#I can't tell if I like or dislike cicero even still

[archangelsunited]

Foul Redemption questions!

9. Did anyone in the fic surprise me by doing anything? If so, what?

10. If I had to sum up this fic in a sentence, what would it be?

11. If I were to rewrite this fic, what would I change?

9.) Elisif continued to surprise me with the fact she kept falling in love with everyone. It was so annoying. I thought it was a personal problem, at first. I try and find a reason to love the characters I write about. I feel like dismissing them, or automatically disliking them is a disservice to anyone reading my work who does like them. There is nothing worse than being midfic and discovering the author is being mean to your blorbo. Can we even trust their judgement, at that point? (I am even sympathetic towards Falk, towards the end)

I thought I was projecting onto Elisif, until we got to Windhelm. I was so happy that she seemed to continually dislike one of my faves, and I could still write him as a fave. But, in general, Elisif is a romantic soul, and she is just primed to fall in love. It influences the story, quite a bit. (Grateful to be writing Ace/Aro Serana right now, can't even tell you.)

10.) Elisif's journey to serving the void. Its in the summary, I thing.

11.) I want to rewrite a lot of it, because I feel like I could do a better job, but at the time, I didn't really have the stamina to even think about getting to the end, let alone a rewrite. I think I've mentioned that Foul Redemption was my training wheels, so to speak. I don't really regret doing it the way I did it, but I can see a lot of adjustments I could make. I might have eased up on the individual quest portions, now- but at the same time it was important character building.

I think I would rework the ending. I got to a point in Elisif's story where other stories were coming into play, and I split the story in half, so to speak, so it ended, but we won't see the results of the ending till the end of Grieve at the Mercy. I feel like I could throw some more satisfying stuff into it. I think I have an extra quest half-written somewhere.

I would rewrite Cicero's relief as well.

#skyrim #ask game #measure for measure #foul redemption

[argisthebulwark]

Oh man, helping Arnbjorn heal after the attack on the sanctuary? And then one day he holds you close and tells you he didn’t think he would ever love again after the loss of Astrid…..but then he found you. And then you kiss……

it is always fun to write a romantic story about a character who explicitly says that they do not like you lmao

content warnings: mention of canonical death and violence. dark brotherhood spoilers.

You still have nightmares of the flames. You'll never forget the crackling of your armor when you dove through the fires in search of fellow assassins. The intense heat that stole the breath from your lungs, the shouts echoing around the sanctuary from your family.

"Hey." A gruff voice tears you back to reality. You bolt upright and find Arnbjorn's large silhouette in the door of your bedchambers. You can feel sweat sliding down your back and shove hair out of your face, trying to collect yourself. "You were having another nightmare."

"It's not another." You grumble, flopping back onto your pillows. The chill seeping in from the stone walls helps to quickly rid you of the stress induced sweat that often accompanies nightmares. "It's the same one."

He doesn't say a word before silently returning to his own chambers. You hate the selfish feeling in your gut, the one that wished he would have stayed with you.

Looking at Arnbjorn is hard. You can't help but remember everything; finding him bleeding in the snow when Cicero fled Falkreath, dragging him through the flames of the sanctuary, pounding on his chest while screaming at him to keep breathing. You remember the way he'd smiled when speaking to Astrid and the way he'd tried to claw his way back into the sanctuary after her.

You try to remain respectful but you can't help noticing things. You notice when Arnbjorn starts working on his smithing again after months of the forge being cold. You notice when he removes his Band of Matrimony from his finger and begins to wear it on a chain around his neck. When he needs to talk about the events of the past he seeks you out instead of the others.

Working through the recent past is hard. In the morning you seat yourself outside the Black Door, gazing out at the chilly waters off Dawnstar's coast. Arnbjorn takes a seat beside you in his usual silence, nonchalantly sliding a steaming mug toward you.

"Figured you'd need that."

"Thanks." You drink the offered tea, knowing that he will broach whatever topic he needs to talk about when he's ready. "I never thought I'd settle down in Dawnstar."

"Seems like none of us ended up where we planned." He pauses for a moment before turning and looking at you. You remain focused on the choppy tides of the sea, not wanting him to see the way your cheeks burn under his gaze. "I thought Astrid would be here."

"I'm sorry." You respond as you always do when he mentions his wife. You tried to save her even after her betrayal but there was nothing left to do. Sometimes it feels like you're apologizing for harboring feelings for him while he mourned his wife.

"Astrid trusted you." He pauses and you swear your heart is going to leap out of your throat. It is rare that he brings Astrid up in conversation even with you. "She trusted you from the beginning. She wanted me to trust you."

"Too bad you didn't listen." You joke, voice shakier than intended. "You told me you disliked me before you even knew my name."

"I'm trying to say something here, Listener." He always used your title in an almost derogatory fashion, even now. "Astrid, she trusted you. She approved of you. I think she even liked you."

The silence is heavy with whatever he's leaving unsaid. You risk a glance in his direction and find his brows furrowed together in frustration, his glare directed out at the ocean. The optimistic part of your mind is already leaping at the implications while the realistic side clamps on the irons.

"I never thought I would feel things for anyone other than her." He finally force the words out, cheeks turning pink. "But I do."

"Oh." You can't make yourself say much more, fearful that you're misreading the situation. "Astrid would want you to be happy."

"You're right." Arnbjorn turns to you, his muscles tense. "You already saved me from the fire and the jester. But I need something else from you."

"Anything."

"Just hold still."

Arnbjorn grips your jaw with one hand, slowly pressing a kiss to your lips. It's warm and chaste but it feels like explosions are going off in your chest. You stay still at his behest but god it's everything. He's everything you've wanted for so long, the man you'd conceded to love only in private.

It's over in an instant. Arnbjorn allows you to lean into his shoulder after the kiss, his arm wrapping around your shoulders in silent comfort. You touch your lips, still tingling a bit from his kiss.

"I never thought I'd feel this way about anyone after Astrid." You stare out at the ocean while he speaks, melting into his touch. He's so warm even through the layers of armor. "But I do."

There's nothing more to say. You lose yourself in Arnbjorn's touch, tilting your head back to look at him. The memories are still there - the fire, the death, the pain. They'll never fully go away for either of you, but it seems that you've found the path to healing together.

#arnbjorn #skyrim #asks #anon #writing #dark brotherhood #canon typical violence #arnbjorn/ldb