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critter-in-skyrim · 1 year ago

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Forever Friends

Hadvar ran across Helgen’s courtyard, his heart pounding in his ears and his eyes on the skies. The great black dragon flew directly over him, casting an eerie shadow, before it swooped down, capturing an Imperial Soldier in its claws. It tossed the man like he was nothing but a child’s doll, flinging him high into the sky, only for him to crash to the ground with a sickening crunch. Hadvar ran past his body, ignoring the impulse to stop and see if he was alright - he knew he was not.

He could have cried in relief, at finally seeing the entrance to Helgen Keep. Soon, he would at least be out of the direct line of fire of the dragon, then maybe he could think of what to do next. Hadvar’s relief was short-lived, however, as his ex childhood friend Ralof suddenly came stumbling out of the rubble towards him.

“Ralof! You damned traitor! Out of my way!” Hadvar growled, pulling his sword on the blond man.

“I’m escaping Hadvar. You’re not stopping me this time.” Ralof glared at him, though the intensity of the glare was dulled by the pain in his eyes. He held his arm firmly in his other hand, and Hadvar could see blood seeping through his fingers. Hadvar hated the twinge of worry that shot through him at seeing that.

Before Hadvar could say anything in response to Ralof, the ground shook as the Dragon landed near them. It trained its large yellow eyes on Ralof, sparks dancing around its mouth. Hadvar’s eyes widened, and without thinking, he rushed forward, grabbing hold of Ralof, and throwing up his shield.

Hadvar grunted, as he received the brunt of the dragon’s fire blast, the flames licking at his exposed skin. It took everything in him to keep his shield up.

“Hadvar?” Ralof questioned, eyes wide.

“We need to get into the Keep!” Hadvar yelled at Ralof over the dragon’s roar.

As soon as the dragon ceased its torrent of flames, Hadvar grabbed Ralof’s hand and sprinted to the door of the Keep. The two just barely made it inside, before a huge fireball slammed into the door.

Hadvar collapsed to his hands and knees, while Ralof flopped on his back, both of them panting. The room they were in was empty, save for the burned body of a Stormcloak Soldier who had somehow managed to make it inside before dying.

“Looks like we’re the only ones who made it…” Ralof said, after a few moments of them trying to catch their breath.

“That thing was a dragon,” Hadvar said, sounding almost like he was in shock.

Ralof nodded. “No doubt…just like the children’s stories and the legends - the harbingers of the End Times…” he trailed off. He moved to sit up, but let out a cry of pain, once again clasping a hand over his arm.

Hadvar was suddenly at his side. “You’re hurt.”

Ralof glared up at him. “Oh really? I couldn’t tell.”

Hadvar ignored his sarcasm. “Let me see.”

“No,” Ralof said stubbornly, but the pain was clearly getting to him, the way he was gritting his teeth.

Hadvar gave him a weary look, “Fine. Don’t come crying to me if it has to get amputated.”

Ralof shot him a withering glare, but relented, moving his hand. Hadvar moved in closer to look at the wound. The gash was deep, nearly down to Ralof’s bone. The burns around the wound indicated it was likely caused by one of those fireballs that the dragon had caused to rain down from the sky.

“How bad is it?” Ralof asked, grunting when Hadvar moved his arm. “Don’t do that!”

“I have to bandage it, or you’re going to continue losing blood,” Hadvar warned him. He reached down, ripping a strip of fabric from his own uniform, before beginning to wrap the wound. Ralof watched Hadvar’s hands work, noticing the burns on them. He thought back, to outside Helgen Keep, how Hadvar had immediately jumped in to save him from the dragon’s fire breath.

“Why did you save my life?” Ralof asked Hadvar suddenly, using his other arm to prop himself up slightly.

“What?” Hadvar asked.

“Out there. You put yourself between me and the dragon,” Ralof clarified. “I want to know why.”

Hadvar shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “You needed help. I’m a Soldier, I help people. It’s what I do.”

“But I’m a Stormcloak,” Ralof pointed out. Hadvar did not say anything in response to that, glaring down at Ralof’s arm as he finished wrapping it. Ralof continued pushing, though, “Without you, I surely would have died.”

“That can still be arranged,” Hadvar deadpanned. He searched his pockets, but found no healing potions. Outside, he could still hear the dragon burning the village to the ground. He cursed under his breath, pushing himself to his feet. “We better get moving…”

Hadvar hesitated, before holding out his hand for Ralof to take. Ralof likewise hesitated a moment, before taking Hadvar’s hand, getting to his feet. He swayed slightly, light-headed from the loss of blood. Hadvar steadied him, making sure he was stable on his feet.

“There’s a storeroom not far from here,” Hadvar said. “We should be able to find some healing potions there.”

Ralof nodded. “Well then, let’s get moving.”

The two of them slowly and cautiously began making their way through the halls of the Keep. After all, with the dragon attacking, the Keep itself was very unstable - several hallways they passed were completely caved in. On top of that, both of them had enemy soldiers to keep an eye out for, and neither of them was in any condition to be fighting anyone.

The storeroom was blessedly empty when they arrived. Hadvar immediately began rifling around in some barrels, looking for potions. Ralof, on the other hand, took a moment to sit and rest, closing his eyes.

He must have started to drift off, because the next thing he knew, Hadvar was gently shaking him awake. “Ralof.” Ralof groaned slightly, opening his eyes. Hadvar was holding a small potion bottle out to him. “Drink up.”

Ralof took the bottle, downing it. He let out a sigh of immediate relief, as its healing effects washed over him. Ralof was not a fan of magic by any stretch, but he had to admit, potions could be very useful. Plus, there was no better feeling than drinking a healing potion - it was a warm, almost euphoric feeling, as the potion worked its magic. Ralof’s arm would surely need additional attention, but for right now, it was stabilized.

Hadvar, for his part, had begun applying a topical healing salve to the burns on his own arms. Once again, Ralof was reminded of the fact that Hadvar had put himself in harm's way, for him.

“Here’s a question for you,” Ralof said suddenly, drawing Hadvar’s attention. “If I wasn’t me, would you have saved me?”

“If you weren’t you…” Hadvar began, looking confused, before Ralof’s question sunk in. He narrowed his eyes. “What are you implying?”

“You want me to say it?” Ralof asked.

“Better than beating around the bush,” Hadvar grumbled. “You know I hate that.”

“Fine,” Ralof stood, so he could look Hadvar directly in the eye. “I think you saved my life because you miss me.”

“Miss you?” Hadvar scoffed. Ralof continued, though.

“You miss the old days, when we were growing up together in Riverwood,” Ralof stated firmly. “You miss fishing in the river. You miss hanging out with people. You miss the simple life you had.”

“Stop,” Hadvar stated quietly.

“You miss being my friend. You miss pranking my sister with me. You miss sharing a pint of mead with me.”

“Stop,” Hadvar said, voice growing a little firmer.

“You miss the nights we’d share,” Ralof sighed wistfully. “I know I do-”

“I said stop!” Hadvar raised his voice, which was a rarity.

Ralof gazed at Hadvar, a sort of understanding coming over his expression. “You wish you could see me as just another Stormcloak Soldier, but you can’t, can you?”

Hadvar’s green eyes narrowed into a glare. Ralof was correct, of course. He would always be Hadvar’s first love, above all else.

The kiss was sudden, and neither was sure who initiated it. Suddenly, the two men were holding onto each other like they would never let go. The kiss was rough, a mashing together of lips, teeth, and tongues. It was like all those times they would sneak out together as teenagers, yet very different. This kiss was one full of desperation and longing, but also pain and hatred - too many deep and complex emotions to count.

Hadvar paused suddenly, pulling back. “What are we doing? We need to get out of Helgen!”

Ralof raised his hands innocently. “I was just asking some questions.”

“Well, enough of your questions,” Hadvar said, face still flushed from the kiss. “Come on, this way.”

Hadvar lead Ralof through the torture room where it looked like a fight had taken place, with no winners. Next, the two came to a large cavern, swarming with Imperials.

“Orders are to wait until General Tullius arrives,” an Imperial Soldier was informing the others.

None of them seemed too happy about that. “We’re not waiting to be killed by a dragon. We need to pull back!” one shouted

“Just give the General some time,” the first Soldier spoke once more.

“Follow my lead,” Hadvar whispered to Ralof, who made a face at that, but nodded. Hadvar cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the Imperials. He roughly grabbed ahold of Ralof’s good arm, jerking him forward. “This way, prisoner.”

“Imperial dog,” Ralof snarled.

“Hold it,” the Imperial Soldier from before spoke, looking suspicious. “What’s going on here?”

“I’m escorting this prisoner to Solitude for questioning,” Hadvar said, jostling Ralof slightly. “He was a high-ranking Stormcloak Soldier, nearly the right hand man to Ulfric himself. He’ll surely know some valuable information.”

“I’ll never tell you Imperials a goddamn thing!” Ralof snapped.

“Shut up, you,” Hadvar jostled him again.

This back and forth seemed to convince the Imperial Soldier in their way, as he moved to let them pass, glaring at Ralof. “Stormcloak traitor.”

As soon as they were out of earshot, Ralof grinned, lightly punching Hadvar in the shoulder. “Good thinking.”

Hadvar rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly. “You didn’t do too bad yourself.”

Slowly, the tunnels they had been venturing through transformed, becoming more cave-like. Hadvar hoped that was a good sign, that they were getting farther away from the Keep and the dragon attack. They had to defeat a few spiders, but together, they were able to do so with ease. The two had never fought alongside each other before - there had been no opportunity to, when they were kids. Yet when they were fighting the spiders, they fought together naturally, like they had been doing so for years.

“Too bad you chose the Empire’s side in this war,” Ralof remarked. “I’d love to fight alongside you.”

Hadvar scoffed, but Ralof’s sentiments were mirrored. Hadvar wished he and Ralof could fight alongside each other again someday, but he also knew what their reality was: They were fighting together now, only under extraordinary circumstances: A dragon attack. As soon as they were out of the way of danger, they would go their separate ways. And possibly, those separate ways would include fighting each other.

“How’s your arm holding up?” Hadvar asked, changing the subject.

Ralof rolled his arm around a few times, wincing. “Not great. It should last until I get to Gerdur’s, though.”

Hadvar looked at him. “You’re planning on heading to Riverwood?”

“I’ve got to warn my sister and her family about the dragon,” Ralof stressed. “Otherwise I’d be headed straight to Windhelm.”

“Right…”

“And you, I assume you’ll be headed to Solitude?” Ralof asked, failing to hide the bitterness in his voice.

Hadvar hesitated, but nodded. Truthfully, he wished to return to Riverwood as well, to see his uncle and his family, maybe rest up a bit, allow his burns to recover…

“Do me a favor, will you?” Hadvar asked.

“Depends,” Ralof said, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

Hadvar was serious, though. “Tell Uncle Alvor about the dragon too, please.”

Ralof’s face went serious as well, and he nodded. “Of course.”

“And also…” Hadvar hesitated. “Try to keep safe.”

Ralof gazed at him for a moment, before stepping forward. He lifted a hand, caressing Hadvar’s cheek, as he leaned in, kissing him. This kiss, unlike the first one, was soft, tender, chaste, and most definitely initiated by Ralof. When he pulled back, he had that lopsided grin on his face that made Hadvar’s knees weak. “I’ll try,” Ralof finally responded to Hadvar’s request.

Hadvar’s face was flushed a deep red. “Good,” he managed to say, before waving Ralof down the tunnel in front of him.

Ralof laughed slightly at how flustered Hadvar was, continuing down the tunnel. He paused though, holding a hand up to get Hadvar to stop. “There’s a bear just ahead…see her?”

Hadvar looked around Ralof, spotting the bear. “See if we can sneak past her,” he advised.

Ralof nodded, before leading the way. The two of them managed to sneak most of the way past the bear, when Hadvar’s foot suddenly slipped. He made a soft noise, as he nearly fell into the rocky creek bed below…but Ralof’s hand darted out, catching Hadvar’s hand in his. Hadvar managed to regain his footing, letting out a soft sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“No problem,” Ralof whispered back.

They managed to make it the rest of the way past the bear without incident. “That was a close one,” Ralof said in relief.

Hadvar looked on past Ralof, noticing sunlight. “That looks like the way out!”

Ralof turned to see what Hadvar was seeing, a grin spreading across his face. “I knew we’d make it!”

The two managed to squeeze their way out of the narrow tunnel entrance, out into the cool fresh air. It was Hadvar’s turn to surprise Ralof with a kiss - a celebration kiss, that they had made it out of Helgen Keep alive. Besides, Hadvar knew he would not have the opportunity to kiss Ralof for too much longer.

“Wait!” Ralof exclaimed. He grabbed Hadvar’s hand again, tugging him over to a rock and crouching down. At first, Hadvar was confused as to why, but then he saw the large black dragon flying overhead, heading towards the distant mountains. “There he goes. Looks like he’s gone for good this time,” Ralof said in relief.

“Thank the Gods,” Hadvar said. He hesitated, gazing at Ralof for a moment, before looking away. “This place is going to be swarming with Imperials soon…”

Ralof looked back at Hadvar, an almost sad expression on his face. “I suppose you’re right. I should…” He pointed down the dirt path, taking a few steps.

Hadvar swallowed hard. “Go.”

Ralof turned and took off running through the wilderness.

#skyrim #skyrim fanfiction #the elder scrolls #tesblr #hadvar x ralof #ralof of riverwood #hadvar

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umbracirrus · 7 months ago

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WIP Wednesday!!! 💛

I come with not one, but two snippets today! Both are wider scenes that I've posted a handful of lines from throughout this week (screaming about Elyse and Balgruuf not kissing but it's a slow burn so no kissing yet, and the last lines tag game from this morning), and both have something in common...

Elyse and her sweet tooth.

Tagging everyone who tagged me in that last lines game whilst I was sleeping last night hehe, so that means @thequeenofthewinter, @throughtrialbyfire, @pitiable-arisen, and @oblivions-dawn. No obligations of course 💛

Seeking the Sun snippet (chapter 3)

As a weak campfire began to flicker with light in the small camp they had cleared of bandits, Elyse couldn’t help but sit in the grass by the fire and stare up at the aurora which blanketed the skies. She hadn’t even been in Skyrim for a week, and in that time had been almost executed and survived a dragon attack... But she hadn’t been able to look up at the night sky and take it all in until that moment.

“A spectacle like no other,” is what her mother used to say. “I always liked to believe that the aurora is our ancestors in Sovngarde gazing down at us. Watching as we live up to their legacies. Perhaps I have been shunned for following my own path as opposed to the one that had been set out before me, but I don’t regret it for a second. Besides... I know for certain that our ancestors would be proud of you, El, and that’s all I could ever ask for.”

She had to quickly bring her sleeve up to her face to wipe away the tears building in the corners of her eyes, the snapping of a branch under the foot of one of her current companions bringing her back to reality. Her mother had done it no justice in her descriptions of the night sky in Skyrim, and if her beliefs were true... Then perhaps Ingja was up there and watching over her at that very moment.

“There isn’t much, but it looks as though those bandits had caught some salmon to eat... I gathered some snowberries too, if fish isn’t to your taste,” Ralof sighed as he took a seat beside her, a wooden plate clattering into the grass before him with the food in question. “Hadvar is refusing to take the stick out of his backside to sit down and eat, which means all the more for-“

A tut came from behind her as Hadvar approached the fire, his decision to stand at the opposite side to Ralof possibly bring an unconscious one, but quite notable to Elyse. Those two quite obviously knew each other since before the arrests at the border.

“If I get seen in the company of a Stormcloak by any survivors from the Imperial Legion-“ There was an edge to his voice, one which almost sounded fearful, “-then both she and I are dead.”

“Helgen is already little more than ashes. Do you honestly believe that any soldiers are going to be coming up the road now? They’re no doubt in Falkreath, Riverwood, or dead.”

“... If Riverwood hasn’t also been attacked by the dragon, that is.”

There was a tension in the air which made Elyse squirm as she reached out to take a small handful of the berries which Ralof had gathered, her eyes flicking between the pair. Ralof’s fists were clenching at the fabric of his trousers, whereas Hadvar’s throat silently bobbed before he slowly sat down and closed his eyes.

After a few moments had passed, she began to eat the snowberries and found herself quite disappointed that they didn’t taste quite as sweet as a Cyrodilic strawberry... yet at the same time incredibly relieved. It was the first thing she had ate since crossing the border beyond a stale piece of bread taken from the storage room in Helgen’s keep during their escape from the dragon, and it had been growing harder and harder to ignore the pangs in her stomach.

She reached the last berry all too soon, though she certainly wasn’t expecting a quiet chuckle from Hadvar at the grumble she let out at that realisation.

“You must’ve needed that.”

The Perfect Storm snippet (chapter 18)

There was something which Balgruuf found rather enjoyable about the simple act of roaming the streets of the city as time passed and the evening slowly transitioned into night, with little more than idle conversation about anything and everything to keep them entertained. Elyse would on occasion have something catch her eye, most often little pieces of jewellery or old-looking books, though didn't actually buy anything. Whenever he asked why she didn't want to indulge, even if just for one night, she would simply smile at him and say that good company was all that she needed for the night to be memorable, not a souvenir. That books and jewellery could be bought at any time, unlike a chance to unwind.

Before long, he started to become aware of the time, and let out a deep breath. It was dark by that point, with the faint glow of candles and lanterns across the streets keeping the city lit even as night took Whiterun firmly into its grasp.

"Elyse… I must apologise, but I have something which I need to do before I return to Dragonsreach, so I am going to have to leave now," he stated, placing a hand on her shoulder and stopping her in her tracks as they strolled around the festival.

Turning to face him, he saw a clear dismay – possibly even hurt - across her features. She had clearly been enjoying herself, he had never quite seen her so lively before spending time with her that evening even if most of what they did was just walking and chatting. “Already?”

“I’m afraid so,” he sighed, bringing his hand up to “Though do feel free to stay here for longer, the festivities are set to continue into the early hours..."

Elyse’s face shifted to an expression that came across much more neutral than it had done moments earlier, before she nodded. “Fair enough... Do you have plans or something?”

“You could say so... I have something which I need to purchase before I return to Dragonsreach, and festival or no, I have business to attend to in the morning. A growing pile of paperwork that I have neglected after spending much of my time on audiences, arranging all of this, and...” He trailed off, pursing his lips together as he made a quiet but frustrated hum. Thankfully, she didn’t pry about what had gone unspoken, having been a first-hand witness to what he was referring to.

Elyse quietly wrapped her coat around herself more tightly as a particularly frigid gust of wind cut through the streets, before the smile which she had previously held returned to her face. “If you have the chance, you really should stop by the stall selling those tarts before heading back. The fact that almost nobody seemed to be buying them when I got mine was an absolute travesty."

He raised an eyebrow. "That sounds rather dramatic for tarts."

"It's hardly dramatic enough! You can’t deny that they were delicious."

He couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle at her exclamation, not exactly in agreement with her opinion – still feeling that grainy yet syrupy texture from the fruit filling in his mouth - but finding her enthusiasm almost endearing.

In spite of his need to leave, they remained stood there for a further few moments, a comfortable quiet having settled between them. It was only broken by a distant cheer from the marketplace.

"So... see you next year then?"

Balgruuf stared at Elyse with dumbfounded confusion, taking in little more than the grin plastered across her face, before letting out an amused snort when he realised what she meant. "Yes, Elyse. I will see you next year. Enjoy your night."

After he had turned around and began to walk in the direction that they had originally come from, the strangest feeling began to creep in. One which made his gut feel as though it were twisting and churning, something which was wholly uncomfortable… He could only assume that it was that sickly tart hitting his stomach.

#meg has done some writing #fic - seeking the sun #fic - the perfect storm #dragonborn oc elyse #balgruuf x dragonborn #skyrim fanfiction #tes v fanfiction #so. in previous chapter of seeking the sun Elyse forced Hadvar and Ralof to cooperate to escape with Spectre's assistance #poor girl is on like her third day in Skyrim there #and in the other snippet. Balgruuf has really enjoyed taking a break. and that feeling in this stomach... well. maybe it's not the tart. :3 #the first flickerings of a romance just he doesn't notice. he's been so long without love after all :(

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throughtrialbyfire · 1 year ago

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Fic Author Self-Rec!

tagged by the lovely @mareenavee , thank you so much!! <3

tagging @dirty-bosmer @orfeoarte @gilgamish @umbracirrus @totally-not-deacon @v1ctory-or-sovngarde @thequeenofthewinter and YOU!! no pressure to participate, and if you haven't written 5 fics, feel free to just talk about whichever ones you have!!

Rules:

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love!

i'm going to paste each fics summary, and then go on my tangents!

An Inner Sanctity

Two months after attempting to utilize the Eye of Magnus and gain it's power, Ancano wakes up in an unfamiliar cottage, being cared for by the very person he intended to destroy. Navigating their strange and new dynamic, the Thalmor agent finds he may be offered second chance at life, but whether or not he takes it is another story.

this fic is a huge work of exploration into what indoctrination can do to someone who has never known any different, and how that can affect things as broad as worldviews and as personal as one-on-one dynamics with people. it's also partially catharsis-fic, as giving ancano some of my own mental and physical issues and dialing it up to 10000000000% is a hell of a lot of fun. i love seeing that old man suffer and then earn his rise from the ashes. plus, using athenath in a fic where they cant rely on the other two of the trio - as this is in an AU i call the "athenath solo run" - forces me to think of how they would handle situations on his own. spoiler? not too well.

it's on a hiatus at the moment despite having a pretty long backlog, i just don't have the motivation right now to edit and write more for it, but that definitely will change in the future, because i really love exploring ancano's psyche and how he begins to grow and change.

also the fic title comes from the song "Twilight" by Bôa, while that doesnt have anything to do with the fic, i loved the line "you give me an inner sanctity", sooooo <3

The Mark You Left

Two scientists realize, upon losing contact with Dr. Richtofen, that they are truly alone in the aftermath of their actions.

i don't have 5 fics for TES, so have my singular CoD Zombies fic as well! i've had a special interest in the ultimis timeline of CoD Zombies since uhhhh 2011? maybe? sometimes it lays dormant for months and then all of the sudden i think about it daily, especially the dynamics between Dr. Schuster, Dr. Richtofen, and Dr. Groph. so, i wrote this as a bit of a loveletter to a fandom i no longer am part of, but still have a lot of fondness for. it's a quick read that hits on this concept of ultimate betrayal in the aftermath of literally betraying someone else for that person. two people dealing with that, processing that, and what they'll do in the wake of all of this.

the title for this fic comes from the song "Birds" by BENN, who used to make CoD Zombies-based songs before rewriting/redoing them for his own original work!!

Portraits Under Forgotten Suns

A collection of short one-shot fics done for TESFest 2023. A werewolf in his cage, a Bosmer alchemists' first memory, a Dunmer mage's quiet contemplation, a humble keeper's last look at the place he's called home, a sailor's fate at the wreck of the Brinehammer, and an Altmer bard's fond summer memory.

as it says on the tin! its a series of one-shots i initially published to tumblr, then moved to Ao3 to make them more accessible and have a ready archive of them! i loved working on each of these, getting into different perspectives, and figuring out how to convey the narratives of the characters i worked with. i liked writing up details of my dragonborn trio's pasts, too, and the story for "Forgotten/Devotion" was a hell of a lot of fun, getting to pull the wreck of the brinehammer into a fic!

If by Sun and Moon I Swore

With the Empire's victory in the Skyrim Civil War, Hadvar has been quietly readjusting to regular life. When an old friend turns up at his door, that quiet he'd hoped for comes to a halt.

i love hadvar/ralof with all my wretched pining heart okay. i cannot deny this pair has a vice grip on me! and working with them, two soldiers touched by war on opposite sides who once had something (in this case, used to be (and still are) in love), can be something both so tragic and so healing. pulling this pair back together, giving them some form of comfort, even if it's brief, is such a joy. i have intentions of writing more for this couple in the future, but that's likely going to be a while. still, i'll be sure to let you guys know if i do get around to it!!

this fics title is from "Like The Dawn" by The Oh Hellos! its my quintessential hadvar/ralof song for sure <3

Cycle of the Serpent

Surviving Helgen by the skin of their teeth, three elves find themselves tossed into the middle of ancient legends, a civil war, and a hell of a lot of problems. They may all have different reasons for being in Skyrim, but if they have any hope of reaching their destinations alive, it lies in learning to trust their strange new companions… no matter what. From the ruins of Helgen to the plains of Whiterun, from the seas of Solitude to the grim frost of Winterhold, and everywhere sprawling beyond, the unlikely trio will find that being chosen by Akatosh is more than they've ever bargained for. And with their own histories crawling back, and secrets slowly spilled, the trio may find that there's little they can do to escape the cycles they've made.

this longfic is… a huge undertaking. "An Inner Sanctity" focuses on two very flawed people coming to love one another. "Cycle of the Serpent" focuses on three very flawed, extremely fucked up people learning to trust one another and face whatever fate awaits them together, even when that trust is tested, even when the world is cruel, even when trauma batters and bruises them in the current and then rises up from the briny depths of the past to tug them back down beneath. it's about sustained and sometimes self-fulfilling cycles of hurt, anger, and sometimes vengeance, and it's about love and joy and companionship and friendship that lives within it all.

in short, this longfic is one of my biggest undertakings in a very long time.

i started this as a bit of a joke. the idea of there being more than one LDB was a fun idea, and then i created three elves, and those three elves gave me their family histories and their childhood friendships and their previous travels and how it changed them all prior to helgen and i went… yeah i can't just not write this and go insane about it. these three and their various methods for dealing with situations, their triumphs and defeats, and how they bounce off one another became so organic and real to me that i feel continuously pulled to keep their narrative going. this story forced me to write my first ever combat scenes (posted the snippet of my second ever real combat scene tonight!) and learn how to navigate keeping it within TES lore, while also breaking out of some of the stale writing in skyrim itself. i have plans to rewrite/overhaul entire questlines and characters to give them more life, and i've got dozens of OCs lined up - at least one of whom is hinted at within the first chapter. i have this story and these characters arcs planned out, and they do get particularly grim at points, but i never want this story to go into "there is no hope" territory. there's always hope, it just lies in learning to break your own cycles, even if it feels like it may kill you.

the title of this fic was taken from the song "Pillar of Na" by Saintseneca, i very heavily envision emeros as the first verse, athenath as the second, wyndrelis as the third, with the fourth being all three of them, and the fifth (the "eternal, eternal, eternity round…") being a sort of ensemble of all the places and people they've touched in their lives.

woooooooooooooooo!! that was long-winded. thank you for listening to me ramble on these, and thank you so much again for tagging me, mareena!! i hope everyone is having a lovely wednesday/thursday!! <3333

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miraakulous-cloud-district · 1 year ago

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WYGTYA lines

@sheirukitriesfandom tagged me in this most wonderful tag game and I am so happy! Thank you for the tag :D Since WYGTYA is my longest work, I'm going to include lines from this fic of mine that I love so very much <3

A line from your fic that makes you laugh (not really a line, but it made me laugh while I wrote chapter 13)

“What on Nirn is a rock’s weakness?” He asks, casting a calm spell to no avail.

“Scissors?” Ravonna responds, chuckling.

“You think this is a good time for jokes? Master Neloth is going to kill me if he finds out!”

“Scissors, that’s it! Big sword!” she says, the lightbulb of an idea almost visible above her head, making Talvas even more confused.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Wait here, I know just the thing!” She immediately levitates rapidly to the main tower, doing a backflip before entering.

"But paper beats rock!" Talvas shouts, but to no avail, Ravonna is already in the tower.

A line from your fic that makes you sad (of course it's a Miraak line, from chapter 6)

“I – yes. I just – ” but he has to turn around before the tears start falling down his cheeks. ‘Be a man’s man and don’t cry. Crying is for weaklings, you soft-hearted little boy! Why can’t you be like your brother? You’re a failure!’ his father’s words ring into his ears and he shivers, wanting nothing more than the earth to swallow him. And so he climbs the stairs as fast as he can and heads straight to his chamber. There, he can finally cry for hours.

A line from your fic you're proud of (not yet part of wygtya, but it will be, this is my Ralof/Hadvar ficlet, and I'm so proud of that watetfall metaphor)

“We were drunk and happy and we thought we had our whole life ahead of us.” Ralof begins, trying to be brave himself and just let his thoughts flow into words like a river turning into a waterfall

A line for your fic you think could have been better (There are a lot of things that could have been written better, but I refuse to beat myself too much over it and embrace the fact that I am evolving and I don't want to over analyse my old writing, so this is from chapter 1, I hate this because Hjaldir's story changed a bit over time! When I wrote this, it was all unclear, and so many things have changed since then, I'm hoping my version of him now isn't too far from this brief first description of him)

“Well, Inigo, it’s actually quite a funny story. Hjaldir turned out to be a runaway pirate. He ran away from his crew because he got tired of getting seasick and stealing from innocent people. So, one night, he just ran away. Decided to become a bard and make honest coin. Ended up at my dad’s tavern.”

A line from your fic that makes you want to punch a character (from chapter 12, DAMN IT, LUCIEN, THEY WERE HAVING A MOMENT)

“Am I… interrupting something?” Lucien asks. Right, Lucien. Fenrik’s almost forgotten about him. How could he not, when all he did was sleep his hangover off?

“No!” both Dragonborn respond at the same time, letting go of each others’ hands.

A line from your fic that makes you go 'aww' (from chapter 13, Ravonna trying her best to comfort Miraak is so precious to me, she is trying her best! And this is a big moment for her, to try to be so comforting to one person who once tried to kill her. It's a lot of progress and I feel like she can see their situation from a mature point of view and she can let go of the vengeance.)

“There we go.” she says as she gets a good look of Fenrik’s teary brown eyes. “Now listen to me: no one is upset with you. I’m starting to think that it’s impossible to be. You didn’t ruin anything, okay? The self-sacrificing healer in you got out. And that’s commendable. Now, please don’t cry because I have no idea what to do with someone who is crying.” She says, making him laugh the tears away. “You’re doing great. I mean, if you need to cry, just let it out, I’ll figure something out. Maybe sparkles? Everyone loves sparkles, right?” She makes small sparkles dance around her other hand

A line from your fic that's full of symbolism (from chapter 12, not sure if this classifies as symbolism, but the snake thing is something that I am so proud of)

"I still felt my soul in there, wrapped tightly in the threatening embrace of all those dragons’ souls. I felt it trying to fight it, to escape, like a small animal trying to escape the python snake’s fatal grip."

A line from your fic that contains an Easter egg (WWDITS reference with a medieval and lore-friendly name replacement! From chapter 3)

"His name was Mikael, if I recall correctly.”

“Fucking Mikael!” Ravonna says, full of spite.

A line from your fic that's shocking (from chapter 13, MIRAAK SAID HIS FIRST ON-SCREEN BAD WORD!! Everyone was shocked hahaha)

“Holy shit!” Fenrik says as they get closer to the Silt Strider, making Ravonna’s job to cheer up much easier. She turns to him with wide eyes, and then looks at the rest of the amused fellowship. Even Teldryn was struggling not to smile.

A line from your fic you want to talk about more (from chapter 2, IT'S RUMCURIO, CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT RUMCURIO I'M IN RAREPAIR HELL, MY FIC IS LITERALLY THE ONLY ONE WITH THE RUMARIN/MARCURIO TAG I'M GOING INSANE)

“Just come back alive, or I will kill you.” Marcurio says, his forehead resting against Rumarin’s, still pulling him down. It’s not the most comfortable position for Rumarin, but he won’t have it any other way. It makes him think, really. About all the ways he is going to kiss him as soon as he returns from Solstheim.

Tagging my beloved fellow writer mutuals, only if you want to participate, of course! @bougainvillea-and-saltwater @kiir-do-faal-rahhe @thelavenderelf @mareenavee @dirty-bosmer @blossom-adventures @nerevar-quote-and-star and I'm also tagging @sheirukitriesfandom back to do this challenge!

#tag game #thank you so much for this <3 #wygtya #wygtya stuff #miraak x ldb #oc: ravonna #miraak #lucien flavius #inigo the brave #rumarin 3dnpc #marcurio #rumcurio #teldryn sero #ralof/hadvar

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