Let Me Thirst in Peace

Jordan, 24, he/him. I ship what I want Main @tenderdumpling Credit to @argodeon for header image

[eskelbigbang]

Eskel Big Bang 2021 Masterpost

Here are all the fics and art made this year for the Eskel Big Bang. Congratulations on the hard work, everyone!

AO3 collection || #ebb works tag || #ebb art tag || #ebb fic tag

Below the cut is a full list of all EBB works:

Uprooted (T, No Pairing, 12k) by @rachofspades, art by @drachedraws

When a nondescript notice begging for a witcher's aid catches Eskel's attention on his way back to Kaer Morhen for the winter, he finds himself drawn in by his own curiosity despite his initial reservations. Once he arrives, it quickly becomes apparent that there's something more sinister going on than typical monster attacks, and he's determined to figure out what it is. Fic || Art (1) (2)

These Clay Hands (T, Eskel/Jaskier, 4.7k) by @aalizazareth, art by @hobbart-art

Eskel is a shy pottery instructor who meets Jaskier during one of his lessons. The two hit it off. Fic || Art

The Empty Safe Job (M, Eskel/Geralt/Jaskier, 18k) by @iboughtaplant, art by @gods-no-longer-tread-here

A team of thieves with complicated pasts take down the rich and powerful to help those that get left out from justice. Their latest job should be simple, but an unexpected adversary has Eskel confronting his past. Sometimes bad guys make the best good guys. Fic || Art

the broken vines are an open door (M, Eskel & Geralt & Yennefer, 5.2k) by @trissmarrygoals, art by @flyingyarn

Traveling through Aedirn with his newly acquired child surprise, Eskel stumbles upon a dead body - and with it, a mystery. Fic || Art

With you I'll never be alone (T, Eskel/Geralt, 5.8k) by @dat-carovieh, art by @mondfuchs

From their first meeting, through their whole long life Geralt and Eskel have always been there to comfort each other when one of them got hurt. --- Or five times Geralt and Eskel comfort each other through some kind of hurt and one time they're just comfortable. Fic || Art

Eskel Has A Good Day (G, Eskel & Wolf Witchers, 9.3k) by @gods-no-longer-tread-here, art by @phoenixandjacob

The Wolves (and bard) of Kaer Morhen go on a vacation to the coast, and have a good day. Fic || Art (1) (2)

Tu Me Manques. (T, Eskel/Jaskier, 8k) by @etcorsolus, art by @cvbeebop

In which, Eskel meets a bard who calms him. Body, mind, and soul. Story title is how the French say 'I miss you.' The more literal translation is 'You are missing from me.' Fic || Art

Little Red (M, Eskel/Lambert, 6.1k) by @miahclone, art by @llwynbleidd

Eskel helps Lambert while he's recovering from a serious injury. To distract him from the pain, Eskel tells stories of past hunts. Fic || Art

Constellations (M, Eskel/Geralt, 7.2k) by @dredshirtroberts, art by @dat-carovieh

Eskel loves Geralt but their soulmarks don't match - he'd know. They're witchers, and scars are their business. As he joins Geralt in retirement, Eskel figures whatever he can get with the other witcher will be enough. He might get a little bit more than he thought he was bargaining for, but Eskel's never passed up a good deal. Fic || Art (1) (2)

Trial By Fire (Eskel and Aza's Wild Ride) (E, Eskel/OFC, 11k) by @janzoo, art by @liaonyxrayne

When Eskel rescues his succubus acquaintance from witch hunters, their reunion becomes something more as they're drawn into the hunters' plot. What can they do against a twisted idealist and the danger he presents to witchers and non-humans? Fic || Art

Pardon Me While I Burst Into Flames (E, Eskel/Jaskier, 29k) by @ghostinthelibrarywrites, art by @wolfgeralt

When Eskel is hired to kill an incubus who ruined a noble wedding, he finds that his target is far from a bloodthirsty beast, a too-pretty court bard. Eskel spares Jaskier and they go their separate ways, with Eskel expecting never to see the incubus again. But Jaskier has other ideas. Fic || Art

I Could Eat the World Raw (E, Eskel/Jaskier, 7k) by @buttercupsanddandelions, art by @gods-no-longer-tread-here

“This is Eskel.” He pushes him slightly forward, “And he just had his conduit moment.” After becoming a mage, Eskel finds that he's been soul-bound to a little lordling. Fic || Art

Something we bury (M, Eskel/Geralt, 10k) by @heartoferebor, art by @craftgamerzz

“Where’s Eskel?” Ciri asks Geralt, frowning a little. “He went out to do more hunting and gather some potion ingredients. Should be back any moment,” Geralt reassures her. “Ah. Good.” She hesitates a little before deciding to forge right ahead with her next question. She’s asked everyone else in the keep, of course she’ll have to ask Geralt, too. “About his scars…” * Ciri wants to know where Eskel's scars came from, so she decides to ask everyone at the keep about them. Except, they all seem to have different stories... Fic || Art

Lord What Fools These Witchers Be (T, Aiden/Eskel, 21k) by @jayofolympus and @frenchkey, art by aviixrc

When Lambert brings Aiden to winter with him in Kaer Morhen, Eskel is catapulted straight into his own personal hell. It would be easier if he didn’t like the Cat. Instead, he finds himself falling head over heels for his brother’s boyfriend and trying to hide it from a pack of nosy Witchers. If only Aiden would stop flirting with him... Fic || Art (1) (2)

A Moment of Comfort (M, Eskel/OC) by @merpancake

An attack at a brothel begins with blood and carnage, but Eskel finds an unexpected peace in the arms of Cenna. As their paths continue to cross, Eskel carries that same peace within him on his journey through monsters and men. Art

Toussaint's Finest (M, Eskel/Geralt, 9.1k) by @kate-river, art by @justhereforeskel

Eskel is still roaming the Continent. But in recent years the Path has become harder and harder. Eskel has made it a habit to come by Corvo Bianco around vintage and this year's events might change a few things in his life forever. Fic || Art

Beneath the Shadow and the Soul (E, Eskel/Geralt/Jaskier, 32k) by @vix-spes, art by @buffskierights

Eskel had the strange feeling that everything was going to change when he passed through Dol Blathanna one year on his way back to Kaer Morhen for winter. He had been passing through a town and, instead of running away from him, someone had exclaimed “You’re a Witcher,” and proceeded to sing at him. He just hadn't realised how much of an impact it would have on him. Fic || Art

Daughter of Fire (T, Eskel/Geralt/Jaskier, 4.9k) by @kittynannygaming, art by @zmezagain

Witchers are sterile, that's a fact. No female human can bear their child. Well, the keyword here is 'human' and a succubus is very not human. And Eskel now has a sweet 7 years old daughter. Fic || Art

Break It Recklessly (E, Eskel/Geralt/Jaskier, 22k) by @anonymousblueberry, art by @nol-nol

From teenage tearaways to successful adults, Geralt and Eskel have always been inseparable. To the extent that when Geralt accepts a wedding invite with Eskel as his plus one, there’s the assumption that they have finally sorted their shit out and got together, forcing them to keep up the facade or cause chaos for the happy couple. What follows is a crash course in emotions, dating, and working out that love can burn long and slow for a very long time. Fic || Art

The Question (M, Eskel/Istredd, 40k) by @eskelchopchop, art by @stars-in-my-damn-eyes

Eskel's in Ohio when Yennefer calls. He’s reluctant to pick up; he’s still not over Geralt, and he's got zero desire to chat with Geralt's new lover. Turns out Yen isn’t his lover anymore, and this isn’t about Geralt. It’s about witcher’s work. Yennefer owns Portal, one of New York City's most popular gay clubs. A Post-Conjunction Entity (PCE) is hunting her clientele, leaving a string of withered corpses in its wake. The police are doing jackshit. Will Eskel come back to a city full of bad memories and take a job off the books to stop it? He'll sure as hell try. Along the way, he’ll cross paths with Istredd, a man with sorcerer’s eyes and a painful past of his own. If Eskel doesn't work fast enough, they both might become the PCE's next victims. Fic || Art

Is It Cold In The Water? (E, Eskel/Jaskier, 12k) by @jennyloggins, art by @jerry-of-rivia

His horse is tied to a branch a few trees out, and that’s where Eskel heads to grab his water skein, taking a deep drink and soothe his dry throat. Patting his horse’s backside affectionately on his way past her, Eskel feigns a stern voice to say, “Zuzanna, keep watch for me.” Her tail twitches as if to swat him away. Fic || Art

Everything I Want (I Can Find in You) by @eyesofshinigami, art by @phoenixandjacob

Eskel didn't think he'd ever see Jaskier again, sure the Cat witcher was only looking for a night of fun. But then he keeps showing up, taking Eskel to bed and leaving him little presents. It takes Eskel a bit, but eventually he realizes that maybe, just maybe, Jaskier means it when he says he wants to keep him. Or Eskel doesn't think he deserves nice things and Jaskier is determined to show him otherwise. Fic || Art

One Stop Shop; Tattoo's Piercings, And Love (M, Eskel/Jaskier/Lambert, 7.4k) by @jesheckah, art by @moondrunkart

When Eskel fumbles an invitation at a party to come into his tattoo shop, Jaskier and he move towards an explosive love. How many tattoo sessions does it take for the heart to know what it wants? Fic || Art

Entanglement (and other words for a mess) (E, Eskel/Geralt/Jaskier, 31k) by @violaceum-vitellina-viridis, art by @merpancake

Eskel has a hundred marks on his body, but a soulmark isn't one of them. Fic || Art

Beneath Each Other's Bones (E, Eskel/Geralt, 7.6k) by @pressedinthepages, art by @drachedraws

Winter at Kaer Morhen can be brutal. But Eskel and Geralt find warmth in each other in an effort to stave off the cold. Fic || Art (1) (2)

#9fe2bf on the Shore (T, Eskel/Jaskier, 4.5k) by @buffskierights, art by @phoenixandjacob

The sea roars with a vengeance, something angering the waves even as the stars shine brightly overhead in the clear night sky. If Eskel were a poet he’d say it almost sounded like a wail of mourning, the way the whitewater crashes upon the night black sand and the gathering foam, the sea frothing furiously. But Eskel’s always hated his poetry lessons so being a poet is firmly off the table. Fic || Art

lion in the wolf's den (T, Coen/Eskel, 5k) by @patchwork-doublet, art by @justhereforeskel

eskel is nervous being around ciri, afraid things will go south like they did last time. Fic || Art

Sugar Baby Blues (E, Eskel/Jaskier, 24k) by adevinecomedy, art by @pastelrune

Jaskier’s mind slipped back to a night several months ago when he was all worked up but had nowhere to go and a mountain of school work to get through. How it was just so much easier to log onto a camming website and watch someone perform seemingly just for him. The gorgeous, confident man on the other side of the screen had been so accommodating, even though Jaskier had been shy and hadn’t typed much into the chat. Modern au where Eskel is a Cam boy and runs into a bit of a financial bind. Enter Jaskier who just might be the answer to all his woes. Fic || Art

Winter Comfort (T, Eskel/Jaskier, 10k) by @myidlehand, art by @liaonyxrayne

Jaskier comes to Kaer Morhen to spend some time with Eskel, after briefly meeting him in the fall. And while both of them seem delighted to see each other again, Eskel starts to shy away from Jaskier's comments and flirting. It doesn't take a genius to see Eskel is having body image issue. Jaskier aims to help him through it. Fic || Art

The Subtle Knife (M, Eskel/Jaskier, 26k) by @major-trouble, art by @cylin-aka-ankamo

There's an assassin haunting the Continent. No one knows their name, everyone - that is, everyone in the know - calls them The Specter. If you want a rival out of the way, a political opponent disposed of, or a strategic target taken out, contacting The Specter gets the job done. For a price, of course. There's an art to subtlety, after all, and it wouldn't do to risk the attention of law enforcement. So there's no obvious cause, no knife to the back, and the deaths aren't usually remarked upon. The Kaer Morhen Agency, however, has noticed. One of their agents has been hired to protect potential victims, people scared that they've been targeted. And they have reason to worry. When Eskel's first assignment winds up dead of no discernible cause, it starts him on a search for the elusive Specter, hoping against hope to track down the assassin before they're hired again. Setting a trap for a ghost is something Witchers are used to. Setting one for a trained killer may prove beyond them. Fic || Art

No Funny Business (M, Eskel/Jaskier, 11k) by goldendaydreams, art by @nanero11

Eskel had long given up on finding his soulmate, his soulmark nothing but scar tissue from a house fire he’d survived as a child. Knowing that most people wait for their perfect someone, their destiny, didn’t stop him from falling in love with Jaskier, the nurse he met after a hunt gone wrong. Fic || Art

Stronger Than My Storm (E, Eskel/Geralt) by @rawrkinjd, art by @nol-nol

Eskel and Geralt were friends from the very beginning. They added the benefits later. It was another way to offer comfort and companionship when the rest of the world closed in around them, and Eskel was content with it for years. Until he wakes up one day and realises it’s become something more. He touches Geralt’s silver hair, wreathed in a halo of yellow sunlight, and allows himself to feel the cracks spreading through his heart. Witchers can’t love each other. It would only lead to suffering. Eskel realises he must weather the storm inside or let Geralt go forever. Fic || Art

Full of Life (T, Eskel/Jaskier, 6.3k) by @sternenstaub28, art by @llwynbleidd

When Eskel gets hired to solve the case of people disappearing in town, she didn’t know she’d find a friend and maybe even something more. or Beauty and strength don't necessarily make your life easier, a companion and love however do. Fic || Art

choices are the hinges of destiny (T, Eskel/Geralt, 7.5k) by @lutes-and-dandelions, art by @cassandrasartworld

After rescuing a fae from the clutches of death, they repay Eskel by helping him make a choice. -oOo- A story about what would have happened if Eskel had claimed his child of surprise. Fic || Art

Eskel Vs The Continent (And His Feelings) (M, No Pairing, 47k) by @chibitabathasloves, art by @zmezagain

Eskel decides he needs to leave Kaer Morhen after the fight with the Hunt. Where will it take him? And will he be able to face his feelings he desperately tries to ignore. Fic || Art

lookin' to the sky to save me (T, Eskel/Geralt, 10k) by @torynickles, art by @trissmarrygoals

Geralt slides his hand from Eskel’s shoulder to his back. And then. Then he keeps moving it, outwards, away from Eskel’s torso, where there should be nothing but air, but— “What the fuck?” he chokes, because he can still feel Geralt’s hand, sensation where there should be none. He shakes his head wildly, twisting his arm to reach for his own back. His fingers connect to something, but—it’s not his body, it can’t be his body, even though he can feel himself touching it. Because he’s made up of skin and flesh, bone and muscle, and this thing has all of those, but— It’s covered in sticky, damp feathers. Fic || Art

A Fine Night at the Faire (M, Eskel/Geralt/Jaskier, 12k) by Elensule, art by @liaonyxrayne

Eskel has been hurt by the world and hides for refuge in his little goat farm. He's found no reason to look for love, or much of anything else. But encouragement from his brother sends him to an unfamiliar locale; the renfaire! Maybe stepping out of his comfort zone was just what he needed. Fic || Art

[magicklore]

I love buying notebooks, its a the illusion of productivity

[rainwaterapothecary]

@buttercupsanddandelions

[faynis]

not a morning person

[ndiecity-deactivated20241101]

[snowylynxx]

the ability to see ppls tags when they rb in the activity center now is so intimate.... i feel like im seeing into ur brains

[snowylynxx]

[hoofpeet]

Good morning to bitches who cant remember half their life

[chocolate-and-discourse]

Sorry, I could never be a capitalist, I suffer from “wanting humans to have their basic needs met” disorder, where I care about people who aren’t me.

[chocolate-and-discourse]

Someone once asked me if, assuming we got universal healthcare, I would be okay with the rise in “healthcare tourism” where people who are sick come to our country to get their medical bills taken care of and life-saving medical treatment cheaper than in their home countries. I was just like, yeah thats fine, I’d actually prefer it if 0 people died from preventable causes kept behind a paywall for no reason.

[catchymemes]

[strangerstarsandlands]

yeah it’s a good song dude but it’s not Deliver Us from The Prince of Egypt 

[lagaleriapopurri]

Chia-Chi Yu

[schizm-deactivated]

this is what being online does to your brain

[tchaikovskaya]

this is what happens when you make suffering a cornerstone of your self-image. on the same wavelength as people who jump down the throats of depressed people giving advice to other depressed people on how not to be 100% miserable constantly because “we cant all be neurotypical KAREN”

[ghostinthelibrarywrites]

this is the road to ruin (Part 10/12)

(Previous) (Masterpost) (Next)

Summary:  Geralt follows the katakan to Flotsam and Jaskier finds himself in trouble.

Jaskier has never particularly had anything against Flotsam. He’s been there twice in his life, once for a concert and once for a battle of the bands in high school. It’s a pretty typical city, as far as cities go. 

Right now, he hates everything about Flotsam and all the people who live there.

“I guess you can’t leave in the morning?” Jaskier’s voice comes out full of horrible false cheer. He hates the sound of it.

Geralt shakes his head. “Three people are already dead and more will follow. Its kills are getting sloppier, more vicious. I need to stop anyone else from getting hurt.”

Jaskier’s bed will still smell like Geralt when he gets home to it, Jaskier thinks absently. He knew that Geralt would leave, but he naively thought they would have a last night together, a chance to say goodbye. He wants to close the space between himself and Geralt, but his feet are rooted to the spot behind the counter.

“Well do you at least want some coffee for the road?” he hears himself ask, as if from far away. “You’re in luck, I just put on another pot. I’ll just—”

“Jaskier.” Geralt voice is heavy with weariness.

Keep reading

[perseruna]

plant mom triss for all your plant mom triss needs

[forcekenobi]

talking to your pet is like

stinky (affectionate)

idiot (affectionate)

pet’s actual name (derogatory)

[ghostinthelibrarywrites]

For the prompts, I know you asked for more jaskel (<3 my fave!), so jaskier/eskel:

- first time introducing to the fam

and/or

- first time after realising feelings (smut and/or fluff - either works!)

Really love your writing, thanks for all the amazing fics!

Jaskier has dreamed of visiting Kaer Morhen since the first time Geralt told him about the Wolf School’s keep nearly a decade ago. He’s fascinated by the idea of seeing where his best friend grew up, especially given how tight-lipped Geralt is with details about his childhood. Plus, he’s always been curious about the other witchers, Geralt’s friends and brothers-in-arms. Geralt hasn’t told him much, but the details his friend has deigned to share have been intriguing.

So Jaskier has always expected that someday, he would get to see Kaer Morhen. He just expected to be making the climb with a different witcher than the one currently walking alongside him

“I can’t tell if your heart is beating so hard because you’re nervous or because you’re tired from the climb,” Eskel says.

Jaskier shoots his lover a stern look. “Excuse you, I’ve been walking after your brother for over ten years. My legs are as strong as a horse’s. I’m not tired.”

It’s a lie and they both know it. Jaskier took a year off of traveling the Path with Geralt to teach at Oxenfurt and heal from a shoulder injury he sustained in an unfortunate encounter with a griffin. His legs, while hardly weak, aren’t what they were a year ago and the three day trek up the mountain to Kaer Morhen has been exhausting. But Jaskier doesn’t dare to ask to stop, not when they’re this close. He might not be able to start moving again.

“You have nothing to be nervous about, songbird.” Eskel reaches out to squeeze his arm. “Vesemir, Coën, and Lambert will love you. And you already know Geralt.”

“Yes, but Geralt knows me as his bard and best friend, not his brother’s lover.”

“You worried he won’t approve?” Eskel smirks.

“I wouldn’t, if I were him.” After all, how many towns have they been run out of because Jaskier couldn’t help but woo the married barmaid or the alderman’s handsome son? How many times has Geralt had to fish Jaskier out of trouble because he thought with his cock and it led him astray? If any of Jaskier’s siblings brought home someone like Jaskier, he would be horrified. And Jaskier knows how much Eskel means to Geralt; he wouldn’t be surprised if Geralt pushes him off a cliff the minute he realizes why Jaskier is here.

“It will be fine,” Eskel says. “And if it isn’t, I promise, I’ll handle it.”

Jaskier takes a deep breath and nods.

When they reach Kaer Morhen, Jaskier is almost too tired and full of nerves to appreciate the majesty of the ancient ruin, though he can already hear the tunes of several nascent songs rattling around in his head.

“Eskel!” A tall, redheaded man comes striding towards him. “You took long enough! Geralt and Vesemir were starting to fret.”

Eskel snorts. “Were they now?”

“You know how they are. Fucking mother hens.” The redhead’s golden eyes lock on Jaskier. “And who is this?”

“This is Jaskier.” Eskel puts a hand on Jaskier’s shoulder. “He’ll be my guest this winter. Jaskier, this is Lambert. Don’t drink anything he hands you, because it may be poison.”

“That only happened once, and it was an accident.” Lambert eyes Jaskier speculatively. “Jaskier? Like Geralt’s bard?”

“That’s me.” Jaskier inclines his head in a little bow. “Though I prefer to think of Geralt as my witcher, since I’m the one who made him famous.”

Lambert snorts. “Oh good, I’m going to like you. You know, I had a fight with an alp last month that would make for a great song—”

***

Geralt is in the kitchen with Coën, dressing the deer they caught for dinner, when he hears Lambert’s voice outside, followed by the familiar rumble of Eskel’s. Geralt lets out a relieved breath. Eskel is normally the first one of them to return to Kaer Morhen for the winter and Geralt has been growing increasingly on edge the longer they’ve had to wait for his arrival. But if Eskel is here, it means all five of them made it home for the winter once again.

And then Geralt hears a burst of familiar laughter and his head snaps up.

Coën glances towards the window. “Who is that?”

Geralt must have imagined it, he thinks at first. After all, it’s been over a year since he last saw his friend, when he dropped Jaskier off at Oxenfurt at the beginning of the previous winter. He kept meaning to get to Oxenfurt this year to visit, but his travels westward were slowed by contracts and injuries and bad weather and before he knew it, it was time to head back to Kaer Morhen for the winter.

And then he hears Jaskier’s voice say, loud and clear, “I’m not saying that isn’t a song-worthy tale, Lambert, I’m just saying that a witcher of your skill surely has plenty of stories, and I’ll need to hear more of them before I can decide—”

Geralt wipes his bloody hands off on a rag and goes outside to see Eskel and Lambert crossing the courtyard with Jaskier between them. The bard is lacking his usual spring to his step— the climb up the mountain will do that to anyone— but he’s smiling and pink-cheeked. And he’s arm in arm with Eskel, leaning against Geralt’s brother with easy familiarity.

When Jaskier sees Geralt, his usual beaming smile crosses his face, though it’s touched with an uncharacteristic bit of nervousness. “Geralt!” he cries and releases Eskel’s arm to bound towards Geralt. When the bard throws his arms around him in an embrace, Geralt hugs him back, still bewildered about what Jaskier is doing here. Under the cloying scents of Jaskier’s floral perfume, he smells like sweat and horses and Eskel. In fact, the Eskel scent almost drowns out all the other scents.

“Geralt, Eskel stole your bard!” Lambert looks delighted at the prospect, probably hoping for a healthy dose of drama that he can gossip to his Cat School friends about in the spring. Lambert only becomes more of a little shit the older he gets.

“I didn’t steal him,” Eskel grumbles.

“Who’s this?” Vesemir comes out of the keep with Coën, looking curiously between Jaskier, Eskel, and Geralt.

“You must be Vesemir!” Jaskier looks delighted, like a child on Yule. “Oh, I’ve heard so much about you from Eskel. And a bit from Geralt, though he’s not as chatty.”

Geralt meets Eskel’s gaze and mouths “chatty?” Eskel only shrugs.

“It’s a delight to meet you, sir,” Jaskier prattles on. “I’m Jaskier the bard, also known as Dandelion, also known as Julian Alfred—”

“You wrote ‘Toss a Coin,’” Vesemir says dryly.

“Among many, many other songs. You may have heard—”

“What are you doing with Geralt’s bard, Eskel?” Vesemir asks.

“You’re not in trouble, are you?” Geralt frowns down at Jaskier. He only left the bard alone for a year, how much trouble could he have gotten in?

“Of course not!” Jaskier puffs up like an offended bluejay. “Eskel and I met in Oxenfurt over the summer and we became… friends. He asked me to join him in Kaer Morhen for the winter and I couldn’t turn down the chance.”

“Friends.” Geralt looks between Eskel and Jaskier.

“Oh, yes.” Jaskier’s expression is that of a man dying to leer lasciviously, but very aware of the fact that his paramour’s superhumanly strong father figure is standing only a few feet away. “Eskel is a dear, dear friend.”

Eskel snorts and rolls his eyes. “Come on, let’s get inside. The songbird and I both need baths and something to eat. We can tell you the whole story later.”

***

“It was a dark and stormy night…”

“It was mid-afternoon.” As they’ve been sleeping together for six months, Eskel is used to Jaskier’s penchant for dramatics. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy messing with his lover.

Jaskier gives him a stern sidelong look. “It was a dark and stormy mid-afternoon and I was walking along, innocent as a lamb on the way home from a lecture—”

“A brothel.”

“Would you like to tell this story, dearest?”

Eskel smiles into his ale. “No, you’re the storyteller.”

“That I am,” Jaskier says. “Anyway, there had been rumors of a bruxa terrorizing the local taverns, but I wasn’t paying much attention to them, because it was the middle of the day—”

Geralt frowns. “Bruxa aren’t affected by sunlight. You should know that.”

“I think I got them mixed up with katakans, I’m afraid.”

“How?”

“They’re both vampires, Geralt! Frankly, there are too many kinds of vampires. How is anyone supposed to keep them all straight?”

Geralt groans. “You always want more details about monsters and then when I give them to you—”

“Anyway!” Jaskier holds up a finger to silence him. “I was walking home when I was accosted by a beautiful, dark-haired young lady in an alleyway. At first, I was rather intrigued, until I saw the teeth. I thought I was done for, until a dashing man with a sword showed up and decapitated her. Of course, I had to thank my savior, so I asked him to meet me for a drink later that night, as I was covered in far too much ichor to enter a respectable establishment.”

“There was only a little bit on your sleeve,” Eskel reminds him. “I told you, it was hardly noticeable.”

“But I knew it was there, Eskel, and I couldn’t go out for drinks with the most handsome man I’ve ever met like that!” Jaskier shudders dramatically. “Anyway, he ended up not showing up to meet me—”

“Eskel, you cad,” Lambert teases.

Eskel makes a rude hand gesture.

“Because there were a whole nest of bruxae and when he got grievously injured fighting them—”

“Just a flesh wound.”

“If I can see your bone, it isn’t a flesh wound, witcher. I just happened to be walking home and stumbled across the scene—”

“So you heard a rumor about a witcher fighting a nest of bruxae and went to investigate,” Geralt says dryly.

Eskel nods. “Exactly. Nearly got himself eaten by another bruxa too.”

“Sounds about right.”

Jaskier sputters. “I took a calculated risk, and aren’t you glad I did, Eskel? He was in no state to travel, so I offered to let him recuperate in my faculty lodgings. He stayed for three days to heal…” The bard’s smile turns downright wolfish. “And then for another two weeks so we could get better acquainted. The rest is history.”

Eskel can feel a flush rising on his cheeks. Lambert cackles, while Coën and Vesemir both try to hide their amused expressions behind their drinks. Geralt still looks confused as he glances between Eskel and Jaskier. Rising to his feet, he says, “Going to go get another cask of White Gull. Want to come help, Eskel?”

There’s no way Geralt actually needs help selecting a cask of White Gull, but Eskel isn’t going to discourage his brother’s attempt to be subtle. He bends to press a kiss to Jaskier’s furrowed brow, then follows Geralt down the hall to the distillery.

“So, Jaskier,” Geralt says as soon as the door closes behind them.

Eskel sighs. “I’m not going to get between you and your bard, Geralt. Your friendship is important to Jaskier and I respect that.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Geralt turns to Eskel, crossing his arms over his chest. “Jaskier… he cares a lot.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“You hurt him, I’ll throw you off a tower.”

Eskel chuckles. “You know, he was worried you’d say the same thing to him.”

“I am. Going to have the same talk with him later. He hurts you and I’ll throw him out a window.”

Eskel reaches out to squeeze his brother’s shoulder, feeling impossibly fond of Geralt and Jaskier and his whole family. “You don’t need to worry about me, Wolf. Or Jaskier. We mean a lot to each other. Wouldn’t have brought him here if that weren’t the case. No one’s going to get hurt.”

“Hm. Better not.”

Eskel’s lips twitch. Ever since he asked Jaskier to accompany him to Kaer Morhen, he’s been worried. Worried that Geralt would react badly to Eskel showing up with his best friend, worried that Lambert, Coën, and Vesemir wouldn’t be welcoming to the bard, worried that Jaskier would hate the drafty old castle. But now that he’s here, he sees that there was nothing to worry about. Jaskier has only been here for a few hours, and it already feels like he belongs here.

Like he belongs with Eskel.

Eskel knows it’s going to be a damn good winter.

***

Tag list: @maya-the-yellow-bee @kueble @buttercupsanddandelions

[ghostinthelibrarywrites]

For the prompts, I know you asked for more jaskel (<3 my fave!), so jaskier/eskel:

- first time introducing to the fam

and/or

- first time after realising feelings (smut and/or fluff - either works!)

Really love your writing, thanks for all the amazing fics!

Jaskier has dreamed of visiting Kaer Morhen since the first time Geralt told him about the Wolf School’s keep nearly a decade ago. He’s fascinated by the idea of seeing where his best friend grew up, especially given how tight-lipped Geralt is with details about his childhood. Plus, he’s always been curious about the other witchers, Geralt’s friends and brothers-in-arms. Geralt hasn’t told him much, but the details his friend has deigned to share have been intriguing.

So Jaskier has always expected that someday, he would get to see Kaer Morhen. He just expected to be making the climb with a different witcher than the one currently walking alongside him

“I can’t tell if your heart is beating so hard because you’re nervous or because you’re tired from the climb,” Eskel says.

Jaskier shoots his lover a stern look. “Excuse you, I’ve been walking after your brother for over ten years. My legs are as strong as a horse’s. I’m not tired.”

It’s a lie and they both know it. Jaskier took a year off of traveling the Path with Geralt to teach at Oxenfurt and heal from a shoulder injury he sustained in an unfortunate encounter with a griffin. His legs, while hardly weak, aren’t what they were a year ago and the three day trek up the mountain to Kaer Morhen has been exhausting. But Jaskier doesn’t dare to ask to stop, not when they’re this close. He might not be able to start moving again.

“You have nothing to be nervous about, songbird.” Eskel reaches out to squeeze his arm. “Vesemir, Coën, and Lambert will love you. And you already know Geralt.”

“Yes, but Geralt knows me as his bard and best friend, not his brother’s lover.”

“You worried he won’t approve?” Eskel smirks.

“I wouldn’t, if I were him.” After all, how many towns have they been run out of because Jaskier couldn’t help but woo the married barmaid or the alderman’s handsome son? How many times has Geralt had to fish Jaskier out of trouble because he thought with his cock and it led him astray? If any of Jaskier’s siblings brought home someone like Jaskier, he would be horrified. And Jaskier knows how much Eskel means to Geralt; he wouldn’t be surprised if Geralt pushes him off a cliff the minute he realizes why Jaskier is here.

“It will be fine,” Eskel says. “And if it isn’t, I promise, I’ll handle it.”

Jaskier takes a deep breath and nods.

When they reach Kaer Morhen, Jaskier is almost too tired and full of nerves to appreciate the majesty of the ancient ruin, though he can already hear the tunes of several nascent songs rattling around in his head.

“Eskel!” A tall, redheaded man comes striding towards him. “You took long enough! Geralt and Vesemir were starting to fret.”

Eskel snorts. “Were they now?”

“You know how they are. Fucking mother hens.” The redhead’s golden eyes lock on Jaskier. “And who is this?”

“This is Jaskier.” Eskel puts a hand on Jaskier’s shoulder. “He’ll be my guest this winter. Jaskier, this is Lambert. Don’t drink anything he hands you, because it may be poison.”

“That only happened once, and it was an accident.” Lambert eyes Jaskier speculatively. “Jaskier? Like Geralt’s bard?”

“That’s me.” Jaskier inclines his head in a little bow. “Though I prefer to think of Geralt as my witcher, since I’m the one who made him famous.”

Lambert snorts. “Oh good, I’m going to like you. You know, I had a fight with an alp last month that would make for a great song—”

***

Geralt is in the kitchen with Coën, dressing the deer they caught for dinner, when he hears Lambert’s voice outside, followed by the familiar rumble of Eskel’s. Geralt lets out a relieved breath. Eskel is normally the first one of them to return to Kaer Morhen for the winter and Geralt has been growing increasingly on edge the longer they’ve had to wait for his arrival. But if Eskel is here, it means all five of them made it home for the winter once again.

And then Geralt hears a burst of familiar laughter and his head snaps up.

Coën glances towards the window. “Who is that?”

Geralt must have imagined it, he thinks at first. After all, it’s been over a year since he last saw his friend, when he dropped Jaskier off at Oxenfurt at the beginning of the previous winter. He kept meaning to get to Oxenfurt this year to visit, but his travels westward were slowed by contracts and injuries and bad weather and before he knew it, it was time to head back to Kaer Morhen for the winter.

And then he hears Jaskier’s voice say, loud and clear, “I’m not saying that isn’t a song-worthy tale, Lambert, I’m just saying that a witcher of your skill surely has plenty of stories, and I’ll need to hear more of them before I can decide—”

Geralt wipes his bloody hands off on a rag and goes outside to see Eskel and Lambert crossing the courtyard with Jaskier between them. The bard is lacking his usual spring to his step— the climb up the mountain will do that to anyone— but he’s smiling and pink-cheeked. And he’s arm in arm with Eskel, leaning against Geralt’s brother with easy familiarity.

When Jaskier sees Geralt, his usual beaming smile crosses his face, though it’s touched with an uncharacteristic bit of nervousness. “Geralt!” he cries and releases Eskel’s arm to bound towards Geralt. When the bard throws his arms around him in an embrace, Geralt hugs him back, still bewildered about what Jaskier is doing here. Under the cloying scents of Jaskier’s floral perfume, he smells like sweat and horses and Eskel. In fact, the Eskel scent almost drowns out all the other scents.

“Geralt, Eskel stole your bard!” Lambert looks delighted at the prospect, probably hoping for a healthy dose of drama that he can gossip to his Cat School friends about in the spring. Lambert only becomes more of a little shit the older he gets.

“I didn’t steal him,” Eskel grumbles.

“Who’s this?” Vesemir comes out of the keep with Coën, looking curiously between Jaskier, Eskel, and Geralt.

“You must be Vesemir!” Jaskier looks delighted, like a child on Yule. “Oh, I’ve heard so much about you from Eskel. And a bit from Geralt, though he’s not as chatty.”

Geralt meets Eskel’s gaze and mouths “chatty?” Eskel only shrugs.

“It’s a delight to meet you, sir,” Jaskier prattles on. “I’m Jaskier the bard, also known as Dandelion, also known as Julian Alfred—”

“You wrote ‘Toss a Coin,’” Vesemir says dryly.

“Among many, many other songs. You may have heard—”

“What are you doing with Geralt’s bard, Eskel?” Vesemir asks.

“You’re not in trouble, are you?” Geralt frowns down at Jaskier. He only left the bard alone for a year, how much trouble could he have gotten in?

“Of course not!” Jaskier puffs up like an offended bluejay. “Eskel and I met in Oxenfurt over the summer and we became… friends. He asked me to join him in Kaer Morhen for the winter and I couldn’t turn down the chance.”

“Friends.” Geralt looks between Eskel and Jaskier.

“Oh, yes.” Jaskier’s expression is that of a man dying to leer lasciviously, but very aware of the fact that his paramour’s superhumanly strong father figure is standing only a few feet away. “Eskel is a dear, dear friend.”

Eskel snorts and rolls his eyes. “Come on, let’s get inside. The songbird and I both need baths and something to eat. We can tell you the whole story later.”

***

“It was a dark and stormy night…”

“It was mid-afternoon.” As they’ve been sleeping together for six months, Eskel is used to Jaskier’s penchant for dramatics. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy messing with his lover.

Jaskier gives him a stern sidelong look. “It was a dark and stormy mid-afternoon and I was walking along, innocent as a lamb on the way home from a lecture—”

“A brothel.”

“Would you like to tell this story, dearest?”

Eskel smiles into his ale. “No, you’re the storyteller.”

“That I am,” Jaskier says. “Anyway, there had been rumors of a bruxa terrorizing the local taverns, but I wasn’t paying much attention to them, because it was the middle of the day—”

Geralt frowns. “Bruxa aren’t affected by sunlight. You should know that.”

“I think I got them mixed up with katakans, I’m afraid.”

“How?”

“They’re both vampires, Geralt! Frankly, there are too many kinds of vampires. How is anyone supposed to keep them all straight?”

Geralt groans. “You always want more details about monsters and then when I give them to you—”

“Anyway!” Jaskier holds up a finger to silence him. “I was walking home when I was accosted by a beautiful, dark-haired young lady in an alleyway. At first, I was rather intrigued, until I saw the teeth. I thought I was done for, until a dashing man with a sword showed up and decapitated her. Of course, I had to thank my savior, so I asked him to meet me for a drink later that night, as I was covered in far too much ichor to enter a respectable establishment.”

“There was only a little bit on your sleeve,” Eskel reminds him. “I told you, it was hardly noticeable.”

“But I knew it was there, Eskel, and I couldn’t go out for drinks with the most handsome man I’ve ever met like that!” Jaskier shudders dramatically. “Anyway, he ended up not showing up to meet me—”

“Eskel, you cad,” Lambert teases.

Eskel makes a rude hand gesture.

“Because there were a whole nest of bruxae and when he got grievously injured fighting them—”

“Just a flesh wound.”

“If I can see your bone, it isn’t a flesh wound, witcher. I just happened to be walking home and stumbled across the scene—”

“So you heard a rumor about a witcher fighting a nest of bruxae and went to investigate,” Geralt says dryly.

Eskel nods. “Exactly. Nearly got himself eaten by another bruxa too.”

“Sounds about right.”

Jaskier sputters. “I took a calculated risk, and aren’t you glad I did, Eskel? He was in no state to travel, so I offered to let him recuperate in my faculty lodgings. He stayed for three days to heal…” The bard’s smile turns downright wolfish. “And then for another two weeks so we could get better acquainted. The rest is history.”

Eskel can feel a flush rising on his cheeks. Lambert cackles, while Coën and Vesemir both try to hide their amused expressions behind their drinks. Geralt still looks confused as he glances between Eskel and Jaskier. Rising to his feet, he says, “Going to go get another cask of White Gull. Want to come help, Eskel?”

There’s no way Geralt actually needs help selecting a cask of White Gull, but Eskel isn’t going to discourage his brother’s attempt to be subtle. He bends to press a kiss to Jaskier’s furrowed brow, then follows Geralt down the hall to the distillery.

“So, Jaskier,” Geralt says as soon as the door closes behind them.

Eskel sighs. “I’m not going to get between you and your bard, Geralt. Your friendship is important to Jaskier and I respect that.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Geralt turns to Eskel, crossing his arms over his chest. “Jaskier… he cares a lot.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“You hurt him, I’ll throw you off a tower.”

Eskel chuckles. “You know, he was worried you’d say the same thing to him.”

“I am. Going to have the same talk with him later. He hurts you and I’ll throw him out a window.”

Eskel reaches out to squeeze his brother’s shoulder, feeling impossibly fond of Geralt and Jaskier and his whole family. “You don’t need to worry about me, Wolf. Or Jaskier. We mean a lot to each other. Wouldn’t have brought him here if that weren’t the case. No one’s going to get hurt.”

“Hm. Better not.”

Eskel’s lips twitch. Ever since he asked Jaskier to accompany him to Kaer Morhen, he’s been worried. Worried that Geralt would react badly to Eskel showing up with his best friend, worried that Lambert, Coën, and Vesemir wouldn’t be welcoming to the bard, worried that Jaskier would hate the drafty old castle. But now that he’s here, he sees that there was nothing to worry about. Jaskier has only been here for a few hours, and it already feels like he belongs here.

Like he belongs with Eskel.

Eskel knows it’s going to be a damn good winter.

***

Tag list: @maya-the-yellow-bee @kueble @buttercupsanddandelions

[bamf-jaskier]

Hello! I’ve noticed Fringilla becoming more popular in the fandom (which fills me with joy, I love her!) so I thought for all the artists out there it might be nice to have a quick and easy color-matching guide to avoid any whitewashing.

When drawing Fringilla, consider how different lighting will effect her skin tone. Something like the upper left picture has a cool filter on it while the bottom left has a warm filter. I’m not going to get into too much detail but here are some more resources for skin tone that are more comprehensive and are fantastic reads:

Avoiding Unintentional Whitewashing

Coloring Black Characters and Dark Skin

Drawing Black People 101

Skin Color Palattes

Quick tips for simplifying and stylizing features

Lots of thanks to @muslimyennefer for putting together these links and these posts aren’t even the only ones out there to read but they are a good start.

Happy drawing!