Early Bird: The Edentide Garden Ch. 01 AND 02 (plus commentary)

In which a knight finds himself struggling with memory issues as he makes his way through a courtyard garden that has become strangely... corrupted. Luckily, he has a sweet, angelic little fairy bringing him back from the brink whenever he gives in, be it to a sultry moth-like succubus or a group of incredibly soft lamb's ear dryads.

[pov: 3rd person; cisboy; femdom; fnc (heavy brainwashing); edging; sleepy hypnosis; 69ing; gaslighting; honey; some drowning moments]

Oh, now this is a blast from the past. A long time ago, I began this story with the intention of making it a full novel—only to get caught up in other work and basically shelve it, unedited. Some of you might remember its first chapter was posted as one of the very first Vault exclusives. Well, I finally went back and did some editing and posted it! I felt like it was well past time.

Of course, that... does mean I kind of need to continue this story, huh?

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Author's Commentary (spoilers beyond!)

I wrote this a long time ago, as in, years ago. Editing it was tricky, because I can totally see these subtle kinks that have since bled into my work much more openly (and thus effectively): The gentle femdom, the oral fixations and deepening male degradation, the drugging and addiction, and even the lowkey infantilization.

My goal with The Edentide Garden (placeholder title "The Exquisite Garden", alt title "The Sunrise Blossom") was to effect this kind of dreamlike, wet dream feel to things. That's why Herne seems so incredibly thick-headed and gullible compared even to characters like Senya. It's why I play up his cock being constantly immersed in squishy nectar-filled clothes, why everything is so warm and soft, why he goes places without remembering his arrival or why he's doing it.

This was back when I was first exploring these kinks. A lot of my stories were literally inspired by my own dreams back then. I know this story was also inspired by bobsamade's long-defunct "The Garden of Hellish Delights", and you can no doubt see those influences.

It's... well, I don't know if it's very good! I didn't fully know how to write these kinks yet, and I  wasn't even fully aware I was writing them. Editing was like trying to sharpen an old sword only to find out it was made from cheap bronze to begin with. I did my level best. I see what I was going for, and it kind of hurts seeing how close some of it came and knowing I just didn't have the skills at the time to make it there!

In the original third chapter, Herne originally escaped the Garden. I think I'm going to do something different. I like this period of him wandering the Garden, half-free-willed but confused and dreamy and endlessly horny, and I think drawing it out a bit would be fun.

My idea is to start running polls on the Patreon for it, and taking suggestions from $13+ patrons (though I also reserve the right to run my own ideas) for new challenges Herne can encounter.

Let me know your thoughts! Other stories are still on their way, I promise. I'm writing a mix of commission/obligation and "just things that are fun" to avoid burnout, and Edentide is definitely in the latter camp right now.