#OC: Mishka

[wanderingaldecaldo]

Traditional Leather Chaps + Masc V Jeans [Gender Inclusive]

Photocredits: Leather chaps — all @streetkid-named-desire. Jeans — @thelonestrider, myself, @streetkid-named-desire. Thanks, friends!

Thanks to @streetkid-named-desire for commissioning the leather chaps for VG's vaquero backstory. So happy to enable this brainrot for you, friend.

I'm also thankful because revamping the jeans was on my list and this pushed me to upgrade to Dynamic and add Garment Support, and also learn how to use the bulge detector. The last part is what pushed me to finalize Grem's character. Short lore dump (and a reprint of last week's MVM pics) after the cut...

I'd been kicking around the idea of "Gremlin" for at least six months, and I knew he'd use the Flat Chest body, and that he'd grown up with Travis, but that's it. Using the bulge detector with the Flat Chest body pulled all the pieces into place for him.

Gryffyn, aka "Gremlin" or "Grem", Galvan

Grem is a scrawny, formerly malnourished streetrat who learned how to get by on his wits — which coincidentally involved allying with stronger streetkids than himself. Using the Flat Chest combined with the slim legs rig and a few other mods recommended here, I've managed to get Grem started looking like himself.

Thankfully Void refitted their wardrobe for use with dynamic Flat Chest, so it's been easier to find clothes that work for him. I've wanted more butch clothing for fem V for some time, and Grem gives me another reason to make stuff compatible for Flat Chest. Expect to see more masc friendly fem V clothing soon!

[thelonestrider]

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔっ♡Mod

[miss--river]

💕 self-love time! talk about which ones of YOUR creations (edits, artworks, fanfics) you like the most then send to other creators to do the same 💕

thank you so much!❤️ sorry this took me so long to answer 😅

i'll start with jori since she's the first one i created! i know it may not seem like it lately but she's the main baby of the other 2 main babies i have! ive projected so much of myself and interests onto her that i became attached quickly lmao! she's also the one who i insert into every piece of media that im consuming and like enough. like, if im playing dead space i totally imagine her in the place of isaac. or if im playing a backrooms game she's the one running around and trying to escape from the monsters lmfao! her story has taken different shapes and changes since i actually brought her over from red dead online. her twin brother, mika, doesnt exist in red dead online and was solely create for cyberpunk purposes. i love the pic on the left because i just think she looks really badass lmao! and i like the one on the right because im not usually patient enough to set up sets and backgrounds but this time i stuck it out and i loved it! it's simple compared to what others can do but im still proud of it!

next is the love of her life, driss! back when i first started getting into modding my game i actually shipped her with river. i was trying to get a cute shot of her and river looking out at the sunset over the ocean, but sine i was so new to modding i didnt know bigger characters like river had a different locomotion type so i couldnt get any poses to work. as a test i replaced an NPC couple with jori and driss and that was when i fell into a hole lmfao! i thought they looked so much better together so i kept them going! their ship name is Broken and Beautiful because both of them have past traumas that still effect them but they found comfort and understanding in each other. i love how soft both of these pics are! especially the fire behind them in the one on the right!

lottie is my second of the main 3! she also started out as a red dead online OC! i usually try to make her come off as a flowery, cottage core, disney princess aesthetic type. she's the softest and shyest of my OCs but she can be fierce too! she smiles at strangers in the street and will lend a hand if they look like they need it but she does it with caution because... its night city lmao! i chose these pictures in particular because i just thought they were the coolest ones. i do have some pics that showcase her as soft and flowery but i just couldnt resist showing these ones instead! the one on the left was made to be a tarot card called The World. the pic on the right was me trying out a greaser AU on her! i really love how they both came out!

the last of the main 3 is phoenix! i made her fully expecting to just leave her to collect dust, just like certain other OCs, (and i feel so bad for them 😔) but i became attached to her very quickly too. i based a chunk of her personality off of vash the stampede from the 1998 anime trigun. after a short while of that i actually ended up shipping her with him lmfao! currently she doesnt have a backstory because nothing has really inspired me yet but at least i know some things about her current life! i think these pics are perfect for show casing her as she currently is. she lives in clutter but not, like, dirty clutter if that makes sense? she just likes having stuff and buying things that interest her. i mean doesnt everyone? haha! she doesnt really save her money for anything other than rent and bills, everything else is purely impulse. her favorite treat is donuts and when she's willing to share one with you thats how you know she likes you! her favorite thing is to make people smile!

onto stuff that i made for other people! i really loves these pics that i took of mishka and claire for @thelonestrider! mishka looks SO GOOD in purple! and claire is chef's kiss! i had a lot of fun taking pics of her! i got such freeing vibes from her so i had to have her enjoying the sun's rays!

i took these ones for @holofishes and i totally consider wren to be one of jori's besties! i think they'd have so much to talk about and i get such warm vibes when i see them together! jori is usually very sweet and kind but when it comes to her friends she'd kick anyone's ass 😉 the sunflowers and butterflies in the first pic took so long to place! but it was totally worth it! they're both rays of sunshine!

[teddyccino]

the gangs all here !!!

[devotion-disorder]

Idk why, but the minute that you mentioned that Mishka has piercings I immediately thought of dick piercings😭 I know that he probably wouldn't get them, but it would be funny to think that when Mishka was younger he might've been slightly rebellious and got a dick piercing cause he thought that it would make other elves respect him(Since it probably hurts, A LOT)

Also you mentioned something about Mishka preferring belled collars, is he by any chance fond of cats and thinks the bell would look cute on his human? Or does he just prefer it because it will alert him of their location at all times?🤔

yes, he likes cats and thinks it cute and befitting for his little human. And yes, it is also to help him locate his human at all times (since one of his ears was clipped, his hearing is a bit worse than most elves).

Also, dick piercings aren’t that far off considering the actual circumstances where he got his piercings LOL but nah his pp remains metal-free.

[cinnamon-bat-art]

Look at this dog! Isn't she cool?

Attack on @gothycollie's Mishka over artfight💜 (But you can see em here on this very site as well heheh)

[rustisntpunk]

Some butch on butch activity and misc character sketches c:

[strivingscribe29]

[recklessmoss]

Random assortment of OCs for today,  as treat :)

[dropoutfailure]

my fav ship dynamic except it's just my OCs Mishka + his dad Gustav, because I was starved for content, so I made my own food. dadson + guilt + weird messed up trans guy content. 💘

I so badly wanted to keep it simple and do an actual "ship dynamics" simple sketch vague-ing about my characters, but um I guess I had it in me to do more today. how.

[stargazer-sims]

⭐ I'd like to know the whole list for Mishka and Nikolai if you're still up for it!

Thanks for another epic set of questions @honeyjars-sims! Some sections didn't really apply to Nikolai and Mishka, but I did my best!

Again, this is under a cut because it's super long.

Nikolai Pavlenko and Mikhail (Mishka) Vasiliev

Disagreements:

Who is more likely to raise their voice? If anyone is going to raise their voice, it'd be Nikolai, but that would be a rare event. Neither of them likes raised voices, and neither of them feel good about raising their voices, particularly with each other.

Who threatens to leave but never actually does? Neither

Who actually keeps their word and leaves? Neither

Who trashes the house? Neither

Do either of them get physical? No. They're both very gentle people and could never imagine putting their hands on each other in that way.

How often do they argue/disagree? They rarely argue, but they often disagree.

Who is the first to apologize? Usually Nikolai, even if he's not necessarily in the wrong. He just hates seeing Mishka upset. Mishka will apologize first if he knows he's in the wrong, though.

Sex:

Who is on top? Who is on the bottom? I'm combining these two questions because both Nikolai and Mishka are sides (men who find fulfillment/pleasure in every kind of same-sex sexual act except penetrative sex). They're both bisexual and they've each had experiences with women, so in those relationships they were "top" by default, but between the two of them there really is no top or bottom.

Who has the strangest desires? Neither of them have particularly strange desires, but Mishka does enjoy making love outdoors and Nikolai enjoys intimacy in the water

Any kinks? No

Who’s dominant in bed? Mishka would say it's Nikolai, but neither one of them is particularly dominant

Is head ever in the equation? Yes

If so, who is better at performing it? Mishka says Nikolai is better, but he's managed to make Nikolai literally cry with pleasure, so we have to go with Mishka as being the better performer here.

Ever had sex in public? No. Mishka would be mortified at the mere thought of sex in public. Nikolai has done it in a public place with a different partner, but he knows Mishka would never be okay with that level of risk-taking, so they keep it limited to their home or anywhere else they know they'll have privacy.

Who moans the most? Mishka. That was alarming to Nikolai the first time because he'd never heard another man moan and whimper the way Mishka does, and he was scared he'd accidentally hurt him somehow. Once he realized Mishka was just really enjoying himself, it was all good.

Who leaves the most marks? Neither of them

Who screams the loudest? Neither of them screams

Who is the more experienced of the two? Nikolai. He's had plenty of partners, both male and female. Although he's also bisexual, Mishka was only ever with women before he met Nikolai and he'd only had a few different partners.

Do they ‘fuck’ or ‘make love’? They make love. Neither of them could imagine referring to it as fucking. When Nikolai thinks about fucking, he invariably comes up with a mental image of his ex-wife Anya, and it's not a pleasant association for him.

Rough or soft? Always gentle and soft with these two. Anya liked it rough and Nikolai had no idea how soothing and satisfying it could be until he met Mishka. He loves the way Mishka touches him, like he's the most precious and beautiful thing alive. Mishka likewise appreciates that Nikolai understands he's happiest when they're moving slowly and softly.

How long do they usually last? They like to take their time, so they can go on for quite a while.

Is protection used? No

Does it ever get boring? It hasn't gotten boring for either of them yet.

Where is the strangest place they’d have sex? In a tent and in a lake. They like to camp in the middle of nowhere, and they've taken advantage of the solitude to "enjoy nature" shall we say.

Family:

Do your muses plan on having children/or have children? They don't have children and they're not planning on any.

If so, how many children do your muses want/have? n/a

Who is the favorite parent? n/a

Who is the authoritative parent? n/a (although if they did have kids, it'd probably be Nikolai who made sure all the rules were followed)

Who is more likely to allow the children to have a day off school? n/a

Who lets the children indulge in sweets and junk food when the other isn’t around? n/a

Who turns up to extra curricular activities to support their children? n/a

Who goes to parent teacher interviews? n/a

Who changes the diapers? n/a

Who gets up in the middle of the night to feed the baby? n/a

Who spends the most time with the children? n/a

Who packs their lunch boxes? n/a

Who gives their children ‘the talk’? n/a

Who cleans up after the kids? n/a

Who worries the most? n/a

Who are the children more likely to learn their first swear word from? n/a

Affection:

Who likes to cuddle? They both love to cuddle. Most of the time, they'd rather just cuddle than make love. They definitely enjoy lovemaking, but they're happy with lots of non-sexual intimacy and don't always feel the need to do more.

Who is the little spoon? The "little" spoon is actually Mishka. He loves to be held, even though the positioning is slightly awkward. Nikolai likes to tease him about not realizing how big he is.

Who gets naughty in the most inappropriate of places? This would be Nikolai, and he always has to remind himself that Mishka would be horribly embarrassed if they crossed too far over the line of what Mishka considers appropriate in public.

Who struggles to keep their hands to themselves? Both of them. Mishka has massive anxiety about being in public spaces and he wants to be in near-constant physical contact with Nikolai when they're out in public, whether it's holding hands, letting Nikolai take his arm, walking with their arms around each other's waists, or letting their foot or leg touch the other person's when they're sitting down somewhere. It's not unusual to see Mishka hugging Nikolai from behind while they stand in line for their coffee in the morning. Nikolai doesn't object to any of this, of course. He's perfectly content to touch and be touched pretty much any time.

At home, Nikolai often gives Mishka little reassuring touches at any point throughout the day. As for Mishka, he can never resist the temptation to touch Nikolai's birthmark whenever he happens to catch Nikolai with his shirt off. Nikolai's birthmark is heart-shaped, and Mishka is fascinated by it and can't seem to leave it alone.

How long can they cuddle until one becomes uncomfortable? They can cuddle for half an hour or so at a time, unless they're in bed where they could comfortably cuddle for hours. Nikolai is usually the one who becomes uncomfortable first, mostly because Mishka can't conceptualize his own size and seems to think he can fit on Nikolai's lap or otherwise drape himself all over him.

Who gives the most kisses? Nikolai

What is their favourite non-sexual activity? Holding hands. These two are constantly holding hands, so much so that almost everyone notices it. As for actual activities, one of their favourite things to do together is to go camping.

Where is their favourite place to cuddle? In bed. This is the easiest and most comfortable place for them to cuddle, especially considering their size difference.

Who is more likely to playfully grope the other?  They're both equally likely to do this when they're alone at home and they're in the mood.

How often do they get time to themselves? More or less whenever they want. They live together and don't have any children or roommates, so when Nikolai isn't working, they can be together as much as they want.

Sleeping:

Who snores? Both of them

If both do, who snores the loudest? Mishka does

Do they share a bed or sleep separately? They share a bed

If they sleep together, do they cozy up together or lay far apart? They like to cuddle together, and sometimes they'll stay curled up together even after they fall asleep.

Who talks in their sleep? Neither

What do they wear to bed? Nikolai will often sleep in just his underwear, sometimes with a tank top or t-shirt and sometimes without. In the coldest part of winter he likes to wear PJ pants or sweatpants to bed. Mishka sometimes just sleeps in his underwear and a t-shirt as well, but he likes pyjamas, especially in winter.

Are either of your muses insomniacs? No

Can sleeping pills be found by the bedside? No

Do they wrap their limbs around each other or just lay side by side? They like to wrap their limbs around each other

Who wakes up with bed hair? Nikolai, although it's kind of hard to tell since he looks like he has 24/7 bed hair.

Who wakes up first? Nikolai. He's a morning person.

Who prepares breakfast in bed for the other? Nikolai

What is their favourite sleeping position? They both like to sleep on their side

Who hogs the sheets? Mishka

Do they set an alarm each night? No, because Nikolai is really good at waking up on his own. The only time they set an alarm is if Nikolai is travelling with his students and wants to make absolutely certain he doesn't oversleep and miss a flight.

Can a television be found in their bedroom? No

Who has nightmares? Mishka

Who has ridiculous dreams? they both do on occasion

Who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed?  Mishka, but he doesn't actually have to sprawl to take up most of the bed. He just does that anyway due to his size. He thinks they need a bigger bed, because a normal double bed doesn't feel big enough for him.

Who makes the bed?  Mishka

What time is bed time?  Nikolai's bedtime is usually around 10:30 p.m. (he routinely gets up at 5:00 a.m.) Mishka will often go to bed with him, but he doesn't really have a bedtime and sometimes goes to bed earlier or later than Nikolai.

Any routines/rituals before bed? Nothing special. They'll just do typical hygiene things like showering and brushing their teeth. Mishka will take his contacts out, if he's bothered to wear them that day.

Who’s the grumpiest when they wake up? Mishka. He's not a morning person and he'd stay in bed until noon if Nikolai would let him.

Work:

Who is the busiest? Nikolai

Who rakes in the highest income? Currently Nikolai does, as he's the only one with a job.

Are any of your muses unemployed? Yes, Mishka currently doesn't work. He used to be a professional hockey player, but he finally retired from his athletic career at age 35, and is now recovering and trying to figure out what he'd like to do next. At the moment, he's enjoying being a stay-home partner.

Who takes the most sick days? Nikolai, by default, since he's the only one with a job, but he rarely takes a sick day.

Who is more likely to turn up late to work? Neither

Who sucks up to their boss? Neither of them has a boss to suck up to.

What are their jobs? Nikolai is a figure skating coach and Mishka used to be a pro hockey player

Who stresses the most? Mishka. Even unemployed, he's highly susceptible to stress.

Do your muses enjoy or despise their careers/occupations? Nikolai absolutely loves his work, and Mishka enjoyed most aspects of his.

Are your muses financially stable? Yes

Home:

Who does the washing? Mishka

Who takes out the trash? They take turns doing this

Who does the ironing? Nikolai's mother or Beth-Anne lol okay... it's Mishka these days, because Nikolai is literally like, "What is this 'ironing' of which you speak?" and he would totally take things to his mom or Beth-Anne to iron for him. But now he has someone at home who actually likes to iron.

Who does the cooking? Nikolai

Who is more likely to burn the house down just trying? Neither. Mishka is sometimes nervous about cooking, but he knows how to use all the appliances safely.

Who is messier?  Nikolai

Who leaves the toilet roll empty? Nikolai, and Mishka gets super annoyed about it.

Who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor? Nikolai

Who forgets to flush the toilet? Neither of them

Who is the prankster around the house? It would be Nikolai, but he's learned that Mishka finds practical jokes upsetting.

Who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere? Neither of them

Who mows the lawn? They take turns mowing the lawn.

Who answers the telephone? They each have their own phone

Who does the vacuuming? They take turns, but it's mostly Mishka

Who does the groceries? Nikolai

Who takes the longest to shower? Neither of them take particularly long showers

Who spends the most time in the bathroom? Mishka. He's way more concerned about his appearance than Nikolai is.

Miscellaneous:

Is money a problem? No

How many cars do they own? two

Do they own their home or do they rent? Nikolai owns it

Do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside? They live on the coast. In fact, they can see the beach from their yard.

Do they live in the city or in the country?  They live in a bedroom community of a medium-sized city

Do they enjoy their surroundings? They love it there. Nikolai and his ex-wife Anya chose the house specifically because it was in a quieter area outside the main part of the city, and Nikolai still values the relative privacy and quiet of the area. Mishka loves it because it's got lots of green space for his garden and his animals, and he also likes that it's quiet and that it's so near the ocean.

What’s their song? A Thousand Years - Christina Perri

"And all along I believed I would find you; Time has brought your heart to me."

What do they do when they’re away from each other? They absolutely do not like being away from each other. When Nikolai travels with his students for competitions, sometimes Mishka comes too. When Mishka is not able to come along for whatever reason, Nikolai usually arranges for Mishka to stay with his parents and grandfather, or with Beth-Anne, because Mishka hates being alone (he had a roommate before he moved in with Nikolai). While Nikolai is away, they'll call and text each other multiple times a day, and Mishka meets him at the airport when he returns.

Where did they first meet? They met at a pub

How did they first meet? It was Nikolai and Natascha's 30th birthday when Mishka and Nikolai first met. Nikolai and Natascha and some of their friends were having a small get-together for the twins' birthday at a pub in the city, called the Dockside Alehouse. While Nikolai and his friend Hunter were up at the bar getting another round of drinks for everyone, Mishka happened to wander in. He was clearly lost and looked like he was on the verge of panic.

Mishka had only arrived in town a couple of days before, as part of a mid-season player trade, and he was staying at a downtown hotel until he found a place of his own. He'd decided to go out for a walk, managed to get his directions confused (typical for Mishka), and couldn't find his way back to the hotel. He'd stopped at a nearby convenience store to ask for help, but no one had been able to understand him, and the only other place open nearby was the Dockside. Because his English was so limited, he was having trouble making himself understood by the bartender at the pub too.

It was a case of being in the right place at the right time, as far as Nikolai was concerned, because he happened to recognize that in between bits of English, Mishka was speaking Russian, which is also Nikolai's first language. He decided to help him. Nikolai and Hunter invited Mishka to join the birthday party, and afterwards Nikolai took him back to his hotel.

Nikolai and Mishka continued to see each other after that, and eventually their friendship developed into a relationship. They were together for four years the first time, but decided to separate for a number of factors, not the least of which were Mishka's crazy travel schedule and the interference of Nikolai's ex-wife.

They always said they'd try to find their way back to each other if their lives ever stabilized. After six years of separation, during which they had semi-regular contact and a handful of short-term relationships each, they finally did find their way back to each other. This time, they're not letting go ever again.

Who spends the most money when out shopping? Mishka. He loves clothes and jewelry.

Who’s more likely to flash their assets? Neither

Who finds it amusing when the other trips over? Neither one. Mishka gets upset over the smallest thing happening to Nikolai, and Nikolai is super protective of Mishka.

Any mental issues? Mishka has Generalized Anxiety Disorder and he's prone to panic attacks.

Who’s terrified of bugs? Neither

Who kills the spiders around the house? They don't kill spiders. Mishka catches them and takes them outside.

Their favourite place? Their favourite place is actually their back yard.

Who pays the bills? Nikolai

Do they have any fears for their future? They don't, really. Their biggest fear is one of them losing the other because of an accident or illness, but even this is more of a nebulous fear than a specific one.

Who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner? Nikolai

Who uses up all of the hot water?  Neither

Who’s the tallest? MIshka! He's 196cm (compared to Nikolai's 173cm)

Who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other? They're equally likely to hop into the shower with each other. Nikolai would do it because he wants to play, and Mishka would do it "to be more efficient... but actually I missed you."

 Who wanders around in their underwear? They both do, but Nikolai tends to do it more and to not be shy about it.

Who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio? Mishka, and he's really good.

What do they tease each other about? Nikolai often teases Mishka about not realizing how big and tall he is, and says Mishka is like a Great Dane who thinks he's a lap dog. Mishka likes to tease Nikolai about his ever-present bed head. Nikolai's hair cannot be tamed, and he's given up trying, but Mishka still thinks it can be done with enough hair product.

Who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times? Mishka is more likely to cringe at Nikolai's fashion choices. Sweatpants/athletic pants are a wardrobe staple for Nikolai. He's perfectly comfortable going out in public wearing exactly what he'd wear at the rink or around the house. Although Mishka can admit that Nikolai does look very good in form-fitting athletic pants, he's a little embarrassed to be seen with him wearing them to the grocery store or to a dentist appointment. Mishka always tries to encourage Nikolai to dress up a bit more for errands and appointments, to at least wear jeans and a nice shirt rather than sweatpants, a hoodie and sneakers.

Do they have mutual friends? Yes. Nikolai's student Eden and his partner Haru are their mutual friends, as well as Beth-Anne and her girlfriend Peace. They consider their elderly neighbour Michael Nelson to be their friend. Nikolai has friends who Mishka is friendly with, and Mishka likewise has a few friends who Nikolai knows and is friendly with, but their shared circle of friends is actually quite small.

Who crushed first?  MIshka. He had an instant crush on Nikolai (his hero!) that very first night at the pub.

Any alcohol or substance related problems? No

Who is more likely to stumble home drunk at 3am? Neither. They're both usually in bed at 3:00 a.m. If anyone's going to stumble home drunk though, it's Nikolai. Mishka has a shocking alcohol tolerance and can drink Nikolai and most of their friends under the table.

Who swears the most? Nikolai

[silaslich]

ANONTHA ONE

Mishka Zakharov

Age - 29

Gender - female

Occupation - Russian informant

Pronouns - they/her

Nationality - Russian 🇷🇺 (mother) Ukrainian 🇺🇦 (father)

Hair colour - brown

Eye colour - grey

Alias(es) - Meesh (141), Bear (callsign)

Height - 5’10 (178cm)

A commission from the lovely @/poppiee.s

[thelonestrider]

Offers Mishka in these trying times. 🫶 mod by Wash

[annasezen-art]

Is anyone else as obsessed with the Wayhaven Chronicles as I am??? It's incredibly well written, I love the story, I adore the characters, I was surprised by certain events multiple times, and I fricking love that I can make decisions which determine how the story develops.

Very excited to continue reading/playing!!!

[cmkren]

The Arishok and His Hero.

;Da2 Arishok x Fem!HoF

The Arishok and the HoF once had an intimate but complicated relationship from when he was a Sten. Tensions are rising in Kirkwall, and his mind subconsciously drifts to a simpler time. A time with her.

Unfortunately for him, there’s one thing he’s forgotten.

a/n: erm, whats up !! I remember struggling writing this because I always though the arishok had like … long hair. so when i figured out he didn’t i just made it a plot point to make things sadder. I am genuinely so sad we don’t get to romance sten in dao argh

also erm sorry got my lore wrong LMAO pretend this is an au where dao sten gets the arishok role immediately after returning

“Well looky you. You aged like fine wine, huh, Sten? Or— I suppose it’s the Arishok now.”

She snarked, a grin on her face but it seemed there was something else behind it. Something deeper, more complex than just two companions reuniting after a long time. That’s all they were, and had been to the outside world. Companions. They didn’t notice the looks, the gentle touches, the desire when one passed the other. Back in the day, that was. Now look at them. Having withered slightly with age.

Mishka had streaks of gray in her hair, though still looking relatively young. Not to mention the barrage of scars on her body— more than when the Arishok knew her. When he had still just been Sten. He changed the most between the two, after all. He was now the leader of the Qunari militia. His hair double the length it was back then, some graying too of course. Wrinkles finally showing up more, more apparent. Long, beautiful horns that Sten lacked back then. Horns she wanted to grab.

“The Hero of Ferelden came to visit. How delightful.” He spoke dryly, making the elf snort and cross her arms. She looked more Dalish now, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Perhaps just a little amused, considering how she used to curse the Dalish as if they were Darkspawn themselves. Perhaps she made some amends with her past and moved on. That would be a first for Mishka. If she had many of those left. The Arishok certainly never expected to see her again, after their departure from one another. Especially after the final fight. Yet here she was.

He sat atop his throne, in the Qunari compound that they had to make due to the misfortune of being stuck in Kirkwall of all cities. Due to his mistake. The stress and tension that’d been building over the last few years, it felt like a pot was going to soon boil over. Being far from Par Vollen didn’t help either— because that meant no Tamassarans. So maybe… that’s why he didn’t call for the Stens around him to apprehend her as she sauntered towards the throne.

His stony stare digging holes into her, watching the familiar movement coming from a woman he used to hold quite close to his chest. Literally and figuratively. The Sten didn’t turn their heads. Maybe it was because he didn’t say anything, or it could have been another reason. He didn’t care. His eyes were only on her. The damned arrogant elf.

The Hero of Ferelden. Small enough for him to tower over, but not fragile that she’d shatter as soon as he put his hand on her waist and squeezed. Definitely not fragile, as she’s shown him dozens of times. That was just when she was starting to hone her skills too, he could only imagine what a decade of hard work and training could do for her. She who sat so languidly in his lap, calloused hand reaching up to caress his face. It made him jolt. That wasn’t the surprising bit. The surprising bit was the way he then keened, and leaned into her touch.

He took in her features. The gnarly burn mark that forever scarred the left side of her face, and travelling to her shoulder. A mark he took upon himself those years ago to heal until she no longer flinched and hissed when he traced his finger over the coarse skin.

Lips that whispered the filthiest things to him. That would spread into a grin when she finally started figuring out how to read him. How to tell what would rile him up and what would absolutely piss him off.

Her hand travelled higher until it tangled itself in his hair, her other hand on his chest. Eyes flitted half closed, looking up at him through long lashes. He who only leaned further down, hardly letting her be the one chasing after him. Instead, he was the one chasing after her. Her touch. Her words.

Her lips parted, putting on display the sharp points she called her teeth. Whenever she raked those across his skin, it felt like a dagger gliding along his body. Little daggers she had in her mouth. “You, Sten,” she breathed out, breath hot against own mouth. His lips parted just the slightest, as if he expected something. Anything.

“Are a useless fucking tool.”

Then there it was. Her hands fell limp. Her head knocked against his own, and the lively body that once sat perched on his lap became limp like a rag doll. The stench of death and charred flesh, the stench of something earthy and dank, the smell of Darkspawn blood.

The top of Fort Drakon. The Archdemon’s corpse on the ground. Next to it, the Hero of Ferelden. She was Grey Warden, to die killing the Archdemon was her purpose. He knew better than anyone— anyone that to stop her from fulfilling that purpose would have made him a hypocrite. So who was he, the man who followed the Qun to the T, who was he to deny her that privilege of purpose he devoted and spoke of? That’s why, while everyone rushed to her side to help fight the Archdemon, he stayed away. He wasn’t there when she drew her last breath. When she fulfilled her purpose.

What of his purpose?

As he stared at the Asala she returned to him. The weapon he killed for when he found out it was missing. For the first time in a while, after that fight. Her death. He questioned it. He questioned it all. The Qun. His life. His faiths. His purpose.

Suddenly, she appeared before him. The Archdemon looming from behind, its breath puffing out smoke with every breath it took. The sky a bewitching and venomous purple, Mishka’s lifeless eyes stared into his. “Tal-Vashoth. Your faith wavered. Your people should have thrown you out,” a storm brew above, “just like you did to me.”

A flash and a bang.

Then nothing.

When vision came to him once again, he was staring up at his tent. Surrounded by handmade, quality cushions all for the Arishok. His bed roll a mess, no doubt from him tossing and turning. His body slightly damp from sweat, as he pushed himself up and off the ground. Locks of hair falling in front of him, as he breathed in and out.

She was dead. She has been for ten years. That had been a figment of his imagination. Unbeknownst to him, it was the guilt that had been building up for a decade. Guess it finally spilled over during this time of high stress. He kneeled, quickly dressing himself and making himself look presentable. Anything to take his mind off of… that.

“Arishok. The diplomat from the Viscount has finally arrived.” Spoke a Sten outside his tent. The Arishok only grunted, right. He had visitors today. More to add to his migraine, he supposed. He slinked out of his tent, eyes squinting just the slightest as the sunlight hit his vision. His head throbbed. He could feel it, still feel her touch. The way she pulled on his hair, so close to the protruding horns adorned with gold bands.

“You know, you’d look absolutely dashing with long hair. I’ve always loved that look on men. Especially you.”

Spoken to him, by her during a drunken night. Oghren convinced her to drink with him, and that made her ten times the more honest than she usually was. Which was honestly a feat. There was certainly more to that memory, but he’d rather leave it untouched. The Arishok looked back to his tent. He supposed a change in his appearance wasn’t criminal.

•••

“What should I say, hm? Fenris, you know a bit of Qun right? C’mon, give me some phrases!”

“I’m afraid learning them right here right now when we’ve already entered the compound would be a bit of poor taste, Hawke. Should have asked me before we came.”

“D’awh, s’okay Hawke! Sure elfy there will gladly aid you in translating some of our delightful conversation topics of the day.”

“Careful— The elf might just end up with us gutted. You know how he is.”

Four pairs of eyes landed on him when he finally walked out. A blonde mage, a white haired elf, a dwarf with a cross bow, and a human. A human with..

“Speak. Now.” His voice came out as a rumble, perhaps with a little more animosity than needed. Yet he could not help it. He sliced off his hair moments before coming out so he wouldn’t have to have a constant reminder of that woman— and here another one was. With similar hair colour and skin, not to mention facial markings as well. And an arrogant little smirk on her face.

Even in death she found ways to piss him off.

[devotion-disorder]

You ever think that elves have beauty standards like we do? Like how low/down pointing ears is considered an "ugly trait" but having high/up pointing ears is considered a "pretty trait"?

oh absolutely!

Having long, symmetrical and slightly upward pointing ears is thought to be a symbol of wisdom and grace. Having luscious, healthy hair also signified your elegance and self-regard etc etc. For example, here's a very old portrait of Lieutenant Mikhail (or Mishka as he's fondly nicknamed), who has made many an elf swoon back in the day.