#stupid thalmor

[joznii]

Sorry I have to send my ask through my main blog, but it is soooo nice to see more Sven and Faendal shippers out there. I hadn't ever thought of it until a couple years ago when someone here posted their fic and it was only the 2nd? or 3rd fic for the two of them to ever go on ao3, BUT IT JUST MAKES SENSE!!!! They are the PERFECT enemies to lovers!! I can't see it any other way anymore tbh. Your art and ideas are great and I can't wait to see what you do and who you convert!

THEY REALLY ARE !! Their dynamic lends itself to SO MUCH i honestly thought i was going INSANE when i looked for content of them and there was so little like HOW!! Tailor made enemies to lovers like AHGGGHHHH

Im glad u enjoy my art, i hate to say they single handedly pulled me out of a YEARS long artblock its so embarrassing lmao

[aetherialfalmer]

Fuck it Estormo headcanon time

Estormo is actually young compared to Ancano. He's somewhere between 19-22 so it can lead to Ancano calling him a child at times.

He became a storm magic specialist after he survived being struck by a bolt of lightning as a child. The entry point scar is on his back and the exit point is on his upper abdomen.

Instead of staying at the college, he stayed in the local inn in different clothes. Something about Ancano wanting him to keep watch on the outside but it annoyed him nonetheless.

He's a few inches taller than Ancano and it was something that frustrated Ancano to no end.

At times he can be a little dense and instructions have to be very clear for him to get it.

His preferred areas of study are Enchanting and Ayleid study. He'd rather investigate Ayleid ruins than be assigned to the "cunt who got stationed in butt fuck nowhere."

He prefers light armor and prefers one handed weapons.

It's a bit random but if he eats cheese it triggers his sleepwalking.

In secret, he kept interracial romance novels on his person. He's always been quietly rebellious over the stigma and finds those novels to be a sign of protest.

He was born in Alinor but was chosen by the Thalmor in his mid-teens.

He's a nonfunctional Homosexual but is on the acespectrum

[came-out-of-the-coffin-desisted]

my haaaaaands are still fucked uuuuuup but when they’re unfucked up i’m gonna draw smth so sexy and delicious for my new skyrim oc i can see the comp in my mind’s eye it’d just make my hands fall off if i tried to draw it

[whitegoldtower]

Ugh I feel my most vampiric when I’m at my most anaemic

I’m wrapped up in 2 duvets, pyjamas and a hoodie because my cold flashes have turned me into a shivering mess and I can’t feel my toes

My room needs to be dark bc the light is hurting me

My skin has just gone milk bottle pale

And to top it all off I’ve got stupid cravings for dirt, salt and blood pudding 🥲

Can’t even type properly because my fingers are freezing. I need a cuddle.

I need specifically the Altmer cuddle pile to warm me up. Throw some Dunmer in there for extra heat too pls I am shivering

[kyliafanfiction]

Hot take: I actually think the argument in “The Talos Mistake” is a good one, and I kind of wish that it could be true.

The shrines to Talos work, so it’s probably not true, Talos really is a god, but I kind of hate that it happened.

[omegaversereloaded]

Gotta bail my stupid fucking thalmor husband out of jail for another fucking DUI charge

[captain-of-silvenar]

Ondolemar is such a funny character to imagine about because he talks about elven supremacy and how he's the best of the best "bask in it" dealio like he's hot shit. He's Commander Justiciar of the Thalmor in Skyrim which should command a level of respect and fear akin to running into like Galmar Stone-fist and Legate Rikke but-

But he's at one ass end of Skyrim watching over arguably one of the most hostile cities in Skyrim. Which could be argued it has an importance of the silver mines and being one point of contention in the civil war.

But the mer sleeps on a stone bed for gods sake. He stands around saying "stupid dog" and asks a stranger to do his job of stealing an Amulet of Talos. He doesn't even become hostile toward you if you wear one I don't think.

And when you do his one side quest he is so charmed by you that he does a diversion tactic. For you. In his own embassy. Against his people. A total stranger because he has no one else in this damn game he could trust, what kind of Altmer does that?

Ondolemar does. And I want to both slap his bald head and also take him out to dinner.

Just to see what he does, he's such a funny character to me.

[moodcrab]

Fixing Delphine

This bitch.

I actually like that they made a character that is on your side but is somewhat unlikable, Delphine is Team Dragonborn, but she's not really one of the good guys. And that's cool, conflict means drama. So what's the problem? Well unfortunately, this drama is surface level and isn't used to drive the story, so It's kind of just annoying.

People oversimplify their hatred of Delphine into "She wants you to kill Paarthurnax," because unlike Delphine, people actually like Paarthurnax. Understandable, but barely scratches the surface. We'll get to The Paarthurnax Dilemma in time, but that quest is a symptom, not the illness itself.

If I could sum up Delphine in a word it would be "inconsistent." For example, she's a fugitive waging a one woman war on the Thalmor from the shadows, who's only survived this long from sheer paranoia - but she also uses her real name and leaves a note in Ustengrav for whoever happens to pick it up with directions and a pass word to her secret hide out.

She needs to go through her super secret contact Farengar to use the Jarl's resources to go into Bleak Falls Barrow, a tutorial level dungeon she can see from her house, and she's impressed that you did it - but she also goes personally to the other side of the country to delve alone into the massive Ustengrav to steal the Horn of Jurgan Windcaller, no issues, just a quick in and out twenty minute adventure.

She takes the fact that you found her Ustengrav note as proof you're the Greybeard's new guy and not some Thalmor plant even though she herself, a non Dragonborn, had also completed Ustengrav and taken the horn proving it's totally possible. She even points this out in her own dialogue then demands we prove who we are, even though that was the whole point of the Ustengrav note. It's also a pretty big assumption that just because I'm the guy the Greybeards call Dragonborn that I can't ALSO be with the Thalmor.

We are left with this awkward sense that the writers are flailing to make us think this woman is competent and objective, without actually having her do anything that clever. Just act like the dumb thing was smart and have her act like a cocky brat if questioned about it.

Inconsistency. It's her thing. Does she hate the Thalmor? That would make sense given what we know about her. But that gets dropped half way through the main story and suddenly she hates The Greybeards, for absolutely no reason at all. She gives a reason, but it's bullshit.

In her own words, "If the greybeards had their way, the dragonborn would sit on a mountain talking to the sky." But that's not true is it. We know The Greybeards, they encouraged us to fulfill our destiny. Even if you say you want to follow their Way of the Voice, they'll be glad to hear it but warn you not to let it get in the way of what needs to be done. Delphine even uses Tiber Septim as an example, which is even stupider because The Greybeards actively encouraged Tiber to conquer Tamriel. Have I read more in game books than the dialogue writers??

But that's not the end of it, when it becomes convenient for the plot this hatred is flipped once again from The Greybeards onto dragons. Not Alduin. All dragons. Despite the fact that, as a Blade, she should know about Nafaalilargus, a dragon ally of the Empire and the Blades for thousands of years, and the Blades don't just indiscriminately kill all dragons no matter the circumstances, and that Tiber Septim himself almost certainly met Paarthurnax at some point, she suddenly seems to be acting like she has a personal grudge against dragons. Which brings us to the Paarthurnax Dilemma...

See here's the thing, you could easily write off the frustration everyone feels towards this quest as Bethesda's crappy design, where there is no conclusion other than to kill Paarthurnax, or else leave an unfinished quest languishing in the menu. Bethesda apparently didn't consider the idea that anybody would actually prefer to turn on the Blades, even though the Blades have become a bit of a running joke among the fans, or that anyone would take umbrage with Delphine giving out orders and ultimatums.

But no, it's so much worse than that. Delphine being a surly unlikable c u n t from the day we met her is one thing, but the fact that she has been wrong about almost everything she's ever said in game, and still having the AUDACITY to treat us like her work bitch and us never, not once, getting the opportunity to put her in her place... That's not poor quest design, that's the game gaslighting us.

Let's do a quick list of every one of Delphine's theories, and how many were actually correct shall we:

You are not the Dragonborn ❌

The Greybeards shouldn't be trusted to identify a Dragonborn ❌

The dragons aren't just coming back, they're coming back to life ✅

The Thalmor have something to do with the dragons returning ❌

Esbern is dead ❌

The Greybeards just want the Dragonborn to sit on a mountain and meditate ❌

The Greybeards wanted Tiber Septim to just sit on a mountain and meditate ❌

Paarthurnax, having lived in exile for thousands of years, deserves corporal punishment ❌

As ACTING Grand Master of the Blades, she gets to boss around the Dragonborn ❌

She deserves a seat at the peace negotiations ❌

And these are just the things that are factually wrong, leaving aside opinions on her morality and shitty attitude. This is the woman the game presents to us as a shrewd strategist.

BUT I CAN FIX HER!

Like I said I like the idea of a character who is on your side but is somewhat unlikable. It actually won't take much to make Delphine endearing to the fans. We have to do a Boromir on her. A Lot of people dislike Boromir throughout the Fellowship of the Ring but weep at his death. We have to tweak three things to have the same thing happen to Delphine:

1. Make her actually competent and useful so that while we don't agree with her we can see why she does the things she does, and desire to keep her around.

2. Have her mistakes called out and have consequences.

3. Have her redeem her mistakes with a badass honourable death.

[dynamite124]

So I have this character who is such a goodie and a protest of Mara that everyone around him thinks he's naive af as well...

And I had this idea in my head that someone tried to scam him, Taliesin saw how LDB was apparently falling for the trick and of course he couldn't let that happen on *his* watch. Can you imagine how his reputation would drop, am I right?

There he goes on his merry way with a not-scammed LDB who looks less-than-merry. LDB then tells Taliesin that he shouldn't have involved because LDB actually wanted to give the scammer the money and he was aware what kind of deal it was but it's just that he thought the scammer needed the money a lot more than he does.

What would Taliesin say/do in this situation? Would he be rolling his eyes on the stupidity? Actually seeing something (if again stupid but also) admirable in this way of thinking? Or maybe the good ol' "well if YOU don't need the money you can give it to ME"?

The wheels turned in his head as he processed that his benefactor told him. It was amusing, need he be honest. Having someone scold him for the most naïve thing to ever grace his sharp, pointed ears.

They...wanted to loose their money.

"Pfft!" It was hard to contain his amusement as he cheeks puffed out from his stifled laugh. But seeing their nose scrunch in frustration was worth it. So adorable.

He quickly turned his head, letting his laugher fly free from his thin lips as he let the whole forest know of his feelings. A few birds even flew from their perch on the branches to flee from the scene. It was only until his laughter was replaced by snorting did Taliesin pinch his nose, forcing himself to calm down.

"Are you done yet?" groaned the Dragonborn.

Taliesin straightened himself up, sighing with contentment before straightening his robes to compose himself. "Had I know you wanted to give away your hard earned coin, I would've suggest less humiliating ways for you to ease your burden of such riches." He smirked. "A wishing well for example, now there's an idea! Just toss your lively hood into a hole and wish for world peace! Yes, a world where the Stormcloaks and Thalmor hold hands and braid each others hair and blah, blah, blah blah~"

The Dragonborn folded their arms and let out an annoyed huff before walking away from the Mer, continuing their journey down the road towards town. Like the loyal pup he was, Taliesin blindly followed after.

"I still think I was doing the right thing." They grumbled.

"No, it was still a stupid choice," Taliesin said, very matter-of-factly. "But I think that's what I like best about you."

[idalynsskyrimdiaries]

Small Rant 🎀✨️

I know most of you guys can't wait until TES VI comes out in the next 20 years, but I am so scared, no joke 😭

I'm calling it now. They're going to go for the "sympathetic villains" trope when it comes to the Thalmor as a whole (even though they did so many bad things, this is still possible, and it hurts). Like, we get it.. Tiber Septim did something very stupid that involved a certain brass weapon of mass destruction and other things, but goddamn.

I know I'm probably missing some information or context, but so far I think that Tiber just straight up nuked the Summerset Isles while the high elves were just trying to figure out what in the flying fuck was happening in Tamriel that was arriving at their doorstep somehow during that time in history.

Good God we are so FUCKED, it's not funny it's scary, it's very scary like imagine waking up in the middle of the night and there's just a Thalmor agent staring outside of your window like this

Let's pray and manifest for Dwarven Glock™ to be real because I'm not ready

[dozodraws]

12 years later and I still cannot believe how immensely stupid Delphine is. You just watched Alduin cast revivify on a skeletal dragon and you think the Thalmor are the ones rezing the dragons. Like what?

[oblivions-dawn]

Cocky Serana Time? Cocky Serana Time

I actually debated whether or not I should participate in WIP Wednesday this week . . . but I caved. And while I do have a very nice 'heeheehoohoo' Virana scene, maybe that can be something I share here next week if I'm still picking away at my currently very hated chapter. I love the idea that Serana takes the most pride in her necromancy prowess and got the idea to showcase it here because, while she's lovingly resurrecting every two seconds in my game, she hasn't done so as much in my fanfiction. And I had to remedy that immediately, so. Hope you enjoy. ❤

The elf walked past. Serana silently stalked after him, fangs dug into her lip. She crept closer to him with every step, his words reduced to soft, careless whistles that echoed off the walls, unaware of the vampire that carefully stood up and lifted her razor—

Serana plunged the blade of her dagger deep into his back, just to the left of his spine. She twisted, then ripped it out; blood gushed from the gaping wound. He turned with a suffocating gasp as the torch clattered to the floor; his eyes lingered on her just long enough for her to witness the last whispers of life fade from his gaze.

Just before his knees buckled beneath his dead weight, Serana extended out her cold hand and cast a spell. The violet and indigo-tinged wisp spiralled from her fingertips and struck the Altmer’s body—it immediately became stiff and rigid. Shades of nightshade stained his vacant eyes, his soul tethered, chained, anchored to the once empty host against its will. She curled her fingers in as she dropped her hand; the zombie relaxed instantly, his head bowed in obedience. A smirk of pride stretched her pale lips.

“What the fuck was the point of this again?”

Serana folded her arms and turned, only to find Vigdis already beside her with a glare.

“This,” she began, “is going to make it a lot easier to sneak around. He’ll be able to tell me when there’s trouble—and his friends won’t even notice that he’s actually dead.”

With a simple wave of her hand, the corpse retrieved his torch and resumed his natural stance from before. The puppet’s invisible strings hung loosely from her fingers, his calm façade a sign that there were currently no other Thalmor agents nearby.

“This is fucking stupid,” the hunter muttered pessimistically.

“I don’t suppose you have a better idea?” Serana questioned, a fiery and challenging edge in her voice. When the redhead only narrowed her icy eyes and huffed defeatedly in response, Serana quirked her dark brow, smug. “I didn’t think so.”

“Personally I think it’s impressive,” Wynn piped up. “I’ve never seen someone perform necromancy so flawlessly before.”

The vampire grinned slightly, then shrugged. “It’s a simple trick, really. Child’s play.”

“Ooo, cocky!” The thief smirked, a flirtatious glint in her jaspilite eyes. “I like it.”

[trickstarbrave]

the biggest problem with skyrim i see people critiquing it not point out isn't just "the writing is shallow"

i mean it is. but a lot of games have overall shallow writing without that being an issue. sometimes you dont need 90 pages of lore for smth. sometimes simple events can spiral out of control into massive problems. the elder scrolls series definitely has a world so complex though that it should have more interesting and detailed writing, but the biggest problem with skyrim isn't that

the problem is video games are not just writing and a setting. there is game play, themes, characters, and often multiple overlapping stories/plot lines in that setting. And all need to work together as cogs in a machine or the whole thing doesn't fucking work right. it's like making a play, and while i almost fucking failed script analysis in college (dont ask), i do understand that, and how different parts of the experience are weighted as a decisions

skyrim is a game that is heavily weighted towards gameplay and exploration of a setting. its primarily a sandbox game. thats all well and good, a lot of my favorite games are. it is a power fantasy that is (supposed to be) about play choice and agency. and almost nothing in the fucking game actually reinforces and works toward it. in fact it often directly contradicts it.

skyrim tries to bring up a number of themes, especially in the main story quest. stuff like morals, power, how to wield power, what actual justice means, and the nature of violence. and it does absolutely fuck all with it. if i as a dragonborn misuse my power at best i will piss off the guards which literally can happen to anyone. most of the time no matter what i do no npc gives a fuck who i am. i can be the thane of every hold in skyrim, most of the population will still be rude assholes to me.

take paarthurnax. we all hate and bemoan the dilemma we are given. either kill dragon grandpa or be locked out of the blades stuff from now on. it seems like such a stupid choice to the point one of the most popular mods is telling delphine "shut up im in charge". but i think, even if its subconscious for most people so they don't even realize it, the reason this choice is so stupid has nothing to do with the fact we like dragon grandpa (or at least not the whole thing), but because the entire empire is built upon horrific war crime after horrific war crime of emperors with dragon souls. tiber septim did absolutely heinous shit on and off the battlefield. he killed innocents. raped. abused. lied. manipulated. and he never really repented, unlike paarthurnax. what does he get? well after a convoluted scheme we learned about back in daggerfall, he gets to be a whole ass fucking god and gets worshipped. there are potentially elves who remember his reign of terror and being ruthlessly slaughtered and removed from their homes, their cities burned and families killed, all out of greed from this motherfucker. and they are the bad guys for opposing his worship. they are portrayed as cartoonishly evil mass murderers, torturers, schemers, etc etc and at no point do we get a genuinely sympathetic take from a thalmor agent where they list out all of his war crimes and horrible shit he did that still effects them to this day, and to top it all off the empire left them to fend for themselves during the fucking oblivion crisis.

so as delphine bemoans all of paarthurnax's war crimes and horrible things he has done, how no amount of repenting can make up for it and he's too dangerous to leave alive and we should kill him Right Now because what if he, even by accident, succumbs to his nature as an Evil Dragon and does horrible things again, she is also actively defending the horrific, much more recent war crimes of other Evil Dragons just in mortal form. if delphine has a point, then so do the thalmor, but they are just cardboard bad guy elf nazis and the empire can do no wrong.

violence is rewarded time and time again, but THESE characters being violent is bad. because. all dragons are evil and able to be corrupted by power, but the player if they decide to be a massive asshole don't really face that much scrutiny besides ultimate gameplay inconvenience. because this is a sandbox power fantasy! you should make your own choices without being punished! but that means the story about power, the cost of violence, justice, and morals, as well as your greater place in the world can have no gameplay weight. and if it has no weight in the most important part of the experience, then it has no fucking weight at all

i could go on and on. like how the dragons are supposedly intelligent creatures with their own language, culture, customs, and morality system but are basically for most of the game about as smart and engaging as the average bear or wolf you encounter on the road outside of 2-3 dragons in heavily scripted, linear conversations during the story, but we'd be here all day.

[dalishthunder]

Throw a Dart at the Map (p1)

Pairing: Nebarra/LDB (Gender Neutral Reader) Rating: Mature Words: 1131 Additional Info: Pining... Fluff and pining, Takes place after "Honor and Glory", Takes place during the Island Quest

During the Great War, there had always been a twinge of sadness when the battle ended. Whether the skirmish was won or lost, there were dead to count and name. Letters to write... and no time to mourn.

After Nebarra had begun mercenary work, that had shifted to a disappointment that his bloodlust could not be fully sated. The battle ended before he'd barely wet his blade.

And now... it was more relief. Relief and the wanting to see that furiosity and passion on your face longer. More often. It was odd to think that he'd been traveling with you for over a year now. But he wasn't about to ask you to bed just to see your expressions or passion between battles. You certainly didn't feel that way about him anyway. You were Skyrim's darling. The most eligible person in the entire province and even other parts of Tamriel....

Oh, Old Soldier...

He looked over to where you stood at the bow, cold sea air whipping all around, wreathed in the glow of the auroras above. There was something so wild and serene about it... about you.

It was the first time he'd gotten to be alone with you in probably close to a month. He wasn't even quite sure why you'd volunteered to come out here with him just to make a bit of coin.

Probably needed a break from all the pomp and circumstance.

Before he knew it, he'd made it to your side, leaning against the railing, shoulder bumping against yours as the waves rocked the ship.

You gave him a smile, eyes tired, haunting in the soft green glow, before leaning against him.

"You know..." He started after a long, long while, "We can go anywhere we want to now...."

A laugh bubbled from your throat like champagne, "We? You mean you're not sick of me yet?"

"Never said that." He almost wished you could see his grin. "But as far as traveling companions go, I supposed I could do worse. And someone needs to make sure you don't get yourself killed doing something irrationally stupid."

"That someone is Xelzaz.... For both of us."

"He does have a better head on his shoulders than most, I'll give him that."

You chuckled, and after a moment, you asked, "Where would you like to go?"

Home.

"Somewhere warm."

He wasn't quite sure if it was a good idea to bring you to the Isles. The Thalmor had started to show... interest in your activities, and bringing you into the den of serpents as it were would be unwise. No matter how certain he was that you would get along well with his brother. His parents....

Gods what a dumb turn of thought. You could absolutely not meet his parents.

Ever.

How much wine had he had already?

Not enough.

You straightened up, turning around so your back was against the railing and you could look at him. Your smile was intoxicating. "Alright. I'm down for that. I'm kind of interested in seeing the Sea of Pearl. Maybe Topal Bay?"

"Ohohoho, look who's been brushing up on geography. And here I thought I'd be able to mock you forever for being a dullard."

You gave him a halfhearted shove. "Sorry, been too busy saving the whole world to know every world detail up to your standard."

"Excuses don't look good on you, my dear Dragonborn."

You rolled your eyes. "So, it's settled then?"

"That you'd a dullard?"

"No!" You smacked him on the shoulder, and he just snickered. "That after everything's over we're setting sail for the Sea of Pearl."

His heart skipped a beat. "Yeah, it's settled. Once this whole mess has been dealt with, we're going south and getting some good wine. Something full-bodied. Actually, have you ever tried metheglin?"

You shook your head.

"We'll have to get some when we head south."

"What's it taste like?"

"It's a honey liquor. I haven't had any in ages.... There was a small town near where I grew up that made the best lemon infused metheglin. Last time I had it was the night before I was shipped off. Let me tell you the hangover while I was signing away my life to The Dominion was probably the worst one I've ever had." He let out a breathy chuckle. "I thought I was going to vomit over the poor hag's shoes." You laughed again, "You'll have to show me sometime."

"Maybe after the Sea of Pearl and Topal Bay."

"I'm holding you to it."

"I said maybe."

"Too late, you've already gotten my hopes up, Nebbadiah." Your smile was infectious, and as he realized the way he'd been leaning in, he was very, very glad for his helmet. He was sure kissing you was one of the dumbest ideas that had ever cursed his mind.

"Bad idea...."

"Oh..." Your smile faltered. "Yeah... sorry, that was a silly idea. The Thalmor don't really like me... no need to stir the pot even more by going into the heart of The Dominion...."

"On my oath, I will protect you if we ever do. Besides, if I'm going to retire on Auridon and buy a vineyard, the Thalmor had best get used to you or have a blade shoved through their gut."

It was difficult to make out in the dim green light, but he was pretty sure your cheeks flushed... or perhaps it was wishful thinking. And then you headbutted his shoulder. "What's the point of retiring if we can't relax."

We.

Yes, he was very glad for his helmet.

"Hmmm... I suppose we could settle for southern Cyrodil instead if we really have to." He drawled.

We.

Your forehead was still pressed into his armor. He was afraid if he moved, the mood would shatter; That nebulous future together fade on the wind....

"I think I want to travel a lot more before I retire."

"We've still got plenty of time left." After all, you were supposed to be the avatar of Talos or some such nonesense that the nords had made up. And as much as he liked to complain, Nebarra wasn't even technically middle aged.

"We've still gotta get Xelzaz to Highrock.... And figure out what happened to Lucifer."

He rolled his eyes, of course you'd have to bring them up while he was trying to live in some stupid little fantasy. He looked out over the horizon, spotting a small island. Someplace to dock for the night and potentially hide the boat until he needed it again.

Because as much as he'd like to believe the wine, and talk about sailing away or settling down together, he needed to live in the real world. So, reluctantly he pulled away.

"Yes, well, like I said, plenty of time."

[whitegoldtower]

Slight NSFW warning? Another Ancano headcanon:

If you play your cards correctly with him, you’ll see just how… eager he is. It’s going to be difficult to turn him on at first, as he resists it all - because he’s an itsy bitsy (very) self conscious - but if you can get him to fully trust you? Hoo boy.

He’s frightened of looking stupid and also frightened of being naked, hence why the prospect of sex frightens him, but once he gets over that fear, he’s damn near insatiable.

Done something he approves of? He’ll ambush you into a little alcove as you’re walking through the corridor to tell you just how much he’s approved. Find yourself with your back against the wall and a breathless Thalmor pressed against you, ready to be kissed senseless.

Caress his ears and watch him absolutely fall apart. It’ll be a “Bedroom. Now. Please?” Situation ™️

Also his hands shake a lot when he’s excited. He trembles so much. You can tell how turned on he is by how tightly he’s holding you and how much he’s shaking (amongst other things). His pulse skyrockets.

I also headcanon that he’s very well endowed. There’s plenty there to wrap your teeth around, plenty to stroke. Plenty to ride, if the mood strikes. He prefers bottoming, and enjoys being a brat about it, but he also enjoys topping occasionally and being praised.

PRAISE HIM. Tell him he’s a good boy, that he’s doing so well, that you want to hear him, that you think he’s beautiful, that you want to make him feel good. Give him plenty of praise and validation. He’ll be wrapped around your little finger.

Sex with Ancano (for my ocs at least) is very him centric. It revolves around wanting to give him a space to be loved and experience indulgence, to introduce him to new things. Of course, that’s not to say he’s a pillow princess - not by any sense of the phrase. He merely does as he’s instructed until he’s told to let loose.

And when he lets loose, you’d better hold on tight. 🥴😂

[mareenavee]

All the Lines Tag Game!

AUGh I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. Okay thank you to @throughtrialbyfire and @miraakulous-cloud-district for the tags! I am thus tagging @paraparadigm, @changelingsandothernonsense, @thana-topsy, @thequeenofthewinter, @gilgamish, @rhiannon1199, @elfinismsarts, @kookaburra1701, @dirty-bosmer, @nuwanders, @ladytanithia, @polypolymorph, @saltymaplesyrup and @archangelsunited!! And, you if I didn't tag you. Tag me back! I want to see!

Here are the questions for the tag game right here! Fill them out!

Without further ado, read on for some lines for The World on Our Shoulders!

A line from your fic that makes you laugh

Chapter 25: A Perfect Storm

“Then why did you not poison the Dragonborn?” Teldryn ventured. He’d already taken the coin purse from the bench next to the Thalmor without being noticed. He grinned as the man’s face twisted through several different emotions until he buried his face in his hands. “Oh, please. At this point, you must know I never did claim to be a good double agent,” the Thalmor lamented. Teldryn let out a loud cackle.

I have a few zingers lol but Varlais, Varlais. He's the comic relief here.

A line from your fic that makes you sad

Chapter 8: Haunted By the Ghost of You

“I can’t do this by myself, love. I really need you here,” he whispered to the ghost of the girl he remembered, singing in the kitchen with autumn eyes full of love and hope. She didn’t answer. Couldn’t. Wouldn’t. She was gone, and Athis knew no matter when Nyenna next came home, that girl in his memories would never, ever return.

Bean </3 Poor, poor Athis 😭 Why did I do this to him? augh.

A line from your fic you're proud of

Chapter 26: Voice Within

More and more of its lair started to fall away back into the void, or else Oblivion; patches of reality pulled forward, stark against the ruined illusion. Varlais, face set in a severe scowl, took its moment of weakness as a signal and pulled an ebony dagger from somewhere in his coat. He rushed at the Atronach, stabbing into it with all the force he could muster. As with ice, silence shattered.

I just really loved this entire scene actually. It causes so much trouble for CHAPTERS after this. And it's excellent.

A line for your fic you think could have been better

Chapter 3: A World of Fragile Things

“Of course you do,” the second vampire said. Her voice seemed calm, distant. This one was a Nord at one point, tall and imposing. She was casting a spell of some kind, but it hurt. Nyenna looked down at her hands and was shocked to see the color being drained from her, her hands almost skeletal. She screamed then, terror getting the better of her and clouding her mind.

I kind of wished I pushed the description of this magic a little bit further. I do love editing and I'm still in awe of past Katie for how far she's gotten so far. So I'm still fine with this line but it was an opportunity I didn't take.

A line from your fic that makes you want to punch a character.

Chapter 19: Although I am Already a Danger

“You seemed to be having a hard time. Nothing a sweetroll can’t fix, I figured. Want to talk about it?” he offered. Nyenna gave him an apprehensive look. She didn’t really want to talk to him particularly about all her nonsense, but if she didn’t, it would be harder to focus moving forward with all that had to be done in the next few days. “No. But I’ll tell you anyway,” she said. He scoffed. She ate the piece of sweetroll she held before continuing. “I…was not the best wife. I ran away in the middle of the night. It was unkind. I knew it was when I did it, but just like he followed me into battle with a dragon, I knew if I didn’t simply go, he’d turn his back in another horrible situation all because of me. And after everything I’ve been through, I just…I guess I couldn’t handle watching him get injured again. Or worse, as it sometimes goes with dragons.”

There are a few instances where Nyenna makes really stupid mistakes. Extremely stupid mistakes. And this, innocuous though it seems, is one of them. One of the huge ones. I think only @paraparadigm caught it. I was yelling when I wrote this. Like "REALLY NYENNA?!" On the other side of the coin, she's used to people behaving like Teldryn had before this; it was expected. When that dust settled, and he was elsewise, well. She just blabbed.

A line from your fic that makes you go 'aww'

Chapter 6: Together, We Are Enough (slightly longer snippet, I can't help it lol)

She made him feel less alone, after so long and so much struggle. They could build something beautiful together. He hoped. Better to ask and be sure. He was still grinning, and no longer cared a whit who saw, or who had comments or jokes to make on the matter. He was happy. Actually happy. And he loved her with all his heart. It may not have been a long time, but it felt right. And so he’d worn the pendant. And he had hoped. And here she was, an Amulet of Mara in her hands. “Well?” he asked, after a moment. “You want to marry…me?” she asked with a giggle. “Won’t lie. I do,” Athis answered. He felt his face get hot. Other people were shushing each other up near Jorrvaskr. A few people had even wandered further down the stairs to better spy on them. “What about you?” She gasped and all but danced in place. She held onto the amulet with both hands, staring at it just for a moment. She let it fall to her chest. She looked him right in the eye and beamed. “Of course, of course!” she squealed. She threw her arms around his neck again and he embraced her back. “Then it’s settled. It’s you and me, love,” Athis whispered, squeezing her tightly before lifting her up and spinning around. There was a huge roar of applause behind them, as the Companions and a few townsfolk there for Anoriath’s event celebrated with them. Athis laughed deeply, embracing his soon-to-be wife. They walked back up to Jorrvaskr, hand in hand, into the crowd of merry friends and feast-goers.

A line from your fic that's full of symbolism

Chapter 27: Echoes

He reached for her then, running as fast as he could toward her. He seemed to run forever, never getting any closer. As if his hands were blocked somehow. She never came into focus. Instead, the figure — who wasn’t at all Nyenna — turned, silvery hair curling back on itself like a stole. The figure threw its head back in a wicked laugh that broke through the buzz. The hair morphed into the form of a silver snake, twisting over the figure’s shoulders and arms, which they held out to either side. The snake’s scales slowly shifted golden in hue. Teldryn couldn’t see the figure’s face. He never got close enough. A sword in their other hand glinted in the light from the moonless sky, driven into the ground at their feet. Still, the image wasn’t quite clear. Still, he could not reach.

I almost linked the entire fanfic.

A line from your fic that contains an Easter egg

“Ground rules,” she said, trying to seem aggravated. “Keep those thoughts to yourself, especially in public.” “As you wish, sera,” Teldryn said, still beaming. She rolled her eyes. Geldis gave him a harsh look as he dropped off two bowls of porridge and two mugs of canis root tea, but said nothing.

I always yell about all the Tolkien references so, instead, have this Princess Bride easter egg instead :>

A line from your fic that's shocking

Chapter 1: Prologue

“I don’t regret us, for the record. My fear has nothing to do anymore with where we are and how much stronger we’ve become. We’re supposed to be together. She’s supposed to exist,” Nyenna said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She drummed her fingers over his hands which still lay on her stomach. “She? More like he," Teldryn scoffed in a teasing tone. He paused, waiting for her retort, and chuckled instead in the silence. “You keep saying that,” Nyenna said and shook her head. She laughed too, especially as the little one kicked at their touch, restless and relentless. Teldryn kissed the side of her jaw near her ear and she sighed. “I’d have never made it through any of this without you, you know.” “You would have. I see you. You’re stronger than you know,” he replied. He always said the right things at the right time. She wondered briefly how he always seemed to know exactly what she needed to hear.

I could've linked the entire prologue lol. I laid everything out on the table right at the beginning. Perhaps this isn't shocking anymore for most of you LOL but I mean...sorta yeah. There's more that probably would be. But it's not published yet. :>

A line from your fic you want to talk about more

Chapter 27: Echoes (longer snippet again lol)

“Tell me what to do,” he said after a moment. “Oh, I really hate this, though,” Neloth said, apprehension sounding odd and incongruous for him. “There’s a reason people don’t practice this way. It might seem like nothing to you now that you’ve already accomplished the connection. That it brought forth memories of immature jokes should have told me enough… But… I’ve seen people disintegrate, their Magicka pools just… gone. In an instant. I’ve… Well, I’ve done it to someone before, myself.” Teldryn stopped short. “Jokes aside, Neloth, but…you? With someone else?” When Neloth fell silent and pensive instead of digging back at him, Teldryn knew something was wrong. His stomach lurched again as the old wizard opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again and ground his teeth against whatever he was holding back. He cleared his throat before he was able to make his point. “Yes, I… It was during the Oblivion Crisis. We closed a gate that opened at Sadrith Mora. We were… We were without resources, but…” He trailed off, grief and anger crossing his brow like a squall. His eyes went dark. “I thought I didn’t care about her at the time. My apprentice.” He smoothed his robes and sighed heavily. “We were the last two mages left alive and the Redoran hadn’t gotten anywhere near the settlement yet. Neither of us were enough on our own. The option was this… indecent spellwork or both of us dying trying to break the siege of Dremora ourselves.” He fidgeted with his sleeve and looked anywhere else except at Teldryn. “It had been our last resort. I reached and she answered and then in a moment, she was gone. Ashes. Like she’d never even existed. But I still remember her. And I remember the sound of it…of her Magicka evaporating… like it was yesterday.” He cleared his throat and glanced up at the ceiling. “She wasn’t weak by any means. This happened anyway. And I… I still feel like I’ve lost something of myself all these years later. Something I’ll never get back.”

NELOTH BACKSTORY. I could and probably will write more fic set before the events of World and include more of this. More of what this person meant to Neloth, and more of what this event really caused for him personally, for House Telvanni, for his standing in the Council, for the outcome of the Oblivion Crisis. Everything. Oh it'll be so much fun.