#I'm sorry Serana
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globofhoney · 1 year ago
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What would honeymoon with Alduin be like i wonder...
- Burn shit down? High chance, probably.
- Get f*cked or f*ck...you choose
(there shall always be new follower mod emerging from countless modders...but hear this, custom mod followers maybe immersive and can be a real hottie to y'all, they are great yes, they are meta, that's also true...but Alduin is eternal.
meta followers shall not last forever...Alduin is)
Alduin: //looking down menacingly on Dragonborn's followers, mods and those who are not.
"I will outlast you, mortals"
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shinkotori · 7 months ago
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This art of Serana from Skyrim (as always, drawn by my friend @yuramoonbow, also available on twitter here) was actually not a commission, but a surprise birthday gift after they had already drawn this other piece for me.
[ Image Description: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim fan art headshot of Serana Volkihar. She has a neutral expression on her face and the background is solid black. It is signed 'yura moonbow'. End ID.
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silusvesuius · 8 months ago
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in drawing heads purgatory
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oblivions-dawn · 4 months ago
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Another birthday gift of my girls, this time from @spinchboli!! Your art is spectacular and I'm always so honoured to get art from such a talented friend ;w; <33
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t00thpasteface · 2 years ago
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where'd you get that cute headband, serana...?
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highlifeboat · 1 year ago
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Playing a lot of Skrim lately so you all have to deal with it but I think Melony would be a wood elf and Max would be like... a Redguard. Maybe an Imperial. Definitely a human based race.
And Mel would def know healing magic. Like she's not a fighter at all, she only knows Run and Heal and sometimes Swing Dagger. She can heal her physical wounds and all her friends but nothing will heal the emotional and psychological damage she has sustained or is about to go through.
And Max is like.... Hired muscle. His home was burned to the ground by a dragon when they started coming back and he's never been the same. He makes his gold as a mercenary, and he's really fucking good at it. Probably uses skooma, though.
Anyway I think it would be so funny if Melony was the Dragonborn and Max was just like her hired muscle turned friend and they accidentally save the world together or some shit.
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sylvienerevarine · 9 days ago
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Sylvienerevarine.tumblr.com's Extremely Sexy And Glamorous Fic Rec List
2024 was a banner year for me specifically in terms of both reading and writing a boatload of TES fanfic. With the New Year fast approaching I wanted to give a little love to some of my favorite writers on here (many of whom have also been unbelievably supportive of my own work as well because they're just great people). This list is not 100% comprehensive because I read a lot this year but is a broad overview of some of my faves!
So LET'S GET INTO IT! First, a couple of series-es:
the Every Star a Sign series by @wispstalk
this series makes me feel more emotions than there are emotions to feel. I would kill and die for Tanis Irathi and I'm heartbroken he and Marty didn't get to settle down in a nice cottage with a few cats. That said, Tanis' trip to the Shivering Isles was pretty sick (good sick)
The Seasons of WinterCloak series by @thequeenofthewinter
I'll confess to having been an Ulfric Stormcloak disliker in my time. This series did so much emotional labor to fix that in me. Winter's Dovahkiin Dahlia is a relatable queen, and Ulfy is astonishingly sympathetic (and a little sexy, rowr). I adore that this series takes place AFTER the main events of Skyrim as well!
The Threads of Blood series by @oblivions-dawn
Like every sane person, I love Serana and want her to be happy while also going through plenty of drama first. This series scratches that itch in my brain so beautifully. And I know our other heroine Vigdis would hate my guts (because I'm a person who is not Serana) but I love her anyway. Sorry Viggy!
The Ebonsong series by @stormbeyondreality
Our loveable bard hero flees an arranged marriage in High Rock and boops around all of Skyrim while meeting scary vampires, Maran priests, wacky theater kids, and family ghosts. Utterly delightful, no notes.
The Illusionist series by @dirty-bosmer
Nim, a delightful Bosmer urchin, avoids solving the Oblivion crisis and rises to the top of the Mage's Guild while also joining every criminal organization in sight. If that doesn't make you squeal with delight I'm afraid there is no hope for you. I love you Nim.
And some individual fics that made me laugh, cry, and explode:
Fire and Blood by The Severed. If I had a nickel for every time a Serana/angry redhead story made me cry this year I'd have three nickels.
The Imperial City Irregulars by @nostalgic-breton-girl. Everything this author writes is amazing, actually, but ICI made me laugh like a banshee at the dentist's office so it wins.
Age of the Dragons: Blood Upon the Snow by @spinchboli. The Dragonborn DLC meets marine biology documentary meets terrifying existential rom-com that we all want, nay, deserve. I love it so much.
Thicker than Holy Water by Vhokken
Werewolves. Vigilants of Stendarr. Forbidden tragedy-gay romance. I'm sobbing already, excuse me.
There are probably quite a few more I'm forgetting but for now, this is your 2025 reading list. Get to it, darlings!
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dudesome · 2 months ago
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My interpretation of Serana and relationships.
So I've been seeing some people's thoughts on Serana from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, there are a variety of opinions on her and relationships.
I have seen people mod or write her as someone very open to the idea of having a relationship, while others see her as against it due to her trauma and fewer see her as someone only open to a purely platonic relationship. (Which is an idea I can get behind.)
As someone who adores Serana as a character and was like "Ah, c'mon." when I found you could not marry her, I have been thinking over her as a person. To me, it makes sense that she wouldn't be a fan of marriage. The only experience with marriage is her parents and that wasn't a great start and she became a vampire through very gruesome means, it is almost natural for her to be afraid of marriage.
Some people have said that she just doesn't like temples and not the concept of marriage, but her dialogue says otherwise.
"You're sweet. And... I'm not stupid. I can see what you're getting at. But... that's just not something I'm going to be able to do. Ever. Given how I've lived... what I've done... I can't ask the gods for a blessing like that."
Here we can tell that Serana isn't just not wild of the idea of being in a temple, the blessing of marriage itself doesn't suit her. She feels unworthy of asking for a blessing from Mara because of what happened to her. Now that could propose the idea that Serana and the dragonborn could just be in a romantic relationship and not get married, but here is the thing; Does she even like the Dragonborn that way or; Would she allow herself to like someone that way?
The first answer for me is; Maybe. "Look, I care about you. A lot. And I'll come with you wherever you want to go. But... with everything in my past, I don't think I could bring myself to go into a temple and ask for that kind of blessing. It's just... it's not for me."
Now it is obvious that Serana deeply cares for the Dragonborn. Also, there is this rare dialogue of her flirting with the Dragonborn. When asking her about what she knows about the Elder Scrolls, she responds with this
Serana: "Turns out you don't learn much from just sleeping with something."
Dragonborn: "Are you saying you want to learn more about me?"
Serana: "I guess you'll never get to find out."
So she cares about you a lot and she is even flirtatious towards you, so it is possible that romance may be a possibility for her.
Now as for the second question:.....I dunno. Also maybe?
In previous dialogue in regards talking to about her parents, you are given the option to remind her that what happened with her parents is not her fault and she would respond with "I know that in my head. But I just can't help feeling bad about... the way things are. Sorry, I know you're trying to help. Thanks."
She seems to blame herself a little when it came to the breakdown of her parents marriage, so it may seem she is nervous to start a relationship with the Dragonborn due to her fears of it ending badly and she could have only herself to blame.
For the idea of marriage to even become more plausible and look good to her, she would need to overcome her trauma first and foremost, but how exactly can that happen? She could get therapy.....but I don't think that exists in the world of Tamriel. So now the real question is here.
How can Serana overcome her trauma or manage? And this is not just to the extent of her getting all romantic with the Dragonborn. Yes, everything I wrote down so far is in regards to romance and marriage, but that was just there so I can lay the foundations of where I am getting at. Serana for her own sake, must learn what happened to her parents is not her fault, she is worth the blessing of the deities for her own choices in going against Harkon and saving Skyrim and her bravery, and she is worth more than she believes.
How can this happen? For me, it would mean she can just settle down and and live her life, have deep and meaningful conversations with the people she trusts and slowly and surely figure herself out. Perhaps by the end of it all, she can start her own life in whatever she desires and maybe then, she could be with the Dragonborn in ways she didn't think she could.
What do you think?
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0-animelover-0 · 1 year ago
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Relaxing with their S/O
No pronouns or physical sex aren't mentioned. It is not proofread so I'm sorry for mistakes.
Summary: After days of exhaustion, she/he decided to relax with you, their lover and only special person.
Aela the Huntress
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She shrugged off her armored shoulderpads and her bracers. She rolled her shoulders and a soft smile crept onto her face as she saw you relaxing on her bed. She watched as you drew in/read your book.
She sighed and sat on the end of the bed, taking off her boots. Aela tapped your knees and you put your book aside before slightly parting your legs enough for her to crawl between them and lay down.
You couldn’t help but smile as her head rested on your stomach. You stroked her head gently and she sighed deeply with her eyes closed.
You chuckled softly. “Tired?”
Aela nodded and looked up at you. “That ice brain and his brother are driving me nuts.”
A laugh escaped your lips and you caressed her cheek. “Aw, my poor baby.”
Aela rolled her eyes but made no movement of protest. She put her hands around your waist and mumbled into your clothing. "Just continue doing that with your hand. Feels nice."
Cicero
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He came to your master chambers after another kill that you, being the leader of the dark brotherhood, ordered him to do. You could hear his whistles and hums from down the hall before he even entered the room.
A smile broke out onto his face and he happily walked to your bed. "Oh my, Listener! Cicero is happy to see you after a long day. Yes yes!" He didn't waste any time and sat with you on the big bed.
He spread his lanky arms around your waist and his legs tangled with yours. He buried his pale face into your stomach. "My Listener, you are comfier than any pillow."
You took off his jester hat and set it aside. Your fingers ran through his long red locks and he nuzzled more into you. "Tell me about your day, Cicero."
His brown eyes lit up and he rested his chin on your tummy. "Well-" Then he went on and on about how his killings and what other events he done.
Serana
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The sun was hanging low in the horizon as you and Serana were heading back from a task you had to complete. She stayed with you as your follower even after your multiple protests against it. It's not that you didn't enjoy her company, it's that you were afraid of her getting hurt. She sat down on the green earth and stretched her limbs. "What are you thinking about?"
Her question caught you off guard since it kinda came out of the blue. Were you really spacing out that much? "Nothing that is concerning."
She smiled and pat the spot beside her. "Come, sit." With a nod you went to her. After you sat with her, she leaned back against a large rock and pat her lap. "Lay your head here. You deserve a nap."
"But-"
Serana shook her head and encouraged you to come closer by grabbing your arm. "I will not take a 'no' for an answer." You sighed and layed your head on her thighs, your back on the grass. She chuckled softly and started playing with your hair. She soon noticed your droopy eyes and spoke up. "That's it, rest."
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shiveringgroovy · 2 months ago
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I'm taking requests for BSD or Elder Scrolls drabbles :D
I'm very particular with what I'm comfortable writing, so please read these before requesting in my inbox! Bolded ones are my favorites or ones I feel I write well for.
I can do character/reader or character/character. Requests can be something like:
"Character with a [blah blah blah] s/o" "Erm can I cut open Character please?" "Can these Characters be joyous and happy together?" Etc.
WILL WRITE
Masc reader
GN reader
Gore/Whump
Drabbles
MAYBE fem reader. MAYBE.
Genderbends, Trans headcanons, etc.
Headcanon lists
Fluff
Platonic
Suggestive content (but only a little you have to get through my 500 layers of evil ass metaphors before you get to any freaky stuff in my works.)
WILL NOT WRITE
Sexual content/Smut
Hateful content (I would assume that's a given but yk)
Romantic content of underage characters
SHIPS I WILL WRITE FOR (Defeat my EIGHT evil fyodor ships)
BSD:
Fyozai (my first love my everything i love them so much you don't get it)
Fyovan (pleasepleaspleasepleasepleaseplease)
Fyosig
Shibufyo(zai)
Fyolai (sometimes. if i'm in the mood. not always.)
DoA3
Fuku(chi)fyo
Fyoran
Siglai
Souheki
Steincraft
Kunizai
Atsulucy
Kunisano
Sigzai
Moncott
Suegiku
Ranpoe
Fukumori
Fukufuku
If I missed any, don't be afraid to ask!
TES:
Nerevoryn
Nerevehk
Any variation of ALMSIVI
Sheskillmyna (Sheskill, Shelmyna, Hasmyna as well!)
Sheogorath/Sanguine
Namira/Meridia (collect my daedra yuri rarepairs)
Boethiah/Mephala
Janus Hassildor/Vicente Valtieri
(Modded) Lucien Flavius/Inigo
Azura/Vaermina (collect my [gets shot])
Eletuli
Vannimarco
Syl/Thadon
Always ask! I love rarepairs and crackships :D
SHIPS I WILL NOT WRITE FOR
SKK
Koumori
Dazatsu
Dazaku
Fyoatsu
Don't take any of these as personal attacks, I just don't vibe with these ships. Sorry!
TES:
Molag Bal/anyone
That's it I think
CHARACTERS I WILL WRITE /READERS FOR
BSD:
FYODOR!!! FYODOR!!!
Sigma
Ivan
Shibusawa
Ranpo
Nikolai
Poe
Yosano
As always, ask if I haven't blacklisted them
TES:
Any daedra except You-Know-Who or Peryite bc I don't fw Peryite
Astrid
Cicero
Nazir
Almalexia
Sotha Sil
Vivec
Cutter (Shivering Isles DLC)
Divayth Fyr
Lucien LaChance
Martin Septim
Sapphire
Mannimarco
uhhrrmm ask????
CHARACTERS I WILL NOT WRITE /READERS FOR
BSD:
Any underaged characters
If you love me you will not ask me to write dazai or chuuya/reader or I will die on the spot
Akutagawa
Paul Verlaine
Kunikida
Tecchou
Tanizaki
Tachihara
Fukuchi
Fukuzawa
These are characters that I can't write for shit, not because I dislike them !!
TES:
Molag Bal
Peryite
Serana. You know why.
Ulfric Stormcloak
OTHER NOTES
This was super long and annoying. Ugghhmm good for you if you made it all the way!!
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kagedbird · 2 years ago
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WAAH Joseph Russell streamed on YouTube and talked about Lucien and all the stuff he plans to add! I'm so excited!! What he has currently has always felt like, incomplete, so I'm so fucking happy there's going to be another arch of story for him.
I'll type down things I find interesting towards Lucien below! Feel free to watch his VOD here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFd9rDW87HY
Three things he mentioned that most people won't know about Lucien:
He has an aunt named Silvia that he does not get on with; they have a hostile relationship. His Discord came up with a funny headcanon that he enjoys that Lucien's mom, Lyra, thinks she's Lucien's father's sister, and his father, Davidicus, thinks she's Lyra's sister, and it's just never come up in conversation. She's actually just some super natural entity that's wormed her way into their life. (The fuck??? LMAO)
Lucien's cat is inspired by Joseph's cat, Gray, who is very small and fluffy and sometimes cameos in his videos. Unfortunately we will never meet Lucien's cat. ("Probably.") He hasn't decided on the cat's name! ("Sorry! Wish I could tell you.")
And the third fact is that he once set fire to his shoes trying to boil potatoes. ("And that speaks for itself.") This white boy cannot cook!! But he can make tea.
He confirms that Lucien is 21 (lmfao knew it) and that he doesn't have a canon birthdate despite Lucien saying he thinks he's under the sign of the Lady ("thinks" being a big if) because Joseph wants to wait to see if wants to set in a particular date at a later time in case it is useful. So headcanon to your hearts content!
"Probably won't ever get to meet Lucien's parents because it's a lot of effort- but never say never."
He'll make Serana comments some point in the future HALLELUJAH It felt so bland without Lucien asking her anything because I know he would pick her brain!!!!!!*
*Expanded further down the video: someone asks what Lucien would ask Serana (THANK YOU CHATTER).
Joseph: He would ask what it's like to live as a vampire, and also the past, the experience of the time before he grew up when Serana existed.
He wants people to tweet him art of Lucien or post it in his Discord, he never gets art sent his way anymore on twitter (cause modding scene from Skyrim is kinda old hat but we're essentially reviving it I think lmao) but if you have art and you've never shown him, do it!!!
KJHASKDJAH okay so for those who have child dragonborn, Joseph says Lucien would be virtually useless aksjdhask he'd want to be supportive and teach them everything. He'd want to take them under his wing and teach them the signs and everything- but he'd be really irresponsible and bad at parenting. But he'd mean really well. So there ya go.
Dawnguard support for Lucien is very high on his list!! Let's goooo!!!
Lucien canonically does not being called Lucy. (Stares at my fanfiction with a snicker. It's okay, I call him Lu-Lu more often than not.) Davidicus would not like being called Dave, and Lyra would not like being called Ly-Ly.
We'll find out what Lucien wanted to see in the Elder Scroll in his third quest 👀👀👀👀 Staring so hard. GIMME.
He doesn't want to turn the resonant sphere into a teleport system, but rather make it something more lore friendly for you to call Lucien to you. I look forward to that because I actually planned something similar in my story too!
Someone asked Joseph if he thinks Dumzbthar could abandoned his aggressive side and live without the restrictions Lucien gives him and Joseph replies with, "No he's a demon. He's a Daedra. Don't forget that."
Chat: "Will Inigo ever let Lucien ever have a sweetroll?" Joseph: "No. Not without a fight."
Lucien would like black tea. But Joseph himself likes various other teas. (That's... so many teas my guy.)
He enjoys filling out Lucien's spell list when he plays with / tests Lucien. Lucien's favourite spell would be something having to do with restoration; maybe Healing Hands to heal others. Even if he gets super excited about Sparks, lol.
Something that raised an eyebrow from me; chat: "Will we ever find out what Clive really is and where he came from?" Joseph: "Yes... but probably not in the Skyrim mod."
Lucien was first more as a bard when he was created, and was originally going to be captured by a group of bandits. The scientist side of him wasn't so much of a facet at the start but built up over time. Joseph finds it that he became more interesting versus him remaining as a bard in his first instance of creation. I do too!
Chat: If Lucien could time travel to any point back in time, where would he end up and why?
Joseph: He would go back as far as he could to the very point of creation- he wants the secrets of the cosmos, he wants to know everything he could possibly know. He'd go to the very start to possibly see the world be made and then go to the end to see how it finishes. He needs those questions answered.
Joseph himself is unsure in his memory for which Dwemer ruin he's thinking of, but chat and he tentatively think he's thinking of Mzulft for Lucien's favourite Dwemer ruin in Skyrim!
Lucien doesn't worship any Aedra or Daedra, despite his awareness of their existence, and doesn't have any favourites.
Lucien isn't really embarrassed by much outside of when he puts his foot in his mouth, says something he doesn't mean, and then gets all flustered. He also is not embarrassed about his love and affection for his parents- he's quite proud of them and is happy to share that. :) Joseph likes the idea of him getting letters from his parents over time, and hopes to put that in in the future.
Lucien would ask Sheogorath many questions the Daedric Prince would probably not answer. (That's hilarious.)
Joseph has mentioned that he plans to bring Lucien into Starfield as an older version and vaguely mention the Dragonborn but he isn't certain how he'll go about it. He was asked by chat if Clive will be in Starfield (and subsequently how he would design a spacesuit for a horse). Joseph says probably not, as Starfield likely won't support horses.
Chat: What does Lucien do when he's in Falkreath and not with the LDB? Joseph: He leads a double life... as an... assassin wizard.... squirrel trainer..........
Chat: Who would win in a fight, Lucien or Lydia? Joseph: Lydia. She would destroy him. She'd snap him like a twig.
Lucien has probably never had chocolate, but if he did, he'd love it! (Stares lovingly at my Valentine episode)
Lucien is not afraid of average sized spiders! Just the bigger ones that try to eat him.
Chat: Has Lucien ever had fear overrule his curiosity and make him back down from adventure, or is he always the type to overlook danger in favor of knowledge? Joseph: Hmm... probably not so much as fear as caution. There's a lot of knowledge related to the Daedric Princes' that he has been cautious enough not to indulge in; however I think that's always a danger for him. I think if he were ever to- you know- to have a flaw, I think it would be to... pursue knowledge too much and he might not consider the consequences as much as he should. I think that is his biggest temptation in that regard. So perhaps fear and caution should make him back down more often than it would.
(Staring HARD at that and wondering if that'll play a big part in his third arc)
His third personal quest is hoping to be released later this year!!! Big year for soft wet sock of a man!!! (I hope!! No pressure Joseph!!!)
Lucien has absolutely no want to be a werewolf or vampire because of the implications of selling his soul, but he is interested in immortality because "think of the amount of knowledge he could get."
BOY. You're gonna get conned one of these days...
Joseph is learning the guitar, and says whenever he feels he's good enough and can play the Skyrim songs on guitar, he'll record them and have Lucien be able to play them on the lute!!! Exciting!!!
Lucien isn't keen on the Thalmor but is aware of the politic need to make niceties with them.
Pretty much the end of it! I'm so excited for the third arc!! YIPPEE!
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morihaus · 5 months ago
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almalexia still somehow remains the most important female character, like, video game wise doesn't she? i guess at least delphine is part of the main questline of her game but past a certain point you can just ditch her. oh well i guess in terms of DLC you have serana being of central import to Dawnguard and in Dragonborn you have that Skaal lady. i'm sorry queen your DLC isn't really gripping i dont remember your name off the top of my head and it seems like no one else does either since all they talk about is dollar store dagoth ur
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nerevar-quote-and-star · 2 years ago
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i'm so sorry to all the serana fuckers but Jenassa is by far my favorite skyrim woman. when i healed her and she said something like "hope you aren't expecting a thank you" i think that's when i became bisexual.
Jenassa is awesome, but so are most Dunmer. Mean and wonderful. ❤️‍🔥
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oblivions-dawn · 2 years ago
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Isran: I bet I could take you in a fight. Serana: You can try, but you would lose. Miserably. Isran: [turns to Vigdis, confident] I'd totally kick her ass, right? Vigdis: Vigdis: She'd definitely kick your ass. Isran: WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU FUCKING ON Serana: The right one, obviously.
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skyrim-forever · 1 month ago
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Hi! For the OC Ask game: 10, O, and 🤖!
Hello thank you so much! I'm so sorry this took pretty much a week and that the answers may be kind of lame :/ Thank you so much fo sending an ask <3
10. First time adopting/taking care of a pet
I don't think Theodora ever has a pet, she's not a huge animal person. I think the closest thing would be when her kids are young and find an injury wolf pup. The kids want to keep it and she says they can't keep a wild animal forever, but they do try to nurse it back to health. Unfortunately the injuries are too grave and it passes after a few days. Kids are very upset so they bury it and give it a little funeral. Sorry this is so sad :( They wouldn't have pets so this is the closest thing to taking care of animal I can think would happen.
O. First double-date with another couple
Due to them initially having to keep their relationship(/whatever the hell they called it :P) a secret, then having to lay low for the first few years in the Imperial City; they don't encounter a lot of other couples! Theo's bestie Phy isn't interested in a long term relationship at this point in her life so there isn't many options.
But I have something that can count as a double-date, as they have both been working under General Tullius (Theodora in her capacity as a Legate, Ondolemar as an informant) I feel like he would invite them over for dinner. Mostly to be polite and it's basically him trying to evaluate if Ondolemar's Thalmor beliefs are still there; bringing up hot button topics. So this is technically hanging out with another couple :P
🤖 - First nonhuman character you wrote
I actually wrote 2 nonhuman characters in my first fic, which was a Serana x Teldryn fic. Vampire and Dunmer elf <3 It's not good, it's my first fic ever pls don't read it, I like to think I've improved.
I also noticed I enjoy writing half-human or mixed characters, in addition to my main oc's kids who are Imperial/Altmer; I've also got some other ocs who are Breton/Dunmer, Bosmer/Altmer.
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sky-scribbles · 2 years ago
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I just read your post about you gushing on Skyrim's Thieves Guild Questline, I'm sorry, I don't know if it's something really old or if it's pretty recent, but then I wanted to seriously ask you something about it.
I love Karliah as npc, her and Serana are my absolute favorite of all Skyrim and like they're my top top top everything..! But while reading about Karliah all over the internet, I found some users speaking about how at the end of the day she used us. And since you seem to love the questline and the character as much as me, and having a pretty decent insight of the plot, I'm turning the problem to you, curious on what are your thoughts.
Basically, first thing is: Karliah turn us Nightingale to fight Mercer, even if Nocturnal's power are still blocked bc of Skeleton Key. She basically force us a bit, saying it's something we must be if we hope to survive against Mercer, which at the end of the day it's not true. (Another point is that no one said anything about serving Nocturnal in the afterlife, but my Dova wouldn't care about that).
The thing is, for how much I want to deny it, it's true. We don't gain absolutely anything for being Nightingale (apart the armor) at this point of the story. Karliah instead present 2 new warrior, rebuilt the Trinity, and thanks to this obtain the forgivness of Nocturnal.
The second point is 'but at the end of the day she saved our life'. True but. Why Mercer try to kill us in that moment? Because we're incapacitated. What if instead of us Karliah would have pierced Mercer? Mercer would have fainted, we then attacck Karliah, and a) kill her b) she kill us. If the b is true, she just have to tie Mercer and took him out and took him to Riften, while hoping to try to read the diary? At the end of the day, Karliah said this herself: 'Even if I carry out Mercer in front of the Guild I don't have any proof, it's just my word against his'.
So, Karliah both using the arrow on us and saving us after (because she come back after running away) are due to convenience. But that's is okay, it's afterall the first time she see us, she don't have any obligation toward us, and she is dedicated to her purpose.
What bother me more anyway is the first point. At that moment we aren't stranger with Karliah anymore, we maybe don't know the complete story but we have travelled a pretty amount of time with her. So yeah, she don't lie to us, but she don't tell us all the info.
I have my theories about it, being:
- if she was killed by Mercer, the Nightingale would have died with her. At least like this we're somehow involved and would carry on the legacy.
- at the end of the say she didn't know us and still didn't trust us.
- she was ready to do everything, and everything meaning ometting truth to anyone to accomplish her revenge.
After all this papyrus, sorry about it really, what do you think? I'm sorry it has to be you but I need a new prospective..! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Thanks even for having read till here!
Haha, no worries, I'm always in a mood for talking about the Guild questline!
Here's the thing: Skyrim's character writing is... honestly a bit thin. It's hard to know what Karliah's intentions are, because the game just doesn't go into that amount of detail. Which means that a lot is open to interpretation.
Looking at the Guild questline from a Doylist, out-of-universe perspective... let's be real, the reason Karliah comes across as having lied about us needing to be Nightingales to defeat Mercer is that the game writing isn't good enough to make us feel like we need to be Nightingales. Whoever wrote that quest didn't think to, y'know, give the players actual powers at that point and make those powers essential for defeating Mercer. I love Skyrim, but it isn't subtle in its writing. We're meant to believe that we Have to be Nightingales to defeat Mercer, because the writers (through Karliah), say so. The real reason Karliah shoots us rather than Mercer is so we can be a captive audience to the writers' cool reveal cutscene.
So... we're just left to interpret logic into the very thin reasons the game gives us for Characters Doing Things.
One interpretation for Karliah's actions is that she's using us. Karliah does actually tell the PC and Brynjolf about the serving-beyond-death thing; after getting the armour, she then explains how 'in life and in death, you must serve as a guardian of the Twilight Sepulchre.' But she does still bring you to Nightingale Hall to accomplish her own goals.
And I think this is a perfectly valid interpretation. I adore her with my whole heart, but yes, she is a career criminal, she's a pretty decent manipulator (seeing as how she set up the first half of the questline through her 5D chess game), and she is absolutely fixated on avenging Gallus and herself, and regaining Nocturnal's favour.
But because the writing is so thin in regards to her character (and she's one of the more fleshed-out characters in the game!), we can honestly interpret anything else we like. If we want to believe that there is a benefit to the PC, Karliah and Bryn becoming Nightingales - even a subtle one, like luck playing in their favour in Irkngthand, making some falmer distracted, helping arrows strike true - we can absolutely choose to believe that. That's a valid explanation too, imo.
What do I think? I do think Karliah uses the PC to an extent. I think she is fixated on her goal, and respecting the PC's agency is a second priority to her. And... I like that. I like the idea that she's flawed, and so obsessed with her plans that she can't think beyond them, and that she fucks up, and manipulates perhaps without meaning to because how can she be otherwise? She has been alone for twenty five years. She has not trusted anyone in that time. Her plan is the only thing that gives her any semblance of control. Manouvering others is the only thing that's keeping her alive. She has lost some of her ability to treat others like people because she has not been treated like a person for twenty five years.
I think she wasn't thinking clearly in that moment in Snow Veil Sanctum. Why should she be, with the bones of her lover not fifty feet away and his murderer approaching? When the PC appears in the doorway and her plan goes all to hell? She probably could have shot Mercer. Maybe 'I never had a clear shot' is what she tells herself so she doesn't absolutely break with fury at herself when she thinks of how she had her chance to avenge Gallus, and she let it go.
Maybe she does bring Brynjolf and the PC to Nightingale Hall for her own reasons - because she has to see this done, she has to see Mercer dead and the trinity restored, because that vow is all she's been for a quarter century and who even is she if she stops?
Karliah is filled up to the eyes with self-loathing. She constantly talks as if she's responsible for Gallus's death. As if by loving him, being loved by him, she distracted him enough for Mercer to kill him. Killing Mercer and restoring the Nightingales isn't just about her own desires. It's also trying to restore everything Gallus created, to ensure that his death isn't the end of all he worked for - because if that's gone, so is everything he was. Like he never existed. Every trace of him in the world gone, except for her grief. And she cannot fail him again.
Restoring his legacy is the only way Karliah could ever even begin to forgive herself.
So yes, I do think she uses the PC to an extent. Her behaviour was, however, coming from a place of deep pain, and while that doesn't justify it, it does explain a hell of a lot about it.
But perhaps there's something more important to consider: how do you think she acts after Mercer is dead, the Trinity restored, and she's reunited with Gallus's spirit? After she's seen that he's not lost forever, he loves her as much as he did before, doesn't blame her for a moment, and knows she will see him again?
We don't have anything canon to go on, really, because at this point the game practically forgets that she exists and shunts her into Nightingale Hall, but that means we can decide whatever the hell we like. And personally, I think she heals, slowly, tentatively. I think she slowly comes back to the Guild, works alongside the PC again and again, forgives herself at last. Realises that she is not responsible for anything that happened.
And after a bit of time of being treated like a person, like she matters, like she's cared for... maybe then she has the emotional energy at last to look at the PC and Brynjolf and think I just assumed you'd go along with my plans, and it was for me, for my purposes, not for you. And that wasn't right. Perhaps to talk to them, and tell them she's sorry. To resolve to deal with others better from now on. But also to understand that she made the decisions she made in one of the most painful and stressful periods of her life. To not hate herself for making flawed choices, and resolve to move on, looking forwards, not back.
I like to think she does.
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