eskel-and-goat

[eskel-and-goat]

Okaaaay, so.

Obviously i haven’t been active in a while, really only lurking and just being in the shadows, and it’s really because I’m just not that interested in the Witcher anymore? Don’t get me wrong, I’m still very much into the series and books and games, but after some thing in life (and very personally TWN treating esk like that🥺) I just don’t think I’ll run a fan account anymore.

Now, with that being said… of course most of my followers, if not all are here for our boy, our beloved Eskel, and I loved the time I got with you guys, engaging and reposting artworks, writings, or making things up with each other, I kinda cherish those, so I probably wont get rid of a lot on here that I believe should stay. But for the account itself, im planning on making it more personal? I guess? Idk, I want to share more ideas I have but around other characters, or just be more active and not have to follow a single fandom. Sigh, I know some of y’all will see this and unfollow, and that’s okay, I appreciate those who do stay though, thank you.

#the witcher #I love the Witcher #it won’t go away #but it’s time for more yk? #the Eskel club still exist #thank you for hearing me out if you’ve read this far

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you vs the guy he tells you not to worry about

#the witcher #geralt of rivia #jaskier #geralt x jaskier #geralt/jaskier #geraskier #witcher #witcher geralt #geralt the witcher #witcher netflix #darkverrmin #darkverrmin you peach pie #at it again #this will forever lay in my brain

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Commission for @janzoo of a cooking boy Eskel as a cover for her cookbook! Complete with a traditional Slavic oven. This was fun 🤩

Commission me here!

#the witcher #eskel #witcher #witcher eskel #eskel club #omg #what a cutie #I love your art🥺🥺🥺 #pls go do commissions!!

[eskel-and-goat]

Back from the death after watching that new trailer for season 2 woot woot!

I love all the hype that’s happening, I can’t wait to get to know the new characters and love on them just as much, especially The Witcher’s school of wolves! I wish there was more Eskel in the trailer, if I’ll be honest, I even paused it and looked around for him🥺 Just want to share the love all around with the boys, I can’t wait to see him!!

#the witcher #witcher #witcher netflix #the witcher season two #i can’t wait #i’m so excited #also hi been a while #what are your guys thoughts? #any personal hcs/thoughts for how it’s gonna go?

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🌼 Triss Merigold 🌼

#the witcher #triss merigold #triss fanart #witcher #witcher netflix #so beautiful #I love littoraly’s art #wow😍

[eskel-and-goat]

Agape

Rating: G

Words: 1.6k

Tags: fluff, cutagens, wintering at Kaer Morhern, purring

The cruel northern winter has set a chill deep in Geralt’s bones that even two pairs of socks can’t fix. Jaskier helps. 

Beta-ready by: @mirkwood​

A/N: This is actually the first time i’ve written a propper character pairing since i was 16! I know it’s very different from the usual stuff i write but this is just where my interests have taken me :) I’m actually really enjoying this fandom atm!

Sorry to bombard you with 2 Witcher posts in 1 week - I’ve created Witcher Wednesdays in my schedule now so business will resume as usual from next week :)

Read on Archive of Our Own

The library was warm when Jaskier entered, a contrast to the dank, gloomy corridors of the keep. The fire crackled merrily in the hearth on one side of the room, casting dancing shadows over the bookcases and the face of the room’s single occupant. 

“Geralt?” Jaskier asked, taking several steps forward and shutting the door behind him so the warmth didn’t escape. He was dressed only in his nightclothes, feet bare against the stone floor. “It’s late, are you coming to bed?” He asked. 

Geralt grunted from his seat on the sofa, a deep frown on his face as his eyes stayed fixed on the book in his lap. The witcher was swaddled up in a thick woolen blanket, one of the few luxuries he allowed himself against the cold this deep into winter. Only his head and hands poked from the fabric. 

Keep reading

#the witcher #geralt of rivia #jaskier #jaskier pankratz #jaskier the bard #geralt/jaskier #geraskier fluff #witcher geralt #this is so soft #geralt deserves good things #🥺🥺🥺 #all snuggled up in a blanket #relaxing with the boyfriend in the mountains

[eskel-and-goat]

Consider….. consider eskel but WITHOUT a shirt…. just consider…

#the witcher #eskel #witcher #witcher eskel #👀 #what a gorgeous man

[eskel-and-goat]

*puts down the orange juice i was drinking from a saucepan* oh hello! Take a seat. I've called you here on a matter of import. We must discuss

Eskel's fucking codpiece

because, well.

Triss, honey, I love you, but... two steps to your left, please.

Just... come on

Don't you make that gesture at me, goat dad.

A menace. My delicate sensibilities. My chaste virtue.

Eskel is the rainbow and the pot of gold is that codpiece.

A gif of my quivering loins being murdered.

In conclusion: ...did I have a point? If I did, it was swallowed by that fucking codpiece send help

#the witcher #eskel #Witcher #witcher eskel #eskel club

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Do you ever feel overwhelmed by how much you love someone

#the witcher #geralt of rivia #geralt #jaskier #jaskier the bard #geraskier #geralt x jaskier #witcher #witcher geralt #the witcher fanart #this is cute #I wish Jask would cuddle me like that🥺 #I wish I could hold Geralt like thaaaaaat🥺

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Hey, I love your work!! How about Eskel with F6 (I see him holding a new baby goat) in depressed orange? 😊

he's a granddad

#the witcher #eskel #witcher #witcher eskel #eskel club #eskel art #🥺🥺🥺 look how proud he is

[eskel-and-goat]

Eskel: me n Geralt are going out and hunting dinner, don’t wait up!

Jaskier: bye Geralt! Bye Eskel! By Geralt ;)

Ciri: you said bye Geralt twice

Jaskier: I like Geralt

#the witcher #eskel #geralt #geralt of rivia #jaskier #ciri #witcher #witcher eskel #witcher geralt #witcher ciri #I’m sorry but I cant stop thinking about this #this is from spongebob #also this may have already been done so credit to the chef

[eskel-and-goat]

You Have Until Midnight, my Eskel x Jaskier Cinderella AU fic IS COMPLETE WOO!

Jaskier works in the Kaer Morhen stables and pines for Eskel. There is a masquerade approaching where Eskel will choose a spouse. Jaskier knows he cannot attend as a guest and would never be accepted as an appropriate match for the witcher. But then he is faced with an unexpected opportunity. One lovely night. One dance. That’s not too much to ask, right?

Basically, Eskel is the prince-like character he deserves to be.

I raffled off a gift fic to celebrate reaching 200 subs on AO3 back in November, and @clown-of-rivia won! So this is for Isa. <3 <3

It was theoretically a <5k fic, but I loved the prompt so much that I just went buck wild. Almost 6 months and almost 60k later and here we are, a whole ass fic. Isa, thank you so much for your patience, your encouragement, your feedback, and for just being a gatdamn delight.

#the witcher #eskel #jaskier #jaskel #jaskier x eskel #witcher #witcher eskel #eskel club

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EMBARRASSINGLY DRUNK DANCER WITH GERASKIER!!!

See my initial thought here would be Jaskier, but we know he’s suave and knows how to perform while drinking. So I’d have to go with Geralt, but he only lets loose around Jaskier. It’s quite hilarious. Clumsy twirls, dropping Jaskier when trying to dip him, hilariously mood-killing strip teases, etc. Unfortunately for Geralt, one winter Eskel and Lambert barged in on a drunken striptease he was putting on for Jaskier (he knocked something over and they thought there was trouble) and he’s never heard the end of it 😂

#geraskier #geralt #jaskier #geralt of rivia #geralt x jaskier #the witcher #witcher geralt #omg #I love this #I also hc sober Geralt still being able to be goofy and dance only around Jask #that’s his friend yknow? #knows all the quote weird unquote sides of Geralt #and he’ll do it with a straight face too #in seconds he gets Jask laughing on the ground because of his poker face and epic dance moves #no doubt Jask loves it and joins in #two goof balls getting caught sharing FRIENDSHIP

[eskel-and-goat]

Adult Eskel still sometimes bunking with Papa Ves after a nightmare

I don’t think we talk about the wolfs getting nightmares enough. Which is reasonable, nightmares suck and normally you’d just turn the pillow over to the cold side and snuggle right back in, but for the boys? They’ve been through a lot, a Witcher’s life is not easy peasy. Not even just the life they live as a witcher, the time before trails? I don’t think that was a good time either.

Nightmares after experiencing a traumatic event is way more common. I think at after coming home to KM, all these events and regrets and decisions come back up, most of the nights there Eskel is probably in Vesemir’s room, along with the others too I’m sure.

I also think that instead of being able to just, go right back to sleep, they all talk. Papa Ves would talk about his favourite things they all use to do, like Eskel use to welcome new boys home as soon as meeting them, greeting them with rocks that match their eyes, getting cool sticks and carving their initials in it before throwing it as far as they can. Lamb was probably really quite as first and would poke and tug people’s pant leg to get things and no one could say no to him, Geralt would go around with a small blanket around his shoulders playing “hero”, the good stuff to remember.

#the witcher #eskel #vesemir #geralt #geralt of rivia #lambert #witcher #witcher eskel #witcher vesemir #witcher geralt #witcher lambert #ask #I lowkey think about this all the time #nightmares can be vivid #they can be all over the place #eskel comes to Vesemirs room #muscles tense #shaking #his breathing is irregular and he’s reaching out to Ves with grabby hands #poor papa wolf #I bet all he wants to do is give his boys at least a good day of rest away from the troubled world

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Would Geralt and Lambert know? Would he switch them to trick the others? The thought of Lambert clamping down on his left side only to yell because it’s not White Gull and actually Capri Sun is really funny, eskel 1 lambert 0

The spikes on Eskel’s armour? They’re not made of metal. In reality they’re where he keeps his potions and water. If he needs a bit of a boost during a fight, he can have a little sip.

#this is the first thought I came up with after seeing this #they’ll just come up to him after finding and SUCK both sides #like the kid in the theatre absolutely downing a slurpee #eskels so mad #there’s none left

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Would you mind sharing some tips on writing eskel as well? I've heard people complain about how eskel is basically written as geralt with a scar, but I'm not sure how to NOT do that? How do you write him as himself and not a copy of Geralt?

Ahh, Anon. Eskel. Well, believe it or not, this was harder to pull together than the one for Lambert. Eskel’s a character quite close to my heart and I’ve used him across a wide range of stories to explore issues close to home. I’ve broken down some core principles, so I hope this is both informative, but flexible enough for you to twist and warp as you see fit. A lot of his traits are interwoven, but I’ve tried to sort them into some sensible order.

My usual disclaimer: personal interpretations; mileage may differ. Remember that everyone engages with media differently, etc.

TLDR: In the books, it’s said that he and Geralt look so similar that they could be mistaken for brothers, but for the scar on Eskel’s face and Geralt’s white hair. They’re close. Eskel’s life is governed by quiet pragmatism, whereas Geralt is governed by idealism. Eskel doesn’t involve himself like Geralt does; he’s capable of operating inside societal norms and is well aware of his emotions/needs (enough to have sound mastery of them). He prefers the life of an anonymous witcher, not because he isn’t special in his own way, but because that is the life he chooses.

Special shoutout to those in the Cake Shop who helped me answer the question “how do I talk about Eskel without showing my whole ass?” @lohrendrell, @tumbleweedtech, @frenchkey, @octinary, particularly.

Eskel knows how society works. He’s able to live within its boundaries.

“It was Eskel’s behaviour which was most unlikely; he got up, approached the enchantress, bent down low, took her hand and kissed it respectfully.”

“Vesemir hawked again. But Eskel, dear Eskel, kept his head and once more behaved as was fitting.”

Blood of Elves

Eskel is often written as the “diplomatic” one. Part of this stems from the “eldest child” syndrome he has—polite, responsible and Vesemir can “count on him”—but also because he understands society’s rules and his place within it. He doesn’t chafe against the yoke like Lambert or stumble awkwardly through like Geralt. It’s not that he’s passive, but he has accepted the world for it is and rather than rail against it (Lambert) or believe that he can change it with enough personal suffering (Geralt), he has decided to operate within its framework as best he can.

Even if he wholeheartedly disagrees with something, he will feign interest. His one big tell is the inability to maintain eye contact when something truly bores him, probably because he’s well aware that his eyes might give him away.

Eskel would have pinched the bridge of his nose in despair had been present when Geralt skewered that rodent in the dark. Triss notes that Eskel “behaves as he should” and Eskel is able to conduct himself in a manner that encourages Triss to assist with Ciri, because he knows that is what’s needed at the time. He doesn’t see himself “above” a little bit of deference if it achieves the end goal, which leads me onto the next point…

Eskel is a pragmatist, not an idealist. 

Eskel and Coën bestowed a look which was entirely devoid of respect on the old man. 

Blood of Elves

Eskel: Saved this lost knight once... You know, woods, dark, wolves. The standard. Told him "Give me what you find at home" and all that... No kid this time, but his mare had just foaled.

Geralt: Eskel and Scorpion... Bound by fate. An enchanting tale.

Eskel: Mock me all you want. You're just jealous.

Dialogue, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Eskel gets a bad reputation for not picking up Deidre and leaving her to “suffer”. In reality, Eskel was pragmatic in making his decision to leave her where she was. A princess would live a far better life in a palace, surrounded by luxury, than he could ever give her. I’ve debated whether he puts much stock in “destiny” either, since he claimed law of surprise a second time—sometimes I write this as him asking the world for a second chance to get it right, because his decision bit him in the ass. There may have been a small concern at taking on the responsibility, particularly given the timing of his “acquisition”.

After the whole Deidre debacle, Eskel carried a collective work about the phenomenon of the “Black Sun”. He concluded that the Council of Wizards meddled too much in state affairs, botched it and, had they not sent Sabrina Glevissig, Ademeyn might not have been ostracised. In other words, Deidre was a victim of the machinations of the Council. Is Eskel dogged by regret and thoughts of “what could have been”? I think so. Why else would he take such great pains to find an explanation beyond something as erroneous as “fate”?

Another aspect of this pragmatism is the realistic way he views his relationship to Kaer Morhen and the witcher brotherhood. He doesn’t view Vesemir as a father figure (contrary to what our beloved fanfiction tropes would have you believe) and treats him with detachment (if not open disdain as evidenced above). This suggests he has a better grasp of the reality of his training years than Geralt—a leap, but it matches the rest of his approach to the Path (see next point). They weren’t trained as gallant knights to rescue damsels from distress, but as monster hunters that would live on the periphery of society. 

He is notably disturbed by performing the Trial of the Grasses on Uma and walks away. Like all witchers, there is certainly some residual trauma there, particularly because he almost lost Geralt during the whole process.

I think this foundational understanding of his place in the world meant that he never quite developed the sense of “unworthiness” that Geralt carries with him. This doesn’t mean that Eskel isn’t very aware of his worth and his place; he is conscious of his scars (touches them when he’s anxious or contemplative) and saves his smiles for his friends and family. He is aware of how the world views him—resigned to it, perhaps fatigued by it in some ways—and manages himself accordingly. 

As an amusing aside, he once caught a vampire by getting a woman drunk on drugged alcohol and using her as bait (with her consent, of course), but I can just imagine Geralt clutching his pearls at the very idea and it makes me grin.

Eskel chooses anonymity. He chooses the simple life of a witcher and takes a certain amount of pride in it.

Geralt: You too. How are things?

Eskel: Same ol', same ol'. Another day, another drowner.

Geralt: That it?

Eskel: I'm a simple witcher, Wolf. Don't fight dragons, don't fraternise with kings and don't sleep with sorceresses... Unlike some.

Dialogue, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

“And the lord barons and village elders,” added Eskel, “have their heads full of the war and don’t have the time to defend their subjects. They have to hire us. It’s true. But from what Triss has been telling us all these evenings, it seems the conflict with Nilfgaard is more serious than that, not just some local little war. Is that right, Triss?”

Blood of Elves 

Eskel prefers a quiet life on his own terms. He chooses to walk the Path with his own morals and chooses not to engage the way Geralt or Coën do (both intervene and find heartache and pain), whereas Geralt wants a happy family, Eskel prefers his solitude. He chooses to be an anonymous witcher, chooses simplicity instead of glory, or even a sense of grand accomplishment. He finds accomplishment in carving out the life he wants, because his early life was characterised by a lack of agency. In summary, if Geralt is high drama, then Eskel is maximum chill. 

He never gained Geralt’s renown—deliberately, as I’ve stated—but he has a reputation as a solid witcher; professional, reliable and competent. He has undertaken a number of notable feats, including the rescue of a young girl from the stomach of a basilisk and the slaying of a manticore (neither of which he got paid for due to the lack of contract).

We can extrapolate a little from what he doesn’t say or do. In the Blood of Elves, when Triss commented on their treatment of Ciri, he listened rather than bite back like Lambert and lament like Geralt. After they discussed what to do with Ciri, the conversation turned to the situation in the Northern Kingdoms. Eskel asked a question initially (as above) but went silent when it turned into a debate about neutrality. He’s the closest example we have of a witcher that pays more than lip service to the neutrality of the order (besides, perhaps, Vesemir).

Eskel is quiet, but he’s not “slow”.

Geralt: Something about Yen bothering you? C'mon, grow a pair, give it to me straight.

Eskel: You grow a pair and admit she tricked you. More than a few times.

Geralt: That was then. Yen's changed.

Eskel: Right. Fine, never mind... Let's go.

Dialogue, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Geralt: We shouldn't. Rather not tire out my horse for no reason.

Eskel: Ah... Honestly can't see what all those dames see in you. You're a stick in the mud.

Geralt: Pretty damn handsome stick, though.

Eskel: Debatable... Let's go.

Dialogue, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

There can be a tendency to paint Eskel as a little bit dim, because some of his rebuttals to Geralt amount to “no, you” and he has this lovely, warm accent in the game that drops the ‘g’ and uses the word ‘ain’t’. However, I propose that Eskel has a dry sense of humour, has grown up dealing with Geralt’s sass and knows the best way to shut him down is to disengage with a one-liner and move on. 

You also have one of my favourite examples of Eskel’s intelligence, which is the fact that he spent months hunting a katakan and dragged it to Kaer Morhen for an autopsy to figure out what was so special about it. I’ve gone into this in more depth in a “headcanon” post, which is more focused on what I have built Eskel as (including a love of poetry and literature). 

Other bits and pieces:

He is perturbed by Geralt’s relationship with Yennefer and points out her poor treatment of him (and her poor behaviour when she arrives at KM); he remarks that Yennefer plays Geralt like a “cheap fiddle”. Ouch.

He has a feathered bonnet he wears on special occasions. 

He has a lot of luck with the ladies when wearing a mask—don’t worry, Eskel, we love you without one—which suggests an innate charm that he can deploy effectively.

He’s infamous for sleeping with succubi and doing fisstech. While some might try to base his entire character on this, it only suggests that he knows how to have a good time and, in his own words, loves a woman with horns.

He enjoys drinking and laughing with his loved ones, and there is evidence that he has a close relationship with Lambert as well as Geralt.

He is a lightweight when it comes to alcohol.

There is still plenty of scope to explore issues of self-esteem and Eskel’s expectations of the world (and how it treats him).

My headcanon that he has an army of grannies that feed him on the Path because he is a “good young man” that helps them out.

Some random headcanons that aren’t wholly based on canon material.

He appears once with a goat.

His hands “emanate with power”, more so than Geralt. He is known for an astounding mastery of Signs.

I’ve avoided discussing anything to do with kink or NSFW; I’ll let you make up the fun bits by yourself (but I’m personally partial to Eskel any way he comes, to be honest; the lad loves to please his lovers).

Chonkskel for life. There is no other way.

In conclusion, Anon. Eskel is not Geralt Lite.  I view them as two halves of one soul, yes—even if you just view them platonically, they’re bound by the life they have lived together—but Eskel is the balance to Geralt’s chaos, the calm to his turbulence. They find effortless acceptance and love in each other (evidenced by the way they fall into each other’s arms in the Blood of Elves).  

On his own, Eskel is a simple man in that his wants in life are simple, but he has his own clear moral code of neutrality, a dry wit and an easy charm. I always advise people to drink some bourbon, listen to Tennesse Whiskey and read about sultry summer evenings before sitting down to write Eskel, because that’s how he feels to me.

#the witcher #eskel #witcher #witcher eskel #eskel club #this is amazing #thanks rawrkinjd

[eskel-and-goat]

For my favorite prompter, a prompt! Tell us about the selkies and the ziplock bags 😍😍😍😍

The year was 2000, geralt remembers this clearly as it was the year he finally pulled his head out of his ass and finally asked his husband out.

Geralt had been jogging down a beach, having a day off from monster hunting for once, when he saw the suspicious looking bundle farther down the beach squirming about.

He had jogged up to the bundle and stood there before prodding it with his foot. "Ack!" The bundle squirmed a bit more before a head topped in brown and caramel locks popped out "watch it!" Came the yell in a suspiciously familiar voice. Geralt steps back in shock as the figure rises "jaskier?" He says confused, watching bright blue eyes snap to his.

"Ah haha geralt!... fancy seeing you here here!" Comes the nervous reply.

Geralt tilts his head, "what? Uhnmm" geralt pointedly keeps his eyes on jaskiers face after a glance down his crushes' body and seeing it naked.

Jaskier laughs nervously and shuffles, pulling his cloak tighter around himself, edging towards the water.

Geralt follows him slowly "A selkie?" He murmurs "jaskier?" He says louder.

Jaskier flashes him a nervous grin "haha hey geralt..." his feet and in the water and he shuffles faster "what do a selkie and a ziploc have in common?" He shouts, starting to seal himself up in his coat.

Geralt stares at him "uhhhh"

Jaskier gives a nervous giggle before completely changing into his seal form and slipping between the waves.

Geralt gasps "ah....They're resealable"

@dani-dandelino @geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde @jaskiersvalley @jaskierswolf @thecomfortofoldstorries @all-hail-the-witcher @softnerdypeter @veritasrose @theamazingbard @elliestormfound

#the witcher #geralt #geralt of rivia #jaskier #geraskier #Witcher #witcher geralt #omg #I love the cheesy joke in it #this? is peak comedy in my pea brain