nobilis

"The name's Vialgo Alvinius. You here to report a vampire sighting?" Skyrim/TES:V Roleplaying Blog • GMT -4 • Blood/Violence expected • Look at "Important Rules/Info" before interacting.

[alvinius]

The cot in the Dawnguard barracks has been empty for weeks. His armor was stored away in the fort’s armory and would not be worn by him ever again.

Vialgo was no longer a member of the Dawnguard, or even in Skyrim. He was home in Cyrodiil once more. As the holiday season was winding down in the weeks following the New Life Festival, he had an important decision to make: 

Where would he go from here?

[alvinius]

Vialgo had lost track of how long he had been in Whiterun, but it had been longer than he ever intended to. He had tried to stay out of Indes’ way while still helping out where he could to make up for any inconveniences he may have been causing, but he knew it was only a matter of time before he needed to make up his mind about whether he would go back or not.

But he still could not for the life of him see what the correct choice was. And what was happening right now with Indes was making it hard for him to think about leaving any time soon. Not while she was injured and he could offer his help.

Still, during a moment in which he was not being ordered around by Nidhel, he sat outside the city to think, on a hill near the wall overlooking the southern roads. If he did not go back to the fort, what could he do? Would Indes let him work for the Companions? Would he even want to work for them? Should he go back to Cyrodiil? Should he go home for a little while?

While he considered his options, the sound of distance voices and heavy steps caught his attention. It was a Legion patrol, marching west on the road across the river. Vialgo paused to watch them, pondering the way they moved together as one unit. After they disappeared out of view, however, he sighed, shaking his head before standing and turning back toward the city.

[alvinius]

Road to Whiterun [open]

[hush-darsan-blog]

The Khajiit didn’t really know why had suddenly opened up to this man, who had scorned him minutes earlier for his actions. There was something about him that Hush instinctively trusted though. Perhaps it was the Divines? Or some whim of the Daedra? He couldn’t know, but Hush had realised that he had rendered his soul open to this stranger. And he suddenly felt very scared.

He could leave now, the man. He could just up and leave, and Hush wouldn’t blame him. Not many wanted to be seen in public with a member of the Guild. They were treated with cruel glares and toothy sneers, along with those who corresponded with them. It looked like Vialgo might fall into that category, if Hush didn’t provide him an escape route.

But, then, the Breton spoke. His voice, firm but coaxing. Authoritative, yet still soft spoken. Hush listened to what he had to say, processing every syllable of the man’s words. Pondering on what he could be proposing.

But Dar'san had to admit, he had thought many times before now whether or not his Mother would be proud of the person he was becoming. She and wanted him to be a warrior, not a thief. He sighed, a sad look creasing his brow.

“This one… He thinks you may be right. My Mother, she would not be proud of how I have wasted my talents. But I wonder, is it too late?” Hush thought out loud, musing. “Can Dar'san change his stars? Can he become the warrior his Mother would have wanted him to be, still?”

[alvinius]

Vialgo watched his reaction in silence, still taking the Khajiit’s words with a grain of salt. Regardless, if this was working, then this was a good thing. And a part of him wanted to hope that was the case. He had talked his way out of situations like this before, so there seemed to be no reason to stop now.

“Might I point out that the stars themselves change every night?” Now he was waxing poetic, but it seemed appropriate enough with this stranger. “Not to mention the moons. Nothing stays the same forever.” He gave Hush a small smile. “I believe you can make your own choices in life, no matter where or who you are.”

The Imperial sat back in his seat again, slowly lifting the bottle to his lips again, but not drinking. “Don’t believe me? I’ve personally seen a servant become a leader among warriors. I have heard stories from the men I work with about how when they were dissatisfied with the group they were with previously, they made the bold choice to leave the group and pursue what they thought was right, despite how influential their organization was. People choose to take different paths all of the time.” 

He paused, then shrugged. “They might not always make the best choices, but they make them. You could stop thieving right this moment if that really is what you want.” A finger was pointed briefly around the room. “I doubt anyone here is going to stop you. Certainly not me. You could join a different group if you thought it was worthwhile. There are the Companions in Whiterun, the Dawnguard south of Riften, and plenty of others I’m sure if you look hard enough. You may not even have to look all that hard, honestly.”

[alvinius]

€ for a bad memory that still haunts them

[-peek into my character’s past-]

The young boy had a passion for riding. Many of his family members joked it was because Vialgo was his grandfather reborn, and old Kaius himself laughed and would say he almost agreed, only to add “Except I’m not dead yet!” before the conversation moved to other topics.

One of his favorite times to go riding was after his lessons. It was a way to relax, to escape for at least an hour or two. Not to mention, he thought he had the best horse in all of Nirn, a mare he had named Cloud.

She was a beautiful dapple grey, of pure Cyrodiilic blood. She was Vialgo’s pride and joy. He kept her coat gleaming, like a warrior kept his sword polished, and Indes helped him keep her mane and tail trimmed and neat. The boy dreamed of riding her across all of Cyrodiil once he was old enough to take the road on his own.

But for now, the young Imperial had to settle for the woods around Cheydinhal. The moment he was dismissed from his lessons for the day, he was almost immediately out the door, bounding across the veranda and courtyard to reach the back of the property. It was only a matter of minutes before he had the mare out of the pasture and was preparing the tack.

“You might not want to go riding very far today, Vialgo,” came a familiar voice. He turned to see Indes, her face dirty from working in the garden. “I saw something in the woods when I went hunting this morning. It was big. Not sure what it was, but-”

“I won’t go too far, amita. Promise.” He flashed her a bright smile as he tightened the saddle, not sparing another second before climbing up and kicking the horse into a light trot. Indes tried to say something else, but he was out of earshot before she could say a word.

The next thing Vialgo could remember, the manor was out of sight, and Indes’ words were already forgotten. It seemed to be a perfect day, cool beneath the shade of the trees and not a cloud in the sky. It was getting a little late in the day, however, so he knew he had to make the most of what time he had left.

He turned the mare down a path that went north, in the direction of the Jeralls. This trail was familiar. He knew how long it would take to ride down it and when to turn back to make it to the manor again before sundown. He was confident in that.

Everything was calm. The only sounds that he could here were the horse’s hooves. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, at least to him. But after a few minutes, Cloud began acting oddly. She began tossing her head, falling out of her steady canter and back into a trot. The young Imperial furrowed his brows, confused by her behavior.

“What’s wrong girl?” he asked the mare as they stopped, leaning in to pet her neck. She was showing signs of nervousness, ears swiveling around as she snorted and stomped. “Did you see something—”

Cloud suddenly reared, whinnying in fear. Unprepared, Vialgo found himself slipping out of the saddle and onto the ground below, halfway into the bushes. When he sat up to see what had happened, he nearly gasped, but managed to bite his tongue in order to stay quiet.

A mountain lion was in front of the horse, its body low and tail flicking. It was growling, focused entirely on the horse. Cloud stomped and kicked lightly, returning the threat. Suddenly, the lion gave a screaming roar and lunged, making its move. The horse began bucking in an attempt to shake the lion off of her, and bolted into the woods.

For a moment, Vialgo sat in the brush, half frozen in fear. For a minute, he could still hear his horse and the lion, but eventually everything became quiet once more. It began to dawn on him what had just happened. He stood slowly, barely able to believe it all, and began to make his way back down the path.

After a few minutes, the sound of hoofbeats caught his attention. For a moment, he believed they belonged to Cloud, that she had somehow survived the attack and was returning to him, but when he looked up he saw that they belonged to a bay horse rather than a grey one. His hope was shattered again. But as the other horse got closer, he recognized the rider.

“Vialgo...” Indes started as she closed the distance between them. The elf looked down at him in confusion. “Where is your horse?”

The Imperial stared down at his feet. “She’s... There was a lion...” He couldn’t say it. He didn’t want to say it. But it was enough. Indes knew what he meant.

“Come on,” she said, holding out an arm for him. “Let’s go home.”

[alvinius]

"Um, I know you don't know me, but I think what you did back there was very brave."

Vialgo turned at the voice, momentarily raising his brow at the stranger. But once she finished speaking, his smile widened into a large grin. He gave the woman a grateful bow of the head, chuckling softly under his breath.

“Why, thank you! I am most flattered, miss.” The Imperial stood straight once more, though his smile did not diminish. “But really, bravery had nothing to do with it. I was just trying to do a little good where I could.” He glanced back at the little girl, now clutching her little doll tightly. “Poor girl.”

[-prompt-]

[alvinius]

"Watch out!"

The warning came just in time, because just as Vialgo’s attention turned towards the voice, the runaway wolfhound came barreling through the throng of people, directly at the Imperial. There was just enough time for him to step to the side before the animal dashed by, barely inches away, followed by the pair of men chasing after it.

“Ah... Thank you for that, stranger,” he started, turning to see who it was that had warned him. He was surprised at the Argonian’s size, but still managed clear his throat, smiling and giving him a grateful nod. “You probably saved my life there. That dog was about the size of a small horse.”

[-prompt-]

[alvinius]

Icebreakers I

"Excuse me, but you’ve got a little something on your face there."

"Well... this is awkward."

"I guess this is the part where we shake hands and say 'nice to meet you', right?"

"I've seen you here before, but I guess I just never had the courage to say hello before."

"I'm so excited to finally meet you in person! I've always dreamed of this."

"Sorry, but, um... am I the only one confused here? Why hasn't anyone else showed up?"

"Watch out!"

"Am I dead? Are you an angel?"

"Okay, okay, listen. I miiiiight have had a little too much, and I miiight need someone to help me get home. You look trustworthy, so let's go."

"I'm sorry--please, can you help me?"

"I look forward to working with you."

"I look forward to serving you."

"Stay still! I'm trying to stop the bleeding!"

"I'm not trying to be nosy or anything, but... I've been seeing you here a lot lately, always by yourself. I just wanted to say, if you have anything on your mind, I'd listen."

"Um, I know you don't know me, but I think what you did back there was very brave."

"Some weather we're having, huh?"

[lycannalla]

Peek into my character's past!

Send me a…

– 〆 for a childhood story – ღ for a drabble about a romance/their love life – ⌆ for a story about their family/home life – € for a bad memory that still haunts them – ✢ for a good memory that makes them smile

Or…

Send me a name/place/event or situation from my character’s past and they will just talk about that one thing.

[alvinius]

Road to Whiterun [open]

[hush-darsan-blog]

“Khajiit would not want you to, stranger.” Dar'san spoke to him with a hint of a smile.

Hush sighed. His thoughts suddenly became heavy, wondering if he should tell his new acquaintance his real origins - or just come up with a fake story or a ruse. It crossed his mind that perhaps getting up and leaving might be the best choice, but he was too far in it now - and Hush owed the Imperial an explanation at least for not ratting him out.

“When, er…” Dar'san started, then cleared his throat. “When Hush was a child, I lived in Elsywr with my family. My Mother,” Hush said, subconsciously fondling the dragon tooth pendant that hung around his neck as he thought of her. “My Father and my Sister. We were a poor family, living off of scraps and sheltered under the stars most nights. My Father was part of a Caravan that travelled all over Tamriel, so he was not with us often. So, naturally, Dar'san leaned toward my Mother as a guide. I loved her so dearly, and she gave me this,” Hush said, gesturing to the pendant, “When Hush was very young.

"She said it would make me into a strong, brave warrior - like my Father. And so Khajiit used to practice with a poorly made wooden bow, dreaming of becoming the greatest archer Elyswr had ever seen. But, one night, while we slept… a group of Bandits came to our beds and killed her in cold blood. They took my sister and I to their camp, hoping to sell me to a slaver group. As the nights went on, they would have their way with my sister, tossing her from man to man like a… a… whore!” Hush almost shouted, slamming his tankard of mead on the table, drawing a look from other patrons.

“When she could take no more, they just killed her, like some lowly beast.” Dar'san whispered, anger creeping into his tone. “I was too scared to help her, and I just watched as they slit her throat. Hush doesn’t know how, but I managed to escape and make my way to the city. Khajiit was so scared of being hunted down, so Dar'san snuck into an outbound caravan as a stowaway. It ended up in Riften, in the Province of Skyrim.” Hush paused for a moment.

“A member of the Guild found me, trying to sack the Caravan for wares when the guards weren’t looking. He took me in his arms and brought me to the Ratway. The Guild took care of me, and trained me in their ways. The man who found me could never say my real name the right way, so he just started calling me Hush, because I was so quiet, both when talking and when sneaking. I trained under him for ten years, honing his craft of thievery and my archery skills. When I was old enough, I was made a fully-fledged member of the Guild. The name ‘Hush’ just stayed.”

Hush cleared his throat again, then took a swig of mead.

“Dar'san has been a fully fledged member of the Guild for about eight years now. Someday, I might become Guild Master. But… Hush will always remember what happened to me in Elsywr all those years ago, but I will never go back. There’s nothing left for me there anymore.”

Hush looked toward the Imperial wondering what he would make of the Khajiit’s story.

[alvinius]

Vialgo ate slowly while he listened to Dar’san’s tale, briefly glancing in the barkeeper’s direction at the Khajiit’s outburst in the middle of the story. He was still not interested in causing a scene at this point.

When the story finished, however, he was not entirely sure how to respond. It was most definitely a... sad story - tragic, really - but Vialgo was still hesitant to trust anything this stranger told him. For all he knew, this “Hush” could have rehearsed this story a thousand times. He had already shown he was a thief, and apparently admitted to being a member of the Thieves Guild as well. This Khajiit was either trying to pull a very elaborate trick, or he was much, much too trusting. The Imperial’s conscience tugged at him, but instead of doing anything drastic to ruin the entire tavern’s evening, decided to keep his thoughts to himself, making a mental note to perhaps mention this incident to Indes when he arrived in Whiterun.

“I am... very sorry you had to go through all of that. I understand that things such as that can change a man, and I do not blame you for being hurt over any of it. Yet, you said before that you did not know much else - at least when it came to ‘getting back’ at people. But from what you just told me, I do not think that is true.”

The Imperial leaned forward in order to speak softer, keeping the conversation more between themselves. He pointed to the necklace Hush had shown him before. “You said your mother gave you that and you once dreamed of becoming a warrior. An archer. Which you have done, it seems. But what is forcing you to use that talent of yours for thievery?” He paused, considering his next words. “Perhaps this is my own... personal philosophy speaking, but what is keeping you from learning other ways to use your skills here where you are, here in Skyrim? You do not have to scorn the man who raised you, nor do you have to return to a place that is foreign to you now, but you are plenty able to make a new path for yourself at this point, yes? Or am I misunderstanding something?”

[tural-amring]

“How do you know my… Who are you?”

Tural hesitated, before giving an apologetic smile. “Sorry,” he sighed, “’m Tural, a friend ‘a Indes. She’d mentioned tha’ ya’d be stayin’ ‘round. Forgot ya didn’ know everyone.”

[alvinius]

The Imperial blinked once or twice as what he said registered in his head, then a smile broke onto his face. “Oh! Of course. Nice to meet you, Tural. I should have known Indes would have at least told you that I was coming.” He paused, then raised a brow. “She didn’t... tell you anything embarrassing I should know about, did she? Just trying to make sure.”

[alvinius]

Road to Whiterun [open]

[hush-darsan-blog]

Hush sighed. He hated to admit it, but the Imperial had a point. This perhaps was an over-reaction to the barmaid’s insults.

Like most Nords, she was more than likely quite close-minded with her viewpoint on the other races of Tamriel - and might even be described by some as xenophobic, if her treatment of Dar'san was anything to go by.

But perhaps stealing her coin purse was a somewhat… severe ploy to enact his revenge on her.

“What you must understand, stranger, is that Dar'san does not know other ways of getting back at those who hurt me.” He put the purse on the table, a small clink audible as it impacted on the wooden surface.

There was a long pause.

“You said before, Vialgo, that my name must come from somewhere. Hush. You are right, and I will tell you.” He gave a gentle smile, almost apologetic. “If you can overlook my mistake, and find it in your heart to forgive this one,“ Hush said, “I promise to explain everything.”

Before the Imperial could respond, Hush held up a hand, and stood up to make his way over to the man behind the bar. Exchanging a few words of apologising and explaining, Hush returned the gold, the barman nodding his thanks. After a few more words of conversation and a couple of septims changing hands, Hush returned to the Vialgo’s table, his meal in hand.

Placing the plate of food in front of the Imperial, Hush took his seat again, and raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear the man’s response on the Khajiit’s offer to tell him his story.

For what could a warm fire and a strong drink be for, other than sharing stories and telling tales?

[alvinius]

Vialgo watched the Khajiit’s reaction, expression set and unmoving. He had already taken this step, and no attempt at justification from the other was going to change his mind at this point. He didn’t say anything during the long pause, though he very much wanted to, and instead remained silent as Hush seemed to think. 

He did, however, glance down at the coin purse, considering the possibility of snatching it up and taking it back, perhaps claiming that he had found it on the ground. Perhaps that way they could avoid a fight of some kind.

Hush speaking again pulled his attention away from those thoughts, however, and he turned back to his new “acquaintance”, this time with furrowed brows at the mention of the name he went by. Why was that important? The Imperial eyed him suspiciously as he asked for forgiveness, promising to explain things, then picked up the gold and went up to the bar. Was this really a sudden change of heart, or was this just a ruse?

When the Khajiit returned, without the gold and with the food Vialgo had ordered earlier in hand, the Imperial was sitting more relaxed in the bench, less tense, but no less wary even as the food was set before him. It still felt like a ruse. But what was done was done, it seemed that Hush had returned the gold, apologized, and by some miracle the innkeeper hadn’t raised the alarm to call up every mercenary in the building to arms. There was no point in arguing further.

“Well, that’s settled. May as well tell me this story of your name, then,” he said, sitting up once more in order to pick up his own drink. “Though don’t expect me to suddenly excuse what you just did.”

[alvinius]

Road to Whiterun [open]

[hush-darsan-blog]

Hush mused on the Imperials words, his brow furrowed in thought. He was right, Dar'san supposed, it was far better to be over-prepared for a fight breather than under, but his garments still seemed a little excessive for just Bandits and animals.

When Hush heard that Alvinius was headed to Whiterun, he perked up a little. He was headed there too, as it happened. Hush smiled at the man and nodded.

“This one is headed for the City of Whiterun also, though for a different reason, I think.” Dar'san told him. It was true, he had no intent of staying there for long. Mallory had sent him on a mission to steal an item of particular interest to him and the Guild.

“Perhaps this one can accompany you there?” He asked, hope in his voice. The burly man would be a great ally to have on the road if the Khajiit ran into any trouble.

Before he could continue though, Hush saw the barmaid approaching again, still someways off, a face like a slapped arse. Hush quickly stood up and went to make his way to the bar she’d just come from, ‘accidentally’ bumping into her on the way.

He muttered his apologies, and continued on his way, read doing a round trip of the central fire pit, and returned to his seat, the barmaid now walking away as his mead was on the table.

Hush grinned as he sat back down, and he produced something from his armour, it jingled with the treasure laid within. The barmaids purse, holding what felt like a modest twenty or so gold pieces. Hush smiled smugly at the Imperial. That’s what people get when they called him names.

[alvinius]

Vialgo almost responded this time, but just as before, the woman returned before he could get a word in, and Hush’s attention was turned to her instead. When he rose, though, the Imperial expected him to simply save her the rest of the walk and take the drink from her. But when the Khajiit went to pass her instead, bumping her in the process, it became clear that wasn’t the case after all. He understood perhaps why he had done that, but it seemed more like a waste of time, in truth.

Shaking his head, he glanced once more to the bar where the cook was hopefully finishing preparing his food when Hush returned to his own seat. The jingling noise caught the man’s attention, and he looked to see what his new acquaintance was holding. It took him a minute, but when the other gave him a knowing smile, that was enough to convince him of what he was afraid it was.

The previous good-natured attitude of the Imperial seemed to vanish in an instant. Vialgo responded to Hush’s smile with a deadpanned expression, not amused by his actions in the slightest.

“You know, I understand wanting to get back at someone who insulted you so blatantly. And there are good ways to get back at folks who act that way. But did she really deserve that?” he said in a low voice, ending his question by pointing to the coin purse. “You don’t think that’s at all too much? Because, honestly, I don’t have the time or desire to be put in a jail cell for associating with a thief.”

[alvinius]

Road to Whiterun [open]

[hush-darsan-blog]

“Dar'san,” The Khajiit told him, “Call this one ‘Hush’.”

He pulled down his hood, looking at the Imperial with his bright yellow eyes, the myriad of scars he had on his face in full view of the patron. He smiled as he put his hand in the other man’s and shook it firmly.

“Your armour is strange. You look like a man fit for battle, but you have no war to fight.” Hush said, as he examined the odd looking gear that Vialgo wore.

He raised an arm, and a barmaid approached the Khajiit, a sneer on her lips. The blonde scowled at him, her brown eyes looking at him with what looked to be disgust.

“Fantastic, just what I need. A cat for a customer.” She groaned under her breath.

Dar'san gave her a disarming smile, but his scarred lips twisted his grin into a humourless smirk. He ordered a tankard of Black-Briar Mead, and the waitress went on her way to fetch the alcohol, muttering obscenities along the way. While his drink was being fetched, Hush addressed the man again.

“Take no notice of her, I have been called far worse.” He sighed, tired from his journey, but also at the insults of the barmaid. His yellow irises looked straight into Vialgo’s. “So, traveller, where are you headed?”

[alvinius]

“Hush,” Vialgo repeated, nodding slowly. “Interesting name you choose to go by. Sounds like it has a story behind it,” he commented, giving the Khajiit a smile and a light chuckle.

The Imperial glanced down briefly at what he was wearing. Most of it was basic travel armor for him - chain and leather - but while he had left most of his heavier armor back at the fort, he had brought along a few things for his own benefit, namely his shield and a few of the pieces on his chest, waist, and shoulders. Maybe he was still a bit over-armored, but that was besides the point.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get the chance to respond immediately before the barmaid walked over. Vialgo blinked in surprise at her remarks. Perhaps he was still surprised by the behavior of some Nords in the eastern holds, but he thought even most innkeeps were better at keeping their opinions to themselves, especially when they were still planning on serving the people they disliked. It baffled him that the woman simply walked away to fetch the drink, rather than do something along the lines of kicking Hush or even both of them out.

Vialgo shook his head. “Oh, I’m fine. Maybe she was just having a bad day, hm?” He shot Hush a smile briefly before clearing his throat to answer the question. “Whiterun, if you must know. Going to visit someone. A close friend of mine. And yes, I know I might be a bit... over-dressed, but I find it’s better to be a little over-prepared than under-prepared, aye? I mean,” he paused, glancing at the other patrons for a moment before leaning a bit closer to his new acquaintance and speaking in a lower tone. “As we saw with our very pretty new friend over there, you never know when some of these folks may want to start something.”

[alvinius]

Road to Whiterun [open]

[hush-darsan-blog]

The Khajiit looked down at the armour he had on, already wet through from his trek in the rain. A little more water made little difference.

“No need for apologies, wanderer. This one is already soaked from this lands harsh weather, yes?” Hush spoke in a soft voice.

He unslung his Dwarven Bow from his back and set it on a nearby post. He removed his quiver full of arrows also, placing them near the fire pit in the middle of the room to dry.

A clawed hand gestured to the seat next to the stranger.

“May this one sit, or must I find other company?” Hush spoke, briefly looking to the barman at the end of the inn.

[alvinius]

Vialgo nodded quickly, going so far as to move over slightly to give the other more room on the bench and holding his hands out toward the seat. “By all means, please. The more the merrier.”

The Imperial quickly made himself comfortable again, scooting to the edge of his seat in order to be closer to the warm air around the fire. “Dreadful weather it is, though. Spring must be coming soon, aye? Maybe it will at least warm up a little before too long.” He glanced towards the innkeeper as well, trying to get a hint at the status of his food. After a moment, however, he turned back to the Khajiit.

“I seem to have forgotten my manners. Vialgo Alvinius, at your service.” He offered a hand to his new acquaintance.

[lycannalla]

Need to Talk [II]

[alvinius]

-previous-

“So, what is wrong?”

The two had returned from the mead hall a few minutes before and were now settled at the small table in Indes’ room, finishing off the last of their drinks. Vialgo had seemed in good spirits at dinner, but the way he worded his letter and the time it took to get to Whiterun was still concerning to the Bosmer.

The Imperial paused mid-swig as Indes asked the question, furrowing his brows over the half-finished bottle of mead. He lowered it after a moment, swallowing, then slouched forward in his seat somewhat. “What do you mean?”

Indes raised a brow. “In your letter, you said you wanted to talk about something. I assumed something was wrong.”

Vialgo’s eyes turned to the drink in his hand, refusing to look at the mer. “Suppose you could say that,” he finally half-muttered after a moment of hesitation. Another moment of silence passed in which Indes waited for him to continue, and when he glanced over to met her expectant gaze, he finally got the hint. “I’ve just been… thinking about things, I guess. Some things I’m not sure about anymore.”

That was vague. “Thinking? That’s dangerous.” Indes crossed her arms. “So what are these things that you’ve been thinking about?”

“…The Dawnguard.”

“What about the Dawnguard?”

“It’s just…” The bottle was placed on the table as Vialgo raised his hands, waving them in front of him as if they would help explain his predicament. “It doesn’t feel right anymore. I’m not enjoying it as much as I used to.”

The Bosmer gave a thoughtful hum. “I hate to break it to you, but ‘work’ is not always going to be fun. My job is far from ‘fun’ most of the time, but it’s still—”

“That’s not what I meant!” Vialgo interjected, then fell silent again briefly. “I’m sorry, Aunt Indes, I… What I meant was that I just… I just don’t feel like I belong there anymore.

He turned away then, looking up towards the ceiling. Indes furrowed her brow in contemplation for a moment as he fell quiet. She could understand that, she supposed. There were times when she felt a similar feeling, though not the same. “Did something happen to make you feel this way?”

Vialgo shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. I guess… A lot of people have been leaving, though. And I only have maybe one or two that I can really call friends there so I feel, well, alone in some ways, maybe. I don’t know.” He huffed in frustration, his foot beginning to tap on the stone floor. “I just needed to get away and try to think this all through, maybe”

Indes could see he was past the point of thinking clearly, and with all the alcohol he had already drank that evening, she figured they weren’t going to get anywhere for the moment. Exhaling, the Bosmer stood and walked around the table, motioning for him to follow.

“Then why don’t you sleep on it for now? You had a long trip up here, so you probably need some rest for the time being. We can talk more later when you’re ready. Until then, would you rather sleep here or at the house?”

The Imperial raised a hand, letting it rub down the side of his face. “Whichever is going to let me sleep in come morning.

[lycannalla]

Need To Talk [I]

[alvinius]

Everything seemed to be happening at once, but this was often the case this time of the year. It was nice to have an evening to herself, even though Indes was still using it to get some of her paperwork done. A gentle tapping on the door frame stole her attention, however, her eyes peeling away from the paper to look at the half-closed doors. “Come in,” she said, half expecting to see Tilma coming to check on her.

Slowly, the door opened and a familiar Imperial stuck his head into the room, smiling down at her. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”

The quill that was previous in the Bosmer’s hands was quickly discarded as she stood to greet him with a hug. “Vialgo. My gods what took you so long? I was beginning to worry something had happened.”

Vialgo chuckled, embracing her in return while stepping all the way into the room. “I’m sorry. I meant to get here days ago, but I got a bit… distracted. Took a detour to Ivarstead and stayed there a couple of days.”

“Ivarstead?” Indes pulled away slightly, her brows furrowed. “Why there?”

“No reason, really, I just…” The young man shook his head, letting the mer go in order to step backwards and motion towards the door. “Can we… go get something to eat? I’m starving.”

The concern on Indes’ face was still present, but she gave in for now. “Sure. But we need to talk afterwards.”

Vialgo nodded. “Aye. We can talk after.”

[alvinius]

[[ooc— Hello to all the many new followers for this blog)! I have few, tiny housekeeping things I wanted to mention real quick:

Even if I don’t immediately follow you back, please know that I am not exclusive/mutuals-only, so you’re still free to ask to interact or just send an ask to Vialgo.

My main blog is lycannalla, and I’m much more active over there if you need to get in touch with me immediately for anything.

I think that’s all for now, so if anybody wants, I still have an open for Vialgo or you can send an ask or IM message if you want to talk something out. Consider this an open invitation!]]