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mostdream6977 · 1 day ago

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(reblogging for ao3 link update!)

0.3 PRECIOUS THINGS

(chapter 3 of Performative hours!!!! ao3 link here, special thanks to UESP for the random blurbs from the beginning, and also to my GF for editing!!)

Isabelle Vyau is a Breton who lives in Anvil. She hides herself inside the Anvil Repository only to occasionally appear on the street where she berates Capiton Sibylla for not cleaning the sidewalk to her liking.

Wow.

Every soul is one of six possible strengths: Petty, Lesser, Common, Greater, Grand, and Black. More powerful creatures have more powerful souls. Souls are trapped in soul gems by using a soul trap spell. Trapped souls are used to enchant and recharge items.

Never would have guessed.

Skingrad is a city in the West Weald region in southwestern Cyrodiil, southwest of the Imperial City along the Gold Road.

Incredible.

The Lion Guard does not discriminate by a person's past, station, or race.[4][5] Aspiring recruits must show loyalty, courage, strength of character, and valor in battle in the face of adversity. Nobility and wealth are not qualifiers for promotion. Instead, its members can only rise through the ranks by proving their bravery and loyalty. These standards are in place to preserve the order's reputation as steadfast protectors of the highest martial skill.

A lot about Bretons today, I see.

Boss Crito is an Imperial battlemage hiding out in the Cells of Hollow Hand in Arkngthand, an old Dwemer ruin located north of the Moonmoth Legion Fort, in the Molag Amur region of Vvardenfell. He is wearing an iron cuirass, an expensive belt, a pair of common pants, and netch leather boots. He knows the spell Frost Barrier.

Wait. Dwemer ruin?

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid! Max Health, Stamina and Magicka: + 3000, Movement Speed: + 30%, Immune to Crowd Control, Defeating enemies frozen by Whiteout summons Frostkin.

Go back to that last one. What was that?

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

No. The one right before that.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

No! The Dwemer, not the damn Ice Avatar. I don’t care about the Ice Avatar.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

HAVING TROUBLE?

Yes, thank Gods. Hello again!

OH. HELLO! YOU’RE AWFULLY CHIPPER ABOUT THIS.

Please. These dreams are so boring sometimes. I like it when you pop in, you give a little variety to my naps.

GLAD TO HEAR IT.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

LOOKS LIKE YOUR PROPHECY IS OUT OF TUNE. YOU’RE STRESSED.

I am. But I’m fine. I just can’t focus on any of them. It’s been droning on the whole time I’ve been asleep.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SLEEP?

I couldn’t stand being awake.

YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T RUN FROM THINGS LIKE THAT.

I know.

SO LEAVE THIS BEHIND. LET YOUR DREAMS RE-CALIBRATE.

I appreciate the encouragement, but I’d really rather stay asleep.

OH, COME ON. YOU’LL WAKE UP NATURALLY EVENTUALLY. REMEMBER, THOUGH, YOU’RE HERE ON DIPLOMACY.

Which has been going great so far.

THAT ISN’T THE DIPLOMACY I’M TALKING ABOUT. THERE’S OTHERS HERE YOU’LL WANT TO SOCIALIZE WITH. YOU WILL REGRET IT, SORELY SO, IF YOU DON’T.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

Isn’t that the main draw of a party?

YES. THIS ONE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHERS, THOUGH.

Why?

GO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.

Ugh.

I KNOW.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

YOU’LL HAVE TO ANYWAY, IF YOU WANT TO GET BETTER MESSAGES THAN THAT.

Do you know what an Ice Avatar is? I’ve never heard of one.

NOT REALLY. PROBABLY SOMETHING YOU PAY TOO MUCH MONEY FOR.

Hah! Figures.

CAN’T BUY A THRILL.

You can say that again.

SO?

So what?

ARE YOU GOING TO GO?

Yeah, yeah, I’m just…

STALLING?

Not ready.

SOUNDS LIKE STALLING TO ME.

Maybe it is. Why does it matter to you?

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

FOR REASONS YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND UNTIL LATER. I’LL TELL YOU ONCE YOU CAN MATCH MY SOUL.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

I suppose this “soul matching” is also something I won’t be able to understand until later.

PRECISELY. YOU CAN START THE PROCESS BY KNOWING THOSE YOU ARE MEANT TO KNOW, RATHER THAN CYCLING THROUGH WHAT IS COMFORTABLE HERE.

Okay, you’ve convinced me. I guess I won’t be sleeping through this thing.

IT WAS A POOR DECISION IN THE FIRST PLACE.

It was. Do you have anything else to say before I go?

PRIORITIZE LOVE OVER CONVENIENCE OR STATUS.

Got it. Thank you. Come visit me again, okay?

ALWAYS.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

GOOD LUCK.

Almalexia awoke. She looked out the window to see dusk had come and gone; she had been absent from at least half of the party. Cursing to herself, she jumped up and threw on the gown she intended to wear and began putting on some sort of face. First a coat on the skin, then the cheeks, the eyes, the tip of the nose, the lips. This takes her about 30 minutes or so, and she curses her tardiness while gathering her things. It’s not like she can leave without putting herself together.

She exited the guest room and rushed out into the hall, following the sound of some commotion happening in the great hall. Hope! Maybe whatever that was would distract from showing up late. She slowed her pace a bit, she had put on heels beforehand and they were hurting her feet. She had been very used to the small heels and flats of the battlefield, but this was different. Looking good and being quick seem to counteract each other, she thought to herself as she tried listening in. No luck, would have to see what’s up from socialization, which she dreaded. She stopped for a second to experience her fear. Frankly, she thought she looked horrible, turning to lean against the wall closest to her. Suddenly, a figure was made apparent.

“Boo,” it said to Almalexia. Rightfully startled, she let out a yelp before the figure jumped forward and placed a hand over her mouth. “Shhh! Do you want to blow my cover?” With it further in the light now, she felt relief.

“Gods, Vehk, you scared the shit out of me.” She sighed as she moved his hand off her face. “What are you doing here? Here, and back here specifically?”

“I came because Nerevar came. Was hoping to find him, but he’s nowhere to be found.”

“Okay,” Almalexia said flatly. “Were you stealing?”

“Yeah.” He reached into his pockets, pulling out a few jewels and gold chunks from the gilding of the pillars.

“Damn. Did you rip these off?”

“I chiseled them,” He smiled and produced a small hammer and chisel from a different pocket. “Should more than cover the cost of travel whenever I get back to Mournhold.”

“Nerevar didn’t cover travel costs for you?”

“I wasn’t invited.”

“...Why?” Almalexia replied, to which Vivec showed her again the chiseled off pieces of wall from his pockets before smiling again and tucking them back away. “I see. How did you get in?”

“ Magic.” He did a jazzy gesture and leaned against the wall alongside her. “What’s got you down like this?”

“I just– It’s nothing.” She sighed. “I’m… worried about the party. I fell asleep and I’m REALLY late, I should get back-”

“No need,” he interrupted. “Voryn stormed off. Not a soul out there knows where he went, people are about to start leaving anyway. You have cover. How do you feel about a change in scenery?

“What?”

“You heard me. Let’s leave. We never spend time with each other one on one, Ayem,” he insisted. She looked back to the light of the great hall in the distance, buzzing with noise and seeming that Vivec was right in saying that people were beginning to leave. She looked back to him and nodded, he gave her one last smile and gestured for her to follow. The two scurried down the hall away from the masses and out a side door leading into an empty, ashy courtyard, where Almalexia sat on a stone bench to rest her feet.

“Could you not just take those off?” Vivec said, taking off his own shoes to encourage her.

“I can’t just go barefoot. Besides, they tie the outfit together.” She laughed.

“Would anyone here care about being barefoot?” He dances around a bit, letting some of the fallen ash kick up around his calves. “It’s all ash over here anyway. Soft.”

“You think I should?”

“If they’re hurting you, yes.”

She sighed and looked him up and down. He was wearing a tighter pair of pants under a loincloth that made him look silly without his shoes on. He noticed her gaze and wiggled his hips, twiddling his toes as the beads that hung over his breasts clacked against each other. She blushed at his enticing and looked away, considering the consequences.

“But you look like an idiot with the pants,” she objected. He gave her a joking offended look and without hesitation pulled off the pants, leaving just the loincloth.

“I can play this game.” He laughed. “Join me, you’re always so stuck up about how you look all the time.”

“You don’t understand what it’s like to be a woman.”

“Sure I do! You know who I am.”

“Yeah… It’s just… You don’t have to be beautiful all the time.”

“I want to sometimes. You know you don’t have to be all the time though.”

“But-”

“Take your heels off, Ayem,” he interrupted again. She looked at him and nodded, slipping her heels off alongside him and rising to meet his gaze. She wiggled her toes in the ash alongside him and smiled slightly. It WAS very soft, it felt good.

“You look better when you’re happy,” he said.

“Did I look bad before?”

“No, you looked unhappy. You always seem unhappy when you’re trying to be someone.”

“If I don’t look and act a certain way, people talk. I can’t have that in my position,” she sighed, turning away from him. He approached her from behind.

“Why does it matter so much to you? If you keep the same as them, everything will stay the same.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Who are you?”

“What do you mean?” She turned back to him, removing the hand from her shoulder. He looked concerned now.

“I mean, who are you? As in, what kind of person are you?”

“I… I’m strong, I’m capable, I’m beautiful, I’m all the things I need to be, I hope.”

“You HOPE. That’s the key, you imply the possibility that you aren’t any of that. You don’t completely know if that’s you, but that is what’s holding you back.” He took her hand. “I want to know you, Almalexia. You keep putting on this front and I won’t be able to. You don’t have to be someone else’s definition of beautiful, you can be whatever definition doesn’t leave you dreading parties and in pain.”

“But people are intimidated by that,” she objected. “They leave, and I need my network.”

“Then let me take the form with you. We could be beautiful in our own right.” She thought for a second, watching her skirt dangle into the ash, collecting it in the folds, and lifted it up before kicking towards Vivec, resulting in a surprised “AUGH” from him. He looked to her quickly through the ash cloud as she smiled at him. Realizing she was enticing him into revenge, he kicked back, covering her with the cloud as well as she laughed. They kicked back and forth at each other for a couple seconds as the cloud grew thicker around them. They stopped when they couldn’t see each other anymore.

“Vehk?” Almalexia called with a giggle. “Where’d you go?”

“Right here.” He appeared close in front of her, their noses almost touching. “You do look beautiful like this. Can I kiss you?” Almalexia smiled at this.

“You can,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, “but Nerevar might not be too happy about it.”

“His loss.” He kissed her deep, and the two forgot about the world around them for a second.

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mostdream6977 · 2 days ago

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0.3 PRECIOUS THINGS

(chapter 3 of Performative hours!!!! ao3 link here, special thanks to UESP for the random blurbs from the beginning, and also to my GF for editing!!)

Wow.

Never would have guessed.

Skingrad is a city in the West Weald region in southwestern Cyrodiil, southwest of the Imperial City along the Gold Road.

Incredible.

A lot about Bretons today, I see.

Wait. Dwemer ruin?

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid! Max Health, Stamina and Magicka: + 3000, Movement Speed: + 30%, Immune to Crowd Control, Defeating enemies frozen by Whiteout summons Frostkin.

Go back to that last one. What was that?

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

No. The one right before that.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

No! The Dwemer, not the damn Ice Avatar. I don’t care about the Ice Avatar.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

HAVING TROUBLE?

Yes, thank Gods. Hello again!

OH. HELLO! YOU’RE AWFULLY CHIPPER ABOUT THIS.

Please. These dreams are so boring sometimes. I like it when you pop in, you give a little variety to my naps.

GLAD TO HEAR IT.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

LOOKS LIKE YOUR PROPHECY IS OUT OF TUNE. YOU’RE STRESSED.

I am. But I’m fine. I just can’t focus on any of them. It’s been droning on the whole time I’ve been asleep.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SLEEP?

I couldn’t stand being awake.

YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T RUN FROM THINGS LIKE THAT.

I know.

SO LEAVE THIS BEHIND. LET YOUR DREAMS RE-CALIBRATE.

I appreciate the encouragement, but I’d really rather stay asleep.

OH, COME ON. YOU’LL WAKE UP NATURALLY EVENTUALLY. REMEMBER, THOUGH, YOU’RE HERE ON DIPLOMACY.

Which has been going great so far.

THAT ISN’T THE DIPLOMACY I’M TALKING ABOUT. THERE’S OTHERS HERE YOU’LL WANT TO SOCIALIZE WITH. YOU WILL REGRET IT, SORELY SO, IF YOU DON’T.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

Isn’t that the main draw of a party?

YES. THIS ONE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHERS, THOUGH.

Why?

GO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.

Ugh.

I KNOW.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

YOU’LL HAVE TO ANYWAY, IF YOU WANT TO GET BETTER MESSAGES THAN THAT.

Do you know what an Ice Avatar is? I’ve never heard of one.

NOT REALLY. PROBABLY SOMETHING YOU PAY TOO MUCH MONEY FOR.

Hah! Figures.

CAN’T BUY A THRILL.

You can say that again.

SO?

So what?

ARE YOU GOING TO GO?

Yeah, yeah, I’m just…

STALLING?

Not ready.

SOUNDS LIKE STALLING TO ME.

Maybe it is. Why does it matter to you?

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

FOR REASONS YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND UNTIL LATER. I’LL TELL YOU ONCE YOU CAN MATCH MY SOUL.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

I suppose this “soul matching” is also something I won’t be able to understand until later.

PRECISELY. YOU CAN START THE PROCESS BY KNOWING THOSE YOU ARE MEANT TO KNOW, RATHER THAN CYCLING THROUGH WHAT IS COMFORTABLE HERE.

Okay, you’ve convinced me. I guess I won’t be sleeping through this thing.

IT WAS A POOR DECISION IN THE FIRST PLACE.

It was. Do you have anything else to say before I go?

PRIORITIZE LOVE OVER CONVENIENCE OR STATUS.

Got it. Thank you. Come visit me again, okay?

ALWAYS.

Transform into an Ice Avatar and freeze enemies solid!

GOOD LUCK.

“Gods, Vehk, you scared the shit out of me.” She sighed as she moved his hand off her face. “What are you doing here? Here, and back here specifically?”

“I came because Nerevar came. Was hoping to find him, but he’s nowhere to be found.”

“Okay,” Almalexia said flatly. “Were you stealing?”

“Yeah.” He reached into his pockets, pulling out a few jewels and gold chunks from the gilding of the pillars.

“Damn. Did you rip these off?”

“I chiseled them,” He smiled and produced a small hammer and chisel from a different pocket. “Should more than cover the cost of travel whenever I get back to Mournhold.”

“Nerevar didn’t cover travel costs for you?”

“I wasn’t invited.”

“...Why?” Almalexia replied, to which Vivec showed her again the chiseled off pieces of wall from his pockets before smiling again and tucking them back away. “I see. How did you get in?”

“ Magic.” He did a jazzy gesture and leaned against the wall alongside her. “What’s got you down like this?”

“I just– It’s nothing.” She sighed. “I’m… worried about the party. I fell asleep and I’m REALLY late, I should get back-”

“No need,” he interrupted. “Voryn stormed off. Not a soul out there knows where he went, people are about to start leaving anyway. You have cover. How do you feel about a change in scenery?

“What?”

“Could you not just take those off?” Vivec said, taking off his own shoes to encourage her.

“I can’t just go barefoot. Besides, they tie the outfit together.” She laughed.

“Would anyone here care about being barefoot?” He dances around a bit, letting some of the fallen ash kick up around his calves. “It’s all ash over here anyway. Soft.”

“You think I should?”

“If they’re hurting you, yes.”

“But you look like an idiot with the pants,” she objected. He gave her a joking offended look and without hesitation pulled off the pants, leaving just the loincloth.

“I can play this game.” He laughed. “Join me, you’re always so stuck up about how you look all the time.”

“You don’t understand what it’s like to be a woman.”

“Sure I do! You know who I am.”

“Yeah… It’s just… You don’t have to be beautiful all the time.”

“I want to sometimes. You know you don’t have to be all the time though.”

“But-”

“You look better when you’re happy,” he said.

“Did I look bad before?”

“No, you looked unhappy. You always seem unhappy when you’re trying to be someone.”

“If I don’t look and act a certain way, people talk. I can’t have that in my position,” she sighed, turning away from him. He approached her from behind.

“Why does it matter so much to you? If you keep the same as them, everything will stay the same.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Who are you?”

“What do you mean?” She turned back to him, removing the hand from her shoulder. He looked concerned now.

“I mean, who are you? As in, what kind of person are you?”

“I… I’m strong, I’m capable, I’m beautiful, I’m all the things I need to be, I hope.”

“But people are intimidated by that,” she objected. “They leave, and I need my network.”

“Vehk?” Almalexia called with a giggle. “Where’d you go?”

“Right here.” He appeared close in front of her, their noses almost touching. “You do look beautiful like this. Can I kiss you?” Almalexia smiled at this.

“You can,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, “but Nerevar might not be too happy about it.”

“His loss.” He kissed her deep, and the two forgot about the world around them for a second.

#elder scrolls #tes #the elder scrolls #tesblr #morrowind #vivec #almalexia #vivlexia

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mostdream6977 · 7 days ago

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[The courier delivers you a gold-filigreed envelope - in it are two cards. You read the first.]

House Nivulirel Extends an Invitation To Our Esteemed Guests,

To the Bold, the Curious, and the Cunning, Once a year, beneath ancient stars and shadows that remember, House Nivulirel summons the world’s most elusive souls to partake in a celebration that defies time and reason. A gathering of artistry, decadence, and boundless transformation, of visionaries, and souls untethered by mortal convention. Start Date: 15th of Midyear Duration: One Week’s Time, from Sundas to Loredas (though your stay need not span the full length of the revelry) Theme: [Daedra and Divines (of any pantheon)] We finish the week by encouraging total creative freedoms to our patrons on Loredas. Attire: To embody the ineffable For seven days and seven nights, the halls of Nivulirel shall pulse with music, art, and indulgence beyond mortal imagining. Each dawn will bring new wonders, each dusk a deeper descent into the surreal. Feasts of forgotten flavors, performances from beings who tread the edge of reality, and whispered truths that echo through ancient stone await those who dare step through our doors. Only those who receive this invitation shall be granted passage. Come for a moment. Stay for eternity. Or merely lose yourself in the dream between. House Nivulirel awaits your presence.

[You move to the next card.]

Due to the failure of one of our scribes, we lost part of the full guest list. If you would be so kind to help us find the missing guests, we would forever be in your debt.

[What shall you do?]

[Accept] [Decline]

#tesgala25

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mostdream6977 · 7 days ago

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FAQs

What is TES Gala?

An idea started from a treasure found in ESO, I developed a headcanon that the Altmer have something similar to the Met Gala. Loving the idea, I decided I wanted to try at making a small community event for tesblr focusing on fashion (and partying lol).

For one week, a gala will be held. A party invitation post will set the overall theme. Once you post your submission(s) to the event, it will be reblogged here to be shared.

When is TES Gala?

June 15th to June 21st

Theme will be announce by the end of March, if not a tad sooner.

Where is the Gala set?

Anywhere! This isn’t set to the Altmer in Summerset. This can be a small village, a royal event in Cyrodiil, or a party taken to Oblivion. This can be the scene to a Thieves Guild or Dark brotherhood quest. This can be a Modern AU or anywhere on the in-universe timeline!

What mediums are accepted?

Just about anything!

Just a few ideas, but not limited to:

Fan art (sketches, doodles, clothes designs, full blown renders, etc)

Fanfiction (can be either posted in full on Tumblr or a link to AO3)

Gifsets

Moodboards (Can't draw, but wanna show us what your OC would wear? Go for it!)

Animatics

Meta analysis (headcanons on fashion, using historical parallels, etc)

Embroidery/Beadwork

We’d love to see whatever you made ― digital, traditional, crafts, anything!

Is there a submission limit?

No! If you have multiple ideas for the gala week, I encourage you to share all that you make!

What are the rules?

The rules can be read here [link]

How do I submit my work?

Post your work on tumblr and tag it with #tesgala25. I will be tracking the tag all week long. You can also directly tag with @tes-gala

I will then share your work with tags for characters, mediums, and if needed, try my best with adding image ID/alt text.

Alt text and image IDs

To increase the accessibility for our works, I do encourage all artists/graphic makers to use alt text/image IDs. This helps those with screen readers and is more inclusive.

A few links to help how to do this:

Write Helpful Alt Text by Harvard Digital Accessibility

How to Create Image Descriptions

How to Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions

Decision Tree for Writing Alt Text

OC Submissions & Use

To follow the party aesthetic, you may submit a TES Original Character through asks with information about them if you wish for your OC to cameo in another's work. The one submitting must understand they are giving reasonable permission for another to use their OC.

Those interested in using another's Original Character must use the OC respectfully and within reason. You must tag the owner with your submission. List of submissions found here: [LINK]

More information [LINK]

Who is running TES Gala?

Currently just one person. Should this become bigger than expected, I may ask for help.

@sulphuricgrin

If you have any more questions, feel free to send an ask!

updated: 03/20/2025

#seems like a really neat idea!! ill be taking part for sure :) thanks for hosting!#boost

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mostdream6977 · 10 days ago

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MY DWEMERS!! Not my art, this is from an exchange done with Arts_Berik, who is NOT a tumblr user but i wanted to link back to him for other socials. I'll be posting my own half eventually, but i wanted to share how awesome this piece turned out!!))

#elder scrolls #tes #the elder scrolls #tesblr #tes fanart #dwemer #not my art!!!

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mostdream6977 · 14 days ago

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((My dwemer OCs, Chugznak (Chuggo) and Tugridalen (Tuggs) who are the worst dwemer on nirn))

#tes #elder scrolls #the elder scrolls #tesblr #tes fanart #dwemer

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mostdream6977 · 14 days ago

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Blessing (NSFW)

((Nerevoryn drabble. I didn't edit this at all. This is pretty much just a rough draft to help get me writing again. I hope yall enjoy regardless tho. AO3 link here!))

“Hortator, eh? You wish for my blessing?” A small smirk came across Voryn’s lips as he spoke. The two had been engaged in battle with the Nords for months now in the process of banishing them from Resdayn. Neither had come out unscathed thus far– Voryn was, at the time, nursing a burn wound on his lower calf, while Nerevar had mostly healed from a recent spear jab to the collar. They had de-armored, with Voryn lifting his robes to reach his calf and Nerevar barely wearing armor in the first place sitting in practically his underwear, making idle conversation in their medic tent set up at camp near the battlefield as they did so. Voryn, in all his glorious sarcasm, thought Nerevar always somehow had the perfect timing for these conversations.

“It’s just… we’ve been fighting side by side for a long time now. The Dwemer need a unified leader for all the Chimer if we’re going to ally with them. There’s no way they’ll think we’ll win if we aren’t united, Voryn.” Nerevar began.

“Hm. I’m not opposed, you know.” Voryn replied slowly. “I greatly appreciate yours and House Indoril’s assistance in defending my lands, but I do… hesitate knowing you. You’ve a heart of gold, Nerevar. Is a title like that fitting?”

“... What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Voryn grew nervous, knowing he misspoke. “There is a… brutality involved. I’ve seen you, I know you’re capable of that with enemies but…” he trailed off.

“But what?”

“But what of allies? What happens when you must turn against brethren, Nerevar?” This caused Nerevar to stop and think for a bit, in slight offense. Voryn was correct, there truly was a lot more to discuss regarding this topic than Nerevar had hoped. He knew he fit the bill, he knew who he was and what he was capable of, and he was getting tired of proving himself all the time. Voryn was an exception to this, but Nerevar still found himself frustrated.

“What do I need to do?” He snapped back.

“What?”

“For your blessing. What needs to happen?” Nerevar was ready to do just about anything at this point. It wasn’t desperation, despite fitting the bill for it, it was an ambition soaked in passion for the unification of his people. Voryn knew this feeling well, both from Nerevar and in himself, and stopped.

“I.. I don’t know yet. Maybe start by handing me my potion?” Voryn said, reaching out towards the red bottle that sat closer to Nerevar than himself. Their group was running low on supplies, their med tent was shoddily placed in the snow of the Velothi Mountains and was as bare as the vegetation, outside trees. The tent’s roof was sagging from the weight of the snow, and the various medical supplies lining the tables they sat at were glinting in the low light of candle. The potion was one of their last, Nerevar was certain someone else would need it, and yet it was only for closing minor wounds. Nerevar snatched it up and handed it to Voryn without another word. Voryn thanked him then gulped it down, Nerevar watched the now cleaned burn close up. There was a short pause between the two before Nerevar spoke again.

“Are you feeling better?” He said as Voryn stood, wobbling a bit on the leg he was previously unable to walk on before finding his balance.

“Yes, I am. Feeling far more spry too.” He lifts up his previously unhurt leg and jokingly hops around to show Nerevar he had found that balance he’d been looking for, bringing a laugh from him.

“You look well enough to give me your blessing, now.”

“You’re still on that? I was hoping to distract you.” Voryn sighed.

“I’m not that easily moved. You know how I feel about this.” Nerevar leaned forward from where he was sitting and winced. His shoulder seemed healed on the outside, but he was still feeling the pain. He grabbed it and leaned back, closing his eyes.

“...Maybe you should have taken that potion.” Voryn said. “Here, there's got to be another around here.”

“Please.” Nerevar groaned, opening his eyes again. “I have one in my personal tent, I'd rather not trudge through the snow right now. It’s frigid out there.”

“It would help if you put on anything, Nerevar.”

“Don’t tell me you dont love what you see.” Nerevar said with a smile and a wink.

“Flirting with me won’t get you any closer to Hortator.” Voryn shuffled about the tent, sifting through medical supplies until he found an empty red bottle, cursing it.

“You could just use a spell.” Nerevar croaked. Voryn tossed the bottle aside and pulled a chair up to where Nerevar sat, sitting down in it and moving his arm away from where the wound was. It had healed on the outside but was likely still fresh on the inside, it’s a big issue with the small healing potions. Voryn knew some restoration, and he placed his hand on the spot, which was in the meat above the collarbone close to the neck.

“You could have died, Nerevar.”

“I know. Real glad I didn’t.”

Voryn sighed again as the glow of the spell overtook his hand over the spot. It felt warm and tingled as the pain faded. Voryn removed his hand and Nerevar twisted the joint, happy to see the mobility return.

“Thank you, Voryn.”

“It’s no issue,” Voryn began, “But I fear for you. You’ve got to show some more restraint on the field or you’re going to get yourself killed.”

“Do you care about me or something?” Nerevar laughed

“I– yes, I care about you, Nerevar. I didn’t think that was a secret” Voryn giggled back at him. The two looked at each other for a second, enjoying the moment they had with just each other before returning to their battles the next day. They both, very obviously, had feelings for one another. Nerevar hadn’t once forgotten to stop to appreciate the way Voryn’s eyes would glint in the warm light, just like the medical supplies that sat next to him. To Voryn, Nerevar might as well have been the light itself, bringing a warmth to the room that wouldn’t have been possible without him. They basked in each other’s presence until Nerevar broke his gaze.

“What was it you were saying earlier? About turning against allies?”

“Don’t tell me you’re about to make a scene, Nerevar.”

“I’ll do what I want, Voryn.”

“And what is that?”

“I’m going to convince you to name me Hortator.” Nerevar stated.

“And what’s your plan? I’m still not fully sure you’d be capable.You’re too soft.” Another giggle fell out of Voryn. Nerevar finally rose from his seat and moved forward, boldly so. He stopped before Voryn, which led to an intimidation that made him scoot his own chair back about an inch.

“I want you on your knees.”

“Eh? Right now?” Voryn stuttered out in his surprise.

“Yes. You heard me.”

“The other med tents are right next to us, they’ll hear us.” He rebutted.

“We’ll be quiet. I have a different idea this time.” He reached to his side and unsheathed a medium dagger, showing it to Voryn before re-sheathing it and removing the setup from his waist entirely. He held the dagger by the sheathed blade and presented the smooth hilt to Voryn, prompting an understanding.

“And what are you getting from this?” He questioned. Nerevar smiled.

“I just like seeing you beneath me. On your knees, and look me in the eye.”

Voryn nodded, and lowered himself. He glanced at the hilt before him with unease before Nerevar placed a hand in his hair, gripping it tightly and pulling his head forward to it. Voryn makes eye contact, as requested, and leans into the pull. He kisses the tip of the hilt before teasingly swirling his tongue around the tip of it with a sly smile. Then, with another kiss, he licks down the shaft of it then back up, fully taking it into his mouth and pushing it against the back of his throat, threatening to swallow it should it have more elasticity.

“Good... Good boy.” Nerevar said as Voryn bobbed his head back and forth on it, gripping his hair tighter and leading the rhythm. He gently begins to pump his hips alongside, adding to the immersion of the experience. Then, a cry rang out outside the tent. Nerevar ripped the hilt from Voryn’s throat in his surprise and turned to see the commotion as Voryn coughed and sputtered on the ground. One of his generals was calling for him.

“Sorry V… that’s your cue.” Nerevar hesitantly said to a Voryn who had just caught his breath.

“Gods,” He gasped. “And I was just about to name you Hortator, too.”

#elder scrolls #the elder scrolls #tesblr #morrowind #voryn dagoth #dagoth ur #indoril nerevar #nerevoryn

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mostdream6977 · 16 days ago

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((guess who forgot to fucking link it))

((Getting ready to start things back up soon and made a short bio/FAQ!))

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mostdream6977 · 16 days ago

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YOU THERE– LISTEN. I PLAN ON PREACHING TO YOU NOW. MY SILENCE WILL BE FORGIVEN, OR NOT, AND NOT MUCH IS TO BE DONE. WORDS, LIKE MORTALS, HAVE NO TRUE END, DESPITE WHO OR WHAT CLAIMS TO END THEM. THIS IS MY PHILOSOPHY AND IT IS WHAT I SHARE WITH YOU; A STORY, MY OWN STORY, FROM THE GENEROSITY AND THE RUIN OF LOVE AND VIOLENCE. AN INTERSECTION I EXPECT THERE TO BE SOME LEVEL OF COMPREHENSION OF BY THIS POINT, BUT WHO KNOWS? I SHOULD. YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT I DON’T, BUT THAT I DO. THIS IS UNDERSTANDING. KNOWING THAT KNOWING IS INCORRECT, BUT THAT IGNORANCE IS A SLAYING. WILLFUL IGNORANCE, WORSE SO. TO STAND AND REFUSE SIGHT UPON A CHALLENGE IS TO BEND A HAPPY KNEE TO DECAY– EXPECT TO BE TREATED AS SUCH IN THIS STATE.

THE BEGINNING OF THE WORDS IS AMARANTH

#tes #elder scrolls #the elder scrolls #tesblr #c0da #still trying to think of a name for this series. shes sermoning just like vivec <3

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mostdream6977 · 18 days ago

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((Getting ready to start things back up soon and made a short bio/FAQ!))

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mostdream6977 · 3 months ago

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0.2 MEA CULPA

((I'm back again, chapter 2 of Performative Hours! and I didnt lie this time theres nerevoryn in this one. i would never lead you astray unless i wanted to. ao3 link is here. Enjoy!))

TW FOR ABUSE/ANIMAL DEATH. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

Perhaps Nerevar was a wanderer at heart, but he was not a wanderer of knowledge. After storming out of his room with Almalexia, he had stomped around blindly, and as he calmed down he realized he had no idea where he was. He stopped for a bit to observe his surroundings; a small sitting area in this corridor of the upper floor. It had a small window over a stone end table, gold carved into it and a black vase sat atop it holding Willow Anther and Coda flowers. Next to it sat two chairs of a deep red velvet type fabric, each having its own black and gold decorative pillow. He thought about this for twenty four seconds. It looked precise, like he would get yelled at for sitting down- he decided to move on.

The halls, littered with the black and red tapestries of Dagoth surrounded by the blue and gold of the Dwemer, were actually quite boring. He didn’t feel comfortable entering any unopened doors, as he knew from passing by that many were occupied. He was nosey, and sometimes stopped to listen in, but did not find any conversations worth sticking around for, continuing his search for an exit or anything to help show him the way. He was hoping to run into someone who could help, and found some luck. Down the hall, there was a section of the corridor that was narrowed by two stone and gold columns, two Dwemer guards standing in front of either one. Finally, he thought, let’s ask them.

Fine. Whatever. Nerevar turns and heads for the exit, stomping (again) onto the street and into the city. The area around the palace is more of a recreation district, with little food stands, shops, a spa or two, and Cornerclubs littered about the area. The Cornerclubs were what he was after. The gala wasn’t for at least another two hours, but he needed a drink now. He walked down a hill into a more reasonably priced area of town and found a dingy place that smelled of yeast… perfect. Walking in, it’s nearly empty save for two fetchers sitting at the bar talking with the tender. The old wood creaks as Nerevar makes his way over and sits next to them, prompting an awkward pause in their conversation. The tender asks Nerevar if he wants a drink. Just Greef, please.

“Hail, friends!” He shouted. Both guards drew their weapons.

“Stop. Go no further. These are Kagrenac and Lord Dagoth’s private chambers.” One guard called. Nerevar paused, remembering the argument from earlier. He felt bad, his comment really wasn’t called for, but he still felt somehow in the right, yet couldn’t place it. Maybe he needed to explain himself?

“Oh, uh, I have business with Lord Dagoth.” Nerevar replied.

“No you don’t.” The other guard is speaking now. Nerevar doesn’t like being called a liar, but he hates being told “no” even more. Besides, he’s a guest. Who are these two to invite guests and then deny them company? Also, beyond the barricade he can see the glimmer of sunlight hitting gold. He felt like he should be allowed to see that closer. He can’t just go look at it? Ridiculous.

“Are you planning on staring us to death?” The guard says. “Go down the hall and to the left. Stairs lead right outside into the street. You should think about using them, friend.”

“You seem important.” One of the mer at the bar said. Nerevar took his drink and looked at her; a tall, short and red haired young woman, dressed in black Netch leather and chitin painted purple. She looked at him with unnatural red eyes and lifted her drink to her lips, showing off a hand as gold as the Dwemer liked it. No way she was Chimer, her skin was too grey, and he’d expect more of a beard from a Dwemer. Studying her, he was visibly confused, but she gave him no time to carry on for long.

“Don’t speak. You’ll have plenty of chances to later on. You’re going about this all wrong, you’re wandering about. That isn’t you, that isn’t how you get things done, Nerevar.” The shock of her knowing his name caused him to glance around the room again- nobody was looking, or even moving- as if they were frozen in place.

“What- Who even are you?” He interjected, to no avail.

“Don’t. Speak. You’d do well to listen to instruction.” Everyone was staring, wide eyed and sardonic, still unmoving. There was no more bar.

“Hold now. I don’t have to take that from yo-”

DON’T SPEAK.

Hey! What did you do?

I INTERRUPTED THE FLOW OF THE STORY.

I- Okay?

The story?

YES. THERE’S A GOOD REASON TO BE CALLED IMPORTANT. YOU’RE A PART OF SOMETHING BEING TOLD, AS AM I. WE’RE ALIKE IN THAT FIELD.

ARE YOU GOING TO LISTEN? OR ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS?

Are you not going to answer my questions?

NO. THAT’S THE JOB OF THE ONE WHO CAME BEFORE ME.

Fine, then why should I listen if you won’t help me understand what you’re saying?

I GIVE INSTRUCTIONS. THAT’S MY JOB. LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. AS FOR UNDERSTANDING, COMING TO THAT IS YOUR JOB.

I don’t get it.

TOO BAD. ARE YOU LISTENING NOW?

I don’t really have another option, do I?

NO.

Then go ahead.

THANK YOU, AND STOP FLOATING. YOU’RE THE KIND TO FIND A DESTINATION AND REACH IT, YES? SO FIND ONE. WALKING AROUND AIMLESSLY MOPING ABOUT HOW UNFAIR THINGS ARE WILL GET YOU NOWHERE. TAKE ACTION. YOU HAVE TO BE UNCONVENTIONAL TO GET TO WHERE YOU NEED TO BE, AND SOMETIMES, WHERE YOU NEED TO BE IS NOWHERE NEAR WHERE YOU EXPECT TO BE. MAKE YOUR DESTINATION WHAT YOU NEED RATHER THAN WHAT YOU EXPECT AND YOU WILL NOT BE PULLED OFF TRACK. NOW, SPEAK. WHAT DO YOU NEED?

Oh, so you expect me to answer YOUR questions?

YES. I’M WAITING.

Well, can you narrow down a timeline for me? Are we talking what I need by next week or next year or-

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND?

I’m not sure I want to tell you. It’s a bit private.

I ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SAY, I KNEW A MONTH BEFORE WE MET.

Then why tell you?

BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO VERBALIZE IT.

…

WELL?

I don’t want to be in a relationship anymore.

LOUDER.

I said I DON’T want to be in a RELATIONSHIP anymore.

SO THAT’S YOUR DESTINATION. AVOIDING THAT NEED IS WHY YOU WANDER. HOW YOU GO ABOUT THAT IS UP TO YOU, BUT IF YOU GET TOO DISTRACTED, I’LL HAVE TO COME SORT THINGS OUT AGAIN. YOU DON’T WANT THAT AND NEITHER DO I.

Agreed. Are we done?

YES.

Nerevar finds himself back in the guest bedroom he shared with Almalexia, who is nowhere to be seen. He can hear a distant bustle of people and opts to look out the window- dusk has passed, the final licks of sun fading in a line on the horizon. As much as Nerevar loved a good sunset, he knew he was probably in some deep shit. The Gala had already started an hour ago, and he hadn’t spoken to Almalexia once since their argument. He wasn’t sure he wanted to, he had a new discussion to have with her pending in the back of his head that he knew wouldn't go well for either of them, especially for his current social network. He thought about this, but didn’t count the seconds. Would it be worth it to end things with Almalexia? She was kind to him, she was beautiful, a fantastic fighter, and had gone out of her way constantly to help him into nobility and teach him how to move in her court. He loved her, but she just didn’t excite him anymore. They’d left their honeymoon phase and now all he knew was her stress, and it wore.

He shook his head to snap himself out of the thought loop. Not going to deal with that tonight, he thought, as he jumped into the outfit he had picked for the Gala and headed towards the ballroom. The halls were empty, all the guests had already been ushered towards the party, but he was still able to navigate without assistance by listening for the people. He entered the grand room to find many dressed to the nines in expensive fabrics and gold, beginning to mingle around a long banquet table at the front, which held the thrones of Dagoth and Kagrenac. Dagoth had risen from his seat, and as Nerevar walked up closer to see what the commotion was, he called for silence to address the crowd.

“My! It is such a delight to see everyone here. Thank you all for coming! I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift. I’d like to take a small second to thank House Dwemer, first and foremost, for graciously allowing the space to be used for this celebration, and for all of them that assisted with setting things up.” Dagoth continued his speech, which consisted of an odd amount of lip service for House Dwemer in place of speaking of his own birthday. Nerevar examined Voryn from his distance. Voryn was wearing a long red dress, with large bell sleeves and a gold chestpiece, draped gently over the House Dagoth logo gracing the front of the blouse. The light was catching the gold and was reflecting onto Dagoth’s face in a way that made him lightly glow, he wore a warm smile to accompany. Nerevar’s eyes wandered downwards, subconsciously. Voryn wore a corset over the dress, giving his figure a nice hourglass. Nerevar noticed how much attention he was giving to his waist and blinked. He’d been so distracted earlier that he hadn’t noticed that Voryn was gorgeous, stunning even. He found himself unable to take his eyes off him, navigating forward in the crowd entranced by the red of Voryn’s lips moving as he spoke. Kagrenac, sitting on the throne next to Voryn, rose, and as soon as he did, Voryn fell silent.

“Before we dismiss back to the eh… festivities…” Kagrenac waved someone unseen towards them. “I have a gift for you.” The crowd began to whisper to itself, and Voryn visibly became nervous.

“I- well- Thank you, Lord. This is so… unexpected! You’ve not gotten me a gift before…” He stuttered out, lowering his voice. Kagrenac had no look about his face.

“I figured now would be a good time to start, since you took so much liberty in directing this whole affair. Very persistent.” His next words are completely monotone. “And you know how much I adore taking time away from my work.” Nerevar gets as close as he can, peeking his head through the front row of the crowd to see if he can pick up more conversation.

“My Lord,” Voryn says, far more hushed now. “Is this something we should discuss in private?”

“Nonsense. It’s your birthday celebration. I’m giving you a birthday gift. Is the expectation not to open your birthday gift at your birthday celebration?” A miscellaneous servant handed Kagrenac a medium sized package, wrapped neatly in red silk, complete with a bow. Kagrenac took it, and without looking at the package, held it to Voryn.

“Take it.”

Voryn nodded and slipped the gift out of Kagrenac’s hands, looking down at it with unease. Nerevar adjusted himself to get a better angle as Voryn undid the bow and wrapping on the package, his eyes widening as he lifted the lid. He gasped and quickly shut it, placing a shocked hand over his mouth and sitting in silence for a small second. Then, abruptly, he stood, visibly shaking.

“Is there an issue?” Kagrenac poked at him, a smirk forming at the ends of his lips. Voryn looked intensely at the nothing directly behind where he had set the package, his other hand still on the lid, softly rubbing it with his thumb. He takes a shaky breath before removing his hand, but not breaking his concentration on whatever void had gripped him.

“No, I- I’m sorry. I can’t do this here. Excuse me.” With that, Voryn quickly turned and left, taking the box in his hands with him, to the laughs and groans of the audience. He was absolutely the type to get upset over a gift he didn’t like, and people were already beginning to poke their own fun at the situation. Most of them only came in hopes of seeing a reaction of Voryn’s up close, but this didn’t seem to match the tales Nerevar had heard in the past. It was quieter, more defeated than expected. As Voryn left, a similar miscellaneous servant went to him and took the box from his hands. If Voryn was displeased with the gift, it was strange to see him resist giving it away, even if gently. He still allowed the package to be taken and turned away again, this time using a hand to shield his eyes from the crowd before darting away. Was he crying?

“Well, I suppose that concludes the formalities.” Kagrenac boasted with a laugh. “Please, enjoy yourselves. I’ll make sure our host composes himself.” He turned and left the room, following the direction Voryn had taken. What in oblivion was that? Nerevar’s mind was buzzing. This day had been very emotionally charged, and he was tired of being in confusion about it. He agreed with himself on a goal; He needed to find out what was in that box. As the crowd dispersed and began to talk amongst itself again, Nerevar used the cover to slip out into the same hall. He remembered this section from earlier, the stairs to the upper floor and outside are close by. He made his way toward them, thinking of his plan as he did and stopping briefly in the stairwell to finalize.

If he wanted to figure out what was in the box, it would be easier to be told than it would be to find the box. Up these stairs and down the hall, he thought, is where Dagoth’s chambers are, but there’s no way they’re unguarded. If he could get past the barricade and listen into their conversation, maybe he could figure it out from there. But how? There’s no good spot to sneak around without being seen, and they surely wouldn’t be open to talking about it, based on the earlier interaction. Wait. He suddenly remembered that potion he had grabbed earlier. Did he still have that on him? He rummaged through his pockets, and then a side pouch he carried with him and found it there, re-examining the ingredients listed on the label. “BITTERGREEN, WOLFSBANE, DIAMOND.” There was no name attached. He thought about what it could be for two hundred and eighty six seconds, and gave up. Whatever. Hopefully this isn’t poison. Bottoms up!

It was the most vile liquid that had ever graced his lips. Oily, bitter, grassy, and gritty like sandy water. He gagged, covering his mouth with his hand to avoid a worse reaction, and stood there with his eyes shut leaning against a wall while he recovered. He had almost thought that the experience was all for nothing when he removed his hand from his face and looked at it, or tried to. It was completely transparent- the potion had made him invisible. What luck! If Almalexia wouldn't be pissed that he was sneaking around again, she would eat her words about his habit of eating things off the ground. Looks like the five second rule is still going strong, he chuckled to himself as he ascended the staircase and tiptoed his way into the upper hall, right through the two unsuspecting guards.

The hall after the barricade was not incredibly long, it looped around into a couple different sections and ended at a large doorway, which Nerevar assumed was the bedroom. As he walked through, the smell of motor oil and sticky sweet chemical filled the air, alongside a faint feel of electrified air, the presence of magic. It wafted from under one of the doors before the bedroom. Probably Voryn’s lab, he thought, knowing Kagrenac worked off site, but interrupting himself to stay on target. He passed by an arch doorway leading to a small study and approached the door, and could already hear disembodied voices behind it. Perfect. He pressed an ear to the door to listen in, catching the tail end of a point.

“-Very important to me! You knew that! Why are you always trying to embarrass me in public?” One voice cried. Definitely Voryn.

“You don’t think it’s embarrassing for me to miss deadlines because of some asinine party? You know I have expectations of me.” This was Kagrenac.

“Yes, expectations you place on yourself! I didn’t think asking for some help gathering supplies would be such a big issue that you had to-”

“Don’t downplay it. You were pestering me constantly about everything. You needed a reminder that this is a privilege I am generously granting you, and like all the other privileges I give you, I can and will take them away if you do not appreciate them.”

“Then why not just cancel the party? Why not just do what you’ve done every year and have me here alone with a fucking sweetroll and a candle? I would have been fine with that.” Voryn’s voice is breaking. “Anything but… But THIS! She didn’t deserve that!”

Nerevar heard footsteps approaching him. He looked behind to see Jzarkaz, the Dwemer that had greeted them at the door, approach. He moved away as she reached to knock. Kagrenac called from inside to open it, and she entered, leaving it cracked behind her. An opportunity for a mer who had recently found himself temporarily sneaky. Nerevar dropped to his hands and knees and crawled into the room, trying to move small and slow so as not to move the door from its current position or make any alerting noise. It was… smaller than expected. Very red. It was draped in everything Sixth House and nothing Dwemer, leading Nerevar to believe that this was a room just for Voryn. Strange. There were large, rounded windows over a canopied bed in the middle, and a small balcony door sat on the left side of the room. On the right held a modest enchanting table, some bookshelves littered with scrolls, and a small empty pet cage covered in decorative stones and complete with toys. Little black and red bowls of food and water sat next to the entrance, left untouched.

“Lord,” Jzarkaz began. “ You’ve received communications from Nchardumz.”

“Can it not wait? I’m busy.” Kagrenac groaned

“It can. They had an experiment fail and caused a few centurions to go wild. They should feel the consequences for their mistake, but the longer we wait to respond, the more they’ll be sure to have us hear about it.”

“I’ll make a note of that. Allow me to wrap up this conversation, I’ll tend to the idiocy afterwards. Thank you.”

“Of course, my Lord.” Jzarkaz bowed her head and left, shutting the door with a click that cut through the dense, charged silence between Voryn and Kagrenac like it were a hot knife. No turning back now, Nerevar thought. He looked back to Voryn, who was sitting on the bed with Kagrenac standing close in front of him. The Dwemer sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking.

“Now, where were we?” He said. “You spoke of deserving?” Voryn was silent and would not meet his eyes. “You know that isn’t your place. You aren’t to undermine my decisions. That isn’t part of our deal, here. My place is to say who deserves what. Your place is to sit there, look pretty, and not get in my way. Is there a lapse in your understanding of this?” Again, Voryn did not respond, much to the ire of Kagrenac.

“Voryn. I asked you a question. Do you or do you not understand?”

“I understand, Lord.” Voryn made himself small.

“So, if you understand, why is this discussion even happening? I’m missing necessary work as we speak, you heard of my task the same as I did. That means you’re still being obtrusive. What do you have to say about that?”

“I’m sorry, Lord.”

“That doesn’t cut it.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Think about it. You’ll have time tonight. I’m going to take until tomorrow afternoon to deal with the mess at Nchardumz, we’ll revisit the subject then. For now, Voryn, I’ll leave you with this; If you can’t obey me, I have no issue taking back our deal. I would raze Kogoruhn as was originally planned, and I would return your House back underground with the Snow Elves as they were before. Do you want that?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think you did. So, when I tell you to speak, you speak. When I tell you to shut up, you should be silent. And if I tell you to act like a dog, I want you on your fucking knees. Am I clear?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Get yourself together and go back to your guests. They’re waiting for you, and I have business to attend to. We’ll speak of this again tomorrow.” Kagrenac finished, turning and walking out the door, shutting it behind him slightly harder than what was comfortable. It was just Voryn in the room now, unaware of Nerevar present alongside him. Voryn watched the floor in solemn silence, and as Nerevar watched him, he thought of how he’d never heard of anything regarding a deal between the Sixth House and the Dwemer like what was described. This was information he was very much not supposed to hear. His train of thought found itself broken by a sniffle, then two or three coming from Voryn, and he watched as tears began to roll down the mer’s cheeks. Someone in a better position could probably comfort him at this point, but Nerevar determined that it wasn’t him and that he needed to leave before the reaction got intense.

He looked to the door, back to Voryn, then back to the door again. There’s no way to sneak out without him hearing the door shut. Nerevar began to panic and scanned the rest of the room looking for an out, before remembering the balcony. It was open, which was perfect. He could just climb down to the first floor, he thought, rejoin the gathering no problem, he’s spry enough. He got up off his knees from his previous crawling position and began to tiptoe towards the door. He was about halfway there when he looked down to see his boots were muddy from the city earlier. For a second, he thought he should worry about whether he left prints, but then he realized the bigger issue. He could SEE the boot. The invisibility had worn off.

“Excuse me? You’re not supposed to be in here.” Voryn snivelled, noticing Nerevar as soon as he became visible again and hurriedly wiping away the tears. There goes the cover.

“Uh…. Shit, yeah, I just got lost.” Nerevar sheepishly responded

“You… got lost? In a restricted area of the palace.” Voryn’s tone has a touch of confusion.

“Yeah.”

“Using an invisibility charm to listen into a private chamber. You just got lost?”

“Uhh... yep.”

“Do you think I’m an idiot?” Voryn looked at Nerevar very pointedly.

“No.”

“Why is that the story you’re going with?”

“I couldn't think of anything else.”

Voryn gave him a look that said he’d found where the idiot was in the conversation. He didn’t seem hostile, though, so Nerevar figured he could try to talk himself out of trouble still.

“I can at least, uh, introduce myself, I guess. My name is-”

“Nerevar. Almalexia’s partner. I remember you from when you called me a whore earlier.” Voryn interrupted.

“Yeah… sorry about that.”

“It’s… it’s fine.” Voryn drew a shaky breath, trying to calm himself further. “Not the worst that’s happened today.” Nerevar looked at Voryn, who was mostly looking back at him, but was obviously distracted, with a glazed look about his eyes.

“And, uh… sorry for breaking in.”

“It’s fine. I barely care anymore.” The conversation stopped for a moment before he spoke up to Nerevar again. “How much of that conversation did you hear?”

“I heard enough.” Nerevar replied, feeling empathy for Voryn after what he had just witnessed. He wanted to assure him, but didn’t know how, deciding to just give it his best guess. “I can’t make you trust me, but I can at least give my word that nothing said will leave this room.”

“I would be quicker to trust you,” Voryn said “if I knew why you came up here. I’m not going to believe you did it to give me kind words alone.”

“You want me to be honest?”

“I’m asking you to be, yes.”

“I watched how the mood changed when you opened that gift downstairs. Something wasn’t right, and I wanted to know what. Guess I found out.” Nerevar stated. Voryn nodded his head in understanding.

“I’m not sure I can blame you. If I could be as mobile as you, I’m nosey enough to have done something similar myself.” He sighed. “I don’t love the invasion of privacy, but since you’ve already heard my darling overlord berate me, I can at least tell you that you don’t know the full story. Maybe it isn’t right to you, maybe it looks like too much, but I’ve got a handle on things. It’s okay. I appreciate the concern, but I’ll be okay.”

“...You’re okay?” Nerevar questioned.

“Yes. I am.”

“Then what was in the box?” This question made Voryn falter. He closed his eyes, tilted his head slightly upward, and took a few deep breaths.

“I have- had a Scrib. Her name was Butterbean.” His voice started to crack. “Kagrenac said having her was a privilege too, when I first got her. I knew he would take her away if I upset him but…” He broke, beginning a mewl as the tears resumed. “I didn’t think he'd do this. She was my friend, we spent so much time together. I held her not an hour before the party. He waited until I was distracted and-”

“Hey, hey,” Nerevar said, instinctively approaching Voryn and placing a comforting hand on his upper back. “You don’t have to go into detail if it’s hard. I don’t need it.”

Voryn felt the touch and broke into a fuller sob, taking Nerevar aback. He hadn’t ever really experienced a mental episode like this, in the sense that the situation was strange in a way that could never repeat. He felt obliged, however, to keep his hand where it was set, despite only having had about a minute of positive conversation with this Mer he had been in conversation with for twenty. That misplaced feeling was still present. This is, in fact, the “very flippant Lord” that he had been told of, yet seemingly in name alone. Going behind the scenes and witnessing a snippet gave him enough of a foundation for understanding. He wanted to know more about Voryn. He had a feeling that he needed to be present now to do that.

“Oh gods, uh, hey, do you mind if I sit with you? Would that help?” He received a nod from Voryn and sat next to him on the bed.

“Oh, and just look at me now.” Voryn hiccuped out. “You broke into my room and spied on me and now I’m crying on you. What’s that say about me?”

“I don’t have an opinion on that, really. I just got here. I think it sounds like you needed it.”

“And now,” Voryn continued. “I’m in shambles! I tried to take her up with me when I left, but they snatched her box and now I don’t know where she is. There's guests downstairs waiting for me, I can’t just go looking for her! They’re just going to throw her away.” This gave Nerevar an idea.

“What if I helped you find her?” He said. Voryn calmed a bit and sniffled.

“I don’t know. Where would we even start?” His voice was slightly raspy from the grieving. Something in Nerevar wanted to help, so badly. He ended up blurting out the first idea on his mind.

“Where’s the kitchen?”

“You think they’re going to turn her into jelly?” Voryn exclaimed.

“Not if we find her fast enough. When we do, I can escort you to somewhere where we can lay her to rest. How’s that sound?”

“... Good. Yes I-I think that would be nice. Regardless, we’re both going to be in a world of hurt if anyone finds you back here.” Voryn said, wiping his eyes with his sleeve again. “And I can’t take you past the guards, they would know you snuck in. Did you have any plans regarding that?”

“Not really. I was thinking of breaking both my femurs jumping off the balcony over there.” Surprisingly, this made Voryn laugh very genuinely, if only for a second.

“I doubt you’d break both. Maybe a fibula, but not a femur. I know restoration, I could get you back up and running in no time. Plus, I have enough of a wardrobe to make a rope for you. If you and I go separate ways and you wait for my signal, I can distract the guards from the window. Give you some extra time to climb.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Nerevar said, and rose from the bed, secretly excited to fashion a rope out of Voryn’s expensive clothes. As he did so, Voryn reached out and grabbed his wrist. Gently, with a “wait” accompanying. Nerevar stopped and turned to Voryn, using his sudden grip as an excuse to help him stand as well. He rose, and met Nerevar’s eyes with an intense something behind his own.

“I never would have expected this kind of help from a trespasser. Thank you.” He spoke softer here, and it sent a shiver up Nerevar’s skin where Voryn’s hand met his wrist. Even though Nerevar was simply helping out an almost stranger in a bad situation, he knew this could turn into a problem. Generally, when he thinks, he’ll time himself. Now, however, he was enjoying this closeness, and did not want to spoil it by counting seconds. He opted to not think at all.

“You’re welcome. Let’s go get Butterbean.”

#ITS LONG #tes #elder scrolls #the elder scrolls #morrowind #voryn dagoth #dagoth ur #nerevar #indoril nerevar #nerevoryn #fanfic

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