#About Alfarinn

[cadrenebula]

Prompt #10: One More Light

Kino halted his steps as he looked to where Alfa sat with a look the viera was all too familiar with. It was that look Alfa always had after the curse had taken hold. The killing wasn't what bothered Alfa so much as the loss of control to the point he couldn't tell friend from foe. The aftermath was always this look that Alfa wished he could disappear from this world. As if the people he cared about might be safer without him.

Slowly, Kino walked up to Alfa. Giving him time to register the viera's presence before he knelt down in front of his precious friend. Watching Alfa's haunted look for a moment before reaching out to gently take Alfa's hands in his own. Thumb rubbing over the back of Alfa's hand.

"Hush those demons." Kino said softly. "In a sky of a million stars, we care that you are here. Do not allow those demons to tell you otherwise. I stand beside you with eyes wide open of the dangers. But you know what? I trust you not to hurt me. Because even if those demons plague you, you are stronger than they. You're angry and you should be. It's not fair that you suffer. But I promised you I wouldn't walk away. And I intend to keep that promise." Moving one hand to Alfa's cheek tenderly. Giving the man a small smile. "I care if this world loses one more light. Especially if it is your light."

Kino had to resist the urge to cry out in surprise when Alfa yanked him close. Allowing his friend to hug him tightly as he rested his head against Alfa's shoulder. "It's okay to afraid but don't let it devour you."

"I'm so sorry, Kino. Thank you for always being here for me." Alfa answered with a hoarse voice as he held his best friend tightly, hiding his face against them. Glad for the safety and comfort the viera always seemed ready to offer after the mayhem of the curse was over for the time being.

#FFxivWrite2023 #FFxivWrite #Prompt 10 #Prompt Extra Credit #About Alfarinn #Dȳr of Dravania #Hunters of the Green #It's been a rough weekend #An when One More Light came on... #It felt fitting to write something to it #Especially with how much LP got me through tough times

[mimble-sparklepudding]

8. The Hunter.

The Hunter’s prey is quite elusive,

Its trail is cold, its traits obscure,

But know its end will be conclusive,

As it has crimes to answer for...

The eighth character in my silly poem series is Alfarinn of @cadrenebula. This blog has thirteen OCs at the last count, of which Alfarinn is one. One might think that it would be confusing to read, let alone write, about so many OCs, but you will soon discover that they are all incredibly well-realised, with their own backstories, personalities and (most importantly) pets!

Given I can barely keep track of one OC, I am always slightly awestruck by the sheer skill and creativity to be found on this blog.

Definitely worth following if you're not already.

#@cadrenebula #Alfarinn Westergaard #ffxiv oc #ffxiv ocs #literally 13 ffxiv ocs #ffxiv #ff14 ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #also pets #final fantasy 14 #ff14 #ff14 screenshot

[twin-moons-ffxiv]

😘 for Vila’s honest opinion about Alfarinn (Since she has met him for that one mission in the Shroud.)

Them as a person : “Uhhh.  I didn’t really get t’ talk to him that much?  But he seems okay, I guess.”

Level of attractiveness : “I… ain’t really into elezen, sorry.”

What annoys them most : Vila shrugs.  “I was annoyed I was the shortest person there.  But that happens a lot.”

What they like the most : “Uhhh… he didn’t smell bad?”

What they’d do if they were locked in a closet together for 4 hours : “Probably talk?  I dunno.”

Overall opinion : “Eh, he’s okay for a sharp, I guess.”

Rating : 3/10 do not know

Honest Confession Meme

#thanks for the ask! #Vila Tadmhe #cadrenebula

[whispersafterdusk]

In Your Hands - ch 4

They'd backtracked to Windhelm after the storm had passed.

The stable master had seemed surprised at Ralsten's request to stable Unli there; he'd asked after the cost to leave the horse for a month, then had given the man three times that.

"Just in case," Ralsten had insisted.  They'd stood together to register the transaction in a little ledger, and then Ulundil had led Unli away -- while Ulundil had at first refused to take the horse for longer than a month they had eventually agreed that Ralsten would receive whatever gold he was owed if he came back before three months had passed, and if he hadn't returned in time then Ulundil was free to sell the horse.

"We'll hire a carriage," he'd explained to Serana once he'd come out of the stables.  "Their horses are sturdier and more suited to the roads, and if we get caught up in a storm we'll have the carriage to shelter inside or under, if we can't find any other shelter." ((Continued below cut))

They'd quickly visited Windhelm's markets and bought up what supplies Ralsten could find - he at least had a meager supply of potion for healing and, with some embarrassment that Serana either didn't notice or chose to ignore, a few for curing diseases; the only thing that had seemed to catch her attention was the size of his coin purse and how he spent without too much worry, but she didn't comment on that either...or at least, not until they were walking back to the stables and to where the carriage driver waited.

"You'd be surprised at how well adventuring pays," he'd answered.

That had gotten him a curious look.  "I suppose hunting vampires is pretty adventurous."

"It can be.  So can hunting other things."

As they were climbing into the carriage a Nord man clad in winter clothing with a ragged cloth cap came rushing up to them; he looked young and too thin, his face haggard and gaunt, and he was out of breath as he caught up to and leaned against the back of the carriage.

Serana and Ralsten looked to one another in mild confusion, then Ralsten had squatted down at the edge of the benches in the carriage's rear.  "Are you all right there?"

"I'm-" the man wheezed, sucking in a noisy breath.  "I'm glad I found you.  I've got a message - you're Ralsten, right?  Dragonborn?"

"That's me, aye," Ralsten answered.  He quickly glanced over a shoulder to find Serana staring at him, expression unreadable.  "What can I help you with, lad?"

The Nord reached into his shirt and pulled free a rumpled, folded letter.  "Here.  I'm glad I caught you here and didn't have to run all the way to Winterhold."

Ralsten reached out to pluck the letter free, then clapped the courier on the shoulder.  "Many thanks."

The man nodded and turned to jog - much more leisurely - back across the bridge to Windhelm.  

The wood elf stood and moved to plunk down on the bench near the front of the carriage; the driver, Alfarinn, looked back at them.  

"We ready to be off, then?"

"Aye," Ralsten answered.  

The carriage lurched into motion, and Ralsten turned the letter over in his hands a few times before unfolding it.

In cramped, messy writing were the words "Overheard you speaking - Imperial scholar arrived in Skyrim recently.  Rumor he was spotted while staking out a road.  May be a Moth Priest.  Do not have the men to spare to find him."  

It was signed with Isran's name, and Ralsten read it several times while trying to make sense of how lucky they'd just gotten.

He looked up and met Serana's gaze, folding the letter back up.  "It's from Isran - he thinks a Moth Priest has come to Skyrim."

Her eyes lit up, and she sat up straighter.  "Really?  Where?"

The wood elf tapped the folded letter against his palm.  "That I don't know - Isran didn't say where the priest was seen.  He could be...anywhere in Skyrim, really."

Serana considered that a moment, then leaned toward the carriage driver.  "Have you heard of any Moth Priests?  Or seen any traveling the roads?"

"Moth Priest?" Alfarinn repeated, giving her an incredulous look.   "Can't say I've heard of or seen anyone calling themselves one of those."

She nodded and sat back in her seat.  "-if a scholar - Moth Priest or not - has come to Skyrim, I bet their first destination would be the College."

"A good call," Ralsten said, nodding in agreement.  "At least we know one is here...might take awhile to find him, but it's better than having to travel all the way to Cyrodiil to speak to one."

"And while I have the Scroll my father doesn't have what he needs to figure out this prophecy," Serana added.  "It might take US time to unravel it, but HE won't be able to."

Ralsten nodded again with a chuckle.  They rode along in silence, though sometimes Alfarinn sang to himself.  As they approached Winterhold it became bitterly cold but while the sky grew overcast it thankfully didn't start to snow on them.

"Vampires can't really feel cold," Serana had said at one point, her voice low enough that Alfarinn did not hear.  "But even I can tell it’s chilly...you must be miserable."

Ralsten had merely nodded at her - he was very cold, but wouldn't admit to it.

The carriage stopped just outside of Winterhold proper, in a flattened area with space enough to turn around in.  They hopped out and waved Alfarinn on, and then tugged their cloaks tighter around themselves and trudged through the snow into the town.

The streets were deserted but every visible window was lit with light; a single group of three guards each carrying a torch was patrolling the street, and once close enough Ralsten hailed them.

"Greetings, there."

"What do you need, travelers?" the guard in the frost asked.  "It's a poor night to be out in the cold."

"We're looking for a Moth Priest and thought he may be traveling here," Ralsten replied.

Immediately the three guards drew their weapons; Ralsten held up his hands in a placating gesture, but they moved to surround him and Serana just the same.

"Wait a moment, here - what have we done wrong?"

"A Moth Priest was supposed to come here," said a guard - Ralsten wasn't sure if it was the first one who'd spoken or not as they all looked identical in build and wore the same armor and uniforms.  "He disappeared along the road.   What would two strangers like you know of that?"

"Nothing," Serana replied, frowning at the guard nearest her.  "We came looking for him, that's all.  We need him to read this for us-" she pointed to the Scroll on her back.

For several tense moments there was silence, then the guard nearest Ralsten sheathed his weapon but only one of the other two followed suit.

"Well like I said - he disappeared on the road.  He never got here."

Ralsten huffed out a sigh - of course their stroke of luck from hearing about the priest would end like this.  Why wouldn't it?  "Where did he disappear?  How long ago?"

"He should have been here a week ago.  We don't have a lot to go on, but it sounds like he was last spotted somewhere around Dragon Bridge." The guard paused.  "Don't know why I'm telling you about it - there's not much you can do."

"Maybe there is, actually," Ralsten replied after a pause.  "We need to speak to this priest...maybe we can find him."

"I don't trust this one," said the guard nearest Serana.  He came close to prodding the woman with the tip of his sword.  "Look at those eyes."

Disguising it as a casual movement Ralsten dropped a hand to his waist to rest it near the hilt of one of the maces he wore on his belt. "What of them?  Smitten, are we?"

Serana gave him an odd look but took a single step toward him; the guard snorted loudly.

"They glow.  That's not normal.  I say we take them both in, right now."

The other two guards seemed to consider that; Ralsten cleared his throat.  "Now, gentlemen, let's not be hasty.  I'm sure it'd be terrible for the reputation of the guard if the citizens heard you threw two weary travelers, innocent of any crimes, into your jails.  Especially after they've graciously offered to help rescue a missing person."

For several breaths there was silence.  Then, the first guard that had spoken (or so Ralsten assumed), grunted and waved them passed him.

"Go on.  They've not done anything wrong and we've seen stranger things than glowing eyes come out of that College.  Go warm yourselves in the inn."

The other two guards clearly didn't agree with that, but they made no move to stop Ralsten and Serana as they nodded and headed passed the guard that had waved them on.  They walked in silence until they were climbing the steps to the inn's door.

"I can't believe you convinced those guards to let us go."

Ralsten chuckled and gave her a roguish wink.  "The right words in the right ears at the right time is all it takes sometimes."

She smiled at that.  "I could have convinced them to let us go, too."

"I know you could, but I'd prefer you don't.  Leave the talking to me - I've got the tongue of a merchant."

"Going to sell me the stars, are you?" she asked, clearly amused.

"Only if I thought I'd get paid for it," he laughed, and pushed the door of the inn open, bathing them both in warmth and light.

---------------------------------------------------------

Much like the caverns and crypt he'd found Serana in Forebear's Holdout - the only named cave he'd found near Dragon Bridge on his maps - was crawling with the undead, vampires, and their gargoyle and dog beasts.

Whether any of them recognized Serana was anyone's guess but it was a difficult, violent slog that only got worse the deeper they went and after the third or fourth ambush Ralsten had instructed Serana to remain behind him at all times.

"I can take care of myself - I still remember how to fight," she huffed, sounding offended.

"Look -- I'M the big armored idiot here, and you're not," he'd replied, plunking one of his maces off a metal plate strapped over a shoulder.  "Let me take the blows and you shoot your magic over my shoulder."

She'd agreed to that arrangement then, and while he'd meant the first part of it in jest it occurred to him that he was fighting like he still had his heaviest plate armor on rather than this lighter set...little wonder he was having such a hard time with this.

After bandaging himself up for what felt like the hundredth time he quietly vowed to actually fight with what he was armed with, rather than what he was used to; steadily they moved forward and down, until at last they reached a chamber that was mostly lit only by strange, runed stones arranged in a circle in the center of a round dais.  They glowed a strange teal and between them they projected a magical field that rippled like the surface of a pond; trapped within them was a older man - bald and bearded, dressed in rumpled and stained gray robes.

Pacing around the stones and the field were three vampires and one of the vicious, black hounds they kept as pets.  There was an orc there as well - he was dressed in the same sort of armor he'd seen the Volkihar vampires wear, though his were...well, either a white or a pale gray - it was impossible to tell their true color in the stones's glow.

The orc vampire was speaking to the trapped man, but due to distance and the emptiness of the room in general all that reached them were murmurs they couldn't make out.

"Do you recognize him?  Either of them?"  From their vantage point at the doorway to the chamber, Ralsten took in the scene and tried to plot an attack -- the first thing he (no, THEY) would need to do was kill that dog and subdue or kill the lesser vampires, or else they wouldn't likely stand a chance against what looked to be their commander.

Serana shook her head.  "No.  His armor is familiar, obviously, but as for him...I've been gone a long time, I don't know how many my father may have spawned while I was gone."

"Hmmph...well, there goes the hope that you could maybe reason with or order him away."

"I appreciate your confidence in me," she whispered, smiling at him briefly before turning her attention back to the spectacle ahead.  "But, even if I did know who that was, if they're loyal to my father then they'd follow his orders, not mine.  At least that looks like the priest we've been searching for."

"At least there's that, and it was worth a thought.  All right."   Ralsten blew out a sigh and carefully inched away from Serana, giving him enough space to unstrap the crossbow and bring it to bear.  "I'm going to try and take that dog down - you focus on the other vampires first.  If I can get the dog in one or two shots, I'm going to close in with the orc.  If we hit them quickly and suddenly, the surprise will work in our favor."

She looked at him skeptically.  "You really think you can kill one of those in one or two shots?"

With a chuckle Ralsten shrugged.  "Think?  No.  Hope?  Absolutely."

He wouldn't have a clear enough shot from here; silently, and ever so carefully, Ralsten led Serana closer to the others, his crossbow up and ready.  The nearer they came the louder the voices got, and finally they could hear the man and vampire talking.

"The more you fight me the more you will suffer, mortal," the orc growled.

The man in the magical prison turned his back to the orc.  "I will resist you, monster.  I must!"

The orc chuckled - it was a velvety soft, smooth sound, and it sent a chill up Ralsten's spine.  "How much longer can you keep this up, Moth Priest?  Your mind was strong, but you're exhausted from the struggle."

The priest lowered himself to the dirt, shuddering, and struggling not to look at the orc as he circled around to again stand in front of the man.  "Must...resist..."

Again the orc laughed.  "Yes, I can feel your defenses crumbling at last.  You want it to end.  You want to give in to me.  Do it.   Acknowledge me as your master!"

Ralsten crept closer, and then-

"Yes...master..."

"New plan-" the wood elf hissed to Serana.  "Hurry!"

He stood and fired.  The bolt lodged itself into the flank of the dog; the beast yelped, and all four vampires looked up as Ralsten dropped the crossbow and came charging down at them with a loud yell.

The impromptu battle cry assured their attention was on all him - he barreled into the three lesser vampires and managed to land a kick backed by his momentum and send one crashing to the floor; the other two scattered, and as the dog leaped for him with a snarl a bolt of ice came whistling from the darkness - Serana's spell pierced the dog's skull and sent it to the floor, twitching in its death throes.

A glowing red energy struck him then; one of the vampires -a Nord female, white hair in braids and with a black bar painted across her eyes - was channeling a spell at him and he felt his strength beginning to drain away.  His maces found their way into his hands and he swung at her, cracking the head of one into her arm and knocking it down and away from him.

The follow up swing he had aimed for her head was met by the war hammer that one of the others wielded; his arms stung as the weapons met, the shock traveling up to his shoulder, then he was sent stumbling backward from the man (it wasn't bright enough to tell if he was a dirt-smeared imperial or a breton) as the third vampire (another Nord female) let loose with a gout of flame that only singed him -- the breton-or-imperial man was more or less between Ralsten and the woman and she apparently was not willing to injure her companion in an attempt to set the wood elf on fire.

Ralsten raised both maces and brought them arcing down as the other man was readying a swing of that hammer, only to go horribly off-balance as he struck empty air; a flurry of ice bolts rushed around him, close enough that he felt the chill of their passing on his face, and embedded themselves in the chest of the man.  As he'd crumpled Ralsten's swing had missed, and while the wood elf tried to catch his balance the Nord woman armed with the fire blasted it toward him again, this time without needing to worry about anyone else in the way.

He hit the ground and threw himself into a roll, hissing in pain as the fire blistered the skin across his cheeks - the only bare skin visible on him - and the rest of his armor heated up to an uncomfortable degree.  As he rolled a blur rushed over him; Serana landed on the stone nimbly, between Ralsten and the vampires but to the side of the line of flames, and began channeling some red-tinted spell of her own at the fire-wielding Nord.

Serana's sudden appearance in close quarters gave Ralsten the chance he needed to get onto his knees and as he did so suddenly the orc vampire was on top of him.

"More Dawnguard filth?" the orc snarled.  He jabbed downward with his sword - it looked ancient and had a darkened, dirty blade.  "Destroy them!"

Ralsten rolled again and the sword's tip slammed into the stone beside him; he came up on all fours only to shift his weight backward and launched off his toes forward at the orc -- in the back of his mind he hoped Serana could handle herself against the two, possibly still three, vampires, as he wouldn't be able to help her now that the vampire's leader had finally joined the battle.

His quick recovery must have surprised the orc - he could see it in the orc's expression and how the sword wasn't quite back into position to parry both of Ralsten's blows; the left mace bounced off the sword's wide blade but the other slipped in to thud heavily into the orc's side, then both weapons went flying as the orc responded by dropping his sword to send a double-handed blast of lightning to the elf's chest that sent him staggering back with a lack of control over his body as the spell arced and crackled around him.

The vampire followed the first blast with another, more concentrated spell; Ralsten dropped to the floor and writhed under the lightning shooting through him.  His armor was heavily enchanted to guard against magical attacks and he knew that if it hadn't been he would probably have been dead off the first blast given how it’d been point blank, and certainly dead by the second one if he'd somehow survived the first one.

Just as quickly as the spell had struck him it abruptly stopped; Ralsten lay on the ground, groaning and unable to control his limbs.  At times like this his heaviest armor - the armor he normally wore - would have kept all but the most precise stabs or blows from harming him; it was full steel plate, one of the hardiest, sturdiest sorts of armor, and the only part of him visible was what you could see through the eyeslit of the helm.  There were several tense moments in the past when he'd been knocked senseless or, such as right now, dropped to the floor with a spell, and the armor had saved his life every time.

But, he wasn't wearing that armor right now, and that orc's blade absolutely could pierce the mixed leather and plate he currently wore....but, the killing blow didn't come.  In fact, the entire room had gone silent aside from his groans of pain as feeling slowly crawled back into his limbs.

Serana stepped into his view then, standing over him looking - well, very, very worried.

"Are you all right?"

"I will be, in a moment," he managed.  "Are the others...?"

"Dead.  I got them while you kept the orc busy.  I don't think they knew how to fight someone directly...once I got close, they just...crumpled."

Ralsten swallowed hard and lay there for several minutes before he was finally able to sit up.  His entire body ached, his head throbbed, and he felt something hot and wet on his injured arm - either the fighting had broken the gouges open again or the sudden, concentrated jolt of lightning had, but he was certainly bleeding and would need to bandage himself.  Again.  

The three lesser vampires lay dead not too far away. Two of them had ice shards jutting out of their necks and bodies, and the Nord that had tried to set him on fire was oozing blood and brain matter onto the stone -- he had no idea what Serana might have done to blow half the woman's head off but he was nonetheless grateful that they were dead.   The orc's throat also had a shard of ice through it, and there was a blood stain spreading across the chest of his armor.

Serana herself seemed relatively unharmed; the front of her clothing looked a little scorched and the stench of burnt hair clung to her but she wasn't bleeding and the parts of her skin that he could see didn't seem blistered or burned.

She'd noticed his burn, however; brow furrowing she reached out a hand to touch his face, but hesitated when he managed a weak laugh.

"That looks like it hurts."

"I'll endure -- are YOU all right?"

"I'm fine."

Ralsten nodded.  "And the priest?"

She turned toward the magical barrier; it gave off a faint noise, like distant wind, and the priest was still huddled within it.   "He...looks frightened, but not hurt."

"We need to get him out of there."  With a pained grunt Ralsten pushed himself to his feet, taking a few unsteady steps toward the barrier.  "Do you have any idea how?"

"I'm...not sure."  She stepped closer to the barrier and began to study the stones that projected it.  "It seems to be coming from the stones, but magic like this...should have a place, a source, where the spell is controlled."  Looking around, she gestured to a set of stairs at the back of the dais that led up to a small platform with a pillar or pedestal of some sort partly hidden from view behind a stone railing.   "Let's look up there."

Ralsten waved her on, still trying to get full control and sensation back in his legs; she lightly hopped up the stairs and to the pedestal, and a moment later he heard her call out to him.

"I think this is it - it has lines on it like the stones, but it looks like you need to put something into it."

"Something?  What kind of something?"

"It's - some kind of spherical thing.  About the size of my fists put together."

Ralsten scanned the floor around him, seeing nothing but the dead vampires.  "Is it not up there?"

A few minutes passed before she answered.  "There's nothing up here but an old chest, and the only thing in it was a few coins.  It didn't look like it'd been opened recently."

He grunted and again looked to the bodies -- the key to freeing the priest must be on one of them as they wouldn't have put the man inside that barrier if there wasn't a way to free him somehow.  As he stumbled toward the lesser vampires first (they were closer, after all) Serana came back down the stairs and went to the body of the orc; Ralsten found nothing of value on the three, but when he turned around Serana made a pleased noise and cut a pouch free from the orc's belt.  "This has to be it."

The pouch was tied shut, and the tie had a knot in it - she deftly cut it loose and pulled out an object that was vaguely seed-shaped, with swirled designs on it in the same teal as the stones and three thick stone bands around its middle.

Again Serana hurried up the stairs; Ralsten heard a click and the rush of unfelt wind, and then the magical barrier fell away.  He slowly limped toward the priest as the man stood.

"Sir?  Are you all right?"

The priest turned around slowly, a wild look in his eyes.  "I...I serve the master's will....but my master is dead, and his enemies will pay!"

With an unnatural speed and strength the priest was suddenly on top of Ralsten, knocking them both to the floor and in his surprise the elf roughly kicked the man to the side with more force than he would have if he'd not been startled by the attack.

The priest quickly recovered and seized a dropped dagger from one of the dead vampires, then dove for Ralsten again; the wood elf caught the man's wrist and kept the dagger at bay, then groaned as the priest swung a haymaker into the side of his head.

He tried to catch the man's free hand as it flailed and fought to grab Ralsten's own but only got pummeled a few more times for his effort, then lost his grip on the hand holding the dagger.  The blade came darting in to scrape along the elf's ribs (his armor thankfully kept it from penetrating) and out of sheer irritation Ralsten balled a hand into a fist and decked the man square in the face; his knuckles slammed into the cheek near the nose and the force behind it toppled the priest backwards.

Ralsten leapt on top of him, fist cocked back for another blow, when the priest raised his hands screaming "I yield I yield!"

The elf hesitated and when the priest only moved to cover his head with his arms he slid off the man and sat beside him.

The priest sat up slowly, panting and shaking.  "Wait, stop...I yield.  That...that wasn't me you were fighting. I could see through my eyes, but I couldn't- I could not control my actions.  Thank you for breaking that foul vampire's hold over me.  Thank the Divines for you!"

The fact that this man had endured who knew what at the hands of vampires was currently at war with how...not exactly charitable Ralsten was feeling toward him at the moment, especially when one considered how his head ached from the beating he'd taken after he'd already been electrocuted and burned.  "Are you all right?" he finally asked.

"I'm quite all right, thanks to you.  Dexion Evicus is my name.  I'm a Moth Priest of the White Gold Tower.  These vampires claimed they had some purpose in store for me, but they wouldn't say what...  Probably hoping to ransom me, the fools."

Ralsten glanced to Serana as she walked up to them; she was staring at the priest curiously, but didn't seem overly impressed with him.

"-I know why they needed you, because we need you for the same purpose," Ralsten said after a moment.  "We need you to read an Elder Scroll, and I'll explain why later."

The priest's expression brightened?  "Really?  I will be happy to assist you with your Elder Scroll.  Just tell me where I need to go."

"Fort Dawnguard," Serana answered.  Her gaze shifted to Ralsten briefly.

He met her gaze with a reassuring, if tired, smile, then looked to Dexion.  "Yes, there - but after the trouble we took to rescue you, I'm not risking you getting captured again.  Give me some time to rest, then we can all three travel together back to the fort.  --and I imagine you're probably hungry, if they've had you down here for any length of time," he quickly added, looking Dexion up and down.

"Well, I wouldn't say...overly hungry, but..."  The priest trailed off, clearing his throat and looking embarrassed.  "I have been down here for some time, yes.  And they were looking to break me any way they could."

"I've a couple apples in my bag here, you're welcome to them."

"I'd be thankful for it."

"Should we stop here, or try and find a way out and then rest?" Serana asked.

Ralsten bit his lower lip, thinking.  They could mostly trust that the way they'd come in was free of vampire and draugr.  "Did you see another door up there?"

She nodded.  "I'm not sure if it's locked, but yes."

"...let's push on and see where it goes.  Just...let's push on slowly," he said with a tired chuckle.  "I'm a bit worse for wear."

Serana frowned, looking between him and the nearby stairs.  "Maybe we should stay here to let you rest after all."

"I'll be all right, but I'll definitely feel better to have the sky over me again."

"All right.  Let's go then."  She reached down to offer him a hand up.

#In Your Hands #iyh #In Your Hands ch 4 #serana #dragonborn #bosmer #dawnguard #vampires #Ralsten #Dexion Evicus #AU #Skyrim

[iheartskyrim]

Assassin’s Retribution || A Skyrim Fanfiction

PART 3 || HONORHALL ORPHANAGE

Rythos took a carriage to Riften, as it was faster and safer than walking. He rode through the night, his thoughts on the kill he was going to make. Halfway through, the carriage driver started making small talk, and he had actually learnt a couple new things. Vampires burnt down the Hall of the Vigilant, and a group called the Dawnguard surfaced with the sole purpose of eliminating the vampires, and a dragon had attacked Helgen.

"You can't be serious," Rythos said.

"Unfortunately, I am," the carriage driver said. "Ulfric Stormcloak was about to be executed, too."

Rage filled his stomach, and he was half-tempted to let it out on the carriage driver. Ulfric Stormcloak, the racist tyrant that condemned Rythos' people to live in the Grey Quarter, and only the Grey Quarter, was free from execution because of a dragon. It boiled his blood, and he threw one of his daggers, frost-white veins snaking the ebony metal, into the side of the carriage.

When the carriage got to Riften, Rythos asked the carriage driver – whose name he learned was Alfarinn – when he was going to be leaving for Windhelm, the answer being dawn the next morning, so the horse could have time to rest.

Happy that he was going to get a ride home with him, Rythos set towards the city gates. He ignored the guard that was trying to get him to pay a visitor's tax and pushed the wooden door open, only one thought on his mind.

Why are the doors in this country so damn huge?

He entered the city, pushing the door closed behind him. When he was in Windhelm he had changed into clothes that actually fit him, which was a set of leather armour he had stored away. He fidgeted with the cuirass a little as he looked for an inn, as he hadn't been to Riften in the twenty-four winters he had lived.

He had decided to kill the orphanage owner – Grelod, he remembered Aventus Aretino said her name was – just before dawn, so he could get out of the city and towards Windhelm as quickly as possible. He found the inn quickly, and the Argonian innkeeper, Keerava, gave him a room and food to eat for seventeen gold, and he settled down for the night.

Like he planned, he got up an hour before dawn. He tucked everything into his belt, making a separate coinpurse of twenty gold to pay Alfarinn for a ride in the carriage, and headed downstairs and into the common area of the Bee and Barb Inn.

After a quick breakfast, and threatening to kill a redhead Nord who decided to get in his space, he left to the orphanage on the other side of the small city; Honorhall Orphanage.

Standing outside the stone building, he cleared the nerves in his stomach. He wasn't nervous about the killing – in fact, he couldn't wait to kill the old crone – he was nervous because he'd never killed someone for someone else before. He entered the building, nodding at the assistant as he passed, because Aventus Aretino told him to leave her alive since he liked her.

Grelod was standing in front of four kids, saying something about extra beatings, the children standing with looks of resignation on their face. Angered, he drew his one of his daggers – this one with veins of orange snaking the blade – and threw it at the old woman.

It hit her in the neck, and flames sprouted from the wound and covered her entire body. A scream from the assistant and the happy cries of the children filled the small building. He ran over to the dead body and pulled the ebony dagger out of her neck, blood gushing from the wound as he did. He grabbed her very small coinpurse and threw it in his pack before exiting the side door.

It lead into a small courtyard, and he cursed slightly. He wouldn't be able to go back into the building, as the guards would already be inside. So he grabbed at the stone walls surrounding the courtyard and climbed it.

He landed on the other side with a thud, a spark of pain in his ankles as he started running to the front gate, pulling his coinpurse of twenty septims out of his pack to give to the carriage driver.

He ran his shoulder into the wooden gate, letting it swing open. He slowed his pace to a walk when he was through, just so the guards wouldn't suspect he did anything wrong.

Alfarinn was just boarding his spot on the carriage when Rythos approached him and threw him the coinpurse.

"Where to?" He asked.

"Windhelm," the Dunmer said. "I've finished what I needed here."

The Nord nodded, and urged the horse forward.

#assassin's retribution #assassinsretributionundervaluedpart1 #undervalued part 1 #part 3 || honorhall orphanage] #skyrim #dark elf #riften #fanfiction #honorhall orphanage #aventus aretino #dark brotherhood #rythos nelorilo

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YAY I can ask about your amazing characters! Thanks for reblogging to remind me to ask you some! :D You're amazing and I love all your characters! So whichever ones you want to answer for:

Do they wear jumpers (sweaters)? If so do they fit perfectly or are they baggy?

Do they have a favourite hot drink? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Hot cider? If so, how do they take it?

It's cold and wet outside, your OC has just come in the front door. What do they do to get warm?

What's your OC's idea of a cozy night in?

Popping this below a read more since it got long in answering these. :D

1. Do they wear jumpers (sweaters)? If so do they fit perfectly or are they baggy?

While most of Aryn's clothes tend to be form fitting to show off his dancer's physique, he'd definitely be putting on a nice fluffy oversized sweater. He may have even taken one of his Nonna's since Fen is definitely bigger than him. (Though he'd definitely ask first if it was okay to take it.) He definitely has at least one (maybe more) sweaters knitted by his sister, Ely.

Alex isn't a big fan of sweaters. He would definitely not wear an oversized one for fear it would get in his way if something came up and he needed to fight. But he was also born in Ishgard so the could doesn't bother him as much. Especially now that he lives along the ocean with his wife. The cold there is much more tolerable so he doesn't often need sweaters. Plus he has a jacket he really likes and is fitted for hidden throwing knives and a extra set of daggers.

Asher doesn't really own any sweaters. Not that he doesn't want any. He would probably own at least one warm fluffy sweater if he gave it some thought. But he doesn't often put much thought into clothes other than making sure he has some clean ones that aren't full of holes. Especially with how often he gets dirty doing mechanic work for the group or his own things.

2. Do they have a favourite hot drink? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Hot cider? If so, how do they take it?

Stefan practically lives off coffee. His coffee intake increased during the whole Necromancer incident and it's surprising he doesn't have coffee for blood at this point. Though he will drink tea on occasion too. But for the most part he prefers black coffee, no cream or sugar.

Nebula much prefers hot tea. Mostly for drinking though they can easily use the tea for other purposes, such as tea leaf readings. They prefer a nice hot chai with a bit of cream and sugar.

Alfa is definitely a cider drinker. It's definitely better hot than cold. Sometimes with a splash of something alcoholic. But he doesn't spike his cider too often. Kino would give him an earful if he did.

3. It's cold and wet outside, your OC has just come in the front door. What do they do to get warm?

Destiney would get out of any damp/wet clothes before heading for the bed where Syl keeps the really nice fur blanket he made. She'd bundle herself up in it before finding her husband to snuggle up to. She loves when he brings out the nice fur blanket for the cold months.

Valen would definitely be stripping and taking a nice hot bath or shower. Depending on which he has more time for. Shower if he's in a hurry or a bath if he has time. Once he's clean and dry, then comes a nice cup of something warm to drink like tea or hot chocolate. Which depends on what he has on hand. Traveling so often he doesn't always remember which he has in stock.

4. What's your OC's idea of a cozy night in?

Ronove would definitely have to go with snacks and cuddles with Ely. She'd probably be knitting with him snuggled up beside her with his snacks and probably some nice chai tea she made. He likes listening to the clack of her knitting needles. He's tried it himself but he's still very much a novice at it. He'd rather sit beside her while she knits instead. It's more soothing.

A cozy night for her is time spent with her Siren sisters. Usually drinking and playing cards. Though she doesn't drink as much as her sisters. Just being with her sisters is comforting to her.

To Lance, a cozy night in is time spent with either Kyna or with Tara's family. His brother can't often get away to spend cozy nights with him. But he does dote on Tara's niece and nephew. He'd settle down and read them stories or play games with them. Or if Kyna would like, they'd have a quiet night in his room curled up together in front of the fireplace with hot chocolate.

Thanks for the asks! @pinxli

#Asks #thanks for the ask! #About Aryn #About Alexois #About Asher #About Stefan #About Nebula #About Alfarinn #About Destiney #About Valentin #About Ronove #About Adelena #About Lancefer

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🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊 have lots! Which means answer as many for as many as you want! I want to hear all the things you want to share! :D

Okay let's see what my brain wants to talk about tonight!

Stefan is terribly awkward and quiet around larger groups of people. (Like more than 4 people usually.) Even more awkward if one of those people is a flirty male or barely dressed male. (Basically someone like Bram or Sahji's one partner, Toshi.) He is half Ishgardian but he was definitely Not raised there. So a lot of the time his awkward and shy behavior is chalked up to this half of his bloodline. Cause he sure as heck isn't that way when it comes to topics he's confident on. He has a sassy gremlin attitude when it comes to anything with magic or lately fighting.

Though currently he's in constant trouble for not eating well. Boy lives on coffee. Ely and Ronove are currently being sly about making him eat better. Sahji made him promise to eat better. He just gets so absorbed in whatever he's doing that he forgets to eat.

Poor Ronove has literally gone from the chaotic demon to the elder brother in his relationship with Stefan. Friend put it as: Older sibling who won't make you not do the stupid thing, but will make sure you do the stupid thing with back up and hold you back from doing monumentally stupid things while you're angry.

Cause Stefan wanted to go fight Tak for something that happened. But Ronove insists if that fight happens, he'll let them fight but drag them apart before they can maim each other.

Also he has decided to retake his old last name from when he was mortal. (Though I'm not paying to change it on game.) Crow (or a variation of) is a last name taken by many of the Troupe when they don't want to associate with the life they had before joining. Many of those who chose that name (including Ronove) definitely have seemed to behave much like the bird they take their last name from. (Clever and Spiteful if you wrong them. An Ronove is definitely pair bonded to Elijah.)

Alfarinn and Kino are often mistaken as a couple but they are very much queer platonic. They do love each other but not romantically. They tried that and it didn't work out of them. Trying to date another tracker like Domi isn't something Alfa is ready for. If he's ever ready for it. Domi's death left a deep wound on him. Which lead to a fight between Alfa and Kino when they had been dating. In the end Kino decided they couldn't date because part of Alfa was only seeing Domi when they looked at him. Kino has stuck around though to help Alfa because they do care about him.

Alfa does however currently have a crush on Tsume. But he's taking things very slow on that after what happened with Kino. So for now he's kept his crush very much under wraps. Thankfully Tsume is more of a warrior type rather than a tracker.

Despite being a sky pirate (an before that a Shroud bandit), Asher doesn't like to see suffering kids. He knows what it's like to be in their shoes, not knowing when or where your next meal might come. His brother did his best for them growing up but not all kids have that option.

Being a sky pirate hasn't made him wealthy by any stretch. But he does share what he can spare with kids when he comes across them. His captain knows this as well. Captain Celie tends to slip a bit of extra food into his bag when he's not looking before he heads out to buy parts in the cities.

Cedrik honestly thinks he's doing good by slaying voidsent. Doesn't think any of them are good in anyway because of an incident when he was a child. (An incident he remembers wrongly because childhood trauma.) He works with his partner to track them down and slay them.

Problem is, he caught hints of one around Aryn. And while he's been sleeping with Aryn cause why not... (An cause the both of them are enjoying the company.) He's starting to do the very thing Marcy told him not to do. He's gotten attached to Aryn rather than just using Aryn to get closer to whatever voidal he's spent time around. So now he has it in his head that Aryn needs protected from whatever voidal has been nearby. As if this won't end badly for him. Especially since two of the voidals lurking about work for the powerful one that is trying to get his claws on Stefan. How is this a problem? Oh only because Ronove and Fenryr will be on that list despite not being evil monster voidals. We'll see if Cedrik can change his beliefs or endanger himself.

Adelena has gotten so very little attention over the years. Some of it due to my lack of connections for her. (Which is mostly my own fault.) An partly because she was a Sanguine Siren and I was having trouble finding something for her that used that role. She's definitely still a Siren but with the way the MSQ has gone, she's just now a Siren with some freedom to do as she wishes.

She's decided to go hunting down than man that is her birth father. But she'd return to her captain and sisters in a heartbeat if they need her. Though she's not going alone either. She recruited the help of an arcanist from the guild in Limsa.

Though I intend to write most of her story myself over time on here, that doesn't mean she's not open to connections still if people wanted. Mostly I needed things I can write when people aren't free to do things with. Cause Adults. I have so many things waiting already because my lovely friends are all Adults and rl often kidnaps them or doesn't leave them with the energy to do things. Or even I don't have the brain sometimes for specific characters. So her story won't be entirely closed off from other people. It just gives me something to work on when I'm feeling the itch and no one is free. (Same kind of applies to Nebula as well.)

Thanks @pinxli

#Asks #About Stefan #About Ronove #About Asher #About Alfarinn #About Cedrik #About Adelena

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Prompt #3: Temper

Alfa sighed in frustration when his forehead was flicked for failure. Opening his eyes to glower at the other man. “What was that for now?”

“You are not relaxed. I can read the tension all over you. You promised me you’d work on the methods I gave you in order to help keep your temper in check.” Kino put a hand to his own forehead as he pretended to be dejected at Alfa’s failed attempt. “You know I can’t always be here to walk you away from that ledge. Not if you want me to look for info while you work. And we do need the gil your job provides in order to keep looking for information.”

“I know…” Alfa huffs as he scowls and looks away. “It’s not like it’s that easy to control either. I’d rather just be out there smashing heads open rather than playing the waiting game.”

Kino takes a seat next to Alfa on the stone bench, leaning into the taller man. “Yes but you are much better for security than I. I am much better at tracking than you are. This is why we took these roles when we agreed we needed funds. As easily as we can both survive in the wild, not all our answers will be found there.”

“I know…” Alfa groaned softly. “Besides I doubt you would have passed Alexois’ test of brawn there in the yard.” Wrapping an arm around Kino’s shoulders. “I’m the brawn and you’re the brains. This is why we’re best friends. We compliment each other.” Kino laughed brightly and shook his head. “We are best friends for more than just that. Just because we couldn’t make it as a romantic couple, doesn’t mean we don’t fit well together. I just worry about you every time I leave. You don’t have that curse under control enough.” Reaching up to gently touch fingertips to Alfa’s cheek. “This is why I ask you so much to work on these things. I don’t want to come back at some point to find you dead or in prison.”

“I get it. I really do. It’s just… Harder than it seems to really relax. I promise I’ll try harder. Or maybe I’ll just poke Alexois for another match or two. That really did seem to help to curb the bloodlust after that match in the yard. So maybe a little work out with someone like him on a semi-regular basis might help.”

“Fine. Just make sure you have Miss Sanagi’s approval. Or at least a healer present to fix the both of you after everything is said and done. Please?”

“Of course, Kino.” Wrapping the viera in a hug. “I promise.”

#FFxivWrite2022 #FFxivWrite #Prompt 3 #Prompt Temper #About Alfarinn #Another short cause still feeling bleh #Hoping this wears off now that the med is done

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Happy Starlight 2022

(2/2)

#About Keaira #About Adelena #About Marielle #About Nebula #About Alfarinn #About Asher #About Aryn #Happy Starlight 2022 #Happy Starlight

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All Saints’ Wake 2022 - Alfarinn

11/13

#About Alfarinn #All Saints' Wake 2022 #The werewolf of the bunch #An the most likely to be a werewolf in a spooky AU

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Prompt #11: Lazy Day

Destiney looked up from the book in her hand with a warm smile at the squealing laughter of her child. The little girl delighted as her uncle swung her around in the air. Giving the mother a little break for reading as Evelyn got time with Lancefer. 

With all the family she had helping out, she was very fortunate. It made everything so much easier. Especially with both her own mother and Syluss’ mother babysitting as often as they were wanted. It gave both of the older women time with their grandchild and something to do. Elle had been delighted since the moment Destiney had told her she was pregnant with Evelyn.

And then there were her cousins. Lance more often than Lothaire. Mostly because it was so hard for Lothaire to get away. But at least Lothaire was safer now with Bran in Ishgard with him. It seemed to lighten the burden on his older brother. Destiney couldn’t remember the last time Lance looked so happy and carefree. Seeing him play with Evelyn, she wondered if he’d have children of his own some day. 

***

Something sizzled in the pan on the stovetop. A fuzzy black ear twitched as the little sneak stealthed his way towards whatever was making such a delicious smell. It smelled like fish.

“What do you think you’re doing, Shadow?” Alex huffed as he turned around in time to bust the furry feline on his counter. “If you don’t get down this minute, there will be no fish for you tonight. Get off my damn clean counter.”

The black cat mewled at his threat, staring him down for a long moment. Finally Shadow relented and jumped down off the counter. Alex rolled his eyes at the cat as he picked up his spatula off the counter. “You know you’ll get fed so knock it off. Bratty cat. Let me finish making dinner for Sana first.”

***

Stefan flexed his wrist gently. The wrapping around it was gone but he was still supposed to be taking things easy for another day or two. Though now he was supposed to be gently working the wrist to make sure it was healed enough. Just no fighting.

That was fine. He’d started a book a few days ago that he didn’t quite finish because Sahji had come by. A worthy distraction from his reading of course. Anytime with Sahji was totally worth dropping a book for. Unless Sahji wanted to read with him. That was totally worth it too. 

Getting a drink and going over to his couch to get comfortable. Picking up the spicy romance novel he’d been reading the other day with the intent on finishing it. 

***

Aryn sighed softly as he did his weekly cleaning around his apartment. Hating the cleaning but knowing it was entirely necessary. It wouldn’t be good to have a messy apartment if he was occasionally playing healer. 

Maybe he should find a place to work part time as a healer. Some clinic surely needed some help. It would mean less people invading his personal space for care. His apartment wasn’t really set up for it despite always keeping supplies on hand. Not that he wouldn’t help anyone that came by either.

But first! He needed his reward for all his cleaning. Rubbing his hands together as he gleefully looked towards the box Stefan had left as his payment. Taking a big sniff of that sugary goodness as he opened the lid. So worth it when he could convince people to bring him sweets for all his hard work.

***

Alfa peeked one eye open where he sat in the waist deep water of the river in the woods. Looking to see what Kino was doing beside him. Wondering how Kino could just sit here for so long. He didn’t quite get this whole meditation thing. It just didn’t work well for him. Not like it did for Kino. 

“You’re not meditating, Alfa.” Kino chided without opening an eye.

“I just can’t. You know I hate being idle.” Alfa sighed softly. 

“Funny. Though you can sit idle when snuggling with me.” Now Kino opened one eye to peer back at Alfa.

“That’s different. Cuddling is comforting. This is sitting in the moving water. I know the sounds of the woods and water should be relaxing. But… I guess I just feel like I also need to be on edge too.” Alfa explained as he crossed his arms. “Like I need to be alert at all times.”

“Alright. We’ll try something different then on your next day off. We’ll try somewhere you feel less on edge.” Kino suggests as they lean into Alfa since they’d been sitting so close. “We’ll figure out what works best for you in your own way.”

#FFxivWrite2022 #FFxivWrite #Prompt 11 #Prompt Extra Credit #Decided on a Lazy Day off for half the kids #Will save the other set for another extra credit day #About Destiney #About Stefan #About Lancefer #About Alexois #About Aryn #About Alfarinn #What the kids do in their free time

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Prompt #8: Tepid

Alfa sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. How many of these had he done so far? How many had just felt… Wrong? Tapping his fingers against the desktop as he sat askew in the chair. Not the slightest bit enthused at the idea of him having more of these ahead of him. 

Some of them he wouldn’t trust with the many secrets this company had among its people. Not when it was his job to keep the place safe and secure for them. Some just didn’t seem very reliable. Others… He was worried they didn’t have the right quality entirely for a line of security work. 

He didn’t mind the job as a security officer. Just hated the paperwork and the interviewing process for other members of his team. Especially since this was all on him to make the choices since Alexois approved of him to his wife. That felt like an even higher bar to live up to. 

Tossing the papers on his desk now as he waited for the next interview to show up. Tipping back to put his feet up on the desk and leaning his head back. Maybe he’d take a small nap while he waited. This was a rather boring part too. Waiting. He hated waiting more than anything. Would definitely rather be out patrolling the area or something.

Reaching for his cup carefully so as not to unbalance himself. Grimacing at the liquid. That was something he definitely didn’t like about Thanalan. All his drinks tended to be rather warm quicker than he liked.

#FFxivWrite2022 #FFxivWrite #Prompt 8 #Prompt Tepid #About Alfarinn #Something shorter cause of how late it is #Was too busy running PotD with a friend #An getting Ronove fishy for pets

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#7

Re: "Ask game! Have your followers send you a number, then go to your favorite playlist/album/whatever and press shuffle and skip that many times, and then write a little mini fic based on the song you get!"

Yours Again by Red

Will I wake up from this moment? Will I see you slip away? Or is this a new beginning? Of beauty and rage?

(I promise I have some lighter songs on my list of music. XD Shuffle just seemed to give me darker mood writing ones today. Thank you @ffxivaltaholic )

Alfa tipped his head back to the sun streaming down between the branches of the trees above them. Feeling the warmth of it's rays and of the man leaning against him. Wrapping an arm around Domitien's shoulders.

"I wish every day could be like this..." Alfa smiled as he looked towards his hunting partner.

"If only. Sadly you have to wake up."

"Wake up?" Alfa looked bewildered for a moment before Domitien disappeared like fog with the morning light. "What?! Domi!" Looking around in a desperate panic. Where had he gone?!

"You can't afford to be lost in a beautiful daydream where I'm still alive."

"Domi!" Alfa called out as he whirled around. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he finally spotted his love in the grass, limp and unmoving. Right... Domitien was dead... Hands reaching up to grip his hair as he grit his teeth against the wound in his heart.

"Alfa. Alfarinn, wake up." But it wasn't Domi's voice now.

Sitting up with a jolt as he gasped for breath, doubled over. Reality sinking in slowly as a pair of arms wrapped him in a hug. Resting one hand over the arms holding him as he silently cried.

"Shhh. It's okay, Alfa. I'm here." Kino crooned softly as they moved one arm so they could stroke Alfa's hair gently. Resting their head against Alfa's shoulder. "Just a nightmare. You're okay."

"I will murder every last one of those bastards..." Alfa growled softly as he squeezed his eyes shut against the burning of his eyes.

"We will. Take a breath and calm yourself before you trigger the curse." Kino gently reminded him before placing a kiss against Alfa's temple. "You still have to work today. I'll see what info I can find for you. You just focus on one day at a time, my friend."

"Of course... I'm sorry, Kino." Alfa sighed as he turned to wrap his arms around his dearest friend. They might not have been suited to be romantically involved but he was glad Kino hadn't left him when they decided to stop trying to date. They were very much better the way they were now even if people did often mistake them for more than friends. People just needed to learn to mind their own business as far as he was concerned.

Besides he has his eyes set on a rather handsome miqo'te lad he'd met since coming to this part of the world.

#About Alfarinn #Dȳr of Dravania #Hunters of the Green #Alfa and Kino have a queerplatonic relationship #Alfa's crushing on someone but he also hasn't quite let go of Domi either #He's determined to see the people dead that are responsible for Domi's death

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🏊 SWIMMING - can they swim? or are they afraid of water? how well do they swim? how do they feel about swimming in the ocean?

(Alfarinn and/or any)

Alfarinn can definitely swim. Passable swimmer, not really a strong swimmer. The waters around Dravanian aren't all that deep. Now when it comes to the ocean? He's going to keep as far away from it as he can. Like standing below deck on a ship and as far from the deck railings as he can. He already almost drowned once when he got knocked overboard during a storm. It didn't help that he was wearing his armor and his axe at the time so he sank like a rock. Thankfully at the time he was saved by Adelena as the Lady Infernal was nearby.

The strongest swimmer of all my kids. She was born and raised in the pirate life. So swimming is practically in her blood as much as sailing is. She feels at home on the ocean and is used to rescuing people from drowning.

Stefan is probably my weakest swimmer. He barely knows how to swim. Basically he can doggy paddle but that's about it. Not that he's made much effort to learn swimming, always says he's got more important things to do. He's got a fear of drowning so he tends to avoid water even if he can manage better now at not drowning thanks to Vega trying to help teach him. It's very unlikely that he's going anywhere deep into the water at the ocean. Like probably not above the knees.

Thanks for the ask! @mimble-sparklepudding

#Asks #thanks for the ask! #About Alfarinn #About Adelena #About Stefan

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How many OCs do you currently have? If you have multiple OCs then how different are they from each other? How often do you create new ones?

Currently? 13 actual developed OCs. (I've still got to toss together profiles for Nebula and Ronove on carrd tho.)

At least 15 supporting characters. Meaning ones I'm not actively RPing cause they're just supporting cast for my OCs and won't do anything other than help plot things along as needed. Or they were created to avoid retcons. So they are available for a scene here or there as needed but not much beyond that. They're mostly for my own writing (or screenshot) purposes unless I need them for a plot point.

I don't plan on adding to my 13 anytime soon though. But we all know I'm terrible at promising not to. XD Ronove was unplanned but then he said I was keeping him. I don't add new ones too often. If they do get added it's usually because they were originally plot characters that I got attached to. Which is the case for Lancefer, Alexois, Asher, and Ronove. XD So it's only happened 4 times. That's not -that- often. An the first three were added years ago now. Ronove and Nebula were literally the last to be added and I wasn't sure I was even going to list Ronove here for the fact he's a voidal.

An boy do these characters vary! I cover a lot of bases with these OCs. (Okay I'll stop trying to be funny. XD LOL)

Destiney is a Shroudling mother and wife. She's warm and caring and very nature oriented. Very much a momma wolf who practically adopts everyone she likes into her Found Family. Stefan, is practically his twin's opposite. They were meant to be that way. He tends to keep people at arm's length and dabbles in things he shouldn't. He's the darkness to her light. But he'd do anything for his sister. Lancefer is the noble white knight who tries to remain good and kind despite all that he faces as the black sheep of his family. Tries to be a good big brother and cousin. Alexois is a villain in name only, an assassin for hire and hails from the lowest rungs of society who has turned his life around and works hard at being a better person. Valen is a pure ray of sunshine and good cheer who tries to lift the spirits of others without being dragged down by those said people. Traveling minstrel and bounty hunter. Marielle is a dragon stuck in elezen form by a curse and navigating a world she barely understands. Alfarinn is a intimidating looking brute with a soft heart beneath that beserker's rage. Looking for payback for the death of his lover. Keaira is a upbeat spunky ball of pink with a desire to explore the world and help people all while seeking challenges to make her stronger. Adelena is nicknamed the Frost Siren for a reason. She is cold and distant pirate of the Sanguine Sirens but is much warmer towards her sisters than others. Asher is a sky pirate with a weak spot for kids in similar situations to his when he was younger. He's a mischief maker and a tinker of machines. Eventually he's going to have a reckoning with his older brother. Aryn is a gremlin in disguise (not literally XD It's just his general behavior towards his circus family). He's a aerial dancer for a circus troupe and a trained Sage. A bit dramatic and obsessed with clothes. Nebula is a soft spoken mage from the deep woods of the Shroud, next in line to lead their clan when their mother steps down, a descendant from those who survived the fall of the three mage cities. Just traveling the world to learn more about the people outside of their clan. Ronove was my first attempt to make a voidal character. Exploring the madness of what it was like to be fresh from the void and under the control of a stronger voidal with an iron grip on him. Abused and tortured for over a thousand years and trying to find his way in a world that is mostly alien to him now. Now he's Stefan's partner in the plot to put an end to the voidsent trying to see them both dead.

Phew. Yeah they're all pretty different and come from varying walks of life. Thanks for the ask @furys-mercy

[cadrenebula]

1. Introduction

Stefan - The nerdy mage half of the twins who studies aether and the War of the Magi. Loves carbuncles and studies alchemy as a hobby. Is actually a pretty decent painter too. Destiney - The healer and Shroudling of the twins and mother of one. Married to Syluss and currently running a small clinic of her own in the Lavender Beds. Loves reading and wandering about the Shroud with her family. Definitely the more athletic of the twins.

Lancefer - Knight of House Haillenarte and eldest of the Aurifore siblings. Currently disowned from his family and spends much of his free time with the Loche family or his girlfriend Kyna. Tara keeps saying he needs a hobby. Alexois - The Jackal of Coerthas, assassin for hire. Frequent attendee of the Gin Mill as Lexy and often accompanied by his wife, Sanagi. Has made many improvements despite the rough first half of his life. Does cooking as a hobby.

Valentin - A wandering minstrel and bounty hunter. Though he will often also teach music at his aunt’s free company. Also Alex’s nephew. Trying to live up to his father’s reputation as a bard. Alfarinn - A warrior from Tailfeather who now works as the head of Security for Sanagi’s free company. Often seen with Kino nearby and working with them to help locate a group of people responsible for the death of a loved one. Adelena - A healer for the Sanguine Sirens of Limsa. Though she has been given leave to explore when she’s ready to do so, she’s still often seen near Limsa. Not quite ready yet to explore the possibility of who her sire was. Also nicknamed The Frost Siren.

(The last two are not ‘technically’ elezen but more of in elezen disguise? XD) Ronove - A voidsent with no memory of who he was before. Currently working with Stefan for plot reasons. A bit of a shapeshifter but stays elezen for the time being. Often seen spending time with Elynni. Marielle - AKA Svitlana. Mari was a young dragon from Anyx Trine who decided to leave the nest to explore. Learned from someone or something in passing how to glamour themselves (they haven’t said who taught them). Only to end up stuck this way by a curse placed on them. For the most part is content for the time being while they are with Bodge.

#Junelezen #Probably won't do all of the prompts #Some of them just don't feel right for me #Probably because none of mine are WoLs #But I'll try for whatever ones seem to work for my kids #Also hi I have an elf problem lol