#kauch.txt

[kauchenoe]

For Hel and Vilkas! 🩵

🌹 Who fell harder & who fell first?

🧳 If they had to run away together tomorrow, where would they go?

=^.^=

The question was asked by @blue-dartwing; thank you.

Sometimes, when I have the desire, the opportunity, and an idea to answer a question with a picture or a comic, I do just that. If you've asked a question and haven't gotten a reply for a while, it doesn't mean I'm ignoring you. It means I'm making a picture. The answer will come – just a little later (I usually warn you about the wait).

As for OC – feel free to ask. With forms, without forms, serious, funny, personal, combat-related, anything else – if you're interested, go ahead.

1. Definitely Hel.

It took her a while to admit it, but she didn't hide the truth from herself.

"These things happen, nothing shameful about it." – no fuss, no dodging.

The real hang-up was something else: how to let him know that she cared about him, and how to find out if she mattered to him in return – that was far more complicated. And waiting for the right moment took wayyyy more time than she'd ever imagined. Much longer. She never expected it would take a ton of patience, and that before everything became clear, fate would drag them through such trials that her old fears would end up seeming almost innocent in comparison.

But that's a whole other story.

2. Vilkas isn't the type to take off suddenly or spontaneously, as if answering a call of nature.

Running away is more Hel's thing. However, no one canceled a planned vacation, and Vilkas had long been thinking about visiting Morrowind. To his luck (or misfortune – he hadn't decided yet), he got the chance to visit Morrowind with Hel. She caught wind of his plans and immediately latched onto them with a death grip: she wouldn't let the trip slip into the foggy realm of "someday." For her – a wandering soul who loved roaming without a route – this was a rare opportunity: to "walk" the Harbinger himself into the lands of the Dark Elves. It would be a crime against nature to pass that up. To Vilkas's credit, he didn't put up much of a fight. He himself wasn't opposed to a change of scenery. Even if some people are convinced he's a homebody who never leaves Jorrvaskr (which is completely untrue!).

But there's one catch. A character trait that can turn an idyll into a little comedy. Hel loves to haggle. For her, it's a sport, a thrill, bargaining for bargaining's sake. Watching these battles from the sidelines is amusing – for the first five minutes. After that, every merchant gets drawn into an endless race that tires everyone out except Hel. Especially Vilkas. She, on the other hand, gets into the swing of it, her face wearing that look of anticipation that says, "Now she's going to swindle everyone out of a few dozen septims."

"She really pushed it too far with the map. Should have stopped at the meat" -Vilkas remarked later, but it was too late. Still, he was used to it by now. And he'd even, it seemed, started to find some dubious entertainment in it. At least now he knew for sure: if Hel falls silent and smiles while staring at a price tag, it means the show's about to start in a minute. And it's best to just step aside and watch. After all, this was their shared vacation. And whatever it turned out to be, boring it certainly wasn't.

As for Hel? She had her own favorite spot too, but more on that a little later.

P.S. I apologize in advance for any errors; I am using a translator.

[kauchenoe]

Today WIP

Today a WIP (@marahsfandomloves ). Also, a little "explanatory note" about my current presence mode.

Activity: my activity on the platform has decreased and taken on a distinctly wave-like pattern. This is absolutely NOT spontaneous burnout and NOT a loss of interest in creativity — I'm doing fine — it's a conscious adaptation to my current life rhythm. I'm still around — I'll keep an eye on the feed and support you sporadically. I also want to thank everyone who sincerely takes an interest in my art. Your genuine attention and support are truly pleasant, and I appreciate it far more than you can imagine.

As for the creative process: the desire to draw hasn't gone anywhere — it remains at a high level of intensity. The number of ideas exceeds my current pace of execution. I'll be posting pictures as I finish them.

I have an interesting collab in the works. It will bring together two people: Vilkas — an awesome dude who needs no introduction — and someone else no less awesome. This pairing turned out unexpected even for me, but the duo has powerful potential. I think there will definitely be those who'll enjoy it. Personally, I'm already loving it and having fun.

Oh, and it's my birthday in a few days, so I'm allowing myself a little period of hedonism: I'll be stuffing my face with cake and joyfully kicking... ahem. Cherries.

[kauchenoe]

Tag Game. Uncommon Questions for OCs and their creators:

Reblog by @drow-drow-drow

💬 74  🔁 35850  ❤️ 40029 · Uncommon Questions for OCs and their creators: · Send me a # (questions for OCs) or a letter (questions for creato

Thank you, @cresu. That’s very timely; I wanted to do a bit of thinking.

7. What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

"Smells. Smells trigger powerful and precise nostalgia faster than anything. And it's not at all because I'm a werewolf, heh.

Before everything that happened at Jorrvaskr, my sense of smell was perfectly normal – my olfactory bulbs hadn't gone mad yet and I perceived all scents just like an ordinary person. For every stretch of time, for every important period of my life – bad or good – I have a scent and the associations tied to it. The limbic system – ancient and accurate – important information that shapes our reactions is processed right here, deep down. – Hel lightly taps her occipital bone. – That's why scents have such a serious influence on our emotional and mental states. It can be frightening and awe-inspiring at the same time. Now, a few examples. The smell of sea water carried from the Sea of Ghosts on a cold winter's day, salt, fresh fish, wet planks – that's Dawnstar, my childhood. Old leather goods worn with time, pipe smoke, a sweat-soaked linen shirt – that's my father. My mother isn't associated with anything. She's fine, she was there and she's still alive, but I just couldn't latch on to her "spirit of perfume" – that happens too. The scent of conifers, resin, fresh-cut wood, the fur of sleeping bags that have been lying around – that's about the trips with my brothers, when everything was far simpler and more carefree, the future seemed clear and every hardship was manageable.

Do I like this feeling? Definitely. But in moderation. Too much nostalgia – and there you are, stuck in the past, reliving every moment all over again – the good and the bad – more soul-searching, while the future has already faded into the background and isn't waiting for you to come around. You have to put the emphasis on living, not on memories. You have to look ahead, where there's sure to be something good that I'll feel nostalgic about many years from now.

For instance, how Vilkas was running away from me all across Whiterun. – Hel chuckled. – Now that I'll remember with pleasure."