At the Border of Oblivion

"Isn't selflessness also self-serving, in the end?" Brethyn Reni is a traveling healer who keeps to the outskirts of society, smiling as he goes, praying you don't look or think twice. Let him be, please, so that he can peacefully seek a single forbidden truth. 

[attheborderofoblivion]

In the dull haze of a foggy sunset, a lone traveler limps steadily past the gates and through the streets. Their hood is pulled high over their bent head, which faces the ground like a laborer bearing a great weight. Only the familiar clink and clacks of the bone saws hanging from his pack give any indication that the worm wanderer is anyone familiar. For a moment, he stops - looks around - and comes to rest against the beam of a porch. Something was different in this town...Though maybe it was just because he’d forgotten the look of the place, after so long an absence. 

“What a terrible day...”

[serpentwined]

Second batch of commissions, a gift purchased by @velvettodraws for @sinilakki @firsandfletchings and @attheborderofoblivion

[attheborderofoblivion]

FRIEND SENT ME A BIRTHDAY PRESENT LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS

LOOKIT THAT DOVAHKIIN

FUCKING LEEROYING UP THE WORLD EATER

[attheborderofoblivion]

(No, I’m not one bit sorry for this ✿ヾ╲(｡◕▽◕｡)╱✿)

[attheborderofoblivion]

koussikka replied to your post:koussikka replied to your post:[6:23:04 P Kelly...

(Or at least gifting the world with Elvis. Long live the king!)

[ Who needs Elisif when you can have Elvis ]

[attheborderofoblivion]

koussikka replied to your post:[6:23:04 P Kelly (Brethyn!mod): And fun fact:...

(Autocorrect is super helpful in making me look like in idiot XD)

[ No, just super precious and worthy of protection for gifting the world with humor ]

[attheborderofoblivion]

[6:23:04 PM] Kelly (Brethyn!mod): And fun fact: those scattered thoughts are from three different people :3 [6:23:25 PM] Kelly (Brethyn!mod): There Is Another

[6:23:39 PM] Reetta ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ: Three people?? Well, shit, hopefully the third person here is on Breth’s side rather than Elvis’s!

[6:23:55 PM] Kelly (Brethyn!mod): We're all against Elvis in this household

And so @koussikka mod spoils the grand climax of my story arc

[attheborderofoblivion]

[ PS I made a Brethyn dragon, someone save me from scale baby hell ]

Spoiler alert: He’s still a wandering healer. Just with scales.

[attheborderofoblivion]

Some updates that shouldn’t surprise anyone in the least below the cut

Real-life adulting is fucking exhausting, so I rarely have had the energy to get to drafts. Hopefully it’ll get a little easier after midterms this coming week! At the very least, I got the class load for my birthday reduced from 5 in a row to just 1. Still, writing is probably going to be a weekends-only activity due to me having to sleep at 9pm to get ready for work in time the next day.

I’m very appreciative of everyone who’s been awesomely patient with me and my perpetual inability to zoom zoom the clicky-clack. However, if you ever feel you’d like to drop, that’s perfectly alright! Just send me a message and that’ll be that :)

[askdusty]

Ask my character a question about yours.

Their relationship, habits, something they’ve done together - and my character will answer their feelings on the matter truthfully.

[attheborderofoblivion]

Cycles

From within the warmly lit confines of a farmer’s spare outbuilding, Brethyn looks up at the moon with sour dread dripping down the back of his throat. He couldn’t care less for the omens portended by this change in the lunar cycle, occupied as his mind was with fighting off encroaching memories. The candle is guttering in its neglect. He’d almost rather it went out. The city had been burning that night. Tonight, he can feel the smoke scorching his throat as sharply as it had so long ago. Screams climb out of his mind and settle in his ear to sing. He can’t even write, weighed down as his arms are clutching his father’s unmoving body. Damn the n’wah in the temple!

Bang bang bang!

“Eh, ah-! Um, a...Just a minute!” The knocking sends the rotting old door jangling as metal hits wood. Brethyn stands on shaky legs to approach it, still half caught up in the haze of his thoughts. He had to focus for this, he reminds himself with a strike to the forehead, tonight is dangerous. So rather than open the door immediately, he calls through it:

“Are you in need of a healer, sera?"

[koussikka-deactivated20240223]

Ah, so it was a knee problem or so the healer claimed it to be. He has suspicion it was probably more than that and makes a mental note to thread extra carefully while avoiding anything to do with knees. And maybe hands, because it’s the only thing he can think of that possibly was a wrong move. It was better be safe than sorry. In despite of what happened moment ago Koussikka doesn’t think he’s managed to screw up too bad yet, since the healer was still interested in doing things.

Returning the smile he starts to count coins on the table. ”As you wish. I’ll leave the tipping to you then.” Just then it crosses his mind that when exchanging introductions Brethyn didn’t go for a handshake but a bow, there definitely was something about hands. Digesting this new piece his over-analyzing brought on Koussikka gets lost in thought for a second until he remembers that he was kind of in the middle of something here. Hastily he finishes counting the coins, in haste stacking a bit too much on top of their bill.

”Um, so, yeah. You still up for that drink, or…?”

[attheborderofoblivion]

“Of course! I’ll be ready to go once I hand this off to the waitress.” Brethyn perks up at the chance to contribute something to the financial exchange, smiling brightly as he tosses an extra seven septims into the pile. He carefully collects the lot into two neat little towers before turning to Koussikka. Without missing a beat, he reaches out and attempts to rest his hand high up on Koussikka’s thigh. 

“It won’t be long at all. Hopefully you won’t mind a little wait?” Brethyn asks with all the innocence in the world, leaning in to hide the exact position of his hand from onlookers and hopefully push Koussikka off his guard. "After all, we’ll be spending quite a bit of time together soon enough...”

[llerynserathis]

“Of course…healing is in terribly high demand. And you must have seen some sorry fetchers indeed, sera, if that is how you see me. I’ve not been spared the hardships of those Vvardenfell-bred, Saints no. I only endure out of pure spite to the Nords,” Lleryn quips, taking a drink too. “Nevertheless, I am flattered. The old ways are never quite forgotten to me, though so much has changed. And what else is left of our old home but we lost stragglers and our fire?”

The air shimmers a little over his right hand; not quite a flame, because Rendar would be after his hide, but the heat of it is still very much there. “However, as you well know, the frosts of Eastmarch never hold well with our fire-blooded kindred, and in this cold city especially, we do better to pool our flames.”

[attheborderofoblivion]

“Is spite not one of the crucial virtues of our society? Where would Morrowind be if not for the spite of the good Queen against the traitorous? The righteous anger of Nerevar’s spirit, which narrowly delivered us from total ruin? We have not survived ash, fire and unholy abominations by the gentility and mercy of our hearts!” Brethyn laughs as he lifts one hand to hover within centimeters of Lleryn’s. 

At first he only enjoys the warmth already present, feeling a nearly-forgotten sense of homely comfort from the sensation. But there’s something in the other mer’s expression that puts heat and hope in his gut, banishing the fleeting familiarity to focus on his original purpose in speaking to this mer. Brethyn summons a not-quite-flame to match Lleryn’s as his expression slips into a sly slant. 

“And am I being delusional, or might you mean something a little more personal by that mention of ‘pooling flames’? It’s certainly a cold enough night to warrant a little sharing, no?”

[nethyn-deactivated20160907]

Unfamiliar | [Brethyn|Nethyn]

[nethyn-deactivated20160907]

He’s heard of the ‘face sculptor’ and has always had his doubts, his suspicions… and he has already attempted to have them removed. Not professionally, but he’s tried.

Brethyn is right, but he doesn’t want to admit it. And he reflexively covers his chest a bit more on the mention of ‘lasting impressions’ – there’s enough concern right now. No one needs to see those scars.

“I don’t think I can get much more risky.” He can. Oh, he can, but he won’t. “If you think that… eugh, that ‘face sculptor’ could be any help, I’m not going to argue. Too tired for that.” 

Nethyn glances toward his son, who is entertaining himself by seeing just how much of his own fist he can put in his mouth. The boy should be done nursing soon enough; he won’t need them.

“I’ll think about it.” No, he won’t. There’s windows that still need replacing and he’s hardly got the money to keep the inn running properly, never mind fix his own personal problems. Brethyn doesn’t need to know that, though.

[attheborderofoblivion]

Not going to argue, but equally not going to consider the suggestion. His feel for the situation has him leaning toward that being the meaning behind Nethyn’s silence and reluctant admissions. Brethyn’s had these sorts of patients before. Perhaps it was a religious issue of bodily integrity, perhaps cost, perhaps fear, but it was hardly a pressing issue at the current moment. This mer was stubborn and hell-bent, if nothing else, and he would likely only be scratching at stone to try to fight his decisions.

“I might be able to perform a service in exchange for her to lower the price, if you come to such a decision. Either way, it’s hardly of immediate relevance. How is your chest feeling now? Have you been feeling any aftershocks of the seizures?” It was always best to ask directed questions with the stubborn types, he’d learned. General inquiries opened up opportunities for lying by omission or redirecting the conversation. That, and it was just obviously simpler to get to the meat of the problem immediately.

[attheborderofoblivion]

blessings of mara here! the deleted confession will be put back off. im sorry for giving into demands so easily, ill work harder in the future to keep the blog a free space. sorry this is on anon, its a sideblog. i never meant to cause drama.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear: The immaturity of another is in no way your fault. 

You were panicking and did what you thought was best to keep your blog an impartial space for praise and appreciation. It’s not your fault you were put on the spot by someone lacking in basic 1st grade manners and respect. My post was aimed specifically at that person for making selfish, manipulative demands of you. THEY are the cause of the drama that occurred, not you. And if they try to say that you were, do let me know. I will rip their manipulative ass a new hole. 

Now let me make a second thing clear: I am sorry if my RAEG-fueled post made you upset or anxious in any way, and I will remove it if you’d like.

For you, the mod and victim of this nonsense, I have nothing but sympathy and respect for having to deal with such a nasty person and the drama their pettiness incited. I didn’t consider your feelings before making the post, and for that I’m truly sorry. I’ll have it down ASAP if you’d like! Please keep up the beautiful work with your blog and all the good intentions it represents! I’ve sent things into your blog a few times and I admire the dedication you put into making an image to fit every compliment. I made the post out of anger and revulsion that someone was trying to use your blog as a staging grounds for their personal grudges - an aim that is not only inherently pathetic, but completely counteractive to the express purpose of your blog in the first place.  

I have a guess at who tried to get you to take that specific compliment down and why, and if I’m right then at least you know one drama llama that’s better off avoided! 

[attheborderofoblivion]

(Your opinion on pickles?)

“Delightful! Do you know where to find a good one in this town?” Brethyn leans forward in his seat and pins the questioner with a raised eyebrow and attentive gaze.

[firsandfletchings]

On Public Forums and the Use Thereof

[ So someone requested a compliment from blessings-of-mara be removed because of what I can only assume is a personal disagreement with a user who got a feature on the blog. To the person who wanted it taken down, I have a few words:

Okay, so, stick with me here as I explain something COSMICALLY COMPLICATED - Confession blogs are public forums.

Public

Forums

IE. Not only for those RPers you personally approve of. They’re for everyone in the community, and you don’t have the right to request a compliment post be taken down because of your own personal drama with said person. 

Let me repeat that: You, person who requested a compliment be removed, do not have that right when you are approaching a public forum. Hell, you don’t even have that right when approaching another RPer! It’s their goddamn blog! As long as they’re not hurting anyone or breaking a law, leave them be and move on!

Do you know what you DO have a right to do?

1. Use Tumblr savior/XKit blacklist - It is, has been, and always will be the individual’s responsibility to decide what content they want to see on their dashboard. You can use these programs to better tailor your experience if certain urls cause you distress.

2. The Unfollow Button - Let me remind you that you CHOSE TO FOLLOW A PUBLIC FORUM. This button is a scary, powerful thing, I know. But quite frankly, if you can’t understand that the world doesn’t revolve around you and you don’t have a right to demand that it do so? You’d save everyone’s time by clicking this neat little button and moving on with your life. You’ll be tagged if you ever get mentioned in a confession, and most who receive them will reblog them to their own blog anyway. This is the mature thing to do if you don’t want to use a blacklist, and you will not miss out on anything pertinent to yourself. 

Sorry to my followers for the rant, but I have Strong Opinions about this kind of thing. Please, let’s all remember how to be mature adults and not pitch fits like jealous 1st graders seeing someone else win a piece of candy. ]