#oc aderyn griffiths

[nine-blessed-hero]

2x last line + an excerpt

I was tagged by @hannah-heartstrings and @inkoherentwriting for a last line, and also yoinking an open tag from @jiubilant for an excerpt, TY all!

Tagging back (reminder this is DruidX's fandom sideblog): @aalinaaaaaa @ieppiq @wispstalk @rhikasa @eli-writes-sometimes @hannah-heartstrings @artdecosupernova-writing @mythrilpencil @aquadestinyswriting @reneesbooks @oh-no-another-idea @winglesswriter @pheita

Rules: Post the last line you wrote in your current project OR a short excerpt from your current project (or if you fancy, do both like me).

This is the most recent bit I've added to The Ruby Falls, featuring a text conversation between Baurus (BB) and Aderyn, HoK (Problem Child) regarding her acquisition of the Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes

To: BB From: Problem Child Good - 1st ed had a copy of vol. 3 Bad - some other fucker got there first Dw I've got a plan To: Problem Child From: BB Copy that. Wait. What plan? What. plan. ??

[druidx]

So you know how a while back I was like "hm I think watching the x-files as a pre-teen had a profound effect on how I create characters"? And specifically cited Elo as maybe being inspired by Scully?

I spotted this moodboard by @konkadra for Little My from the Moomins:

And now I'm having further "hm perhaps this character has also has a profound effect on how I create characters", but specifically this time for Alexis, Aderyn and maaaaybe Asuka, who are all ebullient little trash fires, much as I recall Little My ❤️‍🔥️

(Konkadra: sorry for reposting but I wanted to talk about OCs and didn't want to derail your lovely lovely post about Moomins)

[nine-blessed-hero]

Yoinked this tag because the picrew looked good. This is Aderyn from The Ruby Falls.

found this lovely picrew and wanted to start a chain! make your wip's main character using this picrew

this is rowan from nova futurum

gently tagging: @wingedcatastrophe, @intothesparrowverse, @aether-wasteland-s, @scribbling-stardust, @lucylyricism, @stesierra, @your-absent-father, @ruinmegently, @ntzsche9, @palebdot, @holdmyteaplease, @halfbit, @floweryprosegarden, @daughter-of-inklings, @fire-but-ashes-too

[nine-blessed-hero]

Writing Share Tag

Tagged by @aquadestinyswriting, TY!

Rules: Share a recent excerpt

Tagging back (reminder this is DruidX's fandom sideblog): @aalinaaaaaa @ieppiq @wispstalk @rhikasa @eli-writes-sometimes @hannah-heartstrings @artdecosupernova-writing @mythrilpencil @aquadestinyswriting @reneesbooks @oh-no-another-idea @winglesswriter @pheita

Jenifer chewed her lip more, before answering, "Pistachio Matt said he thought he saw you on the news, something to do with that terrible situation in Holland, but Orange Matt said he was wrong, because you would have said something if you were involved, and no one wants to blo-ssoming ask you cuz they're a bunch of flowering cowards, and now you turn up on my doorstep and you're hurt and I am tired of not knowing anything." Aderyn's gaze slid to the crockpot. "We're worried about you."

Gave Aderyn some friends ^.^

(Jenifer's children are in the next room, which is why she's not directly swearing.)

In the first draft, Aderyn was very much a lone wolf, which may have been influenced by me writing it during the pandemic. But I realised while that might suit her drifter lifestyle, it doesn't suit her character which is garrulous and extroverted.

So I decided that she must have a broad network of friends all over the country, and some of them must know each other and keep tabs on her and each other with an instant messaging service. And if she has these friends, they're going to worry when she drops off the radar, with no notice, for over a week.

[druidx]

WIP Drinking Game

Yoinked from @blind-the-winds

Rules: Create a drinking game that one could theoretically play while reading your WIP, using recurring themes or writing elements.

Tagging: @wildswrites @aalinaaaaaa @thewriteflame @aquadestinyswriting @artdecosupernova-writing @autumnalwalker @blind-the-winds @eli-writes-sometimes @hannahcbrown @oh-no-another-idea @rhikasa @swordsoulwrites @winglesswriter @andromeda-grace @writingmaidenwarrior

WIP name: The Ruby Falls

Take a sip whenever:

Someone comments on Aderyn's weight, eating habits or offers her food (forcefully or otherwise)

Martin & Baurus touch, pre-revelation

Someone is referred to by a nickname (ex. Rook, Gramps, B)

Aderyn gets another scar

Take a shot whenever:

Aderyn knowingly and flagrantly breaks the law (such as impersonating a cop, B&E)

The Ruby Key is referred to as "warm from body heat"

Someone mentions Aderyn being domesticated

Down your drink whenever:

Aderyn does something Penetration Tester related

Someone mentions 'red-drink'

Martin & Baurus get together

Pour one out for the fallen when:

Martin and Baurus break up

Aderyn gets THE scar

Martin is taken to hospital

[nine-blessed-hero]

The Ruby Falls by DruidX

Summary: The Ruby Falls is the story of a man surprised by love, of a woman finding her place in the world, and of a man elevated to his true calling. This is not the story of a happily ever after – that's something that comes later. This is a story of the way things begin, and what happens on the way to the end. ~Updating every Month, or thereabouts

Fandom: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Baurus/Martin Septim, Female Hero of Kvatch | Champion of Cyrodiil & Martin Septim, Baurus & Female Hero of Kvatch | Champion of Cyrodiil Characters: Female Hero of Kvatch | Champion of Cyrodiil, Martin Septim, Baurus (Elder Scrolls), Jauffre (Elder Scrolls), Hieronymus Lex, The Gray Fox (Elder Scrolls), Blades (Elder Scrolls), Methredhel (Elder Scrolls), Amusei (Elder Scrolls), Thieves Guild (Elder Scrolls), Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Modryn Oreyn Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Canon-Typical Violence, Religion - Christianity, Swearing, Slurs, Smoking, Blood and Injury, Injury Recovery, Alcohol, Asexual Character, Non-Canonical Minor Character Death, I get one death - as a treat Series: Part 27 of Haven's Ember

[nine-blessed-hero]

K'Rin is very firmly in 1950s style suits. Crisp leg creases, trilby, starched button-down, wingtips and pencil necktie. Think Peggy Carter from the MCU.

Rowan is sloppy late 90s/early 00s. Slogan t-shirts, varsity jackets, bootcut blue jeans with turn-ups. Xe thinks sleeveless turtlenecks and black jeans with heavy necklaces and blingy belts is the height of fashion.

Aderyn, being in a Modern AU from 2015, doesn't count for this question. She's either wearing tac gear or whatever she found in a charity shop bargain bin.

Talis the Baker is probably Victorian-esque. We're talking fancy chefs' whites, starched to perfection.

Kicks would fit a smart-casual suit that were all the rage in 2010. Plain t-shirts, slacks and blazers with blisteringly white training or canvas shoes. We're talking dotcom silicon valley types before the bust.

everyone. tell me what vintage fashion era your TES OCs belong in. i need to know this for science

[nine-blessed-hero]

WIP Weds

Tagged anon by @inkoherentwriting

Some days, you really do just have to nuke the last few paragraphs and start over to get the best version of your vision.

Have my last few lines from The Ruby Falls:

"Miss Héloïse?" Aderyn asked, coming to the counter after having packed her things away. "Yes?" the Barista raised her elegant eyebrow. Aderyn held out a £20 note. "You are an impeccably smart woman and I wish you much happiness. Does this place have a back exit I can use?"

[nine-blessed-hero]

Last Line Tag

Tagged by @writeouswriter, about a year ago 😅️ (I miiiight be pulling out all my drafted tag games...)

Rules: Post the last line you wrote.

Tagging: @aalinaaaaaa @ieppiq @wispstalk @rhikasa @eli-writes-sometimes @hannah-heartstrings @artdecosupernova-writing @mythrilpencil @aquadestinyswriting @reneesbooks @oh-no-another-idea @winglesswriter @pheita

This is from The Ruby Falls:

"And I told you, that until Martin is safe I consider your work for me unfinished. You know the repercussions and you know I'm prepared to follow through. Call in sick." The line clicked off. Aderyn dropped her phone, pulling her knees to her chest and pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, letting out a scream like the hiss of a stove-kettle between pressed lips.

That very british moment when you have to specify which type of kettle you mean.

I'm also very much enjoying writing Jauffers as an unmitigated cunt 😊️ I just hope I can make the emotional payoff of his about-face land well

[nine-blessed-hero]

Her feet stilled just inside the door. The shop smelt wonderful; of vanilla and sunlight on linen and lingering coffee, like how she always imagined a Grandmother might smell.

Oh. Ouch... I just hurt myself with my own words 😅️

[druidx]

Aderyn starts off as a happy-go-lucky character. She knows the world can be a dark place, but is the sort of person who combats that by dragging the light in with her. She's also fiercely independent, oftentimes to her detriment. As her story goes on, her personality shifts, becoming darker and more jaded by the intense situation she's found herself in. Conversely, she begins to learn that taking a helping hand from the right people won't impact her freedom as much as she fears. With the ending of the intense situation and away from the cause of it, she turns back into the person she was; and is perhaps the stronger for it.

[nine-blessed-hero]

Aderyn Griffiths, Modern AU HoK

What was the original thought that led to the creation of this character?

When I was asked to write a fic that featured 'Everyone lives' and 'Bodyguard-to-lovers' tropes for Martin and Baurus, I felt I needed a HoK to act as a foil for them and help push the story along, so Sophie Williams turned up. Then I was reminded this fic was supposed to be Fluff, Sophie turned into Aderyn. She's also a bit of an offshoot from The Prisoner mentioned in My Blade For Thee, Your Son To Be (which I never managed to finish the middle of, so I can't post the end yet XD)

How long was the process before the character reached its final version? (or a version that would be clearly recognizable as the character?)

Reasonably quickly. I came up with the Modern AU on 26 Sep 2020; by 27th the HoK had a personality, if not a name.

What was the first thing you decided on, the character's name, appearance, personality or their role in the story?

So I think it went - personality, name, appearance

And reverse, which one of the four things did you struggle with the most?

Probably her name. Sophie Williams was... fine? but there was something that felt off about it, so I decided she needed something different (cont in next question)

How did you choose their name and why? Was it simply based on vibes or is there any specific meaning behind the name? Are the reasons behind their name different in- and out of universe?

I wanted her name to match her personality, so went searching for something that was to do with flight, or travel… and came up with the welsh word for 'Bird'. So then she needed a Welsh surname. Griffiths is a common one, so she got that. But also I still like 'Sophie Williams', so she got two -- a legal and a preferred, lol. FYI it's pronounced "a'derin'".

More answers under the cut

What was the thought process behind their appearance? Did you go mostly for the aesthetic or are there other reasons they look the way they do?

Alabaster skin and red hair are from her mother, a true celt. Her fashion choices have changed drastically since The Birthday Party. She used to have a bolero hat, for example, and dress in the sort of clothes you find in cheap 'fashion' shops. But then she started getting more frugal with her lifestyle and I decided she shopped a lot at charity stores when she didn't need technical gear, so her clothing became more worn and eclectic. She's thin AF because technically she's malnourished (that's part of her arc in The Ruby Falls - putting on weight to show healing).

What is an aspect of their appearance that you like the most?

Her rich, celtic, auburn hair. It's a bit of a nod to my nephew, who managed to get his genes from maternal grandma and paternal grandfa and has the brightest orange curls you ever saw <3

What is the origin of their personality? And let's be honest - how much of it is projecting?

Ha! 60% projection, straight up. So, I toyed with making this modern AU American, but I know sweet fanny adams about day-to-day life in the USA. I do know what it's like here on the south coast of England. And, you know, you don't see many bog-standard british people in media. The Kingsman is the exception rather than the rule (I can't express how happy I was to see a major motion picture which featured someone like me as the protagonist). So I decided I wanted her to be like me, but with a cooler job, the car I wanted when I was a kid, and the chaos ramped up. She speaks like how I speak when I don't have to be formal, she makes the same shitty social blunders I do, she has the same craving for her welsh ancestry as I do, she swears about the same as I do (so if you think she's excessive... well.).

How big is their role in the story? Do they make a frequent appearance or are they a character with little "screentime" but big influence? Or are they just a favourite background guy?

In the Ruby Falls, we're in Aderyn's head most of the time as she represents the Player Character. In other stories, it varies - eg The Birthday Party, we're in Martin's for the first chapter, Baurus' the second, then the last two sections are Aderyn's.

What is their main character arc in the story? Where do they start and how do they develop? Do they get a happy ending or is their story a tragic one?

Mostly her arc is learning to live better. The friends she has at the start of the The Ruby Falls, respect her need (both for work and personally) to be constantly on the move and they keep in touch by phone & video call, and messenger apps. But they hardly ever see her, they don't really know how she lives, so they can't ever comment on the fact she lives off insta-noodles and smokes like a chimney. Martin's first act is to fill her Land Rover's cupboards with long-life good food, like fruit pouches. Baurus sends her off with homemade stews. Baragon helps her quit smoking. Ferrum says he won't train her unless she eats more protein. Because the Blades see her more often, they force her into taking better care of herself. She never loses the desire to travel, and they don't ever stop her from doing so, but they do domesticate her more than anyone else has ever managed. Ultimately, I think, she gets a happy ending.

Is there any existing character from other media that your character resembles? Was the resemblance intentional or was it a coincidence?

The titular character in Ava (2020). Despite the release date, I didn't actually see the film until 2022 so wholy coincidental... though I did spend the whole movie just being like "W. T. F. That's aderyn, it is, she's perfect."

Do you have a playlist for the character? What songs do you associate with them and why?

It's more for the whole series, but here:

Specifically Aderyn's are I'm Not A Saint by Billy Raffoul, Vagabond (feat. FJØRA) by Tommee Profitt and All Eyes On You by Smash Into Pieces.

Do you have a voice claim for the character? What do you imagine the character sounds like?

Can I be the voice-claim for my own character? Is that allowed XD If not then someone like Rose from Dr Who or Kelly Bailey from Misfits but less Landahn and more rolling.

Do you have any quotes tied to the character, either from the story itself or from another source that fit them?

"It's the ride of life, the journey from here to there, living and loving every moment like we have none to spare." - Jess Brynjulson

Have you ever made a moodboard for them?

I have... but Tumblr search is what it is and I cannot find it. Maybe I'll repost them...

Is there any memes or running jokes associated with the character, both in- and out of universe?

She sits on counters. Nobody likes that, and she's frequently yelled at to get down. ...This is also a habit I have. She's often compared by the Blades to a stray cat they feed occasionally and eventually comes to live with them. This is juxtaposed by an actual stray cat coming to live in Cloud Ruler. Her obsession with McDonalds and pot noodles is often referenced, as is Baurus' despair about it.

Are there any motifs or symbols associated with the character? How are they represented, in their design, personality or in some other way?

I probably lay it on too heavily, but her motifs are all bird related, specifically kestrels. I make mention of her 'roosting', of having her 'wings clipped', and 'yelling challenges like a bird of prey'. I've found half a dozen translations of the phrase 'little bird' too XD Sometimes I use her hair to illustrate her temper and impetuousness. It 'licks out' when she moved with purpose, it's 'flat and dim' when she's upset etc

Does the character have other characters connected to them? Do you have a family tree and "offscreen" connections made up for them or do they exist in a vacuum purely for the purpose of the story?

In The Ruby Falls, she's seen communicating with her mother and misc friends. Most of the other works are too short to include these. She's also shown having friends and connections with the characters which make up the in-game thieves guild. Someday I'm going to borrow Lecrinn and Garrus, and pop them in with Aderyn ;)

What is your general favourite thing about the character? What is your least favourite?

Most Fave: Her job is very specific and oblique, so I had to do lots of research into pentesting, physical and digital security, and the sort of tools used. It's a really interesting sector! Also my gentleman friend and housemate have happily fed this interest by acquiring documents for me. The only downside is now I keep getting digital security alerts.

Least fave: Toning back her speech patterns. I have to be really careful that her speech doesn't turn into complete eye dialect, whilst also keeping it natural.

Bonus question: share any additional thoughts, art, favourite scenes, anything you've been waiting for a chance to ramble about

Oh, hey, let me put that moodboard down here:

That's her, that's my girl. I luv her, ur honour :D

Other misc thoughts:

She has a good working knowledge of morse code and Forces sign language.

Her phone's font is wingdings

Modryn Oreyn helped her convert her car to have the living space at the back.

I decided, as a fun challenge, she'll never say 'okay'

She's touch averse

She keeps tillandsia in her car for some greenery. they came from a charity shop in the most 70's kitsch rattan holders you ever saw

In fact, most of what she owns is from charity shops.

As such she has really bad taste in furnishings and clothes. Methredhel and Carwen pick out her formal clothes for her.

[nine-blessed-hero]

Little Said But Much Spoken

CW very minor injury, little bit of blood An experiment in writing a fic with nearly no dialogue. Concrit welcome - did the silent communications make sense, is the pacing fast enough, is it still interesting without dialogue?

Aderyn slinks into the Septim-Broussard residence like a cat, trailing in dried mud and the syrupy dawn sunlight. Stationed at the base of the stairs, Alexine – a new Blade Sister – raises an eyebrow. Aderyn gives a sheepish smile and a little wave. With an uptick of her chin, Alexine indicates the shedding boots and mucky coat should be abandoned on the coat rack. Aderyn accepts this with a tired grimace and does as bid. Alexine nods her approval, but stops with a frown as Aderyn starts to pass her on the stairs. Aderyn pauses, looking back. Alexine taps her own cheek, causing Aderyn to mimic the move. Her fingers come away with dried brown flecks. Aderyn gives the older Blade a laconic shrug, waving away the concern on Alexine's brow with a laissez-faire flick and continues her ascent before anything can be said.

Aderyn's room, a tiny little nook of a space, is at the very top of the old townhouse so it takes two flights to get there. At the landing on the first, Buck – another of the new Blades cadre – is currently guarding the master bedroom. Aderyn starts to ascend the second flight, when Buck softly clears his throat. Aderyn glances back to see him beckoning her with perplexed wrinkles in his forehead. With a curious head tilt she does so. Buck starts to say something but Aderyn quickly shakes her head, pressing a finger to her lips and looking pointedly at the bedroom door. He gives an understanding nod. Telegraphing his movements with enquiring raised eyebrows, Buck reaches for her hair. Aderyn might be unsure what he wants, but she helped train him, and so trusts him with a quick nod. From the skeins of hair escaping her slowly disintegrating bun, he plucks several leaves. For lack of anything else to do with them, Buck scrunches them into a pocket. His brow still wrinkles with confusion and concern, so Aderyn gives a half-shrug, head twisting in askance. Like Alexine, he touches his own cheek to indicate the rusty marks; again, Aderyn dismisses the worry with a quick grin and an airy hand-flick. Patting a hand over an affected yawn, she swiftly turns away – bam! – into Roliand, coming from the bathroom.

The older Blade's assessment is swift, and he makes a sweeping gesture towards the still open bathroom door. Aderyn draws a breath, bringing a hand up to make a point. Roliand's face settles, hard as rock, his gesture towards the bathroom sharper; she's not going to skate past him like she did the others. Resigned, Aderyn goes into the bathroom. Roland's gentle with the swab and sterile water. More gentle than Dr Ivers might have been, and he certainly doesn't bluster and huff and demand answers as Dr Ivers would.

It's only once all Aderyn's cuts have been cleaned and covered; once he has delivered her safely to her room, that Roliand takes her hand, radiating a fierce protectiveness she can only think of as brotherly love, and asks, "Who did this to you?" Aderyn's laugh is an embarrassed hush of breath between wide, smiling lips. "A tree." Aderyn watches with puckish, pursed lips as Roliand's zest softens into confusion. "God's honest," she continues, hand over heart, as his brows steepen. "A job went Pete Tong and I fell out of a tree."

[nine-blessed-hero]

I think I've just written one of my most favorite metaphors to date 😄️

"My most pressing concern currently," the Fox said, drawing the words out like marmite from a jar

The Fox's voice is rich, cultured, with a little bit of an unusual accent. Marmite is rich, umami, with a little bit of an unusual aftertaste

Marmite is a viscous fluid, trying to get it out of the jar is the same as with honey - you get a lot at once and then it trails off, echoing how the Fox is measuring his words with care.

Marmite (like vegemite and other types of 'yeast extract') is very divisive; Aderyn is either going to love or loathe whatever he's about to say next.

[nine-blessed-hero]

Thought I'd throw in Aderyn and Talis. It's been a while since a picrew game has had the right colours to make Talis ^.^

Tagged by @sheirukitriesfandom to make an oc with this picrew, thanks! I decided I might as well make all of my Dragon Age ladies, so here’s Amaryllia, Emilia, and Iriala as best as I could make them. :3

Tagging whoever wants to play!

[nine-blessed-hero]

Thinking about how, at the end of The Ruby Falls, Aderyn's comms are open all through the final scene.

About how, until Jena isolates her line, every Blade hears the agonised scream she makes when Martin falls.

About what that must do to Jauffre and Steffan, bound to hold the line until the building is secure again.

About what that must do to Baurus, mere meters away from his beloved, yet unable to get in and help.

About Jena, who has to listen to the whole thing and has to compartmentalise it. Who has to unwaveringly remain calm and collected as she coaches Aderyn out of her stupor, because any crack Jena shows, Aderyn will surely fall to pieces, and then Martin will be lost.

Just - all the implications; my gods.

Struggling to remember that I wrote this, y'know? 😅️