#bridging

[dominimoonbeam]

Shift

A snowstorm, one bed, Dash fic for @ejunkiet! Happy Birthday you wonderful, starshine, ball of joy!

David/Asher

tags: snowstorm, I put Asher in a frozen river again, idiots in love, near death, love confession, dubcon bridging, it was an accident!, only one bed,

Shift

“You have to shift…”

“What?” Asher yelled, shivering but still smiling. “Are you fucking insane? If I shift, I’m definitely going to break the ice and go in.”

The ice cracked more, the sound shaking his core. “It’s going to break anyway, Ash! You’ll freeze if you don’t shift first.”

“F-Fuck you, man! I’m not going in!” He inched along, closer to David, the ice underfoot making a web of sounds.

“Stop!” David snapped, arms out but unable to do anything. He was helpless and terrified. If he could change their places he would in an instant. If he moved, he might make it crack more. Asher had literally shoved him out of the way before the thin patch of ice gave way and stranded himself on it, shuffling toward safety. “Ash, listen to me!”

Asher stopped, frowning hard but looking up to stare back at David. The wind was cold and they were in the middle of nowhere making their way toward a ranger station that was supposed to be up here. They’d been out with the rest of the pack searching for a missing hiker when a storm set in. The hiker had been found, thank god, but they were too far out to get back safely and the wind was rolling in fast.

“The current will bring you toward me and I will get you out. I won’t lose you.”

Asher’s frown vanished, replaced by something else. The wind lashed past them and the ice groaned.

“Shift!” David yelled

Asher did, taking a big leap that would never be enough toward the edge. The ice broke and he went under.

David shifted too, heavy paws sinking into the slushy snow and ice at the bank. He was in the river, the water so cold it bit at his skin through his fur and made his muscles tense and his chest tight. It took a matter of seconds. He shoved his head into the water and snatched at Asher with his teeth, biting into his shoulder and not letting go, not even when the current pulled and Ash seemed to do nothing to help. He wasn’t even kicking.

David hauled him out, dragging both of them up the bank and onto the snow. Ice formed immediately on their fur. He tasted blood. He’d bit all the way through Asher’s coat and into his shoulder.

Asher, he tried across that link that connected them, panting against the cold and nosing his best friend.

Asher!

The other wolf spasmed, spitting up water and twisting to get his feet under him even before he could think straight, already trying to stand and walk, stumbling.

David growled and pressed up alongside him, steadying him. Don’t shift back. We need to keep moving. We’re not far from that station…

Asher didn’t say anything but he plodded forward, letting David guide him. Across their connection he could feel the hum of cold and pain, like Asher’s head was in a vice and that awful cold so deep in his bones that they felt like ice on the inside. The wind howled, whipping around them and pushing snow into the air. It was blinding and that would matter if David was navigating by sight. He knew which way he was going and the only thing to do was to keep trudging on.

The station was a little cabin with a view on the backside of the deck and boarded up windows. David finally shifted human again at the door, flexing hands that were burning with cold before trying the handle. It wasn’t locked, not that any lock would have stopped him. Asher swayed on his feet, a large wolf, white because of the coating of snow and ice. His breath wasn’t even forming in the air. Shift back, David told him across their link.

Asher swayed but didn’t change. Still a wolf. Still too big for that doorway.

David came back to him and grabbed fistfuls of scruff on his neck. “Shift back,” he yelled over the storm, realizing that Asher was waiting. He couldn’t be sure how aware he was of anything anymore, but he had held that form because David had told him to.

Nothing.

David pulled at him, dragging the big wolf a step up the porch, toward the doorway he couldn’t fit through, toward the finish line. “Asher! Shift back!”

Nothing. His hands burned with cold, feeling no warmth from Asher even with his fingers deep in that frozen fur. He leaned in, pushing his head against the side of the big wolf’s. He closed his eyes, the frigid wind battering them from the side, snow already piling up his shins and his sweat-soaked shirt freezing to his back under his jacket. He pressed with his core, trying to reach Asher, trying to find him.

When he felt nothing, the panicked thought that Ash had died on his feet hit him, vibrating pain and fear so deep that he almost couldn’t breathe.

David. Asher’s voice, small and clear in his head…no, in his core.

He felt him. It was different than when they talked over the connecting thread of pack. It was… Oh shit, they were bridging. David had reached so far in that search for his friend that he’d initiated a bridge between their cores.

He wasn’t even cold anymore. He was burning up but shaking. He didn’t hurt. He was tired and worried… about David. Asher was still just worried about David. And David felt it all like it was his own. He felt more than that. He felt everything Asher felt, the whole web of his life spreading out beneath him. Their memories. Their moments. The moment Asher had pushed him out of the way on the ice and the complete lack of regret. He would have done it for anyone. But when he did it for David, it wasn’t just a need to help, it was a need to protect and take care of his… His…

Shift back! David urged, not like he was telling Asher to do it, but like he was the one shifting. Like Asher’s body was his.

The bridge snapped and David reeled, almost falling over. Asher’s knees hitting the snow and his breath hitching tight in his chest.

David grabbed him before he could keel over, pulling him up and dragging him inside.

The cabin was small, one room with a woodstove, a couple chairs, a table, a corner kitchenette, and one narrow bed.

David shut the door, throwing the lock. “We made it. You’re okay. We’re going to be okay,” he said.

Asher didn’t say anything.

That quiet drove a nail through David’s heart. Asher was always talking. Always. Even when he was hurt. “Ash…”

Doubt wheedled into his chest. He had told Asher to shift and take the fall into the river. What if he’d been wrong? What if Asher could have inched his way to the edge and made it out without going in?

His mind raced, pushing those thoughts away. Later. He could doubt himself and berate himself later. First, he had to get them warm. Their clothes were icy. They hadn’t exactly dressed for a storm, not expecting it and not planning to take human form out there anyway. He took Asher to the bed. “Can you hear me?” David asked, pulling his shirt up and off. The shoulder was torn and bloody. He didn’t look directly at the injury. He couldn’t. Not yet.

Asher made a low groaning sound that somehow sent a wave of relief through David.

“Thank god… Hang on.” He laid him back, unlacing and pulling off his boots, then his socks and his jeans. Asher didn’t even make any lewd comments when David pulled his underwear off of him and settled him completely naked on the bed. He just shook, hard and endless, eyes barely open and unfocused. “I know. I know,” David ground out, pulling the covers over him. They weren’t exactly warm either. He found a stack of quilts and tossed those over him. “Hang on,” he kept saying.

He was shaking too, the cold setting in and reaching deep into his muscles, but he couldn’t deal with that yet.

He got the fire in the wood stove going and it felt like a huge accomplishment. He pushed the table and chairs to the side and then pulled the bed closer to the heat source. “Ash, can you hear me?” he called, shedding his jacket and then pulling off his own shirt. He hurt all over from the cold, like a bruise. He was shaking but he had the sense to fill the kettle and put it on the stove.

Asher groaned, still shivering under all those covers. “Y-Yeah…”

David spun toward him, falling to his knees in a scramble to get to the side of his bed again. He touched his head, turning his face to get that gaze on him. His relief was enough to almost make him cry.

“Are we dead?” Asher whined. “I’m so fucking cold, man…”

David ruffled his hair, prolonging the contact. “I know. I’m working on it.”

“Where are we?”

“Ranger’s cabin.”

Asher’s eyes closed. “We made it?” he slurred, teeth chattering.

David wondered how much he even remembered after going under. He’d ask later.

He finished stripping down and then made a quick rummage through the supplies, pulling out anything that could be a blanket to add to the pile on the bed. He found a hot water bottle in one of the drawers and filled it, putting it in under the covers. Asher was still shaking and so was he.

Fuck.

He lifted the blankets and wedged himself in. It was barely big enough for one shifter, let alone two. He had to roll Ash onto his side, away from him and facing the fire in the open stove. He pressed his chest up against the other man’s back and curled an arm around his waist to keep both of them from falling out of the bed. Asher was almost as tall as he was, but lean. He shook, his skin cold to the touch. David held him tighter, tangling their legs and pressing firmly against him, trying to will whatever body heat he had into his best friend.

The storm whistled against the windows, rattling the walls, but as long as the fire crackled, they should be okay.

As long as Asher was okay, David would be okay.

He tried not to think about everything he’d gleaned from that brief connection. It wasn’t right. He shouldn’t know. But why hadn’t Ash told him? He should have told him. But would David have believed him? How many times had he brushed off Asher’s flirting as just that—Asher flirting. Like he did it with everyone. He did, didn’t he?

David wracked his mind, but knew it wasn’t true. It wasn’t the same. He was charming with everyone he liked but he flirted with David. He had been flirting with him since they were teens. …And David had been rolling his eyes.

And now he knew, knew, that Asher had thought David wasn’t interested. And then his dad had passed and he’d become alpha, and Asher had just… given up. He had buried it, accepting that his flirting would only ever be a joke, because he would absolutely never risk their friendship. He cared too much about David to do that.

He winced again. He had no right to know these things. He’d had no right to bridge with Asher at all.

He tried to clear his thoughts, focusing instead on the steady beat of Asher’s heart.

-

Asher woke up slowly, aware that he wasn’t alone—that he was safe.

Everything was okay.

His shoulder hurt but everything was okay.

He squeezed the arm curled around his chest, registering the naked body pressed against his back. The large, male, naked body pressed against his back.

He opened his eyes, his head aching for a few long seconds before his vision finally focused. He was on his side, near a wood stove that glowed with a fire inside. He was in a cabin.

All at once he remembered being in the snow with David, out looking for someone. “Davey?” he croaked, coughing.

The arm around him spasmed, holding him tighter. “Ash?” he asked, voice gravelly. “Are you okay?”

Asher sighed, nodding. They were under a pile of covers, but David’s naked leg was pressed between his. “Yeah. What happened? Is that human still out there?” The storm was battering the walls.

David shook his head on the same pillow, behind Asher’s head. “Milo got him out just before the storm.”

“But we got stuck?”

David tensed. Asher felt it because they were pressed against each other. It was so warm and nice. “You don’t remember? We were on the river… You went in.”

“I went in the river?” Asher frowned. “Well, that was stupid.”

David huffed against the back of his head. “You didn’t do it on purpose, asshole. You…” He seemed to wake up more. His body tensed, realizing his arm was around Asher maybe? Asher let go in case he wanted to disentangle. They’d always been close, but this was a lot even for them. Not that Asher minded… though his feelings had always run a little less than platonic for David. Okay, a lot less. “You saved me,” David said. “You pushed me out of the way when the ice was breaking and got stuck on this thin patch…”

Asher shifted, trying to look back at him. The movement sent a jolt of pain through his shoulder. “Ow! Fuck, what did I do…” he curled one arm across his chest to grope at his shoulder, fingering a curve of barely scabbed cuts.

David pulled the blankets down enough to get a look at his shoulder and whatever he saw made him suck back a breath. “Shit. I should have cleaned and bandaged that… I’m sorry. You went in the river, and I had to get you out. I shouldn’t have bit down so hard. It’s really bruised.” He touched Asher’s shoulder, seeming to examine the bruising, all Asher could do was bite back a moan at the idea of David’s teeth on him. “How bad does it hurt?”

“Hurt?” Asher croaked and then laughed, heavy lids sinking. “It’s not bad. It’s fine. You know… I always wanted you to bite me, but I didn’t expect it to be like that.”

The fire in the stove crackled. Neither of them moved, David’s fingertips still touching his shoulder but no longer exploring.

Asher’s words caught up to him and he cracked his lids, staring up at the man staring right back at him. David's expression was unreadable, which was saying something since Asher could usually read every frown, grunt, and eyebrow twitch. They were naked and wedged together into a tiny bed under a mountain of blankets. There was no laughing and walking away. “Sorry,” Asher said instead. “Not a good time for jokes. Thanks for saving me.”

David frowned and now Asher could read it. That was the doesn’t think he’s owed gratitude frown. “You only went in because you saved me first…”

“Cool. Then we’re even.”

The wind howled outside.

“Ash…” David started and then stopped.

Asher felt suddenly more awake than he had before. There was something close to grief in David’s voice that sent a jolt of fear through him. “What? Is…Is everyone okay?”

“Yeah. They’re fine,” he assured and then sighed. He moved a little, like he was trying to put space between them on that sliver of a bed when there really was no space to make. He took his arm away from Asher’s chest and he instantly felt colder and unbound, like he might fall out of the bed and right into a pile of snow.

“What? Did I do something? Did I say something?” He heaved a nervous laugh. “Fuck, just tell me. You know, if it was near death, whatever I said doesn’t count.”

David winced. “You didn’t. I… I needed you to shift to get you through the door, but you didn’t. You were on your feet, but it was like you couldn’t hear me or you couldn’t shift anymore. I was just trying to reach you, to make you hear me…”

Asher twisted until he was on his back, half off the bed but able to really watch David. He was upset. He was so upset. He had to curl his hands into fists to keep from trying to soothe him. He’d clearly done something to upset David if he was trying to get space even when they were wedged together so close. The least he could do was not touch him more than absolutely necessary. “What happened?”

“We bridged,” he said and then winced. “I bridged with you,” he reiterated, as if the blame needed to be clearly defined. Of course, David would think it did.

Asher blinked at his best-friend. If he wasn’t close to being a popsicle, he’d probably blush at the idea of that intimacy.

“It was less than a minute. I didn’t mean to bridge, Ash. I was just trying to get you to shift.”

Asher huffed a laugh. “Did it work?”

David nodded.

Asher closed his eyes. “Good. Don’t worry about it.” Bridging was intimate. He supposed it was like David telling him he accidentally brain fucked him for survival. They were so close already, it was hardly an invasion of any kind. It wasn’t like…there was…anything… Oh fuck!

Asher’s eyes flew open. David was waiting, grim.

He knew. He’d been in his core and he knew everything.

Asher was out of the bed before David could stop him, if he even would. He probably wouldn’t. No wonder he’d been trying to get space from him!

“Ash…”

Asher groaned, barely out of the bed and already falling. His legs shook and he couldn’t tell if it was from nearly freezing to death or from having his world crumble beneath him. Fuck. Fuck!

And could this be any worse timing? They were naked and half-frozen! He held up an arm, his vision swimming. “G-Give me a minute… Shit… Just…”

David had sat up, feet to the floor, the firelight making his bare skin glow. His jaw twitched like he was working to keep it shut—to give Ash his minute. Even now, he was being a good friend. And Asher had ruined it.

After the minute, which was probably closer to a handful of seconds, David grumbled, “Get back under the covers.”

Asher shook his head, scrubbing a hand over his face. He couldn’t even leave! “You take the bed.”

David growled. “You’re shaking. The fire is helping but the room is still cold. Get—”

“No!” Asher snapped. It was childish enough to shock them both. They blinked at each other. Asher had to look away first. David knew how he felt about him—how he had always felt. How much damage had he just done to their friendship? How could he fix it?

“Ash,” David spoke first, deep voice low and gentle. Somehow that hurt more than if he’d just yelled. “I’m sorry I bridged with you like that… I didn’t mean to—”

“Stop,” Asher begged, closing his eyes. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m not upset about it. You know that. You know…” That he would let David do anything. That he would give him any part of himself. That he’d never be able to stay mad at him even if he had wronged him, and he definitely hadn’t.

David exhaled slowly. “I know,” he repeated Asher’s words, like a confession. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked just as quietly and then growled. “I know why,” he added, because of course he did. He’d seen his core, felt it and been in it. “I was never going to be mad at you, Ash. I…I might not have been ready for it before. You were right about that. But I wasn’t going to push you away or reject you or… I would never have done that. I would never have pushed you out of my life or been mad at you.”

Asher shivered, opening his eyes slowly to see David. He stared right back at him, the firelight in his eyes making them an even brighter yellow.

David held out his hand. “Come here.”

Asher looked at the offered palm, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from jumping at that offer of contact and forgiveness. “David if you want space, that’s—”

“I don’t want space. I want you to get your ass back into this bed before we both freeze.”

Asher whined but took his hand and let the big guy pull him up and back onto the small bed. They shifted around under the covers until they were settled like before, Asher’s back to David’s chest, the heat of the fire against his front and the weight of the covers on top of them. David curled an arm around his chest. “Okay?”

Asher nodded, mind still catching up. So, David wasn’t mad. He understood. He knew. And they could pretend it hadn’t happened? Like he didn’t know? Just like before? Asher’s heart ached but it was more than he’d dared to hope for a minute ago. It was fair. David didn’t feel the same. Being able to go back to the way they had always been was a miracle.

Asher relaxed, cheek to the pillow and David’s heartbeat against his back, the weight of his arm wrapped around him.

“Asher?”

His heart squeezed, afraid. “Yeah?”

“I love you too.”

Asher held his breath.

David sighed, pushing his forehead to the back of Asher’s hair. “The way you feel… I’m not sure I deserve that, but I want you the way you want me. I love you.”

Asher exhaled, eyes closed. “I love you too.”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

( Artist credit: Tasmin Abbott )

* * * *

If ever you’d like to delve deeper into the ancestral lore of the British Isles & under stand some of its indigenous foundations, I feel it is the most directly accessible in the gateway of the spring equinox (which rings in this Wed 20th March) other wise known in Scots Gaelic as Alban Eilir, the ‘light of the earth’ when the light of the sun meets in equal hours with the night

The myths & lore are interwoven so intricately in the landscape this time of year. Here it is in a nutshell for you to absorb. But it truly is a nutshell as each part is deserving an immense investigation & study to take you further into the heart of it all:

~ TOWER HILL: The spring equinox still today is honoured by the Druids on Tower Hill in London. An ancient ancestral mound once known as ‘Bryn Gwyn’, which translates to White Mound or White Raven. It visually used to look like Silbury Hill a neolithic hill in the Avebury complex in Wiltshire, & was covered in a white chalk which reflected in the moon & sunlight & could be seen for miles. The White Mound is the sacred mound of Sovereignty of this isle, a place where our ancestors would pilgrimage to from far & wide

~ RAVEN: The raven is the bird & protector of the spirit of Sovereignty of the British Isles & has done for millennia. Raven veneration goes back very far in this country’s lore & is deeply rooted in it’s soul’s foundations. An ancient ancestor of this isle called Bran the Blessed, a Welsh King who you could say presides over this gateway because his lore is so interwoven into the landscape this time of year. Bran means ‘Raven’ in Welsh, who was seen as a seer & oracular king bridging the worlds of the gods & earth like his divine messenger feathered friends. Story goes that on his death bed in battle he asked for his head to be buried in the White Mound in London in protection of the Sovereignty of this isle. The ravens in the tower of London today, hold the lore & protective forces of Bran. The fact that the raven is the animal of sovereignty of this isle…tells you everything you need to understand about this island & it’s essence. It is one of magic & deep seership

~ SOVEREIGNTY: You see in the sovereign codes of olde in kingship, that in maintaining balance in your kingdom you married yourself to the earth in an alliance for true balance. Your sovereignty was infused with the earth (the goddess) and the minute that allegiance was severed a wasteland would take seed in the land and all hearts. For Bran to ask for his head to be buried in the White Mound even at death shows his complete allegiance to the earth and understanding of what it means to be Sovereign. The olde understanding is to be in Service to the All, in allegiance with the earth and protection of the goddess. When the Druids stand on Tower Hill, they are welcoming back the sovereign sun during the tide of the equinox but they are also invoking the ancient powers of sovereignty in the land. And of Bran.

~ BRIDGING: In one of the stories of Bran, his sister Branwen (which means ‘white raven’) is abused by her husband who is an Irish King. Bran hears of the news and crosses the Irish seas, by using his body as a bridge for his men to cross over him safely across the stormy seas to help him set his sister free. He was always seen as a king who sought to bring enemies into peaceful accord with one another, and therefore may represent the balance implicit in the equinox as well.

~ ALDER: Bran carries alder branches on his journey to rescue his sister. People recognise him by the alder that he holds. He is known as the alder king. Alder trees are indeed ‘bridging’ trees which preside over the realms of water and fire; the conscious and unconscious. The inner and outer. In the tree ogham it resides between the astrological zodiac signs of pisces and aries, emerging from the watery fluid time of Pisces and entering the fiery intensity of Aries. It is a water resistant wood which gets harder in water and was widely used to build the city of Venice. It is connected to the realms of fire, due to it’s ability to create very high quality charcoal and gun powder. It holds the ancient alchemical colours of white and red in it’s wood. It’s wood is a beautiful white colour but when cut or it’s roots exposed to the air it turns a bright red colour. The white is representative of the moon, the water, Branwen the white raven. And red, being the sun, the fire of the coals of gunpowder, Bran the solar deity king. It possesses both female and male catkins on the same branch - a tree that symbolises the balance between the masculine and the feminine, day and night.

In essence the gateway of the vernal equinox is deeply coded in the earth and lore of the land: Reminding us in order to keep balance within and without ~ true Sovereignty must be upheld, and that it is in an alliance with the earth and in service to all.

That sovereignty is restored when we act as a bridge in the world; remembering the essence of our humanity in bringing heaven to earth as bridges. Akin to the raven messengers who bring the words from the gods into the human world. And the alder trees who bridge the worlds of water and fire.

[Thank you Charlotte Pulver]

[wrestler89]

[random-xpressions]

The reason why religion will lose its significance is because the clergy introduced God as some strict military commander with a set of instructions that have to be obeyed irrespective of your circumstances. The reason why poets & seers succeeded was because they introduced God as an intimate friend, sparked a dialogue, an endless love affair that you would even volunteer to wash his feet or sew a cloth for him or invite him along for your next meal...

Random Xpressions

[ukftm]

hi, sorry if this is a bit of a sensitive topic. i'm just wondering if you have any resources regarding accessing T through a bridging prescription in the case of harm reduction (ie: to replace obtaining T through illegal/unsafe methods).

i'm on the wait list for an NHS GIC and will be for some time, but i'm worried that my gp will refuse to offer a bridging prescription on the basis of "we havent been told to give you T so all we can say is stop taking the harmful stuff" or something like that. i've looked at transactual's page on this which says the guidelines suggest you might have to be on the waitlist for 18 weeks before they can consider a bridging prescription, and i havent been.

i know i can file complaints and theoretically change GPs, but i've had bad experiences will all GPs at my surgery (including after filing complaints), and i don't live in the catchment area of another surgery to transfer to.

Hi Anon,

Have a look through our bridging prescription posts, these provide a lot of information about this.

While some GPs are willing to help with this, it’s important to be aware that GPs are under no obligation to accept bridging prescription requests, so this leaves it up to a GPs personal choice as to whether they will prescribe you T before you see a GIC.

There is no harm in asking your GP if they would be willing to agree to a bridging prescription, but if you are already having difficulties with your GP surgery they may be reluctant to help you with this as it is such a grey area, which many GPs choose not to be helpful around.

[rainerrs]

There are so many lines of communication ...use them...better than shooting!

[pickled-fics]

You Know Me Too Well

Damien confesses to Huxley that he wants to bridge with him and they have a delicate, loving moment together when they do. [new fic]

Damien watched as Huxley stared intently at the tv in front of them, completely enthralled by his game. His eyes traced down Huxley’s arm down to the controller in his hand where his fingers were quickly moving between the buttons. Damien noticed how small the controller looked in Huxley’s hand in comparison to his own. He sat there staring at his fingers moving back and forth as he began to get lost in thought. The idea had popped into his head a few weeks ago when reading an article on the topic. Bridging. It was something he had thought of in the past but had never trusted someone enough to truly consider it. But somehow, here he sat with Huxley in the apartment that they shared, and he couldn’t get the idea off his mind. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Huxley sat back further into the couch, fingers no longer moving across the buttons. “Damn dude, that was a good game.” His laugh echoed out into the room as he turned to Damien, smile still bright when they made eye contact. Damien turned his head to the TV quickly to see the conclusion of the game and upon seeing Huxley had won he smiled back at his partner, “Good job Hux!” His tone was light and excited to mirror his partner but even though Huxley smiled back, he set the controller down. 

“What’s up Dames?” That gentle tone he did so well carried through the words as he looked at his partner, head slightly tilted to the side. Damien thought to damn himself for being so easy to read before responding, “Nothing, what do you mean?” His tone was a bit more bitter and less questioning than he would’ve liked.

“You just seem a bit off is all, you were zoned out for that whole match dude. I just wanted to check in with you.” Damien sat for a moment thinking how nothing really got past Huxley, especially when it came to him. He stared at Huxley, wondering how to word this before finally speaking up again.

“I… I don’t know. I.” He paused again before he got too caught up trying to force words out as Huxley readjusted his position to face more towards Damien. Damien took a steading breath before beginning again.

“We’ve been together for a while now Hux, and and” his words stopped when he made eye contact with Huxley again but quickly spilled out in their entirety as Huxley tilted his head a tiny bit further. “We’ve been together for a while now and I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently and I just… I just want to know if you would want to bridge with me.” He paused to take in Huxley’s reaction, seeing him straighten up a bit made more words spill from his mouth. “I I mean of course we don’t have to, I won’t be upset if you don’t want to. I don’t want to push anything or rush you in any way. I know it’s a big thing and I” his words began to trail off at the end as he saw the way Huxley’s gaze softened on him. 

“I would love to Damien.” He paused to move a bit closer and set his hand down on the couch in front of Damien, his sign that Damien could take it if he wanted, a way for Huxley to ensure Damien knew that he was in control of the movement. Damien slowly moved his hand into Huxleys as Huxley continued. “I don’t want to rush anything either Damien, but it’s something I’ve thought of too but wasn’t sure if that was something you’d ever be interested in. But Damien, if that is something you’re comfortable with I would be more than happy anytime you feel ready to.” They squeezed their hands together at the same time and stayed there for a moment, just looking at each other, entirely safe in that silence. It was Huxley who broke the silence again, his words carefully chosen. “Dames, I need you to tell me if this is too soon or if this is too fast or anything” Damien provided a small nod of understanding before Huxley continued. “Would you like to do it tonight or would you like to wait for another day?” Damien stared for a moment before speaking again. “Could we maybe save it for another day? A date night or something?” Huxley smiled at him and squeezed his hand again, “Of course dude, whatever you're comfortable with.” They then cuddled up for the night and together they basked in the comfort of knowing they could trust each other with that and that they could have those open conversations.

—------

Damien watched Huxley’s back as he followed him up the trail. They had decided to go on a hike together this morning to both get out of the house and get some exercise while they were at it. They were both participating in an activity they found enjoyable while also spending time with each other, bonding over their shared interests. The two were laughing about something Huxley had said when they arrived at a shady area surrounded by trees. Huxley cleared his throat before speaking. “This look like a good resting spot, Dames?” Damien looked around and nodded, “Yeah it looks great.” He set his backpack down and pulled out their water bottles. He carefully and skillfully tossed it to Huxley and he caught it without any hesitation, the small action causing a small grin to spread across Damien’s face. Huxley set his bottle down before clearing his throat again, seeming to want to ask Damien something. Damien caught this and set his water bottle down and looked to his boyfriend. “What’s up Hux?” Huxley was quick to shake his head and speak up. 

“Nothing, I just uh.” He paused to fidget with his water bottle before taking a deep breath and starting again. “Do you want to bridge with me?” Damien sat up a bit as Huxley continued. “Of course we don’t have to right now if you aren’t feeling comfortable right now, I just, I thought I would put it out there in case you did want to.” Damien took a deep breath as he stared at Huxley and Huxley stared back, awaiting any sort of answer. Damien finally cleared his throat before moving closer to Huxley and sitting in front of him.

“I would love to Hux.” Damien had a small smile on his face as Huxley let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in and huffed out a quiet laugh.

“Sick dude, okay.” They sat there for a moment, staring at each other, neither one moving until Huxley spoke again. “I uh, I’ve never done this if I’m being honest with you, so I’m not sure exactly how to start.” Damien shook his head before laughing and saying, “I haven’t either Hux.” They sat together laughing for a bit until Huxley said “I guess we’ll just have to learn together then.” Once their laughing died down a bit, Huxley held out his hand in the middle of the two of them and Damien moved closer to him to make it easier on both of them.

Both of their hands were warm as they met together. Damien slowly closed his eyes to focus his energy outwards towards Huxley. Extending himself outward in a careful line directly from his core to the meeting point of their hands. He held it there, keeping his focus on it as he nodded to Huxley. Huxley’s tone was quiet as he spoke, “I’m gonna take it slow Dames, I don’t want to do anything too suddenly.” Damien smiled at him and nodded, not willing to open his eyes and risk losing his focus on the line outstretched from his core. 

It didn’t take long for Damien to feel it. That deep, rich tone inching closer to his own. The calming presence of Huxley’s core approaching his already stretched bridge. The closer it got the more vibrant the world felt. He may not have his eyes open but he could feel it, he could feel the liveliness of the earth around him, the roots of the trees surrounding him, everything was slowly getting louder and more prominent in his consciousness. He could feel when Huxley stopped just before sewing together that connection between them. Huxley’s voice was warm and soft as he spoke to his partner.

“I’m gonna stop here for a minute, just to let us get used to each other for a minute.” Damien nodded again with a smile, appreciating the time to closer inspect the feeling of his boyfriends core so close to his own. Huxley hummed as his voice started again. “How do I feel, baby?”  Damien smiled wider before beginning his explanation. 

“Incredible. You feel like a… like a deep bass. Like a forest and a low toned drum. You feel safe.” He paused with a soft smile as he looked up at Huxley, finally opening his eyes while maintaining that focus, “You feel like home.” Huxley let out a small laugh as he looked back at Damien. “Good. That’s what I want to feel like for you.” 

Damien closed his eyes again and let out a slow breath, “What about me Hux, what do I feel like?” Huxley was quiet for a moment before responding, a warm smile on his face as he watched his boyfriend.

“It feels like I’m basking in the sunlight. I” he stopped to readjust his position, “Like a bone warming sunny day.” He laughed a little to himself before continuing. “Almost like a mug of hot chocolate, something that makes you feel warm and safe all the way through.” Damien was smiling at this description, happy to hear it was a comfortable experience for Huxley too. Huxley squeezed Damien’s hand slightly tighter before finishing his thoughts. “You feel like home too, Dames.” 

“I’m gonna reach out the rest of the way if that’s okay with you, Damien.” Huxley’s tone was soft and Damien nodded his head quickly as he did his best to hold his end of the line steady. And with that Damien could feel those deep tones moving closer again until eventually they began slowly intertwining with the ends of his own. It was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. It was something so deep that neither of them could truly ever explain it to anyone else. With this newly forged connection between the two of them, Damien could hear Huxley in his mind, echoing around him in the deepest way.

“Can you hear me?” Damien’s tone was cautious and quiet, not knowing the best way to keep from being too loud in a way like this. An echo of Huxley’s soft laugh rang through his mind as he said “Yeah bro, I hear you. I feel you.” And he was right, they could both feel each other in so many ways they didn’t know possible. Damien could feel the love and kindness in Huxley’s core. He could feel the love towards him, towards Damien. He could nearly feel his heart melt at the feeling of it and Huxley was feeling the same thing. He could feel the love and passion deep in the roots of Damien’s core. They sat there together, holding hands as they explored each other's cores, diving deeper into each other than they could have ever dreamed. Damien’s hushed voice echoed out into Huxley’s mind, a wonderful feeling, “You feel even safer like this Hux.” And Huxley could feel the heat of the truth beneath that confession deep in Damien’s core, the feeling of knowing he meant it. And that feeling was mirrored in Huxley's core as well, the feeling of knowing Damien felt that way with him lit up something deep within him. While focusing on this feeling Damien felt a tremble in his side of the bridge and Huxley must have felt it too.

“Damien, do you need to pull away? I don’t want you overextending yourself trying to keep it up.” And Huxley could feel the small bubble of alarm in Damien as he worried about the shake in the bridge. Damiens voice echoed back into Huxley’s mind, “Yeah, I don’t want it to snap on us suddenly.” Huxley nodded despite them now both having their eyes closed and asked in their minds “Do you want to pull away or do you want me to?” Damien sounded a little more strained now in their minds as he told Huxley his answer, “I think it’d be better for me to pull away, I think you’re a steadier bridge right now.” Huxley agreed and put more focus into keeping his side of the line steady. 

Damien slowly began working his line back in, the connection between the two of them slowly unraveling. With the knot between them now undone and Damien pulling his outstretched core towards himself again, Huxley’s deeply comforting presence was fading and getting further out of Damien’s reach. Once he was fully pulled back into himself Huxley did the same and they locked eyes when they both opened. A wide smile was spread across both of their faces as they stared at each other, still holding hands in the middle. And once Huxley began giggling, Damien was quick to follow.

“Let’s do that again sometime, yeah dude?” His voice and tone excited and happy as he pulled his boyfriend closer into a hug. And together they sat there on the ground holding each other, laughing, and describing their own experiences. Together in the shady alcove of the forest, they basked in their warmth and love.

[cosmonautroger]

Hebden Bridge, Calderdale, West Yorkshire (England)

[ralfmaximus]

There is some pretty shocking footage out there of the Baltimore bridge collapse early this morning. I've already seen some incredibly wrong, incredibly insensitive Hot Takes about how shitty the bridge was to have fallen after being bonked by a boat, etc

Please don't be that person.

The facts will come out. Speculation is silly. In addition to loss of life, the Francis Scott Key bridge was a major arterial in that region's highway system. Its loss will be felt for years, and not just to daily commuters.

Baltimore harbor is closed. No shipping at all. This will impact supply chains in ways we cannot even assess yet.

It's pretty fucked up.

[brooklynbridgebirds]

American Woodcock demonstrates "distal rhynchokinesis," the ability to flex the end of its bill. This allows it to grab earthworms it encounters when probing in soil. Other shorebirds, including Dunlins & Sanderlings, can bend their bills in this way. 😃

[zegalba]

Snake Bridge on Macclesfield Canal. location: Astbury Congleton, England

[igottatho]

The media giants won’t tell us this, but there are protests happening all over the US. With the coordinated BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction) movement, large corporations like Sbux and Wackdonalds are feeling the hurt - collective action Works.

Text for the tweet below the cut, for those comrades who need it.

I found this via Instagram yesterday, Feb 14.

A screen grab of an Instagram post, titled: ‘Golden Gate Bridge Briefly Blocked by Activists Calling for Cease Fire in Gaza’

Post credited to kqednews and reads: ‘Activists calling for a ceasefire in Gaza blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge this morning around 7:30 a.m. Traffic was closed for about 20 minutes and reopened by 8 a.m.

Israel is preparing for a military offensive in Rafah, a city and location of a border crossing at the southern end of Gaza where Palestinians are seeking refuge but unable to leave, prompting warnings by President Joe Biden to not proceed without a plan to protect civilians.

In the Bay Area, protestors had previously blocked the Bay Bridge in November to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.’

The image shown is taken from the Golden Gate Bridge, where 4 activists are wearing masks and holding a large banner-sign that says “STOP ARMING ISRAEL”, behind them you can see traffic lined up.

Original post here.

[wrestler89]

[dclessonsonline]

Delve into configuring bridging (IRB) for efficient data handling and seamless communication within your network architecture. Elevate your network infrastructure with advanced bridging solutions. https://www.dclessons.com/configuring-bridging-irb

[artblogbyhailey]

[allaboutnuance]

(via #Sora: OpenAI's Text-to-Video Magic)

Sora’s Introduction: An AI model by OpenAI that transforms text prompts into videos.

Functionality: Sora interprets text, adds context, and creates emotionally resonant video scenes.

Applications: Useful for content creation, education, advertising, entertainment, and personal expression.

Impact: Represents a new era of creativity, turning abstract ideas into tangible visual narratives.