#here’s something for the Ravenwatch posting event!

[rvnwtch]

Here’s my post for our Ravenwatch event! I might try to turn it into something longer in the future. I thought it would be fun to write Fennorian taking Vestige’s blood and NOT being nervous about doing it.

The sun had set a while ago, and it was beginning to get chilly out when Fennorian broke the peaceful silence between them, “My flask is getting a little low. It’s probably time to call it a night.”

They’d made good progress today. Fenn’s lead had sent them to a small seaside town. They’d even managed to track a vampire back to its coven. It wasn’t quite time to interrupt the vampire’s plans yet, so they’d agreed to spend some time in the library planning their next move. 

Vestige hummed in disappointment. “Already?” 

Fennorian smiled sheepishly and held his flask up before them. “I apologize, I’ve been drinking from it more frequently today.” He avoided Vestige’s eyes as he said this. 

In the back of their mind, they hoped they weren’t the reason he’d needed his flask more. But the lack of eye contact had basically confirmed it.

“It’s not that! It’s just that I feel like we only just met up again.” Vestige said, trying not to pout. They were an adult, they could very well act like one.

Smiling sympathetically, Fennorian said “I feel the same. Unfortunately, I do need to get blood somehow and I don’t think the people here in town would be comfortable around us if they knew I was a vampire.”

Vestige could understand that. People starting to go missing in town and suddenly a vampire is politely asking for a quick sip? That would not go down well. 

Still, the Vestige couldn’t help but lament the idea of spending more time together. Then, a thought occurred to them. Was it inappropriate to offer up their own blood? They didn’t think so, but it was a line the two of them had yet to cross. Maybe he didn’t want to drink their blood. They weighed the options in their head, rocking on their feet. 

They could spend more time alone in their inn room, or more time with Fennorian after a bit of potential awkwardness? 

 Finally they said, “If it isn’t too strange… I don’t mind if you have a little bit of mine.” They immediately pressed their lips together in embarrassment. Avoiding eye contact, Vestige kept walking as if they hadn’t said anything. 

“Oh!” Fennorian said in surprise. Vestige only came to a stop when he did. “I-I don’t know what to say. You trust me that much?” 

Vestige looked up and almost regretted it. He was openly studying them and was failing at hiding the wonder on his face. “I do.” 

They almost expected him to say “You don’t have to offer anything if you really don’t want to.” But they both already knew this. 

Instead he said, “If you’re really comfortable I wouldn’t be opposed to it.” 

They were stunned by his quick agreement. Why did they think he would say no? 

“Why wouldn’t I be comfortable? You have to do this pretty often, don’t you?” They asked teasingly. 

“I do,” he said with a smile. “but not everyone is so… accepting of my condition. Though I shouldn’t be surprised, you’ve never judged me for it before.” Hesitating, he said, “We should go somewhere private.” 

Vestige prayed they weren’t blushing as hard as it felt like they were. 

Fennorian had led them down a quiet little street and back toward the inn. When they arrived he had surprised Vestige and brought them back to his room. “Alright then. Where would you like me to drink from?” 

Vestige tilted their head. “Uh I don’t know, what’s considered normal in this situation?” 

A small smile flashed across his features. “Well,” Fennorian started taking their hand, “Some people prefer here…” his fingers grazed along the armor protecting the inside of their wrist. “Others here…” he nudged their armored calf with his foot, Vestige scrunched up their nose at that. Their reaction made him chuckle. “And some prefer… here.” His cold fingers skimmed against the skin of their throat. “It’s easier and a little quicker to take blood from the neck.”

Vestige’s heart jumped at the feather light touch. But Fennorian wasn’t done yet. 

He stepped closer, his eyes trained at that spot on their neck. Fennorian’s voice was amused as he whispered, “I suspect you’ll go with your neck though, am I right? Unless of course you want to take a bunch of your armor off and have to spend the time putting it back on again after.” 

Heat flooded the Vestige’s cheeks. The thought of taking off any article of clothing, or armor, so Fennorian could put his mouth near their skin seemed highly inappropriate in their head. they huffed and said, “I see your point. So how does this work?”

Fennorian stepped closer to them, practically framing their body with his. “The only downside to a neck bite is that some people lose their balance during the bite.” He winced at his own words. “I don’t want my fangs to scratch you if you do. Here, lean against the wall and grab me if you need to for support.” 

This was getting more and more intimate. 

Still it didn’t feel like a mistake.

“Okay.” 

“If you want me to stop just tell me or shove at my shoulders. Actually, have you fed a vampire before?” He asked curiously. 

Slowly Vestige shook their head. 

“I might go a little slower then. I don’t want you to feel dizzy.” 

Just this conversation was making them feel dizzy.

He learned in close, stopping just shy of touching their skin. “Ready?” 

“I think so.” 

Fennorian’s lips brushed against their throat. 

When his fangs sank into their neck, they gasped softly. Quickly their hands flew to his shoulders for stability. Fennorian, ever the gentleman, began to pull away. 

“I’m okay.” They whispered.

At their reassurance, Fennorian continued drinking their blood with a contented sigh. As he drank their blood they could have sworn it felt as though his skin was warming, particularly his lips.

The time ticked by slowly and eventually he pulled away entirely. Vestige blinked, trying to will away their mild embarrassment. 

The first thing he asked was “How are you feeling?” 

Eyes trained on his mouth, Vestige replied “I feel fine.” 

“Well then,” Fennorian cleared his throat and stepped away from in an attempt to give them space. They didn’t want space but the moment was over. “Thank you for allowing me to have some of your blood. You don’t know how much it means to me.” 

Vestige let a smile creep its way back onto their face. “Just as you’ve said that I can always count on you, you can always count on me, Fennorian.” They winked. 

Fennorian guided them to a wooden chair to sit. “Truly, I appreciate it.” He said holding eye contact with them for a long moment. Then he blinked. “I don’t have any food in here. Although, I saw a few places selling food on our way back. Let me get you something.” 

Attempting to wave the offer off Vestige said, “That's alright. You don’t need to worry about it.” 

He wagged his finger at them. “Ah, ah, ah! You’ve fed me now, allow me to find you something to eat. Besides… you want to keep your strength up don’t you?”

[madamefluffnstuff]

Can I request a one shot of Fennorian working hard in his study but Vestige comes in and convinces him to relax 🥺

@rvnwtch and I both had the same idea, and *I* originally got the idea from a post by @i-simp-for-fennorian :3 (which I can no longer find the original post on Tumblr but I can find it on Google for some reason! :,D)

Also thought it would be very appropriate for their Ravenwatch Posting Event.~

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Fennorian?" A soft voice called down the hallway. No answer came. The Vestige walked down the corridor until she reached a familiar door. Inside, the faint sound of bubbling and glass clinking could be heard. A book page turning, followed by a hasty quill scribbling, and the unsettling noise of glass sliding on metal, most likely from the aforementioned vampire moving a test tube from its rack.

"Fenn?" She asked again as she slowly opened the door and poked her head in.

Fennorian had his back to the entrance, arm raised as he held a tiny glass tube up by a hanging lamp. The candlelight revealed a thick, viscous looking fluid with a bright red hue.

Not blood, but a prototype for the Harrowstorm elixir.

"Ah, my friend. Good to see you," he responded, clearly distracted and not completely aware. He placed the test tube back in its slot and plucked some snowberries from a nearby bowl, extracting a few seeds in a practiced motion. The seeds disappeared into the elixir.

"...How long have you been down here?" The Vestige asked as she walked in, very worried and surprised at what she was seeing;

His normally neat and organized workspace was cluttered. Various jars were opened on the shelves, in various stages of being emptied. Lids were strewn about. Papers with notes and sketches and diagrams were scattered about the desks. If one tilted their head and squinted, they would notice slight stains of various colors on his fingers and gloves.

"A few days." He leaned over his most recent notebook and scribbled something down. "I'm on the verge of a breakthrough."

"I've... never seen you this... well. Focused. When did you last feed?" She quickly stepped out of his way as he bustled to another shelf of reagents.

"I have my flask. And an extra, just in case. I'm rationing."

In Fennorian's defense, he did look like he had recently consumed. That did not excuse the fact he clearly hadn't left the laboratory in some time. The Vestige knew the vampire alchemist had a tendency to get tunnel vision when he was focused on his work, but this was bad even for him. What in the world had gotten into him?

"You've obviously been busy."

Fenn nodded, straightening up and turning to the alchemy table. He wordlessly picked up a beaker with a clear liquid inside and poured it into one of the tubes with the red fluid. Almost immediately there was a small plume of colored smoke and a pungent, musky smell, like the local badgers when they marked their territory on the trees. Fenn made a noise.

"No. No, that didn't work," he reached for the quill and ink pot.

"Okay, no." The Vestige interrupted him. "This has gone on too long. You need to take a break."

The alchemist shook his head vigorously. "I am sorry, my friend. I appreciate your concern, but I assure you I'm quite alright."

For a split second he almost sounded convincing.

"Fenn, please," the worry evident in her voice. "You're going to wear yourself out. You need to come up for air eventually."

Fennorian returned to his previous location, where his back was turned to her. "I know you're worried, Vestige. But like I said-" he picked up a cylindrical beaker, "-this elixir has to be perfect or-"

"Fennorian Ravenwatch."

He froze. The room filled with a stunned silence. He had never heard her use that tone of voice with him before. Nor had she used his full name before. At least when addressing him. He blinked.

The quiet was broken by the Vestige sighing and walking over to him. "Look... I know this is important to you. Believe me, it's important to me as well," her voice gentle and patient. "But you need to take care of yourself."

He felt her hand on his shoulder. He had to fight the urge to bring his own hand up and hold hers. Instead he gripped the edge of the desk and the beaker still in his other hand.

The Vestige leaned over to look at him. His hair was hiding his face, some plastered to his forehead with tense sweat. Fennorian was very relieved at that moment she couldn't see his eyes. He didn't want her to see him like this. See that she was right. And that it took her raising her voice for him to realize it.

She gently took the glass from his hand and set it on the table, replacing it with her hand. In the same soft voice, she said "I can't make you leave, of course. But, whenever you're ready to take a break and rest, I'll be upstairs." She squeezed his hand, then turned around to leave him to his work.

"...Come here."

The Vestige jumped a little as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and gently lift her up. She turned her head and locked eyes with Fennorian.

"Fenn, what-"

"Just. Stay here for a bit. I'm almost finished with this page. After that, I'll take a break."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Promise?"

He walked back over, her still in his arms, and set her down on the desk, just to the side of his papers. "I promise."

And true to his word, he finished his writing much quicker than she thought he would. In between quill strokes, she would lean over and place soft kisses on his temple. With each peck he visibly relaxed more and more. Before they knew it, he was closing his book and tying the cord around it. The Vestige hopped off the desk and lead him out of the laboratory, the two hand in hand.

~*~

Fennorian stared up at the Vestige, a tired smile on his face as he rested his head in her lap. She looked down at him, also smiling while her fingers worked slow circles into the sides of his head. Their bed was a very welcome reprieve after days in the laboratory.

He adjusted himself and folded his hands across his chest, using her legs as arm rests. She asked if he was comfortable, to which he responded with a nod. With a slight smirk, the Vestige brought her pointer finger to her lips, made a little kissing noise, and pressed her finger to his forehead in a "boop". Fenn laughed.

That laugh was the best thing the Vestige had heard all week.

[pocket-vvardvark]

end of year: 1, 12, 19, 23! <33

YAY ty!

1. Song of the year?

Hmmm I've listened to not a lot of stuff this year, BUT I'll say DARE by Gorillaz. It never fails to improve my mood 😩

12. Talk about a new friend you've made this year

ALL OF YA'LL!! omg every mutual I've made on here (🫵🐱 looking at u lol) I was so so lonely and just wasn't happy anymore. I was interested in a Ravenwatch posting event by @/rvnwtch which is what made me make my first move to draw again! After that, I got a LOT of motivation from @/fangsandsoftgrass who really cheered me on. I really am grateful for you guys, I don't know how much longer I could have held on for! (Sorry lol that sounds so depressing 🫠)

19. What're you excited about for next year?

I AM so excited to get my master's degree rolling! I'm going in a new direction with it (machine learning/computational chemistry) which is something I've got a lot more expertise with! ALSO, just living lol. It's been so long since I've just been happy to be alive. So, cheers to that lmao 🥂

23. If you could send a message to yourself back on the first day of this year, what would it be?

I would tell myself to stay calm lol. Things are going to get MUCH better, and they WILL pan out ok. Also, I'd give myself a hug because I think I needed it lmao.

[rvnwtch]

So I want to start this off by saying, ESO is my FAVORITE game. I literally have not invested as much time, effort and money (literal hundreds) into a game as much as this one. I’m also aware that my expectations are my own responsibility. Not to mention, things go on behind the scenes all the time that we don’t know about. Like maybe voice actors weren’t available or were sick or something… and that I completely understand. 

But with all of that being said, I have some thoughts. (And want to hear from you guys too!!! And I’ll TOTALLY untag this if the post upsets anyone I just wanted to hear what other people are thinking too?)

Personally, I feel a little bit let down. This is my favorite chapter of the game and I love the story very much. 

Adusa and the mad scientist vampire lab furniture set being added during the event were a fine idea, why not? But a lot of people got Adusa from the crown store last year in October. So what’s new for those people? What’s new for the returning audience? 

This is not a big Ravenwatch centric post (not the point at all here!) but Fennorian was a part of the main story line and we didn’t get any new dialogue from him? (Even after getting a mention about him from Gwendis during the Zeal of Zenithar event just a few months ago?) And nothing from Svana, or Lyris either? Hell, nothing from even Maugh or Mjolen?

Not to mention the Impresario feels very… empty? All she has is the fragment stuff from the year long event (very fair to include those!), the companion upgrades, group healing kit, and a clothing motif set that (from the top of my head) I don’t even recognize? I mean I figured we would get something Greymoor related that we would recognize or be excited for? Maybe some kind of Ravenwatch memento or vampire memento or a bat pet or something? 

And as for the event prologue quest I personally didn’t remember Mel. (Very happy for any Mel fans though!) I thought we were going to get something with Svana or someone in it? But you can’t even play the quest more than just once? I thought it was going to be a daily thing, so I was at least looking forward to that. But you can’t. It’s a one and done kind of deal.

I also don’t think we get any kind of XP boost or extra gold for completing quests in Western Skyrim. But I was waiting for that too? I started replaying the main quest on a new character and I’m pretty sure there was no incentive to replay the questline or for NEW players to pick it up?

So I’m just kind of wondering what the point of the event is, if there’s NOTHING new? No little easter eggs, or new dialogue or anything? And like, I’m aware that this all sounds kind of spoiled and bratty but I’m not mad. Just kind of sad because… what’s the point? Why do I want to play it? That sounds rough but when you’re writing a paper for class, professors ask you those same very basic questions. Who is your audience? Who are you trying to get to participate? and what’s the big WHY? For this, the audience (target or not) is going to be a LOT of people who have played through Greymoor before. It’s people who have most, if not all, of the dungeons and world bosses and delves completed. What’s NEW for all of us? We hear the Dark Heart of Skyrim event and we don’t think of JUST dailies (that we’ve probably already played through) and a pretty empty Impresario list. I’ve been excited for this event ever since it was first announced.

I’m also afraid that ESO might be using this to test audience interest in the zone/storyline. Like what if they wanted to see if we’re still invested in these characters and this area before starting/releasing something new including all of it? I definitely see participation falling off as the event comes to a close. Already fewer people are playing it than the first two days. At least when I was online anyway.

This just had the potential to be so cool and instead I feel kind of let down. And like I said, my expectations are my own responsibility, but… yeahh??

Sorry for ranting on main… I just don’t really get it and wondered if anyone else kind of felt that way?