmly to set herself for the next shot. She draws again and sends the arrow at the last wolf left alive.

“Hey! You knew I was going for that one next!” Splutters Tamlen, seeing his next target laying dead already.

“I can’t let you have all the glory now can I?”

As was Dalish tradition they made a prayer to both Andruil and Falon’Din, thanking them for the resources the wolves gave them and asking their way to the beyond be guided. They make quick work skinning their pelts, and laying them to rest off the trail in a space they could give back to the forest. Rowan gives her thanks to one of them as she takes a tooth from its skull, a token of strength, placing it into her pocket.

“May Falon’Din guide your way, my friends.” Rowan looks at Tamlen for a moment as he speaks, though they were taught to fear the Dread Wolf, Tamlen had always respected the wild wolves. He never thought less of them despite their likeness being associated with Fen’Harel. When they were children Rowan was terrified of wolves, but Tamlen’s love for them helped soften her view. She now had an appreciation for them, and they made her think of her friend.

Tamlen stands up from his kneel beside the wolves’ resting place, gathering his gear from the log they had set their weapons down on. The Dalish never butchered their catch with more than a small hunting knife, out of respect for the animals they took from. Setting his blades once again into their place he waves her up, “Let’s get heading back on the trail, we can’t be out past nightfall with those humans stumbling so close.”

Pressing on through the bends in trails made by the creatures of the forest the sun slowly dips in the sky. As they pushed deeper into the woods, not only did the sky darken but the forest around them seemed to be losing its colour. The ferns, once a bright green with soft yellow spores beneath the fronds, appeared to have turned greyish and cold looking. Rowan became unnerved, she had never seen the forest like this before, it had always been so bright and full of life.

“Lethallin I don’t like the look of this, please tell me I’m not alone in seeing the forest this muted before…” Tamlen quietly sank to one knee and examined the forest floor more carefully for a moment.

“No,” he replied with a similar note of concern in his voice, “I’ve never seen it like this either. We have to be close now, there’s no way this is a coincidence.”

They carefully pressed the path they had been following into this darkening forest, it just kept getting more and more dull the further they went down. Finally a ways down the trail they both saw a small clearing with what looked like a pile of rocks. Tamlen nodded over his shoulder at her and they hopped out into the clearing, greeted by a towering wall of stones. They looked at each other silently, both with an uneasy shadow in their eyes, staring at this cold stone opening, they simultaneously felt a little pool of dread settle in the depths of their stomachs.

Rowan looks at the evening sunlight dappling the stones that formed the edge of the cave mouth, a carpet of hanging moss floating in the breeze. She knew this area but not this entrance; how did a new cave mouth appear out of nowhere? She turns to Tamlen, approaching curiously behind her.

“Well this must be it,” he steps past her examining the stones as she had, “I don’t recall seeing this before, do you?”

She tilts her head, the slowly building sense of dread quickening its pace up her spine. “No, and that worries me. Tamlen… we should be wary of this place.”

“Always the careful one, vhenan. Fine,” pushing past her, focused only on the dark entrance ahead of them, “but I’m not running back until I know there’s something worth making a fuss over.” ‘Vhenan.’ Not often used by Tamlen but it truly never lost its heart. Rowan felt the same warm glow as the first time he gifted her the title. “Come on, let's at least see what’s in there.” Nodding for her to follow, takes a slightly shaky breath, “How dangerous could it be…” he ducks his head, and pushes through the hanging moss.

Inside the mouth is dark and dusty, what little light enters through behind them lighting up the dust that hangs thick in the air. Carefully placing their steps they make their way towards the end of the cave. The further in they venture the more the stones change until suddenly they are carved blocks.

“Are these… ruins? How long have these been buried here right under the clan’s nose?”

“Who knows,” he eagerly stuck his head into the broken hole in the wall and Tamlen took a quick look around, “come on, let’s at least see what’s in here. How dangerous could it be?”

Ducking her head below the hanging moss growing on the mouth of the hole in the stone to enter the depths Rowan sighed, ‘He will be the death of me, I swear.’

[fallseidol]

Any thoughts on the Snow White “remake” Disney is shitting out? I hear they’re gonna make Snow White into a bandit leader.

"They're going to WHAT?"

"I know bandits. I've dealt with bandits. I've -eaten- bandits. Bandits are the scum of the earth. They kill little old ladies foraging for acorns, they slit a boy's throat for his days wages. Snow White is a symbol of good and innocence, she's grace in the face of spite and envy; what makes her fairest of them all isn't her beauty it's her heart! How would that work if she leads a guild of cut throats and murderers!?

[rayclubs]

how did the boulder and dk meet? did it take long for them to become best friends?

Oh, it's a long story! I'll put it under the cut.

It was a contract, one The Boulder didn't particularly want to take because it involved working with other people and setting up a stakeout rather than traveling freely, but also one that paid reasonably well and seemed like a fair cause. A careles fiend was hunting deer in the woods near the Starstride village - in late spring! Fawns are born at that time, and are too small and weak to be independent from their mothers. The untimely hunting would rob the local archers of work later that year's fall, or worse - harm the herd so severely that it would leave the woods completely. The contract was to find the fiend and drive them away by any means necessary.

The Boulder worked with two local hunters, a farmer who claimed to have spotted the fiend once, and a soldier stationed in Starstride to supervise the whole ordeal. They ventured into the woods and set up camp, expecting a good few days of scouting and trap-making, but an otherwise simple resolution to their task.

Hell rained upon them from day one.

The food they brought began to turn foul out of nowhere - meat rotting, cheese and fruit growing mold, even salt got ants and bugs in it. They tried to catch fish, but it turned up green and sickly, with a rancid smell and a layer of slime on its back. At night, when trying to keep a campfire, they would find the wood turning to dust unfathomably quickly, and soon solid logs would crumble in their hands like rotten old twigs.

The strangest of all were the injuries. On the second day, the farmer cut his foot on a thorny tree root sticking out of the ground. The next day, one of the hunters ate some berries of a familiar bush and got so sick to his stomach the soldier had to take him back to the village to get treated.

When a bird swooped down and tried to poke out his last eye, The Boulder has finally had enough. The fiend left no tracks, and so he had the bright idea to stand in the middle of his camp and yell at the trees. He was itching for a duel but asked for a truce instead - he was no coward, but the magic frightened him awfully.

He had to shout for a stubbornly long time, but the answer finally came in the form of an acorn dropped on his head. The fiend kept out of sight but beckoned him with whispers and hints, inviting him for a private meeting away from his camp.

She met him in her best manner, thorny vines weaving around her shoulders like snakes, black flames of ancient forest magic dancing on the tips of her fingers, and an aura so bitter and vile it turned the trees gray.

He fell flat on his ass, paralyzed with fear.

"Keep away from the woods," she said furiously, "and leave our deer alone."

He wanted to explain himself, but his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth. A copy of his contract burned a hole in his side, where it was tucked under the belt, but his hands were clutching his swords, forcefully stiff so as to conceal shaking.

As a final warning, her eyes sparkled yellow, and a strange mark appeared in the middle of his chest - then she vanished in a puff of black smoke.

He barely got back to camp, too sick to stand on his feet, but his mind was made up: whatever sneaky bandit was killing the deer and turning the forest witch against him, he was going to catch him by the scruff of his neck and throw him to her feet.

The next day, his remaining companions headed back to the village. He stayed, citing the terms of his contract. Made two more traps. Slept through half the day to combat his magically induced sickness.

He abandoned the farmer's sightings and went instead to where he'd go if he were a frivolous hunter - and indeed, there was soon the whistle of an arrow slicing the cold evening air.

Only the fiend was not one, but many - a small group of large, armed men have made themselves home in the woods. The air around them smelled of magic - it wasn't too rare for a traveler to know way-finding, fire-keeping, or, in their case, masterful concealing of their intruding presence.

Outnumbered but not outclassed, The Boulder jumped them that night.

The fight lasted longer than he would like, and with the mark of the witch eating through his chest, strength drained from his body faster than he could compensate for with reserved movements, careful parries and precise, perfectly timed strikes. One of his opponents sliced across his stomach, and the last thing he remembered was a blanket of sickly yellow leaves covering the ground.

Then the hunters were gone, and so was the mark on The Boulder's chest.

He turned the contract in and immediately ventured back into the forest. He shouted at the trees for a whole day, and a whole night, and another day - until his voice wouldn't raise above a whisper, and even then he kept straining it, calling for the witch, insisting that he only wanted to talk. Finally, the answer came, and this time she appeared before him calmly, stepping out of the woods in a person-like manner, with no thorns and no magic, only her arms crossed over her chest, pragmatic and moderately bored.

"Don't curse me again," he told her pointlessly, "I've come to return your share." With that, he handed her a purse with half the pay for the contract.

"Why would I curse you?" she asked curiously.

He shrugged.

"What's this?" she weighed the purse in her hand.

"Copper. I got the quartermaster to help me count it. It's all fair."

She sat on the grass with her legs crossed, pulled out a coin, put it in her mouth and started chewing. He sat opposite of her and watched with anticipation. She chewed slowly, deliberately, for a very long time before she finally declared: "I can't eat this."

He smiled but, for the fear of being turned into a frog, said nothing.

"Why did you come?" she asked.

"To make peace," he replied truthfully. "You are powerful, and I have no fight with you. I did not harm your deer. They will though. Come fall, the hunters will."

She fished another coin out of the purse and tried to bite on it. "They may come, in due time. Such is their nature. The deer will be strong by then. Hard to catch."

He couldn't help a relieved sigh, and stood up to leave.

"Will you come again?" she asked in the same mildly interested tone.

And, well, that you don't refuse a mage and get away with it is one thing, but then The Boulder has always been a curious man in nature. "Will I have to shout again?" he asked in return, in the way of confirmation.

"Just come here," she said, a little irritated. "Bring something we can eat."

And so he did. This is the story of how they met. How they became friends is a different, longer story - or many stories packed in one - and I don't write them here because this is already very long.

[takingthingstooseriously]

How Ice Age Promotes Family Values

 When presented with the question “What is a family?” a lot of people may not be able to give a clear definition. But look no further because a mammoth, sloth and saber-tooth tiger will certainly help you with the answer.

 By following the Ice Age saga we get transported thousands if not millions of years ago during the Pleistocene ice age. The main protagonists consist of Manny a stubborn and definitely not fat just poofy mammoth, the clueless sloth Sid whose speech impediment is usually used as the comedic relief and the not so fierce and scary saber-tooth tiger Diego. Unlike every other National Geographic documentary the three animals eventually overcome their differences end up sticking together. The Ice Age movies address the topic of love and family in two ways: finding your lifelong partner and finding the people who will eventually become your chosen family.

 When it comes to finding the right person for you, Manny and Diego both share many characteristics. At first they are rather closed off and opposed to the idea of love let alone of starting a family. However, their feelings change with the introduction of their love interests Ellie and Shira. Raised by her opossum “brothers” Crash and Eddie, Ellie’s unusual behavior is the main setback in the beginning of her relationship with Manny. In reality, Manny’s main goal and the reason for picking a partner were to spark the mammoth population which was endangered due to the floods. During the next sequels we see that they eventually start a family and have a child called Peaches. Diego’s love story is that of enemies to lovers’ trope as his love interest is first introduced as one of the villains of the film. Abandoned by their previous prides both found a new group of animals where they fit in. The major difference between their new friends is that Diego’s consists of individuals that actually care for each other while Shira’s is just a bunch of backstabbing bandits. Their relationship gets its foundations on understanding the definition of a family and caring for one another. In the end both couples contribute perfectly to the franchise’s heterosexual heaven.

 Families come in all shapes and sizes but what connect them is not always the genetic relations of each member but rather the functions they serve within that group of people. And who better to demonstrate this than Sid. Although it is shown in multiple films that Sid has an actual family, he ends up choosing a completely different group of mammals. In fact, his biological family abandons Sid and his grandma twice due to the fact that they are both weird and one is too old and becoming a burden. The goofy sloth’s importance to the creation and unity of the new formed family is of the highest degree. He is shown to have attempts of romantic relationships however they all end up failing. What his character demonstrates is that anyone can become your family when you all care and protect each other.

 Overall, the Ice Age franchise is full of the formation of relationships which are either romantic or platonic but one thing combines them both and that is the redefining of a family. The focus here is placed on the importance of loving and caring for people despite their differences.

I give this animated series 10 families out of 10 acorns.

[nightguide]

NEW AMERICAN DUBAI NIGHTLIFE PLAYLOST: UNIVERSITY

TOP 200

ANSON SEABRA FT. RIZZLE KICKS: RHODE ISLAND

LINNA RIAZ: ENEMY

NEJ: PARO

DONNA SUMMER: BAD GIRLS (GIGAMESH REMIX)

DEMI LOVATO: GIVE IT TO ME

LINNA RIAZ: HEYELLO

PERRIE EDWARDS: YOU GO YOUR WAY

MCFLY: FIVE COLOURS IN HER HAIR

KATY PERRY (LINNA RIAZ REMIX): WITNESS

MIKEY WAX: BOTTLE OF JACK (ACHTABAHN REMIX)

LINNA RIAZ FT. PICTURE THIS: INTO THE AM

JEFF BUCKLEY: PETRICHOR

ANSON SEABRA: LAST MAN

HAILEE STEINFELD: SUNKISSING

LINNA RIAZ: EXTRAORDINARY

MAROON 5: ONE MORE NIGHT

DEMI LOVATO FT. LINNA RIAZ: LIKE I NEVER NEEDED ANYONE

ANSON SEABRA: NEW EDEN

TAYLOR SWIFT: I KNOW PLACES

LINNA RIAZ: CAIRO

LAWSON: JULIET

TRAIN: THRACE

SMALLPOOLS: DREAMING

JEFF BUCKLEY: YEH JO HALKA HALKA SUROOR HAE

TINIE TEMPAH FT. ELLIE GOULDING: WONDERMAN

LINNA RIAZ: PLUTO

GOTYE: SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW

BEYONCE: RISE

KATY PERRY: TEENAGE DREAM

PARAMPARA TANDON: CHHOR DENGE

TARAN: CIGARETTE MAN

JESSIE J: DO IT LIKE A DUDE

ELIZA DOOLITTLE: ROLLERBLADES

CALVIN HARRIS FT. ELLIE GOULDING: OUTSIDE

TAYLOR SWIFT: SEVEN

FUN: CARRY ON

LILY ALLEN: SMILE

RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS: BY THE WAY

BILLIE EILLISH FT. LINNA RIAZ: LONELY THE BROKEN

SABRINA CARPENTER: ESPRESSO

ALICIA KEYS: NO ONE

MITSKI: ME AND MY HUSBAND

JORDIN SPARKS: BATTLEFIELD

LITTLE MIX: DNA

DEMI LOVATO: UNBROKEN

JONAH KAGEN: MONSOON

LINNA RIAZ: IF HE LOVED ME

TRAIN: DRIVE BY

DEMI LOVATO: ASHES ON MY WAY TOMORROW

DEMI LOVATO: GIVE YOUR HEART A BREAK

DEAN LEWIS: EMPIRES

DEAN LEWIS: MADE

LITTLE MIX (LINNA RIAZ REMIX): SEXY DIRTY LOVE FT. DEMI LOVATO

SELENA GOMEZ: SLOW DOWN

TAYLOR SWIFT: IN BRUGES FT. THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT

RITA ORA: I WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN

COLDPLAY: A SKY FULL OF STARS

MOLLY: CHILDREN OF THE UNIVERSE

ANSON SEABRA: I CAN LOVE ANYONE (AS LONG AS IT'S YOU)

DEMI LOVATO: TOO MUCH LOVE

RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS: SCAR TISSUE

JONAH KAGEN FT. LILY MEOLA: MADE UP MY MIND

DEMI LOVATO: EITHER WAY

NATASHA BEDINGFIELD: THESE WORDS

DEMI LOVATO: 29

KATY PERRY: WIDE AWAKE

TRAIN FT. CAM, TRAVIE MCCOY: CALL ME SIR

SIA: ELASTIC HEART

KATY PERRY: INTERNATIONAL LOVERS

DEMI LOVATO: EAT ME

JORDIN SPARKS FT. CHRIS BROWN: NO AIR

DEAN LEWIS (SCARES ME REQUIEM FT. LINNA RIAZ OFFICIAL NIGHTGUIDEBLOG: HARPER ST. JAMES): WE'LL BE

TRAIN: DROPS OF JUPITER

DEMI LOVATO: MR. HUGHES

FLAGSHIP: ARE YOU CALLING

DEMI LOVATO: WILDFIRE

JASON DERULO: WHAT IF

ONE DIRECTION: WHERE WE ARE

LP: LOST ON YOU

PICTURE THIS FT. DEAN LEWIS: MIDDLE OF LOVE

LP: OTHER PEOPLE

JEFF BUCKLEY: YEH JO HALKA HALKA SAROOR HAE

JASON DERULO: SAVAGE LOVE

JEFF BUCKLEY: SO REAL

LINNA RIAZ: FIRST GLANCE

FIONA APPLE: CRIMINAL

JEFF BUCKLEY: LOVER, YOU SHOULD'VE COME OVER

LINNA RIAZ: ONE MAN

TAYLOR ACORN: FAMOUS LAST WORDS

ALEC BENJAMIN: ZARA ZARA x LET ME DOWN SLOWLY

NICKELBACK: SHE KEEPS ME UP

ANASTACIA: HEAVY ON MY HEART

SIA: FIRE MEETS GASOLINE

DEMI LOVATO: I LOVE ME

KEANE: SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW

CHARLI XCX: GIRL SO CONFUSING

GLASS ANIMALS: HEAT WAVES

LINNA RIAZ: SPECTRUM

DEMI LOVATO: HOLY FVCK

BRIDGIT MENDLER: ALL I SEE IS GOLD

SABRINA CARPENTER: EMAILS I CAN'T SEND

JOHN MAYER: FREE FALLIN

LILY ALLEN: THE FEAR

DEMI LOVATO: HEART ATTACK

LAWSON FT. BOB: BROKENHEARTED

MCFLY: ALL ABOUT YOU

DEAN LEWIS: GRAVEYARDS IN TOKYO

LORDE: THE LOVE CLUB

ROBBIE WILLIAMS: FEEL

THE WANTED: ALL TIME LOW

COVER DRIVE: TWILIGHT

WILEY FT. MS D: HEATWAVE

NELLY FURTADO: BIG HOOPS

LET IT SHINE: GUARDIAN ANGEL

TAYLOR SWIFT FT. BON IVER: EXILE

HALSEY: LONELY IS THE MUSE

LITTLE MIX: TOWERS

TAYLOR ACORN: PSYCHO

BRIDGIT MENDLER: TOP OF THE WORLD

HAILEE STEINFELD: YOU'RE SUCH A

CLEAN BANDIT FT. MABEL, 24K GOLDN

SZA: NOBODY GETS ME

ALAN WALKER FT. INA WROLDSEN: STRONGEST

ALEXANDRA BURKE: BROKEN HEELS

OWL CITY FT. CARLY RAE JEPSEN: GOOD TIME

FEFE DOBSON: STUTTERING

JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER LET YOU GO

AGNES: RELEASE ME

ANSON SEABRA: WELCOME TO WONDERLAND

MADONNA: HUNG UP

KELLY CLARKSON: STRONGER (WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU)

JOJO: LEAVE (GET OUT)

HAYD: NO NOTHING

GLEE CAST: ONE OF US

SELENA GOMEZ: STARS DANCE

DEMI LOVATO: YES I AM

TRAIN: HEY, SOUL SISTER

DEAN LEWIS: LOOKS LIKE ME

SHAWN MENDES: WONDER

EMPIRE OF THE SUN: WE ARE THE PEOPLE

JENNIFER LOPEZ FT. PITBULL: ON THE FLOOR

DEMI LOVATO: AFTERSHOCK

TAYLOR ACORN: FIRST DATE

ONE DIRECTION: THATS WHAT MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL

WEEKND: BLINDING LIGHTS

MITSKI: STRAWBERRY BLONDE

AGNES OBEL: FAMILLIAR

POST MALONE FT. MORGAN WALLEN: I HAD SOME HELP

HARRY STYLES: WATERMELON

JEFF BUCKLEY: NORMAN F ROCKWELL (AI)

CHRIS MEDINA: CUT ME

TAYLOR ACORN: BRICK BY BORING BRICK

ARIANA GRANDE: INTO YOU

THE SCRIPT: BREAKEVEN

MILEY CYRUS: PARTY IN THE USA

EMELI SANDE: HEAVEN

RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS: CALIFORNICATION

GLEE CAST: THE ONLY EXCEPTION

KATY PERRY: THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

NICK JONAS: JEALOUS

TAKE THAT: THE FLOOD

BIRDY: SKINNY LOVE

JOJI: DAYLIGHT

FIFTH HARMONY: THATS MY GIRL

NICOLE SCHERZINGER: POISON

LEMONADE MOUTH: DETERMINATE

ANSON SEABRA: ROBIN HOOD

DEAN LEWIS: WAVES

JONAH KAGEN: DROWNING

DEAN LEWIS: HALF A MAN

SONNY WITH A CHANCE: ME, MYSELF AND TIME

SARA BEREILLES: NO VACANCY

VICTORIA JUSTICE: RAW

SARA BEREILLES: SHE USED TO BE MINE

DEMI LOVATO: MADE IN THE USA (DEMO)

FIJI BLUE: I SHOULD'VE TOLD YOU

DIZZEE RASCAL: LOVE THIS TOWN

ARIANA GRANDE FT. KATY PERRY: GREEDY (AI)

COLDPLAY: VIVA LA VIDA

DEMI LOVATO: UNBROKEN (MALE VERSION)

KATY PERRY FT. KANYE WEST: E.T.

BRIDGIT MENDLER: CITY LIGHTS

SARA KAYS: BACKSEAT RIDER

LANA DEL REY: NATIONAL ANTHEM

MIKE TOMPKINS: ALL NIGHT LONG

FUSE ODG: ANTENNA

SARA KAYS: RICH BOY

LOUISA JOHNSON: BEST BEHAVIOUR

CHER LLOYD FT. BECKY G: OATH

PIXIE LOTT: MAMA DO (UH OH UH OH)

ADELE: SOMEONE LIKE YOU

JEFF BUCKLEY: UNCHAINED MELODY (AI)

DEMI LOVATO: HERE WE GO AGAIN

EXAMPLE: MIDNIGHT RUN

KELLY CLARKSON: INVINCIBLE

FAWLIN: FOLLOW YOU ANYWHERE

DOJA CAT: SAY SO

LAUREN DAIGLE: YOU SAY

TIM BUCKLEY: SONG OF THE SIREN

JESSIE J: DOMINO

REGULARLY UPDATED

[marlazlair-10061999101010]

🌟🐾 **A Day in the Life of Marla & Her Animal Friends** 🐾🌟

Marla woke up to the sound of her fluffy cat, Whiskers, demanding breakfast. 🐱 His tiny paws danced on her face like they were auditioning for a tap dance recital! 🎶 After a quick breakfast of cereal (which Whiskers somehow managed to steal off the counter), Marla decided it was time for an adventure.

First stop: the local park! 🌳 But little did she know, her day was about to get wild!

While strolling down the path, she encountered a trio of cheerful squirrels plotting their next nut heist. 🐿️ They looked like mischievous little bandits, and Marla couldn't help but chuckle. "Hey, guys! Save some for winter!" she yelled, as they scurried off with their acorn treasure. 🐿️💨

Then, as if the universe had a sense of humor, Marla stumbled upon a yoga class for dogs! 🧘‍♀️🐶 There was a golden retriever attempting downward dog while a dachshund was clearly winning at “pup-raiser” poses. She joined the class, and it turned into a full-on pet party! 🎉 Everyone was stretching, and Marla couldn’t stop laughing as dogs rolled over, just looking for belly rubs.

[helmetkeeper]

Hello! I'm looking for some masculine name ideas for a Sniper-kin ; if you want to experiment with making it earth/forest/canine themed that'd be really swag

hello!! wasn’t too sure about how masc some of these names feel, but i hope you find something you like regardless!

there's not as much as i normally end up doing, but it's still quite the list so i put them under the cut 👍.

acacia

acacius

ace

ackley

acorn

affie

alaska

alfie

alpine

arbor

arc

archer

archie

arctic

aries

arthur

artus

ash

asher

ashford

ashton

aster

atlas

august

augustin(e)

augustus

avens

avery

bandit

baron

basil

bass

basset

bay

bear

beaumont

beck

beetle

ben

bengal

benji

benny

bentley

benton

berry

birch

birk

blackjack

blaze

blue

blume

bo, boe

bolt

bone

boomer

borage

border

boxer

bracker

bracket

bramble

briar

brick

brin

brock

bryce

bryn

buck

bud

bull

burr

bush

busher

bushie, bushy

butch

buzz

caelum, caylum

callum

cane, kane

canid

canine

canyon

cas

casey

caspian

cedar

cerberus

charcoal

charlie

cheddar

chen

chez

chow

cider

ciel

cinder

citrine

citron

citrus

clay

clement

cliff

cloud

coal

coast

cobalt

cobolt

cocoa

collie

colt

columbine

columbo

columbus

conan

cooper

copper

cove

coy

coyote

crane

crimson

crispin

crow

curry

cyan

cypress

dagwood

dak

dakota, dakoda

dale

dane

dante

darrah

darren

darrow

david

dawson

deacon

dean

declan

den

denis, denys

deniz

denver

derry

dhole

digger

dill

dingo

dipper

douglas

drake

duff(y)

duke

dulce

dune

dusk

dust

dustin

dusty

dutch

dutchen

east

eden

elvis

elwood

emerald

emerson

emery

everest

everett

evergreen

falcon

fallon

fang

farley

fennec

fennel

fergus

fews

fin, finn

finch

finley, finnley

fir

firth

fish

fisher

flax

flint

florence

florent

flynn

ford

forest

forester

frank

frankie

franklin

fraser, frazier, frasier, frazer

frost

gale(n)

gardner

gene

genesis

ginger

goldie

grain

grey, gray

grove(s)

hades

harvest

hawk(e)

hazel

heath

hercules

hive

holland

hound

hugo

hum

hummer

hunt

hunter

huntie, hunty

jack

jackal

jackie, jacky

jason

jasper

jay

jett

joey

jove

july

june

juniper

juno

jupiter

kai

kale

kestrel

kip

kippy, kippie

koa

koi

lake

lark

leo

loch

locust

lodge

lotis

lotus

lucky

lumen

lupin(e)

lupis

mace

magnus

mane(d)

mango

march

marley

marlow

marsh

marshal(l)

matchbox

maverick

max

meek

meer

merlin

mickey

mint(y)

mob(y)

moose

morgan

morris

moses

moss

mossy, mossie

nash

nasher

nicholas

noble

norman

north

nox

oak

oakie

odie

odin

oleander

olive(r)

olivier

ollie

oto

otter

otto

ottoman

packet(t)

pear

percival

percy

perry

perseus

picard

pickle

pine

pongo

prairie

prince

red, redd

reed, reid

ren

rhodes

rhody

ridge

rock(e)

rocky, rockie

roman

ronat

rook

root

rory

rover

rudy

rune

russel

salmon

samsun, samson

scruff

scruffy, scruffie

silver

silvester

skylark

smokey

sol

solei(l)

solomon

sorrel

south

spade

sparrow

spot

spruce

stag

sterling

stone

sun

sunray

talon

tawny

terran

terro

terry, terrie

theo

thistle

thor

thyme

titan

toms

trip

tunnel

turtle

velvet

vulp

vulpes

wade

wane

warbler

wax

waxer

weaver

wells

west

whistler

winston

wolf(e)

wood

woodrow

woodson

woody, woodie

york

zeus

[trippin-chippin]

Butter fly thing I’m not sure……. I need to go to sleep

I don’t have a name for it yet

[bast2013]

🎵🎵🎵

you can usually tell a lot about a person by the type of music they listen to. put your favourite playlist on shuffle and list the first ten songs then tag ten people — no skipping!

🎵🎵🎵

I was tagged by @nutty-acorn ✨

-

Ego by Indila

Only Human by Steam Powered Giraffe

Brittle Bones Nicky by Rare Americans

Israfel by Johnathon Christenson

overwhelmed by Royal & the Serpent

Boy in the Bubble by Alec Benjamin

Baby by Clean Bandit

Castle by Halsey

Shelter from the Storm by The Stupendium

I Hear a Symphony by Cody Fry

[ovenstavern]

ahhh ofc!! i regret to say i havent had much time to read or write, but when i do, House of Feathers, Hall of Night is always a delight 😊

the best comment is actually by dear @thatfancygirlinblack. her comment absolutely blew me away, and i couldn’t help but smile to myself all day. i am so so grateful for her support of my fic and i truly appreciate everything she and all my commenters say about my fic

Alright, this must have been the best chapter I've read so far (possibly with the Smaug POV one, which portrayed Smaug just as he should be, strong, greedy, but not foolish either, and certainly able to cast scary curses!).

I loved the slow descent into gold sickness. The way it becomes interwoven with things the Company is truly fond of, like a parasite or a mould that spreads. The rubies for Gimli, the gold for Bombur's children, Bifur protecting the gold when he couldn't protect his family, even Bilbo and the Arkenstone, for his parents, for his Hearts...

The way it was written gave me chills. Slowly watching them lose sight of what truly matters was torture (in a good way). Ori forgetting the books that he loves so much, Dwalin realising something is wrong but not being strong enough to fight it, Fíli, Kíli & Ori's fight was very well done too. I got chills when Dori played with the rat, then wanted to rip my hair out in despair when Óin refused to help the Men of Lake-Town, when not 2 chapters earlier he was extending his help for free.

Then Bilbo, also under the thrall of gold, which was amazing plot-wise but hurt my heart so much!

Something about the way you wrote their sickness really... worked, I guess. I could imagine the Treasury, the "warm" glow of gold, how it might lull you to this thoughtless state of obsession. But ultimately I want to say that the portrayal of that sickness was my favourite. As I said above, the way they slowly forsake that which matters, and lose the traits we readers identify them with... It's so well done! Big respect for that, truly. You've fleshed out the characters to a point that we know them so intimately, and then when we get to this chapter we realise as we read on that they are not who they pretend to be. And I really want to emphasise this point, because in many ways when approaching gold sickness I consciously know that they are ill, but in this fic I truly /see/ it.

I loved Dáin, then Thranduil and his pettiness. It's not just the Dwarves that are greedy, and not all Dwarves are greedy. Tauriel coming, leaving. Even Roäc realising that something is wrong.

When Gandalf & Bandit came I was on the edge of my seat, I was convinced this is the moment something changes. And actually, I remember somewhat disliking Bandit before, but now that Bilbo is becoming /just like him/, I have never loved a character so much. I can't wait to see what happens with that parallel, but also I'm curious as to how exactly Bandit ties into this story, as so far he has played a technically secondary role...

Anyway, the fact that it was the acorn that snapped Bilbo out of his sickness was very clever, and I cheered when he realised, haha! Truly an amazing chapter. I think when this fic is done that I'll re-read it in its entirety. Love. This. So. Much.

tagging: @conkers-thecosy @consultingpacha and anyone else whod like to join!

Comment Game

I would like to start a game where if you are a writer you post your favorite comment you've ever gotten (If you can decide on one) and if you are a reader what's your go to comment that you love to leave.

I think my favorite comment, after much deliberation is this one, "I had to put my phone down twice while I read this chapter, just so I could properly laugh hard enough. Great chapter!" It's just so positive.

For me I love to comment 'Thank you for sharing' (usually plus a little more that is specific to the fic but I'm just so happy people share their stories).

Tagging: @legoyass, @lithdraug, @brethilach, @messandahalf10, @mithrilhearts

[jaskierswolf]

A Moment of Peace

Between here and discord... y'all voted for somfte geraskier.

So... @dapandapod. Here you go my love!

_

The birds were singing from their perches up in the canopy of the clearing, calling to one another in perfect harmony. Through the trees, Geralt could see the light from the sun shining, catching between the leaves, and dancing off tiny specks of pollen. Every so often, there was a rustling in the undergrowth and a mouse or a squirrel would scurry out, grab an acorn or some unseen morsel in the grass, and then run back to their hiding spot in the thicket. Brightly coloured flowers littered the floor, reds and yellows and blues, and there was a soft sweet scent that seemed to surround them like a blanket. It was a little strong for Geralt's sense but he knew it was exactly the type of scent that Jaskier would adore. For one glorious moment, it felt as if the world was at peace.

As a witcher, Geralt had never been taught to appreciate the beauty in the world, but he saw it now. Not in the flowers, or the birds or the sunlight trees, but in the bard that was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the clearing.

Jaskier was singing softly, his voice blending with the birdsong above as he plucked out a tune on his lute, long fingers dancing across the strings effortlessly. The sun kissed his cheeks, highlighting the line of his jaw, the shape of his nose. Chestnut brown hair fell into his eyes, catching in his eyelashes and hiding the bright cornflower blue eyes that Geralt knew were in the shadows. For all his noise that the bard made, fluttering around the world in a storm of colour and music, there in the clearing... it was as if he was where he belonged.

In the coming weeks they would be stuck on the path again, caught in the rain, at the mercy of bandits and monsters, and perhaps, there would never be a moment quite like that one. Geralt's life was ugly, but with Jaskier in it he'd found joy, beauty, laughter. It wasn't just contract after contract, lonely nights and brothels. Somewhere along the line, Jaskier had wormed his way into Geralt's heart without Geralt even realising.

Geralt had fallen in love before he'd even noticed the precipice. Or perhaps it wasn't really falling.

It was slower than that, less world shattering. Jaskier had taken him by the hand and by the heart, pulling him into a dance that only they knew the moves to. Every step brought them closer to love, every beat of the song was a shared beat of their hearts, their souls entangling until Geralt wasn't sure who he was without Jaskier by his side. All he knew is that he never wanted to let go.

And yet, he'd never said the words.

Jaskier had, almost daily. It wasn't entirely clear whether he even realised he was saying it at times. He would declare that he loved Geralt over the simplest things, when they reunited in spring, when they parted in winter, when Geralt bought him a goblet of wine, even just in his sleep. Those were the moments that caught Geralt most off guard, when Jaskier would roll over in the middle of the night with a sigh on his lips, and a whispered "I love you, Geralt."

But in that clearing, with the forest buzzing with life all around them, Geralt finally found the courage, or perhaps he had simply found the right moment. Silently, he moved to sit beside Jaskier. He wanted to take the bard's hand, but the song wasn't over and Geralt wasn't willing to interrupt, no matter what he might have said about Jaskier's singing in the past. Instead, he linked his own fingers together in his lap, and gazed at Jaskier with what was certainly a lovesick expression, one that Yennefer would no doubt tease him about if she saw.

As the last notes of the song rang out, Jaskier's fingers still hovering about the strings on his lute, eyes closed and mouth parted slightly in a warm smile, Geralt cleared his throat. "I love you, Julek," he murmured, cursing himself for the lack of poetry in his words, always so blunt and so simple, not at all like his bard.

Jaskier's eyes flashed opened and his smile brightened, outshining the sun. "Oh, dear heart, my darling, I love you too."

There was no magic, no earthquake, no soul shattering explosion with the words. Quite the opposite. Geralt hummed and nodded as Jaskier finally took his hand. The lute was set aside, and Jaskier leaned against him with a content sigh, his eyes fluttering shut once more. Tentatively, Geralt kissed the top of Jaskier's head. There would be plenty of opportunities to kiss Jaskier properly later, but for now he was just happy to sit together in their little bubble, enjoying the feel of Jaskier's fingers in his, and the freedom of loving someone so completely.

He was home.

_

Taglist: @geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde, @comfyswitcherblanketfort, @fontegagrilledcheese, @dani-dandelino, @dapandapod @damnbert @officerjennie @feraljaskier @geralt-of-riviass @kueble @gilberik @llamasdumpsterfire @trickstermoose67 @alllthequeenshorses @skai6 @karolincki @eya-trying-to-function @stonedstargazer666 @aurelia-which-means-sunrise @hot-multifandom-mess