#week two tescheer

[wildhexe]

TESCheer Week Two

It's that time of the year! The holidays are upon us and so is @tescheer! I might post week one at another time, but for now I hope everyone enjoys week two.

The prompt I chose was mountain with a bit of gray thrown in and an almost-kiss. This is set in a completely random time that doesn't follow through with my main fic, Cursed Dawn.

Also landed close to WIP Wednesday, so I'm gonna tag @friend-of-giants, @boethiahspillowbook, @elfinismsarts, @thana-topsy, @v1ctory-or-sovngarde, @umbracirrus, @bostoniangirl21, @arisenlicious, @vivifriend, @thequeenofthewinter, @mareenavee, @lucien-lachance. If you guys wanna participate in TEScheer, make sure to tag me! The prompts are so, so, so good and I want to see what you guys write. Love you all and happy holidays!

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Entirely in Vilkas POV. No warnings apply.

My knees ached as I trudged up the mountain, the snow crunching under my steel boots. Snow fell down leaving a fine layer atop the seemingly eternal blanketed mountain - The Throat of the World. A foolish feat to get to the top, yet I found myself more and more eager to take a peek at High Hrothgar. Entrance, of course, would be denied. But to have simply a glimpse at the looming structure atop the highest mountain and knowing of what legendary men were beyond the doors was enough for me.

A frustrated grumble was heard behind me and I turned only to roll my eyes as I was met with my clumsy shield-sister, the eternal pain in my side, as she had sunk knee deep into a snow mound. I couldn't help but chuckle as I reached out to grab her hand and yank her up in one swift motion, a sheepish smile crossing her features as she dusted off her thick leathers.

"Stop underestimating how deep some spots are, else you're gonna be doing that a lot more." I spoke with a firm, yet amused tone. She had every right to come with me on this journey, yet she was making it more of a chore than a thrilling trip. Her company, however, was not completely unwanted, though I would never admit it to her face.

"That's what?" She shook the snow off the thick cloak I had loaned her the day prior. She hadn't needed it, for vampires don't feel the cold, yet something inside me knew she needed that added layer of protection, if not to only feel normal once again. "Five times already." She finished in between shakes, the snow blowing directly into my face.

"Can you put it back on and stop waving it around? Bound to catch the attention of a mountain troll with all the noise you're making."

"Sorry." She spoke, though there was no indication that she actually was. I snorted before turning on my heel and continuing up the mountain. I could make out the shape of High Hrothgar. We were close.

It was silent again for a time, just the soft crunching of snow. It didn't last too long. As we rounded a steep corner, it took everything in my power to still my heart as Caterina slid and only stopped herself from toppling over the edge by shoving her back up against the thick trunk of a spruce tree. Something raged within me. An anger I had known very few times. Though why? I wasn't sure. I should be worried. Relieved that the tree had caught her. But I discovered the anger was stemming from fear. With no hesitation, I stomped my way towards her, my height and thick armor making my weigh too much to be dragged down the steep edge. That was something that the breton needed to be aware of; that no matter what, she was not made for these conditions.

It had been some time since I let my emotions get the better of me as I loomed over her figure pressed against the tree, both of us just a step away from sudden doom. I glanced behind the tree and was met with nothing but the gray night - snow and fog from the mountain making it look as though we would be jumping into a bed of fresh snow and not to our deaths down the rocky edges below. Cat held no fear in her eyes as she glanced at me with a cheeky expression.

"That would have been bad."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" I began, my eye twitching as I stared her down, her eyes quickly diverting away from me I was hit with an immense amount of frustration. In one swift motion, I placed a finger under her chin and forced her to meet my steel gaze. Her eyes held a surprised expression as she parted her lips as if she were about to speak, but quickly closed them as if deciding against pushing my buttons further. Smart girl.

"I'm going to say this one last time." I lowered my voice as I inched my face closer to hers. "Be careful."

I gazed at her lips. Thin and so pale of a pink that it almost matched the tone of her skin. The only hint of color was the slight inflamed area of her lip that she sucked in her mouth to bit down on when she was nervous. These days, it came all too often and I caught Serana scolding her many times for her careless action.

Caterina looked at me expectedly and seemed to inch closer towards my face, triggering something within me. Empathy. Relief. Perhaps even affection. Wait. Affection? Absolutely not. As much as I wanted to pull her into my embrace and take those slightly damaged lips and press them firmly against my own… no. Yet my mouth was so close to her own that I could make out the sharpened points of her teeth as she parted her lips slightly as if she needed more air. In a quick motion she closed her lips, smiled, and affectionately pressed the tip of her nose against mine.

"It's Saturalia." She mumbled softly, her sudden voice taking me by surprise.

"What?" I opened my eyes and stared down at the breton as I yanked her from her dangerous position at the base of the tree. She made a soft noise at the sudden movement, but recovered quickly as we reached flat, non-dangerous land much to her relief.

"Saturalia. We need to hurry and get back before this coming up night, remember? I don't think anyone would ever forgive us if we missed the gift opening ceremony." She laughed as she rubbed at her cheeks before quickly placing her hands at her sides as if realizing that she still can't feel the cold.

"Phantom sensations again?" She only nodded in response. "And don't worry. So long as you don't get into more trouble, we should be able to make it."

"Good." She spoke with elation. "Because I have a really good present for you."

"What's that?"

"Me, of course."

"Wait, what?"

Her laugh was infectuous. "I'm only kidding. I'm not for sale and even if I was, you couldn't afford me." She joked. I couldn't help but smile at her impish behavior. "Now come on. Let's hurry. We have a party to get to soon."

And so we both continued, but for reasons unknown, I didn't want this time to end. I didn't want to share her with the others. I wanted her all to myself this day and had absolutely no plans on hurrying. Neither did she for that matter as she suddenly found herself getting stuck in another mound of snow.

I smiled.

#tescheer #tescheer2023 #week two tescheer #elder scrolls #skyrim #Caterina motierre #vilkas #the companions #one-shot #my writing #cursed dawn #vilkat

[falmerbrook]

@tescheer Week 2: Kiss

This is corny and poorly drawn but it's an OC idea I've had for awhile based on a post that implied that argonians don't have the facial anatomy to kiss (and Stellar here especially wouldn't with how long his snout is). Having grown up on Vvardenfell surrounded by Dunmer has left Stellar insecure about some of his argonian traits, despite his pride to be one, but luckily he finds a partner who eventually embraces his differences to her.

#sorry i missed week one but my idea was a stretch of the prompts anyway #tescheer #tescheer 2023 #my art #my ocs #oc: stellar #oc: ramshurbani #tes #tes ocs #morrowind #morrowind oc #pov: you cant draw your own characters #the two random ass dunmer i made up just for this post are the best drawn thng here #mine

[argisthebulwark]

Happy week number two of @tescheer folks!!✨ I know that this is not entirely canon compliant but I am too obsessed with the idea of a New Years kiss with Brynjolf to care <3 This is another prompt combo - Kiss and Party :)

With each second that passed, they grew closer to the closing of that disastrous year. The Guild Master was tucked securely into her chair and attempted her sternest expression in case anyone happened to look her way. While the festivities were exciting, they were no excuse to fall behind in her work. Recruits needed fresh armor, new training dummies needed to be procured, and she had a meeting with the Black Briars that she'd yet to prepare for. Sweeping a hand over her table she grabbed a list of jobs yet to be assigned - a meeting with Delvin and Vex would certainly be added to her ever growing to-do list. 

Another round of laughter interrupted her thoughts. The Guild Master's gaze tracked around the tavern and felt something tugging in her chest - thieves gathered around the bar, drinks half finished and heads thrown back in laughter. It felt like a lifetime ago that she'd been part of their group, free from the constant weight of responsibility she now bore.

When she'd been awarded with the position of Guild Master it had felt like such an honor, a reward for what she'd endured. As the months dragged by she'd begun to realize why no one else was eager for the job. Mercer had enough thieving to last them a lifetime, which left her with little more than a never ending pile of paperwork and a persistent headache. 

"C'mon, lass." Brynjolf placed a mug of ale atop her list and the Guild Master grit her teeth. "Celebrate with us." 

"I have tasks to finish." She attempted to wave him off, though a hand around her wrist stopped whatever protest came next. Brynjolf's cheeks were slightly pink and his armor was unbuckled to reveal a dark shirt. Despite her best efforts she hadn't been able to stomp out that damned crush on him. It had stuck around since that first fateful encounter. The smile on his lips seemed to melt away all her worries when he guided her out of the chair. 

"It's almost the new year." He countered and she knew her resolve wouldn't last. She tried to remain wary but the excited chatter only grew as an ancient clock ticked down the seconds. The Guild Master's head felt fuzzy when Brynjolf's hand rested on her lower back, guiding her deeper into the crowd. Surrounded by old friends and new recruits, she allowed herself a moment of relaxation. 

"Been one hell of a year." Delvin's gruff voice cut through the rest, all conversations quieting. The Guild Master's cheeks burned when he raised his mug and nodded in her direction. "But with the help of Brynjolf and his favorite little recruit, we've finally righted the ship." 

Brynjolf's rich laugh warmed her heart. He remained close and bore an easy smile she'd seen less often during the past few weeks. He looked comfortable, like he could finally relax. A large hand patted her on the shoulder the Guild Master's stomach sank as all eyes turned to her. She prayed that they wouldn't expect a motivational speech.

"Choosin’ you is still the best decision I’ve ever made." His voice dripped with sentimentality and breathing became difficult. His gaze always knocked her off balance, heart skittering out of control and hands clumsy when he looked at her. She tended to ignore the childish crush, stuffing feelings down until they became easy to avoid. But as the last minute of their tumultuous year slipped away it was dangerously easy to grow closer to him, those old feelings bubbling to the surface. 

"Ten! Nine! Eight!" 

"I should get back to work." She breathed, enticed by the way Brynjolf had drifted closer. Bodies jostled as thieves joined in on a chant, counting down until the beginning of a new year. 

"Seven! Six!" 

"Is that what you want?" His words were heavy with another meaning she couldn't hope to discern. The Guild Master's throat ran dry when she recalled the old tradition - the myth that kissing your partner as the clock struck midnight heralded a prosperous new year. Brynjolf's deep green eyes took in every move she made and she knew she could reject him now, could flee to her desk and hide behind her work. 

"Five!" 

"No." She answered finally, hands trembling at her sides. Someone's elbow jabbed into her back as they hurried past, sending her stumbling closer to Brynjolf.

"Four!" 

"What do you want then, lass?" Deep and sultry, his words broke the last of her resolve. 

"Three! Two!"

Her eyes fluttered closed and her heart sang when she swallowed against the cowardly urge to back out. She'd sold her soul to a Daedric Prince and faced off against unbeatable foes, she could be brave for this one moment.

"One!" 

Kissing him was messy, arms flung around his shoulders and noses bumping together. He tasted like ale but the Guild Master paid it no mind. Brynjolf's hands steadied her, chuckling into the kiss. One strong arm wrapped around her waist and she was in heaven, Brynjolf's lips moving so easily against hers. It was better than all those little fantasies that had floated around in her mind over the years, clumsy yet perfect. Somewhere off in the distance she heard someone hollering her name but nothing mattered other than his kiss.

She didn't open her eyes when he pulled away, forehead pressed to hers. A soft kiss landed on her overheated cheek but she couldn't look quite yet. Her cheeks burned when she heard one of the thieves wolf whistling and fought to stay in this blissful little moment with Brynjolf.

"Hell of a way to start the new year." 

#writing #skyrim #tescheer2023 #week two: kiss #week two: party #tescheer #brynjolf

[alpha-centauriiae]

TESCheer Week Three - A Gift and a Snuggle

Prompts provide me with such a good opportunity to write about my OC's! Thanks to @tescheer for giving me that opportunity!

Caylene looked out over the great basin below, pulling her cloak tighter around her armored frame. The nights in Hammerfell were deathly cold, particularly as it neared Saturalia - even without snow, frostbite had claimed extremities of some of the less well traveled men who hadn’t expected it.

Footfalls trampled up the wooden steps to the ramparts, and the Breton felt Senti’s soft palm resting on her arm through the cloak. “Homesick?” The Redguard asked in a low tone, leaning in for warmth.

“In a way. I think I miss the snow. Da could trudge through it up to his waist as if he were walking on an Imperial road. He went out late to find strong wood, and stayed up all night to carve me figurines.” Caylene rummaged in her side pack for a moment before producing a small, wooden knight on horseback. He had painted it in the heraldry of Daggerfall. “He used to tell me, ‘I can only hope you learn the craft; Clan Luzgarz made half of its wealth from sculpting’ and I would only nod. He told that story so many times I could repeat it in my sleep.”

Senti’s lips curled at the corners. “Dear, you already have. You mumble for hours.” 

Caylene cleared her throat, slipping the item back into her bag. “Yes, well. There’s much on my mind.”

The Redguard’s practiced hands slipped beneath Caylene’s cloak, pulling the knight’s hand back out into the open, and pressed another figurine into her palm. It sparkled in the moonlight like the surface of the Iliac, cut from quartz and showing a mage in the traditional wear of a Forebear. “I thought you would want something to remember me by, should something happen, or we part ways once the war is over. Alteration magic has a number of novel applications I’ve picked up under apprenticeship in Sentinel.” The mage pressed her lips to Caylene’s cold cheek, and after a moment, the knight was alone again. She looked over the great basin below and smiled at the glittering sand.

#tescheer #tescheer2023 #week two #week two: gift and snuggle #writing #oc:senti #oc:caylene #elder scrolls #tesblr #tes #the elder scrolls

[tescheer]

TES Cheer 2023 is Happening!

This year, things will be a bit different from the past two years, and you can find rules and more information on our pinned post here.

The event will run from November 26th, 2023 until December 25th, 2023, but there will also be a grace period until January 1st, 2024 as well! We understand that it can be a very busy time of year for many and want anyone who chooses to participate to feel as welcome as possible.

Please remember to @tescheer and tag your posts as #tescheer or #tescheer2023 so we can find you!

The Prompts

Week One: November 26th - December 2nd - Cloak - Snow - Sparkle - Home - Music

Week Two: December 3rd - December 9th - Sled - Gray - Kiss - Party - Mountain

Week Three: December 10th - December 16th - Gift - Lantern - Hat -Snuggle - Night

Week Four: December 17th - December 23rd - Bells - Dance - Fur - Blizzard - Treat

Week Five: December 24th - December 25th - Free Day

[Image ID available by clicking each image]

#tesblr #elder scrolls #the elder scrolls #skyrim #morrowind #oblivion #elder scrolls online #tamriel

[tescheer]

Hello all!

TESCheer is back for its third year and this time, to make things a little less overwhelming, we're changing it up quite a bit! The last two years, we had 25 prompts, one for each day of December leading up until Christmas Day. It was decided upon between the two mods of this event to switch it up for ease and convenience!

So what's changed? This year, instead of starting on December 1st and ending on the 25th (or Christmas Day), we've decided to start the Sunday following the US holiday of Thanksgiving, or November 26th. Rather than doing 25 daily prompts, the prompt list has been narrowed down to just 20 and sorted into weeks. Each week will have five prompts to choose from and it's up to you which ones you want to do and how many, too! The exception is the final week of this, week five, which isn't actually a full week, but the days of December 24th & 25th, or Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Rather than prompts, it's considered a "free day" for you to come up with whatever you want!

The point of this event is to bring some holiday cheer to the TES fandom, be it through writing, art, screenshots, gifs, edits, mood boards, you name it! If you're creating something that fits one of the prompts, feel free to share it in the tag, #tescheer. We look forward to seeing what everyone has to share this year!

Rules:

As this is an event for the Elder Scrolls fandom, please keep your submissions mostly relevant to the Elder Scrolls universe.

AUs and crossovers involving Elder Scrolls characters or the Elder Scrolls universe are welcome, but please make sure it is TES-oriented. Additionally, we ask that you tag these submissions as "alternate universe" or "crossover."

You are under no obligation to participate in every week, nor do every prompt for a singular week. If you only feel like participating in a prompt or two that catches your eye, we're still happy to have you! You are more than welcome to pick and choose as you please.

Combining prompts is welcome and encouraged! We just ask that you tag appropriately for organization reasons.

Tag your post with the corresponding week/prompt (ex, if the prompt you're using is from week two, tag it as "week two: [prompt]").

Ping this blog (@tescheer) and tag your submission as #tescheer or #tescheer2023 so we can find you!

NSFW is welcome but please tag accordingly and use a read more break for any NSFW content (mobile users can use a read more by typing ": readmore :" without the spaces and quotations, then hitting enter).

Please use a read more for longer writing submissions, too. 5-6 paragraphs without is fine, but beyond that, use your best judgement.

Keep your submissions cheerful! The whole point of this event is to bring cheer to the fandom and it's hard to do that if entries are extremely dark and depressing. This is by no means saying darker themes can't be explored and are forbidden, but please ensure some good comes of it for your characters!

No harmful content. This should go without saying, but for clarity's sake, no racism, homo/transphobia, sexism (this includes misogyny AND misandry), ableism, rape/abuse apology, incest, NSFW content involving minor/underage characters, or otherwise hateful, bigoted, or toxic content allowed. Understand that the decision to include this rule in no way reflects the personal views of the mods, but was tailored with the best interests of the event in mind in order to keep it safe, fun, and cheerful for yourself, the mods, and everyone else!

Be considerate, polite, and respectful toward each other. It's easier to just ignore something you don't like than to make a stink about it.

The Prompts

Week One: November 26th - December 2nd - Cloak - Snow - Sparkle - Home - Music

Week Two: December 3rd - December 9th - Sled - Gray - Kiss - Party - Mountain

Week Three: December 10th - December 16th - Gift - Lantern - Hat -Snuggle - Night

Week Four: December 17th - December 23rd - Bells - Dance - Fur - Blizzard - Treat

Week Five: December 24th - December 25th - Free Day

Questions Answered:

Do I have to celebrate holidays to participate? Absolutely not! The point of the event is to bring cheer to tesblr, and that's doable even if you don't celebrate holidays! The timing of the event is simply because the mods themselves do love the holiday season, but don't expect everyone else to feel the same way. If you want to stick to a festive, holiday theme, feel free! If it's not your speed, that's okay too!

Who are the mods? The mods are @elfinismsarts, who created and operated this event during its first run in 2021, and @friend-of-giants, who took over for its second run in 2022!

Can I submit a post late? You sure can! However, we will stop checking the tag and responding to pings as of January 1st, 2024. So if you really want your submission to be seen, try to get it posted and tagged before then. We understand that for most people, the holidays are a busy time of year, so we will try to give you as much wiggle room as possible.

When does the event start and when does it end? It starts Sunday, Novemeber 26th, 2023 and ends on Monday, December 25th, 2023. The extension period for late submissions will close on Monday, January 1st, 2024.

Does my submission have to be festive or wintry? Nope! As long as it's relevant to the chosen week/prompt and remains within the rules, you can submit whatever you want. While some prompts are a little on the nose, they are all completely up to your interpretation.

My question wasn't here! That's okay! Our ask box is open to any other questions you may have!

#pinned post #event info #faq