#Martin and Lucien Related Things~

[potatoesandsunshine]

ok i will admit. i do love the dark brotherhood oblivion questline

[miraakulous-cloud-district]

One of my favourite things that I have incorporated in an oc is my love for rats for my Oblivion hok, Sheadonnna.

It's esentially become her thing, and after becoming Sheogorath (or Sheagorath, because the name is similar enough), I love to think that everyone called her "The Mad Queen of Rats", not the Daedric Prince of Madness anymore.

This also helped her make a system on wether to trust a person or not, based on how they treat rats and mice because she relates to them, so when she sees a person treating the rodents with kindness, she knows that person is worth following. This is mainly why she bonds so well with Martin and Lucien, because in my headcanons, they also like rats.

[nulfaga]

aahhh!!! ok… 7, 23 for neneldi, 5, 6 for orpheus, 20, 26 for lavinia and 13, 16 for mr darkworth :]

YES THANK YOU. huge brained question choices <33

here's the prompts

for neneldi:

7: Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.

i might say "pragmatic; tangled-up; transgressor (not as in 'an outlaw' but etymologically as one who crosses [a border; a norm; etc], a goer-across)".

she'd say, with no hesitation, "speaker neneldi velvassius". post-brotherhood: "neneldi umayra velvassius".

23: Stability or novelty?

i think she thinks she's looking for stability. in fact she's convinced she's doing everything in her power to secure stability and life just keeps throwing weird curveballs. but in practice she keeps putting herself in volatile situations (ditching her family & signing on with the brotherhood; even falling in with lucien, a disruptive element, the rare recruit who was there absolutely against his will; THEN killing a room full of high brotherhood officials to save lucien; THEN deciding to knock on the door of the champion of cyrodiil for a little walking-around money). you can work backwards and understand the reasoning for each step: the hope for familial stability in the arms of the brotherhood; the hope for relational/romantic stability in picking up w/ lucien who is her oldest most consistent friend in her new life; dashing across cyrodiil to save him in order to preserve that long-standing relationship; but due to bad luck and/or poor judgment it keeps backfiring and wrecking her stability. like every time. (the question arises: isn't she just geared for novelty and in denial about it? you know. maybe.)

for orpheus:

5: Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about?

only among friends, and only to get on somebody's nerves (ie 15-minute ode to a notoriously self-effacing friend who looks like he wants to drown himself in his tankard the entire time). that's orph's main thing is he's on layer 8 of ironic detachment and would die on contact with a drop of sincerity. (martin is sort of terrifying to him for this reason: he mopes sincerely, he loves sincerely, he gets sincerely angry.)

i think even in a """professional""" setting like, idk. making a pitch why he should be allowed onto the elder council. he might do his best and deliver a rousing speech etc but in his mind he'd be convincing himself it's all a great big gag, that's the only way he can begin to approach it.

rare exception to the rule might be like, the blades hold a little memorial service for martin once they're back at the temple and before all hell breaks loose w/ chroniclers wanting the inside scoop and succession disputes and whatnot. i think (after a lot of prodding by his very good friends) he'll get to his feet...kind of removed from himself, hasn't slept in 72 hours, numb etc etc and he'll say something simple and (to his own ear) kind of dim-witted like "you were with us for a while. you had a good voice. we won't hear it again".

6: Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?

respectively: neneldi and jauffre. he's terrible at setting his personal feelings aside in either direction. he is a big ball of feelings. he'll let his impression of someone be colored 90% by pathos and 10% by authority and after that their fate is sealed. jauffre treated him dismissively in the beginning and so orph isn't disposed to listen to anything he says ever again. neneldi on the other hand...well. that's his sister

for lavinia:

20: What do they like that nobody else does?

she has a variety of niche interests. you might even call some of them unbecoming for the (at one time) archmagister of the mages' guild. copperhart thinks of her as a misunderstood genius and will take any opportunity to enable her (bringing round obscure texts he's found on his travels, esp. treatises on magic practices that are stigmatized or out of use). this is why, by the time of her appointment to the archmage's office, she is a part-time necromancer, the proud owner of a talking sword, and the second-ever known practitioner of [redacted] <- keeping that one to myself in the event i do write this fic

26: Talent or effort?

both. her mother's line is full of naturally powerful mages, but none of them have historically been very ambitious. she's the first in a long time to seek out a formal education instead of teaching herself and/or referring to the family lexicon of useful but unrefined spells. it is in fact the rare combination of talent, effort and a deeply unorthodox approach that got her to archmage.

for the shrimpy wizard (aka mr. p. copperhart darkworth of wayrest!):

13: Name one thing their parents taught them.

copperhart is the son of lord darkworth of wayrest and [redacted], who promptly disappeared again, returning every five or ten years or so just to check in on the strange child she made. she didn't contribute much to his upbringing except to give him his first name, prochorus. on the other hand, lord darkworth—who had no plans for children and was perfectly content to remain a bachelor—became a dedicated father in very short order. as for what he taught his son: everything he possibly could. notably that his father loved him. and not to wear clashing patterns together. copperhart has taken ONE of these lessons to heart.

16: If money wasn’t a limit, what would they wear?

as hinted above money isn't a limit. he's the spoiled little oopy schmoopy apple of his father's eye and he wears whatever horrid and beautiful ensembles he can convince a self-respecting tailor to make. the exception is when he's undercover for spy work and has to tone it down severely. jury's out on what he does with his hair but probably a temporary spell. i don't think he could stomach dyeing it

[t00thpasteface]

Number 16 for Marcien!

16. How do they react when the other is upset? How do they try to help?

I think Martin has something of a martyr complex. Obviously he can't go around solving Lucien's Brotherhood-related problems, so he's happy to just sit with him and commiserate to try and alleviate some of the emotional burden, but if Lucien has a problem with, say, the Blades, or some high-ranking official in the Palace, Martin is always ready to stick his neck out on Lucien's behalf at a moment's notice to settle a dispute or what have you. He volunteers to take the fall for anything, even things he didn't do... or things Lucien accepts the full blame for! If Martin can't fix it, he can find someone who can, and if he can't, he'll give Lucien a listening ear to bitch to.

Lucien is similar, but less self-sacrificial and more... underhanded. He's always happy to suggest all manner of strange and disturbing methods of revenge when Martin is having a spat with a councilor or diplomat. And when Martin is upset at some abstract concept, like an unexpected rainy day or the vice-grip of existential ennui, Lucien's always quick to suggest that maybe a little law-breaking will lift those spirits; either that, or a little... physical exercise. You know. ;)

[powerovernothing]

What would the other two bros do if one of them was really terrified of something?

Dear sweet lovely Anon, I do believe you have just said the magic words. After all, I consider hurt/comfort to be my all-time favorite sort of genre to write about in general, and when it comes to Korbin and his siblings, I rarely do anything angsty without including something near the end to make the pain and the tears all better… so really, what I’m trying to say here is that you really don’t have to twist my arm to get me to answer your adorable question~

In fact, I believe I shall go a step beyond just the regular and long-winded answer I normally do when you send me these wonderful messages and will actually give you a few snippets of my writing based around this very concept! So, in other words, my friend! Buckle up, prepare your feelings, and get ready to do some reading down below!

And, if I didn’t already say it at some point recently, thank you – and everyone else – so very much for the continued and wonderful support! It means more to me than you guys will ever know~!

(*~*Underneath is six different snippets of writing from my Oblivion Verse, some that have actually been unseen as of now on this blog, and all of which involve tons of emotions from all three of the boys. Lots of reading involved, proceed with caution!*~*)

If Korbin Was The One Afraid:

When it comes to Korbin and the subject of fear, the things that he is quite often afraid of is based around the aspects of mental terror. Whether it is because of intense nightmares of past mistakes, or the torment he endures at the hands of Sheogorath and what may happen if he goes against his abuser, those are the things he is afraid of most. So, if he was in the trying process of suffering through either of those outcomes – or both at the same time, imagine that – I believe his chosen siblings would react as follows:

Lucien:

(In the aftermath of Sheogorath’s latest ‘play sessions’ with his Little Raven, Lucien soothes Korbin’s mangled nerves)

“Mydear Silencer, look at me,” He calls to him softly, his voice reassuring andgentle. Yet, when his words are unable to breach through the darkening cloud surroundingKorbin’s mind, his tenderness fades and is replaced with as much firmness as hedares to allow himself to be in this moment. “No, Korbin, you will do exactly asI say, and will look at me when I tell you to.”

It takes a rather long while, butKorbin finally does as he is prompted, and when their eyes meet, Lucien noticeshis normally sparkling gaze is now terrified and filled with overwhelmedtears.

“My brother, you are allright,” He says matter-of-factly, and lowers Korbin’s trembling hands tohis lap, so he might hold them both tightly in his own as their fingers intertwinewith one another. “Simply breathe deeply, and know you are not in any formof danger. Do this as many times as you need, as many times as you believe are required, until you find, and at last grasp the truth behindthe words I speak.”

An extended silence falls over thecamp, and Korbin’s shoulders continue to shake violently; the tears in his eyesfalling from his eyes and down his cheeks even amid attempting to make sense ofhis brother’s instruction. Lucien remains where he is, hardly daring to moveeven an inch from his side, and only squeezes Korbin’s hands when he believes hisSilencer falls prey to whatever unspeakable horror he is attempting to fightwithin his own mind.

And when Korbin is carefully pulled from the depths andrealizes the touch he is feels is Lucien’s own, he grasps onto his brother’s handswith white knuckles, and holds on as though they were truly the only possible thingin time itself that could keep him afloat.

“Can you hear the sound of myvoice?” He asks after a moment.Korbinsays nothing in response to his brother’s questioning, and simply nods; hisbreathing rough and ragged, but calming slightly.Lucien then takes one of hishands away from Korbin’s tight grip and returns his palm back overthe side of his cheek.“Are you able to feel mytouch upon your face?” Another nod, and Lucien’s tonesoftens once again.“And you know for absolute certainthat it shall not harm you?” “…I do,” Korbin finally speaks, and he struggles to find his words.“I know… very well that you… that you would never hurt me, Lucien. Even when… evenwhen I’m like this…”“Yes, very good,”Lucien replies with a genuine smile. “And indeed, you are correct in whatyou say, my Silencer, for I would never think to harm you in any way.”And although he cherishes the soothing words his brother speaks to him, and howthe Madness is beginning to subside the longer he remains underneathLucien’s careful touch, the lingering fear of somehow falling back to sleep, only to find himself suffocated underneath never-ending chains, before being broken from an all too different, and oh-so sickening touch, only causes his shoulder to tense and whatever reassurance he thought to heave leave him almost instantly.“But even if you wouldnever hurt me… I know… I know someone who would,” He pulls away from Lucien’s touch, and wraps his arms around himself. “Someone who did. In my mind, before you came tome. You have no idea what it was like, brother, it was simply…”However, Lucien refuses to allowsuch a thing to happen, and reaches to pull Korbin back before he has a chanceto get too far.“It was simply a terribledream, and nothing more,” He explains in a gentle tone, placing one hand in hishair and the other around his shoulders as he holds him close. “It cannot physicallydo any damage to you.”Korbin shakes his head. “But,you don’t –”“—Silence now, and know Iam here,” He whispers, lowering Korbin’s head to his chest before he thinks to speak another wordand runs his fingers through his brother’s tousled locks of grey affectionately. “Whatsoever yousaw surely does not matter any longer, for you are safe within my embrace, and Ishall never let anything come to harm you, Korbin. Not now, and not even whilstyou sleep.”

Martin:

(Martin tends to Korbin after an ambush by the Mythic Dawn, and Korbin blames himself for needing help at all)“There is no shame indesiring protection, and comfort; or coming to my side and allowing me to healyour injuries, you know that I would never –”

“–You very nearly passed outbecause of me, Martin.” Korbin interjects softly, cutting him off as hefeels the tears pooling in his eyes. “You wasted too much energy, and Iwould have been the reason for you hurting yourself…”

Martin breathes out, andthen begins to stand to his full height; touching both of his hands to Korbin’scheeks affectionately, and carefully lowering his tone.

“And yet do you see merefusing, or turning you away, even if such words were true?”

Korbin shakes his head, attemptsto wiggle out of the touch he does not deserve, but his brother onlyholds him in place.

“No, it is not as thoughyou would slam the door in my face,” He tells him, his eyes nearlyoverflowing. “But it does not mean that you should help me,or that I deserve such…kindness.”

Martin places a hand againstKorbin’s neck, and slowly pulls him forward. Korbin does not fight him, he onlyreaches out and grabs a part of Martin’s robe to clutch onto. Grounding him andkeeping him afloat in this dark raging sea. Just another weakness, just another act born ofshame.

“And just why do youbelieve that?” Martin whispers, allowing his brother to hold on ashe runs a hand through his hair. “Why do you believe that you, mydearest little brother, is unworthy of my affection, or my love?”

Korbin buries his head intoMartin’s robe and chokes out a quiet sob. “…Because what if in thenext instance that this happens, you are with me?” The tears run freelydown his face. “What if you are injured somehow, or you expend too muchenergy, or my own actions cause you to leave me?”

Martin pulls back andgives him a curious stare as he tries to dry his tears with his thumbs. “What do you mean by–”

“–You know exactly what Imean by my words, Martin!” Korbin shouts, jerking back as tears runincessantly down his cheeks. “I cannot bear the thought of my mistakescausing you to die in my arms or turn away in shame and anger! And yet, with asmany missteps as I take, it surely means that is only a matter of time before Istumble down the mountain entirely, and you or Lachance fall along with me! Itonly makes sense! Perfect, terrible, awful sense!”

Martin feels his heart breakinganew, and yet he only moves forward to pull Korbin back against him. He husheshis frantic cries and tries to calm his shaking shoulders.

“…Korbin, neither I nor Lachance would ever think to leave your side,” Martin slowly rocks himin place, attempting to soothe him in action as well as words. “We loveyou far too dearly to ever think of doing anything of the sort.”

[…]

“What I am attempting tosay, however,” Martin slowly turns Korbin’s face back around, and lockseyes with him as his voice turns serious. “Is that even though you may beafraid, and that the path before you may be treacherous, and overwhelming tobehold… there is certainly no shame in how you feel, as you are not alone infeeling them. Nor are you alone whatsoever.”

Martin leans forward, and Korbinis surprised when he places a gentle kiss upon his brow. “And if you find that toohard to accept,” He whispers gently, the firmness in his voice gone as quickly as it had come. “Then simply allow me to fightoff whatever frightens you the most.”

If Martin Was The One Afraid:

Being the chosen heir of the Imperial throne in the midst of the great Oblivion Crisis, there is no limit to the things that Martin would end up being afraid of. From dealing with the constant onslaught of Daedra forces, to knowing he will have to bear the weight of the crown by the end of the Crisis, to even witnessing his brothers constantly putting themselves at risk for his own sake… there are many things that could make Martin frightened for one reason or another. Thus, if something like that occurred at any point, I believe his siblings would react as follows:

Lucien:

(Martin has sleeplessness from the Mysterium Xarxes, and Lucien tends to him)

“When was the last time that you slept?” He says,reaching out his hand and turning Martin’s face to the side with a singletouch. “And slept more than a few hours at a time?”

Martin touches the hand that is on his face and lowers itwith a small – rather nervous, sheepish – chuckle. “Would you possiblybe satisfied in any way, if I told you that I simply cannot remember?”

Lucien frowns in response, quite obviously not pleased in anyway regarding Martin’s words, and he exhales a soft sigh. “Ah, then it is justas I thought.”

Lucien pulls his hand away from Martin’s grasp, and thenslowly begins to shuffle backwards upon the large bed until his back is laidpropped against the headboard. When he stills, he crosses his arms overhis chest, and gestures towards Martin with his chin.

“Then I shall ask you again,” He says, and heshakes his head in knowing that Martin managed to have him repeat himself afterall. “Come here and allow me to rectify your terrible choices atonce.”

Martin pauses, genuinely surprised by what he was hearing,and what Lucien was doing – for him,and not their youngest, more troubled brother for once – and he just smilesfaintly.

“Are you suggesting that I come lay beside you?” Heslowly moves forward, but pauses half way, as though he was awaiting voicedapproval of such actions. “As you would with Korbin?”

Lucien holds out his hand; an invitation. “Do you have issuewith that?”

Martin shakes his head and takes the offered hand willingly. “No,not at all,” He tells him simply. Letting himself be pulled forward untilhe was directly beside Lucien against the pillows. “I was just… rathersurprised that you would choose to do this. For me, that is.”

Lucien wraps an arm around Martin’s back, and slowlyreadjusts the Emperor Priest until his head was laying upon his robedshoulders. He listens carefully to the words in which his brother speaks, and asmall amused chuckle escapes him before he realizes it.

When Martin looks up, due to the sudden sound, Lucien justsoftens and tightens his almost protective grip around him.

“You are my brother, are you not?”

Martin nods, nestling himself further within Lucien’s grip,and finding the embrace of The Assassin comforting despite everyknown reason that it shouldn’t.

“Indeed; or at the very least, I was the last Ichecked.” Martin smiles slightly playfully.

“And you have gone without sleep for many nights;possibly brought on due to a certain Daedra Artifact and its influence overyou?” Lucien turns his head, casting Martin back underneath his darkstare. But instead of the Septim Heir desiring nothing more than to wiggleaway, and escape from Lucien’s eyes, he notices a hint of concern lurkingbehind his elder brother’s eyes.

Martin merely nods and allows him to continue. To piece togetherthe puzzle pieces he had already gathered, and to admit the truth in which wasalready clearly known.

“…Or perhaps, it was not simply that damnable bookitself, but the nightmares seeking to torment you when you longed for asoundless rest?”

[…]

“Lucien?”

In response, almost as though he could sense where thisthought process was heading just from the whisper of his name alone, Lucienhushes Martin, and pulls his brother closer.

“…I am not going anywhere, Septim,” He reassures him,hoping it is enough even as he wraps his other arm around him just in case itproves otherwise. “Sleep and know that I am here. You are perfectly safe.”

Korbin:

(Martin is temporarily blinded by Akatosh’s great power, and Korbin tries to see the bright side of things)“Martin, what in all of Sithis himself were you thinking?!“Korbin shouts, kneeling in front of his brother and grasping onto his shoulderstightly as his concern and anger combine into an uncontrollable emotion seeking to overwhelm.“I told you I would have beenfine! You had no reason to give yourself over to that sort of magic, especially whenyou barely understand such power to begin with!” He shakes Martin slightly in emphasis to his heated words, and then his emotions shift from the intense mixture of worry and rage, to a much more selfish line of thought. “You could have hurt yourself back there! Burned yourself from the extent of the flames, did terrible things to your body, or you could haveeasily died by unknowingly expending too much energy! And just what would I have done then? What would I have done if youdied in the process of protecting me?!”Korbin pulls his hands away, and impatiently awaits a reply. But whenone does not come, and instead his brother simply continues to stare at him blankly, hardly reacting to his words, or even the sudden shaking, his expression twists in frustration.

“Are you merely going to let me ramble on without end? Without hardly saying asingle word in response?” He asks in an offended tone, and then touches his shoulder once againwith one hand, patting it lightly in an effort to gain his attention. “Did you evenhear a single word I said to you at all?”

Martin inhales a deep breath in the hopes of somehow composinghimself, but it does very little to soothe his nerves. His shoulders beginto shake as he desperately scrambles to reach for the hand he feels restingagainst his shoulder. His voice stammers, and his unfocused eyes fill to therim with terrified tears.

“…I can… I can hear you justfine, Korbin,” He tells him when he finds his brother’s hand at last. He turnshis head, and the tears slip down his cheeks as he clutches the hand pitifullyagainst his chest. “It is only because I cannot… see you… that I said nothing. Know that I… that I can hear you just as clearly as I would naturally… but your face… noteven your place in, where I assume, you are in front of me… I can no longer see it… Isimply cannot see anything…”

[…]

“All right, this doesn’t… this doesn’t mean it isn’t something we can learn to deal with, and come to terms with, yes?” Korbin mutters with a nervous chuckle, one hand resting against Martin’s face so that his brother might know he is still there outside of voice alone, and the other running through his hair almost frantically before he stands.

“We have faced all manner of things before now, and dear Sithis, we have even faced the very worst that Oblivion itself had to offer! So, a little thing like… like a sudden loss of sight doesn’t mean it takes away who you are! You are still very much my beloved brother, and I care for you even if you have bright and shining eyes much like my own, or dimmed and faded ones!”

Martin sits with his hands folded in his lap where Korbin had placed him beside what he assumes is the feeling of the heat of the fire lightly warming against his skin as it crackles and pops. He listens intently to his brother as he rambles on and finds it curious how his voice fades in the distance, and then rises in volume at least half a dozen times.

He can only surmise, from behind his still darkened eyes, that his brother is pacing about the grounds of their campsite.

“And if that is not enough to soothe you,” Korbin begins, halting his step and coming to stand in front of his brother with his hands outstretched to gesture. “Then we could always locate a healer of some kind! I mean, there must be some amount of magic, or magical being in this Void cursed world we inhabit that could make you better! I mean, whatever else is that damn magic good for if not for healing! Or, if you simply do not want to involve an alternate means of magic – considering it was Divine tampered magic that caused this to happen to begin with – then I simply stay beside you and help whenever you needed to see.”

Korbin kneels in front of Martin and reaches to take his brother’s hands in his own, and Martin tilts his his head and blinks in surprise.

“After all, considering that my honored title is the Knight of the Emperor, I see very little reason why I cannot be considered the Eyes of the Emperor just the same,” Korbin tells him with a genuine smile. “I can assist whenever you need to pass judgement, or when you need to write out papers, or even when you need to go from one room to the next. Whatever is needed my dear brother, you have me. As long as it helps… and as long as you know, without a doubt, that I am with you in this darkness….”

If Lucien Was The One Afraid:

Now, this is where things become quite tricky, and just a touch complicated in the long run. Mostly because, as the eldest sibling out of the three, there are very seldom moments where Lucien allows himself to be seen as weak in front of both Korbin and Martin. As he deems himself to be their protector, and the one who keeps them safe whenever something dangerous or frightening arises.However, this is also where it backfires on him, as while he is indeed the eldest, that just means he has so much more to lose. Worrying over their safety, and fearing the moment he would be too late, sometimes it just overwhelms him in uncontrollable ways. And while there aren’t exactly many moments where he is the one receiving comfort from his younger brothers, you have just managed to inspire me to create more, my dear Anon!

But here’s hoping these will sate you until that time comes~

Korbin:

(Lucien is haunted from nightmares of his previous Silencer, and his brother’s death, and Korbin calms him unintentionally)

“What good is your trustand love, dear Speaker,” Lara whispers; her fingernails digging into hisforearm and drawing blood, as her lips twitch with a demented smile. “Whenyou knew in your cold and selfish heart that you would never be able to carefor them as much as they cared for you?”

Lucien’s eyes dart quickly fromboth Lara’s bloodied and torn face, to where Korbin stands far too still as heslices his throat with The Assassin’s own dagger, and he feels himselfdrowning. Being pulled under the weight of his own choices, his own mistakes,his own foolish heart that should have never tried to love whatsoever, and allhe wishes to do is scream until his throat is raw.

“Whatever you thought were yours to hold, shall againbe taken!” Lara squeals happily; pulling Lucien into her embrace, as hervoice shifts from playfulness, to quiet anger. Lucien feels a cold sweat formover his forehead as he listens to her words. “And yet, why do you look sosurprised, dear Lachance? Have you not realized by now that your love is simplya death curse written in the bloodstains of those you foolishly sought to carefor?”

Lara finally lets him go, andLucien falls to his knees in tearful heap. Watching helplessly as Korbin chokeson his blood, and falls backwards away from the cliff side, and down into thedepths of the abyss below. As he does, and Lucien’s hand remains outstretchedtowards a brother he knows he can no longer save, he finds his voice at last.

“Dear sweet Dread Father make itall stop!”

[…]

“By Sithis, I surely cannot explainit,” He mutters to himself; his tone quiet, far softer than the mosttender whisper. “…But the mere thought of losing you in any way; why, itis enough to bring me to my knees in sheer grief alone.”

As his hand moves away fromKorbin’s head, a small grumble – caught between another snore and a groan –reaches his ears, and his brother begins to stir from where he lay.

“…Lucien?” He says ashe attempts to raise his head; his eyes still closed as he speaks. “W-Whatdid… what did you say?”

Lucien chuckles warmly despite it all and leansdown on one knee. “Nothing, my Silencer,” He whispers; pulling the blankets back up around Korbin’sshoulders. “Or at the very least, nothing of grand importance.”

Korbin lowers his head back ontohis pillow when he feels the warmth of the blanket envelop him, and he smilessleepily.

“Are you certain?” Comespart of his question, and his head rolls several times to the side and backuntil he is able to find enough willpower to finish what he was saying. “Afterall, if there is… something you need from me, I could try… and assist?”

‘All I need from you, my brother, is for you to simply stayalive.’

It goes unspoken, unsaid, and asLucien muses silently over the thoughts in his own mind, he slowly brushes theback of his hand against Korbin’s cheek in a candid moment of affection.

“Yes, I am quitecertain,” He answers simply; his gentle actions betraying his otherwiseunemotional tone of voice. “Go back to sleep now, and we shall speak againcome morning.”

Korbin nods in response to hisbrother’s commands, incredibly eager to follow them to the letter withouthardly a word in complaint for once. Lucien continues to watch Korbin for amoment, and when he believes him to be back within the realm of sleep, hefinally stands; moving away from the beds before heading back towards thecracked door of their shared chambers.

But before he reaches connectinghallways, he hears a familiar voice sound from the shadows once again.

“Goodnight, brother,”Comes Korbin’s fading tone from behind; already consumed by his tiredness whenthe words leave him, and yet still desiring to have the final word even still.

Lucien merely smiles sadly whenhe hears his Silencer’s incredibly innocent – and yet far too ironic – wellwishes, and he slowly shakes his head as he whispers his faint reply under hisbreath.

“Sleep well, my dearKorbin.”

Martin:

(Lucien breaks down whilst on the search for Mehrunes Razor to save Korbin from Sheogorath, and Martin soothes him)

Lucien buries the sharp edge of his blade into the bark of the tree and forces down the scream rising in his throat. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Martin’s hands trembling in front of him, uncertain as to what he could possibly do to make this moment better. And all Lucien can do is laugh bitterly at the sight.

“…How is it that no one, in the entirety of this unjust and vile land, has come to realize that we, as his chosen eldest siblings, only want him to be safe?! To at last be set free from his seemingly unending torment and have some manner of the peace so wrongfully denied him!” He slams his fist against the harsh bark and cares very little for the blood running down his hand in response to his actions. His eyes are downcast, and he stares at the pebbles at his feet as the memory that drove him to such a state repeats without end in his mind, and he becomes more emotional.

“Is the sight of him lying in broken tears not already enough to feel utterly helpless? Knowing there is very little we can do at this point to soothe him? Is the sound of his near constant begging for the sweet release of death far too much of a grand request in the eyes of for any possible Divine or Dread Father to somehow grant their mercy?”

Another laugh escapes him, and he slowly pulls his hand back to wipe the blood upon the surface of his armor before turning around around and locking eyes with Martin as angry tears slip down his cheeks. When he began weeping, he surely does not know, but he makes no effort to stop them from falling, even when he sees Martin’s own eyes go wide in shock.

“Of all things… of all things that would prompt them to shun us both away they are needed the most… why must it be this? Why must it be him?” He asks miserably, forcing himself not to step back as his brother begins to move forward. He simply remains fixed in place, all his energy spent on giving life to the words, and the emotion, he had kept within him for too long.

“Tell me, oh wise Emperor… For all your knowledge, all your reassurances, and all the Void-Damned hope you continue to carry alongside that ever-damnable Light, merely answer me this…” Lucien feels his legs beginning to tremble alongside his hands, and he hates every part of the weakness he is allowing himself to give into. But it was too late now, and if he did, indeed somehow fall, then perhaps Martin would catch him. Perhaps then, the two of them could make sense of this all, instead of choosing to shoulder it solely on their own.

Perhaps that is what Korbin needed.

“If you are so content to stand silent and bear witness to me in such a state, lost and near breaking just the very same as you, then surely you must have the answer which eludes me,” Lucien shuts his eyes before he continues, allowing himself to shed broken tears. His anger now having faded away, and simply replaced with genuine pain. He takes a breath, and speaks from behind closed lids. “Why is the one thing I know we both truly desire above all else, for our brother to be alive and to simply feel joy once again, why must it seem so utterly imposs–”

His words are cut off before he has a chance to complete his sentence, for he suddenly feels arms wrapping around his shoulders, and his breathing catches in his throat. Rising his head, he opens his eyes, and sees the faint shape of Martin resting against his shoulder. His hands begin trembling more fervently as they linger just above his brother’s back.

“It is not impossible, and we shall fight back againstevery thought saying otherwise, until we are able to finally save him,” Martin whispers softly, pulling the Assassin close, and tightening the grip he has around him. “He will live through this, Lucien, for we will not let him go so easily. You simply have to keep trusting thatthere will come a day where this will at last be over…and he will be his smiling self once again.”

Lucien says nothing, only nods and slowly wraps shaking arms around Martin’s shoulders. The Emperor Priest rubs a hand over his brother’s back in comfort, as he tries to calm Lucien’s raging emotions with whatever gentle words he believes that he needs to hear the most.

“And if such a thing proves too difficult at first, or you are unable to continue to uphold your self-imposed image of unshakable strength for whatever reason,” He whispers into his ear. “Then understand that it is quite all right, and I shall simply believe enough for the both of us…”

Oh goodness, this ended up way longer than I first expected it to when I was first compiling my ideas, but I honestly couldn’t help myself by the halfway point! Your question was so lovely, and I got so inspired by it, that I couldn’t help but give you something special in return for you taking the time to drop this in my askbox! Did I possibly overwhelm you with all the various snippets of writing from so many different scenarios? Most likely, but I hope that even despite that, you enjoyed reading all of this over!

As you may have already guessed, most of these came from different points in the boy’s lives – some during the Crisis, a little while after, and some even post the two-year time skip – so there’s a touch of flip flopping around, and some of these were actually quite old before character development actually set in. Meaning I had to do a little flash editing to make them presentable to how Korbin and his brothers act nowadays. But as I said, I hope you end up getting some feelings while reading, and you are satisfied with all the new information and scenarios involving these three!

If you have any further questions about the boys, are curious about one of the snippets above that you wish to see more of, or you just wish to poke my brain a little further in the near future, please feel free! I am always overjoyed and honored whenever you prompt me like this, and I always enjoy taking the time to answer you in full! Thank you so much again for leaving this message, sorry for making you wait a while – as well as possibly overwhelming you with all my writing lmao – and I hope that your days are filled with lots of love, hurt/comfort, and tons of hugs and kisses!

All the best to you, lovely Anon~ ♥

[nikethestatue]

This is kind of a weird rant related to sjm’s obsession with trauma porn (I’ve seen some of your thoughts on this before and agree 100%!) but is it just me or does it seem like she thinks giving trauma that results in suffering = automatic complexity, and a lot of readers have adopted this mindset too without nuance? What I mean is, for example, Nesta’s arc was awful in acosf partly I think because sjm thought making her say how much she hates herself every page would be sufficient, but it wasn’t. But certain stans glorify her character (I like her but acknowledge she’s very flawed) and act like she’s the victim who could do no wrong. Feyre and Rhys are happy now so some people start hating on them. Tamlin is suffering now so an alarming number of readers are sympathizing with him. Elain works through trauma in a mature and healthy way and we don’t see her suffering now so some readers loathe her. Lucien clearly hates himself so some readers worship him.

I agree and I think it's SJM's limitation as a writer--not just hers though. It's pretty typical of YA writers of fantasy books. Everyone has to have some kind of horrible background. Abusive parents. No parents. Parents horrifically murdered. Sexual assault. Slavery. Torture.

I think it's this weird belief that a character or even a person, cannot be motivated to do anything significant, unless there is some personal reason like revenge. I have to go kill the evil King because he beheaded my brother! I have to kill the evil Lord because he burned my village. Everyone from J RR Martin, to SJM, to JLA, to JK Rawling does that.

The thing is--possibly one of the greatest stories ever written, a story of adventure, loyalty, friendship, changing the world and everything in between wasn't written for a character with ANY trauma at all. A character who lived in a hole underground, ate cheese, drank tea and smoked pipeweed. Frodo Baggins, as well as Bilbo Baggins had zero trauma. Had no need to do anything that they've done. They just did.

And unfortunately, trauma porn became a crutch for all the modern writers somehow. And when they don't deal with it well, or at all, what does it technically even add to the story?

In SJM's case, I really REALLY hope that we won't be dealing with Elain's trauma and that the healing already took place. I don't care if the YA crowd doesn't like it. I don't need it, I don't want it. It wouldn't be handled well anyway, so what's the point. Let her have healed already and be done with it. I'd rather read a story without all the fake whining.

[bonniebird]

Halloween Event

Read early on Wattpad

Read early on AO3

“Great! The blood-sucking Brady Bunch!” - Jacob Black

“Do you have any other emergency werewolf contacts?” - Stiles Stilinski

“Every day is Halloween, isn’t it? For some of us.” - Jace Wayland

“During the day, I don’t believe in ghosts. At night, I’m a little more open -minded.” - Tate Langdon

@joeynihil​ and Peter Rumancek’s Halloween ~ Moodboard

“You don’t know much about magic.” - Nick Scratch

“When you turn to a bat, where do your clothes go?” - Spike

“And now it’s time to send in our cute little secret weapon.” - Ivar Ragnarsson

Halloween with Eric Coulter {Moodboard}

“She used to tell me that a full moon was when mysterious things happen and wishes come true.” - Ivar Ragnarsson  

“What an excellent day for an exorcism.”-  Peter Hale

“Blah blah, vampire emergency, blah” - Rebekah Mikaelson & Theo Raeken

“You are too precious for words, why I could just… eat you alive!”  - Hvitserk Ragnarsson

“So is the devil, Halloween Santa?” - Lucifer Morningstar

“I’ve got the devil in me!” - Lucifer Morningstar 

“I always wonder if it’s better to bury two bodies in one place or spread them around. I’m sure there’s a right answer, but I never want to meet the person who knows it.“ - Maze / Lucifer Morningstar

“What is this guy, Witch-ipedia?” - John Constantine 

“You only have one super power, and it is your breasts.” - Elijah Mikaelson 

“It’s Halloween; everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” - Eric Northman 

“Stop calling it a haunted house. It’s not even scary.“ - Seeley Booth

“I know you’re joking, but on the off chance you aren’t, no.” - Victor Zsasz 

“Every day is Halloween, isn’t it? For some of us.” - Eric Coulter

“Those guys at the impound. Did they really smash my car?” - Dean Winchester

“I’m the guy that’s gonna save your ass.” - Eric Coulter

Halloween with Theo Raeken moodboard - Theo Raeken

“You can’t commit crime on Halloween!” - Barbara Kean

“I do believe in killing the messenger. Know why? Because it sends a message.” - Mick Rory

“It’s so sweet. He looks just like a little entrée.” - Ripper!Stefan Salvatore 

“During the day, I don’t believe in ghosts. At night, I’m a little more open-minded.” - Harley Quinn

“If this is a joke, I’ll kill you!” - Eric Coulter

“So, what can a teen wolf do?” - Cora Hale

“It’s Halloween; everyone’s entitled to one good scare.” - Aziraphale {Good Omens}

“The witches are coming.” - Bonnie Bennett

“I know that you hate Halloween, but stick with me, and I promise you, you will love it.” - Nick Scratch

“Shh, I’m Googling sex spells.”  - Madison Montgomery

“I am, what psychiatrists call, alpha male.”  - Eric Coulter

“Aren’t you worried that, one day, all the forest animals are gonna band together and fight back?” - Jacob Black 

“Bitch, I will eat you!” - Spike {BtVS}

“You know how I think Halloween is for jerks? Well, this Halloween, I was the jerk. I’m sorry about tonight.”  - Leonard Snart

“You really are a witch.” - Jace Wayland

“I’m the guy that’s gonna save your ass.” - Jace Wayland

“I am, what psychiatrists call, alpha male.” - Klaus Mikaelson 

“Vampires pretending to be humans pretending to be vampires … How avant-garde!” - Klaus Mikaelson

“Shh, I’m Googling sex spells.” - Stefan Salvatore 

“Shh, I’m Googling sex spells.” - John Constantine 

“Are you ready for some Halloween fun?“ - Eric Coulter

“She annoyed me, so I killed her and buried her in the yard.” - Eric Coulter 

“I’m supposed to call you first when I find a dead body?”  - Peter Hale 

“Can someone kill him again, please?”  - Kol Mikaelson

“I’ll be a good little witch.” - Theo Raeken

“I just think a lot of undead roaming the streets could lead to problems. For instance, farmers’ markets selling actual farmers.” - Theo Raeken 

“Shh, I’m Googling sex spells.” - Theo Raeken

“There’s a monster outside my room. Can I have a glass of water?” - Jasper Hale

“I am, what psychiatrists call, alpha male.” - Eric Coulter

“You really are a witch.”  - Geralt of Rivia

“Shh, I’m Googling sex spells.”  - Eric Northman

“If this is a joke, I’ll kill you!”  - Barbara Kean

"This is my costume. I’m a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else.” - Rosa Diaz

“Well, as someone at a high risk for a spook-related death, thank you.”  - John Constantine

“Dear Diary, a chipmunk asked me my name today.” - Klaus Mikaelson

“I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ.“ - Gina Linetti

“You’re horrific and you are hired.“  - Jerome Valeska

“I am commanding. Calmly, but commanding. No more witchcraft.”  - Maze Smith

“I am, what psychiatrists call, alpha male.”  - Eric Coulter 

“Have you picked out a costume yet?“ - Maze Smith

“Well, as someone at a high risk for a spook-related death, thank you.”  - Harvey Bullock

“I’m just sitting here. Feeling like the devil.” - Damon Salvatore

“Shh, I’m Googling sex spells.” - Eric Northman

“No, you weren’t part of this. Get back over to the loser side, loser.” - Winn Schott

“I need help carving these pumpkins.” - Temperance Brennan

“I’m the guy that’s gonna save your ass.” - Anakin Skywalker

“This is ridiculous! What could be scarier than one of us?” - John Shelby 

“There’s no such thing!” - Elizabeth Swann

“I am, what psychiatrists call, alpha male.” - Gina Linetti

“Bitch, I will eat you!” - Victor Zsasz

“Okay, all right, now. Come on, no one died, alright? Look, there may have been some maiming, okay? A little mangling, but no death! That’s what I call an important distinction.” - Zelda Spellman

“She annoyed me, so I killed her and buried her in the yard.”  - Barbara Kean

“Yeah, well, you being happy isn’t really a big priority of mine, since you stabbed me twenty times with knives.” - Victor Zsasz

“It’s kind of ironic. The more care you put into a murder, the harsher society judges you.” - Jerome Valeska

“No, it’s not! That’s just something mortals say to make themselves feel better.” - Lilith / Madam Satan

“Welcome to my nightmare, I think you’re going to like it.” - Jerome Valeska

“Stop calling it a haunted house. It’s not even scary.” - Ava Sharpe

“I died in a trapeze accident?” - Jake Peralta

“Okay, all right, now. Come on, no one died, alright? Look, there may have been some maiming, okay? A little mangling, but no death! That’s what I call an important distinction.” - Lucien Castle

“It’s Halloweek. I do the full seven days.” - Rosa Diaz 

“If this is a joke, I’ll kill you!” - Jason Todd

“Vampires are real. They’re usually not the cape-wearing, "mwah-hah-hah-ing” types, but rather people with ordinary jobs who just happen to consume blood.“- Jasper Hale

“We came, we saw, we kicked its ass.” - Eric Coulter

“I always wonder if it’s better to bury two bodies in one place or spread them around. I’m sure there’s a right answer, but I never want to meet the person who knows it.“ - Elijah Mikaelson

Roman Godfrey Halloween ~ moodboard

@joeynihil​​ and Sabrina Spellman Halloween ~ Moodboard

“Do you have any other emergency werewolf contacts?”- Derek Hale 

“I need help carving these pumpkins.”- Derek Hale

“Those guys at the impound. Did they really smash my car?” - Dean Winchester

“We came, we saw, we kicked its ass.” - Rebekah Mikaelson & Theo Raeken

“I see something in your future. Something… frightening.“ - Bonnie Bennett

“There’s a monster outside my room. Can I have a glass of water?”

“Every day is Halloween, isn’t it? For some of us.” - Ripper!Stefan Salvatore

“No, it’s not! That’s just something mortals say to make themselves feel better.” - Jace Wayland

“This is ridiculous! What could be scarier than one of us?” - The Mikaelson Family

“If I have to hear doppelgänger one more time, I’m going to have to learn how to spell it.” - Elijah Mikaelson

“In this whole wide wicked world the only thing you have to be afraid of is me.” - Kol Mikaelson

“Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story.” - Gina Linetti

“You only have one super power, and it is your breasts.” - Rosa Diaz

"I have never met a vampire personally, but I don’t know what might happen tomorrow.” - Theo Raeken

“You seem to be doing so well without witchcraft.” - Nick Scratch

“I always wonder if it’s better to bury two bodies in one place or spread them around. I’m sure there’s a right answer, but I never want to meet the person who knows it.“ - Halfdan the Black

“You know how I think Halloween is for jerks? Well, this Halloween, I was the jerk. I’m sorry about tonight.” - Lydia Martin

“They’re embarrassed about their spells not working anymore.” - Malia Tate

“Blah blah, vampire emergency, blah” - Bella Swan

“Do you have any other emergency werewolf contacts?” - Peter Rumancek

“Can someone kill him again, please?” - Peter Hale

“I have a heart. I keep it in a jar on my desk.” - Katherine Pierce

“Shh, I’m Googling sex spells.” - John Constantine

"It’s the witching hour somewhere.” - Jughead Jones

“People think if they put on a costume they can just get away with anything they want. Halloween is Christmas for jerks.” - Ray Palmer

“Please tell me you did that for dramatic effect.” - Jacob Black

“Can someone kill him again, please?” - Emmett Cullen

“I must go in. The fog is rising.” - Arman the Dragon

“I knew something came through the portal.” - Ivar Ragnarsson

“Well, we can’t start killing people. We’re getting life back to normal. And killing people isn’t normal, sweetheart.“ - Nora Darhk

“Are you eating raw pumpkin with a spoon?”  - Sweet Pea

“You know what they say about (Town). No one who dies here ever really dies.”  - Jughead Jones

"I want to stab you to death, and then play around with your blood." - Sweet Pea

“I'll come to the party, but I'm not dressing up.”  - Sweet Pea

“I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly.”  - Sweet Pea

“Hand over the candy, old dude, or we egg your house.”  - Sweet Pea & Jughead Jones

“Time for the real Halloween show to begin.”  - Sweet Pea

“Should I be concerned about you causing me any trouble?“ - Sweet Pea

“Danger doesn’t lurk at every corner. It’s just hanging out, waiting for fear and horror to show up.”  - Jughead Jones

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”  - Sweet Pea

“Time for the real Halloween show to begin.” - Dorcas Night

“She used to tell me that a full moon was when mysterious things happen and wishes come true.” - Dorcas Night

“Who hired you? Who do you work for, the pizza man?” - Damon Salvatore

Halloween with Jughead Jones {Moodboard}

“Are you possessed? Again?” - Stiles Stilinski

“Does my costume look spooky to you?” - Sweet Pea

“I need help carving these pumpkins.“ - Tommy Shelby

“Shh, I’m Googling sex spells.” - Theo Raeken and Rebekah Mikaelson

Halloween with Vanessa Ives {Moodboard}

Halloween with Samantha Stephens  {Moodboard}

Halloween with Toni Topaz {Moodboard}

Halloween with Sweet Pea {Moodboard}

Halloween with Cheryl Blossom {Moodboard}

Halloween with Betty Cooper {Moodboard}

“During the day, I don’t believe in ghosts. At night, I’m a little more open-minded.” - Seely Booth

“Vampires pretending to be humans pretending to be vampires … How avant-garde!” - Eric Northman

“I know that you hate Halloween, but stick with me, and I promise you, you will love it.” - Amaya Jiwe

“You seem to be doing so well without witchcraft.” Clary Fray & Allison Argent

“First rule of witch club: don’t talk about witch club.” - Madam Satan / Lilith

“Who hired you? Who do you work for, the pizza man?” - Zari Tomaz

“She used to tell me that a full moon was when mysterious things happen and wishes come true.” - Peter Rumancek

“Happy Halloween, asshole!“ - Rosa Diaz

“Hello, something scary happening!“ - Kyle Reese

“We sent (Y/N) to the Ghost World to save the day again.” - Allison Argent

“If she realizes that we’re killing people for food and not for God, she might not like us anymore.” - Vampire!Ivar Ragnarsson & Roman Godfrey

“We can have our own Halloween here.” - Roman Godfrey

“You are too precious for words, why I could just… eat you alive!” - Ivar Ragnarsson

“Have you come to sing pumpkin carols?” - Sweet Pea

“How was I to know? It was just floating by.“ - Sweet Pea

“It’s Halloween! Everyone gets a chance to be someone else, let their hair down for awhile.” - Sweet Pea

“You only have one super power, and it is your breasts.” - Elena Gilbert

“Yeah, well, you being happy isn’t really a big priority of mine, since you stabbed me twenty times with knives.” - Sweet Pea

Halloween with Marko {Moodboard}

“I know that you hate Halloween, but stick with me, and I promise you, you will love it.” - Sweet Pea

“I know that you hate Halloween, but stick with me, and I promise you, you will love it.” - David (The Lost Boys)

“I’m the guy that’s gonna save your ass.” - David (The Lost Boys)

“I’m supposed to call you first when I find a dead body?” - Sweet Pea

“Aren’t you worried that, one day, all the forest animals are gonna band together and fight back?” - Sam Emerson

“Good. No fangs yet. You’re doing fine. Your ears aren’t even pointed yet.” - Scott McCall

“You are too precious for words, why I could just… eat you alive!” - David (The Lost Boys)

“Yeah, well, you being happy isn’t really a big priority of mine, since you stabbed me twenty times with knives.” - Brett Talbot

“Are you possessed? Again?” - Peter Hale

“We don’t like you. Now, shut up and help us.” - Eric Northman

“What is this guy, Witch-ipedia?” - Eric Northman

“Shh, I’m Googling sex spells.” - Nick Scratch

“Vampires are real. They’re usually not the cape-wearing, "mwah-hah-hah-ing” types, but rather people with ordinary jobs who just happen to consume blood.“ - Dorcas Night

"This is my costume. I’m a homicidal maniac. They look just like everyone else.” - Tommy Shelby

“Hasn't anyone told you, second hand smoke kills.“ - Prudence Blackwood

“I know you’re joking, but on the off chance you aren’t, no.”  - Klaus Mikaelson

“We sent (Y/N) to the Ghost World to save the day again.” - Theo Raeken & Rebekah Mikaelson

“Just because it's a love story doesn't mean it can't have a decapitation or two.” - Klaus Mikaelson

“You seem to be doing so well without witchcraft.” - Allison Argent & Nick Scratch

“You are too precious for words, why I could just… eat you alive!” - Damon Salvatore

[drabblesforsanguine]

Welcome to my Elder Scrolls writing blog!

It's been many, many years since I've posted any writing online, and I've NEVER posted anything TES related before, so this is my attempt at getting back into the swing of things. So far I'm not quite sure what my limits are, so I'll try to accept every request possible (unless I realize that its out of my comfort zone) so long as it's TES related. So angst, fluff, smut are all okay with me. The only things I absolutely WILL NOT DO are:

Underage, as in either parties are younger than 18.

R*ape, unless it is specifically stated to be r*pe roleplay and has been consented to by both parties.

Bestiality, sorry monster fuckers.

I'll try my best to do a wide range of characters, though I tend to favor Miraak, Lucien LaChance, Sanguine, Martin Septim, Farkas and Brynjolf. Also, ESO fans beware as I have never played the game before and thus am not canny on many of the characters, but I'm still definitely willing to try!

Since its been almost ten years since I posted online I'm pretty much gonna be starting from scratch here, so I do ask that y'all are patient with me as I tend to be hypercritical of my work. Also constructive criticism and any tips y'all can offer would be much appreciated, just be gentle lol. Thanks for reading! :)

And if it interests any of you, I have a separate TES blog @slutforsanguine

[mossnotes]

THE LITERATURE AND MURDER CLUB OF ST. MARTIN’S ACADEMY

Rhy wants to prove herself, and to find someone that makes her feel ‘human’. 

Dean wishes he could help his friends feel the light again, in turn forgetting his own darkness. 

Alex has had this great wall up for so long that he can no longer tell how much of him is genuine, and how much is part of the act. 

Lucien just wants to be a nobody. 

Tessa doesn’t realise how appreciated her radiant optimism is, but is all too aware of how people take advantage of it. 

Passion, unchecked ambition and the aching teenage longing to be ‘more’. Five students at the elite St. Martins Academy boarding school form a study group that becomes their very own secret society, born of a passion for literature and shrouded in secrecy, fierce loyalty and a mutual awareness of one another’s unspoken darkness. It’s all just a bit of fun to appease the pretentious dream, right? 

What about when someone is brutally murdered? A morbid imitation of that of Wilde’s fictional painter, Basil Hallward? 

Hubris has proven to be, once again, the end of all beginnings, and the beginning of all ends. 

New WIP alert! If you bothered to stop and read this, thank you! I really hope you like the sound of this... if you’re interested, track the tag ‘lmc’. Also, drop an ask or something to let me know what you think - if people like it, I might start publishing some of my writing or WIP-related things here? Let me know what we think, yeah? 

Much love, Carrie x

[reureuby]

8, 19, 22, 25, 33, 37, 38, 41, 45

Thanks anon!!

First answers are about Raye, second answers are about Reuben! 

8. What family do they have?

Raye’s family were homeless but they always cared the most for her. They often sacrificed any of their food for her in hopes that she would manage to grow up and survive and make a life for herself (clearly she does). They did whatever the could to protect her and taught her everything they knew about survival

Reuben’s family was weird, but he spent most of his time in the company of his brother (Josiah). While Josiah was more interested in arts and culture (much like their parents), Reuben was interested in fighting and survival. Reuben had a close relationship with their father, who taught him (and only him) how to use a revolver. At the age of 13, their father gave Reuben his Schofield revolver, which he has always kept by his side ever since

19. Have they ever fallen in love?

Raye fell in love twice, once with a woman who betrayed her by reporting her crimes to the guards. And finally of course, with Martin Septim. 

Reuben on the other hand, has fallen in love a couple of times. He once fell in love with a member of a his previous gang (The Crossovers) and failed to save her when their gang came under attack during their final, failed bank robbery. He later had a thing for Arthur Morgan upon meeting him the first time, but it didn’t last very long at all

22. Have they ever hurt or lost anyone?

Raye has lost multiple people. She was devastated at losing Lucien and heartbroken from losing Martin. It drove her to her wits end until she found that Martin’s loss pushed her into developing herself and a drive to be better

Reuben lost his entire gang in 1889, from the friends he had first met when he initially crossed the border into Mexico, to the newer additions to the gang. He was devastated and wished he could have done more to save them all.

25. How do they handle being complimented?

Raye often just denies it and pulls out the “no u” card constantly. She’s not very good with it, but learns to accept it from those that she knows cares about her (So Martin and Eradras mostly)

Reuben just laughs, with his stupid, deep laugh. He’ll thank people but tends to get very shy about compliments, often hiding his face to avoid looking at anyone.

33. Do they like themselves?

Raye lived most of her life thinking she was a great person, but once she met Martin, she realised she wasn’t as great as she could be. He had opened her eyes to the truth and it slowly helped her improve herself.

Reuben does like himself, he can see that he recognises the wrongs and rights and always heads for a high honour approach to matters, even when he was in The Crossovers. However he’ll remember certain actions of his that were incredibly bad and will sit there and will internally beat himself up

37. Are they trustworthy?

Raye wasn’t at a younger age towards anyone not related to her. She often used people to further herself. Again though, as she met and worked with Martin, she lost that part of her and saw the wrong in her previous actions.

Reuben always has been, whatever he suggested he could promise, he’s been able to pull through. But the bank incident made him start to distrust himself and question his own reliability. Since then, he hasn’t been sure. 

38. Are they a good liar?

Both are exceptional liars, however after meeting Martin, Raye started to become more honest and open about her thoughts on matters. She couldn’t find the heart to lie anymore, especially towards Martin. 

Reuben (like most things) was taught by Josiah and is pretty good at it. However, he only likes to use it in situations where he needs to make an escape from. 

41. Can they fight?

Raye is a trained fighter!! She’s very good at it. Swords are her thing!! She taught herself by watching the local guards as a kid and (when she left her family behind) she had to fight to survive so her skills naturally developed that way

Reuben is a pretty good gunslinger, he’s very good with revolvers and rifles BUT when he has to fist fight, he’ll always bring a knife as a back up (he learnt this from his own fight where he was challenged to a fist fight, only to be slashed across the face). 

45. Do they have any other survival skills?

Raye is good with identifying herbs and plants that are edible, she often notes them in her journal by sketching them and writing whatever properties come paired with the plant. She’s also very good with stealth when necessary (mostly used in Dark Brotherhood missions)

Reuben is great with slight of hand, often using it to confuse enemies or as a way to slip out of situations. He clearly learnt these tricks from Josiah. Reuben is also great with hunting animals for food, often getting clean/perfect kills. 

[foulserpent]

🤕🧠 for xikeel!

🤕 What is the worst injury your OC has ever suffered? Do they have any scars or lasting physical reminders of it? Do they get sick often or have any lasting medical conditions?

worst singular injury she got was when an assassination went slightly afowl and her target managed to give her a good slice to the side. she was learning restoration magic at the time and tried healing it, but fucked it up a bit , gave herself a hernia, had to close and reopen the wound a couple times before she finally got it to set right and it remains as a nasty scar that looks much worse than the injury itself was and the area always causes troubles when she sheds.

she also got pretty badly fucked up during her arrest, the soldiers who got her wanted to take her alive but her condition didnt matter to them as long as she wasnt dead. shes like 4′11″ and skinny, built for speed and stealth so shes absolutely no good in open combat and could get thrown around like a ragdoll if cornered. which was basically what happened, she was slammed into a wall which broke one of her horns off and fractured a couple ribs, and hit over the head, and her physical condition has not been as good ever since.

🧠 Talk about your OCs mental health! Do they have any specific triggers or ways to practice self care? What are some things that are more difficult for them to do because of their mental health?

shes an. interesting case bc as a shadowscale whos adopted father-ish mentor raised her from a child to be a murderer theres obviously  a lot going on there bc thats not a good situation for a child to be raised in lol. but all that considered she was ….approximately healthy for the most part until the “purification”. since in her case lucien was essentially her adopted father (she was raised alongside ocheeva and teinaava) she VERY LITERALLY was made to kill her own brother and sister (alongside her figurative DB “siblings”), and then it turns out it was all for nothing. she already had some resentment for lucien and did not feel bad for him when she walked in on his mutilated corpse, but the hurt kind of came later bc.. he WAS her dad and the brotherhood WAS the only life she knew

so that kind of set her up with a lot of baggage, and initially she is very obviously looking to fill the void of the DB which is the ONLY reason she actually does any of the main quest stuff to begin with, she has like nothing else to do. shes got issues where shes like subconsciously “oh this is a nice middle aged man who treats me well and has a directive for me, i will now mentally categorize him as a speaker/family figure because i dont really know how else to relate to people” but eventually she gains more independence and gradually starts to become her own person and shed the old brotherhood way of thinking.

so yeah she has family/father issues, a fear of being alone, some trauma related to killing her own family. martin’s death is also really hard on her bc she really loves him as a friend, and that + nasty ned repeatedly trying to like off himself for the next few months + the blades being like “wow congratulations champions of cyrodiil please join us or else we will kill you for knowing too much :)” sets her up that shes just curious enough to go into the shivering isles and find enough comfort in it that she really isnt able to come back :(

[nam-imperii]

The Tullius Family in my Skyrim

We start in Oblivion actually.

Lysayne, not a Tullius, Dark Brotherood top assassin and future Listener. Lucien lives because I'm a clichè who wants nice things (i still have to work on how she becomes the Listener but the general concept is that Lysayne stops the purification). Lysayne x Lucien

Gonna change the order of quests so the killing of the guy in the imperial prison happens after she becomed Listener, it's just a general contract she's doing but then she has to play prisoner when the frikking Emperor of Tamriel shows up.

She's not sure she deserves all this heroism stuff but of course after what happened she goes to search for Jauffre asap and the main questline starts. Lysayne x Lucien becomes Lucien x Lysayne x Martin because as I said I'm a clichè bastard and of course Lucien steps in to help Lysayne when things escalate. Main quest goes as normal and Lysayne goes in a bit of depression after Martin dies

She's pregnant omygod but they dont know if its Martin or Lucien the father of course the Empire would be like super interested in the baby but Lysayne wants to kinda avoid any association with the elder council now because she fears she'll lose the baby like she lost Martin

She marries an imperial legionarie who distinguished himself in the battles of Bruma and Imperial City in exchange for the Blades promise to hide her son, the Elder Council makes the new Lysayne Tullius, wife of Tiberio Tullius, Countess of the rebuilding Kvatch but she spends all the time with Lucien, then the baby is born and some time after that she becomes Sheogorath, which is know by the Blades who completely hide the baby from Lucien too (Lucien is of course heartbroken)

They probably get all reunited when Lucien dies and he's in the Void, Martin in Aetherius and Lysayne in the Shivering Isles. Little consolation

Anyway the baby is given to Tiberio Tullius -which is a decent enough man and accepts to fake it was Lysayne and himself son-

Pre-Great war Marcus Tullius (our General Tullius in Skyrim) is the heir to Country Kvatch but he doesn't care much. He has no patience for politics and in the rising years of the Thalmor he wants to join the Legion. His parents agree on the condition that he will give them an heir because they dont want to lose the "we are the HoK descendeants" honor, Marcus agrees. He's not a very present husband but it's what you can expect from a marriage of convenience.Valania Tullius is born, Marcus join the Legion and for when the Great War happens he's General. He has a second son he calls Octavian around the end of the war or right after that. Everyone knows his story from that

Valania Tullius proves herself talented in enchanting, illusion and alteration. She's probably the most suited of her family to ruling and nobility life but she still leaves to study at the College of Winterhold (in fact, she's the first Tullius to arrive in Skyrim) and spends years there. The title of Count/Countess of Kvatch fall in the hands of some distant cousin probably. She does the College of Winterhold questline, rebuilds the College as Arch-Mage and other magic related quests like Shalidor Labyrinth, helping Neloth and the Undeath mod questline on the good guys side/stopping the ritual. She usually travels with Teldryn Sero as bodyguard and love interest while she fights with alteration and illusion (Apocalypse Magic mod)

Valania is a very high-class lady being born in nobility but years and year in Skyrim made her understand nords very well, altought not always LIKE them. She loves elegancy and cyroodiil habits and has an account opened with Radiant Raiment, visting them when she's in Solitude and having clothes and jewels sended to her from Cyrodiil. She has also an habit to address people as "My dear" but despite her spoiled appereance she's very adaptable and takes no shit. She coul swim in a pool of mud in an ancient ruin and look dignified. As Archmage she exchange letters with all court mages and other magical institutions. She has also a strong momma instinct

Octavian Tullius is her younger brother. He knows magic too but only fire magic and only in a military use. Like his father, he's a soldier of the Imperial Legion, unlike General Tullius, he craves power and promotions. Despite this tho he's honestly loyal to the Empire, thinks the cause is righteous and can be very rutless with who takes arms agains the Empire but his ambition will not make him betray the Empire or his values

Like he can put rebels corpses as example and then go to help this random farmer who has nothing to pay him back because it's the right thing to do. He simply has an abit to demonize who takes arms against the Empire. At the same, he wants promotion and will plot to take power in the ranks but if he has to choose between saving the Emperor with his body and letting him die and become Emperor he will take the blade for him because that's HIS emperor and he swore loyalty and DAD HAS RAISED NO QUITTER

Out of legion affairs he has "bitchy bastard" or "helpful" as only moods. Or horny pansexual idiot. Would totally drink a coup of milk in the middle of Windhelm

Gives the Forsworns back their land with King Madanach in exchange for Forsworn accepting to be yes indipendent from Skyrim but still a province of the Empire and their magical support in the next great war, Madanach accepts because Madanach is smart and why the fuck should he care about Tiber Septim worship being outlawed anyway

It's Octavian a good person? MEH. That's up for debate I suppose, but he generally does always good things for Tamriel, from stopping Lord Harkon with the Danwguards to put the bleeding province back under peace and normal life which is what the average nord farmer Jim wants

Dragonborn canon suck so Octavian ruins Hermeus Mora plans. Octavian and Mora are direct enemies, Octavian has a good relationship with Meridia, he did not interacted with other princes (he has done the Namira quest but he never talked with Namira becasue has soon as all the cannibals were reunited he killed them and saved the priest) (Also Molag Bal isn't around from ESO here, he's been replaced by @the-sixth-house-unmourned prince oc)

Disliked Serana a lot at the start of Dawnguard but now they're friends and he admires her a lot gonna call it character development when he stops trying to murder all undeads on sight.

Had a duel against Ulfric

Ironically, he was kinda scared to become a new Ulfric when he discovered himself the Dragonborn. Phaarturnax helped him discovering how to search for personal power/ambition without being consumed by his dragon soul

His back is covered in long scars after the final battle against Alduin

And that's all I think, my Skyrim worldspace has some differences from game Skyrim because I like lore despite considering canon an optional guide so I consider things like the old nordic pantheon and the original cities and climates that Skyrim had in Arena. But I'll probably make another post about that

[z-wonderland]

Pride, Love, Hunters and Vampires/1

Fanfiction

Part 1

Elijah Mikaelson x Elena Gilbert

Summary_

 this is my version of ‘Pride and Predjudice’ TVD/TO style

Well, blame it on this picture up there for me writing this  AU story. As always thanks for reading. A post from @rissyrapp20 just got me look into my archives for this story. Also I love Pride, Predjudice and Zombies 😘😁💕😁

______

"Forgive me, I hope you are feeling better." Elijah said as he entered the room where Elena was sitting at the table.

"I am, thank you. Would you like to sit down?!" Elena offered.

Elijah nodded a little and then, instead of sitting down, he walked, in a very huff and puff way to the window looking out and then at the slender brunette. She didn't quite understand the vampire’s sudden visit, and his demeanour wasn't his usual one.

Elena, nevertheless, waited patiently to hear what this announced visit was about, not understanding what has brought him to her friend's house.

As he entered the room, where she waited for him, all that what he felt for her for quite a long time now just came out of him without no restraint and he said looking straight in the eyes, his heart thumping wildlly.

"In vain I have struggled, it would not do. My feelings would not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardetnly I admire and love you. In declaring myself thus I am fully aware that I will be going expressly against my family, my friends and my better judgement. But it cannot be helped - almost from the earliest moments of our acquaintance I have come to feel for you a passionate admiration and regard - which despite all my struggles has overcome every rational objections - and I beg you to relieve my suffering and consent to be my wife"

Elena's astonishment was beyond expression. She looked at Elijah with eyes that cried complete surprise. She then swayed to the window looking out for a second and then turned to the vampire, now looking at him with darkened eyes -

"In such cases, I believe, I should say yes. But I can't- I could never marry you. How would my best friend say- oh- she would say this- I have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly. I am sorry to cause pain to any one, but was unconsciously done-  and, " Elena paused, taking a deep breath said," I hope will be of short duration."

Elijah stepped away and walked over to the chair where he had left his hat and gloves. He turned to her and feeling all the pain cut through his heart he said-

"And this is all the reply which I am to have the honour of expecting! I might, perhaps, wish to be informed why, with so little endeavour at civility, I am thus rejected. But it is of small importance."

"What? Oh - you wish to know - well- why with so evident a desire of offending and insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character? You see- ahm- even if my feelings hadn't decided against you had they been indifferent, or had they even been favourable, do you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the man who has been the means of ruining, perhaps for ever, the happiness of my very best friend? But there are so many other things-"

As Elena said all those things, Elijah changed his colour, but he didn't say anything and listened to the brunette.

"I have every reason in the world to think really bad of you. No motive can excuse the unjust and ungenerous part you acted  when you separated Bonnie from your brother Kol? You dare not, you cannot deny, that you have been the principal, if not the only means of dividing them from each other? Letting Kol believe that she has decided for Luka Martin and that she only played with your brother's feelings, when it really wasn't so?"

He couldn't deny it. It was so. He had played a part to separate them.

"She is a witch and- you know so very well that vampires and witches cannot be." Elijah said.

"Yes, but- how - do you then percive that we- a hunter and a vampire could? It is absolutely beneath you to be with woman that comes from a family that has killed your kind?" Elena threw at the vampire.

"There is one difference between those you call my kind- We have emotions, and those others- the creatures of the night don't-" Elijah replied.

"Yes, I know that. And even though I am in other ways quite superior to your kind, in many others I am not. I am just a pretty little peasant girl deep down, even though my family does have coats of arms stuck on their entrance door bestowed by the Queen." Elena said.

Elijah was quiet. They looked at one another and one could feel that Elena wanted him to leave, even though deep down her heart was not sure that it was so.

The conversation had come to the end. He knew where she stood and this would be their last meeting, but still he had to know just what were the other thing that she had against him.

"The other thing -" the vampire started but the huntress shot up- cutting him in the middle,"Yes- the other thing! Just before arriving here, in New Orleans, I had the pleasure to meet Lucien Castle, and his friends, the Count De Martel and his sister, who you have brought down to utmost poverty and ruin. How do you defend yourself on that account?"

You take an eager interest in that gentleman's concerns" Elijah said, in a less tranquil tone, and with a heightened colour.

"Their misfortunes have been great. It was not the first time you meddle in the business of your brothers. What about Aurora DeMartel and Klaus?"

"Their misfortunes!" Elijah replied contemptuously. "Yes, their misfortunes have been great indeed. And this," the vampire walked with quick steps across the room, "is your opinion of me! This is the estimation in which you hold me! I thank you for explaining it so fully. My faults, according to this calculation, are heavy indeed! But perhaps," he added, stopping. He then turned to Elena, "these offenses might have been overlooked, had not your pride been hurt by my honest confession of the scruples that had long prevented my forming any serious design. These bitter accusations might have been suppressed, had I, with greater policy, concealed my struggles, and flattered you into the belief of my being impelled by unqualified, unalloyed inclination; by reason, by reflection, by everything. But disguise of every sort is my abhorrence. Nor am I ashamed of the feelings I related. They were natural and just. Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? To congratulate myself on the hope of relations, whose condition in life is so decidedly beneath my own?"  

Elena felt her anger now rising up in her veins every moment his words came shooting out, and yet she tried hard to speak now, keeping her cool.  "You are mistaken, Mr Elijah Mikaelson, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way, than as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner."

"You have said quite enough, Lady Elena. I perfectly comprehend your feelings, and have now only to be ashamed of what my own have been. Forgive me for having taken up so much of your time, and accept my best wishes for your health and happiness." having said that Elijah bowed a little and left the room, leaving Elena in complete state of shock struggling with her own heart and tears that she so furiously wanted to stop from falling down. She turned her head to the window and saw him now mount his horse and ride off. His words drummed in her head like loudest thunder-"

"and I beg you to relieve my suffering and consent to be my wife.

[notaverygoodlistener]

9 on the otp scale, sry, idk any of your otps

9. Who wakes the other up in the middle of the night to tell them a cool dream they had? Who has the most nightmares, and who sings them back to sleep after?

thats okie! my two main otps are gwen x lucien and asa x martin, just for future information, (don’t feel like you have to memorize that lmao)

Gwen/Lucien: Gwen is definitely the one who wakes him up so she can share cool dreams. She has way too much going on in her head for THAT to not be a fun ride, and Lucien is mildly entertained by her stories, as long as he gets to go back to sleep. Lucien however, is the one with the most nightmares. It’s usually him reliving things or worst case scenarios playing out in his head, and Gwen becomes Protective Pillow TM.

Asa/Martin: Martin for both. He wakes her up to tell her abt the dreams he has usually concerning the crisis, or she wakes HIM up from a crisis-related nightmare. Either way, Asa’s going to fight his subconscious, and Martin’s the only one allowed to hear her singing voice. 

[powerovernothing]

41. Resting foreheads together - Lucien and Martin, could be in any situation, I just need it.

Send Me A Platonic Touch, And I’ll Write You Something Based Around My Oblivion Verse~

The endless crowd of anxious Imperials huddledthemselves within the chambers of The Ruby Throne, as the fading evening sunfell past the horizon, and appropriately bathed the full lengthof the White Gold Tower with its remaining brilliant hues.

With the time of the Septim Heir’s coronation nownearly upon them at last, hushed questions, and thinly veiled gossipquickly fell from every pair of pursed lips. Continuing to grow steadily inconsiderable concern, until their combined voices had surely reached any andall ears among them – even to those that did not care to hear the mindlessrabble being expressed from the deeply uncomfortable patrons.

(*~*Get Ready For 3K Words Worth Of Brother Feelings And Emotions*~*)

Every question almost entirely the same: Would thenew Emperor be even half the man that his father once was? Would he be able todo what was desperately needed, and help the lands of Cyrodiil rebuild, afterso much was lost during the events of the Crisis? Were the citizens of theImperial City wise with entrusting their fate to this supposed Bastard Heir tothe throne, after he had appeared almost completely out of thin air, and ledthem all to a near impossible victory?

…And what of his accomplices, his makeshift familythat lingered within the shadows of The Dark Brotherhood?

Who was to say, truly, that their new Emperor wouldbe no more than a merciless tyrant? Forcing them all to adhere to the laws ofthe Assassins, and threatening execution, and perhaps even far worse, if theyso much as hoped to disagree?

But amid all countless thoughts and overthinking,one question remained above all else… just where was the soon-to-be Emperor?Why had he not yet shown himself to his people, and begun his crowning ceremonyproper?

Packed within the suffocating throng,Korbin cast a weary stare towards the throne, and could not help but begin tothink along the same train of thought. Just where on Nirn was his brother? Thesun had already fallen past the mountains, and the stars were beginning to taketheir place among the sky, so why had Martin not done so as well?

Shifting to look over his shoulder, Korbin takesnotice of Lucien off to the side – doing all that he could to keep far awayfrom the common folk, but keeping a keen eye upon them all the same – and shoves past several groups rather roughly, hoping to grab hold of TheAssassin before he ventures too far.

Reaching out, and grasping his forearm tightly,Korbin pulls his eldest brother close, and his voice drops down into awhispered tone of his own.

“For the love of Sithis, Lachance, please tell meyou have found him,” He murmurs; his expression shifting from controlledconcern, to mild panic, all the while ignoring the angry glare that greets himin response to his suddenness. “After all, are you not meant to be deemed theEmperor’s Shadow after this is finally concluded? Thus, surely you must knowwhere he is, now of all times!”

“My Silencer, although I have – surprisingly – beendeemed worthy of such an honorable title,” Lucien begins to explain; unlatchingKorbin’s fingers from his arm, and still keeping his darkened expressionperfectly in place. “You must understand that it does not mean that I haveshadowed Septim’s every known step.”

Putting space between him and his protege,Lucien then notices the all too playful light now dancing within Korbin’s eyes.He watches briefly, as Korbin goes to open his mouth, obviously seconds awayfrom voicing his clever rebuttal in regard to what was said, before Lachancesimply raises his hand; fully halting such childishness before it has a chanceto begin.

“Nevertheless,” He continues; turning on hisheel and moving towards the back of the room. “That does not mean that I willnot seek him out, wheresoever he may have gone, and bring him here before thelocal fools erupt into another Crisis from sheer impatience alone.”

At those words, Korbin’s gaze darts from hisbrother’s disappearing figure, and then to the noisy crowds. Feelingincreasingly uneasy with the choice of being left there with them, as opposedto assisting Lucien in finding their wayward Emperor. He absentmindedly placesa hand over the hilt of his dagger, and prays that his brother, that both his brothers,will return to his side…and soon.

All the while a single shared thought seeminglydrifts between both Assassin’s minds.

‘If his excuse is anything less than, ‘I am dead,and you must locate, by some means, another Septim Heir,’ I swear I bathe inhis blood myself.’

 Martin paces back and forth, in an almost endlesscycle of nervousness and overthinking. Walk from the window, look down to yournotes, reread them several times until your speech is memorized, so that youmay pull it from your head effortlessly, and then repeat this behavior untilyou are certain you know exactly what you are doing.

Upon nearly the twentieth time he reaches thewindow, staring out into the darkened lands below, he feels increasinglylightheaded, and wishes nothing more than to simply lower himself to the floor,and rethink his choices in life.

However, a sudden voice speaks up from thedarkness, interrupting his thoughts, and preventing him from following throughwith his desires.

“If you are truly contemplating escaping,” Thevoice calls to him; an almost childish tone of amusement hidden beneath thestoic expression that he wears. “May I suggest a, somewhat more, subtle way ofdisappearing? One that, possibly, does not involve scaling the tallest buildingin Cyrodiil, from sheer anxiety alone?”

Martin turns to meet Lucien, and in the instantthat he does, he feels part of the weight upon his shoulders, that very sameweight that feels as though it may surely crush him, lessen slightly.

“Just what are you doing back here, Septim?” TheAssassin questions as he walks forward; chuckling under his breath at theremarkable state of disarray the Emperor Priest has managed to work himselfinto, and in such a short amount of time. “You are well aware that you arekeeping your ‘beloved’ public waiting, on bated breath mind you, the longer youchoose to linger?”

“Y-Yes, I am, I am very much aware of that,Lachance, thank you,” Martin stammers in response; one hand clutching thestack of papers close to his chest, and the other moving up into hair to runthrough his locks. “And I am indeed coming, truly! I merely thought that –”

“That your time would be better spent holed up insome dark hallway?” Lucien quickly interjects; leaving Martin blinking in confusion,as well as surprise, when he closes the distance between them. “Pouring overendless tomes and papers, whilst trying to find the best possible way to neverface the rest of your life?”

Martin lowers his head, almost in shame of his ownactions, and completely misses the question that Lachance asks next. Only thesound of his chosen sibling’s finger prodding against the papers, is able toforce him back to the current reality…the one he is so desperately trying torun away from.

“These papers; what are they even for?”

Slowly, Martin raises his head, and there is afaint hint of a blush in the corners of his cheeks. A bashful smile touches hisfeatures, as he tries to think of any possible way he could explain hisreasoning without it sounding utterly foolish. And yet after a careful momentof consideration, and even despite himself, simply decides to admit the truth.

“Ah, yes. Well, you see, they are…notes,” Heexplains hesitantly; turning his eyes from Lucien’s darkened gaze, and hopingthat it would be more than enough to appease his curiosity.

Simply just another foolish thought; most likelythe millionth one that Martin had that day.

“For your coronation?”

“…For my speech, at least.”

Lucien smiles widely; incredibly tickled.

“You must be joking.”

At his brother’s amused response, Martin’s handstighten around the papers still held in his grip – and now crinkled to thepoint of being unreadable – as the once faint blush over his cheeks, deepensinto a much richer shade of crimson.

“This is not a joke, Lachance!” He shouts;and upon realizing his harsh show of emotion, hastily lowers his voice backinto its more common tone. “…You remember how I am when it comes to dealingwith crowds, with public speaking in general. How abysmal my speeches are, suchas the pitiful excuse of one, back when we first reached Cloud Ruler –”

“Yes, dear Light Brother, I do believe that I waspresent,” Lucien laughs softly, moving forward once again as he speaks. “Andyes, before you follow through with any further questions, it was indeed as badas you remember. Possibly even more so.”

“Precisely! Thus, why I need –”

Lucien stands in front of Martin, ignoring the possible meltdown in process, and merely extends his hand.

“Septim, allow me to see what is written upon thesenotes of yours.”

Tilting his head curiously, Martin gives over thepapers as instructed, and watches Lucien’s movements carefully. Watches as hepours over the crinkled nervous scribbling with a smile on his face, as hemoves from the Emperor’s side and over towards to one of the windows with aquiet hum under his breath, and how he cracks part of said window open…beforesimply tossing the papers out to the city depths below.

Martin can practically feel his stress levelsreaching an all-time high.

“Lucien! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“From the first moment we met, there has been onething, and one thing only, that has guided you to this very moment that we arein now,” Lucien states matter-of-factly, as he closes the window. His demeanorhaving changed drastically within the span of a few seconds, and back into hisfar more natural composure, as well as his tone of voice.

“An unmistakable, everlasting, and above all else,utterly irritating light that shines brightly from within. You do not need toseek your answers among poorly written notes, or dusty old books that once gavecomfort. You merely need to proceed down your path, following that damnableuncorrupted essence that still lingers, underneath every known fear, and indoing so… you will surely find your way.”

Martin listens intensely to every, surprisinglygenuine, word that The Assassin speaks, and slowly comes to knows that, onsome level – and even despite the amusing way that he sought to phrase hisreassurances – what Lucien is attempting to tell him is indeed the truth.

Breathing in, he finally stands at his fullheight, and a serious expression passes over his features.

“How long have they been awaiting my arrival?”

“Long enough, that even our young brother wasbeginning to become quite concerned over your absence.”

The soon-to-be Emperor turns his head to the side,and glances towards the curtain connecting the hallway and the throne witha slight frown.

“What if I am not, all that they wish for me tobe?”

“Martin, this is everything the three of us hopedto achieve, since the moment we found you in that ruined chapel amid whateverremained of Kvatch. This is what we fought for, what some even *died* for, andnow, that we are finally here…”

Lucien allows his words to trail, as he walksforward and closes the distance between them once again. He reaches out,placing both his hands upon Martin’s shoulders, and his serious expression soonfades into a look of strange gentleness.

“Ask yourself only this: Do you truly believe youare not ready for what comes next?”

Slowly pulling himself away from Lucien’s grip,Martin staggers upon his feet and soon loses himself to another bout of worry.The direct opposite effect that The Assassin had hoped to gain from his words,as well as his physical touch.“But, my friend, there is so much that could surely go wrong,” He admits in analmost breathless tone; his hands beginning to fiddle aimlessly with the amuletaround his neck. “And with our allies being so sparse after Bruma, as well asMehrunes himself appearing in the Imperial City, who is to say that anotherDaedra Lord will not simply –”

Lucien groans aloud in frustration, realizing thatthis is just about as much foolish nonsense that he could surely take from his– normally far more intelligent – younger brother, before walking forward and placinga hand around the back of Martin’s neck.

He pulls him forward, until their foreheads touch.

“Listen to me,” Lucien whispers to him in a softtone; one that was used many times before, and yet not entirely to Martinhimself. Both of his palms move to cup the sides of his brother’s cheeks, andhe holds him carefully in place. “You’re ready. You are more than ready. Stopdoubting yourself, for I know you are better than that.”

Any frantic words that Martin had thought to include in the middle ofhis rambling, dies in the very instance that Lucien Lachance, of all people,pulled him into the affectionate touch. At first, he had stiffened and bracedhimself – for what, exactly, he was not entirely sure, but felt as though thereaction was needed – when he witnessed The Assassin march over to him with anangry glint in his eyes.

But when he reached out to him, not in a means of attack, or even inanger, and pulled him into his own version of an embrace…

Martin finally felt himself being comforted.

The touch was gentle, welcoming even, and the longer that the two mostunlikely pair of companions remained next to each other, the more it becameclear to Martin that Lucien…was not at all pulling away. He simply stood there,holding the young Septim close to him, and allowing this shared touch, to doall that simple words could not.

He finds himself smiling, almost as though he could hear Korbin’scheerful voice in the back of his mind – ‘Do you see now, why I have alwayssought his comfort when this world simply became too much? Our dear brother is,truly, quite skilled at such a task!’ – and reaches up to touch Lucien’s handswith his own.

Lowering them from his face, although still keeping them within hisgrasp, his smile widens and he nods his silent appreciation to what his brotherwent out of his way to do.

Lucien removes his hands from Martin’s – the appearance of a caringheart now swept beneath the darkness, replaced with a familiar disdain for allforms of sentimentally – and walks over to the curtain separating the rooms.

“Now, Emperor Septim,” He says with a well-placed smirk, as pulls thecurtain back, and gestures to the bustling crowd over his shoulder. “I dobelieve it is time for you to walk out there, head held high, and leave thesepoor fools utterly breathless, in a way only a true member of the Dark Familypossibly can.”

Martin leans his head out from the curtain, taking careful note of thefull extent of those within the crowds, and finds himself slightly relaxedwhen he notices Korbin among them. And almost as though he could feel afamiliar presence, the youngest of the three suddenly looks up, and thenhappily waves to his brother from where he stands.

“Unofficial member, Lachance,” Martin gently corrects; pulling himselfback near The Assassin after a moment, and matching Lucien’s grin with one ofhis own. “For I do believe, when last I checked, I was nothing more than a mere‘Light Brother’, and not a true Dark Family member?”

Lucien pauses, looking over Martin – his chosen brother, the Emperor –almost as though it is merely the very first time, as a sense of pridecompletely betrays his playfulness.

“Not anymore.”

Without allowing him an opportunity to reply, or even so much as react towhat was actually said, Lucien gives Martin a quick shove, and sends him outamong his people.

He stumbles slightly, from the rough shove, as well as being face toface with the masses at long last, and feels himself freezing directly in histracks.

However, the longer he stands there, listening to the voices actually cheerand praise his name – one in particular, far louder than all the others, whichhe recognizes almost instantly – hailing him as one of their heroes, and notmerely some bastard heir of their previous Emperor…he feels hisself-confidence rise, and begin to overpower his nervousness.

Taking in one final deep breath, he turns away from the crowd, and looks towards where ChancellorOcato’s stands awaiting on the opposite end of the Ruby Throne.

With newfounddetermination in his step, as well as a smile upon his face, Martin proceedsdown his path, and – just as he was so instructed – with his head held high.

Nolonger afraid of the unknown, of a future that could very well come apart atthe seams at the first instance of unrest, but actually willing – actually wanting– to face it, and whatever else could possibly hope to come next, with a senseof excitement in his heart.

Because, perhaps Lucien was right.

Perhaps he was indeed ready after all.

[bluebeardskey]

Elder Scrolls madlibs

Or more like Elder scrolls autocomplete/ auto-correct / mad libs.

Here is my first one:

THE OBLIVION CRISIS, behind the scenes

Lucien Lachance don’t mind that we offer free delivery to your door and Vicente Valtieri did a quick overview of the vampires of our lives.

Martin Septim went from being s little too small to a high risk business strategy. Uriel sent the wrong thing to the blades master and now Jauffre is not available for immediate delivery. Baurus and the others think that the company has taken a fantastic job and that everything is going great.

Meanwhile, in Oblivion, Mehrunes Dagon can’t find his laptop and Sheo is about to change the world of Harry Potter and the E bay. Haskill thinks that it would be better to just let Jyggalag, the driver, make a real problem.

Mankar Camoran and his merry band of cultist kraken cauliflowers sing the ancient woodland songs to appease the gross jesters of Nocturnal because she got mad after they kept stressing her favorite clients. I mean dogs.

Also, Mannimarco, the king of Wuv has come back to Cyrodiil and is in the mood for some fun with his pals, the judges of Tamriel’s got talent. But Arch-operator Traven of the Arcane Brewery wants to ruin his face and won’t let him do it. So, instead, he is stuck with a couple of cool looking retards and is trying to get some high.

M’aiq does not want to know how things will work out. He and the Nerevarine go for a drink in Todd Howard’s garage. There they meet Gabe Newell and gossip about Sload mash.

And that is how COC!Sheo got the most amazing idea to create the minions.

Notes:

I am surprised that it connected Vicente with the word vampires.

Also, according to Cyrodiilians of E3 433, the Nerevarine is on an expedition to Akavir. Either the Nerevarine was lying or Todd Howard’s garage is (in) Akavir and Gabe Newell is in Akavir.

Or Todd Howard has kidnapped Gabe Newell and now a doppelganger is posing as him. Or the Nerevarine and M’aiq are Gods that mastered Chim or whatever and they can get out of the godhead or the screen to chill irl.

In that case, M’aiq in our world, outside the godhead, has a human form. Who do you think he is? Please suggest only mortal people, not any religious figures from non-media related religions.

Or are Todd Howard and Gabe Newell friends? Like Zeus and Odin?  Idk. I googled it. I don’t think so...

So... I guess the highest mountain in Akavir (Todd Howard’s Garage?), please suggest name, is like the Olympus where all the gaming and in-game gods hang out? M’aiq does not want to know how things will work out. He and the Nerevarine go for a drink in Todd Howard’s garage. There they meet Gabe Newell and gossip about Sload mash.

And that is how COC!Sheo got the most amazing idea to create the minions.

Notes:

I am surprised that it connected Vicente with the word vampires.

Also, according to Cyrodiilians of E3 433, the Nerevarine is on an expedition to Akavir. Either the Nerevarine was lying or Todd Howard’s garage is (in) Akavir and Gabe Newell is in Akavir.

Or Todd Howard has kidnapped Gabe Newell and now a doppelganger is posing as him. Or the Nerevarine and M’aiq are Gods that mastered Chim or whatever and they can get out of the godhead or the screen to chill irl.

In that case, M’aiq in our world, outside the godhead, has a human form. Who do you think he is? Please suggest only mortal people, not any religious figures from non-media related religions.

Or are Todd Howard and Gabe Newell friends? Like Zeus and Odin?  Idk. I googled it. I don’t think so...

So... I guess the highest mountain in Akavir (Todd Howard’s Garage?), please suggest name, is like the Olympus where all the gaming and in-game gods hang out?