sunxdusk

[sunxdusk]

She wasn't nervous.

Briengr was surprised at the depth of her sugary affability because that wasn’t a trait he associated with half the people living in this town. He wondered at the cause of it, just as he had wondered for the past six months why his neighbors seemed so keen on avoiding his tattoo parlor like the plague. This Niamh (pretty name) wasn’t afraid of him; that was one of the things he almost immediately liked best about her. For him to find men and women attractive, they had to be open-minded, but unfortunately, that openness tended to go hand in glove with a perceptiveness that made them shy away from him.

Briengr couldn’t do anything about his aura of loudness, because he couldn’t lose the characteristics, the habits or the instincts that made him who he was. He didn’t even want to. It was as much a part of him as his bones, and went as deep. He had made do with shallow friendships for the sake of social gratification, but inside he had been waiting and watching. Though the life he had led sometimes made him feel as if only a few people in this world really saw what went on around them, that most people went through life wearing blinders, now that he was mostly out of the action he wanted the normalcy that the average person took for granted. He wanted friendships, a secure, settled life. Perhaps Niamh was that person.

It wasn’t just her looks, though God knew Brien was starting to break out into a sweat at the sight of her. Niamh was a little under average height, with soft rounded features, curly blonde hair, and a smile that lit up the room. She had the confidence of a shining star, and until he had met her, Brien hadn’t known how sexy that was. But it was her eyes that had gotten him. Eyes of the sea, he thought, and it was true, but though they were a magnificent gray-blue, it was more the expression in them than the color that made them look so fierce and so...innocent.

Niamh's nature shone in her eyes. She looked him in the eye with an expression that said she wasn’t intimidated by him, underlaid by a warm friendliness that made him smile back. Excitement and arousal raced through him, but he held back with a toothy grin, cradling the plant against his chest like his firstborn child. "To answer your question: Yes. These tattoos were all done by my hand," he replied, lazy good humor in his voice. “But with the current clientele showing interest in aesthetically pleasing designs like flowers and farm animals...I had to step back from the heavier stuff like wolves." Brien sat on the couch and patted the empty spot next to him, settling the potted plant on the table and openly eyeing her outfit with interest. "But maybe I was right to make some changes. You look like a runaway princess straight out of a cottage-core fairytale." Said outfit complimented her height and round-featured frame beautifully--

"What made you want to set up shop here?" he blurted out, trying not to ogle her like a piece of meat. "I mean, this town isn't exactly warm towards outsiders. My adopted father ran this shop for years, and when he passed, I took up the mantle...I didn't stop to think that maybe the people here would prefer my older brother to run things."

@intothewildsea

Niamh wasn't sure what kind of reaction she was going to get, but when he turned around and apologized, she felt herself relax a little. Maybe he'd just been having a bad day or had a frustrating client. It was clear on his face that he was apologetic for his behavior.

She was caught off guard by how handsome he was. It was difficult not to stare. She didn't want to be rude! He was just...so gorgeous. Then he smiled and she almost wanted to melt. She smiled back warmly, handing the plant over to him.

"My name's Niamh. It's nice to meet you, Brien." She tucked some loose curls behind her ear. "I opened a flower shop. It's called Gather Ye Rosebuds...I know the name is a little silly, but I couldn't think of anything else!"

She laughed and shook her head. "I'm technically not open yet. I'm still setting things up and getting my plants in." Hopefully her last few orders would come in quickly. She needed to start drumming up business and getting sales. She couldn't live on her savings forever.

"Your shop is gorgeous. Did you do all of the tattoos in the pictures?"

[sunxdusk]

I’ll be on @flamexbound for a bit getting the blog organized and making tags!

[sunxdusk]

#FLAMEXBOUND - an exploration of necromancy, slow descent from hero to villain, ultimate conquest, hedonism, abandonment issues, unlimited magic, pragmatism over benevolence, indulging in forbidden knowledge & making morally questionable decisions during times of war.

[sunxdusk]

"Press your hands together bow your heads, Upon our knees is how we'll make amends-"

Life Domain Cleric, but make it goth. A D&D OC who I like way too much to restrict to just playing in campaigns | 21+ Puppeteer | Sideblog of sarcasticmercy | Rules | Bio

"The moon behind the clouds of nights embrace Our beacon is the flame that cuts the haze This hearth of stone and might"

[sunxdusk]

Lupine's Tattoos had its fair share of eccentric and unwanted customers, and for Briengr, there had been an increasing amount of strange happenings and even stranger meetings. His last client had been, to put it bluntly, ridiculous.

Mr. Mosley had been a handsome dark-haired man Briengr had judged to be in his late forties, was just the sort of big wig outsider Brien liked the least. The man had obviously been well off if he could afford the best watches and shiny suits, and though he had dressed in jeans and boots like most of the people in town, he made sure, in some subtle and some not-so-subtle ways, that everyone knew he was Someone Important despite his grandiose show of kindness and false attentiveness.

For one thing, when he showed Brien the area he wanted tatting, he deliberately rolled up his shirtsleeves and flashed a thin, diamond-set watch on his left wrist. He was also too loud and hearty and kept mentioning his experiences in Dubai. He even bragged that his grandfather mined diamonds for a living and that his family name was common knowledge. Briengr had managed to refrain from rolling his eyes when he inked his wrist, successfully ignoring the bragging and pompous nature of the smug prick. Thank fuck the bastard had paid and left, but apparently, he'd returned and still made no move to leave!

Brien was just about to throw his wash rag at the bastard and give him a piece of his mind when he heard a soft, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself, I bought the shop across the street from you."

Oh, shit...

Emotion roiled in his chest, anger, shame, and even embarrassment that he was falling apart like this and lashing out at a visitor. Cursing up a blue streak, Briengr dropped his wash rag in the bucket, dirty water sloshing everywhere as he rose to his feet and turned around to face them, drying his wet hands on his t-shirt. "I'm sorry! I thought you were a client of mine, and I...I..." A thousand apologies fell flat on his lips as he stared at the golden-haired beauty before him. Fine-featured, curvy, round, beautifully freckled, and presenting him a potted plant in offering.

"I brought you a plant."

"Oh, ah...thank you...thank you...," he mumbled and took a hesitant step forward, hands outstretched to gently accept the gift. "You, uh, you must be the owner of the new shop, right?" Briengr grinned, the tired lines around his eyes crinkling just a little.

"I'm Briengr...Brien for short."

Holy fucking shit, she was so beautiful.

@intothewildsea

Opening the flower shop had taken a lot of work, but Niamh was pleased with the result. It wasn't a large shop, but not too tiny, either. A beautiful hand carved sign with the shop's name - Gather Ye Rosebuds - hung over the front door. The shop wasn't open yet, officially. She was still setting everything up and putting out stock. It would be a couple of more days before she was ready for customers.

She'd noticed a tattoo shop across the street from her. Niamh herself didn't have any tattoos, but she thought it was a beautiful art form. She just wasn't fond of needles.

When she saw someone through the windows, cleaning them, she decided to be neighborly and introduce herself. She grabbed a small potted succulent to take as a gift. After locking up her shop, she made her way over and stepped into the tattoo parlor.

The brusque greeting startled her. She stood there for a moment, caught off guard. Should she just leave? But she wanted to give him the plant...

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself, I bought the shop across the street from you." She shifted from one foot the other a little anxiously. "I brought you a plant."

[sunxdusk]

DROVMA . an independent tes : skyrim dragon priest oc , with myriad influence from norse & eastern european folklore . written by ash [ she-her / 25 / uk ] since 2018 !

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alex kittoe

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[sunxdusk]

[sunxdusk]

'The Witches and the Singing Mice' by Angela Barrett

[sunxdusk]

skyrim - rainy days in riverwood

[sunxdusk]

"Shop's closed for the day," Brien said as he grabbed a wash rag and started with the glass cleaner, spraying down the massive windows that made up the front wall of his shop. The words ‘Lupine's Tattoos’ were spread across the front window in artful black and green lettering, with ‘Est 2013’ underneath. In the waiting area, there was a squashy, beaten-up leather sofa and an oak coffee table scattered with magazines and hardback tattoo art books meant for perusal. Lupine's was meant to be slightly untidy and lived in as the cozy atmosphere provided a welcoming and comfortable aura, more than what a customer would have expected to find in a tattoo parlor.

There was a diverse selection of framed photos on the walls, depicting examples of tattoos Brien had done in the past: a wolf's head in a top hat with red and green flowers bursting all over the brim on someone’s calf, the surrounding skin pink and puffy; a woman’s bare back tattooed with raven wings, the feathers so finely detailed and realistic that they look like a photo instead of a drawing; a replica of a still from The Road on someone’s arm, instantly recognizable and flawlessly rendered; passages from various poems in varying sizes, layered in perfect black and red antique handwriting script. Open from nine to five, Lupine's was normally crowded with people looking to get inked, but the lack of customers and clients unable to meet their appointments on time forced Brien to close early for the day…at least he was until someone walked in unannounced and without notice. 'Goddamn it...'

"Didn't you hear me?" he barked not even bothering to turn around as he continued to clean. "I said we're closed!"

@intothewildsea

[sunxdusk]

This land was greener now that he had left the city, and its water was clearer. The warm gold sun cast a mellow late afternoon light over the long coarse grass of the glade. Here and there patches of purple heather bloomed. Red flowers blossomed among the grass. Ahead of the waterfall, perhaps a league away, a great grey castle loomed above the flatlands, perched on the craggy hilltop. Briengr felt more irritated than relaxed at the sight of the strange woman intruding upon HIS spot.

Briengr estimated that should he keep walking and leave the woman be, he would reach a town before nightfall, and all would be well. But he had traveled far and in desperate need of rest and food. Briengr had endured a particularly brutal fight against a dragon. He had climbed that mountain along unspeakably difficult paths. He had narrowly escaped death at the hands of hordes of bloodthirsty Falmer. He was tired and cut and bruised and hungry. His clothes were torn. He badly needed a bath. And it was all the alchemist’s fault because some old hag was in desperate need of rare ingredients that only a werewolf could find.

Saliva filled his mouth at the thought of some cooked beef and fresh-baked bread. He was heartily sick of the meager rations he had picked from a roadside peddler; hard biscuits and strips of dried meat. Just for the afternoon, for the first time in weeks, he wanted to lie safe beneath a real roof and enjoy the company of beautiful women. He might even sup some ale before retiring to bed with a lass on one arm and a lad on another. But alas, his body needed a scrub, and the lass was in the way. Hardening his heart, Briengr resolved to chase the stranger away, but when he spied her naked form, he let out a low curse and immediately turned his back on her, averting his gaze, but her blue-grey eyes stood out along with full lips and long blonde hair that swept down her freckled rounded shoulders like a waterfall. Briengr did not dare stare any further least he insulted her honor. The poor girl was as naked as the day she was born, and Briengr felt the creeping sense of shame clog his throat.

"Forgive me!" he cried out, still turned resolutely away from her. "I knew you were there, but I did not think you were…undressed." 'Fool, fool, damnable fool!'

"My name is Briengr…if it would please you, may I rest by the water? I have traveled far, and I must rest…I swear not to hurt you." To show that he was true to his word, he carefully and slowly slung off his bow and quiver, setting it to the side along with his hunting knife. "Please...grant me a moment's rest, and I shall be on my way."

@intothewildsea

She didn't hear the stranger approach, his footsteps deafened by the waterfall. It wasn't until he called out that she realized he was there. She pushed herself up onto her elbows and looked at him, blonde curls falling over her shoulders.

Caught off guard, she just stared for a moment, unsure of what to do. Should she run? Should she dive into the lake to hide? She sat up and reached for her dress, holding it in front of herself to cover herself. She wasn't embarrassed by being nude, but she knew it bothered other people.

Whoever this stranger was, he was beautiful. She couldn't help but notice that. Still, she felt a little anxious. Meeting a stranger out in the woods...it could end badly.

"Who are you?"

[sunxdusk]

"Press your hands together bow your heads, Upon our knees is how we'll make amends-"

Life Domain Cleric, but make it goth. A D&D OC who I like way too much to restrict to just playing in campaigns | 21+ Puppeteer | Sideblog of sarcasticmercy | Rules | Bio

"The moon behind the clouds of nights embrace Our beacon is the flame that cuts the haze This hearth of stone and might"

[sunxdusk]

Hardy evergreen trees lined the steep slopes of the narrow vale, like stubble on the upturned face of a giant Nord. High to the right, a waterfall made a series of spectacular leaps over hundred-foot drops until it plunged into the small lake at the valley’s center. The mountains framed the valley and Briengr had to crane his neck upwards to see their peaks, squinting his blue-green eyes as the sun's rays danced across his face.

Looking down the vale was like looking down at the sight of a sword or a crossbow, the eye focused by the line of grey peaks marching like soldiers into the distance. Here the sweet aroma of Lavender mingled with Ninroot and Deathbell. Tangled thorny bushes fought with each other for space, the flower heads like the helmets of warring soldiers of bright colors. He wondered if there were any Purple Mountain Flowers present, then remembered what the old hag from the Reach had told him about where the magical ingredient had to be picked.

A flicker of movement attracted his eye as the head of a huge elk, as high at the shoulder as a man, emerged from bushes overlooking a ledge of rock fifty yards above him. It gazed down warily as if judging whether it was safe to come down for water. Briengr eyed the mighty sweep of its formidable antlers with respect and greed, itching to sink an arrow into its eye for a chance to skin it for its meat and fur. As the clouds parted, shafts of sunlight illuminated the valley. The chatter of birdsong reached his pointy ears and mingled with the muted roar of the falling water.

Briengr bent to pick up a pine cone, enjoying the scaly roughness of its serrated edges beneath his fingers. For a moment the beauty of the scene held him enthralled.

Even his thoughts of gorging himself on elk meat evaporated. He felt relaxed and at peace, and the pain of his tired body temporarily vanished. He was glad he had seen this place, that all the steps of his long journey had brought him here. He knew he would be one of the few men who ever saw this valley. The thought pleased him. The presence of the elk was an omen of good fortune to come. It made the scene look like a perfectly composed landscape painting. Then it struck him that perhaps it was rather odd that he could smell the scent of another within this glade of serenity…a stranger. Then a blast of sea salt echoed down his nostrils and before it had faded the knowledge filtered into Briengr's brain that he was not alone. Someone was here...

"Hello?" Briengr caught sight of a pale shape near the large pool of water, splayed out and lazing under the sun like a content cat. A woman? Frowning, Brien took several steps forward and then stopped, not wanting to frighten the lass…or provoke her into plunging a dagger into his eye. "Lass?" he called out softly. "Am I intruding?"

@intothewildsea

@sunxdusk liked for a starter.

Sometimes, Niamh like to travel a little further inland to explore, and that was how she came across a beautiful pool with a waterfall. There were some large, flat rocks near it - perfect for sunbathing - and she happily sprawled out on one.

No one was around, so she wasn't worried about being seen. She stripped off her clothes and pelt and lay them aside. The sun was warm on her freckled skin.

She rolled over onto her stomach and lay her head on her arms, contemplating taking a nap. The sound of the waterfall was soothing as well, adding to the relaxing atmosphere. She closed her eyes. Perhaps a short nap wouldn't hurt. Just a little one.

[sunxdusk]

MODERN LOTR | LEGOLAS

[sunxdusk]

'The wolves in the woods have sharp teeth and long claws, but it's the wolf inside who will tear you apart.'

A study in Lycanthropy, Death of Free Will, Loss of Freedom, Daedra Worship, Self-Corruption, Religious Zealotry,  Dragons, War, Loss & Eldritch Horror.

                               Blessed & Adored by Yaya.