#mochi presents coping skills

[eldritchmochi]

wip wednesday!!! ive been sitting on this dialogue for like FOUR MONTHS, carrying my notes for it across several files, so im very glad to have this scene finally fucking written

from COPING SKILLS, as per usual. hopefully will have this section done and posted innnn a week and a half???

-

It's—perfect. It's perfectly perfect, exactly the way Essek would wish to spend a lazy Da'leysen even if the thought that he could had never occurred to him.

It's better when Caleb buries himself deep into Essek, holding there as he catches his breath before melting over top of Essek. Essek thinks maybe Caleb—but no, Caleb sighs, "I simply cannot keep up with you."

"You're doing spectacular," Essek tells him. "I can barely keep up too."

Caleb laughs and shifts and Essek thinks for a moment that he intends to get off him so he relaxes the hold he has on Caleb's shoulders. Instead, Caleb settles, comfortably pinning Essek with his full weight. The feel of him on Essek makes Essek's cock twitch, begging for attention after so long ignored.

"I'm too old to marathon like this. What made us think this was a good idea?"

It's Essek's turn to laugh, the sound sliding into a moan muffled against Caleb's neck when Caleb's cock twitches in him in turn.

"Because I'm a fucking idiot," Essek tells him. "We are not doing this again, don't let me even if I really want to." He pauses, noting for the first time the extent of his bone-weary exhaustion, and sniffs before adding, "I will require two-to-five business days' notice before any and all extra curricular activities going forward. We will have a schedule if only so I don't fuck myself into oblivion."

The feel of Caleb laughing so much while still so deep and so hard within Essek is—good, beyond good, absolutely incredible. Essek rides it out, biting his lip at the feel of Caleb's laughter within him, holding tight to Caleb's shoulders.

"Is that a promise or a threat?" Caleb asks through his laughter.

Essek considers his response, prefacing it with a small, haughty noise, simply saying, "Yes," and Caleb is overcome with a fresh wave of laughter.

Essek hides his soppy smile against the curve of Caleb's neck, so very pleased to have made this man, this beautiful, wonderful man, laugh so hard, and in the middle of sex too. It is, again, not something he would have wanted to have, but now that he has it, he holds it dear.

Adeen would never have allowed himself such fun, and Essek finds himself better off for it.

Caleb pulls back, grinning as he says, "Ja, well, I suppose I will ensure I file the appropriate forms going forward." He can barely get the sentence out before he's laughing again, forehead against Essek's.

"You'd better," Essek says, tipping his chin up to kiss Caleb's smiling lips. Caleb kisses him back readily, over and over, each one broken by the grins that infect both of them.

[theintrovertowl]

“Always with you” – Hanzo x Harumi Hasashi One Shot (+ a very cute Satoshi)

As much as I love SubScorp, I felt the need to put some emphasis on Hanzo’s relationship with Harumi as well, since he mentions her so often during the games (which means that he obviously loved her to death, so much that he had to become Scorpion but oh well). I now portrait it as that extremely wholesome relationship, because we all know Hanzo is the epitome of lifetime commitment and whatnot ♥

Disclaimer: I have done as much research as I could on the Japanese terms and culture aspects, but if I had done anything out of place, please let me know!

Note: The words in both bold and italics have their meanings at the end of the story.

Warning: Rated F for feels

Summary: Hanzo Hasashi grows wistful of the memories with his family, and relives them in one of his dreams.

Hanzo never thought he would ever see his clan restored, especially after the wraith phase that he went through a long time ago. Once Shirai Ryu has regained its identity and existence, new students have arrived at the Fire Gardens, mostly the unfortunate youngsters who have escaped from the merciless threads of the present society. Orphans, refugees, defectors, homeless...fragile souls with various heart-breaking stories. Just like Grandmaster Hanzo Hasashi used to be. However, he has not only gained fighting skills and the power of Hellfire, but an extremely hard shell around his emotions, learning to cope with all the tragedies that happened in his life. Even if that meant submitting to Netherrealm’s sorcerer, Quan Chi. Seeing all these young lads mid training, he gradually remembers his son, Satoshi, and anticipates his outcome, had his offspring got to see the light of the day during these times. The fiery Grandmaster was undergoing through harrowing sentiments of melancholy, all involving thoughts about his family. The students were young and oblivious  at times, but not entirely blind towards their mentor’s state of mind, manifested through his changed behavior. It was known among the Shirai Ryu students that Hanzo was a very strict teacher in general, who implemented excruciating training sessions; he was never afraid to speak his mind in a harsh manner while the disciples were failing their exercises. But they knew it was for their own good nevertheless. In the latest days, though, Hanzo became more mellow, and approached the incoming training fails with more indulgence; everyone felt it was like a ‘paternal phase’, which became even more confusing than the image of a stern Grandmaster. Therefore, no one dared to question Hanzo about his thoughts; they barely knew his origin story in general. Most of the students actually assumed he grew up as a loner, a celibate who had different ideas of honor and inner fulfillment than the common man. But little did they know of their master’s true tale…

***

Hanzo has finally entered his room, after another long day full of intense training and teaching. It was all quiet and peaceful, hence every student had got the same strict sleeping schedule. It was only him...and his thoughts, again. The moment he placed his head on the soft pillow, Hanzo could finally feel the exhaustion, both mentally and physically. The Grandmaster fell asleep pretty quickly, considering his restlessness usually involves staring at the ceiling for a long time, just reflecting about everything that happens throughout his existence, whether it’s the past, present or future. He simply prefers those silent moments, where he can truly be at peace for a short while. When he closed his deeply ringed eyes, everything faded to black, and slowly transitioned to bright, but warm hues of yellow and orange light. This light suddenly formed shapes...some familiar ones, to be precise. And then there were another two familiar silhouettes: a smaller one, and a more feminine one. Hanzo suddenly found himself in his old household, and the silhouettes got more defined: they were Harumi, and Satoshi. His family...it is back? It all felt so real and authentic for him, more than ever. However, he started inspecting himself, but could only take a look at his hands; he recognized the fabric and belts on his arm, they were part of his Scorpion’s former attire. Everything seems more confusing now.

Harumi looked at him with a warm smile plastered on her face, while Satoshi couldn’t contain his pure excitement. The Japanese woman slowly approached her husband and delicately touched his wounded and calloused hands. In that moment, Hanzo could feel it so well: the reassuring soft touch that he has been missing for such a long time. For the first time, it all felt so overwhelming, and he was trying so hard not to sob in front of his son, but he also wanted to enjoy this peaceful moment, so he contained himself, for now.

“Welcome home, anata (1). We have been waiting for you…”

The warrior could not wait any longer, and he quickly, but gently pulled his wife into a silent hug. Satoshi didn’t even have to ask, and he hastily joined the hug as well. The familiar warmth is finally, and Hanzo didn’t feel like letting it go.

“I have missed you both…so much…” he muttered under his breath, his voice softer than ever.

“I know…but let’s have dinner now. Then we can talk more” Harumi replied, slowly releasing herself from her husband’s affectionate embrace. She cupped his face in her tiny hands, with a soft smile, then caressed his broad shoulders before she left to the dining room and prepare the meal.

***

As it was expected, the dinner was fairly quiet at most, but no one contested the peacefulness. The Japanese family had ramen this evening. He never admitted it to anyone, but Hanzo always missed his wife’s dishes, although he is now able to cook by himself.

“This is some delightful ramen, Kana” he pointed out as a conversation starter.

“It is miso with Chashu (2), just how you like it” Harumi replied with a faint smile.

“Dad, have you tried mom’s Daifuku (3)? They are even better!” Satoshi exclaimed.

“No, Jubei. But I would love to” Hanzo confessed to the child.

“I believe it is time for you to go to bed, young one” Harumi intervened. “You can spend time with your father tomorrow.”

“Aw, alright…” the boy frowned. But that didn’t stop him from approaching his father and giving him a hug before he headed to the Realm of Dreams. The man gladly returned the embrace and then softly kissed his son on the forehead.

“Oyasumi, papa!(4)” Satoshi exclaimed joyfully while he went to his room with Harumi.

“Good night, Jubei!” Hanzo replied.

***

After the child fell asleep, the Japanese couple retreated to the master bedroom. Hanzo has removed half of the battle garments and only remained with the base clothing. Meanwhile, Harumi took off her daytime kimono and put on her jinbei(5). Of course, he couldn’t help but notice more of his wife’s delicate, porcelain skin, along with her soft and naturally feminine features that he fell in love with at the first sight; she looked even more beautiful in his eyes when her long and dark hair was loose from all the accessories. The Grandmaster slowly approached behind his spouse and gently caressed her tiny shoulders, while planting a few genuinely needy kisses. Harumi softly hummed with content, although it was quite rare for her loved one to be this affectionate.

“It feels as if you were gone forever, anata…”

“Kana…I fought through Hell to spend another day with you” Hanzo replied with a lower tone; he later nuzzled against Harumi’s neck and pulled her in another embrace.

In a slow pace, the woman turned around and pulled him into a passionate kiss. It was no doubt Hanzo has craved this form of intimacy for so long, and his wife used to make these intimate moments so unique, so sacred in their own way. As strange as it seemed to the outsiders, his commitment has been undeniable, and almost eternal…

“No matter what, I will always be with you…we will always be with you…” she said quietly, but with a convincing tone.

However, this last phrase finally broke Hanzo from his long lost dream. The intimate moment faded to black, and all he was left with was the surroundings of the present. On top of that, he started sweating profusely, then softly broke down into hot tears filled with anguish and regret. No one could hear him in the numbness of the night, as it should be. But it all felt…so real and authentic: the conversations, the touches, the atmosphere. Once again, his mind has played with his vulnerabilities. As an impulsive reflex, he quickly headed to one of the drawers in his simplistic room, and pulled out a cloth. But it was no ordinary cloth, it had flowery embroideries of a sakura tree, and more than that, it was the only physical memory from his loved one, Harumi…Somehow, he managed to save it, even during the experience with the Netherrealm. And he swore to protect it until the end of his own existence.

“You might not be here in person, but I am certain you meant that you will always be in my heart, and you were not wrong…Kana…”  he muttered before he headed back to the bed and prepared for a new morning at the Fire Gardens.

____________________________________________________________

(1) jap.:darling; usually an endearing term among couples (hiragana: あなた) (2) (cuisine) pork belly tied into a cylinder, braised and then served in slices; it is one of the main ingredients used in Ramen. (3) (cuisine) Japanese dessert made out of mochi (glutinous rice cake) and usually stuffed with anko (sweetened red bean paste) or fruits (4) jap.: Good night, dad! (hiragana: おやすみ、パパ！) (5) Traditional Japanese nightwear, worn by all genders

[uptcwn]

`「✘」PARK JUNHEE. CISMALE. HE/HIM. || that new tenant, KALEB ‘KJ JANG that moved into APT 1, is TWENTY-TWO years old and is a DANCE TEACHER/PIANIST. their tenancy to be CHILDISH totally counteracts their HONEST personality. usually, you can hear UPTOWN FUNK by BRUNO MARS playing throughout their apartment. when i think of them, i think of LAUGHTER DURING SERIOUS SITUATIONS, SMILES TO HIDE THE PAIN, AND DUFFEL BAGS FULL OF DANCE CLOTHES. 「mochi. 24. cst. she/her.」

` BACKGROUND;

kaleb, who really prefers kj, was born in malibu, california and has been all around the state his whole life.

his parents were very laid back individuals, allowing the boy to be very free to do as he pleased - even as an only child.

his grades in school were always great and he was never involved in any trouble. maybe a minor thing here and there, but nothing that could have actually landed him with a criminal record. literally the most minor of things.

wasn’t always as loud and clownish as he is now. was once a shyer kid, but still pretty easy with making friends and getting along. was never disliked because he was just the sweetest of boys.

although his parents weren’t strict on him, the one thing they did want for him was to have steady job and be super successful.

if there was one thing they pushed on him, it was to make sure he attended college and land himself an amazing, well paying job that could keep him living a great life.

now, here’s where things went sour.

around the age of 12, kj started showing lots of interest in dancing. it was always something he enjoyed and he could eventually be found around the local dance studios. all of his allowance was saved up to pay for part time lessons and his parents had no idea.

anther thing they pushed on him? saving money. something he wasn’t doing since he was giving his money to the dance studio for lessons.

he passed the form off to is parents as something for school they had to sign and, of course, they didn’t pay too much attention to it because kj new to give it to them to sign while they were in the middle of a party. smart boy got away with it.

he spent almost a year in the studio, learning way more than he already knew and was in total love.

one day, someone from the studio had brought his dance bag back home - the one he had forgotten. but he hadn’t arrived home yet, so when he finally did get back - whatta surprise.

his parents were furious. they scolded him and it got to the point where his father just couldn't handle it.

for the first time in his life, he’d seen a side of his parents that he never even thought he’d see. furious and enraged, his father started to strike him and it was much more than just a small spanking.

he was left battered and bruised by his angry father that he couldn’t even leave the house for  few days. he stood home from school so he didn’t have to explain why he looked the way he did. it was bad.

afterwards, his parents barely cared for him. after he explained it’s something he wanted to do when he was older, they gave him such cold shoulders. they couldn’t stand the thought of their only son being a dancer instead of like, i don’t know, president or something.

from then on, any time he brought up dancing, he’d get abused. anytime they found him at the studio? he’d be left battered and marked up pretty badly. it was just something his parents were so against, they left no mercy for kj whatsoever.

he kept on hiding the fact that he would sneak to the studio, taking such a risk, but he couldn't help it. boy loves to dance.

` PRESENT;

kj is in new york, avoiding his family and still trying ot settle in a place. who knows if new york will be that place.

to this day, kj still dances. he not only teaches, but competes from time to time. he mostly does hip hop or pop, sometimes a bit of ballet - but it isn’t his strong suit. either way, he’s talented and he’s well aware of it.

his newest love is piano. he taught himself before enrolling in classes and slowly began to work up his skills. 

now, for kj, dancing and piano go hand in hand. 

one of his favorite activities? writing songs and melodies, recording them, and then dancing to them. adores it.

is doing well for himself, isn’t rich as hell, but is well taken care of.

is super distant from his parents. obviously.

the one habit he did develop was taking in excessive amounts of alcohol.

at around the age of 14, kj began experimenting with alcohol which is so sad, but true. and even to this day, it’s something he struggles with.

there are times when his mind travels back to the abuse and practical neglect he suffered and he just. can’t handle it.

or when he becomes overwhelmed, he needs a bottle. or two. a mess.

can be found in the same hole in the wall bar that is barely hoppin most of the time, but for kj? a safe place.

kj does wanna try to reach out to his parents and make amends, but the last time he did - the abuse started again even at his current age, his dad will easily strike him without a second thought.

now, as much as he hates it, he usually avoid interaction with is parents and just. is like nah.

` PERSONALITY;

listen, boy is a clown.

kj is a total jokester.

has such a sense of humor, loves jokes and inside jokes and is just overall fond of laughter.

unfortunately, he uses his humor to cover a lot of shit.

his past? humor it. troubled thoughts? humor it. breakups? humor it. literally can make anything into a joke and has no problem doing it about everything in his life.

is not a healthy way to cope, but he doesn’t know how else to do so. he’d gotten so use to covering his problems with humor that it’s all he knows how to do in order to cope.

serous situations can be hard for him because ???

one good thing about kj is that he’s always willing to try.

( unlike my other two trash cans ) kj is super willing to learn how to love and open up.

isn’t closed off much or withdrawn. he doesn’t mind feelings or being involved or admitting to things. sometimes he may need help and patience, but he’d not the type to shy away or make it difficult. he will truly work on himself when he needs to.

kj was always great in relationships. the only problem was how childish he can be. again, his coping mechanism is humor and that’s obviously not always acceptable when dealing with certain things. because of this, it doesn’t work out.

kj is well aware that he needs to work on it and always tries, it’s just really hard for him. but is still trying to improve.

kj as a friend? bitch please.

kj is such a friendly, smiley person. is always up for a good time, is basically the hype man of his group.

pumps people up, gives them confidence, never says no. total hype man.

soft puppy on the outside, torn apart on the inside, mouth full of dirty jokes. this boy is all over the place.

` DEM FACTS;

loves the color orange.

is either in all black or super colorful, no in between.

wears glasses because he is bliiiiind. not totally, but needs them for real. wears contacts sometimes, but most glasses. he enjoys them for the most part.

loves a good inside joke. if he has an inside joke with you, you’re one of his best friends and there’s no question about it.

hair color? changes all of the time. but he doesn’t exactly do crazy colors. usually blonde or brown or black or a natural looking red. but it’s always changing, idk how he has hair.

loves throwback nickelodeon shows so much, as well as them disney ones.

although he’s such a clown, will enjoy a soft moment of a soft talk every once in a while. it’s rare to happen and takes the right person, but loves them. probably is in love with this person, honestly, who knows.

loves to go to clubs. mostly for the dancing. loves to go anywhere for the dancing. i mean, the drinking too. but the dancing.

bites his lip more than he talks bc it’s a habit of his.

skincare routine is outrageous because he learned that with dancing comes sweating and with sweating comes breakouts so he’s so on top of it. js.

and that’s all i can think of?

another recycled plot, so please excuse any errors. BUT, plot with this hot mess. @momochi#0913 on discord !

[eldritchmochi]

I am once again t h i n k i n g about the office migraine scene in coping skills and im just never not gonna be feral about it, just..... the vulnerability, the support.... I guess I just wanted to say thanks for making something that just lives in my brain all the time, It does make me wonder how beau and yasha might react to a brain fogged essek who wound up at their house during (maybe he slept over woke up bad?) Like obviously essek would react badly to them seeing him like that but its interesting

oh man essek would totally hate being caught feeling like shit, regardless of what kind of shit he felt like, *but* i can absolutely see him down the line just... being used to the nein seeing him vulnerable, with his walls coming down a little each time hes around them until its normal for beau to be like dude take your fucking meds oh my god why is this hard while yasha just quietly turns down the lights and caleb comes out of the toilet or whatever and there's suddenly mood lighting while his bf and his little sister stand in look grumpy in opposite directions and yasha just goes "migraine uvu"

[eldritchmochi]

its absolutely hilarious to me how much of coping skills involves feederism as a kink considering how much i personally hate eating

[eldritchmochi]

I am re reading coping skills and just needed to say thankyou for the food once again because omfg my lil cane user heart is so full, I cant stop imagining the rest of the nein meeting coping!essek and like how they all react to him both in kink and outside, and like how they react to caleb having a partner, many brainworms. Thanks for writing and sharing!!

okay listen, i am *also* excited for the rest of the nein to meet essek in coping skills. its going to be a ton of fun even if i really hate writing things with the full ensemble cast 🥲🥲

a lil teaser of THOTS on how it's gonna go for ur lov and patience:

- jester: absolutely decides shes esseks new bff (shes not wrong). does in fact offer to peg essek, but not the first time they meet she has manners caleb!! (its the second time they meet, and even tho essek expects it he still chokes on his spit and how forward she is). shes also incredibly nosey about esseks health, given she is in the medical field directly herself, which essek both hates and finds refreshing (its so much easier to explain his health to someone who has the bg knowledge)

- veth: immediately shovel talks essek, then basically adopts him when essek gets all prim and proper and politely mean "id like to see you try" and veth is like okay youve got teeth you can protect my boy too im counting on you heres a toddler (luc is delighted by esseks ability to make things float and essek is delighted by the fond looks he gets from caleb over veths shoulder)

- fjord: dubious at first but warms up to essek when essek relaxes enough to join razzing caleb. definitely warns essek about the impending pegging offer from jester, promises to distract her if shes overwhelming

- caduceus: is the one to spot essek flagging at the neins holiday party, sits with essek as caleb is distracted catching up with the rest of his friends as quiet company "its good to see him happy"

[eldritchmochi]

haven't really written anything AND this is from a while ago but i finally remembered to post this on a Wednesday thusly: coping skills noodling

[eldritchmochi]

Hey! I'm a cane user and my partner did something super cute today and I was thinking about it with essek and caleb,

but as I gave her a kiss before I left, her legs started to wobble and she lightly used my cane to help her stay standing, super gently so she didn't unbalance me, which just sorta fried my brain with how cute it was but it gave me the mental image of caleb doing that with esseks after essek takes his breath away a little.

And as your fic is my holy grail of disability scenes that take my heart I had to tell you.

that IS super cute omfg *v*

what if.... wizards touched hands?? over the grip of one wizards cane????

[eldritchmochi]

forgot my cane in my buddy's car when he dropped me off last night which a) damnit but also b) ..... whoops new kink

the inherent eroticism of someone else handling my cane, this extension of my body that is both so visible and yet so intimate. sure, its pretty common for strangers to "help" me by picking my cane up when i drop it, but that is very much a thing done out of pity, not something kind or fond or understanding of the importance of my cane

and im really glad i had that realization to a *picture* because i think i woulda absolutely horny blue screened if i had opened the door cold to seeing this dude, who is aggressively my type and also unbelievably kind, standing there leaning on *my* cane like he had every right to

[eldritchmochi]

iiits wip wednesday and while i haven't written anything in A BIT i also haven't posted a wip in a bit so like, here ya go. its not smutty???? (wild)

an excerpt from the next chapter of my epic length shadowgast bdsm au COPING SKILLS

--

He can just hear his washer start as he steps back out into his living room. Between his sheets and his casual clothing, she'll be around most of the afternoon tending to his laundry, but she doesn't need to run three loads. He startles her again when he knocks on the door frame of his laundry room, his afghan trailing to the floor from his hand.

"Room for one more?" he asks, gesturing with the blanket.

"Only if you promise to not give me any more heart attacks today, Essek bey," she replies, voice firm despite her smile. She takes the blanket he offers and packs it in with the rest of his bedding, then drops the lid to the machine with a clang.

Essek steps out of her way, his back towards his front door, and gestures with his cane. She shuffles past, dusting her hands off as she returns to her caddy of supplies.

"You do not get to hover either, Essek bey," she adds. "You know I do good work."

"I do indeed," he tells her, and he's not hovering, he just—

Has mommy issues, and Mihra has done much for his private little household over the last fifteen-odd years she's been in his employ. They don't often engage face to face anymore, but he's still fond of her, and he's still—out of sorts from the day before, in need of care and attention that Caleb isn't around to give.

He can let her work though, even if he misses the warmth of his afghan when he sits back on his horrible couch. He doesn't fidget either, prestidigitating his sticky mug clean before slurping at his coffee. It's—cold, which he should have expected, and it only manages to make Essek miss Caleb more.

He has entirely too many tasks to complete and no where near enough brainpower to complete them. He's—antsy with Mihra puttering around his condo with him, too aware of her presence, too aware of the signs of his weekend activities. She won't gossip, probably, but—Light, there is a condom in his bed side bin. Essek doesn't regret Caleb, absolutely not, but he does regret everything else leading up to this, to him being—perceived as anything but Shadowhand Thelyss.

And it's only bound to be worse as the gala approaches.

Mihra hums as she sprays down his bathroom with cleaner, sharp fake citrus that stings Essek's nose. He—starts by retrieving his phone, reviewing his notifications by rote memory until he, at last, reaches the newest messages from Caleb. It's simple, two texts not even a minute apart, sent shortly after seven this morning.

Caleb Good morning, Schatz.

Caleb I shall miss you today. Rest well.

Essek's heart races, enamoured with such a simple thing. His reply takes no thought to write, and he sends it without so much as a cursory review.

Essek I've missed you since you left last night.

As expected, he doesn't get an immediate reply. He's still disappointed and… perhaps he should tell Caleb how affected he still is. It's not subdrop; he doesn't get that far, especially not considering the amount of care Caleb had given him through out their day. It's more that he—

He's simply wildly in love with the man, and that's worse.

[eldritchmochi]

OKAY SO I JUST FINISHED REREADING COPING SKILLS AND I'M BACK TO HOUND YOU WITH QUASTSHUNS <3

When did Essek get into the Rosohnan kink community? Before/after his hEDS showed up? (basically I guess I'm wondering if he was into kink before dealing with hEDS or if, like many disabled kinksters in my experience anyways, he got into it as a way to have some control over pain in a pleasurable way)

Who exactly would Essek have mentored under????

How did Testament clock Bren as a kinkster, let alone introduce him to it?

Is Frumpkin an ordinary cat in this fic or a familiar?

How did Beau and Yasha meet??? What brought them to Xhorhas?

How did Essek meet his Guides?

LISTEN it's really hard for me to not ask about stuff that seems like it's gonna get answered over the course of the fic because I wanna be patient, dammit! Just please know that for every question I am pestering you with (affectionate) I have like, at least three more I'm holding back lol.

Anyways I hope you're healing up well! :3

holy shit you were not kidding about SO MANY QUESTIONS lmao (i am healing well thank u i got halfway thru typing this up and then went to the hospital so uh....)

When did Essek get into the Rosohnan kink community? Before/after his hEDS showed up?

his interest in kink came first when he was younger, thru the elf equivalent of his teens as he tried to figure out sex acts that interested him beyond the abstract of touch-dick-feel-good, then the inkling of hmmm maybe there's something physically wrong with me as he got a little older and it stopped being excusable that he was a bit of a klutz, but he became active in the scene as an adult around the same time he was getting official diagnoses in his late 90s, early 100s

Who exactly would Essek have mentored under????

good question! honestly, he probably hasn't (hadn't??) with the exception of/until zehra because before his guides he hadn't really spent too long in relationships, kink or otherwise. he attended plenty of workshops when he was starting out and has done scenes with several others in the community like, casually, but he is probably not as experienced as readers (or caleb) would assume

How did Testament clock Bren as a kinkster, let alone introduce him to it?

it was the other way around actually! kink is not precisely taboo in rosohna, not the same way it is irl or even in the empire; it's generally expected that most folks, particularly those in noble circles ESPECIALLY if they're a longer lived race, have dabbled at least a little. rather, its hush-hush to like, allow those same nobles the freedom to operate outside the expectations of their circles. like there can be repercussions, but its mostly just private business is private. caleb, however, is very observant and there was like, a kink equivalent of the "i like your shoelaces" deal, which absolutely delighted testament

Is Frumpkin an ordinary cat in this fic or a familiar?

he is a familiar! i've fudged some things from cannon/dnd raw because fuck you its fanfic i can do what i want, but frumpkin is still a familiar, still a fae creature, still telepathically linked to caleb, and still able to be summoned and banished as needed. its absolutely impossible to show given how 99% of the fic is from essek's pov, but caleb very politely bribes frumpkin with mlem sticks to please leave him and his guest alone until such and such time when his guest will leave so caleb can fuck in peace (per yasha's suggestion given that cats are not common in rosohna, so it follows that essek has not much interacted with them (he has not) and may be uncomfortable with the staring (he would be))

(further fun frumpkin fact, caleb had to get a special permit to have his familiar's default form be "cat" because they are a non-native species lmao)

How did Beau and Yasha meet??? What brought them to Xhorhas?

they met through caleb and molly respectively; after molly's "death", yasha had a hard time staying in rexxentrum without feeling overwhelmed, so when beau got the opportunity to be part of the souls efforts to set up a library in rosohna, they got shotgun married and went somewhere new

How did Essek meet his Guides?

the tl;dr of it is basically lapin walked up at some event and was basically like my wife girlfriend and i saw you across the bar and we really like your vibe lmao. essek was mildly put off because he only likes men and zehra was basically like well thats fine because im a lesbian and you're obviously not a woman but that doesn't mean things cant be interesting, queue lapin being like yeah you dont have to fuck to have fun!! and essek was so baffled he agreed to get to know them and then somehow it was two years later and he was in their wedding party with friendship nipple piercings

absolutely feel free to ask questions even if you think they'll be answered in fic!! i don't mind fielding them because like, tbh, i am not THAT good of a writer so its entirely possible i wont think to really explain xyz thing because its obvious to me (there have definitely been SEVERAL things ive had to last minute edit into following chapters to explain a thing previously because people commented like wait what is this??? because i just... knew what it was so obviously everyone else would lmao). worse case scenario i'll pull a neil and go wait and see

but thank u for so many questions it was very fun!!

[eldritchmochi]

losing my god damned MIND at how i have somehow accidentally played myself because like

im rereading cs!31a totally not to maybe get thru the whole of ch 31 and what i have of 32 so far to perhaps do a lil bit of keyboard slappin and just

there are bits i wrote MONTHS ago, a LIFETIME ago, that hit *so damn hard* now wrt my stupid crush because cs!caleb is fully wish fulfillment that i, a horny cripple, desperately want deep down out of a sexual slash kink partner where all signs keep pointing to this dude i am wildly into at work being just. that, my ideal

and the motherfucker is straight

[eldritchmochi]

OH MY GOODNESS I JUST GOT YOUR LETTER TODAY *cue high-pitched teenage girl squeals*

This lil guy right here ^? UTTERLY ADORABLE 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

I have a MIGHTY NEED for that lil moorbounder <3 <3 <3

Please expect a return letter sometime within 1-10 business years :3

PS

As for your brain turning into soup, please remember soup is nutritious AND delicious and generally takes better the more time it has to sit and simmer <3

HA good i'm glad, the moorbounder plush is one of my FAVOURITE bits of cs!lore so ive been hoping to hear from the Mysterious One who got this doodle in a card so i could post it (i shoulda asked for handlessss so i could know who was whooooo rip me next time)

i am, in my brain, working on patterning out this cat tube but i'm intimidated because i have no clue how to pattern but also i am too lazy to read up on how to pattern so eventually i'm just gonna..... take some paper and make a paper version before trying fabric and so on, but i gotta have Brain first

soup definitely IS better when it has time to sit and harmonize but unfortunately, life is such that i have no control on the burners temp so most of my focus atm is just... keeping it from burning, but i'll get there!! one way or another!!

thank uuu <33

[eldritchmochi]

could you wax poetic about how you picture the dressing style of the wizards in your modern fic?

oh beck never a sweeter question has been asked of me

starting with the camming au because this is gonna get long with coping skills stuff. while there is some overlap, especially in caleb, i/we came at clothing from different places for both these aus so!

rts!essek: his main premise was "trendsetter" ala wisdom kaye in that he has a LOT of designer pieces and knows how to wear them in eyecatching ways. in rhosohna its very much a form of armor for him, fitting in and hiding by standing out. he tones it down in rexxentrum a fair bit to not stand out TOO MUCH or in the wrong way. he's very much the sort to shop based off name--he has designers he trusts with his life--but he's also a bit more of a quality over quantity type. he likes things he can repurpose into other looks with ease a lot too and he is VERY ingrained in what he deems acceptable for his wardrobe: colors, textures, patterns, etc. this is part of why The Robe hits him so hard. it's just to the left of something he'd choose for himself, right on paper in several ways while still being so very uniquely caleb that he has to cry

funfact, esseks big asymmetrical coat he wears in the hello daddy scene is based off one my buddy owned that had NO SHOULDERS so you just... looked like uncle fester, but for some reason it went so hard

rts!caleb: very much a guys guy kinda guy. he's dressed, his clothes are generally clean and in good repair, and they fit him well enough to the average eye. he'd like to do "better" but he lacks knowledge and resources especially, but he knows enough that he'll opt for one pair of vintage jeans over two pairs of modern jeans for the same price. tends to shop by fabric type, favoring natural fibers over synthetic (plastic). enjoys wearing clothes gifted to him by friends, especially when visiting that friend, to show that he cares. diligently hangs his most of his clothes to air dry, routinely conditions all his leather items. if he is going to pay too much money for clothing he's going to ensure things last as long as feasibly possible

with coping skills tho, there are several things that intertwine within their presentation, so, sum facts first

cs!essek: "dark academia" but he would never in his life call it that. shopping is his comfort from the horrors of his chronic pain. thusly he buys entirely too much clothing. gets basically everything tailored (to make it comfier). doesn't actually think too much about like material type or how quality an item is (beyond it not being absolute garbage), but focuses more on aesthetic over all else. has several piercings but wears very basic steel jewelry in all of them 98% of the time

cs!caleb: does in fact have more than one pair of jeans, he just only brought one pair of jeans to rhosohna. he in fact only brought a pretty small percentage of his clothes to rhosohna (he has probably two fairly big tubs in storage, including nicer clothing that isn't *interview* clothing). generally buys his shirts a smidge too big. often unconsciously buys clothing that reminds him of his crush/datemate/playpartner for himself as a lil hug

and now!!! the PARALLELLS

they both take meticulous care of their physical flesh, but for different reasons. caleb is VERY hairy compared to drow, pubs included, so essek doesn't make the connection but caleb does manscape, and does a lot of regular upkeep for his beard plus a lot of intentional care with his hair (it does have a style it's just not all blunt at the bottom the way most xhorhassian's keep theirs, thank u essek). caleb finds a lot of comfort in maintaining his body because its his and its the only one he gets. essek otoh resents his duty towards his body. he does it all, but he cuts corners as much as he can; he has short hair so upkeep isn't as draining even if it is scandalous; he doesn't paint his nails except for special occasions and only puts in bare minimum to keep them filed and tidy; he does skin care purely because he could not bear the indignity of others perceiving him as anything less than perfect but he's sloppy about it. he takes his pills, he eats the bare minimum, he moves the bare minimum, he socializes the bare minimum, and he is very content being mad at his flesh for betraying him, thank you

they both heavily curate their appearances to fit in with what is expected of them. with essek its the blouses and pressed trousers to appear respectable and cultured, with all the bits and bobs and layers that go with, and with caleb its the worn in jeans and flannels country boy look. essek dresses the way he does so he doesnt have to fight (his mother mostly) and so other people don't talk down to him in ways they shouldnt. caleb dresses the way he does because a) its comfortable and easy to travel with but b) it makes him unassuming so he is so much more able to observe

and also lastly, they obviously both really really like the kink aspects of clothing. they really get off on the possessives of wearing the others clothes or seeing the other wear theirs, they both really get off on the routine and anticipation of getting undressed (or the animal passion of just tugging pants down enough to get ur dick out before going at it) as well as the tease of redressing. ch 32 and 33 with all the gala clothe stuff is going to be SO HORNY (i'm sorry verin)

also fun fact, theyre within a size of each other *around* but caleb is in the next bracket up for length so i definitely considered having essek shove caleb into his clothes to go home in

[eldritchmochi]

its taken me basically all day but i have successfully edited 31d!! (mostly)

i have a couple of things i'll need to hit people up to translate but that is just stuff to slot in, so shouldn't be that difficult to do in the morning, and i even have the notes mostly prepared so it should be good to yeet up onto ao3 on sunday for sure

unless i am uh.

unconscious

which i may be A LOT for a bit after tomorrow (:

[eldritchmochi]

hi, i was wondering if coping skills was officially on haitus? its truly my favourite fic on ao3 rn and i think about it constantly :) you are really talented, and ive been slowly working my way through the rest of your fics during the wait! thank you so much for sharing it with the world!

yes!! basically well and truly on hiatus at this point. ill definitely get back to working on it and hopefully soon, but my brain continues to be soup 🫠 i am currently working (very very slowly) to reread it so i can have it fresher in my head in hopes of working on it while im recovering from top, but i make no promises on when i get the next update out alas

thank u for asking tho! im happy to hear how much people love it and im always happy to answer qs about it so feel free to beep me for bts deets and the like :>