#campaign: last resort movers inc

[soartfullydone]

Jumbo OC Asks! Riven - 🍊⭐🍐💧; Celeste - 🍒🔥💙🌸

[touches your face] thank you

Riven

🍊 What is your OC’s favourite meal? Snack? Dessert? Drink? Any reasons behind this besides liking how it tastes?

I couldn't name her favorite meal to save my life, probably because Riven prefers variety. So she's become very enamored of the dinner-breakfast hodgepodge she and her da make for the pair of them and Krelyss. She's been trying many new dishes to accommodate Krelyss' tastes (who knew mushrooms could be used in so many ways?) and getting to know some of her lost culture in the process. Even when the cooking attempt doesn't pan out, she enjoys the company above everything. Her home life has never been better. For snacks, she prefers most fruits. Citrus and apples and drupes. Dessert is where she likes to get fancy. Tarts, eclairs, anything with a meringue or mousse. Right now, she's in love with a blackberry mousse, served with gold flakes and mint. As for drink, well, it matters more who she's drinking with than what she drinks. Ale, rum, water, doesn't really matter, but whenever she does order some type of ale, it's because of all the warm memories and conversations she's shared with Delethil—and now also with Eravin and the party during their drinking games. There's nostalgia and comfort in the drink rather than a deep love for the taste.

⭐ What is your OC afraid of? Any crippling phobias or some such? How do they act when scared and what helps them calm down? Does anyone ever find your OC scary? Why?

For a long time, Riven was deeply wary of all the things her da impressed upon her to be wary of: orcs, necromancers, duergar, the undead, and drow. But those fears were so distant and well outside the border. She was more afraid of Lunhaven becoming a cage for her, of being trapped into responsibilities she didn't want by people who neither liked nor respected her. She was afraid that her loneliness would kill her (thanks Britney). Ironically, the way she often dealt with this was to pick fights with her da before running off to be alone somewhere. As Del entered the picture, she gained someone to vent back and forth with and who made her feel valued, but she never left behind her tendencies to run and self-isolate. Now, she's afraid of new things. Of the wrong people discovering she's a glamoured half-drow. Of something terrible happening to Krelyss. Of ruining the relationships she's gained. Of the divide between Del and her friends growing so much that she can no longer bridge it, no longer allow the two halves of herself to intersect. Of one day becoming a mother and being, not only terrible at it, but also unable to protect and connect with her bairn when the glamour prevents her from looking like them. Would they think she was ashamed of them? Would glamouring them to protect them prove that thought right? She's getting better, though, about not running away and isolating herself. She's learning to trust the friends she has and that they won't eventually betray her or throw her away. She's not doing great at it. She's still taking on too much to prove her worth when she doesn't need to. But she's working through unlearning a lot of past behaviors and beliefs. There's still a long way to go, though. As much as people, in Aeranth especially, would find her drow form intimidating, Riven as she is isn't intimidating at all, even when she tries to be lol. But that's okay for a rogue. As frustrating as it is to be constantly underestimated, it's deeply satisfying when she sneaks someone to death with her 10,000 knives attack.

🍐 What is your OC’s mentality? Are they overall positive? Negative? A bit of both? Describe their thought patterns and reasoning behind their choice making!

Riven performs positivity a lot, both to make herself feel better but also because she's desperate for people to like her. But inwardly, she has a bit of a dark humor to her, a bit of a resigned mindset about the way things are—and also a renewed sense of idealism for the way things could be. Her thoughts have recently taken a turn toward being more genuinely positive, but her adolescence and early adulthood was, well. Let's just say she had dreams but she didn't have a lot of hope. There's a vein of sadness that runs deep within her. Because of that, Riven's never had much of a plan. She believed her life would be decided for her regardless of what she attempted. But never being anchored to any one goal made her quick and adaptable, which led to her picking up the rogue arts so easily. It was in her wheelhouse and it was a small way to rebel. Del shared many of these qualities with her, part of why they took to each other so quickly, but Riven is the more openly impulsive of the two. She doesn't think things through sometimes, saying the first thing that comes to mind, and she puts her foot in her mouth often. It's only recently that she's learned to act strategically, and only because she earnestly cares. Ricocheting constantly between doing the honorable thing and doing the cutthroat thing, this one. Whatever feels right.

💧 What is the earliest memory your OC can recall? Do they know what their first words were or remember where they took their first steps? Do they have any mementos of their childhood they’ve kept such as a stuffed toy or tiny baby clothes?

She has no recollection of her first year in the Underdark, of Avenzi, Krelyss, her da's mad flight to freedom, almost dying to fucking pollen, none of that. I think the earliest memories she can manage are cloudy ones a few years after. Erosen carrying her while she was small enough and he strong enough to do so. So many of the estate staff having accents like her and talking to her in their dialect. Playing with dirt in the courtyard because she was "gardening." Her da reading to her. Part of why her relationship with her da growing colder and more distant hurt so much was because she could remember when it wasn't like that between them. She likely has some of her childhood dresses shoved in the dark recesses of her closet, the tulle awfully stiff, the velvet faded. All that costume jewelry either got broken, lost, or tarnished. I know for a fact Erosen still has her favorite children's book he read to her in his personal study.

Celeste

🍒 What kind of things do they expect from their relationships? Does this differ between platonic relationships and romantic ones? Is your OC “demanding” or a door mat? What kinds of things do people expect from them in a relationship?

The primary word that comes to mind is meaning. If a relationship doesn't hold meaning for her, Celeste is quick to dismiss it. She also expects relationships to inevitably end one way or another. There's no great mourning for her about this. It's just a fact of life and doesn't prevent her from pursuing new relationships. You can get plenty of use out of people between now and whenever that end is. That being said, Celeste vastly, shall we say, trusts and prefers platonic relationships over romantic ones. A lover might die for you, but a true ally would defend and kill for you. She had her fun and frivolity when she was younger, but longevity isn't built on fun and frivolity. You have to be able to make hard choices and sacrifice to get what you want. Can you pick up that she is incredibly demanding? And why shouldn't she be? Much is demanded of her, after all. What people expect from her depends. Enemies would declare her a snake and expect her to act accordingly. Those under the protection of her House know that protection isn't offered freely, but nor is it offered duplicitously. Her family knows she is exacting and cold, but she acknowledges talent and rewards good work done in service of the family accordingly. (Oh, but, a certain member doesn't agree and believes she's the root of every unhappiness in his life.) It's not all backstabbing and assassinations in Twalan. Loyalty can and does exist. In fact, Celeste has been in a Very Dedicated Relationship since she was nineteen years old :3 Of course, now Celeste is not in Twalan. She's in limbo with a bunch of capable yet sentimental eccentrics she's not expecting much out of outside their shared desire for resolution. She does not expect them to take on her problems and currently believes whatever issues the rest of the party has is their private affair. She doesn't much care anymore what others expect of her here. If people want to see her as just a frail old woman, it's their funeral—or it would be, if death mattered here.

🔥 Give us a list of general likes and dislikes, such as colours, textures, music, weather and other stuff!

Celeste likes order and tidiness. Distractions and amusements. Power and safety. Loyalty and comfort. She dislikes ambiguity and not knowing where the threat lies. She hates anything that changes masters like one changes their small-clothes. She's also not loving the way magic seems to be shifting away from the arcane toward the technological. Makes her feel obsolete and other things we won't self-analyze right now <3 As for colors, well, black, wine red, gold, royal blue, plum purple. She'd look great in white, too, but those days are behind her, I fear. She enjoys velvets, suedes, silks, and leathers. Feathers, too, but practicality must come first for now. As for music, she has a classical ear and vastly prefers beautiful, sweeping, even tragic stringed compositions over whatever noise the kids are listening to these days. She misses operas in her reserved box. What she never thought she'd miss was the sea breeze misting the air and the salt in her nose. So easy to take for granted! She'd settle for freshwater rain at this point.

💙 What did your OC want to be when they grew up and why? Did they have any lifelong dreams or ambitions they never got to work on or are they currently working to achieve this dream? Has their life taken a very unexpected turn and put all these plans on hold for a while or have they given up on any dreams?

She wanted to not be murdered before she turned twenty. She wanted to matter. She wanted to be able to hurt others before they hurt her instead of the other way around. She wanted power, and security and safety in that power. She wanted to build something that would be sustainable without her. She did just that and was satisfied—until very recently. I think we can call the Worst Vacation Ever one hell of an unexpected turn, but it wasn't Celeste's first. There's a reason the party met her outside of Twalan, her birthplace and stomping ground, and there's a reason she hasn't flaunted her warlock status nor openly stated her family name. Leaving limbo completely out of it, Celeste feels more in the dark and unfulfilled than she's ever been. If it weren't for the sheer anger and indignity of it all, she would wonder why she should even care, about anything.

🌸 What does your OC’s voice sound like? Their laugh? Are they good at singing? Do they have an accent?

Celeste's voice has changed over the years. Now, it sounds lower, more throaty. She speaks with a bored drawl because she either IS bored or amused (it's also the upper-class snootiness coming out). Her laughter is restrained, haughty, condescending, pitying, or concealing. She might occasionally hum but doesn't sing. I don't think she experiences enough joy to either laugh genuinely or sing from the heart. Her accent is Twalanian nobility through and through, but there's something practiced about it, almost textbook.

[zacksfairest]

i need to write more for them :(

[soartfullydone]

We all look so good and Freddy, Kit, and Ben were SO TOL I’m foaming at the mouth

That time Riven joined the Crows and lowkey highkey flirted with the Darkling

[soartfullydone]

🗡 You know how rogues do 🗡

Stupidly proud of this cosplay and these pictures, but gosh, Riven deserves it!

[soartfullydone]

Still can’t believe how well this thrown-together cosplay of my girl Riven has turned out I’m emo about it

[soartfullydone]

because this would be funny: Delethil and Zaresh

Sure, Zaresh presents as a pretty wood elf with an exotic tattoo, but Delethil only flirts with Zaresh to make Eravin jealous.

Delethil flirting with other people has been almost the entirety of Eravin's adult life, so he doesn't notice.

Zaresh, of course, is affronted and disgusted that this uncouth elf thinks he would stoop so low. Clearly, this is a relationship that will persevere.

Delethil honestly thinks it's funny that Zaresh reacts so aversely to him. Even if he tries to hide it, Del can read people. He knows what that jaw clench means; what those flared nostrils indicate; what those narrowed, murderous eyes represent. Either Zaresh doesn't like him, or he suffers from fantasy homophobia—so sad for him! Naturally, Del makes it a point to flirt with him whenever appropriate, if just to make him uncomfortable.

The problem is that Del flirts with other people, too, or they wind up taking his natural charm as flirting. This happens in between bouts of him missing Riven and Eravin, and being pissed at them both. He's feeling petty over their seeming divide, but he's determined to win them both over, so he can't let himself get rusty.

And it burns Zaresh that this arrogant wretch can flirt with him and then just... pass him over for the next bint or wastrel who wanders into the room. Zaresh is easily the most attractive person here! What isn't wrong with Delethil?

Well, I'll tell ya what's right and what Zaresh can't help but notice and hate. Delethil is a cunning enough man to not only have won a country but also to have a host of people following his orders to the letter. Zaresh may be a loner, but to have that kind of power, to command people like servants and slaves, well, he wouldn't say no to it.

Unfortunately, victory has made Delethil complacent and swaggering. The hard part is over; all he has left to do is to convince the moon elf lass he loves and desires to be his queen. Zaresh knows and cares about none of this. If he can't be in Del's position, he would much prefer to rip him from his pedestal, salt and burn his fields, and dance over the ashes.

So the next time Delethil flirts with him, Zaresh flirts back, his finest performance yet. Delethil doesn't magically forget how cold Zaresh was to him in the past, but he is sharply intrigued. Now what changed his mind? Did he finally pull the stick out his arse and discover he liked the sensation? Well, it wouldn't hurt to see where this goes...

I don't think it ever gets sexually physical between them, though. Delethil has too much to do in propping up his castle of sand, and Zaresh is supposed to be murdering people, which he gets to presently. But if Zaresh flirted back, I think that would make Delethil note his comings and goings more. Put him on the radar, so to speak.

Zaresh's plan was to lure Delethil to his newly-acquired home/dungeon on the pretense of sex but with the reality of prolonged torture. He doesn't get the chance, though. Delethil catches him in the act of murdering one of the few remaining Circle members, laments that the murderer was "the pretty one" as he did in the campaign, and attacks. He expects for a few of his people to come running and that they'll make short work of this. He doesn't know that Zaresh already drugged them and they won't be waking up anytime soon, no matter how loud the screams are.

So Zaresh does get some of the torture he was after. It's still in a cell, but he only has until first light, and the rest of the Circle members still need killing. Or not. Maybe putting this crude wood elf in his place, destroying him, is the final pleasure Aeranth can give him. He can find Vaela another way.

Strung up to the ceiling in chains, Delethil proves entertaining and irritating in equal measure. He struggles not to cry out when Zaresh skins parts of him, but cutting him only elicits amused laughter and insults. "Aw, lad, is this your first time?" Delethil screams appropriately when Zaresh sinks his dagger in to the hilt.

He's determined to break this man. He's driven to reducing him to pleading and tears and piss. Zaresh would cut out his tongue to spare himself Delethil's voice, but he wants to hear the proof of it.

So focused is he that it's no wonder he doesn't hear Eravin coming. He's never taken much notice of the ranger, that ugly, scowling affront to one's sight. Zaresh won't ever have to suffer him or Delethil again, particularly not after Eravin shoots an arrow straight through his eye, knocking that pretty circlet askew and revealing everything at last.

[soartfullydone]

@editoress asked: A kiss as if trying to answer a question for Del and Erry.

Eravin nocked another arrow and took aim, the wooden short bow creaking as he pulled the string taut. 

A flash of silver and red ended it before Eravin could fire his shot. From a branch above, Delethil had dived like a bird of prey upon the final brigand, bringing his dagger down clean through the masked elf’s skull and landing with a graceful roll. 

Well, that answered the question of whether they were bothering with prisoners and interrogations. Eravin relaxed his stance and returned the arrow to his quiver once it was clear he and Del were alone in the woods. 

“Anyone we know?” Eravin asked Del, who was kneeling by the body and wiping his blade clean on the deceased cloak. 

“Let’s find out, shall we?” 

Roughly, Delethil yanked the mask down, revealing a slender nose, full cheeks, and bloodied lips frozen open in death. A lass this time, and still with no identifying markers beyond that. No sign of allegiances. It didn’t help that her hair, tied up in a tight ponytail, was as blonde as any respectable wood elf’s where it wasn’t stained with blood and gore.

A stray wind scattered a few leaves and rustled the trees as they both studied the corpse in silence. Finally, Eravin said, “Maybe an open invitation wasn’t such a good idea.”

“Hasn’t proved to be a bad idea, either,” Del flippantly replied as he rose to his full height, dagger in hand. “We don’t know whether they’re comin’ from outside Aeranth or in.”

“Aye, ‘cause we don’t know anythin’,” Eravin protested, annoyed. He hadn’t forgotten about Zaresh being proof enough, but since that had all somehow worked out, he knew it wouldn’t do any good to use it against Del in this situation. “Shoulda let me have it.”

“We’re safe as houses—and been in rougher spots besides. Why are ya whingin’?”

“I’m nae whingin’, ya arse.” Eravin scowled. He didn’t believe he needed to voice his concerns—that it wasn’t just him and Del getting into trouble anymore, that there was so much more to lose—not to Del, so he didn’t. “They’ve been gettin’ closer to town. This lot tried ta follow us home.”

Unperturbed, Delethil tossed his head of long, auburn hair and cracked a joint in his neck. “Tried bein’ the operative word here.” Smirking, he added, “Four’s hardly enough ta take down the pair of us.”

But Eravin wasn’t at all cajoled by Delethil’s cavalier attitude. “If Riv were here—”

“She’d’ve detected them before we’d even left town,” Del interjected. “The keen perception of those lovely eyes! Never mind that she’d barely need our help in a fight. Actually,” he revised, pivoting from complaining to an intriguing new thought. “I wouldn’t have minded watchin’ her polish them off.”

At this rate, Delethil would eventually get his wish. Eravin moved to recover what arrows he could from their other three attackers, each of them also wood elves. Eravin didn’t like it. He’d expected having to fend off attacks from moon elves while the country got used to Delethil and his new Circle running things. It’d been a long time since Eravin had needed to kill one of his own kin, not so much for Del. Perhaps that was the difference, and yet… Eravin didn’t like it.

“We’ll come up with a plan,” Eravin decided, “once she comes home.”    

“We don’t need ta tell her.”

Eravin yanked an arrow out of the back of a chestnut-haired elf, rounding toward Del in surprise and suspicion. “Aye,” he argued, “we do. She deserves ta know.”

“I only meant,” Del soothed, “for the moment. We need more information first. We give her the what and none of the who’s or the why’s, she’ll make it her business to find out by herself.”

Eravin grunted in response. Del had the right of it there, though the suggestion still didn’t fully set right with Eravin. “We should nae have killed them all, then.”

“And why shouldn’t we? Leaving none alive sends an abrasively clear message.” Del’s smile was all teeth. “Next time, they’ll send someone important with real knowledge. Not this rubbish.”

“Well, whoever’s the bastard in charge needs to hurry it up. Riv’ll be back soon.”

“Soon, aye, but not nearly soon enough. She should’ve tired of playin’ with orcs by now!” Del lamented with a dramatic sigh that had Eravin rolling his eyes heavensward, though he also sympathized. “They cannae be more interestin’ than us. And not a one of them appreciates her sparkling wit! That ethereal face! That lush wonder of a body!”

“Miss her, too,” Eravin grumbled in agreement, the tips of his ears reddening. There wasn’t one word of untruth spoken, but—ach, did Del have to paint such a vivid picture of Riven’s virtues to torture them both? Well, aye, of course he did, the git.

Said git trailed behind Eravin, stepping over a body in the process. “But I’ve told her so many times, Erry! What will it take to sink in? I go mad without her.”

“‘M still here, y’know.”

It slipped out before Eravin could realize he’d wanted to keep that irritated mumble to himself. Hell, it slipped out before Eravin had registered that he was irritated period. But it was too late to snatch the fully-formed words out of the air before it reached Del’s ears. From the corner of his eye, Eravin saw Del’s head snap in his direction and knew with utter certainty that a slow, satisfied grin was growing upon his foxlike face. 

“What was that, Erry?“

“Nothin’,” Eravin deflected too quickly. “‘M gettin’ my arrows.”

“They’ll keep.” Delethil’s voice was silky—and closer.

And Eravin had run out of arrows to recover in this part of the forest. He would’ve stalked off—to find more or head home, he didn’t know—had it not been for Del’s hand coming to wrap around the back of his neck under his brown hair, tied back low. Eravin found himself looking into a pair of emerald eyes, dancing with amusement, and then Del was kissing him, hard. He pulled back teasingly once Eravin responded in kind, forcing Eravin to keep him still by grabbing a fistful of his hair. Brat.

With a satisfied laugh, Del broke the kiss but didn’t move his hand from the back of Eravin’s neck. Rather, he massaged the tight muscles there, his forehead nearly leaning against Eravin’s.

“You go parley with Grastich next time,” Delethil offered with a smug little smile. “That way, Riv and I can talk about how much we miss that handsome scowl. Watchin’ your shoulders flex when ya do anythin’. How damn good ya kiss.” His smile darkened to something nefarious. “And how easily ya get all flustered.”

“Git,” Eravin half-snarled, feeling how a noticeably flustered heat had swept down his ears and suffused his whole face. However, that single spoken word held back a dam of pure want. For Del’s hands on him. For more tender words and compliments, however teasing. For that kiss to resume and encourage the two of them to head back home faster.

He didn’t have to express it. Del heard the insult and the want, and both delighted him enough to give Eravin a taste of what he wanted. But just a taste. Del’s next kiss was enough to light a fire in them both, and home wasn’t that far if you knew Aeranth’s trees, which they did.

To hell with their unknown attackers and to hell with the arrows.

They’d keep until tomorrow.

[zacksfairest]

The Darkling/Vaela is officially canon (this is a D&D joke)

[zacksfairest]

it’s missing Vaela hours tonight

[zacksfairest]

"Do you want me to kill him?"

"What? No!"

recreating scenes from the campaign with @soartfullydone was a dream come true

[zacksfairest]

me??? dressing as my d&d character for nycc??? it’s more likely than you think

[zacksfairest]

✨All that glitters is not gold✨

[zacksfairest]

“That’s a tree, Vaela.  I know you don’t have those in Thanescourt.”

“At least Thanescourt has toilets.”

i'd like to thank the Teen Wolf booth at NYCC for this amazing goddamn photo of me and @soartfullydone as Vaela and Riven

[zacksfairest]

I've been meaning to write this but: Riven takes Vaela on a date in Lunhaven that involves Vaela getting fitted for an entire wardrobe with anything she needs while staying in Aeranth. The date ends with dinner at a balcony restaurant where visitors can watch fireflies dance beneath the canopy, but this was not Riven's first date idea, and she tells Vaela as much. She'd wanted to show her a place outside the city that has a clear pond for swimming and a modest waterfall with a hidden cave behind it where Riven has stashed a few things. Trinkets, weapons, cool rocks, a blanket for napping. But given what happened with Zaresh, she didn't want to take Vaela somewhere beautiful but so remote that she would feel too alone or trapped, especially in a place she's just getting to know. But the invitation is open whenever Vaela is ready.

This has me so goddamn emo. Specifically the fact that Riven decides against taking Vaela somewhere so remote. I think that Riven acknowledging what Vaela has been through, and being unwilling to subject her to something that might scare her, is a level of consideration Vaela has never experienced. That alone would probably have Vaela warm up to the idea of a date there much sooner rather than later.

However, she might force herself to face down her anxieties if it meant pissing off Delethil. Oh, to make him green with envy. It'd be the cherry on top of a lovely night.

[zacksfairest]

Two character headcanons if you want 'em! Ledo/Lehala: Despite not knowing much about each other when they first joined the party, Ledo would often invite Lehala to the forge when she was working on things, both to give Lehala a chance to test some weapon enhancements if she was interested and to just hang out. Ori/Vaela: After the final battle, when they were preparing for the ball, Ori would have offered Vaela some jewelry that they had found in the Prince's palace. She personally recommended a floral and crystal hair pin that she thought went well with Vaela's hair color, with a matching necklace.

oh this made me SO SO EMO

That would honestly be the perfect way to bond with Lehala. Lowkey kind of a parallel play going on here. Ledo works on things and gives her weapon enhancements to test, occasionally chatting about said weapons. The easiest way to worm your way into Lehala's good graces.

VAELA WOULD HAVE BEEN SO TOUCHED!!! She definitely would keep the hairpin and necklace (if Ori let her) and would wear them for any special occasions that needed attending. Vaela is still so very vain and loves shiny things. It'd be nice to be gifted something so lovely from someone she knows is truly her friend and has no ulterior motives.

[zacksfairest]

🏹 arrows and daggers 🗡️