#intya answers

[madam-whim]

Hi! I have some OC asks for you :D 📓,🌲 and ⚔️ for any of your choice!

Oh I'm going to answer these for Arri since they suit her best!

📓Basically, for Arri, it's the entirety of Within Temptation's "The Fire Within", courtesy of a dear friend of mine, who sent it to me and just said "Arri :)"... And he was entirely right, the whole thing screams Arri during the Imperial City showdown. We did a whole Arri-themed analysis with this song. Though the lyrics probably give a major thing about her away, so maybe if you don't already know it, don't listen with an Oblivion/HoK context in mind.

🌲She does, in fact, have a few favorite spots, though she only gets those after about 20 years of never staying in the same place for long! One of them is Martin's bedroom (which, to be fair, is going to be their shared bedroom) at Cloud Ruler Temple. Arri and Martin are two southerners, with him being having been raised around Kvatch and her being from Bravil, and they both hate the cold. And so that room eventually ends up being the coziest and comfiest place imaginable, with so many blankets and pillows, and she adores it. Her other favorite place would be her garden, where she grows her alchemy ingredients, flowers and practically any plant she might like. She even has a greenhouse, where she can grow things that require a bit of a different climate.

⚔️Arri and conflict... that's a bit of a funny thing. She does cultivate this image of being a bad person who's always ready for a fight and who goes actively looking for it. She pretends to have constant anger issues, she's picking (verbal) fights with just about anyone, she's yelling and cursing and just being plain rude. She's rarely ever serious about it, it's just a thing she does to make people hate her so they don't get close to her and possibly get their lives ruined (due to the curse she believes she's under). In reality, though, she is a kind person who does not, in fact, start fights. But she sure does finish them. She is the most protective person you'll ever meet, and she will fight anyone who threatens someone she cares about. Daedric princes included. If she's really emotionally in it when it comes to a verbal conflict, you can tell because she's either going to be completely flipping out, voice cracking and close to tears, or she's going dangerously quiet and appears kind of calm and collected, but the look in her eyes means death. The first happens when she is also scared or hurt, and the second happens most often when she's witnessed a grave injustice. Physical fights? Well, she fights the ones that have to be fought. She doesn't go into any of them unprovoked, but she will attack first and strike from the shadows because she was trained as an assassin and she needs that element of surprise to be at her best. She sneaks past anything that can be avoided, but if she needs to take someone out (say, for example, Mythic Dawn agents) to protect someone else, she will do so without question. Her professional assassin days have long since passed, though. She doesn't kill for money and hasn't in a very long time - she was literally a teenager when she was in the Dark Brotherhood.

[madam-whim]

🗡️🧡 for Izani?

Ohhh those are just the perfect questions for Izani!

🗡️ She does, in fact, have a signature object! Two of them, to be precise. One is a blue scarf that she incorporates into every single one of her adventuring outfits. It was a gift from Darien, and it just had to be blue, because that's the color of the Daggerfall Covenant. And, not knowing what her favorite color was - because she herself could not tell him, as she no longer remembered most of her favorite things during her time without a soul - he picked the color representing something that brought them and their friend group together. Her second object is a silver ornament attached to a hair pin, crafted to resemble a raven. Set into it are some tiny little emeralds, or at least that is what they look like to the untrained eye. In truth, they are not valuable stones, maybe just cheap crystals or even glass, but they are charged with the power of the void, so that she may over time become attuned to it and tap into it, always providing her with the possibility of a quick escape, and a connection to her beloved father even if she cannot constantly visit him in his secluded corner of Blackreach. Over time, she does learn to channel the power on her own, becoming very adept at using it for portals and the like, but she still carries the ornament with her always.

🧡This is probably going to be a small essay... Apologies in advance. To sum it up, though: Physical touch very good! She is just a bit particular about who touches her and in which context. But overall she LOVES both giving and receiving physical affection, as long as it is not sexual. Izani is a sex-repulsed ace - she doesn't like sexual intimacy at all, she doesn't even like kissing in a romantic context; and the moment a tongue is involved, she is grossed out (she gets that from me). She tried the whole thing once, with her then-partner (Calo, from the Elsweyr/Dragonhold storyline), and they both decided that this was just not for them, and went back to cuddling. She still needs physical affection though, except for the time during which she has no soul. My personal hc for that time is that her emotions and sensations are all dulled and muted to the point where she really doesn't feel much at all anymore, and only the most extreme emotions are actually really felt by her. Darien, Gabrielle and Skordo still provided pats on the back and hugs, though, and Verandis would often very gently untangle her hair during her Rivenspire arc (she did not take care of her body at all), and eventually he'd cut it for her, too. Once she has her soul back, and her emotions about everything that happened come rushing back, I don't think she would have made it through all of her grief over losing her best friend and her new father figure both, if it hadn't been for Gabrielle and Skordo holding her. And then life goes on and Summerset happens and oh man this is a disaster for Izani. To this day she is not over the fact that she did not hug Darien goodbye, at least. She is... pretty insane about Darien hugs. Those a warm and soft and comforting, and - oddly enough given it's Darien - not sexually charged at all. And then, of course, Markarth comes along and I cannot overstate the importance of her and Verandis hugging, and him kissing her forehead and welcoming her into the family and just being a father to her. She needs that affection from a parental figure! And she still intends to hug Darien for a full hour when she gets him back. Not if. When. I literally have so many ideas for that scene in my head - if ZOS ever decides it's time, I will be ready.

[madam-whim]

💝⚠️🌍 🐰🐸 for Arri :3

💝The short answer is: She makes no effort at all. She doesn't have time for that, and it's not like she wants anyone to look at her either. She does love her armor though, if that counts as clothing. That thing has been patched up so many times...

⚠️It says "Can and will stab you in the face" and there would be, like, sticky notes attached to it that have the things that provoke stabbing listed on them. Now, if she could attach a warning sign to herself, it'd read "Don't get close to me. I'm cursed. I will ruin your life." She fully believes that. She's had shit luck for two decades now. There's a reason the only person she actively befriended is someone whose life was ruined thousands of years before she was even born - and let's be real, she'd probably try to find a way to blame herself for everything bad that happens to him while they know each other, too.

🌍Arri has lost faith in the Divines ages ago. There's only so much bad luck and pain one person can take before starting to believe that the gods are either powerless or don't care. That doesn't mean she doesn't believe in them - that'd be hard to do in a world where gods are known to be real. She might eventually regain some of her faith, once her 20 years of bullshit are over and she can finally live her life without losing everything every five minutes, but I don't think she'd ever go back to real worship - not after what she's been through.

🐰That VERY MUCH depends on who does the hugging! She would not tolerate hugs from most people - she's not at all affectionate with people she hasn't established trust with, and that's something that doesn't ever change. Pre-crisis, the list of people who are allowed to hug her pretty much has one person on it, and that's Miseanyas. She trusts him explicitly, and as stated above, his life was already ruined before he even met her, and he's kind of immortal too, so she can't make it that much worse. During the crisis, Martin eventually gets added to the hug list, even though it's so scary for Arri every time, but she just craves his affection. After the crisis, I think Baurus and Jena are allowed to hug, and so are the Umbranoxes, eventually. And Sanguine gets precisely one hug. Everyone else might actually get a forceful push because Arri does NOT want to be touched by just anyone.

🐸Oh she is one sarcastic little shit. Irony is her bread and butter, and that's the only way she herself can be funny. That said, she is absolutely the person who cracks up at slapstick comedy. If a situation is funny or just downright bizarre, she'd probably laugh at it (while trying to hide it, at least until after the crisis). She loves looking at people's faces when they are given baffling news. I'm not explaining this well, so I'm gonna give an example - somewhere down the line, Hieronymus Lex will learn who the Gray Fox used to be. While Corvus is standing right next to him. Arri is present for this, and she absolutely loses her shit laughing at both of their faces. She should probably try and do damage control like Martin and Millona are doing, but she just can't. She's wheezing for a good five minutes.

[madam-whim]

⚠️ 💔 for any/all OCs ;)

I think I'm gonna answer these for Izani and Miseanyas because I don't talk about those two nearly as much as they deserve!

⚠️

For Izani, it would probably depend a little on when that warning sign was made. During her ESO era, it'd probably say "Meridia beware", because Izani's just really fucking mad at her for Darien Gautier related reasons. She wants her best friend back and she will take every chance she can get to antagonize Meridia until he's safe and back with her and the Daggerfall gang. By the foruth era though, it'd just say "Cryptid". Because while she can be perfectly normal when she wants to be, she can also be... really really weird, and she has definitely (accidentally) jumpscared at least two of my other ocs.

For Miseanyas, the sign would definitely say "Beware of Knife Shoes". He's a very sweet and gentle soul, but he is also an ice dancer who does a lot of complicated moves, and if he's in the zone and you fail to dodge him, he could slash you with his skates.

💔

With Izani, forgiveness depends a lot on what the offense was, whether the issue gets resolved, how well she can relate to the person who wronged her, and how the offending party deals with it. For example, she would never in her life forgive Meridia, who has stolen her best friend twice now and obviously has zero regrets. But on the other hand, she could easily forgive a friend after a fight, or even a betrayal, if she understood why it happened. She draws the line at hurting her friends/family, however. Harm one of them, and she will hunt you down.

Miseanyas is so used to being tossed around and not being in control of his own life after being stuck in a deal with Clavicus Vile for thousands of years that he doesn't fully understand he has the option of not forgiving someone. At this point he just takes everything in stride. He doesn't expect people to be in his corner, doesn't expect loyalty even when he damn well should. He has to unlearn that, he has to work on understanding that forgiveness is a choice he can make. That said, when he gets there, he'd still choose to forgive people if they truly regret their actions.

[madam-whim]

Send this to ten other bloggers that you think are wonderful. Keep the game going, make someone smile!!! ♡♡♡

AAAAAAHHH THANK YOU!!! You definitely succeeded in making me smile!

Also: Right back at you <3

[madam-whim]

for that character ask game: the gray prince, lucien lachance and baurus! :D

Why would you do this to me... why would you give me the tragic ones...

Gray Prince

First impression: I thought he was a bit ridiculous and didn't really fit in with everyone else in the arena, mostly due to the way he speaks and acts.

Impression now: God that poor guy... I really do feel for him. I cannot imagine the shock when he found out about his true heritage, and I can understand why it was all too much for him. After all, the general consensus is that all vampires are evil, and poor Agronak really doesn't have a way of knowing that's not the case. And I really don't think his mother made things better for him with how she must have told him half-truths about where he came from. I know she likely meant well, but in that particular case, it would probably have been better if she'd just made something up instead of giving her son these bits of information that of course he'd want to follow up on if given the chance.

Favorite moment: None, because the best ones are all tragic and I refuse to call them "favorites."

Story idea: The HoK going "fuck this, you don't need someone to kill you over this, you need friends" and supporting Agronak, and somehow this kickstarts a series of changes in the arena that results in people just... not getting killed as much anymore, where there are no more "criminals who are given a chance to earn their freedom", only professional fighters who fight to win, not to kill.

Unpopular opinion: Agronak's mother should either have told him the truth or nothing at all. She allowed him to build his life around a fantasy, and so she's partially to blame for what happened to him when it came crashing down.

Favorite relationship: The one that he could possibly have had with his father, who we know loved his baby and was excited to be a father.

Favorite headcanon: Agronak was the kid that got bullies to leave other kids alone. I can totally see him being that kind of person even at a very young age.

Lucien Lachance

First impression: *incoherent screeching because someone just You Sleep Rather Soundly For A Murderer'd me* Not gonna lie, he scared the shit out of me the first time around because I was not expecting him. It got better once I realized he was the alive version of my ghost buddy from Skyrim.

Impression now: I love, love, love that man. He's undoubtedly one of my favorite characters in the entire franchise, mostly because he is so dramatic, and he's utterly unapologetic about what he does. I may or may not have a mod that allows me to kill Arquen for what she did to him.

Favorite moment: I think that would be that one moment where he shows up after you just killed Ungolim and he realizes that both he and his Silencer have been played. He's usually so calm and confident about everything, and in that moment, he's just... not.

Story idea: This is a rather obvious one, but... the Silencer being a lot smarter than the game allows them to be and instantly noticing the different handwriting and strange wording of the first switched set of orders. Why would Lucien suddenly change his handwriting? Why would he suddenly give reasons for killing someone, when that's never been an issue before? Bonus points if the Silencer has also managed to keep the Shadowscales and Vicente alive and they team up to figure out who has it out for Lucien. But I haven't yet figured out a good enough reason to let them live.

Unpopular opinion: He's not this mysterious, silent and brooding man that some people see him as? He can play that part exceptionally well when it suits him, because he's a great actor, but it's not really him. The real Lucien can be pretty goofy and over the top and overly dramatic, and his family loves him for it.

Favorite relationship: Dad Lucien and his Shadowscale kids!

Favorite headcanon: Lucien shows his affection through keeping people on their toes, i.e. sneaking up on them and scaring and attacking them. He never does serious harm, of course, but he's serious enough about it that people fight back and defend themselves. The family eventually figures out why he does it - he wants them to live, and by making sure they can handle him when he's serious either by escaping or matching him in a fight, he ensures that they will live through pretty much any contract.

Baurus

First impression: Oh thank the Divines, a competent Blade!

Impression now: Still pretty much the same, only now I'm also aware of just how young he has to be when the crisis happens, and he still proves to be one of the bravest and smartest people around. Also, I think he played an important role in making sure neither Martin nor the HoK crumbled under the pressure of being just some random people suddenly burdened with having to save the world.

Favorite moment: I think my favorite Baurus moment is when he meets with the Mythic Dawn agents, and he walks into that meeting knowing that if anything goes wrong, or if the HoK's aim is just a little off, he's dead, and he still does his job perfectly. The amount of trust he places in the HoK is insane, especially because he knows they were in prison just a little while ago and could easily walk out on him or even turn on him.

Story idea: ... and this is where I currently can't come up with something :(

Unpopular opinion: I don't think I have any unpopular Baurus opinions. And why would I?

Favorite relationship: Baurus and Martin. Those two deserved more time together. It would have been a life-long friendship.

Favorite headcanon: He's a little bit of a matchmaker and definitely ships Martin and the HoK. Jena is his accomplice.

[madam-whim]

for your character meme: ildari sarothril, faralda, and elisif the fair! (you needn't do all three if you don't want!)

Ohhh nice choice of characters!

Ildari

First impression: I found her to be an annoyance and didn't have a solid opinion on her, but I did think she was taking things one step too far, and murdering innocent people because of her desire for revenge and for no really understandable reason made me dislike her.

Impression now: I've come to dislike Neloth a lot more over the years, and I feel like now, I can understand Ildari a little better. She trusted that man, and he didn't care what happened to her. If someone who I looked up to and who was supposed to teach me treated me as nothing more than an experiment, I would snap too.

Favorite moment: Sadly, I don't have one as she gets so little actual screen time.

Story idea: The Dragonborn, who is also mad at Neloth after being experimented on and experiencing severe side effects, teams up with Ildari to mess that old man up.

Unpopular opinion: idk if this counts as unpopular, but the player should have been given the option to actually talk to her instead of just being able to read some journals.

Favorite relationship: We don't know of any outside the one between her and Neloth so... I can't really answer this.

Favorite headcanon: I like to think that she idolized Neloth a great deal, and she was young and naive enough to believe that he cared about her, and that's what really makes her so angry - not that he got her "killed", but that he didn't care.

Faralda

First impression: Lady ffs it's cold out here and you expect me to summon an atronach here when I have about 120 points in magicka?! No, but for real... she seemed pretty high and mighty at first.

Impression now: Still a bit high and mighty, but her heart is in the right place.

Favorite moment: When she rushes to protect Winterhold after Ancano messed with the Eye without hesitation.

Story idea: Her finally getting fed up with Nirya's shenanigans and deciding to do something about it.

Unpopular opinion: I... really don't have one?

Favorite relationship: Faralda and Mirabelle.

Favorite headcanon: I firmly beliebe that she has a mischievous streak that she never allows herself to show. But she has probably pranked Ancano once or twice, only nobody ever found out it was her.

Elisif

First impression: Sweet, very young and naive, but I always saw her as brave.

Impression now: She cares deeply for her people, and she's got so much potential. It annoys me how much the people she relies on belittle her - Falk Firebeard most of all, although I suppose he kind of means well. How the hell is she meant to become High Queen when nobody believes she can actually do the job?

Favorite moment: The moment she trusts the player with the task of getting Torygg's war horn to a Talos shrine. She has to know she's taking a huge risk, and she's doing it anyway because she feels like it's what her husband would have wanted.

Idea for a story: I don't know how yet, but one day I want to write a story in which there's a scene where Ulfric Stormcloak thinks "Oh fuck, she's frighteningly competent now." I have no idea how to get there, but one day I will.

Unpopular opinion: She is a lot smarter than people give her credit for. Her ideas and her orders are not stupid, she simply doesn't have the knowledge she needs to make informed decisions because Falk and Tullius shelter her to the point where she has no idea what is going on in her own hold. And I hate that it appears like she's slowly losing confidence with every dismissed idea, with every time Falk talks over her.

Favorite relationship: Elisif and Sybille Stentor. I feel like Sybille's the only one in that court who doesn't actively look down on Elisif.

Favorite headcanon: Believe it or not, I currently can't think of one :(

[madam-whim]

Rienn and Vilkas with bear hugs from the intimacy prompts? 😳

I'm so sorry that it took me so long to write this, and it's still nowhere near as good as I would have liked, but here it is!! (I'd link the original prompt list but I can't seem to find it anymore either??) __________________

Rienn is shaking like a leaf by the time she manages to crawl into a small space between two rocks, where the stone and a bush that is more thorns than anything else provide at least some semblance of cover. Enough to hide her shape in the dark, at least, and perhaps it will offer some protection from the wind as well. She knows she’s not made to withstand the cold that Skyrim’s nights bring, not without the right clothing at least – she’s known this ever since the night Farkas found her shivering under the Gildergreen and dragged her back to Jorrvaskr despite her protests.

Right now though, she doesn’t have much of a choice. She cannot afford to be found, not after escaping from Cidhna mine with a group of Forsworn. There are so many reasons why she has to remain hidden for now, and then look for a way to get out of the city without being noticed. She can’t use the Thu’um like this, can’t risk revealing herself while she’s without her mask and wearing a prisoner’s clothes. And besides, her mind is still reeling from all that she’s learned while in that mine. It’ll take a while for her to come to terms with it, she thinks, and in the meantime, she doesn’t want to risk being pulled into another conflict that is not yet hers.

Maybe it was a mistake, slipping away from Madanach and his friends instead of following them out of the city. She would not be stuck at least. But then again, she has no guarantee that she would have been free to leave after getting out of Markarth. But if she is to seek out Madanach again, she wants it to be on her own terms – if she is truly of the Reach as he says, he will have to respect her wishes on that.

She loses track of time after a while, though she assumes that the sun won’t come up for some hours yet. It has started to rain at some point, and by now her clothes, already ragged to begin with, are soaked through. There still hasn’t been an opportunity to slip out of the city or at least back to the inn, the guards are too vigilant still, and for all Rienn knows, they might be looking for her as well – perhaps the surviving Silver-Blood brother’s already put a price on her head. For the time being, the glow of a torch means danger, and every time she sees it, she tries to press herself further back into the shadows, hoping it will be enough.

She counts the torches as a means to keep herself busy and awake – can’t afford to fall asleep, not now, no matter how tired she is. The guards always move in the same pattern, and soon their rounds become predictable. At least Rienn thinks that’s why, when someone deviates from the pattern, she notices it immediately. They come closer to her hiding place than all the other guards, and for a moment, fear settles like a horrible weight in her stomach – just until she realizes that these two are not guards at all, but her friends.

They look angry, Rienn realizes. They’re not close enough for her to see their faces, but she’s known the twins long enough to understand their body language. When Vilkas is angry, he carries himself like he’s about to strike at any moment, and right now, he looks downright dangerous. With Farkas, it’s harder to tell, but even he seems tense, his hands twitching as if he’s preparing to reach for his blade.

Rienn wonders if they are looking for her, but it doesn’t seem like it – instead, they are moving towards the mine at a brisk pace, though she has no idea what they would want there. Surely word has already spread to the inn. They must know that no prisoners remain inside Cidhna mine. Still, them being here might turn out to be her only chance to get back to them. She has no idea whether another opportunity like this might present itself anytime soon. She has to reach them, but there is also a guard approaching, and while he’d usually make a turn to the left and not even pass her, if she moved out of her hiding spot now, she’d be right in his field of vision. And if that man gets to her before she gets to her friends…

It’s a risk she has to take, and she cannot let herself think of the consequences. In her current attire, she’s easily recognized as a prisoner, and no matter how long she waits, she won’t get to safety without help. It has not be now. With that decision made, she forces herself to stand. Her movements are slower than she’s used to from the cold and from sitting in a crouched position for so long, and she’s got cuts on her feet that haven’t yet had time to heal, but she can’t allow herself to be held back by either of these things. She somehow manages to squeeze her way past the bush, thorns leaving scratches on her bare arms, and back onto the street. A quick glance confirms that the guard, quite possibly having noticed the movement, quickens his pace.

Rienn stops herself from cursing and starts to run.

It’s probably more of a hobble, really, and every step hurts and she knows she could easily trip and fall, but she has to make it, the twins have their backs turned to her now and she can’t let that guard catch up to her before the two Companions notice her. She could have yelled for them at any time, she knows, but that would have drawn more attention to both her and the twins, and even with all three of them, they can’t face the entire city guard, not without her voice. And so she forces herself to run until she’s close enough that they’ll hear her even when she isn’t yelling, and then -

“Vilkas!” She doesn’t know why she calls for him first, but he turns to face her immediately. The torch he’d been holding clatters to the ground, and she barely has the time to see the look on his face, pain and anger morphing into relief, before she’s in his arms. He nearly lifts her off her feet, and she can’t remember ever being held this tightly before. “Thank the Divines, you’re alive,” he mutters, and Rienn finds she can’t do anything but wrap her arms around him in turn. “We thought they’d killed you,” Vilkas continues, and he sounds so pained that it’s almost unsettling. “When you didn’t escape with the other prisoners, I thought, maybe...”

His voice is shaking, even his hands are trembling a little, and Rienn comes to the startling realization that she’s never seen him lose his composure quite like this. He is a far more emotional man than most people assume, but this, she isn’t used to. Then again, he was probably heading towards the mine to look for a body, and she doesn’t want to think about that. “I’m fine, I’m fine, just a little bruised,” she whispers back to him instead, hoping that it might calm him down.

The effect, however, is the exact opposite. His hold on her tightens even further, one hand resting on the back of her head, the other between her shoulder blades. “If those Forsworn harmed you in any way...” he begins to say. Rienn immediately shakes her head, even though he can only sense it as movement against his shoulder. “It wasn’t them,” she sighs, knowing there will be a lot to explain later on. “Please trust me on this. They didn't do anything, most of it’s from the escape, and it’s nothing that a healing potion won’t fix.”

Vilkas doesn’t answer, but keeps holding her as if she’d vanish the moment he let her go. He touches her like she’s fragile, precious. Runs his fingers through her hair as if to comfort her, though she’s not quite certain whether he’s doing it for her, or if it’s to convince himself that she’s really here. She’s too tired to ask him about it, and she doubts she’d ask even if she had the strength for it. She doesn’t think she has any right to ask, so she doesn’t, and simply enjoys being held.

Rienn is vaguely aware of Farkas cheerily telling the guard that it’s in his own best interest to walk awaynow– Farkas can be astoundingly intimidating if he wants to be – and then there’s a blanket being wrapped around her shoulders. She recognizes it as one of those they’ve brought from Whiterun; it smells like home.

“We should leave,” Farkas says after a moment, “Aela’s camp isn’t far from the city, and we don’t want any more guards asking questions.” “The gate guards will, anyway,” Rienn mumbles. “They better not, if they know what’s good for them,” Vilkas replies, then lets go only long enough to completely wrap her up in the blanket and pick her up again. “Wait… what about my things? My mask?” Rienn asks, her voice once again muffled as her head rests against Vilkas’ shoulder. He understands her anyway. “Already with Aela,” he reassures her. “It’s alright, you can rest. Don’t fall asleep though. Too cold for that still.”

Somehow, she finds enough strength for a small nod. It isn’t even really cold anymore, not with the blanket and Vilkas radiating warmth like he always does, but she can do this for him. Even after everything that’s happened between them, he’s always been there for her, and she vows to herself, not for the first time, that she’s always going to be there for him as well, no matter what. Divines, she loves this man… That thought should probably scare her more than it does, she thinks. Perhaps it will, later on. But for now, she allows herself to be carried to safety, knowing that Vilkas is watching over her.

[madam-whim]

38, 5, and 11, for an oc of your choosing!

These went incredibly well with my Welkynar squad, so I've picked them for this ask! Taeldil and Keldarin for 38, Yalie for 5 and Iriniel for 11.

38: Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

Taeldil is the type who absolutely tackles problems head on. He mostly succeeds in removing them as well. This is in part due to his upbringing – as the son of an influential noble, he always had the means to solve any issue thrown his way, and he developed a certain attitude reflecting this. He was never a spoiled brat, but he had a lot of confidence in his ability to overcome any problem, no matter how big. This attitude carried over into his adult life. He still faces every problem with a grin on his face, though he’s had to adjust to being part of a close-knit group he can’t keep out of his problem-solving decisions. He can’t rush in as much as he used to – he still does it in battle though, because that’s his role in the group.

Keldarin on the other hand, who is used to Taeldil’s shenanigans, always has his back and is there to get him out when one of his plans (or spontaneous ideas) does fail. Out of all the Welkynar, he’s the most likely to work around or avoid a problem (in combat situations, this translates to him being the sneakiest of the bunch). Why face trouble when you can just… avoid it altogether? Keldarin doesn’t come from a wealthy family and he learned early on that sometimes, it can be more effective to avoid a problem, especially if you lack the means to overcome it directly.

He and Taeldil balance each other out, really.

5: On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

Yalie prefers tight clothing with not too many pockets, so space is very limited. However, she always carries emergency potions in a satchel on her belt – magicka for when she runs out, and healing for when Iriniel does. Her satchel also always contains some of her favorite tea – one perk of being half Altmer is that nobody really expects you to follow the Green Pact, and her tea’s from Elsweyr anyway, so it’s alright. She also always has some sweets with her, because sometimes one just needs a little bit of sugar to keep going. Also, everyone on her team has a sweet tooth, and she has to get them through the rough patches somehow. She knows everyone’s favorite sweets and always makes sure to bring them along.

11: In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

Iriniel isn’t easily scared. Sure, there are moments where she’s uncomfortable or thinks a situation is exceptionally dangerous, but the Welkynar – at least her team – never go into one of those without backup plans to their backup plans, and so moments that truly induce fear are few and far between. Iriniel is very sure of her skills as a healer and a fighter, as she should be, and she knows her team to be just as competent in their respective fields. However, her team being separated for some reason is insanely scary to her. So when the Thalmor imprisoned Keldarin and the remaining three Welkynar plus the four gryphons had to get him out, she was more frightened than she had thought possible. Even planning for a fight without Keldarin felt… wrong, and actually pulling it off without him was even worse. There was an essential piece of them missing, and though they executed their plan flawlessly, Iriniel’s heart was pounding the entire time. She’s been anxious ever since – she does not deal well with big changes and insecurities about the future either, and right now, neither she nor the other Welkynar have any idea what’s going to become of them. They are deserters and though they’ve managed to flee to Skyrim, they’re not quite safe yet.

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I really like your "Meet the OC" post, you should totally make that like a thing or a prompt, I feel like the community would like it, I'd love it!

First of all, thank you so much! I’m glad you like it! These posts are really just a way for me to rant about my OCs in a way that’s a little more creative (and hopefully immersive). However, credit for the original idea goes to @rynkyus, they did it first! I’m simply using it with their permission, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable with turning it into a prompt or game or anything without asking them first - I can definitely do that though, because I agree, making these posts is fun and more people should do it! 

[madam-whim]

!! for the tesblr ask, how bout 19 or 10?

♥ @reachfolk

Thank you for asking! <3 I decided on 10 for this one! So, here’s how my LDB Rienn made her first friend in Skyrim, who also became the best friend she ever had.

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Last Seed wasn’t the coldest of months. Farkas knew this. But this was still Skyrim, and Oh, I’ll be fine was not what he wanted to hear from a fragile-looking woman who was currently planning on sleeping on one of the benches surrounding the Gildergreen. Outside. Alone. Even though it was still summer, there was a chill in the air that never really seemed to go away, and with the sunlight now gone for the night, it would hardly get any warmer. The woman simply had to know this, and yet...

He usually tried to stay out of other people’s business, but this? This was certainly not fine. Farkas was a man who went with what his gut instinct told him, and it had served him well so far, despite his brother’s repeated attempts at convincing him to “think things through”. Right now, said instinct was screaming at him to help this stranger, who kept insisting that she was alright. Farkas did not believe her for a second.

Maybe it was the way she was dressed – her boots and cloak had seen better days, and the dress she was wearing hardly even fit her. Perhaps it was borrowed, because while it would probably fit a Nord woman of average height and size, it hung loosely on the stranger’s frame and was long enough for her to nearly trip on the hem whenever she took a step. Maybe it was the haunted look in her eyes that made him doubt, or maybe it was that she looked exhausted. One way or another, she more than likely needed help. Or maybe just directions.

“You should really get out of the cold”, Farkas advised her. “It’s only going to get worse until the sun comes back up.” But the stranger only shook her head. “I’m from Bruma”, she said in a small voice, “I can handle a little cold.” Farkas nearly laughed out loud at that. “That’s still in Cyrodiil, though”, he argued. “It’s different here, colder. The wind feels like you’ve been cut with a blade sometimes, if you can still feel your face, that is. And you’re… not dressed for the weather. Also, you’re not a Nord.” At least she did not look like one. More like an Imperial. Or a Redguard, maybe. She seemed to be just about as stubborn as every Nord in existence, though, because she just shrugged, even though she didn’t sound as confident as she probably meant to when she answered. “I’ve had worse”, she claimed.

That was still not even close to what Farkas wanted to hear. Most people who decided (or were forced to) sleep in the streets at least had the common sense to choose a more sheltered spot. And while the stranger did look like she’d had a rough few days, she didn’t look like a beggar. Not like someone used to being out here. Farkas still hoped she was just a bit lost.

“If it’s a place to stay for the night you need, the Bannered Mare’s your best bet”, he tried in another attempt to talk her out of possibly freezing to death. “You must have passed it on your way up here, it’s hard to miss.” “I did”, the stranger replied, wrapping her cloak tighter around herself. Then, she sighed. “Look, I’m not stupid. I’m not from around here, as you know. I don’t know much about this place, but I do know I don’t have the coin for the inn. So, the bench it is. It’s got a brazier next to it, so I won’t freeze. Probably.” She still tried to appear confident, but Farkas didn’t miss the insecure look in her eyes. Those were… strange, he’d noticed. They were a shade of brown that seemed almost golden. Maybe that was common for Imperials? He had no idea. He had bigger problems on his hands anyway, like making sure the stranger didn’t die. “So you’re saying you came to the city knowing you had no coin, and still chose to spend the night here?”, he asked with a raised eyebrow. She had said she wasn’t stupid, but that meant she had to have known this wouldn’t work out. “I didn’t plan to be here”, she muttered, defensive. “I didn’t expect to be stuck in the Jarl’s keep for as long as I was, and by the time I got out it was too late to make it back to Riverwood before nightfall. Just my luck.”

At that, Farkas paused. He had overheard some of the guards talking about a messenger from Riverwood earlier, one who’d insisted to see Jarl Balgruuf, claiming to bring news from Helgen. And then there were the rumors about dragons… The Companions had heard about them, of course, half of Whiterun had been talking about them, but if Helgen had truly been destroyed by such a beast, if the rumors were true and this woman knew something…

“Are you the one who brought news of the dragons?”, he asked, lowering his voice just in case someone walked by. The woman just groaned. “Oh, fantastic. Let me guess, the entire city has heard about it by now? Look, I really can’t tell you anything, I promised the Jarl I would keep this to myself until they’ve figured out how to deal with those things. He says he can’t afford a panic right now, and who knows what he’ll do to me if he finds out I’ve been telling people about what I’ve seen?” “Alright”, Farkas sighed before settling on the bench the stranger had been planning to sleep on. This was going to take a bit of convincing, not that he was surprised. “Sit with me.” The woman hesitated for a moment, but then joined him. It wasn’t like she had anything better to do. “Now”, Farkas continued, “look straight ahead. See that building?” “The one that looks like a boat turned upside down?” “I… suppose”, he muttered. He hadn’t really thought of it that way, but now that she mentioned it… But now wasn’t the time to think about the shape of the roof. “That’s Jorrvaskr, home of the Companions. Do they ever tell you about us down in Cyrodiil?” The stranger nodded. “Yes, but I haven’t heard much. The Nords in Bruma sometimes tell stories, that’s all. The Companions are similar to the Fighter’s Guild, from what I’ve gathered. Is that right?” “To be honest, I don’t know what the Guild is like”, Farkas admitted with a grin. “As for us, we fight, sometimes for glory and honor, sometimes for the good old septim, and then we drink and swap stories. You won’t find better warriors in all of Skyrim though. So if the Jarl has a dragon problem, he’ll be coming to us sooner or later. Might as well tell me about it now.”

The stranger turned to really face him, as if considering whether she could trust him. And then, suddenly it was as if a dam had been broken, and everything the woman had tried to keep to herself simply bubbled to the surface. “Can’t really get into more trouble than I’m already in”, she muttered. “So fine. Yes. There are dragons out there. Or at least one. I… barely escaped Helgen with my life when it attacked.” There was a story there, Farkas just knew it, but he didn’t interrupt. If he wanted to gain the woman’s trust, he’d have to let her speak. “The people of Riverwood helped me when I got there, and in exchange I was asked to get the news to the Jarl”, she explained. “But he doesn’t have any idea on how to defend the city either, and his court wizard is equally clueless, just… very enthusiastic, and now they want me – me – to go look for some artifact in a barrow on the off chance that it might tell them something useful, but there might be undead there and I’ve never held a sword in my life, and how they got the idea that I’m the right person for the job simply because I avoided being burned to ash is beyond me! I wanted to become a bard, not… not monster food!”

As she spoke, her voice rose and for the first time, she didn’t seem lost anymore, just desperate and angry. That was understandable, Farkas thought – after all, she’d barely survived a dragon attack and now she was being told to risk her life for something that could still turn out to be worthless. “Well, we might be able to help with the barrow problem, at least”, Farkas offered with a smile, but the stranger only rolled her eyes at him. “I still have no coin. Or do honor and glory suffice as payment this time?” She sounded almost bitter, Farkas thought. This was the voice of someone who hadn’t experienced much kindness lately, which was reason enough for him to offer it freely. “There’s enough honor in helping to defeat a dragon for most of us”, he shrugged. “Come on up to Jorrvaskr with me. They’d let you stay the night too, if you tell them how you escaped Helgen. That should make for quite the story. They’ll be entertained, and you, my friend, will no longer be cold.”

He rose, and to his relief, the stranger followed suit. “Beats sleeping under a dead tree, I suppose”, she sighed. “That it does. The name’s Farkas by the way.” “Rienn.” “Well then, come on, Rienn. Oh, and once we get in there… Don’t mind my brother. He pretends to hate everyone at first, that’s just how he is.” “That sounds… reassuring”, Rienn said, but there was a trace of laughter in her voice, and for now, that was good enough.

[madam-whim]

does the Wingdings actually translate to anything 😭

Yes!! It's the first few lines of the second dead drop letter (the last one actually written by Lucien)!

[madam-whim]

70 and 92 for helcarion 🥺

Thank you for asking!  70: That’s not an easy question, because there are lots of things I love about him and most of them I didn’t give him on purpose. Visually, I love his tired look combined with the fact that he always tries to smile anyway, and I guess this also shows how strong he is - despite everything he’s lost, and despite the nightmares that he gets because of this, he still manages to remain kind and friendly, and he doesn’t give up. He’s a badass with a really cute smile.

92: Helcarion had a really nice and sheltered childhood! His father was close friends with King Hidellith, and they were both extremely excited when their wives got pregnant nearly at the same time, because it meant their children would grow up together. So Helcarion grew up around Naemon (and Ayrenn of course, before she vanished). However, Helcarion was not quite as good at remembering all the rules and traditions as Naemon was, and court life turned out to be rather stifling. Also, Helcarion was never great with people who think themselves above others, and some of the noble children he grew up around were raised to think that way (probably including Estre, but she always had her own reasons for disliking Helcarion). However, it soon turned out that he was far better at magic than at being a noble. He started his healer training during his teenage years and while he and Naemon still remained friends, they had less and less time to spend together and eventually drifted apart because of that. That being said, Helcarion still had very loving parents who always supported him, and he never had problems making friends, so it was, all in all, a happy childhood.

[madam-whim]

First Seed and Last Seed for OC or OCs of your choice?

Thank you for asking! <3 Gonna go with my Dragonborn baby Rienn for this one!

First Seed - Does your OC have any enemies or rivals? How did these rivalries start?

Rienn tries to make as few enemies as possible, which isn't always easy in her position. That being said, other than Alduin, her worst enemies are the Thalmor. She didn't even do anything to piss them off other than the chaos she caused at Elenwen's party - Rienn doesn't even actively worship Talos. She just assumes that the Thalmor see her as a threat, given she's another human Dragonborn.

There are, however, two people she cannot be in the same room with without it causing issues. The first would be Jarl Siddgeir. He's just a slimy bastard who's realized that the Dragonborn is technically the rightful heir to the Imperial throne, and he'd certainly like to get close to her (ideally, he wants to marry her). Rienn is... not amused.

The second person she's got issues with is Ralof - he's her ex. Turns out that while he is a loyal friend, he's not a good partner for someone who wants to keep her identity a secret if at all possible. He nearly disclosed her identity to all of Windhelm, and after that, things ended badly.

Last Seed - What weapon does your OC use? Who taught them how to use it?

Rienn knew precisely nothing about weapons or fighting when she first came to Skyrim. She technically owned a dagger, but she would not have known how to really stab anyone. After Helgen, she ended up with the Companions, and since Kodlak saw something in her, she wound up staying with them for a while. Her idea was to help out Tilma and eventually take over when she got too old to work, but Kodlak insisted on her being trained as well.

Rienn is doesn't have a lot of natural talent when it comes to hitting people, but she's determined and patient and was able to become a fairly competent fighter.

She uses a sword and shield and was mostly taught by Farkas and Kodlak, practicing with Ria here and there.

As for the dagger, she still has that, and Vilkas did end up teaching her how to use that in case she ever lost her primary weapon. That was before she found out she was Dragonborn, of course, and being Dragonborn means you are literally never unarmed. But Rienn still prefers having that dagger.

[madam-whim]

hello! I just read your mini fic about Fenn, the Vestige, Lyris and Gabrielle trying to find more on the Ashen Lord and… you are such a talented writer! Would you consider writing more stories about Fenn and the Vestige? I would love to read more!

First of all, thank you so much!! I’m not used to literally getting ASKS about my writing so this is much appreciated!

As for more stories about Fenn and the Vestige... well, you can always send me prompts or send in asks when I reblog a prompt list! 

However, it’s kind of unlikely that I would write about a nameless Vestige with Fenn as a love interest without anyone asking me to do so, because a) I would usually write about my own Vestige, Izani, who may not be a vampire herself, but is one of Verandis’ adopted daughters and therefore Fenn’s sister, and b) “my” Fenn is ace, possibly aroace. 

That being said, I do write about other versions of him if someone throws asks/prompts at me! It might just take ages for me to actually do it because I work full time and gathering the energy to write isn’t easy!