#ice-and-arrows

[dearestjesterart]

Aurora by DearestJester More gift art.

[sszyrr-the-learned]

Oghma Infinium

Oghma Infinium: When faced with the true depths of their own ignorance, how does your character react? 

Interestingly enough, there are usually two results which may come of such revelations. 

The first result is just... not good. It's sort of like thinking you're really, really good at something or at least doing a lot better at something than you were before -- only to be told that no, you aren't good at it, you aren't progressing-- in fact you may even be digressing and you're awful and you should just stop. It's not a good feeling. 

One minute Szz'yrr may be feeling as if he's on top of the world - maybe he learned a new word, or a new custom, or he figured out how to pronounce a word correctly, y'know? But then he meets someone who has an infinitely better vocabulary and just looks normal and then it's very hard for him to want to keep going because he feels like he's tossing grains of sand into a desert and just - what's the point? 

[sszyrr-the-learned]

Nothing Personal [Szz'yrr + Aurora]

As nice as Falkreath was, overall, it was a bit out of the way. I mean-- With the closest city being Whiterun--and that was debatable, as one mountain-pass gone and you were at Markarth--and even that taking about a week to-and-from, Falkreath was easy when you had people willing to travel, and difficult when you had people who weren't. 

So when Solaf was given word that his usual supplier had lost his best couriers to competition, and he was unable to hire more and thus charging Solaf nearly three times as much as he usually would for Solaf's supplies... well-- That really only left one option. 

See, this supplier in question had been selling wares to Solaf for insanely discounted prices on account of the couriers he usually sent were warriors. Straight-up warriors who were asked to do nothing more but ensure a mule or two loaded with supplies reached Falkreath, safely, and usually they complied without qualm because they were being paid to take a vacation from usual mercenary work. Over the years competition had raised prices absurdly high due to wars and other economic and physical threats and yet Solaf's supplier only raised his prices when it was absolutely necessary - and even then not much. 

Solaf wasn't just going to go to anyone else. It was like going to a new physician, having to go through the song and dance, having to learn about them and... no. It just wasn't worth it. 

Normally a store owner couldn't leave his store but it would only be for a week, and he wouldn't be leaving it unattended or even all that closed. 

Why? 

Aurora. 

Solaf set out on Sundas with three bare mules and a horse and with the instructions that she essentially just keep the shop clean, don't sell to seedy people, and don't make very large business deals until he gets back. Very simple. Aurora was young, beautiful, responsible... she could certainly handle a task as simple as taking care of a shop, right? Everything was set up for her. She didn't need to do anything she wouldn't do if her father WAS there. 

Simple. 

Or.... 

....it would have been, had the shop not been Szz'yrr's last resort. 

See... under normal circumstances, Szz'yrr would have gladly taken roots and bugs to eat over stealing. Any time. Any time, that is, except when he's been close to death and unable to fend for himself until his wound closed up and, because of the nature of the wound, it made anything he DID manage to eat--leaves, dirt, nettles--almost immediately come back up again in projectile vommitting. 

Now his wound was closed, though, and healed enough that for the first time in almost half a month he felt hungry. 

He was starving. 

Literally so. 

It was all he could do to keep an arm coddling the scabbed-over and scarring-over belly-wound where he'd been stabbed by a startled passerby in reflex while he dragged, stumbled, and mostly-crawled into Falkreath. He knew that scavenging in this shape was going to be nothing short of impossible and so he knew he'd have to do the easiest thing. 

Steal. 

He knew the tavern had food, but to steal from it would be unwise as the tavern never slept, always remaining open for occupants. The only other place he knew of in Falkreath which would have food was the general store: Grey-Pine Goods. 

Aurora, fast asleep upstairs, may or may not have been awoken when a small rock was used to tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-CRASH open a hole in a window, and from there Szz'yrr used his bare hands to push the hole open wider, littering his palm with tiny slivers of glass in doing so, before he made the hole just big enough to squeeze through. 

Szz'yrr claimed himself to be a being of purpose, of intelligence, a being in the constant pursuit of knowledge and yet here he was crawling over the window-sil, landing with a dull thump on the pile of glass he'd made, rolling off of it with small shards making blood to bead to the surface of his skin on his bare back while he crawled around on the floor of the shop, about as quietly as he could, and finally to the basement where the food was likely stored. 

But it was locked. 

And aside that, the handle was too high up for him to reach, and he was too weak to stand now. 

Expression twisting into a dismayed cringe, he turned to go try to crawl back out the window... but then, behind the counter, he saw it-- a jar of salted nuts. Likely for Aurora or Solaf to munch on as a snack during the day. 

In this state of injured starvation, everything Szz'yrr had worked to become--a scholar, an overworlder, a person--was thrown away and exchanged for the stark animalistic nature of that of his kin. He scrambled for the jar on hands and knees like a wild animal, took the jar, and pried the lid off the top before plunging his face into the opening and tipping it back to engorge himself while nuts spilled past his ears and tumbled to the floor. 

It wasn't anything personal against Aurora, or Solaf, or the shop. 

He was hurt, scared, and most of all hungry. 

[running-from-regrets]

Aurora stood up on the Balcony of Grey-Pine goods, and watched the townspeople go about their daily lives. Nothing really out of the ordinary happened and not a single traveler came into town. The guards knew that the day was boring, the way they casually walked and spoke with each other. On the other hand, the Imperial Soldiers were uptight as usual. Aurora rested her head against her hand, at that moment she caught glimpse of the kahjiit.

The Khajiit stumbled out of Dead Man’s Drink with a look of increasing perplexion as she glanced down at the scrap of paper in her trembling, furred hands.

"I…don’t understand this," she muttered to herself, utterly exasperated. In her deep concentration, the cat knocked right into a guard - stammering out a nervous apology and puffing up her fur at the angry response, she quickly jogged across the small pathway towards the store and hid behind its structure for a time.

A hefty sigh escaped her once she figured out she wasn’t wanted, and M’nari slid down the building’s wall into a sit - still trying to comprehend the parchment’s contents.

[dwiin-kendov-archive]

"Be intimate with me."

22. waking someone up from a nightmare

At first he didn't notice anything was wrong. He was fast asleep after a long day of hassle and worry. He was much to weary and far too gone to even attempt to stay up. He should have tried. It would have saved him the terrible start he got when she screamed. "My love, what is wrong?" Drogo asked when he had finally woken up and soothed her. She was calm now, but breathing heavy and very upset. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm to try and show her that he was here and there was nothing to be afraid of. "Hush now, love." 

[nord-with-spirit-blog]

1,4,8!

Elder Scrolls Asks

Which TES games have you played? 

In all honesty I am somewhat very new to the whole TES universe and such. I got Skyrim last year in December and fell in love with it. I wish to play the other games soon, but I just need the time to fully explore and such. I did play a little bit of the BETA for Elder Scrolls Online because a friend of mine had one of the Early Access Keys or whatever and gave me it. It kinda disappointed me but again that was the BETA. I have no idea what the actual product is like. 

Favorite Race

Well, I often play as a Nord because my own features and personality kinda resembles them in many ways but I started off with a Khajiit. It's really hard because I haven't played as all the races yet so I don't have an accurate answer to give you. But, probably, it's Khajiits. 

Which province would you live in?

Probably Skyrim since that is the one I know of the most. I would live a quiet life in maybe Riverwood or Whiterun or Ivarstead because of how calm and beautiful the area is. 

[justadunmermage]

"Am i doing this right?"

The mage studied the conjured bow and reached out to pass his fingers against the coalesced magicka. "It's weak, you need to concentrate more to pull it to this plane."

[ardentleaf]

@ice-and-arrows started following Lumiras

"Milady", the Bosmer said with a nod, upon spotting the woman. "Say, is there an inn in this town as well? I only see a graveyard, but people might get offended if I take a drink with those fellows. Gosh it's hot in here. Pardon me."

Despite the obviously not hot weather, he removed his jacket and fanned his face with it.